Church invitation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bro Blue
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I know exactly what you mean about going down and then getting up on cue. Every church probably has its regulars. Bad thing is I see young girls go down in groups sometime and they are acting all giggly. There doesn't seem to be a lot of seriousness about it. On the other hand, I see some that I would bet almost anything they are sincere.
Maybe you've heard when you're supposed to come to the altar...when God speaks to you, and if He didn't. That would mean 100% attendance at the altar every time!
 
I do think we rely too much on emotionalism and subtle manipulation to get people to come forward, and I sort of doubt that altar calls as they are usually practiced are biblical at all. I also dislike the whole "eyes closed, nobody looking around".... "now come forward in front of everyone if you really meant it" type of altar calls.

I think that God is more likely to move people during the sermon or prayer time than afterwards during the invitation, and the use of music and the way some pastors draw it our longer and longer and start listing reasons to try to pressure people to come forward is relying on emotions or trained behavior (knowing we're supposed to come forward, rather than being prompted by God to), rather than on the work of the Holy Spirit.

I also dislike it because it seems like a lot of people who rely heavily on the altar call thrive on the people who come forward repeatedly to make a decision and I think that sort of thing can wreak havoc in a body of believers by causing people who are saved to doubt their salvation and also by getting people to come forward and pray when they haven't yet really repented and believed. I don't know how many people I've heard either say "I went forward and prayed.... but I didn't really believe it/wasn't really saved", either because it's the truth or because they had repented and believed and then let someone convince them they they must not have because they were still sinning (often because they were breaking with church cultural rules, not even really sinning against God).
 
Unfortunately, the invitation has become less a tool to help people make public decisions about something the Lord may be speaking to their heart about, and more of a score card for preachers. This is true in a lot of the ifb world; don't know about others. I have heard preachers say to each other and in sermons, "I had this many down to the altar. Everywhere I go the altar is filled with people making decisions and lives changed." (How do you know?)
 
Do you think that the preachers that give that type of invitation really think about what they're doing, or is it just something they feel is to be expected? Maybe they think that the altar call is a good indicator of how good their sermon was. On the other hand, there is a lot of preachers that do a lot of things that come from tradition and don't have an ulterior motive at all. They've just been trained that way and don't know anything else.
 
I usually ask folks to stand for the closing prayer, remind them our leaders are always available to talk with them and pray with them, and close in prayer. I also might have everyone stand and give them a minute or two for silent prayer before reminding them of the above and having the closing prayer.

 
Bro Blue said:
Do any of you guys think that invitations are a bit over done? Do you think that preachers usually use that time to drum up a little emotion? I've heard a bunch of times, ' teaching is for knowledge, but preaching is for decisions'. So usually that means that at least two times a week you need to make a decision. Usually at the altar. I've listened to a lot of preaching, and usually when the voice drops low and an illustration starts it's almost time for ' Just as I am'. I've heard stories from the past about how saints used to come to the altar weeping and really getting a hold of God, but seems to be becoming a religious ritual or because of being guilt tripped into it. What say you?
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Finneyism, pure and simple. Altar calls are not part of the RPW.

AMR
 
You might get me to walk the aisle if the decision to be made were to consume either a piece of coffee-dusted ginger cake over a bowl of brussel sprouts.

res_des_vancofdusgincak.jpg


:P
 
I was reading something about Finney here a while back. Something about an anxious seat or something. What is RPW?
 
We usually just sing a song. Our pastor will invite people to come if they like. He doesn't have the "bow your heads and close your eyes" type of invitation. The Holy Spirit doesn't require your eyes to be closed to work. The Holy Spirit also doesn't have to wait till verse 12 of Just as I Am to work either.
 
Bro Blue said:
I was reading something about Finney here a while back. Something about an anxious seat or something. What is RPW?
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Click the link in the word in my post.

AMR

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Thanks. Interesting read. Got anything on what they believed was the correct, biblically mandated worship?
 
Inhisdebt said:
Not a pastor but have stood through the way over done alter beg a thons to get bodies down the isle to report it out to the SOL.

I have also been in services when the preaching was about done, people came down the isles to settle things with God without the preacher begging or singing even started. Theses are few and far between anymore.

Recently in a church where a good report was given about Gods hand in the healing of a newborn. You could tell much prayer had gone out on this matter from the amens and glories heard all around. The song leader got up and started a congregational song as part of the normal service. It wasn't long before the alter was full of people giving prayerful praise to God. You don't forget these experiences.
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I've seen preachers (Southern Baptist, not IFB) start calling out specific sins like "I know there are men out here who are having issues with porn!  You need to come down here and repent of that!"  Yeah, like if I'm a guy with that problem and my wife's sitting next to me, I'm not going to go up after that.  And if I had other sins instead of that, I'm SURE going to stay glued to the pew after a call out like that.  No way I want to go home after church and have THAT conversation.
 
Agent P, that was funny. ;D. Not a good way to get the altar full IMO.

For some reason it just does not seem to be generating genuine responses.
 
There is nothing in the New Testament that instructs a Church to have altar calls or any variation of them.

They're unnecessary and often can lead to emotionalism and possibly an emulation of the pharisees, that is to be seen of men to show how spiritual you are. There is also a possibility that the preacher may hold to a pragmatic viewpoint as a result of regularly holding an altar call, in the sense that the preacher will judge how good his sermon was based on how many people participate in it, rather than believing that the Holy Spirit will convict and the people will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, whether an emotional response is seen or not.

As previously mentioned altar calls are not done by Christians all through out Church history and the concept of it originated with Finney, which eventually devolved into what is seen today; if the believers in the New Testament and through out history could manage without it, why cannot we?
 
ivannette said:
sounds like an invitation to me


Matthew 3:1-3
English Standard Version (ESV)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3  In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 
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Bob said:
I think it is way overdone.  In the years I experienced it, it was emotional manipulation.
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You a big deal over nuttin. Altar calls are just a thing. I've seen many come forward under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and get saved at the altar and I've seem some em' come forward, cry crocodile tears and after a couple of weeks they're never seen again and their lives never changed. But that's just me
 
Ask Mr. Religion said:
Bro Blue said:
Do any of you guys think that invitations are a bit over done? Do you think that preachers usually use that time to drum up a little emotion? I've heard a bunch of times, ' teaching is for knowledge, but preaching is for decisions'. So usually that means that at least two times a week you need to make a decision. Usually at the altar. I've listened to a lot of preaching, and usually when the voice drops low and an illustration starts it's almost time for ' Just as I am'. I've heard stories from the past about how saints used to come to the altar weeping and really getting a hold of God, but seems to be becoming a religious ritual or because of being guilt tripped into it. What say you?
Click to expand...
Finneyism, pure and simple. Altar calls are not part of the RPW.

AMR
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There's always some the crowd. Finney is the calvinist whipping boy

 
When I was a hobo, a lot of the shelters and missions I stayed at would let the people who responded to the altar call go to the front of the food line, so some people would "accept Christ" on a daily basis just so they could go to the front of the line.
 
ReformedBeliever said:
There is nothing in the New Testament that instructs a Church to have altar calls or any variation of them.
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"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. ""Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls""
 
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