Sometimes being critical is necessary, but at other times it is simply self-serving. The Bible certainly encourages discernment, critical analysis and, at times, judgment. Finding the balance between when to judge and when not to judge has never been easy. If we scour the Scriptures we will find passages that warn us not to judge and yet we will also discover passages that command it.
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:1-2).
Do not judge by appearance, but judge with right judgment (John 7:24).
So, should we just throw up our hands, stick our head in the sand, and sit in a circle singing praise choruses? I don't think a response like that is al all pleasing to the Lord. If we don't attempt to strike a balance for which the Word of God calls then we will do great damage to the glory of God, the Gospel and the church. And so, at the risk of sounding overly simplistic and maybe even naive I believe if we follow two principles they will will greatly help us in striking the balance between judgment and non-judgment for which the Bible calls. (I am greatly indebted to a book I recently read written by D. A. Carson for guiding my thinking in this area [The Cross and Christian Ministry, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI 1993].)
First, we shouldn't judge when our motivation is to protect our "turf" and exalt our group above others. Competition abounds in the church today. It's as if we are having "bridal wars" where the bride is being ripped apart just before the ceremony takes place. Just think of what we are presenting to Christ just before we walk down the isle - not a very pretty sight.
On the other hand, we should judge and exercise good discernment when someone is treating the Gospel cavalierly. Any person or body of people who would treat God and His Word in an unholy, careless manner through words or actions deserves judgment. Unholy living and practice call for biblical confrontation.
Just because somebody is not "doing church" the way we do is no reason for us to jump down their throats and consign them to outer darkness. A wrong judgment at the wrong time with the wrong motives does just as much damage as ignoring those who treat God like a lap dog or a fire insurance policy. We must not write another church off just because they don't neatly fit into our sock drawer of church polity.
I hope this helps all of us as we seek to faithfully follow God's leadership.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
Many of us have a perspective on the new building on Parris Bridge Road. I think it looks like a peach shed. Others are surprised at how big it is. Everyone is glad there will be no steps to climb! But one perspective I want us to think about and draw an observation or two from is Scott Carter's; he thinks it looks like a prison. Now, you have to understand that he said this jokingly, and to be honest it does resemble a prison right now without the skin on the metal studs. But Scott knows, as we all do, that the building stands for something completely the opposite of a prison - it is a place of freedom because of our crucified King!
Because the gospel we embrace and preach is a gospel that sets prisoners free, the place where it is both embraced and proclaimed must be considered a place of freedom as well. At the outset of Jesus' ministry, while in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovering of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor (Luke 4:18-29 [cf. Isaiah 61:1-2]).
After Jesus read these powerful words He said, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." It is impossible not to hear these words as a personal application to Himself. It is through the proclamation of the good news of Christ's death that those who are held captive by sin are set free.
This is what has been done at Calvary since its beginning in 1923, it is what we are doing at Calvary today and this is what we will be doing when we relocate. A new building has never changed what has been central to this church, and there is no need to think that moving down the street is going to cause us to change now.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
This Sunday, September 11, marks the tenth anniversary of the attack on our country. This event is one of those in our lives when we will always remember where we were and what we were doing. At the first mention that something tragic happened, there was a mad dash to find a TV, and for the most of the rest of the day that is all we did - sit and watch in disbelieving confusion. On that morning 19 terrorists took over 4 planes. Two planes were crashed into the World Trade Center Twin Towers in New York City, 1 plane was crashed into the Pentagon, and 1 more was taken over by passengers and crashed in an empty field in Pennsylvania. It took 2 hours for the Twin Towers to fall. Almost 3,000 people died that day. 9-11 has had a huge impact in America, some for the good and some for the bad. I can think of two I would like us to think about as we remember this weekend.
First, a tragedy like this shakes us to our very core. We stand in disbelief that something like this could happen here. We have a hard time putting something as terrible as this in a category where we can analyze it and eventually figure it out. It is beyond our understanding. One thing I have learned is that bad people will continue to to bad things, but it is up to good people to make changes, and the only changes that will last are those for eternity. It is only the Gospel introduced into this situation that will make an eternal difference. Elected officials will make policies, but Christians must share the crucified King!
Second, a tragedy like this shapes our future. 9-11 plunged us into war and economic crisis. It is difficult to find an accurate number of Americans killed since the terrorist attack on U.S. soil, but one source stated that 8,800 Americans have been killed in the war on terror (both military and civilian). We have sent thousands our our children overseas to fight this war, and it will forever shape the landscape of our country's history. But I have another question, "How has it shaped us spiritually?" Something as terrible as this should shape the Church into a haven of peace and security when we find none in the world. the Church must be shaped into prayer, an allegiance to the Gospel as the only answer, and as place where people find answers to spiritual questions.
We should never forget 9-11. I don't believe it would do any good to ignore what happened, but we must also take solace in the fact that Christ is still reigning and He has invaded the kingdom of darkness through the cross. Terrorism will win if the landscape of America is unchanged spiritually because of September 11, 2001.
Grace & Peace,
Scott
