Thoughts on The Elephant Room

April 04 2011, 10:45 am | Blake Hudspeth

Due to Daniel Bollen's ridiculously awesome Uncle David (who paid for our entire trip!) Danny Jones, Kyle Uptergrove, Daniel Bollen, John Scott and I were able to fly to Chicago last week to attend the Elephant Room Conference. If you are unfamiliar with the event, it was basically 7 highly influential pastors debating/defending/teaching how they are fulfilling the Great Commission in their church and why they believe it to be effective. 

Here's a list of the pastors :

Matt Chandler, James MacDonald (his thoughts on ER here), Perry Noble (his thoughts on ER here), Steven Furtick, Greg Laurie, David Platt, and Mark Driscoll. 

If these names are new to you, they are incredibly Godly leaders who are methodologically different and highly influential Bible teachers (reaching tens of thousands of people each week...not counting those listening to their podcasts).

I haven't had enough time to chew through all 7-8 hours of material, but here are just a few of the quotes that I'm thinking through.

[ALL the video will eventually be online on James MacDonald's blog- beginning April 4th] 

"The kind of Christians we become is directly related to the truth we believe and disbelieve." -James MacDonald

"You are a connector to the current of the power of Christ." -Steven Furtick

(when talking about homosexuality): "If the enemy gets us to joke about something that’s serious, then we don’t take it as seriously." -Perry Noble

"Any approach to money has got to be looking at the world through the lens of the Word." -David Platt

"I am tired of my generation being known more for what we’re against than what we’re for." -Steven Furtick

(when talking about feeding the hungry/compassion ministry) “In 100 years, everyone that we've helped is going to be dead. If I am not giving them the Gospel in all my acts of compassion, I have failed.” -Greg Laurie

"I think the best way to reach people is to exalt the glory of God." -David Platt

(Q: is the goal of Sunday morning evangelism, equipping, or both?) "I hate the idea that feeding my sheep becomes the enemy of reaching lost people." -James MacDonald

"Like it or not...the pulpit drives the church." -Matt Chandler

"If we're not careful, we can become too dependent on Sunday morning for evangelism; instead of me speaking to/equipping thousands of people who are capable of going out and preaching the Gospel throughout the week." -David Platt

(Q: Should Christians grow themselves or should the church grow them?) "Yes...it's a false dichotomy. Unpack the truth, build systems of accountability, but if they don't own it, they won't apply it." -Matt Chandler

"Many times, the church is answering questions that nobody is asking." -Perry Noble

"The three questions to ask before using any cultural illustration (movie clip, "secular" song, etc.) in the church: do we receive it (as is), reject it (as sinful), or redeem it (by making it work FOR rather than AGAINST the Gospel?)" -Mark Driscoll

"Lost people are going to be drawn to the glory of GOD...not their culture." -David Platt

"There are ways of sharing the Gospel that will lead people to an unBiblical understanding of salvation." -David Platt

"If the people in your church led as many people to Christ as you have this year, what would it look like?" -James MacDonald (wow)

...and that's just the beginning.  Every one of these guys, at several points, said things that made me re-think the way I minister and lead.  It was awesome to see men of GOD, who were VERY different, come together and wrestle through some important issues in a loving and uplifting way.

As Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have LOVE (not "if you have the best argument for/against Calvinism, church models, or 'being relevant'') for one another." (John 13:35)

 

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