In the third edition of this bestselling book, John MacArthur challenges the seeker-sensitive, user-friendly, entertainment-oriented pragmatism that he argues permeates much of the church. His historical anchor is Charles Spurgeon, who in the late 1800s warned that the church was drifting from the purity of the gospel, candy-coating God's Word rather than boldly proclaiming the truths of Scripture.

MacArthur draws the parallel deliberately: the Downgrade Controversy Spurgeon fought is, on his reading, the same argument the church is having now in different clothes. The book is polemical and names its targets, and the third edition updates the material for the current state of the discussion. For pastors and church leaders weighing how far to accommodate a congregation's preferences.