The Public Invitation

In The Preaching Ministry of Adrian Rogers

D. Brad Whitt

Dr. Matt Queen PRCHG-7674

April 15, 2019

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The Public Invitation

In The Preaching Ministry of Adrian Rogers

In the beginning chapters of Genesis, God calls to Adam, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9).

This divine call challenged Adam to acknowledge his fear over his present condition and effort

to cover his sin as he stepped out from behind a tree in response to the person and purpose of

God.1 In Matthew 4, Jesus comes walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. He sees Simon

and Andrew casting their net into the sea and calls to them, “Follow me.” Matthew records that

the brothers immediately left what they were doing and followed Jesus. Thus, both the Old and

New Testaments begin with an invitation for fallen man to respond publicly to the divine call.

Today, invitations to respond publicly to the call of God are often given by preachers at

the end of sermons and worship services. Some examples are as follows: “Now, while heads are

bowed and eyes are closed, no one stirring.”2 “In a moment we’re going to pray, and then I’m

going to invite you to come to Jesus.”3 “I’m going to ask you to get up out of your seat, come

forward and stand in front of the platform.”4 These words have frequently marked the beginning

of the end of sermons across America as preachers from evangelical traditions and Baptists, in

particular, began what has come to be known as “the public invitation.”5 Roy Fish defines an

invitation as “an appeal to accept this Person, Jesus Christ, into one’s life as Savior and Lord.”6

1
Streett, Gallaty, Kendall and others concur that Genesis 3:8 is an example of God’s invitation for Adam to
respond publicly to His call.
2
Adrian Rogers, “When Your Medicine Becomes Your Poison,” sermon delivered November 14, 1982 at
Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN, cassette tape.
3
Greg Laurie, Harvest America 2018, accessed March 26, 2019,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYyj6IGWrBg.
4
Billy Graham, Who is our neighbor? sermon, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0pCHp9w_Yo.
5
Roy J Fish, Coming to Jesus: Giving a Good Invitation (Fort Worth, Tx.: Colter & Co., 2015), 16–17.
6
Ibid., 7.
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He adds that the public invitation “will include specifying some external form of positive

response to the gospel.”7 Thus, preachers have often pled with individuals to respond publicly

and positively to the conviction and call of God to salvation.

One preacher who effectively utilized the public invitation as a pastor during the last half

of the twentieth century and beginning of the twenty-first century was Adrian Rogers. Rogers led

the Southern Baptist mega-church, Bellevue Baptist Church, in Memphis, Tennessee from 1973

– 2005.8 During his ministry at Bellevue, Rogers saw the church membership increase from

8,739 members to a total of 29,700 members. During his 33-year Memphis pastorate, Rogers led

the church to baptize 21,933 persons.9 These numbers give a snapshot of the effectiveness of the

evangelistic ministry within his local church, while his broader, public evangelistic ministry,

though difficult to quantify, was effective as well.

A conspicuous aspect of the evangelistic ministry of Adrian Rogers was his consistent

and effective use of the public invitation. A public invitation from Rogers would often begin

with a simple explanation of the gospel, an exhortation to respond to the working of the Holy

Spirit, the personal expression of repentance and faith through a “Sinner’s Prayer,” and the

encouragement to do something public such as raising the hand, looking up at the preacher, or

coming forward during the “altar call.” David Bennett has more fully described the altar call as

A method of evangelism within which a regular or frequent planned invitation is

given to unbelievers to respond to Jesus Christ publicly at the conclusion of a
sermon or other gospel presentation, in such ways as: calling out a response,
raising a hand, standing, or walking to a designated spot in the evangelistic
setting. A response to such an invitation would normally be followed by
7
Ibid., 8.
8
Love Worth Finding, accessed March 28, 2019, https://www.lwf.org/about-us/adrian-rogers.
9
This information was compiled from the Annual Church Profile of Bellevue Baptist Church from 1972-
2005 reported to Lifeway Christian Resources and accessed via ig.gabaptists.org on March, 29, 2019.
 3

immediate counseling and later by some form of follow-up. It often incorporates

an appeal to Christians for such issues as rededication and a call to mission.10

Bennett’s depiction would accurately describe the method Rogers used both as a local church

pastor and as a preacher at evangelistic crusades in the United States and around the world.

In recent years, however, a growing number of voices disagree with Rogers’ approach.

Many argue that this approach, often referred to as an “altar call,” is thoroughly unbiblical,

historically novel, and too often prone to manipulation resulting in emotional decisions at best or

false converts at worst.11 Iain Murray, in his The Invitation System, argues that lost people are

unable to choose Christ, so extending an invitation for them to repent and trust Christ should not

be offered as it could lead them to believe that a person can do something, by their own efforts,

to work out their standing before God.12 Erroll Hulse, in his The Great Invitation, writes that

“Easy-believism has done incalculable harm to churches and to the testimony of Christianity.”13

He refers to the public invitation as the “new evangelical sacrament” and warns that extending an

invitation could press the professing Christian church into another dark age.14 Following that

warning, Hulse presents six real and prevalent problems with extending an invitation to people.

Among the issues are questions such as, “Does God love everyone?” “Is man or woman really

responsible?” and “Is God sincere in his invitations?”15 Jim Ehrhard likewise discourages giving

10
David Malcolm Bennett, The Altar Call: Its Origins and Present Usage (Lanham, MD: University Press
of America, 2000), xvi.
11
Dever, MacArthur, Shaddix, and Chandler are examples of those who disparage or greatly caution
against the use of the public, “decisional,” invitation or altar call.
12
Iain Hamish Murray, The Invitation System (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1973), 23.
13
Erroll Hulse, The Great Invitation: Examining the Use of the Altar Call in Evangelism, 2006, 170.
14
Ibid.

15
Hulse, The Great Invitation-six suggested problems with extending the invitation to everyone.
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a public invitation because, he says, preachers should refrain from utilizing a method which, in

his view, is not found in Scripture.16

R. Alan Streett disagrees with the above objections: “Any sermon that does not include

an invitation as well as a proclamation is not New Testament-style preaching.”17 Mac Brunson

writes in his The New Guidebook for Pastors, “In every sermon, present the gospel; then give

people an opportunity to respond.”18 C. E. Autrey believed that “Every revival service and

almost every worship service should conclude with an invitation. We mean by invitation simply

inviting men to accept the Saviour.”19 Danny Akin addresses the concerns of misuse and abuse

of the invitation by writing,

Yes, it is open to abuse and manipulation, but then so is marriage! That something
is abused and misapplied is no argument for its complete rejection. A better
approach is to begin asking two crucial questions: (1) Is there biblical warrant for
publicly inviting people to respond to the gospel and receive Christ? (2) If there is
biblical justification, how do we extend a public invitation with integrity?20

Steve Gaines recommended, “I would suggest that preachers should always preach

sermons that end with some form of invitation to allow their listeners to respond then and there

to the claims they have just heard regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ.”21 Ozora Davis articulates

the importance of the invitation regarding evangelistic preaching by stating, “The most important

16
Jim Ehrhard, The Dangers of the Invitation System (Kansas City, Mo.: Christian Communicators
Worldwide, 2008), 66.
17
R. Alan Streett, The Effective Invitation - a Practical Guide for the Pastor (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel
Publications, 2004).
18
James W. Bryant and Mac Brunson, The New Guidebook for Pastors (Nashville, Tenn: B & H Pub.
Group, 2007), 20.
19
C. E. Autrey, Basic Evangelism (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), 125.
20
Daniel L. Akin, Bill Curtis, and Stephen Nelson Rummage, Engaging Exposition (Nashville, Tenn: B &
H Academic, 2011), 208.
21
Fish, Coming to Jesus, ix.
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factor…in the evangelistic sermon is the direct drive for a decision in favor of the message on

the part of the hearers.”22 Leighton Ford concurs on the importance of the invitation. He

expressed his sentiments by noting,

I am convinced that the giving of some kind of public invitation to come to Christ is not
only theologically correct, but also emotionally sound. Men need this opportunity for
expression. The inner decision for Christ is like driving a nail through a board. The open
declaration of it is like clinching the nail on the other side, so that it is not easily pulled
out. Impression without expression can lead to depression.23

David Wheeler, Professor of Evangelism at Liberty University’s School of Divinity notes that

the Bible is referred to as a μάχαιραν, or “a relatively short sword or other sharp instrument”24

that pierces to the soul and spirit and considers it “spiritual malpractice” to cut people and not

give them the opportunity to respond and be healed.25

Research Question

This paper will seek to develop an orthopraxy of the public invitation through its biblical

foundation, historical development, and pastoral application as demonstrated through the

philosophy and preaching of Adrian Rogers. This research will not be an exhaustive study of the

biblical and historical elements of the public invitation. Rather, this paper will present applicable

scriptural examples and detail major biblical terms to place the public invitation within its

scriptural-historical framework. Furthermore, this paper endeavors to understand Adrian Rogers’

22
Ozora Stearns Davis, Evangelistic Preaching: With Sermon Outlines and Talks to Children and Young
People (Classic ... Reprint). (FB & c Ltd, Dalton House 60 Windsor Avenue, London, SW 19 2RR: Forgotten
Books, 2016), 67.
23
Leighton Ford, The Christian Persuader (New York: Harper and Row, 1966), 124.
24
Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek-English lexicon of the New
Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed., p. 622). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
25
David Wheeler, “Phone Interview,” March 28, 2019.
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personal philosophy and application regarding the public invitation through his lectures and

sermons.

The Scriptural Foundation for the Public Invitation

The Bible is a Word from God inviting sinners to repent and return to Him. Both the Old

Testament and New Testament provide examples and instances of public invitations. In the

beginning chapters of the Old Testament, it is God Himself who invites fallen man to respond to

His call. Often the patriarchs and prophets issued an invitation to the people to respond to God’s

invitation to repent and return so as to avoid judgment or enter into covenant with Him. In the

New Testament, Jesus invites individuals to respond publicly to His commands, teachings, and

miracles. The apostles also gave public invitations as they preached and called for people to

respond in faith and obedience. Thus, the Bible contains many scriptural examples of the

invitation being extended, and people responding publicly.

Old Testament examples of the Public Invitation

God’s initial invitation is extended to humanity after sin enters the world (Gen 3). When

Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s command not to eat of “the fruit of the tree which is

in the midst of the garden,” there was immediately a change in their personal reality and

relationship with God that led them to hide from God in fear and shame. As God walked through

the Garden that day, He called for Adam to quit covering his sin and come out into the open so

he could experience forgiveness and redemption (Gen 3:6-10). Thus, the Scriptures reveal that

openly acknowledging one’s sin is essential for salvation. Gallaty refers to this as “the first

instance” of the Lord’s calling people to respond publicly.26 Streett observes an inherent truth in

26
Robert Frederick Gallaty, III, “A Critical Examination of the Public Invitation in the Preaching of Don
Wilton” (Ph.D. diss., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 2011), 8.
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the text, namely that, “To remain hidden means to remain lost. The sinner must answer God’s

invitation.”27

In Genesis 6, sin is prevalent upon the earth; yet, God invites Noah and his family to

come into the ark (Cf. Gen 7:1). The invitation was given to them either to remain where they

were and face the wrath that God was to pour out upon a wicked world or join Him inside the ark

where there was salvation from the coming judgment. Noah and his family chose to heed the call

of God, respond to His gracious invitation, and join Him inside the ark.

In Genesis 12, God called Abram to leave his father’s house and go to a place that God

would show him (Cf. Gen 12:1). It was a call to respond personally and publicly, by faith, to the

invitation of God. As a result of Abraham’s obedience to heed God’s call, the Lord fashioned

and formed a covenant with Abraham and his progeny forever.

Throughout the life of Moses, and the Exodus, the Old Testament provides examples of

God extending an invitation for His people to obey Him and enjoy His blessings, or reject Him

and face severe judgment. Moses records the incident at Sinai in Exodus 19:4-6, as God said to

him,

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings
and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and
keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for
all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy
nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

Moses did as the Lord commanded him. “Then all the people answered together and said,

“All that the LORD has spoken we will do” (Exod 19:8). God birthed a nation through its public

response to God’s invitation to obey His voice and keep His covenant. Later, when Moses

27
David Lewis Allen and Steve Lemke, eds., Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-
Point Calvinism (Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2010), 235.
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descended Mt. Sinai with the Law of God in his arms, He found that the people had returned to

wickedness and idol-worship. In godly anger, Moses destroyed the idol, ground it to powder,

spread it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. He then issued a challenge,

“‘Whoever is on the LORD’S side—come to me.’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves

together to him.” (Exod 32:26). Moses gave the invitation, and the sons of Levi responded

publicly.

Joshua faced a similar situation as Moses at Shechem. The people had fallen into idolatry

and were following the gods which their fathers had served in Egypt. Joshua spoke to all the

people and said,

Thus says the LORD God of Israel…fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and
in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the
River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the
LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods
which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of
the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will
serve the LORD (Josh 24:14-15).

Joshua then called to the people as they gathered together and challenged them to make a public

decision. Would they serve the Lord, or not? The people responded, “We will serve the Lord!”

(Josh 24:21).

In 1 Kings, Elijah confronts the children of Israel after they rebel against God and follow

Baal. He presents them with their personal reality as they ‫ֹפְּסִחי֮ם ַﬠל־ְשֵׁ֣תּי ַהְסִּﬠִפּי֒ם‬, “limp between

two crutches” (1 Kgs 18:21). He then calls them to choose who they will follow, but the

Scripture records “the people answered him not a word” (1 Kgs 18:21). The invitation stood

though the people did not respond publicly. Elijah again calls for the people to respond publicly

by deciding who they will follow as he prayed, “Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people

may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You
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again” (1 Kgs 18:37). Fire fell from heaven, consuming the sacrifice, the wood, and even the

dust, licking up the water that was in the trench. In response to this display of divine power, the

people fell on their faces and declared publicly, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is

God!” (1 Kgs 18:39).

Throughout the Old Testament, God invites people to respond publicly to His call.

Josiah’s call for a public response brought about revival in Judah (Cf. 2 Kings 23). Ezra’s tear-

filled invitation resulted in Shechaniah publicly admitting his and the nation’s personal

trespasses against God and doing as the Lord commanded by putting away their pagan wives and

presenting their trespass offerings (Ezra 10:1-2). Nehemiah pleaded with Israel to repent for their

pride and disobedience in Nehemiah 9:1-22.

One of the greatest public responses to God’s divine message found in the Old Testament

came as a result of Jonah’s prophetic proclamation to the wicked city of Nineveh. God

commanded the prophet to warn the heathen city that judgment would fall on them if they did

not repent. Jonah did not want to deliver God’s message for fear they would repent and escape

God’s judgment. A short boat ride, a terrible storm, and trip in a whale’s belly put the prophet

back on the shores of Nineveh where he begrudgingly warned the pagan people of the city that in

forty days they would be overthrown. The Bible says, “So the people of Nineveh believed God,

proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them” (Jonah 3:5). They

responded by repenting publicly and personally, and “God relented from the disaster that He had

said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it” (Jonah 3:10).

New Testament examples of the public invitation

The New Testament is replete with examples of individuals who publicly responded to

the divine call to follow Christ. In Matthew, Jesus called Peter and Andrew to leave their nets
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and follow Him. The Scripture records, “They immediately left their nets and followed Him”

(Matt 4:20). Soon thereafter, Jesus encounters another pair of brothers, James and John, mending

their nets in a boat with their father. He calls for them to follow Him, and they likewise

immediately dropped their nets and followed Him. John 1 relates that Jesus called and Philip

responded by personally and publicly following the Lord (John 1:43).28 Streett notes that “While

not specifically recorded, it is safe to assume that a similar public invitation was made to all of

His followers.”29

It is important to note the words of Jesus to His disciples as He sent them out in Matthew

10:32-33, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My

Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My

Father who is in heaven.” Jesus was calling for those who confess Him to do so publicly, that is,

“before men.”

The call to respond publicly is also seen in Jesus’ call to Zacchaeus in Luke 19. Luke

records how Jesus looked up and saw Zacchaeus in the sycamore tree and said, “Zacchaeus,

make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house. So he made haste and came

down, and received Him joyfully” (Luke 19:5-6). Zacchaeus responded openly and publicly, in

front of friends and family to Jesus’ invitation. There is no indication from Scripture that

“salvation” would have come to his house if Zacchaeus had remained in the tree and not

responded to the call of Christ to “come down.”

There are numerous invitations in the Gospels that demonstrate the necessity of openly

responding to the invitation of Jesus. Lazarus was commanded to come back to life and come out

28
It is noteworthy that John records how Phillip responded to Jesus’ invitation not only by following Jesus,
but by finding and bringing Nathaniel to Jesus (John 1:43-49).

29
Streett, The Effective Invitation - a Practical Guide for the Pastor, 59.
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of the grave in John 11. A woman who was healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ garment in

Luke 8 responded by coming forward, falling at His feet, and declaring in the presence of all the

people the reason why she had touched Him, and how Jesus immediately healed her.

The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ invitations accompanied His message of repentance and

faith. An example of this is found in Mark 1, where Jesus preached the Gospel of the kingdom of

God, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the

gospel” (Mark 1:15). This declaration is followed by His invitation to Peter and Andrew to

follow Him. Later, Jesus preached to Chorazin and Bethsaida because they would not repent, and

issued an invitation for all who labor and are heavy laden to “Come to me . . . and I will give you

rest” (Cf. Matt 11:20-21, 28).

John the Baptist called those who heard his message to “repent” and “bear fruit worthy of

repentance.” At the conclusion of Peter’s preaching at Pentecost, the people asked the question,

“Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter could have done nothing or encouraged them to respond

later to the Gospel message; however, Peter realized that eternity was standing in the balance.

Therefore, he said, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will be

baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). As a result, over 3,000 were saved.

The New Testament ends with an invitation compelling those who “hear the words of the

prophecy of this book” to “come” and “take of the water of life freely” (Rev 22:17). This

imagery is a strong encouragement to follow the biblical pattern. As Akin avers,

Though Scripture may not depict the use of the invitation in the exact manner in
which it takes place today, numerous examples in both Testaments indicate that
persons are called and even challenged to declare their allegiance to God publicly.
The call for the lost to repent of sin, believe the gospel, trust Christ, and publicly
profess Him, culminating in believer’s baptism, should characterize the faithful
proclamation of the Word of God.30
30
Akin, Curtis, and Rummage, Engaging Exposition, 211.
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Jerry Vines wrote that a sermon’s conclusion “should always include some plea or exhortation

for the listeners to act on the message. The gospel of Christ innately demands a response from

those who are confronted with its claims.”31 As Roy Fish states, “The word “come” is a word of

invitation, so one might accurately say the Bible begins with an invitation and concludes in the

same way. The Bible is the story of God inviting sinful people to come and receive the benefits

of the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ.”32 O.S. Hawkins concludes the Bible is an

“appeal from cover to cover! It is our source of prophetic authority, and when we proclaim the

Word, we do so with heaven’s authority behind us.”33

Scriptural Imagery and Language Applicable

To the Public Invitation

The most prominent word in both the Old and New Testaments associated with the call to

respond publicly to the divine call is “come.” In the Old Testament, God invited Noah and his

family to “ ‫ ֽבּ ֹא־ַאָ֥תּ‬. . .‫( ” ֶאל־ַהֵתָּ֑בה‬Gen 7:1). Isaiah records his vision and God’s invitation for the

people to come to Him in obedience for forgiveness and cleansing. It’s an imploring invitation,

“‫ְלכוּ־ ָ֛נא‬,” literally, “come please” (Isa 1:18).

In the New Testament, both ἔρχου34 and δεῦτε35 are often used by Jesus in His invitations

for people to come to Him. In John 7, at the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus proclaimed, “ἐάν τις

31
Jerry Vines and James L. Shaddix, Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository
Sermons, Revised edition. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2017), 243–244.
32
Fish, Coming to Jesus, xi.

33
O. S Hawkins, Drawing the Net: 30 Practical Principles for Leading Others to Christ Publicly and
Personally (Dallas, TX: Annuity Board of the SBC, 2002), 20.
34
BDAG, ἔρχου.
35
BDAG, δεῦτε.
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διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με καὶ πινέτω” (John 7:37). The verb ἔρχομαι is interpreted by Streett as an

exhortation, inviting those who heard him to respond by coming to Him and drinking. This is a

picture of responding in repentance and faith.36 John uses the same word, painting the same

picture as John 7, in the final invitation in Scripture, repeated for emphasis, as the Spirit and the

Bride say, “ἔρχομαι.” It is a word that calls for movement from one place to another.37

In Jesus’ invitation for His disciples to “Come, follow Me,” He exhorts them to, “δεῦτε

ὀπίσω μου.” Bauer defines it as a hortatory particle, “come here! Come on!”38 It is a call for an

active response on the part of the one to whom the invitation is given.

A word that Jesus often used in His preaching to call for examination is παρακαλέω. This

compound word serves as a verb and is translated many ways in the New Testament. The lexical

range given to this term varies. It can be translated, depending on the context of the verse, as

“beg,” “plead,” “implore, “urge,” “encourage,” or “invite.” It carries with it the idea of “asking

to come and be present where the speaker is,” or to “call to one’s side.”39 Paige Patterson sees

παρακαλέω as an invitation:

I have frequently translated it [παρακαλέω] as “give an invitation.” Any time you

come across the word “exhortation” on the pages of the New Testament, you
have, in effect, an appeal made for people to come and stand with the speaker in
whatever it is that he is doing. This of course could take many patterns, all the
way from a silent acquiescence of the heart where one is standing or sitting, to the
waving of a hand, or the actual presentation of the person before the congregation.
In any case, it is an invitation to decide.40

36
Streett, The Effective Invitation - a Practical Guide for the Pastor, 66–67.
37
BDAG, ἔρχομαι.
38
BDAG, δεῦτε.
39
BDAG, παρακαλέω.
40
Streett, The Effective Invitation - a Practical Guide for the Pastor, 62–63.
 14

In the New Testament, παρακαλέω is often used within the context of gospel preaching.

This is seen in various places where the verb is found as the gospel writers connect the invitation

to the proclamation of the gospel. While παρακαλέω can invite one to different things, the Bible

makes a connection between the invitation to come and the message of the gospel.41 As Fish

observes, “The nature of the message preached compelled the herald of the message to appeal for

response. It is true there are no instances of invitation without proclamation in apostolic

preaching, but it is also true there are also no instances of proclamation without invitation.”42

The Historical Development of the Public Invitation

A common and regularly stated retort from those who are opposed to, or very cautious of

a public invitation, especially the use of an “altar call,” is that it is a modern invention. Often, the

public invitation is attributed to the American evangelist Charles Finney. However, the call to

publicly respond to the message of the gospel can be found in the practices of earlier preachers.

As David Larsen writes, “Anthony of Padua would invite listeners to throw vestiges of the old

life into a bonfire. Bernard of Clairvaux would ask for the raising of hands.”43

While Wesley and Whitefield did not use “altar calls” exactly as are witnessed in many

evangelical worship services today, they did urge seekers to respond publicly in various ways

and to meet with them after the services. Wesley used “exhorters” who dealt with persons under

41
See Mounce and Patterson for examples of those who make this connection related to properly
understanding παρακαλέω.
42
Al Fasol, ed., Preaching Evangelistically: Proclaiming the Saving Message of Jesus (Nashville, Tenn:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006), 76–77.
43
David L Larsen, The Evangelism Mandate: Recovering the Centrality of Gospel Preaching (Grand
Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1992), 102.
 15

conviction.44 Whitefield, the well-known Calvinist, used what would today be referred to as a

public invitation. Thomas Kidd, in his biography on Whitefield, recounts how, in a sermon

entitled, “Thy Maker is Thy Husband,” from Isaiah 54:5,

Whitefield asked whether anyone wished “to take Christ for their husband.” If
they did, he extended an invitation: “Come and I’ll marry you to him just now.” . .
. A twenty-one-year old male convert said that when Whitefield “laid out the
terms” of the union with Christ, he found his “heart made sweetly to agree to
those terms.” Another convert ran to embrace a friend, exclaiming that the
minister had “married my soul to Christ.” . . . Whitefield wrote that many “were
married to the Lord Jesus that night.”45

Kidd noted, “Whether or not people actually came to the front, Whitefield’s intent was similar:

trying to have people make a decision for Christ right then and there.”46 Even Jonathan Edwards,

a contemporary of Wesley and Whitefield, who, like Whitefield, was also a Calvinist, earnestly

pled with sinners to respond to Christ. Edwards said, “Sinners should be earnestly invited to

come and accept of a Savior, and yield their hearts unto him, with all the winning, encouraging

arguments for them that the Gospel affords.”47

In spite of the above historical examples of calling for a public response to the preaching

of the gospel, many still refer to the modern method of inviting people to come forward at the

end of the sermon as “the Johnny-come-lately innovation of Finney.”48 This assertion fails to

note, as Keathley has written, that Separate Baptists in the Sandy Creek Tradition were extending

44
Ibid., 103.
45
Thomas Kidd, Whitefield, page 165.
46
Thomas Kidd, “https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/evangelical-history/a-brief-history-of-the-altar-
call/
47
John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching, Revised and expanded edition. (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker Books, 2015), 93.
48
David Engelsma, Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel: An Examination of the Well-Meant Offer
of the Gospel, 2014, 63.
 16

public invitations decades before Charles Finney was born. In fact, an eye-witness from the

1700’s described how the “ranting Anabaptists” conducted their services during the great

revivals which took place in the Carolinas from the middle to the end of the 18th century:

At the close of the sermon, the minister would come down from the pulpit and
while singing a suitable hymn would go around among the brethren shaking
hands. The hymn being sung, he would then extend an invitation to such persons
as felt themselves poor guilty sinners, and were anxiously inquiring the way of
salvation, to come forward and kneel near the stand, or if they preferred, they
could kneel at their seats, proffering to unite with them in prayer for their
conversion.49

It should be noted that it was the Separate Baptists who extended altar calls during the Sandy

Creek Revival, as many were converted under the preaching of George Whitefield during the

First Great Awakening (1726-1770). Thus, the “new measures”50 that tend to be attributed to

Finney can be seen in earlier Christian movements and preaching.

The American Evangelist, D.L. Moody, often used public invitations and “altar calls” in

his evangelistic ministry and shared the incident that made him determine never to preach

without calling, then and there, for personal, public response. As his son records,

One the fifth Sunday night, October 8, he preached to the largest congregation
that he had ever addressed in that city, having taken for his text “What then shall I
do with Jesus which is called Christ?” After preaching – or talking, as he did not
call it preaching then – with all his power of entreaty, presenting Christ as a
Saviour and Redeemer, he said: “I wish you would take this text home with you
and turn it over in your minds during the week, and next Sabbath we will come to
Calvary and the cross and we will decide what to do with Jesus of Nazareth.”
“What a mistake!” he said, in relating the story to a large audience on the twenty-
second anniversary of the great fire in that city in 1871; “I have never dared to
give an audience a week to think of their salvation since. If they were lost they
might rise up in judgment against me…I have never seen that congregation since.
I have hard work to keep back the tears to-day. I have looked over this audience,
and not a single one is here that I preached to that night. I have a great many

49
William Latane Lumpkin, Baptist Foundations in the South: Tracing through the Separates the Influence
of the Great Awakening, 1754-1787 (Eugene, Ore.: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2006), 56.
50
Larsen, The Evangelism Mandate, 103.
 17

friends and am pretty well acquainted in Chicago, but twenty-two years have
passed away, and I have not seen that congregation since, and I will never meet
those people again until I meet them in another world. But I want to tell you one
lesson I learned that night, which I have never forgotten, and that is, when I
preach, to press Christ upon the people then and there, and try to bring them to a
decision on the spot. I would rather have that right hand cut off than to give an
audience now a week to decide what to do with Jesus.51

Charles Spurgeon, a friend of Moody, did not use an “altar call” like Moody; however, he

did invite seekers to an “inquiry room,” and personally interviewed them prior to baptism and

admittance into the local church.52 The Sword and Trowel, Spurgeon’s newspaper he printed,

records that on at least one occasion, many responded to the gospel at the end of a time of fervent

prayer and pleading, and singing multiple stanzas of hymns such as “Fountain/Doxology” and

“Come and Welcome”; as a result, there were “a number of Christians [who] retired into a room

below with many anxious ones, several of whom received peace with God through faith in the

precious Saviour.”53 Thus, Spurgeon’s approach and use of an “inquiry room” is simply another

method of calling for a public response following the preaching of the gospel that can be traced

back to ancient times.

In the modern era (1900-2000), the use of the “altar call” became more prominent as a

method of calling for response during a public invitation. In the last half of the twentieth century,

the American evangelist Billy Graham used the public invitation with great effect in his

evangelistic crusades. During his public ministry, which began in 1949 with the Los Angeles

Crusade which launched Graham into the public eye, Graham preached in more than 185

51
William R Moody, The Life of Dwight L. Moody (TN: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1900), 144–45.

52
Larsen, The Evangelism Mandate, 103.
53
“Our United Meetings During the Week of Prayer,” Sword and Trowel, Volume One, Years 1865, 1866,
1867, pages 34-36. Accessed March 29, 2019,
https://archive.org/details/CharlesHaddonSpurgeonSwordAndTrowelVol5_201612/page/n31.
 18

countries and territories to nearly 215 million people and led hundreds of thousands of

individuals to make personal decisions for Christ.54 In fact, Michael Duduit lists Graham as one

of the greatest preachers in history, stating that “He has preached in person to more people than

any human being who has ever lived,” adding that “almost 3 million have responded to his

famous “invitations.”55

Many other modern pastors and evangelists have played a part in the development of the

public invitation. Men such as J. Wilbur Chapman, Mordecai Ham, John R. Rice, Hyman

Appelman, W. A. Criswell, Jerry Vines, and others both used and saw many people respond to

their invitations to respond publicly to the proclamation of the gospel and conviction of the Holy

Spirit. As Streett notes,

Due largely to their combined effort, the twentieth century has witnessed the
public invitation restored to its New Testament place of prominence. As Jesus
called men to repent and believe in public fashion so the modern-day evangelist
follows in the steps of his Master by issuing the invitation.56

The Philosophy and Practice of the Public Invitation by Adrian Rogers

Adrian Rogers stated his philosophy regarding the public invitation by explaining, “All

good preaching, all of it, every bit of it, any sermon, has an invitation. I don't care whether it's

tithing. I don't care whether you're dealing with war or whatever. You give an invitation.”57 He

made this statement in the context of his belief in what he referred to as a “Whosoever Gospel.”

Rogers averred,

54
Billy Graham biography, accessed March 29, 2019, https://billygraham.org/about/biographies/billy-
graham/.
55
The Ten Greatest Preachers of the Twentieth Century, Article, accessed March 29, 2019,
https://www.preaching.com/articles/the-ten-greatest-preachers-of-the-twentieth-century/.
56
Streett, The Effective Invitation - a Practical Guide for the Pastor, 107.
57
Adrian Rogers, What Every Pastor Ought to Know (Memphis, TN, 2005) (See Appendix C).
 19

Now, I know a lot of people who believe that you could give the invitation
personally and privately, that is, in soulwinning. But, for some strange reason, and
I’ve never been able to discern it, they don’t believe you ought to give the
invitation publicly, but the Scripture that I read to you from Matthew, Jesus is
talking about confessing before men.58

In his lecture entitled, “The Sermon’s Invitation,” Rogers presented ten characteristics

that describe what he believed to be an invitation that is “both biblical and fruitful.”59 This

lecture was set within the biblical context of many of the verses already presented in this paper.

Rogers rooted his conviction and philosophy of the public invitation within God’s invitation to

Adam in Genesis three, Jesus’ teaching on the importance of confessing before men in Matthew

ten, and Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. Here, Rogers made it a point to underscore

Luke’s recording of how Peter testified and exhorted them to “Save yourself from this untoward

generation,” “with many other words.” This, according to Rogers, was the invitation. He

explained Peter’s sermon and call for response. “He’s testifying, ‘This is what Jesus has done for

me.’ He’s exhorting, ‘Let it be done to you.’ With many other words, that’s the invitation he

gave.”

Rogers was careful to explain what he meant by saying “all good preaching would have

an invitation.” He clarified,

That does not necessarily mean a come-forward invitation, but it means you are
preaching for a verdict. You have a proposition. There’s something you want your
people to know, do, believe, and you are asking them to do it…Let me tell you,
most of the time in our churches, in our tradition, it is “If you’re ready to receive
Christ, we want you to leave your seat and come forward to trust Christ.60

58
Ibid.
59
Ibid.

60
Ibid.
 20

Rogers’ explanation was wise on his part, as it helps to answer, a priori, some of the concerns

others have toward the use of the public invitation by placing it within both a logical and local

church context.

The first element of a biblical and fruitful invitation according to Rogers is courage. “Be

courageous when you give the invitation. You know why some men will not give an invitation?

Because they are afraid that there will be no response…They’re so anxious to keep people from

saying ‘no,’ that they won’t give them a chance to say ‘yes.’”

Rogers furthered explained why preachers needed courage to give a public invitation by

noting the personal cost to them. According to him, giving the invitation “costs” and “hurts” the

preacher. In fact, Rogers believes that, as a preacher, “You…die a little every time you give an

invitation.”

According to Rogers, the fact that some people will oppose the preacher who gives a

public invitation is to be expected. Thus, the need for courage. He observed that:

There are people who will criticize you for giving an invitation. They don’t like it.
Well, friend, let me tell you what to do. Don’t apologize for giving an invitation.
Just go ahead and do it. You say, ‘Well, they will leave.’ Let them go. For every
one you lose, you’ll gain ten, and the ones you gain will be a whole lot better than
the ones you lose. Be courageous. Give an invitation.61

That Rogers applied this principle to his personal preaching ministry is evident. A close

study of selected sermons and interaction with hundreds of his messages supports his

belief in giving the invitation courageously.62

The next characteristic of an invitation which is both biblical and fruitful is that it is clear.

Rogers laments those who preach and then say, “Now, we’re going to stand and sing so and so,

61
Ibid.
62
The author has selected 14 of Adrian Rogers’ sermons which demonstrate his use of the public invitation.
(See Appendix B)
 21

won’t you come?” He instructs the preacher, “Tell them exactly what you want them to do…It’s

so very important that you are very clear.”

The practice of clarity in the invitation is seen in Rogers’ sermon entitled, “When Your

Medicine Becomes Your Poison.”63 In this message, Rogers began the invitation by first clearly

explaining the gospel and the necessity of being reconciled to God through Christ. He then

prayed a prayer asking the Lord not to allow them to be deceived by the devil but asked Him that

young and old would trust in Jesus and be saved. Next, while their heads were still bowed and

eyes closed, he asked them to indicate whether they knew they were saved by the raising of

hands in response to his request. He then prayed a prayer asking the Lord to help those who were

not sure of their salvation to trust in the finished work of Jesus. While their heads were still

bowed, he asked those who would like to trust Christ to pray a “Sinner’s Prayer.” He very

deliberately uttered the words of the prayer in such a way that those who wanted could pray the

prayer after him. For those who prayed the prayer with him, Rogers encouraged them to make it

public. He paraphrased Mark 8:3864, and asked them to pray and ask the Lord to give them the

courage to make it public, and then encouraged them to come forward as the music played (See

appendix A).

The next mark of a good invitation, Rogers said, is that it be concise. He stressed that the

preacher should “Save enough time for the invitation,” but also warned, “Don’t go on and on in

the invitation.” He clarified that the invitation might take three or four minutes and that the

preacher should avoid introducing new factors into the invitation. He also advised the preacher to

63
Adrian Rogers, “When Your Medicine Becomes Your Poison,” Sermon (Bellevue Baptist Church,
Memphis, TN, November 14, 1982).
64
Mark 8:38, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of
him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
 22

plan the invitation to be part of the sermon, to take into consideration the amount of time it takes

to explain properly and extend the invitation; not just tack it onto the end. As he states,

It has to be on the inside because if you wait until twelve o’clock noon, and
people’s blood sugar is low, and they’re getting antsy, they’re looking at their
watch. You say, ‘Well, my people wouldn’t do that.’ I’m not talking about your
people. I’m talking about that lost man…I’m talking about that man you’re
pleading for.65

Here, Rogers also emphasized that the preacher should not wait until the end of the sermon to

begin the appeal, but rather should begin giving the invitation even before the sermon is

preached. He gave an example of how he would say, as he greeted the guests, “We want to

welcome you today to our services. We’re so glad that you’re here. If you have already made the

wonderful discovery of knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, we rejoice in

that. If you have not yet come to the place where you can clearly say, ‘I know that I know that I

have a personal relationship with God through Christ,’ our prayer is that before this service ends

you’ll be able to say that.” Rogers explained that this was the start of giving the invitation. He

noted, also, that this was the practice of Billy Graham. “If you ever listen to Billy Graham, he

starts, he’s giving the invitation all the way through the message.”

An example of how to be concise in the invitation is found in Rogers’ sermon, “Five

Ways to Draw Close to Jesus”66 from Ruth chapter 3. As he concludes the sermon, Rogers

moves quickly to the invitation by applying the rest and redeemer imagery seen in the story of

Ruth, Naomi and Boaz to the rest we have in our Redeemer, Jesus. Rogers encourages those who

have never given their heart to Jesus to do so “today.” He explains how Christ has already paid

for our sin with His blood on the cross. Following his customary method, he asks them to pray a

65
Rogers, What Every Pastor Ought to Know.
66
Adrian Rogers, “Five Ways to Draw Close to Jesus,” Sermon, n.d.
 23

“Sinner’s Prayer” that connects with the imagery found in the sermon. “If you would, just say,

‘Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner. My sin deserves judgment, but I need mercy. I open my heart now. I

turn from my sin. I take my place at your feet, my blessed, redeemer husband, my heavenly

Boaz. I give you my heart, my life, forever.”67

The fourth attribute of an effective, biblical invitation, according to Rogers, is that it is

convincing. He draws the evidence for this characteristic from Jesus’ parable of the Great Supper

and the command of the master, “Go out to the highways and the hedges, and compel them to

come in” (Luke 14:23). He also makes note of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 15:11, “Knowing,

therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…” The emphasis here is on urgency, as well

as being positive and expectant as you extend the invitation. As he said, “I believe the preacher’s

effectiveness in the invitation is linked to his clarity, explanation, and extremely convictional

delivery.”68

Giving the invitation convincingly is an attribute which is readily seen in the invitations

of Adrian Rogers. “If you have never, ever given your heart to Jesus, you need to do so today.

And, I promise you on the authority of the Word of God, He will save you if you want to be

saved.”69 “God brought you here to save you, and if you don’t know Jesus, would you pray,

‘Lord Jesus, today, I need you. Come into my heart right now.”70

If you go to heaven, and I hope you will, you’re not gonna get there on the wagon
of works. You’re not going to climb up there on the ladder of logic. You’re not
going to ride there on the rocket of reason. You’re gonna get there on the railroad
of redemption. The old T and O, trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no
67
Ibid.
68
Joyce Rogers, Love Worth Finding: The Life of Adrian Rogers and His Philosophy of Preaching
(Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 207.

69
Rogers, “Five Ways to Draw Close to Jesus.”
70
Adrian Rogers, “God’s Amazing Grace,” Sermon, n.d.
 24

other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey…If you would pray a prayer
like this, ‘God, I’m a sinner. I’m lost. I need to be saved. I can’t save myself.
Jesus you died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust you. I do
trust you right now; right now, like a child. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin
and save me. Amen.71

The fifth attribute of an invitation that, according to Rogers, is both biblical and fruitful is

that it is cooperative. By this, he means that the entire church participates in the invitation. He

tells of the importance of having the church members pray during the invitation. As he states,

“Satan never gives up anything or anybody without a fight.” Rogers discusses the spiritual reality

of spiritual strongholds and the necessity of prayer in pulling down strongholds such as

procrastination, pride, and fear. “Teach your people to pray during the invitation so that power

comes down, as the song says, “All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down,” and

commend your congregation after the invitation. Thank them.”

Rogers likens the church to a fisherman’s net. “Your church is a net. They called

Spurgeon’s church a ‘soul trap.’ It’s a net. You know what a net is? It’s a bunch of nothings tied

together. That’s what we are, a bunch of nothings, but we’re tied together to bring souls to the

Lord Jesus Christ.” Thus, he encouraged the pastor to give the public invitation cooperatively by

teaching the congregation to be a part of the total invitation.

The sixth aspect of an effective, biblical invitation is that it is consistent. Here, Rogers is

careful to point out that there are various ways in which a preacher can give an invitation, and

states that others don’t have to always do it the way he modeled. However, he believes they

should “someway, somehow, be consistent” in giving the invitation. This point was stressed by

an occurrence in the early years of his pastoral ministry. He shared about one Sunday when he

71
Adrian Rogers, “Biblical Faith: What It Is and How to Have It,” Sermon, n.d.
 25

was pastoring in Fort Pierce, Florida. He had prepared an evangelistic message and the crowd

was very small. As he recalled,

I thought I knew everybody. I could not find one prospect, even a suspect, looking
over the crowd. I did something I’ve never done before. I said, ‘Well, that’s the
message. Stand for prayer.’ A man in the back said, ‘Wait a minute. Aren’t you
going to give an invitation? I wanted to be saved.’ I didn’t even know he was
there, but what a rebuke to me that was. Of course, he could have been saved
without an invitation. That’s not the point. The point was I thought I knew
everybody there, and I knew the situation. I made up my mind since then to be
consistent. I’m going to give some kind of invitation in a worship service like this.

He further explained that the preacher should not wait until the revival that takes place in July

and August to invite people to Jesus, but should do it week by week, being consistent in

extending a public invitation for people to respond to Christ.

The seventh characteristic of an invitation which is both biblical and effective is that of

creativity. Rogers, though encouraging the preacher to be consistent, also advises that he vary the

invitation. “Don’t always do it the same way.” “The preacher should use variety and

creativeness” to move people to act upon the applied truth of the sermon.72 An example he gives

is having people come forward, remaining after the service and talking with a minister. Also, he

gives the example of using cards to indicate if they prayed and trusted Christ or are interested in

talking to someone further about their decision to trust Christ.

Jim Whitmire, who served as the Minister of Music at Bellevue Baptist Church for many

years shared how Rogers conducted the invitation during the church’s annual Christmas and

Easter pageants. “At the end of each pageant, the pastor will give an invitation to those who are

not certain of their salvation to receive Christ into their hearts. They are then asked if they have

done this to declare it by giving their name and checking the appropriate place on the registration

72
Rogers, Love Worth Finding, 205.
 26

form.”73 Though Whitmire shared this example of a variation on Rogers’ customary invitation,

and Rogers noted that the invitation can and should be varied, in the selected sermons there were

no instances of the use of cards, or other variations, in the public invitation.

Also, it was under this point that Rogers addressed the scriptural principle of the

Christian’s profession of faith actually being seen through baptism. As he pointed out, “There’s

nothing in the Bible about walking an aisle in the church. The real profession of faith in the Bible

is one, it’s baptism…That’s when you’re really professing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is

when you’re baptized.”

The eighth essential for an invitation which is both biblical and fruitful, according to

Rogers, is that it is compassionate. He states, “Don’t be afraid of tears. There are times when I’m

preaching, and the tears will come.” He points out that Jesus wept, and Paul wept. “May the

things that break the heart of God break our heart…be compassionate for lost people.” He also

advises the preacher not to scold, but rather to exhort them to come to Jesus. The preacher should

never “browbeat” people during the invitation. That is negative. Rather, the preacher should

show compassion, tears even, but always with a smile on his face. “Weep in such a way,” Rogers

says, “that they know that you’ve got the law of the Lord, but your heart is broken, and you wish

they had that same joy.” He concludes with this picturesque point, “Remember, you’re inviting

people to a feast and not to a funeral.” As his wife, Joyce, recalled, “Typical of Adrian Roger’s

invitation is for him to stand behind the pulpit after he has explained salvation, lift his hands and

exhort people to, “Come to Jesus.”74

73
Ibid., 86.
74
Ibid., 85.
 27

The ninth characteristic of an effective, biblical invitation is that it is given with

conviction. “You should be filled with Holy Spirit conviction.” Rogers states, “You can preach

truth, but only the Spirit can impart truth.” He adds that the Lord is not “looking for decisions,

He wants disciples. People who will come, who have been convicted by the Spirit of God.”

An example of Rogers’ expressed reliance and belief in the necessity of the work of the

Holy Spirit during the invitation is found in his message taken from 1 John 5:5 which is entitled,

“How to Be Absolutely Sure.” At the conclusion of the sermon, Rogers declares, “The Holy

Spirit of God is here today, telling you there was one who came by water and blood, who died

for you. As I’m preaching to you, He’s saying, ‘That’s right. That is true.’ He is witnessing to

you right now. Bow your heads in prayer and close your eyes.”75

The final mark of a public invitation which is biblical and fruitful, Rogers says, is that it

is celebratory. “Rejoice with those who come,” Rogers advises. “The happiest time in our

church,” he added, “ought to be when newborn babies are coming into the family of God.” The

pastor and the church, according to Rogers, should “Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate,” when souls

come to the Lord Jesus Christ in our churches.

Rogers gave an indication of his conviction concerning the reason the invitation should

be marked by celebration earlier in his lecture. “Some people say, ‘Well, I don't like an

evangelistic service. I like a ‘worship service.’ Friend, I’ve never worshiped more than when

souls are getting saved. To me, that is the zenith of worship.” This insight helps explain the

singular focus and consistent, convictional use of the public invitation in the preaching ministry

of Adrian Rogers.

75
Adrian Rogers, “How to Be Absolutely Sure,” Sermon, n.d.
 28

Conclusion

Larsen rightly describes the nature and intent of the gospel as “an invitation to which

sinners are to RSVP. A response is called for.” As has been shown, the call for a response is

rooted in the nature of God and the finished work of Christ. The public invitation has been given

by gospel preachers from the Day of Pentecost through today. Its application and implementation

have varied through the centuries, but the intent of giving the opportunity for those who have

heard the gospel to respond immediately to the proclaimed Word and the conviction of the Spirit

of God has remained constant through church history.

In the twentieth-century, Adrian Rogers served as an example of a preacher whose use of

the public invitation was indeed both “biblical and fruitful.” As demonstrated through a close

study of his philosophy and practice, Rogers modeled a convictional use of the public invitation

in calling people to respond to the gospel. His careful consideration of the elements and aspects

of the public invitation enabled him to present the invitation in such a way that was clear,

concise, courageous, and compelling. Thus, preachers who wish to become more effective in the

giving of the public invitation would do well to study, understand, emulate, and extend the public

invitation as Rogers did. May preachers today proclaim the Bible with passion and conviction,

compelling men to respond, as Adrian Rogers did. “It’s not enough for you to say you believe in

God. Are you willing to act upon your belief? God is calling you to a relationship with Him. Will

you answer His call?”76

76
Adrian Rogers, Personal devotionals, accessed April 2, 2019, https://www.oneplace.com/devotionals/
love-worth-finding/love-worth-finding-march-28-2012-11667863.html
 29

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Bennett, David Malcolm. The Altar Call: Its Origins and Present Usage. Lanham, MD:
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Bryant, James W., and Mac Brunson. The New Guidebook for Pastors. Nashville, Tenn: B & H
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Engelsma, David. Hyper-Calvinism and the Call of the Gospel: An Examination of the Well-
Meant Offer of the Gospel, 2014.

Fasol, Al, ed. Preaching Evangelistically: Proclaiming the Saving Message of Jesus. Nashville,
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Fish, Roy J. Coming to Jesus: Giving a Good Invitation. Fort Worth, Tx.: Colter & Co., 2015.

Ford, Leighton. The Christian Persuader. New York: Harper and Row, 1966.

Gallaty, III, Robert Frederick. “A Critical Examination of the Public Invitation in the Preaching
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Hawkins, O. S. Drawing the Net: 30 Practical Principles for Leading Others to Christ Publicly
and Personally. Dallas, TX: Annuity Board of the SBC, 2002.

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Larsen, David L. The Evangelism Mandate: Recovering the Centrality of Gospel Preaching.
Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1992.
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Lumpkin, William Latane. Baptist Foundations in the South: Tracing through the Separates the
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———. “Five Ways to Draw Close to Jesus.” Sermon, n.d.

———. “God’s Amazing Grace.” Sermon, n.d.

———. “How to Be Absolutely Sure.” Sermon, n.d.

———. What Every Pastor Ought to Know. Memphis, TN, 2005.

———. “When Your Medicine Becomes Your Poison.” Sermon. Bellevue Baptist Church,
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Rogers, Joyce. Love Worth Finding: The Life of Adrian Rogers and His Philosophy of
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 31

Appendix A

Excerpt from “When Your Medicine Becomes Your Poison” by Adrian Rogers

Now, while heads are bowed and eyes are closed, no one stirring. How many of you can

say, "Brother Rogers, if I died today, I know that I know that I know I'd go to heaven because

Jesus Christ has saved me, and I have the authority of the Word and the witness of the Spirit."

May I see your hand, would you hold it up high? "I know that I've been saved, and I know I’d go

to Heaven." Thank you. Take your hands down. Now, how many of you would say "Brother

Rogers, I cannot say absolutely that I know that I'm saved, but I want to be saved." If you feel

that way, I want to pray for you right now. So just keep your heads bowed and eyes closed and

let me just pray for you.

“Lord, I just pray for these today who want to be saved? Lord, help them to understand

that when that spike was driven into the hands of Jesus and into His feet, "Lord, it's finished." It's

done. It's completed. And Lord, by faith in Jesus, they can be saved. And oh, Lord, that you

reconcile God and man. And Father, I just pray now that they'll trust in Jesus.”

Now, while heads are bowed, if you want to trust Him, why don't you pray a prayer like

this? "Dear God," just talk to Him right now in the silence of your heart. Just pray this prayer.

"Dear God, I'm a sinner and I'm lost. And I want to be saved, and I need to be saved. Jesus, you

died to save me, and you promised to save me if I would only trust you. I do trust you, Jesus."

Just tell Him that right now. "I do trust you, Jesus. Right now, at this moment, I trust you Jesus

with all of my heart. I trust you. Come into my heart, Jesus." Just ask Him right now. "Come into

my heart. Jesus, forgive my sin and save me." Just tell Him, "Save me, Jesus." Right now, just

say it, "Save me, Jesus." "Come into my heart and save me."
 32

Did you do it? Did you mean it? Then, without waiting on any kind of a manifestation or

feeling, thank Him for saving you. Say, "Lord Jesus, I thank you for saving me. I just receive it

by faith. Now, Lord Jesus," I want you to pray this prayer, "Give me the courage to confess it

openly."

Would you pray that? You see, one of the ways that we can know that we mean business

with God is that we're willing to confess Him for Jesus said, "If you're ashamed of me and my

Word before this sinful and adulterous generation, I'll be ashamed of you when I come in the

Glory of the Father of the holy angels." So, you pray, "Lord Jesus gave me the courage to make

it public," and He'll give you that courage. "Thank you, Lord Jesus, for saving me and for the

courage you will give. In your name I pray, amen.

Now, look up here. Look up here. Friend, if you prayed that prayer, or you were willing

to pray that prayer, I'm going to give you an opportunity right now to make it public. And while

we're giving this invitation, I'm going to ask that absolutely no one in the congregation leave

unless it is an emergency. It very important that you stay right in your place.
 33

Appendix B

Selected Sermons from Dr. Adrian Rogers

“When Your Medicine Becomes Your Poison”

“Five Ways to Draw Close to Jesus”

“God’s Amazing Grace”

“Biblical Faith: What It is and How to Have It”

“How to Be Absolutely Sure”

“What if There Had Been No Easter”

“Can an Intellectual Believe in God?”

“Five Ways to Draw Closer to Jesus”

“God’s Amazing Grace”

“How to be Absolutely Sure”

“Birthmarks of the Believer”

“Jesus the Friend of Sinners”

“The Great Judgment – Revelation”

“Life’s Greatest Question”

 34

Appendix C

What Every Pastor Ought to Know: The Sermon’s Invitation

Pastor: Well, we're going to be talking about the invitation. I've heard some preachers
who are great preachers. They've preached the birds out of the trees. But then
they flop at invitation time. I'll hear them preach. There'll be conviction. There
will be tears. There will be motivation, and then they'll stand and say something
like this. All right, we're going to stand and sing hymn number 162, won't you
come?

Pastor: Is it? I put myself in the place of an unsaved man and say, "Come. Where you
going, guy? What's all this about?" He doesn't explain. He doesn't give the
invitation. Matthew 10:32-33. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before
men. Him will I confess also before my father, which is in heaven. But
whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my father,
which is in heaven. I want to teach you how to give an invitation that would be
both biblical and fruitful. Now, the Bible is full of examples of public invitation.

Pastor: On the day of Pentecost, Peter preached a great sermon, and then he gave an
invitation. The Bible says, "And with many other words, he did testify and exhort
saying, 'Save yourself from this untoward generation.' That means the sermon
was over, but with many other words. Now, he's testifying, "This is what Jesus
has done for me." He's exhorting, "Let it be done to you," with many other
words. That's an invitation that he gave. The Bible starts with an invitation, the
Garden of Eden, and God came walking in the garden.

Pastor: He said, "Adam, where are you?" God knew where he was. This was not the
voice of a detective. It was a voice of a broken-hearted God inviting Adam to
come to him. Joshua ... I love Joshua. By the way, you're preaching a series.
Preach a series on Joshua. Joshua said in Joshua 24:15, "And if it seem evil unto
you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve whether the
gods, which your fathers served, which were on the other side of the flood, or
the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house,"
what? We serve the Lord.

Pastor: That was an invitation. He's saying, "Choose." Elijah on Mount Carmel gave an
invitation, and he said, "Listen folks. Make up your mind. Don't halt between
two opinions. If God be God, serve Him. If they'll be God, then serve Him," and
he gave an invitation, a public invitation. The Bible closes with an invitation. The
way the Bible ends is this. Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say,
'Come,' and let him that hear this say, 'Come,' and let him that is of thirst come.
And whosoever desires, let him take the water of life freely, and whosoever will
let him take of the water of life freely."

Pastor: By the way, I believe in a whosoever gospel. Whosoever will let him come. Now,
I know a lot of people who believe that you could give the invitation personally
 35

and privately. That is in soul winning. But for some strange reason, and I've
never been able to discern it. They don't believe you ought to give the invitation
publicly, but the Scripture that I read to you from Matthew, Jesus is talking
about confessing before men. All good preaching, all of it, every bit of it. Any
sermon has an invitation. I don't care whether it's tithing. I don't care whether
you're dealing with war or whatever. You give an invitation.

Pastor: Now, that does not necessarily mean a come-forward invitation. But it means
you are preaching for a verdict. You have a proposition. There's something you
want your people to know, do, believe, and you are asking them to do it. You're
asking for the order. That's the invitation. Let me tell you, most of the time in
our churches, in our tradition, it is if you're ready to receive Christ, we want you
to leave your seat and come forward to trust Christ. I'll talk a little bit about ...
more about that in a moment, but let me tell you some ways to give the
invitation.

Pastor: First of all, give the invitation courageously. Be courageous when you give the
invitation. You know why some men will not give an invitation? Because they
are afraid that there will be no response, and because they're afraid there will
be no response, they won't give an invitation. They're so anxious to keep people
from saying, "No." They won't give them a chance to say, "Yes." You have to be
courageous to give an invitation because it costs. It hurts. I preach in Bible
conferences where we don't give a public come-forward invitation. That's so
easy.

Pastor: Man, just preach and tell the truth. Get up and leave. But oh, when you're
preaching for souls, when you're preaching evangelistically or preaching as a
pastor to his church, you're given invitation. You get up and die a little every
time you give an invitation. Do it courageously. There are people who will
criticize you for giving an invitation. They don't like it. Well, friend, let me tell
you what to do. Don't apologize for giving an invitation. Just go ahead and do it.
You say, "Well, they will leave." Let them go.

Pastor: For everyone you lose, you'll gain 10. The ones you gain will be a whole lot
better than the ones you lose. Be courageous. Give an invitation. Give it
courageously. Number two, give the invitation clearly. Don't do as I said a while
back. Just stand up and say, "Now, we're going to stand and sing so and so,
won't you come?" Tell them exactly what you want to do. Beware of cliches like,
"Are you willing to make a profession of faith?" Or one of the worst is, "Would
you like to move your letter?" I mean that means absolutely nothing to 90% of
this generation. I have not an idea what moving their letter means.

Pastor: Just make sure also when you give the invitation, give it clearly. You know
there're a lot of preachers who think they have preached the Gospel, and they
haven't preached the Gospel. They may preach a Bible message. It may be
pertinent. It may be applicable and all that, but it's not a gospel message. What
is the Gospel? 1 Corinthians 15. Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He was
 36

raised again the third day. That's the Gospel. Well, always get the Gospel into a
sermon somehow, somewhere. It doesn't matter what you're preaching on.

Pastor: Preaching on tithing, you say, "Well, listen. God doesn't want what you have. He
wants you. Jesus came to this earth to save you, and he suffered, bled and died
on the cross, and he was buried, and he rose again. The Bible says if you'll trust
him, he will save you." Get the Gospel in to whatever you're doing. It's so very
important that you are very clear. If you had a child that was lost and that child
calls you on a cell phone. The child doesn't know how to get home. Wouldn't
you make it clear? You wouldn't use a lot of abstruse terms.

Pastor: You'd say, "Now, sweetheart, where are you now? Look up and see the street
sign. Do you see it? Okay. Now, darling, let me tell you now. Look down the
street. Do you see the department store down there?" "Yes." "All right. Right
across the street, do you see Walgreens?" "Yes." "All right, now, darling go
down to where that is, and then look to your left. Sweetheart, do you see a
house with a white fence?" "Yes." "Now, you go down there, okay? When you
get down there, then I want you to look to your right, and you look to your right,
and you see this street with a lot of tall trees. Go down that street about a block
and look up and you'll see our house."

Pastor: You want her to come home. Do you want your people, the people that listen to
you to be saved? Make it clear, make it plain. When I give an invitation, and I
give different kinds, but there's always a part like this. I say, "Now, look. When
I'm finished, I want you to bow your heads with me for a moment of prayer."
Not you, but I'm saying to them. "Would you bow your heads for a moment of
prayer? You know God loves you so much, and He wants to save you." By the
way, always best to start with the fact that God loves you and that's you're a
sinner.

Pastor: That's the way the Bible starts, with the love of God, and then man fell into sin.
God loves you so much. He wants to save you. Friends, salvation is a gift of God.
Jesus bought it for you when he died upon that cross and shed his blood for you.
If you would like to know the Lord Jesus Christ and know that every sin is
forgiven, and know that God is in your heart to live in you, and you want to
know that when you die, you're going to heaven. I want you to invite you to
pray a prayer like this with me. Dear God. That's right. Just go ahead and say it.
Dear God. I know that I'm a sinner.

Pastor: Pray it. Pray it and mean it. I know that I'm a sinner. My sin deserves judgment,
but I want mercy. Jesus, you died to save me, and you promised to save me if I
would only trust you. I do trust you. I believe you're the Son of God. I believe
you paid my sin debt with your blood on the cross. I believe that God raised you
from the dead. I believe you will save me if I will trust you, and I do trust you.
Right now, this moment, with all of my heart like a little child, I trust you. Come
into my life, Lord Jesus. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me. Save me, Jesus. Friend, pray
that.
 37

Pastor: Did you ask him? Pray it from your heart. Save me, Lord Jesus. Did you ask him
to do it? Wonderful. Now, by faith, I want you to pray this way. Lord, thank you
for doing it. I don't deserve it. I receive it as a gift of your love. I don't ask for
feeling. I don't look for a sign. I just stand on your word. Thank you, Jesus, for
saving me, and now begin, Lord Jesus, to make me the person you want me to
be. Lord Jesus, help me never to be ashamed of you, because you died for me.
Lord Jesus, give me the courage this morning to make this public. Thank you for
doing it, and I will obey you in your holy name. Amen.

Pastor: All right. Now, I'm just kind of freewheeling what I ... I told you that because
that's the way I would give an invitation as a pastor. But I wouldn't just say, "All
right, we're going to stand and sing so and so." Then I should not look up here,
and our church is a big church. I stay in the pulpit, want to give the invitation,
because I need to see the whole deal and so forth, so I have people to welcome.
So I would say, "Now, folks, in a moment, we're going to stand and sing a hymn
that we call an invitational hymn. Standing at the head of each of these aisles all
the way across the front will be a man of God to welcome you, a minister of this
church."

Pastor: Now if you're in a small church, you don't have that many ministers. But I don't
say a counselor. But I didn't have a minister. I would say a friend or a man of
God to welcome you. I don't say a counselor. Some people think, "Well, if you're
coming to a counselor, you got to go spill your guts and tell your life's story and
all that," and that's not what it's about. It's a place for counseling, but this is not
the time. Say, "There'd be a friend to welcome you. I want you just to step out
and come." "Well, pastor, I've never done that before. What would I say when I
go down there?"

Pastor: "Well, you prayed and asked Christ to come to your heart, didn't you?" Just tell
that man, "I'm trusting Jesus. I'm give him something to say," because he
doesn't know what to say. Then, "Well, pastor, then what will happen?" Well,
number one, we'll rejoice. Number two, I will give you some Scripture to stand
on. Number three, we'll answer any questions we can answer, and number four,
we'll sing with you in prayer. Take just a few moments. It will shame the devil. It
will give you joy. It will give God glory.

Pastor: Don't look around to see what anyone else is going to do. As soon as we begin
to sing, you step out. This church is praying for you. We love you. This can be
the greatest thing you've ever done is to acknowledge Christ as your personal
savior. I want you to know walking this aisle doesn't save you. That carpeted
aisle can't save anybody. Shaking a man's hand can't save you. But what it
indicates saves you that you're not ashamed of Jesus, because Jesus said, "If
you're ashamed of me, I'll be ashamed of you." "Well, pastor, how do I know if I
really trusted him?"

Pastor: Well, are you willing to confess him? Now, that shows that you really mean
business. Let's stand and sing. You be the first one down the aisle to say yes to
Christ. Now, that took about five minutes to do that. That means that you've got
 38

to back up in your sermon and plan the invitation as a part of the deal. Don't
just tack it on. It has to be on the inside because if you wait till 12:00 noon, and
people's blood sugar is low, and they're getting antsy, they're looking at their
watch, you say, "Well, my people wouldn't do that." I'm not talking about your
people. I'm talking about that lost man.

Congregation: That's right.

Pastor: I'm talking about the man that you're pleading for. He's not in the category of
wanting to stay around because of a compassion for souls. So what I'm trying to
say is you give the invitation clearly. Now, you may not give an invitation just
like I do, and I don't give the invitation the same way. But almost always, there
will be some of those components. Now, I may put them together in different
ways, but give the invitation clearly. Get it?

Congregation: Got it.

Pastor: Good. All right, now, give the invitation concisely. Save enough time for the
invitation. Don't go on and on in the invitation. Now I just said that what I did
took about five minutes. But I'm not going to repreach the sermon to them, and
I need actually to start giving invitation before I preach. Not after I preach, but
before I preach. I will say to our guests, "We want to welcome you today to our
services. We're so glad that you're here." If you have already made the
wonderful discovery of knowing Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior,
we rejoice in that.

Pastor: If you have not yet come to the place where you can clearly say, "I know that I
know that I have a personal relationship with God through Christ." So our prayer
before this service ends, you'll be able to say that, and just thank me. What you
have done right there is just start the invitation. If you ever listen to Billy
Graham preach, he starts ... He's giving the invitation all the way through the
message. You may not realize it, but he is. You can be giving the invitation. You
give it concisely. Now, it may take three or four minutes, but don't chase
rabbits. Don't introduce new factors into the invitation, all right?

Pastor: Now next, number four, I believe. Give the invitation convincingly. Remember
what Peter did on the day of Pentecost? And with many other words, he did
testify and exhort saying, "Save yourself from this untoward generation." Can't
you see Peter with the tears streaming down his cheeks? Can't you see him with
his arms stretched out? He doesn't have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. I mean, he
wants to convince them that they need to be saved. The Bible says, "Go out the
highways and the hedges, and compel them to come in." The Apostle Paul said,
"Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."

Pastor: I hear some people talk against an invitation. Here's the way they say ... They
said, "Well, now, look. You don't need to give an invitation. That's the work of
the Holy Spirit. If you haven't heard that, you haven't been around long." I said,
 39

"Well, that's the work of the Holy Spirit. You just preach." I say, "Hey bud,
preaching is the work of the Holy Spirit too, so why don't you just shut up?" I
mean, do you think up to this point, you've been doing it, now he's going to
start doing it? Preaching is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor: We need to be wise. Now, some of you may be reformed in your theology, and
you say, "Well, I just believe that that's all the work of God, and those who are
going to be saved are you're going to be saved." Well, at least, if you don't sing
just as I am, you could whistle it so the elected recognize the tune. Oh, friend.
Friend, you need to have a sense of urgency-

Congregation: That's right.

Pastor: ... with your preach, and always the word is now, and you need to be positive.
When you stand up and say, "Now, let us stand and sing." God bless you as you
come. Don't be like the boy who wanted a job. Went up to a man said, "You
don't know nobody do you that don't want nobody to do nothing?" Be positive.
Expect people to come. Now, next, number five. Give the invitation
cooperatively. Let the entire church participate in the invitation. In a big
auditorium, it's better to stand at the front and let the church members work
together. Teach your members how to pray during the invitation. Satan never
gives up anything or anybody without a fight.

Congregation: That's right.

Pastor: There are strongholds that have to be broken. Our strongholds of

procrastination and pride and fear. Teach your people to pray during the
invitation so that power comes down, as the song says, "All is vain unless the
Spirit of the Holy One comes down," and commend your congregation after the
invitation. Thank them. Many times I'll say, "Oh, people, let me thank you for
your faithfulness and your prayerfulness during this invitation time. I love you so
much." To me, folks, that's the mark of a great Christian that you really care.
Some people say, "Well, I don't like an evangelistic service. I like a worship
service."

Pastor: Friend, I never worshiped more than when souls are getting saved. To me, that
is the zenith of worship, but don't make some dichotomy between worship and
the invitation. Actually, Jesus called his fishers of men, and what kind of fishing
were the fishermen doing when he called them to be fishermen? They were
doing net fishing. Your church is a net. They call Spurgeon's church a soul trap.
It's a net. You know what a net is? It's a bunch of nothings tied together. That's
what we are — a bunch of nothings, but we're tied together to bring souls to
the Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor: Well, so do it cooperatively. Teach your people to be a part of the total

invitation. Next, give the invitation consistently. Now, there are varied ways,
and you don't always have to do like I just did. But somehow, someway, be
 40

consistent. Give an invitation. When I was in Fort Pierce one Sunday, I got up to
preach, and there were about as many people as there are right now today, and
I got up to preach. My heart sank because I had an evangelistic message. I
thought, "Boy, I'm fishing in a bathtub. I thought I knew everybody. I could not
find one prospect, even a suspect, looking over the crowd."

Pastor: I did something I've never done before. I said, "Well, that's the message. Stand
for prayer." A man in the back said, "Wait a minute. Aren't you going to give an
invitation? I wanted to be saved." I didn't even know he was there, but what a
rebuke to me that was. Of course, he could have been saved without an
invitation. That's not the point. The point was that I thought I knew everybody
there, and I knew the situation. I made up my mind since then to be consistent.
I'm going to give some kind of an invitation and a worship service like this.

Pastor: Give the invitation consistently. Don't wait till the revival meeting in July and
August to invite people to Christ. Do it week by week by week and daily if you
can, so the Lord is adding to the church daily such as should be saved. All right,
now next. Give the invitation creatively. Don't always do it the same way.
Sometimes, you might give an invitation like this. Those of you who are
interested in receiving Christ, would you just remain here at the front while the
others go out if you want to know more about Jesus? We'd be glad to talk to
you.

Pastor: Or you might say in your in pew, there's a card there, and there's some squares
or boxes. After the first one, it might say, "I have prayed as Christ to come into
my heart today." The second one says, "I haven't gotten quite settled, but I'm
interested and so forth." Just put whatever you want. So would you just take a
moment and check that? Now, as soon as the service is over, would you just
bring that card down here and let us help you with it? There's just something
now that they have in a hand. It's just a little different. They can do it.

Pastor: You say, "Well, pastor, what about that thing of confessing me before men?
Why do you wouldn't let everybody else go out?" There's nothing in the Bible
about walking an aisle in the church. The real profession of faith in the Bible is
one. It's baptism. It's baptism. That's when you're really professing your faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ is when you baptize. But be very creative. There all kinds of
ways to give an invitation and just be creative.

Pastor: Now, number eight, I believe. Give the invitation compassionately. Don't be
afraid of tears. There are times when I'm preaching, and the tears will come.
There are times when I get up to give an invitation, and the tears come
unbidden. I never cry for crocodile tears, but I feel so deeply about what I'm
saying that tears will come, because I know we're dealing with eternal destiny.
Read the Bible. Jesus wept. Paul wept. May the things that break the heart of
God break our heart, and be compassionate for lost people.

Pastor: Now, don't scold them, but testify and exhort them to come to Jesus. Don't
brow beat people in an invitation. That's negative. And yes, weep, and I don't
 41

know how to say this. But even if you weep, weep with a smile on your face.
Weep in such a way that they know that you've got the jaw of the Lord, but your
heart is broken, and you wish that they had that same joy. Remember, you're
inviting people to a feast and not to a funeral.

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor: Be compassionate when you give the invitation. Number nine, give the
invitation convictionally. You should be filled with Holy Spirit conviction. I told
you a while back, "You can preach truth, but only the Spirit can impart truth."
On the day of Pentecost, when Peter with many other words to testify and
exhort, the Bible says, when they heard this. They were pricked in the heart and
said to Peter and the rest of the disciples, "Men and brethren, what must we
do?" They were pricked in the heart. That was Holy Spirit conviction, and that's
what the Lord wants. He's not looking for decisions; He wants disciples. People
who will come who have been convicted by the Spirit of God.

Pastor: All right, number 10, and finally. Give the invitation celebratively. Rejoice with
those who come. Read the story of the prodigal son. This, my son, was dead and
is alive again. Let's rejoice. Be merry. That'll be a great celebration when souls
come to the Lord Jesus Christ in our church.

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor: When after I give an invitation and people come, I say to the congregation,
"Let's rejoice with those who've come this morning. Praise the Lord, amen," and
people begin to rejoice and sometimes even shout, "The happiest time in our
church ought to be when newborn babies are coming into the family of God."

Congregation: Amen.

Pastor: Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate. Now, plan your invitation very much like you
planned your sermon, and take these 10 ways and work them in. I had a doctor
come to me, a medical doctor. He lived about 20 miles away. He said, "Are you
going to be preaching Sunday?" I said, "Yes." He said, "I'm going to be bringing a
patient. The patient needs to be saved." He said, "I want to bring my patient." I
said, "Well, wonderful, doctor. I'm so glad." But I said, "Why don't you bring
your patient to your own church?" He said, "They don't care about souls over
there. They don't care about souls over there."

Pastor: Let your church be known as a soul craft where people really want to rescue the
perishing, care for the dying, and snatch them in pity from sin and the grave.
Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen one, and tell them of Jesus, the
mighty, to save. You let Congress make the laws, and you let Hollywood have
the fame, and you let Wall Street run the finances. You let me be a preacher of
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Bring people to Christ. Folks, that's it. Thank God,
he's put us in the ministry. Amen and amen.