Dear brothers and sisters,
I am by no means a perfect example for anyone to follow, and I have my share of struggles and shortcomings. Jesus is my greatest treasure, and I know He treasures us (His church). I don’t know you guys, but because you mean so much to Him, you matter to me. It’s for that reason that I want to share what I hope is helpful perspective and warnings regarding the trending events involving Mark Driscoll, John Lindell and the ‘stripper’ at the Strongmen Conference this last weekend.
We’re all debating whether or not the performer should have been allowed, or if Mark should even be allowed to speak, let alone shared his correction in private or public, or if John should have corrected Mark publicly for not correcting him privately (ok, maybe that last one is just me). The point is, these questions are important, but the more important question is whether the conference should have happened at all. Conferences themselves are not necessarily wrong, and many people have likely encountered God while attending them, but Jesus never asked for them.
Jesus laid out something altogether different. He wants us to be a people who love Him first and foremost, and love one another the way He loves us, serving, and preferring each other over ourselves. This people would be His church. This church would be led by shepherds who are chosen for their Christlikeness, especially their self-sacrificial service, and example to the believers in their care. This church would be defined by their love for one another and their unity. Both of these defining traits would glorify Jesus and prove to an unbelieving world that He is the Son of God and savior of the world. This church would gather frequently, to hear His word, share their giftings, encourage each other, prayer, break bread and praise Him. This church wouldn’t need worship leaders, youth pastors, kids ministers, or buildings to gather; they gather together for the sake of each other, because they love Jesus.
If we can be this church, excelling at all of those things above, maybe then we can start planning the greatest conference of all time, and wade through all the questions about who and what and where, but I am humbly suggesting that this would be futile until we first focus on obeying the simple command of Jesus. No amount of emotive music, or motivating preachers, or breathtaking performances, will ever come close to the exhilaration of experiencing Jesus’ love for and through His people in simple obedience to Him.
