Bulletin Articles: Full Article for Record Number 1051
Appeal To The Flesh
by Larry Ray Hafley
When a church uses the social approach of the sectarian religious world to appeal and allure an audience, it illustrates its lack of confidence in the power of the gospel. Result? A generation of Christians begotten by a mixture of hay rack rides and hot dogs is growing up.
From the Boy and Girl Scout organizations, brethren have borrowed cheap attendance gimmicks such as medals and diploma. This socially oriented atmosphere, which is used at first only to draw attention, will not be long in becoming the centerpiece. Activities will be planned, but the highlight will be the "covered dish dinner in the basement followed by games for all ages."
I do not know where such attitudes will lead-how far they will go. But I do know there is nothing akin to such a sad state of affairs in the work and worship of the churches in the New Testament.
(The article above was published in 1969 when I was 26 years old. Now, we know where such actions will lead and how far they will go (2 Tim. 3:13). They led straight to gymnasiums, straight to the acceptance of instruments of music in worship, straight to a denial of the essentiality of baptism, straight to denominational styled churches, and straight to hell.)
