Since the other day while I was going through spiritual slumps and depressions, by His grace, I found it imperative to be fed and reminded about the Gospel. We cannot ever hear enough of it. It is a constant reminder of dependence. I am convinced that the soul that treads week long without the preaching of the gospel, treads week long forgetting the rejuvenating flavor of food and drink. Such was what happened with me.
With that said let me share to you the fountain to which I have found sustenance this week, (apart from my own personal study of Scripture), the Resolved 2007 conference.
Back in June I posted links to the Resolved 2009 Conference, that of which was centered around the issue of sin. Resolved 2007 on the other hand (the first ever Resolved conference) is centered around the Gospel. A conference with so much Christ exalting truths to draw nourishment from:
The word conference does not appear in the Bible. A conference is a potentially effective tool however. It can be hosted in a way that glorifies God or in a way that dishonors him. Our complicated assignment is to construct a large public event that maintains the standards of a worship service while clearly communicating that this is not a local church. The objective of the Resolved Conference is to provide an attractive and dignified platform for true worship and preaching. There were a few cardinal rules that were laid down during the formative months of the conference that have held up throughout. These will also guide us going forward.
- The conference must glorify God through the exposition of His Word. Under normal circumstances the 18-30 demographic in southern California would not be expected to tolerate 9 hour long expository sermons in one weekend. However, as both the exponential growth of the conference and the overwhelmingly positive reception of the preaching shows presuppositions about this age group are sometimes wrong. Not only does God guarantee that his Word will not return void, but He also honors those who honor it. There is simply no other weapon at our disposal to accomplish the work of God in the heart of man.
- The conference must be historically grounded. The moorings of the conference are not only in the person of Jonathan Edwards, but the movement of God known as the Great Awakening. The Resolved conference is a celebration of the way God has moved in the past, and a prayer that He will be pleased to do it again. In the same way that the great festivals of the Bible were predicated on the historical event that they were named after (i.e. Passover), we endeavored to set this conference in the shadow of an event to remember – the Great Awakening.
- The conference must be evangelistically useful. Testimonies of salvation have already been received. The sermons at Resolved had logical progression and the result was compelling. The audience was left with an understanding of how even the death of believers brings glory to God through testifying our faith that death brings true life. Furthermore the true gospel appeals to sinners on the basis of who God is, and not what people already want. In this way the prosperity gospel is most clearly reduced to the empty promise that it is.
- The conference must encourage godly affections. No one who attended Resolved can deny that from the moment you step inside the theatre you are confronted with a clear mandate to worship God. Understanding the gospel in light of the call of discipleship as preached by Steve Lawson, the wonder of salvation as preached by Rick Holland, the absurdity of works righteousness as preached by C.J. Mahaney, the heartbreaking cost of the atonement as preached by John MacArthur, and the future oriented joy of being with God as preached by John Piper, all culminated in a lasting impression that we face persecution with joy in knowing if we die today we go to God! This is the godly affection (and dare I say emotion) that we intend to stir up in the hearts of those who attend the conference.
A Passion for God’s Supremacy and Compassion for Man’s Soul
John Piper | Mon, Feb 19, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Deflating the Puffed Up Church
C.J. Mahaney | Mon, Feb 19, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
God is the Gospel
John Piper | Sun, Feb 18, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
It Will Cost You Everything!
Steve Lawson | Sun, Feb 18, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Suffering Servant
C.J. Mahaney | Sun, Feb 18, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Panel Discussion
Resolved Speakers Sat, Feb 17, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Atonement & Justification (The Pharisee & the Tax Collector)
John MacArthur | Sat, Feb 17, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Preaching the Gospel Message
John MacArthur | Sat, Feb 17, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Unrivaled Supremacy of Jesus Christ
Steve Lawson | Sat, Feb 17, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Sinners in the Pierced Hands of an Angry God
Rick Holland | Fri, Feb 16, 2007Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[...] just learned of this hymn the other day as I was listening to Rick Holland’s sermon from the Resolved 2007 Conference entitled “Sinners in the Pierced Hands of an Angry God.” It broke me to much awe and [...]