Invitation from God: Click | View Series

Isaiah 1:18—"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."

The sinful condition of men is terrible in the extreme. This is set forth vividly in previous verses of the chapter. They are altogether alienated from their God.

God himself interposes to produce a change. The proposal of peace is always from his side.

He urges that a conference be held at once, "Come, and let us reason together."

That conference is to be held at once: "Come now" for the danger is too great to admit of a moment's delay. God is urgent; let us not procrastinate.

GOD INVITES YOU TO MEET

Sinful men do not care to think, consider, and look matters in the face; yet to this distasteful duty they are urged. If they reason, they rather reason against God than together with him; but here the proposal is not to discuss, but to treat with a view to reconciliation. Ungodly hearts also decline this.

1. They prefer to attend to ceremonial observances. Outward performances are easier, and do not require thought
2. Yet the matter is one which demands most serious discussion, and deserves it; for God, the soul, heaven, and hell are involved in it. Never was wise counsel more desirable.
3. No good can come of neglecting to consider it. It is one of those matters which will never drift the right way of itself.
4. It is most gracious on the Lord's part to suggest a conference. Kings do not often invite criminals to reason with them.
5. The invitation is a pledge that he desires peace, is willing to forgive, and anxious to set us right.
6. The appointment of the immediate present as the time for the reasoning together is a proof of generous wisdom. "Just as you are," come to God in Christ, just as he is. Love invites you in all your sin and misery.

Adapted from Charles Spurgeon's sermon notes, which are in the public domain.

Porn Again Christian

Pastor Mark Driscoll's frank discussion on pornography and masturbation is now available from Amazon. Find out more.



Not to be dramatic, but a little dramatic. This is the overwhelming feeling I have when I’ve been working all day, had a few hours to connect with my family in the evening, and am now sitting at my desk reading a 480-page pdf document (book) on the church, or slugging away at a 25-page paper till the wee hours. Amazing stuff, but the feeling is a bit overwhelming as the proverbial Re:Train is barreling down the tracks, and I’m stuck in the middle, staring at the oncoming lights and deafened by the blaring horn. How do I escape the wrath?



Re:Train has been a significant investment of time and energy, but it’s an investment that has been extremely beneficial and filled with the grace of God. This weekend was another testament to that as Dr. Gregg Allison lectured and answered questions for two days regarding ecclesiology and the missional church.  

An ecclesiological man among boys

His wisdom, humility and love for the church was inspiring. He is a seasoned pastor, well-studied theologian, faithful husband, father and grandfather, elder in an Acts 29 church, and his daughter and son-in-law attend Mars Hill Bellevue. After a few moments with the Allisons, my wife said, “Wow, that’s the type of couple everyone wants in their church. Godly, stable, wise, humble, and encouraging.” As Pastor Tim Smith put it on Twitter, “Gregg Allision is an ecclesiological man among boys.”  Here are a few takeaways that have left me pondering further.



These are a few reflections from Re:Train with Dr. Allison. The full impact of his teaching and friendship will have a long and sustained impact on the church planting taking place through Mars Hill and Acts 29.


1. Ask good questions before you leave your church.


Dr. Allison loves the local church, and he did a good job of distinguishing between true and false churches as well as less pure and more pure churches among those that are true. He had some good words and questions to ask yourself before moving from one true church to another:

1. Have I expended all of my opportunities to effect change in this church?
2. Will continued participation in this church exert a negative impact on my relationship with and worship of God, my ministry for Jesus Christ, the use of my spiritual gifts, etc.?
3. Do I have to compromise too much—essential doctrines and practices, a lifestyle in accordance with biblical values and principles—in order to remain in this church?
4. Do I have a legitimate reason for leaving?  In a culture where church-hopping and shopping is the norm, I felt these were timely words for Christians to ask themselves before leaving their church so that we don’t flippantly move on from a place God may want us to persevere in.

2. Have something in your life you can finish.


Pastors and those in ministry need to have some outlet in their life that allows them to finish something.  Ministry is never finished, and the pile of work continually grows. Paul told Titus to “put what remained into order” (Titus 1:5).  Based on my experience, I don’t think Titus ever finished getting everything in order.  As he appointed elders, it meant more training and leadership; as new people met Jesus, it meant more teaching and discipleship; as the church grew, it meant new systems and structures.  The church is alive and therefore never finished.

This is why Dr. Allison recommended having something you can finish.  It might be writing a book, refinishing your basement, or some other outlet for bringing something to full completion so that you can enjoy the work and rest upon its completion.  He wasn’t legalistic about it, and didn’t attempt to prooftext any verses to support this position--it was just a piece of pastoral advice from a seasoned pastor.


3. Fight for unity.


The church begins at a place of unity.  In Ephesians 4:3, Paul says, “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  Wow, the church is unified because of the Spirit’s work, yet our sins of pride, envy, gossip, jealousy, dissention, and the like are actively working to destroy the unity of the Church.

Dr. Allison pointed out from Ephesians 4:2 that unity is maintained and achieved through the attitudes of gentleness, patience, and bearing with one another in love.  He challenged all of us to dig deep into the places where we and our churches are not unified and accurately diagnose the root issue, which is nearly always sin of some sort.  One of his closing lines on this topic was profound: “The will to maintain unity can overcome significant differences.”



For more from Dr. Allison, read his posts on Missional Ecclesiology on the Resurgence.



You can follow Pastor Jamie on Twitter at twitter.com/jamiemunson.

Total Church

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis present a vision for churches centered on gospel community. Find out more.

Spiritual Gifts Series: Click | View Series

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously... (Romans 12:6-8 NIV)

Spiritual Gift of Giving Defined

The gift of giving is the ability to give money and other forms of wealth joyfully, wisely, and generously to meet the needs of others and help support ministries.

People with the Gift of Giving

Regardless of the amount, people with this gift genuinely view their treasures, talents, and time as on loan from God and not their own. They are often moved to meet the physical needs of others. They enjoy giving of themselves and what they have. Even if they do not possess the resources to help, they earnestly pray for those needs to be met.

Giving in Scripture

Roughly 25 percent of Jesus' words in the Gospels are related to our resources and stewardship of them. Though he was poor, Jesus not only fed thousands (Mark 6:41) but also gave us his life as a gift (John 15:13). Elsewhere in the Bible, the widow (Mark 12:42-43), Tabitha (Acts 9:36), Barnabas (Acts 4:34-37), and the Macedonian church (2 Cor. 8:1-2) all had this gift.

Do You Have This Gift?

• Do you tend to see the needs of others more than other people do?
• Do you enjoy giving your time, talent, and treasure to others?
• Do you see giving to a worthwhile project as an exciting honor and privilege?
• Do you give to the church regularly, cheerfully, and sacrificially?
• Do you often hear people commenting that you are a generous person?
• Do you find yourself looking for opportunities to give your money—even when no one asks?

Pastor Mark:

Get the latest content from Mark Driscoll, the
preaching pastor at Mars Hill Church. See More.

Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) was an English poet and hymn writer. Around the age of 30, she became an invalid and remained so for the rest of her life, suffering from inexplicable pain and weakness. Convicted by a minister’s words about her bitterness and anger towards God because of her illness, Elliott turned to Jesus Christ for peace. She penned around 150 hymns, including Just as I Am.

Horatio Spafford (1828-1888)

Horatio Spafford was a prominent lawyer in Chicago. After losing his 4-year-old son to scarlet fever, he sustained a great financial loss in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Horatio and his wife Anna worked tirelessly for two years helping the other victims of the fire put their lives back together. Then the Spafford family decided to travel to England for a holiday. Delayed by business, Horatio sent his wife and daughters ahead of him. On the way to England, their ship collided with an iron sailing vessel, and all four of their daughters drowned in the wreck. Through his great grief, Spafford held fast his trust in Jesus, writing the lyrics to the well-known hymn It Is Well with My Soul.

William Cowper (1731-1800) was one of the most popular English poets and hymnodists of his time. However, he suffered from periods of insanity and severe depression throughout his life, attempting suicide multiple times. Despite his suffering, he found refuge in Jesus Christ during his stay in an asylum, and as a result of his faith, he produced many well-loved hymns for believers.

As Christians we are called to come together regardless of our background or socio-economic status, but our culture divides us according to these two groups. The Mars Hill Downtown Campus is working on bringing these groups together to get on mission and do life together, because we are all called to be in community regardless of our background or status.

Advance Conference:

Advance is coming June 2009. The Resurgence is hosting this conference in Raleigh, NC, to provision the local church for the advance of the gospel. Find out more.

with Matt Boswell
Qualifications of a Worship Pastor: Click | View Series

Not a Lover of Money

(1 Timothy 3:3 & Titus 1:7)
A worship pastor does not do his job primarily for money. He provides for his family well, but his primary motivation is his calling, not his paycheck. He doesn't lead worship and write songs for the sake of money, but to express his love and knowledge of Christ. The motivation of a worship leader should be the good of the people he is called to serve, not his own gain.

Good Husband and Father

(1 Timothy 3:4-5 & Titus 1:6)
The home life of a worship pastor is the most important part of his ministry. The home is where church begins. If you're not leading your wife and your children well, you should not be trying to lead the church. The organization of the church is built on the organization of the home. The great commandment was first given to us to teach in our homes, not our churches. Deuteronomy 6 tells us that God gave the greatest commandment (love God most) to the husbands and fathers to teach their wives and children. Before you think about, pray for, and plan for your ministry for the church, do so for your family. Give your wife the greatest love story of all time; give your children the hero they deserve. They are your primary flock, and you are their primary pastor. Do that job well! The home of a worship pastor should be one worthy of admiration and should stand as a living testimony to the gospel.

Lover of Good, Upright and Holy

(Titus 1:8)
A worship pastor should be a man of joy. A joyful disposition and an infectious hope in God are essential for successful and qualified leadership. A worship pastor should communicate the joy and hope of God in song, prayer, and life. Our goal in meeting corporately is to "stir one another to love and good deeds" (Heb. 10:24), and the worship leader has to champion that cause and be "stirring." He should continually be growing in godliness and in his own sanctification, as he also calls the church to do so.

Conclusion

The role of a worship pastor goes much further than leading songs on Sunday. The worship leader is a culture-setter and champion for our affections to the Lord. He gives our souls the words we need to sing to God. Few people have the opportunity to affect people in the way worship pastors do. I have an elder who tells me that his favorite thing is when he catches himself on Sunday evening singing the songs that we sang Sunday morning. He judges the effectiveness of our service not by how he sang then, but how he sings later. His recollection brings him close to God all over again. Without a band, a stage, a screen or any people, he is again brought to the throne of God by the faithful service of a worship leader. What a great and profound privilege and responsibility! May this list of qualifications and exposition bring great challenge, conviction, and encouragement as we continue to grow together in biblical ministry.

Resurgence Literature:

Re:Lit is a ministry of Resurgence. There you will find a growing line of books to help guide the resurgence of the new reformed. Find out more.

Defending Your Title: Click | View Series

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19).

At the Border

In the summer 2002, I was traveling on a bus from Budapest, Hungary into Romania. As we stopped at the border, security checked our passports. Although I'd traveled this route a dozen times before, this time was different.

Apparently, my current appearance did not match that of my passport photo. I was ushered off the bus into an office with a few Hungarian officials. The room was filled with broken English, Romanian, and Hungarian phrases. After a few phone calls and 20 minutes of sweating, my American citizenship was confirmed, and I was graciously allowed to pass through the border.

As a stranger in another land, I experienced several cultural and linguistic differences. I realized, however, that my citizenship carries certain expectations that are assumed in my identity.

Citizens of the Kingdom

Although the church and the kingdom are distinct from each other, they are interrelated. Believers in the church are a part of the kingdom. George Ladd writes, "We may say that the kingdom of God creates the church. The redemptive rule of God brings into being a new people who receive the blessings of the divine reign." (Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Ed.)

The bottom line is that the kingdom came to the world in Christ. The kingdom works through the church, and Christ will return to fully establish his kingdom. In the meantime, believers live in the already/not-yet tension as citizens of this kingdom. With this identity comes a great responsibility to conduct ourselves as citizens of this kingdom.

Defending Your Title

A biblical understanding of core gospel identities will drastically reshape the corporate church. These identities include:

• God calls us both in designation and direction.
• God is our Father; we are his sons and daughters.
• Christ is the bridegroom; we are his bride.
• Christ is the head; we are the body.
• Christ is our king; we are citizens of his kingdom.

These identities are a declaration of the person and work of Christ. Living in these gospel identities is both a present and future reality.

In the film The Dark Knight, Batman stated, "It's not who I am, but what I do that defines me." As believers, however, we are not defined by who we are and what we do. We are defined by who Christ is and what He's done. The significance of operating within these identities will shape the corporate understanding of who we are as a community of believers—the Church.

Death By Love:

Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears tackle some of the most serious redemptive aspects of Jesus' work in these twelve letters of counsel to individuals. Find out more.

In Vintage Church chapter ten we answer the question, "What Is a Multi-campus Church?" With the fast growth of multi-campus churches and the multiple ways they are organized and led, we felt there was a timely necessity to discuss and define multi-site churches. Since Mars Hill, where I preach, is a multi-campus church with video broadcast sermons, we addressed this controversial issue as well. The following excerpt on multi-campus churches is taken from Vintage Church pages 247, 254:

With increasing advances in technology, we are now seeing the principles of one church meeting in multiple locations exponentially applied. The result has come to be called the "multi-site church revolution," which includes the controversial advent of "video venues." In many ways this is the circuit-riding preacher model renewed by technology. This chapter is devoted to exploring these two phenomena in both theological and practical detail....

Admittedly, by the time this book is published we will be doing things differently and likely will have added even more campuses. In sum, since our experiment with video two years ago, we have grown to a church with a peak attendance of eight thousand people spread across sixteen services on seven campuses with the capacity to double our attendance in the coming few years. Half of our attendance already participates via video, and in the coming years video will be the primary way in which people hear me preach the gospel. I now preach live four times on Sunday at our main campus. Some weeks I pre-record the sermon if I am traveling, in which case all services are video, and if I am sick or need a break I can just preach the morning services, which is a great relief.

Based on the five ways of doing multi-campus church, we are doing the partnership model at one of our seven campuses, the teaching-team model roughly 20 percent of the time across all campuses, and the regional-campus model. We also have some smaller informal gatherings both in the U.S. and around the world experimenting with the low-risk model to see if there is potential to make Mars Hill a national and international church.

We are by no means experts at all of this, but we have learned some things that I believe are helpful. (Seeing how friends such as pastors Ed Young Jr., Craig Groeschel, and Larry Osborne do their campuses has been very helpful.) Therefore, the following suggestions are offered as observations-not obligations-for those considering doing multi-campus church.

Vintage Church:

In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.