The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Reformed "alter call"

I just got done watching the "Holiness of God" series by RC Sproul, if you don't have a copy of it I would HIGHLY recommend picking a copy up or borrowing one, if you already own it, watch it again. I just got done watching it for the second time within the last week and it is awesome. RC has got to be one of the most entertaining reformed ministers that I've seen. Anyway, I digress...

I've have seene quite a few "alter calls" in my 32 years, most of them are pretty cheezy and the sinful part of me causes me to roll my eyes and stare at the floor. However, after watching the last segment of the Holiness of God, the Holiness of Christ, I'm convinced that more of this should be occuring in reformed churches today. RC laid it out, man is at emnity with God, unless you are covered by the righteousness of Christ, you don't stand a chance on the final day, Christ alone has done all that is necessary to attone for your sins. (I've paraphrased quite a bit). Anyway, it was definately presented in a reformed (biblical) manner. This got me thinking, if an unrepentent individual sat through a sermon and felt as if the Lord was working on his heart, would that individual be inclined to talk to the pastor or elder? My fear is that a lot of times this is assumed within reformed churches. I'm sure some of this is due to an aversion to give an alter call, but have we as reformed folk "thrown the baby out with the bath water"?


Disclaimer. I totally subscribe to the soverignty of God, so yes, if a person is truly being called by God, he/ she will enventually start asking questions, I understand and believe that.

I do believe that someone who is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, whether it is via a sermon, reading the Scriptures, talking to a friend, pastor, etc., will irresistibly call upon the name of God and believe upon Christ. If one is "moved" by the Spirit to seek further counsel in the matter of salvation, then he/she will without doubt ask for it.

And, just in case you haven't read this classic: Decisional Regeneration, by James E. Adams.

My best friend was converted at my church (Reformed Baptist) during the preaching of the Word, and at the end of the service she was sitting there crying. Several of the women had to steady her, and they went over to my pastor at her request. Then, she and my pastor went into one of the classrooms, and she told him she was sorrowful over her sin but that she trusted the blood of Christ to cleanse her from all unrighteousness. She had been attending church for several months, so she was well known by the members (her two brothers are also members).

I was not at my church yet when she was converted, but I would have liked to have been there! I know not all conversions are like this, but this account reminds me that you don't need a thousand verses of "Just As I Am" (not a bad hymn, just misused) for the conversion of sinners.

I ran across a comment somewhere that, instead of altar calls, us Reformed folk have sermons! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/bananas.gif" alt="" />

Regarding reform[ing] alter calls, here is a twist you might enjoy.

Scroll down the page to:
06 JULY, 2007
Big Churches Install "Moving Aisles"


Patrice

Have you seen the one on Net Finney Guards Families Against the Harmful Effects of Calvinism just below the one on the moving aisles?

Johan

Yes, they're a bunch of witty and sometimes zany satirists. I just couldn't help sharing the one on altar calls. Seen my share of them years ago, enough to appreciate their satirical approach.

Be sure you don't download NetFinney though, <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/nono.gif" alt="" /> you will certainly lose your link to The Highway. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

I wrote a little rant on my blog about why altar calls bother me. But I do wish more Reformed churches would press for the application of the word in practical ways...

-Robin

Robin, thanks for the post, I was having a hard time trying to articulate what I was trying to get across, but I think you summed it up well. Thanks.