Mark Driscoll on Using Words to Arrest Attention

[acchokiefan]

I'm surprised at some of the comments here. I'm not throwing stones when I say that some of you are babes. For one to say that it is somehow not our purpose to lead people to Christ, I would ask : What then is our purpose? One here says "leading people to Christ is the sole purpose of the Holy Spirit" and in where does that Holy Spirit Dwell?" and by what means, provocative or none, are acceptable terms under which one might "catch the attention" of a non-believer. Frankly, were it for the ver

[Pandoranation]

That's what I'm talkin about!

[kabham001]

So was Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel average? They preached to a people that had ears but did not hear, eyes but did not see. In fact, God told Isaiah to render the people's hearts dull. They did not hear, because God had shut their ears; they did not see, because God had not opened their eyes. God told Hosea "Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry." He told Ezekiel to make himself and example. When was Driscoll told directly by God to use provocative langauge? He wasn't.

[HermitintheRain]

@kabham001 well said. Ezekiel didn't use dramatic representations in an effort to capture the attention of the people; but because it is what God commanded him to do; and as a faithful servant he did what he was commanded to do. even Paul makes a point of this in his letter to those at Corinth of how he didn't speak to them in clever words but in the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 1:17)

[HermitintheRain]

@kabham001 the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a provocative message. the gospel of Jesus Christ is actually an offense, a cause of stumbling to the disobedient. Our belief that there is only one God, that salvation is by none other than Jesus Christ alone is not provocative to the world-it is offensive to them. the day that a preacher proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ and it is not an offense to the world is the day that preacher is no longer preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[HermitintheRain]

@kabham001 the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a provocative message. the gospel of Jesus Christ is actually an offense, a cause of stumbling to the disobedient. Our belief that there is only one God, that salvation is by none other than Jesus Christ alone is not provocative to the world-it is offensive to them. the day that a preacher proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ and it is not an offense to the world is the day that preacher is no longer preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[lrgabriel1]

I agree with jeffre and SlamDunker: It's not up to us/preachers to convince and persuade people or convert them. That's the Holy Spirit's job. The message we deliver should draw attention to God and his glory not to ourselves. Where does the scripture instruct preachers to use "provocative" language? Using "colorful" language, humor, interesting stories to entertain and hold the attention of a crowd may be effective in building a bigger congregation, but not necessarily changing hearts.

[jeffre2012]

To think that you can get people to hear the Gospel by using "provocative" language is extremely arrogant. The only one who can open your ears to the Gospel is the Holy Spirit, and it's a pastor's job to preach the Gospel in love and faith. To think that his worldy-centered ideas have anything at all to do with the work of the Holy Spirit is, in and of itself, blasphemous.

[raxorules]

@jeffre2012

You have it. The prophets spoke and did what the HS inspired them to do. MD applies secular/carnal thinking to what he supposes is preaching the Gospel.

[HermitintheRain]

@jeffre2012 agreed. if one looks closely at what Charles Finney did in looking for how he might "win" people to Christ; the pragmatism that was behind it is not much different, if any different, than what is stated here. our job is to proclaim the gospel, to be light on a candlestick, a city set on a hill; but it is not our station to bring people to Christ-that is the sole work of the Holy Spirit.

[HermitintheRain]

@jeffre2012 agreed. if one looks closely at what Charles Finney did in looking for how he might "win" people to Christ; the pragmatism that was behind it is not much different, if any different, than what is stated here. our job is to proclaim the gospel, to be light on a candlestick, a city set on a hill; but it is not our station to bring people to Christ-that is the sole work of the Holy Spirit.

[harrisonmillerr]

Wow!

I have so much respect for Mark Driscoll. What a truly amazing response. I've benefited greatly from his teachings over the years and would strongly suggest everyone check him out!

[xWhiteLightning]

Wow! His responce was really amazing and true...I hope the Lord uses this man to do more great and wonderful things, all for the glory of God.

[MrJonathantalks]

This scares the pants off of me.

[tommymech]

Mark - the OT prophet's did what they were led to do by God. They didn't sit down and think .. "now how can I get the people's attention mmm...". Pastors thinking of ways of getting their ministry noticed is of the flesh. Every Christian must seek out God's will for his or her life and act and speak in obedience to that. The rest is God's responsibility.

BTW, Hosea marrying a prostitute is a picture of Christ's willingness to save the utterly corrupt.

[benjensen123]

@tommymech so essentially you are saying the Bible leaves no responsibility on us to help people find Christ.

[tommymech]

@benjensen123

You said:- "so essentially you are saying the Bible leaves no responsibility on us to help people find Christ."

I say:- Don't be silly - BUT - its not what we think might be a good idea to arrest attention to what we preach that is needed. You can be sure that our good ideas will attract the wrong kind of attention and harm the spread of the Gospel. We must wait on the Lord to know His mind as to how we are to approach outreach then allow the HS to lead us in that.

[UncleBernie2]

Mark, I like you but please Stop with the Divide & Conquer stuff already and Preach the Gospel..............

[handtrembler]

What the prophets did was obey God's explicit commands.

People don't treat pastors any differently now than they have for the last 1000 years (except perhaps the competition against idols is tougher in the United States now); the gospel is the SOLUTION to our culture, and it creates an obedient and true one.

Should you take risks? Oh yeah, I feel the same prophetic urges, if you will; but in obedience, not self-will; Titus 2:6-8 is the explicit command of God as is Jeremiah 17:5, black.

[Utopiang]

Mark certainly has a knack for turning what is sacred into the "filthy rags" he enjoys pontificating about. His words are not merely provocative but they also translate as disrespectful diatribes and are unbecoming to a perfect and holy King of Kings. It is difficult to see the attributes of the Holy Spirit in his speech and general attitude: the fruits are strange. I do not understand why the Holy Spirit has not impressed on Mark the importance of reverence. May the Lord bless and direct him.

[jpond1981]

When yall start preaching on a regular basis and feel the heat from the enemy and have your family share in the stress, then you can add your comments. Till then support those who bear the word of the Lord as Paul told timothy, these men are worth double honor. I dont care if you like him or not, if he's your brother in Christ he deserves your respect.

[saskatoonsafetyguy]

I can respect Mark as a fellow minister I can't however stomach his disqualification of others.

[therealdrag0]

Amen.

[raxorules]

@jpond1981

Since I don't hear Driscoll bearing the word of the Lord but rather Driscoll's own puffed up ego, I'll be neither supporting nor respecting him.

[VeXeDx007]

@raxorules

Agree with him or not, he is the founder of churches helping churches an organization that helps churches be planted. He may have some issues, but his passion for furthering the kingdom of God is admirable and deserving of respect.

[raxorules]

@VeXeDx007

You could say the same thing about Benny Hinn who in terms of followers, "churches" planted etc is way ahead of MD - would you say Hinn's passion is admirable and deserving of respect? I am no supporter of Hinn btw.

The only thing that is effective in reaching out to non-Christians is what the Holy Spirit gives to say. Anything else is at best useless. All the OT prophets did what God gave them to preach or do. They did not think up the ideas themselves as MD seems to believe.

[angelg496]

@VeXeDx007  yea his passion for organizing the one world religion backed by the false prophet

[VeXeDx007]

@angelg496 ? please share any false prophecy's he has made.

[benjensen123]

@raxorules have you listened to any of his sermons? ALL he talks about is Jesus.

[raxorules]

@benjensen123

That's all Benny Hinn talks about as well and his congregations are much bigger than MD's. Does that mean BH has a better handle on the Gospel than MD? They are both clueless.

[SlamDunkerDonkey]

@raxorules It's an interview asking him a question about preaching- there is not one preacher i know who literally opens his up his bible and exposits a text for a simple interview question. His answers and opinions are based directly on the Bible, and a man not afraid to declare the full will of God, which includes the hard truths, is not one with a puffed up ego. All he does is preach the word and the gospel- that is worth support and respect.

[raxorules]

@SlamDunkerDonkey

The prophets spoke and did what the HS inspired them to do. MD applies secular/carnal thinking to what he supposes is preaching the Gospel. He hasn't got a clue.

[stmcgarret]

No...And why did he cook with dung? To make a stink so people would listen to him? Eh, no.

"Thou shalt drink also water by measure, the sixth part of an hin: from time to time shalt thou drink. And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. AND THE LORD said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them." (Ez 4:11-13) Widely ignored and ineffective - oh how arrogant!

[stmcgarret]

Huh? These prophets did these things to grab attention? You're kidding right? Chapter verse please.Amazing. I'm not going to speak to all of them due to space, but here is one. Ezekiel lay on his side as it was A COMMAND of the LORD! "Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity." (Ez 4:4). Anything about this being Ezekiel's doing or strategy to get attention?

[simplyamazed2009]

Here is a man with a recently completed M.A. in Exegetical Studies. Wow Amazing. Disturbing. The Bible says that we are not to let "any unwholesome word come out of our mouths". There is a BIG difference between using provocative language and unwholesome language. To have a man with a recently completed MA in Exegetical Studies speaking like this is a travesty. Where is the conscience? It seems like he is trying to justify his reputation - not for provocative language, but unwholesome language.

[stmcgarret]

Amen. And the argument that the preacher is ignored is a crock. So we are to use "provocative" language to do the work of the Holy Spirit because the Word is not enough? So our culture is more perverse and less attentive to the gospel than who?Pagan Rome, the barbarian tribes, communist China/Russia, Islamic nations, animistic Africa, etc?Please. I never read of Hudson Taylor speaking as you do,or Spurgeon, Paul (wow - he used the word dung - so radical!), JC Ryle, AW Pink or any others.

[Utopiang]

Amen!

[lpatkins316]

oh, man... you're so right. i mean, gah, pastor's shouldn't even open their dumb mouths to anyone until they've got a ThD and at least 20 years under their belts. you tell 'em!