Sam,

I agree that apart from the Gospel, life is meaningless.  However, the latter half of the Great Commission says, “..teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;”

Jesus taught on divorce, adultery, loving your neighbor, how to treat each other in church, how to treat the world, the poor, the sinners, His return, worrying, fasting, I could go on.  Suffice to say that these subjects are to be taught in church.  As most churches have their greatest attendance on Sunday morning, these areas should be addressed.  I do believe, that a pastor should not miss the opportunity to give the Gospel as well.

Jud writes [The bottom line it seem is that if your INTENTIONS are good then you can do absolutely no wrong. I want to know, Is it Spirit led or is it focus group derieved (it worked there let’s try it here).]

Pinch yourself before you hear me say this… Jud, you are spot on on that.

Knowing what kinds of things matter to people and teaching them things that help them with that, like maybe doing a teaching in your church on finances and the biblical instructions for them, or maybe doing the kind of topical teaching that Jesus did in the parables.

But for those churches who merely teach a provocative series on sex because it will “sell"… I’m not there.

There, Jud, I agree with you. Also with a bunch of stuff Sam said…

Wow… what a day!

I’m pinching myself !!!

It seems to me that John MacArthur makes a lot of Pastors uncomfortable. I don’t really believe it’s because he “thinks he’s the only one who has it right” (to paraphrase a common jab at the man). I think it’s because the guy probably out prepares or studies any other pastor out there… and he’s done that for years. i have sat under numerous pastors who have a similar ethic about preparation. I’ve also sat under a number of pastors who spend the week politicking with either “important” or well monied residents, slugging down lattes at the coffee shop with their buds, spending HOURS trying to produce some kind of Rob Bell video clone. heading cross country for another conference and so on…

With SO many churches putting their audio/ video online, I challenge anyone here to find a pastor who doesn’t spend the first 15 minutes of his 25 talking about himself, his kids, his week etc. It’s filler !! It’s a very revealing indicator of the seriousness many of our leaders place on the precious few minutes of instructional time they have with the flock ! Not much there FAR too often.

It clearly shows the shift away from Biblical emphasis to the belief that Christians can simply be grown by a “relational” approach.

I have left many a service knowing much more about the man under the lights than Jesus Christ and his coming Kingdom.

Jud,

NOW you lost me…

I don’t think that MacArthur-style expository preaching (the kind rarely if ever practiced by Jesus) is the only way to go, and John thinks that.

I think there is nothing wrong with a pastor spending significant amounts of time out of the office in coffee shops and restaurants and “third places” to be with the people in his community, and I think preparing 30 hours or more for a sermon is a worse situation, because it totally isolates the pastor from the people he’s speaking to.

I think there is NOTHING wrong and everything right with using my life as an example in a sermon, especially in the ways I fall short.

And I think that the best way to grow Christians is a relational approach…

So, we’re back to square one, but I love you anyway!

John’s study doesn’t make me uncomfortable.  He is who he is and I would trust that he does what he believes he should do in his studying.  I know many pastors who do this as well.  I am not sure he out prepares all those other pastors.  This is simply rhetoric and unverifiable posturing.  It is the fall back to those who defend John M for his attacks. 

I do agree that some churches have gone to far in the teaching of sex, but to lay that t the feet of Driscoll is irresponsible.

I agree Sam, but the people doing the sensational 30 days stuff are probably not Driscolites.  Ed Young, Granger… I think these people need to re-examine some things concerning these kinds of series. 

Driscoll recently said he is repenting and learning concerning who hears him and the impact of that. 

I never hear John M say anything like that.  In fact for the 35-40 years I have heard him, I cannot recall a single instance where I have heard anything remotely like this from him.  I have from RW, Driscoll and several other prominent preachers.  Maybe he doesn’t make mistakes.  Must be all that studying he does.