Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1410953
ENGAGE 3 PRESIDENT'S LETTER Mark Young, PhD PRESIDENT Everywhere they went in Macedonia, it seems, Paul and Silas created quite a stir. Not the "there's a celebrity in town" kind of stir; it was the "we don't want you here" kind of stir that their presence ignited. In Philippi, they are accused by locals of "throwing our city into an uproar" (Acts 16:20–21). In Thessalonica, their next stop, Paul heats up the synagogue services with convincing arguments that Jesus is the Messiah. That doesn't sit well with some Jewish leaders. They accuse Paul and the believing community of "turning the world upside down" and treason. "They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus" (Acts 17:7). The gospel disrupts. It challenges the way the world thinks and debunks its myths. The gospel announces the presence of a Kingdom on earth that is unlike any other (John 18:36). It turns the values and ways of all earthly kingdoms upside down and exposes their impotence to solve humanity's most devastating problems—sin, death, and evil. Because the gospel threatens earthly leaders, they lash out against those who announce its presence. When the world accuses us of serving "another king, one called Jesus," we know we're living as Jesus called us to live. But when we conflate our allegiance to Jesus with loyalty to any earthly kingdom and we are known more for our partisan politics than our faith, we discredit the gospel and dishonor our Savior. At Denver Seminary we want to see a new generation of disrupters make their allegiance to King Jesus and His gospel the primary way the world sees them. That means speaking truth to those in power when their agenda, values, and behavior fall short. And it means being more concerned about the souls and well-being of others than their voting preferences. When I look at our students, I see a new generation of Jesus-followers, truly and wholly loyal to the gospel and its presence in the world. That gives me hope. "The gospel disrupts. It challenges the way the world thinks and debunks its myths. The gospel announces the presence of a Kingdom on earth that is unlike any other (John 18:36)." Expectantly,