The Gospel Coalition has recently added a new section to their website under the tab “interviews.” You can watch or download interviews of D.A. Carson, Tim Keller, John Piper, and Mark Driscoll. Some of the questions include:
How do you encourage young pastors in their preaching?
How does preaching affect how Christians see culture?
What advice do you have for young pastors in their family life?
What is the state of the pulpit today?
What message do you have for men/women in the church today?
What keeps you motivated to do what you do?
But also, let me encourage you to check out the questions directly related to The Gospel Coalition. I share many of the same concerns that Carson and Keller speak of–namely the fragmentation of conservative Evangelicalism. In spite of our same commitments to the gospel, we are facing the fact that there is a Reformed celebrity culture where some say, “I am of Mark Driscoll. I am of John Piper. I am of John MacArthur.” The more I read and understand the vision of The Gospel Coalition, the more excited I am about gospel-centered unity in the future. If you are not familiar with the Gospel Coalition, what they are doing, and the great resources available through their website, please avail yourself to them today.
HT :: Colin Adams
Timmy,
How easy it is for our sinful hearts to fall into the “Christian celebrity” culture. I know this is a sin I have needed to repent of a lot. Thanks for the resource!
Scott,
You’re welcome. I sincerely hope that we can truly forge ahead with the gospel in the future, appreciating the differences and embracing the one true gospel of which we have been entrusted.
Timmy,
Amen!
Timmy –
This was a good word and right on. I think pastors are especially subject to this kind of (weird) temptation to align themselves as a type of figure. But for truth in advertising, I was of JMac, then of JPipe, and now am of MDev (with recent dabblings into MDrisc). Har! May we all benefit from their ministries but reserve the hero worship for the One deserving of it.
Don’t forget to study for class. Grace and peace.
JMAC, JPipe, MDev, MDrisc
Those are new to me! Yeah, I really grateful for all of them, but I will not be asking for their autograph. 😉
Oh, and thanks for the reminder about studying for class. I have a lot of work to do!
i don’t think the celebrity phenomenon is exclusive to the reformed branch of christianity, but rather to christianity as a whole. funny thing is, its like when you discover a band and then, much to your chagrin, you watch them get famous, compromise, and then subsequently fall apart.
yesterday’s falwell, kennedy, robertson, macarthur, swaggart, haggard, bakker
is today’s driscoll, bell, mclaren, warren, young, stanley, osteen
REVOLUTION
Revolution,
Certainly you are not saying that Kennedy and MacArthur have “compromised and fallen apart.”
The list you put together is interesting to say the least. I think the only thing many of them have in common is the fact that they are well-known. I struggle to find any connection or coherency in the point you are trying to make.