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Posts from the ‘Resolved Conference’ Category

May 23

Resolved: Why You Should Attend

Two summers ago I attended the Resolved Conference. It was truly a life changing conference. Speaker included John MacArthur, C.J Mahaney, Steve Lawson, Rick Holland, and John Piper. Hearing these men speak was absolutely incredible and convicting. It inspired me to live my life for Christ and his purpose. It convicted me to life with Resolve.

The title of this conference is based on Jonathan Edwards. At 19 years old, Jonathan Edwards wrote 70 resolutions about his life. Each resolution began with the word -Resolved. He continually read these resolutions once a week until his death. In a fickle and shallow society as my generation, I think we would do well to follow the example of Jonathan Edwards. The Resolved Conference aspires to do just that. It seeks to inspire and help a new generation, my generation, to live with that same purpose and resolve that Edwards lived with. That is why you should attend the Resolved Conference.

2011 Resolved Trailer from Resolved on Vimeo.

Jun 30

John Piper’s Resolved Highlights

This Sermon was by far the most profound sermon at Resolved. It helped answer quite a few questions I’ve had. Here is one of the quotes from Piper’s Sermon at the Resolved Conference. I posted my notes as well as a link to an audio file of the whole sermon here.

Jun 29

Summary of the Resolved Conference

The Resolved Conference is a Christian conference designed for College students. It is called resolved because of a 19 year-old puritan, Jonathan Edwards, who wrote 70 resolutions to help keep his life focused on God and and centered on Christ. During the course of this conference, I heard some of the best preaching I have ever heard in my entire life. Hearing speakers like John MacArthur, C.J. Mahaney, Rick Holland, Steve Lawson, and my personal favorite, John Piper, This is a conference that gives me hope for my generation. There was a room of 4000 college students all sitting and learning from these speakers and taking it all in. It was a room full of young, amateur, theologians longing for deep preaching full of rich, theological truths. In an era of false doctrine, shallow truths, and a Christianity that does nothing but tickles ears, finding 4000 young people that long for deep truth is no small accomplishment. I thank God for Rick Holland and the people at Grace Church who put this conference together.

The Conference this year was about Sin, not preached in a hell and damnation way, but rather a theological and convicting way. It was about the reason for sin, and the reason to strive for a pure heart. Out of the 10 sessions, I think the richest and most profound sermon was the final John Piper sermon titled, “How Sin Serves the Glory of Christ.” This was a sermon that dealt with some of the questions that I have been asking.

  • How can sin glorify God?
  • What is the origin of the first sin?
  • How can God ordain sin and yet not be the author of sin.

These are deep questions which I have been asking and have found no answers. John Piper’s last sermon put all of these questions into perspective and answered them for me. I will not recap the sermon as I have already posted my notes on this sermon. However, I was happy to hear some of the questions answered. I was also happy to hear Piper affirm the importance of searching for answers to the hard questions of Christianity.

Another incredibly important sermon for my generation, was John MacArthur’s sermon about the “Sanctifying Shepherd”. This sermon is incredible important because it stresses that the role of a pastor is to “Shepherd his flock”, and to create disciples of Christ out of his flock. I have been reading John MacArthur’s book The Gospel According to Jesus. The book’s basic premise is that we must accept Christ as Lord. We must follow Christ and grow in Christ. If we do not, than we are not saved. In his sermon, MacArthur told us what to look for in a church and in a pastor. He told us that the role of a pastor is not to tickle the ears of non-Christians with a watered down, palpable gospel, but to disciple those whom God has placed under his leadership.

I am very glad that John MacArthur gave this sermon. My generation desperately needs good preaching and discipleship. Too often we are having our ears tickled by motivational speakers and self-help gurus masquerading as preachers. MacArthur’s sermon told my generation that this is not enough, we must immerse ourselves in the Word. We must seek to learn everything we can about God and his character and we must place ourselves under pastoral leadership that can help us on our journey of sanctification.

There is much more I want to write about this conference, but this is enough for now. I would highly recommend you listen to the mp3′s of this conference. I have posted all my notes and a link to the Resolved mp3 recordings of the conference on my website. This Conference was a huge blessing and I would recommend it to anyone. I fully intend on going back next year.

Note: I have posted before about modern culture and modern church. Hearing the worship at Resolved was very interesting to me. It was contemporary, it had alot of production elements, and yet it was not as distracting as most other church services. I will write a blog about this later.


Jun 28

Resolved Conference: Monday Night: John Piper

Resolved Conference
Monday Night (June 15)
John Piper
How Sin Serves the Glory of Christ.

Summary of previous Sermon:
Colossians teaches that everything exists for God and exists to make God and Christ look great.

Believe Romans 8:28
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

What is “the Good” that Everything is Designed in your life if everything is designed for good.

Genesis 50:20

  • You meant it for evil, but meant it for Good.
    • (Don’t miss the meaning of the word meant)
      • It does not mean Used!

What is the Good
Romans 8:28-29

  • “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God forenkew he also predestined to be conformed to the LIKENESS OF HIS SON, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

Ephesians 1:4-6

  • For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
    • Everything was created for the “the praise of his glorious grace”.
  • The Universe was set up to lead to Goligotha

God is going there. He is still justifying.

How did he get there?

  • He got there in the treason of his people demanding a King beside God.
    • 1st Samuel 12:12
      • “But when you saw that Nahash King of the Ammonites was moving against you, you said to me, “No, we want a king to rule over us even though the LORD your God was your king…(16)…Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes! Is it not wheat harvest now? I will call upon the LORD to send thunder and rain. And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the LORD when you asked for a king.”
    • 1st Samuel 8
      • He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He
        will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses,
        and they will run in front of his chariots.

        • If it was so Wicked, why did he do it.
    • All of the Wicked in the world has been designed to get to Calvary.
    • Acts 13:20-
      • “After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After he had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, A man after my heart, who will do all My wil.”

Reasons for Doing it This Way?

  • To show that God is King, not man. God will be King of Israel.
  • He means to innaugrate a line of human kings, all of whom will fail…except one.
    • It is important to see that all the Kings will fail.
      • The LORD, says to My Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemys a footstool.

        • If David calls him LORD, how can he be his son.
          • “I am far more than the son of David”.
    • There had to be kings that fail to show that ONLY GOD IS KING in this line.
  • Not Only did the King have to be God, The King had to die.
    • If God wants his people to be with him, God has to die.
    • So there has to be a God who is Man in order for him to die. (CHRIST)
    • All Kings had to fail, then I’m going to bring my King in, and he’s going to be God, and he’s going to be perfect, and he’s going to die in order that we might worship him.

He went through the treason of his people, and put through a line of human kings, who could not be king, to bring though God’s King, through this line that would die to pay for the treason of his people.

Christ knew from the beginning who would betray him from the beginning. (Christ never says oops.)

JUDAS: He betrayed him in the Garden with a Kiss.

John Michael Carl: “That’s not what a kiss is for”

Luke 22:3-5

  • Satan entered into Judas and he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them. They were glad and agreed to give him money. So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them apart from Crowd.
    • Did Satan know it?
      • Yes: Follow the interaction between Satan and Christ during the temptation.
        • All the temptations were created to keep Christ off of the cross at Calvary.
      • Yes: The son of man is going to be brought up and killed. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.” But he turrned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, SATAN!. YOu are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.
    • Why did Satan do it
      • Because he saw after three years of trying to stop Christ from getting on the Cross. So he decided to make it as painful as possible
        • Betrayal
      • Sin is irrational


So Where is God?

  • “Where is God when satan put it in Judas’s heart to kill his heart”.
    • God was in Heaven, fulfilling dozens of detailed scriptures.
      • Evil men will reject Jesus when he comes: Matthew 21:21
      • Jesus must be hated. John 15:25
      • The Diciples would abandon Jesus
      • Jesus will be pierced but no bones broken. John 19:44
      • Jesus would be betrayed by a close friend for 30 pieces of silver. Matthew 26:24
    • So Where is God?
      • God is rulling in Heaven to fulfill dozens of scriptures in those sins.
      • Sin is everywhere in fulfillment of scripture
        • There never was a greater coming together of sin than the sins that lead Christ to Calvary.
      • Not only scripture, but Christ, had predicted everything. Matthew 10:
        • “I tell you this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.”
  • God Foresaw, and did not prevent, and therefore ordained that all these events and sins happen. And we know that God could have stoped any of these sins, but he didn’t.
    • So for God to premit something, he must be planning it.
  • And he brought them to pass

    • ISSAIH 56:10
  • Acts 4:27-28
    • “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel. to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.”
      • His Hand: His POWER
      • There is a plan, and God is activly involved in bringing it to pass.

In Closing:
You may stumble that God wills evil. You can’t have the Gospel if you say in the betrayal, The denial, the beating, the lashing, in the nailing, in the spearing, THERE IS NO GOSPEL. THE GOSPEL IS THAT IN THESE EVENTS GOD WAS SAVING YOU! Without all this, it is nothing but a Historical Accident.

He is doing this in order that we may become imgaes of Christ and Glorify him.
If you believe this, you will be saved.

Jun 27

Resolved Conference: Monday Night: C.J. Mahaney

Resolved Conference
Monday Night (June 15)
C.J. Mahaney (Psalm 42)
The Troubled Soul

Psalm 42:

“As a deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and Thanksgiving and multitude keeping festival. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of his presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan. And the peaks of Hermon, from mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the sound of your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. The LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. I will say to God my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God” Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”


Paul Tripp: Instruments in the Redeemers Hands

I find myself saying it all the time, no one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to yourself more than you do. You are constantly talking to and analyzing yourself. You are in an unending conversation.



David Pallison: “The psalms have always been favorites of God’s people because they express honest human experience and emotions in the context of faith. In the Psalms, you meet God where you are”.





Two Main Points

1. The Troubled Soul

  • His Soul is troubled by three experiences
    • The Apparent Absence of God.
      • He is thirsty for God.
      • He feels as if he was abandoned by God.

        • Verse 9: “I say to God my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?”.
        • Verse 6: “…I remember You from the land of Jordan, And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”
      • It is possible to know God, and have faith in God, and at times feel as if you have been abandoned by God. The Psalmist and many theologians went through times of spiritual deadness.
        • Charles Spurgeon
          • “Why I tell you, young Christians, the most experience believers, the man who have profound doctrinal knowledge, are the very men who have their ebbs and their winters.”
          • “Depression has now come to me as a prophet in rough clothing, as John The Baptist, heralding the nearer coming of my Lord’s richer benison. So have far better men found it. The scouring of the vessel has fitted it for the Master’s use.” – When a Preacher is Downcast
        • Johnathan Edwards
          • “We know that Edwards also suffered from depression throughout his life. Even as he kept the discipline of the faith, he was frequently afflicted of time of spiritual deadness.” – A Biography of Johnathan Edwards
        • Martin Luther
          • On one occasion when he was greatly discouraged, Martin Luther was forcibly reminded of this by his wife Catherine. She appeared in black mourning clothes. When he asked why were you in Mourning Clothes? She replied that Someone has died. It appears as if God has died.
      • The Author of this Psalm is passionate toward God. He is Thirsty for God, and yet, the author feels as if he has been forgotten by God.
    • His Soul is troubled because of the trials and tribulations he is experiencing.
      • Verse: 7: Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.”
    • His eternal conversation is not endless, and does not stay on the same theme. The theme of a troubled soul. He turns to his soul and the Psalmists addresses his Troubled Soul. His soul goes from the “Troubled Soul” to the “Hopeful Soul”.

2. The Hopeful Soul

  • Talk to Yourself
    • The Psalmist talks to himself
      • Verse 5: Why are you in despair, O my soul? And Why have you become disturbed within me?
      • Verse 11: Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?
      • The Psalmist talks to his soul, He confronts his soul, He interrogates your soul, he rebukes his soul, and he exhorts his soul.
      • Book: Spiritual Depression by Martin Loyde Jones
        • ” Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”
          • There is a wealth of difference making and discernment in this Psalm.
          • Whenever you find yourself unhappy, it is because you are listening to yourself rather than speaking “TRUTH” to yourself. You must Preach the gospel and preach the WORD to yourself.
          • One conversation with yourself is not sufficient as the troubled soul is not changed because of one exposition and one exhortation.
      • How to Talk to your soul.
        • Verse 5: “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.”
          • Hope in God.
            • Spurgeoun Said, “God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too wise to be unkind. When you can’t trace his hand, That’s when you must learn to trust His heart.”
        • A Sentence: Talk to your soul.
  • Talk to God
    • Verse 8: “The LORD will command his loving kindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.”
    • Why, in corporate worship, do you not feel downcast? Because you are not LISTENING to yourself when you participate in corporate worship. You are speaking and singing truth to God and to your soul.
    • You can’t read this Psalm and Shouldn’t read this Psalm without remembering our Savior’s uniquely troubled soul.
      • “Now my Soul is troubled.”
      • “My Soul is Very sorrowful even to death!” – Garden of Gesemete
      • “My God, God why have you forsaken me”
        • If our soul is downcast we must remember that the saviors soul was crushed by God because he bore our sin.
        • He was crushed so that our soul should not be downcast.
        • How much more can we sing of God’s steadfast love because of the sacrifice on the cross. We would be re missed if we didn’t remember the Troubled soul of Christ. His soul that was troubled because of God’s wrath.

If Our soul is troubled we must remember the transforming power of the cross and of the Gospel.

Jun 27

Resolved Conference: Monday Night: C.J. Mahaney

Resolved Conference
Monday Night (June 15)
C.J. Mahaney (Psalm 42)
The Troubled Soul

Psalm 42:

“As a deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me For I used to go along with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and Thanksgiving and multitude keeping festival. Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of his presence. O my God, my soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan. And the peaks of Hermon, from mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the sound of your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. The LORD will command His loving kindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life. I will say to God my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God” Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”


Paul Tripp: Instruments in the Redeemers Hands

I find myself saying it all the time, no one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to yourself more than you do. You are constantly talking to and analyzing yourself. You are in an unending conversation.



David Pallison: “The psalms have always been favorites of God’s people because they express honest human experience and emotions in the context of faith. In the Psalms, you meet God where you are”.





Two Main Points

1. The Troubled Soul

  • His Soul is troubled by three experiences
    • The Apparent Absence of God.
      • He is thirsty for God.
      • He feels as if he was abandoned by God.

        • Verse 9: “I say to God my rock, “Why have you forgotten me?”.
        • Verse 6: “…I remember You from the land of Jordan, And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.”
      • It is possible to know God, and have faith in God, and at times feel as if you have been abandoned by God. The Psalmist and many theologians went through times of spiritual deadness.
        • Charles Spurgeon
          • “Why I tell you, young Christians, the most experience believers, the man who have profound doctrinal knowledge, are the very men who have their ebbs and their winters.”
          • “Depression has now come to me as a prophet in rough clothing, as John The Baptist, heralding the nearer coming of my Lord’s richer benison. So have far better men found it. The scouring of the vessel has fitted it for the Master’s use.” – When a Preacher is Downcast
        • Johnathan Edwards
          • “We know that Edwards also suffered from depression throughout his life. Even as he kept the discipline of the faith, he was frequently afflicted of time of spiritual deadness.” – A Biography of Johnathan Edwards
        • Martin Luther
          • On one occasion when he was greatly discouraged, Martin Luther was forcibly reminded of this by his wife Catherine. She appeared in black mourning clothes. When he asked why were you in Mourning Clothes? She replied that Someone has died. It appears as if God has died.
      • The Author of this Psalm is passionate toward God. He is Thirsty for God, and yet, the author feels as if he has been forgotten by God.
    • His Soul is troubled because of the trials and tribulations he is experiencing.
      • Verse: 7: Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.”
    • His eternal conversation is not endless, and does not stay on the same theme. The theme of a troubled soul. He turns to his soul and the Psalmists addresses his Troubled Soul. His soul goes from the “Troubled Soul” to the “Hopeful Soul”.

2. The Hopeful Soul

  • Talk to Yourself
    • The Psalmist talks to himself
      • Verse 5: Why are you in despair, O my soul? And Why have you become disturbed within me?
      • Verse 11: Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?
      • The Psalmist talks to his soul, He confronts his soul, He interrogates your soul, he rebukes his soul, and he exhorts his soul.
      • Book: Spiritual Depression by Martin Loyde Jones
        • ” Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?”
          • There is a wealth of difference making and discernment in this Psalm.
          • Whenever you find yourself unhappy, it is because you are listening to yourself rather than speaking “TRUTH” to yourself. You must Preach the gospel and preach the WORD to yourself.
          • One conversation with yourself is not sufficient as the troubled soul is not changed because of one exposition and one exhortation.
      • How to Talk to your soul.
        • Verse 5: “Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him For the help of His presence.”
          • Hope in God.
            • Spurgeoun Said, “God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too wise to be unkind. When you can’t trace his hand, That’s when you must learn to trust His heart.”
        • A Sentence: Talk to your soul.
  • Talk to God
    • Verse 8: “The LORD will command his loving kindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.”
    • Why, in corporate worship, do you not feel downcast? Because you are not LISTENING to yourself when you participate in corporate worship. You are speaking and singing truth to God and to your soul.
    • You can’t read this Psalm and Shouldn’t read this Psalm without remembering our Savior’s uniquely troubled soul.
      • “Now my Soul is troubled.”
      • “My Soul is Very sorrowful even to death!” – Garden of Gesemete
      • “My God, God why have you forsaken me”
        • If our soul is downcast we must remember that the saviors soul was crushed by God because he bore our sin.
        • He was crushed so that our soul should not be downcast.
        • How much more can we sing of God’s steadfast love because of the sacrifice on the cross. We would be re missed if we didn’t remember the Troubled soul of Christ. His soul that was troubled because of God’s wrath.

If Our soul is troubled we must remember the transforming power of the cross and of the Gospel.

Jun 23

Resolved Conference: Monday Morning: John MacArthur

Resolved Conference
Monday Morning: June 15th, 2009
John MacArthur (1st Peter 5)
The Sanctifying Shepherd

Asked a Man 78 years old. “What are your thoughts as you go to heaven?”
The man replied, “I never got over the sin of pornography.”

“My fear for you is in regard to you and to the church you go to”
“You need Sanctifying shepherds”
“We must be under the sanctifying word of God constantly.”

What is a Pastor to be?

The Bizarre notion of Proliferation of Independent Churches.

  • The Independent Churches are troubling because they have independent pastors that answer to no one.

The Basic Question:

What is a Pastor Called to Do:
1st Peter 5:1-4.
“Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but providing to be examples to the clock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

  • Pastors are called to Shepherd the FLOCK OF GOD.

Acts 20:28
“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

The is only one way to minister to the flock and that is through the WORD.

You measure the effectiveness of a man’s ministry by seeing How Godly his flock is.

John 17:12
While I was with then, protected them and kept them safe by the name you gave me. Non has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

  • That is the mandate. To be sanctified by truth…and the WORD IS TRUTH.

As a Pastor my responsibility is not to be clever, not to the community, but in the sanctification and the shepherding of the flock THROUGH THE WORD!

The church is a worshiping people.

Sanctification is conformity to the Word of God.

Churches today try to reach the non saved at the neglect of the sanctification of the church.

The Bible was written for the church. When we try to reach the non-saved we cannot base sermons on biblical exposition. THE SCRIPTURE IS FOR BELIEVERS, THE ELECT, FOR THE REGENERATE.

All Scripture is inspired by God, is profitable for the man of God. TO equip the man of God for every good work.

Ephesians 4:1
“I command you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

Sheep need to be protected: PREACH THE WORD so they are moving toward Christ likeness.

Pastors are the human means of the sanctifying of God’s people.

1st Corinthians 2:14
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from
the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot
understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

You cannon teach the bible to non-believers, they won’t believe it.

Jesus is the greatest teacher that ever lived, but they never responded to Christ until they were regenerate.

John 8:43-47
“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no Truth in him Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”

The Truth is only accepted and heard by the True Church.
Why is the Word so hated, because non-Christians are hostile to truth because they are enemy’s of God (Paul) and the Word is the revelation of God.

There is a controlling, dominating, irresistible, force in the spirit of the unbelievers that makes them incapable of hearing the word and the truth. They are dead in their transgressions and sins, they are doubly blinded by God (2 Corinthians 4:4).

As Christians we must face the reality that we still have persistent sin. It shows in a consistent, resentment and animosity toward scripture. (Romans 7:14-17)

Preach the Word over and over. In all the ways and angles that the Scripture presents the truth.

The longer you live the more you grow weary of the battle of sin between myself and my flock. (1st Corinthians 11)
“Who is week without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern”.

Preach the word of God to the people of God for they alone can believe the Word of God. Then they can go out and live renewed, transformed life.

Show me your redeemed life and I might be inclined to believe in your Redeemer.

2nd Corinthians 10:3
“For Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.”

We are in the business in destroying ideas that are contrary to the word of God. And we use the word of God to smash these ideas.

Galatians 4:19
“My Children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” (This is the pastoral mandate. To help sanctify God’s children through the word.

“Ministry is about finding people with whom I can pour my entire life until Christ is formed in them.” – John MacArthur

Matthew 18:6
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
(Little ones refers to not babies, but to Christians who are child like. “No one can enter the kingdom of heaven without entering as a child”

“If ever I am the cause of their stumbling of their sin, if ever I retard the process of their sanctification, to ever mislead them, It would be better for me to die.” – John MacArthur.

“I solemnly charge you to never be the means of leading another one into sin, if I sin alone it is bad enough, but I cause another to sin it would be doubly worse.” – Charles Spurgoun

The Sanctifying Shepherd understands the power of the flesh, the world, and of Satan and he protects his sheep from them. The Sanctifying Shepherd understands the power of truth, the word, of confrontation, and of example.

Be followers of me, as I am of Christ. Be examples of the flock so they can follow you in your faith. The goal of all of this is ministry help sanctify the flock.

FIND THAT SHEPHERD.

Be glorified in your church by having the church Manifest Christ-likeness.

Jun 22

Resolved Conference: John Piper: Sunday Evening

Resolved Conference
Sunday Evening: June 14th, 2009
John Piper (Colossians 1:16)
God’s Supreme Right and Authority overall things Including Sin.

Children need to know about the Sovereignty of God.
The Sovereignty of God is needed.

God is Sovereign
God is Purposeful
God is Gracious

2 Points

  • Lucifer’s Sin
  • Adam’s Sin


2nd. Chronicles 10:15
So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from God that the LORD might establish His word

2nd Chronicles 18:22
Now therefore, behold, (A)the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you.

2 Chronicles 25:20
“But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, that He might
deliver them into the hand of Joash because they had sought the gods of
Edom.”

Proverbs 16:4
“The LORD has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the day of evil.”

Colossians 1:16
For by Him all things were created, both in heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him.

Of all the things that Paul could have named in verse 16 he named, “Thrones, Dominions, Rulers, Authorities”. The Rulers and Authorities refers to the supernatural.

  • Colossians 2:15
    • “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

God did not make them evil.
Jude: 1:6 “And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but
abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with
everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.”

God Ordained the fall of Lucifer

  • Ordained could mean God causing something to happen.
  • Or permits something to happen knowing the full implications of what could happen.
  • I don’t choose one. I know that God could stop it but he does not.

God Knows Before creation that his Heavenly and Earthly creature are going to go wrong.

  • Revelation 13:8
    • All inhabitants
      of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been
      written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from
      the creation of the world.

      • The name of the “book” is The Book of Life of the Lamb Who Was Slain
    • God Knew that when he made anything it was going to need to be died for.
  • 2nd Timothy 1:9
    • “Who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything
      we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was
      given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time”
  • Everything was created through him and for him. This entire History was created to make God look great.

All Things were created through him and for him for the Glory of Christ.

We are not duelists: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER SATAN.

Mark 12:27
God created the

John 8:44
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your
father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to
the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his
native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

James 4:15
Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Job
God is in Control.

Luke 22:31
Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” WHEN YOU HAVE TURNED BACK. God is orchestrating how far he will let Satan go.

The Only reason we have not made shipwreck of our faith is because Jesus is Praying for you.

2nd Corinthians 4:4
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The
god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they
cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God.”

Colossians 1:16
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

Why Doesn’t God Just Get Rid of Satan Now?

  • He is not protecting Satan’s free will.
  • Christ would get Glory if he threw him in the lake of fire now.
  • But if he dies for our sin and saves us from Satan and receives a following because of his irresistible Grace and beauty, He gets more Glory.
    • Now is the son of man glorified and God is glorified in him.
  • 2nd Corinthians 12:7-9
    • “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me–to keep me from exalting myself!” Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness ” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
      • We are involved in a life long war to give God glory and we must gladly bare the Thorn so that the “Power of Christ may Dwell in Me”
  • God is not making any mistake by leaving Satan in the world because his aim is to give God glory.

God is Sovereign

  • The first sin in the universe is a mystery but we do know that God is sovereign over it.
    • God ordained that sin be with out God sinning when he ordains that sin to be.

Adam’s Sin
When Adam sinned we sinned. God in planning the Cross God planned the fall.

Romans 5:12
Therefore, Just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all me, because all have sinned. for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one he many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by he grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the
judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on
the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting
in justification.

Verse 20-21 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  • The Grace comes through Righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Jun 18

Resolved Conference: John MacArthur

This was an interesting sermon during the Resolved Conference. It was a bit off topic but it was still very interesting. Below is a link to the sermon as well as my notes.


Resolved Conference
Sunday Evening: June 14th, 2009
John MacArthur
Creationism

One of the ways we fail to bring Glory to God is by Failing to acknowledge God as Creator.
  • Worshiping God means to Worship God as Creator.
  • Biblical Theology should trump all other knowledge.
  • The bible is fact, and it is truth.

Categories of Knowledge
Time Force Space Matter

Fidelity (Faithfulness)

  • You either believe the bible or you do not.
  • God Created the World in six 24 hour days.
    • (Literal: We are required to keep the Sabbath Holy because God worked six days and then rested on the seventh.
  • There is no such thing as Creation Science.
    • There is no science that explains the creation.
      • Creation was not observed.
        • cannot be verified
        • cannot be repeated
    • It is Miraculous.
  • There is nothing in the Genesis account that makes any reference to the Evolutionary process.
  • He has told us what he has told us in Genesis 1 and 2 and that is all.
  • Creation cannot be explained be any natural laws.
  • God didn’t use evolution because evolution requires death and death didn’t come until after the fall.
    • Evolution is hostile to the scripture, and is hostile to the God of the scripture
  • Job 38:4 (God ridicules the idea that Man can stand and tell God about his creation.)

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.”

Ask any Christian organization, school, church about their understanding of Genesis 1 and 2.

An Issue of Simplicity:

  • Genesis is not a complex chapter
  • It is six days of creation
  • God is the Creator, He wants to be known and glorified as the creator.
  • Fear God and give him glory, the one who made the heaven and the earth.
  • Nehemiah 8 and 9
    • Worshiped God as redeemer and Creator.

Priority

  • What is God’s purpose of God creating?
  • God is working a plan.
    • Everything from creation and consummation there is God’s will.
  • God Created everything to achieve a specific end.
    • The work of salvation and the work of redemption.
      • Everything created is means of working through redemption.
    • Absolutely nothing is random.
  • 2nd Corinthians 4 (Johnathan Edwards loved this)

    • “For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” Is the one who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of knowledge of glory of God in the face of Christ.”
    • Christ’s salvation of us is analogous of God’s creation.
      • The analogy of salvation and creation shows that salvation like creation is an instantaneous miracle.

The Evangelical Environmentalism

  • God cursed the earth.
  • 52% of evangelicals support strict environmental sanctions.
  • Legitimate science has discovered a correlation between increased sun spots and warmer temperature.
    • Industry does not affect the climate.

The Uncreation

2nd Peter 3:10
“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

Jun 15

Resolved Conference Sunday Morning: Steve Lawson

Resolved Conference
Sunday Morning: June 14th, 2009
Steve Lawson
Blessed Purity (Mathew 5, 3-12)

Click here to Download the Sermon from the Resolved Website.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Steve Lawson

Mathew 5, 3-12.

3Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the sald of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again. It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampeld under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on hill cannot be hidden.”

“Govern your heart and you govern your life.”

Focus on Verse 8
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Five Headings and Key Words
1. Priority of the Heart

  • Blessed are the Pure in Heart
    • (The Heart refers to the inner categories)
      • The Mind (The Seat of the Intelect)
      • The Emotions (The seat of the desires and affections)
      • The Will (The Seat of the valition)
    • All of the beaititudes are about the Heart.
      • Blessed are the poor
      • Blessed are those who Mourne
      • Blessed are the merciful
  • God prioritizes that the Heart must be right with God. It must be pure
    • It is a Heart Religion

2. Purity of the Heart.

  • Blessed are the Pure in Heart.
    • He will only bless those who are pure in heart.
    • Pure: To be cleaned of all dirt and impurities.
      • Purity of Mind
      • Purity of Emotions
      • Purity of Will
    • The Lord tests the Heart for purity.
      • He is testing the heart to make sure is it pure. To make sure that the heart has one singular desire, the desire for God.
        • Leviticus 11:44
          • “For I am the LORD your God Concentrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.”
    • Clean Hands are a result of a pure heart.
      • If we are to fellowship with God we must be pure and clean.
    • Romans 12:1
      • “Therefore I urge you brethren by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and HOLY sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
    • Call on the LORD with a PURE heart.
    • Your entire life is flowing out of your heart. Make certain that your Heart is pure.

3. The Problem of the Heart

  • The Fact that God calls for a pure heart logically implies that our hearts are not born pure.
    • “The Hearts of the sons of man are full of evil and insanity.” – Soloman
    • “The head is sick.” – Issiah
    • All problems are traced back to a lack of purity in the heart.

4. The purifying of the Heart

  • How can my heart become pure?
    • It begins with Salvation (regeneration)
      • When God gives us a new heart.
        • Ezekial 36:25
          • Then I will sprinkle water on you, and make you clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
    • We must watch over our hearts.
  • Maintaining a Pure Heart (Five Ways to maintain a Pure Heart)
    • Wash in the Word. (The word has sanctifying power)
      • “How can a young man keep his heart pure? By keeping it in the word.”
      • It is the word that sanctifys and purifies the heart.
        • Ephesians 5:26
          • “So That God might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”
      • The Word will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the word.
    • Baithe in the blood
      • There is power in the blood of Christ to cleanse us of sin.
        • A fountain that will keep us from blood.
    • Submit to the Spirit
      • The Spirit of God is the Holy Spirit.
        • It works to conform us into the image of Jesus Christ.
        • Romans 1:4
    • Pray for Purity
      • We cannot make ourselves clean. Only God can make us clean.
        • “Create in me a Clean Heart”
        • Psalm 51:7. “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow”
    • Run with the righteous.
      • He walks with those who are pure will be pure.
      • Our closest friends must be those who are pursing holiness.
      • 1st Corrinthians

5. The Priviledge of the Pure Heart

  • “For THEY (They implies they and they alone)who are pure in heart, they shall see God”
  • Five Subjects of the Pure in Heart.

    • We see God in Creation
        • We see more than the impure of Heart. We see the finger prints of God in Creation. They see “Mother Earth”
        • Psalm. 19:1 “The Heavens declare the Glory of God”
    • We See God in Providence
      • We see the invisible hand of God in the affairs of Providence
        • We see God ordering circumstances.
        • The impure of heart see “luck” or “Karma”.
      • There is no such thing as blind faith.
      • There are no “Maverick Molocules”
      • “Not a Sparrow falls apart from the Lord.
      • “For God works all things toghether for good for those who love him”.
    • We see God in Scripture
      • When the impure heart opens the bible the impure heart sees myths, mistakes, erros. A God with a small G. It sees only a mere characature of God.
      • The one who is pure in heart sees God everywhere in scripture.
        • It sees that God created everything out of nothing in six consecutive days.
    • We see God in Christ
      • We see more than a teacher come from God, we see that God came to teach.
        • He who as seen me has seen the Father.
    • We shall see God face to face.
      • Theolgians refer to this as the most glorious and grand vision that our eyes will ever behold
      • Revolation 22:4 “They will see his face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
Favorite People in Church History:

1. George Whitfield
2. John Calvin
3. Charles Spurgeon

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