I heard an interesting point brought up in the debate over the seeker-friendly movement. It has been argued against the seeker-friendly movement that the people involved are using the wrong approach. The claim has been set forth that such people are using bait instead of nets. This is in the context of Matthew 4:18-20, where Jesus calls Peter and Andrew to be “fishers of men.” In regard to this, is there a right way and a wrong way to fish for men? Should the gospel be presented as something that men find appealing and are drawn to, or something that men who never sought are suddenly caught up in? Let us explore what it means both biblically and practically.
A major catechism of the seeker-driven movement is that if the church is not drawing large number of people, it is “time to change the bait.” However, is this something biblical, or even logical? Should the church be made attractive to the world? If we read in the Bible, it is anything but. Jesus says, “All men will hate you because of me” (Matthew 10:22, Mark 13:13, Luke 21:17). Three of the Gospels repeat the same thing. Jesus already does not sound very seeker-friendly. This is furthered in John 15:18-25. The Bible also speaks a great deal about persecution. If we are to be persecuted for the message that we bring, is it then very seeker-friendly to those who hear it? Quite the contrary, the gospel is an offense; “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). The gospel is a message contrary to the culture. In Galatians 5:11, the apostle Paul implies that if the message is conformed to the culture, the “offense of the cross has been abolished.” The message of the cross is offensive to the world, rather than appealing. If we make church appealing to the world, it is no longer church. If we make the church look like the world in order to attract the world, then the church has become just like the world. This is the great error of the seeker-driven movement.
This is why we cannot use bait to “fish for men,” that we may win converts. Otherwise, we only make them a twofold son of hell (Matthew 23:15). In a practical view, fish caught with bait and hook are much less likely to survive than fish caught by net. We are not fishing for food, but to win men and women to Christ. Fish caught with bait and hook are often injured and soon die. This is the stillborn “convert.” He is dead in his sin, and destined for the eternal fire. Some may survive, but often not without significant wounds. Those who may be saved (by the power of God and not by any man's methods) are wounded by perverse, worldly theology that may take years for them to recover from, and some wounds are lifelong. Pastors – take note. Do well to tend to your sheep. Do not bring harm to your flock by catering to goats and leaving your sheep to wolves. This is why we must use nets. The true gospel is a net. It is repulsive. It will scare away any fish who see it. But in that is the power of the gospel. It drives away those who were looking out for their own interest. Yet, it catches those who were never seeking, who were unsuspecting, who had no desire for what fishermen had to offer. These are the ones saved by the power of God. For you see, the worldly seekers seek only out of their own interest. They do not truly seek Christ (Psalm 14:2-3). Those whom Christ has sought, sought Him not. He sought them. They were caught in the net of the gospel, even though it was not what they had desired. Yet these are the ones now rejoicing, having been given eternal life. The rest have either perished on the hook, or will perish in the sea of the world.
I ask you, why do you seek Christ? Is it because you truly want Him and Him alone, or are there other reasons? Do you want more in your life? Are you seeking simply to get away from hell? Do you simply want what Jesus has? Do you simply want to get into heaven? Anyone who seeks these things, who seeks anything other than Christ, seeks not Christ, but only what benefits him or her. Do not seek to save yourself! For, “anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-38). Therefore, lose you life for Christ! Take up your cross and follow. No one who comes to Christ with self-serving intentions will ever inherit the kingdom! Do you want Him, and only Him? Then run to Him, for He has sought you! Are you wanting what Jesus has to offer you? Then he has not sought you. All I can say is pray that He would seek you. For Christ is the only One worth anything. There is no gain in anything else. For the worldly seeker only wants what he can get. The one who seeks Christ, because he has been sought by Christ, only wants Christ and nothing more.
Therefore, those who adhere to this seeker-friendly mentality, turn from it! It is nothing but heresy, and of the worst sort. Those who truly seek Christ have been drawn by Him and they only want Him! They don't want a contemporary gospel. They want to know how terrible their sin is and how merciful God is! They don't want entertainment, they don't want a message that is appealing to the world. They want Christ! Give them Christ! Don't starve them of the Word. Feed them the Good Word, and teach them on it. Do not read a few verses and then teach them how to apply it – that is the work of the Spirit. Teach them the Word. Teach them Christ and Him crucified. Teach them the glory of God. Teach these things in abundance. Let Christ be glorified!
Anyone who happens to read this, I urge you not to buy into this seeker-driven/seeker-friendly heresy. If you preach, preach Christ crucified. Preach as though this is the only message your congregates will ever hear. Will you offend people? Absolutely. Will you drive people away? Without question. But they never wanted Christ to begin with. Remember that the chosen are few (Matthew 22:14). Will you invite persecution? Very likely. At the very least, you will invite mockery and ridicule. But God will be glorified, and in the end, that is all that matters.
