The Church is Not a Restaurant!

Here are two good words on the church. Make the time to listen to both.

1. Driscoll (about 7 minutes)


2. DeYoung's NEXT message calling us to love the local church, can be downloaded here.

Driscoll on Dating

Chapter 7 (Question 3) of Religion Saves is about dating. Driscoll addresses some of the key issues surrounding dating and draws out the idols associated with singleness in our culture. Then, he gives 16 "Christian dating principles for both men and women."

1. Maximize your singleness for God - Don't waste these precious years.

2. Do not pursue a serious relationship until you are ready to marry.

3. Be reasonable - Don't set your expectations too high or too low.

4. Do not be legalistic about dating - While our culture's practice of "dating" is unacceptable for Christians, it is not a sin for two Christians to enjoy time together.

5. Do not have any romantic relationship with someone who is a non-Christian.

6. You should be in a romantic relationship with only one person at a time.

7. He should initiate and she should respond - The man should lead.

8. You need to look at who God puts in front of you.

9. Feel free to use technology wisely - Social networking is simply a new way for God's providence to bring people together.

10. Invest in a romantic relationship only with someone you are entirely attracted to.

11. Only date someone who agrees with you on primary theological issues.

12. Guard your heart.

13. Be careful of legalism and libertinism.

14. Marry someone who will be a fit for every season of the life that awaits you together.

15. Pursue only someone you love.

16. Do not have any sexual contact until marriage.

Then, Driscoll gives seven dating questions for men and women:

For Men:

1. Are you overlooking good women?

2. Do you enjoy her?

3. Is she modest?

4. Will she follow your leadership?

5. Does she have noble character?

6. Can you provide for the lifestyle she expects?

7. As you stand back and objectively consider her, is she like any of the women that Proverbs warns against?

For Women:

1. Do you want to help him and join his course of life?

2. Is he tough enough to remain strong in tough times?

3. Will he take responsibility for you and your children?

4. Is he considerate and gentle with you?

5. Will he be a good father?

6. Is he a one-woman man?

7. How valuable are you to him?

Of course, Driscoll explains each of these principles and questions in the book.

Religion Saves: Chapters 2-4

Chapter 2 of Religion Saves addresses the question of humor. This is a very funny chapter that had me laughing out loud. It is basically a defense of the value of humor and a survey of Biblical humor. Driscoll does a good job of showing that the Bible mainly uses humor to mock people, religions, ideas, idols, and anything else that oppose God. Some things deserve to be mocked! Driscoll ends with 10 "commandments" for sanctifying comedy.

Chapter 3 of Religion Saves addresses the issue of predestination. It is a good and balanced explanation of what the Bible teaches on this subject. Driscoll touches on the order of salvation, total depravity, and answers the most common objections to the Bible's teaching on predestination.

Chapter 4 of Religion Saves is about the amazing grace of God. Driscoll describes this subject as one of the hardest to actually believe and remember. He writes this chapter as a reminder of just how wonderful is God's grace. He identifies 13 experiences of grace: electing grace, preached grace, regenerating grace, converting grace, justifying grace, adopting grace, ministry grace, sanctifying grace, empowering grace, provisional grace, miraculous grace, persevering grace, and glorifying grace.

For my summary and thoughts on chapter 1 (Birth Control), see this post.

Religion Saves: Birth Control

Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions by Mark Driscoll is now available.

The first chapter deals with the difficult subject of birth control.

Here are a few of my random thoughts:

-Driscoll does a fantastic job of lifting up the value and blessing of children. He is totally against married couples who prevent pregnancy for selfish reasons.

-Characteristically, Driscoll handles this subject straightforwardly and with humor. He addresses the main issues head-on.

-It is clear that Driscoll has done his homework. This chapter contains 30 footnoted passages of Scripture and 82 endnotes citing sources used. His work on the history of birth control is fascinating. I certainly learned a tremendous amount from this chapter.

-Driscoll is helpfully balanced. While firmly committed to the Biblical view of family, he exposes the legalism and weak arguments of the "no birth control" proponents. He calls out husbands who treat their spouse as more of a womb for making babies instead of a wife to find pleasure in.

-He gives helpful examples of reasons to use birth control that do not constitute sin or selfishness.

-He gives 5 different levels of birth control. The first 3 he labels as available to Christians (no birth control, natural birth control, and non-abortive birth control). Regarding the 4th, Driscoll urges prayer, wisdom, and study (potentially abortive birth control - such as "the pill"). And, he opposes the 5th level (abortive murder).

-Driscoll concludes by discussing the power of Jesus to forgive and save.

One potential problem:

-Driscoll concludes this chapter by leaving open the possibility that there could be an instance where abortion would be considered. He says he opposes "any Christian couple considering level 5, unless there are extremely weighty extenuating circumstances." He leaves it at that.

I cannot think of any situation in which I would even consider it a possibility to have an abortion. I wish he would have at least given an example.

Overall, this is a very helpful chapter that is a good resource for Christian couples dealing with these difficult issues. Your thoughts?

UPDATE: Here is an article by Desiring God that Driscoll quotes in the chapter (HT: Rebecca).

Ministry Idolatry

Driscoll's second message at the Advance '09 conference a few weeks ago was the best message on idolatry I've ever heard. I would highly encourage you to listen to the audio or watch the video from that message. It is time for the church to begin identifying and repenting of the good things we've used to replace God. Here are the 11 types of idolatry Driscoll ended the message with, along with a penetrating question to help us identify these subtle idolatries (keep in mind he is talking to church leaders):

1. Attendance idolatry: Does your joy change when attendance at church goes up or down?
2. Gift idolatry: Do you feel as if God needs you because you are so skilled?
3. Truth idolatry: Do you consider yourself more godly than more simple Christians?
4. Fruit idolatry: Do you point to your success as proof that God loves you?
5. Tradition idolatry: What traditions are you upholding that thwart the forward progress of the Gospel?
6. Method idolatry: Do you worship your method as your mediator?
7. Office/Title idolatry: Are you motivated primarily by God’s glory or your title?
8. Success idolatry: Is winning (however you define that) what motivates you at the deepest level?
9. Ministry idolatry: Do you use the pressure of ministry to walk with God instead of love for Him?
10. Innovative idolatry: Do you have to be considered “unique”?
11. Leader idolatry: Who, other than Christ, are you seeking to be like?

Religion Saves

I got a copy of Mark Driscoll's new book at the Advance conference: Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions. This looks like a very interesting book.

Evidently, Driscoll's church conducted a survey of which issues people wanted to have him address. They came up with 9 issues: birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle.

Don't tell me you are not curious as to what Driscoll says about at least one of those issues.

Advance 09: Day 2

Another jam-packed day at the Advance conference. All the messages have been excellent. However, Driscoll's second message was the best sermon on idolatry I've ever heard. I highly recommend that you listen to it. It is also the only message I've ever heard by Driscoll in which he didn't yell.

Check the Desiring God blog for links to the audio messages.

Piper on Driscoll and MacArthur

At a recent conference, John Piper specifically addressed the controversy between Mark Driscoll and John MacArthur (audio from Q&A - about 6mins). If you don't know what I'm talking about, Challies has something of a summary with links to MacArthur's posts.

Biblical Manhood on Display in an Unlikely Place

I watched some of the Nightline debate regarding the existence of Satan. Pastor Mark Driscoll did a fantastic job turning the discussion to Jesus. The topic of the debate was about Satan but the topic of the conversation was Jesus.

However, there is something else I want to commend Driscoll for. A small detail that could go unnoticed. In the 5th segment, Pearson makes a point about reading the Bible litterally. In his point, he refers to the 1 Timothy passage that says women should not have braided hair and wear nice clothes. As Pearson makes this point, he seems to be pointing at Annie Lobert (who was on Driscoll's side for the debate). I think Driscoll took Pearson's comments as a slam on Annie.

Driscoll immediately spoke up and said something to the effect of, "Don't judge her, she might have shopped on sale." The crowd laughed, but I don't think Driscoll was just trying to be funny. He was defending her. He was not going to allow the only woman on stage to be degraded.

Men, God is glorified when we fulfill our God-given task of protecting and defending the women around us.

Vintage Church

I enjoyed reading Vintage Church by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Brshears. Here are some of my thoughts:

Pros:

-It is the coolest cover on a book I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of books). Next time you are in a book store or see it on someone's shelf, pick it up and look at it. When it came in the mail, my wife said, "I want to read it just becaue of the cover."

-I love the emphasis on the nature and necessity of the church. While not the best book on the church available, it is definitely moving in the right direction.

-It is well written and engaging.

-I love the emphasis on the gospel and the centrality of Jesus Christ.

-This book contains some good material on preaching and leadership in the local church.

Cons:

-I cannot endorse everything Driscoll advocates. For example, I do not agree with him that pastors and church leaders should saturate themselves in the culture. He says he has 3 TiVos in his house so that he can record all the popular shows to see what others are watching.

-I do not like the multi-campus movement. Chapter 10 is basically an argument for and defense of a church having multiple campuses with the same preacher.

-This book is mainly geared at larger churches with lots of resources. For example, the chapter on technology assumes thousands and thousands of dollars for equipment, personnel, and mantinence. I certainly think technology should be used to read people with the gospel. I just don't think the church should try to compete with the world in this area.

Overall, it is a helpful book that could be of benefit to a lot of churches. We can disagree about the methods, but the message is what really matters.

What is a 'Missional' Church?

I wish all churches who called themselves "missional" were like this:

"A missional church is always, only, solely, fully, passionately, uncompromisingly, wholeheartedly, unwaveringly, and continually all about Jesus as God, Savior, Lord, Hero, Hope, and Friend!"

Driscoll, Vintage Church, p. 221.

Let it Fly in Jesus' Name

Some Mark Driscoll advice for preachers:

"Once you have preached a message, let it go and sleep like a Calvinist unless you have something obvious to repent of to your people. Don't listen to your messages over and over, beating yourself up. Passion, courage, and boldness are the keys to speaking that simply cannot exist in those who are too critical of themselves; so lighten up, have fun, and let it fly in Jesus' name. God loves to draw straight lines with crooked sticks, and since our entire job is to make Jesus look good, we should rejoice in our crooked sticks."

Vintage Church, p. 106.

What is a church?

"The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and Communion, are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission as missionaries to the world for God's glory and their joy."

-Driscoll and Breshears, Vintage Church, p. 38.

The Gospel Is...

I am enjoying reading through Driscoll's Death by Love. Each chapter is a reminder that the gospel is intended to actually change people's lives. Chapter 4 is the best one so far. In it, Driscoll writes a letter to a man who assumes he is a Christian but does not have a functional understanding of the gospel.

Here is how Driscoll exposits 1 Corinthians 15:1-4:

The gospel is:

1. Continual (we need to continually be reminded of it).

2. Proclamational (it must be preached to us often).

3. Personal (we must personally receive it by faith).

4. Essential (we must cling to it for the assurance of our salvation).

5. Central (most important).

6. Christological (it is about the person and work of Jesus).

7. Penal (the wage for sin was paid).

8. Substitutional (Jesus died in our place).

9. Biblical (in fulfillment of the Scriptures).

10. Eschatological (our future hope is in Jesus' resurrection).

Death By Love by Mark Driscoll

I have never read a book by Mark Driscoll. None of his books have been attractive to me. That is, until I read the table of contents for his newest book, Death By Love. This book looks like it is going to be excellent. The attempt of the book is to apply the gospel to our messed up lives. The attempt is to see the glory of the Cross changing our perspective and freeing us from bondage.

So, I am now an eager owner of my first Mark Driscoll book. I'll let you know what I think when I start to read.

At the WTS site you can read the table of contents, read the introduction (on subsitutionary atonement), read a very helpful review, watch a video about the book, and read the endorsements.

The Father's Gracious Election

Mark Driscoll on free will.

Mark Driscoll's Advice for Preachers

Some helpful and strange advice for those who preach from Mark Driscoll:

Read the biographies of great preachers.
Beware of the radio preachers.
Study the stand-up comedians.
Junk your notes and go with the Ghost . . . sometimes.
Plug everything into your pulpit.
Preach Jesus.
Preach Jesus some more.
Give your sermons away.
After you've preached, let it go and sleep like a Calvinist.

You'll have to read the whole article to understand what he means by some of these things.