As Christians we commit ourselves to the truth of God’s word—we profess to worship and believe in the truth incarnate, Jesus Christ, and we devote ourselves to the study of God’s written truth, namely, his word. We regularly seek the truth of God’s word each and every Lord’s Day as we go to church and draw near to Christ through the means of grace—word, sacrament, and prayer. We walk away from a worship service and give thanks to God when one of his faithful ministers heralds the truth and preaches the gospel of grace. But as dedicated as we are to knowing and living the truth, many of us fear it.

Preachers often give thought to the question of how they will get the message of the gospel out to people who need to hear it. The church is, after all, supposed to evangelize the nations. While preachers are ready to preach God’s word, there is the practical question of what means he will use beyond standing in the pulpit and speaking. Should a church advertise? Send out e-mail blasts? Broadcast radio messages? Encourage people to invite their friends to church? There is a myriad of ways that a church can get the word out. Regardless of what methods a pastor chooses, there is an important principle to remember: never seek to appeal to the masses. This may seem counterintuitive. But in truth, preachers and churches must remember that their calling is to address the remnant.