Mark Driscoll is one of the most controversial characters in Big Eva. Yet even after Christianity Today did an entire podcast series attacking Driscoll, Driscoll’s talent for creating sermon clips and microcontent has seen him become more prominent than ever. though his theology is not without flaws, the most plainly obvious being his willingness to associate with false teachers, Mark Driscoll called out debauchery at a Big Eva men’s conference that got him booted from the stage.
John Lindell is the pastor of James River Church in Springfield, Missouri. Every year they host an extravagant men’s conference with monster trucks et al. Ironically, James River Church is a feminist church with female pastors, and no amount of compensation can make up for its emaculated ecclesiology. James River Church is an influential megachurch in the Assemblies of God.
At the event was a famous male stripper who incorporated sword swallowing into his pole dancing routine at the event.
Megachurch has strip-show-like performance at men’s conference. Guest speaker Mark Driscoll spoke out against it and was kicked off stage.
— Caeden (@thecfrazier) April 14, 2024
Unbelievable that any church would allow this. Reason #538 not to attend a megachurch.#ChristIsKing @pearlythingz @sovereignbrah @scrowder… pic.twitter.com/Fl2Vd3DDhn
Mark Driscoll got on his knees and gently called the stripper performance out when he was on stage.
I want to be very careful with this. The Jezebel spirit has been here. It opened our event. This is a rebuke and a correction of no one, just an observation. Before the Word of God was opened, there was a platform, a high place, on which was an Asherah pole, used in a strip club for women with the Jezebel spirit to seduce men. In front of it, a man ripped his shirt off, just like a woman in a strip club. He then ascended. See, our God is not arrogant. He doesn’t ascend. Our God is humble he descends. And then he swallowed a sword, and Jesus Christ…
John Lindell interjected multiple times calling Mark Driscoll out of line. Mark Driscoll walked away from the microphone without any objection.
The crowd which undoubtedly cheered the stripper cheered Mark Driscoll for calling it out. They then chanted for him to be brought back. But then they heard John Lindell struggle-session them and cheered him instead.
John Lindell appealed to Matthew 18 as the proper way for Christians to handle disagreements, even though the error was public making private confrontation ineffective.
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3 Responses
Lindell’s attempt to appeal to Matt 18 is an admission of sin. He might as well say “yeah, I blatantly sinned, and I know I blatantly sinned, but you’re not following the correct process for calling me to repent, therefore you’re the one who’s wrong”
Such is a perversion of the grace of God into a license for immorality.
The three chances described in Matt. 18 is instruction for the one who is sinned against, not for the one who sinned. And it is instruction for how to deal with sins against one another, not sins against the Lord.
The sin in question was not only a sin against the Lord, and a defilement of His house, it was a sin against every individual in the audience.
The basic admonition, along with Luke 17, 1 Cor. 6, etc. is that when we are dealing with disputes, disagreements, a brother sinning against us, is to take care that we do not also sin, and that we do not do anything dishonorable to the Lord. That’s the point.
Driscoll’s wimpy, apologetic, “i’m not rebuking anyone” sort of spinelessness is almost just as bad as the sin itself. If it necessitates a rebuke, then rebuke and do not apologize for it. You don’t see Jesus or the Apostles taking such a wimpy, apologetic tone in scripture. They were not weak, effeminate, spineless little boys. They were men. They spoke boldly. Jesus didn’t go around wining and apologizing. He flat-out rebuked.
1 John 5 – The commandments of God are not grievous. Do not apologize as if they are.
When the Lord’s house is defiled, then it’s long past the point of private confrontation. At that point, it’s time to basically fashion a whip and turn over tables. Not only public rebuke, but strong public rebuke.
The response of the host is typical of limp-wristed Christianity. The weak and compromised have been allowed to take positions of responsibility in large organisations by major funders and backstage string-pullers, It is time for real men to stand up and either take over or walk away from these corrupt, unbiblical organisations. “Spiritual wickedness in high places”.