I was recently talking to a member of the church in another city who was considering leaving the present congregation to attend a larger congregation that recently had hired a new preacher. This person had visited the larger congregation and was impressed by much of what she saw. The comment made to me was, “I have been there a few times, and I have never heard him preach anything wrong.”
There were some things which were different and at first this person felt uncomfortable, but the fact she “had never heard him preach anything wrong” negated the feelings of uneasiness. While not all change is wrong, wisdom says that we should consider the motive behind the change.
There is a difference between preaching truth and preaching all the truth. It may not be the “I have never heard him preach anything wrong” that should be the concern and measure of the new preacher. It is not what is being preached, but what is not being preached that is the problem. Paul said, “I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26). The sermons preached in some congregations could easily be preached in denominations. They are “cute” and one leaves having had a wonderful experience. Such sermons are Biblically based, but often never distinctive. They are rarely confrontational and end with an admonition of “let us all try harder.” The preaching in the first century ended with a call to acknowledging sin and repentance.
There is a difference between preaching against sin and preaching against sins. As I listened to the person’s “have not heard anything wrong” concept, I thought of how easy it is to preach against sin, but how difficult it is to preach against specific sins. Everyone preaches against sin, but it is far harder to preach against unscriptural divorces and remarriages. My guess is that this is the reason many preachers will not preach about this or about dancing, immodest (lascivious) dress, drinking, church discipline and a host of other specific sins.
There is a difference between “positive” preaching and balanced preaching. The popularity of the community church has caused many to think that if we copy their preaching we can compete with them. Thus, many go to popular churches because they want to leave with a warm, positive feeling. The positive approach that leads one to the “I have never heard him preach anything wrong” may simply be some seek to always be positive. Biblical preaching involves more than exhortation. It involves reproving and rebuking (2 Tim. 4:2) and includes the whole counsel of God. The popularity we should seek is the favor which comes from above all of us!