Bringing Christ to the Nations and the Nations to the Church...

In his characteristic style, Dr. Al Mohler has written mightly of the effect of the megachurches upon the whole face of Christianity and of the challenges faced when the outsize influence of these churches moves the message away from Scripture.  I will not repeat what he wrote and you can read it all here.  He has some particularly blunt words for Andy Stanley.  I think he is on target with respect to both -- megachurches and Andy Stanley.

There was one line in his long commentary worthy of greater focus.  Mohler wrote:  The Great Commission, we must remind ourselves, is not a command merely to reach people, but to make disciples.  Now I am sure that while Dr. Mohler and I would disagree about what it means to make disciples, we are on the very same page about the difference between simply reaching people and calling them into fellowship with Christ through Word and Sacrament.

I read a lot about reaching people.  There are many programs among the various LCMS disctricts designed to help Pastors and congregations do just that -- reach people.  Some places actually tally the number of contacts made as one of the most important marks of effectiveness and faithfulness.  We had our own national scoreboard keeping total of the number of contacts made through the Ablaze program of Synod.  While I certainly would not speak against making contacts and reaching people, I appreciate the difference between reaching folks with mass events targeted to their interest (MMA displays, as one of our most missional congregations did) and making disciples (which happens not by our efforts but by the work of the Spirit through the means of grace).  I think we need to talk more about that difference.  I also think we need to be careful about confusing the two.

As I have mentioned before, this careful distinction was once noted in the slogan of the Lutheran Layman's League (Lutheran Hour Ministries) -- Bringing Christ to the Nations and the Nations to the Church.  It seems that what we once knew may have been forgotten.  How much of the brouhaha created by attention getting events (like mixed martial arts displays) actually converts into disciples?  I cannot answer that question but I do know that when the Gospel is not the core and center of the Church's life, work, and message, when the full counsel of God's Word is not preached, and when the means of grace (think sacraments here) are not the center of the church's and the Christian's life, not much will happen because of all these contacts. 

I certainly am in favor of the Church growing, even though I have some apprehension about church growth as the methodology.  Making contacts and reaching out to people is a good things -- as long as we are faithful about what we confess and diligent about connecting them to the Word and Sacraments and the community of faithful where these means of grace are front and center...

Surprisingly, Al Mohler, speaking from the vantage point of a church without the means of grace, puts it just about right for churches with the means of grace who sometimes forget that creating a buzz for Jesus is not the same as preaching the Gospel, baptizing, absolving, and communing people as God has called His Church to do...