Resurgence featured audio

Why Multi-Site?

Mark Driscoll — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:33:32 PDT

On April 14^th-15^th, 2008, Leadership Network sponsored the Multi-Site Exposed | Seattle conference. The aim of the conference was to bring together a group of churches that are operating at multiple locations and to give smaller and younger churches the opportunity to learn from those that are further down the "multi-site" road. In this fourth main session from the conference, listen as Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church explains a little of Mars Hill's history, how they got to where they are now and what informed their decision to go multi-site. As they become available, all main sessions from the conference can be found here.

The Road Less Traveled – Toward an Organic, Relational Movement

Dave Browning — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:49:21 PDT

On April 14^th-15^th, 2008, Leadership Network sponsored the Multi-Site Exposed | Seattle conference. The aim of the conference was to bring together a group of churches that are operating at multiple locations and to give smaller and younger churches the opportunity to learn from those that are further down the "multi-site" road. In this third main session from the conference, listen as Dave Browning of Christ the King Church talks about growing organic, relational congregations with authentic community that can grow and adapt to their specific sub-culture and yet remain connected to the greater body. As they become available, all main sessions from the conference can be found here.

Interview with Peter Jones

Mark Driscoll — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:19:56 PDT

On January 8, 2008 Dr. Peter Jones of Westminster Seminary and Christian Witness to a Pagan Planet came to Seattle to give a lecture at one of our local Pastors' workshops (Pastoring in Today's Zeitgeist) and to participate in a Resurgence Event (Walking in the Land of Blur). In between the sessions, Mark Driscoll had the opportunity to interview Dr. Jones about his life, his work, his books, the Gospel and our pagan culture. You can see all of the interviews here as they become available.

Go Back the Way You Came

John Bishop — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:05:59 PDT

On April 14^th-15^th, 2008, Leadership Network sponsored the Multi-Site Exposed | Seattle conference. The aim of the conference was to bring together a group of churches that are operating at multiple locations and to give smaller and younger churches the opportunity to learn from those that are further down the "multi-site" road. In this second main session from the conference, listen as John Bishop of Living Hope Church talks about revitalizing your ministry, staying focused on Jesus, and recovering from burnout. As they become available, all main sessions from the conference can be found here.

Multisite Exposed: Roundtable Discussion

Mark Driscoll — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:02:06 PDT

On April 14^th-15^th, 2008, Leadership Network sponsored the Multi-Site Exposed | Seattle conference. The aim of the conference was to bring together a group of churches that are operating at multiple locations and to give smaller and younger churches the opportunity to learn from those that are further down the "multi-site" road. In this first main session from the conference, listen to the round-table discussion between multi-site pastors Mark Driscoll (of Mars Hill Church), John Bishop (of Living Hope Church), and Dave Browning (of Christ the King Church). As they become available, all main sessions from the conference can be found here.

Question and Answer with Jim Gilmore

Jim Gilmore — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:24:18 PDT

On Tuesday, February 27, 2008 at the Resurgence National Conference, Jim Gilmore spent sometime answering questions from the audience. Please listen as Jim seeks to help pastors understand how to correctly apply his work with businesses to church life, as well as how the church can be a light in our "experience economy" without becoming man-centered and a host of other practical issues related to business, church and how the two should and should not overlap.

Question and Answer with John Piper and Matt Chandler

Mark Driscoll — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:33:19 PDT

On Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at the Resurgence National Conference, Pastor Mark Driscoll emceed a Q & A time with Pastors John Piper and Matt Chandler. Please listen as Mark, John, and Matt discuss the dangers and struggles that pastors face, keeping the church focused on Jesus and not the men leading it, false gospels, maintaining humility in the midst of authority, accountability, contextualization, racial diversity and how much Pastor John can bench-press.

Question and Answer with Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:39:04 PDT

On Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at the Resurgence National Conference, Pastor Mark Driscoll spent sometime answering questions from the audience. Please listen as Mark explains how he structures his schedule in order manage his role has father, husband and preacher including sermon preparation, how his role at Mars Hill has changed over the years, how he interacts with other pastors and staff at Mars Hill, his plans for eventually passing the torch, cultivating a humble response to the pressures in his life and dealing with personal struggle.

Leading the Mission

Darrin Patrick — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:40:16 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this twelfth and final main session from the conference, listen as Darrin Patrick talks about what it takes to cast a vision and lead a church plant.

Biblical Missiology

Jeff Vanderstelt — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:40:11 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this eleventh session from the Conference, listen as Jeff Vanderstelt lays out a biblical vision for missions, ecclesiology and preaching the gospel to as many people as possible.

Decoding the Future, the Phoniness, and the Shifting Sands

Jim Gilmore — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:40:05 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this tenth session from the Conference, listen as Jim Gilmore unpacks more emerging trends in culture, where he see the marketplace expanding and shifting in coming years and how the church can is uniquely positioned to proclaim the gospel to people who are searching.

How I Do Distinguish Between the Gospel and False Gospels

John Piper — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:39:59 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this ninth session from the Conference, listen as John Piper highlights the central themes of the true Gospel and common distortions of the Gospel that we see in the culture around us.

Vision of a Church Planter

Matt Chandler — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:46 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this eighth session from the Conference, listen as Matt Chandler talks about the vision of a church planter.

The Ox: Qualifications of a Church Planter

Mark Driscoll — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:25 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this seventh session from the Conference, listen as Mark Driscoll lays out exactly what it takes to plant a church.

How My Pastoral Ministry Shapes My Pulpit Ministry

John Piper — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:19 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this sixth session from the Conference, listen as John Piper explains how his preaching is informed by his shepherd, counseling and individual care.

Preaching the Gospel from the Center of the Evangelical World

Matt Chandler — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:14 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this fifth session from the Conference, listen as Matt Chandler discusses what it's like try to preach the Gospel to a sub-culture that thinks they already know the Gospel.

Fear & Trembling in the Experience Economy

Jim Gilmore — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:08 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this fourth session from the Conference, listen as Jim Gilmore takes a look at the state of current American culture and how the Gospel intersects with it.

Why I Trust the Scriptures

John Piper — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:03:02 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this third session from the Conference, listen as John Piper explains why he trusts the scriptures.

Pastoral Character & Loving People

CJ Mahaney — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:02:56 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this second session from the Conference, listen as CJ Mahaney encourages us to look for small graces in those around us.

Putting Preachers in Their Place

Mark Driscoll — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:02:51 PDT

On February 25-27, 2008 Resurgence hosted our National Conference titled Text & Context at Mars Hill Church's Ballard Campus. In this first session from the Conference, listen as Mark Driscoll sends out a wake up call to Preachers.

Convergent Conference Session 3 - The Emerging Church

Mark Driscoll — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:10:56 PST

On September 21, 2007, Mark Driscoll was invited to speak at the Convergent Conference at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In this session listen at Pastor Mark explains the major streams of the Emerging Church and specifically, the sub-set of of the Emerging Church, known as the "Emergent Church".

Walking in the Land of Blur

Peter Jones — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:22:09 PST

On January 8, 2008, Dr. Peter Jones of Christian Witness to a Pagan Planet (soon to become "Truth X Change") spoke at the Mars Hill Church Ballard Campus for a Resurgence Event. Dr. Jones used this time to discuss the blurring of spiritual lines in culture around us and how we can their underlying spiritual framework as we seek to witness and minister to the non-Christians around us. After you listen to the main session, be sure to check out the Q&A portion of this event as well.

Pastoring in Today's Zeitgeist

Peter Jones — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:01:54 PST

On January 8, 2008, Dr. Peter Jones of Christian Witness to a Pagan Planet (soon to become "Truth X Change") spoke at the Mars Hill Church Ballard Campus for a Resurgence Pastor's Workshop. Dr. Jones used this time to discuss the "spirit of this age" and how we can understand culture and it's underlying spiritual framework as we seek to witness and minister to the non-Christians around us. After you listen to the main session, be sure to check out the Q&A portion of this event as well.

Paradigm Shift, Not Program Shift: An Interview with Voddie T. Baucham Jr.

Gary Shavey — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:23:36 PST

Voddie Baucham wrote a great book on the importance and purpose of the family. A Family Driven Faith: Doing What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God was released this summer 2007. He takes a great approach for Christians to rethink and relive what the family is all about. Taking principles from Deuteronomy 6 Dr. Baucham addresses the crisis of losing Christian kids to secular humanism as it starts with the family. This is not a book on fixing the program or how to start a program for the family. This book is about shifting paradigms from clinical psychology to what the Bible calls Dads and Moms to do in raising their children. The byproduct of this will be God glorifying as well as evangelistically being light and salt in a confused world.

Our Land of Blur and The 5 Points of Paganism

Gary Shavey — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:35:22 PST

Same-sex marriage, gender confusion, yoga, enlightened thinking, secular-humanism, relativism, pluralistic diversities known as Universities (college), deism, integrative thinking, monism, the ever so popular book "The Secret" … all have the same root: neo-paganism. Resurgence is hosting two free events on January 8, 2008 to help the church and believers understand and address this root issue. We invite all Pacific Northwest pastors, church planters and ministry leaders to join Dr. Peter Jones, professor and author, for a free morning workshop that includes lunch. For the morning, we will hear and discuss how to pastor in the 'spirit of the age' as Dr. Jones takes a hard exegetical look at Romans chapter 1. Please sign up" so we have a head count for lunch. Then, at 7pm on the Mars Hill Church Ballard Campus, we have an open invite (free) to all who want to know more about neo-paganism and how it has created our Land of Blur. Appropriately subtitled "The 5 Points of Paganism," Dr. Jones will help define paganism as it is seen today. He will speak about how the majority of life-issues have been blurred or deemed relative. Yet throughout the ages, even unbelieving philosophers have realized that without the edges, lines or structure, chaos ensues. As believers, we realize that God has redeemed chaos through Jesus. Come for the evening to learn how to bring the light and focus of Jesus into this dark and blurred world. Please sign up now. Finally, enjoy this interview conducted with Dr. Peter Jones, professor at Westminster Seminary and executive director of Christian Witness to a Pagan Planet. Dr. Jones is one of the leading theologians devoted to understanding the undermining of neo-paganism in our culture today. His expertise is invaluable to the health of our churches and the mission we are on with Jesus. These events will be a great introduction to our National Resurgence Conference: Text & Context / Acts 29 Church Planting Boot Camp.

Continuous Worship: Missional Worship

Tim Smith — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:57:32 PST

On September 17 and 18 Mars Hill Church hosted the Resurgence Fall Conference title: Continuous Worship. In this, the fourth of four main sessions, listen as Pastor Tim Smith walks us through how it looks to live lives of worship that focus on Jesus and seek to redeem the culture around us.

Ain't No Party Like the Holy Ghost Party

Gary Shavey — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:48:13 PST

An Interview with Dr. Sam Storms In the book Signs of the Spirit by Dr. Sam Storms we see articulation of many things about Jonathan Edwards' view of the spiritual life. Edwards' Religious Affections were written in the time of Revival or what folks might call a Holy Ghost Party. The outcome from Dr. Storms book is a fresh and encouraging look at getting to really understand one of the greatest works by an American theologian. This book is in no way trying to help people police the work of the Holy Spirit. In fact the attempt is to get people understanding Edwards' thoughts on believers who love Jesus to have a heart aflame for God and life. By staying biblically grounded one can truly embrace full humanity, emotions, intellect, spiritual affections in the redeemed image of God. Please take a listen to Sam Storms thoughts.

Continuous Worship: Jesus the Sole Mediator of Worship and the Helplessness of Music

Harold Best — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:38:02 PST

On September 17 and 18 Mars Hill Church hosted the Resurgence Fall Conference title: Continuous Worship. In this, the third of four main sessions, listen as Dr. Harold Best explains Jesus role at the Great High Priest and the only one qualified and able to lead worship.

Continuous Worship: Is "Worship" the Only Word for Worship?

Harold Best — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:04:43 PST

On September 17 and 18 Mars Hill Church hosted the Resurgence Fall Conference title: Continuous Worship. In this, the second of four main sessions, listen as Dr. Harold Best unpacks what we really mean when we say "worship" and underlying issues of the heart when it comes to worship and idolatry.

Continuous Worship: Idolatry

Mark Driscoll — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 14:59:57 PST

On September 17 and 18 Mars Hill Church hosted the Resurgence Fall Conference title: Continuous Worship. In this, the first of four main sessions, listen as Pastor Mark Driscoll discusses the underlying sin of all men: Idolatry. Humanity was created to worship. However, in our fallen state, we tend to worship created things, rather than the creator of those things. Listen as Mark discusses the subtle ways that we all give in to idolatry at one time or another.

Parenting Old-School with the OT

Adriel Ifland — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 13:41:28 PST

Who wants to read about stuffy old law, anyway? Jesus came and we have grace and love now, right? Jani Ortlund, the wife of Ray Ortland Jr., and author of His Loving Law, Our Lasting Legacy would graciously counter that grace was given to the Israelites before the law, and that the law was a gift of love from God, not slavery. In her interview she discusses her love of the Bible and commands that are not only in the Old Testament, but the New. She informs us that the law is meant to point us to Jesus as we cannot live up to its standards. Jesus cleanses us and frees us to love him back, and the law is a picture of what God is like. Formerly a school teacher, Jani saw the removal of the Ten Commandments from the walls of her school. With a deep love for Jesus and the law that God gave, she was burdened to share with families the practical teaching of the Ten Commandments as conduits to Christ and a gift of life to be passed on to the next generation. This wise and gracious woman clearly loves Jesus and clearly loves the Word.

The Dangerous Idea

Gary Shavey — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:21:44 PDT

An Interview with Dr. Alistair McGrath The right for believers to interpret Scripture lies at the core of Protestantism. Dr. McGrath writes his latest book Christianity’s Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution – A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First to help the church today remember the roots and adaptability of Protestantism. With a balance of criticism and encouragement, McGrath clearly presents the development of Protestantism over the past 500 years. He concludes with great insight on the tremendous upside of Protestantism in that it continues to be close to the culture yet faithful to preaching the gospel. We are very thankful for his flexibility to do this interview over the phone with us (especially with the time difference involved!).

Healthy Church

Gary Shavey — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:41:34 PDT

Mark Dever, pastor at Capital Hill Baptist Church and 9Marks Ministry, interviews with Resurgence about his latest book What is a Healthy Church. This short and biblically concise book is a must read for the Church today, especially its leaders. In fact humbly Pastor Mark refers first to Joshua Harris’ book Stop Dating the Church as a nice prequel to this work. But if anyone knows the work of Mark Dever they will know that through biblical faithfulness we are presented with great essentials of a growing vibrant church community imparted in this book. He also briefly comments on his upcoming book, The Gospel and Personal Evangelism which should be a great book in practical wisdom for fulfilling the call of the Great Commission.

Justification and Union with Christ

Phil Ryken — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:42:13 PDT

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this breakout session from the conference, listen as Phil Ryken talks about Justification and Union with Christ. In this audio, Dr. Ryken explains just what the imputation of Rightousness means and it's direct implications on our relationship to and will Christ. From there, he set out in a theologically rigorous explanation of common-held current-day objections to the traditional Reformed view of justification and where he sees those objections falling short.

The Use of the Bible in Pastoral Counseling

Mike Bullmore — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:58:29 PDT

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this breakout session from the conference, listen as Mike Bullmore talks about The Use of the Bible in Pastoral Counseling. In this breakout session, Mike attempts to answer two primary questions:

What is the role of scripture in pastoral counseling?
How do you use the Bible in pastoral counseling?

Ultimately it boils down to what you believe about the book we call The Bible. Mike asserts that you must believe the following 5 foundational convictions. And to the degree that you do not believe them your ability to minister will be greatly hampered.

The God-breathedness of scripture
The understandableness of scripture
The usefulness of scripture
The Efficacy of scripture
The authority of scripture

Cruicial Issues in Gospel and Community

Jeff Louie — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:49:56 PDT

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this breakout session from the conference, listen as Jeff Louie talks about Crucial Issues in Gospel & Community. Jeff starts by high-lighting the four main approaches that evangelicals can use when interacting with the world:

Reconstructionism
Legislative Moralism
Moderation
Redemptive Moralism

He then looks to the Bible for solid scriptural support to the way that Evangelicals really should behave towards society at large, and finally he closes with practical application of the Biblical model.

Evangelizing People in a Post-Christian Society

David Bisgrove — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:47:00 PDT

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this breakout session from the conference, listen as David Bisgrove talks on Evangelizing People in a Post-Christian Society. David Bisgrove, a pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, discusses methods for tackling the increasing problem of of society's ignorance of the Christian faith. As our culture becomes increasingly pluralistic, we will more often encounter individuals without any Christian frame of reference. It used to be that Christians might encounter individuals that did not believe in the truth of Easter or Christmas for example. Now, our culture's separation from Christianity is often to the next degree in that individuals we encounter may not have even heard the story of Christmas or Easter. David Bisgrove talks about his church's commitment to bring the gospel to people in our own society who have never had any familiarity with the gospel at all.

Cultivating Biblical Meditation and Prayer

Andy Davis — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 15:29:09 PDT

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this breakout session from the conference, listen as Andy Davis talks on Cultivating Biblical Meditation and Prayer. Andy starts by laying out a historical framework for meditation and experiencing God based on great godly men like Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther and D.L. Moody. He also briefly touches on what biblical meditation and prayer is not and then he set about to search scripture for examples and where meditation is commanded and where meditation is commended.

Christ and Culture Revisted

Sandy Wilson — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:31:06 PDT

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this breakout session from the conference, listen as Sandy Wilson talks on Christ and Culture Revisited. In this session, among other key points, Sandy explains the 2 main dangers of Christian and Culture: Assimilation and Withdrawal and talks about the fives ways that Christ can interact with culture:

Christ against Culture - Amish, Quakers, etc.
Christ of Culture - Schleiermacher, dialog about Christ in every culture.
Christ over Culture - Roman Catholicism, Christ's reign over nature and grace
Christ and Culture in paradox - parallel ways of life. Culture cannot be redeemed and thus must be overwhelmed
Christ transforming Culture - Augustine, Calvin

Sandy argues that No. 2 (Christ of Culture) is not even Christian and an illegitimate perspective, and further goes on to argue that authentic Christianity engaging with with culture, at different times and places will look like a blend of No. 1, 3, 4, and 5.

The Plans and Purposes of the Gospel Coalition

Donald Carson — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:40:02 PDT

In May 2007, Resurgence had the opportunity to participate in and record the content from the first Gospel Coalition conference. In this session, listen as Don Carson lays out the Plans and Purposes of the Gospel Coalition: why they exist and what they hope to accomplish in the future. Also please see their foundational documents:

Council Members

Christianity and Culture

James Harleman — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:10:49 PDT

On Thursday, May 31st, 2007, at Mars Hill Church's West Seattle campus, Pastor James Harleman gave the fifth of a five-part lecture series called "Christianity and..." James' topic was Christianity and Culture. What is Culture?

"By the word culture, we have to understand the sum total ways of living developed by a group of human beings and handed on from generation to generation. Central to culture is language. The language of a people provides the means by which they express their way of perceiving things and of coping with them. Around that center one would have to group their visual and musical arts, their technologies, their law, and their social and political organization." "And one must also include in culture, and as fundamental to any culture, a set of beliefs, experiences, and practices that seek to grasp and express the ultimate nature of things, that which gives shape and meaning to life, that which claims final loyalty. I am speaking, obviously, about religion. Religion—including the Christian religion--is thus part of culture." Lesslie Newbigin

Why do we create culture? God is our Creator and He made us creative to create culture (Genesis 1:28). The cultural mandate remains in effect even though sin has entered the world (Genesis 9:7). People create culture simply because they bear the image of God the Creative Creator.

Culture is the tool and trade of worship – culture-making is the manifestation of our worship
- We are all worshippers – everyone worships
  - (Harold Best, Unceasing Worship)
Culture reflects who/what we worship
Culture reveals our sinfulness
Culture is the medium through which Jesus reaches us (incarnation)
The Church – the true church - is the place where the gospel intersects culture

Why does culture seem corrupted? As culture is the tool and trade of worship, we experience a cultural exchange when we exchange suppress the truth of God and exchange it for a lie. This permeates the culture we create. The values of each culture, the language of each culture, the social mores of each culture are built by people with distorted filters.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Romans 1:18 – 25

Personally, each one of us engages in this idolatrous cultural exchange due to our own sin, and exacerbated by the culture we are shaped by. We support and create culture that glorifies idolatry. These cultures act as incorrect lenses that distort our worldview, feeding off of our own deceitful hearts. Thankfully, the Gospel of Jesus Christ restores a Christian's worldview, enabling someone who lives for Jesus to engage culture and reject, receive, or redeem it for God's glory. Cultural Engagement: Understanding our Culture and Redefining Entertainment Acts 17 – Paul's sermon

Paul walks the streets, examines idols, reads poetry – he knows the culture of his audience.
Paul unashamedly exploits the culture and its tools for the sake of the gospel.
Likewise, Christianity must change contextually to address its audience
- Our commission must involve:
  - plundering a culture for its contextual tools
  - entering a culture and using its own weapons against it
  - overcoming enemies by turning their own devices toward Christ
  - we should always be looking to pillage

Living in an Entertainment Culture entertainment Pronunciation: "en-t&r-'tAn-m&nt Function: noun

the act of entertaining
archaic : MAINTENANCE, PROVISION
something diverting or engaging

en-ter-tain Pronunciation: "en-t&r-'tAn Function: verb

archaic : MAINTAIN b obsolete : RECEIVE
to show hospitality to
to keep, hold, or maintain in the mind : to receive and take into consideration

Where is "mindless" a part of entertainment here? Entertainment is not evil. Webster's definition defines two postures toward entertainment: one is "diversion" and the other is "engagement". Arguing that "It's just entertaining" is not an acceptable answer to "Why do you like this?" "It's just entertaining" is a euphemism for "me not think".

Why does it push your entertainment buttons?
What is it engaging within you, or diverting you FROM?
What is "entertainment" to a Christian?

More to the point, what should entertainment be to a Christian? Diversion or Engagement? Should entertainment disconnected from Mission? Is Sabbath to be mindless? If entertainment is for self-indulgence and absorption, then we should probably just stick with our Bible. Sadly, that would belie the purpose of our Bible. If we're truly living biblical lives, "mission" and "entertainment" should be synonymous. Entertainment should not be about feeling happy either. Things that entertain (things that we entertain in our minds) should distress, impress, disturb, encourage, convict, excite, and more. Scripture certainly does this, and hopefully chief above all other things; our interactions with others certainly does; the daily newspaper most definitely does; I would think that television and film and video games would be very much the same. Depiction does not always mean glorification, and our Bible is the perfect example of this. Paul was not a cultural couch potato; he was entertained by finding in-roads to the gospel through what he filtered. We must always walk by the Spirit with discernment and choose our battles strategically. What is "safe" to engage? Nothing is safe to watch. It disturbs me when Christians follow FCC and MPAA [ratings] guidelines and just assume and consume without discernment. Disney films have terrible philosophy and theology. Some of the "family" films out there contain the most subversive content because they are 95 percent wholesome with a subtle twist. This has always been Satan's most popular tactic. As a Christian, everything I watch makes me uncomfortable on some level, and it should; something's wrong if it doesn't. Even my Bible makes me uncomfortable in places, because I read about sinners who hurt each other and murderers and rapists and people who rebel against God and don't love Jesus or their neighbor. Many times it makes me uncomfortable because it surfaces similar sinful attitudes in me that I need to repent from. For the Christian, engaging film and media should be much the same way, only with even more discernment because it's not perfect, like Scripture. Philippians 4:8 is often the "champion verse" of those who say not to watch certain types of movies – or not to watch movies at all. However, they usually omit the surrounding verses.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.

VERSE 7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God will guard our hearts and minds When I walk down the street and see an injustice, I am reminded that my God is a God of justice. When I hear someone profane the name of God in my presence, my mind recalls that God's name is holy. This verse is not talking about our stimulus, it's talking about our life in light of it. It does not mean we are to isolate ourselves so that we are only amidst things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. To truly pull this off, we would have to leave this world. The good news is that when we are confronted with bad examples and evil – or when we read or watch a tale that illustrates such – we are equipped by God to think about what is lovely, admirable and excellent in spite of the sinful world around us. That doesn't mean we go rushing in where we know we are weak in our sin, but it does mean that we do not shrink back from the marketplace (physical or ideological) or we have ceased to engage the culture around us like Paul did and cease to be evangelistic because we don't want to be exposed to sinners around us. The "logical" progression that kills evangelism What usually happens in evangelical circles is that the Christians shun the popular media because of its content, and concurrently cut themselves off from co-workers and neighbors as a result. Not only do they disconnect from water cooler conversations because they don't know the culture or have any conversational connection, it even becomes "logical" that, if you don't want to be surrounded by fictional characters that are rude and vulgar and blasphemous, you don't want to engage them in real life. Suddenly evangelical Christianity has ceased evangelism because of logic, instead of being biblical and missional like the apostle Paul, not to mention Jesus. The dysfunctional characters in Office Space are the type of people Jesus went and had dinner with. Can't people just use this as an excuse to engage garbage? Of course. Some Christians will wave a few verses about their freedom in Christ and that "everything is permissible" so they can watch junk to their wicked heart's content. Others will go even further, declaring themselves missionaries like the apostle Paul in Athens, examining the idols and art of the culture in order to contextualize the gospel message (Acts 17). However, some will abuse this idea to justify watching every chainsaw massacre or a film like Showgirls. "garbage in, garbage out" To be blunt, this is not a biblical saying and should be excised from Christian thought. If that saying were applied, we would realistically have to cut ourselves off completely from the world... and even our fallible brothers and sisters in Christ... and ultimately ourselves. We ARE garbage in, being redeemed by Christ, and called to move through this world littered with garbage relying on Him to protect us, proclaiming the redemptive work of Christ so that some will be saved when our Father takes out the trash. Scripturally, we certainly are called to avoid certain things, but this kind of blanket generalization is dangerous and damaging, both in regard to maturing in one's walk and evangelism.

"Everything is permissible for me"–but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"–but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12

The goal here is that you will not be mastered by something. A practice is certainly not beneficial if it is your master and not God. Here's an interesting tidbit from The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition, 2002 on the definition of the phrase our generation is so familiar with:

garbage in, garbage out: this saying points out the fact that a computer can do only what it is programmed to do and is only as good as the data it receives and the instructions it is given. If there is a logical error in software, or if incorrect data are entered, the result will probably be either a wrong answer or a system crash.

The problem here is that humans are often nowhere near as good as the data we receive and malfunction (sin) despite many good instructions we are given. We fail to glorify the God we know full well we should glorify and Romans illuminates this quite well. Our external stimuli is not what makes us sinful - it is our hearts (Jeremiah 17). It is the sin nature in which we were conceived (Psalm 51). Likewise, it is the power of the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts that enables us to stand against the "flaming arrows of the evil one." Our goal is to put on the armor of God and stand firm in battle (Ephesians 6), not remove ourselves from the battlefield. I grew up in a church where you didn't even DARE teach the basics of other religions out of fear it might intrigue instead of equip. That type of methodology keeps weak Christians weak and doesn't build them up in their faith. As for whether or not something should be "entertaining one filled with the Holy Spirit", there are some assumptions here. One is that entertainment is allowing something to pour into your mind without discernment - hence the need for it to be "safe", when in fact a mature Christian's engagement of entertainment should always have a missional filter on it. Part of the joy of entertainment for the Christian should BE examining the narrative to see where it's true and where it errs (as any story by man will do BOTH in variant proportion). The Holy Spirit is there to embolden us as we face the world and help us to stand firm against it; He doesn't reside in us as something we need to coddle. We should avoid doing that which is ungodly, but if we simply avoided everything in our culture that was ungodly we'd be out of the world again and off-mission. Now, if someone is indulging the detritus out there with their brain turned off, soaking up the influences of the world like a sponge, parroting the platitudes they hear and see, there's an imminent problem; if they have no clue HOW to engage it biblically, avoidance is definitely sound advice... but they should also seek teaching and training to grow OUT of that. Honesty (and conscience) is the Best Policy An educated Christian has to be honest with God and themself. One can say they're engaging culture for the cause of Christ and use that noble premise as an excuse to fuel and titillate their sick depravity. A severance - at least a temporary one - for self-examination may be in order for some, and maybe quite a few as things stand right now. For others, seeking teaching and training to turn the hurtful blades of these cultural weapons back on the culture itself is a great way to mature in practical evangelism. Of course, if simply having sex, rape, bloody murder, adultery, lies, deceit, disembowelment, and even blasphemy depicted were inherently sinful, someone would have to - sooner or later - accuse our Bible of being sinful. I don't think anyone is going to make that claim. Observing sin is completely different from participating in it, whether it's on my TV or out on the street. If I had to cease observing sin, I would turn off my TV... and never leave my house... and never interact with another living soul for the rest of my days. Somehow, I don't think that's the biblical answer. Scripture calls us to be IN the world, but not OF it. We are NOT called to segregate ourselves into little Christian clusters and create our safe, surrogate culture and stick our heads in the sand and hide from the big bad world. Scripture's language is that of strangers and aliens in foreign lands. We were not called to retreat from the world by creating a safe harbor - Christ has called us to rely on him for our safety as we chart enemy waters. And do not fool yourself - whether we are in the public square or on our living room couch, we are always on the battlefield. Where should our Sabbath be? Jesus pulled away from the crowds to rest – was this away from God? His Sabbath, as with ours, is always to be "in the Lord". Christians should always be engaged – eyes open, mind on, on-mission – intentional. Christians should engage life with discernment, and this means both the people they talk to as well as the media they consume. To allow movies and video games and other things to serve as diversion seems at odds with what we profess about joy and hope and satisfaction in this life though Jesus Christ. Turning to entertainment as your comfort (or escape), apart from relationship with Christ, is idolatrous. Though many Christians will give this lip service, it rarely manifests in lifestyle.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

How was Jesus Entertained? Was Jesus "entertained" when he hung out around hookers and tax collectors? Was he "entertained" when he engaged the Pharisees? As he was enjoying each conversation, sifting the right thinking from the detritus, pointing out sin or recognizing the Father's hand moving through someone's life, I think the answer is yes. Was Paul "entertained" reading Athenian poets or navigating their landscape of idols? I think he was. Recognizing hints of the Father - a glimpse of the Savior - amidst all their truly blasphemous crap was surely a joy. You'll note that I didn't say Jesus was entertained BY the things mentioned, he was entertained BY the engagement - by the experience which was His work for the Father in working WITH them in conversation. Whether or not we're entertained, and how it entertained us, really hinges first and foremost on our initial goal in engaging, whether it's people (directly) or culture (indirectly). When was Jesus ever off-mission? When was he "taking a break" from seeking God? Even his breaks for rest and solitude were focused on God for prayer and refreshment. Sabbath is not about mindless relaxation - it's about taking a break to focus on our Lord. Entertainment is meant for one of two things - diversion or engagement. A Christian should never allow it to "divert" them. They should always be engaging. If we're taking a "break" from seeking God's face to dally with aspects of culture, we're off-mission. The world dictates that there are appropriate times to use cultural tools (movies, video-games) to distract us from the burden of our lives... but this thinking is not biblical. Relaxing in front of the television because you had a hard day at work is one thing - that can be fine. However, if your walk with Christ is a burden you need a secular, "mindless" break from... something is horribly amiss.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ… 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Where do you still have "household gods" that compromise your walk with Jesus? Christians must to do the following as needed:

steep themselves in scripture, because the reason they're hiding from culture is that their foundation is weak.
renew their commitment to engage culture and cease any intentional or unintentional disengagement.
repent of a self-righteous seclusion from the world that has impeded their gospel work.
admit where they've compromised the gospel and let culture rule their time, treasure and talents with no connection to mission.

However, what this should NOT be:

What this challenge should NOT be is an excuse for cultural gluttons to justify their feast, declaring media saturation or idolatrous focus on business or politics as "working for Jesus". Simply Declaring it "missional" won't suddenly alter that fact.
This should also not serve as a gauntlet pressuring Christians admittedly weak in specific areas to throw themselves headlong against their toughest temptations.

The Apostle Paul's mandate:

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4: 9

What we see in Paul:

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' Acts 17:22-28

I'm sure Paul was entertained by His engagement of pagan poetry (or the poets themselves), marked particularly in the instant when the Holy Spirit helped him discern a line he could parallel with biblical thinking ("we are His offspring"). I can imagine the intriguing smirk and raised eyebrow when he spotted that altar to the Unknown God and realized God had once again provided another connection point.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 1 Corinthians 9:19–23

Christianity and Trinitarian Worldview

Brant Bosserman — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 19:44:06 PDT

On Thursday, May 24th, 2007, at Mars Hill Church's West Seattle campus, Brant Bosserman gave the fourth of a five-part lecture series called "Christianity and..." Brant's topic was Christianity and Trinitarian Worldview.

Christianity and Conservatism

Paul Petry — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:15:28 PDT

On Thursday, May 10th, 2007, at Mars Hill Church's West Seattle campus, Paul Petry gave the second of a five-part lecture series called "Christianity and..." Paul's topic was Christianity and Conservatism. Listen as he lays out a little bit of history on just what Conservatism is, and what it's role in today's culture is, as well as what our Biblical response to Conservatism should be.

A Talk About Nothing: Postmodernism, Culture and the Gospel

Mike Gunn — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:44:33 PDT

"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" Colossians 2:8

"In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with the world that no longer exists." Eric Hoffer

Introduction Postmodernity in my estimation is a reaction within modernity and is quite possibly a transitional ideology; nonetheless, it remains a formidable factor in the modern 21^st century life, and is still shaping our culture as we speak. To this David Wells writes, "The emergence of the postmodern ethos and the growing religious and spiritual diversity are by no means parallel or even complementary but they are unmistakably defining American culture in a significantly new way."¹ As believers who care about people and the gospel, I think it is imperative to understand this transition in ways that can help us to understand our culture and reach it properly. We cannot resort to old staid methods for reaching a culture that rapidly morphs and changes it's identity at lightening speed. Since the Postmodern mind is often comfortable with irony, juxtaposition, complexity and paradox, as well as chaos and uncertainty, the classical method of defending and articulating our faith may no longer be of any assistance in gospel telling. Therefore we need to continue to be learners and students of our culture and construct ministries and methodologies that are contextual and authentic to the context in which we live. This is NOT an academic exercise; it is a gospel exercise, a missional exercise that begins with Exegeting (Interpreting) the culture.

The Current Context of the Issue
1. Modernity (Or Enlightenment Worldview)
  The western world has been, and in many ways continues to be dominate by an enlightenment worldview, which entrenched itself in "Cartesian"² thinking by the middle of the 17^th century. It is impossible to understand the basic thinking of Postmodernity without first understanding the 7 characteristics of modernist epistemology (Thinking).
  1. The Supremacy of Reason
  2. Subject-Object Dualism
  3. The Elimination of Purpose
  4. Undying Optimism
  5. Distinction Between Facts and Values
  6. The Potential Solvability of Humanity's Problems
  7. The Objective Autonomous Individual
2. Postmodernity
  As I said earlier, I think Postmodernity is a reaction to the stale harshness of modernity. David Harvey (Author of the "Condition of Postmodernity") writes that, "There is much more continuity than difference between the broad history of modernism and the movement of postmodernism…to see the latter as a particular crises within the former, one that emphasizes the fragmentary, the ephemeral and the chaotic…while expressing a deep skepticism as to any particular prescriptions as to how the eternal and immutable should be conceived of, represented or expressed."³
  As David Wells notes it may be important to distinguish between postmodernism (The intellectual/academic) and postmodernity (The pop/social expression), since in reality it is the latter that toppled the modernist giant, and not the former, which has little or no connection to the mainstream public. Intellectuals like Michael Foucault and Jacques Derrida certainly may have their place in postmodern philosophy, but the bigger question is how did we get "from Foucault to MTV?" 200 years of Christian apologetics and critique did little or no damage to the Enlightenment, while it took only 40 years for the postmodern attack to take root, and topple such a philosophical giant. Though by definition postmodernity would be indefinable, let's look at some of the major tenets of the theory that does appear to link most postmodern thinkers, and see how these aspects helped tarnish and topple the enlightenment.
  1. The inadequacy of "Pure" Reason
  2. The Subject-Object Holism
  3. The Elimination of Meaning
  4. Undying Skepticism
  5. A Blur Between Facts and Values
  6. The Potential Destruction of Humanity
  7. The Subjective Autonomous Self
Towards a Biblical Commitment to Bring the Light of the Gospel in the Culture We Live
Let's examine certain commitments that are both biblical and useful to reach a postmodern culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1. Commitment to a "Faith Tradition"
2. Commitment to Gospel Telling
3. Commitment to Contextualization
4. Commitment to Biblical Community
5. Commitment to an Embodied/Incarnational Gospel

Conclusion Postmodernity can be either the bane or the boon for Christianity. It has certainly opened up the doors in the marketplace of ideas, but it has also helped fragment our world, and relativize the truth, but with all the possible negatives of our postmodern culture, we have ample opportunities to reach this lost culture with the truth of God's word!

¹ David Wells, Above All Earthly Powers: Christ in a Postmodern World, 5 ² Relating to the rationalist thinking of Rene Descartes; specifically the foundational rationalism that was born with his "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). ³ David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity, 116

Christianity and Liberalism

Gary Shavey — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 22:58:58 PDT

On Thursday, May 3rd, 2007, at Mars Hill Church's West Seattle campus, Pastor Gary Shavey gave the first of a five-part lecture series called "Christianity and..." Pastor Gary's topic was Christianity and Liberalism. Listen as he lays out a little bit of history on just what Liberalism is, and what it's role in today's culture is, as well as what our Biblical response to Liberalism should be. Background Defining Liberalism – the word liberal derives from the Latin liber, associated with the word liberty and the concept of freedom Broad Meaning – liberalism holds that individual liberty is the primary political value emphasizing individual rights. Seeking a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals. Founding of America

Classical Liberalism

Political Liberalism

Social Liberalism Cultural Liberalism Neo-Liberalism Liberalism in Christianity Christian liberalism is the reinterpreting of the Christian faith by the philosophy of the day, claiming such a mixture to be the truest form of Christianity. Protestant Liberalism (or Modernism) Science & Humanism Social Gospel Save the world The Bible Whose is it? Under or Over? The Trinity God the Father, Man the son and feelings the Holy Spirit! The Nature of Man Make our future? Salvation Who does what in salvation? The Mission of the Church What do we do and why do we do it? Conclusion John 18:37-38 1 Corinthians 15 Romans 1

The Triumph of the Gospel in the New Heavens and New Earth

John Piper — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 07:50:47 PDT

In this audio from the Gospel Coalition, listen as John Piper gives insight into sin, the kingdom and what the good news of the Gospel means for life on earth and live on the new earth.

Passing the Torch

Crawford Loritts — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 16:41:01 PDT

Listen as Crawford Loritts discusses passing the torch. Using Psalm 78:5-7 as his primary text, Crawford reminds us that we tend to spend so much time analyzing our effectiveness here and now that we forget that history continues to move on. In this mp3, Dr. Loritts highlights three things that every generation needs in order to further the gospel.

Gospel-Centered Ministry

Timothy Keller — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:19:41 PDT

Listen to this audio from the Gospel Coalition, as Tim Keller from Redeemer Presbyterian in New York talks about what ministry shaped by the gospel looks like. In this mp3, Dr. Keller fleshes out seven significant features of the gospel and how to use those features to make ministry effective.

What is the Gospel

Donald Carson — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 20:06:49 PDT

In this audio from the first session of the inaugural Gospel Coalition conference, listen as Dr. Don Carson of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School talks on just exactly "what is the Gospel?" In this mp3, Dr. Carson lists eight summarizing words that help to define the Gospel, five clarifying sentence to differentiate the Gospel from what it is not, and one evocative summary. We pray that as you hear Dr. Carson's words you will learn what it means to truly be about the Gospel and to experience the transformation that inevitably accompanies it.

The New Perspective(s) on Paul

Scott Golike — Tue, 29 May 2007 14:10:50 PDT

In this mp3 Pastor Scott Golike wants to answer the following questions: 'Have we been misreading Paul's problem with the Judaism of his day, and along with it what he meant by works of the law and justification by faith?' 'Have we been distorting Paul by reading him through the lens of Augustine's fight with Pelagius, and even more so, Luther's fight with Catholicism?' 'Have we, in fact, been misrepresenting the Gospel all this time?' Leading scholars say yes, including N. T. Wright, the most prominent evangelical who thinks so. Is Wright right? Listen to this audio as we look at Scripture together and see if we can get to a an understanding of what this debate is all about. Download the Notes