Dr. Jones and Mark Driscoll

January 29, 2008 | Leave a Comment

Dr. Peter Jones, who was just at our church for our annual Christianity and Culture conference, recently gave an excellent lecture at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. His lecture was called Pastoring in Today’s Zeitgeist, and it can be found here.

While listening to Jones I saw Mark Driscoll’s book, Vintage Jesus, will be published at the end of February. Driscoll is the pastor of Mars Hill Church - and some may consider him the shock-jock of Reformed Christianity. The book, I’m sure, promises to be excellent - and shocking.

Here’s one of the opening paragraphs:

Roughly two thousand years ago, Jesus was born in a dumpy, rural,
hick town, not unlike those today where guys change their own oil,
think pro wrestling is real, find women who chew tobacco sexy, and
eat a lot of Hot Pockets with their uncle-daddy. Jesus’ mom was a poor,
unwed teenage girl who was mocked for claiming she conceived via the
Holy Spirit. Most people thought she concocted a crazy story to cover
the “fact” she was knocking boots with some guy in the backseat of a
car at the prom. Jesus was adopted by a simple carpenter named Joseph
and spent the first thirty years of his life in obscurity, swinging a hammer
with his dad.

If you’re offended, keep in mind the book is endorsed by some folks you probably would be careful not to offend.

J.I. Packer, a theological heavyweight says, “This book reveals Mark Driscoll as a highly powerful, colorful, down-to-earth catechist, targeting teens and twenty-somethings with the old, old story told in modern street-cred style. And Professor Breshears ballasts a sometimes lurid but consistently vivid presentation of basic truth about the Lord Jesus Christ.”

And, Matt Lindland, an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling and top-ranked mixed martial arts fighter says, “This book presents an honest view of Jesus without giving in to the pressure to soften him up. I had to grapple with the real vintage Jesus. This is a Savior worth fighting for.”

I wouldn’t want to offend either of those guys.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books, Church and Culture 

More on Pullman and “The Golden Compass” (much more, actually)

December 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Several years ago I came across a brochure in a bookstore advertising Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy. The brochure took the form of a study guide, and asked questions like, “What is the author’s view of sin?” or “What is the author’s view of the church?”

For something advertising a series of science-fiction children’s books, this was fascinating.

So I bought the books and read them.

What I found, of course, was a very well told story that ultimately serves as a (ill-reasoned) polemic against Christianity in general, and the Christian God in particular. Perhaps most fascinating of all I discovered these unapologetically anti-Christian books at the same time that Harry Potter was taking a real beating from many evangelicals, yet I never heard a word about Pullman.

Having read these books, it seems to me that the real danger is not that Pullman wants to kill God off. His depiction of God as a weak, corrupt, decaying old man is quite ridiculous. Perhaps I’m naive, but no reasonable person, whether Christian or atheist, will put any stock in Pullman’s description of who he thinks God actually is. We must remember, this God that Pullman so desperately wants to kill off is the same God he doesn’t believe in. If Pullman himself doesn’t believe in the God that he is describing, neither will his readers. Although he tries, Pullman has nothing substantial to say about God himself. As I said in my previous post, the God Pullman kills off and so hates is certainly not the God of the Bible.

The real danger is that Pullman wants to liberate mankind from every authority, and in particular, from the authority of God. This is a dangerous idea. This is the temptation of all temptations. This is where Pullman will find resonance with sinful man. In our sinful nature we are bent, not on destroying God, but on replacing his rightful reign with our own rebellious reign. This is the temptation Adam and Eve fell into. And the power of this temptation cannot be underestimated. Pullman writes with the goal of liberating mankind from all divinely imposed constraints. Pullman writes for freedom from God.

Ultimately, Pullman’s desire to liberate man from the reign of God will inevitably lead to a the reign of a truly harsh and ultimately deadly taskmaster, sin.

John 8:31-36 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 6:17-23 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For more on the idea of human freedom in Pullman’s books, see my paper, Original Sin, Human Freedom, and His Dark Materials.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books, Church and Culture 

Bargain Outlet Seminary

November 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Tonight, my wife and I had our first date together since August - without the children.  We had a nice dinner, and then went to Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

I guess things change once you’re married.

I was surprised to find four books in Ollie’s “inspirational” section by four of my seminary professors.  Does this say something about my education?

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books, Humor 

Some Good Reading

October 25, 2007 | Leave a Comment

One of the great benefits of my labors as a pastor is the time I am able to devote to study and reading. Here’s a glimpse of a few of the books I’ve been enjoying lately, some for personal growth, and some for preaching and teaching.

For Personal Growth:

The Cross He Bore: Meditations on the Sufferings of the Redeemer, by Frederick S. Leahy

This great little book has been food for my soul. Leahy takes the reader deep into Christ’s suffering and powerfully drives home the significance of the cross for the believer. The first chapter, “Man of Sorrows,” ends with this powerful paragraph:

‘Jesus wept,’ but never like this. No previous sorrow of his could match this. At the time of his arrest he declared, ‘Shall I not drink the cup which the Father has given me?’ (John 18:11). That cup was constantly in view as he prayed in Gethsemane. What cup? ‘THIS CUP’ - not some future cup. The cup that was symbolized in the feat (Matt. 26:27,28) was now actual: God was placing it in the Saviour’s hands and it carried the stench of hell. But stop! Schilder is right. ‘Gethsemane is not a field of study for our intellect. It is a sanctuary of our faith.’ Lord, forgive us for the times we have read about Gethsemane with dry eyes.

The Daily Reading Bible (ESV)

A great deal of my week is spent studying God’s Word, a task edifying and challenging in and of itself. But at times I need to remind myself of the importance of reading God’s Word, not merely for study, but as a treasure to be cherished. This great little Bible is organized into daily readings guiding the reader through the OT once, and the Psalms and NT twice over the course of a year. For anyone who needs some guidance and motivation in reading Scripture, this Bible is a great help.

George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century Revival (Vols. 1,2), by Arnold A. Dallimore

Few books have been as influential in my Christian life as Christian biographies, and among the biographies I’ve read none surpass this biography of Whitefield. Whitefield was a man larger than life, zealous in preaching the gospel, generous in mercy, and gracious to all. Although far from perfect, I have learned much from Whitefield who sought out every opportunity he possibly could to proclaim the glories of the gospel. Indeed, his life was literally spent accomplishing this great task.

For Preaching and Teaching:

God’s Unfaithful Wife: A Biblical Theology of Spiritual Adultery, by Raymond C. Ortlund Jr.

This book is part of a tremendously helpful series called New Studies in Biblical Theology, edited by D.A. Carson. One of the things this series does is examine how certain biblical themes play out through the entire scope of God’s Word. This book in particular examines “spiritual adultery” as presented throughout the Old and New Testaments. I have used this book before, when preaching through Judges, but my most thorough reading of this book came just a few weeks ago when I preached on Luke 5:33-39 in which Jesus calls himself the bridegroom of God’s people. In this book (and in this series) we see how serious study of God’s Word inevitably leads to serious praise and growth. Ortlund says in his closing remarks:

Pastorally, the biblical story lifts up before us a vision of God as our Lover. The gospel is not an imperialistic human philosophy making overrated universal claims; the gospel sounds the voice of our Husband who has proven his love for us and who calls for our undivided love in return…. The gospel tells the story of God’s pursuing, faithful, wounded, angry, overruling, transforming, triumphant love. And it calls us to answer him with a love which cleanses our lives of all spiritual whoredom.

Ministries of Mercy: The Call of the Jericho Road, by Timothy J. Keller

This Sunday I’ll be preaching on how Jesus showed mercy to a man with a withered hand and healed him (Luke 6:6-11). Because this happened on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were infuriated, and in their anger they ultimately show that not only do they not have a proper grasp of the Sabbath, they also are far removed from the biblical idea of mercy. For all who are tempted to neglect our God-given mercy mandate to “do justice and righteousness” (Jer. 22:3), this book is a powerful call to care for all in need.

The Israel of God: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, by O. Palmer Robertson

Few theologians have articulated the practical significance of covenant theology as well as Robertson (see also his The Christ of the Covenants), and this book is a tremendous resource for any who are confused or have been mislead regarding the modern state of Israel. I’ve been teaching on covenant theology on Wednesday evenings, and Robertson’s powerful exegesis of Romans 11 will inform much of what we discuss in our next class.

The Christ of the Prophets, by O. Palmer Robertson

On Sunday evenings I’ve started preaching through the book of Zechariah. This book has been a tremendous help in understanding Zechariah within a larger prophetic, biblical, and Christ-centered context. Again, Robertson brings his expertise in covenant theology to bear as he reveals Zechariah’s Messianic message with clarity and power.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books 

The Good Old Days?

October 4, 2007 | Leave a Comment

Often times I find myself thinking that in years past, the world was a better, more civil place… A place more hospitable to the gospel and the Christian faith. As I’ve been slowly reading through the 2 volume biography of George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore, this mindset has largely persisted within me, causing me to think things like, “If only our age was similar to Whitefield’s age (mid 1700’s), then maybe we would also see such significant revival and renewal.” Whitefield was the instrument of the conversion of untold thousands, and frequently preached to many thousands daily.

Reading last night, however, my eyes were finally opened to see the truth that Whitefield’s age and our own age are far more similar than I generally perceive. As Whitefield began his preaching career, both England and America were in serious spiritual decline. One of the very tangible ways this evidenced itself in Whitefield’s life was the simple fact that he constantly faced persecution and threats, both from the world and from the established church.

In 1742 Whitefield found himself preaching one Monday at an annual carnival in London. As he preached, many were indeed cut to the heart, but others hated Whitefield’s preaching. Whitefield writes, “I was honoured with having a few stones, dirt, rotten eggs and pieces of dead cats thrown at me… My soul was indeed among lions.” One man got on another man’s shoulders and attempted to slash Whitefield with a whip while he was in his pulpit. The next day Whitefield ventured out again to preach and a man tried to stab him. The next day Whitefield went out to preach again and he writes, “After they found that pelting, noise and threatenings would not do, one of the merry Andrews got up into a tree very near the pulpit, and shamefully exposed his nakedness….”

Having read this I finally understood that there really is no such thing as “the good old days” when it comes to the Christian faith. Often, the greatest revivals and spiritual awakenings took place when society was at its most depraved (as in Whitefield’s day) - and the greatest times of spiritual apathy occurred when society was most civil.

Ultimately, what I realized last night while reading about Whitefield was that there truly is no excuse for working and praying and preaching and teaching and living to the end that the gospel advance in profound ways throughout our own land. I may be tempted to think, “If only we lived in the good old days, then we’d see some real evangelism and growth,” but that way of thinking is at best an error and most likely a sin.

Posted by Aaron | Filed Under Blog, Books, Church and Culture, Missions