The Danger of Pleasing Man

Apr. 3, 2023

00:00

-01:38

Transcription

I'd say that one of the biggest problems in the church today is pragmatism, which is the philosophy that you'll do whatever you have to do to put people in the seats. And what ends up happening when you adopt this philosophy is you take your lead from man and not from God. You do what man is pleased by rather than asking what is God pleased by. And this pragmatism has resulted in the seeker-sensitive movement. Twenty years ago, it resulted in what was called the emergent church, which has now morphed into what we call the social justice movement, in which the church is essentially parroting, echoing the same message that the world is giving.

And the world and the church never ever have the same message. If the world and the church are preaching the same message, It's not because the world has changed its mind and suddenly it's friendly toward Christianity. It's because the church has been compromised and has taken in too much worldliness. So ultimately what pragmatism does is it opens the door wide open for worldliness in the church.

What is one of the biggest problems in the church today?

According to Toby Logsdon, it's pragmatism. This philosophy of doing whatever it takes to fill seats has led to the adoption of man's ideas rather than God's. When the church echoes the same message as the world, it's a sign of compromise and worldliness. Ultimately, pragmatism opens the door wide for these worldly influences to infiltrate the church.

Logsdon's critique of the church's pragmatism is rooted in his belief that the church should be led by God, not man. He argues that the church should ask what pleases God, rather than what pleases people. When the church adopts a seeker-sensitive approach, the Gospel is watered down. This compromises the church's unique message and mission, which is to proclaim the truth of Christ to a lost and dying world.

In conclusion, Logsdon's warning against pragmatism is a call for the church to remain faithful to its calling. The church should not compromise its message or mission in order to fill seats or please people. Instead, it should be led by God and seek to please Him alone.

As the Bible says in Romans 12:2 (NKJV), "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Speaker

TL

Life Story & Testimony

Toby Logsdon received his M.Div. from Southern Evangelical Seminary in Matthews, North Carolina, and has served as the pastor of New Beginnings Church, located in Lynnwood, Washington, since 2011. He is the founder and host of BibleStudyPodcasts.org. He and his wife Kristina recently celebrated twenty-five years of marriage. They have two children and a son-in-law, and recently became first-time grandparents.

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