Two Things Every Church Should Do!

[valuecard]

These are two things that every church should be doing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PvpsAqZwxY

If you agree, pls show this video to your pastor!


Phil

 

[MrPolo]

His 2 things are:

Altar Calls - Before the altar call, do a 1-2 minute recap of the Gospel that includes "heaven, hell, sin, the Passion."

The way the church is run - the pastor should not necessarily be the teacher, prophet, healer, prayer leader in the church because other people have that give better than the pastor.

He said the first thing is more important.

 

[bbbbbbb]

His 2 things are:

Altar Calls - Before the altar call, do a 1-2 minute recap of the Gospel that includes "heaven, hell, sin, the Passion."

The way the church is run - the pastor should not necessarily be the teacher, prophet, healer, prayer leader in the church because other people have that give better than the pastor.

He said the first thing is more important.

Thank you for the summary. I trust that it is accurate and thus has saved me the time to watch it. Of course, for churches such as the ones which we attend (although they differ in many other aspects) this is quite meaningless.

 

[LiturgyInDMinor]

This is silly.

 

[avra34v2]

......

can't tell if this is sarcastic or not...

 

[Cjwinnit]

I thought it was Baptism and Communion

 

[LilLamb219]

First off, the speaker goes on about the appropriate way to do altar calls (which, btw, is unbiblical...a man made thing) because he is saying that the church service/sermon isn't even addressing what the people need to hear to go up for an altar call.

Yes, that part should be appalling, that a church is not even bothering to proclaim the Gospel within the service and sermon!!!! WHAT do they think they are doing if they are not feeding the people???

 

[valuecard]

Exactly, thats my point!

 

[Siyha]

I like to steer away from altar calls. In the parable of the sower, the seed that sprouts quickly also dies quickly. While there are those who have passionate, sudden conversions, the overwhelming majority of us have longer, more methodic conversion stories.

It would be great if a pastor could preach a sermon on patience, and everyone leaves more patient, but the word of God grows within us. Altar calls try to push premature sprouting imo. And when the person commits on the spot, then falls back later on, it becomes either a discouragement to them, or you get chronic altar call responders who go up constantly thinking that act will sanctify them.

 

[bbbbbbb]

I thought it was Baptism and Communion

 

[Jig]

I like to steer away from altar calls. In the parable of the sower, the seed that sprouts quickly also dies quickly. While there are those who have passionate, sudden conversions, the overwhelming majority of us have longer, more methodic conversion stories.

It would be great if a pastor could preach a sermon on patience, and everyone leaves more patient, but the word of God grows within us. Altar calls try to push premature sprouting imo. And when the person commits on the spot, then falls back later on, it becomes either a discouragement to them, or you get chronic altar call responders who go up constantly thinking that act will sanctify them.

I agree. Alter calls tend to encourage "premature sprouting". However, I think there may still be a time and place for an alter call. I guess it all depends on what the Spirit is doing.

Also, many who perform alter calls or on-the-spot conversions are just trying to be the harvesters. I'd hate to say that it is because they feel a sense of glory in harvesting, but I think it has become a numbers game to many, this is wrong.

 

[bugkiller]

First off, the speaker goes on about the appropriate way to do altar calls (which, btw, is unbiblical...a man made thing) because he is saying that the church service/sermon isn't even addressing what the people need to hear to go up for an altar call.

Yes, that part should be appalling, that a church is not even bothering to proclaim the Gospel within the service and sermon!!!! WHAT do they think they are doing if they are not feeding the people???

I kinda have always wondered about why the sheep are not being feed. I recently heard that a survey was done about Christians in the church and the consensus was only about 20% are born again Christians. The others are at best social christians. My experience rings tru with this (not necessarily the numbers, but people attending who are not Christian.

Since this seem to be the case why shouldn't there be a meeting at church for born again believers? How might one go about this? It is obvious that one can't just go by what someone confesses. How could the fakes be weeded out?

bugkiller

 

[bugkiller]

I agree. Alter calls tend to encourage "premature sprouting". However, I think there may still be a time and place for an alter call. I guess it all depends on what the Spirit is doing.

Also, many who perform alter calls or on-the-spot conversions are just trying to be the harvesters. I'd hate to say that it is because they feel a sense of glory in harvesting, but I think it has become a numbers game to many, this is wrong.

In a way it is a numbers game. Many denominations pastors have to report numbers showing results for various doctrines of the church.

bugkiller

 

[bugkiller]

I agree. Alter calls tend to encourage "premature sprouting". However, I think there may still be a time and place for an alter call. I guess it all depends on what the Spirit is doing.

Also, many who perform alter calls or on-the-spot conversions are just trying to be the harvesters. I'd hate to say that it is because they feel a sense of glory in harvesting, but I think it has become a numbers game to many, this is wrong.

Another thing is there is no followup or usually no teaching for new converts. Any plant requires some attention from some where. We tend to treat everything like weeds. Ever notice that weeds don't ever seem to need anything. Or how about using grass as an anology. The darn stuff grows on my concrete and can't get it to grow in the dirt. gardens are tended and feed then produce veggies.

bugkiller

 

[Virgil the Roman]

Two of some of the most important things a parish can do:
the Holy Mysteries of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist---if these are those of "two [of the] most important things," then yes I agree.

 

[valuecard]

I kinda have always wondered about why the sheep are not being feed. I recently heard that a survey was done about Christians in the church and the consensus was only about 20% are born again Christians. The others are at best social christians. My experience rings tru with this (not necessarily the numbers, but people attending who are not Christian.

Since this seem to be the case why shouldn't there be a meeting at church for born again believers? How might one go about this? It is obvious that one can't just go by what someone confesses. How could the fakes be weeded out?

bugkiller

Bug killer, concerning the wheat and the tares, Jesus said:
Mt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

That said, apostates should be weaded out, but not false converts. False converts should be subjected to teaching from the bible which highlights there true state in order to give em the best possible chance at repenting IMHO

 

[bugkiller]

Bug killer, concerning the wheat and the tares, Jesus said:
Mt 13:30 Let both growtogether until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

That said, apostates should be weaded out, but not false converts. False converts should be subjected to teaching from the bible which highlights there true state in order to give em the best possible chance at repenting IMHO

I have no problem with the apostates being in the congreagtion. I have no problem with unbelievers in the congregation. If the reason for the church to meet is to build up one another how can that be accomplished if the only thing is to evangelize the lost. That is not the purpose of the worship service. I am very tired of sucking on the bottle. I have teeth and want sometning solid to chew on. I wish to grow. There is little to no effort at discipleship in the church, especially evangelical churches.

I said nothing about kicking the false brethern (tares) out. Heresy is required for the church to be healthy. And so is defending the truth. We have hersesy with no opposition in the church today.

bugkiller

 

[luchsgud]

I think altar calls were the interpretation of the practices found in the Book of Acts, although these look more like altar responses since it was the seeker who sought, not the speaker who called.

However many are saved today having responded to an altar call so I will not discredit them. If you preach right you don't have to make sure all those aspects are in your altar call. Why don't we just trust the Holy Spirit?

I do a radio message. I don't meet the people I'm speaking to. An invitation to believe is important.

The 2nd aspect is adequately answered in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, and fully explained in Ephesians 4.

 

[CryptoLutheran]

The church I attend has an altar call every Sunday, we call it the Eucharist

-CryptoLutheran

 

[CryptoLutheran]

Seriously though, from what I can tell from the video it would seem that he (the guy in the video) is talking about the Gospel as though it's a propositional formula spoken to "the unsaved" in order for them to come up to the altar to "get saved"; by which is meant to escape damnation in Hell as a result of God's wrath in order to have the promise of heavenly reward.

It is not the Gospel that speaks about the helplessness of sinners (that's, in part, what the Law speaks about), the Gospel is the proclamation of God's goodness to and for us in Christ. And the Gospel isn't just for "the unsaved", it's for everyone, for us, to sustain us in Jesus Christ and His good promises. Every time we receive God's Eucharist we receive the Gospel for us. In Word and Sacrament there is the Gospel of God which saves us, by His Grace.

We ought to remember the Apostle's words,

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified." - 1 Corinthians 2:2

-CryptoLutheran