Skeúos (σκευ̂ος) Gr. 1. a vessel; 2. an implement

My T4G Conference Pics

Books & Resources: T4G 2008

In addition to all the great messages and the panel discussions at T4G 2008 we were also given the following books:

Leatherbound ESV Bible compliments of Crossway
The Future of Justification by John Piper
In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever
Pierced for Our Transgressions compiled by various authors
The Gospel According to Jesus: Revised and Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition by John MacArthur
The Gospel & Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
Why We're Not Emergent by Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin Deyoung & Ted Kluck
The Courage to Be Protestant by David Wells
Culture Shift by Albert Mohler
The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul
The Faithful Preacher by Thabiti Anyabwile
If You Could Ask Any Question by Paul WIlliams & Barry Cooper
Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin
Christ & Culture Revisited by D.A. Carson
Preaching the Cross a compilation of the addresses given at T4G 2006

In addition to these we also received the complete set of messages delivered at the Sovereign Grace Ministries Leadership Conference in 2007 as well as a DVD and audio CD of messages from R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries.

God truly blessed us through the T4G organizers with a wealth of resources to better enable us to serve the churches God has entrusted us with.  What a blessing these will be.

T4G 2008: Session 8

The closing session was very fitting and was delivered by C.J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Ministries. Mahaney is a pastor’s pastor. He is a very simple and humble man. He admits that he is not a scholar but this in no way diminishes his giftedness to communicate the truths of Scripture to pastors.

The text C.J. used was Philippians 1:3-8. He used the example of Paul’s love for the believers of Philippi as a model for the love that pastors should have for the flock God has entrusted them with.

He shared 3 dominant characteristics behind Paul’s joy in life and ministry.

1. Gratefulness to God (v. 3). Mahaney stressed the importance of living our lives in gratefulness. He warned us of the sin of      complaining. He made it clear that complaining is a serious sin because it reveals pride. When we complain we are telling God “There is no need for this. I know what’s best for me and this isn’t” He also explained the importance of modeling gratefulness to our families as well as our ministries.

2. Faith for the future (v. 6). Paul was confident that God was the one who worked and because God had begun the      work He would be faithful to complete it. Mahaney quoted from Charles Bridges who said that the for the pastor the “main difficulty is not in our work but in ourselves.” Our problem does not lie in the work we are called to but rather the problem lies in our lack of faith in God.

3. Affection for others (v. 7-8). The affection Mahaney speaks of is a yearning for God’s people. We should yearn for them, love them, and desire to be with them. The solution for a lack of love and affection for others is to consider them in view of God’s grace and mercy. When I don’t yearn for someone consider the grace and love of Christ for them through the work of Christ. This is one for whom Christ died. We must survey the cross before we survey people.

Mahaney’s message was especially challenging to me as a pastor. I am thankful for C.J.’s heart and his ability to get down on the level of life with pastors. I was moved to ask God to change me and my attitude.

God bless,
Pastor Duane

T4G 2008: Session 7

Session 7 was amazing as John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN spoke to us concerning the supremacy of Christ and how it calls us to radical Christian sacrifice. He began by simply reading through the following passages from Hebrews in order without comment; Hebrews 10:32, 11:6; 24-26; 35, 12:2, 13:12-14. Mark Dever commented in the panel discussion after the session that this was a sermon in itself. He was right. Reading these passages in order teaches us a great deal about sacrifice in the Christian life.

Piper stated up front that his desire was to call us to a radical Christian life and ministry. Piper called pastor’s to a life of complete sacrifice. He explained that the concept of salt and light that Jesus spoke of involves the joyful embracing of suffering. He said as pastors we must live in such a way that the church learns to rejoice in suffering. He explained that the world is not going to glorify Christ because we as Christians are healthy, wealthy, and prosperous because these are the things the world lives for. They have their own “ticket” to these things and they will simply come to see Christ as our “ticket” to them. The problem of course, Piper stated, is that we throw that ticket away once the show begins. We must embrace the reviling of the world and rejoice in our suffering recognizing it as part of radical Christ centered, Christ exalting sacrifice.

Piper expounded two of the passages he read at the beginning of the message. The first was Hebrews 10:32-24. He explained that the things endured in these verses were endured because of the great reward which is Heaven and ultimately Christ. He proclaimed that “If we could see our hope we would rejoice as we suffer and die for Jesus.”

He also expounded Hebrews 13:12-14. Jesus suffered outside the camp. If we are to be with Him we must meet him outside the camp, in our context the camp is the world, and anyone outside the camp must be prepared to suffer. We must go outside of this city because it is not a lasting city. Piper said “Don’t live for this. It’s coming down and only what’s done for Christ will survive that fire!”

Piper closed by asking us “What’s outside the camp for you?” Be counted in the number of those outside the camp. To be outside the camp is to be with Christ.

Let there be a radical flavor to my life and my ministry. Let’s go outside the camp to meet Him!

God bless,
Pastor Duane

T4G 2008: Session 6

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville delivered the message for Session 6. He followed Sproul’s moving message by asking the question why do men so hate the doctrine of the substitutonary atonement? He illustrated from history how scholars and teachers have sought to deny or explain away this crucial doctrine.

His message was more seminary level lecture than sermon but was very informative. It is nearly impossible to summarize his address without taking up a tremendous amount of space on this page so if you want to know more you will be able to listen to the audio when it is released.

I will say that as I sat there I was greatly saddened as I listened to Mohler quote scholar after scholar in evangelical circles attack this doctrine. I was also deeply saddened to consider the fact that there are many within the church still being influenced by these men.

All in all it was good to be reminded again of how crucial and critical this doctrine is.

God bless,
Pastor Duane

T4G 2008: Session 5

R. C. Sproul delivered the message in Session 5 and to be honest I planned to take notes but was so overwhelmed and moved by his message that I could not write. His message was bar none the most powerful message I have ever heard anywhere at any time in my life. The title of his message was the “The Curse Motif of the Atonement.”

The theme of his message was the curse of God that Christ suffered on the cross as the Father turned His back on the Son. He took us to the Old Testament explaining the role of the scapegoat in relationship to Christ. The sins of the people were placed on the scapegoat and it was run out of the camp (cursed). Sproul paralleled this with Christ’s death outside the camp (the city of Jerusalem). He stressed the horrifying reality of what it meant for Christ, not simply “be” cursed but to be “made” a curse for us.

I cannot begin to summarize this sermon. To be there in the room with 5,500 men as it was delivered was an experience in itself. It was completely silent and you could literally feel the emotion in the room as we considered the sacrifice of our Lord.

God bless,
Pastor Duane

T4G 2008: Session 4

Dr. Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, delivered the Session 4 on Wednesday. His message was entitled “Exercises in Unbiblical Theology” and centered upon the dangers of attempting to “improve” upon the gospel with extrabiblical philosophies and methods. He did this by sharing 5 cries arising within the church today that are threatening the gospel.

    1. Make the gospel public. This philosophy places social change and improvement of social structures as a core component of the gospel. We see this today with the joining of Evangelicalism and the political sphere today. Dever stated that “nothing any less cataclysmic than the return of Christ will bring His reign to this earth.”

    2. Make the gospel larger. Dever made a great point here, especially in light of the claims of those holding to a “social gospel.” He said that the people who plead with us to make the gospel larger are confusing the implications of the gospel with the gospel. In other words they claim that caring for the poor and the outcast is not “part” of the gospel but rather these are implications of the gospel. He used 1 Thessalonians 2:8 to explain that the gospel and our lifestyle of service are two distinct things. In other words it is completely possible to preach the gospel apart from sharing one’s life. He also made it clear that the Christian worldview is great but it is not the gospel.

    3. Make the gospel relevant. Dever wasted no time in proclaiming that evangelism unmoored from Scriptural doctrine leads to liberalism. History proves this out time and time again. He warned that clever methods focus people’s attention on clever leaders. This goes against all that Paul stressed in 1 Corinthians 1 & 2. Dever said the question we should ask when it comes to contextualizing the gospel is “Has this contextualization made the offense of the gospel clearer?”

    4. Make the gospel personal. There is an attempt today to separate the gospel from the local body. If you have ever read Dever’s books n the church you know this is a point he makes often. He said that our participation within the body “normally” confirms or falsifies our claim to be partakers in the gospel. That is a bold statement but true. For further elaboration I would recommend his book “9 Marks of a
Healthy Church.” One who has been affected by the true gospel will be immersed in the local church.

    5. Make the gospel kinder. The danger here is seeking to justify the character of God to a sinful world. While this will shock many Christians Dever states that God is not about concerned about the most souls saved but bringing the greatest glory to Himself. We know from Exodus and Romans 9-11. God does what he does to show the truth about who He is.

He closed with this exhortation; “Do not try to improve the gospel or you’ll end up losing the gospel.”

God bless,
Pastor Duane

T4G 2008: Session 3

In Session 3 on Wednesday morning Dr. John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church and president of the Master’s College & Seminary, spoke on the doctrine of total depravity. He stressed the total and utter inability of mankind to achieve righteousness on his own. He stated that this is a doctrine that is uniquely Christian. All other religions of the world hinge upon the inherent goodness of man and his ability to please God in some way through good works. This doctrine does not make an allowance for man to take part in his own salvation.

MacArthur also explained that people hate this doctrine because they are unwilling to see their true condition. They are unwilling to see themselves the way God sees them.

He also revealed the role of each of the three persons of the Godhead in salvation:

John 5:19-47, John 6:44 – The Father draws.
John 8:36 – The Son frees us.
John 3:3-8 – the Spirit births us.

MacArthur closed with a challenge to pastors to preach sin. Tell me of their sin. Do it humbly and meekly but do it! He closed with this powerful statement: “Soft preaching makes hard people and Hard preaching makes soft people.”

God bless,
Pastor Duane

T4G 2008: Session 2

During session 2 on Tuesday evening we heard from Thabiti Anyabwile, pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands, and author of “The Decline of Af rican-American Theology.” Anyabwile spoke on the issue of race and ethnicity within evangelicalism. His message was very moving and powerful. He explained the difference between the biblical concept of ethnicity and the unbiblical concept of race. He defined the terms this way:

Ethnicity: A fluid concept that includes language, nationality, culture, and even religion. It is a construct that one can move in and out of. Americans are a great example of this. We all differ but we are all Ameri-cans.

Race: All differences between people groups are rooted in biology. We are biologically different.

He stated that the church at large and throughout history has explained the differences between people groups using the concept of race. In other words the difference between people with white, black, red, and yellow skinned people is inherently biological, they are different “kinds” of people or we could say beings. Using Genesis 10 Anyabwile showed us that this biological division is a creation of man, not God. He gave us four principles that believers must remember when considering issues of ethnicity and differing in people groups. They are:

1. Our Unity in Adam. We are all descendants of Adam, created in the image of God and sharing in his sin. Many see Genesis 10 as an example of discontinuity between people groups but in reality Genesis 10 reveals the unity of “descendancy” that runs from Adam to Noah.

2. Our Unity in Christ. Those who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ are not only share a common ancestry with Adam but they are also children of God. Al Mohler, speaking in the panel discussion later, pointed out that      the unity men desire and sought to accomplish at Babel is only accomplished by Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:14-18 Paul reminds us that we no longer see men according to the flesh instead we have a spiritual view of men through Christ.

3. Our Unity in the Church. It is in the church where our unity in Christ is predominately displayed. In Ephesians 2 & 4 we this unity very clearly and it is a unity that breaks the barriers of ethnicity.

4. Our Unity in Heaven. This is where the church is heading. Revelation chapter 5 represents the eschatological fulfillment of all peoples in Christ.

Anyabwile’s main point of application was his encouragement for us to change the way we think concerning “the others.” He used the illustration of a cafeteria. If you or I (as whites) were to walk into a room and see a group of black people on the left and a group of white people on the right we would immediately, without even thinking, make a division. On the right – people like me. On the left – people not like me. As a result we naturally gravitate toward the “like me” group. He encouraged us to change this kind of thinking and when we walk into that room we would see both groups and say “Like me. Descendants of Adam created in the image of God, lost in sin, and in need of salvation.” If they are believers we say “Like me. Descendants of Adam, brothers and sisters in Christ.”

To hold to the concept of race is to undermine the gospel. If we are not all descendants of Adam then we do not share in his sin. If it is true then that Christ came to die for Adam’s descendants then Christ’s atoning death is not available for other “races.” This issue and then strikes at the very heart of the gospel.

Anyabwile destroyed any excuse for the existence of an all white or all black church in a community consisting of multiple ethnic groups. Very convicting message for me.

God bless,
Pastor Duane

T4G 2008: Session 1

Well, we are here in Louisville at the Together for the Gospel 2008 (T4G). We registered for this morning at around 11:30 a.m. and spent nearly 1 ½ hours in the bookstore area. This was no normal bookstore however. It was roughly the size of a football field and there were thousands of books. Mark Dever stated that every book at the conference had to be approved by one or all of the conference organizers. The same is true of all of the exhibitors in the hall. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to be able to walk into a bookstore and not have to wonder if the book I am looking at is doctrinally sound. According to the conference organizers and Tim Challies (www.challies.com) who is live blogging the conference we will receive 15 free books this week!

Now to the conference itself. All I can say is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I have been to several conferences and after the first day of T4G08 I can honestly say that this is by far the best one I have ever, and I mean ever, been to.

Bob Kauflin worship pastor at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, and singer/songwriter for Sovereign Grace Ministries, is leading music and he has done an excellent job. To hear 5,000 plus men sing A Mighty Fortress and It Is Well with My Soul is indescribable. The excitement and joy was tangible in the room as we sang.

The speaker for session 1 was J. Ligon Duncan, pastor of First Presbyterian in Jackson, MS. The title of his message was “Sound Doctrine: Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry.”  Duncan pointed out the importance of doctrine and systematic theology in a day which there is a great deal of suspicion when it comes to theology and doctrine. He began with the high priestly prayer of Jesus in John 17 to show that truth is for joy and doctrine is for delight (v. 13) as well as for growth (v. 17).

Many people see systematic theology and doctrine as a system or framework that men have forced upon Scripture. Systematic theology is simply looking at the whole of Scripture to determine what God teaches concerning a particular topic (i.e., angels, salvation, Christ, the Holy Spirit, etc…) Duncan gave several examples in Scripture of systematic teaching of theology. In Luke 24:25-27 Jesus teaches the two men on the road to Emmaus from Moses and the prophets concerning Himself. Jesus Himself taught systematic theology concerning His own person and work. Jesus taught Christology! In Acts 18:28 Apollos did the same and in Acts 17:1-4 Paul did it.

He pointed out that as pastors we teach systematically all the time. Every time a person comes to us and asks “What does the Bible say about…?” we teach them systematic theology using the whole of Scripture. He also explained that everyone has a systematic theology whether they admit it or not. The question we need to be ask is “are you a good theologian or a bad theologian,” or “is your theology right or is it wrong?”

He closed the session by explaining the doctrine is essential for living. How you live is based upon what you believe. He gave several examples from Scripture illustrating how doctrine impacts life.

This is just a brief summary of the message and I am sure I did not do it justice. The messages will be available online sometime in the next several weeks I assume so you can listen for yourself.

We just returned from Session 2 with Thabiti Anyabwile who spoke on the issue of race and ethnicity and all I can say is Wow! It was profound. I am still digesting it all. I will try to post on it tomorrow.

Good night and God bless,
Pastor Duane