Hey Redbeard...sit down and shut up.

So I’ve gotten some positive feedback, and some negative, on my posts.  The negative basically says, “hey, shut up…if you think there’s something wrong with another church, it isn’t any of your bizwax.”  "And PS:  everything you say sucks."

And there is some truth to that…stirring up strife isn't good, so if my motives are to stir-up strife, then I shouldn't say a word.

But interestingly, the Apostle Paul made a practice of publishing (by instructing the Church to share his letters) the failures and successes of church leaders and individual churches.  Look for it as you read the Bible (if you don’t read it, as a comprehensive book, then there’s another issue to discuss).  Why did he do this?  Seems pretty clear to me:  expose the sins of a few, and maybe it will preclude the sins of many.  Learn from each other’s mistakes.   We don’t have anything to be proud of anyway (we boast in the cross of Christ, which is a testimony that we are worse than we ever imagined). 

So there is also some truth in the fact that if there are things that are unbiblical about churches, it is okay to talk about them publically, whether it is mine or not.  If there are weird, unbiblical things about my church, the truth is that the church at large (think church, universal, as in the body of Christ) is going to see it.  Those things are going to jump out at the un-churched too.  So what, we just need to sit down and shut up?  We don't really see that modeled for us in Scripture.

My motives, of course, are a critical component of this.  We must expose error with the intent of God’s Kingdom being furthered.  Even if that means our own kingdoms being torn down. 

Can I honestly say that my motives are always pure?  No.  Even as I rejoice as God tears down idols, at times I will simultaneously be smug and happy that I was "right".  And if I do let myself soak in that prideful sin, I will probably be a stumblingblock to God's moving in the hearts of people.

Repent, all of us.