Had I only read the transcript from the following video–not knowing who it came from–I would have never guessed it came from Mark Driscoll. I would have been sure it came from someone who frequents TBN.

Be sure to visit the Sola Sisters article (linked above) for more on this latest movement away from biblical Christianity by Mark Driscoll.

I now want follow up on this story by sharing what real discernment looks like.

John MacArthur was asked in this video what he thinks may come about in the church in the years to come and MacArthur is quick to comment on the essential component missing from so many churches and pastors today in the reformed faith. In part one he talks about how having reformed soteriology doesn’t give you a pass in regard to the role as a shepherd or with the way you conduct yourself.

Part 1 – Reversal of the Reformed Revival

In part 2 of this interview, MacArthur again challenges us in a wonderful way. Are our pastors involved in the life of the church? Are you attending a church that has a video screen playing the sermon, which MacArthur calls “Flat Screen Preaching”? How can you tell if this man is qualified to be an elder and above reproach if he only exists on a video screen? What sort of church is that? We should not allow a rock-n-roll event on Sunday morning replace the  shepherding care of our souls.

Part 2 – Reversal of the Reformed Revival

Let us not forget how Paul instructs Timothy regarding overseers of the church in his first letter to Timothy. These words are tragically ignored, forgotten, pushed aside, and downplayed way too much today:

1 Timothy 3:1-7

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

This link takes you to the Pyromaniacs Blog where Phil Johnson posted this today…It is regarding Mark Driscoll’s Pornographic Divination. And what is my problem you ask? As if it is not obvious. It’s not that this is just terrible theology and horrendous doctrine regarding discernment and spiritual gifts. But, rather simply that Paul calls Pastor/Teachers/Elders to be above reproach:

1 Timothy 3:1-3:

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,…

Mr. Driscoll is misfiring on several cylinders here. Look for yourself is he above reproach?:

PORNOGRAPHIC DIVINATION (find article here)

Here is the intro from Phil:

“In a post last week, I pointed out that the preposterous claims, unhinged behavior, and spiritual quackery that are so prominent at the charismatic movement’s lunatic fringe are by no means limited to the outer edges. Goofiness and gullibility are necessary byproducts of a belief system that fails to take seriously the principle of sola Scriptura and its ramifications (i.e., the authority and sufficiency of Scripture).

Here’s a sample of the kind of thing I was referring to: The video below features Mark Driscoll, claiming the Holy Spirit regularly gives him graphic visions showing acts of rape, fornicators in flagrante delicto, and sexual child molesters in the very act.

Please be forewarned, this video and the transcript is somewhat graphic in content and may be offensive to you. It certainly is offensive to me.

Phil Johnson and Team Pyro:

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/

It keeps getting worse, as John Piper pursues public friendships with people who know not the gospel of Jesus Christ yet call themselves ministers of the gospel. People like Rick Warren.

What follows is an excerpt from a post from Ken Silva at Apprising.org at this page.

People of the living God – pay attention to the teaching you receive. Do not take anything from any man without testing it in light of the Word of God. Give no minister a pass on essential issues of the Christian faith, for many are deceived and many more will be. Mark those walk contrary to the Word of God and have nothing to do with them.

Here is part of Ken’s message – read the whole thing.

This was a Trojan Horse that squishy evanjellyfish leaders would bring into their own camp and then proved to be the vehicle from which this spurious spirituality, a romanticized version of the Counter Reformation (hello) spirituality of the apostate Roman Catholic Church, would be unloaded into the mainstream of the visible church, which such as these have been pawning off for years now as so-called Spiritual Formation. I’ve also pointed out it’s an incontrovertible fact that the main purveyors of CSM would be the Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, along with Southern Baptist minister Dallas Willard; who is quite literally Foster’s spiritual twin.

In additon, in no uncertain terms I told you that it’s well past time for recognizing the inclusive, and increasingly universal, fruit of the Emerging Church and the spiritual skubalon of Foster-Willardism. Ok, but what does this have to do with John Piper? I’m glad you asked. Dr. Piper’s choice to advance Rick Warren into the Reformed camp has had the rippling effect of people, even outside of any discernment ministries, beginning to look a little closer at his theology, educational background, and associations; e.g. his charismatic bent, his connection to Fuller Theological Seminary, and with the late Ralph Winter.

I had received a tip from a source back in June of this past year; and as I followed up on it, it would eventually lead me to discover some disturbing information which I orginally began sharing in Questions Concerning Dr. John Piper and Dr. John Piper And Unanswered Questions. As I told you earlier this year in Mark Driscoll, Acts 29 Network, & The Emerging Church I have some serious reservations about so-called New Calvinism. And there’s very good reason for such concern as Mark Driscoll and his Acts 29 Network are growing in popularity and influence within the younger sector of the Reformed Camp; being blessed as they are by Dr. John Piper, who’s seen as a father of this New Calvinism.[3]

But then the next shoe dropped: Piper invited Rick Warren to speak at last year’s Desiring God conference (and I noticed there were a lot less voices being raised from the defend-Piper-at-all-costs crowd). Rick Warren was unable to make it to that conference but this year Piper is traveling to Warren’s church.

This link contains the video (and other information) for John Piper’s upcoming Desiring God regional conference on “Meditations of a Christian Hedonist” being held at Rick Warren’s Saddleback church.

It appears that the slippery slope some of us were talking about over the past few years is rapidly turning into a cliff.

Will Piper surprise us and preach a non-compromising sermon on Christ and Him crucified to those who’ve been nursing on Warren’s  messages for years (we can only hope and pray), or will things only get worse as the years go by and perhaps next year we’ll see an endorsement of Thomas S. Monson? I guess time will only tell.

Nasty, snarky, condescending, and vitriolic comments will not be approved.

I say “wonderfully convicting” because it really opened my eyes to what it means to “take the Lord’s name in vain” and challenged me to be even more vigilant to keep His name holy and unprofaned.

Warning: Fans (and defenders) of Mark Driscoll will probably not like this message because Johnson doesn’t beat around the bush regarding Driscoll’s mouth.

This current installment is from Johnson’s series on the Ten Commandments that we are currently featuring on DefCon every other week as your Sermon of the Week (on Thursdays).

False idols of who Jesus is come in all shades and styles, but there’s nothing that’s created more false idols of who Jesus is than man’s own heart.

Unfortunately, most people have created a “Jesus” of their own liking, fashioned in the recesses of their carnal minds (or created by some religious leader that they’ve submitted their lives and entrusted their souls to) and that’s the “Jesus” they serve and worship. Ironically, these false idols of “Jesus” bear a striking resemblance to those who created them (and their desires), but very little–if any–resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible.

Since there are so many versions of “Jesus” circulating out there I’ve decided to create this easy to use (but non-exhaustive) resource as a way to help you know which “Jesus” you worship based solely upon what you believe about Him.

If your Jesus . . .

. . . is the sibling of Satan; born from a sexual encounter between God the Father who was once a man (Adam to be exact) and God’s own daughter Mary; who was crucified because he practiced polygamy; who did not pay for the sins of the world on the cross but in the Garden of Gethsemane, whose sacrifice was insufficient since you still have to work your way to heaven and in some cases your own blood must be spilled to redeem yourself; and who could not maintain his church but had to commission a lying, swindling, occult-dabbling, womanizing, pedophiliac, adulterer, Freemason, con-artist who was known for telling tall tales (whose own account of the first vision changed several times), to “translate” an ancient and “inspired” book that needed almost 4,000 corrections, changes, and alterations since it’s first publication, and to “restore” the church that your Jesus couldn’t keep together  . . .

. . . then you worship the Mormon Jesus.

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is a created being (Michael the Archangel to be exact); who is not God but a god (thus making you a polytheist); who will condemn you for celebrating your birthday or giving your child a life saving blood transfusion; who did not die on a cross but on an upright stake; whose body is unaccounted for and still missing today because he did not physically rise from the dead but only raised “spiritually;” whose sacrifice was insufficient because you still have to earn your own salvation; and who–in spite of accepting worship from those around him–does not want you to worship him . . .

. . . then you worship give obeisance to the Jehovah’s Witness Jesus

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is most commonly depicted as a helpless infant or dead upon a cross; who is bound to take orders from his mortal mom who he created (the Creator subjecting himself to the creation); who has to share his glory with the mortal human Mary; who is our mediator between his earthly, kindhearted, and loving mother and his angry, vindictive father; who is sacrificed again and again every week (in spite of the Bible saying He was sacrificed once and for all, never to be sacrificed again) because mortal human priests have incredible power to call him down from heaven and magically turn him into a cracker and wine (again being subject to his creation instead of the other way around); and whose sacrifice was insufficient because you still have to merit your own salvation . . .

. . . then you worship the Roman Catholic Jesus

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is a hippie-like figure who no longer considers the Bible as a final authority but questions the very Scriptures and their perspicuity, even going as far as to justify such sins as homosexuality; who no longer differentiates between sheep and goats, wheat and tares, truth and error, light and darkness, the broad road and the narrow path, but now warmly accepts Roman Catholicism, Lecto Divina, and other false religious traditions and mystical practices  (it would be judgmental not to); and whose motto is “come as you are and you can stay that way too because only Pharisees would tell you otherwise,” . . .

. . . then you worship the Emergent Jesus.

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . wears an Armani suit while driving a Lexus; whose sole purpose for existence is to show you by example how to line your pockets with greenbacks if you simply sow a financial seed of faith; who confirms your salvation by such outward expressions as being slain in the spirit and speaking in tongues; and who says that if you don’t accept these strange doctrines then you’re just not anointed enough . . .

. . . then you worship the Charismatic Word of Faith Jesus.

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is a registered Republican; wrapped in the American flag; whose purpose for coming to earth was to show us that the gospel is salvation through legislation; who wants us to set up God’s kingdom on earth by our efforts and political action; who exists to help your son win the football game and your daughter win the dance recital; and who doesn’t mind sitting on the shelf till you’re ready to pull him out at Christmas, Easter, weddings, funerals, national tragedies, or whenever you want to feel good about yourself . . .

. . . then you worship American Jesus.

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . never mentions your sinfulness or his holiness, but instead emphasizes having a good time in church with a rockin’ praise band; boasts of a fun atmosphere for kids; has a relevant message from the latest Hollywood movie; and offers free coffee and donuts in the lounge . . .

. . . then you worship the Laodicean Jesus (see also Mega-Church Jesus below).

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is a Hawaiian shirt-wearing, big-teeth smiling, latte-drinking-while-preaching, motivational speaker peddling the message that God’s greatest hope for mankind is that they reach their full potential by finding their purpose in this life and living that best life now . . .

. . . then you worship Mega-Church Jesus

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . considers praise music and CCM to be the two sacraments of the church; considers a membership in a Christian CD music club to be evidence of sanctification; emphasizes the church praise band’s practice sessions over that of church Bible study, prayer, evangelism, and holiness; suggests that the church is a place to showcase one’s talent for rockin’ a guitar for God; and who believes that music “reaches people” in a way that the gospel can’t . . .

. . . then you worship Musician Jesus (aka Golden Calf Jesus).

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . believes public school teachers, Christian psychologists, the church, the lead pastor, and especially the “youth pastor” are all responsible for your child’s biblical and spiritual upbringing, development, nourishment, and maturity (everyone but their own parents); who teaches that peers of the same age group (and often the opposite sex) are the best mentors and role models for your children; whose “youth ministries” are most commonly identified by lock-ins, pizza parties, bowling nights, and lots of drama (both kinds); and who considers that those best qualified to pressure your child/teen into repeating a “sinner’s prayer” are the twenty-something hip dude who’s never raised any children of his own, has way too much gel in his hair, and knows more about MTV and U2 than theology and his Bible . . .

. . . then you worship Youth Pastor Jesus.

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is an ascended master (one of many); who does not believe in sin, holiness, or redemption; and is accepting of all religions because he himself is just one of many paths to enlightenment . . .

. . . then you worship New Age Jesus (a.k.a. Oprah Jesus, not to be confused with the Robert Schuller Jesus or The Shack Jesus).

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is ok with the use of profanity, the twisting of parts of the Bible to promote masturbation and other parts of Scripture to create mandates for wives to commit certain sexual acts with their husbands; who winks at the copious amount of vulgarity, sexual innuendos, double entendres, and all things worldly; enjoys being depicted as a disc jokey on t-shirts; and whose premier preacher makes fun of “fundamentalists” (those who take the Bible seriously), mocks those who take responsibility for the education of their own children (because they take the Bible seriously), and considers Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, and Robert Schuller his spiritual brothers . . .

. . . then you worship the Mark Driscoll Jesus

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If your Jesus . . .

. . . is the sovereign, mighty, holy, King of kings, Lord of lords, chief cornerstone; the Alpha and Omega; the First and Last; the Son of God; God in the flesh; a completely sufficient Savior; eternally existent; Creator of all things; who is, who was, who is to come; who became flesh; subject to no human; reigns over all; was born of a virgin; who shed His priceless Blood for His elect; who laid His life down upon a rugged cross, took that life up again–body and all–on the third day, snatched the keys of Hades, and removed the sting from death; who is the Prince of Peace, the Great Physician, Immanuel, God with us; whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light; who is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, who is the faultless, sinless, unblemished, Lamb of God; the only mediator between God and man; the narrow gate; the way, the truth, the life; the only way to the Father; and who is worthy to receive glory, and honor, and power forever and ever, Amen!. . .

. . . then you worship the Jesus of the Bible.

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See also:

How Do You Read Romans 1:16?

Woe Unto You

It is so sad to watch

It is with a heavy heart that I bring your attention to yet two more examples–two websites that I have long respected for their work, but now I can no longer endorse on DefCon.

The first one is Monergism. I have greatly enjoyed their Reformed resources but I have discovered that they endorse Mark Driscoll (as evidenced by their 163 links about him found on their website).

The other Driscoll endorsement was brought to my attention by DavidW, a regular reader and commenter on this blog. He pointed out this article from apologetics ministry C.A.R.M. in which the following quote was found:

Would I recommend anybody go to Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church?  Absolutely yes.  Not only will you get good teaching, but you’ll encounter a vibrant community of believers in the midst of a very unchurched society.  Keep up the good work Mark.

It is so discouraging that there seems to be so little discernment within the Church today, even from those who in the past have exhibited great discernment. Times are getting grim.

At this time I have removed both of these ministries from DefCon’s category links and I will be contacting both of them. If my contacts are ignored or I’m told they’re going to continue in their endorsement of Driscoll, then you will see that their sites remain absent from DefCon. However, if they do change their stance on this man I will welcome them back with open arms and even announce DefCon’s endorsement of them in a future post.

Let’s consider a few “harmless” movies and see if this is truly honoring and glorifying God in what they portray. These little insights can be found from Plugged In Online, which I highly recommend the reader to use when considering what will be shown to the family while enjoying a bowl of popcorn or ice cream. We will consider some of the worst aspects as there are plenty of people who will seek to point out the good that can be learned from watching the slurry that exudes from every pour of Hollywood.

Avatar – This movie has been covered in a recent post, but a few aspects to consider – “Both men and women wear little more than loincloths, and the race’s catlike tails don’t fully obscure their backsides. Neytiri and other Na’vi females wear ornamental coverings that don’t really conceal their breasts…a female pilot wears a tight, cleavage-revealing tank top. [Characters] are seen unclothed while strategically wrapped in vines. [The two main characters] consummate their relationship in a sensuous scene that shows them kissing and intertwined. They sleep together afterward and are said to be ‘mated for life.’”

Valentine’s Day – Great chick flick, right? Words better describing this entertaining movie for couples would be fornication, adultery, homosexuality, etc.

Dear John – another tear-jerker of a movie? – Again, fornication plays a part of this movie as does taking both the name of God and the Lord Jesus Christ in vain.

How about for the kids?

Where the Wild Things Are – only rated PG but manages to use the “d” and the “h” word along with taking the Lord’s name in vain a few times. What in the world are we teaching our children when this becomes acceptable? By the way, what is the operative number of times needed before the movie gets turned off????

Sherlock Holmes – Surely, just a remake of the old Basil Rathbones, right? Well, only if you throw in far too many sexual innuendos, drunken and debauched behaviour, and the Lord’s name taken in vain.

The Twilight Saga – Perfect for those nights your teenage girl wants her friends over for a great “Christian” sleepover. After their ears are filled with enough swear words to last a month along with the Lord’s name in vain, their eyes will have enjoyed the allure of vampires and humans longing to be with each other no matter what the cost.

2012 – For those who take an avid interest in wanting to know how the world will end according to Hollywood in 2 years, you will have 2 whole years to ingest the following details taken directly from Plugged In Online – “One f-word. Four s-words. Nearly 20 misuses of God’s name (paired with “d‑‑n” at least five times). Jesus’ name is abused twice. “A‑‑,” “h‑‑‑” and “b‑‑tard” are also blurted out. An obscene gesture is made.”

************
Dear reader, that is enough for now as we have not the time nor the inclination to review all movies both current and past for those who come to DefCon. However, the question you need to ask yourself is not, “Does this movie allow a good expression of the modern culture?” It is not, “Will I have a great time with my family or my wife as we waste the next two hours?” It is also not, “Does this movie portray POSITIVE elements that outweigh the ‘handful’ of bad things that might be in the movie?”

We are to be seeking to live a holy life in EVERY area of our lives before God and succumbing to the wiles of the evil one (via Hollywood and the silver screen) is a great way for your home to end up as a failure. It is about far more than just being entertained and having a great date with the wife or a “family” night at home (or at the movies) with the kids.

The questions should be, “Does EVERY aspect of this movie glorify God and bring honour to His HOLY name? Does this movie fill my mind with images that create lustful desires or does it point me to live more like Jesus Christ? Does this movie fill my ears with words that make my soul cringe or does it use wholesome speech that edifies my soul (you can also use this for preachers like Mark Driscoll as well)? Does this movie demean sex and the holy covenant of marriage or does it exalt the God-given responsibilities which help my spouse and I to be thankful for what we have learned and that we can implement in our own marriage?

In the words of several of the Psalms — Selah. Meditate on these things!

One of the first rules for ministers starting a new church: Don’t hang out in your office. Go out and meet people.
That’s an easy one for the Rev. Jeremy Rose to follow.

Acts 29 is one of about a dozen U.S. church-planting networks, nondenominational groups that start new congregations. Nancy Ammerman, professor of sociology at Boston University, said these networks have become common since the 1990s. Often founded by megachurch pastors, they offer some of the benefits that denominations provide — such as an identifiable brand name and oversight for pastors — without much bureaucracy.

News source-Tennessean

Those of you unfamiliar with Art Azurdia will find him a refreshing voice in a wilderness of Osteens, Nobles, Driscolls, and Warrens.

…a unique hands-on, comprehensive experience that will enhance each member of your team’s role in your church and build and inspire them to serve God in your community and the world. Rick Warren, the Saddleback Team and leading national pastors will challenge, develop, and expand your vision to be a moving force for God in today’s world.

They’ll help you understand the paradigm, learn the process and build relationships for expanding your ministry. They’ll enlarge your understanding of what “church” and “ministry” mean to enable you to affect positive, purposeful change for God. Imagine what would happen in your community, in your church and in our world if your church team collectively shared an experience guided by the Spirit of God in which we saw His calling and His will for your ministry.

And who will be the speakers that will teach you about “church” and “ministry”?  Well, well, I’m sure you are sitting at the edge of your seat in rapt anticipation.  Without further delay, some key speakers from the entire speaker list include:

• Rick Warren
• Andy Stanley
• Mark Driscoll
• Perry Noble
• Dino Rizzo
• Kerry Shook

So there you have it.   Any takers?  For a few insights, you can check out what Ken Silva has to say on his blog.

In light of certain ministers signing The Manhattan Declaration, there are several questions that arise. Is discipline necessary in such a case? How does discipline play a vital part in the integrity of the local church? How do we maintain our roles as pastors in a world that accepts just about everything simply because the name evangelical has been slapped on as a label? How do we instruct our people in the matter of discipline while recognizing that such discipline is for the purpose of restoration? And finally, does discipline really matter when the majority of evangelical believers will either deliberately ignore the matter of discipline or they will fall for the lies of the evil one who was the first to question, “Has God REALLY said such and such?”

It is not my intention to rehash the first three parts of this series, but I want to reiterate one point. The bottom line is this in regards to judgment – NO JUDGMENT = NO HOLINESS. NO HOLINESS = NO PURITY. NO PURITY = NO CHURCH. NO CHURCH = NO LIFE. NO LIFE = NO CHRIST!

When it comes to discipline in the local church, we must remember that the Bible teaches that each local assembly is to be autonomous. They are to govern themselves. There is no Scriptural mandates for a denominational hierarchy that is to set the standards for the church and then ensure those are obeyed otherwise discipline against the pastor and church will be enacted. Simply put, I do not believe there is any Scriptural command that permits one local church to discipline a member of another local church. Therefore, for those who believe that ministers like Al Mohler and Ligon Duncan should be disciplined, I would urge caution because this would be a matter for his own local church to enact against their pastor if they believe that he has crossed the line of doctrinal integrity.

However, I am convinced that the Bible not only teaches independence and self-governance, I am as strongly convinced that the New Testament makes it clear that the early churches were inter-dependent. They made their own decisions, but did not have the liberty to enact decisions which would reflect on a sister church or the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. With that in mind, how does one local church respond to a sister church that is descending a slippery slope into heresy, false teaching, or even going down the road towards an all-embracing gospel? How do 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 play a part in the way we deal with others?

We who are true believers are required to follow the commands of Scripture such as found in 2 Cor. 6:14-17, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

The admonition is clear. We are not, cannot, must not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. In the matter of TMD, regardless of what Mohler, Duncan and others say, this was drafted to be a theological document. Thus, in signing their names to this, they have broken the commands to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. We are called to be separate in every aspect of our lives. We are in the world, but not to be of it. Thus, the remaining problem is how do we respond when evangelicals we respect choose to break the commands of Scripture.

2 Thess. 3:14-15, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.“

This post is not intended to question whether Mohler or Duncan are true believers. The issue is how to respond in a biblical fashion to those who are brothers, yet failing to follow the “word in this epistle.” The Scriptures are clear that we cannot be yoked with those who are of the world, and it is just as clear that we have a responsibility not to keep company with those brethren who would act and teach contrary to the commands of God’s Word.

Therefore, in the matter of church discipline which is local church specific, the commands in 2 Thessalonians 3 show that we still have a responsibility to perform. It is with the purpose in mind of restoration at all times, not with ostracizing a brother or trying to throw him under the bus. My prayer is that Mohler, Duncan and others will repent of their desire to link up with the enemy and repent of such. My prayer is that they will seek forgiveness from those they are leading astray as men called to shepherd their flocks. If they do not and continue on their current path, then other evangelical leaders/pastors/believers have a responsibility to disassociate with them until they do.

The problem with evangelicalism is that we do not take biblical separation seriously. We will condemn those who cross certain lines, but it is only verbal. Rarely is further action involved. Evangelicals talk a good talk, but that is where it seems to stop. They will continue to endorse one another’s books, invite each other to conferences, share pulpits, and do everything that was done before the offending brother crossed the line. If we are going to be serious about our positions, we are going to have to show to the world that refusing to keep company with a brother is vital to the integrity of each local church. If we are going to seek purity in our churches, we cannot continue to endorse IN ANY WAY those who fail to heed the commands of Scripture. Pastors are called to a high office and to be servants of the Most High God. It is for the sake of the gospel that we stand firm, no matter what the cost to us or our ministry for in the end we will give account before God, NOT to each other.

I challenge my fellow pastors that if we are going to verbally call into question men like Driscoll for his vulgarity, like Piper for his saying that Wilson and Wright do not preach a false gospel, like Mohler and Duncan for signing The Manhattan Declaration, etc., then we must back up what we say publicly. We must refuse to endorse their materials, must admonish our people when they blindly follow these men, must stop inviting them to conferences and sharing pulpits with them, and MUST ABOVE ALL continue to seek full restoration with each other as part of the Body of Christ for whom Christ died. If we do not, then we are being hypocrites. If they are wrong, then they are wrong and pacifying the masses may be good for future book sales or endorsements, but it does not bode well for the future of true evangelical Christianity.

What we underhandedly endorse today will only become the new standards for tomorrow, and the false teachings and ecumenicalism of tomorrow will become the stepping stones towards a greater liberalism than we see today! May God give us strength to stand firm in the face of ALL opposition. May He grant us mercy and keep our feet strong so that we do not waver from the faith once delivered to the saints!

For the sake of the Gospel,

The Desert Pastor

Mark Driscoll: Is He Qualified To Lead?

I caution you, however, that discretion is needed because the article quotes Mark Driscoll heavily. It’s unfortunate I have to provide a caution regarding what comes out of the mouth of a “minister,” but these are the times in which we live.

I hope that the article linked above will help those who are on the fence in regards to Driscoll. But beware, you may feel the need to take a shower after reading some of Driscoll’s quotes.

And for those who feel the need to defend their man Driscoll, before you leave your comments you must first reconcile Driscoll’s speech with the following Scriptures, or don’t expect your comments to be approved.

A worthless person, a wicked man, is the one who walks with a perverse mouth . . . Proverbs 6:12

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate. Proverbs 8:13

The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverted. Proverbs 10:32

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1

Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. Titus 2:6-8

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See also:

Quotes (548)

I’ve had it with Mark Driscoll and his mouth

Sermon of the week: “Sound Doctrine; Sound Words” by Phil Johnson

Recognizing those who are taking a stand against the current downgrade

It is a tragedy when those who claim the name of Christ are being duped by the myriads of false teachers who have no desire for truth. An even greater tragedy occurs when false professors and/or their false teachings begin to be endorsed by well-respected ministers of the gospel. However, the greatest tragedy is when well-respected ministers of the gospel not only endorse false teaching and heresy but then allow it to be preached as truth in the midst of those sheep whom they have been supposedly called upon to protect. The man in question is none other than John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota.

Before we continue, I want to make it very clear that this is not a private issue, but one that is well out in the open. The false teaching and endorsing of such teachings and heresies is well-documented. This is an open matter and is being addressed accordingly based on the commands we find in Scripture.

I am under no delusions that this will NOT be a popular post with some. However, Defending Contending believes we can no longer be honoring to Christ and His Word if we merely overlook what is happening within the ranks of evangelicalism simply because of who the pastor might or might not be, or how popular he appears to be.

With that in mind, let’s continue by looking briefly at two heresies taking over at an alarming rate. Both of these doctrines are pushing the ranks of the uninformed back towards the open, welcoming arms of Rome again. Sadly, these doctrines are even being embraced or unknowingly being endorsed by even very conservative Baptist churches.

First – Federal Vision in a nutshell believes that when a person unites with the visible local church that the individual becomes one with Christ. Federalists also teach that when an unbeliever partakes of communion (the Lord’s Table) that they are actually feeding upon Christ. Further, they teach that being baptized is the means whereby a person becomes one with Christ. For further information, I would highly recommend this article at The Banner of Truth Trust. FV has been rejected outright by many mainline Reformed denominations.

Second – The New Perspective on Paul (or NPP) believes that Judaism was actually a religion of grace. They teach that salvation is possible by the keeping of the law. They also teach that the righteousness of God is actually referring to His faithfulness and that it has nothing to do with the truth that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the new believer. N.T. Wright is abundantly clear about what he means and what he stands for when he declares that justification is about the mark of what a person already is, and is not about the means whereby one is justified with God. A quote from N.T. Wright, “In theology, therefore, justification is not the means whereby it becomes possible to declare someone in the right. It is simply that declaration itself. It is not how someone becomes a Christian, but simply the declaration that someone is a Christian. It is not the exercise of mercy, but the just declaration concerning one who has already received mercy. This is a crucial distinction, without which it is impossible to understand the biblical material.” For further reading go to this article at Theopedia

Let’s makes this very clear! Federal Vision and the New Perspective on Paul are both heresies that lead back to Rome! Those who teach these are leading people deliberately astray and must be classified as heretics at worst and in need of repentance at best for their false teachings. Both of these teachings are nothing more than a rehash of Roman Catholic doctrine which has damned millions to hell.

Now that the reader understands a little more of the heresies defined above, we move back to John Piper’s progressive downhill slide which looks like this –

1) Mixing oxymorons for many years such as “Christian hedonism”
2) Openly endorsing Mark Driscoll (the vulgar, sewer-mouthed talker) with no known retractions
3) Blasphemously claiming the Lord of Glory was damned upon the cross
4) Openly endorsing the Federal Vision heresy as proclaimed by men like Douglas Wilson, and clearly indicating that Douglas Wilson is NOT preaching another or false gospel
5) Openly endorsing the New Perspective on Paul heresy as proclaimed by men like N.T. Wright, and clearly stating that N.T. Wright is also NOT preaching another or false gospel, but that the NPP is merely a “confusing gospel!

** Edit Note ** Points 4 & 5 have numerous proofs, but here is a video clip from The Resurgence.

“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15)

John Piper is leading many astray by his open endorsements of these men as mentioned above. His own theology comes into question when he publishes questionable material on his site about the doctrine of justification which you can still find on his site at Desiring God – I am firmly convinced that John Piper has slid this view under the noses of evangelicals who have missed the error of a justification that is NOT by faith alone. For more information on this issue and the problems with a recent work entitled Future Grace, you can visit Trinity Foundation.

While we at DefCon have respected John Piper as a man of God in the past, we believe we can no longer endorse any teachings by Piper. Our prayer is that God will bring Piper to a point where he will see the error of his teaching before it is too late and repent. We pray that God will also open the eyes of all those who blindly follow a man who is openly endorsing heresies as being merely a “confusing” gospel. “Confusing” gospels are no true gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ. They damn the souls of men to a Christ-less eternity in hell forever.

The Scriptures exhort us to openly exhort and rebuke those who cause divisions within the faith once delivered to the saints. John Piper is and continues to do this by his strange brand of heterodoxy which has sucked in the unlearned and learned alike. May we ever be alert to the apostasy that the apostle Paul warned will appear in the latter days. It will come from within the midst of what seems to be truth, but it will be mixed with poison. Pastors and their people will swallow it, and before they realize it is too late will be overcome.

Grieving over further apostasy,

The Desert Pastor

I just completed the book Why Johnny Can’t Preach by T. David Gordon. It is a well thought-out thesis addressing the source of the problem with the ineffective preaching in most Christian churches in the West.

Gordon highlights some of the reasons why preaching in the West is a failure (and consequently some of these are the very reasons why people like Osteen, Warren, Driscoll, Schuller, Noble, and the likes are so popular).

Gordon advances the (lost) notion that preaching from the pulpit should be Christ-centered (it’s sad he has to even mention that which should be a foregone conclusion). His call is reminiscent of a similar call I was sounding back in 2007 with a short post entitled A Sobering Call To Pastors, Preachers, And Teachers.

Christ-centered preaching is the New Testament way of advancing the Gospel that has sadly been hijacked by the hirelings and replaced with preaching such as Moralism messages, How-To lectures, Introspective talks, and the ever popular Culture War sermons.

These things, Gordon says, are valid as “occasional secondary results of Christ-centered preaching” (save the How-To lectures), but they should never be the purpose of preaching.

Gordon also directs us to Robert Lewis Dabney’s seven Cardinal Requisites of preaching; the seven things every sermon should contain to be effective that unfortunately most American sermons are missing on a regular basis.

Why Johnny Can’t Preach is a book that every preacher, pastor, and teacher who’s serious about their call to feed the flock should read. It will undoubtedly help to make the bad preacher (bad not by his doctrine but by his delivery) good, and the good preacher better in his proclamation of the only thing that matters: Christ and Him crucified!

Here’s a quote from the book:

Several of the more incompetent preachers I’ve heard have jumped on the emergent bandwagon, and their ministerial careers are undergoing a resurgence now, as people flock to hear their enthusiastic worship leaders and to ogle their PowePoint presentations. Their churches are no longer moribund, but then the annual carnival isn’t either–it, too, is full of enthusiasm, activity, and lively entertainment. But I’m not sure these emergent activities have any more spiritual effect than the pig races at the carnival.

Here’s another quote:

While it is not my purpose here to present an in-depth discussion of the so-called contemporary worship that has crept across the Christian landscape like a plague, I must observe here how profoundly trite it ordinarily is. Pop music, as an idion, simply cannot address that which is weighty . . . its idiom itelf is faddish, glib, superficial. Therefore, serious lyrics don’t fit in this idiom (nor does there appear to be any effort to accomplish this). Though lamentale, it is not at all surprising to me that the church in a trivial culture becomes a trivial church with trivial liturgy. I am fairly seriously considering following this book with another: Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns.

You can purchase this book here at the Westminster Seminary Bookstore.

Your Wednesday sermon of the week is a powerful one from Albert N. Martin.

Warning to Professing Christians is one of those messages you won’t hear in most churches that dot the landscape of American Christianity today.

Albert N. Martin delivers a convicting exposition of Matthew 7:21, a verse that I have wrestled with countless times (and still do). I’d also venture to say most readers of DefCon (who are supportive of our work here) have also been challenged by this verse at some point in their walk.

With that said, I not only recommend this sermon to the readers of DefCon who support us, but I also submit that this needs to be heard by those who give us the most resistance (like those who sit under such teachers as Robert Schuller, Perry Noble, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Mark Driscoll, etc.).

If you won’t listen to us (because we’re all just a bunch of prude “Pharisees”), perhaps you may give this sermon a chance and heed the warnings contained within. Although this sermon was delivered in 1994, it is just as apropos–if not more–today!

One of my favorite quotes from this sermon is in response to those who hide behind their sins with the excuse “nobody’s perfect.” Albert N. Martin says:

This is the hypocrites couch; this is the believer’s bed of thorns.

He also asks this cutting question in regards to Christians and their worldliness:

When you’ve got to suck at the world’s fountains for fulfillment, where in the world are you?

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I also highly recommend another exposition of Matthew 7:21 by John Thompson entitled The Saddest Words Ever Spoken. It was DefCon’s sermon of the week for January 03, 2008. Click here to go to the post to listen to it.

Shame on those who claim to be ministers who seek to justify their filthy mouths which comes from a filthy heart and mind. Shame on those who support those ministers who do such things.

Here is a link to the interview between John and Phil.

But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. Jude 1:17-19

For every form of wickedness under the sun there’s always someone out there who will find a way to excuse it and justify it. But it’s downright scandalous when that someone claims to be a brother or sister in Christ. We expect the world to act and behave like they do because it’s their nature as sons and daughters of Adam, but Christians are supposed to have a different nature as children of God.

The church is designed to be in the world like a boat is designed to be in the water. However, the boat is in trouble when the water gets into it as much as the church is in trouble when the world gets into it. Well, like water in a boat, the world has been seeping into the visible church for quite awhile now, and it’s sinking.

If this is not troubling enough, what is even more troubling to behold are those people in the boat (fellow Christians) who are upset at those who are trying to bail the water out of the boat.

I’ve noticed an increasing trend within Christendom of those who not only enjoy the water being in the boat, but are actively engaged in fighting against those who are desperately trying to get the water out of the boat.

There’s a special breed of proud and haughty sin-defenders within the church that’s arisen and they’re getting more vocal (and oftentimes very nasty) in their verbal assaults against anyone who dares to address the sin and worldliness rampant within the church.

Has anyone else noticed how most of the people who disagree with what we say on DefCon are walking lockstep with the seductive mistress known as “the world?” Has anyone else noticed that those who are most ardently opposed to what we do on this blog are those most friendly with the world and all of its lusts?

Do they not realize that their adulteress friendship with the world is evidence that they’re enemies of God?

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4

You’ve seen them. They swoop in anytime someone on DefCon (or other blogs for that matter) dares to raise legitimate concerns over the way Christianity is displayed by those who profess to be Christians. Anytime Perry Noble, Mark Driscoll, Gary Lamb, or the likes are exposed, the usual gaggle of professing Christians charge into the blogosphere to attack us in defense of their sacred idols.

But their crusades don’t end with their defense of Noble, Lamb, and Driscoll; they also defend whatever is lowbrow, juvenile, culturally hip, culturally cool, and culturally relevant, no matter how antithetical to Christianity these passing fads are.

When anyone speaks of holiness, turning from sin, and untangling oneself from the world (as the Bible so clearly teaches) these soldiers of pragmatism are found front and center with swords drawn to advance their jihad of carnal Christianity via the sly spreading of seeds of doubt (did God really say that?), their endless word games, and their vitriolic attacks that are so condescending, and so vicious that they make attacks from Atheists look mild in comparison.

If you take the time to check out the blogs and websites of those professing Christians who most vehemently oppose us you’ll notice that almost every single one of them reveals their veiled hostility toward God and the fact that “the love of the Father is not in them” by virtue of their love of the world. This is not my standard of judgment, but God’s.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 1 John 2:15-16

What part of “do not love the world” do they not understand?

They set filthy shows and blasphemous movies before their eyes. They set God-dishonoring music before their ears. And instead of these being secret sins, they not only have the audacity to boast about their ways, but they even encourage others to defile themselves with these fleshly lusts as well. And they’re even so proud of their mingling with the world that they wear their affairs with their mistress like badges of honor.

They talk like the world, they walk like the world, they dress like the world, and they act like the world, and yet we’re supposedly the crazy one’s if we assume they’re still part of the world. In spite of all their outward expressions and actions, we’re supposed to believe they’re not actually of this world merely because they have Jesus on their lips. Essentially they’re telling us to listen to their words and pay no attention to their actions. But even their words betray them!

John MacArthur hit the nail on the head when he said:

Worldly preachers seem to go out of their way to put their carnal expertise on display—even in their sermons. In the name of connecting with “the culture” they want their people to know they have seen all the latest programs on MTV; familiarized themselves with all the key themes of “South Park”; learned the lyrics to countless tracks of gangsta rap and heavy metal music; and watched who-knows-how-many R-rated movies. They seem to know every fad top to bottom, back to front, and inside out. They’ve adopted both the style and the language of the world—including lavish use of language that used to be deemed inappropriate in polite society, much less in the pulpit. They want to fit right in with the world, and they seem to be making themselves quite comfortable there.

So what exactly is the kind of stuff these Christians who are in love with the world defending? It’s what you’ll see if you walk into the average church in America in the 21st century. Brace yourself:

- Elvis impersonator-led worship singing.

- The Cotton Patch Gospel.

- “God” wants you to party and mess you up.

- Pastor Perry Noble having a beer drinking song played by the “worship” band before their “worship” service.

- Pastor Perry Noble having the “worship” band play AC/DC’s Hell’s Bells for their Easter service.

- Dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller in church.

- Redneck Jesus Freaks.

- Pastor Mark Driscoll’s mockery Jesus Christ on his t-shirt.

- Pastor Mark Driscoll’s profane and blasphemous speech from the pulpit mocking our Lord.

- Using regurgitation to give a “testimony.”

- Girls dancing to NSync in church under an illuminated cross.

- Rudeness and vulgarity during church announcements.

- Pastor Ed Young’s 7-day sex challenge.

- Pastor Paul Wirth’s 30-day sex challenge.

- Double entendres with the “Christian” book Going All the Way.

- The mockery of the ordinance of baptism by churches.

- Singing a worldly 80′s song as a worship song while swinging your socks in the air.

- Pastor Ed Young acting like he’s on MTV.

- The gospel according to Bruce Springsteen.

- The gospel according to The Beatles.

- Ultimate “Christian” wrestling.

- “Christian” man retreats.

- “Christianity” is all about music.

- “Christianity” is about Potty humor.

- The American church’s insatiable appetite for sex in their sermons and advertising.

- All manner of church advertising and gimmicks.

- Likening the Christianity to drug induced wickedness.

- A video aimed at youth involving injured clowns and evil chickens.

- A church for those who like hot rods.

- Las Vegas-style church and “Christian” gambling paraphernalia.

- Church poker games.

And these are just the tip of the iceberg amongst the myriad of other examples that leaves most people unable to tell the difference between the “church” and the world.

Sadly not only is this worldly entanglement rampant among those professing to be Christians, as I said before, it’s actually encouraged! See examples 2, 39, and 93 in the post who’s pastoring our youth pastors?.

Righteousness, sanctification, and holiness are now taboo words with many who want their “Jesus” icing on top of their worldly cake. They want to keep one foot in the world and one foot in the church and they come unglued when anyone suggests that this is possibly evidence of a false conversion.

But this all begs the question: When the world looks at the “church” aren’t they supposed to see a difference between them and the church, and not feel as if they’re just looking into a mirror?

This reminds me of the old bumper sticker that reads: “If you’re a Christian then act like one.” I couldn’t agree more.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. James 1:27

So with all of this in mind, I put forward this question: If Christianity became illegal in this country, and you were arrested and charged with being a Christian, would there actually be enough evidence to convict you?

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age . . . Titus 2:11-12

The recent video released of Mark Driscoll preaching at Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral contained this exchange between the two:

SCHULLER: God loves you; so do I.

(Audience applause while Driscoll extends hand for handshake.)

DRISCOLL: I appreciate that, thank you brother.

So who is Robert Schuller, the man Mark Driscoll not only openly endorses but considers to be a brother in the Lord? He is none other than a long time rank heretic tied to the New Age movement as clearly noted in Warren Smith’s book Deceived on Purpose. In the book, former New Ager himself Smith, not only exposes Schuller as the disciple of Norman Vincent Peale, but Smith also details Schuller’s blatant New Age theology. Smith also reveals the little known fact that Rick Warren is a disciple of Robert Schuller; proof the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.

I digress.

For those not familiar with Robert Schuller, let’s take a moment to examine some of the teachings of the man that Mark Driscoll calls “brother.”

The following exchange took place during an interview on The White Horse Inn hosted by Michael Horton (you can read more from the interview here).

RS: I believe in heaven. I believe in hell. But I don’t know what happens there. I don’t take it literally that it’s a fire that never stops burning.
MH: As Jesus said it was?
RS: Jesus was not literal. See, now this is where you have differences of interpretation. I went to a different theological school than you did. And there are different denominations, like about four hundred in the United States of America, and we don’t belong to the same denomination. In my denomination, Jesus stood outside Gehenna, the city dump, and said that’s outside the walls, that’s hell. And in the dump there were always worms, and there were fires….

And here’s another exchange between Horton and Schuller:

MH: Dr. Schuller, how could the cross as you write, “sanctify the ego trip,” and make us proud, in the light of passages that say, “I hate pride and arrogance (Prov. 8:13), “Pride goes before destruction” (Prov. 16:18),”The Lord detests all the proud” (Prov. 16:5), “Do not be proud”(Rom. 12:16), “Love does not boast it is not proud” (1Cor 13:4). In fact Paul warns Timothy that in the last days men “will be lovers of themselves” (2Tim 3:2). Why should we as Christian ministers, myself included, why should we do anything to encourage people to become “lovers of themselves” if Paul in fact warned others that that would be the state of godlessness in the last days?
RS: I hope you don’t preach this, I hope you don’t preach this!
MH: What, the texts?
RS: No, what you just spoke into the microphone right now. I hope you don’t because you could do a lot of damage to a lot of beautiful people. But maybe if you preach it, maybe you will demonstrate your knowledge of human relationships and maybe you’ll demonstrate a sensitivity of caring about these pathetic, pathetic people that are so lost in pain and suffering because of their sinful condition, and I think you’d want to save them. I think you’d want to bring them to Jesus. And so if you preach that text, oh man, I sure hope you give it the kind of interpretation that I do or, I’ll tell you, you’ll drive them farther away and they’ll be madder than hell at you and they’ll turn the Bible off, and they’ll switch you off, and they’ll turn on the rock music and Madonna. Just because it’s in the Bible doesn’t mean you should preach it.

Can someone please explain to me how Mark Driscoll can not only preach in Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral (as he did five years earlier in 2004), but also how he can call the man “brother?”

But wait, there’s more. The following quotes from Driscoll’s brother, Robert Schuller, are found in his book Self-Esteem: The New Reformation as cited in this article from RapidNet and this article from CrossRoad:

Christ is the Ideal One, for he was Self-Esteem Incarnate.

Every human being must be treated with respect; self-esteem is his sacred right.

Classical theology has erred in its insistence that theology be God-centered, not man-centered.

What we need is a theology of salvation that begins and ends with a recognition of every person’s hunger for glory.

The Cross sanctifies the ego trip. For the Cross protected our Lord’s perfect self-esteem from turning into sinful pride.

For once a person believes he is an “unworthy sinner,” it is doubtful if he can really honestly accept the saving grace God offers in Jesus Christ.

Classical theology defines sin as “rebellion against God.” The answer is not incorrect as much as it is shallow and insulting to the human being.

To be born again means that we must be changed from a negative to a positive self-image — from inferiority to self-esteem, from fear to love, from doubt to trust.

Jesus never called a person a sinner…. Rather he reserved his righteous rebuke for those who used their religious authority to generate guilt and caused people to lose their ability to taste and enjoy their right to dignity.

I found myself immediately attracted to Pope John Paul II when, upon his election to the Papacy, his published speeches invariably called attention to the need for recognizing the dignity of the human being as a child of God.

The core of original sin, then is LOT — Lack of Trust. Or, it could be considered an innate inability to adequately value ourselves. Label it a “negative self-image,” but do not say that the central core of the human soul is wickedness…. Positive Christianity does not hold to human depravity, but to human inability.

One classical role of the pulpit in Protestantism has been to “preach sermons” which imply indoctrination more than education. Within this from of communication, there is an inherent, intrinsic inclination to intimidate, manipulate, and, hence, offend the person’s most prized quality of humanness — his dignity.

“My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?” was Christ’s encounter with hell. In that ‘hellish’ death our Lord experienced the ultimate horror-humiliation, shame, and loss of pride as a human being. A person is in hell when he has lost his self-esteem. Can you imagine any condition more tragic than to live life and eternity in shame?

When the news of Driscoll’s scheduled appearance at the Crystal Cathedral broke, and the question of why he would join ranks with a heretic was raised, the Driscollites quickly came out in force to defend their golden calf.

Defenders of Driscoll never once denied Schuller’s abhorrent theology, and some even admitted that Schuller was a heretic (something we could finally agree on). So what was their hastily devised defense for their man Driscoll? They claimed that Driscoll had to go to the Crystal Cathedral to preach the true gospel to those who have been deceived under Schuller’s ministry.

This would have been a noble endeavor had it been true. The only problem was that–although this was the Driscoll defenders’ reason for Driscoll going–they didn’t foresee that this was apparently not Driscoll’s reason for going (evidenced by him identifying Schuller as his brother).

So instead of going to the Crystal Cathedral to show the Schullerites that they’ve swallowed a false gospel–and in turn preach the true gospel–all Mark Driscoll did was validate and legitimize Schuller and his teachings, and preach about a Jesus Christ that the audience believes is the same Jesus Christ that Schuller’s been talking about for years because, after all, Driscoll identified Schuller as his brother in Christ.

So here’s the big problem in a nutshell for Driscoll defenders:

If they concede that Schuller teaches heresy, then they must explain how Driscoll can call the man brother (for what does light have to do with darkness let alone call it brother?). But if they say that Schuller’s teachings are sound and are consistent with 2,000 years of historic Christianity, then they’ve just opened a whole new Pandora’s Box of problems for Mark Driscoll and those who sit under his teaching.

The size of the problem cannot be understated when one considers that it is Driscoll’s “orthodoxy” that his defenders consistently point to as their greatest defense to excuse his foul mouth, his blasphemies, and his irreverent depiction of the Savior.

Now we know the die-hard Driscoll fans will just come up with one more weak excuse to place atop their crumbling deck of cards, and it will be interesting to see the spin doctors in full swing with this conundrum. This fork-in-the-road moment has proven to be a monumental problem for the never-say-die Drisollites; a problem that–since the airing of the video–they have yet to address.

But what about you, the Driscoll fan who genuinely seeks after truth first and foremost? Where do you stand today? Either choice leaves you at a crossroads with a big decision to make. Do you finally acknowledge that Mark Driscoll is not all that he’s been purported to be, or do you continue to stick your head in the proverbial sand and ignore all that is before you? Your decision will reveal your loyalty either to the truth of the gospel or to the adoration of a man.

When Mark Driscoll calls Rick Warren a “brother in Christ,” calls Joel Osteen his “Christian brother,” and gleefully shakes the hand of Robert Schuller while calling him “brother” too, this all begs the question, “What version of ‘Christianity’ does Mark Driscoll identify with?”

When Driscoll’s faith includes (and is comfortable with) the likes of Warren, Osteen, and Schuller, one has to wonder who or what is actually excluded in Driscoll’s “Christianity” (besides those critical of him of course). With “brothers” like Warren, Osteen, and Schuller, who needs enemies of the cross?

In each example, we will start with the original and then put in the suggested revision to match what we are seeing and hearing today.

Let’s start with Acts 2:22, 23, 36, 37 – “22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know– 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’”

REWRITE – “22 Hey dudes, listen up: Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed to be God did some really cool things that some people might call miracles and then told us that God did it through Him. Well, you guys are smart enough to figure out for yourselves whether that was the case or not. 23 At any rate, you guys have heard about Him before, if nothing else, you use His name all the time at the workplace. Well, the Romans put Him on a cross because He was like, well, um, you know, He was making the kind-hearted, very religious, good-upright Jews unhappy and He even tried to start a few riots. 36 Well, this same Man Who got crucified also claimed to be both Lord and the Christ. We want all you guys to follow Him because after all when you reach the end of your current journey, He will be there to greet all of us with open arms. 37 So when the multitude heard the nice things that the apostles said, they decided to invite them back again to the next Jerusalem conference knowing they could trust these men not to confuse the issues. They knew that these men were not going to rock the boat and demand they do nasty things like repentance. They knew they wouldn’t call them down for their sins but would instead seek to lift up their self-esteem. 42 Because of the really cool programs, and the worldly music they offered at the First Church of Jerusalem, and the contextualized messages that encouraged their depravity such as “Biblical Sex for 40 Days Except the Sabbath” the church grew exponentially and was featured on all the late-night talk shows from Jerusalem to Asia Minor.”

Example 2 – Acts 7:51-55, “51 You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” 54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

REWRITE – Example 2 – Acts 7:51-55, “51 Listen up fellows. I am not here to offend you in anyway, but you know we have all done a few things we shouldn’t have done in our lives, and I’m sure there are times we all ignore what the Holy Spirit is trying to get us to do, but hey, after all, we are only human and God understands this. 52 There are some people who didn’t treat the old preachers very well, but I’m sure it wasn’t any of you guys or your ancestors. In fact, history tells us that some people just didn’t understand the prophets and tried to get rid of them, but some of the prophets just weren’t with the program anyway. Well, one or two of those old guys told us that Jesus was coming, and He came. He was a really good guy and hung out with really cool guys like our friend Peter. 53 Jesus told us that we have to just learn to love each other and don’t judge, so who am I to tell you what you need to do. 54 When the gathered nice group of people heard these wonderful things they invited Stephen to be the new president of the Jerusalem Ministerial Association. He was then able to go about preaching more of the great news that “Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” 55 When Stephen saw how much everybody liked him, he cut a lucrative book deal with Jerusalem Christian Bookpress entitled, “49 Days of Learning to Become a Better Religious You.” His ministry expanded to both Europe and Asia, and he was able to walk about with his head held high knowing that he was accepted in every major religious establishment.”

AUTHOR’S NOTE — Personally, I think it will be a best seller and rewriting church history will be the best thing that could happen for Western Christianity Religiosity. Sadly, there are a few downfalls. True Bible believing Christians will reject it as false, but they are in the minority and it won’t affect book sales as most who claim to be Christians are unlearned when it comes to true doctrine anyway. Secondly, this material probably won’t go over to well with the church members that are being persecuted for their faith. However, I’m sure somebody will find a way to make it culturally accepted and the church will probably expand and still be able to get along with the local governments when they stop being so particular about what they will preach. After all, no government could have an issue with Christians preaching the new message of “love yourself”, “build your self-esteem”, and “We never condemn anybody for God wants you just as you are and we don’t care if you stay that way because that is between you and God.”

PS – Not sure how we can rewrite the persecuting parts of Acts like Paul and Silas in prison, but I’m sure any number of modern preachers could help so that it makes us all look better in the end.

PS2 – Stay tuned for the rewrite for the Health, Wealth, and Prosperity Gospel edition.

First, I recognize that there are those who will read this that will immediately judge my statements while at the same time stating, “JUDGE NOT!” Second, I know that Driscollites will probably show up en masse to defend their champion while deliberately overlooking Biblical commands to point out error.

Sadly, there are few opportunities for those who claim to be ministers of the gospel to make a stand that will impact millions. This is because the gospel OFFENDS and the listener to the Word of God will be brought under conviction of the Holy Spirit. The conviction will bring a conviction of sin and then it will bring transformation from an old creature to a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Recently, one man was given that opportunity to give a clear explanation of the gospel and the consequences of not believing the truth as proclaimed in the Word of God. That man was Mark Driscoll AND HE FAILED MISERABLY!

(The video can be viewed by clicking here.)

Let’s consider a few thoughts from this man who by his own admission has 20 (something) services a week and has over 10,000 members per week on average.

The venue was Crystal Cathedral where rank heretic Robert Schuller is the founder. This is the church of Mr. God-Is-In-You, Mr. Positive-Thinking, Mr. We-and-Muslims-All-Do-God’s-Work-Together, Mr. I-Love-And-Endorse-the-New-Age-Movement.

Yes, I wasted some time by even listening to the drivel, but I wanted to be able to speak clearly and expose the harm that was done in this message. Schuller began by asking Driscoll how he came to know the Lord. This should have been the first opportunity for Driscoll to be NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, yet HE FAILED MISERABLY!

Driscoll responded, “I started reading the Bible and learned about Jesus.” This was followed by an off-handed attempt at humor. He continued by saying, “I got excited about Jesus and have been excited ever since!” When asked about his ministry, he noted he speaks for over an hour and “I yell a lot and I get excited – but its working.”

Whatever happened to a BIBLICAL explanation of the meaning of salvation? Every unbeliever who attended heard his salvation account as mere excitement about Jesus. There was NOTHING about sin. There was NOTHING about repentance. There was NOTHING about a changed life and being a new creation in Christ. There was NOTHING about being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus.

As for his ministry, could you imagine the apostles on the day after Pentecost being asked what they do. Peter, being the spokesman, speaks up and says, “Well, you know, I just yell a lot and get excited. But hey, its working, so let’s keep doing whatever it is we don’t really know what we are doing!” NO, a thousand times NO! Peter, full of the Holy Ghost, stood and called a spade a spade. He spoke of sin and judgment. He made it clear that God is angry with the wicked and eternity is coming. The Holy Spirit moved and thousands placed their faith in Jesus Christ alone. Through grace, those individuals learned what it meant for the God-Man to become the Sin-bearer for ALL who would place their faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary.

On to the message sermonette. Driscoll introduced his message and noted that he had seven points to share. These seven points are as follows and were written across the bottom of the screen for the viewers. Additional notes and comments are in italics beneath the main points. I want to note that while there is nothing wrong with the statements in and of themselves, what was wrong was what was NOT said.

1. Christ came down from heaven.

Driscoll noted in this section that Christ did something nobody else has ever done or claimed to do. He came down from heaven. He also stated that Christ “came down on a rescue mission of love.” Is it true that God so loved the world? Yes! But do the Scriptures tell us that He laid aside His glory to perform a “rescue mission of love?” In one word – NO!

2. Jesus said that He alone is God.

Driscoll made an error when he stated that “No other religious leader has ever said that he was God.”

3. Jesus said His miracles proved He was God.

4. Jesus claims that He is without sin.

Driscoll stated that “We have remorse and regret over things we have said or done, or not said or not done.”

Wikipedia notes, “Remorse is an emotional expression of personal regret felt by a person after he or she has committed an act which they deem to be shameful, hurtful, or violent. Remorse is closely allied to guilt and self-directed resentment. When a person regrets an earlier action or failure to act, it may be because of remorse or in response to various other consequences, including being punished for the act or omission.” It then defines, “Regret is an intelligent and emotional dislike for personal past acts and behaviors. Regret is often felt when someone feels sadness, shame, embarrassment, depression or guilt after committing an action or actions that the person later wishes that he or she had not done.”

In other words, sin is not a loathing of our wickedness before a holy, righteous God. What we do only causes us personal regret or a dislike for our acts and behaviors. The problem comes when we seek to water down what sin really means and what it required from Christ as the propitiation of our sins. Sin is not a mere feeling sorry because we have been caught or because we have a guilty conscience.

5. Jesus said He could forgive our sin.

Driscoll noted under this point that “God needs to forgive us, love us, pursue us, embrace us, cleanse us, renew us, and restore us. Jesus is going to die on the cross to pay for our sins so that we could become new people with new lives, new hopes, new dreams, new passions, new pleasures, and new purposes for our whole life.”

Mark, I am afraid you once again failed in both your understanding of Scripture and your delivery. First, God NEEDS NOTHING! Second, Jesus did NOT die so we could have the things Driscoll mentions. He died so that we would be saved from the wrath to come. He died to satisfy the just penalty that every sinner rightly deserves. 2 Cor. 5:21 makes it clear that He died so that we would become new creations in Christ.

6. Jesus said He is the only way to heaven.

7. Jesus said He would rise from death.

He concluded by pointing out that, “Some of you are on the precipice of the end of your life and are wondering what awaits you. What awaits you on the other side is Jesus.”

Mark again failed his listeners. His statement allowed those guilty before God to walk out thinking that the end of life would bring them into the loving arms of Jesus. He never mentioned the coming judgment whereby all who reject Christ as Saviour will be cast forever into the Lake of Fire which burns forever and ever. While he shared a few good points, he completely glossed over or overlooked the reality of the gospel message as found in the Scriptures.

He closed with the final question – “Who do you say that I am?” In his final prayer, he said we need to pray and “say you are God, Saviour, and Friend. Holy Spirit, I humbly beseech you that you would allow them to meet Jesus right now.”

One final time, he had a chance in his prayer to extend the true, biblical call to salvation AND FAILED MISERABLY! He watered down the message to a simple “meet Jesus” statement. Once again, he lost the chance to take a stand, but it would have cost him dearly to share the truth – so he didn’t do it!

Glossing over sin, hell, the righteous of God, the damnation of the sinner, the wrath of God against all unbelievers, his audience could go away comforted in their feel-good religiosity. They were able to go away thinking what a great guy Jesus is. They walked out knowing that Driscoll by his silence on what really mattered fully endorsed the ministry and the false gospel being spouted by Schuller and his cohorts. The evil one and his minions delight when the message is confused, and this was certainly NOT a straitforward call to repentance.

This is NOT the evangelicalism that I want to represent me. This is NOT the gospel I want my lost friends, family, and neighbors to hear for it will send them to a Christ-less eternity! One final thought, let’s see whether such a performance will result in the pulling of endorsements by ministers like Piper. Somehow, I sadly and seriously doubt it will happen!

Not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,

The Desert Pastor

American believers have sold their lives to the service of Mammon, and God has His rightful way of dealing with those who succumb to the spirit of Laodicea.

- Jim Elliot

1927 – 1956

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UPDATE on this post: According to Mark Driscoll’s Facebook page, the episode of Hour of Power will be airing August 23rd. That is probably when it will be available on the internet as well.

Some say lust is “love.” Some say pre-marital fornication is “love.” Still others say not warning people of God’s coming judgment but letting people live however they want–live and let live–is “love.” In this world where everything is subjective and “love” is whatever you want it to be, we must ask, what does the Bible say “love” is?

Phil Johnson takes on this topic and surprisingly delves into the whole perversity of the pulpit problem–that so many pastors today seem to think is acceptable–almost a full year before he delivered this scathing sermon taking on Mark Driscoll and the likes.

So when someone takes a stand against this deluge I would like to honor their effort and support their courageous stance–letting them know that, as the great delusion continues its march through Christendom, they are not alone; there are still a few out there who have not bowed the knee to Baal.

I wish to take a moment to recognize a couple examples of those who still have integrity and strive to live holy lives while the rest of the church is living like God gave us no Law or commands.

One example is Southern Baptist Pastor Channing Kilgore who is urging Lifeway Christian Bookstores to remove the heretical books from their shelves. Of course I seriously doubt his request will be heeded. After all, most Christian bookstores are in it for the money, otherwise they wouldn’t be selling such doctrines of demons as The Shack!

You can read more about Pastor Kilgore’s brave stance in this article from One News Now, and read more about “Christian” bookstores here and here.

HT: Rock Springs

Another example is Dick Bott of the Bott Radio Network. According to the Baptist Press, on May 18, 2009, an interview with Mark Driscoll was . . .

. . . halted in mid-broadcast after Bott Network founder Dick Bott learned Driscoll was the guest. Bott then cancelled another scheduled interview and ordered all Bott stations not to carry any programs featuring Driscoll.

Dick Bott has taken a stand against the potty-mouthed pastor while the rest of the world seems to be falling at Driscoll’s feet, stumbling over one another just to touch the hem of his garment, including Pilgrim Radio who–until until recently–I  used to endorse on this very blog.

The Baptist Press article continues:

Bott said he made the decision because of what he saw as Driscoll’s penchant for using vulgarity in his sermons, especially his questionable interpretation of the Song of Solomon in a Nov. 18, 2007, sermon preached in Edinburgh, Scotland, and subsequently in a multi-part series entitled “The Peasant Princess.” “I’ve seen a lot [about Driscoll] that’s on the Internet and that only makes the whole thing worse,” Bott said. “I’ve seen what he said at that church in Scotland and as far as I know he’s never addressed it in any repentant way or apologetically tried to explain why on earth he got so far off the reservation as to think that that’s the way to address people.”

That is all I will quote from the article as they give examples of Driscoll’s sermons which are unfit to print here (much less should be preached from a pulpit).

I would be remiss if I did not mention John MacArthur and Phil Johnson who have also challenged the current lowbrow trend of ‘pornificating’ the pulpit. In MacArthur’s missives found here and here, and Johnson’s sermon found here, they both not only address the problem of smut-peddling pastors, but they both address Driscoll specifically. Thank you to John MacArthur, Phil Johnson and Dick Bott for taking a stand against the onslaught of perversity that has cloaked itself under the guise of “Christianity.”

Sadly, when evangelicals begin to slide, more times than not, the degree of the slope gets steeper rather than more shallow! For a long time, I have held a high regard for John Piper’s stand on the fundamentals of the faith. While I would not agree with him on a few issues, his doctrine has remained solid for years. I do not think that a great deal has changed that is until recently.

Despite the positions (language and sexual innuendos) that Mark Driscoll holds to and practices, John Piper continues to uphold this man as both a friend and as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. No public rebuke has been forthcoming from Dr. Piper at the degrading of the pulpit, but instead they continue to share ministry together.

Now the slope is getting steeper as John Piper openly endorses N.T. Wright and Douglas Wilson while sitting cozily with Mark Driscoll.

N.T. Wright holds to what is known as the New Perspective on Paul and in simple terms reaffirms the Roman Catholic teaching of salvation by works. N.T. Wright is teaching heresy and stands opposed to what the Reformation reaffirmed. Dr. Piper insists that N.T. Wright does not preach a false gospel but that he “preaches a very confusing gospel.” Dr. Piper is VERY wrong! The gospel is a simple message and what N.T. Wright teaches in the NPP is another gospel and one certainly not preached or taught by the apostle Paul. Let’s make this VERY clear — NPP rejects the doctrine of justification by faith alone AND IS HERESY!

Dr. Piper has also endorsed Douglas Wilson who holds to a teaching known as Federal Vision. In a nutshell, Federal Vision identifies the moral law of God to be the gospel. FV believes the moral law or The Ten Commandments can justify fallen sinful man by obedience to that law. FV confuses law and gospel. The apostle Paul made it clear that the law cannot be mixed with the gospel. Like NPP, FV is a teaching that is heresy! The law cannot be mixed with the gospel in order to obtain salvation or justification. It is by grace through faith alone, not by works.

Sadly, Dr. Piper for all he has done in the furtherance of the gospel is now mixing with and enthusiastically endorsing men who preach contrary to the Scriptures. Why he is doing this cannot be surmised. However, he is certainly showing a larger degree of latitude than would have been given by the apostles Paul, Peter, Jude, John, and James. The apostles of old would have put these men in the same camp as those they condemned in their epistles. These teachers spouting heresy should be shunned not embraced, and I believe Dr. Piper is showing a lack of wisdom and discernment in regards to both NT Wright and Douglas Wilson.

Galatians 3:21 – “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.”

I include a link to A Gentle Rebuke to Brother John from R. Scott Clark. This has been very well written and addresses the problem far better than I could do.

In addition, a post on Christian Research Network gives further information along with accompanying video in regards to Dr. Piper’s invitation to bringing Douglas Wilson to preach at his conference. You can read and watch at this link to a Gentle (and not so gentle) Rebuke.

I am sad to see this plummet continuing especially in light of the wonderful gospel message that Dr. Piper has been preaching for years. Why would anybody who preaches justification by faith alone be willing to endorse such preaching? Why would he endorse men who openly hold to heresy? Finally, why would Dr. Piper be so ready and willing to bring a man like Douglas Wilson to preach along side of him?

THAT IS CONFUSION and certainly DOES NOT portray the truths of the simple plan of salvation made available to all who place their faith alone in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary!

Watching the Slide Continue With Great Sadness,
The Desert Pastor

1st Timothy 5:19-20–Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.

For all those Driscollites who will come here from various search engines and come across posts like this or like this or like this, and who will be tempted to spew out the tired old, “Well, has anyone gone to Mark personally about this?”–DON’T. That subject has been addressed ad nauseum here. Phil Johnson (an elder at Grace Community Church, under the direction of John MacArthur) has indeed communicated with Driscoll personally and got nowhere. As have several others.

But here’s the problem with the tired old, “Well, has anyone gone to Mark personally about this?” argument. Because Driscoll is an elder at his goat ranch church, we can see from the above-referenced Scripture, an elder who continues to sin is to be rebuked OPENLY–that is, in the sight of the whole church. And don’t try to say that his language isn’t sinful. If it causes a brother or sister to stumble, then it is an offense. If not, then why are there so many admonitions and warnings about what comes out of our mouths? That said, many have addressed Driscoll’s language, and he has still not changed. Therefore, we are called to rebuke him publicly, in the sight of the whole church.

I hope this lays to rest the debate about whether we should be openly rebuking a man whose language would need a step ladder to reach up to the gutter.

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. - Luke 6:45

In the past DefCon has taken issue with Mark Driscoll on several concerns including his gutter mouth, lack of reverence for God, and even his mocking of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Most of the time I’ve played a less-than-active role in these matters as other contributors have mainly been on the front lines. Well today I’m getting in the trenches because I’m furious at Mark Driscoll and Pilgrim Radio for what transpired yesterday. Here’s the story:

My wife told me about a sermon Pilgrim Radio was playing on the radio as she was returning home from the grocery store with our young children in the car. She said that the man preaching (she had no clue who he was so there were no preconceived notions or expectations) was talking about “prostitutes,” “whores,” and “lesbians” and that he kept using these expressions as if trying to be shocking.

My wife who knows very little—if  anything—about Mark Driscoll hit the nail on the head in her evaluation of him.

She then told me that this same man began talking about wives in submission to their husbands and how oftentimes men abuse this. Instead of using an innocuous example to make his point he chose to expound on such abuse by illustrating an example in which men misuse their wives’ submission by making them watch porn!

Seriously? Are you kidding me? That’s the best example he could come up with? For crying out loud, my kids were in the car and heard this trash before their mother turned it off. Does this guy’s mind ever come up out of the gutter for air?

Consider, if you will, all the images that were conjured in the minds of those who heard this man go on about porn yet again (he was talking about porn in another sermon just a few weeks ago on Pilgrim Radio). Does he not care about all those who are struggling with pornography who listened to this pastor expecting to hear the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ preached in reverence, only to their minds drawn back to the gutter? How many men and women at that moment had impure thoughts rush into the battlefields of their minds because of Mark Driscoll’s seemingly insatiable appetite for discussing all things sexual in a public forum?

How dare he stand in a pulpit spewing such juvenile, perverse, and debase ideas under the guise of preaching? And how dare Pilgrim Radio air such filth from the ever-flowing open sewer of the mouth of Mark Driscoll?

When my wife described this to me I immediately knew who she was referring to because during the same hour of the morning that this sermon was oozing across the airwaves, I also had turned on Pilgrim Radio and heard Mark Driscoll talking about men liking noisy power tools because it drowns out the constant yapping of the wives they hate. Are you kidding me? This was coming from the pulpit and Pilgrim Radio thought this was acceptable? What an obnoxious thing to say!

Needless to say I immediately turned off the radio. Little did I know, fifty miles away my wife and little children were about to have their minds polluted with the whimsical handling of the matters of “prostitutes,” “whores,” “lesbians,” and “porn.”  These are not matters that my children should have to be exposed to in such a flippant manner, especially by one who claims to be a minister of the Gospel and on a radio station that claims to be Christian.

My wife had no idea who this profane man on the radio was but she had enough sense and discernment (which seems to be lacking in so many others) to reject him and change the radio station.

Now let me clarify something to avoid any confusion, I am not opposed to such words (and dealing with such subjects) as “prostitution” and “whores.” They are real sins, and they are addressed within Scripture. What I am opposed to is the use of these subject (ad nauseum I might add) by Driscoll (or anyone else for that matter) to make people laugh or to be shocking. There is a way to handle sensitive and weighty issues such as these without reverting to a juvenile mentality.

It’s the same as the expression “Oh my God.” The words themselves are not the problem, but the spirit behind them and how they’re being delivered. The way the Psalmist cries out “Oh my God” is completely different than the way a thirteen-year-old girl shrieks “Oh my God” when the boy she has a crush on invites her to prom. If you cannot see the difference, then I don’t expect you to understand the point of this post.

As a result of this, I have done the following three things:

1). I’ve removed Pilgrim Radio from this blog as they will no longer be endorsed by DefCon.

2). I wrote to the once trusted Pilgrim Radio a lengthy letter detailing my disappointment of them for allowing this type of material to be aired. Unfortunately their entire response was:

Thank you for your thoughtful remarks on Pilgrim Radio’s programming.  We were, of course, sorry to learn that you no longer feel comfortable in endorsing our ministry which is aimed at a very broad segment of the Christian community.  We do appreciate your enthusiastic past support.  God bless you.

3). All the Driscollite defenders who patrol the internet and swarm blogs such as this to offer excuses for their Golden Calf will have to find another soundboard for their approval of and winking at sin as their comments will no longer be welcome here. I refuse to provide a platform for their calling evil good and good evil.

Our family strives to be holy in spite of being surrounded by the world, the culture–and now even the professing church which is indistinguishable from the world and culture–where holiness is a strange and foreign concept, and oftentimes openly mocked by those who should know better (those who claim to be Christians while still practicing lawlessness). So when the wickedness of the world sneaks in via a Christian radio station you can imagine my surprise, anger, and disgust. My kids should have never been subjected to this filth and as their father it’s my responsibility to protect them and keep them pure.

Shame on Mark Driscoll for using the pulpit to advance his agenda, and shame on Pilgrim Radio for giving this purveyor of perversity a platform to poison my precious children with his toxic, man-centered, flesh-pleasing oratory.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate. -Proverbs 8:13

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I do not stand alone in my concern of Driscoll’s pornification of the pulpit. See related:

Sound Doctrine; Sound Speech (A sermon by Phil Johnson delivered at the 2009 Shepherd’s Conference)

John MacArthur on Mark Driscoll (Part 1)

John MacArthur on Mark Driscoll (Part 2)

Driscoll Disqualified

CrossTalk: Watch your mouth

Mark Driscoll: Flesh Peddler

Mark Driscoll mocks the sinlessness of Christ

Mark Driscoll praises his “brother in Christ” Rick Warren

- John MacArthur

I walked into the bookstore and (once I passed all the Jesus trinkets) lo and behold staring at me from the bookshelf was none other than The Shack. This tome of doctrines of demons was prominently displayed eye-level in the number one spot on the best seller’s bookshelf.

This, if you recall, is the same bookstore I previously posted about in regards to the owner’s reasons for selling books steeped in rank heresy. In that post (you can read it here) I asked the question if Christian bookstore owners are responsible for what they sell? In a post prior to that on the same topic I inquired of whether or not the readers of DefCon support their local Christian bookstore? You can read it here.

There is absolutely no excuse (other than the desire to make money) for any supposedly Christian bookstore to sell The Shack. And claiming ignorance will not suffice.

For those wondering what the stink about The Shack is all about, allow me to quote a description of the book from the January 2009 Writer’s Digest magazine (a secular periodical) who wrote a favorable piece on William Young’s book:

In Young’s story, Jesus is a dark-skinned Middle Eastern Jewish man who thwarts Mack’s expectation of a hunky blonde Jesus. God isn’t a white-haired wizard figure, but rather a matronly black woman who calls herself “Papa” in an attempt to challenge Mack’s preconceived notions. The Holy Spirit is a transparent creature named Sarayu who can’t be seen directly.

What business does a “Christian” bookstore have selling this rank heresy?