Comfortable vs Convictional

Ryan Cox • January 30, 2019

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.

By Ryan Cox June 18, 2025
Moses & History (part 3)
lined up books
By Matt Miles June 18, 2025
Over the course of time a person can accumulate many things. Most of the stuff we collect is meaningless to most everyone else, but when a person collects books, they can be treasured for a lifetime and even beyond. In this age of digital media, physical books seem to be less important to many people. Digital books are searchable, and copy/paste functions make it easy to use those great quotes. Yet, there is still something great about a physical book, things you can’t get digitally: the turning of pages, the feel of it in your hand, and the “book” smell. For our founder Dr. Sharp, physical books could never be replaced by digital. While my collection of books is growing each year, it is dwarfed by Dr. Sharp’s collection. Over the years he collected thousands of titles for research and enjoyment. Through the course of his ministry he had to sell his book collection a couple of different times to support his family, only to start collecting again when he was able to do so. When Doc passed his office full of packed bookshelves to me and said he would clear the shelves, I laughed out loud at the prospect of having loads of empty bookshelves. So I urged him to instead leave his books for my, and anyone else’s, use. Little did I understand that the four bookcases in my office were only a fraction of his entire collection. A couple of years back when Doc moved from his house, it was decided that his book collection would be stored at the office. Our thought was to establish a library, yet none of us had time to plan, organize and catalog all 79 boxes of books. They sat piled in his office until last year when my daughter Megan joined our ministry. She has a love of books, both reading and writing. So we offered her the task of cataloging and establishing Doc’s library. Can you picture me, a bbq lover, being offered a table full of succulent smoked offerings - brisket, sausage, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, turkey and all sides? Yep, that was Megan’s response to the library. For over four months she cataloged and organized the entire collection. The Dr. G. Thomas Sharp Library was completed earlier this year in his old office space, with overflow into my office. The entire 2700+ volume agglomeration is digitally cataloged for searching and locating. As you might expect, there is an extensive collection of creation and evolution subject matter, yet the library is full of many different categories. It very much reflects Doc’s love of gaining knowledge and research. An extensive commentary collection and multiple Biblical reference sections are invaluable to our ministry. There is even a whole bookcase housing books that are over 100 years old. Our desire was not to just house books but to also make a place of honor and inspiration. One wall exhibits Doc’s many diplomas, and throughout the library we have placed personal memorabilia of the mission trips he took over the years. Come, grab a book, relax in the sitting area and allow Doc’s handwritten notes from the margins or post-it notes bring a smile to your face. For those who may be more ambitious, Doc's office chair resides at the credenza for anyone to sit and be inspired to study. This is a place to honor Doc’s life and love for books. We at CTF have already utilized this great resource for further study, and we are so thankful to Diane and their family for donating these books for continued Kingdom growth. Blessings.
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