Featured Would You Give An Altar Call At A Funeral?

I imagine if messengers showed up at the annual convention with a snoot full, they would get thrown out.

 

I checked the "rules." Nothing there.

 

I agree.

 

EWF, just saw the thread about your wife's cancer surgery. I pray all is well. Even though the above exchange was fruitful, had I known about your wife, I would not have had it at this time. (There is no SBC rule book, only the "Faith and Message". Whether or not Church members can drink is up to each individual church.)

 

Thanks and in all honesty my mind was on her. My God graces us yesterday and I’m thankful... God has blessed us richly ... all the glory is His

 

Hmmm, is that why the SBC has not had influence up here... because of a past gentleman’s agreement?!? Is God to be so trivialized that the Word is not emphased in favor of territorial boundaries... forgive me but all I can see is Roman Soldiers playing dice for Christ’s garments.

 

The SBC has divvied up New Jersey between its Pennsylvania and New York state Conventions. Southern NJ got appended to Pennsylvania, while New York got the northern part of NJ.

 

But you must believe (be saved according to Jesus) or you would not decide.

 

Those who "go forward" already believe (are saved according to Jesus) or they would not go forward.

 

To do what, certainly not to plant churches.

 

Oh yea they would... it’s a nice warm and fuzzy & it gets attention. What I would like to know is can these folks give regeneration testimony, of desire to be reborn, of shame for past sin etc and is there any substantial follow up discipleship?

 

You must decide to believe.

 

If you didn't already believe, you would not consider it.

 

SBC May move into these independent churches but will they remain there... the independent communities will eventually throw them out after they find the grass isn’t any greener.

 

I agree... but let’s approach it like this. When confronted with God, the mind of a sinner never thinks that Gods way is good. The will is free to choose God. Nothing is stopping it. But the mind does not regard the submission to and the service of God as desirable. Rather, it turns from God, even when the gospel is presented. It turns away because it doesn’t want God to be sovereign over it. It doesn’t consider the righteousness of God to be the way of personal fulfillment & happiness. It doesn’t want its sinfulness exposed.

The way the sinners mind chooses is actually the way of alienation and misery, the end of which is death. But human beings think that sin is best. Therefore, unless God changes the way we think—-which he does by the miracle of the new birth—our minds always tell us to turn from God.

 

I see walking the aisle as a first step. It should be followed up by extensive discipleship.

 

Somewhat relevant to the OP. I attended a funeral yesterday and one of the preachers said that every funeral should include three things: acknowledge grief, make the hope of the gospel clear, and call to respond to the gospel. In the first one thing he referenced is that Christians do sorrow, not just as others who have no hope. He seemed to include or understand that comments about the deceased were part of acknowledging grief. With the "call to respond to the gospel" he apparently did not mean an altar call -- he didn't give one -- but just that the sermon would call those who just heard the gospel to their need to respond to it.