Rebuke and Critics - courtesy of Extreme Devotion

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed ninety-five statements of biblical faith to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, and then spent the rest of his days only one step away from execution. Despite this danger, Luther never shied away from an opportunity to argue the validity of scriptural doctrine versus the doctrine of works that had taken over the church in his time.

Though he had been warned repeatedly not to attend the gathering in Worms, he said, “Since I am sent for, I am resolved and determined to attend, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; even though I know there are as many devils to resist me as there are tiles to cover the houses in Worms.”
When he was told to revoke his doctrines, Luther answered, “My conscience is so bound and captured by Scripture and the Word of God, that I will not, nor may I, revoke anything; I do not consider it godly or lawful to go against my conscience. On this I stand and rest: I have nothing else to say. God have mercy upon me!”
He escaped those who wanted him dead—and in hiding—he translated the Scriptures into German. Though he was constantly in danger, he lived to the age of sixty-three and died of natural causes.

People are quick to criticize the church for one thing or another. Like writing a critique for a Broadway play, church members are all too eager to rate a worship service as if it were a performance. The music’s too loud. The sermon’s too short. The facility is freezing. The pews are uncomfortable. However, Luther was not a critic, though he did not support the established church. He rebuked it. A rebuke is different from a critique in that a rebuke calls a church who has strayed from Scripture back to GodWord. In contrast, a critique is merely a call to human opinion or preference. Are you carefully ministering to the body of Christ like Luther, or merely criticizing God’s church?