You have probably heard the expression,
“What you win them with is most likely what you win them to.” I do not know who
said it first, but it has been repeated often enough without attestation to
become common property. This phrase points us to an important truth about
soul-winning and church growth. If we attempt to woo people to Christ or the
church with anything other than the gospel, we are subverting the biblical
process (Rom. 10:8-17) and converting them to a form of idolatry, not Christ
(John 6:24-29).
There are some obvious ways this error
manifests itself. Churches frequently market themselves based on their
inclusiveness, relevance, worship style, or youth programs. Many sell prospects
on a church’s friendliness, relationships, or other tangential benefits. Churches should be welcoming to the lost, relevant to the culture, worshipful,
attentive to youth, and full of meaningful relationships. But the point is if
they are believing and practicing the gospel, they already are those things. If
those things do not exist within our fellowship, it is an indication of our
failure to fully believe and obey the full implications of the gospel, not
evidence our outreach needs supplementation to reach modern culture.
If we endeavor to win the lost or grow
the church with anything other than the gospel, we create an idolatrous system
that cannot be sustained. Those who enter the church because of a particular
worship style or youth program will leave it just as quickly when something
better suited or more appealing can be found elsewhere. Even worse, those
profess faith in Christ or join a church for reasons other than true faith in
Christ are deceived into thinking they have forgiveness and security they do
not have. We inadvertently give them false assurance and send them happily on
their way to Hell. -JME
