There is a growing hunger everywhere I go here in the U.S. for a mighty move of God’s Spirit.
But there is also a growing move among Spirit Filled pastors of doing away with altar calls. One pastor who has altar calls was speaking with young pastor about this subject and the young guy sarcastically said “…yea, go down with the ship…”
We are looking for the easy way to bring in the crowds…but are we following God’s prescription on changing lives. Only a combination of prayer and discipleship (using the Word of God as it’s base) will truly change lives!
In the words of Thomas Trask, “Let’s get back to the altar!”
We will never have a life changing encounter with the Living God without an altar in our lives dedicated to the Living God!
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Surely, whenever there is a supernatural move of God in a meeting then there needs to be some invitation to respond on a personal basis! Whether this is called an “altar call” or is in a style that someone deems to be an “altar call” is surely immaterial? When God’s glory falls upon us then our response is always “what must I do?”. Whenever that happens in a corporate setting then it would be irresponsible stewardship not to teach on what has happened and give opportunity to respond. This is exactly what happened at Pentecost! God’s glory falls. The people want to know what’s going on. Peter answers their questions. The people ask “what must we do to be saved?” and Peter invites them to get right with God. Three thousand are added.
But at the end of the same chapter in Acts we see discipleship happening in a very simple, relational, manner, and people are added daily through God’s glory in that activity as well.
IMHO we need both! We may find that there is a greater favour of God with one than the other at different times and places, but our hearts should always be saying “Please grant us greater favour for both Lord. We want ALL that You want to do.”
I have thought alot about this post. I often see the opposite of what you wrote about here. I see altar calls so broad as to impact no none. As if walking to the front of a church will do something. It is the altar call that calls for no repentance, no sacrifice, no recommitment, no choice and no change. People leaving the altar no different than when they approached it having not laid anything at the altar no having been met there.
As with most things, we need to be sensitive and responsive to the Spirit, rather than prescriptive. I’ve seen altar calls that are just “coz that’s what we always do next / in this context” or even, in much rarer cases thankfully, because our own carnality wants to see fruit from our labours, rather than trusting it all to Holy Spirit (I think we can all empaphise with that - and repent). Again, I think of Pentecost where Holy Spirit had already stirred something within people’s hearts. Shouldn’t an altar call just be a mass response to the Spirit’s revelation and conviction?
With reference to “the sinking ship” I recently saw something that one of the emerging churches had done. They had a huge banner print of Da Vinci’s last supper at the front all through the service where they preached the gospel using the last supper as the vehicle. At the end they invited people who wanted to be at the table with Jesus to come and sign their names on the print. Sounds to me like the concept of an altar call is alive and well!