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Jesus in the Old Testament, Part 4: Christophanies

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

This is the fourth part in a series on how the Bible is all about Jesus. Read the series introduction, “How Jesus Taught the Bible;” part one, “Events;” part two, “Titles;” and part three, “Prophecies.”

Jesus as the eternally existing Son of God, the second member of the Trinity, is demonstrated through his various cameo appearances throughout the Old Testament, what theologians call Christophanies—kind of like a divine “Where’s Waldo?”

Since no one has seen or can see God the Father (Ex. 33:20; John 1:18, 5:37, 6:46; 1 Tim. 6:15–16), most theologians believe the times in the Old Testament where God is “seen” refer to Jesus. I’ll give you a few examples.

The Book of Genesis

In the book of Genesis we observe a couple of Christophanies. First, in Genesis 18, Abraham has a conversation with a man who is God. That’s Jesus. Basically Jesus shows up, hangs out with Abraham, and discusses details about the fate of Sodom.

Second, in Genesis 32:22–32, Jacob gets in an all-night, UFC-style wrestling match with somebody. Though this man never reveals his name to Jacob, Jacob’s all-night wrestling match appears to have been with Jesus.

After struggling all night, I imagine Jacob thought to himself at the end of the fight, “I held in there all night. That was a long fight. I’m pretty tough.” Jesus says, “I could’ve taken you at any point,” and then reaches out his finger, touches Jacob’s hip, and cripples him.

Afterwards, Jacob realized, “Oh, wow. I was wrestling with God,” saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered” (Gen. 32:30).

The Book of Daniel

In the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (if you’re a Veggie Tales fan, it’s Rack, Shack, and Benny), these three men wouldn’t bow down and worship the golden image made by King Nebuchadnezzar. As a consequence, he had them thrown into a fiery furnace. After a series of events, there’s a fourth guy who appears in the furnace and his appearance “is like a son of the gods” (Dan. 3:25). That fourth guy? It’s Jesus, and he gets them out of that furnace.

The Book of Isaiah

One of my favorite Christophanies is in Isaiah 6.

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah said that he “saw the Lord high and exalted and seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. And the angels surrounded him. And day and night they worship him, crying out: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty; heaven and earth are full of his glory!’” (Isa. 6:1–3).

After seeing such a lofty vision, Isaiah responded, “And I’m a man of unclean lips. I’ve said some things I shouldn’t have said. And I come from a people of unclean lips. I’m a dead man. I’ve seen the LORD” (Isa. 6:5). Then an angel takes a hot coal and presses it to his lips. “Your sin is atoned for; you’re a new man now. Your mouth now belongs to me. You’re going to be a prophet and say what I tell you to say” (Isa. 6:6–7). Isaiah basically says, “All right, Lord. Tell me where you want me to go. Tell me what you want me to say. I’m your man.”

The question we need to answer is this: who did Isaiah see? In John 12:41 we read, “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.”

Isaiah’s encounter with Jesus the same picture that John has of Jesus in the book of Revelation. It’s the same picture of Jesus that you and I will have when we see him face to face. No longer a humble, marginalized, beaten, poor Galilean peasant, but the risen, ruling, reigning, resurrected, glorious King of kings, Lord of lords, high and exalted, worshiped by angels, adored by nations: the Lord Jesus Christ, who was and is and is to come (Revelation 1:8).

Jesus Napped. You Should Nap.

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Sat, 12 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

"Jesus settled down for a nap." Luke 8:23 (NLT)

The Protestant work ethic is fine, but it should be balanced with the Protestant nap ethic.

While on the earth, Jesus got tired. While on the earth, you will get tired.

Jesus napped. You should nap.

I really don't want to complicate this blog post with an argument about the Greek word for "nap," though that probably would help you fall asleep. I do want to keep this blog post short as the longer you read it, the more nap time you are wasting. And, since people really like three-point sermons, here it goes:

1. Lie down or sit down.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Sleep.

Mars Hill Students Hosts Our First-Ever Summer Camp

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:00:00 -0700

Mars Hill Students is hosting our first-ever Student Summer Camp. It will be held on June 21 through June 26, 2012, at the Malibu Club in British Columbia, Canada. This camp is available for students at Mars Hill in grades 8-12.

If you cannot afford the camp, go ahead and register. There are plenty of scholarships available. We encourage those of you who are able to help a student go to camp to do so. You can also learn about sponsoring a student here.

Find Out More and Register Here

Weekly News Round Up, May 11, 2012

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

Archaeologists Claim They're One Step Closer to Proving the Bible True

A bundle of new discoveries on a rocky hill in Israel may upend the community of Biblical historians struggling to understand Judah in the time of King David. Professor Yosef Garfinkel from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a team of archaeologists have been excavating the ancient city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, and have recently unearthed a trio of cultic shrines that date back to the time of King David.

Family Battle Offers Look Inside Lavish TV Ministry

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — For 39 years, the Trinity Broadcasting Network has urged viewers to give generously and reap the Lord’s bounty in return.

The prosperity gospel preached by Paul and Janice Crouch, who built a single station into the world’s largest Christian television network, has worked out well for them. Mr. and Mrs. Crouch have his-and-her mansions one street apart in a gated community here, provided by the network using viewer donations and tax-free earnings.

Which Country Believes in God the Most, Least?

A recently released report from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago shows which countries have the most, and the least, belief in God by population percentage.

The report, titled "Beliefs about God across Time and Countries," analyzes 30 countries based on surveys from the International Social Survey Programme conducted as far back as 1991 and as recently as 2008. The survey's findings do not include Middle Eastern countries where a Muslim majority exists.

Less Than 50% of U.S. Households Now Led by Married Couples, Says Census Bureau

(CNSNews.com) – For the first time ever, the percentage of married households fell below 50 percent, according to the Census Bureau, which released a brief Wednesday about families and households from the results of the 2010 Census.

The percentage of married households fell to 48.4 in 2010, down from 55.2 percent in 1990 and 51.7 percent in 2000.

Young ‘Millennials’ losing faith in record numbers

WASHINGTON (RNS) A growing tide of young Americans is drifting away from the religions of their childhood -- and most of them are ending up in no religion at all.

One in four young adults choose “unaffiliated” when asked about their religion, according to a new report from the Public Religion Research Institute and Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs.

LION TRIES TO EAT BABY

In the lion's defense, that does look like one tasty baby.

Persecuted in Smyrna: Faithful No Matter What | The Seven #4 Sermon Notes

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:00:00 -0700

From the May 6 sermon “Persecuted in Smyrna: Faithful No Matter What,” preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll:

Pastor Mark preaches at the church in Smyrna on Jesus’ words—still applicable today—to the church in Smyrna from Revelation 2. Today, Turkey is the least churched nation; still, Jesus tells the church in Smyrna to be encouraged and to endure what he endured (tribulation, poverty, slander, suffering, even death), but not to fear. Pray for Christians and churches where persecution still continues.

You Are Part of God’s Divine Plan

Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. God has placed you here today. Do not be afraid.

Acts 17 says God determines when we are born and where we will live. You are part of God’s divine plan. God has placed you today in this place. Because Turkey matters. Because Izmir matters. Because Jesus matters. And because your life matters.
[. . .]

For you young men, this is a magnificent, historic opportunity to marry women who love Jesus.
To raise children who love Jesus.
To raise grandchildren who love Jesus.
And to leave servants of Jesus for generations.

The work here will be slow. And it will be hard. But it is possible to see Jesus made much of in Izmir. I pray that your grandsons would be planting churches. And that you would not fear.

Jesus loves you. I love you. Thank you for being an encouragement. And do not fear.

Do Not Fear

Some of you have lost family and friends who have rejected you.
Some of you have lost jobs and inheritances.
Some of you have lost spouses, family members, and friends.

And Jesus grieves with you. He experienced the same thing while on the earth. [. . .]

And Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches.” Jesus wants to open your ear to hear a word from him today. And his word is very important for you to believe.

Jesus says, “Do not fear.” Jesus says, “Do not fear.”

5 Ways You Will Be Mistreated

Here Jesus is asking you to endure what he endured for you. And if you know that Jesus loves you, and you love him, you will be willing to do this, though it is hard. And Jesus says there are five ways that you will be mistreated as he was.

Number one

He says there will be tribulation. This means that it will be harder to live in this city as a Christian.

Number two

There will be poverty. Being a Christian will cost you money. Some of you will lose jobs and inheritances and it will not be repaid until the kingdom of God.

Number three

You will be slandered. Being a Christian means that your reputation might be destroyed. People will say things that are untrue, perhaps, about you, or your church, or your faith. They will misunderstand or misrepresent who you love and what you believe.

Number four

Jesus says there will be suffering. Being a Christian will make your life far more difficult.

Number five

It could include death. For some in the city’s history, such as men like Polycarp, all the way to the present, this has been the price to be paid. We do not aspire to die or to cause any conflict. But we believe the words of the Bible: “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” Whatever the price, we belong to the Lord.

And he promises that after death there will be no second death. There will be no hell, condemnation, or wrath.

For the Christian, this as close to hell as you will get.

For the non-Christian, this is as close to heaven as they will get.

Because Jesus died for us and rose for us, if we die for him, we will rise with him.

Random Thoughts on Communications

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 -0700

The Big Idea

Preaching is a lot more than just talking to people. Pastor Mark explains how personality, comfort level, experience, and the Holy Spirit play into good communication.

Questions

Do you have the spiritual gift of preaching?

What are you communicating?

How do you teach? What's your style?

Tweets

Preaching is a spiritual gift that God gives for people to communicate effectively and well. http://jesus.to/KbA9z1

Figure out who you are in the grace of God and what your communication style is. http://jesus.to/KbA9z1

Don't just prepare the message, prepare the messenger. http://jesus.to/KbA9z1

Ask Pastor Mark

Do you have theological, relational, or practical questions about leadership? Ask Pastor Mark. Responses to these questions will be released as Leadership Coaching posts in the coming weeks.

*Not every question can be specifically answered or addressed.

4 Reasons Why We Fear

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

What are you afraid of? Why are you afraid? Whatever it is that you fear, chances are it’s affecting you in both seen and unseen ways. Fear is a cancer in your life. Fear in your mind leads to stress in your body.

When you fear, you may be anxious, stressed out, or unable to sleep. You may develop a nervous eye twitch or a canker sore. You may have heart problems or stomach problems. And with such symptoms, you may begin to self-medicate with caffeine, junk food, energy drinks, gambling, sex, alcohol, or whatever it might be that brings you momentary comfort.

The #1 Command in the Bible

More than any other command, the Bible says, “Fear not.” You will find this command and its variations in the Scripture nearly 150 times.

And nearly every occasion of “fear not” throughout the Bible is accompanied by something important that God wants to say to us, not with an angry tone, but rather in the loving invitational way.

Consider just the following samples.

Adam in Genesis 3 says, “I was afraid.” And then what? God comes to be with him in his fear.

In Genesis 15:1, God says to Abraham, “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.” God’s saying he’ll protect him.

We read of Isaac in Genesis 26:24. God says, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you.”

God says to Jacob in Genesis 28:15, “I am with you.”

Moses was afraid in Exodus 33:14, and God says, “My presence will go with you.”

Elijah is on a battlefield, an obvious time to fear. God says to him in 2 Kings 1:15, “Do not be afraid.”

David says it well and legendary in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

We read in 2 Chronicles 20:17 that he tells King Jehoshaphat on the eve of war, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”

In Isaiah 41:14 we read, “Fear not, you worm Jacob.” As you know, worms are not predators; they don’t even defend themselves. Why is Jacob the Worm not to be afraid? Because the Lord God declares, “I am the one who helps you.”

Jeremiah had a hard life as a prophet, but God declares to him in Jeremiah 1:8, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.”

Why We Fear

Despite this overwhelming biblical evidence that we are not to fear and instead trust God, we often find ourselves gripped by fear. Why?

Here are four reasons I believe we fear.

1. We Don’t Believe in God’s Sovereignty

Fear in your life is not always rational. In most cases fear is based off of what may or may not happen. In this way, fear gives you the impression that you see and know all. You create in yourself in the image of a functional god. It is God who is sovereign, not you. Stop fearing what you don’t know and start trusting the one who knows all.

2. We Create Our Own Vision Rather Than Seek God’s Vision

When we’re paralyzed by fear of the future, we’re basically envisioning the future without God. We say something like, “I see the future. God’s not in it. God’s not for me. God’s not going to help me.” But this is contrary to the words of God himself, who says later in Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

3. We Are Often False Prophets

To be a false prophet is to incorrectly predict the future. Fear in our lives can turn us into false prophets, predicting things that may not—and most likely will not—come to pass. This often not only affects us but others in our life whom we influence. Rather than speculate about an unknown future, we should dwell on Jesus’ words from Luke 12:22–31:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. . . . And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? . . . For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.

4. We Follow False Gospels

When we fear, we betray our trust and comfort in things other than Jesus. We try to control our life. We hold on to our money. We remove ourselves from community. We rebel against authority. We sin. We self-medicate. We self-justify. We turn Jesus into a therapist. We do all of this to live in a view of heaven before the resurrection that we created in our own imagination.

That is a false gospel.

A Final Word

What’s holding you back from obeying Jesus?

Whatever is holding you back, fear is most likely at the root, which is why God has to tell us not to fear so much. Know that God comes to you and says, “Do not fear. I’m with you.” In his final words to his disciples in Matthew 28:20, Jesus says, “I am with you always to the very end of the age.”

Don’t be afraid. By the grace of God persevere in Jesus, worship Jesus, serve the church, and give to the church.

For more on fear and faithfulness, see Pastor Mark’s sermon, “Persecuted in Smyrna: Faithful No Matter What.”

Maybe Everyone Who Bought a Ticket to "The Avengers" Deep Down Really Wants to Meet Jesus?

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

The insatiable appetite for superheroes continues.

The Avengers stormed the box office this weekend, obliterating all domestic opening weekends with a $200 million kickoff.

The plot line is nothing new: a big threat to human life is looming, and a superhero or team of superheroes rises to meet the challenge and save the day. To say it another way, a proverbial hell is looming and people cannot save themselves from this terrible fate. So, a humble savior comes to make a great sacrifice so that evil can be defeated, people can be liberated, and a new kingdom can dawn in which people can live peaceably.

What is curious is that the superhero is usually part human and part something otherworldly. In that way, the hero is like us but simultaneously unlike us. Or, the hero is like us, but better. They have emotional frailty, moments of grief and sadness. But, they somehow overcome all odds to do good and vanquish evil selflessly and tirelessly for the good of others. They also have superhuman powers, insights, and abilities. Sometimes they even die, or seemingly die, only to return to life as if they were invincible.

Some superheroes can walk on water. Some can read people's thoughts. Some can walk through walls. Some can bring the dead to life. Some live lonely lives without a spouse or children. Some are poor and misunderstood. Some are lonely and not really known by even those closest to them. Some have a secret identity. Some have an archenemy.

No matter how many times this same, tired story is told with some new crisis or savior to meet it, people still line up and pay good money to escape reality for a while. With a bucket of popcorn in one hand and an Icee in the other, I guess it’s our way of not losing all hope and dreaming of a world where a half-man, half-something else superhero was coming to defeat evil liberate the oppressed and usher in a new kingdom of peace and life.

Too bad we then have to leave the theater and enter reality again. If only there were a real Superhero.

Maybe everyone who bought a ticket to The Avengers deep down really wants to meet Jesus?

"I Was Living for a Dead Man": Pastor Mark Interviews Zach Bolen

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

“I was living for a dead man.” That’s what Deacon Zach Bolen realized one day at age 14 when he visited his dad’s grave. It was a profound moment, and one in which God met him and totally changed his life—and his music. Today, Zach leads Citizens, a band from our U-District church whose new EP, “Already / Not Yet,” comes out today, May 8.

In this clip, Zach explains how the band approaches song-writing and arranging: we are in the midst of a war, but one that’s already been won, so we can sing songs celebrating this victory that we have in Christ. “It’s really created this unique battle cry and just every song is just literally shouting these praises to God,” says Zach.

The clip finishes with Zach and Citizens leading a U-District evening service in the song “In Tenderness”—and you can see that he wasn’t kidding about the shouting part.

Listen to “Already / Not Yet”

Support the mission at Mars Hill U-District here: http://marshill.com/legacy

8 Principles for Churches That Want to Grow

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

When it comes to numbers, churches tend to err in one of two ways: they either discount them as unimportant or they put to much emphasis on them.

The reality is that numbers are important, and though they aren’t the only sign of a healthy church, they are an important measure.

For Mars Hill, numbers are a key measure of our health. For us, it’s all about the numbers, if by “numbers” you mean the number of people getting their sins forgiven, getting their lives changed by Jesus, and going to heaven instead of hell. We’d like that number to go up. We’re all for that.

When numbers are viewed from this perspective, they are a good thing to desire to see grow. This is why I commend pastors who desire to see the church they pastor grow for the right reasons.

In my conversations with pastors around the world, many have questions on church growth. So, I thought I’d share eight principles I’ve learned about church growth.

1. Begin with the end in mind and know how large you want to be.

The following is a rough breakdown of reported (which may not be entirely accurate) church attendance. Admittedly, these numbers are a few years old, but, as a general rule, they do give you a rough idea of church-size barriers.

Churches with 45 people or fewer = 100,000 churches or 25% of all churches
Churches with 75 people or fewer = 200,000 churches or 50% of all churches
Churches with 150 people or fewer = 300,000 churches or 75% of all churches
Churches with 350 people or fewer = 380,000 churches or 95% of all churches
Churches with 800 people or fewer = 392,000 churches or 98% of all churches
Churches with 800 people or more = 8,000 churches or 2% of all churches
Churches with 2,000 people or more = 870 churches or 0.22% of all churches
Churches with 3,000 people or more = 425 churches or 0.11% of all churches

Lyle Schaller, considered one of the best church consultants in the world, states in his book, The Very Large Church, that the two most comfortable church sizes are under 45 people and under 150 people, likely making them two of the hardest thresholds to pass through, in addition to the 800 mark.

In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell states that 150 is also the maximum number of people someone can purposefully connect with, which explains why some people do not like bigger churches. It may also explain why John Wesley divided people into groups of about 150, the average hunter-gatherer village is about 150 people, most military units are under 200, and the Hutterites allow their communities to grow no larger than 150.

Understanding group dynamics like this is important in understanding that there are significant challenges that come with each phase of church size, and being aware of where you want your church to grow allows you to begin preparing for those growth phases more effectively.

2. The larger the church, the more different it is from other churches of the same theology and tradition.

As a church grows, while the theology remains the same, the organization complexity doesn’t, often requiring new methods of ministry.

Size affects the number of lines of communication, how an organization stacks or does not stack leadership, access to the senior leader and family, etc. Simply put, church size does matter for how a church is run, much like a married couple who some years later find themselves with a dozen children cannot simply organize their life as they did with their first child—everything must change.

For those wanting to learn more about the dynamics of church size, Tim Keller has a helpful paper, and Larry Osborne has a helpful book called Sticky Teams.

3. Change is inevitable.

You either move forward or backward. A living church changes differently than a dying church does, but all churches change.

For a church to grow, it must change. It does not need to change in theology, but it will need to change in methodology. If a church is unwilling to change their methodology to reach and care for more people, then it is guilty of method-idolatry, which is where we confuse unchanging biblical principles with what are supposed to be changing cultural methods.

4. Don’t assign moral judgments to size and change.

People tend to wrongly attach a moral value to church size, which is unholy, unhealthy, and unhelpful. This explains why big churches are accused of being uncaring and small churches are accused of not reaching people or being well led or organized.

I pastored Mars Hill when it was small and saw a lot of people saved by Jesus. And, now that Mars Hill is large, I'm certain we take far better care of our people with far better community than we did when we were small. Many smaller church pastors, especially those who value theology well above ministry philosophy and size, tend to completely overlook or even deny the importance of church size. They will accuse those who care about numbers to be simply pragmatic, as if wanting more people to meet Jesus and grow in grace were a bad thing.

The reality is that Jesus works through churches of all sizes, and if he should see fit to bless a church to grow bigger, that is not a bad thing but a good thing.

5. If you want to grow, you need to prepare for common changes now.

Here are few of the changes you’ll face as you grow:

You move from managing workers, to leading managers, to leading leaders.
Focus shifts from a survival-in-the-present mode to a success-in-the-future mode.
Expectations move from informal to formal (elders, deacons, and members).
You have to grow from making decisions by general consensus to a handful of people making decisions.
Communications becomes formal and written rather than informal and oral.
People’s roles move from general responsibility to specialized responsibility.
The church moves from being one community to being many communities (e.g. multiple services, community groups, etc.).
The senior leaders shift their focus from being primarily caregivers to making sure people are being cared for by raising up leaders.
The senior leader shifts from working in the organization to working on the organization.
The members move from being connected to the pastor to being connected to other leaders.
Focus shifts from drawing people through relationship to drawing them through events and dynamic Sunday services.

6. Be humble as a leader to seek the counsel of pastors ahead of you and receive their counsel.

Over the years, I’ve reached out to many godly pastors who oversee larger churches for advice and counsel as Mars Hill has grown. Their friendship, advice, prayer, and service to our church have been much appreciated and priceless. No man is an island, and it’s crucial to seek godly counsel and humbly receive it.

7. Discern between guilt and conviction in seasons of transition.

Developing this discernment is key, as you cannot do what everyone wants you to do and also do exactly what God calls you to do. As the old adage goes, if you try to please everyone, you please no one.

Proverbs 29:25 says that fear of man is a “trap” or a “snare,” depending upon your translation. Fear of man causes us to live for the approval of our tribe and to fear criticism or ostracism from our tribe. Fear of man is a form of idolatry—living to please someone other than Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, when you get to heaven, you’ll give account to Jesus for your decisions and actions as a pastor. Strive to be faithful to Jesus, not to the demands of people.

8. Pray and plan for people to meet Jesus.

As you often get what you pray for, and you need to prepare for it.

Mars Hill has been blessed by God to see a great harvest over the years. Like any large harvest, there is much work to do and it is tiring. As you pray for many people to meet Jesus, also prepare in faithful expectation for the work that will come if Jesus answers your prayer.

The good news is that seeing many people meet Jesus, while demanding work, is the best kind of work there is.

Persecuted in Smyrna: Faithful No Matter What

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:00:00 -0700

Between the Lines: The House on Mango Street

Ashley Driscoll — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

I love to read but don’t love reading books that have questionable themes. I want to make sure that I’m a discerning reader and choose books that will benefit me because, as James Bryce said, “The worth of a book is measured by what you can take away from it.”

Since I have found some books that I enjoyed reading, I would like to pass them on to you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I include some non-Christian books not because I agree with them, but rather I know that many Christian teenage girls read these books and need to think biblically as they do.

Lastly, if you click on my link to purchase any book I review, the proceeds go to VisionNationals.org to help fund an orphanage and church planting in India. It's run by Pastor Arjuna, whom I have known since childhood and has my favorite Coloradoite on staff, my friend Lauren. For more information, please visit VisionNationals.org.

The House on Mango Street

by Sandra Cisneros

Synopsis

This short book is an honest look at life for a young Latina immigrant struggling to count her blessings among what seems to be a life she is unfit for. Esperanza is forced to grow up faster than she would like to due to living in a rough Chicago neighborhood where she learns to protect herself and her family from dangers she hasn't known before. She realizes the world is an ugly place full of heartbreak, abuse, and seemingly endless pains. Esperanza's innocence is jeopardized thanks to the maturity of older kids on the block, lies from fortune tellers, and the witnessing of events such as a funeral. The characters aren't candy-coated or cleaned up but are portrayed as real people with realistic struggles. In the end, Esperanza learns to embrace the situation she has been given by giving back to her community.

Pros

The poetic, diary-like style of The House on Mango Street perfectly conveys the blunt, direct manner in which Esperanza, the main character, communicates her complaints to her community.

Cons

There is no clear plot line, and characters seem to come in and out of focus. Some characters seem to disappear and then randomly resurface chapters later.

Stats

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Pages: 110

Worldview: Non-Christian

Genre: Poetry-Non-Fiction

Ages: 14–17

Purchase a copy of The House on Mango Street and support Vision Nationals.

Jesus in the Old Testament, Part 3: Prophecies

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Sat, 05 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

This is the third part in a series on how the Bible is all about Jesus. Read the series introduction, “How Jesus Taught the Bible;” part one, “Events,” and part two, “Titles.”

Wouldn’t it be great to know the future?

From investments, to sports competitions, to whom you’re going to marry and how long you’re going to live, much of life is dedicated to determining what the future holds. The truth is we don’t know the future because we’re not God. But God does know (Exod. 29:29). As God writes the Scriptures, he also reveals the future, and he, through prophecy, tells us exactly how Jesus will come.

What Are Prophecies? Why Are They Important?

Prophecy shows us that God is omniscient in that he knows all things. He’s sovereign in that he rules all things. At the time of its writing, roughly 25 percent of the Bible was prophetic in nature. This means that God, through human authors, by the power of the Holy Spirit, revealed future events in meticulous detail. And, since he knows and rules over the future, he can bring to pass what he foretold or promised.

The fulfillment of prophecies makes Christianity different than other religions, and the recording of these prophecies in Scripture makes the Bible altogether unique. Since there are so many prophecies that can be discussed, time doesn’t allow me to cover them all, but I would like to visit some of what I find to be the most compelling prophecies for two reasons.

First, for those of you who are not Christians, I want you to consider Jesus. I want you to read the book that God wrote, and I pray that you’d see that it’s all about Jesus. I want you to wrestle with the fact that, if God didn’t write this book, how can you account for the magnificent detail around prophecy we will look at in a moment?

Second, for those of you who are Christians, I want you to trust that this is the book that God wrote, and I want you to see that it’s superior to and unlike anything else that has ever been written or taught in the history of the world. Since this is the book that God wrote, it has authority over everyone and everything else.

What Prophecy Tells Us

1. Jesus Would Be Born without an Earthly Father to Defeat Satan

After our first parents’ sin some four thousand years before Jesus is even born of the Virgin Mary, God gave us the first prophecy regarding Jesus in Genesis 3:15, which begins with God saying, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

God comes and says, “Sin has now come into human history. I will send a Savior for sinners.” He, a male child, will be born of a woman. This is the first intimation at a virgin birth. This passage says that the foretold male child would come and battle Satan and that Satan would harm and wound him, but the child ultimately would defeat and crush Satan. From that moment forward there was an expectation that a woman would give birth to a son who would be the Savior of the world.

2. Jesus Will Come from the Lineage of Abraham

Continuing the storyline of the Bible, in Genesis 17, penned some two thousand years before Jesus was born, God shows up to an obscure man at that time but a famous man in our time, a man named Abraham. And this is one of the many things that God said to him in Genesis 17:19: “Sarah your wife shall bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac.” He goes on to say, “I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

God is basically saying, “Jesus is coming and, Abraham, he’s coming through your line. He’s going to be your descendant. And he’s not coming from your girlfriend. He’s coming from your wife” (cf. Gal. 3:16).

Abraham and Sarah waited for God to provide this son. Many years had passed, and they still were unable to become pregnant. After waiting for such a long time, Sarah cooks up this horrible idea for Abraham to, in essence, commit adultery by sleeping with her female Egyptian servant named Hagar. Well, it didn’t take long. Hagar became pregnant and gave birth to a son named Ishmael (Gen. 16:4, 15).

God loved the other woman and her son, but he said, “It will be through Sarah, not the other woman, your son Isaac, not the other boy, that Jesus ultimately will come.” So we’re looking for one born of a woman without an earthly father from the line of Abraham, through Sarah, who is a descendant of Isaac.

God was paving the road by telling us how Jesus would come.

3. Jesus Would Be Born from a Virgin

Written roughly seven hundred years before Jesus was born, God said in Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

This prophecy narrows down God’s prior promises. This woman is going to give birth to a son. Her son will be given the name Immanuel, which means, “God is with us.” God is coming to be with us. You’ll know it’s him when the virgin gets pregnant.

4. Where Jesus Would Be Born

We read in Micah 5:2, written nearly seven hundred years before Jesus, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from old, from ancient days.”

From the city of Bethlehem a king is coming who is to be the ruler in Israel. This king will be unlike all other kings that have ever lived. He is “from of old, from ancient days,” which simply means from eternity.

Hundreds of years later, Mary, a virgin, conceived by a miracle of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18), and gives birth to Jesus in Bethlehem.

Here’s the interesting part: before Jesus was born, a godless political leader who was in it for the money and the power says, “I want a census taken. I want to know who all my people are so I can get all my tax revenue. So everybody needs to go to their hometown of origin, where their family is from” (Luke 2:1–7). In the providence of God, Jesus’ adoptive father, Joseph, is a long descendant of King David, who came from the town of Bethlehem. So they have to go to the city of Bethlehem to register for the census even though they live in Nazareth, which is a long way from Bethlehem.

Mary, being very pregnant at this time, gives birth to Jesus in Bethlehem. They didn’t live there. They were visiting there. Why? Simple: this is the book that God wrote and it’s all about Jesus—all the way down to where he would be born.

5. When Jesus Would Be Born

God tells us when Jesus would be born. Four hundred years before his birth, we read in Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.”

A messenger is coming. This isn’t some cloaked individual. You’ll know it’s him. He’s going to prepare the way. Who was the messenger that prepared the way? John the Baptizer, Jesus’ homeschooled cousin. He lived in the woods. He was a strange kid with a strange diet of bugs and honey. This messenger prepares the way for the coming of Jesus (Matt. 3:1–6; John 1:6–7)

6. What Jesus Would Do on Earth

Prophecy reveals what Jesus would do while he physically lived on earth. It provides us with a little bit of his resume and job description. What exactly was this promised Son, born without an earthly father in Bethlehem do?

In Isaiah 35:5–6 we read, “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” How will you know it’s him? Well, mute people will sing. Deaf people will hear. Blind people will see, and handicapped people will run. Make a note to self, when you see these things happening, this is the one we’ve been waiting for. Jesus is that one. He did all of this (Matt. 11:4).

7. Jesus Would Be Betrayed

The Old Testament tells us that Jesus would be betrayed and that the bounty on his head would be no less than 30 pieces of silver, not a penny more or less. This was foretold five hundred years before Jesus was born on the earth. We read from Zechariah, “And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the LORD said to me, ‘Throw it to the potter’ —the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD, to the potter” (Zech. 11:12–13).

Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for how much? Thirty pieces of silver, and then in disgust, threw it “to the potter,” that portion of the temple that no longer exists today, but did up until AD 70 (Matt. 26:15; 27:3–10).

8. How Jesus Would Die

One thousand years before Jesus was even born, it was prophesied in Psalm 22:16 how he would be crucified. We read, “For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.”

Jesus was crucified through his hands and feet. Not only did the Psalmist predict the crucifixion of Jesus one thousand years before he was even born, he also predicted his crucifixion hundreds of years before crucifixion even existed.

9. Jesus Would Rise from Death

Finally, but not conclusively, through prophecy we learn that Jesus would rise from death. From Psalm 16:10, we read: “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” Preaching his first sermon after Jesus ascended into heaven, Peter connected what was written in this Psalm with the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 2:27, 29–31). Not only did Peter make this connection, so too did Paul some years later (Acts 13:35–37).

I know that some of you will say, “This is unbelievable. I don’t think this is the book that God wrote.” My question to you is this, “Then who wrote it? Who wrote this? Who knew the future?”

Multiple authors spanning hundreds and thousands of years in painstaking detail tell us how Jesus would come, what would happen to him, and what would be accomplished through him. For those who would doubt the Bible’s accuracy in predicting the future and Jesus, the burden of proof is on you.

Leading Up

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Sat, 05 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700

The Big Idea

Pastor Mark answers your tough questions of how to "lead up" in a company. You might know how to manage people under you, but how do you humbly lead your boss, supervisor, or manager?

Questions

How are you currently leading up?

Are you being patient, producing results, showing respect, discerning good timing, and being humble?

What are the best ways you can help to lead up?

Tweets

Earn the right to be heard. http://jesus.to/JkNVvr

How can you serve your boss better? http://jesus.to/JkNVvr

I must decrease and Jesus must increase. http://jesus.to/JkNVvr

Honoring your leader is an indicator of trust. http://jesus.to/JkNVvr

Ask Pastor Mark

Do you have theological, relational, or practical questions about leadership? Ask Pastor Mark. Responses to these questions will be released as Leadership Coaching posts in the coming weeks.

*Not every question can be specifically answered or addressed.

The Dig on Smyrna

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

“Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison.” Revelation 2:10

From all of the messages I can think of that I would want to hear from Jesus, this would be towards the bottom of the list. Yet, it’s what Jesus had to say to the church in Smyrna.

Could you imagine sitting in a large crowd as someone from the church read these words aloud? I wonder, what was going through their minds as Jesus told them that the devil was getting ready to toss them in prison? I imagine some of them left in order to avoid this fate, while others heeded his words to persevere, even to death.

To help us understand the thrust of Jesus’ words, I would like to visit the ancient city of Smyrna and consider what was going on when these words were penned.

The City of Smyrna

The church in Smyrna was encouraged by Jesus to persevere in their faith in spite of the suffering they would endure (Rev. 2:10). Though the church no longer exists, the city today has persevered throughout time and still exists today under the name of Izmir.

The city has a long and illustrious history. Smyrna was in existence many years before the church was planted there. According to Grant Osborne, Alyaattes, king of Lydia, originally destroyed the city in 600 BC. It was later rebuilt at the request of Alexander the Great in 290 BC. to serve as a model city in the area.

Located a few days journey north on foot from Ephesus, Smyrna was known for its beauty and charm. They even had coins engraved with the caption, “First of Asia in beauty and size.”

As a citizen or traveler, you could have walked through the city’s main road, the Street of Gold, and gazed upon the aesthetic beauty the city had to offer. You could have crisscrossed through the town’s byways to their stadium, library, theater, and various markets and venues. Like Ephesus, Smyrna was a sizeable city boasting a population of nearly 200,000 people by the time John penned his letter.

The Church in Smyrna

It’s not exactly known when the church in Smyrna began. Many believe that the church was started when Jews returned after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2), or even during Paul’s missionary to Ephesus (Acts 19). Regardless of how exactly this church began, what’s amazing is that by God’s grace the church remained consistently faithful to Jesus. What’s amazing is that the church in Smyrna is one of two churches addressed by Jesus with no weaknesses (the other being Philadelphia).

What Jesus does mention about the church is their tribulation, poverty, and how they’re slandered (Rev. 2:9). We aren’t told the exact nature of their tribulation, but from verse 10 it appears that the Roman authorities were persecuting the church.

Some think that the slander leveled on the church was by the sizeable Jewish population in the area. I believe this is the case and confirmed by reading verse 10 in light of verse 9. This is an important piece of information in helping us understand Jesus’ words to them.

According to Grant Osborne, Jewish leaders officially excommunicated Christians as heretics sometime in the 80 BC decade as a way of deflecting attention from themselves. With the recent rise of Domitian as the new Roman emperor, he passed a law that required people to worship him. However, the Jews were currently exempt from this rule. Since they weren’t highly thought of at the time, it is believed that they didn’t want to lose this privilege. So, they “slandered” the Christians to the Roman authorities to make them easy targets as lawbreakers.

Due to the nature of these tribulations, the church was impoverished. Since the church no longer had the protective covering of Judaism, they neither had the protection of the Roman authorities. Along with the removal of Roman protection, G.K. Beale lists a few reasons why the church in Smyrna became impoverished: the loss of jobs, the destruction of their property, and the simple fact that the church would’ve been comprised of poorer populations.

Jesus’ Words to the Church in Smyrna

Though persecuted, poor, slandered, and inevitably imprisoned, Jesus commends the church, “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). Regardless of what they experienced, they are reassured that they “will not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:11). They will be like Jesus, who previously identified himself as the one “who died and came to life” (Rev. 2:8).

Today, around the world many are still persecuted for their faith. They are beaten, burned, imprisoned, relocated, and even murdered for trusting Jesus. These same people are your brothers and sisters in Christ. As the author of Hebrews reminds us, remember them, pray for them, and as you’re able, help them.

Here at home there will be times for some of you that you will be suffer for your faith. From the loss of a promotion, sales, to being slandered and ridiculed for believing in Jesus, you will experience a level of suffering. Don’t be surprised when this happens. This is to be expected as you follow Jesus with your life (John 15:18–21). Like the church in Smyrna, remain faithful to Jesus, and he will remain faithful to you.

The Guys behind the Camera

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Thu, 03 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

A few years ago, we started a simple video crew to capture and distribute the sermons. Since that time, the same handful of guys have stayed at the center to serve the church in that capacity. They have worked tirelessly, travelled the world with me, and continually improved, setting what many have called the new standard for quality in church video.

These guys are also a band of brothers. They and their families do life together as friends. They love Jesus, and they love the church.

For an outsider, seeing them in their black hoodies, sporting tattoos, and smoking cigarettes make them look more like a metal band than a band of arty church leaders, but they are godly men, church leaders, and great friends whom I've laughed with all over the world.

Pastor Anthony oversees this team and has the job of air traffic controller, coordinating the projects and deadlines. Jesse is the creative vision and big personality of the team. Sam is the audio guy. Patrick was our first set design guy. And John is the can-do-anything guy—including hacking our rented bus’ power system while it was rolling through Turkey to divert power to the batteries on our cameras. All of these guys are deacons, and many lead Community Groups across the city.

And, then there's Andy, a 23-year-old man who loves Jesus, is a deacon leading a Community Group, and is an extremely talented video editor and computer-generated imagery (CGI) ninja. The latest sermon in our series the Seven was recorded on location in Ephesus and has some CGI from Andy that is bonkers. He recreated the city of some 250,000 to provide an idea of what it looked like in the first century.

So, I thought it would be fun to introduce Andy with the following interview.

Pastor Mark: Tell me about your spiritual history.

Andy Maier: I spent my whole life with the church every Sunday but not with Jesus. My college years were spent building up my name in the film industry. Instead of passing college classes, I did post production and visual effects work on movies and TV shoots in Seattle. I was super young, gifted, and had no idea what was going on.

PM: How did you come to Mars Hill Church. When did you start serving?

AM: I came to Mars Hill because they had a shoot going on for Good Friday. I showed up guns blazing, trying to get a job as the video editor. The problem is that meant becoming a deacon. As soon as someone unpacked that for me, I realized that I showed up for completely selfish reasons.

God had gotten me. He used film and money (both of my idols) to bring me to his house to crush me and love me. I saw men, young men, excited to show up and see people meet Jesus and love their wives. I saw Jesus for who he is exactly. I quickly learned that I needed to surrender it all over to Jesus to see what what he would have for me as a worshiper instead of idolator.

PM: Tell me a bit about your family and what you do for the church.

AM: I've been a deacon at Mars Hill for almost four years now, and I got married to Neenah a year ago. She and I met working on the 2010 Good Friday film. She volunteered as a costume designer, and we totally crushed on each other while working on the film. We've been leading a Community Group at our house for almost a year now and can't get over being with Jesus and his people.

PM: How many hours did it take to rebuild the city of Ephesus in CGI, and how did you do it?

AM: Wow. Ephesus was a tough sermon. It took just under four weeks to research, model, animate, track, render, and composite those shots.

The Seven has roughly 15 live-action CGI shots and the Ephesus sermon has five of those shots. The main reveal, the recreation of the city, of the city took about six days and three tries because it’s 54 seconds long, with buildings growing up from the ground.

In addition to recreating the temples and houses, we thought it would look cool to motion track all the verses above the audience. So every time a verse is read, it appears as an object floating in the air.

I love watching folks reactions when the city comes back to life during the sermon. It's simply engaging and a fun way to learn the content.

PM: Why you are working at the church right now rather than in the film industry?

AM: The film industry is something I really have a heart for. I love the craft and process of all of it. But I'm here because people are learning the Bible. Psalm 33:3 says, "Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts." Putting CGI work into a sermon for me is like singing a new skillful song. Neenah and I are here to stay—to see people meet Jesus and see the Bible be taught.

PM: Anything else you like to add?

AM: Thanks for the encouragement, Pastor Mark. I love serving Jesus and Mars Hill with you.

Thanks to Andy for serving the church and taking time to answer these questions.

If you think about it, or enjoy any of our Mars Hill content, please pray for Andy and the men. Their team has grown to include animators, costume designers, photographers, and more. It’s a massive team doing all they can to get the Bible out in a creative way to as many people as possible. I really love these men and their families, and I want to publicly thank each of them for making less money to do more ministry.

Fundamentalist in Ephesus: All Head, No Heart | The Seven #3 Sermon Notes

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:00:00 -0700

From the April 29 sermon “Fundamentalist in Ephesus: All Head, No Heart,” preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll:

Pastor Mark preaches on Jesus’ letter to the church in Ephesus from the ancient city of Ephesus itself. Jesus commends the Ephesians for how they serve faithfully, endure hardship, have sound doctrine, and hate heretics, but his big criticism is that they are not very loving. Instead of merely criticizing the Ephesians, we must read Jesus’ words humbly and realize how we could become like them.

When It’s Hard to Love People

And [Jesus’] big criticism is this: “You’re not very loving.” Now, he’s commended them for hating wolves, but he’s criticizing them for not loving shepherds and sheep and not loving himself, the good shepherd. [. . .]

In our day, this is just classic fundamentalism. You know, “We’re Bible believing.” Okay, but are you nice? Because the Bible says “love,” a lot. “Well, we speak the truth.” But do you speak the truth in love? Because the Bible says that we are to speak the truth in love.

And what could happen for those who are like the Ephesians, it’s truth and works and perseverance, but not love and grace and kindness. And so it becomes heavy handed, authoritarian, a little bit cold.

We Can’t Pit Truth against Love

Number one, I think we can become like the Ephesians if we pit truth and love against one another. Right? Jesus came full of grace and truth. Some people are grace people. Some people are truth people. And here Jesus is saying, “I want you to put truth, wrapped in grace. I want there to be love around the truth.” [. . .]

So what we don’t want to do is pit love or grace and truth against one another. We want to say that the truth must be communicated from someone who is loving. But what can happen is we could become like the Ephesians when we elevate the truth, and we devalue love, or we devalue love for non-Christians, or other religions, or people who annoy us, people who oppose us, people who criticize us, people who mock us.

Jesus says, basically, we need to say the right thing, at the right time, in the right way, with the right motives. Truth, yes, with the airbag of love; otherwise, we’re just going to decimate people.

Don’t Elevate Doctrine above the Holy Spirit

Number two, we could become like the Ephesians when we listen only to our doctrines and stop listening to the Holy Spirit. What can happen is you read the Bible so long and so many books, and you’re under so much teaching and education that all of a sudden you’ve got most of your questions answered, and you’ve got all your verses in categories, and all your systemization is essentially completed, or at least functionally operative, and then all of a sudden, you don’t need to pray much anymore, because you have a theology that tells you what to do. You don’t need to listen to the Holy Spirit anymore, because you have a theology that directs all of your steps.

I’m not saying that we avoid our doctrinal distinctives and our theological clarity, but we still need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We still need to be led by the Holy Spirit. We still need to listen to the Holy Spirit, and we need to remain teachable. And that’s why one of the things that he says to each of the seven churches is, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches.” What he’s saying is, “You’re not listening to the Holy Spirit.” [. . .]

We need him every moment of every day, and every Christian always has. We need him to lead us and guide us, convict us and instruct us.

And one of the ways we can become like the Ephesians is we get so consumed with our studies and our systematics, that we forget that Jesus is alive, and we’re supposed to have a relationship with him, and the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and we’re supposed to follow him.

"We're Starting a Record Label": Pastor Mark Interviews Jon Dunn

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

Head’s up: we’re starting a record label, and we’re gunning to take over Christian radio.

At the helm of the newly minted label, Mars Hill Music, is Deacon Jonathan Dunn, interviewed here by Pastor Mark. Dunn, a founding member of the heavy metal band Demon Hunter, spent a decade at Tooth & Nail/Solid State Records, and was the director of A&R when he felt God calling him to Mars Hill—"one of the top three things ever called to in my life," he says. And he’s got a big vision for Mars Hill Music and bands.

Bottom line, whatever you think has defined “Christian music” up til now, you can forget it: “We don’t limit our bands to the Christian cul-de-sac of U2 circa 1987,” says Dunn. [Editor’s note: Said with all due respect to Joshua Tree and U2, who have a solid contingent of fans at the church.] In short, it’s a label defined by Christ and culture and corporate worship.

For more, visit: http://marshill.com/music

And check out some tracks from out recent releases:

&lt;a href=“http://marshill.bandcamp.com/track/all-creatures”&gt;All Creatures by Kings Kaleidoscope&lt;/a&gt;

&lt;a href=“http://marshill.bandcamp.com/track/what-wondrous-love-is-this-2”&gt;What Wondrous Love Is This? by Kenosis&lt;/a&gt;

&lt;a href=“http://marshill.bandcamp.com/track/one-god”&gt;One God by Ghost Ship&lt;/a&gt;

&lt;a href=“http://marshill.bandcamp.com/track/oh-great-is-our-god”&gt;Oh! Great Is Our God! by The Sing Team&lt;/a&gt;

Haven’t You Done Enough?

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:00:00 -0700

As a Christian faithfully serving Jesus and his church, have you ever felt like you’ve done enough?

I see this mindset oftentimes with older saints or those who grew up in Christian families. They reach a point where they say, “I feel like I’ve done enough. I’ve given enough money. I’ve volunteered enough hours. I’ve led enough Bible studies. I’ve cooked enough casseroles. I have done my share. I have done a whole life of work. I’m going to the bench. Somebody else can put the uniform on and take the field.”

This Is Not a New Problem

This Sunday, we studied a letter written by Jesus thousands of years ago to the church in Ephesus by way of John in Revelation 2:1–7. In that letter, Jesus commends the saints in Ephesus for their hard work for the gospel (vv. 2–3). Yet, despite their faithfulness, Jesus also admonishes them for losing their love (v. 4).

The gospel work that happened in Ephesus was amazing. Just look at the roster: Paul, Luke, Timothy, Priscilla, Aquila, John, church councils and creeds—that’s pretty good. Additionally, the saints in Ephesus attended 3,120 hours of Paul’s lectures at the Hall of Tyrannus during the noon nap hour. They gave up two years of naps. That’s devotion right there.

They had read the books. They had taken the exams. They had been through the classes. They had entertained all of the missionaries. They had sent out all of the church planters. They had suffered all of the persecution, and most likely, some of them simply said, “I believe that’s enough.”

To this, Jesus says, “What about the love?”

Have You Lost Your Love?

How about you? Have you let the weariness that comes from hard, long, tiring work for the gospel cause you to decide enough is enough?

Have you lost your love?

Just like the Ephesians thousands of years ago, Jesus invites us to carry on despite all these things in him with love for the lost. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (v. 5).

The wonderful truth of the gospel is that Jesus loves us so much that he invites us to be part of his redemptive work in the world. Even better, he is the one who ordains and empowers us to do the work he calls us to do. As Paul says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And as Jesus promised, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Often times we forget this fact and, acting in our strength, we become weary.

Finish Well

Elsewhere in Scripture, Paul says this, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” That’s what each of us, by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, should aspire to do as well.

If along the way we find ourselves slowing down or stopping altogether because we’re tired, because people aren’t saying thank you or they’re not as appreciative as they should be, the truth is we’re doing our work for the praise of men, not for the glory of God. Rather than excusing our lethargy, we should run to Jesus, repent of our idolatry, and ask him to fill us with his Holy Spirit to continue in the works he’s created us to do for him and his church.

Jesus Loves You, So Continue in Love

I appreciate the fact that Jesus, in so many words, says to the Ephesians, “I see what you’re doing. You guys are working hard, and I’m proud of you. You’ve opposed false teaching. You’ve endured patiently. You’ve served faithfully. You’ve given generously. I do see it. I do know it. I do love you. If you don’t feel appreciated, I know how it feels. I love you. I need you to love me. I love people we haven’t gotten to yet, so I need you to love them. Let’s keep going.”

He has the same word to us today.

Today, there are more people to reach, there’s more truth to teach, and there are more things to do for the glory of God and the good of his church. Jesus, in love, is asking you to continue in love by serving him and serving others.

For more on Jesus’ message to the church in Ephesus, see Pastor Mark’s sermon, “Fundamentalist in Ephesus: All Head, No Heart,” part #3 of our current sermon series, the Seven.

Fundamentalist in Ephesus: All Head, No Heart

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:00:00 -0700

Get on Mission, Globally

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 06:00:00 -0700

What were Jesus’ final words before he ascended into heaven? Be on mission, to the ends of the earth. At Mars Hill, we do this locally, nationally, and globally, and we do it through Mars Hill Global.

Through Mars Hill Global, we support church planting in difficult countries, and are working on taking our materials like sermons and books and translating them into Spanish, French, Portuguese, Korean, and more.

If you love and want to serve international missions and missionaries and see them grow, support Mars Hill Global today.

The Dig on Ephesus

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

“You have abandoned the love you had at first.” Revelation 2:4

These were the words that Jesus had for the church in Ephesus. After revealing himself in glory to John (Rev. 1:9–20), Jesus gave him messages to share with seven churches. Among this group, the church in Ephesus was the first to be personally addressed by Jesus through John—and for good reason.

To best understand the impact of Jesus’ words, I would like to take you back for a moment to the ancient city of Ephesus, whose ruins now sit close to modern-day Selçuk, Turkey.

Ephesus Was Wealthy

If you were living in Ephesus during the time John penned these words from Jesus, you would have known that the people of the city possessed tremendous wealth.

As you walked through the city, you would have pushed your way through areas of bustling commerce and crowds of people. As you looked around you would have seen massive structures that were historical feats of architecture: coliseums, housing, theaters, and temples, most notably the temple dedicated to Artemis, which is included as one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

If you were to stand atop one of the hills and gazed into the Aegean Sea, you would have seen an active port full of commercial ships docking and sailing full of goods to be sold. From here these goods would have been sold in the markets of Ephesus, or even transported through one of the many trade routes that went through the city.

Today, the city looks like this.

Ephesus Was Religiously Diverse

Not only would you have observed great wealth in Ephesus, but you would have also seen that the people of Ephesus were religiously diverse and devoted. Though many people were dedicated to worshipping Artemis, you would have observed that the people of Ephesus worshipped nearly 50 different gods and goddesses. The people’s religious commitment was also commercialized through the distribution of magical goods and services through multiple vendors. You could have easily bought various potions, services, and statues to meet any need.

In the church, you would have heard stories of how Paul originally brought the gospel to the area and the “extraordinary miracles” that God worked through his hands. The gospel spread with such power from God that people were healed through handkerchiefs and aprons that merely touched Paul’s skin. Not only were people physically healed but also the gospel of Jesus radically changed their lives and practices. We are told by Luke in the book of Acts that the people who practiced magic burned their cultish books that are estimated to have valued hundreds of thousands in today’s money. These people had radical encounters with the risen Jesus through the preaching of the gospel.

The Church in Ephesus

After observing the city’s wealth and religious diversity, you begin to understand why the church in Ephesus was the first one addressed by Jesus.

With a large port and multiple trade routes crisscrossing through the city, letters could have been easily delivered to the churches addressed by Jesus in the surrounding area.

Perhaps the church’s location is why it grew in status over time to become known as the “the mother church of the region,” because preachers and evangelists could have taken full advantage of the transportation available to them at the time.

For the church in Ephesus, being in the epicenter of religious diversity was not always about miracles and conversions. Over the years, the church in Ephesus took pride in their knowledge and defense of the gospel. They worked hard, endured suffering, strived for holiness, and examined their teacher’s doctrine.

But in spite of their zeal and perseverance, the church lacked one thing: love.

In their zeal for right doctrine and holy living the church in Ephesus forgot the two greatest commandments of all: to love the Lord God with all of their heart, soul, and mind, and to love their neighbor as themselves. What I think we learn from Jesus’ rebuke is that the church became more interested in winning arguments at the expense of losing people. They wanted to make a point instead of a difference.

Jesus’ words to Ephesus are a valuable lesson for us today. Don’t be like a porcupine. You may have a lot of good points, but at the end of the day no one will want to be around you because you lack love.

For more on Jesus’ words to Ephesus, be sure you don’t miss the upcoming sermon, “Fundamentalist in Ephesus: All Head, No Heart,” part #3 in our current sermon series, the Seven. The sermon, which was recorded on location at the ruins of Ephesus, will be shown at Mars Hill this Sunday. Find a church near you and services times here.

An Update on Mars Hill Church from Pastor Mark, April 2012

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

In the book of Revelation, the Apostle John gets a report from Jesus about seven churches, and then John turns around and puts that in seven letters, which serve as a type of report on the state of those churches.

In that spirit, Pastor Mark is going to give a similar type of monthly report on how Mars Hill Church is doing globally and the evidences of God’s grace we’re seeing. Then lead pastors will do the same for their respective local churches. In this clip, he recaps March and Easter 2012. We had 19,634 people at our 41 Easter services, and witnessed 424 baptisms—all because of one great, glorious risen Jesus.

Is it about the numbers? Yep, says Pastor Mark. It’s about the number of people getting their sins forgiven, getting their lives changed by Jesus, going to heaven instead of hell—we’d like that number to go up, we’re all for that. Because it’s not just numbers, it’s the numbers of people meeting Jesus.

Pastor Mark asks for prayer for our five churches that are looking for new buildings: Orange County, Everett, Federal Way, Downtown Seattle, and Olympia. He asks everybody to pray, both individually and as a church family.

Financially, 41% of adults who attend every week give anything ($1 or more), and the average giving per adult is just under $33. If anything, says Pastor Mark, those numbers need to go up. The average weekly attendance right now is 13,125 people, an increase of between 3,000–5,000 more people from the same time last year. It’s been a great season of growth and new birth—but there are a lot of young Christians who are still learning about what it means to be a part of the church. He asks those who are mature Christians to be faithful, generous givers, so that we can support these new believers and so the ministry of Jesus can go forward.

Is it all about the money? No, says Pastor Mark, but it is all about the giving. Christianity is about giving. Jesus gave us his life, death, burial, and resurrection. He gives us his righteousness, salvation, the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, the Word of God, and one another, the church. In a day of selfishness and consumption, we want to be givers, not takers, because Christianity is about giving and not taking. In a world of givers and takers, those who belong to Jesus have been given much so that they can give much.

If you’ve been blessed by Jesus through Mars Hill Church and would like to give so that more people can know him, join us today: marshill.com/give

A Message to Seven Churches | The Seven #2 Sermon Notes

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:00:00 -0700

From the April 22 sermon “A Message to Seven Churches,” preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll:

The book of Revelation is about loving Jesus and the church. Despite John’s suffering, Jesus redirects John to the churches—the lampstands that reflect Jesus to the world. Jesus tells us to persevere in him, with his people; to worship him privately and publicly, with his people; and to serve and give to his church. If you aren’t, it’s due to fear. But Jesus says to fear not, for he is with us.

The Difference between a Critic and a Servant

Christ loves the church. Christ died for the church. Christ’s plan for the world is the church! It’s the church! And when Jesus shows up, he’s talking about the church! He’s not talking about anything else, but everything focused on the health, well-being, multiplication, provision for the church. I need your heart opened up not just for our church, but for all churches that know, and love, and serve Jesus.

The difference between a critic and a servant is this: they see the same problem, and they respond differently. You could show up in the church and say, “There’s a problem.” And a critic will say, “Therefore I’m going to criticize that, mock that, malign that, make fun of that.” And a servant comes along and says, “I’m going to fix that.”

You’re going to read with me in the ensuing weeks about seven churches, some of which are awesome, some of which are awful. There are horrible churches in here, too. And what God is calling John to do is not to be a critic of those churches, but to be a servant of those churches.

4 Things You Need to Know about Fear

I need you to know that fear is not something to be embraced. It’s not something to be, “Well, of course, I’m afraid. This could happen, this could happen. They could react in this way. I could suffer these losses. It would all be very difficult.”

Fear is not to be accepted. Fear is not to be accommodated. Fear is not to be explained. Fear is a sin to be repented of. Fear of anything or anyone, other than God, is a sin to be repented of, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Number one: Fear is an attempt at sovereignty. “I see and know all, and I’m freaked out.” You don’t see and know all.

Number two: Fear is vision without God. “I see the future. God’s not in it. God’s not for me. God’s not going to help me.”

Number three: Fear turns us into false prophets. “Oh, I’ve seen the future, and it’s horrendous.”

And number four: Fear preaches a false gospel. “Oh, there’s a hell out there: I’ll be single, I’ll be broke, I’ll be sick, I’ll be suffering, I’ll be struggling, all the things that John is enduring. So, there’s that hell, that functional, false, fearful hell, and then to get out of it, I need a false, functional savior. So, I need to hold onto my money. I need to control my life. I need to remove myself from community. I need to rebel against authority. I need to sin. I need to self-medicate. I need to self-justify. I need to turn Jesus into a therapist, so I can be glorified. And then I can live in this view of heaven before the resurrection, that I have in my imagination.”

And it’s all a false gospel. Heaven is out there. It’s the kingdom of God. It’s the resurrection of the dead. Between here and then is tribulation. And if you have a false view of hell and a false savior, you’ll end up saying and doing things whereby you’re worshiping someone or something to be your functional, false savior, deliverer, to make your future better, which just means you’re trying to be God! [. . .]

Do not fear. What’s holding you back from obeying Jesus? All of these things—persevering in Jesus, worshiping Jesus, serving Jesus’ church—under whatever is holding you back, it is fear, and God comes to you and says, “Do not fear. I’m with you.” And he models that, coming to put a hand on his friend, John.

And Jesus’ final words in Matthew 28:20, he says, “I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Don’t be afraid. Persevere in Jesus. Worship Jesus. Serve Jesus’ church. Give to Jesus’ church. Do not be afraid. You say, “Why? Because it’s all going to be fine?” I didn’t say that. “Because it’ll all get better?” I’m not promising that. Because Jesus is with you. And in that way, our life is not tribulation-free, but it is tribulation-proof.

Do Persevere in Jesus

Four big ideas we want to pull out of Revelation 1:9–20. Number one, do persevere in Jesus. That’s exactly what he says, that we will have, quote, “tribulation,” and that we should persevere. And he uses that language very importantly: “in Jesus.” For those who are in Jesus, the context of this life is tribulation. It is opposition. It is suffering, because I don’t know if you know this, we’re not in the kingdom of God yet.

Today, you’re going to get in your car and leave here, and you’re not driving to heaven. Right? We’re not there yet. We’re in the time between the times, where Jesus is victorious, but the new heaven, new earth, new Jerusalem have not yet been brought to bear. Jesus has not yet returned. His throne is not yet on the earth. The dead have not been raised. Things are not yet done.

And this requires perseverance, something that very few of us know very little about, if anything at all. We are an absolutely self-absorbed, narcissistic, consumer culture of immediate gratification, and it manifests itself in all kinds of addictions, and compulsions, and debts. Christianity requires perseverance, but we persevere in Jesus, he says. Jesus persevered for us, through suffering, opposition, strife, death, and Jesus takes up residence in us through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and then the life of Jesus is made possible through the Christian, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

When we persevere, we don’t persevere for Jesus. We persevere like Jesus. We persevere with Jesus. We persevere in Jesus. We persevere by the power and the presence of the person of Jesus. And here’s how John says it—and he’s a guy who’s been persevering a long time, at this point in his life, maybe seventy or eighty years, as a Christian, hated. He is now exiled, sent away, and he continues to persevere. He doesn’t doubt God. He doesn’t disbelieve God. He does not disown God. He does not disregard God. [. . .]

Perseverance is with Jesus and his people. That’s why the whole structure of Revelation 1, 2, and 3 is about Jesus and his people, that we are to persevere individually in Jesus and persevere collectively as Jesus’ people. And he says that there will be tribulation until the kingdom. You and I need to know that it doesn’t matter who we elect. It doesn’t matter how many wars we fight, how many dollars we spend, how many initiatives we back. Until Jesus returns, and the dead are raised, and those who have sinned are judged, and Satan and demons are bound, and hell is occupied, and the new heavens, earth, and Jerusalem are glorified, until that day, there will be trouble. There will be trial. There will be tribulation.

So, dear friend, don’t let it shock you; but, instead, let it compel you to persevere, to hang in there. Who do you want to be in fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty years? And John serves for us as an amazing example of one who persevered sixty, seventy, perhaps eighty years in Jesus, like Jesus, for Jesus, because of Jesus. And even though he had hard days, he was waiting for the one day when he would see Jesus face to face and hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

The Risk of More

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 -0700

The Big Idea

In this session, Pastor Mark explains how the leader of a growing organization will face the risk of making more mistakes with more decisions at hand.

Questions

How many decisions do you make for your organization? How many mistakes are made?

Are you a self-righteous leader?

How can we help leaders who make mistakes?

Tweets

If you lead hundreds of thousands of people, you're going to have thousands of critics. http://jesus.to/JqWpRw

As ministry grows, learn to make decisions faster, but also learn to apologize when you're wrong and make it right. http://jesus.to/JqWpRw

Helping more people = Making more decisions. More decisions = More mistakes. More mistakes = More critics. http://jesus.to/JqWpRw

Ask Pastor Mark

Do you have theological, relational, or practical questions about leadership? Ask Pastor Mark. Responses to these questions will be released as Leadership Coaching posts in the coming weeks.

*Not every question can be specifically answered or addressed.

"I Was Born a Young Boy": Pastor Mark Interviews the Sing Team's Brian Eichelberger

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:00:00 -0700

What music do Pastor Mark’s kids dance and sing along to all the time? The Sing Team, a Muppets-meet-Marvin-Gaye-Spirit-filled funfest, led by Brian Eichelberger. In this video, Pastor Mark digs into Brian’s background and about how, at 16, Brian started leading worship for his youth group and all of a sudden had to figure out, “What’s this worship thing all about??” But years later, soon after he started leading worship at Mars Hill, he found out that he’d been plowing through it all for so long that he needed to take a step back and take a big look at where his heart and his worship were.

Listen to the Sing Team’s latest EP here

4 Things We Learn from John’s Life

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

The Apostle John is a towering figure in the Bible.

As one of Jesus’ closest friends, the Bible describes John as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). He is one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, among the three who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:2–13, Matt. 17:1–13), and the author of the Gospel of John, and 1, 2, and 3 John, and the book of Revelation, whose first three chapters we’re studying in our sermon series the Seven.

Prior to preaching through the Gospel of John nearly 12 years ago, I took time to introduce the church to the man John. Taking the time then and now to reflect upon his life and ministry has influenced me greatly.

After spending so much time studying the life of John, in which he tirelessly served and led the early church, was boiled alive in oil (and survived!), and finally banished to the island of Patmos, where he wrote Revelation, the following are four lessons I’ve come away with from observing his life.

1. Humility: The True Path Greatness

As a young man, John was a zealous individual. He wanted power and longed for authority. Along with his brother James, Jesus nicknamed him Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17). What this name suggests about John’s personality is that he was “loud” and even “hot-tempered.” You don’t have to look far and wide throughout the Bible for examples either.

From ticking off the other disciples by asking Jesus for a privileged seat in his kingdom (Mark 10:35–37, 41), asking to pray for fire to descend from heaven to destroy a town (Luke 9:51–55), to even attempting to stop someone casting out demons in the name of Jesus because that person wasn’t a part of their group (Luke 9:49–50), it’s clear that John wasn’t a meek and mild young man.

Amazingly enough, Jesus didn’t squash John’s zeal. Instead, he lovingly redirected it through teaching and modeling humble service (Mark 19:42-45). As I’ve said before, there’s nothing wrong with pursuing greatness, but the reason why you crave it or the way in which you go about attaining it can be sinful.

As John matured in Christ, he became a loving and humble leader, who wrote toward the end of his life, “By this we know love, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. . . . Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:16–18).

2. Build Your Identity on Jesus’ Love for You

John loved Jesus, and Jesus loved John. Jesus’ love for John was the foundation for John’s identity.

Even though John could have easily built his identity upon his ability to write, preach, or even the fact that he was considered a “pillar” of the church (Gal. 2:9), it was Jesus’ love for him that served as the foundation for who he was. John says as much in 1 John, writing:

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.

Do you find that your identity—your value and worth as a human being—is based upon how well you do at work, how good your grades are, or how well you perform in athletics? Does the size of your bank account, the newness of your car, or possessing the latest gadgets give you a sense of self-worth? To build your life on anything other than Jesus and his love for you is like building a house on sand.

The things of this world are fading sources of hope and satisfaction. Like John, trust in and love Jesus. He will never leave you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5).

3. Love God and Others

When you read through John’s writings, you’ll easily see that he had a tremendous pastor’s heart. He writes often about God’s love, encouraging others to love one another and to love God. He writes so much about love that many even call him the “apostle of love.”

Even when writing to a church that was struggling against false teaching, John tempered his love for the truth with his love of Jesus and others. He addressed the recipients of his second letter as those he loves “in truth” (2 John 1:1), and even commends them to love each other by walking “according to his commandments” (2 John 1:5–6). Notice that John didn’t come out swinging with a verbal barrage, but rather a loving and affirmative tone.

When discussing right doctrine with people, we can learn much from John. He was the type of person who was more interested in making a difference in the lives of others than in making a point and winning an argument. What type of person are you? Are you the type of person that simply wants to make a point or a difference? Or are you a person who wants to make a difference in others’ lives because you love them and want them to love Jesus?

In your zeal for truth, be sure that you don’t win an argument at the sake of losing the person. Our zeal for truth should be softened by our love for God and people.

4. Eagerly Follow Jesus

John eagerly followed Jesus, with his life at Jesus’ call.

From leaving his family and financial livelihood behind (Mark 1:19–20), to taking in Jesus’ mother Mary (John 19:25–27), to suffering greatly for the sake of the gospel, John was willing to follow Jesus and trust Jesus with his life.

I encourage you to also follow Jesus with your life. Don’t leave anything on the table. Give your all to following his call and commands upon your life. In doing so, the level of joy you experience in life will be great and complete—and nothing else will be able to compare (John 15:11).

Jesus in the Old Testament, Part 2: Titles

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

This is the second part in a series on how the Bible is all about Jesus. Read the series introduction, “How Jesus Taught the Bible,” and part one, “Events.”

Last week we talked about how we see Jesus in the Old Testament through events. Another way we learn about Jesus in the Old Testament is through titles. There is a variety of titles in the Old Testament that were ultimately attributed to Jesus.

Suffering Servant

In Isaiah—written seven hundred years before Jesus was born—beginning roughly in chapter 40 all the way through to chapter 66, the dominating theme is about the suffering servant. Though Isaiah depicts the suffering servant as the people of Israel (Isa. 41:8) or himself (Isa. 49:5), we observe in chapter 53 that the suffering servant is actually someone different.

The suffering servant is described as someone who bears our grief and sorrows, is pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities (Isa. 53:4–5). Since the suffering servant was to do this work on behalf of the people of Israel and Isaiah himself, we get the idea that he is in fact someone different, someone that God would send to be a suffering Savior, namely, Jesus.

We see this in Jesus’ own words, when he says, “[I] came not to be served but to serve, to give [my] life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The suffering servant is also quoted in connection to Jesus’ healing ministry in Matthew 8:17.

As an Ethiopian eunuch read from Isaiah 53, Philip joined him and informed him that Isaiah wasn’t speaking about himself, but Jesus (Acts 8:26–35).

Speaking of Jesus, Peter quotes Isaiah 53:5 and connects it with Jesus (1 Peter 2:24).

The suffering servant wasn’t the people of Israel. He wasn’t Isaiah. He was Jesus. Jesus came as the suffering servant to bear our grief and sorrows, be pierced for our transgressions, and be crushed for our iniquities.

Alpha and Omega

In the Old Testament, God is referred to as the first and the last. We read in the book of Isaiah, “I am the first and I am the last; beside me there is no god” (Isa. 44:6; cf. Isa. 41:4; 48:12). These are references to the eternality of God. God is without beginning. God is without end. God is eternal. God is the uncaused cause.

The New Testament takes the first and last nomenclature for God and attributes it to Jesus. In Revelation 21:6 we read Jesus’ words to John, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (cf. Rev. 1:8; 22:3). Jesus is God. Jesus has no beginning and no end. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega.

Son of Man

Jesus’ favorite title for himself is from the Old Testament: the Son of Man. He uses this title roughly 80 times. For example, in response to the high priest’s request for Jesus to say if he is the Christ, Jesus said, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming in the clouds of heaven” (Matt. 6:64; cf. Matt. 16:27, 24:30; Mark 14:62). Jesus isn’t merely saying that he is simply a son of a man. We all are. Jesus was claiming to be the son of man as spoken of by Daniel.

For Jesus to connect himself with the title of son of man from Daniel is to connect himself with the vision of himself in eternal glory in heaven, ruling and reigning, coming into human history humbly as a man to set up a kingdom that’ll never end.

Jesus was crucified. He was put to death for the charge of blasphemy by declaring himself to be God. He rose from death three days later. Jesus is alive today, and he is the Son of Man spoken of by the prophet Daniel.

I AM

Another title in the Old Testament used for God revolves around the burning bush and Moses (Exodus 3). As Exodus relates, one day Moses walked along in the wilderness and came across a bush that was on fire but not consumed.

I think God has a good sense of humor. Of all ways that God could have spoken with Moses, he chose to talk with him through a burning bush.

Many tend to read Exodus 3 in a religious way. But just think about it. If you saw a guy talking to a plant, you would call 9-1-1, right? You wouldn’t say, “It’s a moment with the Lord. Leave him alone.”

As Moses had a conversation with this burning bush, he’s told, “Go to the Pharaoh. Liberate my people. Lead a mass emancipation for millions!” Moses has a good question. “By the way, who should I tell them sent me? Because quite honestly, I don’t feel comfortable going to Pharaoh saying, ‘Thus saith the bush.’” So, through the bush, God says to Moses, “Say to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

Responding to the Jews’ question of Jesus on how exactly he saw Abraham who lived a couple of thousand years before him, Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” The Jews understood that Jesus was identifying himself as God, who spoke to Moses through the burning bush, and picked up stones to throw at him (John 8:59).

Jesus in essence said, “I’m the eternal God, older than Abraham, and I was the one who met with Moses in the burning bush and told him to go liberate my people.”

A Message To Seven Churches

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 19:00:00 -0700

Thank You Jesus for Chuck Colson

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:30:00 -0700

Today, the storied evangelist Chuck Colson passed away in Virginia. He was 80.

As a newer Christian, I remember sitting down to read Chuck Colson's book, The Body. The subject matter was the church.

From that moment, I loved Chuck Colson because he loved Jesus and the church. As a young Christian trying to sort out my call to ministry and what kind of church I was to plant, I found his book timely and helpful. At that time I also started reading other articles and books by Chuck. As I came to more Reformed biblical convictions with a desire for evangelism and cultural engagement, he started to make more and more sense to me.

From a distance, I always saw Chuck as a man like Jesus, "full of grace and truth." His grace was perhaps most legendary in founding Prison Fellowship to evangelize and disciple those in prison, as well as serving their families with ministries such as Angel Tree. His truth was clear as he pointedly and winsomely argued for biblical truth as applied to complex and contentious cultural issues.

Then, some years ago, I heard that Chuck was coming to Seattle to speak at a luncheon. So, I drove out with perhaps a few hundred other people to meet him. His lecture was great, and afterward we met and he encouraged me greatly when he said that he was aware of Mars Hill Church and had been praying for me.

Perhaps a few years later Chuck invited Grace and me to join him at his table for a fundraising dinner. We loved getting to know him. He was thoroughly enjoyable.

Most recently, he was in Seattle perhaps a year or two ago and invited me to have lunch one-on-one with him at his hotel. We spent a few hours together. He gave me a wealth of insight about where he sees the church and culture heading and what his encouragement was to be ready for future gospel ministry.

To be honest, it was among the most encouraging and clarifying discussions I've ever had. I was deeply honored that he took that time to invest in me and will always be grateful for the deposits he has made into my life through his writing, example, and conversations.

Today, while we mourn the passing of Chuck Colson, we also rejoice that he has seen Jesus face to face! Prayer for both his family and ministry family are greatly appreciated.

Weekly News Round Up, April 20, 2012

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

Taliban commander turns self in... for reward on ‘Wanted’ poster

Sometimes, capturing a Taliban commander requires vast resources and complex operations. Last week in eastern Afghanistan, it required neither.

Mohammad Ashan, a mid-level Taliban commander in Paktika province, strolled toward a police checkpoint in the district of Sar Howza with a wanted poster bearing his own face. He demanded the finder’s fee referenced on the poster: $100.

Ariz. Governor Signs Bill to Allow Bible Classes in Public Schools

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed into law a bill that allows the establishing of elective classes that focus on the Bible and its influence on western civilization.

Sponsored by State Representative Terri Proud, House Bill 2563 was passed by a 21 to 9 vote in the state Senate last Thursday and signed by Brewer on Tuesday.

Half of All Americans Believe Bible, Quran, Book of Mormon Hold Same Truths

An in-depth study released by the Barna Group on behalf of the American Bible Society found that 50 percent of Americans believe the Bible, Quran and the Book of Mormon hold different expressions of the same truths. The survey also found that Americans' reliance on the Bible has decreased slightly in 2012 from 2011, although the Christian holy book retains an important place in people's lives.

Young ‘Millennials’ losing faith in record numbers

WASHINGTON (RNS) A growing tide of young Americans is drifting away from the religions of their childhood -- and most of them are ending up in no religion at all.

The Downside of Cohabiting Before Marriage

At 32, one of my clients (I’ll call her Jennifer) had a lavish wine-country wedding. By then, Jennifer and her boyfriend had lived together for more than four years. The event was attended by the couple’s friends, families and two dogs.

When Jennifer started therapy with me less than a year later, she was looking for a divorce lawyer. “I spent more time planning my wedding than I spent happily married,” she sobbed. Most disheartening to Jennifer was that she’d tried to do everything right. “My parents got married young so, of course, they got divorced. We lived together! How did this happen?”

Tom Schaar learning the first ever 1080 on a skateboard

Between the Lines: We the Children (Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School)

Ashley Driscoll — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

From time to time, Pastor Mark’s daughter Ashley, 14, writes book reviews for teens here in the series Between the Lines.

We the Children (Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School)

By Andrew Clements

Synopsis

Upon arriving at school, Benjamin notices his janitor in a sudden, serious pain. Before being taken to the hospital, the janitor hands Ben an old, tarnished coin. The token leaves Ben bewildered and flummoxed. Later, Ben finds out that the janitor has passed away soon after their encounter. This news spikes Ben's curiosity about the coin even more. The janitor seemed to be the only person in the school who knew about the coin, now Ben is left alone to crack the code of the left-behind coin. He feels that somehow it could help save his school's seemingly inevitable destruction. With the help of his friend Jill, he snoops around the school and finds clues about the coin and its purpose. Ben also ruminates about the coin's purpose while practicing and racing on his sailboat. The adventure becomes even more weighty when Ben saves the life of a former foe during a sailing race.

Pros

Andrew Clements' writing style is captivating as every page holds a key to Benjamin's adventure.

Cons

Too much focus on kid-power; the adults are portrayed as less capable than the children.

Stats

Rating: 8 out of 10

Pages: 143

Worldview: Non-Christian

Genre: Mystery-Detective-Sailing-School-Fiction

Ages: 9–12

One last note, Andrew Clements is one of my favorite authors for 8 to 12-year-olds. Some of my favorite books by him are Frindle, The Landry News, Things Not Seen, The Report Card, Lunch Money, Extra Credit, and my all-time favorite, Room One .

Purchase a copy of We the Children or any of the above books and support Vision Nationals .

Tough Text Thursday: 2 Corinthians 5:8

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

There aren’t many things that all of humanity shares in common. But, regardless of race, income, nation, creed, or status, everyone shares the same fate: we all will die.

Culturally, at least in the United States, we aren’t encouraged to think or talk about death. We rightly hate death. We fight death. And we attempt to prolong life. This explains why culturally we’re obsessed with heath and safety, with thousands of magazines, books, and websites devoted to prolonging life.

But death is a reality that we all must face.

This reality has led most people to ask this one simple question: “What happens when we die? Where does our soul, the immaterial part of our being, go?”

In 2 Corinthians 5:8, Paul addresses this fundamental question, offering hope in the face of our fear of death.

Context of 2 Corinthians 5:8

In 2 Corinthians 5:1–8, Paul writes about what it means to live by faith as we wait for the return of Jesus, where heaven and earth will be restored and we will receive our resurrection bodies.

In verse 1, Paul assures the Corinthians that if we die, if our “tents” (i.e., our bodies) are destroyed, all is not lost. One day we will be fitted with our “heavenly dwelling” (5:2). While we wait for this day and time, we “groan” in our present bodies in anticipation of the day when death is “swallowed up” by life (5:4). Until then, we walk by faith and not by sight (5:7). Paul caps off this discussion, saying, “Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (5:8).

The question some have is: what does Paul mean by being “away from the body and at home with the Lord,” which he says elsewhere is “far better” (Phil. 1:23)?

The Value of the Body

Clearly Paul refers to something that happens after we die but before Jesus returns. Theologians often refer to this period of time as the “intermediate state.” Before looking at a few different views on the intermediate state, I believe it’s important to put to rest the popular image of heaven as a place in the sky where our souls go and we escape from the body, playing harps in our diapers on fluffy white clouds. This is not the biblical picture of heaven.

Throughout the Bible, physical creation is given great value. God created the earth and called it good. He gave us bodies and called them good. God even showed the value of the body through the incarnation, when Jesus became human. The message of the Scriptures is clear: the goal of salvation is not some ethereal existence but a restored physical creation. According to the Bible we are longing for the new heavens and earth, where righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1), i.e. not a disembodied existence. This is why Paul says we long to be clothed (2 Cor. 5:4). We long for the resurrection of our bodies.

Death creates an unnatural existence, a body with no spirit. It’s not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s a necessary evil for the present age, not our ultimate destination.

At the same time, it’s the way it is, for now. There is not a lot of Scripture on the intermediate state, so its exact nature is not clear. Although this is the case, there are three general views as to what happens in the time between when we die physically and the resurrection, all of which have their own variations.

View #1: The Dead Go to Purgatory

The Roman Catholic Church believes that those who have already been perfected in this life go immediately to heaven, while those outside the church go to hell, but a third category exists for those in fellowship with the church who remain imperfect. They do not pass go to heaven, but rather go to purgatory. In purgatory, these imperfect people are “further purified from sin until they are ready to be admitted into heaven.”

This view is based in part on a passage from the book of 2 Maccabees—a book Catholics hold to be Scripture, whereas Protestants do not—that talks about sacrifice being offered for the sins of the dead (2 Macc. 12:43–45). Some passages in the New Testament, such as 1 Corinthians 3:11–15, are appealed to for validity, but to no avail.

Since this doctrine is primarily based upon a text not considered to be a part of the Protestant Bible, and also appears to add something to the redemptive work of Jesus, Protestants have rejected this view.

View #2: The Dead Go into a “Soul Sleep.”

This view stems in part from the tendency of the New Testament to use the Greek word koimaomai, “to sleep,” to describe those who have died (Matt. 27:52; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:6; 1 Thess. 4:13). According to Wayne Grudem, “This doctrine has been taught occasionally by one person or another in the history of the church, including some Anabaptists at the Reformation. . . . In fact, one of John Calvin’s first writings was a tract against this doctrine, a doctrine that has never found wide acceptance in the church.”

The use of “sleep” in the New Testament is more of a metaphorical way of saying that for believers death is not the end. There is simply no solid biblical evidence that believing souls go to sleep until Christ returns. And Jesus’ words on the cross in Luke 23:43 to the criminal beside him imply the opposite: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

View #3: Souls Are Immediately Awake and Present with Jesus.

The third view is the traditional Protestant position on the subject. This view is the teaching that when someone dies, their soul continues to live in the presence of the Lord in an “intermediate state,” but without their final resurrection body that we will receive when Jesus returns.

There are questions about exactly what this will be like: “the Scriptures nowhere give a detailed description of the intermediate state, as its focus is always on the final consummation at the Parousia [i.e., Second Coming]. . . . Paul simply states that Christians will be with Christ as they await the Parousia.”[1]

Our present text, 2 Corinthians 5:8, is critical for this view. Paul has said in 5:4 that he does not want to be “unclothed” —he longs for his resurrection body and the consummation of all things in Christ. Now, however, Paul encourages the Corinthians that if they do die before Jesus returns, they will still go to be with him. They will be away from their body and at home with Jesus.

In Philippians 1:23 Paul said that this is “far better” than being on earth. So, “on the one hand, there is a sense of burden in prospect of the nakedness of disembodiment (vv. 3–4). But on the other, there is a confident preference to be ‘out of the body’ so as to be ‘at home with the Lord.’” In clearer words, if you die as a Christian your soul goes to heaven and when Jesus returns, you’ll receive your resurrected body.

Conclusion

Scripture is clear that the resurrection of the dead is a resurrection of our physical bodies—either to eternal life or to eternal judgment.

As Daniel writes:

At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

However, we live in a transitional time right now. Theologians call this period of time the “already but not yet.” Jesus has already come and won the decisive victory over Satan, sin, and death on the cross, forgiving our sins, and making it possible for his children to reign with him forever. But the consummation of this reality has yet to come. So, right now our bodies groan as they wait for their redemption (2 Cor. 5:2), as does all of creation (Rom. 8:22–23). This is why Paul says he would “rather” be with the Lord. It is not that he wants to be disembodied, per se—it’s that he wants to be with Jesus.

One scholar says that Paul found himself in the midst of a catch-22:

It is not that his teaching on the intermediate state was self-contradictory; rather it was that Paul found himself in an inherently paradoxical situation: no matter what he chose seemed to have drawbacks. Hence, he wanted to live to the Parousia, but the prospect of continuing on in the earthly tent made him groan.

In essence, Paul says, “If I have to choose, of course I want to be with Jesus.” But this doesn’t mean that he didn’t care about his body. He longed to be clothed with final immortality. Thus, at death, because of the intrusion of sin and death into the world, our spirit will be temporarily—and unnaturally—ripped from our body to go be with Jesus. There we will wait for the day when he returns with all his angels in glory to finish what he started.

For Christians, there is much to hope for here. Though death is a reality, it is not the end all. We will be with Christ in spirit, and one day, we’ll be with him in full, resurrected physical bodies that no longer experience the effects of sin such as illness, pain, and death. What is more, those who are in Christ, from the past, to the present, and to the future, will once again be reunited to worship Jesus together in a big family reunion.

Tragically, those who are not in Christ will also be resurrected, but instead of being resurrected to life with Christ, they will be resurrected to judgment in hell. This reality should compel all Christians to earnestly seek to preach the gospel of Jesus to all people in hopes of sparing them such a horrible fate.

[1] Smith, Ian. “Does 2 Corinthians 5:1–8 Refer to an Intermediate State?” Reformed Theological Review 55 (1996): 14–23.

What Does “Alpha and Omega” Mean?

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” Revelation 1:8

In the Book of Revelation, Jesus is given a host of titles.

He is called “the faithful witness” (Rev. 1:5), “the Son of God” (2:18), “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” and “the Root of David” (5:5), “The Word of God” (19:13), and “the Lord Jesus” (22:21), among many other titles.

In Revelation 1:8, John says that Jesus is he “who is and who was and who is to come” (cf. Rev. 1:4; 4:8; 11:17; 16:5). This is a peculiar title given to Jesus and one I believe encourages us to seek to know and live for him, as well as endure any hardship or trial that we may undergo.

What does John mean?

Many commentators have observed that this title attributed to Jesus is a paraphrase of God’s name in Exodus 3:14. When Moses asks what he should tell the Israelites what God’s name is, God replies, “I AM WHO I AM.” Being familiar with this Jewish tradition, we get the idea that John picked up on this and attributed God’s covenantal name to Jesus.

Some have also suggested that John attributed this title to Jesus for apologetic purposes. In Greek literature, there was a similar title attributed to Zeus, who was considered the one “who was and who is and who will be.” So, John may have even attributed this title to Jesus as a way of identifying him as far greater than Zeus.

In this title, we learn four important truths about Jesus.

1. Jesus Is in Control of the Present, Past, and Future.

Jesus is sovereign over creation and time. Jesus is, Jesus was, and Jesus will return. Jesus is in control over the present, past, and future.

Jesus Was

As the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, Jesus is eternal. He has always been and will forever be. According to the author of Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

Jesus Is

The eternally existing second person of the Trinity has entered into human history as the man Jesus Christ. As the God-man, Jesus came to live, suffer, die, and rise from death for the penalty of our sins.

Jesus Is to Come

Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus proclaimed to the high priest, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). Additionally, we see this prophecy reiterated in Revelation 19–21, as Jesus comes down from heaven, judges and defeats his enemies, and establishes his kingdom in full.

A Final Word

Understanding that Jesus is the one who is and who was and who is to come has two important implications for our lives.

First, Jesus is going to return. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, but inevitably he’ll return. His impending return serves as a means of encouraging us to examine our lives to see if we are prepared to meet our maker.

In Revelation 1:3, John says, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” John reminds us that Jesus is returning, and he will do so “like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:1–11), so be encouraged as you live your life for him. This is a great reminder for us today.

There will be times when you are maligned or even persecuted for your faith, and this is to be expected (Matt. 10:22). Be encouraged: Jesus is alive and is coming back to claim those who are his and judge those who oppose him and his people.

Second, Jesus, the Sovereign Lord over all of creation (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:15–17), oversees human history. For John to have written these letters to the churches would have been an encouragement to many who may have questioned or even doubted God’s rule in light of their present day struggles and the testing of their faith.

As Christians, we can be encouraged that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega—the eternal, Sovereign Lord—who is over our life and all of creation, guiding everything to its appointed purpose. And even if we don’t feel or see it at the moment—we will see it in the end.

Wearing Relationship Hats

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:00:00 -0700

The Big Idea

Because of the highly relational aspect of ministry, leaders must wear multiple relational hats that can change when communicating with their people.

Questions

When you're leading which hat or hats do you wear?

Which hat do people try to put on you?

Do your relationship hats change when you have to deal with trouble or conflict?

Do you have friendships with people outside your work and ministry?

Tweets

Do you know how to handle all the different relationships within ministry? http://jesus.to/JfFOz2

Do you have friendships with people outside of your work and ministry? http://jesus.to/JfFOz2

The Revelation of Jesus | The Seven #1 Sermon Notes

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:00:00 -0700

From the April 15 sermon “The Revelation of Jesus,” preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll:

John was one of the closest people on the earth to Jesus, as his best friend and eyewitness to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Even after being boiled alive and then exiled to the island of Patmos, John was faithful and never stopped talking about Jesus. For John, it’s always about Jesus. Revelation, penned by John, is all about King Jesus and Jesus’ church, because Jesus loves the church.

I’ll travel around. People will say, “What’s the secret? What’s the secret?” Here’s the secret. Jesus is alive. He’s nice. That’s the secret. That’s the secret. Everything we’ve ever accomplished is solely, totally, fully, thoroughly, from beginning to end, by the grace of God.

Mars Hill, I want your heart to be for Jesus. I want your heart to be for the church, and it will be, if you know that the grace of God is not just on you, and it’s not just on me, but the grace of God is on us. He’s doing something I don’t understand, but it’s pretty fantastic. He’s being gracious. He’s pouring out grace. We’re a blessed people. [. . .]

Mars Hill, there’s still grace to be had. There are still people to reach, leaders to raise up. There are churches to plant. There is work to be done, and this is a herald call from God saying everybody is welcome! And there’s grace for you, as well.

And the goal is not that you would just know Jesus, and love Jesus, and enjoy Jesus, but that you would love what Jesus loves, that you would do what Jesus does, that you would go where Jesus is, that you would give for what Jesus gave his life to: the church. [. . .]

Jesus loves the church! Jesus gave himself for the church, and he loves who? Us. Mars Hill, we are a loved people. You are a loved people. Does he love you individually? Yes. But does he love us collectively? Yes. I want you to love what Jesus loves. Love your church.

“And from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead.” He says that Jesus is the pattern of the resurrection of the church. You need to know this. We’re all going to die, and we will not rise individually. We will rise corporately. We’ll rise collectively. We’ll rise as the church. There will be a day when you die, when your funeral is held, and your family sheds their tears and says their goodbyes, and there will be a day that Jesus Christ calls us together from our graves, risen from death, no sin, no sickness, no suffering, to be together forever with him, like him. [. . .]

And so the story continues. “The ruler of the kings of the earth”—love this! This is big King Jesus. All kings, all kingdoms, all rulers, they will all give an account to him. You know, your parent, your spouse, your employer, your critic, they’re not Jesus. They’re not in ultimate authority. They will give an account to him, as you will give an account to him.

The truth is we should all live for that day, that day, when we sit or stand before Jesus, and we give an account to him. And whatever he calls it, that’s what it is, because he is what? He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. It doesn’t matter what someone’s title or position might be. Ultimately, they are under Jesus and give an account to him. That includes you and me.

Jesus in the Old Testament, Part 1: Events

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

This is the first part in a series on how the Bible is all about Jesus. Read the series introduction, “How Jesus Taught the Bible.”

One way the Old Testament teaches us about Jesus is through events. Looking back upon the various events and festivals in the Old Testament through the lens of the New Testament, we read in Colossians 2:16–17,

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Jesus.

From Paul, we learn that the festivals established by God in the Old Testament were not an end in and of themselves but rather served as a means of pointing to Jesus. Now that Jesus has come and fulfilled the meaning of these various festivals, we are no longer bound to celebrate them. Nonetheless, we learn a great deal about Jesus by simply studying these events.

There are several events that we could look at, but for brevity, let’s consider two major events in the Old Testament: Passover; and the Day of Atonement.

Passover

At the end of the book of Genesis, a family of 60-some people suffering from a massive famine sought refuge in Egypt.

Over the course of more than four hundred years, from Genesis to Exodus, this little family grew to become the great nation of Israel (Ex. 1:1–7). During this time, a new pharaoh arose in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph and didn’t like Israel since they were many and mighty (Ex. 1:8–10).

This new pharaoh was worshiped as a god, and he enslaved, mistreated, abused, and harmed God’s people, collectively called Israel. Due to the harsh treatment meted out by the pharaoh upon Israel, God said that he wanted to deliver the Israelites from their bondage so that they would be free to worship him.

Exodus records that the real God showed up to the false god named Pharaoh, and he basically said to Pharaoh, “These are my people. You’ve enslaved them and are hurting them. You need to let them go, otherwise I’m going to punish you.” Pharaoh’s heart was hard toward God, and he resisted the grace of God, kept fighting against God, and wanted to be god.

Due to Pharaoh’s stubbornness, God continued to send an escalating succession of plagues, and a messenger named Moses. On behalf of God, Moses said to Pharaoh, “A plague is coming. Please repent. Obey God. Let the people go. He loves them. They’re his people, not yours. If not, this horrible thing will happen.”

Pharaoh didn’t listen, and the plagues continued to come just as God promised, culminating in a final, devastating plague—the killing of the firstborn in Egypt.

As a result of Pharaoh’s inflexibility, death came to the firstborn in every home with one exception: those homes that, in faith, scarified an animal and spread the blood of that animal over their doorpost. This act served as a substitute, indicating that while all people were sinners deserving of death, God would in his mercy pass over the houses covered by the blood. This event became the first Passover, which is celebrated by the Jews to this day.

Thousands of years later, John the Baptizer proclaimed Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). And, as the Apostle Paul tells us, Jesus Christ is “our Passover Lamb, [who] has been sacrificed” for us (1 Cor. 5:7). From this we learn that the Passover is all about Jesus.

Today, as Christians, we don’t celebrate the Passover. Do you know why? We don’t need to because Jesus fulfilled the Passover. Jesus is our Passover sacrifice. He shed his blood for our sin so that the wrath of God would pass over us through faith in Jesus. We don’t need to annually celebrate the Passover because we have Jesus and we celebrate him every day.

The Day of Atonement

The second major event that teaches us about the person and work of Jesus is called Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16; 23:26–32). For the Jews, the Day of Atonement is the biggest day in the Jewish calendar year. So big, in fact, that they simply call it “the Day.”

In the Bible, the Day of Atonement was marked by Jews usually travelling to Jerusalem to make atonement for their sins. The high priest, serving as Israel’s mediator between them and God, would fulfill the Day of Atonement through two goats, one used as the sacrificial goat and one used as the scapegoat. Over the sacrificial goat, the high priest would confess the sins of the people and slaughter the animal as a substitute sacrifice. The blood of that animal would be shed, and the wrath of God would be poured out on that animal in their place as a substitute. Over the scapegoat, the high priest would confess the sins of the people and rather than being slaughtered, it would be sent away.

For Christians, Jesus is our Yom Kippur. He is our Day of Atonement. His cross will ultimately achieve what is alluded to in this event. He is our high priest who mediates between God and us. He is our sacrifice who forgives our sins. He is our scapegoat who takes our sins away and makes us clean (Heb. 9:7–14). This is why we don’t celebrate Yom Kippur. We celebrate Jesus. Jesus is the whole point of Yom Kippur, for the event served as the preparation, anticipation, and expectation of the crucifixion of Jesus.

Next week, we’ll look at Jesus in the Old Testament through titles. For more on Jesus in the Old Testament, check out
the sermons “The Bible Is about Jesus” and “How Jesus Taught the Bible,” parts 76 and 99, respectively, of the Luke sermon series.

7 Tips for Better Bible Study

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

When tempted by the devil to turn stones into bread after a 40-day fast in the wilderness, Jesus responded by saying simply and profoundly, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Paul, when writing to his protégé, Timothy, writes that, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

David writes, “I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes” (Psalm 119:48).

The implications are clear: life and growth come from the study of God’s words through Scripture. We are not to read and study the Bible begrudgingly but rather view it as the source of life and, like David, love God’s word.

But the reality is that we all struggle at times to study faithfully or joyfully. So, it’s nice to have a few principles to help us refocus our love and study of Scripture. Below are seven principles that I’ve found beneficial.

1. Actively serve and participate in a local church to learn with and from other Christians.

Colossians 3:16 (NIV): “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

2. Be under the authority of Scripture to be interpreted by it, not over the Scripture to be interpreted by you.

Hebrews 4:12–13 (NIV): “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

3. Pick up the Bible for life transformation, not just mental information.

John 5:39–40 (NIV): “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.”

4. Pick up the Bible for relational purposes—not functional ones—so that you will love God and not just know or use him.

Matthew 7:21–23 (NIV): “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’“

5. Don’t just get into the Word; get the Word into you.

Memorization, Psalm 119:11: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

Meditation, Ezra 7:10: “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

6. Take advantage of godly Bible commentators, your pastor, respected theologians in church history, and wise Christian friends to better understand Scripture.

Romans 12:7 (NIV): “If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach . . .”

7. Don’t think you need more knowledge. Often you need more obedience to the knowledge you already have.

James 1:22 (NIV): “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

A History of Revelation

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

God is alive and he speaks.

Unfortunately, our default mode as humans is to miss what God is saying. Since we’re born with a sinful nature and separate from God (Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:12), we cannot know who God really is without his help. Given this reality, we try to explain God in a number of ways that are contrary to his eternal truths. These take the form of human reason, false religions, and vague spirituality.

Thankfully, God didn’t leave us to the limits of our own inventions. He cleared the fog created by sin and revealed himself to us through nature, through his word, and most importantly, through Jesus.

Whereas speculation, false religion, and vague spirituality are human attempts to comprehend God, God’s revelation communicates to us with clarity what is otherwise impossible for us to understand.

Revelation in Nature

In general, God reveals himself to humanity through creation. We read in Romans 1:19–20:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

God’s power and divine nature is communicated through creation. (Cf. Ps. 19:1–4; 94:8–10.)

Commenting upon God’s general revelation, John Calvin said in Institutes :

God not only has sowed in our minds that seed of religion but revealed himself and daily discloses himself in the whole creation and preservation of the universe. As a result, humans can not open their eyes without being compelled to see God.

Though God reveals himself through creation, it is only in part and not the whole. Through nature, you can observe and understand that a big and powerful God exists, but regardless of how long you look at a tree or stare at the stars, you’ll never know all that you can know about God, especially Jesus.

Revelation in Scripture and Jesus

Having a saving knowledge of God requires that, in addition to God’s general revelation through nature, you also receive and believe in his special revelation through the Scriptures. Observing God in nature is not sufficient for you to know that God became the man Jesus and died on the cross in your place for your sins. Through Scripture we learn that God makes himself known in fullness through Jesus, paving the way for us to enter into a personal relationship with him and know him fully (John 14:9).

The whole Bible is about Jesus, and as God’s revelation of himself to us, when we study the Scriptures faithfully, we know Jesus more and more and understand who God is and how much he hates sin and loves us.

What was written many years ago in the Scriptures is just as relevant and applicable to our lives and the church today as it was in the days when Jesus walked the earth. This is what brings me to preach about Jesus’ message to the seven churches in the book of Revelation in our upcoming series, the Seven.

The Book of Revelation

The Apostle John, who wrote the Gospel of John and 1, 2, and 3 John, wrote the book of Revelation during his exile on the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:1, 4, 9). During his stay on this desolate place, John received a message directly from Jesus, “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” to be shared with seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Rev. 1:10–11).

Within his message to John, Jesus reveals himself in majesty and power as the one true and living God. As Simon Kistemaker points out, the message that Jesus wanted John to send to these seven churches addresses their reaction to his rule and authority.

What’s Your Reaction?

The reaction of these churches to Jesus is similar to the reaction of the church today, as well as us who individually make up the church.

As God’s revelation to us, the message Jesus gave to John wasn’t only meant for the seven churches but is also relevant for us today. Though these words were directed at these specific churches, John later says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches . . .” (Rev. 2:7). Jesus’ message to these seven churches is just as timely and relevant today as they were yesterday.

Regardless if it’s a positive or negative one, everyone has a reaction to Jesus.

As we study the reactions of these seven churches to Jesus over the next nine weeks, I challenge you to earnestly study the Scriptures to know more of Jesus and to soberly ask yourself, what’s my reaction to Jesus?

An Official Response to The Kerfuffle At Liberty University

Pastor Mark Driscoll — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 01:00:00 -0700

This week Grace and I are thrilled to be making the long trip from the great Northwest to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. After a full day of travel that concludes with a plane too small to carry a sizable Mormon family, we will celebrate by teaching the Bible.

On Friday, I will speak to the Liberty student body, which I’ve heard is like 12,000 students fired up for Jesus, from Luke 15:11–32 on the topic of "The Rebellious and the Religious." My big idea will be that sin and religion are equally contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

On Friday night and Saturday morning, Grace and I will teach as part of our Real Marriage Tour. Across the US, we’ve been humbled and honored to see people saved, marriages mended, divorce proceedings ceased, sin confessed and forgiven, sexual assault and addiction healed, and single people taught with this content, and we rejoice that we get to share it yet again.

Lately, I’ve been busy with something you may have heard of called Easter. So, I’ve not been on the Internet much but instead busy with church and family. However, rumor has it there is a bit of mushroom cloud of controversy over my planned trip. So, I asked our community relations manager, who gets to enjoy reading blogs about me while eating breakfast every day (it’s amazing he holds anything down), to give me a summary of this kerfuffle. (Henceforth, we will officially refer to this situation as “The Kerfuffle.”)

The trouble started with a Southern Baptist blogger . . . yes, you should have seen that one coming. Now, to be fair, the blogger quoted an anonymous “source.” And, we all know that almost everything bloggers say is true. But, when they have something as solid as an anonymous “source,” then you can rest assured that when Jesus talked about the truth over and over in John, this is precisely what he was referring to. I have a degree from Washington State’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and worked professionally as a journalist, and I can assure you that The Kerfuffle is a very serious matter to be taken with the utmost sobriety and propriety. In fact, one anonymous “source” I spoke to said that Watergate pales in comparison.

This particular blogger’s anonymous "source" says that the Liberty University Board of Trustees met and voted unanimously to not to allow the harmless, ruddy, pleasant, and often gregariously enjoyable Pastor Mark to speak at the university. The source said that two motions were presented and voted on. The first was to unequivocally express that Liberty University Board disapproves of the invitation for me to speak in chapel and the invitation to host the Real Marriage Tour. The second motion was to create a vetting council for future speakers at Liberty. He also states that he believes the reason why they haven't actually disinvited yours truly is that they have a contractual obligation and thus can't disinvite me. As we all know, every kerfuffle has to have a villain, and when all else fails the best thing is to pick an attorney as that villain. In fact, one anonymous “source” I contacted for this blog said that in the Greek text of the New Testament the name Judas actually literally translates as “contractual obligations.”

Despite the rock-solid credibility of the blogger’s anonymous “source,” Liberty University sent a cease and desist email to the blogger the same day and issued this statement on their website:

On April 4, 2012, a Southern Baptist blogger, Peter Lumpkins, wrote an inaccurate account of Liberty's recent Board of Trustees meeting as it relates to the university's invitation to Mark Driscoll to speak in Convocation. Lumpkins’ recent blog contains information that is defamatory and portrays Liberty University in a false light.

The Board of Trustees of Liberty University did not vote unanimously that Mark Driscoll is not welcome on campus, as the blog states, and, in fact, Mark Driscoll is still scheduled to speak in Convocation at Liberty University on April 20, 2012.

Liberty University's legal counsel has demanded the immediate removal of the post. Liberty University is also posting this notification so that our community is informed as to the inaccuracy of the post, and advised that Lumpkins’ blog is clearly being used to disseminate misinformation about Liberty University and to cause strife and harm to the university.

For the record, kerfuffles are nothing new. The first kerfuffle started when Jesus rose from death. He left Christianity in his wake and told us to love one another like brothers and sisters. Acting like a Christian, Jonathan Falwell invited me to drop in and see the church and school in Lynchburg some years ago, as I was not far away in Raleigh. I accepted his invitation, and I found him to be one of the most humble, gracious, and enjoyable, world-class leaders I’ve ever met.

As we walked around the church where he pastors, he seemed to know literally everyone by name and gave out a lifetime of hugs and encouraging remarks. I missed two meals waiting for him to stop loving and hugging people, as it took us forever to leave the church. He showed me where his dad, Jerry, used to office, and with tears in his eyes, where his father is now buried until the resurrection of the dead. He told me stories about what an amazing father and man his dad was—including Jerry Falwell’s friendship with pornographer Larry Flynt, whom he evangelized while riding on the Hustler jet. Apparently people are different than sometimes portrayed to be, and I learned a lot that day.

So, when Liberty asked me to come and preach chapel, we also offered to do a Real Marriage Tour event, and they kindly accepted. If for any reason they don’t want me, I am happy to be loving and gracious and back away peacefully, as the last thing I’d want is to act in a way that is adversarial to my brothers and sisters in Christ at Liberty University. I’ve received nothing but love, grace, and kindness from them.

But, since they’ve asked me to come, I receive that invitation with great joy. Rumor also has it there are some amazing Christians there doing great things for Jesus, and I look forward to meeting them.

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