Chan, Driscoll, and Harris

Excellent interview of Francis Chan by Mark Driscoll and Josh Harris. If you are not familiar with story, recently Francis Chan resigned from a megachurch, Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA, for reasons that even after this interview seem a little hazy. What I find most intriguing is the discussion on poverty vs. wealth and simplicity vs. complexity.

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

False Assumption #4: What's Grace?

Grace is not a very popular concept. Not sure that it is ever been. Being nice, courteous, thoughtful, fair are all quite popular. Not grace. By grace I mean, as one song puts it, the ability to “make beauty out of ugly things.” The world assumes the ugly gets treated as ugly. So if ugly you are, then better do your best to put on a pretty face. But real grace looks at the vilest evil and doesn’t even blink but suffers to transform it into good. Real grace hurts so that the offender doesn’t have to. Real grace gives selfless love when justice demands punishment. Such grace, as I say, is not very popular.

What’s wrong with the human race? A popular Christian answer to that question would be pride. And no doubt there is tremendous Biblical as well as practical evidence for the thought. But I’ve begun to wonder if there is a deeper issue than pride. An interesting story was told by David Brainerd, the 18th century missionary to New England Native Americans. Brainerd said that in his preaching to the Indians, conviction over sin seemed to be felt most by the Indians when he was presenting the grace and excellencies of Christ. Now Brainerd was mentored by the likes of Jonathan Edwards and his crowd, and if you know anything of those “New Lights,” as they were called, you know they could bring the thunder when it came to sin. Reading a few entries of Brainerd’s journal will leave the most smug of us deeply convicted over our own godlessness, for Brainerd was a man fully acquainted (and some would say morbidly acquainted) with his own depravity. In other words, Brainerd’s sermons on sin were not soft and light. Yet it was not discoursing sin that produced conviction. Rather, says Brainerd, conviction occurred as he proclaimed the grace of Christ to suffer for that sin.

Too good to be true. Brainerd’s testimony seems to suggest there’s more than pride at work in the human heart. Perhaps, we can’t admit our messed upness because we don’t believe, we can’t believe that there is actually a grace in the world that would look on our ugliness and make it beautiful. That there is grace that doesn’t treat us as we deserve, but instead lavishes gifts on us that we could never earn. That there is a grace that doesn’t even blink at what we ourselves can’t look upon, and then takes the hurt to make the evil into good. Such a grace is just too good to be true.

Grace is a message the world has never heard. It’s a message that they almost never see. They don’t believe it exists. They’ve never even considered the possibility that it could. That’s why the grace of Christ has the power to do what they law (God’s standard of good) could never do. The law can bring conviction of sin, but not like grace. The law points out our flaws, but grace shines hope onto them. The law fills us with guilt over our transgressions. Grace makes us sing about them.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me.”

Christians have long thought that step #1 in conversion is understanding sin, and thus the need of evangelists to lead with the law. But perhaps step #1 is understanding grace, so that those living in the fog of unbelief can feel the freedom to come into the light.

ESV+ app for iPhone

iPhone and iPad users should find the new ESV + app from Crossway extremely helpful. In addition to ESV Bible (which you can get for free), the ESV + app offers all the ESV Study Bible notes and the ability to write your own notes. The interface is slick and I think the best out there. The ESV Bible app has become my Bible on the go, and this is just a nice upgrade. The app cost $9.99 for a limited time.

Breaking Through the Fog: Questions

Solomon said, “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” It takes no skill to humiliate and offend, and it takes little more to win an argument. But living in peace with those you strongly disagree with, that is a divine talent. Christians can sometimes wear their offensiveness like a badge of honor. After all, Jesus was offensive. Of course, he mainly offended the religious self-righteous who claimed to represent God and was generally patient and winsome with religious outsiders, but whose keeping track.

Offending in an Unoffensive Way. I have a radical question perpetually nagging me. Is it possible to unashamedly present the gospel, to proclaim a message that is fundamentally offensive to the religious and irrelegious (1 Cor. 1:23), to actually offend with that message, and still live at peace with the offended? In another words, is is possible to have only the message (the gospel) offend while the messenger (me) remains thoroughly unoffensive. To a degree, I think it is possible. And the method that helps make it possible is asking questions.

Asking Questions. Questions was Jesus method. When asked a question, he responded with a question. Think of all his questions: “Who do you say that I am?” “What do you ask of me?” “Do you see this woman?” “Why do you call me Lord and do not do what I say?” “What does the law say?” “Which man proved to be a neighbor?” “Why do you call me good?” “Who made me a judge over you?” “Is it lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath?” And on it goes. So why are questions so helpful? Why did I just ask that question? And why did I just ask the question to follow up the question? Okay, getting a little out of hand. Here are some reasons question asking is so beneficial

1. Questions are an indirect challenge to another’s position - With a question you simply bring up the possibility of their error without flatly calling their ideas rubbish.

2. Questions invite a person to think through their position - A question is really an invite go underneath the surface of their belief.

3. Questions allow us to treat others like real people - Instead of treating people like propaganda machines to be crushed, we treat them like real thinking, feeling images of God. After all, you didn’t come to your position by someone trashing your argument.

4. Questions allow us to assume the best about others - We aren’t talking to morons. Well, not usually. People have genuine reasons for their beliefs, and asking a question assumes that that is true. “I guess I’m not sure why you believe that. Can you explain it to me?” Such a question in itself can be wonderfully winsome.

5. Questions appeal to a most cherished desire, to tell others what I think - Listening is a lost art. I’m not sure it was ever found. People aren’t used to someone genuinely interested in their opinion, or to sharing it without someone constantly trying to one-up them. If you give them that chance, they will love you for it.

6. Questions exude humility - What better befits a Christians attitude than the asking of questions? By asking a question I assume that there is much I don’t know, that I don’t have everything figured out, that another’s voice is more important than my own, that the Spirit’s work on another’s heart and mind is more essential than my words.

Hybels, Bono, and Aids

Last year at Willow Creek's leadership conference Bill Hybels interviewed Bono Here are parts of the interview. Pretty interesting stuff.

A few thoughts that struck me in this interview.

1) Bono's articulate faith - I don't want to oversell Bono on this (as you will see below), but I was pleasantly surprised that his passion for engagement on the issues of AIDS, world poverty, etc. are driven by his faith in the teachings of Scripture and personal faith in Christ. In fact, his biblical arguments for engagement are, I think, irrefutable. If you don't think so, then check out Isaiah 58 for yourself.

2) The need for the church - Good to hear Bono say that the church is a necessary ingredient in elevating the suffering in developing countries. I agree that such a mission will never get far off the ground in the US unless the church makes it an issue. Evangelicals are among the most generous Americans and are the leading suppliers for charities. And, as Bono said, the church has the power to set the moral climate on these issues for millions of people.

3) Bono's lack of need for the church - Here is where I get concerned for Bono. He recognizes the need for the church to curb the AIDS epidemic, but he doesn't seem to recognize any personal need for the church. In the interview, Bono points out that passages on helping the poor are second in number only to passages about personal salvation. I haven't done the numbers myself, but I assume he is correct and wouldn't be at all surprised if he was. But I am pretty certain that passages on the poor are a very, very distant second. That doesn't take anything away from the importance of these Scriptures, or that Bono is wrong to point out our negligence. But the church cannot forget what is number one. In answering why the church is behind, Bono noted evangelicals disdain for the immorality that causes AIDS and its historical reluctance to get into politics. I agree with both answers (and also that they are lame excuses), but there is a third. The church has a tremendously difficult time, and always has, on how to balance evangelism with social work, a struggle which is absolutely appropriate (albeit a sad excuse for inaction on issues like AIDS). I'm not sure Bono feels the tension. Nor does he seem to feel the need for Christ's body to be a significant part of his life. My prayer is that Bono would see the church as more than a strategic partner. That for him the church would be a source of partners in the journey of faith offering the embodiment of Christ's grace, teaching, forgiveness, encouragement, rebuke, and so forth.

4) The church's lack of desire for Bono. Bono's struggle with the church is a two way street. He said in the interview that he never had a problem with Christ only Christians. Bono, I'm sure, is not an entirely innocent party in the friction. Nevertheless, the Church seems all too eager to distance itself from the artsy, edgy, and hip among us. Especially if they show sympathies with "radical" views. Christians must draw lines in the sand. The uniqueness of Christ demands it. But Jesus never drew a line apart from himself (e.g. "no one comes to the Father except through me."). Jesus and only Jesus has ever been the true dividing line for Christians. To create another line is to elevate something to the unique status that Jesus alone deserves. To create another line, in others words, is not only unwise it is idolatrous.

Charlie Bit Me Auto-Tuned

I love this video. Apparently, Time magazine has called it the best viral video yet. And now there is an auto-tuned version. I've included both for your pleasure.

DG Conference 2010 Trailer

This is the trailer for the Desiring God Conference coming up on October 1-3. Great trailer, great theology, and it looks like a great conference.

Prayer Update

As many of you know, things have been quite out of whack in the Strong household. My wife, Jen, is expecting our fifth child and about two weeks ago was put on bed rest to prevent her going into pre-term labor. She has a history of that with all of our other children, and she was experiencing some early labor signs.

As of Sunday, Jen will have made it to 35 weeks! We've been praying for 36 weeks, so we are very close. For the last two weeks or so she has been on some meds that have pretty bad side effects (nervous, shaky, headache, heart-pounding, etc.). She'll be able to stop those on Sunday. Bed rest, however, will continue until next week.

All in all, it has been a great experience. I'm not trying to sugar coat or overlook the anxiety that Jen and I have both felt. But God has proven faithful time and again. He has answered our prayers continually. So many, especially our church, have aided us with prayers, meals, help with the kids, house cleaning, etc. Jen and I have both been learning that life in the slow lane (that is being unable to accomplish much of anything except the basic necessities) is a pretty good place to rest in the goodness of God. Our weakness shows his strength.

Thank you for all your prayers. Please keep them up. Our Father delights to hear them, and we appreciate the love for us that they express. When the dust begins to settle, I should be able to get back to some more faithful blogging.

Growtivating to Become Contemporvant

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Work & Rest

Work and rest make up the rhythm of our lives. If we are serious about living out the gospel in daily life, then it seems mandatory to bring that gospel into our work and rest. The Bible has a lot to say about these issues. One could even say that the Bible is, in a sense, all about these issues. At LBBC, we have spent the last several weeks exploring work and rest. If you're interested, you can follow along with the study here. The first sermon began on 4/11/10. Hope the sermons serve you well.

False Assumption #3: Everybody Has An Angle

Everybody has an angle. It’s not an assumption, like many others, that we are born with, but one we learn by experience. Foucault said that all human beings are on a quest for power. That’s not your typical Sunday School lesson, but if you know anything about yourself and others, you know that he wasn’t far off the truth. Humans love power. We do. We like the power to manipulate, influence, “nudge” others into a path of our liking. And usually that path happens to be to our benefit.

Information is power. When the doctor says, “you really need this surgery,” generally you have no idea whether you really need it, or whether he is just padding his pocket by performing a non-harmful yet unnecessary surgery. He has a power over you in the form of expertise information. Tyrannical totalitarian governments are in the business of information. They keep much of it secret by hijacking the press and media outlets, they ruthlessly extract it with their brutal crews of secret police, and they run countless campaigns of misinformation. Why? Because the more information the more power.

The Angle of information. We all want power, and information is power. Logically, then, the world should thank us when we provide life-changing information like the gospel. However, what often happens is people become very suspicious of your information. And they do it for the simple reason that if you know something they don’t, then you have some power over them. They automatically assume that you are using your power to “nudge” them into a path that benefits you. Everyone has an angle, and the Jesus’ stuff is just your angle. This very logic is why the gospel is so radical, so counter-intuitive. At its heart is power that is used not for personal benefit, but for the benefit of others. It is power sacrificed, power in service. However, people don’t assume that. All they see is Mr. Information trying to sell them a bill of goods to pad his church’s attendance, add to his own level of self-righteousness, and play the admirable role of the hero saving them from so-called eternal peril. Call it blindness, hard-heartedness, or whatever you like, but it is the status quo perception in a broken, power hungry world. Better get used to it.

Living Proof. “Keep your conduct . . . honorable . . . so that they may see your good deeds and glorify God”(1 Peter 2:12). It has often struck me how often NT writers, like Peter here, emphasize Christian living far more than proclaiming the gospel. I doubt that it is their preference for “lifestyle evangelism” over against proclamational evangelism. After all, “how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?”(Romans 10:14). Nevertheless, the early church was obviously aware of their need to persuade hearers that their love was genuine. The gospel is power sacrificed, power in service, but until individuals see and experience that power in action, they are not likely to believe in its existence. We must be living proof of the gospel. How is power in service being lived out in your life?

Living the Safest Life Possible

Great stuff by Francis Chan

You Can Change

Just started on Tim Chester's book You Can Change. Here's a great quote from chapter 2"

"You will cleanse no sin from your life that you have not first recognized as being pardoned through the cross."

Gospel and Cultural Engagement

One of the big divisions in the young, restless, and reformed movement is over cultural engagement. Last week Thabiti Anyabwile addressed the issue at the Together for the Gospel Conference, which I was grateful to attend. It seems to me that a big part of this divide is the inability of both sides to hear the concerns and understand the language of the opposing side. I thought this critique of Thabiti's message by Joe Thorn to be fair and balanced.

Overall, I thought Thabiti made some good points. I appreciated his observation that we don't just shape culture, but culture also shapes us. However, I also thought his message was overly simplistic and reactionary. I don't know that I disagree with Thabiti, but sometimes I had the feeling that his message was more like "What is culture? How do we engage? What will engagement accomplish? We don't know any of these answers, so let's just stick to Jesus and stop talking about it." That is probably not a fair assessment of his message, but I, and I think quite a few others, had more questions than answers after he was done.

For a different take on this issue, check out his helpful article from Boundless.

Endangered Ethnicity