Review of The World-Tilting Gospel by Dan Phillips

Mike Leake 1 Comment

During a mission trip to inner-city Kansas City I found myself sharing the gospel with a homeless man.  As his alcohol-laced breath washed over me I began wondering if this man was actually a believer.  He was speaking as if he understood fundamental elements of who God is, that he understood the effects of the Cross, he seemed to understand and be convinced of the sinfulness of mankind. 

Just as I was beginning to encourage myself that this man was a believer he took a really strange detour.  The next thing I knew we were talking about Moses being an alien and a whole host of other weird things.  What had originally sounded like an understanding of the gospel was everything but.  He was using the same terms as me but meant something entirely different by them.  Apparently “salvation” to him was rescue from our secret Martian overlords. 

I wish I were joking about this story.  I feel bad for this man that probably has a mental order but is left untreated on the streets of Kansas City.  I pray, as I did then, that the Lord will rescue this man in his wilderness.  I also wish that this story were not so common.  People may not think that “salvation” equals rescue from Martian overlords but they might as well. 
Dan Phillips believes that what is taking place is that:

“our culture’s mindset is (at best) ignorant and (at worst) diametrically opposed to the background meaning and worldview that make [biblical] words have any saving import…we use the words, and the worldling filters those words and nods—and nothing redemptive has occurred”.  (305)

Because of this deficit Phillips has written The World-Tilting Gospel.  His central aim in this book is to give a “whole-biblical worldview that assigns specific meaning to the words that expresses the gospel” (306).  Phillips does not quite follow the God, Man, Christ, Response narrative but it is close.  He begins with who we are—or maybe who God is—or maybe who we are.  From here he looks at the Fall and the pitiable state of our condition.  He then moves on to discuss the accomplishment of Christ and then in part three he looks at two truths that allow us to “get in”.  The fourth part of the book—which is six chapters long—is dedicated to the living out of the Christian life. 

Throughout each of these chapters Phillips writes with the fervor and passionate dedication to God and the Scriptures that readers of Team Pyro and his own blog Biblical Christianity have come to expect.  His writing is engaging, challenging, and clear-cut.  He makes a compelling case for our need to believe again the powerful World-Tilting Gospel and forsake shallow replacements.


My Take

As I read through this book I couldn’t help but think that I would love to get this book in the hands of many within our church.  Even at points when Phillips engages in often difficult areas of doctrine he writes with clarity and a biblical focus.  Though they would be greatly challenged, I do not think any member of our congregation would be lost in “big theology words” or anything of the sort.

Going through first three sections I kept telling myself I want to give this book to a few people.  Then I started reading the fourth section.  As I made my way through this section on Christian living my attitude changed.  Now, rather than saying it’d be nice to give this book to a few people I kept thinking I MUST get this book in the hands of many people in our church.  Phillips’ dealing with the misguided mindsets of Christian living is worth the price of the book.  He puts his finger on a crippling aspect of much evangelicalism, he rips it open with biblical truth, and applies the powerful gospel. 


Should You Buy It?

Absolutely. 

Even if you are a pastor or student, like me, that reads through tons of books on theology you will gain much from this book.  Through most of the book there was not a ton of new information but it was applied and written in such a way that it helped make biblical concepts crystal clear and memorable.  Phillips says things in ways that I found myself wanting to emulate as I preach through certain sections of Scripture and on certain points of theology.  Great writers do this, and Phillips is a great writer.

You’ll want to purchase this book and work your way through it.  You can get it here for 12.00 in paperback or 10 bucks on your Kindle.

From the Pen of Newton: A Word to Authors

Mike Leake

In a letter to William Cowper, John Newton discuss the trepidation that he and certainly Cowper feel upon releasing a new book.  In the midst of this Newton displays for us what should be the motivation of all authors (even those that are authors of tweets and Facebook statuses). 

I am an author likewise, and am soon to launch forth into the public notice a new book.  I can therefore have a fellow-feeling with you.  Some [approval] I may hope for.  A portion of censure and dislike I may likewise expect…But were our admirers and censurers as tall as [giants], their applause and their [rudeness of speech] will soon be stifled in the dust.  These are in a manner but creatures of a day; and indeed so are we.  But we belong to another world…Let our ambition be of the noblest kind: let our aim be to please God.  If the great Judge shall be pleased to receive us with [approval], we shall be little concerned what the [ants] we have left behind may think of us after we are gone.  In his favor is life.  His smile would amply overbalance the frown of the whole creation.  (Letters of Newton, 165-166)

May everything we write be for His smile. 

Monday’s Ministry Musing: Turning “Helps” Into Idolatry

Mike Leake

Does God wound thy spirit, does he make it sick, and dost thou seek to unlawful means for help?  Dost thou go to thy company, to music, to good cheer, to relieve thee?  Oh this provokes God against thee!…those that in trouble of conscience seek for carnal helps, by their vain tampering only render their condition worse.  (Jeremiah Burroughs commenting on Hosea 5:14)

There is an assumption that Burroughs is making here that some of our readers may not be willing to agree with.  Namely, Burroughs assumes (as I do) that God is sovereign and everything that happens comes from His hand—whether it is directly or indirectly.  This would include “wounds to our spirit” and “trouble of conscience”. 

I have mentioned previously that I battle depression or perhaps the better term would be “fits of melancholy”.  In fact our nation seems to be very much plagued by this malady.  One particular study notes that, “An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year.”   That means that when you go to the grocery store 1 of every 4 people that you see suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder.  That is huge.

I understand that any mental disorder is complex and there are usually not simple answers.  But is it possible that part of our restlessness (our depression, our mental anxieties) may stem from the effects of running to lesser gods?  Is it possible that when we have restlessness and anxiety we first seek unlawful means for help instead of going to the Lord?  Is it possible that this brokenness is meant to cause us “in our affliction to not fly from, but humble ourselves before him”? 

I do believe that the Lord by His grace has provided helps to our brokenness.  I believe that there are ripple effects to the accomplishment of Christ on the Cross.  I believe that there is common grace—such as antidepressants—that the Lord may use as a means to calm the effects of our brokenness and provide substantial healing.  But I also believe that these “helps” can subtly become functional saviors and when we principally turn to them not only does our condition worsen but the Lord’s displeasure is aroused. 

God may not fully heal the pain that I feel or the darkness that sometimes seems to overcome me; at least not this side of a Eden Restored.  Am I willing to have shards of brokenness in my life if it means that His glory shines brighter in my weakness?  Is it possible that I am muting God’s glory or defaming His name by going to “other helps” that may work for a season but won’t give ultimate rest? 

The Case in Hosea

Just so you know that all of this is coming from somewhere consider what took place in Hosea’s day.  The Israelite’s were stuck between two super powers: Assyria and Egypt.  They decided that they could go to both of these super powers for “help” and to gain wealth and security from these “lovers”.  They called it wisdom but God called it “playing the whore”. 

God had given Egypt wealth.  God had given Assyria power.  And it is quite possible (though we have no idea of knowing) that had Israel remained faithful to the Lord he would have employed either Egypt or Assyria as helpers—though not likely.  But when “Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king.  But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound.” 

Here is the kicker, the “sickness of Ephraim” and the “wound of Judah” is one that is given by the Lord.  And while the Lord is administering discipline to his children they run to Assyria (and later Egypt) for protection from the Lord.  But he cannot cure them.  He cannot heal their wound.  Only God can.  That is why Hosea entreats them to “return to the LORD; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.  After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him.” 

The Flaw

Blanket statements are dangerous.  Do not apply this as a “when ___ happens then it means that God is ______”.  There is an assumption that is being made in connecting a “wounded spirit” to the days of Hosea.  They were being wounded because of their sin and their idolatry.  The Lord was ripping out of their hearts idolatry and residue from the fall.  This is what He lovingly does with His covenant children. 

This is true in those cases. Yet, we would be in great error to look out on the brokenness and depression of every person and say, “don’t try to find help” just endure the Lord’s discipline and stop bowing to idols.  That was the foolish council of Job’s friends.  Job wasn’t enduring his suffering because of his sin.  He was enduring suffering because he was going through suffering.  But what Job got right was that his only source of ultimate refuge and rescue was in the LORD. 

It takes wisdom to know whether I am turning “helps” into idolatry or if I’m legitimately using “helps” for the glory of God.  It takes even more wisdom and grace to sit in ashes and cling to the Lord of glory and say as Hosea did, “He has torn us, that he may heal us…let us press on to know the LORD…he will come to us as showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.” 

It takes grace to trust a lion when Assyria and Egypt look so splendid…

Torn to Heal; Or What My Monday’s Look Like

Mike Leake 1 Comment

Lord willing, every Monday until it is complete I am working on writing a book.  I hope to self publish this book through Amazon unless something else comes up before it is completed.  Because the book is not yet completed I cannot really “pitch it” to you but I will provide you a brief summary and the potential chapters. 

The major thesis or theme is simply this:

Redemption is painful and God will stop at nothing to bring it about. Completely. And that is what this book is about. All things, both good and ill, work together for our greatest good—conformity to Jesus. This includes our pain. It is the argument of this book that the Lord in his goodness will rip us to shreds to replace idols with lasting joy. He will stop at nothing to fully redeem us–which means He will have to fully change our desires. And this is good.

The chapter break down as of now looks like this:

Chapter One: God makes sweeping promises.  We like the fruit of the promise but not the labor of trust needed to enjoy them.  So we hew out for ourselves broken cisterns and try to find rest in lesser promises. 

Chapter Two: Because God is supremely loving and good He will not allow us to rest in an inferior promise.  He will expose the emptiness of our idols and even allow profound brokenness so that our restlessness draws us to resting in His superior promise. 

Chapter Three:  But does God really do this?  Is it really true that everything that happens comes from His hand?  Does God really tear in order to heal? 

Chapter Four: God tears to heal.  He breaks to dance, He leaves naked to woo.  What happens in Hosea and Zephaniah serves as a grid for understanding much of our own pain and brokenness.  God is providing redemption. 

Chapter Five: The already, not yet of healing.  What does healing look like this side of Eden.  Yes we are healed, but not fully, not yet.  We still go back to our idols.  Yet, thankfully God is radically committed to our joy in Him.  This process of tearing to heal happens often.  And someday it will be complete.  God completes what He begins.

Chapter Six: Tearing and Healing in the context of the local church.  You alone are not the bride of Christ.  This rescue plan involves all of His children.  What does this look like lived out in a local church? 

Chapter Seven/Conclusion: So What?  What does this mean for our every day lives?  Why even bother writing this book?

Needs:

My goal is to make this book about 144 pages and to be written on a somewhat popular level (Think Crossway titles and not Joel Osteen type of popular).  I could certainly use your prayers, this is a huge undertaking and I constantly question my ability to even write cogently.  At the end of the day pray that even if this book never hits the press that God uses my labor on Monday’s for His glory.  Everyone can pray.

I also will need some pre-editors.  If you would be willing to look through this book once I get it “finished” and try to find grammar and punctuation mistakes it would be much appreciated. 

I also need a cover designer.  This is not a picture book but it would be very helpful to have a good cover.  I am not all that creative or artistic, but I need something to capture the major concept of the book; namely, Torn to Heal.

Lastly, I will need reviewers once the book is completed.  If you want to help out in any of these please let me know via comment, email, or social media comment.