How to Give an Altar Call

How to Give an Altar Call

INTRODUCTION

In the early churches, the place where people would come and kneel before the Lord was called the altar. An altar in the Bible was a place where God met up with man, and where man met up with God.

An “altar call” calls people forward to give God their hearts and their lives. It calls a person to make the statement: “I want to give God all of my heart and life; I want to be born again.”

I.        ALTAR CALLS ARE IMPORTANT TO THE GROWTH OF YOUR CHURCH.

A.        Altar calls bring pleasure to God’s heart.

1.         We need to understand that this is important.

2.         We shouldn’t just get into the routine of “doing church”: having services, singing songs, and preaching from the Word.

·                     Otherwise, people can just leave after church is over and they aren’t saved.

B.        People who win souls have great churches.

II.       THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE IN YOUR CONGREGATION TO WHOM YOU NEED TO MINISTER.

A.        Those that are very knowledgeable about God

B.        Those that are saved but are not knowledgeable about God

C.        Those that are not saved

III.      MANY PEOPLE THINK OF THEMSELVES AS CHRISTIANS.

A.        People feel like they are saved.

·                     Feeling or thinking that you are a Christian doesn’t get you into Heaven.

B.        God will help you to design an altar call that will touch the hearts of the people sitting in your services.

1.         They will come to the altar.

2.         They will give all of their hearts and lives to our Lord and Savior: Jesus Christ.

IV.     ASK THE CONGREGATION QUESTIONS.

A.        What makes you think you are going to Heaven?

·                     What makes you think you are okay with God?

B.        Ask the people to be honest and answer the question in their hearts.

1.         No one will know but you and God.

2.         Examine yourself.

C.        “If you were to walk out of this building today and you suddenly died, would you go to Heaven and have eternal life, or would you go to Hell?”

V.      DISCUSS THEIR ANSWERS WITH THEM (AND OVERCOME THEIR OBJECTIONS).

A.        “I think I’m going to Heaven because I’m a good person.”

1.         No where in the Bible does it say you can go to Heaven and have eternal life because you are good.

2.         Someone needs to love you, respect you, and honor you enough to tell you the truth.

3.         I love you, respect you, and honor you enough to tell you the truth.

B.        “I think if I died, I would go to Heaven.”

1.         No where in the Bible does it say that you can think your way into Heaven.

2.         You are not going to make it this way.

C.        “I am going to go to Heaven because I love God.”

·                     No where in the Bible does it say that you get to go to Heaven because you love God.

D.        If you are going to get to Heaven, don’t you think you should get there God’s way?

·                     Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man goes to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6).

E.         “I am going to go to Heaven because my mother and father told me that I am a Christian.”

·                     No where in the Bible does it say you can go to Heaven because your mother and father told you that you are a Christian.

F.         “I am going to Heaven because I went to Sunday School (or Catechism or Sabbath school classes).”

·                     No where in the Bible does it say you can go to Heaven because you went to those classes.

G.        “I am going to Heaven because I have a cross or a St. Christophers around my neck.”

·                     No where in the Bible does it say that if you wear religious jewelry around your neck, you get to go to Heaven.

H.        “I am going to Heaven because I joined a church, worked as an usher in a church, or sang in the choir.”

1.         No where in the Bible does it say that going to church, singing in the choir, or working as an usher gets you to Heaven or makes you saved.

2.         That is not the proof of your salvation.

I.          “I will go to Heaven because I preach the Gospel and win people to the Lord.”

·                     Nowhere in the Bible does it say I get to go to Heaven because I preach the Gospel or win people to the Lord.

VI.     TELL THE CONGREGATION THAT WE HAVE TO DO THINGS JESUS’ WAY.

A.        Coming to church, being a nice (good) person, or being baptized (christened) will not get a person into Heaven.

B.        Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be “born again” (John 3:3).

1.         In his lifestyle and actions, Nicodemus was a keeper of the law.

2.         Nicodemus memorized, quoted, and debated the Scriptures.

3.         Nicodemus was a good guy.

C.        Being “born again” means that you have given God all of your heart and all of your life.

1.         The choice is yours.

2.         No one can make the choice for you.

3.         It is an all-or-nothing relationship.

·                     You better be hot or cold, because if Jesus finds you lukewarm, He will vomit you from His mouth (Revelation 3:16-17).

D.        Head knowledge is not enough to get you to Heaven.

1.         Even if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God

a.         The devil believes that Jesus is the Son of God (James 2:19).

b.         The demons believe that Jesus is the Son of God (James 2:19).

2.         In America, most of us know who Jesus is.

a.         We celebrate Christmas and know about the baby in the manger.

b.         We celebrate Easter and know about the resurrection of the Christ.

E.         It is not about your head; it is about your heart.

1.         Your heart belongs to you.

2.         You are going to have to give Jesus Christ all of your heart and life.

F.         You must be “born again”.

1.         I didn’t say that.

2.         The Church or religious leaders aren’t saying that.

3.         Jesus Christ says you must be “born again”.

VII.     AT THIS POINT, PEOPLE START TO EXAMINE THEMSELVES.

A.        People start to see themselves as people that know who God is in their heads, but really haven’t given God all of their hearts and lives.

B.        Tell the congregation: “Let’s get right today with God.”

1.         Give God all of your heart and life.

2.         Let’s do it Jesus’ way.

3.         This is about your heart.

C.        Jesus said if you confess Him before men, He’ll confess you before His Father; but if you deny Him, He’ll deny you (Matthew 10:33).

D.        Count to three and then clap your hands.

1.         The clap gets their attention again and wakes up those people that are half-asleep.

2.         You need their attention for them to give God all of their hearts.

E.         Ask them to raise their hands.

1.         Overcome the embarrassment objection.

a.         “Isn’t it better to be embarrassed for a moment than to be in Hell forever?

b.         “The devil is trying to talk you out of raising your hand right now.”

2.         Ask them if they will give God all of their hearts and lives.

a.         “You don’t have a problem with Him being the Son of God.”

b.         “But this is about your heart”

c.         “It is your call; it is your choice.”

3.         Overcome another objection: Who should raise their hands?

a.         If you have been running from God, instead of to God, most of your life

b.         If you have never given Him all of your heart

c.         If you have never given Him all of your life

d.         If you are one of those people who are not sure

4.         “Words don’t get you into Heaven.”

a.         God hears your words, and He checks out your heart because your life follows your heart.

b.         God knows whether you are serious by whether you act it.

VIII.   NUMBER THE RAISED HANDS.

A.        Excitement builds in the house.

B.        Don’t let people clap.

·                     Otherwise, some people will start to clap that instead should be raising their hands.

IX.     ASK THE PEOPLE TO COME FORWARD.

A.        Line a spiritual personal trainer up behind each person that comes forward.

·                     A person who will work with them and help them

B.        Lead all the people in a prayer.

·                     Let the whole congregation join in.

C.        Have the people bow their heads and repeat the words of the prayer.

D.        Introduce the people to the altar workers who will take them into another room afterwards.

1.         Get their names.

2.         Minister to them.

3.         Have them fill out cards.

4.         Give them free literature.

X.      YOU HAVE TO TRAIN YOUR CHURCH TO BECOME SPIRITUAL PERSONAL TRAINERS.

A.        These people will contact the newly-saved individuals, encourage them, pray with them, and meet with them before church services.

1.         If you have a friend, it is easy and more fun to come back to church.

2.         Don’t let the newly-saved individuals fall through the cracks of the floor.

B.        The people are to do the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12).

CONCLUSION

If you will take an aggressive altar call seriously, then the people will come and bring their unsaved friends, and your church will grow. It will grow and grow, and it will keep on growing; and then you and God will have to design a method to minister to the masses. God knows what to do.

GROUP DISCUSSION

1.         Why are altar calls important?

2.         How would you tell an unsaved person what “born again” means?

3.         Discuss further what Jesus meant by “lukewarm” in Revelation 3:15-17.

SELF-STUDY

1.         What does an “altar call” mean to you?         

2.         Write down any additional insights that you have regarding false reasons why people might think they are going to heaven

3.         How can you effectively use questions during an altar call?