The Christian religion has become man centered in its out-look. People are not so much seeking to please God but rather to entertain and please themselves. They look for congregations of people that offer motivational sessions for the adults and entertainment for their children. The issue of doctrinal correctness according to the scriptures is not even a concern for many. Negative preaching of any type is frowned on. To condemn sin and oppose those who perpetuate it is looked at as self righteous and judgmental. Often we hear the scripture, "judge not that you be not judged", being quoted and lifted from it's context in order to censor any who might take a stand against immorality or non Biblical practices. "If it doesn't make me feel good then I don't want to hear it," seems to be the attitude of the day. Paul warned the evangelist Timothy concerning this self centered, man pleasing form of religion in 2 Tim. 4:3-4, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they wi I I gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

    Paul would not be a welcome teacher in many pulpits today. His straight forward method of pointing out the sins and errors of the people he taught would not be tolerated. In fact he would be sued for the things he exposed. Read the book of I Con if you don't think so. His duty to God and man demanded that lie preach all of God's word, both negative and the positive. Acts 20:26-27, "Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God." Paul preached the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ and one of the fundamental purposes of that Gospel is to convict man of sin.

    Without hard core Bible preaching which exposes the sins we commit there will be no repentance. Without repentance there will be no salvation from our sins. Acts 5:31 "Him had God exalted with his right hand (to be) a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts 26:20 "But showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judaea, and (then) to the Gentiles, that they. should repent and turn to God, and do works fit for repentance." Acts 17:30 "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."

    This brings us back to the point of this discussion. The Christian religion is about pleasing God and not man. It is about changing and conform-ing our lives to the will of God. This requires repentance from sin. Repentance demands that preachers expose sin and preach the whole council of God. God wants us to be uncomfortable with what we are so we will become what we should be. Religion which doesn't require man to repent and change is nothing less than the worship of man himself. Is the gospel you hear the whole truth or just a watered down version of it?