Heart Soul and Might

As many now know, the world lost one of it’s most passionate animal advocates yesterday in the untimely and freakish death of Steve Irwin, known as “The Crocodile Hunter.” Today, I received this from my dad, written by Alvin Reid, a prof at Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. I couldn’t have said it better, so here it is in its entirety:

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that
they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they
realized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13, NKJ)

I have always had an interest in snakes and other reptiles. I have a
python in my office, my son has a corn snake in his bedroom, and my
eight-year-old daughter loves to play with her little ball python who
dwells in her room. My wife has no reptiles, but she does possess a
great amount of patience! I am most proud of my newest addition, a
five-foot-long, black-throated monitor lizard named Goliath. We like
to take him for walks on a leash - he does draw a crowd! I often quip
that as an evangelism professor who likes herps (that is, reptiles), I
actually teach soul winning and snake handling. Don’t worry, we do
not handle serpents in church!

With this in mind, you might guess my favorite television show - you
got it - The Crocodile Hunter. It has been a long time since I was as
excited about a television show as I am about The Crocodile Hunter, or
the shorter Croc Files for kids.

Whenever I speak to young people, I ask how many of them know who the
Crocodile Hunter is. The response is telling. Nearly every one of
them knows who he is, although his primary show, The Crocodile Hunter,
appears on the cable network Animal Planet. The show’s star, Steve
Irwin, has jumped from “just another host” of a little known program
on this smaller market cable network, to the host of primetime
specials on network television and an occasional appearance on movies
and commercials.

Steve Irwin’s incredible rise in popularity can teach us some things.
The enthusiasm of young people from age 5 to 25 for the show is
obvious. They know his sayings: “She’s a beauty!” (I have to admit
even a snake lover like me has a hard time calling a salt water
crocodile beautiful!) If a particular python attempts to bite him,
you will hear him say, “Oh, you’re being grumpy, mate!” “Danger!
Danger! Danger!” is another of his popular sayings.

Believe it or not, I think Steve Irwin’s rise - from a man running a
zoo in Australia to internationally known figure - can teach us some
things about how to make an impact on this culture.

First, he is passionate. Have you ever seen anyone so incredibly
zealous for a bunch of lizards and snakes? On several occasions he
has said, “I would give my life to save this crocodile!” Now that is
passion! Oh, that we as believers would have such a passion for
Jesus, who is of infinitely greater value than a reptile! Our lost
culture desperately needs people who will live for Jesus with a
passion. Great movements of God in history, from the First Great
Awakening to the Jesus Movement, have been led by people ablaze with a
passion for God.

Second, he is real. His videography is inferior to what you see in
National Geographic specials, but no one cares! We live in a society
today where reality is in, and synthetic is out. Look at the
popularity of shows like Survivor, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and
The Weakest Link, all of which feature everyday people rather than
phony Hollywood actors. The primary way The Crocodile Hunter has
grown to reach the masses is not through marketing. Rather, it has
touched a chord in the lives of many in the culture, especially the
coming generation of young people, who are sick and tired of slick
approaches to push a product. This culture wants real, not slick.

The best way to witness in this postmodern, increasingly radically
unchurched culture is to be just like the early believers. They did
not make an impression by their background, or their position, but by
their genuine, obvious, and deep love for Jesus. Acts 4:13 gives one
of many examples of this: Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant, they
marveled; and they realized that they had been with Jesus. The most
remarkable aspect of the early believers was that they were
unremarkable. That, and they were real.

Third, Steve Irwin takes risks. No, that is inaccurate. He loves
risks. His first show that put him on the map concerned his adventure
to capture the ten most venomous serpents in the world with his bare
hands. It seems he spends his life trying to get as close to being a
crocodile dinner as possible. He would not be happy unless he were
chasing down a wild pig by foot, or grabbing a cobra with his bare
hands, or jumping in a river on the back of an alligator. He will
make sacrifices to save an animal. Oh that we would make sacrifices
for the salvation of the lost! Could God even use a Crocodile Hunter
to spur us to take risks to reach the unchurched at any cost?

I teach at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a school known
for its doctrinal convictions and evangelistic passion. We are
uncompromising theologically, but we have some unusual people -
besides me, I mean. One of the members of our prestigious Board of
Visitors, Richard Headrick, sports a long ponytail and loves to wear
shirts with logos like “Hellfighter” on them. I like to tell people
that our theology is black and white, but our approach to ministry is
in living color. In other words, while we must consistently contend
for the faith once delivered, we must live in a way that demonstrates
the radical, passionate, total abandonment of our lives to Jesus.

Examine yourself: what are you doing for the sake of the Kingdom of
God that could compare to the zeal shown by Steve Irwin for the sake
of a pile of snakes?

This was written in 2001.

Technorati Tags: Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, Crocodile Hunter

What a story. Listen here to Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile talk of his conversion from Islam. WOW!

HT: Between Two Worlds

Tonight I led a “Film and Theology” discussion on the film Hotel Rwanda as part of our Equipping Center at Fellowship. I was asked a couple months ago if I’d like to take one of these evenings (Monday nights in June), and I was able to choose whatever film about which I wanted to have a theological discussion. I considered a number of films, but because Africa got my heart a couple years ago on my trip to Nigeria, this was a pretty easy decision. I’m leading a team to Kenya and Nigeria in October, partnering with Celestin Musekura and ALARM - African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries - to facilitate a worship conference in Nairobi. Celestin is an amazing man who was born and raised in Rwanda, and had many family and friends killed during this genocide in 1994 when over a million people were killed in a 3 month period.

I met Celestin about five years ago and it was during that first meeting that we began talking about ways to partner together in ministry - in one of the nine African nations where ALARM works. After leading teams to Nigeria in 2004 (different African ministry) and Peru in 2005, Celestin and I finally put a plan together for this upcoming trip, and my desire to discuss Hotel Rwanda stems from this partnership. God has a heart for Africa, and my desire is for more people to be aware of what is a reality in Africa even now. I studied on a number of theological concepts that can be drawn from this film, but ultimately, my prayer and goal was to let this film evoke an emotional response from those who watch it and get people fired up for God’s work in Africa.

If you haven’t watched this film, I would encourage you to do so. It is not for the faint of heart as it depicts a civil war that saw humanitarian atrocities the likes of which we will never see in America. But it is not a gratuitous film. It does a very good job of appropriately depicting grotesque killings without being grotesque. More is implied than shown, but the heart-wrenching emotions of families being torn apart is certainly felt. The hope comes from one man, Paul Rusesabagina, and his heroic efforts as the manager of a four-star hotel in saving over 1,200 people’s lives.

The primary theological concept to be taken from this film is the problem of evil. The question might be asked: How could a good God allow this kind of evil tragedy to happen? So, I did some study and research to be as prepared as possible for this as well as a number of other theological issues in this film.

What I didn’t realize during my preparation, was what God was up to and what HIS goal for the evening was.

As I pulled up to “The Barn” this evening, Bible, papers and DVD in hand… I was met by William Mwizerwa whom I’d met a couple years ago when we had the “Lost Boys of Sudan” sing at Fellowship. William had seen on our website that we were showing and discussing Hotel Rwanda this evening, and he showed up at church at the appointed time. I think he was surprised that I remembered his name as we met, but I was even more surprised at his answer to my question: “Do you have a connection with this film in any way?”

His answer: “Yes. I was in Rwanda during the genocide. I survived.”

I knew at that moment that God had His own plan for our discussion tonight and that we might not go down the theological paths for which I’d prepared. I was right.

Following this gut-wrenching and emotionally provacative film (understatement), I asked people how they were feeling. I knew that starting with a theological question was the wrong move. I was right.

People shared: Sick… Shame…Hard to swallow…Remorse…

And then William spoke. I had a wireless mic handy for just this moment and invited him to come to the front to share with everyone some of his story. He sat on a stool next to me and except for the occasional clarifying question, I just listened. He told about how he survived the killing sprees because his Hutu neighbors took he and his Tutsi family in and sheltered them. He told about how his wife’s entire family was killed. He told about the need for the Gospel of Love to be spread throughout Rwanda and all of Africa so something like this never happens again. He told of the one thing that he held onto for hope during this tragedy: his assurance that no matter what he lost in this life, he has an eternal life to come with Jesus. And though he had become a successful businessman, he left Rwanda with just a shirt, one pair of pants and a pair of shoes… and yet, clung to his faith that assured him this world is not his home and Rwanda was just a stop on his way to heaven.

I never did bring up the problem of evil. I guess I need to blog about it so I can at least use my research for something… But God intended for us to hear from a hero tonight, and we needed to hear his message. And we are accountable for what we saw in this film… And we all need to do something about it.

ALARM is doing something about it, and we can help by giving to their work. Here is Celestin’s description of the work they are doing to help Rwanda:

“There is hope in Rwanda and ALARM has been part of creating this hope through training new pastors to take over those who were massacred, through our reconciliation ministries that is bringing Hutus and Tutsis together through the biblical message of forgiveness and reconciliation. We are also bringing hope through our Women Economic Empowerment Program. Through our micro-finance and small business programs, we are helping widows to start their own small business.

ALARM is also distributing pigs and goats to Christian widows and orphans who are farmers who cannot do business. These are providing source of income and hope. We have two vocational training programs for Youth. Through our Youth Advocacy Program, we are educating youth on HIV/AIDS while training them in life skills such as carpentry, welding for boys, and tailoring for girls. Those who graduate after nine months we buy they tools and basic equipment to start their own business.
There are other Christian organizations and agencies that are helping to bring hope to Rwanda. The government of Rwanda has been working hard to restore peace and security in the country and our President is doing a tremendous work. However, much is still needed and I would challenge your discussion group to consider what they can do now.”

For more information on African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries, Inc., go to www.alarm-inc.org or call 972-671-8522. Donations can be sent to ALARM, Inc. P.O. Box 710397, Dallas, TX, 75371.

There is much to do and many opportunities to give. At the very least, please join me in prayer for Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria and the entire continent of Africa.

It doesn’t look very good for The Da Vinci Code: The Movie… Not the opening weekend it was hoping for. Here are some reviews from a movie cite I go to often, RottenTomatoes.com. The movie only has a 21% “fresh” rating… which is pretty terrible…

Here are a couple of the more interesting reviews:

  “You know a movie’s a dud when even its self-flagellating albino killer monk isn’t any fun. “

– John Beifuss, COMMERCIAL APPEAL (MEMPHIS, TN)

  “Too measured to be lively, too skittish to be provocative, too dramatically slack to be more than a ploddingly literal book-on-film.”

– Peter Canavese, GROUCHO REVIEWS

Here are some great quotes concerning the Gospel from the Together for The Gospel Blog:

“If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” (Augustine)

“The whole gospel is contained in Christ.” (John Calvin)

“Whenever the gospel is preached it is as if God himself came into the midst of us.” (John Calvin)

“There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin.” (Oswald Chambers)

“A gospel that elevates man and dethrones God is not the gospel.” (Will Metzger)

“The world has many religions; it has but one gospel.” (George Owen)

“The man who does not glory in the gospel can surely know little of the plague of sin that is within him. (J.C. Ryle)

“The revelation of the gospel is to a world that is already under indictment for its universal rejection of God the Father.” (R.C. Sproul)

“If the Lord’s bearing our sin for us is not the gospel, I have no gospel to preach.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize; there is nothing in the gospel of which we have any cause to be ashamed.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“The gospel is a glorious declaration of the mighty acts of God when he invaded this earth in the person of his eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (John Blanchard)

“The gospel is not ‘God loves us,’ but ‘God loves us at the cost of his Son.’” (Derek Thomas)

“As there is only one God, so there can be only one gospel.” (James Denney)

“The church is the fruit of the gospel.” (Hywel R. Jones)

“We have an unchanging gospel, which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay; but always the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah.” (C.H. Spurgeon)

“The gospel begins and ends with what God is, not what we want or think we need.” (Tom Houston)

And some more quotes from the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

“Never lose heart in the power of the gospel. Do not believe that there exists any man, much less any race of men, for whom the gospel is not fitted.” (CHS)

“Let this be to you the mark of true gospel preaching - where Christ is everything, and the creature is nothing; where it is salvation all of grace, through the work of the Holy Spirit applying to the soul the precious blood of Jesus.” (CHS)

“If God does not save men by truth, he certainly will not save them by lies. And if the old gospel is not competent to work a revival, then we will do without the revival.” (CHS)

“On Christ, and what he has done, my soul hangs for time and eternity. And if your soul also hangs there, it will be saved as surely as mine shall be. And if you are lost trusting in Christ, I will be lost with you and will go to hell with you. I must do so, for I have nothing else to rely upon but the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived, died, was buried, rose again, went to heaven, and still lives and pleads for sinners at the right hand of God.” (CHS)

HT: Together for the Gospel 

Adrian Warnock is giving away free copies of John Piper’s book God is the Gospel at his blog. Bloggers or blog-readers who join in the discussion around the Together for the Gospel statement are eligible to receive the free copy of Piper’s book published by Crossway. You can read the Together for the Gospel statement from my previous post here. It is a wonderful statement of truth and the gospel.

In the coming weeks, we will all have opportunities to enter discussions about Jesus based on questions surrounding The Da Vinci Code, both book and movie. Mark D. Roberts has some valuable resources on his blog here…

Grace Full Words: has the following quotes and more!

R.C. Sproul
“The Church stands or falls on sola fide.”
“According to Rome (the Catholic church) faith is a necessary condition of justification. According to protestants faith is a sufficient condition for justification”
“We are not justified by understanding the doctrine of justification. We are justified by Christ!”

John Piper
“Our preaching should be dominated by the greatness, the majesty and the holiness of God.- leaving the hearers with a spiritual sense of shock.”
“There is a weight to this office as pastor!”
“God planned for His Son to be crucified and for hell to be terrible.”
“God’s ultimate allegiance is to God and then to share that with you.”
“You do not honor fully what you do not enjoy!”
“2 Cor. 3:18 is God’s way of transforming people. Our job is to make Him seen. It’s the only way to change people.”
“2 Cor. 4:4 - you see with your ears.”
2 Sam. 3:21.”There is a famine of seeing and savoring the glory of God.”
“Forgiveness without the restoration of a relationship is not the gospel.”

C.J. Mahaney
“Our character must be more persuasive than our speech.”
“Knowledge of Scripture alone without the grace given by God to apply them is not enough. It leaves us vulnerable.”
“We must have a high view of the application. True knowledge is the prelude to grace motivated obedience.”
“The War within NEVER ends.”
“Few labor to know themsleves. To study indwelling sin for your own soul’s health.” John Owen
“Heart work is hard work.”
“We cannot effectively watch ourselves by ourselves.*
“Preach the whole counsel of God - but the cross is the center of the counsel…People should anticipate seeing the cross in every sermon.”

We are also told that C.J. recommended the book “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand.” by Paul Tripp - anyone out there read it?

Dr. John MacArthur
“We must be committed to certainty. Without certainty there is no clarity. Without clarity there is no conviction. Without conviction there is no affection. Without affection there is no community.”
“I’m not in the world to give my opinion. I’m here to bring God’s Word to the world.”
“Expository Preaching:
1. Establishes the authority of God over mind & soul.
2. Exalts the headship of Christ over His church.
3. It is the Word of God which the Spirit uses to save and to sanctify.
4. Strikes a blow at pride becauses it forces me to be in the Word.
5. Honors by example the priority of bible study. When you preach effectively you take them through the hermeneutics so you both (pastor and congregation) arrive at the “eureka moment” together.
6. Keeps people from the illusion that they have heard from God when they haven’t.
7. It has a massive impact on the reality of worship.
8. Protects people from error and carnality, which is deadly to the church.
9. Helps you fully understand the mind of Christ.”

HT: Adrian Warnock

This is the statement of faith that came out of the Together for the Gospel Conference. A concise, well-written and thoughtful statement of faith which I personally affirm. All believers would do well to read this and consider affirming it as well. It is of utmost importance in today’s culture - especially as truth and the Gospel are under attack. I really admire the four men who crafted and signed this document and applaud them for their efforts for the cause of the Gospel.

We are brothers in Christ united in one great cause - to stand together for the Gospel. We are convinced that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been misrepresented, misunderstood, and marginalized in many churches and among many who claim the name of Christ. Compromise of the Gospel has led to the preaching of false gospels, the seduction of many minds and movements, and the weakening of the church’s Gospel witness.As in previous moments of theological and spiritual crisis in the church, we believe that the answer to this confusion and compromise lies in a comprehensive recovery and reaffirmation of the Gospel - and in Christians banding together in Gospel churches that display God’s glory in this fallen world.

We are also brothers united in deep concern for the church and the Gospel. This concern is specifically addressed to certain trends within the church today. We are concerned about the tendency of so many churches to substitute technique for truth, therapy for theology, and management for ministry.

We are also concerned that God’s glorious purpose for Christ’s church is often eclipsed in concern by so many other issues, programs, technologies, and priorities. Furthermore, confusion over crucial questions concerning the authority of the Bible, the meaning of the Gospel, and the nature of truth itself have gravely weakened the church in terms of its witness, its work, and its identity.

We stand together for the Gospel - and for a full and gladdening recovery of the Gospel in the church. We are convinced that such a recovery will be evident in the form of faithful Gospel churches, each bearing faithful witness to the glory of God and the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Article I

We affirm that the sole authority for the Church is the Bible, verbally inspired, inerrant, infallible, and totally sufficient and trustworthy.

We deny that the Bible is a mere witness to the divine revelation, or that any portion of Scripture is marked by error, incompleteness, or the effects of human sinfulness.

Article II

We affirm that the authority and sufficiency of Scripture extends to the entire Bible, and therefore that the Bible is our final authority for all doctrine and practice.

We deny that any portion of the Bible is to be used in an effort to deny the truthfulness or trustworthiness of any other portion. We further deny any effort to identify a canon within the canon or, for example, to set the words of Jesus against the writings of Paul.

Article III

We affirm that the truth ever remains a central issue for the Church, and that the church must resist the allure of pragmatism and postmodern conceptions of truth as substitutes for obedience to the comprehensive truth claims of Scripture.

We deny that truth is merely a product of social construction or that the truth of the Gospel can be expressed or grounded in anything less than total confidence in the veracity of the Bible, the historicity of biblical events, and the abilityof language to convey understandable truth in sentence form. We further deny that the church can establish in its ministry on a foundation of pragmatism, current marketing techniques, or contemporary cultural fashions.

Article IV

We affirm the centrality of expository preaching in the church and the urgent need for a recovery of biblical exposition and the public reading of Scripture in worship.

We deny that God-honoring worship can marginalize or neglect the ministry of the Word as manifested through the exposition and public reading. We further deny that a church devoid of true biblical preaching can survive as a Gospel church.

Article V

We affirm that the Bible reveals God to be infinite in all his perfections, and thus truly omniscient, omnipotent, timeless, and self-existent. We further affirm that God posesses perfect knowledge of all things, past, present, and future, including human thoughts, acts, and decisions.

We deny that the God of the Bible is in any way limited in terms of knowledge or power or any other perfection or attribute, or that God has in any way limited his own perfections.

Article VI

We affirm that the doctrine of the Trinity is a Christian essential, bearing witness to the ontological reality of the one true God in three divine persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each of the same substance and perfections.

We deny the claim that the Trinity is not an essential doctrine, or that the Trinity can be understood in merely economic or functional categories.

Article VII

We affirm that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, in perfect, undiluted, and unconfused union throughout his incarnation and now eternally. We also affirm that Christ died on the cross as a substitute for sinners, as a sacrifice for sin, and as a propitiation of the wrath of God toward sin. We affirm the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ as essential to the Gospel. We further affirm that Jesus Christ is Lord over His church, and that Christ will reign over the entire cosmos in fulfillment of the Father’s gracious purpose.

We deny that the substitutionary character of Christ’s atonement for sin can be compromised or denied without serious injury, or even repudiation, of the Gospel. We further deny that Jesus Christ is visible only in weakness, rather than in power, Lordship, or royal reign, or, conversely, that Christ is visible only in power, and never in weakness.

Article VIII

We affirm that salvation is all of grace, and that the Gospel is revealed to us in doctrines that most faithfully exalt God’s sovereign purpose to save sinners and in His determination to save his redeemed people by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to His glory alone.

We deny any teaching, theological system, or means of presenting the Gospel that denies the centrality of God’s grace as His gift of unmerited favor to sinners in Christ can be considered true doctrine.

Article IX

We affirm that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s means of bringing salvation to His people, that sinners are commanded to believe the Gospel, and that the church is commissioned to preach and teach the Gospel to all nations.

We deny that evangelsim can be reduced to any program, technique, or marketing approach. We further deny that salvation can be separated from repentence toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Article X

We affirm that salvation comes to those who truly beleive and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

We deny that there is salvation in any other name, or that saving faith can take any form other than conscious belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving acts.

Article XI

We affirm the continuity of God’s saving purpose and the Christological unity of the covenants. we further affirm a basic distinction between law and grace, and that the true Gospel exalts Christ’s atoning work as the consummate and perfect fulfillment of the law.

We deny that the Bible presents any other means of salvation than God’s gracious acceptance of sinners in Christ.

Article XII

We affirm that sinners are justified only through faith in Christ, and that justification by faith alone is essential and central to the Gospel.

We deny that any teaching that minimizes, denies, or confuses justification by faith alone can be considered true to the Gospel. We further deny that any teaching that separates regeneration and faith is a true rendering of the Gospel.

Article XIII

We affirm that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers by God’s decree alone, and that this righteousness, imputed to the believer through faith alone, is the only righteousness that saves.

We deny that such righteousness is earned or deserved in any manner, is infused within the believer to any degree, or is realized in the believer through anything other than faith alone.

Article XIV

We affirm that the shape of Christian discipleship is congregational, and that God’s purpose is evident in faithful Gospel congregations, each displaying God’s glory in the marks of authentic ecclasiology.

We deny that any Christian can truly be a faithful descipple apart from the teaching, discipline, fellowship, and accountability of a congregation of fellow disciples, organized as a Gospel church. We further deny that the Lord’s Supper can faithfully be administered apart from the right practice of church discipline.

Article XV

We affirm that evangelical congregations are to work together in humble and voluntary cooperation and that the spiritual fellowship of Gospel congregations bears witness to the unity of the Church and the glory of God.

We deny that loyalty to any denomination or fellowship of churches can take precedence over the claims of truth and faithfulness to the Gospel.

Article XVI

We affirm that the Scripture reveals a pattern of complementary order between men and women, and that this order is itself a testimony to the Gospel, even as it is the gift of our Creator and Redeemer. We also affirm that all Christians are called to service within the body of Christ, and that God has given to both men and women important and strategic roles within the home, the chuhrch, and the society. We further affirm that the teaching office of the church is assigned only to those men who are called of God in fulfillment of the biblical teachings and that men are to lead in their homes as husbands and fathers who fear and love God.

We deny that the distinction of roles between men and women revealed in the Bible is evidence of mere cultural conditioning or a manifestation of male oppression or prejudice against women. We also deny that this biblical dinstinction of roles excludes women from meaningful minstry in Christ’s kingdom. We further deny that any church can confuse these issues without damaging its witness to the Gospel.

Article XVII

We affirm that God calls his people to display his glory in the reconciliation of the nations within the Church, and that God’s pleasure in this reconciliation is evident in the gathering of believers from every tongue and tribe and people and nation. We acknowledge that the staggering magnitude of injustice against African-Americans in the name of the Gospel presents a special opportunity for displaying the repentence, forgiveness, and restoration promised in the Gospel. We further affirm that evangelical Christianity in America bears a unique responsbility to demonstrate this reconciliation with our African-American brothers and sisters.

We deny that any church can accept racial prejudice, discrimination, or division without betraying the Gospel.

Article XVIII

We affirm that our only sure and confident hope is in the sure and certain promises of God. Thus, our hope is an eschatological hope, grounded in our confidence that God will bring all things to consummation in a manner that will bring greatest glory to his own name, greatest preeminence to his Son, and greatest joy for his redeemed people.

We deny that we are to find ultimate fulfillment or happiness in this world, or that God’s ultimate purpose is for us to find merely a more meaningful and fulfilling life in this fallen world. We further deny that any teaching that offeres health and wealth as God’s assured promises in this life can be considered a true gospel.

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you - unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…. - I Corinthians 15:1-4

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to thhose who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” - Revelation 14:6-7

Signed: J. Ligon Duncan III, Mark E. Dever, C.J. Mahaney, R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

HT: Tim Challies (Challies.com)

I’m a big fan of the Together for the Gospel blog, and Louisville’s Together for the Gospel Conference is going on right now with Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, C.J. Mahaney and Al Mohler along with special guests John Piper, R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur. Tim Challies is live-blogging the conference and is covering every session.

John Piper - not surprisingly - taught a session today on The Glory of God. The full write up is here.

Here is the outline and some highlights:

Section One: “Preaching that is aware of the glory of God”

He quoted Whitefield at length as he reflected on his longing for men to preach the Word. Here is what Whitefield wanted of those who would become preachers of the Word: They were to be mighty in the scriputures; aglow with the truths of the doctrines of grace; dead to self; willing to labor and suffer; indifferent to the accolades of man; broken to sin; dominated by a sense of the greatness and majesty and the holiness of God. He believed that preaching was heralding the Word of God from that kind of heart. Preaching is not talk, teaching, discussion, but the heralding of a message permeated by a sense of God’s holiness and majesty. It can be any topic, but that topic must be taken into the blazing center of the holiness of God in the Word of God. In the last century, the man who embodied this best was Martyn Lloyd-Jones…

Section 2 - What you believe about the glory of God? 

What you believe about the necessity and nature of preaching is governed by your sense of the glory of God and how you believe people awaken to it. From the beginning to end of the Bible, nothing is more ultimate in the mind and heart of God than the glory of God, the beauty of God, the radiance of his perfections. That is the ultimate allegience and commitment in the mind and heart of God. Everywhere you look, without exception, every place God makes explicit the ultimate reason for what He is doing what He is doing is for His glory. We are predestined for His glory, created for His glory, elected for His glory, saved from Egypt for His glory, rescued from the exile for His glory, He sent Christ so the gentiles would praise Him for His glory, we are to eat and drink and do everything to His glory, Christ will return so the redeemed will marvel at His glory. The mission of the church, therefore, is to declare His glory to the nations…

Section 3 - How do people awaken to the glory of God? 

This is the goal of a pastor. He should want to so live, lead, preach, suffer that his people will rejoice at a message like this. The answer is in 2 Corinthians 3:18 - 4:6. God is the Gospel is Piper’s overflow of meditation on these verses. These verses show that people are changed the way and at the speed that God wants them to change. Far too many people abandon these verses for a new technique. They may produce change, but it may not be the change that God wants in His people. The job of the pastor is to make the glory of God seen so that people are changed…

Section 4 - How does this relate to “expository exultation” (Piper’s definition of preaching)?

If it is the purpose of God to display His glory in the world, and if come to know and enjoy it by beholding it, and if we behold it best in the gospel, and if the gospel is proclamation, then preaching is absolutely essential. It is heralding the gospel and the glory of Christ in the gospel. This is our central job…

(from Brian): I’m not a preacher… and you may not be a preacher… but we are all called to proclaim the truth of the gospel and to speak forth in a way that declares and advances the glory of God. “…The heralding of a message permeated by a sense of God’s holiness and majesty…” That’s why this post matters to everyone, preacher or not. Please click here to read the whole post. John Piper’s heart is right on.

Friend and fellow blogger Reid Monaghan (Power of Change) taught the first part in a two-part series today on The Da Vinci Code where he laid the foundation for why it’s culturally important to understand what is behind the phenomenon of the DVC. The point is not to get sucked into the myth and the heresies behind this fictitious book, but to understand why it is taking culture by storm and be able to defend truth in light of the heretical and blasphemous claims made in the book and film.

I read The Da Vinci code almost three years ago, and knew when I read it that this book could do serious damage to some people’s fragile belief systems if it became more well-known than it had even at that time. And now, here we are with the movie release coming up May 19 - and unbelievable “buzz” surrounding this movie starring America’s beloved Tom Hanks and directed by another American “hero”, Ron Howard. This movie is sure to hit BIG at the box office.

So what is Da Vinci Code’s “perfect storm” all about? The “perfect storm” refers to the storm that developed off the northeast coast of the U.S. in 1991 where a cold front combined with a low pressure system and remnants of Hurricane Grace to create a scenario perfect for the development of a massive and destructive storm. It was such an amazing storm that a book was written and a movie was eventually produced.

Reid presented the case for a cultural “perfect storm” where a number of factors combine to create the scenario where this book has sold over 50 million copies and now is being produced into a high-budget Hollywood blockbuster. Here are the elements of the cultural perfect storm that are contributing to this Da Vinci Code phenomenon:

1. Discussion around the “Lost Gospels” - There has been a lot of interest in recent years around writings that supposedly call into question the validity of our current Scripture and present a different view of history and the life of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Mary Magdalene (among others) and most recently the Gospel of Judas are a few of those. Most of these writings have been found to have been written as late as the 200’s and 300’s - many, many years after the rest of the Canon of Scripture - and LONG after Mary and Judas had died. Yet, many people are holding these writings to the same level of Scripture. And Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown capitalizes on this in the book, bringing up many fringe writings while also calling into question the authority of Scripture.

2. Conspiracy Theories - There is all kind of interest in conspiracy theories in the world today - alien abductions, government involvement in assassinations, UFOs, etc, etc. Culture is fascinated by a good conspiracy theory, which is clearly exploited in DVC.

3. Orders, Art and Architecture - The Knights Templar, the Priory of Scion, Opus Dei… These secretive, mysterious orders - often dating back to medieval times and before - easily draw many people in to their intrigue. The mystery behind their practices and rituals is a lure into a world we know not of - and Dan Brown is aware of this curiosity of human nature. Add to the picture interest in the world of great art and beautiful architecture and you have the recipe for the success of DVC. People are intrigued to know there might be something behind the coy smile of the Mona Lisa and possible connections to the Louvre in France and other great architectural marvels.

4. The “Vatican Boogeyman” - Many people want reason to believe their fears that the Catholic Church is controlled by greed for money, power and influence to the point that it will do anything to perpetuate its belief system - even if the belief system is based on deceit and false information. Dan Brown capitalizes on this and picks on the Catholic Church, setting it up as a dominant predator that will seek to save face no matter the cost.

5. Goddess Worship and Neo-Paganism - There has been much interest in recent years in the Divine Feminine, the role and position of women in society and the worship of goddesses. Interest in witchcraft has risen sharply in recent years and Brown picks up on these issues with the interest in Mary Magdalene and the centrality of the book’s key female character, Sophie - a supposed descendent of Jesus and Mary Magdalene…

6. Pick a Fight with Jesus - Over 2.1 billion people in the world consider themselves “Christian” in some form - with belief in the person of Jesus Christ being the central focus. Brown calls all known information about Jesus into question and gets at the core belief system of the largest religious order on the planet. If Brown wanted to generate interest in his fast-paced, intriguing murder mystery, he got it from all directions by targeting the core, fundamental beliefs of those who consider themselves Christians (whether protestant or Catholic) - primarily the beliefs of the divine authority of Scripture and the life, death and resurrection of Christ…

All of these six factors (and maybe some others as well) have combined for such a time as this in the course of human history to create the perfect storm scenario where - as Brown touches on all of them in unique and creative ways - they create a stir and buzz that will be hard for the world to not take notice.

The terrible thing is that the validity and authority of Scripture are being questioned, the legitimacy of Christ’s integrity and character is being attacked and almost all of the book’s content that supports these concerns is being upheld as “fact” when in reality, a lot of it either isn’t true or wasn’t well researched.

The great thing about this is that this perfect cultural storm is getting the whole world talking about Jesus! Being aware of the issues in this book and movie will create many opportunities for dialogue over the coming weeks and months. Dialogue that presents the gospel and sees lives being changed. But, we need to know our own faith well and how it interfaces with The Da Vinci Code in order to engage culture in this unique season of opportunity. We can’t stick our heads in the sand and either not respond, or protest in ignorance when God may well be (and most likely IS) planning on using even this for the advancement of His glory. How do I know that? Because that’s just how He operates and has proven time and again that what man intends for evil, God intends for good.

Do you have any other ideas on “pefect storm” factors that might not have been mentioned? If so, drop me a line and we can continue the dialogue.

I’m not advocating seeing the movie (although I will) - but I am advocating that we know enough about the issues raised - in the book and the movie - that we can get into the cultural world without being threatened, and present the one, true Gospel. This book and movie are an open door… We all need to decide how the Spirit is leading us to walk through it into the possibility of changed lives and people giving their lives to the advancement of the Gospel and uplifting the glory of God.

Could it be that this is part of God’s divine plan? Could God Himself have devised the pieces that would come together to create this perfect cultural storm? Because of what I believe about God, my answer is YES.

This from Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds:

A few days ago I passed along an email from screenwriter Brian Godawa, where he included a suggested strategy of going to a different movie than the Da Vinci Code on its opening weekend. After receiving feedback, he’s had second thoughts on that approach, and passes along the following note (with permission to post). I reprint it here for your consideration:

“I have had some very helpful responses to the email I forwarded about strategy dealing with the Da Vinci Code release on May 19. In fact, they were so good that they persuaded me to expand my thinking on what to do May 19. I have always affirmed the Acts 17 approach to engaging with pagan culture, and was neglectful in taking that into consideration when I forwarded that email. As I thought about it some more, based on some of your thoughtful challenges, I realized that this is a profound opportunity that we have not had in a long time (since, The Passion) to talk about Jesus so widely. Now, some Christians have different gifts and ministries than others, which mean there are several ways of dealing with this issue, and all of them are legitimate depending on what situation you are in:

1) Educate yourself and go to see another movie on May 19. This was the first suggestion. And it is great for those who would probably not go see the movie anyway, as well as those who feel they don’t want to “support” the success of the film. Hollywood does listen to box office on the first couple weekends in terms of what movies they will continue to make. In a sense, our dollars are votes for what kind of movies are going to be made. Buy some books by Christians who have dissected the fallacies and fantasies of The Da Vinci Code so you can actually converse with people and express a measure of intelligence. It is important to note here that Christians have a reputation for not knowing what they are talking about because they “haven’t seen the movie.” BUT… Remember, you don’t have to see the movie to be able to discuss it with those who have, but you DO have to know what the issues are. In fact, the most effective means of witnessing is to LISTEN FIRST. So ask what someone else learned from the movie to see just how it affected them, and then respond to those concerns with the truth.
Too often we start rattling off what we think is wrong with something before we understand what the unbeliever really needs or thinks.

Listening first places you in a humble and disarming position. JUST ASK QUESTIONS AND LISTEN to the unbeliever’s viewpoint first. Wow, what a concept!

2) Go see the movie on May 19. The fact is, some unbelievers will not listen to your viewpoint if you haven’t seen it. For those of you who are in these circles, you may need to see it in order to interact with more effect. If your friends are going to see it, go with them, so you can give your opinions when they discuss it afterward. If you aren’t there when they do, then you’ve missed a chance to share the Gospel. Go the first couple weeks because it is going to be a hot issue and a lot of people will be talking about it right away, so if we wait for a few weeks, we can miss the most important discussions. The point is that we rarely have an open opportunity to talk about Jesus and here we have the unbelievers bringing it up and willing to talking about it.

OBJECTIONS:

1) But doesn’t this give money to godless movie companies for their godless films?
Well, Either Paul or Gamaliel, under whom Paul studied, paid money to buy the plays of Menander as well as the writings of pagan poets Aratus and Cleanthes and many others in order to interact with their ideas and apply the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:33; Acts 17:24-29). So there is biblical precedent for paying money for godless works in order to interact with them.

Look at it this way: You are paying 10 bucks to listen to a godless hate theory about Jesus, but this “buys” you the opportunity to share the true Jesus with those who would not listen to you otherwise.

Christians are always griping about how hard it is to get opportunities to talk about Jesus and this is a stark raving opportunity. Who cares if you have to pay for the opportunity? Do you want to share Jesus or not? $10 to be able to share Jesus. That’s pretty cheap. Of course, if you are like many Christians and do not really have any unbelievers who are your friends, then you probably don’t need to go because who do you have to share Jesus with anyway?

2) But doesn’t the first weekend box office support the film’s success?

Yes, it does on one level. However, the other side of that coin is that the more of a success it is, the more people talk about it, the more opportunity you have to share the real Jesus with them. If you wait until the second or third week, you will not be prepared to engage in the hottest discussions which are the first couple weeks. Also, realistically, whether you go to the first, second or tenth week, it’s still gonna count toward the box office anyway, so why not have a voice for Jesus in the hottest discussions? Would Paul have opted out of speaking to the pagans on Mars Hill because they wouldn’t respect him unless he read the Poets? No! He read the Poets and entered the fray!

Because he believed the truth of the Gospel will win out and “greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world!” (1 John 4:4)

Folks, this is an opportunity to talk about Jesus! So the options are: 1) go to a different movie that weekend to cast a vote against Da Vinci Code, 2) Don’t go to the opening week of Da Vinci Code and don’t have an opportunity to talk about Jesus to those who did and won’t listen to you if you did not, or 3) Go the opening week and DO have an opportunity to talk about Jesus to those who did. Again, this has to do with the fact that there are plenty of unbelievers who will not listen to your viewpoint if you haven’t seen it. Sure, that’s unfair. Welcome to history.”

I’m not bashful about saying John Piper is one of my favorite theologians and authors, if not my favorite. His words are trustworthy because they are always based in truth, and most often on God’s Word. The following letter is a must read regarding the gospel, the Christian life, and the call for all to repentence. The call for a radical change of the heart and the “mind’s perceptions and dispositions and purposes…”
Letters From Cambridge #2

April 19, 2006

As part of my sabbatical here in Cambridge, England, I am working on a book with the tentative title What Jesus Demands From the World. The demand to repent is as basic as it gets in Jesus’ message. It is equally basic to, and almost synonymous with, the command, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). One of my concerns is to show that repentance in Jesus’ message is not behavior but the inner change that gives rise to new God-centered, Christ-exalting behavior. Here are some thoughts to help make the meaning of repentance more plain.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17)

I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32)

The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. (Matthew 12:41)

Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3, 5)

The first demand of Jesus’ public ministry was, “Repent.” He spoke this command indiscriminately to all who would listen. It was a call for radical inward change toward God and man.

Two things show us that repentance is an internal change of mind and heart rather than mere sorrow for sin or mere improvement of behavior. First, the meaning of the Greek word behind the English “repent” (metanoeo) points in this direction. It has two parts: meta and noeo. The second part (noeo) refers to the mind and its thoughts and perceptions and dispositions and purposes. The first part (meta) is a prefix that regularly means movement or change.1 So the basic meaning of repent is to experience a change of the mind’s perceptions and dispositions and purposes.

The other factor that points to this meaning of repent is the way Luke 3:8 describes the relationship between repentance and new behavior. It says, “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.” Then it gives examples of the fruits: “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise” (Luke 3:11). This means that repenting is what happens inside of us that leads to the fruits of new behavior. Repentance is not the new deeds, but the inward change that bears the fruit of new deeds. Jesus is demanding that we experience this inward change.

Why? His answer is that we are sinners. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). What was Jesus’ view of sin? In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus describes the son’s sin like this: “He squandered his property in reckless living . . . [and] devoured [it] with prostitutes” (Luke 15:13, 30). But when the prodigal repents he says, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” Therefore, throwing your life away on reckless living and prostitutes is not just humanly hurtful; it is an offense against heaven—that is, against God. That’s the essential nature of sin. It’s an assault on God.

We see this again in the way Jesus taught his disciples to pray. He said that they should pray, “Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (Luke 11:4). In other words, sins that God forgives are compared to the ones people commit against us, and those are called debts. Therefore, Jesus’ view of sin was that it dishonored God and put us in debt to restore the divine honor we had defamed by our God-belittling behavior or attitudes. That debt is paid by Jesus himself. “The Son of man came . . . to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). But for us to enjoy that gift he says we must repent.

Repenting means experiencing a change of mind that now sees God as true and beautiful and worthy of all our praise and all our obedience. This change of mind also embraces Jesus in the same way. We know this because Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God.” Seeing God with a new mind includes seeing Jesus with a new mind.

No one is excluded from Jesus’ demand to repent. He made this clear when a group of people came to him with news of two calamities. Innocent people had been killed by Pilate’s massacre and by the fall of the tower of Siloam (Luke 13:1-4). Jesus took the occasion to warn even the bearers of the news: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). In other words, don’t think calamities mean that some people are sinners in need of repentance and others aren’t. All need repentance. Just as all need to be born anew because “that which is born of the flesh is [merely] flesh” (John 3:6), so all must repent because all are sinners.

When Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32), he did not mean that some persons are good enough not to need repentance. He meant some think they are (Luke 18:9), and others have already repented and have been set right with God. For example, the rich young ruler desired “to justify himself” (Luke 10:29) while “the tax collector . . . beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [and] went down to his house justified [by God!]” (Luke 18:13-14).

Therefore, none is excluded. All need repentance. And the need is urgent. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” What did he mean by perish? He meant that the final judgment of God would fall on those who don’t repent. “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41). Jesus, the Son of God, is warning people of the judgment to come, and offering escape if we will repent. If we will not repent, Jesus has one word for us, “Woe, to you” (Matthew 11:21).

This is why his demand for repentance is part of his central message that the kingdom of God is at hand. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The gospel—the good news—is that the rule of God has arrived in Jesus to save sinners before it arrives at his second coming in judgment. So the demand to repent is based on the gracious offer that is present to forgive, and on the gracious warning that someday those who refuse the offer will perish in God’s judgment.

After he had risen from the dead Jesus made sure that his apostles would continue the call for repentance throughout the world. He said, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46-47). So the demand of Jesus to repent goes to all the nations. It comes to us, whoever we are and wherever we are, and lays claim on us. This is the demand of Jesus to every soul: Repent. Be changed deep within. Replace all God-dishonoring, Christ-belittling perceptions and dispositions and purposes with God-treasuring, Christ-exalting ones.

For Christ and his kingdom,

Pastor John

This letter can be found on Piper’s website at http://desiringgod.org/library/fresh_words/2006/041906.html

“Nothing is more important to your marriage than your theology (what you believe about God), and nothing is more important to your theology and hence your marriage) than the gospel.”

“When we grasp the depth of God’s love for us revealed in the gospel, when we rest in the joy of God’s forgiveness toward us in the gospel, when we experience God’s transforming power in us through the gospel, and when we begin to emulate the pattern of humility and obedience we see in the gospel, what a wonderful difference this will make in our lives and marriages! Nothing is more essential to a marriage, and nothing brings more hope, than applying the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Gary and Betsy Ricucci, Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace , pp. 21, 23

HT: Between Two Worlds (Justin Taylor)

On Together for the Gospel blog, the question was asked “What is the Gospel?” Many Christians would be foggy on what the Gospel is and if asked, might not be prepared to give a defense. Below is part of C.J. Mahaney’s response. Click here to read the whole post. I highly recommend it. Reading Mahaney’s writings on the cross and the Gospel has helped me tremendously.

The following is my attempt to answer these important questions with the help of those much smarter than myself:

1) What is the gospel?

No question is more important, and biblical clarity in response to this question is critical. Sadly, confusion about the gospel is quite common among professing evangelicals today. I find Graeme Goldsworthy’s comment all too relevant: “The main message of the Bible about Jesus Christ can easily become mixed with all sorts of things that are related to it. We see this in the way people define or preach the gospel. But it is important to keep the gospel itself clearly distinct from our response to it or from the results of it in our lives and in the world.”
So here is my attempt to heed the counsel of Dr. Goldsworthy and keep the gospel “clearly distinct.”
The following definition of the gospel, provided by Jeff Purswell , the Dean of our Pastors College, seeks to capture the substance of the gospel:

“The gospel is the good news of God’s saving activity in the person and work of Christ. This includes his incarnation in which he took to himself full (yet sinless) human nature; his sinless life which fulfilled the perfect law of God; his substitutionary death which paid the penalty for man’s sin and satisfied the righteous wrath of God; his resurrection demonstrating God’s satisfaction with his sacrifice; and his glorification and ascension to the right hand of the Father where he now reigns and intercedes for the church.

“Such news is specific: there is a defined ‘thatness’ to the gospel which sets forth the content of both our saving faith and our proclamation. It is objective, and not to be confused with our response. It is sufficient: we can add nothing to what Christ has accomplished for us–it falls to us simply to believe this news, turning from our sins and receiving by faith all that God has done for us in Christ.”

I find this definition of the gospel faithful to the presentation of the four Gospels—they present the person and work of Christ as the good news. In the Apostle Paul’s concise summation of the gospel, he focuses more particularly on Christ’s death and resurrection as the core of his proclamation:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….” 1 Cor 15:3-4

Focusing more specifically still, the apostle encapsulates the work of Christ by focusing on the cross:
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Cor. 2:2