What’s Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris

What’s Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

It has been a challenging blessing to watch Francis Chan pursue the Spirit's leading. Here is the next installment of updates from a conversation between Mark Driscoll, Joshua Harris, and Chan. Hosted at the gospel coalition's website.

How God Changes My Real Life pt. 2

Another area I see us struggling with is peace.

Or to put it in the form of a question, "Am I doing enough?"

As Christians I think it is easy to compare ourselves with others. We see people that are so so godly. Then because of our unique position, we see our many many sins. As those two observations come together it is very easy to get depressed. Why are they so godly and I am so lame? When we begin to talk about our spiritual journey we say things like, "I suck at this..." or, "I'm not doing very good in this area."

How does the gospel address this issue of lack of peace?

Before I jump the gun, let me say knowing your sinfulness is important. At Ash and my condo the place is very clean. It is a newer construction and we have taken care to paint, decorate, and clean it up very nicely. But, when the sun comes through the window in the evening, I can visibly see the dust in the air. I can see the film on the furniture and counter-top and I notice the dirt under the couch. The introduction of the bright light shows off the dirtiness. In the same way, the closer you get to God, the brightness of His holiness exposes the dirtiness of your sin. This is a good thing as long as the gospel is really changing you...

When the gospel is really changing you two things should grow and change at the same time; your knowledge of your sin and the finished work of Christ for you.

When Jesus said from the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30), he meant it. He completed His task of dying in your place so you could live. He took the blows so you could go unpunished. He stood condemned so you could be free.

When we act as if our relationship with God is based on how well we are doing at bible study, prayer, watching our mouths, or whatever "christian" activity, we are saying with our actions, "It is not finished unless I can do this well." We have no peace when we do this. We are not living in the joy of experiencing the finished work of Jesus.

This was a problem for other Christians too. When God wanted to address the Galatian church he was concerned with how they were adding to the gospel. As if in addition to the gospel they had to observe some religious practices to actually be right. NO! What Christ has done is enough. Stop trying to add to it!

God loved you while you were making a mess of your life. He didn't love you because you made some changes. Any positive Christian change is the result of what Christ did not the cause.

Many of us are moping around because we feel like we can never add up. The reality is, you can only add up because of Christ, and He gives you the gift of adding up regardless of how good you are. Even inspite of how good you are.

God restore the joy of our salvation! You have rescued us. Your grace is unbelievable so teach us how to believe!

So real change happens in us when the Holy Spirit applies the truth that 'it is finished' in us. We begin to live in the glorious gospel of grace when we see that Christ is enough for me. Even more than enough. Now the reason I work hard at being a Christian is not to impress God, or make Him happy with my performance, but because I love Him. He paid it all. I live for Him because He died for me. That is real change in real life.

When God Changes My Real Life pt. 1

In the last post we examined how the process of change happens. But, what we really want to know is how it works in our real lives. And, I would contend, that is God's desire too. He doesn't just want you to gain more Bible knowledge. He actually wants to change you. Mike Bullmore has said, "the Bible is not like an informative speech. It is more like a persuasive speech. There is always an objective that God is after." God desires to change us from one degree of glory to the next. Now let's examine two different scenarios of change.

Family Tension:
Many students experience this in one way or another. As we grow into maturity we begin to forge our own lives. The process is painful on both sides. Young adults(students) are trying to make their own decisions and parents are still trying to be parents. The fact is, it is hard.

So, how does the gospel apply to this situation? First, we need to recognize a very real command from Scripture. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord" (Colossians 3:20). Great! Now not only do my parents annoy me, but now also the Bible annoys me! How can I make it out of this tension alive?!

The key is found in the context of the command. Colossians 3 is a chapter that focuses on the work of Christ in our lives. It even says, "Your life is hidden with Christ in God" (vs. 3). Now all of your actions come out of that right relationship with Him. God is saying here, that when you have the gospel deep down in your identity, you will be able to relate to family in a way that is honoring.

You can lay down your rights to make all your own choices. You can suffer ridicule from your parents. You can handle it when the chores overwhelm you and the rules would usually suffocate you. Here is why. You are loved by God. Christ died in your place. You have peace.

So, now instead of falling apart when your relationship with your earthly parent is not well, you have the eternal hope that your relationship with your Loving Father is perfect.

Instead of demanding your rights, you can lay them down as you seek to imitate Christ.

Instead of feeling crushed by the neglect, you stand proud that you are a daughter of the King. All benefits of the household is yours. His love toward you is perfect.

Instead of blowing up in rage and talking back, you can quietly do what has been asked of you. Just like Christ was lead out like a lamb before the slaughter... He was silent. So are you.

Instead of seeking to get even when your parents wrong you, you return kindness instead. Much like when you rebelled against God he did not treat you as your sins deserved. But instead, He lavished you with grace.

When your siblings would have annoyed you, you instead treat them with compassion, patience, and grace... just like you received from the Father.

All this stems from the gospel. You can't muster these feelings up on your own. It is when the Holy Spirit applies the magnificence of Christ to your heart that this change happens. If this is a struggle that you own, talk to a leader about it. We want you to experience the joy of salvation! We want you to experience the peace that can come to your relationship with your family. We are praying for you.

Another post to follow...

Connecting the Dots

There is a depressing side to being called to preach... it's called memory. Unfortunately, it is easy to remember how bad a message was. Or, things that were left out and areas that were unclear.

I guess that is a benefit of always being wired in... through social networking, emails, and blogs the message never has to have an exact ending... I can pick up right here and connect some of the dots I left untouched last night.

The message from youth group yesterday had to do with holiness. We want to be a group that strives for holiness so that way our friends and family will see our lives and want to know the Power that changed us. But how do we actually change?

Here is the three-fold Strategy from 2 Corinthians 3:18 and surrounding verses.
Change happens as we engage the Word, see the majesty of Christ, in the power of the Spirit.
1) Engage the Word
Paul's strategy for change involves the word (2 Corinthians 4:2b), setting forth the truth plainly (2 Corinthians 4:2c) and preaching (2 Corinthians 4:5). For us to be changed we have to engage the Word of God. The power is in the Word.
2)See Christ as the Majesty of the Word
It is not enough to simply read the Bible. We have to see how Christ is the focus of all of Scripture and the fulfillment of every promise. He is fire. He's the bomb.
2 Corinthians 3:18 "beholding the glory of the Lord." When we look to Scriptures we are looking for the magnificence and majesty of Christ. We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord (4:5). This is what we are on the lookout for in the Word; "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6).
3) In the Power of the Spirit
The Spirit takes the truths of Christ and massage them into our souls. Real change is brought about by the Holy Spirit. Anything less than that is superficial.

Now let's look at 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

So it is in this way that God changes us from one degree of glory to the next.
In the Word, Seeing Christ, by His Spirit.

The Search for Simple Stupid

Why does Christianity get all muddied? Life isn't exactly as clean cut as textbooks might make them seem. Lately, I've been wrestling with how I've added to the muddying instead of offered clear spring water to bring clarity. Here are some ways that I've complicated the simple issue of being a Christian.

I may confess the simple truths but my life speaks otherwise. I believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation by grace alone through faith alone? If someone pressed me on it that is exactly what I would say. It is Jesus. He saves. But, if you examine my life what you actually see is a whole lot of works; bible reading, prayer meetings, endless books and sermons. My messages sound a lot like to-do lists. Be mindful of missions, set aside time for devotions, get involved, care about persecution, know your Bible, you better have right doctrine... What's worse is my actual life!? I seldom pray. I read endlessly. I am constantly listening to lectures or sermons. I lose sleep over whether or not I will "perform well" at youth group. I am constantly scouring for praise. I tell people to prepare for the difficulties and expect persecution. All of these actions and attitudes speak. The message they say is, "you better do something." The message I actually convey with my life then is to live by works. I heap on my friends an un-shoulder-able yoke that I myself am not willing to lift a finger to help (Matthew 23:4 cf. Luke 11:46). Mainly because my own load is crushing me.

So what should it actually look like? I believe Spurgeon was onto something when he spoke of "the grand doctrine of believe and live." I think what Spurgeon is convinced of, and I agree, is that the grand narrative of the Bible leads us to a simple doctrine that if we believe in Christ, we have everlasting life. Romans 10 unpacks this at length. If we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts then we are saved. Simple stupid. That is the foundation. That is what Christianity truly is. Has it become more complicated than that for you? The heart of the matter is faith in Christ.

My friend Laura McFadden has also helped me with this concept. Although, she takes believe and live in another direction. She is a huge advocate of being who God made you to be. So often we stuff people into Christian molds. We make them carry burdens that were not meant for them. Then, we watch as they struggle under the weight. Instead, we should each look to be the person God created us to be and to live in that glorious freedom. We let Jesus be our everything and we simply live. That is the beautiful simplicity of it all. Don't make it too complicated. Just believe in Him and then do what you love. Believe and live. This is the way to life.

Maybe things have gotten complicated for you and you feel the burdens of 'being a Christian' pressing in on you. My advice to you is to step back for a moment and just say "Jesus I believe in you and I want you." That's all. Nothing difficult there. It is a confession of your heart, expressed with your lips. And it is life. Now go take a breath of fresh air and do something you love.

Young Radicals

February 1st 2008 I started my first day as the official pastor for youth at Central. The task was daunting but my excitement was coursing through me. I daydreamed about the revolution that was about to occur from the ground up. I thought to myself that if any group could change the tide of the church and ramp up the spiritual temp, it was and is the students. Imagine tapping into all of the energy of redbulls, pop music, and kids who can "mod" an xbox (I don't even know what that means but it sounds cool). Imagine getting that group of young and fearless students on board for a journey of their lifetimes.

Over the course of the past seasons of ministry my excitement has ascended to the heights and came crashing down onto the rocks of brutal reality. There have been times when I've seen incredible potential and also times when I've felt very uncertain. But at the current moment I feel like we are in a time like no other. I have to let you know that this Fall marks one of the most exciting seasons of ministry for CSM. Here are a few reasons why:

First, leadership is transitioning. We are losing some key volunteers and gaining some fresh ones. Just when we were getting comfortable, God decided to mix things up on us. This is a great 'problem' to have. It throws our dependency back on God. It would be a shame to operate on our own strength to the neglect of the Holy Spirit's power. God has not given us that option. Because we are sending off a great volunteer, we are forced to trust in God and not in ourselves.

Second, we've torn down old practices and are ready to rebuild. Over the past couple years we have stripped CSM down to bare bones. We put everything on the table and said to God, "if you want us to keep doing any of these things, let us know or they are getting thrown out." We whittled CSM down to 3 basic things. Worship. Teaching. Community. Even within those elements we strove for minimalism. Worship was simple. No frills. Teaching included a bible and a point. We rarely had a catchy title to a series or showed videos. We didn't even put the verses on the screens so the students would have to look in their own bibles. Community was basic. Community is always organic and difficult to plan. We gave time for small group at Fuel and set up couple different meeting places and times for high school students. That was it. And it worked. So, here we are barreling into a new school year with a blank canvas. We have removed all the distractions and are ready to listen to the leading of Him who loves His Bride. Jesus, what would you love your Beauty dressed in?

Finally, our group is about as rad as it gets. The students have crossed school lines and stereotypes. Seniors hang out with freshmen. Athletes hang out with gamers. Wisconsin hangs with Illinois. We have a real live biblical community! It is actually weird to see, but o' so exciting! Not only that, they are mature Christ followers! They know how to open a bible up and meet with King Jesus. They know how to worship Him when life is brutal. Take away the guitars and drums and just try to shut up their singing. Tell them to stop dreaming about ministry and missions and focus on school work. It won't happen easily. These kids are a revolution! They are an inspiration to young people everywhere and they are an inspiration to me. They are the real deal. They get it. Don't be surprised when they set an example for us in faithfulness and challenge us to really follow Jesus. Things may get messy, but following Jesus never seemed neat and tidy. I'm just trying to keep up with these young radicals.

Teens Want More Than Pizza

Spurred on by the USA Today article on how teens view the church, Jon Neilson just wrote a blog article for the gospel coalition. If you are aware of our ministry philosophy here at Central's Students, you will know that for the past two and a half years we have been crying out the same message... Namely, students are ready for the church to be the church and the gospel is appealing enough for us to shape our entire ministry around it. So to my new friend Jon... Amen brother.
Teens Want More Than Pizza

Redeeming Music

Preach Christ or Go Home—And Other Spurgeon Quotes on Christless Preaching

No body says it bolder than Spurgeon. Either preach Jesus Christ as Savior.

And [Spurgeon] means by Christ not merely his example and the ethical precepts of his teaching, but his atoning blood, his wondrous satisfaction made for human sin, and the grand doctrine of ‘believe and live.'

Either do that... or go home.
Preach Christ or Go Home—And Other Spurgeon Quotes on Christless Preaching

The motto of all true servants of God must be, ‘We preach Christ; and him crucified.’ A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.

The One Who Makes me a Better Man...

Here is a link to photos of our wedding!

MandyHenry.com

Ashley is such a huge blessing to me. For the past several years Ashley has been one of the greatest sources of refinement in my life. Her wisdom is staggering. So, if you've benefited from anything I've written, it definitely owes some credit to my beautiful "Riblet" (Genesis 2:21,22).

"The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved" -Matthew Henry