United Proclamation Evangelism--index page

INTRODUCTION  CHAPTER 1  CHAPTER 2  CHAPTER 3  

CHAPTER 4  CHAPTER 5  CHAPTER 6  REFERENCES

United Proclamation Evangelism:

Does the Bible contain specific invitations? Are there Biblical precedents for calling people to God? The answer, of course, is yes. The examples are numerous.

"Where art thou?" (Genesis 3:9);

"Who is on the Lord’s side?" (Exodus 32:26);

"...therefore choose life" (Deuteronomy 30:19);

"...choose you this day whom ye will serve" (Joshua 24:15);

"How long halt ye between two opinions?" (1 Kings 18:21);

"Turn you at my reproof" (Proverbs 1:23);

"My son, give me thine heart" (Proverbs 23:26);

"Remember now thy Creator" (Ecclesiastes 12:1);

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 1:18);

"Look unto me, and be ye saved" (Isaiah 45:22);

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1);

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found" (Isaiah 55:6);

"Cast away from you all your transgressions" (Ezekiel 18:31);

"Enter ye in at the strait gate" (Matthew 7:13);

"Come unto me" (Matthew 11:28);

"Suffer the little children to come unto me" (Mark 10:14);

"Follow me" (Luke 5:27);

"If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (John 7:37);

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock" (Revelation 3:20);

"Repent, and be baptized" (Acts 2:38);

"Save yourselves from this untoward generation" (Acts 2:40);

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted" (Acts 3:19);

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 16:31);

"God... now commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30);

"...be ye reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:20);

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come" (Revelation 22:17).

Must a person receive a new heart by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit before that person can exercise true repentance and saving faith? Or must a person repent and trust Christ as indispensable conditions of regeneration? The latter is the theological premise underlying the invitation system. This is the real crux of the matter. Murray observes:

"Certainly we are prepared to grant that the whole case for the public appeal can be reduced to the question whether this order of salvation is right or wrong."¹⁶²

The theological position taken by Murray, Chafer,¹⁶³ Lloyd-Jones,¹⁶⁴ and the school of thought that they represent is that a person must be regenerated by the Holy Spirit before that person is able to exercise true repentance and saving faith.¹⁶⁵ The invitation merely provides an occasion for the person to follow through on the regenerating work of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit’s work with the unregenerate is moral. By employing the truth in an appeal to the whole personality He seeks to lead people to Christ. Jesus said, "...he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).

"To ‘convict,‘ then, is to convince someone of the truth about something, here of sin, righteousness, and judment; the one convicted recognizes the truth though he may not accept it."¹⁶⁶

Although evangelical objections to the invitation procedure are based primarily on theological presuppositions, the objectors do make some valid points in their criticism of some of the methods employed in the invitation. One area of concern is that "going forward" might be viewed as a meritorious or saving act in itself. Murray states his case:

"Is the walk forward an outward declaration of an inner saving decision, already made by the hearer in the seat, just an ‘act of witness’? Why then are they told to ‘come forward to receive Christ"? How is receiving Christ related to coming forward? Is there any relation?"¹⁶⁷

[referring to Billy Graham’s invitation] "In all of this there is no pressure beyond a solemn insistence on the one fact that those who want to receive Christ must come to the front."¹⁶⁸

[quoting Charles Riggs’s instructions to inquirers] "All this reasoning proceeds on the assumption that coming to the front is tantamount to, if not identical with coming to Christ, and it is only where such a confusion of thought exists that a text like ‘Follow me’ can be quoted as a proof of the rightness of the practice."¹⁶⁹

A more severe criticism is leveled against those whose methods amount to little if anything more than manipulation, manipulation in this sense being defined as an attempt to secure an outward response by an appeal to the non-rational susceptibilities of the human personality. All of the natural forces of mind, body and environment should work to reinforce the reason, but whenever a method of persuasion by-passes reason or inhibits the exercise of reason, it becomes manipulation.

"Perhaps persuasion (an appropriate objective) slips over into manipulation (an inappropriate one) at the point where the motivating pressure is concealed. In any case, the point is not to suggest that the rational proclamation of truth should be divorced from feeling or emotion, but rather that the feeling or emotion should not be sought instead of rational encounter with God’s truth."¹⁷⁰

"Conversion involves the conscious and deliberate surrender of the whole of the life in a manner designed to be permanent. Tricks can never accomplish that."¹⁷¹

"The criticism is not directed at the altar call as such, but the unscrupulous ways in which it has been given.

"There are legitimate ‘exploitations‘ of spiritual moods and atmospheres. But these lines are so fine and the situations so crucial and important that a legitimate capitalizing on the spiritual potential in a service may seem to some to border on manipulation, when in reality the preacher is just an unusually sensitive and pliable tool being used by the Holy Spirit to bring people to a point of decision."¹⁷²

"The invitation cannot be correct, cannot be exactingly courteous, cannot be superfine. It is the stroke of the hammer driving the nail of the gospel into the heart of the hearer. As such, it is bound to cause some indisposition, even some pain."¹⁷³

We must determine, however, never to embarrass people or deliberately put them "on the spot." We must never "show them up." The practice of asking all the Christians to raise their hands definitely does this. It is not only unkind; it also shifts the sinner’s mind from the truth and onto himself. It reduces his conviction by heightening his self-consciousness.

"Never make it appear that you are closing the door of mercy in the face of anyone not yet decided."¹⁷⁴

Any tactic of persuasion that so stirs the emotions as to overwhelm the personality and lead to a non-rational response, or that lessens the likelihood that the person’s response will be rational, is harmful. The sinner is already following his desires, and such tactics only give religious emotion temporary control. The heart does not truly turn to Christ.

Nevertheless, it is a mistake to assume that the sinner’s will is in a state of equipoise, neutral and uncommitted, and that all we need to do is present the gospel dispassionately to the uninfluenced mind. The unregenerate are not thinking right. Their will is committed to the gratification of their own desires in opposition to reason. So long as the sinner is committed to the gratification of his own desires, he is not "free." His will is voluntarily enslaved. They cherish their chosen indulgences and do not want any conflicting feelings generated by thoughts of the truth. Their emotions are already being manipulated by the world, the flesh, and the devil. These enslaving emotions need to be neutralized by the counter-balancing feelings that a clear presentation of the gospel will generate. The truth should have enough impact on the emotions to turn them around and thus liberate the mind to think clearly and give the will a chance to act in accordance with reason.

Griffin offers some guidelines in avoiding the improper and excessive use of fear.

"There are three different guidelines to help us determine the point at which fear inhibits persuasion. When a threat appears so great that: 1) it causes mental panic, 2) seems unlikely to happen, or 3) has no believable remedy, it ceases to be a positive influence."¹⁷⁵

Lacour asks:

"How much in revival procedure is simply ‘engineering consent’? Has the altar call, in many instances, become corrupted by an unconscious contract in which the worshippers seem to be saying, ‘I give you absolute authority if you just preach me down and make me do what I know I ought to do!’"¹⁷⁶

Let it be emphasized again that a real distinction exists between manipulation and rational persuasion. Some people will continue in slavery to their desires, wishing only to mix in some religious feelings and corresponding responses to reinforce their false hopes. But others are moving toward an intelligent commitment to Christ. They are aware of the carnal momentum that has been carrying them along in the wrong direction, and they appreciate all the emotional reinforcement that they can get for the commitment they are about to make. They are about to make the greatest, the most reasonable decision of their lives, and they want to make it under the most favorable emotional and psychological conditions possible. They know that the evangelistic service, with its invitation, is likely to provide those positive conditions. The assisting conditions are present whether or not the person attending the service anticipated them. We should not apologize for giving people all reasonable assistance to come to Christ and be saved.

"It is, then, the citadel of the will which has to be stormed, and if he is wise, the evangelist will approach this fortress neither by the avenue of the mind alone, nor by the avenue of the heart alone, but by both. He will not play upon the emotions, but he will address himself to them. He will not worship the mind, but he will respect it. And in marshalling his arguments and in presenting his appeal, he will seek to compass about the will until it surrenders."¹⁷⁷

Evangelistic preaching should be brought to a climax, not just a conclusion. The element of appeal is inherent in the gospel itself, and therefore in its proclamation. Accordingly, as the proclamation reaches a climax, so should the appeal. The natural result is the invitation.

"The invitation is the logical climax of the evangelistic sermon. Without it the message is incomplete and its effect unknown. The gospel deserves a response. Christ’s call to men expects an answer. What a pity it is to let anyone leave uncommitted who would have made a decision if the proper invitation would have been given. "¹⁷⁸

"If a preacher... lacks that perception and ‘feel’ of a service, or if he is one who believes that the sermon is the all-important part of a service, he will not likely make a successful evangelist. He will miss the ‘vital moment’ to make an appeal, and his ministry at this most crucial moment will lack the effectiveness that God intended when he called him to preach."¹⁷⁹

Even Ian Murray, in beginning his criticism of the invitation system, recognizes the need for an invitation of some kind.

"Wherever preaching has ceased to require an individual response and wherever hearers are left with the impression that there is no divine command requiring their repentance and faith true preaching has withered away."¹⁸⁰

And Chafer, certainly a cautious man when it comes to the invitation, concedes:

"In coming to a positive decision, the human mind is undoubtedly aided by some physical action which serves to strengthen the impression... such acts, if urged at all, should be so presented that they could not be thought of by any individual as forming a part of the one condition of salvation."¹⁸¹

Chafer’s latter requirement might be demanding too much. Our Lord Himself taught water baptism and the communion; yet, His careful presentation has not prevented people from regarding these ordinances as conditions of salvation. Also, if the mind is "undoubtedly" aided by "some physical action," we should not hesitate to urge such action. From Acts 2:37-40 it is certain that Peter made an urgent and lengthy appeal. We do not know the substance of that appeal beyond the thematic statement: "Save yourselves from this untoward generation" (vs. 40). Verse 41 tells us that they who received his word were baptized. Now, how did Peter and the others know whom to baptize? In some way the converts must have identified themselves. They must have identified themselves, stepped out from the crowd and presented themselves as candidates for baptism.

The choice involved in Christian conversion is the most fundamental and life-chainging of all moral choices. Certainly such a choice must be expressed.

"Impression without expression can lead to depression and can result in a person’s turning away from the gospel once and for all."¹⁸²

To deny people an opportunity to express their genuine response to Christ is both psychologically unsound and spiritually harmful.

"Nothing is more cruel and damaging than to disturb people religiously, make them ready for a decision, and then fail to give an invitation to register the decision."¹⁸³

Conversion to Jesus Christ is the most psychologically sound choice that can be made. This choice leads naturally to certain expressions, and it is only sensible that opportunity be given for those expressions. Choice energizes action, and the invitation provides a directed, meaningful opportunity for the expression of choice.

Genuine impressions derived from the Holy Spirit can be crowded out of the mind if not acted upon at once. Divine sovereignty does not violate human free will. Man can grieve the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is essential that a genuine decision be urged while the Holy Spirit has the person’s attention.

"The evangelistic invitation brings the crisis of conscious committal."¹⁸⁴

Ideally, coming forward during an evangelistic invitation is an open declaration that the person has just now accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and is committed to following Him as Lord. But many people have not yet come to that point. Some still have questions, and come forward for assistance. Others still struggle with the decision to be made, but are sufficiently moved that they will come forward and even kneel; the surrender is made upon their knees. In these cases the person literally does come forward to accept Christ.

"One of the primary purposes of the altar call and altar service is to intensify the sense of crisis in the heart of the one who has a spiritual need. The very act of walking down the aisle and kneeling at the altar is an admission that one is not right with God and needs and wants help."

"...everyone needs a landmark of some sort which makes it clear that he has begun a new pilgrimage.

"It is the task of the church to provide the landmarks; forms of expression by which a person can say to himself, ‘From this point I know I am a Christian, that I have accepted Christ as my Savior and the Lord of my life!’ The time of commitment must involve one’s whole being, and thus be accompanied by clear thinking, by strong emotion, and by action.

"There must be an action signifying that a decision has been made and a new life is launched."¹⁸⁶

Although there is general agreement that the proclamation of the gospel should climax in an appeal to turn to Christ, a great deal of uncertainty exists on how to go about it. Many preachers are perplexed and stumble through this crucial moment. The most dynamic point in the proclamation becomes an awkward anti-climax.

"Many a mighty preacher fails to get the results he might from his preaching, because he does not know how to draw the net. He is successful at hooking fish, but does not know how to land them."¹⁸⁷

"Every preacher of the gospel can extend an effective invitation, but it takes hard work. Not every minister has the gift of exhortation which would enable him to issue an appeal extemporaneously. This means, if you wish to succeed in winning souls to Christ through preaching, you must be willing to prepare and plan the invitation with the same care you do the main body of your sermon. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Through His inspiration and your perspiration the Holy Spirit can and will guide you to develop an invitation which can be used by Him to draw people to God’s Son "¹⁸⁸

There is no single "right" way to extend the evangelistic invitation.

"...the moment the preacher becomes formal in his appeals or mechanical in his methods, he has lost power both with God and with men."¹⁸⁹

The preacher must be flexible, led by the Spirit, and prepared to give strong appeals in strong situations and mild ones in mild situations.¹⁹⁰ Each situation is unique. This makes the invitation a time of great delicacy requiring sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, mental alertness, a thorough grasp of the principles involved in the invitation, a variety of prepared options, and flexibility.

Though there is no one "right" procedure in giving the invitation, there are firm principles that combine to determine what is right in each situation. When these principles govern, the procedure is usually free from the encumberances that often clutter an invitatioin and dissipate its effectiveness. Fisher says,

"...my conviction is that the simplest and clearest and most direct way is the best."¹⁹¹

The preacher of the gospel can know and follow the way that is "simplest and clearest and most direct" for any given situation only if he has so mastered the principles of the invitation (and is mastered by them) that he is completely natural and free from strain and uncertainty.

"The old adages, ‘Experience is the best teacher’ and ‘Practice makes perfect,’ apply to this specific skill. Through trial and error, success and failure the ability to give an effective invitation is attained."¹⁹²

Public invitations seem to fall into a few general categories. In mild situations the common approach is to ask people to receive Christ on the spot with no public response, or at most a raising of hands, followed by a prayer in which the whole congregation participates. Usually, though, when we think of the invitation, we have in mind the strongly evangelistic situation that provides the conditions for a public response. This response is customarily: raising the hand followed by coming forward and standing or kneeling, or simply coming forward without first raising the hand. Billy Graham’s invitation is a model of simplicity. His transition from the body of the message to the invitation is so smooth as to be hardly noticed. He usually begins his invitation with a key question, a question that is in the minds of the hearers from listening to the sermon. Then he proceeds to answer the question, outlining the plan of salvation.

If an invitation is to be given, provide sufficient time for it. It should not drag on, of course, but neither should it be rushed.

"A common error in altar calls is to get in too big a rush. Give the Holy Spirit time to work."¹⁹⁴

Some ministers spend too much time in the first part of their sermons, forcing them to feel rushed at the climax. Plan the evangelistic message so as to provide sufficient time for the invitation.

One must not bring the invitation to a premature close. Some might be in the throes of decision and the Holy Spirit must not be rushed in His work. Someone might be close to surrender and a minute or two might make all the difference. One must be especially sensitive to the Holy Spirit at such times.

"I have observed that there is a tendency in the early days of our ministry to be too lengthy in our invitations. As we grow older, there is a tendency to be too brief."¹⁹⁵

It is recommended that the minister avoid mixing propositions. The invitation should be clear and the minister should state definitely what he wants the people to do. Many invitations deteriorate into a collection of appeals, reducing their effectiveness by clouding the issues. If the preacher intends to address a variety of needs, he should do so one at a time.

"There are four groups with which you will have to deal in your evangelistic work... the unsaved, then the backsliders, after that the uncertain, and finally the defeated."¹⁹⁶

The invitation should flow smoothly. All awkwardness and confusion must be eliminated from this crucial moment in the sermon. This requires planning. Speaking of the invitation song, Fish advises:

"A system of understood signals between the pastor and the minister of music is a necessity.

"Pompous instrumental introductions to invitation hymns distract from the invitation and should be avoided.

"The music director should never lead the congregation by waving his arm."¹⁹⁷

The invitation should be extended courteously. The minister must avoid any spirit of bitterness or anger. He must never abuse his hearers. He must not scold, insult, or deliberately embarrass.

"A hand raised for prayer is no excuse for bullying a person down the aisle."¹⁹⁸

"Never bawl out the audience at the end of an invitation."¹⁹⁹

The invitation should be pressed urgently. The evangelist is pleading the most important issue with souls who will spend eternity somewhere. He must urge repentance and faith in Christ with an earnestness commensurate with the values at stake. He should plead as he would want an attorney to plead his cause before a jury in a case where his life was at stake. R. A. Torrey quotes Spurgeon:

"You would not like to have a barrister stand up and plead your cause in a cool, deliberate way, never showing the slightest care about whether you were found guilty of murder or acquitted. How could you endure his indifference when you yourself were likely to be hanged? Oh, no! you wish to silence such a false advocate."²⁰¹

And the invitation should be given thoroughly. Bisagno counsels us not to be afraid of a sufficiently long invitation. From his personal experience he states:

It is appropriate that we preface our consideration of specific methods by Chafer’s words of caution:

"The one necessary step--the acceptance of Christ as Savior--can be performed only in the secret of the heart itself, by a personal choice and action of the will."²⁰³

The invitation is always to surrender, to choose, to believe, to trust. The outward action is an expression of the response of the heart.

Counseling and prayer should be done in a place that provides for individual attention and a reasonable degree of privacy. Powell advises:

"There should be a quiet place to which those who respond to the public invitation may be taken; a period of quiet meditation following the revolutionary experience of conversion is most helpful. "²⁰⁴

On the other hand, some would maintain that being surrounded by others who are praying and by instrumental background music creates an inner privacy that helps the seeker express himself openly in prayer. Again, situations and people differ. Chafer takes probably the mildest position:

"The real value of public methods may be secured and many evils avoided if, after explaining the way of life and during a season of silent prayer, the unsaved are asked to accept Christ by a conscious act of the will, directed in definite silent prayer to God. Such a decision may then be greatly strengthened by an immediate public confession of Christ..."²⁰⁵

Chafer’s suggestions overlook much of human dynamics. Such a matter-of-fact procedure might be appropriate for stoic personalities, or where conviction of sin is not felt very keenly, but it is totally inadequate where people are crying out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37).

Let us consider an entirely different approach.

"When people come to the altar the battle isn’t won; in a very real sense it is just beginning. The devil doesn’t care how close to victory a person comes, just so long as he doesn’t say that final and crucial "yes" to God.

"How damaging, then, for someone to get down by a seeker as soon as he has knelt at the altar and start talking to him! The seeker didn’t come to the altar to talk to people, but to talk to God. And many well-meaning people have diluted or destroyed this crucial sense of crisis by talking to a seeker too soon.

"The crisis needs to develop and intensify until the heart is willing to meet whatever demands of repentance or surrender God is requiring. God forgive us for rushing in with talk and admonition no matter how well-meaning, and destroying this sense of crisis. The seeker may get up with his head full of our notions, but with his heart still full of his sins, and empty of God’s grace. This is not a spiritual victory.

"That is not to say, of course, that a person who is new to what is involved in crisis experience should not have instruction. But the instruction should not be so theologically involved that it will intrude into the developing sense of sin and crisis too soon, or the conviction for sin will evaporate into mere talk."²⁰⁶

So we see two different approaches, predicated on different theological presuppositions and involving people with different personalities and in different spiritual conditions.

Move on into the invitation positively and at the most timely moment.

"If we start the altar call when people have already become weary and restless, usually the battle is lost.

"Jesus said, ‘No man can come to me except the Father draw him.’ When the Father is drawing, there is not a moment to be lost."²⁰⁸

The minister should give the strongest appeal that the situation will warrant. If conviction is deep enough, have the congregation stand and charge all who will then and there accept Christ to do the most direct and decisive thing--come forward in commitment and confession. Whatever the situation, the appeal should be clear and direct.

"[people] think to the boundary line of the kingdom, but the step into life is a step taken by faith."²¹⁴

Whitesell also suggests that privately won converts can be pledged to lead the way in confession at the next service.²¹⁸ An invitation can be given occasionally from the baptistry following the baptizing of converts ("and yet there is room." Luke 14:22).²¹⁹ The invitation should be given whenever the Holy Spirit so moves, even before the sermon.²²⁰ If a guest minister has faltered in the invitation or neglected to give one, the pastor may take it up and carry it forward,²²¹ but only after the other minister has turned the service back to him.

"...the evangelist is in charge of the invitation until he voluntarily dismisses his responsibility."²²²

It is very helpful if counselors lead the way. This puts them at the front where they can receive the converts. It also "breaks the ice" and generates movement in the aisles in the right direction. It should be mentioned from the pulpit that counselors are leading the way.

At times pointed suggestions are in order. For example, suggest that a mother speak to her daughter, a father to his son, a friend to a friend.²²⁴

"One should not talk too much during an appeal. Sometimes people will wait until the evangelist has finished talking, either out of respect for him, or to hear what he has to say. Just keep quiet and let them come."²²⁵

"...wait patiently for people to respond after the final call has been given. At this juncture, you must turn the results over to the Holy Spirit. Resist the temptation to coax, to make numerous additional exhortations, or even to manipulate people into taking action."²²⁶

Invitations to specific age groups must be adapted to those groups. This includes "senior citizens," teenagers, and children. One must be sensitive to the special needs of such groups as the handicapped and the hearing impaired. Counselors should be trained to serve these people. Young people and children especially are most responsive to the claims of Christ. They are also most vulnerable to peer pressure; therefore, care must be taken in the invitation and counseling process that they make genuine commitments to Christ. Peer pressure is helpful to encourage and reinforce a genuine decision, but the decision must be more than a response to peer pressure.

"...he who is wise wins souls" (Proverbs 11:30 NASB).

United Proclamation Evangelism--index page

INTRODUCTION  CHAPTER 1  CHAPTER 2  CHAPTER 3 

CHAPTER 4  CHAPTER 5  CHAPTER 6  REFERENCES