How Evangelicals Get People Saved without Preaching the Gospel

[presidente]

Have you noticed that many, many evangelical preachers will have a tag-on 'sinner's prayer' at the end after not telling the audience that Jesus died on their cross and rose from the dead. They have the people repeat a prayer to ask Jesus into their heart or to give their lives to Jesus without telling them Who Jesus is or what He did?

I wonder if so many people who have non-evangelical beliefs call themselves 'born again' because they repeated a prayer from a preacher in church or off of TV and were told they were 'born again' for repeating a prayer.

Some of the people who pray these prayers in churches might have heard the gospel first, or they might stick around and hear it after. But doesn't this practice have a lot of potential to produce false converts?

I Corinthians 15

Now I would remind you, brothers,[a] of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
(ESV)

 

[Lillywolf]

Tomorrow is Sunday. Find a search engine and seek out an Evangelical church in your hometown and have a visit. Then you will realize how wrong your OP is.

 

[Locutus]

Some churches I've attend do an occasional - "sinners" call - generally they are not preaching the gospel specifically as part of the service, more working on various parts of the bible as a theme.

The guy at the door usually spots a "new comer" and introduces themselves etc.

I think you are mixing up the local "churches" body with the "office" of evangelist.

 

[presidente]

Tomorrow is Sunday. Find a search engine and seek out an Evangelical church in your hometown and have a visit. Then you will realize how wrong your OP is.

I would hope that would be the case. I have seen this in numerous churches, and I"ve seen it in different denominations. Sometimes, I have emailed pastors after witnessing this.

 

[presidente]

Some churches I've attend do an occasional - "sinners" call - generally they are not preaching the gospel specifically as part of the service, more working on various parts of the bible as a theme.

The guy at the door usually spots a "new comer" and introduces themselves etc.

I think you are mixing up the local "churches" body with the "office" of evangelist.

It may be more of a pastor thing to do this than an evangelist thing, but I am not sure.

 

[BaptistBibleBeliever]

Generally on Sunday morning Bible-believing, Bible-preaching churches will have an evangelistic message - however, on occasion they do not (such as the fourth of July where the message is patriotism, or Thanksgiving when the message is generally on thankfulness, etc.) but in every message the cross is displayed. On Sunday night it is often a doctrinal message, and on Wednesday night a Bible study where perhaps a book of the Bible is gone through, but in more depth than the Sunday school hour.

If there are churches that just don't bother to ever speak of the cross and still give invitations to come to the cross - well, they are probably not real churches anyway. There are plenty of country clubs and feel good clubs that call themselves churches.

 

[presidente]

Generally on Sunday morning Bible-believing, Bible-preaching churches will have an evangelistic message - however, on occasion they do not

Are you missionary Baptist by any chance?

I do not think nearly every church service has to be an evangelistic meeting. Church meetings are to be for the edifying of the church.

But if we evangelize, then we should actually preach the gospel.

 

[BaptistBibleBeliever]

Not missionary baptist, but a baptist that believes in missions.

When a person responds to an altar call they are not simply prayed with. They join with another Christian in an outer room where the plan of salvation is discussed, and when the person understands their part - they can get saved, but not without a modicum of understanding. In other words, it is not enough to just know we are bad and Jesus is good. It is needed to be understood that we are condemned sinners facing eternal separation from God because of sin, and that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice to take away our sins. Repentance simply means being sorry for sin and a desire to exchange that debt of sin for Christ's eternal gift of eternal life.

 

[presidente]

Not missionary baptist, but a baptist that believes in missions.

When a person responds to an altar call they are not simply prayed with. They join with another Christian in an outer room where the plan of salvation is discussed, and when the person understands their part - they can get saved, but not without a modicum of understanding. In other words, it is not enough to just know we are bad and Jesus is good. It is needed to be understood that we are condemned sinners facing eternal separation from God because of sin, and that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice to take away our sins. Repentance simply means being sorry for sin and a desire to exchange that debt of sin for Christ's eternal gift of eternal life.

One of the churches where I saw the preacher have people pray a prayer-- kind of out of the blue-- to give their lives to Jesus had a room for them to go to if they prayed that prayer. But they didn't have to go there, of course.

If a preacher does that and declares them 'born again' then they can go out thinking they are born again without hearing the Gospel.

I emailed the preacher and I received a brief and gracious reply that he would consider my email on the subject.

I emailed Nick Vujicic about this sort of thing, too. His helper said he read it to him, (back before he was married), and the response was positive. I saw a video of him doing a challenge, prayer, whatever at the end (now that they don't always call people to the front to the so-called 'atar'), where he focused on the cross, but I did not hear any reference to the resurrection.

 

[preacher4truth]

But doesn't this practice have a lot of potential to produce false converts?

Yes, it certainly does have that potential. Telling a person they can decide themselves into heaven, free will choose themselves into heaven, and then guarantee them heaven when they die for asking Jesus in their heart is unbiblical. Many persons are convinced they'll go to heaven for this because someone told them so.

Charles G. Finney is owed lots of thanks for the above false gospel nonsense.

 

[BaptistBibleBeliever]

First of all, we hope the preacher is a saved man himself, otherwise it is classic 'blind leaders of the blind.' But, if he is saved and preaches some kind of 'easy believism" I suspect that there will much many tears at the Judgment Seat of Christ and even greater tears as those that were duped find themselves thrust into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.

Yet, they have Bibles . . . and faith still comes by hearing. God can do through His Word what preachers are unable to do from their pulpits. Unfortunately, though, most people are lazy and expect to be spoon fed all the way from the cradle to the grave.

 

[JaumeJ]

No manmay say Jesus Christ, Yeshua, is Lord unless it has been revealed b the Holy Spirit.

 

[presidente]

No manmay say Jesus Christ, Yeshua, is Lord unless it has been revealed b the Holy Spirit.

It says 'but by the Holy Ghost.'

And the Bible doesn't say if you speak by the Holy Ghost, you are guaranteed salvation either. Man will come to Christ and say they have prophesied in His name. Caiaphas prophesied. So did Balaam.

 

[JaumeJ]

It says 'but by the Holy Ghost.'

And the Bible doesn't say if you speak by the Holy Ghost, you are guaranteed salvation either. Man will come to Christ and say they have prophesied in His name. Caiaphas prophesied. So did Balaam.

God has blessed me to have ben able to rea many verions of the Word. If your prefer the translation that employs Holy Ghost to Holy Spirit that is your chice but the terms, neither, are inscribed in stone, not even on a stony heart.

Now if you are going to split hairs on word meaning yu must find another to hold your razor.

 

[Nehemiah6]

Have you noticed that many, many evangelical preachers will have a tag-on 'sinner's prayer' at the end after not telling the audience that Jesus died on their cross and rose from the dead.

There has generally been a decline in the preaching of the true Gospel as well as the meaning of obedience to the Gospel. Too many churches have made entertainment a priority. But the Gospel is still the power of God unto salvation.

 

[presidente]

God has blessed me to have ben able to rea many verions of the Word. If your prefer the translation that employs Holy Ghost to Holy Spirit that is your chice but the terms, neither, are inscribed in stone, not even on a stony heart.

Now if you are going to split hairs on word meaning yu must find another to hold your razor.

The point you made has nothing to do with the point I was trying to make. Revealed by the Holy Ghost and speak by the Holy Gost are not the same thing
I memirized that book in KJV as a kid so I tend toward KJV wording when I quote or paraphrase sometimes. I do not see how you thought that was the point if my post. I have no problem with the use of the translations that render the wors as 'Holy Spirit'.

 

[posthuman]

It may be more of a pastor thing to do this than an evangelist thing, but I am not sure.

i get the sense from some preachers that for one reason or another they feel it necessary to give an 'altar call' at the end of their oration no matter what they've been talking about. almost as though they have the idea that it's not a real sermon unless it closes with this, the same way you might say it's not a real fairy tale unless it begins with 'once upon a time' and ends with 'and they all lived happily ever after'

 

[7seasrekeyed]

well I for one certainly appreciate a call for those who are not saved to be saved

it is the obligation of the elders or those designated to further reach out to those who do go forward or raise their hands, to make sure the person understands and follow up should always be required

never ever miss an opportunity to reach out and until you (generic you) have filled the position of a leader in a church, perhaps don't be so critical

personally, I don't think the entire church needs to be evangelized every Sunday.

 

[Lillywolf]

It may be more of a pastor thing to do this than an evangelist thing, but I am not sure.

I would suggest it is a pastor thing. I've attended evangelical churches over the years. They not only preach the Gospel but they also at the end of the sermon have an altar call. No big public spectacle like some television pastors do. Raise your hand if you want to be saved, then come to the altar.
Nothing like that. These services in different churches make themselves quietly accessible when asking any who feel called to repentance come forward. While every head is bowed in prayer those who feel drawn to our Lord stand and make their way to the pulpit area. And there members of the church dedicated to this mission take each one aside in council.

I will say in all the years I've attended such churches across the country I have never seen one fail in this regard.

 

[Lillywolf]

i get the sense from some preachers that for one reason or another they feel it necessary to give an 'altar call' at the end of their oration no matter what they've been talking about. almost as though they have the idea that it's not a real sermon unless it closes with this, the same way you might say it's not a real fairy tale unless it begins with 'once upon a time' and ends with 'and they all lived happily ever after'

I would suggest you cleanse your senses thinking fairy tale has any relevance whatever.
Pastors close their sermons with altar calls because they're serving the great commission Jesus set forth for all who are called to ministry and missionary work.
It would be an empty pathway and waste of time to teach the Salvation message and then not ask those who may have listened and were moved to repentance if they'd like to come forward and enter into the body of Christ.