As I have travelled in ministry in recent years, I am amazed at the questions preachers have about “altar calls.” Some well-known preachers are outspoken in their opposition to giving “altar calls.” On the other extreme, some feel that without an altar call, a preacher has denied or at least compromised his calling.
The term “altar call” is part of evangelical vocabulary, yet the term as we use it is found nowhere in the Bible.
And we have reversed the very meaning of what an altar is for: a place to die.
In the Old Testament, the altar was a place of sacrifice and death. It was not a place to receive but a place to give. The altar was not a place to live but a place to die. However, today, this has been reversed and we’ve made the altar a place to receive and be blessed. Few people come to the altar to die.
Of course, since there were no church buildings in the New Testament era, there were no church altars. The church flourished without altars. Today, we use the term “altar” to describe the area in front of the first pews or chairs in our churches. In reality, the term has a lot to do with Roman Catholic theology which places the altar, rather than the pulpit, front and center for the mass.
WHAT IS AN ALTAR CALL?
In speaking of the cross, Hebrews 13:10 says, “We have an altar…” Today, we don’t invite people to an Old Testament altar nor do we invite people to an altar to re-sacrifice the Savior. We don’t even invite people to the area in the front of the church, we invite people to the cross of Christ. We invite people to his altar, to share in his death, to receive his forgiveness and to experience his life.
An altar call is an invitation to respond to the Savior.
For non-believers, it is an invitation to repent of their sins and to accept that what Jesus did on the cross, he did for them personally. It’s an invitation to come and follow Jesus Christ. The altar call is the way we bring a connection between God and man.
For believers, an altar call is an invitation to respond to the Scriptures, die to self and experience his life-transforming grace.
WHY ISSUE AN INVITATION?
Why do we issue such an invitation? What is the rationale? What are our motives?
Some pastors give an invitation because it is “expected in my church.” In other words, it’s tradition.
Some give an invitation because they need the emotional affirmation of seeing people respond visibly to their message.
On the other hand, some are afraid to issue an invitation for fear no one will respond and they will be perceived as failing.
The reason we give invitations is because it is the pattern of Scripture. From the beginning, God has been inviting people to himself. The story of the Bible is the aaccount of God calling out to his creation to come to himself in a restored relationship. In Genesis, God called to Adam: “Where are you?” The Book of Revelation ends with, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”
God’s spokesmen have always issued that invitation
Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me.” (Exodus 32:26).
Joshua said, “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15).
Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21).
Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28-29).
Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. (Acts 2:38).
Paul said: “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”
Biblical preachers have always preached for a verdict, and the mandate of every preacher today is to continue that invitation. The gospel is both an announcement and a command. It tells what God in Christ has done and it calls people to respond to him with faith and obedience.
UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE YOU’RE INVITING TO FOLLOW THE SAVIOR
To give an invitation effectively, we need to understand the people to whom we are issuing the invitation. Some preachers are so steeped in church culture and vocabulary that they have forgotten the way unchurched people think and talk.
An altar call is not given in a vacuum; the invitation is given in an imperfect world to people who are not rightly related to the heavenly Father and are part of the kingdom of darkness.
The people we are inviting have fears and phobias. They are overcome with guilt. There is emptiness, confusion and a lack of meaning and purpose. Some are bored with life. The lives of others are in shambles and scarred by broken relationships. Some are in the grip of addictions. Some are curious and others are only present to please a friend.
Whatever the reason, they are in the audience by divine appointment. People are not listening to us by chance.
Our audience is secular. They are unfamiliar with church terminology. It’s not a question of obeying the 10 Commandments; they don’t know there are 10 Commandments. Philip wisely asked the Ethiopian, “Do you understand?” Too many of our invitations are understood by people in the church but misunderstood by non-Christian visitors.
They are cynical. They are cynical about God, about the church and about preachers.
They are suspicious. People know all the scandals the church has experienced and they wonder whether they can trust you.
They are sinful. Their eyes are blinded by the devil so they cannot see the light, their minds are spiritually closed to the truth and their wills are in bondage to sinful habits.
These are the people for whom Christ died and these are the people we invite to follow him.
PREPARE TO INVITE PEOPLE TO JESUS
Prepare yourself
Accept the responsibility of issuing invitations. It’s part of the privilege and part of the responsibility of preaching the gospel.
Pray. Conversion is not a matter of persuasive speech or emotional rhetoric; conversion is a divine transaction and only prayer will make it happen. Some cults can gain converts by door to door canvassing and clever arguments but when they gain a convert, all they have done is shuffled a sinner from one compartment of hell to another. The devil doesn’t get upset because there is no spiritual warfare. The gospel of Jesus is different. It is only divine grace that will translate a sinner from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and that grace is released through prayer.
You are God’s spokesman, a spokesman for the living Christ. You are the link between the holy God and lost humanity. It is an awesome, humbling responsibility. We can never take the task lightly or casually. Stay humble.
Prepare your invitation
An altar call needs preparation. There’s nothing more tragic than watching a preacher fumble, trying to figure out what to do, after delivering a homiletically correct sermon. The purpose of every sermon is to issue an invitation to respond in some way to biblical truth. If that is the purpose of preaching, surely we need to spend as much time getting ready to issue the invitation as we do preparing our sermon.
I am amazed at the skillful way the pastor at the church we are part of gives the invitation. There is always a large response to the invitation. While there is a common approach to his invitations, I have yet to hear the same invitation twice. It is always fresh and prayerfully thought through.
Some “altar calls” I wish I had never heard. I have left services nauseated by the manipulative invitations given by some very passionate speakers. What they have done offended my theology, embarrassed me as a Christian and disgraced the Christ I serve. Some faithful Christians have told me they refuse to bring their non-believing friends to church because of the dishonest and manipulative invitations that are given.
Invitations need to be clear so people know precisely what you are asking them to do. Some “altar calls” are so broad that the greatest saints in the church could legitimately respond. Some are so narrow that they exclude some who need to come to the Savior.
Prepare your message with the invitation in mind. When I am preparing to preach, early in the process I ask, “How do I want my people to respond to what I am saying?” Knowing what I am asking people to do enables me to stay on target as I prepare.
Write out or determine how you are going to give your invitation before you write your sermon. The content of the sermon is determined by what you want people to do when you are finished. Preaching is not dispensing information; it’s calling for a verdict.
Know how you are going to ask people to respond. There are many methods of giving an invitation, all of which have been used effectively at some point in recent church history. You can ask people to remain behind when you finish or go to an inquiry room or sign a response card. The practice of raising a hand with “every head bowed and every eye closed” gained popularity under Charles Fuller. There can be a public invitation to come forward in the way popularized by Billy Graham. No one method is sacred. Preachers have used many methods over years.
While there is no one right way to give an invitation, there are some basic steps.
How will you use music during the invitation? Which hymn or chorus is most suitable? Nothing can be left to chance at this critical moment.
Know what you are going to do when people respond. Anticipate the logistics of the response area. Are counselors prepared to counsel, not just to pray? Is there a way to gather appropriate information? Is there material to give to the people who respond?
Prepare your audience
Many visitors who come to a church have never seen an altar call. The concept is totally strange to them.
As you start to preach, tell people what you’ll ask them to do when you finish. Tell the people “When I am finished, I am going to ask you to make a decision…” or, “At the end, I am going to ask you to put your faith in Jesus personally.”
Prepare your audience for your concluding invitation by repeating the invitation throughout the message. Study the preaching of Billy Graham. He makes mini invitations after each point in sermon. His sermons are really 40-minute “altar calls.”
ISSUE THE INVITATION
Invite in the name of Jesus
Let people know that the invitation you are giving is given in Christ’s name, you are acting on Christ’s behalf and that you have the authority of Jesus’ name to invite people.
Invite people to the Savior
Don’t invite people to join your church. Jesus said, “Follow me!”
Invite with a reliance on the Holy Spirit
Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in how you issue the invitation. After all, he is the one who is ultimately issuing the invitation. It is the Spirit’s job to convict and reprove. The love of God is shown by the Holy Spirit. People are born again by the Spirit, not our persuasive words.
Invite with love, conviction and urgency
There is no place for anger or threats. Let compassion and gentleness flow from your lips and personality as you invite people to respond.
The preacher’s passion is legitimate because of the biblical mandate. The invitation must be emotional without resorting to emotionalism. The invitation must challenge the mind, will and emotions of listeners. The appeal must have urgency without manipulation and deception. The purpose is not to get decisions but to make disciples.
Invite with clarity
People need to know what we’re asking them to do. Confusing altar calls pave the way for aborted spiritual births. People need to understand clearly, “If I respond to this, this is what I am doing.”
Invite with patience
Recognize that for an unchurched, secular person to make a decision for Christ, it takes an average of six exposures to the gospel and an average of six months. Remember you are asking for a big decision. It will be life-changing. It will change relationships. It takes time.
Jesus invited Nicodemus to be born again, but it took several months before he declared his faith
Invite publicly
Almost everyone Jesus called, he called publicly. Zacchaeus was invited to come out of the tree in front of his friends. Peter, James, John and Andrew were invited to leave nets in front of the other fishermen. There were no closed eyes or bowed heads.
Invite with expectation
Expect a harvest. We have the promise of Scripture. “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:6).
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