WERE YOU EVER INVITED?

 Recently, I have engaged in discussions with a "Reformed Baptist" and a Presbyterian. The two are so much alike, one can hardly tell the difference, save for the mode of baptism. Both affirm that regeneration precedes faith, and neither believe it is the duty of a church to "invite" sinners to pray a "sinner's prayer" or beseeched to come forward at the end of the service for what some call the "altar call". They say that is an Arminian practice, which produces no real converts. They detest what they call "decisional regeneration". I have a few questions for those  Reformed Calvinists. 

1. Where have most of your church members come from? How can you be against a practice, that was used in the conversion of the vast majority of your members? Did you ever "decide" to trust Christ, or did you just wake up one morning trusting Him?

2. Why do you repeat falsehoods, saying Spurgeon never employed such practices?

3. How many have actually been converted to Christ under your ministry?

So I decided to dig a little to see if I could answer these questions. First, The Reformed churches have always been the smallest in number of all other churches. Even at their height, the Presbyterians never were more than 2% of the U.S. population, while the Methodists were three times that number, and the Baptists (of all kinds) were 6 times that number. If it weren't for the Methodists, Baptists, and later the Pentecostal style churches, the Reformed churches would be all but extinct. I hate to put it this way, but the Reformed churches must proselytize in order to fill their ranks, because they do not reproduce! They rarely have conversions, so they expend all their efforts in "evangelizing" the "Arminians". 

Second, it is an absolute falsity that Spurgeon did not employ the "altar call" or "invitation". Let's also not forget, that Spurgeon was converted in the Methodist church! Let's look at the methods Spurgeon used.

"C. H. Spurgeon earnestly exhorted those who had accepted Christ as their Saviour to come forward amongst his people and avow their attachment to His person and name. Words of kindly encouragement and of loving persuasiveness, were addressed to the timid and retiring ones, who feared to avow themselves to be the Lord's lest they should fall back into sin and dishonor His name. This was followed by an appeal to those who had confessed the name of Jesus — an appeal of so stirring and searching a nature, that many must have felt constrained to say, 'Lord what wilt thou have me to do?' Prayer for more earnest living, abiding, practical godliness, followed this address." —

The address to the "timid ones" would be those who needed to be "persuaded" to trust in Jesus. They had not yet "avowed themselves". They would be the ones saying "I must get my act together and stop sinning before I come to Christ"

The Sword and The Trowel Magazine, 1865, page. 70 .

‘Before you leave this place breathe an earnest prayer to God, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner. Lord, I need to be saved. Save me. I call upon Thy name….Lord, I am guilty, I deserve Thy wrath. Lord, I cannot save myself. Lord, I would have a new heart and a right spirit, but what can I do? Lord, I can do nothing, come and work in me to do of Thy good pleasure.Thou alone hast power, I know To save a wretch like me; To whom, or whither should I go If I should run from Thee? But I now do from my very soul call upon Thy name. Trembling, yet believing, I cast myself wholly upon Thee, O Lord. I trust the blood and righteousness of Thy dear Son…. Lord, save me tonight, for Jesus’ sake.’ (C.H. SPURGEON)

If this is not a "sinner's prayer" then I dont know what else it can be called!! An "invitation" or "altar call" does not mean that you must "walk the aisle" or "come to the front". Spurgeon said "BEFORE YOU LEAVE, and then he proceeded to lead a sinners prayer.

He did seem to be against "enquiry rooms" where people would come AFTER the service. He seemed to think if a person wanted to come to Christ, that they should do so immediately during the service, whether by coming forward or praying where they stood. Ironic that he was against "enquiry rooms" yet todays Calvinists who rail against "altar calls" many times employ the enquiry room.

Spurgeon said " ‘Some say "I should like to go into the enquiry-room." I dare say you would, but we are not willing to pander to popular superstition. We fear that in those rooms men are warmed into a fictitious confidence. Very few of the supposed converts of enquiry-rooms turn out well. Go to your God at once, even where you now are. Cast yourself on Christ, at once, ere you stir an inch!’

He CLEARLY wanted a "decision" "ere you stir an inch" which would be IN THE WORSHIP SERVICE" because these words were said IN a worship service.

 

And lastly, when is the last time someone laid claim to Christ under your preaching? Everytime I turn around, I hear the story of how these Reformed folk came to Christ. It is usually a situation like the one told by Pastor Murray Gossett of First Presbyterian Church, Amarillo Texas. The following is what he said in an article from Decision Magazine. (see here https://decisionmagazine.com/franklin-graham-to-preach-the-gospel-in-8-cities-along-americas-main-street/)

"Pastor Murray Gossett still has two promotional signs in his office from the last time his church participated in a Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) event. They read: “Texas Panhandle Festival 2000 with Franklin Graham.”

The father of five, who has been the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Amarillo, Texas, for the past 31 years, cherishes the signs as poignant reminders of when his sons professed their faith in Christ. “All three of my boys, at different times, went forward during the multi-night Franklin Graham Festival,” Gossett recalls fondly. “All three continue to walk with Christ, and they’re doing good things.”

As Gossett prayerfully anticipates the Route 66 God Loves You Tour in Amarillo on Sept. 26, he realizes that a lot has changed since Franklin last preached in the region 21 years ago, and the need for mass evangelism is urgent."

 

WOW! So THREE of his sons "went forward" during an invitation, given by a Baptist. I appreciate the fact that this pastor has participated with Graham in evangelization, yet it must be noted that his own children evidently did not respond or were not "invited" to believe Christ in their own church. The fact that all three sons responded to an invitation outside the Presbyterian Church is telling. The Reformed churches have never been filled with regenerate church members. How could they, when you become a member as an infant at "baptism"? And what of the Reformed Baptists who hold them in much higher esteem, than those dreadful Arminians?

I dare to give warning to those Reformed churches, who embrace the error of regeneration before faith, and apart from the preached or demonstrated Word. The warning is this:

Were YOU ever invited to come to Christ? An invitation requires a response. Have you believed HIM or a systematic theology? Have you ever DECIDED to follow Jesus?

Heaven is by invitation only. If you decline the invitation, you will not make Heaven.