A review of

This review will also be published in a forthcoming issue of Themelios.

The central thesis of ReJesus is that an institutionalized church needs to rediscover the radical example of its Messiah – we need to ‘reJesus’ the church or to return to what the authors call ‘radical traditionalism’. ‘Our point is that to reJesus the church, we need to go back to the daring, radical, strange, wonderful, inexplicable, unstoppable, marvelous, unsettling, disturbing, caring, powerful God-Man.’ (p. 111)

Michael Frost is Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Morling College, Sydney, and Alan Hirsch is founder of Forge Missional Training Network. Their previous collaboration, The Shaping of Things to Come (Hendrickson, 2003), has been a significant text in the missional church movement. I’ve benefited greatly from Hirsch’s The Forgotten Ways.

The material in ReJesus is not especially original. Frost and Hirsch have themselves covered some of this ground in their previous books. We are presented with Jesus subverting both imperial politics and institutionalized religion. The similarities between the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and conservative Christians in our own day are highlighted. We have a critique of consumer Christianity as well as a critique of the sacred-secular divide. Frost and Hirsch are well aware of the danger of people creating Jesus in their own image, citing many examples along the way. But they offer no rationale of why we should treat their version of ‘a wild messiah’ as any more reliable.

Nevertheless the book has many strengths. The material is presented with verve. The authors are aware of academic work, but this is a popular book with a strong polemic tone. There is plenty of insight and plenty of challenge. It is full of passion. Sometimes over-stated. But I appreciate the need to be poked a bit.

But where are the cross and the resurrection (mentioned so infrequently they merit no inclusion in the index), the ascension and the parousia of Jesus (not mentioned at all)? And for all their emphasis on the Jewishness of Jesus, there is little on Jesus as the fulfilment of the Old Testament. It may well be that evangelicals have too often neglected the life of Jesus and I suspect Frost and Hirsch are reacting against this. But the answer cannot be to neglect his cross, resurrection, ascension and parousia.

There is a telling anecdote at the beginning of the book that encapsulates the problem (p. 18). The story is told of a speaker asking an audience of 600 people with whom in the story of the healing of Jairus’ daughter in Luke 8 they most identify. We are invited to be shocked that only six people identified with Jesus. But is it a mistake for people to look to Jesus as their Saviour before they look to him as their model? Do we really want lots of people with a messiah-complex!

What is missing is soteriology. Perhaps this is assumed. But it is a dangerous assumption. Christology, we are told, determines missiology which in turn determines ecclesiology. Perhaps, but only if christology includes an account of the saving work of Christ. The danger is that a lifestyle shaped by the pattern of Jesus that does not arise out of gospel grace shaped by the redemption of Jesus will create a new kind of legalism – a new, edgy legalism to replace the traditional legalism Frost and Hirsch decry, but legalism nevertheless.

‘We believe that Christian faith must look to Jesus and must be well founded on him if it is to be authentic. If NASA was even .05 degrees off in launching a rocket to the moon, they would miss the moon by thousands of miles.’ (p. 167) An attempt to reJesus the church with a cross-less, resurrection-less, ascension-less christology is surely more than a .05 degree misalignment.

God has given us the Christian community with all its differences and giftings as the context for change and growth. Paul says Christ ‘makes the whole body fit together perfectly’ (16 nlt).

• You need to help others change.
• You need to let others help you change.

So gospel communities need a culture in which we challenge, comfort, console, exhort and rebuke one another in the context of ordinary life. We need a culture in which it is normal to comfort and rebuke one another. We can do this so rarely that it creates a sense of crisis. We need to think of church discipline not simply as a final act of excommunication, but as a lifestyle of discipleship.

If I’m moaning, I need someone to challenge me to find joy in Christ. If I’m anxious, I need someone to exhort me to trust in my heavenly Father’s care. If I’m ashamed, I need someone to comfort me with the grace of God. It might be a leader; it might be a new Christian. It might be in a scheduled meeting; it might be as we tend someone’s garden together. We need daily exhortation: ‘See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.’ (Hebrews 3:12-13) And we need it from people who see us in the daily grind of life, not just when we are on our best behaviour.

• Every second, 28,258 Internet users are viewing pomography and $3,075.64 is being spent on pomography
• The pomography industry is larger than the revenues of the top technology companies combined: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink
• There are 4.2 million pomographic websites, which is 12% of all the websites on the internet
• Every day there are 68 million (25% of the total) search engine requests for pomographic terms
• 42.7% of internet users view pom
• The average age of first exposure to pomography is 11 years old and 80% of 15-17 year olds have had multiple hard-cor e exposure
• The 35-49 age group is the largest consumer of internet pomography
• 47% of Christians say that pomography is a major problem in the home
• 17% of women struggle with pomography addiction and 70% of women keep their cyber activities secret
• The USA produces 89% of all pomographic web pages (Germany are the next biggest producer, producing 4% of all pomographic web pages)

Captured by a Better Vision aims to offer hope for people struggling with pom and guidance for those trying to help them. It is published by IVP  in the UK on 19 March 2010. It will be published in the US by InterVaristy Press.

Here are some commendations …

A book about Christian growth that is neither quietistic nor moralistic is rare. A book that is truly practical is even rarer. Tim Chester’s new volume falls into both categories and therefore fills a gap.
Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City

There are few books that are shockingly honest, carefully theological, and gloriously hopeful all at the same time. Tim Chester’s book, You Can Change, is all of these and more. He skilfully uses the deepest insights of the theology of the Word as a lens to help you understand yourself and the way of change, and, in so doing, helps you to experience practically what you thought you already knew. The carefully crafted personal ‘reflection’ and ‘change project’ sections are worth the price of the book by themselves. It is wonderful to be reminded that you and I are not stuck, and it’s comforting to be guided by someone who knows well the road from where we are to where we need to be.
Paul Tripp, President of Paul Tripp Ministries

A wonderful book for those who are serious about personal change. For so many Christians the gulf between our aspirations and the reality of our daily Christian walk is very large. Here is very helpful material to help us bridge this gap and become the whole people God intended us to be.
Stephen Gaukroger, Senior Minister at Gold Hill Baptist Church

We are called to be salt and light. Yet often the church fails to live differently. In our busy culture, we rarely spend time dealing with sinful areas of our lives; instead we try to sweep them under the carpet. Tim’s book is a biblical and practical challenge to the very root causes of ungodly patterns of behaviour. Read it and allow God to change you!
Andy Frost, Director, Share Jesus International

The book is structured around a series of question to help people work on issues in their lives:

1.   What would you like to change?
2.   Why would you like to change?
3.   How are you going to change?
4.   When do you struggle?
5.   What truths do you need to turn to?
6.   What desires do you need to turn from?
7.   What stops you changing?
8.   What strategies will reinforce your faith and repentance?
9.   How can we support one another in change?
10. Are you ready for a lifetime of daily change?

Here’s a sample chapter (from the UK edition): You Can Change – Chapter Five: What Truths Do You Need To Turn To?

And finally here’s a video introduction …

Here are some commendations:

‘Fantastic practical and realistic help… I highly commend this timely book.’ Carl Beech

‘A lifeline for those who feel trapped… A message of grace, strength and hope.’ Ian Coffey

‘Will rescue many a marriage and restore many a man to a place where purity and passion coexist in biblical relationship.’ Steve Gaukroger

Here’s the table of contents:

Foreword by Lyndon Bowring

Introduction: Let’s talk about porn

1 Looking beyond the frame

2. Freed by the beauty of God

3. Freed by the grace of God

4. The fight of faith

5. Freed for the glory of God

6. Conclusion: Putting it all together

The chapter titles don’t give much away, but they do emphasise that this is not just a grim assessment of the grip that porn has on so many Christians. Instead, this is a book which brings a positive message of hope and freedom. I’ll post an excerpt in a future post to give you a flavour of the book.

You can see me talking about the book here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO3NktNg3qU

People often ask me about our meetings. ‘When do you meet? Where? What do you do when you meet together?’ But if you ask those questions then you have completely missed the point! We’re not advocating a new way of doing meetings. Actually our meetings are not good! The music is poor and the teaching is nothing you’d go out of your way to hear. What matters to us is our shared life: sharing our lives, doing ordinary life with gospel intentionality.

The church will never out perform TV shows and music videos. But there is nothing like the community life of the church. There is nowhere else where diverse people come together. There is nowhere else were broken people find a home. There is nowhere else when grace is experienced. There is nowhere else where God is present by his Spirit.

The context for church, mission, community, discipleship, pastoral care, training, growth is ordinary life. Shopping, chores, meals, sports, journeys. This is how Jesus did discipleship and community: walking along the road or around a meal. See also Deuteronomy 6:4-7 and 1 Thessalonians 2:8.

Shared life

It is also about doing ordinary life together – having our lives intersect. So we’re not talking about house groups or small groups. Home groups are usually a meeting. You have ‘home group night’. It’s an event. We’re talking about a community of people who share life together.

Gospel intentionality
Gospel intentionality is the mentality or habit or culture in which, as you share lives, you look for opportunities to talk about Jesus, to encourage, to challenge, to pray, to praise. Without this all you are doing is ordinary life and everyone does that!

We not only follow the way of the cross, we also experience the power of the resurrection. We have the Spirit, the Spirit of the coming age, the empowering, liberating, life-giving Spirit. But it’s vital to see how the power of the resurrection and the way of the cross fit together.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection … (Philippians 3:10)

[Christ] lives by God’s power … by God’s power we will live with him. (2 Corinthians 13:4)

We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way … being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might … (Colossians 1:10-11)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline … (2 Timothy 1:7-8)

All these verses contain a wonderful truth. We have Christ’s resurrection power in us through the Holy Spirit. But the verses goes on:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death … (Philippians 3:10)

For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you. (2 Corinthians 13:4)

We pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way … being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience … (Colossians 1:10-11)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God … (2 Timothy 1:7-8)

We have resurrection power so we can be like Christ in his death. Power to be weak. Power to endure. Power to suffer. That is true Christian experience. Power in weakness is our boast (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We are people of power. We have resurrection power coursing through our bodies. God’s mighty power, pulling Christ from the grave, is in your life. But we don’t have this power for victory over suffering, for an easy life, to lord it over others.

We have power to follow the way of the cross. To serve. To suffer. To love. To die.

It is in this way that we reveal Christ to people. ‘We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.’ (2 Corinthians 4:7)

One day the skies will be filled with the glory of God. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of God. One day. But already his resurrection glory is being revealed. It is being revealed in your home. In your street. In your workplace. In your school. It is being revealed as you follow the way of the cross: as you deny yourself, as you serve others, as you love Jesus.