每一次布道都应该有一个呼召。否则讲道就只是一个科普知识的讲座。在我们的布道中，应当勇敢地呼召听众做出决定。若是缺少这一步，讲道的意义何在呢？
本文来源:《传道者》杂志
翻译/朗读:TruthTV 小组

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作者大卫·克林丁斯特 道学硕士 
基督复临安息日会折撒比克区会布道与教会发展部主任现居美国马里兰州哥伦比亚 

我记得与迈克的一次谈话。他和妻子一起去教会已近30年，但却一直不受洗。我就问他：“你想过受洗吗？”他回答说，有时也有。我又问道：“迈克，是什么在阻止你受洗呢？”沉默片刻后，他回答说；“我不知道。”当我提议他做出受洗的决定时，他下了决心。几周后他便接受了洗礼。为了帮助他下定决心，我不得不向他的内心发出呼召。

帮助人们决志跟从基督是传道事工的关键一环。它既包括非正式场合的个人呼召，如一对一的谈话，也包括讲台上的公众呼召。决定一个牧师（或平信徒）救灵工作成功与否最重要的因素之一，就是他/她是否愿意通过圣灵引导的呼召大胆地请求（慕道友/信徒）作出决志。

为什么要发出呼召？因为人通常不会在没有外力推动下作出决择。大多数人不会在某天清早醒来突然宣布：“我今日决志跟从耶稣。”通常人们需要直接的呼召来唤醒心中的信念。

当我们发出呼召时，便得着机会协助圣灵感动人心之工。协助圣灵对我们来说听起来可能很陌生。但是上帝的计划并不是让圣灵在做感动人心工作的同时，教会却在一旁袖手旁观。圣灵是藉着人来影响别人。是的，只有圣灵才能感动人心，但通过正确的提问，通过直接而有爱的呼召，可以帮助人听到圣灵的声音，以一种更强烈的方式感受到内心的触动。

两种有力的呼召

在教牧生涯早期，我学到过两个短语可以形成有力的呼召。首先是：“你有没有考虑过……?”你只是简单地问一个问题，在他们的脑海中播下种子，而不是直接告诉他该做什么。如果你提出足以引起更深层次思考的真诚的问题，大多数人会做出更理想的回答。

例如，如果我察觉某人正感悟到应该考虑受洗时，我就会问他们，“你考虑过受洗吗？”这不会给人以被威胁或被操纵的感觉。我只是提出一个问题。但这个呼召的确可以引发更深层次对话。如果他们回答说没想过，我可以委婉地询问其原因；如果他们回答说他们考虑过，我就可以继续问是否有什么阻碍，然后将话锋转向如何解决障碍的问题。

第二个强劲的呼召是“我想邀请你……”（然后填空）。还是那句话，你只是在向某人发出邀请，而不是在告诉这个人该做什么，比如“我想邀请你考虑受洗”或者“我想邀请你考虑接受耶稣为你的救主”。当你发出一个简单而直接的呼召时，就是在对一个人的内心说话，引起他们对最重要之事的审视。

当然，你提问或呼召的方式十分重要。如果你给人的印象是虚伪、刻薄或自以为是，就会适得其反。你若以温柔而勇敢的精神，用爱和关心的态度去提问，则通常会产生美好的结果。人们能够看出他们自己对你而言是否只是一个数字，或是你真的关心他们。

这就是为什么人际关系是救灵工作的第一步。当你与人建立联系时，就形成了信任。当信任形成时，你可以提出大胆的问题或直接呼召。

个人呼召的步骤

让我们来看看个人呼召的步骤。

1.要知道他们是否清楚所讲的主题。人们不会对不理解的事情妄做决断。所以我们要确保主题清楚，给他们提问的机会。当你知道他们谙晓这个话题或问题时，就可以发出呼召了。

2.确认有无障碍。你可能会问，“在这件事上，是否有什么事物阻碍你顺从耶稣呢（无论是什么）？”只要他们的道路或头脑中存在障碍，无论是心理层面还是真实存在的，他们都不太可能冒险做出决定。此时，要帮助他们找出并解决障碍。当他们的信心大于障碍时，才会选择前进。

这就是倾听的用处。它是引人做出决定的关键一步。事实上，倾听胜于言语。它使我知道如何发问，以及如何更好地向他们发出呼召。为更好地帮助他人，我需要了解他们面临的障碍和持有的想法。

3.邀请他们做出选择。你可以说：“你愿意告诉耶稣，你甘愿在这事上顺从祂吗？”然后开启更深入的对话。如果他们说是，就一起做决志祷告。邀请他们用自己的话祷告，并用言语向耶稣阐明自己的决定。接下来是祝福的祷告，强化他们的决定，并祈求圣灵的引领。

要有耐心。如果他们还没有预备好做出正面回答，请鼓励他们多多思考并为此祷告，告诉他们，你也会为他们祈祷，并愿意与他们随时交流。继续为他们祈祷，等待圣灵的带领，在不久的将来再次向他们呼召。记住，现在说“不”并不意味着“永远不”，一位救灵者不会放弃，圣灵也不会。

4.邀请他们采取行动。一个决定的做出总是与一定的行动相关联。例如，同意受洗的人可能会设定一个日期，一个选择把自己的财产交给上帝的人可能会在三个月内交纳当纳的什一，看上帝如何预备。一个选择戒酒的人可能会把酒从家中清除，或者借着行膏油礼让上帝来医治他（毕竟酗酒是一种病）。通过积极的行动确认一个决定，可以增强决心。

公众呼召的方式

如何在讲台上发出公众呼召呢？每一次布道都应该有一个呼召。否则讲道就只是一个科普知识的讲座。在我们的布道中，应当勇敢地呼召听众做出决定。若是缺少这一步，讲道的意义何在呢？

在研究公众呼召的类型之前，我们需要探讨一下呼召的方式。

1.要具体。你希望听者做出什么抉择？受洗？接受基督？学会饶恕？如果你所发的请求不明确，就不会有人做出回应，因为他们不知道自己到底需要回应什么。

2.要积极，不要消极。不要过分关注决志的消极方面——挑战、障碍或困难。而要把注意力集中在积极的方面——从此次决志中所得的福乐、跟随耶稣的益处，及因降服于祂而来的平安。

例如我在呼召受洗时，我不能总考虑这个人可能要放弃什么，会遇到什么障碍，或是家人可能会认为他疯了。这些问题或许真实存在，但我不必给他施加不必要的压力，而是强调这个决定所带来的喜乐和保证。

3.方向要明确。你要呼召他们做出什么回应呢？是呼召他们走上台前吗？如果是的话，要在什么时间呢？是在你说话的时候，还是唱歌的时候呢？你想要让他们举手吗？如果是的话，是你说话的时候，还是祷告的时候呢？如果你使用决志卡，就要明确地解释他们需要做什么。

4.反复呼召。若是在讲道时发出呼召，就需要多重复几次。人们应对呼召做出决定需要反应的时间。通常，重复能使听众更清楚呼召的内容，并增强他们内心的感动。

公众呼召——类型

可在讲台上使用的公众呼召大致可分为如下四种：

1.举手或起立。呼召人们举手或起立，大多数人都乐意做出回应，因为这不会像走上台前那样令人紧张。如果听众不习惯被呼召，这种方式会使他们舒适自然。对于不习惯呼召的传道人而言，这也是一个良好的开端。

2.在座位上默祷。虽不常用，但默祷对敏感话题十分奏效。它更适合私人决定，几乎不需要外在的行动。你只需邀请会众低头默祷，向耶稣陈明自己听道的收获。一两分钟的背景音乐能够营造出适合默祷的氛围。音乐停止，讲者以祷告结束。你可能不知道他们做了何种决定，但上帝知道。

3.台前呼召。在所有公众呼召中，最为有力的要数台前呼召。它需要一个关键步骤：离开座位，走向台前。台前呼召的好处之一是，当有人看到其他人做出决定时，他们会受到鼓舞。越来越多的人响应呼召时，你就能真切地感受到圣灵的运行。我们应当更多地呼召人们到台前来——甚至在安息日的上午。

在发出台前呼召时，我通常会邀请听众做出一个具体的决定，然后重复几次，以确保呼召内容足够明确，足以被听众理解。在我发出呼召后，会让听众知道他们可以在会众起立结束唱诗开始的时候近前来。散会唱诗开始时，我走下讲台。在会众唱诗时我只需等待。这样做的原因有二。首先，会众已然起立，这就成功了一半；其次，我不必考虑要说什么。会众都在唱诗。所以，我也一起唱，同时注视着圣灵的运行。

结束唱诗后，我对那些走上前来的人说几句鼓励的话，然后和他们一起做祝福祷告。祷告过后，若是其中有新面孔，我还会邀请他们继续停留片时，以记录他们的名字和联系方式。这一步十分重要，因为在接下来的两天你需要亲自拜访他们。这种拜访将巩固他们的决定。

4. 决志卡。决志卡不仅适用于布道会，也可以在崇拜聚会中使用。其实施的主要步骤是填写一张卡片并提交，这种方式可以保证一定的隐私。这使得那些不想走上讲台或不想引起注意的人拥有回应的机会。

与会众一起回顾决志卡，解释每一行的含义和你呼召的决定。可以播放些轻柔的背景音乐。然后告诉他们如何交卡。尽量简化。可以选择用盘子将卡片传递至过道，再由一位执事将卡片回收，或者散会时在门口收集卡片。我更喜欢前者，这样我还可以为他们做祝福祷告后结束聚会。在接下来的几天里，一定要通过电话或亲自拜访跟进这些卡片。

当我们在讲台上真诚呼召时，人人都会有所反应，也会有更多人受洗。在每一次聚会中，都会有内心预备完全的人做出回应。无论是在个人查经时进行个人呼召，还是在讲台上的公开呼召，救灵者必须牢记：决志以先必有呼召。

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Making appeals and getting decisions

I remember a conversation I had with Mike. He had been attending church with his wife for nearly 30 years but had never been baptized. I asked him, “Have you ever thought of being baptized?” He indicated that, at times, he had. “Mike, what’s stopping you from being baptized?” I asked. After a moment of silence, he said, “I don’t know.” When I suggested that he make that decision, he did. He was baptized a couple weeks later. To get that decision, I had to appeal to his heart.

One of the most important aspects of ministry is helping people make decisions for Christ. It involves both personal appeals in informal settings, such as one-on-one conversations, and public ones from the pulpit. One of the biggest factors determining whether a minister (or a layperson) will be a successful soul winner is whether he or she is willing to boldly ask for decisions through Spirit-led appeals.

Why is it necessary to make appeals? Because people do not normally make decisions without prompting. Most do not wake up one morning and announce, “I must decide for Christ today.” It often takes a direct appeal to awaken conviction in hearts and minds.

When we make appeals, we have the opportunity to assist the Holy Spirit in His work of conviction. The idea of aiding the Holy Spirit may sound strange to us. But God did not design for the Holy Spirit to do the work of conviction while the church sits back and does nothing. The Holy Spirit works through people to reach other people. Yes, the Holy Spirit alone does the convicting, but by asking the right question, by making a loving but direct appeal, we can help that person hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and sense conviction in an even stronger way.

Two powerful appeals

Two phrases that I learned early on in ministry can create powerful appeals. The first is: “Have you ever considered . . . ?” Rather than telling a person what to do, you are simply asking a question that plants a seed in their minds. Most people respond better if you ask them a sincere question that causes them to think on a deeper level.

For example, if I sense that someone is at a point where they are experiencing conviction and should be thinking about baptism, I can ask them, “Have you ever considered being baptized?” That does not come across as threatening or manipulative. I am simply raising a question. But the question is really an appeal that can lead to deeper conversation. Should they reply that they have not thought about it, I can gently inquire why? If they answer that they have thought about it, I can ask them whether something is standing in their way and then move the conversation toward dealing with the obstacle.

A second powerful appeal is the phrase “I’d like to invite you to . . .” (then fill in the blank). Again, you are not telling the person what to do, but you are giving the person an invitation. For example, “I’d like to invite you to think about being baptized” or “I’d like to invite you to consider accepting Jesus as your Savior.” When you give a simple but direct appeal, you are speaking to the heart and causing them to examine what is most important.

Of course, the way you raise the question or make the appeal is essential. If you come across as insincere, harsh, or self-righteous, you will push them away. But if you ask with a gentle but bold spirit, with an attitude of love and concern, it will usually yield beautiful results. People can tell if they are just another number to you or if you truly care about them.

That’s why a relationship is always the first step of soul winning. When you develop connections with people, trust forms. And when trust forms, you can ask the bold question or make the direct appeal.

Personal appeals—the process

Let’s take a look at the process of making personal appeals.

1. Ascertain whether the subject is clear to them. People do not make decisions about things they do not understand. So we need to be sure that things are clear and then give them opportunities to ask questions. When you know they understand the topic or issue, then it’s time to make an appeal.

2. Ascertain whether there is an obstacle. You might ask, “Is there anything that stands in your way to follow Jesus in this matter (whatever it is)?” As long as there is an obstacle in their path or in their mind, whether perceived or real, they are not likely to risk a decision. Find out what the obstacle is and help them with it. Once their conviction is stronger than the obstacle, they will move forward.

Here is where listening plays a key role. It is a huge part of leading people to make decisions. In fact, it is even more important than talking. Listening helps me know what questions to ask and how better to appeal to them. To best help them, I need to understand what their obstacles are and what they are thinking.

3. Invite them to make a choice. You might say, “Would you like to tell Jesus you are willing to follow Him in this matter?” Then let the conversation go deeper. If they say yes, seal the decision with a prayer of commitment together. Invite the person to pray in their own words and verbalize their decision for Jesus. Then follow up with a prayer of blessing, reinforcing their decision and asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them.

Be patient. If they are still not ready to say yes, encourage them to take some time to think and pray about it and let them know you will also be praying for them and are willing to talk whenever they are ready. Continue to pray for them, and then appeal to them again in the near future as the Holy Spirit leads. Remember, a “no” right now does not mean “no forever.” A soul winner does not give up. Neither does the Holy Spirit.

4. Invite them to take a step of action. It may be an act relevant to the decision made. For example, someone who has just said yes to baptism might set a date for it. Someone who has just chosen to surrender their finances to God might return a faithful tithe for three months and see how God provides. An individual who has just chosen to stop drinking might remove the alcohol from the house or have an anointing service that God will heal them (after all, alcoholism is a sickness). Confirming a decision by taking some active step strengthens the decision of the heart.

Public appeals—the language

Now, let’s consider how to make public appeals from the pulpit. Every sermon should have an appeal. Otherwise, it’s just a lecture presenting information. In our sermons, we should unashamedly ask for decisions. If you don’t, then why are you preaching?

Before we examine the types of appeals from the pulpit, let’s discuss the language of the appeal.

1. Be specific. What choice are you asking the listener to make? To be baptized? To accept Christ? To have a forgiving heart? If the decision you are requesting is not clear, people will not respond because they will not know what exactly they are responding to.

2. Be positive, not negative. Do not concentrate on the negative aspects of the decision—challenges, obstacles, difficulties. Focus on the positive aspects—the blessings that result from that decision, the benefits of following Jesus, the peace that comes from surrendering to Him.

For example, suppose I am making an appeal for baptism. In that case, I do not dwell on what the person may have to give up or the obstacles they may encounter or how family members might think they are crazy. Those things may be a reality, but I do not have to unnecessarily stress them. I emphasize the joy and assurance that results from making that decision.

3. Give clear directions. What action are you asking them to take? Are you asking them to come forward? If so, when? While you are talking? During the song? Do you want them to raise their hands? If so, should they do it now while you are talking? Or during the prayer? If you use decision cards, explain exactly what you want them to do with them.

4. Repeat the appeal. When making an appeal while you are preaching, you will need to repeat it a few times. People need time to process the appeal and reach a decision. Often, repeating the appeal clarifies it in the listener’s mind and strengthens the conviction they feel.

Public appeals—the types

There are usually four main types of public appeals that you can use from the pulpit.

1. Raising the hand or standing. Most people respond to the very general appeal to raise the hand or stand because it may not be as daunting as coming forward. This is a good way to help an audience become comfortable if they are not used to appeals. It is also a good type to begin with for preachers who are not used to making appeals.

2. Silent prayer in the pew. Although not employed as often, silent prayer can be very effective for sensitive topics. More of a private decision, it requires very little visible action. You simply invite the congregation to bow their heads and talk to Jesus about what they heard in the sermon. One or two minutes of music in the background will create an atmosphere conducive to prayer. After the music ends, the speaker concludes with a prayer. You may not know what decisions have taken place, but God does.

3. Altar call. The strongest of all public appeals, an altar call requires a major step of action: getting out of the seat and walking forward. One of the benefits of the altar call is that it encourages other people when they witness someone making a decision. As more people respond, you can literally sense the Holy Spirit moving. We should use the altar call much more often than we do—even on Sabbath mornings.

When I do an altar call, I usually make the appeal for a specific decision and then repeat it a couple times to make sure that it was clear and that people understand what I am asking for. After I make the appeal, I let the audience know they can start coming forward as everyone stands and we begin singing the closing song. When the song starts, I step down to the floor. Then I simply wait for the people as the congregation sings. I do it this way for two reasons. First, people are already standing, and that’s half the battle. Second, I do not have to keep thinking of things to say. Everybody is singing. So, I sing along and watch the Spirit move.

When the song ends, I speak a few words of encouragement to those who came forward and then have a prayer of blessing with them. I invite them to stay up front for a few minutes after the prayer so that we can get their names and contact information if they are guests. This is very important because you need to follow up with a personal visit to those individuals during the next two days. The visit will solidify the decision.

4. Decision cards. Decision cards are not just for evangelistic meetings. You can use them in worship services too. Completing and handing in a card is a major step of action but offers a little more privacy. It gives those who do not want to go up front or draw attention to themselves an opportunity to respond.

Review the decision card with the audience and explain what each line means and the decision you are asking for. You might have soft music playing in the background. Then clarify how you want them to hand in the cards. Make it as easy as possible. Options include passing around an offering plate, passing the cards to the aisle where a deacon or deaconess will collect them, or having the cards collected at the door as people leave. I prefer to have the deacons or deaconesses collect the cards and bring them to me so that I can say a prayer of blessing over them to close the service. Be sure to follow up on those cards during the next couple of days with a phone call or personal visit.

When we intentionally make appeals in the pulpit, people will respond, and baptisms will increase. In every congregation, there exists someone whose heart is ripe to respond. Whether we are making personal appeals in a Bible study or public ones from the pulpit, there is one essential thing the soul winner must remember: to get decisions, you must ask for them. 

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原文链接 https://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2021/06/Making-appeals-and-getting-decisions