Alter Calls

[ladypeartree]

closing your eyes can be a comfort for many because supposedly they cant be influenced to join in just because their friends or family are doing so  If you are not sure enough to go before the altar then just how sure are you that you want to be known as one of Christ's souls ?  Asking Christ into your life is not for show it takes courage 

[frienduff thaylorde]

42 minutes ago, ladypeartree said:

closing your eyes can be a comfort for many because supposedly they cant be influenced to join in just because their friends or family are doing so  If you are not sure enough to go before the altar then just how sure are you that you want to be known as one of Christ's souls ?  Asking Christ into your life is not for show it takes courage 

Sister of the pear tree.     You loved sister .  Throw those hands up and praise the LORD .    

[Fidei Defensor]

3 hours ago, Yowm said:

As long as they don't give the impression to a person that unless they 'go forward' they won't be saved, I'm not against them per se.

Amen. Altar calls should serve only as an unction, an aid in preaching the Gospel. One can be saved anywhere, on a train, shop, hoUse, field, and beyond. The place does not matter, the response to the Gospel (John 3:16, John 6:40, Romans 10:9-10) does. 

[Jaydog1976]

I like how one church we are looking to attend does it. They sing one verse of a song at the end and if no one comes up to the alter then we stop singing and pray to close out the service. He does let everyone know that he is always available to talk even though the service is over. 

I have been to services were the alter call is drawn out for 10 minutes as though the pastor is the one who is working on behalf of the holy spirit. 

There is no guidance concerning altar calls since they are not really in scripture. However I think a pastor should have wisdom as to how an altar call is done and for how long.

 

[Fidei Defensor]

The term altar bothers me because it was Constantine the Great who erected altars again not the early church, “But I will say this: after completed the great building I have described, he finished it with thrones high up, to accord with dignity of the prelates (bishops, priests), and also with benches arranged conveniently throughout. In addition to all this, he placed in the middle the Holy of Holies -the altar- excluding, the general public from this part too by surrounding it with wooden trellis..," (The History of the Church, Eusebius, Penguin Classics, pg 315). This contradicts Scripture: “Therefore, believers, since we have confidence and full freedom to enter the Holiest Place [tHoky of Holies] by [means of] the blood of Jesus.” (Hebrews 10:19)

We have no need for altars or temples anymore because God lives in us and He never wanted a temple building, 

“This is the mystery, Christ lives in you,” (Colossians 1:27) 

“If anyone confessses Jesus Christ as Son of God, God lives in them and they live in God,” (1 John 4:15)

”That they may be one just as you Father and I are One, let them also be in us.” (John 17:20-23)

”Do you not know that you are temple of God and God’s Spirit  lives in you?  anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) 

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

”What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people." (2 Corinthians 6:16) 

“so that, if I am delayed, you will know how each one must conduct himself in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth,” (1 Timothy 3:15)

”But Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.“ (Hebrews 3:6)

“For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.” (1 Corinthians 3:9)

”44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[k] 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
    Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’[l]

51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!” (Acts 7:45:-51)

If you want to read more on God never wanting a building read 2 Samuel 7:1-53, and 2 Chronicles 7:1-30. 

Easy to remember that the Lord never wanted a building it’s all sevens: 

Acts 7:44-51

2 Samuel 7:1-53

2 Chronicles 7:1-30

Edited August 5, 2018 by Fidei Defensor

[Alex2165]

 

Simialre thing happen to me in the Solid Rock church in New Jersey a short while ago.

When I first time walk in into the church, none of the church clergy or any members asked me about my believes, or how strong my faith is, or how long I was a Christian, or any other similar questions that would give them some perception about my personality believes, and Christian standing.

 

But immediately they started treat me as a newcomer in Christ and their major goal and the end of every sermon to make someone come to the altar and make repentance, prayer, confession,  burst in tears, or anything else like it, in order to declare and to show the public another “saved” person and take credit for it, and their eyes was constantly on me.

 

They done it exactly as you described in your post, but I purposely stand still and did not move an inch, never raise my hand for anything they asked, or give them any gesture or clue that I need or wanted perform their ritual. This was going on for at leas 4 months, every Sunday, they asked people to raise their hands who are not saved or those who are not sure about their salvation and come to the altar, and they look at me and expected me to come forward, and for this I really started despising them all.

 

If a t least they would give a good deep thought sermon and teach the truth of the Bible and not their own doctrines and traditions, I would stay in the church at perhaps would tolerate their theatrical play of confession in public, but because they done nothing of that is good, educational, or anything useful for the soul, I quit visiting them, they are completely worthless.

 

[Fidei Defensor]

On 8/4/2018 at 7:43 AM, shiloh357 said:

The altar call began with DL Moody.  It was on a Sunday evening after services had let out on the night of the great Chicago fire and he could see the fire raging from the steps of his church.    He thought about all of the people who died that night without having had a chance to accept the Gospel. He thought about people that had been at his services that day and were never asked if they wanted to accept Christ and might have died in that fire and went to Hell.   And after that night, he started offering people a chance, at the end of each service to receive Christ.  He didn't wasn't any to leave the service without being given a direct opportunity to receive Christ.   Learning about that, changed my perspective on the altar call.

Moody’s response it well warranted. I think it wise to offer the evangelion at the end of every service. If an altar call is used, The so be it, long as people believe and confess Christ. (Romans 10:9-10). 

However, what often frustrates me is the altar call becomes the apex of the outreach, when we are called to make disicples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19).