THE LOST ALTER CALL

 You know sometimes something will be laid on my heart and it feels...well like if you were petting a cat and going against the fur, it just hits a sore spot for some reason.

The thing I want to speak about is the lost alter call in our churches and spiritual meetings of any sort, when we have a meeting and the purpose is to reach out to the non Christians and bring them to know the father in heaven, well wouldn't you say we fail them if we don't follow through with what the word tells us.

Go to Matt 10:33 who so ever deny me before man,him will I deny before my Father in heaven,Romans 10:9-11 read this out loud, in verse 11 for the scripture says who so ever believes on Him shall not be ashamed.

If we tell of the saviors love, how to come to him for salvation, how God will forgive our every sin if we believe and come to Him, how deep His love is and how you will never be alone, we share all God can do for them.

Now the service is almost over,and you ask for a show of hands, who wants this in their life, hands are raised, there are so many and now you say..well we don't want to embarrass anyone so lets all say the sinners prayer together.

I am sorry but that's NOT scriptural In the verse we just read, who so ever believes in his heart will NOT be ashamed, they need to come forward, they need to share this in front of others.

1. When you were saved and came forward were you feeling ashamed or embarrassed? ___________________________________

What if this person just got high last night or got wasted on beer or whiskey, they want to be saved, they came before the church in words only, but by saying we don't want to embarrass you, we are telling a new christian that his new faith is something to be ashamed of.

How can they be prayed over and lifted up for the changes that they want to make if we don't know who they are. How can we be a support to them in times of hard times they go through if we don't know who they are.

2. do you know some one that had prayed the sinners prayer at group meeting,with out any support what happened to them__________________________________

It isn't something to be ashamed of when you get saved, it is something to rejoice in, something glorious, all the angels in heaven are rejoicing,but we as a church standing right beside you cant because the speaker didn't want to embarrass you. There are many reasons for this to happen,the service has gone over a little, they look out ..man this is going to take at least 30 min to go through all these people, we will just have community prayer for salvation. isn't that like a slap to the Holy Spirits face.

We that have been Christians for awhile,can you think back,I know when I went forward, they prayed over me, they were there for me gave me there phone numbers,they knew I would have hard times.

In Romans 12:2 we are to renew our way of thinking, be transformed into the creation God made us, do you think you could have done this all by yourself with out christian friends, with out there prayers.

When the stranger that said the sinners prayer with the whole church leaves the door and goes back out into the world all alone how long do you think he will last, how long would you have lasted.

We as a group of believers are cheating this new christian out of his faith by not giving him the chance to go to the alter,It is our duty as a christian to guide them in the right way and be there for them in any way we can.

If they live far away we can have there back in prayer circles and pray for angels to be around them, for Christians to search them out, for guidance and strength..if they came forward and we knew who they were and what there needs were we could do this.

3. can you think of any new Christians in our own church that may need a phone call,may need that contact and encouragement__________________________

We need to let new Christians know we are proud of them for this choice they have made, that we will be there for them, that we know its not going to be easy but we have there back.

Then we can pray daily for them, then we can call and check on them, then we can lift them up if they fail and let them know failing does not make them a failure.

4. right now lets make a list of people that are struggling in the walk with Jesus, are maybe new Christians, people that need us to have their back right now__________

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I know this has touch me so very deeply, and anytime I am at meeting and have chance to have alter call I wont pass up the moment, I feel it is my duty as a Christian, and to my savior