Grumpy Old Men, “A Ministry Of Condemnation,” And The Church

By Chris Gordon - Posted at Abounding Grace Radio:

Where are all the young people going?

Why do the visitors never seem to stick?

Why have there been so many fights in our church?

Why are there so many rules in the church that do not seem to come from Scripture?

Unfortunately, these are common questions in the church. In my years as a pastor, I have been shocked over how much antipathy there has been toward the visible church. It took me more than a few years to get a handle on why the reaction has been so strong. The sad reality is that many people have witnessed fighting, church splits, abuses, hatred, contentions, jealousies, all undergirded by a hard kind of legalism within the confines of a closed community that demonstrates little of the joy of Christ. What are we to think of these things? Are there legitimate criticisms of Reformed theology, piety, and practice that we should evaluate?

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