Mark Driscoll 'Crashes' John MacArthur's Strange Fire Conference?

[Biblicist]

The Christian Post

"Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Washington state, made his way Friday to Pastor John MacArthur's Strange Fire conference in California to hand out copies of his new book, A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future? and presumably share his views on the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit — which the Strange Fireconference challenges.

Driscoll shared Thursday on his Resurgence.com blog in a post titled "IS THE TRINITY FATHER, SON, AND HOLY BIBLE?" that he would be in California for a specific engagement, and was aware of Pastor MacArthur's Strange Fire conference.

"This week I am in the land of fruits and nuts — sunny California — for Act Like Men in Long Beach. Rumor has it there is a conference not far away dealing with the person and work of the Holy Spirit," writes Driscoll in his post.

In the blog post, Driscoll writes, "Various tribes approach the Holy Spirit differently because each emphasizes a different aspect of his work."
Driscoll has said in a previous sermon that his church believes in speaking in tongues, a charismatic gift of the Holy Spirit, according to the Bible. MacArthur, on the other hand, is a cessationist who believes that such charismatic gifts are no longer made available by the Holy Spirit to modern Christians.

Driscoll has posted photos of himself talking with attendees at MacArthur's Strange Fire conference on Friday, where he did indeed hand out copies of his new book — until they were reportedly seized by members of the Strange Fire security team."
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Feel free to add any more information that comes to light regarding Driscoll's entry into that horrid conference.

 

[Biblicist]

The Christian Post

John MacArthur Continues Case Against Charismatic Movement at 'Strange Fire'; Backlash Includes Stern Words by Samuel Rodriguez

"...John MacArthur suffers from spiritual, cultural and theological myopia," stated Rodriguez to CP. "With great due deference to a Christian leader many of us admire, his conclusions regarding the largest and fastest growing of global Christendom, the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement, speaks to a man ignorant of the community's unbridled commitment to biblical orthodoxy..."
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Even though I'm surprised that anyone really cared about what MacArthur says, it does seem that his humanist views have created a bit of a backlash.

 

[Dusky Mouse]

Don't let anyone ever say Driscoll isn't an opportunist.

Source
[FONT=Times, &quot]See photos below of Driscoll outside of the Strange Fire conference.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times, &quot](Photo: Instagram/Mark Driscoll)[/FONT]
[FONT=Times, &quot]Mars Hill Church Pastor Mark Driscoll at the Strange Fire conference on Friday, Oct. 18, 2013, hosted by Pastor John MacArthur's Grace Community Church.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times, &quot][/FONT]

 

[Biblicist]

Don't let anyone ever say Driscoll isn't an opportunist.

I will certainly say that the guy has some grits about him. I never expected to see any recognised ministry do what he has done.

 

[Dusky Mouse]

I will certainly say that the guy has some grits about him. I never expected to see any recognised ministry do what he has done.

True. He has the courage of his convictions regardless of what one feels as to how he puts those into action.

 

[prov1810]

We don't need a celebrity who is obsessed with sex and claims that Jesus lusted after women.

I am not a cessationist but I'll have to support MacArthur here:

‘There are statements in that book [Confessions of a Reformission Rev] that are so sexually explicit and unnecessary and purely gratuitous humour at the basest kind of level; I saw a video from a service in the church in January in which comments were made from his pulpit, which were then put on the website, which again, were sexually explicit and gratuitous and unnecessary… in which he referred to a certain sin and actually twisted out-of-context a Bible verse as a kind of way to mock that sin. You know… there was a time when we worried about the church adjusting itself to accommodate the peoples’ social expectations, and then their psychological expectations, and now the latest wave of this let’s identify with them at their sensual level. And I think that baser approach – that’s something I’ve never heard of in my life—I’ve never, ever, in the name of ministry heard anyone who would speak at that level of explicit language with regard to things sexual… I just think there is a dignity, there’s a maturity, there’s a holiness, a virtue, a fear of God that belongs with the pastorate… there’s a refinement that belongs in the ministry. The Bible talks about that; being sober-minded – the pursuit of godliness… Speech that comes out of your mouth, no filthy communication, only that which ministers grace to the hearer… you can’t put one thought in their mind and then try to transition them to something holy… it’s a new kind of thing that I never, ever, imagined would happen.’ link

Titus 2:6-8 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

 

[Andrea411]

I will certainly say that the guy has some grits about him. I never expected to see any recognised ministry do what he has done.

yeah Mark Driscoll

 

[Andrea411]

We don't need a celebrity who is obsessed with sex and claims that Jesus lusted after women.

I am not a cessationist but I'll have to support MacArthur here:

‘There are statements in that book [Confessions of a Reformission Rev] that are so sexually explicit and unnecessary and purely gratuitous humour at the basest kind of level; I saw a video from a service in the church in January in which comments were made from his pulpit, which were then put on the website, which again, were sexually explicit and gratuitous and unnecessary… in which he referred to a certain sin and actually twisted out-of-context a Bible verse as a kind of way to mock that sin. You know… there was a time when we worried about the church adjusting itself to accommodate the peoples’ social expectations, and then their psychological expectations, and now the latest wave of this let’s identify with them at their sensual level. And I think that baser approach – that’s something I’ve never heard of in my life—I’ve never, ever, in the name of ministry heard anyone who would speak at that level of explicit language with regard to things sexual… I just think there is a dignity, there’s a maturity, there’s a holiness, a virtue, a fear of God that belongs with the pastorate… there’s a refinement that belongs in the ministry. The Bible talks about that; being sober-minded – the pursuit of godliness… Speech that comes out of your mouth, no filthy communication, only that which ministers grace to the hearer… you can’t put one thought in their mind and then try to transition them to something holy… it’s a new kind of thing that I never, ever, imagined would happen.’ link

Titus 2:6-8 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

haven't read his book but I do know that the Christian church has a serious problem with inappropriate content addiction. The rates of inappropriate content being ordered during a Christian conference rise dramatically at convention centers. Is Mark trying to address the problem and what does that have to do with his confronting John MacArthur - which I just think is wonderful. It took real guts to go into his conference - knowing how so many people read his bible.

 

[LJCTAM]

what a mess.

 

[LJCTAM]

haven't read his book but I do know that the Christian church has a serious problem with inappropriate content addiction. The rates of inappropriate content being ordered during a Christian conference rise dramatically at convention centers. Is Mark trying to address the problem and what does that have to do with his confronting John MacArthur - which I just think is wonderful. It took real guts to go into his conference - knowing how so many people read his bible.

Although I don;t agree with driscoll either, it did take some guts for real.

 

[prov1810]

It took no guts for Driscoll to do this. It's not like he was risking his life. This isn't courage, it's a publicity stunt.

 

[LJCTAM]

It took no guts for Driscoll to do this. It's not like he was risking his life. This isn't courage, it's a publicity stunt.

My friend prov18 I hope all is well.

It did take guts AND it does seem to be a publicity stunt also. This whole thing is heightening into a Christian soap opera for the world to laugh at and trample underfoot. More seeming evidence for anti-christs against John 17, let them be one as we are on Father... to prove to the world that Jesus was sent by the Father... This is really sad.

GBU dear.

 

[JimB]

Sometimes I wonder how all this in-fighting and family-squabbling over issues that do not matter to pre-believers looks to them? It is a big issue to us, but it does not feed the hungry or clothe the naked and that’s what the world is expecting of the church; not arguing the finer points about the Holy Spirit.

 

[prov1810]

This whole thing is heightening into a Christian soap opera for the world to laugh at and trample underfoot.

Fitting, because Driscoll emulated stand-up comedians as a preacher and encouraged young pastors to do the same. He said things about Jeremiah and Jesus as a boy that make them look ridiculous. I won't repeat these statements because I don't want to inflict these images on your mind. Everything is a joke to Driscoll except for his absolute authority over his church. We don't need clowns.

 

[Faulty]

Driscoll has posted photos of himself talking with attendees at MacArthur's Strange Fire conference on Friday, where he did indeed hand out copies of his new book — until they were reportedly seized by members of the Strange Fire security team."
​

...............

Feel free to add any more information that comes to light regarding Driscoll's entry into that horrid conference.

You left off the part of the article that refutes Driscoll's claim his books were confiscated.

According to Mike Riccardi, the local outreach pastor at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles who was apparently in attendance at the Strange Fire conference, Driscoll was untrutful about his books being confiscated by security.He wrote on Facebook:

Mark Driscoll openly lies about what happened at his publicity stunt at Strange Fire.

The director of the conference explained to Driscoll that those who are distributing books have gone through an extensive process and that they'd like him not to distribute them. After continuing to direct attendees to take the books, security offered to help him take the books back to his car. Driscoll insisted multiple times, "No, they're my gift to Grace Church. I want you to have them." After insisting that security not help him with the books back to the car, the conference director accepted the gift and brought them to GCC offices.
That's what happened. Driscoll's reporting of it in such a way is nothing short of lying, absolutely shameful, and unbefitting of one who would take upon himself the calling of preaching the Truth.
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One commenter reading Riccardi's Facebook post suggested that the Mars Hill Church pastor had only been joking, writing: "To be clear, I am not a fan of Driscoll and have watched the entire live stream this week. Is it possible that Driscoll's Instagram/Tweet was a "joke", albeit a poor one?"

According to a tweet by another Strange Fire conference attendee, Driscoll might have been joking about the confiscation of his books.
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[Andrea411]

Sometimes I wonder how all this in-fighting and family-squabbling over issues that do not matter to pre-believers looks to them? It is a big issue to us, but it does not feed the hungry or clothe the naked and that’s what the world is expecting of the church; not arguing the finer points about the Holy Spirit.

...as much as it disturbs me and it does really. I have to pray that I leave it to the Lord, my angst is not productive ..LOL. In the USA which is almost over churched, yet under Christianized.... it maybe that some division is like a train wreck and maybe some will be so caught up in it that they will listen between the lines and find Christ in the middle of the mess. He does seem to show up at any opportunity. But then I am an encourager and tend to see any chance to talk about Jesus as an opportunity to share Jesus. Not having a public ministry, my ministry is wherever I am at and these 'train wrecks' are such great conversation starters. So I didn't cause the wreck but I'm sure I'll be able to use it for His glory
God bless, andrea

 

[Faulty]

Sometimes I wonder how all this in-fighting and family-squabbling over issues that do not matter to pre-believers looks to them? It is a big issue to us, but it does not feed the hungry or clothe the naked and that’s what the world is expecting of the church; not arguing the finer points about the Holy Spirit.

Both are important, but contending for the faith is a command and a warning. We have no such command to feed or clothe the world's poor, but do so because we actually do care and to give them the gospel at the same time.

Besides, such a comparison only makes sense if the outcome of this event not happening would have been an additional poor person receiving something, and I don't think a logical connection can be made, as one doesn't require the absence of the other in order to be accomplished.

 

[Gospel Guy]

MacArthur, on the other hand, is a cessationist who believes that such charismatic gifts are no longer made available by the Holy Spirit to modern Christians

That's why there is very, very little anointing of the Holy Ghost in his ministry if this is true. If you deny the ministry of the Holy Ghost, He won't show up and you'll be on yo own.... which is a form of godliness and denying the power thereof.

We don't need a celebrity who is obsessed with sex and claims that Jesus lusted after women.

No, he did not claim Jesus lusted after any women... and there's nothing wrong with a married man and his (one) wife enjoying sex together as it keeps them tender towards each other and is a good thing designed by God to be enjoyed.

 

[hislegacy]

I am no fan of MacArthur in Any way, shape or form.

But shame on Driscoll. That is unmannerly and rude. I wonder what his response would be if Mac did the same.

 

[prov1810]

That's why there is very, very little anointing of the Holy Ghost in his ministry if this is true. If you deny the ministry of the Holy Ghost, He won't show up and you'll be on yo own.... which is a form of godliness and denying the power thereof.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A pastor can have all of these things and be a cessationist. But he crosses the line if he says that the sign gifts are demonic.

No, he did not claim Jesus lusted after any women.

Here you go.