Pastor Mark recently invited Ed Stetzer to preach on Sunday at Mars Hill Church. This week, Dr. Stetzer’s message is available online, and the sermon includes a few notable words of both encouragement and caution for us as a church.

Mars Hill Global

Dr. Stetzer, a guy who makes a living studying churches around the country, told Mars Hill "you need to know the uniqueness of your church. Your church and its campuses and its involvement in mission through church planting and evangelism and through service is really a remarkable thing." It was humbling to hear an experienced, well-traveled visitor describe Mars Hill Church’s influence for Jesus. I’m grateful that God allowed us this encouraging glimpse of how he is using our global vision for his glory.

The Danger of Success

But Dr. Stetzer’s affirmation came with a strong caution. The more successful Mars Hill becomes, he warned, the easier it will be to simply recruit people to the church rather than trying to reconcile them to God. When we rely on momentum to draw people in, we can forget that we’re sent on a mission. And what is the mission? Dr. Stetzer cited 2 Corinthians:

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18–19).

As Christians, we are to join Jesus on his mission of reconciling people to God: serving others, preaching the gospel, and representing the kingdom well. We are the agents of reconciliation; Jesus is the means.

It’s All About Jesus

Like a good preacher should, Dr. Stetzer grounded his message in the gospel of Jesus, and reminded us to do the same. Jesus is on a ministry of global reconciliation (Matt 28:19)—making as many disciples as possible—and we follow him humbly, compelled by love, because he is the one who reconciled us to God:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:20–21).

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