When we talk about the church reaching out to un-churched people there is always this concern from insiders about somehow forfeiting their Sunday experience. The concern is that if church makes the un-churched guest a priority, then regular attenders can’t be fed properly. What might be true if we were talking about teaching Algebra is not true of the Word of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. We’re teaching the active, sharp, living Word of God. Rick Warren said it best, “Simple does not mean shallow.”
Think of the simplest verse of Scripture you know, John 3:16 for instance. Is John 3:16 shallow? God help us if we ever believe it is. My prayer is that I spend enough time swimming around in John 3:16 that arrogance, meanness, self-centeredness, and hypocrisy drown.
Andy Stanley’s right, a preacher who preaches to raise up a congregation of Bible scholars doesn’t raise up a congregation of Bible scholars, “he raises up a congregation of people who think they are Bible scholars.” And that, my friend, is a dangerous thing.