Locusts and Wild Honey

Vintage Jesus

Saturday, March 29th, 2008 | Books, General | 10 Comments

Vintage Gesus

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:

Is Jesus the Only God?
How Human Was Jesus?
How Did People Know Jesus Was Coming?
Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?
Why Did Jesus’ Mom Need to Be a Virgin?
What Did Jesus Accomplish on the Cross?
Did Jesus Rise from Death?
Where Is Jesus Today?
Why Should We Worship Jesus?
What Makes Jesus Superior to Other Saviors?
What Difference Has Jesus Made in History?
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.

Celebrating the Resurrection

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 | General | No Comments

My friend, Mike Corley, highlighted Good Friday yesterday by broadcasting a dramatic reading of the “Easter Story” as read by Max McLean. Mike also read Isaiah 53 and showcased music by Keith & Kristin Getty. Visit his website to listen to other episodes of the Mike Corley Program.

btw, Lord willing, Mike will be preaching in Lakeshore on Wednesday night April 9. Watch Rebuild Lakeshore for more details.

The Mike Corley Program: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Body

Thursday, March 6th, 2008 | General | No Comments

Nose and Hand were sitting in the church pew talking. The morning service, led by Ear and Mouth, had just ended, and Hand was telling Nose that he and his family had decided to look for a different church.”Really?” Nose responded to Hand’s news. “Why?” “Oh, I don’t know,” Hand said, looking down. He was usually slower to speak than other members of the church body. “I guess because the church doesn’t have what Mrs. Hand and I are looking for.”"Well, what are you looking for in a church?” Nose asked. The tone in which he spoke these words was sympathetic. But even as he was speaking them he knew he would dismiss Hand’s answer. If the Hands couldn’t see that Nose and the rest of the leadership were pointing the church body in the right direction, the body could do without them. .

Hand had to think before answering. He and Mrs. Hand liked Pastor Mouth and his family. And Minister of Music Ear meant well. “Well, I guess we’re looking for a place where people are more like us,” Hand finally stammered. “We tried spending time with the Legs, but we didn’t connect with them. Next we joined the small group for all the Toes. But they kept talking about socks and shoes and odors. And that didn’t interest us.”

Nose looked at him this time with genuine dismay: “Aren’t you glad they’re concerned with odors?!”

“Sure, sure. But it’s not for us. Then, we attended the Sunday school for all you facial features. Do you remember? We came for several Sundays a couple of months ago?”

“It was great to have you.”

“Thank you. But everyone just wanted to talk, and listen, and smell, and taste. It felt like, well, it felt like you never wanted to get to work and get your hands dirty. Anyway, Mrs. Hand and I were thinking about checking out that new church over on East Side. We hear they do a lot of clapping and handraising, which is closer to what we need right now.”

“Hmmm,” Nose replied. “I see what you mean. We’d hate to see you go. But I guess you have to do what’s good for you.”

At that moment, Mrs. Hand, who had been caught up in another conversation, turned back to join her husband and Nose. Hand briefly explained what he and Nose had been talking about, after which Nose repeated his sadness at the prospect of losing the Hands. But he again said that he understood since it sounded like their needs weren’t being met.

Mrs. Hand nodded in agreement. She wanted to be polite, but, truth be told, she wasn’t sad to be leaving. Her husband had made just enough critical remarks about the church over the years that her heart had begun to reflect his. No, he had never burst into an open tirade against the body. In fact, he usually apologized for “being so negative,” as he put it. But the little complaints that he let slip out here and there had had an effect. The small groups were a little cliquish. The music was a little out of date. The programs did seem a little silly. The teaching wasn’t entirely to their liking. In the end, it was hard for the two of them to put their fingers on it, but they finally decided that the church wasn’t for them.

In addition to all that, Mrs. Hand knew that their daughter Pinkie was not comfortable with the youth group. Everyone was so different from her, she felt out of joint.

Mrs. Hand then said something about how much she appreciated Nose and the leadership. But the conversation had already run on too long for Nose. Besides, her perfume made him want to sneeze. He thanked Mrs. Hand for her encouragement, repeated that he was sorry to hear of their departure, then turned and walked away. Who needed the Hands? Apparently, they didn’t need him.

The above parable, written by Jonathan Leeman and inspired by 1 Corinthians 12:18-21, appears in the preface of Mark Dever’s book, “What is a Healthy Church?”

God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

— 1 CORINTHIANS 12:18-21

What is a healthy church?

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 | Books, General | 1 Comment

What is a healthy church?

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.

The Expository Genius of John Calvin

Friday, February 15th, 2008 | Books | 3 Comments

The Expository Genius of John Calvin

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.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000

Thursday, February 14th, 2008 | BF&M 2000, General, Theological Thursdays | No Comments

Every Thursday for the past few months, I’ve posted an article from The Baptist Faith and Message 2000. On some of the articles I provided related links, relevant books, and my own random thoughts. For all of them, I posted the accompanying scripture references to my Bible translation of choice, the ESV. For convenience, here are the links to each article:

We have also been reading through the Baptist Faith and Message in our Sunday morning worship services at Lakeshore Baptist Church. This exercise served to bring our confessional statement out of a dusty file cabinet and into plain view.

In the spirit of the protestant reformation, Lakeshore Baptist Church holds to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura, which states that scripture and scripture alone is our only infallible rule of faith and practice. Although we affirm that no man-made creed or document can be set on equal footing as the authoritative Word of God, we feel that historical doctrinal statements can articulate to the world what we believe the Bible to teach on various issues, to educate ourselves, and to serve as a guide for theological accountability.

I encourage our folks to, not only read through our confessional statements, but use them as helpful guides to their own study of the scriptures. The Baptist Faith and Message works well for this. Use the document, not as an end, but as a beginning of your study. Read each article and the accompanying scripture reference. When reading each Bible passage, ask yourself what this verse tells you about the topic in the article. for example, when reading Romans 14:19 ask yourself what this says to the topic of “Peace and War.” Look for an echo of the scripture passage in the confessional statements wording. Take the time to read the fuller context of each passage, to understand the point in context. Take notes along the way.

« Previous Entries Next Entries »

Locusts and Wild Honey

Don Elbourne’s Blog

Vintage Jesus

Saturday, March 29th, 2008 | Books, General | 10 Comments

Celebrating the Resurrection

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008 | General | No Comments

The Body

Thursday, March 6th, 2008 | General | No Comments

What is a healthy church?

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008 | Books, General | 1 Comment

The Expository Genius of John Calvin

Friday, February 15th, 2008 | Books | 3 Comments

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000

Thursday, February 14th, 2008 | BF&M 2000, General, Theological Thursdays | No Comments

Contents:

Recent Posts

Archives

Search

Rebuild Lakeshore

Amazon Wishlist

Last on twitter:

Links

Verse of the Day