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Founder’s Week 2012

February 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
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I was privileged to take 4 students to Founder’s Week at Moody Bible Institute this year. If you are unfamiliar with Founder’s Week, it is a weeklong conference that takes place at Moody Bible Institute every year. They bring in some of the most well-known speakers from around the world to bring the truth of Scripture to students, faculty, donors, as well as the public. The conference is made free to the public and is a phenomenal event.

I thought that I would provide some of my notes on the challenges that were given to us by the different speakers that we heard. All of their messages can be accessed here: Founder’s Week Messages. I have also added a link to each individual message in the section in which I talk about it.

Francis Chan spoke on Wednesday night and was the first speaker that we were privileged to hear. We arrived an hour early because we were anticipating a large crowd. We barely got a seat in time. It was packed. All of the overflows were filled up as well as a few off-site overflows. I heard that there were about 8,000 people in attendance!

Francis Chan did not disappoint. He seemed to discard whatever message he had planned and preach directly from his heart. He is so passionate and genuine, it is hard not to like him. You’ll see what I mean if you watch his talk (Francis Chan).

I will list some of the main points that I drew from his message…

-”It’s a fight to be a “doer” of God’s Word” – Ezekiel 33:30-33

-He talked a lot about the idea of “popping out of the Bible.” He asked if someone would ever describe us personally, or our churches as “looking like we popped right out of Scripture.” That was definitely a challenge to me. Do I live like Christ called me to live?

-”God does powerful, crazy things in the lives of those who know Him intimately.”

-He also talked about evangelism and how we should be sharing like crazy. He admitted that his tendency is to not share his faith, but he has purposed himself against that leaning and has made it his purpose to share his faith. That was a challenge to me as well.

-He mentioned 1 Corinthians 9:19 and encouraged us to be servants to all people in order that we might win their souls to Christ. When we serve with this in mind, it makes it so much sweeter! Knowing that we are serving to win people to Christ. He admitted that unbelievers are not easy to serve, but that is was God has called us to do.

 

The next speaker that we had the privilege of hearing (twice) was Mark Bailey. He is the president of Dallas Theological Seminary, which is a very well-known and well-respected seminary.

In his first message, he emphasized the importance of forgiveness and gave a very powerful challenge to us. His text was Matthew 18:21-35.

-”Forgiveness is a beautiful word… until you have something to forgive.” – C.S. Lewis

-This text is the story of the unforgiving servant that I am sure most of you are familiar with. It is a very powerful one when looking at forgiveness.

-Here are his application points.

1. I have offended God infinitely more than anyone has ever offended me.

2. Forgiveness is rooted in compassion, which releases the person and cancels the debt (v.27).

3. Forgiveness is an act of the will to extend mercy to the asking (v. 30).

4. An unforgiving heart transforms the offended into the offender (v.32-33)

5. The failure to forgive will result in the failure to be forgiven.

-”The will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” – Corrie Ten Boom

 

We were then extremely privileged to hear James Meeks. He is the Pastor of Salem Baptist Church in Chicago and he is a State Representative in Illinois. He was one of my favorites. His message was entitled, “There is a Mission in Trouble.”

-He challenged the church to determine whether or not the church’s mission is clearly defined. When our mission is not defined, it is really difficult to accomplish the mission.

-He used the illustration of a kids’ television show called, “Wonder Pets.” It was a very humorous illustration, but his point was, that their mission is clearly defined. The Wonder Pets exist to help other animals who are in trouble. In every episode, they help another animal who is in trouble. They accomplish their mission, every time.

-He asks if we, as the church, are talking about soul winning. He says that if we aren’t there’s something wrong!

-The first thing Jesus says after His resurrection is, “Go ye therefore and make disciples.” The last  thing He said before His ascension was that we would receive power to share the gospel.

-He used a great illustration about fishing (listen to his message, you won’t regret it) to illustrate the idea that the job of pastor’s is to teach believers how to share their faith.

-His main points were:

1. The great commission is in trouble and we need to save it.

2. Soul winning needs to be trending in our lives and churches.

 

Thursday night we listened to Don Sunukjian. I had never heard of him before, but he did a really nice job! He is teacher and writer of homiletics (preaching). He is currently a professor of teaching and preaching at Talbot University.

-Don talked about what heaven will be like. He talked about Mark 12:18-27

-Don expounded on some really deep issues that I found very interesting. I just wish that he would have had more time to go deeper. The notes that I got from him were more personal reflections. If you would like to hear more, please listen to his message in its entirety.

 

Mark Bailey’s second message was another really good one. He spoke on the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. His text was Matthew 20:1-16. His message was entitled, “Hope in the Context of Uneven Faithfulness.”

-Mark emphasized the fact that God is just, sovereign, and generous.

-Salvation is impossible with man, but possible with God (19:26).

-He emphasized his message with a very solid illustration (watch and see).

-Two lessons to be taken from the message are:

1. I need to be faithful since God rewards proportionately

2. I need to be thankful

 

Dr. George Waddles was the next speaker. He is the pastor of Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago.

The main thing that I drew from his message was that I need to analyze the way that I treat other believers. I need to make sure that I treat them as brothers and sisters and love them in that way.

 

The final speaker was Ravi Zacharias. It was such a blessing to hear him. He is a well-known apologist for the Christian faith and has written many books. I need to listen to his message again because 1. He is so smart and 2. We had a crying baby in front of us that was very distracting the first time! His message was entitled, “The 4 Gardens of Truth and Relevance”

-Truth and relevance are very important when talking to anyone, especially skeptics.

-The 4 Gardens

1. Garden of Creation

2. Garden of Context

3. Garden of Contest/Grief

4. Garden of Hope

I hope that you will take the time to listen to some of these messages. I hope that you hear them all and are blessed by their ministries and messages. I definitely was. These are great men of God and it is such an honor to have heard from them.

 

 

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“Eschatology” – Future Events

September 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Eschatology is the study of last things, or end times. We will be discussing various topics in this study, beginning with the nature of death.

 We know that all people will die. Death is the end of the process of decay and of our mortal, corruptible bodies. Death is the end of our lives in our physical mortal bodies. It is not however the end of our existence. Death should be seen as a transition into a new kind of existence.

 Apart from physical death, we know that there is also eternal spiritual death. While physical death separates the soul from the body, spiritual death separates the person from God. We know that death has different results for the believer and the unbeliever. For the unbeliever, death is the ultimate curse which cuts on off from God for eternity. For believers, the curse has been taken by Christ. We are set free and have an eternity with God.

 The book of Revelation can be difficult to understand. Many people have tried to find symbolic or metaphoric interpretations of the book. The best way to interpret prophecy in Scripture is to interpret it literally. Literal interpretation recognizes when figurative language is used and it seeks to understand the truth that is being conveyed.

 The term rapture comes from the Latin translation, meaning “caught up,” In 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Here we must make an important distinction. The rapture is not the second coming of Christ. Scripture teaches us that Christ will descend and that the dead will be raised, then we who are left alive will be caught up together in the clouds. We will discuss the second coming later.

 The rapture is imminent, meaning that it can happen at any time and that there are no signs or events that must precede it. This event signals the beginning of the Tribulation, which will bring judgment on the unbelievers of the world.

 I have heard, and even been taught before, that when we die, we will all stand before God and have to see our sins played on a movie screen and give an account for them. What a terrible thing to have to do! Thankfully, this is not what Scripture teaches. The Bema Seat (or judgment seat), is a time when church-age believers will be rewarded for their faithfulness in their earthly life. The purpose of the judgment seat will be recompense for deeds done in the body, whether good or worthless (2 Cor. 5:10). Our sins will not be brought up at this time for they have been forgiven.

 The Tribulation serves two purposes: to bring about the conversion of Israel and the judgment of unbelieving people and nations (Isa. 26:21; Jer. 25:32-33). The conversion of Israel will be accomplished through God’s disciplinary dealing with His people, Israel (Jer. 30:7; Ezek. 20:37).

 The Church will not be present during the time of the Tribulation. The Tribulation is a time of the outpouring of God’s wrath, a time of punishment, a time of trouble, a time of great destruction, a time of desolation, and a time of judgment. These things are not consistent with God’s relationship to the Church. The Church is an object of God’s love, not His wrath.

 The Millennium begins at the end of the 7-year Tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will return (second coming) with all of His saints to rule on the earth for 1000 years. Christ will literally and physically rule the earth for these 1000 years. This period will be initiated by a cataclysmic event that will end the time of suffering and turmoil contained in the Tribulation. The Millennium will be a time of peace on the earth in which Christ will reign with His saints (Revelation 20:4-6).

 At the end of the Millennium there will be a rebellion, resulting in the final defeat of Satan and his forces. Then will come the final judgment of unbelievers and the beginning of the eternal state.

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“Ecclesiology” – Church (Part 2)

September 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The church participates in two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Christ himself instituted these ordinances.

 Baptism is the act of being fully immersed in water and brought back up to identify with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12). In the New Testament baptism was executed in only one way: the person being baptized was immersed or put completely under the water and then brought back up again (Mark 1:5; Acts 8:36-39)(Grudem).

 Baptism is an act that is appropriately administered only to those who have made a genuine profession of faith in Jesus Christ. By their baptism, a person is bearing witness to: his salvific faith in Christ (Acts 18:8), his union with Christ (Romans 6:1-4), and his desire to obey Christ (Matthew 28:19-20)(Barackman).

 A secondary symbol of baptism is the washing and cleansing from sins. Baptism is beneficial to the believer in that the Lord strengthens and encourages our faith. It is important to note that baptism is not necessary for salvation. However, it is necessary for our obedience to Christ.

 The Lord’s Supper is the second of the two ordinances. This ordinance is a sign of continued fellowship with Christ. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on the eve of His crucifixion, commanding that His followers continue to observe it until His return (Matthew 26:26-29)(Enns). The Lord’s Supper consists of eating and drinking elements that are symbolic of the physical body of Christ. These elements are not actually the body and blood of Christ (Transubstantiation) nor are Christ’s body and blood present in the elements (Consubstantiation). The elements are purely symbolic and give a visible sign that Christ himself is truly present.

 At the Lord’s Supper, we meet him at his table to partake. When we partake in the Lord’s Supper we are to remember what Christ has done for us and be thankful. Only those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus should participate in the Lord’s Supper. Another aspect to the Lord’s Supper is self-examination (1 Corinthians 11:27-29). Self-examination includes looking at our relationships within the body of Christ and making sure they are Christ honoring. It also means that we are to examine our thoughts, actions, and attitudes to make sure we have confessed all sin and that we are right with God.

 Worship is the act of glorifying God in his presence with our voices and hearts. Worship is a direct expression of our ultimate purpose for living. “to glorify God and fully to enjoy him forever” (Grudem).

 One thing about worship that we need to recognize, though it may seem obvious, is that God is worthy of worship and we are not. We know that God is a jealous God in the sense that he is jealous for his own honor. Therefore we must not give glory or worship to any creature or any created thing.

 Worship is not simply the time on Sundays when we sing songs to God. Musical worship is only a part of our worship. Worship is to be a lifestyle that characterizes believers. Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” Our act of presenting our lives to God is our act of worship. We can worship through singing, prayer, giving, fellowship, and any other action that brings glory to God.

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“Ecclesiology” – Church (Part 1)

August 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The true universal Christian church consists of all who have been saved during the present church Age and who have been joined by the Holy Spirit’s baptism to the Lord Jesus and to one another in Him to form a mystical body, of which He is the Head and the Life, and to be His espoused bride (Barackman).

 The universal church is a unified body; it includes both Jews and Gentiles. Christ died for this body and is the head over it. The universal church consists of believers, exclusively, whereas the local church may have unbelievers in attendance.

 The local church is any group of believers identified as an assembly or congregation. First Family Church is a ‘local church.’

 The church is not man-made. It has been established by God in a supernatural way. “As the church is a fact established by God, so is she the place where God acts for our salvation. Here the risen Lord encounters men, changes them from rebels against their Maker into children of their heavenly Father, brings them from enmity into peace” (EDT).

 The church is the Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23). Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. Christ has cleansed the church by the washing of His word and He is now sanctifying her so that she may be presented spotless for the marriage feast of the Lamb.

 Christ serves as the head of the church. Which makes us His body. The body of Christ is made up of believers who are part of the universal church. As the head has authority over the physical body and gives direction to it, so Christ is the head of the church, having authority over it and giving it direction (Ephesians 1:22-23)(Enns). We represent Christ to the world around us and we act as His hands and feet.

 The church is a place of fellowship with God and His word. His voice is heard in the proclamation of his Word and his acts are seen in the administration of his ordinances (EDT).

 The local church has a few different aspects to its service and ministry: First, the edification of the body itself; second, the evangelism of unbelievers; and third, the ministry to God, our worship.

 The edification of believers is a very important purpose of the local church. Paul says that our goal is not simply to bring others to saving faith, but to “present every man mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). As the church, it is important to teach believers so that they are able to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13).

 Fellowship is another important part of the edification of the body. Believers need to fellowship in suffering (Acts 4:23), in unity (Acts 2:46), in ministry (Acts 4:31), in prayer (Acts 2:14, 42), in the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:14), and around meals (Acts 2:46).

 The New Testament church did not contain itself within a building, but rather went out into the world as Jesus commanded. Jesus told his disciples that they should “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The work of the church in the world is to make disciples (learners), baptize them, and bring them into the fellowship of believers (Enns).

 Worship is a third ministry of the local church. Believers are called to sing and pray to God with thanksgiving (Colossians 3:16). We are to “live for the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12). Prayer is an important aspect of worship. We can worship God by praying and thanking him for all He is and all He has done.

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“Hamartiology” – Sin

August 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Hamartiology is the study of sin. Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature (Grudem). Sin is not only an act of wrongdoing but a state of alienation from God (EDT*).

 Sin is anything that violates the law of God or goes against the character of God. God is our perfect standard and it follows logically that anything that opposes Him is sinful.

 It is of extreme importance to understand the hatred that God has for sin. It is not merely a distaste or annoyance of sin. It is an intense, fiery hatred. Scripture is clear through and through that God has nothing to do with sin and that he punishes it with harsh justice.

 When dealing with the doctrine of sin it is important for us to direct our attention to the origin of sin. First, we must see that God did not create sin and God is not to blame for sin. Satan was the first being to sin and is thus the originator of sin. Adam and Eve sinned in the garden and thus were the first humans to sin.

 Even though God did not create sin and is not to be blamed for it, he did ordain that sin would come into the world. God accomplishes all things according to his will. He is a sovereign God who uses all types of situations and events to bring about his good and perfect will.

 Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan deceived them and told them that they would be like God. Grudem says it well, “Eve trusted her own evaluation of what was right and what would be good for her, rather than allowing God’s words to define right and wrong.”

 When we talk about our inherited sin from Adam, it can be seen in a couple different ways. When Adam sinned, God immediately thought of all mankind who would descend from Adam as having sinned. Just as God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us in our salvation, He also imputed Adam’s guilt to us after he sinned.

 We also inherit a sinful nature because of Adam’s sin. The fact that we have inherited a sinful nature does not mean that human beings are as bad as they could be. This is seen in the fact that we have civil laws and convictions of human conscience. It does mean that in our natures we lack spiritual good before God and that we are unable to do spiritual good before God.

 We were not only born with sinful natures and with inherited sin, we have all committed actual sins in our own lives (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10; 1 Kings 8:46). We are all guilty of sin not only because we inherited it, but also because we did it.

 Finally, there is punishment for sin. We encounter different consequences for the sins that we have committed on earth while we are alive on this earth. God’s eternal punishment for sin is far worse. God requires a punishment for sin because his righteousness demands it. He would be unjust if He did not punish sin. Punishment for the sin of unbelievers is eternal separation from God in hell.

*EDT stands for Evangelical Dictionary of Theology

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