Featured You MUST give an invitation?

This business of an invitation or altar call is subjective. They mean different things to different people, both speaker and hearer.

Like when Salty equates a clear gospel presentation to an altar call, and Rev further equates that altar call to extending an opportunity for someone to give his life to the Lord. There's also Bosley pointing out the flaws of what's been termed "altar call" only to have his concerns diminished

There's a disconnect from scripture, imo.

Any time you preach a "gospel" that can be misconstrued by the hearer, into a self effort approach to God's grace, you've erred.

And a "response" centered message is just that type of message. It has every potential to give a hearer the false impression that if he performs a ritual, he will obtain eternal life.

 

Yes a response centered message is in error. The alter call and invitation are not.

 

???

Isn't the altar call supposedly an invitation to respond?

 

Yes that does not make it a "response centered message".

 

If you make a spectacle of a supposed response by designating an event for it, then it is response centered.

 

No it is Christ centered as it is a response to Christ. Christ is the object of the response.

 

Pretty serious about it, eh?
It sounds to me like he is a graduate of Hyles-Anderson.
Just my opinion, though.

 

Could have guessed as much. It is still the same "Hyles" influence.
--Must be KJVO.
--Must have an invitation.

 

The preaching of the Gospel should be a clarion call for ALL MEN to repent and believe, the lost man and the Christian :thumbsup: Especially since we all sin everyday.

The Apostle Paul did not have an altar call in Acts 17--best answer is to read the Sermons in the Book of Acts and witness as to how the Early Church did it!

 

Yes, like in Acts 2 when Peter implored people to "Repent and be baptized" which is basically an invitation. And over 3,000 people responded.

 

They were already believers. Not in Christ, but in a pre-cross sense. Like Abraham. Remember, they were in Jerusalem since Passover, and saw their Messiah crucified - only 50 days earlier

 

What? scripture said they were added to the church. No they were not believers.

 

So all 3000 souls added on Passover were pre-cross believers? Every single one of them? There's not a chance that they were from other places (seeing as every man heard in his own tongue)?

Theoretically, a church should be willing to allow people seeking to pray and speak with God and repent to use a mourner's bench, if they have one, or the altar, at any time during the service. If church members of the preacher are interrupted and interfered with by someone seeking to pray, then I would argue those church members need to re-examine themselves (not to re-examine their salvation, but to determine why someone else praying was such a horrifying distraction to them).

Also remember that Peter and the apostles weren't exactly in a building with the same layout as a modern church. They weren't faced with the same layout as we are. In fact, you could probably argue that, seeing how many people heard Peter, they were actually outside. It's kinda like the first outdoor revival (yeah, I was being a touch facetious there :smilewinkgrin: )

 

Scripture says no such thing as added to the church. Verse 41 says that 3,000 were added.

They were Old Testament believers. It's in verse 5 if you can see it. Or you can do the Baptist dance around Peter's clear words that they must be baptized in Jesus' name to receive remission of sin and the Holy Spirit

 

They were there from other places, as verse 5 clearly says. They were devout, from the heart. Not merely outwardly. They were obeying Deuteronomy 16, which required the Passover, Weeks and Booths to be observed in Jerusalem

Yes, every one of them.

Did you think all pre-cross believers died the day Jesus did? Or moved away and never heard of Him?

 

Devout simply means religious or sincere. Many are sincere in their religion, but sincerely wrong.
These were the very Jews that had crucified Christ. They were as guilty as any could be; devout, yes; but guilty. Some of them got saved. Remember that Nicodemus, Saul, and Joseph of Arimathea all sat on the Sanhedrin at one point.
They were devout Jews, but Judaism doesn't save, only Christ saves. The Feast of Pentecost couldn't save them. They came for that feast. They came from countries far and wide to worship at the feast of Pentecost, not at "The Pentecost" that you and I refer to. They were not expecting that to happen.
Peter urged them to repent.
That was in answer to their convicted hearts:
"Men and brethren what shall we do?"
"Repent"! came the answer. They weren't saved.

[FONT=&quot]Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.[/FONT]
And yes they were added to the church, and more and more, on a daily basis--The First Baptist Church of Jerusalem, if you will.