Ligonier conference and Limousines

I had the privilege of attending Ligonier ministries 5th annual Pastor’s Conference this past week in Orlando. The primary speakers were R.C. Sproul, Steven J Lawson, and Joel Beeke. The purpose of the lectures was to highlight the significance of having a God-centered ministry that is conducted in humble submission to the Word of God and that emphasizes the glory of God in worship, evangelism, prayer, and preaching. Dr. Sproul picked the right speakers to help communicate these wonderful themes.

Now some of you are probably wondering what a limousine has to do with Ligonier ministries? Keep reading and I will evidentially get there…Before I talk about any of the specific lectures per say I want to say what a wonderful job the Ligonier staff did in hosting this conference. The meals each day were unbelievable and the subsidized cost of the conference was amazing ($150 for registration and room/board). The size of the conference was just right (250 pastors), as opposed to the mega conferences (like Desiring God or Shepherds or Together for the Gospel) where 2000 people is considered a small crowd. The smaller venue allowed one to interact with the speakers (especially Dr. Beeke) as well as get to know various pastors from throughout the world.

I had two strikes against me going into this conference seeing I’m both pre-mill and Baptistic (by conviction). I would guess that the vast majority of the men who attended this conference were obviously Covenantal and either Post or Amill. With that said, all the attendees shared a common bond though our personal commitments to the gospel of grace and to a high view of God that all of us shared. All that to say, I enjoyed some great fellowship with various pastors including my father, Kent who came in from Washington state.

Dr. Lawson started off the conference preaching from Psalm 93. The sermon topic was on “the Eclipse of God.” He reminded us that man can build beautiful buildings but only God can build a church. All of Lawson’s sermons during the conference were expositions of various Old and New Testament texts. It was great to have someone model what expository preaching is and to help show everyone why expository preaching is so powerful (Scripture truth in Scripture dress). It’s more and more common these days to have conferences that deal with biblical issues via lectures rather than pure expositions of the Word of God. That is not to say there isn’t a place for great Biblical lectures but personally I’ll take a wonderful exposition of Scripture over a great lecture any day. Lawson concluded his first sermon by reminding us that the greatest issue facing the church today is who is seated above. Who is your God? Psalm 93 is very clear that the God of the Bible reigns!

Dr. Joel Beeke lectured next on hitting your “Target Audience.” This was a very practical lecture. Beeke said our preaching must be both applicatory and discriminatory. He said preaching must not ignore the pew nor be controlled by the pew. He briefly mentioned that in his opinion Haddon Robinson goes too far here. Dr. Beeke then went on to talk about the various people that listen to our sermons in the pew each Sunday: those include the growing believer, the backsliding believer, those who are in spiritual bondage, the open-conscience unbeliever, the indifferent unbeliever, etc. In short, we must remember that we have all kinds of hearers in our congregations. A mature preacher recognizes this and thus will aim his sermon arrows at the various people groups during the course of his expositions. Dr. Beeke reminded us that it would be a mistake to aim for every target in every single sermon. Wisdom and balance are needed here.

Dr. Sproul then gave one of his classic sermons from Genesis 22. He illustrated how we should tackle an Old Testament narrative with power and clarity. Dr. Sproul reminded us that the OT is God’s autobiography. If you want to teach your people about the nature and character of God study the Old Testament.

Dr. Lawson concluded the opening day sessions with a powerful sermon from 2 Timothy 4. I believe that preaching from common passages of Scripture has its advantages and its unique challenges. Steve Lawson eats, sleeps, and breathes this text of Scripture so the sermon was quite amazing to say the least. The first business of the preacher is to preach the Word. As the pulpit goes, Lawson noted, so goes the church. Lawson said there are 8 imperatives that instruct us how we are to preach in 2 Timothy 4:1-5. I’d encourage all you preachers to get this CD. In the mean time PREACH THE WORD!!!

Lawson started off Tuesday’s sessions with an exposition of Revelation 4. His topic was the God-centered worship service. Lawson picked this particular text because he believes that church worship services should be as much like heaven as possible. This thought goes against the contemporary church movement; which is cool, casual, laid back, informal, horizontal, trendy and often very trivial. Lawson asked the following question: If God were to design a worship service what would it look like? Steve encouraged us to examine Revelation chapter 4 if we want to find out. Steve then provided 4 distinguishing marks of a God-centered service from this chapter of Scripture. 1. A high view of God. 2. A deep fear of God. 3. A distinct separation from God. 4. A constant focus upon God. All these marks flowed out of the text of Revelation 4.

Perhaps the highlight of the conference was Lawson’s sermon on God-centered Evangelism from Matthew 7:13-29. All of us are aware of the scary reality that there are many people in every congregation who are born in the church but whom never been born again. This was a wonderful text to preach from in effort to address the following theme mentioned above. I’d encourage all of you once again to get to CD as well…

Dr. Sproul gave a great lecture on “A God-centered view of the Truth.” He went to John 18 and reminded us that we must embrace, proclaim, and contend for the truth! Sproul asked and answered two essential questions from this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate. Question one was what is truth? (Truth is reality as it’s perceived by God). Question two was how can true truth be known (an epistemology question)? Sproul then reminded us that rationalism and rationality are very different things. He also noted that sometimes we reduce apologetics to proclamation of truth instead of giving people a reason for the hope that’s within us. This was a great lecture because we minister to those influenced by post-modern thought.

Now I promised everyone I would get to the Ligonier/Limo connection, so here it is. On Wednesday night there was a Vesper’s service at Saint Andrew’s Chapel (R.C.’s home church). Now for those of you who’ve never been here before it’s really a hard church to describe. The inside of this building is quite spectacular (think stained glass art, massive paintings, exquisite architecture, etc). You preachers will especially appreciate the 8-foot high pulpit that sits on a raised platform…Ligonier ministries provided two large buses for those pastors who did not rent cars during the conference to get to Saint Andrews. For the guest speakers there was a different mode of transportation…you guessed it…a limousine service provided. Now before I go off on this let me say that I’m worried about how some of you readers may use this story. I know there are some pastors who seem to have an issue with every well-known preacher ministering in our day. I believe these men often struggle with envy. They wonder why God chooses to uniquely bless some pastors/churches the way he does? Why them and not me they wonder? It appears men like this often have an over inflated view of their own gifts and abilities as well and thus see zero value in hearing more gifted and experienced pastor-preachers. On the flip side of the coin, there is a growing (legitimate) concern that we Christians don’t turn our Christian heroes of the faith into some type of Christian “celebrities”. There is a line between honoring and esteeming faithful men and worshipping them. I’ve written about this before so I won’t repeat myself all over again. Now, you probably know where I am going with this already don’t you? I need to give my friends at Ligonier the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps R.C. Sproul has someone from his local church who actually owns a Limo company. Theoretically, this man could have offered free services to the guest pastors during the Pastor’s Conference. Honestly I don’t know. Even if that were the case I must ask the following question, what were you thinking?

Let me paint the picture a little bit better for you. All the pastors are at Saint Andrews Chapel waiting for the start of the Vesper’s service and all of a sudden here comes a white limo. The limo parks underneath the St. Andrew’s Chapel overhang and drops off…the conference speakers. (I would imagine the guest speakers had nothing to do with this decision so I don’t want to indict anyone here unnecessarily). I’m just concerned that this picture sent the wrong message. I know too many solo pastors who have to work another full time job in order to bring home an livable income. If the Christian community wants to work against creating a Christian celebrity community I’d suggest ideas like this be reconsidered. Gospel preachers and limos don’t go together. Save the limousine services for newly weds, professional athletes, and movie stars.

Let us focus our attention back on more important things. All things considered this was both an encouraging and an edifying pastors conference. Drs. Sproul, Lawson, and Beeke were very approachable during this conference. In particular, Dr. Beeke made a special effort to have breakfast and dinner with the men. The sermons and lectures that were given during this conference were clearly labors of love. I’d highly recommend you purchase the conference audio set and consider attending next year’s conference. I’d simple suggest if do come you drive your own car or fly in on a major airline…Let’s leave the limos for the rich and the famous.

"Feed Me Til I Want No More"

It has been a busy year and a busy past week. It has also been a very profitable week. On Saturday night Dr. Bruce Ware spoke to a group of leaders at our church on "leadership lessons from the Trinity." It was a wonderful lecture. Dr. Ware reminded us how it is actually God-like to exercise Biblical leadership AND is God-like when we exercise Biblical obedience (i.e. submission). He looked at the Father's example of putting the spot-light on the Son and exhorted we human leaders to do the same. How can we identify evidences of grace in people around us esp. those who may work directly for us?

On Sunday Dr. Ware presented 3 lectures on the doctrine of God. Bruce was both clear and profound. He was both Biblical and practical. My wife Andrea and I were able to have Dr. Ware over to our home for lunch and conversation following Sunday school hour. It was great being able to pick the brain of a first rate Bible scholar like Dr. Ware. I believe next to the Master's Seminary in California that Southern Seminary is the best theological school for prospective pastors to attend in the United States. Both are wonderful, first rate schools.

On Monday I flew to Orlando to attend the Ligonier Pastor's Conference with my father. Dr. R.C. Sproul, Dr. Steve Lawson, and Dr. Joel Beeke are the main speakers. Steve Lawson has already preached 3 amazing sermons on Psalm 93, 2 Timothy 4, and on Revelation 4. Ligonier does a wonderful job hosting pastors from around the country during this small Pastors Conference.

During Lawson's opening address he said we have seen an eclipse in our theology (e.g. open theism, non-Lordship salvation, ECT, health and wealth gospel, etc); we've observed an eclipse in doxology (just attend the average evangelical church worship services); and an eclipse in our methodology (pragmatism reigns, seeker movements, etc).

Steve reminded us that man can build a booming building but only God can build a Church. Dr. Lawson went on to preach through the 93rd Psalm (Our Lord reigns). He noted that God will mediate His sovereign reign through His Word.

In conclusion Lawson said, "The greatest issue facing your church today is who is seated above...In other words, who is your God?"

What are they thinking? (or not)

Maine middle school to offer birth control
School board approves pills and patches for students ages 11 to 13

PORTLAND, Maine - Pupils at a city middle school will be able to get birth control pills and patches at their student health center after the local school board approved the proposal Wednesday evening.

The plan, offered by city health officials, makes King Middle School the first middle school in Maine to make a full range of contraception available to students in grades 6 through 8, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

There are no national figures on how many middle schools, where most students range in age from 11 to 13, provide such services.

Go to msnbc.com for full story here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21358971/

Female students at King Middle School can get access to the pill without telling their parents. NBC’s Ron Allen reports....

A Prayer for Our Churches

“A Prayer for Our Church” by John Piper
October 8th, 2007

O Lord, by the truth of your Word, and the power of your Spirit and the ministry of your body, build men and women at Bethlehem . . .

Who don’t love the world more than God,who don’t care if they make much money,who don’t care if they own a house,who don’t care if they have a new car or two cars,who don’t need recent styles,who don’t care if they get famous,who don’t miss steak or fancy fare,who don’t expect that life should be comfortable and easy,who don’t feed their minds on TV each night,who don’t measure truth with their finger in the wind,who don’t get paralyzed by others’ disapproval,who don’t return evil for evil,who don’t hold grudges,who don’t gossip,who don’t twist the truth,who don’t brag or boast,who don’t whine or use body language to get pity,who don’t criticize more than praise,who don’t hang out in cliques,who don’t eat too much or exercise too little;

But

Who are ablaze for God,who are utterly God-besotted,who are filled with the Holy Spirit,who strive to know the height and depth of Christ’s love,who are crucified to the world and dead to sin,who are purified by the Word and addicted to righteousness,who are mighty in memorizing and using the Scriptures,who keep the Lord’s Day holy and refreshing,who are broken by the consciousness of sin,who are thrilled by the wonder of free grace,who are stunned into humble silence by the riches of God’s glory,who are persevering constantly in prayer,who are ruthless in self-denial,who are fearless in public witness to Christ’s Lordship,who are able to unmask error and blow away doctrinal haze,who are tough in standing for the truth,who are tender in touching hurting people,who are passionate about reaching the peoples who have no church,who are pro-life for the sake of babies and moms and dads and the glory of God,who are keepers of all their promises, including marriage vows,who are content with what they have and trusting the promises of God,who are patient and kind and meek when life is hard.


Pressing for all there is in Christ,

Pastor John Piper

Yes, I Died Twice Yesterday

Mark and Joe want me to weigh in on my Chicago Bears. If you watched yesterdays game you probably observed a few things. Griese is a good back up and an average or below average starter in this league. His arm strength on outs is just not very good. QB is the most important position in the game. Is it any surprise that New England (Brady), Indy (Manning), Dallas (Romo), and G.B. (Favre) are the best teams in the league right now? Football is a team sport but you need a good QB and a good coach to succeed. Griese won’t lose many games but he can’t win many games for you either. The Bear’s need a QB who can win a game for them…

The Bear’s D has way too many injuries to overcome with our backups playing the way they’re playing. The D has been a big disappointment this year. We really miss the presence of Pro-Bowl FS Mike Brown. Adam Archuleta can’t cover anyone and with a broken hand can’t even tackle.

Sunday’s loss was liking dying twice. I had accepted the loss after Peterson rushed for 240 yards and his 2nd touchdown of the game (putting us down by 14). Then I turn back 3 minutes later and the Bear’s are down 7…so I decide to finish the game out. Next thing you know they shut down the Vikes from their own 40 and then connect with Hester (the best special teams player in the history of the game) for 81 yards (to tie the game). I was thinking at this point maybe we’ll actually sneak this one out (like Detroit did to us a couple weeks ago). But then Peterson returns a kick 60 some yards and Longwell kicks a career long (55 yard field goal) to send us back to the bottom of the NFC North. Yes, it was the sports equivalent of dying twice. I need to go visit my sports psychologist for my sports related depression now. This season is really close to being a total wash. If we don’t win 3 or 4 in a row we’ll be draft watching. It’s sad times for Bear’s fans around the country. The only solace i have right now is that perhaps this season doesn't even matter...Look at the way New England has been dominating people? If they stay healthy it does not appear they can lose a game. They can play average and beat most teams by 20 points. That is not good news for Colts fans and NFL fans around the league! Go Bears!

Manhood & Womanhood (pt 2)

One of the way’s Evangelical Feminist’s have tried to solve this problem is to redefine the meaning of the word “head.” They have to admit that husbands are the heads of their wives because the Bible clearly teaches this truth; but many would say “headship” only implies that man is the source of women, not the God-ordained leader or authority figure. Much ink has been spilled trying to understand the N.T. Greek word kephale. Wayne Grudem has literally spent hundreds of hours of research proving that the Greek Word “head” does not mean source. The word “head” when used figuratively and when speaking of relationships always implies authority. We will go into this issue in greater depth next time so I won’t go down that road right now.

Some Christian feminists use a different line of reason. They say that the concept of male headship did not come about until after the fall and is therefore a product of sin. We already answered this objection during our 3rd lecture so I won’t repeat those arguments again now.

God’s ideal marriage is beautifully and clearly summarized for us in Colossians 3:18-19. Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. New Testament passages like this one begin to unlock for us an important truth. Christ can enable us to overcome the effects of the curse and the fall of man (at least in some measure). When unbelievers are transformed from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God’s light they’re given a new nature (Col 1:13). Christians are no longer enslaved to his/her sin or his/her sin nature (see Romans 6-8). The Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in us; we’re “sealed” (Ephesians 4:30). At this point, we try to become who we are in Christ (progressive sanctification). We finally have the ability to follow God’s Word from the heart with pure motives. To borrow Biblical language we’re new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

One of the specific areas of life that God’s Word addresses is the very topic we’re discussing, “Biblical manhood and womanhood.” Therefore spirit-filled Christians should try to pursue these Biblical roles with all their might for the glory of God. The “perfect” male/female relationship that was enjoyed prior to the fall can in some regards be regained as Christians! If you’re in a difficult marriage do not despair because there is hope! If you’re counseling a couple on the verge of divorce, never forget there is hope! The Bible offers all of us tons of hope if we but submit ourselves fully to the Lordship of Christ. Our paradise that was lost can in some regards be regained here on earth. The death of Christ not only restores our relationship with God it also empowers us to restore some of our broken human relationships with others.

Stay tuned as next time we’ll begin to study a crucial New Testament text (1 Corinthians 11:2-16).

Manhood and Womanhood: Selected Scriptures

We spent all last session discussing how the fall of man in Genesis 3 directly effects Biblical manhood and womanhood. I believe the following statement is an important one to consider: The curse did not introduce new roles per say rather it distorted God’s original roles.

Can any of you recall what some of the effects of the curse and the fall were? (A) Women’s role as child-bearer was affected (v. 16a), through greater pain and sorrow. (B) Women’s role as helper was distorted (v. 16b); she now had a sinful “desire” against her husband’s God-ordained role as “head”. (C) Man’s role as leader was distorted (“And he shall rule over you”). Husbands’ don’t always lead the way God ordained them to lead (loving sacrificial leadership, not aggressive, selfish, manipulative rule). (D) Man’s role as provider was affected as well (v. 17ff); the ground was cursed making work much more difficult and laborious. (E) Men and women were introduced to death (no concept of death or dying before the fall). Yet remember that in all of this God was very gracious in that Adam and Eve were not condemned immediately. They did still die as a result of sin mind you. What the Bible says is true, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23, Gen. 2:17). My point is that they should have died instantaneously.

Did you know that the battle between the sexes finds its origins in the fall? Those of who were thinking Billy Jean King versus Bobby Riggs showcase your age. In the words of John MacArthur, “Women have a sinful inclination to usurp man’s authority and men have a sinful inclination to put women under their feet.” Genesis 3:16 does not outline a pretty scenario. After the fall, all humans have a new master (sin); the sinful flesh is preoccupied with self instead of others. Pride, selfishness, and lust are detrimental to human relationships. Think about how those sins have impacted your relationships with other people. More specifically, how do you see these sins negatively impacting male/female relationships around you?

Some of you may remember that we asked the following questions before we ended last time: Is there anything we can do about the curse? Should we just accept the fact that man is not going to lead the way God wants him to the lead and that woman is not going to help and support the way God designed her to help? Can this curse be reversed or are we Chicago Cub like (cursed Christians)?

(I) Some people don’t believe anything can really be done about the Gen. 3:16 curse. It is what it is so we shouldn’t worry about it. Others try and play the victim card while still others simply despair. (II) Some people think that the best way to reverse the curse is to pursue equal roles & authority in marriage, in the workplace, and at church. Now if this point is true, how does that harmonize with what we learned about in Genesis chapter 2? I showed you that even before the fall, God gave Adam and Eve different gender-defined roles. According to God’s Word, that reality in no way undermines our equality before Him. Said another way, if role(s) alone determine equality, value, and worth then many other Biblical concepts (such as church elders, the Trinity, etc) could not work.

For example, how could a group of qualified men (1 Tim 3, Titus 1) serve in an exclusive leadership capacity, if one’s role determined one’s value? I suggest to you that God has given us different gifts and different roles and that every spiritual gift and role is absolutely essential to the body of Christ. God has given us a diversity of gifts for the unity of the body (note 1 Corinthians 12-14). Elders and Pastors are not more important then the deacons and deacons are not more important than laypeople. There is no church hierarchy in regards to worth. I should repeat the fact that God ordained authority roles don’t imply greater value or worth! If God’s Word restricts the pastorate to men this does not mean women in the church have lesser value or worth. So what’s my conclusion after saying all this? If the eldership and pastorate is restricted only to men (and for that matter only biblically qualified men) then Egalitarians have some major theological problems. Of course those of you who know your Bibles really well understand that Paul uses the Trinity as the ultimate example to prove this very point (we’ll examine 1 Cor. 11 next time).

Coaches try and teach similar concepts to there teams, especially when coaching team sports. Good coaches know that it takes an entire team to win a team championship. In football the Q.B. can not function effectively without his offensive line, running backs, receivers, etc. A great team offense requires more than one star player. Do you think Peyton Manning is more important than Tony Dungy? That’s a silly question since they have totally different roles. Could Peyton Manning win a NFL championship without assistance from 10 other players? Could he really do it himself? Obviously not! Perhaps only one player is given the MVP trophy, but more importantly the Lombardi NFL Championship trophy was presented to all the players on the Colts roster. This was done for a reason. It was a team championship.

So how does all this nonsense affect our conversation? Dr. Grudem summarizes our point well, “If men and women have different God-given roles and authority, then we can’t be equal” is an unproven assumption and it just does not hold true in human experience.” Jesus’ teaching on this topic is actually quite radical. Matthew 20:25-28, But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Jesus taught that just because someone is in a position of authority does not mean they’re more significant in God’s eyes. On the flip side of the coin, just because someone is in a position of lesser authority does not make them less valuable in God’s eyes either. The church janitor is just as important to God as I am (a church pastor). Jesus taught his followers that the way up in the kingdom of God is down. In other words, servant leadership is crucial to Biblical authority. All of us are commanded to embrace our positions in life with humility and with a servant’s mindset.

Here is what I am trying to suggest to you in all this. If authority denies equality, than the biblical concept of male headship, implemented before the curse in Genesis 2, provides the Christian feminist view with a big stick in their theological spokes. (If you ever had someone stick a piece of wood through your bicycle spooks you know what I mean here.) Sin was not introduced into the male/female equation until Genesis 3.

Pastor Provocateur

I recently read CT's article on Pastor Mark Driscoll (see Sept 07 issue). It was a pretty well written article by Collin Hansen. Mark Driscoll is a well known pastor in part because he has a church of 6000 people in Seattle, WA. Let me say up front that there is nothing wrong with having a huge church but it does not make someone a great pastor or preacher either.

Mark Driscoll is a controversial pastor/preacher for many reasons. Let me suggest a few: 1. He is Reformed in his theology but still missional in his methodology. Better said, he is Emergent and Reformed. 2. He uses bathroom humor and vulgar language in his sermons. 3. He is a committed Complementarian, meaning he has a Biblical understanding of manhood and womanhood. 4. His friends include John Piper on one hand and Brian Mclaren on the other hand.

If you want to hear Mark's own thoughts on the Emerging church movement go to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary's webpage for a recent lecture he gave on this very topic. Mark divides the movement into 3 streams. To make things easy to understand he divides the movement into a left wing (liberal stream), a middle of the road group, and a right wing stream (which he includes himself in). Think Brian Mclaren (left), Dan Kimbell (middle), Mark Driscoll (right).

Let me share with you some of the things i really like about Mark Driscoll. I appreciate Mark Driscoll's passion for evangelism. I appreciate Mark Driscoll's desire to preach the Word in Scripture dress (expository preaching). I appreciate Mark Driscoll's commitment to Biblical manhood and womanhood. I appreciate Driscoll's commitment to Reformed theology. I appreciate Driscoll's commitment to the local Church. I appreciate Driscoll's commitment to mentoring young men for the pastorate. I appreciate Driscoll's honesty and his vulnerability.

Let me share with you some of the things that concern me about Mark Driscoll. His foul mouth and bathroom humor (especially when preaching) are totally out of place. I could list a number of Biblical proof texts to support this assertion but i think for the average Christian that reads Christian blogs that need not be done. It is obvious (at least to me) that a man of God preaching the holy Word of God should guard his mouth. Chris Rock combined with John Piper does not equal a great preacher. I find it interesting in certain sermons/lectures Driscoll prays for this very thing (that God would protect his lips from speaking anything that would displeasing to Him) and then later goes on to talk about sex in a crude manner or is vulgar, etc, etc. I pray Mark Driscoll matures in this area because I think it's a big deal (see 1 Tim 3/James 3). I would imagine many of Mark’s disciples are following his example in this area and I don’t think that’s a good trend.

I sometimes wonder if Mark Driscoll does this gig because he KNOWS that's what sets him apart from the typical Reformed pastor? The "cussing Pastor" attracts many headlines and people in large part because of the controversies surrounding him. Now people who are smart marketers are taught in business school that they only thing worse than BAD PRESS is NO PRESS. I pray that Mark Driscoll is not intentionally or unintentionally doing this. Of course the C.T. article noted, "That's what you get from a pastor who learned how to preach by watching comedian Chris Rock."
Moving on...Driscoll also has a mystical/Charismatic bent which is probably why he is more popular with men like John Piper and C.J. Mahaney (godly men who are Reformed and Charismatic). I am concerned about this bent because i think it can lead to many potentially dangerous things/decisions/etc. Mark claims he "heard from God" about marrying his current wife and about starting a church and becoming a pastor, etc. Much more could and should be said under this point but for time sake let's press on.

I am also concerned about Mark's desire to remain close to guys like Brian McClaren and Doug Pagitt. Here's the million dollar question: How much is Mark really influencing men like this and how much are these men influencing him? From what I’ve read of Doug and Brian they do not embrace the Biblical gospel and thus as "teachers of the Word of God" they are very dangerous to Christian community. The book of Galatians and 1-3 John talk a lot about how Christians are to interact with false teachers. Now If Mark remains close to these men for the purpose of evangelism that's a different story...Still these close relationships cause some concerns.

Tony Jones of the Emergent Village said of Mark, "He is uncommonly intelligent. He is uncommonly articulate and humorous. He could have been a stand-up comedian. He could have been a great actor probably." I believe their is a proper place for humor and for comedy. Jesus is never recorded in the gospels to have laughed but i think we have to be careful about drawing too many implications from that reality. We can learn alot about the way Jesus preached and the way Jesus lived though. Sometimes great intelligence, humor, and personality can lead one away from the Biblical ideal when it comes to preaching. Expository preaching is really not that difficult though it typically is very laborious...Preach the text, illustrate the text, apply the text and live the text with all passion and clarity. The purpose of the pulpit is not to entertain but to edify. The purpose of the pulpit is not to tickle people's ears but to point people to Jesus Christ.

Driscoll claims he learned much from Ed Stetzer (a missiologist)... Driscoll has turned the phrase living missional into a household phrase (well almost). John MacArthur recently praised Pastor Driscoll for his commitment to biblical soteriology though he offered the following concerns, "The lifestyle he models--especially his easygoing familiarity with all this world's filthy fads--practically guarantees that his disciples will make little progress toward authentic sanctification." Driscoll responds with the following argument: One needs to distinguish between missionaries who study culture and fundamentalists who try to avoid culture.

Friends I'm by no means a cultural fundamentalist. I watch some TV, read some blogs, surf the net, go to some movies, try and keep up with some of fashion of the day, etc, etc. I think we need to understand our culture without becoming like it (in areas where it is unholy). Mark Driscoll will watch programs like the MTV music awards show and then quote from it during a sermon or lecture. If you don’t think that’s an issue consider the words of Dr. Rick Holland, “a leader’s liberty is a follower’s license.”

Some will argue that a pastor needs to do things like this in order to understand and communicate with his (Seattle based) culture. One of the problem is many pastors (youth pastors in particular) know MTV better than they know Hebrews. The Bible says, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. It also says, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

Another problem is that shows like the O.C. and Desperate Housewives may help us to better understand our culture (and in some instances even our audience) but the very things that appeal to unbelievers (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life) appeal to our sinful desires as well. That is why i am really concerned for men like the XXX pastors; the guys who go around to porn conventions in what appears to be an honest attempt to preach the gospel to porn stars and producers. Now some may argue here that Jesus Christ was able to spend time with prostitutes so don't judge other people...The Apostle Paul said he beat his body and made it his slave lest he fall and become permanently disqualified. That is my great fear for those of us who are not "cultural fundamentalists." Let none of us (esp. we pastors) abuse our Christian liberties and thus provide more occasions for our sinful desires. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely. Let's not be unwise when it comes to understanding and reaching the lost! Let us be known by our love for Jesus Christ not that we know all the characters on shows like South Park. Let our lives by marked by a unwavering commitment to personal holiness. We pastors need to chew on the wise words of Dr. Rick Holland who said, "A leader's liberty is a followers license."

If you want to imitate someone who gets this relationship between the Christian and culture listen to President Al Mohler. I wish Driscoll would imitate Mohler's example in his desire to be relevant and missional. Dr. Mohler gave an excellent lecture on this very topic at the 2006 Together for the Gospel Conference. Much more could be said here but for now i must sign off my daughter Evelyn needs her daddy.

Our recent trip to WA DC