Pounding on Church Doors

What would cause you to "pound on the church door"?

Criticizing church seems to be a favorite Sunday afternoon pastime for Christians today. In our futile search to find the perfect church, we take great license in criticizing every aspect of the church service, the pastor, and church members.

On the way home from church, the diatribe usually begins ...

The music is too loud; the music is too boring. The sermon is too long; the sermon was too superficial. Children should stay in church; children are a distraction. I hate how they play music during the prayer; I love how they play music during the prayer. Young people need their own age-appropriate message; young people should listen to the main sermon. Old hymns need contemporary tunes; don't change the old hymns. We should come forward to take communion; we should sit and take communion together. The pastor should wear a tie; the pastor should not wear jeans; the pastor should dress casually.

I'm sure that Martin Luther in the 16th Century had many complaints about his church, but what caused him to take the drastic step to publicly post his 95 theses on the church door? He had to know the risk that he was taking ... a couple objections would lead to a debate; 95 objections is going to lead to excommunication (or worse). What tipped the scales from annoyance to action? What caused him to pound on the church door?

He was driven to action when the church was promoting a salvation heresy. Luther's main objection in 1517 was the selling of indulgences to spring souls out of purgatory and into heaven.

Luther and many of the other reformers preached the solas of salvation ...
Instead of preaching salvation through the purchasing of Indulgences, Martin Luther and the reformers preached salvation by Grace ALONE, through Faith ALONE, in Christ ALONE.

Indulgences was not a minor "worship war" issue (e.g., pitting praise songs vs. hymns), it was a salvation heresy; thus, it caused Martin Luther to pound on the church door.

Another time in church history in which the institutional church promoted a salvation heresy was during the Crusades. A papal bull (or official church decree) was established providing indulgences for anyone who went on a crusade ... essentially guaranteeing salvation to any of the "crusaders."  Unfortunately, nobody stepped up to pound on the church door during this time to object to this heresy.

We don't need to pound on the church door when we disagree with certain things in the church ... minor interpretations of scripture, worship styles, preaching style ... in those things, we should seek to live in harmony (Romans 12:16).  However, when official church statements promote salvation heresies, we need to stand up and pound on the church door. .

When the church "preaches" deviations from the gospel message of orthodox Christianity (salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone), then we need to pound on the church door in objection. Although more subtle than selling salvation, the modern church does peddle the message that Christ's work is not enough. Christians need to do certain things and act certain ways to earn salvation. Have you heard a "cross plus" salvation message? i.e. Salvation = the work of Christ on the cross + our works.

Can you think of any examples?  If so, pound on the church door.

Let me close with a quote from Martin Luther that encourages us to take action ...

Our lives begin to end the day we become 
silent about the things that really matter.
- Martin Luther

Happy Reformation Day!