Dr. John R. Rice used a simple method for inviting lost people to respond in his campaigns. He would say (and I’m paraphrasing a bit), “Let me ask you to do three things. Pray at your seat to trust Christ. Slip to the front. Let someone show you from the Bible how you can be sure of your decision.”
By calling for response in that way, Dr. Rice was hitting on some crucial elements to the whys of giving a public invitation. Briefly, here are several reasons.
1. To Conclude. This does not mean that a public invitation is merely a way to end the service. Using it that way makes the invitation rote and somewhat pointless. Rather, a public invitation is the logical conclusion to a decision-driven sermon. F.D. Whitesell put it this way: “Evangelistic preaching naturally culminates in an invitation.” The decision is the decision; the invitation is a helpful method to wrap-up and remind people what that decision is. In that way, it concludes.
2. To Encourage. As we said previously, the invitation is not a barometer that gauges how the sermon was received. However, the response of others in the congregation to the preaching of the Bible is sure to encourage other members, visitors, lost people, and the pastor. I cannot get a scene from When Silence Speaks out of my head on this point. Gordy (the deaf man) is standing in a church service and sees Oliver (the bad man) go forward to speak with the preacher about getting “right with God.” The church is overjoyed! Gordy is shocked! (He can’t hear what’s going on, he only sees Oliver talking with the preacher.) But Oliver’s response (and subsequent change of life) opened Gordy’s eyes to his own need of Christ. What an encouragement! I believe a great deal of encouragement is lost by using the altar call exclusively. This is unfortunate since the bulk of preachers know very little about other kinds of invitations to give.
3. To Counsel. The primary, historical reason for calling congregants to respond publicly was so that they could receive encouragement and counsel about the decision they were making. Whether it was Finney’s “anxious seat,” or Moody’s “inquiry rooms,” the goal was to further explain to people the decision they were called upon to make. Counseling, then, continues the work that the sermon began, it doesn’t seek to discover personal needs. (The reason the person has responded was because the sermon exposed a need! Counselors don’t need to concoct ways to deduce what the need is.) And counseling doesn’t need to be drawn out or complicated. Something as simple as having congregants shake hands with the pastor, pastor’s wife, a deacon, or a deacon’s wife, state the decision they are making, and then pray with them about it could be enough. If there are further questions, they can be answered on the front pew, in a side room, or scheduled for a later time.
4. To Follow-up. At the Bill Rice Ranch, counsel and follow-up are the two main reasons we have an invitation. Counselors encourage campers about the decision they are making, and offer them support and help in carrying out that decision. Decision cards provide an opportunity for the home church to follow-up on those decisions throughout the year.
There may be other reasons to give an invitation, but one thing is for sure: beginning with the end in mind would go a long way in helping us execute the invitational method well.