Take a Moment...

Is Homosexuality Wrong? (a potentially helpful precursor to some future blog posts)

Women now demand that their multiple babies be aborted...

Tim Challies writes about C.J. Mahaney and whistleblowing...

Generational Conflict in Ministry...

The danger of defining yourself by what you are against...

Take a Moment...

Biblical Authority in an Age of Uncertainty...

Erasing Hell and Erasing Bell...

Is it ok to believe in hell and not like it?

How to talk about the afterlife (if you must)...

A word about C.J. Mahaney's leave of absence...

Also, don't forget to check out my post on Hero Admiration v. Hero Worship...

Hero Admiration v. Hero Worship

**Although I was going to wait and publish this post next week, based on some current situations amongst pastors I respect, I thought it might be best to submit it now.**

I love John Piper.  I love Mark Driscoll.  I love Matt Chandler.  I love Kevin DeYoung.

Have I mentioned that I do not have a personal relationship with, nor have I even met, these men?

And yet, I claim that I love them because their ministries have heavily affected my view of God, life and faith.  Or, perhaps a better term to use would be “hero”.  Those four men listed above, amongst others for sure, are, for me, heroes of the faith.  I look at these men; I see their love for God, in Christ; I see their intelligence; I see their successful ministries; I see their blogs, books and articles; and (if I’m honest) I see their popularity (i.e. they are great spiritual/ministry leaders – and who doesn’t want to have followers?).  To me, these men are the epitome of successful pastor/theologians.

However, I have recently found myself thinking through hero admiration v. hero worship; and I am concerned that those of us (including me!) within the New Calvinism community might be prone to hero worship, which is an idolatrous slap-in-the-face to God and His gracious sovereignty in placing these men in their respective ministries. 

Last fall I went to my first Desiring God national conference in Minneapolis; it was a great experience.  First, the conference subject matter: Think; and, secondly, it felt like I was rubbing shoulders with some of New Calvinism’s elite.  Prior to Al Mohler’s session, I went to save seats near the front of the auditorium, wherein I eventually found myself sitting across the aisle from John Piper and several of his staff members.  It was in that moment that I really began to ponder hero admiration v. hero worship, for, as I snuck peeks across the aisle (as if John Piper were that cute girl in your high-school class), I found myself completely star-struck, raising him up ever higher on the pedestal of Theologian Par Excellence.

But why? 

Isn’t there danger in that?

Does it breed a certain type of idolatry?

Does Piper not have sin issues (which, in fact, might have been the reason he took a leave of absence recently)?

Does Piper not argue with his wife?

Does Piper not have hunger pangs?

Does Piper not have the occasional runny nose?

In other words, although I don’t know the four heroes mentioned above, I am confident that they would admit their own sinfulness, normalcy, and memories of early ministry, wherein they might have also dealt with hero worship.  Therefore, let this be a reminder that we all put on one pant leg at a time; we all crave to be admired; we are all still wretched and depraved sinners before a majestically righteous God; and we have all been appointed to do the work God has set before us.

Take a Moment...

A brief review of Francis Chan's Erasing Hell...

C.J. Mahaney is taking a leave of absence...

Michael Bird on the Church and Israel...

Eternal and Temporal Goals of the Gospel...

Is Church Membership Biblical?