The power of God unto salvation is the gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16).  Sadly, the gospel can be preached so as not to allow its converting power to take effect.  How can a preacher preach in such a way that will most likely not convert anyone?  Let us look at a few suggestions.

Preaching that is striving to please man 

True preaching is an attempt to express God’s will to others.  It is to teach others how God wants them to live and behave in everyday life.  Scriptural preaching was never an attempt to make man happy.

When Paul preached to people, he was not trying to win any popularity contests.  His objective was always to save people from God’s wrath by revealing God’s word on how to be saved and maintain fellowship with God.  When Paul had the opportunity to teach Felix and his wife, he taught them how to live to please God.

Acts 24:22–25 (ESV)²² But Felix, having a rather accurate knowledge of the Way, put them off, saying, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” ²³ Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs. ²⁴ After some days Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”

This was probably not what Felix wanted to hear, but it was certainly what he needed to hear.  People need to know what sin is.  If they are living in sin, whether it be moral or doctrinal, they need to be told that they are doing so in plain fashion, and then how they can correct it.  Preachers who preach to please man too often fail to do this, leaving their audience in sin, all so that they can maintain their popularity.

Preaching that is striving to reveal something new.  

The desire to preach something fresh and new, instead of being content with preaching God’s word, has gotten many preachers in trouble. Some preachers will not preach on baptism, repentance, assembling with the saints, or other fundamental subjects, because, in their minds, those things have been preached on too much anyway.

To some preachers, nothing is exciting about a good sermon on God’s plan of salvation or Bible authority.  It might help someone to obey the gospel or turn a person away from an unscriptural practice, but it will not get rave reviews and accolades for its style and eloquent deliverance.

Do you want to preach in such a way that will not convert people?  Just preach lovely sermons that contain innovative ideas but lack doctrinal substance.  That will do the trick.

Preaching that is not distinctive.  

Truth and error may look alike from a distance, but up close, under the light of God’s word, they do not resemble each other at all.  False doctrine can always be exposed by faithful preaching.

The problem is some preachers will not preach the whole counsel of God.  They will preach about the family, the importance of love, or, perhaps, on things like the moral decline of our society, but nothing that will distinguish the truth from that which one can hear in any denomination.

There is a time to preach on home and family.  We need that in our society.  But we also need sermons on the true church, the music God has commanded, the work of the church, etc.  Distinctive preaching is essential, and the preacher who wants to convert people, rather than just make a good impression, will engage in that kind of preaching.