Preach Magazine Issue 5 - Preaching to the unconverted | Page 34

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FEATURE

WE NEED THE LOVE OF GOD TO BE CONSTRAINING US. WE
NEED COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE AND THE CONVICTION
THAT TO TAKE A DECISION WILL REALLY HELP THEM.

There may be a decision to ask to
be born again, to give up our lives
completely in consecration, to be
willing if necessary to die for our
faith, a decision humbly to ask for the
fullness/baptism/drenching/gifts of
the Holy Spirit, a decision to ask for
the power of the Spirit to be a witness,
to devote our lives to prayer, to repent
of impurity and embrace holiness of
life, and so on….

CULTIVATING A CULTURE
OF RESPONSE
In our church in Oxford, most services
have three elements: worship and
seeking God in prayer; preaching and
hearing his word; and then response
and ministry. Clearly the response
can occur during the preaching and is
not dependent on making a decision
to receive prayer at the end. Deep
things can and should happen in a
congregation as a preacher preaches.
But for many, and on many occasions,
it will help to be able to respond by
asking for prayer.
We have a trained team who are
equipped and expecting to pray for
a crowd of people who respond. This

‘ministry time’ is an important part of
each gathering of our community. It
is where ‘body ministry’ can occur. It
is where some of the gifts of the Holy
Spirit can be exercised. It is a place of
participation that lifts gatherings out
of consumerism into community.
If a congregation is not used to
responding and asking for prayer, to
introduce a culture of response may
take time and careful preparation,
and will be costly to the one
introducing change. As always, ‘for
lack of guidance a nation falls, but
victory is won through many advisors’
(Proverbs 11:14). It will help to gain
agreement with elders and leaders
that this is the way forward. I have
found it important to explain why you
are calling people. I have found it good
to let people know in advance that the
invitation will be coming and how, in
physical terms, people can respond.
Extraordinary fruit can come of these
times of decision as you say to people,
in the words of Joshua: ‘choose for
yourselves this day whom you will
serve’ (Joshua 24:15). It is as if the fact
of deciding establishes things that
can then be built on and people are
strengthened to press on to follow God
in their lives.

1. B
 arth, K and Eduard Thurneysen, E (translated 1935
by Richards, GW, Homrighausen, EG, and Ernst, KJ),
God’s Search for Man, New York: Round Table Press.
2. B
 ounds, EM (1997), E. M. Bounds on Prayer, New
Kensington, PA:
3. Whitaker House, p 468.

Rev Charlie Cleverly
Rev Charlie Cleverly led a
French-speaking Church in
Paris before becoming Rector
of St Aldate’s, Oxford in 2002.
He is a member of the New
Wine network. With his wife,
Anita, he leads ASK, a network
promoting prayer in Europe.
He is the author of several
books, most recently The
Song of Songs – Exploring
the Divine Romance
(Hodder & Stoughton).