Jesus brought the disciples out of their comfort zone

When Jesus walks on water his disciples are horrified. They've seen Jesus break the laws of nature several times over, but this miracle pushes them outside of their level of comfort. Jesus reassures them, and they take comfort in God's sovereignty by seeing that his power has no bounds—he can do literally anything, even walk on water.

Jesus also puts the disciples in situations where danger is imminent. The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because he kept saying that he was God, and the disciples thought it prudent to hunker down and let the mob's anger pass. When Jesus hears of Lazarus' death, the disciples protest going back to Judea in hopes to save their own tails. Jesus responds by telling them that if they are doing good before God, why hide before men? They are putting their safety before the saving of Lazarus' life, and Jesus pushes them through their fear gently—not in a rebuking manner, but in a clear, focused, and resolved manner.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.

Pastor Dad

Every dad is a pastor. The important thing is that he cares for his flock well. Pastor Mark Driscoll's new eBook offers spiritual insights on fatherhood. Get it here.

Jesus used practical object lessons

Jesus didn't pick the smartest, the coolest, or the most likely to succeed to be his disciples--he went straight to the bottom of the barrel and picked the fisherman, and he taught them in very practical ways. He brought them almost everywhere he went and taught them along the way.

Jesus would pick up a loaf of bread and use it as an example of our dependance on God. He would use his signs and miracles as a way of showing that he has power over death and the effects of sin by raising Lazarus and giving sight to the blind man. He uses his own service of washing their feet as a way to show that they must serve, and even feeds five thousand people to show that even though he is one man, his work can feed the many.

We can't use the same type of object lessons that Jesus did because we aren't the Messiah, but we can follow Jesus' example by using metaphor, speaking in plain English, and creating circumstances that allow us to teach our disciples.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.

Resurgence On Facebook

Become a fan of the Resurgence on Facebook, get connected with other fans, and stay current on all the latest updates. Find out more.

Jesus pointed to the heart

When Jesus is teaching his disciples, he points them straight to their heart to show them where the real problem lies. Sin is not some force that floats around like the Eastern Qi or the dark side of the force; sin is in the hearts of people, and people's lives are the vehicles for sin and destruction.

The disciples keep turning to what they can do versus what they are to believe—our intuition is that doing gets results and belief is a luxury that makes us feel good about what we do. Jesus points to the heart and says, there's the problem, right there. Believe in God, rely on me, trust God, and let him deal with the sin problem. You'll grow good fruit if you have a good heart and bad fruit if you have a sinful heart. It's the heart.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.

Religion Saves

Check out Pastor Mark Driscoll's newest book: Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions. Find out more.

Jesus didn't waste time with stupid questions

Question: How many angels dance on the head of a pin?

Answer: Who cares?

Though Jesus allows questions from his disciples, he doesn't follow the pattern so common today that says "there is no such thing as a stupid question." In fact, there definitely is such thing as a stupid question.

What should I know?

People want stupid questions answered because it makes them feel better, or it gives them a sense of power. We want to know the answer to every question, and we are quite uncomfortable with ambiguities. Both the Pharisees and the disciples ask questions that don't have meaningful answers, and Jesus often replies to them by answering a different question that does have a meaningful answer. The questioners probably felt like they were receiving an insincere answer—but they forgot who it was talking to them. They are not God and therefore should be saying, "I'm not worthy to know what to ask—what should I know?"

The Pharisees try to to trick Jesus by giving him difficult quandaries, like with the woman caught in adultery, or the Jews accusing him of lying about coming from heaven. Jesus sidesteps these questions and points to the accusers' sin, Jesus' righteousness, and the Father's sovereign hand.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.

Re:Sound

The musical arm of the Resurgence offers music that is theologically unified, stylistically diverse, and musically excellent. Find out more.

I have served as a campus minister for five years and have taught at two universities for nine years. In that time, I've learned some lessons about doing campus ministry both the hard way and from great mentors. Here are the top six things you need to know if you're doing college ministry:

1. Don't confuse the gospel with religion
To prevent doing this, talk about Jesus (who he is and what he has done) all the time. If you don't, students will think Christianity is really about something else, like morality, philosophy, piety, social justice, or a religious experience. If you start talking more about what they should do instead of what Jesus has done, you're preaching another gospel (Gal. 1:6-9), which is to put heavy burdens on them (Matt. 23:2-4).

2. Learn about sexual assault
The prevalence of sexual assault is staggering. At least 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are or will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime. And the numbers are much worse for college students. These young women and men feel crippling shame, deep guilt, and painfully alone because of what has been done to them.

3. Teach students how to read and interpret the Bible for themselves
This means being clear on the relationship between the law and the gospel. The law is "perfect, true, and righteous altogether" (Psalm 19:7-9) and "holy, just, and good" (Rom. 7:12), but it does not effect what it demands (Gal. 3:21). The good news is that on the cross Jesus took our penalty of law-breaking and fulfilled the law, so he could give us his righteousness. God then works in us to will and to do his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). The very law that condemns us becomes the very thing that God fulfills in us through the power of his Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:18-23), not through our effort (Gal. 3:1-3).

4. Be prepared to comfort students because of divorce and death
College students are at a phase in life where their parents seem to get divorced, if they aren't already, now that their children are leaving home. This is also the age when grandparents begin to die.

5. Study apologetics
Many students still have brain cells left, and they've been reading and thinking about their world. They have legitimate questions about who Jesus is and what he did and why he isn't just a good example. They want to know why they should trust the Bible as reliable. The immense suffering in the world makes them doubt either the goodness or power of God or both. They think Christians are hypocrites and bigots, so why should they become one?

6. Be prepared to counsel students about what they're really facing
You must be prepared to counsel about eating disorders, pornography, cutting, abusive relationships, and the lingering damage of sexual sin. College students tend to be the shock-absorbers of the myths our cultural sells. Idols are brutal slave masters.

Recommended Books

A collection of fantastic reading material on various important topics, used and shared by Pastor Mark Driscoll. Find out more.

Jesus exposed his heart

When Lazarus died, Jesus wept in front of his disciples. God cried.

His disciples got to see the depth of sincerity that Jesus felt toward the people they were ministering to. This mission is not just a job to pay the bills, or some sort of pointless adventure—Jesus meant it. The wages of sin are right before us, and it's worth God crying over.

We should show emotion too. If we don't have emotion we should pray for a softened heart, because every day in ministry the effects of sin are laid bare. The practical implications of sin are so atrocious, and the goodness of our holy and just savior is so real, that we ought to have overflowing emotion at times. Our disciples must see this, they must know that it's real beyond the point of head knowledge, and that it's real even in the deepest depths of our hearts.

Jesus was cautious in his interactions with his disciples

Jesus showed emotion in front of his disciples, but he didn't entrust himself to them because he knew what was in their hearts. In other words, he didn't put his trust in his disciples because he understood the implications of total depravity. His disciples were sinners, and they would disappoint. Jesus was clear that he was absolutely dependent on the Father, and his disciples would need to be as well.

The goal of discipleship is not to put faith in the next generation; the goal is to put faith in God's unfolding and sovereign plan.

This is a series of reflections on how Jesus made disciples, based on the book of John.

Vintage Jesus

A theological journey chasing Jesus through Scripture and pop culture. Timeless answers to timely questions about the most important man who has ever lived. Find out more.

The church is founded on the person and work of Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18). Following Peter’s proclamation of Jesus as Christ, Jesus announces his promise to build his church. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit empowers the preaching of the gospel through Peter that results in the forming of a gospel community. We see in Acts 2:42-47 certain characteristics of this new community: devotion to teaching, fellowship, and worship. Verse 46 notes that they had “glad and generous hearts.” This raises the question: did their glad and generous hearts cause gospel community, or did gospel community cause their hearts to be glad and generous?

Salvation Forms a Gospel Community

By definition, “fellowship/community” (koinonia) is one of participation. The essence of gospel community is one of investment and investing: both having a share and giving a share in (New Dictionary of Biblical Theology). Their hearts are not glad and generous because of the work they do themselves, nor necessarily the work that’s been done to them by others, but rather the common salvation experience of having been gospeled by Christ Jesus himself. Having a share in the gospel, this community then gives a share in the gospel.

Gospel as a Verb

Using gospel as a verb, we see the essence of Christian mission (Total Church). Having been “gospeled” by Jesus Christ, the church is to “gospel” one another. This reflects the image and nature of God and displays the work of Christ.

The New Testament is full of practical instructions of how to gospel one another: love one another (John 13:34,1 John 3:11), fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7), forgive one another (Eph. 4:32 ), accept one another (Rom. 15:7), serve one another (1 Peter 4:10), teach one another (Col. 3:16), be patient with one another (Eph. 4:2), bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), pray for one another (James 5:16), submit to one another (Eph. 5:21), encourage one another, and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11).

We Gospel Because We’ve Been Gospeled

What if we do not see these instructions merely as commands to follow, but rather reflections of how we as a gospel community display the work of Christ? We gospel because we’ve been gospeled:

• We love one another (John 13:34, 1 John 3:11) because God is love (1 John 4:8).
• We fellowship with one another (1 John 1:7) because of the Trinitarian fellowship of our God (2 Cor. 13:14)
• We forgive one another (Eph. 4:32) as God in Christ forgave us (Eph. 4:32).
• We accept one another (Rom. 15:7) because we’re accepted by God in Christ (1 Peter 2:5).
• We serve one another (1 Peter 4:10) as Jesus came to serve and give his life as our ransom (Mark 10:45).
• We teach one another (Col. 3:16) because Jesus is the true word of God incarnate (John 1:14).
• We are patient with one another (Eph. 4:2) because God’s kindness and patience leads to repentance (Rom. 2:4).
• We bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2) as Christ Jesus bore our griefs and transgressions (Is. 53:4).
• We pray for one another (James 5:16) as Christ did for us (John 17) and continues to do (Rom. 8:34).
• We submit to one another (Eph. 5:21) as Jesus submitted to the will of the Father (Phil. 2).
• We encourage one another and build one another up (1 Thess. 5:11) just as Jesus builds his church (Matt. 16:18).

Do we see the gospel as something we do or as something we expect others to do for us? Do we understand that to gospel we must first be gospeled? May we be obedient to gospel one another as a display of Christ Jesus’ gospeling of us.

Religion Saves

Check out Pastor Mark Driscoll's newest book: Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions. Find out more.

Missional Christianity Series: Click | View Series

The Shadow of Poverty

Every day in United Sates, there are literally millions of people who are living in poverty in the shadow of our nation's great wealth. Hunger and poverty are quickly becoming a serious epidemic in U.S. Every month close to twenty million Americans go hungry. According to the census, over 35 million people live below the poverty line. Most of our nation's poor are children or elderly. There are over 50,000 orphans in America. Many more people nationwide are homeless and can't fill their basic needs for food and clothing. Drugs, domestic violence, and illiteracy are also harsh realities for many people.

Who are these people in need? Where can we find them? They are in our cities, communities, and small towns. They are our neighbors, fellow church members, and even family members. They are not numbers or statistics; they have names, faces, and feelings. Government organizations alone cannot reform or solve the problem. The problem usually has a spiritual root, and the church is already equipped with the answer. We are called by Jesus Christ to minister to a lost and hurting world with love and compassion.

Think Outside the Box

There are a number of ways that you can do effective community ministry. The key is thinking outside of the box. We need to think of new ways to reach our communities for Christ. Depending upon the need in your community, your church can start a food pantry, serve meals to the elderly, offer literacy training, start an after-school program for at-risk youth, or start an art ministry to reach local artists. Our church began an art-mentoring program that has reached hundreds of at-risk youth in our community and in South America. Community ministry shows people in the community that you care.

Meeting the Needs of the Community

We will never know what our community needs until we begin to get outside of the church building. It is amazing how little church people actually interact with non-churchgoers. Matthew 9:35 tells us when Jesus went out into all the cities and villages he saw that the multitudes were weary and had compassion on them. As Jesus went into the community he saw the needs of the people. Get into the community and start assessing the needs of your town or city. Make a personal inventory of the needs, and then you will be able to begin meeting them.

Following God's Heart For the Needy

I think that God is bringing about a renewed awareness for social ministries in the church. For too long the church has focused solely on numerical conversions, forgetting about the need to minister to the whole person. In the past, social ministry has been looked at as something that only liberal Christians do because they lack the spiritual aspect of the Christian faith. There may have been some abuse, but that is no excuse for us to neglect social ministry altogether.

God is concerned about the needy, destitute, hurting, poor, and orphans of the world. The word of the Lord tells us that we are commissioned to care for those around us who cannot care for themselves. Too long we've tried to stick band-aids on wounds that will not heal overnight. Being missional is going into places where the world doesn't want to go. Ministry is very dirty. If we are going to make a difference, we must roll up our sleeves and join in the work of Jesus among the poor and disenfranchised of this world. Find the needs of your community and begin to fill them by being a missionary to your city and community.

Recommended Books

A collection of fantastic reading material on various important topics, used and shared by Pastor Mark Driscoll. Find out more.

Missional Christianity Series: Click | View Series

Believe, Then Share

Once we firmly trust and believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, we must make his name known to the entire world. This is also called the Great Commission. His name is beautiful, wonderful, and altogether lovely. The Bible tells us that one day, "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, to the glory of God" (Phil. 2:10). Jesus' last words to his disciples were, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matt 28:20).

Evangelism Means Good News

Sharing our faith is the duty of every believer. This is commonly called evangelism. The word evangelism comes from the Greek word evangelion, which means gospel or good news. We are all called to share the good news of Jesus' love and forgiveness with the world. It is not as important how we share our faith as whether we share our faith. There are many different ways that Christians can share their faith with others.

Pray and Receive Help

Sharing our faith begins with prayer. Pray that God will give you the right opportunity and words to say to others. You would be surprised how many opportunities there are to share your faith with others. The Holy Spirit will open hearts when the time is right. Many times people never share their faith because of fear, but the Bible says that "God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim. 1:7). The Holy Spirit will help you move past all of your fears and share your faith with boldness. It's like fishing; you don't know what the fish are biting until you cast your line into the water.

Care, So They Can Too

The best way to share your faith with your friends and family is by personal or friendship evangelism. Being an authentic Christian day after day is the best way to win somebody to Jesus Christ. To be a living witness does not remove our responsibility to verbally share our faith; rather it gives us the opportunity. We must share the message of salvation whenever God opens the opportunity. The Bible says, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). Nothing can replace the power of the Word of God when it is spoken out of a heart of love and under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

To be continued.

Vintage Church

In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.

Missional Christianity Series: Click | View Series

Chosen For This Time and Place

As the Father sent Jesus, he also sends us into our time and culture. Mark Driscoll says, "It is imperative that Christians be like Jesus, by living freely within the culture as missionaries who are as faithful to the Father and his gospel as Jesus was in his own time and place" (The Radical Reformission). We have been chosen by God to live in this time and place in order to fulfill the mission of God.

Acts 17:26-27 tells us that God has determined the exact place and time where we should live so that that men may find him. It is truly awesome to realize that you have chosen by God to be his representative to this world. It is both a great privilege and a great responsibility. Paul describes our calling in the following way: "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Cor. 5:20).

We Have Come To Serve

Christian ministry is God's way of showing the love of his Son Jesus through his church. Christians must strive to always be like Jesus, our perfect example. Jesus said, "the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). This scripture beautifully embodies the task of Christian ministry. To be a minister is to be a servant. We are to serve and give our lives for others. Serving is the example that Jesus gave; therefore we should follow it.

As the church we are called to care for a lost and dying world that is in desperate need of a savior. Too often we compartmentalize the different ministries of the church. We have viewed social ministry as something we do on one hand and evangelism on the other. God is calling the church to rediscover the biblical model of holistic ministry. Jesus met both the physical and spiritual needs of the people he ministered to. As the Body of Christ on earth, we are his representatives to a lost world. Therefore, what we do and say are of eternal importance.

The Missional Coin

There are two primary ways that every Christian can become missional. The first is by sharing a verbal witness. This is also known as the evangelical witness, or more commonly, evangelism. This is when you share the gospel message with your words. The second way we can fulfill the mission of God is called the social witness. The evangelical and the social are two sides of the same coin. We are called to lead people to Christ with both our words and our actions.

To be continued.

Resurgence On Facebook

Become a fan of the Resurgence on Facebook, get connected with other fans, and stay current on all the latest updates. Find out more.