Once again I am posting on an article I recently came across and it made me think. It made me think because as a Pastor, I give "altar calls" on occassion. Also becuase I just finsihed up with Vacation Bible School and we opended up the altar for the kids each night and many kids made "first time" decisions for Christ...my daughter being one of them. So as I post this article, I am leaning more towards the side of still using "Altar Calls" but appreciate seeing how this practice can be percieved by many! What a great challenge for Pastors to continue to communicate clearly why we do what we do!! I would love to here what your thoughts and what your experience's have been with the "Altar Call!" Enjoy...
I’m sometimes asked by people why we don’t do “altar calls” at our services. Like the people who ask the question, the churches in my personal background pretty much all practiced “altar calls” at the conclusion of a sermon or service. I’ve seen them done in very poor fashion, and I’ve seen some pastors be really clear about the gospel, repentance, faith, and the fact that “coming forward” does not save. I date my own conversion to the preaching of Exodus 32, which concluded with an altar call.
So, why don’t we practice “altar calls”? I don’t think the pastor who practices an “invitation” at the end of a sermon is in sin, but he may not be acting wisely either. This list of reasons, compiled by Pastor Ryan Kelly of Desert Springs Church, is a pretty good summation of some of my thinking (HT: Z).
1. The altar call is simply and completely absent from the pages of the N.T.
2. The altar call is historically absent until the 19th century, and its use at that time (via Charles Finney) was directly based upon bad theology and a man-centered, manipulative methodology.
3. The altar call very easily confuses the physical act of “coming forward” with the spiritual act of “coming to Christ.” These two can happen simultaneously, but too often people believe that coming to Christ is going forward (and vice-versa).
4. The altar call can easily deceive people about the reality of their spiritual state and the biblical basis for assurance. The Bible never offers us assurance on the ground that we “went forward.”
5. The altar call partially replaces baptism as the means of public profession of faith.
6. The altar call can mislead us to think that salvation (or any official response to God’s Word) happens primarily on Sundays, only at the end of the service, and only “up front.”
7. The altar call can confuse people regarding “sacred” things and “sacred” places, as the name “altar call” suggests.
8. The altar call is not sensitive to our cautious and relational age where most people come to faith over a period of time and often with the interaction of a good friend.
9. The altar call is often seen as “the most important part of the service”, and this de-emphasizes the truly more important parts of corporate worship which God has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing).
10. God is glorified to powerfully bless the things He has prescribed (preaching, prayer, fellowship, singing), not the things we have invented. We should always be leery of adding to God’s prescriptions for His corporate worship.
Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 of Ryan’s list are the most compelling reasons in my opinion. These would seem very serious objections for anyone who takes seriously the idea that our Christian lives and gatherings should conform to what the NT commands, models, and prohibits. Perhaps I would add an 11th: The “altar call” teaches the congregation to evaluate the “success” or “effectiveness” of the ministry on outward, visible actions and results.
Further, the need to be pastorally careful and sensitive with the souls of men needing to repent and believe couldn’t be more urgent. So, anything that obscures the reality of God the Holy Spirit’s work in conversion and the necessity of repentance and faith must be regarded–at best–a practice with potential to undermine the very work we’re giving our lives to.
Do people “respond” to the word of God at our services? They do. And we give them a number of ways they may follow up on what they’ve heard, from talking to an elder or Christian friend after the service, to scheduling an appointment during the week, to letting us know they would like us to visit with them, and so on. One thing I appreciate about our approach is that it allows us to meet, listen, question, encourage, teach and pray in a much more thorough way. By God’s grace we’re seeing people converted and profess their faith in baptism as the Spirit opens their hearts. We’re not perfect by any means. But I do hope we’re being faithful to the scripture’s commands, examples, and restrictions.
What do you think about Kelly’s list? Are you “for” or “against” and why? Would you add anything to or challenge anything on the list?
.......
Way of the Pastor,
Joe Drew
I like the way that Grey Lory put it " I give a response and the elect respond." That is very liberating. We easily forget John 6:44, God is doing to drawing not us. And the age old question, if a sinner who hates God and is "dead" Eph2 , why would they get up out of a chiar to "respond" where did that "desire" come from? Truth: they were converted before they ever left the chair :)
ReplyDeleteWow Jason, thanks for the comment...that last statement is so theologically deep! So Jason have you personally dealt with "altar calls" being an issue of confusing people about their interaction or realationship with Christ? Here is another question should pastor's base their sermons/or the service on how many people "came forward?"
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the generation of "come forward say a prayer" and your saved. Which screwed me up big time until God saved me when I was 21.
ReplyDeleteYou have a ton of my generation that are apart of a "resurgence" and getting saved all over the place. Why? Because we never heard The Gospel! It was all about dim the lights and play "just as I am" 100 times until someone comes forward... That's garbage and as pagan as witch-craft.
Should Pastors base a sermon or "success" of a service around a Alter call? I would have to say.. did Jesus? In the book of Matthew, Jesus did the exact opposite. He preached and people left! He turned to his disciples and asked them if they were next.... We need more preaching where people leave than come forward.
Personally, I don't think we use the altars enough. To limit their entire purpose to just the response to the message is sad. (Not saying you are saying this) I think we need to get to the point where the altars are a place we are comfortable going to at any time of the service to spend time with God, to praise Him for something, to let others know that we need support, etc. Too many people have the notion that the altar is if you have screwed up or need to be saved, when in essence, those types of conversations are better off one on one with a pastor or mentor that can clearly communicate the salvation message. To me, the altar is a sacred place with the Lord, a time apart from everyone around me: the kid eating cheerios, the woman clipping her nails, the man opening a mint, the teenager texting.....The altar is where I find release, burdens left and lifted, it is a holy experience that too many people don't experience because too many churches and pastors have relegated it to confession and salvation. There, that's my two cents, and I'm not even sure it had anything to do with your blog post :)
ReplyDeleteAlyson...great thoughts! I know at our church we have a prayer time in the middle of the service where we call the "altars" the "arms of God" and my intent is to get people to connect and engage with God...I always make the disclaimer that this can be done where you are standing...but there seems to be a "surrendering" when it comes to many things in our life when we bring them to the "alter!" Jason..."we need more preaching where people leave than come forward!" Couldn't agree with you more. I am preaching a series called "I Am- LIFE" right now out of John 6&7 I believe that is one of the places you mention where Jesus is at the apex of his following and he preaches the "Bread" sermon and the Bible tells us that they left in droves after he said "Eat my flesh and drink my blood!" He wasn't looking for those who would come to him for any other reason except to take in all of Him. I do agree also that we as a church, as a whole have made salvation a prayer that you recite at an altar and BAM!!! Your saved! Great thoughts guys...keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteThe Presbyterian Church doesn't even have an altar.
ReplyDeleteOur doctrine is that there is no longer a need for an altar, that the sacrifice of Christ has sufficed, and that He invites us instead to His table.
I 'got saved' at an altar call when I was 12, but the Holy-Spirit born-again experience did not "kick-in" for another 22 years, and that was during my membership in the PC(USA).
In the end, it all comes down to the individual and his response.
My experience has been that altar-calls are sometimes more kool-aid than Christ.
JBS...thanks for your comment! Interesting about the Presbyterian view of the altar! More kool-aid than Christ...I'm going to steal that from you! Makes sense! But there still seems to be a significance about the altar...is there something to say for physically bowing down at the altar in submission to Christ? Should it be more for prayer than conversion?
ReplyDeleteSo this post makes me think as I hope it does you as well. But here is another question, what are some other things that we have present in the church right now that can be quesstioned as even being Biblical? What are some of those man-made elements that we treat as though they came down from Mt. Sinai? Boy talk about opening a can of worms...
ReplyDeleteI think it was Hezekiah who read the scriptures and all the people fell prostrate. I long to hear the scriptures THAT WAY! I think the church will bow down...maybe once in a generation...when we stop playing church and worship. I think worship is very rare. These Sunday meetings are good, but I see them as marking time, being faithful, and expectantly calling on the Holy Spirit to fall.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, we serve others in Christ's Name, which is our spiritual thank-You note.
One thing I think we have in the church which is unBiblical is a conniving spirit. "Connive"-to wink at, to look the other way.
There's the biggest can of worms I could think of...
Pastor, i agree with you.. their should be alter call, without surrendering to god, the will of god cannot take place in you..
ReplyDeleteHi brother, I believe that God wants every person gracing the doors of the temple to have an opportunity to come forth and kneel at His altar. That altar was built and designed to be a place of prayer. More importantly, it's a place other than in that pew. People don't want to get up anymore. God asks the question, "will you come?" I firmly believe in the power that the act of sheer will has in getting up in front of the entire congregation just to walk down to that altar for the personal reasons we all have. Call them brother. Exhort them to come to that altar. It's an effort. It takes a decision and when one comes, then others are likely to follow. It's an example set. It's a good thing, and I believe that God would have it to be so. He had altars built, and allowed altars built, and commanded altars built. Why? If for no reason then why? Just be obedient. Don't question it, just obey. I would WANT you to give me that chance if I visited your church. There's others like me.
ReplyDelete