John Piper's Skater Coat

(HT: Resurgence)

Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, and the Example of John Piper

I think it is wonderful how John Piper has been giving young pastors the pulpit at Desiring God conferences. John has now invited Mark Driscoll to two conferences, and I have no doubt that he has received a lot of criticism for that among some of his good friends and the wider evangelical community. It is intriguing too to think that not only does John invite Driscoll, but that he has Mark speaking on the biblical use of "harsh language" at DG's latest conference, a topic of which Mark has received the most criticism for in his ministry.

Now John is inviting another gifted young pastor--Matt Chandler. Matt, a pastor of the Village Church in Texas, will be speaking at the forthcoming Bethlehem Conference for Pastors in '09 on the theme of evangelism. John has given him the task of "help[ing] us think about...saving those who think they are saved." After listening to Matt regularly I am convinced that topic is perfect for him and that he will serve the pastors well. Matt has been known to take the Bible to the backside of Bible-belt Christianity that, at times, resembles something more akin to unbelieving Pharasaism. More importantly Matt is thoroughly Gospel-centered. He consistently draws people back to the Gospel in his sermons and is a great example of saturating every sermon with Jesus.

I am thankful for older godly men like Pastor Piper who is willing to give young pastors this opportunity.

May God raise up more older pastors in local churches who are willing to cultivate the gifts of young men and be mentors of them in their community. The pattern that Paul lays out in modeling his life in relationship with Timothy is one that all pastors should be following. I do not think this is only a pastoral responsibility, but that many older Christian men in general should take upon themselves the responsiblity of training young men not necessarily to be pastors but to be godly men.

Thank you Pastor John for being an example of this to wider evangelical world.

Text-Context: Mark Driscoll's Tearful Introduction of John Piper

One thing I was struck by at the Text/Context conference was Mark Driscoll's tearful introduction of John Piper. (No, I'm not there I'm viewing the live feed.) I have listened to Pastor Driscoll preach from Mars Hill and various conferences around the globe and never heard him or seen him begin to cry. Now this may seem like a weird thing to blog about or even mention, but I found it very moving, in fact I felt much the same way. Mark recovered well, something I would not have been able to do if I was given the same task.

I can't imagine introducing Pastor Piper, as there are few who have influenced me more in my life. I think, Mark felt the same way. He was overwhelmed with joy and with thankfulness to God for Pastor John and he become visibly overcome with emotion. It seemed that Mark was particularly effected by how God has used Piper to shape his own life and how Piper has shaped many around him and was quickened to call other men to learn from Piper.

Why blog this? Well, because I think we as younger men whether pastors or just Christians need to show honor to older men who have been faithful men. We need to honor our fathers who have gone before us, be they earthly fathers, spiritual fathers, or both. May this characterize the young pastors of today to show honor, respect, and thankfulness to those who have taught and lived faithfully and pointed to Jesus in word and deed.

Top 9 Questions for Mark Driscoll

You might want to check out this Mark Driscoll series. Driscoll recently asked anyone to ask any question and post it online for everyone to vote on. The results are in, and Pastor Driscoll will tackle these top 9 questions that tens of thousands ended up voting on. Here is my summary:

1. Does Scripture regulate our methods or just our theology?
2. What can traditional churches learn from emerging churches?
3. What are the boundaries between men and women in dating?
4. If salvations is by "faith alone", why verses that make it sound like its "works" as well?
5. How do Christians break sexual sinful patterns?
6. What Christian teachings are hardest for you personally to believe?
7. Why does an all-knowing God create people he knows will go to hell?
8. Why do you make jokes about the same people you are trying to save (homosexuals, vegans etc.)?
9. Birth control?

Mark Driscoll Talks Sex

It was a few years back when I sat as a single guy under the quite explicit talk of Mark Driscoll on the Song of Song's and Masculinity at his Reformission conference. The audio never came up though. Well, now a few years later on another continent Driscoll talks sex using the words of the Holy Spirit in the Song of Songs. This one is a bit more geared for both men and women, but imagine sitting in a church service hearing this. I have a feeling you might blush...I'm glad I'm married now, and I'm glad singles and marrieds alike can know when God is for sex. I think everyone knows when God is against it.

Here is the audio and video download: Whatever you wanted to know about sex but were to afraid to ask...God

Mark Driscoll's Confession

Mark Driscoll wrote an influential book for young church planters called Confessions of a Reformission Rev, but in my view his most influential moment is his latest public confession of pride in his life just last week. Justin Taylor has posted his confession, here's the post:

"I believe that humility is the great omission and failure in my eleven years of preaching. I believe that this is my greatest oversight both in my example and in my instruction.

I therefore do not claim to be humble. I do not claim to have been humble. I am convicted of my pride, and I am a man who is by God’s grace pursuing humility.

So in many ways this is a sermon that I’m preaching at myself, this is a sermon you are welcomed to listen in on as I preach to myself.

But I truly believe that were there one thing I could do over in the history of Mars Hill it would be in my attitude and in my actions and in my words to not only emphasize sound doctrine, encourage in strength and commitment and conviction but, to add in addition to that, humility as a virtue.

And so I’ll start by asking your forgiveness and sincerely acknowledging that this has been a great failure.

And I believe that it is showing up in our church in the lives of men and women who have sound doctrine but not sound attitude. They may contend for good things but their motives are bad and their methods are bad and their tone is bad and their tactics are bad and their actions are bad because their attitudes are bad even though their objective is sometimes good. I see this in particular with the men. I see this with men young and old, men who have known Jesus for a long time and should know better, and men who are new to Jesus and are learning sometimes the hard way.

I will take some responsibility for this. Luke 6:40 says that when fully trained, disciples are like their teacher, and I am primary teaching pastor of this church and I can’t simply look at the pride in some of our people and say that I am in no way responsible or complicit.

I’m a guy who is pretty busted up over this personally and it really came to my attention last December just in time for Christmas. The critics really brought me a lot of kind gifts of opposition and hatred and animosity. Merry Christmas. And some of those most vocal and nasty critics were Christians – some of them prominent Christians. So I was getting ready to fire back (my usual tactics). They hit you, you hit them twice and then blog about your victory. Which I don’t have any verses for and don’t say it was a good idea. But it had been a pattern in my life until a man named C.J. Mahaney called.

I’d always considered humility to be cowardice and a compromise. In the name of humility you give up biblical conviction and passion and the willingness to contend for the faith (Jude 3) and to fight false teaching. What he was describing was orthodoxy in belief and humility in attitude and that those two together are really what God desires. And so it got me thinking and studying and praying through pride and humility and repenting and learning and growing. So I would start by saying that I thank my dear friend C.J. Mahaney for his ongoing friendship and the kindness he has extended to me and the things I’ve been able to learn through his instruction.

Furthermore, I apologize and repent publicly to you, the church for whom I am responsible, for much pride in the history of my ministry that some of you have poorly imitated and for that I am deeply sorry.

And thirdly, to say that I’m not a humble man but as result of study I’m a man who is acknowledging his pride and pursuing humility by God’s grace."