Mark Driscoll Audio

Even the godliest people need to occasionally pull over, ask some diagnostic questions, and make adjustments. In this section of Ecclesiastes we are going to pull over for a soul pit stop and have Solomon run diagnostics on our soul with nine questions to get us healed up, tuned up, and back to enjoying life with God.

Anyone and anything can be broken, taken, or forever changed in an instant. Knowing this leaves us with only a few options: Option A – you get bitter when you lose who/what you enjoyed Option B – enjoy nothing/no one so that you cannot get hurt Option C – enjoy what you have for as long as you can and when it’s gone be grateful to God for what you had

In Western culture, the adults have invented a new game that I like to call “Climb the Ladder.” In Climb the Ladder you look at those people who are above you on the rungs of success. You spend so much time looking at life on their rung - such as the car they drive, house they live in, clothes they wear, food they eat, and social events they enjoy – that when you look down at your rung beneath them you find yourself unhappy.

Class conflict between the rich and poor is seemingly constant, and only increased during an election season. It is common for each side to villainize the other...This conflict is so deep in the roots of western cultures that even Christians get into the mudslinging and name calling. The truth is, you can cherry pick Bible verses to support both sides quite easily, which is what left leaning poverty theology and right leaning prosperity theology tend to do.

Satan and demons are at war against God, angels, and Christians. Satan is the accuser, adversary, destroyer, deceiver, father of lies, tempter, murderer, evil one, and a real enemy. Jesus comes to liberate those who are taken captive in this cosmic battle. When he meets a man possessed by a multitude of demons, he exercises his authority over them. He casts them out of the man and into a large herd of pigs (unclean animals in the Old Covenant), condemning that region’s pagan way of life. The people are scared of Jesus, but the saved man obeys Jesus and stays behind to boldly preach his story about what Jesus did for him—converting many others after him.

Pastor Mark preaches on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus—fully man and fully God—ministered to crowds of thousands. As a man, he was truly exhausted when he and his disciples set out in a boat to cross the sea. He was so tired that he slept through a dangerous storm that made his disciples—experienced fishermen—desperate for help. As God, he commanded the wind and waves to be still; they obeyed Jesus’ voice, the voice of the Creator. The disciples were amazed because only God has such authority. Jesus is the Creator who made the world and the Savior who came into the world to rescue sinners.

When was the last time you met with God? When is the last time you gathered with God’s people for corporate worship? What was the attitude in your heart and mind? Did you come prepared to meet with God, or just roll in and roll out to be entertained as if the point of a worship service was the same as a concert or movie – to put on a good performance for you?

The world is filled with people, and it is tough to figure out which ones you should befriend, allow access to, take advice from, and do life with.

Self esteem. Self improvement. Self help. Self love. Self actualization. Self pride. It’s all self delusion. Preaching from Philippians 2:1-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll teaches how Jesus is for us the most happy person who has ever lived because, in part, He was the most humble.

Loneliness. We all experience it, sometimes even a crowded room where we are reminded that we are not known, pursued, or loved. To not think about our loneliness we gravitate toward endless hours of mind numbing entertainment such as reality television shows featuring people hanging out with their friends while we sit on our couch alone listening to old Cure songs in the dark. Sound familiar? Preaching from Philippians 1-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll explains how the rebels guide to joy is to be found amidst loneliness according to the apostle Paul who was sitting alone penning the truth from his cold, lonely, and dark jail cell.

Life hurts. It hurts emotionally, financially, physically, and spiritually. In the midst of suffering there is nothing worse than a pithy bumpersticker solution to a life wrecking hardship and what suffering people need is real truth for real life in real pain. To that end, Pastor Mark Driscoll, preaches from Phil. 1:12-18 to show how Paul found Joy in his own suffering, because it served to advance the gospel of Jesus.

You are going to die. No matter how well you eat, how much you exercise, or how carefully you live in the end you too will end up in a hole in the ground. Can you find any joy in that truth? The Apostle In Phil. 1:19-30, Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches on how only a rebel like can Paul find Joy in facing Death.

Paul wrote to the Philippians, alone in a prison, broke, hungry, tired, and was awaiting the possibility of having his head chopped off when he wrote to the church to challenge them to do all things without grumbling or questioning so they could be blameless and innocent in the midst of such a thoroughly jacked up world. Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches from Phil.2:12-30, and describes how it is possible to find Joy in temptation.

Are you tired? Weary? Worn down? Burned out? Are you sick of all the positive thinking naturally organized highly competent cheery high energy types who keep telling you to put on a smile and think happy thoughts when all you want to do is take a nap? Then you’ll enjoy Pastor Mark Driscoll’s sermon on Philippians 3:12-4:1 where the tired, lonely, flat broke Paul who was sleeping on a dirt floor after getting kicked around like a hackey sack gives us the rebels secret to a joyous heart in an exhausting life.

Conflict. Most of us shy away from it, dread it, and lament over it. Yet, from Philippians 3:1-11 Pastor Mark Driscoll preaches about how the holy rebel Paul discovered joy in the midst of constant conflict that had broken his body, taken his freedom, but not touched his joy.

When is the last time you freaked out and went postal? Did you lay on the horn of your car because you are the only person who can drive? Did you have breakdown because your friend betrayed you? Did no lose it when yet again you had more bills to pay than money to pay with? If so, then you will enjoy Pastor Mark Driscoll’s sermon on Philippians 4:2-9 where he gives us the rebels guide to joy in anxiety based upon the writings of the apostle Paul who was sitting in a jail cell suffering.

If you had more money what would you buy? New car? New house? New body? Could any amount of money buy you joy? Preaching from Philippians 4:10-23 Pastor Mark Driscoll reveals that the rebels guide to joy includes knowing how to have joy even when you are flat busted broke and too poor to pay attention.

We live in a society where everybody is peddling joy. Stuffed shirt types try to sell you religion, and the legion of advertisers tell you that joy can be found in a bottle, pill, or new car. Yet, as Pastor Mark Driscoll examines the life and teachings of the apostle Paul in Acts 16 and Phil. 1:1-1a you will learn where joy is to be found as the Bible is the rebels guide to joy.

If there is no good God who sees and knows all and judges justly in the end, then there is truly no hope for justice in this life. All we are left with is social Darwinism, might makes right, the fittest survive, and the rest of us just get to be the human shield here to stop the bullets from getting to the bourgeoisie.

Do you think you’ve ever worked a day in vain? Do you think you’ve ever shed a tear in vain? Do you think you’ve ever read a Bible verse in vain? Do you think you’ve ever confessed a sin in vain? Do you think a bullet has ever been fired in vain? Do you think a meal has ever been eaten in vain? No. God makes everything beautiful in its time. When? In its time! In HIS time!