Comfortable vs Convictional
Terry Carter, president of Summit Theological Seminary and cherished teacher of Biblical truth, recently wrote an article entitled “Seeker Sensitive”. I found it most appropriate for the times in which we live as more and more churches are forfeiting Truth for “bodies, buildings, and budgets”, as Doc would say. As a result, churches have become comfortable and not convictional. I asked president Carter if I could share his article with our readers, and he gladly obliged.
“Today, everybody is talking about being ‘seeker sensitive’. That usually means that you are concerned about how non-Christians will perceive your worship service. Every effort is made to impress them and make them feel comfortable.
“This is all done in hopes that they will return and eventually become members. There are books and articles about how to be more ‘seeker sensitive’. Seminars are held on the topic. You can even buy books of sermons for seekers.
“It’s not a bad thing to be seeker sensitive as long as you are not seeker driven. It’s good to be concerned about how unbelievers feel about your services. The problem is, that many are more concerned about how unbelievers like their service than they are about how God likes it. They would rather impress non-Christians than the Lord.
“God is also concerned about the unbeliever’s reaction to our services. However, His perspective is somewhat different from what you read in many of the popular books.
“You can see God’s perspective on this issue in I Corinthians 14:23-25, ’23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak in tongues, and there come in [those that are] unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or [one] unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on [his] face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.’
“The word for ‘convinced’ in verse 24 means ‘to convict or refute’. It is the same word used in John 16:8, ‘ And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment ’. It has the idea of exposing and correcting a fault. That is not exactly something that makes a person comfortable.
“But look at the results of bringing someone to conviction. They worship God and declare that God is among you.
“Are we really concerned about the souls of the unbelievers, or are we more interested in attracting them to our nice little social club? To convert, you must first convict. That’s what the Holy Spirit does to the world, John 16:8-11.
“Is the Spirit working in our services?”
Carter, Terry. “Seeker Sensitive”. The Gospel Unashamed. Vol. 31, No. 4, October 2018. Summit Theological Seminary. Peru, IN. pp. 5-6.
