Who Do You Think You Are – Review

Seeking and defining our identity is a universal pursuit. Everyone wants to be viewed as hip or refined, mature or rebellious, trendy or classic, or any variety of adjectives and combinations. The point is that we all want to be defined by something, and we all want the right to determine that definition. That’s why we pursue degrees, careers, and reputations for the prestige of their titles – titles that ultimately disappoint or fail. This is exactly the problem that Pastor Mark Driscoll addresses in his newest book Who Do You Think You Are? (WDYTYA).

Driscoll the Writer

Driscoll has a unique writing ability. He can quote the Bible, dead theologians like Martin Luther, and movies like Memento and Fight Club without skipping a beat. He also combines two different Christian writing styles in this book. WDYTYA is a plea for people to find their identity in Christ – non-Christians for the first time and Christians as a new habit. In that regard, it’s a great topical teaching. However, it’s also an easy-to-read expositional commentary on the book of Ephesians.

If you’ve read any of Driscoll’s other books you’ll notice that this one is significantly different. I’ve read almost all of them and have watched him progress as a writer. His earliest books are very raw, honest, funny, and Jesus centered. His next several books are thoroughly theological, yet practical and engaging, and still Jesus centered. The main similarity in WDYTYA to his other books is the fact that he illustrates his teaching with weighty, sometimes heart wrenching, stories of people from Mars Hill Church. It’s also definitely still Jesus centered.

Most of his books have had a very specific audience: church planters and pastors, victims of abuse and hardship, people who are curious about exploring Jesus, and married people – in no particular order. WDYTYA, by Driscoll’s own admission, was written to the broadest base of people of all his books. It’s definitely a book that a person with no biblical understanding could pick up and enjoy, and one that a seasoned seminary professor could benefit from.

Strengths

There were a handful of chapters in WDYTYA that I particularly enjoyed. Chapter 5, “I am Appreciated,” was one of my favorites. Have you ever told someone that they gave a great message, sang beautifully, or explained something particularly well at church only to have them say, “it’s all the Lord?” I have, and I find it frustrating, but always felt bad for finding it frustrating – which made it all the more frustrating.

Driscoll points out that Paul thanked the Ephesians for the work they did for God, and didn’t expect them to shrug off his gratitude. Driscoll says, “while it may sound spiritual to say that everything that happens is solely by God and that we can take no credit and deserve no appreciation for anything we do, it’s unbiblical and ungrateful.” He then goes on to say how important it is to appreciate people who work hard for the sake of the gospel, “It’s grievous when, out of the good desire to reserve all glory for God, we forget to also appreciate those through whom God works.”

Chapter 7, “I am Reconciled,” was probably my favorite chapter in the entire book. One of the goals of the chapter is racial reconciliation, so church leaders who read WDYTYA should pay especially close attention to this chapter. Despite many advances that the American Church has made, we are still very segregated. For the sake of time, I’ll leave you with one quote, “our cultural differences may distinguish us, but they do not define us and should not divide God’s people or allow them to accept the social structures and idols that wrongly divide people.”

Points of Contention

There are definitely parts of WDYTYA that will rub some people wrong. For instance, if you’re an Arminian, you won’t like a 4 paragraph section of Chapter 4, “I am Blessed.” If you’re a cessationist, or even a cautious continuationist, you’ll feel uncomfortable during parts of Chapter 10, “I am Gifted.” Finally, if you’re a die hard Driscoll fan (like I am), you may not find this to be his most engaging book. Sometimes that’s the downside of writing a good book that can reach a broader audience. That said, it’s an excellent book, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

By way of housekeeping, I should mention that I got a free advanced ebook copy of Who Do You Think You Are? as a member of the “Who Do You Think You Are? Street Team.” Writing an honest review of the book was an expectation for members of the Street Team – one I am glad to uphold. That’s enough of my thoughts, you should click here and buy a copy for yourself … now.

Think Before You Blame

Shift + Blame (Photo credit: Cyberslayer)

The conversation about Newtown has continued. There seems to be a natural human cycle. The first part of the cycle is shock. We’re angry, scared, confused, and generally upset. The biggest question is “why?” Outside of the fact that the shooting at Sandy Hook School was evil, we may never know why. Evil, by very definition, doesn’t make sense. Which is why the next stage of the cycle is the most confusing – blame.

The commentators have begun. Some blame violent video games, despite the fact that there is no conclusive evidence that violent video games cause pe0ple to commit violent acts. Some blame poor upbringing, broken homes, excessive media coverage, weak consequences for committing crimes, and much more.

Misplaced Blame

Then there’s been a dangerous blanket evangelical response. Not everyone has issued it, but enough prominent evangelical leaders have to be alarming. It goes something like this: “We’ve turned our backs on God as a nation and now we’re reaping the consequences.”

I consider myself to be an evangelical. I believe the Bible is 100% true and inspired by God. I believe Jesus has been God for eternity. I believe that He entered human history for 33 years, lived a perfect life, died in my place for my sin, and was literally, physically resurrected from the dead. I believe we are born sinners and enemies of God and our only hope is to put our faith in Jesus for forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. However, I do not believe people are walking into schools, malls, and other venues to kill people because we have turned our back on God. Here’s a couple reasons why:

1. Canada and Europe: Canada and Europe have similar media coverage as the US. They have similar access to violent video games. They also have weak broken families, and weaker consequences for most crimes than the US. Finally, those nations have “turned their back on God” for far longer and in a much more drastic fashion than the United States – yet they have fewer violent crimes. So you cannot say that God is allowing these violent crimes because we’ve kicked Him out. Canada and Europe have done it more than we have, and they don’t seem to be getting the same consequences.
2. Moral Decline is Relative: Sexual sin, and a few other immoral categories, are much more socially acceptable today than in the 1950′s. However, the 1950′s were far from perfect. There may not have been a national push for gay marriage, but the way we treated minorities was reprehensible. If you were not Caucasian you were treated like a second class citizen – at best. That means that millions of people who are equal to me in dignity, because they are image bearers of God, were not recognized with equality. That’s the epitome of immorality. We’re not more immoral as a nation, we’ve simply exchanged acceptable sins.
3. Violence has always been around: There has never been a time, in World or US history, that violent crimes did not occur. For example, during the “wild west” era of the 19th century violent crimes were far more prevalent than they are today. If anything, we are now living in one of the safest eras of US history.
4. Following Jesus is Dangerous: Jesus told His followers to take up their cross, that means to live like you’re a dead man. Paul said, “I die every day.” While some of that was figurative language, the fact remains that becoming a Christian was one of the most dangerous things you could do for the first 300 years AD. All but one of the Apostles died violent deaths. The only exception was John, who survived being dipped in boiling oil. Early Christians were persecuted, shunned by families, exiled, and killed on a daily basis. Becoming a Christian was dangerous. So to suggest that putting your faith in Christ, even on a corporate level, is putting yourself in greater physical safety is absurd.

Just like everyone else who has watched from a distance, I’m upset about the tragedy in Newtown. I hate that people will kill innocent children. I want violence to end.

I’m also a Christian pastor who wants everyone I encounter to know and love Jesus. It’s an endeavor I’ve given my life to. But I want to reach lost people, not blame them for their influence on our country. So please, don’t blame Friday’s tragedy on a nation that has “turned its back on God.” People don’t turn their back on God, we’re born with our backs turned on God. It’s our job to point them to Jesus. Blaming people for a posture toward God that they are born with is not going to help anything.

Reflecting on a Tragedy

Official seal of Newtown, Connecticut (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What happened at Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut yesterday was a tragedy. Parents of a 5-year-old should never have to kiss their child goodbye for the last time. As a father, my heart and prayers go out to those who woke up grieving a lost child this morning.

Whenever violence of this nature occurs we always want to know why. Why does someone take innocent lives? Why would anyone want to hurt children? Why? There are some reasons that we will not understand, like Adam Lanza’s motivation.

There are other reasons that can be understood. The deepest reason is that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9a). Left to ourselves we are wicked to the core. Our hearts are not pure, they’re evil. We know that to be true, but we don’t like to face it. This doesn’t mean that we all want to be violent, but we all have desires in our heart that are wrong. Tragically, Adam Lanza had violent desires in his heart, and he followed his heart.

Poor Reasons

On the other hand, this did NOT happen because:

• God is not sovereign or good: It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but God did allow this to happen. He is completely sovereign, so this did not surprise Him. This does not mean, however, that He caused it or was glad it happened. He is still good. Evil grieves Him, and it will not last forever. There will be a day that He eradicates all evil forever. David was anointed King of Israel approximately 30 years before he assumed the throne. Jesus is the true and better David. He clearly proved Himself to be King of kings through His death, burial, and resurrection. When we see events like yesterday’s, we simply have to believe that Jesus has not assumed His throne in fullness yet.
• The mental health system failed him: Lanza probably was mentally ill. But mental healthcare, even at its best, cannot fix evil. Mental illness doesn’t cause someone to kill innocent people, evil does.
• Prayer was taken out of the schools: God doesn’t have elementary age children killed (or even passively stop protecting them) to wake our nation up from a court decision in the 1960′s.

Comfort

Typically verses like Proverbs 11:21, “Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished” don’t offer a lot of comfort. Usually we like to focus more on God’s love than on His justice. Yes, I am glad that God loves me. There is no better news than that. But after days like yesterday, I’m also glad that God is angry at sin and evil. It’s good news that He is just and does not let evil go unpunished.

I obviously don’t have all the answers. But I do know that God is good, God is in control, we don’t always understand why things happen, evil will not last forever, and hope can only be found by putting your trust in Jesus. Even though we don’t have all the answers, He does.

Celebrating Zimbabwe

I spent September 24-October 4 in Zimbabwe on my first foreign mission trip. It was a small team. I went with Denny St. Clair, a man from The Cove Church who goes on mission trips regularly. We had a small team of national pastors and other leaders from Bulawayo who made the event happen. They served as interpreters, guides, technical support, worship leaders, and much more. None of what we accomplished would have been possible without them.

It was a very fruitful trip. We visited an area of the country called Binga, which is very rural. It’s so rural, in fact, that it’s usually just referred to as “the bush.”

The trip consisted of three major events. The first event was a two day “pastor’s conference” where we hosted about 60 church leaders from surrounding villages on Thursday and Friday. It was the most casual conference I’ve ever attended. We met under a tree beside a soccer field at Pashu High School where everyone sat on the dust. The content of our teachings were decided the night before we taught it. Nonetheless, it was a great opportunity to pour into some church leaders who don’t have much access to Biblical Training.

The second event was an evangelistic “crusade” on Wednesday through Saturday night. We don’t use that term much more in the US because it’s developed a negative connotation, but in the bush of Zimbabwe they know it’s a big exciting event. Every night we had more people show up than the night before. They would sing for hours. They would start singing in the mid afternoon and were still going after sunset. Only after it had been dark for almost an hour would Denny or I preach. Overall, we had 340 decisions for Christ at the crusade. On Sunday night we showed the Jesus film in Ndbele (think “in-da-belly”) at another nearby school. We had at least 45 decisions there, but since it was just one night and had less structure we weren’t able to get a completely accurate count.

The third and final major event was a soccer tournament. 4 high schools from the area came and played in a soccer tournament. Many players played barefoot because they don’t own shoes. Before the tournament Denny shared the gospel with the players and we had several more decisions there. Again, we weren’t able to get an accurate count of the decisions. However, we know that we had over 400 total decisions for Christ.

On Sunday we also baptized 38 people. In retrospect, we realized that we probably should have done it on Saturday. By Sunday many people had walked back to their homes that were several miles away. However, we celebrate the ones who followed through with their first step of obedience.

If you supported this trip with prayer, finances, or both: thank you so much. God was very faithful and we saw a lot of fruit. Please continue to pray that God continues to work in Binga. The names of the 340 people who made decisions at the crusade have been given to church leaders who served as counselors. They have a huge task of follow ups ahead of them, so please pray for them. We also want all of them to follow through and be baptized.

There’s much more to say about this trip, and there are many more posts to come. In the meantime, I wanted to give a brief overview of the trip, and what we saw God do. Stay tuned for more …

Why I’m (almost) Apolitical

Republican vs. Democrat 2012 (Photo credit: DonkeyHotey)

It’s definitely election season. Every other Facebook post and TV commercial is declaring the glories of one candidate and the atrocities of another. Some people love this season, others hate it. In college, I was fascinated by politics. I was a history major so it lined up well with my studies. The tension and the competitive nature of it was thrilling for a 21-year-old aspiring intellectual. However, over the last few years I’ve gotten less and less interested in politics.

To avoid misunderstanding, let me clarify. I care deeply about many of the issues politicians champion. I vote, and am glad to do so. I believe freedom is one of the greatest things America has going for us right now, even though I think we abuse it. The difference is that I put virtually no hope in the political process. There are several reasons why, here are 3:

1) Politics Makes Enemies out of My Mission Field

I have one overarching goal in life: to see lots of people meet Jesus. Any other goal in my life is simply a building block of that larger one. This takes building relationships with people who don’t know Him. Most non-Christians are going to disagree with my political views because they have entirely different goals. If every conversation with a non-Christian friend turns into a political debate, I’m wasting time that could be used building the relationship, or talking about Jesus.

Those debates would do little more than push away the very people I’m trying to reach. I’ve watched a lot of debates. I’ve watched politicians debate on TV. I’ve watched friends debate the merits of their favorite candidate. Never once have I seen anyone put their faith in Christ as a result of one of those debates.

2) Jesus Never Talked Politics

Jesus paid his taxes and said everyone else should too. Peter and Paul both said to obey the government, even the wicked governments they lived under (that sanctioned the murder of Christians). Paul even took it to the next level and said to pray for them. Peter once said “we must obey God rather than men,” (Acts 5:29 ESV) but that was because they were ordered to stop talking about Jesus on their own time. So unless the government forbids you to talk about, and follow Jesus, that doesn’t apply to you. That’s about as political as the New Testament gets. If the New Testament doesn’t address politics anymore than that, I have a hard time doing it myself.

3) Jesus Wouldn’t Fit in any of the Political Parties

I grew up believing that the Republican party was virtually an extension of the church. To be fair, it was largely because Republicans were far more likely to be pro-life (a position I still hold firmly) than were the Democrats. It was an admirable move that many evangelicals made to stand up for the rights of the unborn. After all, aren’t we called to care for the least of these?

However, over time, an underlying belief that the Republican party was God’s party grew and grew. It may have been largely unstated, but it was there nonetheless. In the Old Testament, when Joshua was on his way to “attack” Jericho, he was approached by an angel. He said, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” The angel said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord” (Joshua 5:13-14 ESV).

This angel didn’t want to be associated with Israel anymore than the people of Jericho. Even though Israel was God’s covenant people, they were no more perfectly aligned with the nature and character of God than a pagan nation that did not know Him. If that’s how God responded to Israel as they began to conquer Canaan, why would he get anymore excited about a particular American political party?

Some Thoughts on Evil …

Aurora, Colorado (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In Aurora, Colorado people are experiencing pain I can only imagine as they mourn the loss of their friends and family. James Holmes’ own family has been thrust into confusion and heartache as they wonder how someone they love so much is capable of so much evil. Throughout the United States people have been confronted with a sore reminder that it’s not just powerful dictators in distant third world countries who senselessly kill helpless people. It happens at home, and we don’t understand why.

Amidst all the pain, suffering, and confusion we look for a reason. We want to know why it happens. What goes wrong in someone’s head to make them want to storm into a movie theater dressed in ballistic gear, carrying 4 guns and some gas bombs, proclaim “I’m the joker,” open fire on people … and seem to enjoy it? It’s evil!

Some look to God as the ultimate scapegoat. He’s the one who is in charge. Where was He when Holmes strutted into the midnight showing of Batman? Why didn’t He stop it? Why did He let all of those innocent people die? If He created everything isn’t He ultimately responsible for all this evil? Why did He create evil? Below are a few thoughts:

1) God did not create evil. Evil is not a created thing. All of creation was originally good. In the beginning there was no corruption. No evil. Creation was complete. There is no indication that God did any further ex nihilo (literally “out of nothing”) creation after the Genesis 1 account. Even Adam and Eve were created out of ingredients He had already formed.

Evil is not an object, a state of mind, an idea to be pondered, or a philosophy to be understood. Evil, in it’s very essence, is de-creation. As rust is the decay of iron, evil is the decay of creation. Evil unravels creation. Evil is against creation, and against anything and everything that is good. Evil is rebellion against God. So did God create evil? No! You cannot create something that is not created, something that is ultimately anti-creation.

2) “Evil doesn’t make sense.” I recently told that to a young woman who was trying to make sense of the deep betrayal she just experienced from a “friend.” She wanted to make sense of why someone she knew would hurt her so badly, and why God allowed it to happen to one of His people. What had happened to her was evil, and there was no denying it. Since evil is de-creation, since it unravels everything that is good, since it is ultimately rebellion against God … it cannot make sense. That’s why evil makes us feel so vulnerable, anything we cannot understand or explain makes us feel very vulnerable. No wonder we tend to question God when faced with evil. But that’s not the end of the story.

3) Jesus made himself vulnerable to evil, and became the ultimate scapegoat in the greatest evil ever committed. In Christ, God is not immune to the suffering caused by evil. Evil was committed to Jesus. He was betrayed, He was beaten, He was falsely accused, He was not given justice … and we killed Him. We killed God. It was the greatest evil ever committed, and He used it for the greatest good ever imaginable. The bible tells us that “for our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). So not only was Jesus beaten, abused, and exposed to evil, he took on our sin. He took the blame for all the wrong that I did. He actually became the scapegoat that we still try to make him out to be.

Even the term “scapegoat” comes from the Old Testament. On the day of atonement the high priest took a live goat, put both of his hands on the goat’s head, confessed Israel’s sin on the goat, and then ran the goat off into the desert (Leviticus 16:20-22). The scapegoat took on Israel’s sin and took it away.

Jesus fulfilled the scapegoat’s role, so there is no longer a need for a real goat. He took on our sin and took it away from us. The great irony is that we try to blame God for the evil that people do, and 2,000 years ago Jesus beat us to the punch and took on the guilt for our evil voluntarily.

4) When we’re confronted with evil, we can truly be grateful for God’s wrath. Evil makes us angry, and it should, but there’s little we can do about it. Our anger is distorted and weak. God’s anger is good and powerful. Only God’s anger can punish evil and ultimately set everything right again. Since God is light and there is no darkness in Him, His anger is completely good and completely against evil. Justice will be served.

I hope James Holmes comes to know Jesus, and Jesus will gladly absorb his guilt. However, if he does not, he will not go unpunished for his actions. This shouldn’t cause us to cheer, but it can bring relief that justice will be served. For a little more on God’s wrath read this post.

5) One day He’ll make it right. Evil absolutely does not make sense. We are acutely aware of the need for sense to be made of it. We’re not able to make sense of it because we’re incapable of fixing it. However, one day, God will. The book of Revelation shows a beautiful picture of creation restored. Evil has been banished, beauty abounds, and Jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes. Isaiah foretold of a day when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). So right now we see a world that’s broken and where people commit evil that we don’t understand. But one day, that will all be over. Jesus will make all things new, and everyone who has put their faith in Him can put thoughts of evil behind them for eternity.

He Loves Me

(This is my wife’s first blog post, a little bit of her journey)

When I found out I was pregnant I thought that God was showing His love for me by giving me a baby.  I basked in the joy every day of knowing life was growing inside me.  This was my special gift.  I knew I would feel it kick soon (my favorite part of being pregnant), I was willing to go through morning sickness (all day) again.  I was excited to think about names and to tell the kids. We were that couple that could never wait beyond the first week to spread the news.  I was sure of it, I was sure God was blessing me extra.

Then it happened.  I was sure of it, I was sure God was taking my baby away.  Why?  Why so soon?  I never got to feel it kick inside me.  We never even picked out a name.  No ultra sound photo, no baby shower, no diapers.  I never even got to find out if it was a boy or a girl. All of a sudden.  Was God not loving me anymore?  Why did He take my gift?  Why did He change His mind?

I have come to find that God was loving me when He gave me my baby and He was loving me when He took it away.  Jeremiah 1:5 talks about Jesus knowing us in our Mother’s womb.  I don’t get to know our baby, but the creator of the world does, intimately.  Our baby will never feel pain, never be lonely or scared or sad.  He or she will never know us on this side of Heaven but he/she will always know Jesus.  I think that is a gift.

I have come to realize God’s love and gift in another way.  Through the loving arms of my husband who held me when I couldn’t cry anymore.  Who rushed me to the hospital when I refused just to see if they could end some of the pain.  Who has taken care of every detail, big and small, for the past 3 days.  I haven’t even had to think of when I took my last medicine, who would take care of the kids and make them happy too.  God has loved me through our friends and family bringing us dinner, gifts and a listening ear.  People who love us to sit and cry with us.  When I woke up to “Dora the Explorer” tucked under my arm that my 3 yr old put there while I was asleep.  I am learning that sometimes God’s gifts may be different than we think they will be, or different than we would originally ask for, but they are no doubt His gifts.  And I am thankful for them.  I wish I could hold my baby in my arms one day, but I know God is holding me and my baby in His.