Let’s Get “Do Not Judge” Right and Stop Using it to Justify the Wicked

~ Jeff Crippen ~ 3 Comments

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. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Mat 7:1-5)

We have all had the “do not judge” card pulled on us when we pointed out some wickedness in an abuser who is pretending to be a Christian. “Now, don’t judge. We are all sinners, you know.” That nonsense. And let me show you that it is indeed nonsense by asking and answering just one simply question that should be quite obvious in this Scripture passage:

Who is Jesus speaking to here?

Answer: hypocrites.

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Salvation is of the Lord – CRC Sunday Sermon

~ Jeff Crippen ~ Leave a comment

October 27, 2019
(links to hymns and the sermon are in blue font)

Pastoral Reading
Psalm 12
Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;
for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongue we will prevail,
our lips are with us; who is master over us?”
5 “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the Lord;
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
6 The words of the Lord are pure words,
like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will keep them;
you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl,
as vileness is exalted among the children of man.

Opening Hymn
Romans Doxology (CRC #47)

Prayer
Focus this Week: Boyd Cox

Congregational Hymns
How Lovely Shines the Morning Star (CRC #50)
Father, Long Before Creation (CRC #13)

Offering Hymn
To You Alone (HMA #124)

Let us join our hearts together
and give thanks in one accord.
We would glorify the Father
and give praise to Christ, our Lord.
O, indwelling Holy Spirit,
guide our thoughts and tongues we pray,
For our pride and selfish vanity
too often cloud our praise.

Chorus:
To You along we sing today;
To You along our prayers we raise.
To You alone we give the glory,
For You alone, Lord, are worthy of our praise.

O, what joy there is in knwoikng
Jesus Christ is lord of all,
That each step in my life’s journey
is in answer to His call.
In the cheerful meditation
that His blood has ransomed me,
I find hope and reassurance
His plan is best for me. Chorus

Scripture Reading
Romans 10 

Preaching the Word
Salvation is of the Lord
YouTube link 

Closing Hymn
Jesus Lives, and So Shall I  (#706 Trinity Hymnal)

Be Wise About this thing called “A Call to Ministry”

~ Jeff Crippen ~ 4 Comments

1Ti 1:5-7  The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  (6)  Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,  (7)  desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

1Ti 1:18  This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

Many times in the church we hear people talking about “calling.” In regard to a pastor, people want to know “when did you know that the Lord was calling you to be a pastor?” I have been asked that question many times (though not so much now as in my earlier years). It is certainly understandable that people wonder about it.

But what I specifically wanted to talk about in this article is a caution. Namely, this:

Just because someone is a pastor does not mean the Lord has called them.

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