Someone took better notes than I did at SMBC preaching conference

check out this blog by Gary.

Day 4 at SMBC Preaching Conference – John Woodbridge

Woodbridge continues his lecture yesterday on Awakening.

1857-58 Awakening

• Prayer meetings
• Context: recession, Wall street collapsed
• Jeremy C. Lanphier led prayer revival – invited street people to lunch prayer meetings
• 2 million people converted
• God is a hearing God, and He hear prayer of people who have no way to go
• God pours out the Holy Spirit
• We have not, believe not, and ask not
• God uses lay people, little people
• unity in this movement

Billy Graham and his commitments

• Serve the Lord w/o reservation
• commit to biblical ethics (biblical standard, purity, integrity)
• linking bible authority to evangelism
• preach the Gospel with courage
• give God the credit for ministry success
• sexual purity
• genuine prayer for the Holy Spirit

John gives us a big picture of how God is at work through the revivals. In conclusion, he summarizes with the following principles:

• Only God knows who He is chosen
• We (US) are not in a good shape. Pray for a leader who is like Billy Graham, Wesley, Whitefield, or Jonathan Edwards
• We are called to be faithful
• The power of the Lord gets us through this life with our faith in Him.

Day 4 at SMBC Preaching Conference – Jerry Bridges

Yesterday I was so tired after a whole day out at SMBC so I didn’t get a chance to post this.

In the morning, Jerry Bridges continued his talk on “the Respectable Sins of the Preacher”. The key passage was from Matt. 19:28-20:16. “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Two respectable sins:

First, “I earn God’s blessing by my obedience and sacrificial service.

• we think God owns us something (Luke 17:7-10)
• Our default setting is worse – we pay our own way
• our obedience earns God’s favour (Romans 4:4)
• Jesus Christ has bought and paid every answered prayers and grace we ever received (“purchased grace”)
• The Parable of the Workers in the vineyard
• Jerry gave an example about Navigators vs. Campus Crusades. God’s blessed CC more to others than to me. God says that is mine to give. He has this free sovereign grace.
• In this case, this is not a cause-effect relationship.
• God exercises His sovereignty (Luke 4:16, 24)

Secondly, comparing oneself with others

• I’m better than others
• 1 Cor. 4:7
• Matt 25:14ff (you’ve worked according to your ability)
• God holds us accountable only according to our ability/ the gifts He’s given to us.
• Self Pity
• Many people in ministry feel that they are over-worked, under paid and under appreciated, and they often feel self-pity
• 2 Cor 4:7, Paul calls himself “jars of clay”
• surpassing power belongs to God
• Acts 24:27 – only one verse talks about Paul’s 2 years imprisonment. Is he contend? God left Paul in prison and Paul learned contentment.
• contentment vs. self-pity

Sin of Internet pornography

• no one knows
• How to deal with? (Rom. 4:8)
• no sin can be deal with unless the sin is forgiven in your heart
• God no longer accounts that sin against you.