If You Invited Jesus Into Your Heart Then Raise Your Hand
Sunday 29 July 2007 at 05:55 am I have heard this type of a call for decision so many times and I have to tell you for many reasons I am convinced that it is not from the Lord.When ever this type of “invitation” is given it is inevitably preceded by a theologically weak presentation of the Gospel. I am so tired of the Jesus has a free gift you should take it sermons. Jesus never preached that sermon, or Paul or Peter. The appalling lack of Lordship in these messages in my mind is paramount to hearsay.
This type of “invitation” almost always contains the “prayer of salvation”. The very idea of I will pray these magic words and if you repeat them then you’re in drives me crazy.
We just finished an event at one of our properties that used this style of “evangelism”. It resulted in a bunch of hands going up and nearly 50 decision cards put in my hand. As the counselor bought children to me I would ask “So why are you here? Why did you raise your hand?” Only two could answer the question for me and I knew that they had made professions before. As Rick Stover pointed out this is even more dangerous in our Hispanic communities where Catholicism has such a hold on of our people. My biggest fear comes from my own life. I was baptized at seven, noticed I did not say saved because I really had no Idea what I was doing. Now am I saying you can’t get saved young, absolutely not some of the greatest Christians I know got saved young. But no one had really taught me what it meant to be a Christian. The result of that baptism is that every time the Holy Spirit convicted me of my need for a savior then Satan said “you have already done that.”
We will be following up with all of kids who filled out cards to help them understand what it means to be a Christian and to make Jesus Lord.
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