What is one thing the first-century churches didn't do, that we often think is necessary? I can think of several things, but, for now, let me ask: Where did our invitation system come from? Keep in mind, I'm not talking about the drawing power of the Holy Spirit. I'm talking about the mechanics of the "altar call." I believe that we too often rely upon our invitation system as an attempt to force God to move. I suspect that many people reading this are fearing that I'm venturing into the playground of heresy, now that I've questioned a beloved institution of modern Christianity, but hear me out. Did you know that the invitation system wasn't brought about until the 19th century? If this invitation system was of God, then for the previous 18 centuries orthodox Christians were clueless of a vital movement of God. The reason I think this subject is important is because I think we get ourselves into serious trouble when we trust man-made tradition that God might move in our midst.

This worries me because of a story found in 2 Samuel 6. King David was ready to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, but David didn't follow God's instruction on the handling of the Ark. He put it on a new cart to bring it into the city. David was placing too much trust in a man-made method to carry the sacred thing of God. God's plan was for men to carry the Ark on poles, by hand and on foot, but David was in a hurry. We read on and find that the oxen stumbled, the Ark shifted, and a man named Uzzah put out his hand to stabilize it. God struck him dead because it had been commanded that no man was to touch the Ark and live. I believe that we have put God on a cart because we're in too much of a hurry, and when God starts to move in our midst, we make the same fatal mistake Uzzah made. We give an "altar call" and mishandle the holy thing of God. We are a part of God's plan, in how He works in people's lives, but we have the tendency to go too far. When the Spirit of God moves, He doesn't need for us to stabilize the situation. Previous to this occasion, in 1 Samuel 5, the Ark had been stolen, and subsequently returned to Israel. Do you know how that happened? God used two cows to carry it back. Don't go thinking that people won't get saved if you don't help out. Do your part: preach the Word, and then leave the movement to God. Emotional manipulation, hand-raising, formula prayers, and assurance-giving have become our ways of trying to stabilize the Ark and hurry conversions.

Maybe you're wondering: "Heath, why are you 'anti-invitation'?" I'm not completely against the invitation system. Many sound converts have resulted from "altar calls," but many false conversions have also taken place. At the age of 8, I was mishandled at the "altar." I came not knowing what I was doing, and instead of being helped to understand, I was led in a prayer, which falsely convinced me I was saved. Five years passed before I realized that I had not repented and trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of my sins. Had I died in that span of time, I'd have went straight to Hell. Sometimes men don't understand what they may be doing when they perform "altar calls" and lead others in formula prayers, and sometimes men are more concerned about adding souls to the tally of those they have "led to Christ" than trusting God to add souls to the Kingdom.

Many will defend the "altar call" by referencing the well-known story of Billy Sunday and the Chicago fire. Billy was having a revival, and he did something that was, for him, out of the ordinary. He decided not to give an "altar call." That night, after the large congregation dismissed, the famed Chicago fire swept the town—the large congregation, never to reassemble in full number, as it had the night before. Billy was remorseful, and he swore never to end a service again without an "altar call." I think Billy missed something. Despite the fire, those people still deserved Hell (as we all do)—people don't go to Hell because they've not be preach to enough, they go to Hell because they're sinners. Despite the fire, those people still had plenty of opportunity to repent. And despite the fire, those people were still in God's hands. In fact, that fire may very well have been God's invitation to hundreds of people who would have never been saved after walking an aisle. Instead of leaving the results up to God, Billy blamed himself for not giving an "altar call," even though he had faithfully preached the Word, and he made a promise that only indicated he was trusting man's invitation more than God's—man's way of the carrying the Ark, more than God's.

So I ask you: "Who is salvation of?" Of course, its of the LORD. When God is calling the lost to be saved, when God is convicting them of sin, and when God is moving in our midst, we dare not touch the holy thing of God. If God can use two cows to bring His holy Ark back, surely He can lead a sinner to repentance. We preach the Gospel as faithfully as we can, and we charge them with their personal responsibility to respond to God, and then we step back in faith that God will do the rest. An "altar call" is man's attempt to gauge God's movement, and when God begins to move, we stick out our hand to catch the glory, but we often find that the results are very bitter.

How did people respond to the Message of God through the preaching of Paul, Peter, Stephen, the prophets, and Christ? Did they lead in a "prayer of salvation," or did they charge their listeners with the personal responsibility to repent? An "altar call" is not necessarily a bad thing to do, I just believe that it's not something that needs to be done every service. It needs to be led of the Holy Spirit, not man, and we're fooling ourselves if we think that it is a necessary element of our church meetings. I say we need more preaching the repentance of sin and less pleading the repetition of prayers.

If you want more information on this issue, you will find a link to the article "The 'Altar' Call, Helpful or Harmful?" in the right-hand column of this page. I'm sure it will help shed further light on the history of the modern invitational system. I hope this post has stretched your thinking and given you new clarity in how you view your role in God's redemptive plan.

May God bless you in this new year, and may you grow in wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ as you endeavor to serve Him.

I want to thank Dave Gregg who helped me put this together. He's a great writer, and I appreciate him. I only wrote down the thought. He did the rest. So I cannot take full credit for this post.

Iron sharpening iron,
Heath Loftis & Dave Gregg

Labels: evangelism, First-Century Thinking