Locusts and Wild Honey

This week I enjoyed reading Collin Hansen’s book, Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalists’ Journey with the New Calvinists.” As one of the editors at Christianity Today, Hanson chronicles the new movement among young evangelicals who recoil from the superficiality of the postmodern church and run to the depth of authentic theological grounding they find in the God-rich soil of reformation thought.

Hanson’s seven chapters cover the Passion Conference, John Piper, Jonathan Edwards, Southern Seminary and the SBC Founders, Sovereign Grace, the New Attitude Conference, and Mark Driscoll. He peppers in conversations with every-day guys influenced by the resurgence. He closes the work with:

For nearly two years, I traveled across the country and talked with the leading pastors and theologians of the growing Reformed movement. I sat’ in John Piper’s den, Al Mohler’s office, C. J. Mahaney’s church, and Jonathan Edwards’s college. But the backbone of the Reformed resurgence comprises ordinary churches like those I saw in South Dakota — churches used by God to do extraordinary things. Armed with God’s Word and transformed by the Holy Spirit, these churches’ leaders faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ week after week, through tragedy and triumph. Culture has conspired to give their message a wider audience. Desire for transcendence and tradition among young evangelicals has contributed to a Reformed resurgence.

Contrary to the rumors, I’m not quite as young as the focus group of the book, so I’ve never attended a Passion or New Attitude conference, but I resonate with the revival of the doctrines of grace in my own life. I read hints of my own autobiography in the book, but I’ll save my story for another day. If you are young, restless, or reformed, and particularly if you are all three, you will probably enjoy this book.

btw, Mike Corley interviewed Collin Hansen last week. Great show.

 

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R. C. Sproul’s latest book, “The Truth of the Cross” provides an in depth overview of Christ’s atoning work for sinners. He explains, in his characteristic clarity, why the atonement is necessary for sinners, how Christ stands as the only suitable and sufficient substitute willing and able to take in the curse for guilty humans who lay estranged from a holy God.

I love the way Sproul can communicate rich and complex theological truths in unclouded and concise language that, as Bruce Walkie notes, even a seventh-grader can grasp. For example, consider his treatment of the sometimes confusing understanding of the ransom motif, that I posted yesterday.

“The Truth of the Cross” would serve as an excellent resource for believers at any level. For new believers, it gives a rich introduction to the core Christian doctrine of the atonement. For mature believers, it serves as a wonderful reminder of Christ accomplishment on their behalf. As I read it, I also caught myself thinking that the book would serve as an excellent evangelistic tool. Too often we relegate evangelism to small little snippet tracts that seek to present the gospel in the fewest number of words possible. While those resources prove helpful, we should also add to our arsenal fuller treatments of the gospel for individuals bombarded with anemic Christianity.

The gospel saturated “Truth of the Cross” provides a rich presentation of Christ’s work. At only 166 pages, its not too long to intimidate casual readers, but long enough to pack in a wealth of gospel content. buy and read a copy for yourself, and several more to pass along to friends - believers and unbelievers alike.

Last week I received my signed hard copy of Vintage Jesus in the mail. I had preordered the book and received a pdf from Crossway, so I’ve already read it, but I wanted to spend a second today writing a quick review. Bottom line - I like Mark Driscoll. He has become one of my favorite preachers to listen to. I know that makes me a target for criticism, because Driscoll stirs up a bit of controversy whenever his name drops into a conversation. Whatever folks may say about his Seattle style, he holds to a rock solid theology, demonstrates a passion for the gospel, and possesses an ability to communicate it in grass roots gritty language that makes sense.

The book, Vintage Jesus, serves as a Christology 101 to an American Idol culture. Here is a taste from the opening pages:

Roughly two thousand years ago Jesus was born in a dumpy, rural, hick town, not unlike those today where guys change their own oil, think pro wrestling is real, find women who chew tobacco sexy, and eat a lot of Hot Pockets with their uncle-daddy. Jesus’ mom was a poor, unwed teenage girl who was mocked for claiming she conceived via the Holy Spirit. Most people thought she concocted a crazy story to cover the “fact” she was knocking boots with some guy in the backseat of a car at the prom. Jesus was adopted by a simple carpenter named Joseph and spent the first thirty years of his life in obscurity, swinging a hammer with his dad.

Around the age of thirty, Jesus began a public ministry that included preaching, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and befriending social misfits such as perverts, drunks, and thieves. Jesus’ ministry spanned only three short years before he was put to death for declaring himself to be God. He died by shameful crucifixion like tens of thousands of people before and after him.

At first glance, Jesus’ resume is rather simple. He never traveled more than a few hundred miles from his home. He never held a political office, never wrote a book, never married, never had sex, never attended college, never visited a big city, and never won a poker tournament. He died both homeless and poor.

Nonetheless, Jesus is the most famous person in all of human history. More songs have been sung to him, artwork created of him, and books written about him than anyone who has ever lived. In fact, Jesus looms so large over human history that we actually measure time by him; our calendar is divided into the years before and after his birth, noted as B.C. (”before Christ”) and a.d. (anno Domini, meaning “in the year of the Lord”), respectively.

No army, nation, or person has changed human history to the degree that Jesus, the homeless man, has. Some two thousand years after he walked the earth, Jesus remains as hot as ever. In fact, as Paul promised in 2 Corinthians 11:3-4, the opinions about Jesus are countless in seemingly every area of culture.

On television, Jesus often appears on the long-running animation hits The Simpsons and South Park. Jesus also appears in the comedic sketches of vulgar comic Carlos Mencia’s hit show Mind of Mencia, which explores everything from what it would have been like for Jesus to be married to his involvement in a royal religious wrestling rumble with the founders of other major world religions. Dog the Bounty Hunter, the famous Christian bail bondsman, prays to Jesus on almost every episode of his hit television show, gathering his wife in her clear heels and the rest of their chain-smoking, mace-shooting, criminal-pursuing, mullet-wearing posse to ask Jesus to bless each manhunt.

In the world of fashion, Jesus appears on numerous T-shirts, including the popular “Jesus is my homeboy” shirt, worn by everyone from Madonna to Ashton Kutcher, Ben Affleck, Brad Pitt, and Pamela Anderson.

Driscoll goes on from there walking through pop-culture and the various views of Jesus from the orthodox to the outlandish; but then he shifts gears to give a solid Biblical
picture of the person and work of Jesus. I did not do a comparative point by point analysis, but he covers pretty much everything you will find in chapters 26-29 of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology. He outlines the work under a dozen questions:

1. Is Jesus the Only God?
2. How Human Was Jesus?
3. How Did People Know Jesus Was Coming?
4. Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?
5. Why Did Jesus’ Mom Need to Be a Virgin?
6. What Did Jesus Accomplish on the Cross?
7. Did Jesus Rise from Death?
8. Where Is Jesus Today?
9. Why Should We Worship Jesus?
10. What Makes Jesus Superior to Other Saviors?
11. What Difference Has Jesus Made in History?
12. What Will Jesus Do upon His Return?

Driscoll hits these questions from a biblical perspective with loads of scripture references in his trade-mark edgy style. Easily offended Christians who believe the seven deadly sins include getting a tattoo, reading from a Bible translation other than the KJV, riding a motorcycle, laughing out loud, downloading classic rock to your ipod, or wearing blue jeans to church, will probably not enjoy this book. For everyone else, the book offers a fresh look at the biblical historical human divine real Jesus from an angle you may not have considered before. I’ve been recommending this book to many of my friends, especially those born during the Reagan administration.

Check out the Vintage Jesus web site for more info about the book and authors, desktop backgrounds, sound clips, endorsements, and to order your copy.

I just read one of Mark Dever’s most recent books, “What is a Healthy Church. Dever serves as pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington DC and heads up 9 Marks. The short 126 page book aims to bring the information from his larger work, “The Nine Marks of a Healthy Church” to a more popular audience. Arranged in three parts, he first covers the larger question, “What is a Healthy Church. He then sets the nine marks under two heads - “essential” and “important” marks. “Essential marks of a healthy church;” include a biblical understanding of expository preaching, biblical theology, and the gospel. He lists conversion, evangelism, membership, church discipline, discipleship, and leadership as “important marks” of a healthy church. In between each section, Dever folds in a couple of “quick tips” which include, “If you are looking to leave a church…” and “How to find a good church.”

I think the work would have been strengthened by a study guide at the end of each chapter to aid in small group discussions. Its a great book to use for that purpose. Overall its a great little book to pass along to church members.

Last week I reviewed Steve Lawson’s first book in his Long Line of Godly Men series - Foundations of Grace. In addition to this larger work, he spins off a sub-series looking at various heroes of the faith and their unique contribution to our reformed Christian heritage. He begins with the Expository Genius of John Calvin. In the preface Lawson writes:

“To step into the pulpit is to enter onto holy ground. To stand behind an open Bible demands no trifling with sacred things. To be a spokesman for God requires utmost concern and care in handling and proclaiming the Word. Rightly does Scripture warn, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

“But sad to say, we live in a generation that has compromised this sacred calling to preach. Exposition is being replaced with entertainment, preaching with performances, doctrine with drama, and theology with theatrics. Desperately does the modern-day church need to recover its way and return to a pulpit that is Bible-based, Christ-centered, and life-changing. God has always been pleased to honor His Word—especially His Word preached. The greatest seasons
of church history—those eras of widespread reformation and great awakening—have been those epochs in which God-fearing men took the inspired Word and unashamedly preached it in the power of the Holy Spirit. As the pulpit goes, so goes the church. Thus, only a reformed pulpit will ultimately lead to a reformed church. In this hour, pastors must see their pulpits again marked by sequential exposition, doctrinal clarity, and a sense of gravity regarding eternal matters. This, in my estimation, is the need of the hour.”

In response to that need, Steve Lawson offers a detailed investigation into the Expository Genius of John Calvin. In this work, Lawson highlights 32 distinctive characteristics of Calvin’s preaching and holds them up as examples for todays preachers to follow. He begins with a brief overview of Calvin’s life and then breaks down Calvin’s technique into 1) Approaching the Pulpit, 2) Preparing the Preacher, 3) Launching the Sermon, 4) Expounding the Text, 5) Crafting the Delivery, 6) Applying the Truth, and 7) Concluding the Exposition. Listing these seven elements here doesn’t do justice to the engaging writing style of Lawson. Far from a simple “how to” book that uses an historical figure for illustrative purposes, Lawson masterfully brings Calvin’s thundering pulpit to life in this short 142 page work.

I’d recommend this book to any preacher, even those who may not feel that they share Calvin’s theological convictions. In other words, you do not need to be a Calvinist to be inspired, encouraged, and learn from the Expository Genius of John Calvin.

Future books in Lawson’s series will delve into the ministries of other gifted preachers, such as Martin Luther, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, and others. I eagerly await the forthcoming volumes.

Foundations of Grace, by Steve Lawson, lays the ground work for his “long line of godly men” series. The first instalment surveys the Biblical text with an eye for the doctrines of grace in each book of the Bible. As Lawson runs through the parade of biblical authors he highlights their heavy trust in the sovereignty of God over all things. Lawson demonstrates that the doctrines of radical depravity, sovereign election, definite atonement, irresistible calling, and persevering grace set the cadence for the entire bible. The doctrines of grace drench every page of the biblical text.

Lawsons energetic writing style makes the book a joy to read. Because the intention of the work looks to survey the entire Bible, Lawson never stops long in any one place. The hefty 577 page volume leaves the reader craving more, not because of any deficiency in his treatment, but because Lawson wets the appetite for further study of the rich theological banquet of the biblical text. The book would serve well as a reference book along side other Bible introduction and survey works.

I’m looking forward to his forthcoming “Pillers of Grace” in the series, that builds upon the biblical “Foundations of Grace” and traces church history. To get a taste of Lawson’s rich writing style and content, here are the first couple of pages from “Foundations of Grace:”

Beginning with the ancient prophet Moses and spanning the past thirty-five hundred years to this present hour, there has marched onto the stage of human history a long line of godly men, men who have faithfully upheld the royal banner of the doctrines of grace in their generations. These standardbearers of the sovereignty of God’s grace form a noble procession that has remained unbroken and uninterrupted for millennia. They stand as one man— one in truth, one in the faith, one in the doctrines of grace. While differing in secondary areas of biblical understanding, they nevertheless have spoken with one voice in chief matters of doctrinal concern, namely, the supreme sovereignty by which God has appointed saving grace to undeserving, yet chosen, sinners. What is more, each man has appeared in history precisely at his God-appointed time and faithfully testified to Gods sovereignty in mans salvation.

Who are these great men of history? These are the most God-entranced preachers of their day, the most Word-saturated teachers of their hour, the men who, for the largest part, most marked their times for the glory of God. These are stalwarts of the faith, the sturdiest pillars of the church, the men who impacted nations and influenced continents for Christ, the men who sparked reformations and ignited spiritual awakenings. These are the valiant warriors of God’s kingdom, men who translated the Scriptures into the mother tongues of their people—and were burned at the stake for doing so. These are the men who founded biblically based denominations and launched gospel-propagating missions—men who left an eternal impact upon the life of the church. These are among the most esteemed pastors, distinguished theologians, and prolific authors of their generations. These are the most passionate evangelists, scholarly professors, and venerable presidents of Bible colleges and seminaries—men who have upheld the standard of sound words. These are the men who have championed the doctrines of grace.

We witness them marching onto the stage of history, the world being their theatre and Scripture their rehearsed lines. Countless numbers of these men appeared during the most demanding moments in the divine script, in the days when the church was at its weakest. It was in such times that this long line of godly men grew most thin. Yet amid dark days of doctrinal error, these men remained faithful to God’s Word and stayed true to its message, even daring to march out of step with the theological cadence of the times. These resilient couriers of truth were, of sorts, the small hinges upon which the large doors of redemptive history turned, inevitably leading the church back into the rising sunlight of a bright tomorrow. Similarly, in the times of the church’s greatest reformations and spiritual revivals, these men stood resolutely at the forefront, heralding the glorious truth of God’s sovereignty in man’s salvation for all to hear. Century by century, this unbroken succession of spiritual stalwarts has increased its ranks to become a swelling parade—a long line of godly men, uninterrupted and intact.

What is the distant drumbeat by which these men march? What compels them to move out and move forward for God in their generations? What drives them to capture their hours for Christ? What ignites their souls to burn with passion for Him and be the brightest torches of truth in their times? The answer is clear and compelling. To a man, they are overwhelmed by a high view of the sovereignty of God. With a transcendent and triumphant vision of God ruling supremely over all things, these men comprise an army of expositors and teachers, trumpeting the unrivaled reign of God over heaven and earth. This is what makes them so unusually great. It is that they preach and proclaim an infinitely great God, One who is great in holiness and great in sovereignty. Their greatness is not found in themselves, but in the One who has called them into His glorious employ.

These are the men who believe that God is God, not merely in name but in living reality. These are the faithful messengers who hold fast to the core truth that God speaks and it is so. They proclaim that God comes to pass. They declare that God calls and it happens. They herald that God plans and so does. There is no force that can resist Him, either in heaven, on earth, or under the earth. He pronounces the end from the beginning. His purpose will be infallibly established. Their message is founded on the unmistakably clear testimony of Scripture that God is sovereign over all things.

You can download a sample PDF with the table of contents, the full chapters 2 and ten on Moses and the Gospel of John, along with R. C. Sproul’s Afterward, from the publisher, Reformation Trust.