I have a question for you. Can you read the above quote and not think “compromise”? It is an important question and it has nothing to do with Mark Driscoll or Matt Chandler, it has more to do with the success of the gospel. Are you optimistic about the progress of the gospel or are you skeptical? Here in America we’ve become so used to faith in general and Christianity in particular being ridiculed and dismissed and so many big haired, fake TV preachers making Christ look bad that it kind of shades our view of events like this. We almost expect the gospel to fail. Kyrie eleison.

Remember that in his vision of the end, John saw:

[A] great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” – Revelation 7:9-10

Salvation is not for just a few scattered here and there. Jesus died to redeem his people and there will be many of them! While it is true that “the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:14) that is in comparison to those who are called to salvation by the preaching of the gospel. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there will only be a few saved. God’s grace is generous and overflowing. In the end many will be saved.

And now a word of caution. Just because Chandler added 2,000 by adding a video campus doesn’t mean that they were successful. One of my concerns with Driscoll, Chandler, Piper and other “celebrity” pastors is that, through no fault or action of theirs, these things can turn into fan clubs. Instead of 2,000 conversions were these 2,000 Christians changing churches? I’m sure that not all of them were. There were probably folks who’d stopped attending church who are starting again and some recently converted believers in that 2,000. But how many? That’s where a church can add 2,000 in a day and be successful. Or add 2 in a day and be successful.