UPDATED
It is still cold here. As we came back from dinner this evening it was about 8 degrees. Thankfully, we have not had to be out in it during the conference.
The conference began this morning with another music session. I enjoyed the songs, most of which I was unfamiliar with. Interestingly, out of all of the singing, the most robust song among the entire group was the first and the last: “Immortal, Invisible” and “Solid Rock.” I love the newer and contemporary songs we have been singing, but it is obvious that many of them do not lend themselves to the most robust congregational singing, but to a more personal contemplation.
Thabiti Anyabwile, a pastor from the Cayman Islands, opened the word to us from Ezekiel 8-11. He read a long and powerful portion from chapter 8. After explaining the text, he offered 10 applications for pastors, in relation to applying the holiness of God to pastoral ministry. From my notes, his ten points are:
- Help people choose God Himself over idols.
- Choose your leaders wisely.
- Take oversight of the people
- Be clear about the distinctions between justification and sanctification.
- Meditate on the truth that judgment begins at the household of God.
- Meditate on the plight of the lost.
- Surround yourself with those who sigh and cry over sin.
- Pursue a regenerate church membership
- Commit yourself to intercession before the Lord comes.
- Pursue holiness with the joy of the gospel.
R. C. Sproul gave the next session on the trauma of holiness in Christ’s holiness. As he did yesterday, Dr. Sproul followed the content of his well-known book on The Holiness of God. It was, again, a masterful message on the effect of holiness, especially as seen in the person of Christ.
Here’s a few statements from Sproul’s talk this morning:
On modern theologians who want to redefine Jesus in terms that are more socially acceptable (which Sproul called outright idolatry): “Jesus was not crucified for saying ‘consider the lilies, how they grow,’ but for saying, ‘consider the thieves, how they steal.” Such modern theologians make an idol out of Jesus, safely removed from 2000 years.
Regarding our making God more palatable: “There is something wrong when we try tode-fang and de-claw a holy God in order to accommodate an unholy people.”
This afternoon, Dr. Piper gave a long and weighty biographical message on Andrew Fuller. You need to listen to this message a few times. He had some very involved content on Fuller’s handling of Sandemanianism. The manuscript should be available soon, the audio for all of these sessions are available on the Desiring God blog.
Here are a few short quotes and thoughts from Dr. Piper’s message:
Fuller “did far more than one man can do well alone.” He “regularly felt overwhelmed.” Fuller was formally uneducated but thoroughly educated himself. He pastored a church of only a few hundred in relative obscurity among a small band of Particular Baptist pastors, yet we read him now 192 years later. What an encouragement to be exegetically strong and doctirnally precise and completely faithful.
Fuller did very little for recreation and when confronted by his wife with the suggestion that he do more for personal recreation he said, “All my recreation is a change of work.”
Fuller was a preeminent thinker. There can be no movement without a thinker.
Fuller was highly exegetical and doctrinal before he was experiential.
Regarding Fuller’s concept of “faith:” Faith is a uniquely ‘receiving grace’ unlike all other graces (repentance, love). It is the only grace by which one can be justified.
Referring to Spurgeon in light of Fuller’s ideas about faith: Becareful about teaching children to love Jesus without teaching them to trust Jesus first and foremost.
Piper: “Arminianism is born of carnal logic.”
Tonight’s session highlighted the “Every Tongue and Tribe” choir from Bethlehem Baptist Church. This mostly caucasian choir entered the building wearing mostly African clothing (shirts and dresses). They sang a number of songs in other languages (with the words printed in English on the power point). The songs were very cross-centered and celebrated the glory of God. We sang a few songs in Spanish, which was interesting. I’m not convinced this was an effective means of congregational worship with a group full of non-Spanish speaking and non-African speaking folks. I appreciate the aim to broaden our ethnic awareness and missional mindset, but it’s hard to sing with understanding when you don’t understand. I don’t say this to be critical. If I were in another country, I would not expect them to sing in English. If I were in a service jointly shared with a multi-linguistic group, I would see the benefit (i.e., a joint service with a mostly Spanish speaking group). Perhaps this was in fact the case. I’m merely expressing a personal preferential issue. The singing overall was again passionate and Christ-centered and overall I enjoyed it very much.
Dr. Piper was very enthusiastic and energetic in his introduction of Dr. Sproul. He enumerated a few reasons why he loved listening to R.C. Sproul and thoroughly prepared us well to receive the word.
Dr. Sproul preached on the subject of God’s holiness and justice. He began in Leviticus 10 with the destruction of Nadab and Abihu and included his classic discussion of the Lord killing Uzzah for touching the ark, thinking that his own hands were cleaner than the dirt.
Here’s a few thoughts from Sproul’s message:
“Tonight, God is as jealous for His name as He has ever been.”
“The slightest sin that I commit is an act of treason against God.
“Somehow we think that heaven just wouldn’t be the same without us. . . . We’ve become accustomed to His grace and lost our amazement. . . . The very essence of grace is that it is not required.”
“If I get to heaven and Jesus tells me ‘I don’t know your name’ I will have no argument or complaint.”
