Mark Driscoll Kicked Out Of His Own Organization
by Sandy Simpson
Aug 18, 2014
Driscoll was kicked out of the Acts 29 Network church planting group, his own organization, for his “ungodly behavior”.
“Seattle megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll has been removed from a church-planting network of more than 500 churches he helped found after a pattern of “ungodly and disqualifying behavior.” (Religion News Service, by Sarah Pulliam Balley, Huffington Post, 8/9/14)
His behavior is not the only problem with this guy. Check out his false teachings and behavior over the years.
Driscoll taught Noah was not a righteous man
Mark Driscoll further confuse the Gospel message. In Driscoll”s so-called defense of the biblical account of Noah, he says that the Noah account was an example of God”s grace and that it had nothing to do with Noah”s righteousness or even Noah”s faith in God. And in fact, in a sermon by Mark Driscoll, he says that Noah was “bad all of the time” (video clip). This is a commonly believed and twisted view of God and salvation that says God chooses some and rejects others, based on nothing more than God”s own personal whim rather than on one”s faith or trust in God (“without faith it is impossible to please [God]
“—Hebrews 11:6). In actuality, the story of Noah is about God saving the one man on the earth who had faith in God as Dr. Ironside explains below. And Scripture is very clear that God called Noah a righteous man. (http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?tag=mark-driscoll)
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope ofthe glory of God. (Romans 5:2)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.(Ephesians 2:8)
Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:9) Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. (Genesis 6:22)
And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. (Genesis 7:1)The word of the Lord came again to me, saying, Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 14:12-14)
By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; (2 Peter 2:5)
Driscoll warned of false teachers then participates with others
While correctly warning about false teachers, he not only soft soaps figures such as Emergent Church author Dan Kimball and the author of “Blue Like Jazz”, but joins forces with the utmost of deceivers and false teachers such as Robert Schuller and Rick Warren. Warren”s butchering of Scripture, redefinition of Christianity based on consumerist philosophy and psychology, Warren”s public back peddle on homosexuality, and his global PEACE plan calling for partnering with Muslims, Hindus, etc. is an absolute seduction from hell. No Christ ¢ No Peace. God”s Peace Plan is the Gospel (Isaiah 52: 7, Ephesians 6: 15, Luke 2:10-14)(http://moriel.org/MorielArchive/index.php/discernment/church-issues/popular-teachers/mark-driscoll)
Driscoll has written some very questionable books
From Confessions of a Reformission Rev. by Mark Driscoll ” Reviewed by Gary Gilley (http://www.svchapel.org/resources/book-reviews/5-church/229-confessions-of-a-reformission-rev-by-mark-driscoll)
€¢ He is crude. From barnyard words (pp. 67, 94, 128, 129, 134) to the gross description of the affects of the stomach flu (p. 177), to sexual innuendos (pp. 59-60, 94-96, 128), to repeatedly referring to “God the Ghost” (pp. 7, 26, 34, 47, 74), Driscoll”s language is often shocking.
€¢ He is an admitted curser (pp. 47, 50, 71, 97, 99, 128, 130). He is known as the cussing pastor in Donald Miller”s Blue Like Jazz (pp. 96-97) and there is no indication in this book that Driscoll has reformed his foul language.
€¢ He is also ruthless. Driscoll has a mission (to ultimately grow a church of 10,000 attendees ” p. 164) and any who does not fit into that mission is dispensable (pp. 45, 63, 112, 131, 135, 148-150) or fired (pp. 146-147, 196). As Mars Hill grows to megachurch status, one has to wonder what has become of the multitude of people harmed in the process, especially as Driscoll admits his fits of anger when not pleased (pp 99, 128, 130).
€¢ Separation from worldly activities does not fit Driscoll”s missional strategy. He speaks often of drinking and frequenting bars (e.g. pp. 51, 131, 146), buying lottery tickets (p. 58), admiring and learning from foul-mouthed entertainers such as Chris Rock (pp. 43, 70), stealing a sound system (p. 62) and setting himself up for sexual temptation (which he resisted) (p. 128).
€¢ Purity in the church is inconsistent. While Driscoll certainly desires to see Christians live morally, he is willing to use unbelievers in ministry, especially in his worship and concert bands (pp. 68, 158) It is one thing to reach out to those involved in such sins; it is another to use them in ministry.
€¢ He has an unbiblical understanding of demonic activity and recommends the books of C. Fred Dickason and Neil T. Anderson on spiritual warfare (pp. 122, 123, 184).
€¢ His church has grown on the back of questionable activities such as non-Christian rock concerts (p. 40), hip-hop and punk-rock worship (pp. 93, 100, 126).
€¢ While Driscoll has distanced himself from the more radical emergent movement (pp. 21-23), he is still associated with the Leadership Network (pp. 7, 82) which promotes emergent.
From Death by Love, by Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears ” Reviewed by Gary Gilley (http://www.svchapel.org/resources/book-reviews/4-christian-living/648-death-by-love-by-mark-driscoll-a-gerry-breshears)
€¢ He misses the stigma of the cross when he writes, “In our day, this would be akin to a junkie”s needle or a pervert”s used condom becoming the world”s most beloved symbol and adorning homes, churches, and bodies” (p. 18). The cross was a symbol of execution and death not perversion and addiction.
€¢ Could he really believe that “today, a few billion people worship Jesus as their only God because they, like Paul, have realized that Jesus died for them personally” (Gal 2:20)? Such a definition of “Christians” would have to include all Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and cult members in the body of Christ.
€¢ Driscoll”s understanding of spiritual warfare is deficient. For one thing he believes in generational demons (p. 41). Additionally, he and Breshears need to sharpen their understanding of demonic possession. Demons can attack and tempt Christians but they cannot indwell them. The authors attempt to defend a convoluted view of spiritual warfare based upon a definition found in the Merriam-Webster dictionary rather than on the Greek word daimonizomai. This leads to faulty and unbiblical advice on how to defend oneself from demons (pp. 53-54).
€¢ Driscoll believes we must confess sins committed against us (pp. 153-158). In doing this it mightbecome necessary to uncover some repressed memories and make them known to others (p. 155). These steps will lead to Jesus purifying us from all unrighteousness—including the “filth that has come upon your soul by the failures of [others]” (p. 156). But Scripture does not teach that we are spiritually defiled by the sins of others, although we may suffer great pain. Nor does the Bible teach us to confess the sins that others have committed against us. Also, repressed memories are an invention of Freud, not taught in Scripture as Jesus said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man” (Mark 7:20).
€¢ I would disagree with Driscoll”s unsubstantiated remark that “more fundamental Christians bypass the self-emptying of the eternal Son” (p. 200). No one I know within fundamental ranks minimizes the human side of the incarnation.
€¢ Driscoll levels a broad and unsubstantiated criticism when he writes, “Apart from reading dead guys like the Puritans and other guys who read those dead guys, such as my hero Charles Hadden Spurgeon and friend John Piper, you will be unlikely to find the themes [glorifying God, walking in the Spirit, the church and humble suffering] expounded in any great detail in our present age of Christianity Lite” (p. 202). While I agree there are many insipid, weak-kneed forms of Christianity being propagated today, Driscoll paints with far too wide a brush. There are scores of “live” guys preaching and writing about the true message of the cross. And many of these do not emerge from the Puritan stream only but base their cross-theology in the Scriptures where it belongs. …
Driscoll has put down the Rapture
Mark Driscoll ” The Rapture is Dumb: “One of the most astonishing things about Jesus is that as God he actually chose to come into our fallen, sick, twisted, unjust, evil, cruel, painful world and be with us to suffer like us and for us. Meanwhile, we spend most of our time trying to figure out how to avoid the pain and evil of this world while reading dumb books about the rapture just hoping to get out.” (Vintage Jesus, p. 44).
In Mark Driscoll”s book Vintage Jesus, he ridicules Christians who believe there will be an Armageddon and a rapture (pp. 44, 157). (http://www.letusreason.org/proph28.htm)
Driscoll promotes contemplative prayer
Presently, on Driscoll”s website, The Resurgence (see whois info) is an article titled “How to Practice Meditative Prayer.” The article is written by an Acts 29 (Driscoll”s network of churches) pastor, Winfield Bevins. A nearly identical article on Driscoll”s site, also by Bevins, is titled Meditative Prayer: Filling the Mind. Both articles show a drawing of a human brain. In this latter article, Bevins recognizes contemplative mystic pioneer Richard Foster:
What do we mean by meditative prayer? Is there such a thing as Christian meditation? Isn”t meditation non-Christian? According to Richard Foster, “Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind. Christian meditation is an attempt to fill the mind” (Celebration of Discipline). Rather than emptying the mind we fill it with God”s word. We must not neglect a vital part of our Judeo-Christian heritage simply because other traditions use a form of meditation. (http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1640)
Driscoll calls Christians “Little Christs”
“Vintage Jesus”, Driscoll ” Page 120: “To be a Christian is to be a “little Christ.” In fact, the name Christian was originally a term of mockery given to us by our enemies. But Jesus said that to be a Christian is to pick up our cross and die. Die to sin, die to pride, die to comfort, die to anything and everything that fails to glorify God alone as the object of our affection and the source of our joy. With great insight, Walter Wink has said that killing Jesus was like trying to destroy a dandelion seed-head by blowing on it. At the cross, what was intended as eradication was used by God for multiplication, and we pray that you would always be loyal to Jesus, our hero, and his revolution.”
Driscoll employs vulgarity and explicit sexual advice from the pulpit
“Driscoll”s vulgarity draws media attention” – Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)”An in-depth New York Times Magazine feature on a controversial Seattle pastor has generated a new wave of debate about vulgarity in the pulpit.
“Who Would Jesus Smack Down,” a 3,200-word profile of Mark Driscoll, founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Wash., focused on Driscoll”s Calvinist theology but, like most secular reporting on the Seattle pastor, began with a vignette on his “racy” sermon topics and casual clothes. . . .
On the heels of the New York Times profile, Christian talk show personality Ingrid Schleuter criticized Driscoll for a series of explicit “sex advice” posts on the Mars Hill Church blog — material appropriate only for married couples but available to any visitor, including children. Schleuter also castigated Driscoll for linking the blog to a website, christiannymphos.org, “which features articles on how a Christian wife can turn herself into a dominatrix, the glories of an-l and or-l sex, and the use of sex toys.”
“At a time when American young people are hit in the face with graphic sexuality in every facet of our culture, the church should be a safe haven where the sacredness and privacy of the act of marriage is respected by pastors,” Schleuter said in a press release. “Those with sexual issues need to receive private counseling — not sex seminars in a church auditorium.
“For generations, Christian pastors have managed to convey the Scripture”s teachings on fornication, adultery and the beauty of sexuality within marriage without sullying and cheapening it” Schleuter added. “Mark Driscoll is a sad product of our times. While waving his orthodox doctrinal credentials, he has simultaneously embraced the spirit of the age when it comes to his treatment of sex. In the process, he is pornifying the church and only adding to the moral squalor of our culture.” Click here to read this entire article.
