I type very poorly, 35wpm at my lightning-fastest when I’m typing my own material, so I’m definitely not live-blogging. However, as Mark Dever was being introduced yesterday, I leaned over and asked my dear wife, Kelly, if she intended to take notes. She nodded affirmatively, whereupon I said, “type them, then.” What I meant, of course was, “If you please, My Dear, would you be so kind as to type them for me?” but time restraints precluded good manners. Understanding as she was (and always is), she unsheathed my laptop and began immediately. Now, Kelly seldom types, and never takes dictation, so what follows will hardly be a verbatim account. But, having abilities I lack — listening and typing simultaneously, and doing so with all ten fingers — she brings you what I never could. So I thank her, and so should you.
Kelly’s Notes on Mark Dever’s Conference Session (only barely proofread and edited —David)
Introduced by Albert Mohler ( Note: Mohler has lost weight!)
Dever was commended for his training of men in his church.
Ephesians 3:10
The church is the Gospel made visible.
How does your church make the Gospel visible? A healthy church reinforces the Gospel. It reflects it to folks around us.
1- The truth about God. How his nature is displayed. The lives of the members in our congregations should make God clear. Our lives are to make clear the Gospel Lev.12. When people in the OT run into God they are undone and repent. We are also to reflect His character in love by the concern we have for others. A love that is willing to be inconvenienced for someone else. If we don’t have that kind of love we are just another group. The church should also reflect God and His authority. Authority is meant to be a good thing. Satan tempts us to think otherwise. But God can both rule us and correct us. A right use of authority reflects God’s Authority. Example:husbands, parents, elders. This reflects the character of God. A word of caution; authority abused is especially destructive. Do our churches show the world a better use of authority? We can lead in such a way that people will say that pastor was trustworthy.
2- The truth about human beings. Each person is of value because they are created in God’s image. Not their wealth or other things. The local church needs to include all. We need to teach human depravity. We are fallen and we know that. We must show people that we are sinners. Saints are sinners. The world does not need to see sin soft-pedaled.
3- the truth about the savior Jesus Christ. We are the people who worship Him and we are his temple his body How do we make Him visible to the world? It is His work at the heart of our churches. We need to be gracious and merciful and loving. How do we know we are loving God? By how we love each other. We are to love by being inconvenienced, by laying our lives down as Jesus did. Are we valuing the differences of others in our churches? The world then asks what keeps you together, How come you love those so different from you? In our world today one of the biggest divisions is generational. Without the local church the cross is a just an abstract idea.
4- the right response to the Gospel. Our churches are to confess our sin and to repent from it. The Christian life will necessarily involve us in the lives of others. We are to teach faith faith in God. We are all acting on things we cannot see with our eyes. God’s promises are to be foundational We are to run to those promises to hold to them. It is the word of God that will build his church. We look forward to seeing God and our faith will be sight Heb 10:34. We have better and lasting possessions. He is a faithful God at times we bring him glory by just putting one foot in front of another, in hard times.
Conclusion- help your church be built on the Lord. A Christian church is proof of the Gospel to the world. It shows what the Gospel looks like. It is the clearest picture of what God is to the world. Be careful for this church. Pray for those churches who do not proclaim the Gospel clearly. Be willing to get involved in the lives of your People.
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Posted in: Together for the Gospel 2010
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2 Comments:
#1 || 10·04·14··06:49 || Julius Bungcaras
Hi there,
I am Pastor Julius Bungcaras from Cebu city philippines. Since this morning today, i was so busy looking for ways where i could listen live the T4G first day session. When i found your blog with notes from today's session, i thanked God for the blessing. At least i could i follow the session through your notes. Hope you could post more notes here and through it i could learn things from t4g 2010. Tho i will still look for ways where i could get a copy of the audio/or listen live. do you have any idea where? thanks..
#2 || 10·04·14··11:55 || David
Hello, Pastor, and welcome. I don’t know when audio will be available, but I will post a link when I do.
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