Regeneration vs. the Idolatry of Decisional Evangelism
March 26, 2009
It was about the time I heard this sermon that I was only 90% sure how I felt about the “sinner’s prayer.” After this sermon, I was 100% sure. I put the “sinner’s prayer” in the ground, buried it, and put up a tombstone that said “anathema.” Our evangelism is weak, unbiblical, and it is eternally destroying some. What are we preaching? See for yourself, and examine yourself. What are you preaching?
What is Christian Eloquence? Thoughts on John Piper’s Message at the Desiring God National Conference 2008
October 2, 2008
Hearing John Piper speak on Christian eloquence at the Desiring God National Conference 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota elated my soul. He spoke of assonance, consonance, iambic pentameter, cadence, and parallelism. What a mighty call to use words to their fullest effect in order to describe Jesus Christ indeed as he who has surpassing worth and excellencies! He is worthy of all our language convention that works to present him as the Supreme and Glorious King. We are speaking creatures who are called out of darkness to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us to his marvelous light.
I never forgot the words of my pastor at home: “Don’t speak with the spirit of persuasion: Speak with the Spirit of God.”
Here is how I would define and differentiate between Christian eloquence and lofty, arrogant eloquence.
Christian eloquence is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit through the Christ-centered direction of language convention in proclamations which magnify and exalt the excellencies of Christ and the finality and meaning of the cross.
Lofty arrogant eloquence is the manifestation of the sinful nature through the self-centered direction of language convention in proclamations which magnify man and exalt the false excellencies of the human peformance over and against the crucified Lord.
James Dennie said this:
“No man can give the impression that he himself is clever and that Christ is mighty to save.”
The Bible eloquently demonstrates this truth in 1 Corinthians:
“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being may boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” 1 Corinthians 1:27-31
Check out this sermon that cemented my soul and confirmed my calling. Don’t waste your eloquence; make much of Him with every word that exalts his name and proclaims his cross.
Working with you to proclaim the excellencies of Christ with all unction and demonstration of Spirit,
Vince R.
If I had the resources, I’d be in Minneapolis, Minnesota in September. I look forward to the sermons on the internet after this occurs. As an English guy, this conference is causing my mouth to water. Words really are powerful enough to get us a man like Hitler. Don’t forget it. God’s words are really powerful enough to create the entire universe. Don’t ever forget that!
Working with you to comprehend the powerful tool of Words,
Vince R.
New Attitude 2008: What I learned
May 31, 2008
I have finally heard (live and in person) many of the Bible teachers whom I frequently read and to whom I frequently listen via the internet. These mighty men of God taught me much this past May 24-May 27 at New Attitude 2008 in Louisville, Kentucky. New Attitude is an annually held conference organized by Joshua Harris, C.J. Mahaney, Eric Simmons and many others of Sovereign Grace Ministries which is stationed in Gaithersburg, MD. This year’s conference emphasized the sufficiency and necessity of God’s own Word. This verse was the theme of the conference:
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16
Session 1: Pastor Joshua Harris-Ripping, Burning Eating: A Right Response to God’s Word
Session 2: Pastor Mark Dever-The Authority of Scripture
Session 3: Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr. (President of SBTS)- Bible Q & A
Session 4: Pastor C.J. Mahaney-The Troubled Soul: God’s Word and Our Feelings
Session 5: Pastor Eric Simmons-What is the Point?: Growing in Vision for Diligent Study
Session 6: Pastor John Piper-William Tyndale: A Life Transformed by God’s Word
Session 7: Pastor John Piper-Fighting for Faith with God’s Word
Session 8: Pastor C.J. Mahaney-God as Father: Understanding the Doctrine of Adoption in God’s Word
Interspersed was amazingly orthodox worship through music led by Bob and Devon Kauflin and the Sovereign Grace Band. (No light show, no entertainment, just corporate worship through doctrinally sound and Christ-centered songs…)
Each morning, we met in community groups led by Sovereign Grace pastors, and family groups led by young men of Sovereign grace churches.
To top it all off, I experienced all of this in the fellowship of two dearly beloved brothers in Christ, one of many years of friendship and the other of many years of wisdom (and I hope many coming years of friendship).
Of the experience, I will say one thing I think that summarizes it:
The LORD blesses a commitment to his Word and an exaltation of his Son.
Oh, the riches of his grace…
I have ten points summarizing what the LORD taught me at Na:
1.) God is there, totally infinite, supremely valuable, immutable and holy, satisfied in his own fellowship, lacking nothing and needing nothing.
2.) God, in his own good pleasure, creates (by his word) a creation called earth and allows a created (by his word) man, aided by his helper called woman, to govern it and live in perfect fellowship with him.
3.) God, in his own good pleasure, banishes a rebellious man and woman from his paradise promising to redeem a radically depraved people out of a fallen mankind in the ages to come.
4.) God, in his own good pleasure, sovereignly chooses to make himself known by speaking. (We serve a speaking God.)
5.) God, in his own good pleasure, sovereignly chooses men to write down his word, uniting their sinful wills to his own so that, as they write, they are kept by his power from error or imperfection.
6.) God, in his own good pleasure, preserves his written word for centuries, until its fulfillment comes in the person of his son Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man.
7.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by crushing his Christ, making him the propitiation for the sins of those found in him.
8.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by resurrecting his son from the dead and setting him at his own side to reign until the second advent.
9.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by sending his Holy Spirit into the hearts of his people, writing his law on their hearts and guarding them until the day he glorifies them for himself.
10.) God, in his own good pleasure, fulfills his written word by preserving his word in two separate testimonies, working through them by his Holy Spirit to redeem and sanctify his people until the fullness of them comes into his kingdom.
Application: Delight, cherish and obey the words of the God who makes himself known to you through them.
How convicting, how cleansing, and how glorious!
All of the Bible is about God and what he did! I am to come to it, expecting to delight in God, himself, through the glorious gospel of the blessed God.
I close with this quotation from Charles Spurgeon:
“Observe, concerning the first advent, that the Lord was moving in it towards man. ‘When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son.’ We moved not towards the Lord, but the Lord towards us. I do not find that the world in repentance sought after its Maker. No, but the offended God himself in infinite compassion broke the silence, and came forth to bless his enemies. All good things begin with him.”
Working with you to cherish God’s word and to love God through it,
Vince R.
Visit the new attitude website if you wish to download and listen to the sermons. I HIGHLY suggest that you do!
http://www.newattitude.org/liveblog/
P.S.
I also want to thank Brother Hank (go read his blog at lawngospel.wordpress.com) for much insight from his own experience in his personal walk and from his first year at seminary, most especially through what he has heard from his professor, the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Russell Moore. Look him up!
Oh yeah,
New Attitude 2009 (Baltimore, MD). I will pray about attending this. The Lord just might let me go (and maybe with more people).
