Toning It Down
A "country meeting" had gone exceedingly well, and elders from another community asked the preacher to work with them the following year. He came at the appointed time, and found his reputation had spread, and the building was packed. The elders met him at the car, told him they had never had such a gathering of Methodists, Baptists, and no-church folk, so he must be very careful lest he offend someone with his forthright teaching.
Being young and brash, and having no more tact than to tell the truth, he reminded them of the undiluted lessons that had been given at the neighboring church in the previous year. He said that since he had not been in that section of the state before, the previous year's work must have drawn this year's crowd; and certainly was the reason he had been asked to come. He concluded, "If you expect to hold and convert these people with something other than the kind of preaching that brought them together, I'm afraid you have the wrong man. I'll get back into my car and go home."
With much confusion ---- "Oh no, you must have misunderstood us" etc., the preacher was persuaded to stay, and the meeting began. The preaching was strong, and seemed to get a little stronger, but the people continued to come, and several were converted.
I do not now believe, nor did I then, that "skinning the sects" is good preaching. Some fold will turn away from straight, plain truth, no matter how fairly we seek to present it. But we are dead wrong in thinking we can convert people to Christ with anything other than the Bible message. It will convict the world respecting sin, righteousness, and judgement; and many won't like that. But we are looking for the "few" who will like it, and will genuinely turn to God.
"Toning it down" will produce only "toned down" members of a "toned down" church. You may keep the money, the politicians, and silk-stocking row; but you will lose the backbone and fiber that is necessary for a church to prevail and please the Lord. And if "members" are not interested in pleasing the Lord and saving souls, why bother with any preaching at all.
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