Doctrine isn't a popular word among Christians today. Some church leaders avoid the topic when preaching from the pulpit because it tends to divide. So when Seattle church pastor Mark Driscoll began a sermon series specifically on doctrine, he received several phone calls from pastors who lead large flocks asking if anyone is still coming out to listen to the series.
"The rule is, if you have a big church you're supposed to not talk about certain things that are controversial [or] divisive," said Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church, which draws mainly twenty-somethings.
But the 37-year-old pastor has his theological convictions and wants both non-Christians and Christians alike to know the core truth claims of Christianity.
Mars Hill is now eight weeks into the 13-week series titled "Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe." Driscoll is taking a break from the pulpit this coming Sunday after having preached on one of the most important and challenged dogmas of the Christian faith – the crucifixion of Jesus and atonement for sins.
"Some are erroneously teaching that the cross should not be taught because it's 'divine child abuse,'" Driscoll told church attendants as he rejected claims that the cross contradicts God's love. "Others would say 'you can't teach the cross because God is love and how will people see the love of God at the cross of Jesus?'"
"My answer is 'the cross IS the love of God,'" he stressed. "Apart from the cross all we have is a sentimental understanding of love. God doesn't just send a greeting card. He goes to a cross and dies. He does something."
Driscoll, who recently opened a sixth Mars Hill Church campus, says he is not a fundamentalist, noting that he's okay with a believer smoking or getting a tattoo. His six churches are also largely adapted to the culture in Seattle in terms of worship style, casual dress and service times. But when a person, especially an influential Christian leader, questions or undermines the essential doctrines of Christianity, Driscoll "freaks out."
"I get a nervous eye twitch," he said this week while attending the Purpose Driven Network Summit at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.
He's also not pleased when preachers leave out doctrine and Jesus from sermons.
"So much preaching today is about seven steps to this, four steps to that, 13 steps to this. I'm totally fine if you want to have a great marriage [or] improve your business," Driscoll said. "But at the end of the day, are people learning about who Jesus is and what he's done?"
"Are we trying to give people principles without power, meaning follow [Jesus'] example but don't live in relationship with him?" he posed.
At Mars Hill Church, attendants are required to take "Gospel Class," which teaches Christian truths, in order to become members of the church. Driscoll admitted that half the people that have taken the class have gone on to become members while the other half left over disagreements with various doctrines. The current sermon series on doctrine will replace "Gospel Class" to facilitate church membership for thousands of people.
The entire "Doctrine" sermon series at Mars Hill will be published as part of a book series and small group curriculum will also be developed to accompany the book to help Christians and churches grow in "sound doctrine," Driscoll announced. The Seattle pastor continues his sermon series on June 1 with the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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eahaddix
You are foolish. Your heart is not right with God.
(I flagged myself)
smbga: “We all go to church on Sunday because it's the thing to do. It's called tradition.”
Agreed.
Fellowship can happen anywhere at anytime, yet the institutional “churches’ ” extra-Biblical traditions would have us believe that fellowship must be compacted into the “box” of clergy-led Sunday services in parallel pews.
star2: “God is present in the individual Church as well.”
And?
star2: “It is important to God where you worship. Where you worship God boils down to the Lorship of Jesus Christ. Is His will important to you?”
And where does Biblical Scripture state that I must worship Mashiach Yehoshua and YHVH El the Father inside an institutional “church,” as opposed to in a fellow “born again” believer’s home, at the front of a fellow “born again” believer’s store, or some other such open place?
star2: “It is important to God where you worship Him. It is God's will that you worship Him where He wants you to. According to God's Word, if you ask Him accordiong to His will He will answer. (1 John 5:14-15).”
Again--where does Biblical Scripture state that I must worship Mashiach Yehoshua and YHVH El the Father inside an institutional “church”?
star2: “Please define what an instutional Church is to you.”
I believe that the term “institutional” has two definitions.
First, all fellowships could be called “institutional.” Specifically, all fellowships of “born again” believers inevitably “institute” informal and formal extra-Biblical norms, such as in informal social norms, formal doctrinal norms, and informal or formal organizational norms. And, when done, one can say that such “institutes” automatically create an “institution.”
Second, a fellowship which has an institutional character can be called “institutional.” Specifically, a fellowship which places more importance on upholding informal and formal extra-Biblical norms than any other aspect of fellowship could be called “institutional.” In fact, the concept of “Churchianity” comes from this definition of “institutional.”
For this comment thread, I am using the second definition of “institutional.”
Now, do you want me to define and delineate the terms “Church” and “church” for you?
smbga: “We all go to church on Sunday because it's the thing to do. It's called tradition.”
Agreed.
Fellowship can happen anywhere at anytime, yet the institutional “churches’ ” extra-Biblical traditions would have us believe that fellowship must be compacted into the “box” of clergy-led Sunday services in parallel pews.
star2: “God is present in the individual Church as well.”
And?
star2: “It is important to God where you worship. Where you worship God boils down to the Lorship of Jesus Christ. Is His will important to you?”
And where does Biblical Scripture state that I must worship Mashiach Yehoshua and YHVH El the Father inside an institutional “church,” as opposed to in a fellow “born again” believer’s home, at the front of a fellow “born again” believer’s store, or some other such open place?
star2: “It is important to God where you worship Him. It is God's will that you worship Him where He wants you to. According to God's Word, if you ask Him accordiong to His will He will answer. (1 John 5:14-15).”
Again--where does Biblical Scripture state that I must worship Mashiach Yehoshua and YHVH El the Father inside an institutional “church”?
star2: “Please define what an instutional Church is to you.”
I believe that the term “institutional” has two definitions.
First, all fellowships could be called “institutional.” Specifically, all fellowships of “born again” believers inevitably “institute” informal and formal extra-Biblical norms, such as in informal social norms, formal doctrinal norms, and informal or formal organizational norms. And, when done, one can say that such “institutes” automatically create an “institution.”
Second, a fellowship which has an institutional character can be called “institutional.” Specifically, a fellowship which places more importance on upholding informal and formal extra-Biblical norms than any other aspect of fellowship could be called “institutional.” In fact, the concept of “Churchianity” comes from this definition of “institutional.”
For this comment thread, I am using the second definition of “institutional.”
Now, do you want me to define and delineate the terms “Church” and “church” for you?
star2, at the present I only fill pulpits but I could also serve as an interim Pastor as a church is in the process of seeking a new Pastor. But yes I have taught personal evangelism classes and some of our churches use FAITH or GROW Visitation Programs in which intentional evangelism is the key component.
believer
Do you also Pastor a Church in addition to being the Director of Missions?
I know that you involve groups of people to be involved in missions but do you also encourage and train people to do personal evangelism?
star2, well it helps me to know who I am talking to and why they take the views they do, for those who believe in Christian Universalism, talk about an oxymoron, they have no choice but to deny the inerrancy of the Scriptures and especially those passages that deal with the final demise of those who do not accept Christ as Savior prior to their physical death.
believer - Yes, I went to that website. I also looked up what Christian Universalism is. The two peach the same message. The authors of such thought have no understanding of the Word of God and they preach a different gospel.
star2, I agree with you as well the bottomline is is that the person is not in a right relationship with God and needs to be asking why have I lost that burden or did I ever have that burden. Have you been back to the Louisiana site, I went to a website viking recommended and I discovered some interesting information, the site is tentmakers.org
believer
Another reason, and it is a big one, is unforgiveness towards man and/or towards God.
believer
Re:once again a lack of tha burden could also indicate no real conversion has taken place.
I agree that a lack of conversion could be the problem. However, it is not always the problem. Their problem lies in the fact that they allowed sin to enter into their life. They disobeyed God at some point in their walk with God, didn't repent, and went into a wilderness experience. Wilderness experiences have a tendency to destroy a believer's relationship with God if he/she is stiffnecked. Over time a believer will lose their burden for the lost (if they had it to begin with) and the things of God.
Sin brings forth death.
Believers, whose lives have shown forth the regeneration of the Holy Ghost upon receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior, who is stiffnecked at times, and now is living in rebellion against God needs prayer that perhaps God will give them the grace to repent. And once grace is received for repentance that they will surrender.
believer
Re:one thing I would add that is desperately needed in the church today, a hunger for God's burden for the lost
I agree. We need to pray that God will send forth laborers into the harvest.
Luke 10: 1-9
1 After these things the LORD appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.
2 THREFORE SAID HE UNTO THEM, THE HAREVEST TRULY IS GREAT, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW: PRAY YE THEREFORE THE LORD OF THE HARVEST, THAT HE WOULD SEND FORTH LABOURERS INTO HIS HARVEST.
3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.
4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.
5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.
6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.
7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.