II. Does the departure from this practice violate the teaching of Scripture? Two passages of Scripture are usually stressed as the basis for a public acknowledgment of Christ. “ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:9, 10). “Who soever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32). While these verses teach that we need to “ confess” Christ “be fore men,” it is difficult to estab lish from them that we need to make this confession in a public service. They refer more specific ally to the individual’s willing ness to identify himself with Christ no matter who the audi ence might be. There is no evi-
The first reason would be that in intellectual circles “ going for ward” is associated with emotion alism. Since the intellectual level of both the minister and laity is generally rising, it has become less popular to encourage mean ingless decisions through the use of “ tear-jerker” stories. Another problem has been the widespread abuse of the invita tion. Many times the appeal has been dishonest, such as a request for those who wish to have prayer to come forward, and then treat ing them as though they were making decisions for Christ. A further malpractice has been the attempt to be able to report large numbers of decisions by making invitations so general that every one in the congregation has felt obligated to “ take his stand.” Some Christian leaders feel that so much emphasis has been placed on coming forward that the act has a tendency to become more important than actually ac cepting Christ as Saviour.
IS THE INVITATION OUTMODED? by Glenn O’Neal, Ph.D. H i t t i n g t h e s a w d u s t t r a i l ” or “ coming forward in church” is the traditional way to make a decision for Christ in American evangelical churches. Yet an evangelistic pastor re marked recently, “ I believe that the public invitation in the church service is becoming outmoded.” Others have noted that this prac tice is decreasing in popularity. Some churches that have regis tered growth with members who give evidence of transformed lives rarely practice it. In analyzing this trend three questions will be asked: I. What are the reasons for the decline in the use of the public invitation ? Dr. O’Neal is Professor of Prac tical Theology, Talbot Theological Seminary.
GNIFICENT dramatic story of a
for a beautiful entertainer is an attrac- and wholesome presentation^^Bie Christian life. It is entertaining^ yet straightforward as it powerful speaks to both believers and nonbelievers about U relationships to Christ.
A YOUTH FIIMS RFIFASE
date ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ esl Book WORLDS APART for_____________________ . alternate date (Vour booking w ill be confirmed immediately) Send information on your special discount plan. ME _____________________________________________ HURCH or ORG.
Feature Length Color Motion Picture with Original Music andLyrics by
ADDRESS ________ C IT Y ____________
ZIP CODE .
STATE .
PLEASE SEND: ____ 3 color Posters @ 8c' ea. ____ 2 color Inserts
GO SPEL FILMS, INC. Box 455 Dept. 512 M uskegon, M ich. 4 9 4 4 3
@ $1.50 per 100 __-_Glossies @ 500 ea. ah Mats @ 250 ea. THE KING'S BUSINESS
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker