This is a sermon by Phil Johnson, talking about the language used in the pulpit and the means many churches are using today to "reach" the world through trivial and wicked avenues of sex. Mark Driscoll is addressed, as is the xxx church
Praise the Lord! I wanted to post this today also! It's a great sermon, uncompromised Truth! May God give His church ears to hear, and may we all run from this great deception.
Thanks brother for sharing this to the brethren in SI.
~Lina Urban
You can also listen and read the transcript here:
Excellent sermon, thanks for posting it brother. This is surely the new trend in the evangelical and emergent "churches"...
-Jim
Great sermon.
Great sermon. I watched a video of Mark Driscoll and was so grieved, so it was a breath of fresh air when I heard this refutation. Glory to God.
Good post. Good sermon. I'll be making copies of it and passing them on :-)
Yea... this is timely. Who ever thought a sermon like this would be needed? But it is.
Krispy
I by no means will defend the pornification of any pulpits, but also listen cautiously to men who preach the quenching of the Spirit and encourage others to do so as well. The expository preaching coming out of the "pulpit" (does he have one?) at Mars Hill in Seattle is never lighthearted and is always scriptural. Out of curiosity, I've purposely explored and listened to some of the things Driscoll has said, and some of the sermons he has given. I can find no error in the gospel he preaches....nor can I find no error in his theological positions on matters of salvation, ecclessiology, and soteriology. If anything, the ecclessiology he has ascribed to is more rooted in the NT model than any others out there.
His maturity over the years has definitely been questionable, and if you've seen the growth you would know there is a progression occurring. Driscoll has illustrated publicly his repentance of behaviors when addressed by other Godly men. Woe to those who stifle the spirit of believers when they come into questionable behaviors instead of admonishing them. Who sets the precedence for the words spoken at the "Shepherds" conference anyway? What biblical orthodoxy do they espouse? It surely is one rooted in baptistic tradition, and surely rooted in man made presuppositions of church life.
My dear friends, those who preach the gospel, those who minister in the streets, those who've seen folks come to Christ. Do you denounce their faith because they don't walk and talk as we do? Or do we teach and encourage, walk by example, train in truth? What has painted our perception of cultural acceptance? Who says what language is allowable or not? Can a white man from the burbs properly understand and fully communicate with a poor inner-city black youth? Seriously? Have we walked a mile in the shoes of another, or do we just read about it? Ever been to Seattle?
As I've said, I don't defend the actions of Mark Driscoll. I do say these are valid questions, and things we should asses. And before I hail Phil Johnson and his position, I also consider his theology to be diametrically opposed to anything remotely "culturally" relevant. But, honestly, the major issues with Christendom today are that so many things are rooted in the concrete fabric of our traditions, and mostly unshakable because they are what have "always been done".
But when the cards hit the table, I would say that both of these men are just as guilty as the other for missing the mark and forgetting the "doctrines of the apostles."
What then? Who's to blame? I wonder if this is just something that's always been, and always will be, just a new flavor of the dispute I'd say.
Ya know, Jesus hung out with sinners while He was on the earth, in His mortal body. It's not recorded one time in God's Word that He stooped to their level. He didn't go into the bedroom of the woman committing adultery and lay upon the bed and start preaching. I'm pretty sure He wouldn't go into the bars or whatever they were called and have a drink or two and then preach to the drunkards. He didn't have to mix with this world to offer salvation. He didn't change His language and the way He talked to minister to folks. He just brought the words He heard from His heavenly Father. That's what He was called to do. That's what ministers, pastors, preachers, whatever we may call them, are called to do. They are called to bring to us the words of God Almighty! Not their words, not another's words, but God's Word! And it is an abomination that people would stoop so low as to bring filth into the pulpit. I have watched a few minutes of Mark Driscoll and that was a few too many. He seemed to be bringing attention to himself. Just my opinion. Paul never once said filthy words in the recordings of his ministry. If Jesus didn't do it, what makes us think that it is okay for us to do it? How can we teach our children not to "talk dirty" if we have "Pastors" talking that way in the pulpit? Thousands came to salvation on the day of Pentecost and Peter didn't say anything out of the way! And Peter also tells us that no guile was found in Christ's mouth!(1 Peter 2:22) I just don't think God is very happy with these "Pastors" preaching on sex and other things the way they do. This world is lost and dying and they need Jesus. They don't need our Christian t-shirts or our denominations, our traditions or our Christian slogans and bumper stickers. They need Jesus Christ. They need to see Him in everything that we do and say. And especially in the things that we don't do and say! God open our eyes to You, Your precious Son, and Your wonderful Holy Spirit. Rain down upon us like never before. Open the blind eyes and the deaf ears. Give us a strong desire for more of YOUR word and not ear-pleasing nonsense! Give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness and holiness that cannot be quenched or satisfied. May we all be dissatisfied with our walk with You. May we never get satisfied. May we always long for more and more of You. May we crave Your presence. In Your precious Son Jesus Christ's name, Amen and Amen!
In Christ,
Wendy
Prov.11:22 As a jewel of gold in a swine's mouth, so is a fair woman without discretion.
We are the bride of Christ and so ought live in that manner. Proverbs is a wealth of counsel on godly conduct and most especially about the power of our words.
Bitter and sweet water cannot issue from the same fountain. It brings a mixed message and much confusion. Truly out of the issues of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Jesus spoke so many times about fruit and how by our words we will be justified or condemned. It seems the "catch" scripture that people throw is "Don't judge lest you be judged" or "Take the beam out of my own eye."
It is the word of God that is judging these things. When I listen to someone such as Mr. Driscoll, bible verses are brought to my mind quickly by the Holy Spirit, not by me.
What topics does he center around and why. Does not the heart reveal the contents of itself? I could not remotely even think of my 70+ Mother sitting in one of his services. She would be much more blunt of what manner of man he is to lead the Lord's people astray and she's not even a Christian.
There is a scripture in Galations (6:7), Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsover a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Do we mock God by our base actions dear Saints? Are we not of the most royal blood lines? Oh, that we may attend His finishing school, and show the world the fruits of the Holy Spirit and not of the flesh.
I find it very interesting that the majority of backlash to Driscoll has come of late to his sermons regarding sex. Granted, they are racy if you are used to sitting in services where the majority of the church is aged beyond that of the majority population. I would say consideration may be owed to the understanding of language, epistemology, and pathology. It seems that none of this is ever assessed, but only the standards of whats acceptable to us as men is used as the measurement.
I am only speaking from this position because a majority of what individuals are using as fodder is "a few minutes of his sermon", "the intro to this or that book", "the sermon i head so and so give about so and so's words". I mean seriously, I would not dare utilize Matthew 7 as grounds to judge or not judge in this matter. But I would say the words of assessing ourselves first are simplistic enough to justify take a look at the whole picture.
Here is a video of a Q & A involving Dr. John Piper and Mark Driscoll. Piper touches on the topic in response to one of the questions, but I do not believe it encompasses everything I would ask regarding Driscoll's ministry, but I do ask, is he in sin?
This discussion is locked.
