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The 'Invitation'

Discussion in 'Fundamental Baptist Forum' started by Rubato 1, Mar 31, 2008.

  1. North Carolina Tentmaker

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    Admitting that it has a cultural history where I live combining the invitation and altar call can be a powerful tool of evangelism. And yes I know we don’t have a real altar today, but we still call the front of the church the altar. That is where we kneel and offer ourselves to God. No we don’t have to do it there, but often we do. If this does not fit the culture of your church or location then don’t use it. Certainly there is no biblical mandate here. But in areas where you can use it, use it. Yes I know,
    But what if the Holy Spirit wants to use us to create such an atmosphere? The Key is to be sensitive to the spirit.

    I do not always have an alter call but do more often than not. It depends on how the spirit leads.

    Sorry Debbie, but I usually divide the alter call into two parts. The first verse I usually emphasize those who need to make spiritual decisions. Those who are lost and want to be saved but perhaps don’t know how, and others who have spiritual needs. Then with the second verse (or second half if the spirit leads us to more than two verses) I emphasize the more clerical needs; families that wish to join the church, those who wish to make public other decisions during the week, and other things like that.

    Effective presentation of God’s word will force men and women to make a decision. They will either accept or reject God’s message. The third option is like those in Athens who after hearing Paul’s words said they would think about it and get back to him. (My paraphrase of Acts 17:32) With the invitation/altar call I see our goal as trying to get those 3rd option fence riders to make a decision. You know that is a biblical idea (Luke 12:20)
     
  2. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    Well said! :thumbs:

    The Lord has worked mightily in my life through the public invitation. (The circles I grew up in never called it the altar call because we never believed we had an altar in the church.) I was saved at home, but dedicated my life to the Lord at age 16 at a public invitation. It was a solemn and holy moment for me when I stood before the church and promised God I would do whatever He wanted me to. I've kept that promise, even to the other side of the earth. Then at age 18 God the Holy Spirit moved me very powerfully to go forward and tell the evangelist that I was called to preach--another holy moment. I was called to be a missionary during a public invitation also. I answered the call in my seat without going forward, but it was still in answer to the invitation, given in a missionary conference.

    You who oppose or even make fun of the public invitation, consider what you are doing. It may not be part of your culture or theology, but it is certainly not unbiblical, and the Holy Spirit has worked a holy work in the hearts of many of us through a public invitation. God works that way--one Christian to another, whether it be one on one or in public.

    "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (John 7:37). Sounds like a public invitation to me.
     
  3. DeafPosttrib

    DeafPosttrib New Member

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    Invitation is not find anywere in the Bible. But, I believe invitation is necesscary in the services. Do not forget in Revelation 22:17, Jesus says, "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'COME, And let him that heaereth say, COME. And let him that is athirst COME. And whosever will(want), let him take the water of life freely."This is a picture of invitation. We do not force or push people to come down. Unless, if they feel convict from the Holy Spirit in their hearts, if they feel want to be saved, let them come, and we can help them how to become saved. They need salvation, not let them go away without have Jesus. If suppose, no invitation at the church. Person feel convict from Holy Spirirt. Person have no idea how to pray. Who's will help person to become saved. When after the service ovewr, person go home and drive, maybe get in accident, then got killed. Person might miss pray for ask Christ to saved, it would be too late for perosn to become saved. I believe invitation is very important and necesscary. People needs to know Lord, and want salvation. We can come and to help them to become saved. Church always open to lost people. We cannot close the door to lost people. Weclome them in, show our love to them, that they need Christ. In ChristRev. 22:20 -Amen!
     
  4. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    David, I want to make sure that we all understand the rationale for the practice. It grows out of our soteriology. I'm convinced that most pastors haven't thought that part through--it's the only way they've ever known or seen practiced. Where you start determines where you come out. As a worship and music leader, I did the same thing for many years. Only after I embraced Calvinism did I begin to rethink things, 35 years ago. I'm still not against the use--only the misuse and abuse.
     
  5. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    I'd never second-guess you on that. I related that true story, not to make a case for eliminating the invitation, but to show that it's not not critical to the growth of the kingdom of God, nor to evangelism and mission efforts.

    Those same churches also had a rigorous probation term for new converts. About two years. This was designed to test whether that profession of faith was valid.

    This produced an interesting thing. Church attendance was usually twice the membership. Compare this to the typical American church, where church attendance runs about 30-40% of the membership. I wonder why the difference. Could it be how the gospel is presented, and how they handle new converts?

    BTW, Paul's exhortation was not couched as an invitation, but a command to repent.
    Paul's exhortation was part of his sermon, not a separate component at the end.
    Paul explained how to be saved as part of his sermon, not afterward.
    Just some thoughts
     
  6. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Let me aswer this from both the Calvinist and non-Calvinist perspective.

    If you are a non-Calvinist, you hold that God foreknew who would would choose to follow him, and elected them to salvation. They will be saved, and there is no way they will not be saved. The failure to give an invitation will have no role in whether they will be saved. They will be saved at some point. They will not die in an accident before they are saved. Those who leave unsaved and die were never going to be saved.

    If you are a Calvinist, then you hold the those whom God has elected to salvation will hear the gospel and be saved. They will not die before that happens. God will lose none of them.

    Obviously, we do not know who those people are, so we must preach the gospel to all who will listen, and exhort all to repent and turn to Christ for salvation. But their salvation is not dependent on whether we give an invitation or not.
     
  7. Mike McK

    Mike McK New Member

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    There's nothing morally or Biblically wrong with giving a public invitation but I would be hesitant to give one simply because I'd be too afraid that someone might come forward under the influence of emotion or peer pressure and not because they were convicted by the Holy Spirit or genuinely repentant.

    I'll usually just explain that there are people in blue shirts (when we go as a group, we wear shirts from our church's evangelism team) who are available to anyone who wants to know more about what I (or whoever was speaking) said or wants to know how they can be born again, forgiven of their sins, reconciled to God and made a child of His.
     
  8. North Carolina Tentmaker

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    Say What?

    You just said that Calvinsts and non-Calvinists both believe in election. I don't believe in election, only God's omniscient foreknowledge. I believe their salvation may very well be dependent on whether we give an invitation or not. If the Holy Spirit lays it on my heart to share the gospel with them and I don't it can make a difference as to the eternal state of their soul.

    Now we have debated Calvinism to death on other threads and I understand what you believe Tom. But I believe that people can will be saved as a result of our lives (James 5:20). For people who believe that like me the invitation is very important.
     
  9. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Neither do I believe that God saves independently of means. It pleases God to save through the foolishness of preaching. (I Cor 1:21)

    I'm wondering if I have misrepresented the non-Calvinist soteriology. I don't think I have, but I am open to correction. But most non-Cals I know believe in election. They differ with Cals over the basis of God's choosing. And they believe that humans are equipped with the abilty to freely chose.

    However, you invoke God's foreknowledge, which I presume you mean is God's knowledge of who will exercise saving faith in the future. If that is what you believe, then whether you believe in election is immaterial. The destiny of those whom God foreknew is sealed. They will be saved. Not one of those will (or even might) go to hell if you don't give an invitation.

    I am not going to debate election. I was trying to explain the basis for the methods used by both Cals and non-Cals to call people to salvation.

    If God uses your preaching to prick the hearts of lost men and women, I am grateful.

    If God uses your exhortation to call them to himself, I am grateful.
     
  10. North Carolina Tentmaker

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    But that is exactly the opposite of what I am saying. What I believe anyway, is that they will or at least might go to hell if I don't give an invitation. I don't want to get tied up in the elect/forknowledge word debate. God's forknowledge is perfect. He knows who will be saved. He also knows whether I will give an invitation or not. The foreknowledge of those two events are intertwined and the two events are still dependent upon one another.

    I believe strongly that we can make a difference in the lives and souls of those we are called to minister to. If I did not believe that I would not work this hard.
     
  11. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    Fair enough. I finally understand your position, even though I disagree with it. I am wondering if other non-Cals share your view, and would be willing to comment one way or the other.
     
  12. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    Tom Response

    Hello Tom,

    I hope you are well. I would love to meet you personally at the Broadus Symposium at Southern on Sept 8 and 9. All of the contributors of the book should be speaking.

    Anyway, on to the subject of the thread: From a Rhetorician's point of view, why can we not, as preachers, call forth a response WHILE we are preaching?

    Why do we have to have an addendum "tacked on the end?"

    And some times, we have all heard what I am about to describe; the "invitation" does not even relate to the subject of the message, teaching, or address. It is like it it totally disjunctive.

    I maintain that the levels of ethos, pathos, and logos if and when accompanied by the power of our Blessed Holy Spirit is sufficient to call men, women, boys, and girls to "flee the wrath to come" and "cast themselves on Christ!"

    FWIW!:thumbs:
     
    #52 Rhetorician, Apr 4, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 4, 2008
  13. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    I'm not sure I'll be able to come, to the symposium, but I hope it goes well.

    Your point is exactly the point of my Romanian pastor friend, "we have come to believe that the Holy Spirit does not require us to create an atmosphere in which he can work. The Holy Spirit is sovereign."

    North Carolina Tentmaker asked in a earlier post, so what if the Holy Spirit iwants to use us to create an atmosphere? Since God uses means to bring lost people to himself, I'll grant NCT that much. I'm assuming that if the HS is moving NCT to create an atmosphere, he's also working on the object of that atmosphere.

    Since God saved me during an invitation, I don't reject their use. My conversion was the work of the HS, because I remember nothing of the sermon and nothing of the exhortation. It was that suddenly, the HS brought me face to face with my sins, and all those messages on hell, on repentance and faith which had no meaning to an 8-year-old, all of a sudden were crystal clear to a 9-year-old.

    Just once, though, I would like for the pastor to give his exhortation, call the lost to repentance, ask anyone who desires to transfer membership to make it known, and then..........then..............shut up! No choir, no congregational hymn, the pastor waiting and the people praying, waiting on the Holy Spirit.

    As a retired radio and TV broadcaster, I know how much we feared dead air--silence. I think a lot of preachers are like that too.
     
  14. J.D.

    J.D. Active Member
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    My wife and I are so glad that we are no longer under the invitation/altar call system. After thirty years of it, we came to dread that ritual. In the IFB churches we've been in, pastors don't feel effective unless people are responding to the invitation. This leads them to do things they wouldn't otherwise do, like use cheap emotional appeal, or accuse non-responders of "not caring about their lost loved ones", or other such nonsense.
     
  15. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    JD, just curious. When did you start having second thoughts about the invitation system? What triggered your re-evaluation?

    Is there a proper way to give one that you would approve?
     
  16. sag38

    sag38 Active Member

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    I see nothing wrong with an invitation or an alter call. However, when the pastor engages in manipulation tactics such as "ten seconds to hell," then I have a big problem. Or when the same hymn is sung over and over and over and over it's going too far. Then I want to walk the aisle just to end everyone else's misery.
     
  17. J.D.

    J.D. Active Member
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    Tom, I can't think of a single "trigger" that set me against the invitation/altar call system. It happened in increments. But I think the final straw was when my now former pastor said "We're not closing this service tonight until every teenager in this building is on the altar". So guess what happened? Yep, the altar filled up with compliant but unrepenting teens who were trying to get the service over with.

    To this point I haven't differentiated between the invitation and the altar call (though I think someone in this thread did make that distinction), but since you asked me what I would approve, I will do that now.

    Invitations = good.
    Invitation system = bad
    Altar calls = bad

    I think that invitations should be a regular event, but altar calls should never be given. Invitations are biblical but altar calls are no different than the Catholic superstitions built around a humanly-conceived "altar". An invitation to repent and/or believe should be built into the sermon itself, and expect that God may grant them repentance and faith while they sit in the pew and listen to the preaching, or it may be while they eat dinner later that day, and who knows when. Sow and water, but trust that God will give the increase. Invitations don't always fit in well with doctrinal sermons, so the preacher should use discretion to determine how or whether to do an invitation.

    And if it's known ahead of time that someone has decided to make a profession of faith or present themselves to the church for membership, why wait till the end of the sermon? Go ahead and invite them to come forward at the beginning of the service so everyone can enjoy to good news for the whole service! I visited a Reformed Baptist Church recently that does not give altar calls, and that morning tow men stood and gave testimonies of salvation at the beginning of the service. It gave the whole service a special light. But I fear that too many preachers want to wait till the end of the sermon so that people will think that THEIR sermon was the reason the people got saved. Sorry if I'm judging motives, but that's just the way I see it.

    When a person says to a pastor "Can I talk to you?" as they are departing, or call him on the phone, or come to his house, or even if they come down to the front of the church and intercept the pastor as the benediction is about to be offered, then they ARE responding to the invitation. You don't need an altar call. See what I mean?
     
  18. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    JD, thanks for your response, and an excellent one it is.

    Do any others of you have some examples of invitation abuse, misuse or manipulation lby the preacher?

    I remember one preacher years ago, who, failing to get any kind of response, finally played the ultimate card. He said, "is there someone here tonight who has meant a lot to you in your spiritual life? Is there someone here whose Christian example you appreciate. Why don't you go tell them so." People began moving toward other people, hugging, and soon tears flowed, and the preacher was satisfied. He had gotten a response, there had been "decisions", and the service was a success.
     
  19. Mexdeaf

    Mexdeaf New Member

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    I came to a point in my missionary and pastoral ministry where I felt that the invitation was more 'man-inspired' than 'Holy Ghost inspired'. As a consequence, I stopped giving invitations every service. I would only do so if I felt led of the Holy Spirit to do so.

    However, I always closed the service with an invitation to meet me or one of the other leaders of the church (I would point them out so they would know who they are) if they felt the need or had the desire to do so. I also trained our church leaders to take the initiative to speak to people after the service, especially first-time visitors, to ask them if they had any questions about the service or sermon afterwards.

    When we started doing that we had more 'quality conversions' than 'quantity conversions'. I think you pastors and missionaries will understand the difference.

    Many Christians get caught up in the emotion of the moment, go forward and nothing really changes in their lives. I am a firm believer that most real change happens away from the church, in our private times with God. If we do not fellowship with Him during the week, how can we expect a 3 minute prayer on Sunday to set everything right, then go back to ignoring Him? But I digress...

    Each of us will answer to our Master. May we always serve to please Him.
     
  20. Rubato 1

    Rubato 1 New Member

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    Well, then. :praying:I invite all of you to make an altar out of your desk:type: and make things right :tear:between you and your altar calls. This thread is not closing until every poster is on his knees.:1_grouphug: I'm gonna count to ten, and then your computer will blow to smithereens...
     
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