The Problem

2. The Problem.

A.Inconsistency.
When one is invited to receive Christ by faith in their home and they do so, they are saved. They are not asked to walk an aisle. At a funeral people are not asked to come to the front, only to receive Christ. In the hospital one is simply asked to believe that Christ died to pay for their sins and rose again and walking the aisle is never the issue. When listening to a radio sermon I have never heard an invitation to come forward, only believe. It would be absurd to invite people to come forward over the radio. When watching a religious broadcast on television, I have never heard a preacher or evangelist inviting the home audience to come forward to receive Christ. They are usually told to "Trust Christ right where you are." The inconsistency is this, why do not the people at the outdoor meeting or in the church have the same opportunity to receive Christ by faith alone as those listening to the radio, watching television, or in their home, or at a funeral, or in the hospital? Usually, at a televised outdoor revival the speaker will ask people to come to the platform to be saved; and, then, turn to the television audience and say "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ right where you are and be saved."

If all the people who had gone to the meeting would have stayed home and viewed the television program, they would have had a better opportunity to be saved!

B. A Tradition.
Independent, fundamental churches, as ourselves, frown on traditions framed and incorporated outside the word of God. In Peter 1:18 and 19, Peter wrote concerning being saved by anything outside of the blood of Christ, speaking of their traditions received from their fathers.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, RECEIVED BY TRADITION from your fathers. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot."

Paul, In writing to the Colossians, said,

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. - Colossians 2:8

While some have condemned others for their traditions, they, themselves, are guilty of practicing the traditional invitation of coming forward to be saved.

C. Affects The Preacher & The Evangelist.
It is so often that preachers judge their success by the amount of public professions that are made. Numbers of souls saved are recorded at the front of the church, based on the number of people who come forward. Since water baptism is the Biblical commandment for public testimony, why not post the amount of baptisms which would reflect the number of people who made their profession public?

Many evangelists, who send out their flyers, list the amount of conversions they have had at their previous meetings. This, I take it, is to impress me of their successful meetings so I will be more eager to engage them.

Whether admitted to or not, the gleanings from the public invitation have been used as a means to promote one's self as a successful pastor or evangelist. It has become a measuring line between success and failure. I could not number the amount of pastors I have talked with who became discouraged because "No one came forward." The whole success of their ministry seemed to be based upon this.

I think it might be beneficial, at this point, to recognize that in preaching the Word of God there is a time of planting, a time for watering, and in due time, God will honor His Word and give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). Our responsibility is to faithfully present God's Word. In 1 Corinthians 3:7-8 we are told,

"So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth: BUT GOD THAT GIVETH THE INCREASE. (7) Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one; and every man shall receive his own reward." (8)

Please notice:

D.The Word of God Will Do Its Part.
"For the word of God is quick (alive) and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

E.The Holy Spirit Will Do His Part.
"And when he (Holy Spirit) is come, he will reprove (convict) the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment." - John 16:8

F.God Will Do His part.
"I (Paul) have planted, Apollos watered; BUT GOD GAVE THE INCREASE." - 1 Corinthians 3:6

"All that the Father giveth me shall come come to me; and him that that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out" - John 6:37

G.Can We Be Trusted To Do Our Part?
"But speaking the truth ('Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved') in love (not getting upset and angry when there is no immediate response)... "in simplicity and godly sincerity..." - 1 Corinthians 1:12

Then depend on God to give the increase "in demonstration of the spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:4). God, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God will do their part, if the preacher and evangelist will do theirs.

More times than not, I have had those come for baptism or counseling, only to find they were saved two or three weeks prior. What a tragedy it would have been to have judged that service a failure because there was no outward response! A service is never a failure as long as God's Word is proclaimed. Many a preacher looking for an immediate response has been discouraged needlessly. There is a time of planting, a time of watering, and God can be depended upon to give the increase, "My word shall not return unto me void, saith the Lord" - Isaiah 55:11

Allow me to illustrate with an incident I experienced some time back concerning having people forward. We had an evangelist come for meetings held from Sunday to Wednesday. Prior to the meetings he had almost insisted that he give the invitation. I related to him that we did not invite people to come forward; but rather, invited people to trust Christ in their seats. If he would do it that way, fine. At the Sunday morning service, he gave the invitation to come forward to be saved. There was no response.

After the service we ate together and I, again, em-phasized to him that we did not invite people to come forward to trust Christ; but, asked them to trust Christ in their seats. Again, there was no indication on his part that he would not follow our procedure. At the Sunday evening service the same thing occurred. After three verses of a hymn, he had not even hinted you could be saved without coming forward. His whole invitation rested upon coming forward for salvation. No one had responded. He then announced we were going to sing five more verses before closing. At that point I went to the pulpit and finished the invitation. Needless to say, he was very upset and so was I. The next day I called him at the motel and asked him if he would come prior to the meeting and we could discuss the invitation. He refused; and advised me he had been highly insulted and this was the first time anyone had ever interfered with his invitation! He informed me he would not continue the meetings, before I could inform him of the same thing!

I related to him that he also was the first evangelist who refused to tell people they could be saved without coming forward. I asked him if we could discuss it personally instead of over the phone. He would not agree to that and left that night. I finished the meetings myself. My only reason for relating this is to point out that this problem was the direct result of the traditional public invitation to walk to the front of the church. The invitation has never changed in God's Word, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). This excludes doing, working, or walking to obtain salvation.

One must come to Christ without anything but faith; and receive everything (eternal life); then the love of Christ "constraineth us" to do, work, and walk with Him, and for Him. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 we are told,

"For the love of Christ constrained us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all then were all dead: (14) And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." (15) The public invitation most certainly effects the evan-gelist and the preacher in many cases.