I watched this clip recently.. take a minute (actually eight minutes) to watch it, and then read the rest of what I have to say.
This is a great reminder to me. I am quite opinionated. I like to argue. I like to be right. I like to have things “be” a certain way. (Right now, my wife is saying, “Yep. Yep. Nailed that one. Really? That’s all you can say about that?”) My friends as med school are probably saying the same thing. I’m alright with that. I’m alright admitting that I don’t know it all. But here’s the thing. I don’t do it enough. What’s more, I don’t stop short of doing those things so that I don’t have to admit that I did them. In other words, instead of spending my time apologizing for what I did, perhaps I – wait for it – shouldn’t do them in the first place.
I suppose that’s easier said than done. But the point of this clip of Driscoll’s sermon is to show us that. Mark Driscoll’s church is phenomenal, from all that I can read and see. It is located in one of the most unchurched (and presumably) unbelieving cities in America – Seattle, WA. So when he preaches this sermon, he is doing it out of a genuine concern for what he sees as a hindrance to people knowing Jesus. Non-Christians see Christians as proud, Cessationists, un-loving, hypocritical, joyless, methodolatrous, and powerful (or power-seeking). While I could have bolded every single one of those, I think the ones in bold are the ones that I struggle with way too much. Especially unloving… not to say that I don’t love. I love my wife. She is the love of my life. I love my church. I love singing. I love people, but not the way that Jesus loved people. He said something that I just can’t get past – “Did you know that people flocked to Jesus in a way they didn’t Pharisees? (read unloving, legalistic Christians) Did you know that people wanted to have dinner with Jesus in a way they didn’t want to have dinner with the Pharisees? That’s because Jesus was loving. He actually cared about people”
gulp.
Because I’m opinionated, because I like to be right, because I like to argue (my dad was a lawyer, what can I say? It’s a gift…), and because I like to have things a certain way, I have driven people way. I recently served as the President of the Christian Medical and Dental Association at my medical school. We did all sorts of things. We came up with one of the biggest fundraisers and most popular and well-attended events at our school. We held weekly Bible studies. We prayed as a group for our school. But because I spoke out (on this blog, in small groups, etc) people perhaps see me as “that guy,” the guy that is known more for what he is against than what he is for, the guy that is always excited to argue a point. If you are reading this and this is your opinion (even in the slightest), especially if you are one of my classmates, I want you to know that I am sorry. I hope that you know I love you. I hope you know I genuinely care for you. I hope that you know that I pray for you.
Now there is one thing I’m not sorry for. I am not sorry to say what needs to be said, to hold fast to what I believe, to say what God would have me to say. And that’s the difference! The difference is not what we say (per se), but how we say it. It is the spirit that we say it in. In other words, the message remains the same, and you shouldn’t be influenced by any yahoo that messes it up. Mankind is bad. We can’t fix it alone. We need help. Jesus is the only way our deepest need is completed. The Cross is how He did it. The Cross is open to all – rich, poor, black, white, old, young, the most religious person ever or the most vile, child-molesting murderer ever.
In the time I have left with my classmates (and all who I know), I want you to know that you need to hear the message. Please don’t let the shortcomings (proud, overbearing, stuck-up, unloving, insensitive) of the messenger cloud the big idea. And tell me when I do it.
Thanks, Michael.