Launch out into the deep…
I just began reading through the personal testimony of one my my heroes, Dr. Mark Rutland, titled Launch Out Into the Deep
. I’m only a few pages into the book and already found this incredible quote:
The great disaster of the contemporary Church is not the liberals. The real danger is dead, unctionless, unanointed, powerless, effete, watered-down orthodoxy. The true contemporary tragedy of the American pulpit is not the advocation of liberation theology (although that is tragedy enough.) The modern horror story is the dull-eyed, passionless, pathetic company man, whose compromised ministry is baptized more in complacency than in power.
The real menace hindering the outbreak of another American revival is never the wild-eyed, Marxist Jesuit spouting pop theology, nor is it the seminary jade calmly announcing that God is dead. The more nefarious foe for a spirital awakening is the slick professional who substitutes charm for unction, compromise for conviction, ecclesiastical politics for spiritual power, church growth techniques for revival prayer. He is a pitiful husk of a preacher. He is a superficial, virtually useless “den mother” whose preaching has no power to convict or convert. His ministry, despite the earmarks of success, leaves a trail of starving congregations with swolen bellies and unmet cravings. He is personally popular, powerless and pathetic, tasteful, tactful, and tepid. His preaching is inoffensive and ineffective.
Wow! This is reminiscent of the themes in the books and sermons by the late Leonard Ravenhill.
I never want to be one of these examples of a preacher or pastor.
What does this mean to you?
