A Substantial Misunderstanding of Calvinism

I ran across this sermon a couple of days ago while visiting The Resurgence blog. It is by Dr. Dan Sweatt out of Lilburn, GA and it's entitled Young and Restless. In it he goes off on a good many people including John Piper, C.J. Mahaney, Al Mohler, and Mark Driscoll. Even though I like these guys, I'm not necessarily upset that he doesn't like them. It's why he doesn't like them, namely they're all Calvinists.

Now I know that many Christians do not embrace Calvinism, and that's okay. What struck me in this message however, is a blatant misunderstanding of what Calvinism really is. And it's this misunderstanding that I want to speak to.

If you don't have time to listen to all of it, try to listen to the 31 minute mark through the 41 minute mark. It is in these ten minutes that Dr. Sweatt really...well I'll just tell you what he says.

At one point he makes this statement:

"Calvinism has never, in the history of the world, survived the generation of a charismatic leader. When they die, the movement dies...Because the theology will not support church growth and evangelism. It will not do it. If you believe the doctrine you will not win souls."

I'm not really sure how he can make this statement. History is full of pastors and missionaries who have done much in the advancement of the kingdom while fully embracing Calvinistic theology (Judson, Carey, Patton, Bunyan, Owen, Edwards, Brainerd, Spurgeon, Whitefield, etc.).

There is still a greater misunderstanding to be pointed out though. It's when Dr. Sweatt begins talking about John 3:16. He acts as if when Calvinists come to this verse, they either ignore it or make it say something different than what it says. This is simply not true.

I'll defer to John Piper in response to this misunderstanding. In his sermon entitled God So Loved the World, Part 2 he says:

"We may, therefore, say to every human being, 'God loves you. And this is how he loves you: He gave his Son to die, so that if you would believe, your sins would be forgiven and you would have eternal life.'

That is what the love of God means and promises and does in John 3:16. And that’s why this verse has been so amazingly blessed of God over the centuries in bringing people to Christ and to salvation. It expresses what we love to call the free offer of the gospel. There are no limits to this offer: It goes out to all people of every ethnic group and every age and every socio-economic category and, best of all, to every degree of sinner—from the bad to the worst. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever”—indiscriminate and universal—“believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

He goes on to point out the ever-so-crucial distinction:

"The more amazing question is: Why do any of us come? Why do any of us receive Christ as the supreme Treasure of our lives? And the answer is: There is a greater love than the love of John 3:16. The love of John 3:16 is an amazing gift of Christ to the world so that the free offer to eternal life goes out to everyone: Believe and you will be saved. Believe and your sins will be forgiven, God’s wrath will be removed, you will have eternal joy with him. If you believe...

Those of you who believe on Christ, God wants you to know yourself loved, not only with universal love of John 3:16, but also with his death-conquering, hardness-removing, rebellion-eradicating, sight-imparting, faith-creating, personal, individual, invincible covenant love of which we are absolutely undeserving. He inspired the Gospel of John and I have preached this message so that you would know more fully and experience more deeply how you are loved."

It is for this death-conquering love that I am eternally grateful. And I will submit that is the only hope that a dying world has to come to know God.

Kingdom work is aligning your passions with need

I like what my friend Matt had to say about how your mission and your passion should be closely connected:

What makes people effective for mission...is their passion for the mission.

I had lunch last week with David Melton, campus director for Campus Outreach at UGA. I love having David and Jenny at our church and have a lot of fun watching God use David and the rest of the CO team on the campus. We were talking about CO's Summer Beach Project and the reason why some students really embrace talking about Jesus with complete strangers on the beach while other students would rather take a 5-iron to the temple. Here's what we came up with...

The critical difference between those who thrive in that environment and those who struggle had less to do with skill or personality than it did with sheer conviction and passion. People who enjoyed having those conversations on the beach thrived; those who didn't want to be there wilted.

Here's what that means for the rest of us - go where your passions collide with real need. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit who wires you to enjoy people, places and events that desperately need the hope and freedom of the gospel. I know you don't think that your quirky hobby has any kingdom value but what if you were able to bring the values of God's kingdom into an arena that you love to be in already?

Here's how one man pulled it off - by starting a blog for fans of his favorite NBA team.

Don't wait for someone else to write your story for you. Look for needs in the people and places you love and do something about it.

Dancing should be required in the wedding ceremony

If my future wife lets me, this is exactly how I want to start my wedding:

The Reality of Depression in the lives of Christians

Relevant Magazine recently ran an interesting article on depression entitled Can "Real" Christians Be Depressed?, written by Mattie Germer. Having wrestled with depression some myself, I thought she had some good things to say about the topic. Here's her conclusion:

"Depression should be treated and can be put into remission through a course of psychoanalysis, cognitive therapy and/or antidepressant medication, supplemented by healthy doses of prayer within a loving Christian community. It is nonsensical to tell a depressed person that if he only read his Bible more or had better quiet times, his depression would surely be lifted. That would be like telling a diabetic that faith alone will regulate her insulin levels. Faith alone gives eternal salvation, but in the meantime, God has given us resources by which to make our temporal existences more palatable. Depression is certainly healed by the grace of God, sometimes directly and miraculously, but more often through the tools of His servants, like pharmacists, therapists, pastors and friends."

These are some thoughts I wish I would have understood in my early college days. Back then, I thought it was pretty abnormal to go through periods of depression. Thus, the guilt would pile on even more for not feeling what I thought I ought to feel. But there have been many in the Bible (as Mattie points out) and many great saints in history they have struggled with depression.

My favorite example of someone who has been used by God in a great way, but severely struggled with depression almost his entire life was William Cowper. He penned my favorite hymn of all time, God moves in a mysterious way. The reason I love this hymn (and most hymns redone by Red Mountain Music) is the deep-seated hope in God that is revealed so beautifully from those struggling with guilt and sorrow.

One final note on this subject. The biggest practical lesson I've learned regarding depression comes from the book (that I've mentioned before) called Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd Jones. The idea is that we listen to ourselves for more that we speak truth to ourselves. We must constantly be reminding ourselves of who we are in Christ and that God loves us no matter how we might feel.

The Hurt Locker

I went to see The Hurt Locker last night with a few buddies. I thought it was really well done and a great movie about the war in Iraq. I would recommend going to see it. It should be playing at a indie film theater near you.

I thought Brett McCracken had a good review of the movie (without any spoilers); thoughts that I would agree with.

"It’s a visceral, affecting action film about contemporary urban warfare (perhaps most akin to something like Blackhawk Down) and it will leave you utterly drained and yet thoroughly satisfied, with a newfound appreciation for the complex and frightening experiences of our servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Read the whole thing here

A different definition of success

Tonight, I started my Church and the World class at RTS. We talked about the idea of calling and success for the Christian. From the parable of the talents we see that Jesus rewards faithful service, not necessarily a big return for Him. That's a hard thing to really believe because of how pervasive the idea of the importance of a large impact is in the Western world.

Through this, I was reminded by a video my friend Bert posted on his blog a couple of days ago. It's about a man who was faithful in God's call on his life. He didn't quite know the impact he had...but his name is famous in heaven. It's an incredible story that hopefully will encourage you to be faithful to what God calls you too even though you might not necessarily see a lot of fruit. Check it out (If you get impatient, at least watch from the 6:00 mark):

Reflecting on this mortal life

Two weeks ago yesterday, with the death of Ed McMahon on June 23, there began a string of celebrity deaths that has left much of the media-saturated world in shock. Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson died June 25, Billy Mays June 28, and NFL quarterback Steve McNair died four days ago on July 4. Most of the attention has obviously been given to MJ. But all of these deaths combined have sobered up a lot of us to the reality of death...which is a great thing.

We were not meant to forget our mortality. The decisions we make every day should be in light of the fact that we will not live forever on this planet. I love Mute Math's song Progress. They say that "every moment in time is just an answer to find what you're here for, what you breathe for, what you wake for, what you bleed for." That's so true. If you get distracted, like I do almost every day, by the cares and comforts of this world, you'll forget that it's all going away someday. And if it's all going away someday, what's the point of life?

Thankfully, we don't have to despair. One of the benefits of Christ's death is that we would have purpose and meaning in this life. By repenting and trusting in His propitiatory sacrifice on the cross, we can be reconciled to God to receive freedom and abundant, everlasting life. And then, we don't have to fear death any longer because we have the favor of God on us.

Reflect on your mortality and live in light of eternity. I think that is what David is getting at in Psalm 39:4-6:

"O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreaths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!"

10 interesting facts about Twitter

This article cited ten interesting facts about Twitter, reported by a social media analytics provider named Sysomos. Here are the abbreviated points:

1. 21% (One Fifth) of Twitter accounts are empty placeholders.
2. Nearly 94% of all Twitter accounts have less than 100 followers.
3. March and April of 2009 were the tipping point for Twitter.
4. 150 followers is the magic number.
5. A small minority creates most of the activity.
6. Half of all Twitter users are not "active."
7. Tuesday is the most active Twitter day.
8. APIs have been the key to Twitter's growth & utility.
9. English still dominates Twitter.
10. Twitter is being led by the social media geeks.

(HT:What's Best Next)

Can an Arminian be a Christian Hedonist?

Here's the conclusion of John Piper's answer to that question:

Because I think God's glory consists very much in his sovereign grace to conquer my fallen rebellious dead sinful heart, and irresistibly compel me and bring me into the kingdom. Whereas an Arminian believes that God overcomes my original sin, makes me able to choose, and I then cast the deciding vote.

I don't think that's a distortion of the way it really works in Arminianism: that is, that sovereign grace is necessary for everybody, and it conquers the deadness and inability of the human heart and sets a person in the position where, as they act with their will to believe, then grace plus their will saves them.

Now I don't think that is a faithful, biblical rendering of the glory of God in my salvation; and therefore, I don't think the structural "yes" to this question is a practical "yes" to this question. In other words, yes, there can be Christian hedonists who are Arminians, but they won't flourish to the degree that they should as Christian hedonists because they won't see the glory as fully as I wish they would.

Read the whole thing

Paste on the best music of 2009

As we come to the mid-point of the year, seven people from Paste Magazine weigh in on the best albums and songs of 2009. Of the lists, I probably like Josh's list the best:

Albums

1. Passion Pit - Manners
2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
3. The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
4. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
5. Wild Light - Adult Nights
6. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
7. Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Elvis Perkins in Dearland
8. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
9. Roman Candle - Oh Tall Tree In The Ear
10. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

Songs

1. "California On My Mind" - Wild Light
2. "Little Secrets" - Passion Pit
3. "My Girls" - Animal Collective
4. "Lua" - Conor Oberst with Gillian Welch (from Dark Was the Night)
5. "Charlie Darwin" - The Low Anthem
6. "Field Report" - Loch Lomond
7. "Bloodbank" - Bon Iver
8. "Two Weeks" - Grizzly Bear
9. "The Rake's Song" - The Decemberists
10. "No Wedding Cake" - Fol Chen
11. "Airstream Driver" - Gomez
12. Roman Candle - "Why Modern Radio Is A-OK"
13. "This Tornado Loves You" - Neko Case
14. "Make Light" - Passion Pit
15. "Brackett, WI" - Bon Iver (from Dark Was the Night)
16. "Doomsday" - Elvis Perkins
17. "So Far Around the Bend" - The National (from Dark Was the Night)
18. "Come Saturday" - Pains of Being Pure at Heart
19. "Belated Promise Ring" - Iron & Wine
20. "Echoes" - The Decemberists (live Pink Floyd cover, part of the "Save Paste" download vault)

Parkman wedding

If I were to get married one day and could model my wedding after any wedding I've ever been to, I think I would model it after my friend Barrett's wedding. He and his new bride Jessa got married last night in the Piedmont Room at Piedmont Park. My friend Matt, as the pastor, did a great job of helping us all see the beautiful picture of the gospel on display through marriage. And the view of the Atlanta skyline was in the background as the couple gleefully took their vows and worshiped God together. The whole thing was a very joyful experience.

The music selection was phenomenal. The procession all occurred to the song Beautiful by Vineyard Music. That's the most of I've ever wanted to get up and dance and sing during a procession. There were a few other great songs during the ceremony itself, one being In Christ Alone, during which Barrett washed Jessa's feet. That was really neat to watch. Then they might have had the coolest, most unique first dance song ever, All I Need by Radiohead.

Here are a few of the pictures from the last two weekends together:

Bachelor party crew up at Lake Chatug in Hiawassee
The happy couple
Old UGA crew from freshman year
Scott and I with Barrett
You can see the rest of the pictures here

Remembering Michael Jackson

Andrew Sullivan has a brief, thoughtful post on the death of Michael Jackson. I think he has good insight into how the culture that we have created was largely responsible for Jackson's restless life:

There are two things to say about him. He was a musical genius; and he was an abused child. By abuse, I do not mean sexual abuse; I mean he was used brutally and callously for money, and clearly imprisoned by a tyrannical father. He had no real childhood and spent much of his later life struggling to get one. He was spiritually and psychologically raped at a very early age - and never recovered. Watching him change his race, his age, and almost his gender, you saw a tortured soul seeking what the rest of us take for granted: a normal life.

But he had no compass to find one; no real friends to support and advise him; and money and fame imprisoned him in the delusions of narcissism and self-indulgence. Of course, he bears responsibility for his bizarre life. But the damage done to him by his own family and then by all those motivated more by money and power than by faith and love was irreparable in the end. He died a while ago. He remained for so long a walking human shell.

I loved his music. His young voice was almost a miracle, his poise in retrospect eery, his joy, tempered by pain, often unbearably uplifting. He made the greatest music video of all time; and he made some of the greatest records of all time. He was everything our culture worships; and yet he was obviously desperately unhappy, tortured, afraid and alone.

I grieve for him; but I also grieve for the culture that created and destroyed him. That culture is ours' and it is a lethal and brutal one: with fame and celebrity as its core values, with money as its sole motive, it chewed this child up and spat him out.

I hope he has the peace now he never had in his life. And I pray that such genius will not be so abused again.

Piper on TV and movies

If you have listened to John Piper over the years, you might have picked up that he does not own a television. In a panel interview a couple of weeks ago at Advance09, he was asked about this very subject. There was a small misunderstanding in the asking of the question, but the one thing Piper said was that he is not suggesting that everyone needs to do as he does in this regard.

Today, he wrote a follow-up article at Desiring God on this subject. He provides a few helpful explanations about why he does not own a TV and does not watch many movies. A popular thought of the day says that Christians and pastors should see tons of movies in order to be relevant to the culture. Here's one paragraph of Piper's response to that:

"I think relevance in preaching hangs very little on watching movies, and I think that much exposure to sensuality, banality, and God-absent entertainment does more to deaden our capacities for joy in Jesus than it does to make us spiritually powerful in the lives of the living dead. Sources of spiritual power—which are what we desperately need—are not in the cinema. You will not want your biographer to write: Prick him and he bleeds movies."

Though I practically differ somewhat from him with how much entertainment I take in, I still think his point is extremely valid. I should definitely be cautious about what and how much entertainment I take in. Because, if I'm honest, I believe my senses are often dulled by this exposure, making me less likely to enjoy Christ to the degree that I want to.

I would also say this same thing concerning Piper's thoughts on television:

"...It’s the unremitting triviality that makes television so deadly. What we desperately need is help to enlarge our capacities to be moved by the immeasurable glories of Christ. Television takes us almost constantly in the opposite direction, lowering, shrinking, and deadening our capacities for worshiping Christ.

One more smaller concern with TV (besides its addictive tendencies, trivialization of life, and deadening effects): It takes time. I have so many things I want to accomplish in this one short life. Don’t waste your life is not a catchphrase for me; it’s a cliff I walk beside every day with trembling.

TV consumes more and more time for those who get used to watching it. You start to feel like it belongs. You wonder how you could get along without it. I am jealous for my evenings. There are so many things in life I want to accomplish. I simply could not do what I do if I watched television. So we have never had a TV in 40 years of marriage (except in Germany, to help learn the language). I don’t regret it."

In the article, he also has some helpful advice on the danger of viewing nudity in films, so really you should just read the whole thing

Sharing the Gospel with the gay community

John Bell recently wrote an article on Tim Challies' blog. John is the pastor of a church plant in Toronto and has an active ministry with the local gay community. I found the article very insightful, not just showing what it looks like to have a ministry with those who have their identity rooted in homosexuality, but also for evangelism in general. The gospel really does break down walls, because the gospel tells us we all are equally in need of a Savior.

Here are two paragraphs from the article that I found especially encouraging:

"When I first meet someone at the coffee shop and they ask me what I do (which is a natural "in" to introducing the gospel) they assume that I must be a liberal gay Baptist minister, because otherwise what would I be doing in their coffee shop? (The first man I talked to had only just broken up with his boyfriend, a Methodist pastor.) I begin by asking them questions. I get them to do all the talking for the next 45 minutes. I ask them about their job, their background, their family life, their personal life and what they believe and why so I can get a picture of their epistemology and worldview. Needless to say, I frame my questions in an inquisitive, slightly naive, polite fashion, not in an interrogative, formal way. Gay men love to talk (at least the ones in this coffee shop seem to) and people in general today enjoy discussing "spirituality". Then, out of politeness, they will inevitably ask me what I believe. So I tell them the gospel, starting with Genesis 1, laying out for them the biblical storyline and worldview.

I have been able to share the gospel with many men over the past two years, even though I am saying things highly offensive to the gay lifestyle--which is actually their identity. I base everything I say on the authority of the word; that is, I make it clear to them that that is what I am doing, that I believe the bible is authoritative for all peoples in all cultures and times because it is God's authoritative revelation to human beings. I stress this emphatically. And I tell them that the Bible condemns me, it condemns everyone. It condemns me as an idolater, someone who is selfish and sinful, who has de-godded God and installed himself in the position of "The Ruler of John's Life." I have done things in my life that I am ashamed of and oftentimes what I am ashamed of the bible calls my "sin" (I have found that gay men can relate very well to shame). I do not zero in on their homosexuality (which is what they expect me to do) but rather the fact that they are sinners. Now, more often than not, they will push me and ask if practicing homosexuality is a particular expression of their sinful disposition and I will not hesitate to tell them "yes." When asked, I tell gay men that, personally, I have a "live and let live" approach to everyone's sex life, but my personal opinion doesn't count for anything if God, our creator, has declared otherwise. I tell them I know that I am sounding very intolerant and bigoted when I tell them that they are sinners and that their lifestyle is not pleasing to God. Who am I to tell another human being such a thing on my own authority? But then I explain that it is not on my own authority that I am saying these things. Rightly or wrongly, I am utterly convinced that the bible is the revelation of God. I am banking my eternal soul on it being so. It condemns me, but I have found salvation in Christ. It condemns you. I am here to tell you about the salvation that I have found in Jesus, that I believe you need, that the bible says he needs."

Read the whole thing

The origin and impact of Keller in Manhattan

Tim Keller was recently featured in an article in Christianity Today written by Tim Stafford. It tells the story of how an unlikely guy from Virginia ends up planting a successful church in Manhattan. For me, Keller has been a huge help over the last few years as I listen and read the things he has to say. I'm very thankful for his ministry and was privileged to visit his church back in April and thank him personally for the impact he's had on my life.

I think this quote from the article helps describe one way that he has such an impact, in my life and in the lives of others:

"White believes Keller's unique gift is to preach to both Christians and non-Christians in the same terms, without making a choice between evangelism and discipleship: "Tim uses the gospel surgically on the heart. The gospel is what we need to come to faith and also what we need to grow." A theology of grace uses the same language to challenge both the runaway son and the solid older brother."

The article also mentions the other significant ideas that have been very influential, namely the subject of idolatry as well as the importance of the city.

Read the whole thing

Understanding my gifting just a little bit more

The Resurgence blog has been doing a series on spiritual gifts over the last couple of months. The gift highlighted on June 10 was the gift of administration. They defined it this way:

"The gift of administration is the God-given ability to give direction and make decisions on behalf of others that result in efficient operation and accomplishment of goals. Administration includes the ability to organize people, things, information, finances, etc. Often the mark of an administrator is the ability to accomplish things in a "fitting and orderly way" (1 Corinthians 14:40)."

I've known for a while that I enjoy doing this kind of thing. I think only until recently have I understood that it is truly a gift and is beneficial to the body of Christ. In the past, I've looked at the list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and for some reason elevated gifts like teaching and others as more spiritual or something. Organizing just didn't seem all that important compared to healing, miracle-working, and prophecy.

I lost my job at the bank back in March. For about ten weeks I was jobless and during that time was really trying to figure out what I'm passionate about and what I'm gifted at. As I began to see my love for, and gifting in, administration, I also began to see a host of people who were terrible at it, yet a large part of their job required them to do it. I began to see how I loved administration even more as it fit with these people who didn't like it at all. I saw how working together could free them up to be more successful and do what they love and are gifted at.

Three weeks ago, I was hired by the owner of a couple hardwood flooring companies for this very fit. My job is to make him more successful by getting all the details off his plate, because he's visionary and really hates the details. And I love what I'm doing!

I am very glad God has finally given me the ability to appreciate a little bit more how he has wired me. And I am very thankful that He has provided me an opportunity to serve someone by doing what I love. I hope this encourages you to appreciate the gift of God in you, whatever it might be, however unhelpful you THINK it might be.

Saying to God, "You owe me"

Matt Chandler spoke about the de-churched a couple of weeks ago at Advance09. He said that many Christians put God in their debt. They do a lot of good things and get really angry when something doesn't go well for them. So they walk away from God and that's how we get the de-churched. As he was speaking then, and watching this clip again now, I painfully recall a close friend who is no longer walking with the Lord, I believe for this very reason. Let us remember that it is only by His unmerited grace through Christ that we able to walk with and be loved by Him.

Here's the clip:

Garrett Moore, photo shoot, July 3, and marshmallows

See if you can follow me here. My roommate Roy's friend Stephen recently did a photo shoot for my friend Garrett that can be found here. Garrett is a local Atlanta musician that is very talented. You should check out his stuff and go to his show at Eddie's Attic on July 3. Apparently there will be marshmallows there. Enjoy this video of the photo shoot:

Garrett Moore Photo Shoot from Stephen Hunton on Vimeo.

Top Foreign Films of the Decade

Foreign films have become increasingly more interesting to me over the years. They tend to convey more realistic, captivating stories than the typical box-office blockbusters. Living in Atlanta, I love stopping by Tara every month or so to catch a good independent/foreign film. I recommend doing the same.

Paste Magazine recently weighed in on their top 25 favorite foreign films of the decade. I've only seen three on this list, including #3 The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, #12 Amelie, and #16 The Class. I highly recommend The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. You can watch the trailer here:



What on this list have you seen? Any recommendations?

Books: the perfect technology

After having the Kindle for about a year, Tim Challies explains why books are the perfect technology:

...I came to see that all of the things that frustrated me about the Kindle were things that made it not like a book. It's book-like qualities were it's best qualities; it's non-book-like qualities were the ones that got to me. All of the things that annoyed me were the things that made the experience more like operating a computer and less like reading a book. Pages took too long to turn; I could not splash yellow highlighter on the pages; I could not skim through the book looking quickly for a word or phrase or note; I could not scrawl notes in the margins. Sure, there were a few advantages--the notes I did take (saved in a text file on the Kindle) could be exported to my computer simply by plugging in a USB cable; books were less expensive and instantly added to my collection; hundreds of classics were available for free. But overall, the Kindle experience paled in comparison to the happy, familiar, comforting experience of sitting down with a book. Everything I wanted the Kindle to do, a book could do better.

I don't own a Kindle and I think this pretty much sums up why I doubt I'll ever prefer electronic reading to book reading.