Registration Now Open!

Yep - head on over to T4G , registration is now open for the 2008 Together for the Gospel conference. However, they still haven't revealed the theme of the conference, or the different subjects for each session. I guess we'll just have to keep waiting.

JN

Divorce and Remarriage Revisited

So, we have talked some about divorce and remarriage. I find myself agreeing with the "betrothal-period" view concerning the Matthew texts. I think a few of you have said the same. There may be some disagreements among us on this issue, but for the most part we are all in the minority position... which means we have some 'splaning to do.

I know the issue of remarriage will come up sooner or later in my ministry. Has it come up with you? How have you approached this issue with people who've requested you to marry them though they've been married before?

I'm sure the "preemptive" attack (teaching and preaching about marriage, divorce, and remarriage) is most effective, but how else have you tried to teach the truth to God's people on this important issue?

Guess Who's Got Game!

A friend of mine - T. C. - who lives in Louisville stumbled upon C. J. Mahaney and John MacArthur playing basketball in the gym at Southern Seminary. A few of the seminarians joined up in a pickup game, and not surprisingly, C. J. Mahaney held his ground quite well as a b-ball player. What may surprise you, however, is that John MacArthur (playing in slacks and dress shoes) made 20 of 22 three pointers. He was on fire! More importantly, here are two men who disagree quite strongly on some issues (i.e. - one is a Charismatic, the other wrote "Charismatic Chaos"), yet they played as teammates. We should all desire this kind of camaraderie with other pastors and Christians who are different from us on some issues, but together for the Gospel.

(Now be honest. Who do you think is the best b-baller in our fellowship?)

Preaching Well

"A man preacheth that sermon only well unto others which preacheth itself in his own soul. And he that doth not feed on and thrive in the digestion of the food which he provides for others will scarce make it savoury unto them; yea, he knows not but the food he hath provided may be poison, unless he have really tasted of it himself. If the word do not dwell with power in us, it will not pass with power from us." - John Owen

Preaching the Cross

It's here! The book "Preaching the Cross" - derived from the sessions at the 2006 T4G Conference - is finally available. It contains Dever on keeping the cross central, Ligon Duncan on preaching the gospel from the Old Testament, Mohler on preaching with the culture in view, Sproul on the doctrine of justification, Piper on expository exhultation, Mahaney on watching our life and doctrine, and MacArthur reflecting on 40 years of ministry. Check it out here.

Oh - registration for T4G08 is opening soon - possibly this next week. We'll talk about a group trip at our meeting tomorrow.

Justin N.

Encouragement for Pastors

This is from Desiring God's Blog. I thought you may be encouraged by it.
Encouragement for Pastors

Back to Baptism

I have thought a lot about the issues of Baptism since the last time I asked this question, but I feel I must do it again. The question was about the age of baptism. There were some very good comments about this, but I am still struggling a little. Maybe I'm wrong, but I am thinking that the issue is more of a gospel issue. Maybe the reason we have baptized so many people who are not regenerate isn't so much of an age issue as it is a gospel issue. What I mean by this is that so often churches have watered down the message so much (so that a child can understand) that the child truly is responding to that message. I am not sure that the answer is to not baptize a younger person as much as it is to make clear the gospel. By making the gospel very clear (even using terms like regeneration, justification, glorification, sanctification, etc.) would help answer this question about age. Any thoughts on this?

Together For The Gospel 2008

T4g.org has now posted a new video looking back at the 2006 conference and previewing the 2008 conference.

It's Not Fair

Sorry to bump your post so quickly, Justin. I'm trying to heed your encouragement to post something.

You may have encountered this question in your church sometime: "What about the people who've never heard the gospel? Do they get a chance to respond to the good news?"

We had that question last night as our book study group discussed a chapter on missions from Piper's, "Don't Waste Your Life." There were a couple of members who voiced opinions about the fairness of everyone getting a chance to hear. I don't think I handled it as well as I could have.

I, of course, explained that people don't go to hell because they refuse the gospel, but because they have sinned against God and broken his laws. I explained that what would really be "fair" is if God sent us all to hell, because of our sin. I explained that the Scripture indicates (Rom. 1) that all people are without excuse. I explained that people must call on the name of the Lord to be saved, but that they can't unless a preacher goes to them (Rom. 10). That's part of our motivation for missions. That people can't be saved apart from the gospel, and that we are the means by which the gospel spreads.

Here's where I think I muffed it: After several folks refused to go along with me (a few did agree with me, though), citing the unfairness of it all, I said that ultimately some of these things are mysterious to us and that we must trust the all-wise God in his grace and truth, and mercy and justice in this matter. I strongly asserted my view (which I told them I thought was biblical), but I felt like I kind of "whimped out" in the end.

What do you think? How have you handled this question? Did I "whimp out?" What should I have done? Thanks for your input.

Are You God-centered? Really?

Some stirring quotes from God Is The Gospel:

"The acid test of of biblical God-centeredness - and faithfulness to the gospel - is this: Do you feel more loved because God makes much of you, or because, at the cost of his Son, he enables you to enjoy making much of him forever? Does your happiness hang on seeing the cross as a witness to your worthy, or as a way to enjoy God's worth forever?"

"The sad thing is that a radically man-centered view of love permeates our culture and our churches. From the time they can toddle we teach out children that feeling loved means feeling made much of...This distortion of divine love into an endorsement of self-admiration is subtle. It creeps into our most religious acts. We claim to be praising God because of his love for us. But if his love for us is at bottom his making much of us, who really is being praised? We are willing to be God-centered, it seems, as long as God is man-centered."

"Our fatal error is believing that wanting to be happy means wanting to be made much of. It feels so good to be affirmed. But the good feeling is finally rooted in the worth of self, not the worth of God. This path to happiness is an illusion. And there are clues. There are clues in every human heart before conversion to Christ. One of those clues is that no one goes to the Grand Canyn or to the Alps to increase his self-esteem. That is not what happens in front of massive deeps and majestic heights. But we do go there, and we go for joy. How can that be, if being made much of is the center of our health and happiness? The answer is that it is not the center. In wonderful moments of illumination there is a witness in our hearts: soul-health and great happiness come not from beholding a great self but a great splendor."

May you all have wonderfully sweet gatherings this weekend!

Justin N.