In this post I want to tell you about my favorite book from 2011: Tim Keller’s King’s Cross

It’s hard to really articulate how much I’ve appreciated this book.

The flow of the book is as a very short commentary on the Gospel of Mark.

In short, Keller goes through Mark, and writes a few pages of exposition on each story told.

But more comprehensively, he turns the traditional understanding of almost every story on its head.

He shows how every story is really about us, and our need for the Gospel, and how Jesus consistently pointed our need for something that only He could every provide.

This book is so densely saturated in the Gospel!

Even after reading through the whole book, I can still pick it up, turn to almost any page, and find a challenge to my pride and yet a hope for my soul.

I keep writing and then deleting examples because any one paragraph doesn’t get the point across…

For what it’s worth, here’s an example from today:

He’s in the end of Mark 10, where the disciples – James and John in particular – ask Jesus if they can sit on His left and right hand in glory.

Basically, they are asking to be vice president and CEO of Jesus’ Kingdom.

Jesus responds that they do not understand what they are asking. He asks, “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptised with the baptism I am baptized with?” Of course, we know that He was talking about going to the cross, but the disciples didn’t, and they responded affirmatively.

Keller goes into some detail dissecting this, but he eventually ties this passage to humility. Referring to how the disciples didn’t understand that Jesus was going to establish His kingdom not through power, but through sacrifice, he says:

Because God’s manner of revelation is characterized by hiddenness, reversal, and surprise, those who follow Jesus find themselves repeatedly failing to understand the will of God… [therefore] there can be no place for smugness or dogmatism…

If our sensibilities are formed by this narrative, we will learn not to take ourselves too seriously; we will be very self-critical and receptive to unexpected manifestations of God’s love and power…

When you see how James and John respond [to Jesus], and you realize how hard it is for anybody to take in the magnitude of what the cross really means, you will be on your way to attaining the gift of humility.

At some level, your normal assumptions, your pride and your egotistical way of thinking, are blinding you to the truth.

The application that Keller comes back to over and over again is simply: stop looking at yourself and your circumstances and the people around you and start focusing on Jesus and His redemptive work.

Surrender to grace.

I know I will read this again and again.

It’s a track that some really talented hip-hop artists put together to help raise some money for aid to Sudan.

After you give it a listen, cruise over to iTunes and search for “Actions Speak Louder“, and download it for a buck. 100% of the proceeds (after apple takes a big ol’ chunk) will go towards helping those who are suffering for lack of basic human resources in southern Sudan.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u8oBEkOCFk

Oh, and if hip-hop isn’t really your thing, all the lyrics are below ;0)

Swoope
If I’m honest I’m tired, hungry, I’m frustrated, all of the above/
A little sore from civil war when all I seen was blood/
I shed tears, heartbroken, all I need is love/
Im Drowning fast in my sorrow, all of me is flood/
I’ve seen hurt, seen death, seen slaughter. Now I need some clean water, all I see is mud/
It’s like nobody out there cares ’cause all I see is shrugs/
It’s like nobody out there hears ’cause all their ears is plugged/
(Psalm 34)
Man I’m feeling like a lion whose hungry and weak/
So it’s the mighty God of Zion who humbly I seek/
I stumble and weep/ with the tears running from cheeks/
Each moment I wonder if he will ever so subtly speak/
And I’m confident He will so I’m confidently still/
Deliver me from sickness Lord conquer what is ill/
I still stand, and when I’m rescued is His choice/
I stand still and know my refuge is His voice//

Tedashii
God, today another home somebody owned is now a puddle/why the rain came I wonder while they wander through the rubble/
Why me, why now, should they think why not/
Is everything against me to take everything I got/
Someone got out the bed this morning some got of the floor/some went off to work this morning some went off to war/
Some ate half a plate and trashed it just to get some more/but trust me that’s not an option in places like Darfur/
Vision blurry as the skies cries like my eyes/
In despair I cast my cares as I cry to the sky/
I never hope in man, though some are willing they’re unable/
But I’m the kind who’ll be fine with crumbs from the Master’s table/
I know this situation hasn’t caught you by surprise/
In fact it’s with faith I choose to walk instead of sight/
I know that you love ‘em, since the womb you knew them/
You never forget/so may the grace that drew ‘em, renew ‘em/

Lecrae
I don’t have the words to articulate
the way you let me drown in your never ending grace
how my crimes are covered and washed away in blood
There is nothing in me conditioning you to make you love
I cant attract, impress or try to win your heart
but you give it all and you been involve
and your never change even when I’m wrong
your love still goes on to make an atonement
love infinite and unconditional
nothing can separate us cause now I live in you
there is no amount that can calculate your divine love
its so much that Christ was given to die for us
Its stronger than death, deeper than the ocean
bigger than the night sky the earth could never hold it
and its not impulsive, its holy and pure
its not a weakness or soft its sharp as a sword.

Lyrics From RapZilla

Last year alone, THREE different members of our worship team released new albums, but you won’t find them in Walmart or on the radio, so I want to make sure you know about them.

First up: Sam Fisher

You can find Sam leading worship most Sunday mornings at the Summit church‘s Cole Mill Campus.

Sam has been a full-time musician since I was in high school and his newest project, From Age To Age, is a neat intersection of rocking tunes with God-glorify lyrics.

Here’s one of my favorites from the album, called Beyond The Ordinary:

Next: Matt Papa

You can find Matt leading worship at our brand-spanking new North Raleigh campus.

Matt’s new album, Your Kingdom Come, is a great combination of Gospel-centered lyrics and high-quality, Beattles-esque music style.

My favorite song from the album is called Open Hands. It’s a great song for corporate worship, expressing surrender to God. Check it out:

Last (but not least) is Aftermath:

“Aftermath”, AKA Jonathan Edwards, can be found leading worship many Sunday mornings at our Brier Creek campus.

He has a really unique sound, and his new album, The Aftertaste Of Abandonment, is one of those catchy CDs you leave in your car CD player for weeks at a time.

Check out one of  my favorites, Airplanes and Airwaves:

Give these guys a try and let me know if you what you think!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkNa6tLWrqk

In the past few years, my understanding of God and the Bible have changed dramatically.

In this 3-minute video, Tim Keller explains what I have been learning: The Bible isn’t about me. or you. It’s about Jesus.

The whole thing is about Jesus.

It isn’t about what God can do for you.

It isn’t about right and wrong.

It isn’t about good and evil, or a proper understanding of morality.

It isn’t just history.

It’s primarily about Jesus.

The WHOLE thing.

(If your pastor isn’t making the clear, do me a favor and kick him in the but.)

The idea is that she would see that there are great alternatives to abortion, and also that she could help “educate” the women there that not everyone who supports the “cause” of abortion is “a bad person”.

The producers of the show clearly had an agenda, and the majority of the content ended up being interviews with this woman where she kept insisting that abortion clinics are not “slaughter houses” where women are encouraged to have an abortion, but simply a “safe haven” where a scared, expecting mother could come and find out more information and explore her options.

She kept repeating that she just wanted to make sure that women have all the facts, and that “pro life zealots” are always trying to deceive young women from the truth about their pregnancy.

Well, maybe everything she said was true; but if it was, then hopefully she would condemn what happens in this video.

A young, pregnant woman brings a hidden camera to an abortion clinic to show what kind of “advice” and “facts” she is presented with.

(It’s 4 minutes and not the gory, shock-value type of video you might expect on this topic):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_HoM6213kc

Why do I share this with you? Do I want you to know that I think abortion is usually a bad idea? Do I want to pick at the scars of my friends who have been down this road before?

Not at ALL. I’m sharing this because I think that for many people, this topic is basically theoretical… We think of it from a legal or political perspective, and we want to argue the nuance of when life begins or what rights apply to a fetus vs a baby, and whether there really is a difference.

For example, several months ago I posted a quote from someone that mentioned the fact that Planned Parenthood was originally funded by the KKK with the expressed mission of lowering the number of minorities in our society. Several people were enraged, not that this is true, but that I mentioned it — as if I had made it up to make Planned Parenthood or their supporters look bad. (You can read the quote as well as my response to a friend who was very angry about it here)

The fact is, we live in a society where opinions are quickly formed and fiercely defended, when it seems like the emphasis should probably be the other way around.

I’m sharing this in the hopes that it will make the topic more real for those who are kind of blindly choosing a camp based on one thing they read or watched one time, or based on a political theory.

Abortion is not a theoretical legal or political issue.

It’s about life and death.

All the good music was fowl, and all the ‘clean’ music was super cheezy (DC Talk, anyone?)

I wish that the fellas at Reach Records had been making music back then. Lecrae, Tedashii, and Triplee have the best hip-hop music out there, whether you’re looking at secular or anything else.

If you’re into hip-hop, check out this first single from Triplee’s new album, Between Two Worlds, coming out later this month (pre-order here):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltJkFW9s2iQ

(lyrics after the jump)

Verse 1:
Creation’s groaning, lost their hope and feel they always closed in // Lots to cope with, on the ropes, wish they was in the open // This broken world is so dim // our souls are searching, groping // For one with hope to hold us close, and set goodness in motion // I remember growing up in Dallas, I thought me and my close kin // Was more than straight, our folks was great ,not broke that paper flowed in // Not boasting man, just saying in my brain I didn’t know then // That all went wrong, and it just can’t go right like a broke pen // My mind was blind and cloaked in // but then that foolishness departed I saw this thing’s an ocean // and we just tryna swim real far but But can’t nobody float when // we ain’t got boats or no fins // We need a hero to go in // cause our solutions don’t win // Education can’t fix it, more dough just leads to more sin // Medicine is temporary, government seems so thin // With all these weighty problems, that ain’t shrinking they just growing // Who’s adequate to save us, how about He knew no sin?

Hook:
Like a G5 yeah you rushed to rescue me // Took a cross in exchange for a throne to save me // You began the work and I know you’ll finish // And make all things right when you come back // Cause you’re my hero, you already saved the day // Cause you’re my hero, and I know you’re coming back for me

Verse 2:
Follow the steps bro, Adam sinned now we all dead so We gotta sentence on our head like death row, everything is wrecked All creation is a mess bro, In the fullness of time, in steps the hero no red cloak, He’s Jesus No flashing lights, glitz n glam, and no cameras He came to serve needy folks, and point them to the answer You see Him healing, feeding folks, and telling them the standard Our most basic need is to be ransomed by Jesus It has first place, yeah we separated in the worst ways Even physically peep how the earth quakes Separated socially, murder and the worst rapes Even separated from ourselves, we in the worst state It’s so major, that’s the reason that we need a Savior Cause the root of needs is separation from Creator Jesus came humbly to restore us to our maker And later He’ll restore all that He made bruh, He’s Jesus

Verse 3 (my favorite):
God is not pleased man, it’s clear that His standards missed // The world is running rampant with, sin it’s an abandonment // Man is feeling stranded, feeling hopeless since his banishment // God is angry at the distortion and the mismanagement // Evil is at work, but don’t be thinking He can’t handle it // He promised He would do away with all of it, dismantle it // He’s put up with this damage in His world, but He’s promised us // That He’ll destroy all His enemies and then He’ll walk with us // New Heaven, new Earth that’s where all His sheep dwell // Cause Jesus succeeded in every part of life that we failed // Died the death we couldn’t die, paid our price with 3 nails // Began the work He promised, in the end we all will be well // Already beat our enemies and when His Kingdom’s realized // All those who oppose Him will see Jesus with some real eyes // Deliverance is offered us, the hero He is urging us // Salvation is exclusive to His people who have turned to trust

Piper taught for an hour on what he has learned from C.S. Lewis over the course of his life.

Almost every single sentence is quotable and I STRONGLY encourage you to go download it or watch it (for free, of course).

But if you only have five minutes, watch this clip, where Piper explains how a sense of duty in the christian faith is not only a waste of time — it’s just about the OPPOSITE of the Gospel:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=T00199dEipc

Pastor J.D. lived for a couple of years in a Muslim country in the pacific rim of Asia, and also got his PHD in Islamic studies. “Breaking The Islamic Code” is his attempt at helping us ‘westernized Americans’ better understand Islam, Muslims, and the huge gaps in culture and communication that often exist.

Having lived in a ‘Muslim’ country myself, and hoping to possibly plant a church in a Muslim context some day, I look forward to seeing what he has to say!

Remember this series of posts from several months ago?

I wrote about the book “Religion Saves (and 9 other misconceptions)” by Mark Driscoll, head pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle.

The book is based on the sermon series by the same name (which you can watch, listen to, or download for free).

Well, this month, like every month, ChristianAudio.com is giving away an audio book, and this month it’s the audio version of ‘Religion Saves’! It’s completely free!

Just follow this link during the  month of February, and you can download the book in mp3 form!

I especially recommend the book for those who consider themselves to be skeptics or opponents of Christianity. I think the book does a great job of clearing up several common misconceptions about the teaching of the Bible.

If you get it, please let me know what you think of it!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtFENgBUllA

This is the trailer for a documentary that was recently released called “Collision”.

Here’s the synopsis, as copied from the ‘About’ page of the website:

COLLISION carves a new path in documentary film-making as it pits leading atheist, political journalist and bestselling author Christopher Hitchens against fellow author, satirist and evangelical theologian Douglas Wilson, as they go on the road to exchange blows over the question: “Is Christianity Good for the World?”. The two contrarians laugh, confide and argue, in public and in private, as they journey through three cities. And the film captures it all. The result is a magnetic conflict, a character-driven narrative that sparkles cinematically with a perfect match of arresting personalities and intellectual rivalry. COLLISION is directed by prolific independent filmmaker Darren Doane (Van Morrison: To Be Born Again, The Battle For L.A., Godmoney).

It is too often the case that any type of debate about faith becomes disrespectful, arrogant, and exaggerated. Based on the trailer and what I’ve heard, this looks like a significant exception to the rule!

Be on the lookout!

Have any of you seen this?

One really good idea that the folks at Mars Hill Church have implemented is a question and answer session after various sermons.

The way it works is that listeners can text questions during the sermon, and someone backstage collects and filters the questions, and then delivers them to the pastor at the end of the sermon to answer on-the-fly.

Of course this is risky, because it leaves the possibility for the pastor to get totally blind-sided by strange or uncomfortable questions. But it is also a very useful idea, because it gives people the opportunity to ask real questions that the sermon brings to mind, and for everyone to benefit by hearing the answer.

A couple of months ago, during a sermon series on the Song of Salomon — during which pastor Mark taught a lot about relationships and biblical manhood and womanhood — the following question was asked:

My boyfriend went to Vegas for a bachelor party. He went to a strip club. Do I have a right to be mad?

I think pastor Mark’s answer is really, really helpful.

So many guys I know struggle with temptations toward lust and pornography, and our culture makes that feel so normal and acceptable. It feels like such a victimless crime — like an innocent vice.

Take five minutes and watch the video of pastor Mark’s response, and let him push back hard against those lies.

(I couldn’t figure out how to embed the video, so you’ll have to watch it at the Mars Hill blog — just use the link!)

The Summit Church has a vision to plant 1,000 churches in the next 40 years — most of them in un-reached countries around the world.

That’s right: one thousand churches

One vehicle for this effort is called SendRDU, which exists to help equip and connect people and families who are interested in investing their lives for the sake of the Gospel.

Last week, there was a SendRDU gathering where pastor JD attacked a great question: “What Does It Mean To Be Called?”

This is a rich question that I think all of us struggle with in different ways and at different seasons.

I think pastor J.D. did a fantastic job handling the question. Stephanie and I couldn’t make it to the event (no babysitter), but we downloaded the message and listened to it together this weekend. It was awesome to dream together and remember what God created us for.

I’m so excited to see what God is doing!

You can read his blog post on the topic here, and listen to the teaching here.

I’m curious: what does it mean, in your opinion, to be “called”?

]]> http://www.therieslands.com/2009/09/22/what-does-it-mean-to-be-called/feed/ 3 http://www.therieslands.com/2009/09/18/10-reasons-why-believing-in-the-sovereignty-of-god-matters/ http://www.therieslands.com/2009/09/18/10-reasons-why-believing-in-the-sovereignty-of-god-matters/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:30:59 +0000 Zack http://www.therieslands.com/?p=3967 There’s an article this month on the Desiring God website titled 10 Reasons Why Believing in the Sovereignty of God Matters.

If you consider yourself to be a follower of Jesus, or someone interested in God in any capacity, I highly recommend that you take a minute and go read it.

The idea that God is ‘sovereign’ is commonly thrown around and disputed in christian circles…

Some will throw the word around without even understanding its meaning, while others will argue about its meaning.

The Desiring God article begins with this definition for ‘the sovereignty of God‘:

We believe that God upholds and governs all things—from galaxies to subatomic particles, from the forces of nature to the movements of nations, and from the public plans of politicians to the secret acts of solitary persons—all in accord with His eternal, all-wise purposes to glorify Himself, yet in such a way that He never sins, nor ever condemns a person unjustly; but that His ordaining and governing all things is compatible with the moral accountability of all persons created in His image.

Do you believe that?

Really?

I struggle to…

I grew up in a stream of christianity that would probably push back against this definition.

As a freshman in college I encountered people who thought and talked this way, and it upset me. I wrestled for years with this understanding of God’s nature and character.

But over the years, my study of the scriptures and my experience with God have led me to confidently affirm this way of understanding God, and that transformation has dramatically changed my perspective as well as my lifestyle.

I want to challenge you: have you ever considered the sovereignty of God? Have you wrestled with it? Are your beliefs on the matter in keeping with the Scriptures, or have you done your best to tag this topic as ‘controversial‘ and avoid it because you don’t like it?

You might be missing out on some of the most exciting Truth in the Bible.

And as Tozer wrote: “What you believe when you think of God is the most important thing about you.”

So don’t take it lightly…

Got any thoughts on this?

Today I want to let you know about another very talented rap artist associated with Lecrae and  the Reach Records label.

He calls himself ‘Tedashii’ (and he tweets!), and he just released a new album, called “Identity Crisis” (you can buy it here).

My favorite track from the album is called “Make War“.

How can you not love a hard-core rap track that starts out with a John Piper sermon snippet?

But the whole message of the song is awesome and, I think, very appropriate for the church in our age.

Check it out:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVT5MDmZ3wM

A few weeks back, I shared my excitement about a new book, Religions Saves, and Nine Other Misconceptions.

I wrote a few posts since then, talking about individual chapters (1 and 2), but today I’m excited to be on the official blog tour. So, here’s my overall review of the book (and please forgive me if any of this seems repetitive to you):

What do birth control, humor, calvinism, grace, sex, faith and works, dating, the emergent church, and the regulative principle have in common?

Well, ask pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church to write a chapter on each topic, put them together, and you’ve got Religion Saves, and Nine Other Misconceptions.

So, the first question that comes to your mind is probably along the lines of, “Why would anyone put those topics together in a book?”

Good question! And there actually is a reasonable answer!

The book is based on a really neat idea: pastor Mark explains in the introduction that upon reading through the book of 1 Corinthians, he noticed that a significant purpose of the letter is to address questions from the church in Corinth. And the more he thought about it, the more intrigued he was by the idea of preaching a series of sermons that are answers to common questions from people today — questions specific to our time and culture. So, last year, Mars Hill opened up a portion of their website for a forum called ‘Ask Anything‘. Over a series of voting cycles, people all over the world were allowed to post questions: any questions. These were then widdled down to the 9 most popular questions through a voting process. In the end, 893 questions were asked, 5,524 comments were made, and 343,203 votes were cast, and the following topics emerged, in order:

1. The Regulative Principle
2. The Emerging/Emergent Church
3. Dating
4. Faith vs. Works
5. Sexual Sin
6. Grace
7. Predestination/Election/Calvinism
8. Humor
9. Birth Control

Pastor Mark preached a sermon on each one in a series by the same name as this book. You can download the video and/or audio of each of these for free here. This book is basically another form of responding to those questions, with a chapter devoted to each one.

The first thing you notice when you pick up the book is the excellent design. It’s a sturdy hard-copy with a knurled texture containing an intriguing graphic of a family walking out of a typical-looking church building… and they appear to be on fire. Part of the flame is the provocative title of the book: Religion Saves. This, of course, is the exact opposite of the message of the book.

I think pastor Mark does a great job explaining the title (from the introduction of the book):

Before we proceed, the title “Religion Saves” merits a bit of explanation. The one thread that weaves this book together is religion; many of the questions that made the top nine are highly religious in nature. Religious people are prone to go beyond the teaching of the Bible to argue for positions that are not clearly taught in Scripture. They are further prone to go beyond the biblical principles on these issues and seek to impose their method on others, as if they alone are truly biblical. Religious people tend to have very strong and vocal opinions about the issues we will examine. In fact, religious people were often the most devoted voters for the questions that comprised the “Religion Saves” sermon series and this book.

…

Religious people mistakenly think that they are saving people from such things as a fruitless life, sinful sex, bad relationships, unholy humor, wayward churches, evil birth control, and what they call “strange fire.” However, religion never saved anyone, and religious answers to complex questions are simply misconceptions, which is why I have titled this book, “Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions.”

So as you can see, the purpose of this book is not directed so much at non-believers as at the most religious of believers. This book isn’t so much an apologetic or a call to holier living as it is a call to repentance from our righteousness.

Having read the book, and listened to each of the sermons upon which it is based, I wholeheartedly recommend it for the following reasons (in no particular order):

• Pastor Mark does a great job of thoroughly covering each topic. He doesn’t write a few pages telling you what you already knew. Each chapter is in the ballpark of about 30 pages, and I learned from each one, even though I had already studied each of these topics. I even passed the book on to my dad to help him with some questions he had on the topic of election. I couldn’t think of a better resource to introduce the topic, explain each side, and then make a case for the most Biblical one!
• Pastor Mark shows his cards. An apologetic book or a text book would likely present each angle of a particular topic, and then leave you to take the facts and decide what to do with them. Pastor Mark goes one step further and tries to make a case for his own view on each topic, yet is simultaneously careful not to overstate things. I would challenge a non-christian who thinks that Christianity is too close-minded or old-fashioned to read this book. I’ll bet it would challenge a lot of your incorrect stereotypes. I would also challenge the most fundamentalist, self-righteous of ‘christians’ to read this book. I’ll bet you will be challenged about what convictions you’re holding in a closed hand that belong in an open one.
• It’s a great combination of topics. The odd combination makes it a great read because the gears shift significantly every chapter. But possibly more importantly, the topics emerge from questions submitted by people in our day and age, and are incredibly relevant to our time and culture. In particular, I think that birth control and humor are two topics that are discussed far too infrequently in the modern church, and it leaves a lot of young folks with questions that they are afraid to ask.
• The thread that ties the whole book together is crucial to the Church in our time. Though the topics seem unrelated, the theme of each chapter is a call to repentance (from self-righteousness if we think we’re doing good by Biblical standards, or from rebellion if we choose to reject the Biblical standards) and to turn our eyes to Jesus. I think Mark does a fantastic job of making clear the idea that St. Augustine expressed when he said that “[the christian life] is one of continual, active repentance.“

To be fair, the book isn’t perfect. After all, an imperfect human is the author, and noone toes the line more closely than Mark Driscoll. Sometimes, he distracts from his point in the interest of humor, and sometimes he even made me wince a little bit at the length he was willing to go to be funny or make a point. Nevertheless, compared to his previous two major books, Vintage Jesus – where he pretty clearly crossed the line several times, going too far to make the book humorous – and Death By Love – which was extremely serious and almost completely lacked humor in the interest of making a very clearly explaining the cross of Christ – I think he found a good balance of humor, intrigue, and weight.

But the good far outweighs the bad, and Religion Saves is a book that I’m glad I read. I am such a prideful individual, and repentance is so unnatural for me. Unfortunately, it’s also uncommon in the modern church, and I am thankful for the clear and consistent message bringing it to the forefront of my mind that I found in Religion Saves.

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