Shepherd’s Conference ’09
Pastor Jay & Pastor Emilio are back from the ’09 Shepherds Conference, and highly recommend we listen to the following sermons from the conference:
Phil Johnson
General Session 7 (download audio here)
Steve Lawson
General Session 8 (download audio here [free but requires registration])
John MacArthur
General Session 9 (download audio here [free but requires registration])
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Below are summaries of our pastor’s favorite sermons from the conference by Pulpit Magazine:
Phil Johnson – General Session 7 (download audio here)
This morning, we will look at two verses in Titus 2:7-8. Titus was a young pastor who was extremely precious to Paul. And Paul writes to Titus with the instructions found in vv. 7–8.
Phil chose this text because he is concerned about the tendency among some pastors to use vulgar topics, filthy jokes, and the like in ministry today under the guise of cultural contextualization. There are those who claim that this kind of speech is essential in order to be relevant to reach the culture. But the apostle Paul said otherwise.
The New York Times Magazine recently did a major article on Mark Driscoll, and this was a major issue that was brought up by the article…..
Steve Lawson – General Session 8 (download audio here [free but requires registration])
Steve Lawson gave a rousing message on the need for pastors to protect the purity of the Gospel. His text was Galatians 1:6-10, where Paul rebuked the Galatians for their willingness to quickly abandon the truth for another gospel. So many in evangelicalism today are promoting another gospel; but faithful pastors must know the truth and proclaim it boldly. Dr. Lawson’s passion was infectuous, and the session ended in heartfelt applause. For a more-detailed outline of Dr. Lawson’s message, please click here…..
John MacArthur – General Session 9 (download audio here [free but requires registration])
At the Friday evening session of the Shepherds’ Conference, John MacArthur addressed “The problem of evil,” or theodicy as it is often called in theological circles. In discussing this issue, Dr. MacArthur made the following points:
1. Evil exists and it is folly to claim that it doesn’t. There are several categories of evil:
a. Natural evil (such as natural disasters and disease)
b. Moral evil (the sinful actions of people)
c. Supernatural evil (the actions of Satan and demons)
d. Eternal evil (the eternal condition of those in hell)
2. God exists (and He is the God of the Bible)
God controls absolutely everything. There is no evil outside His plan. There is no evil outside His purpose. He knows everything that can be known, that is knowable. He has comprehensive power to do everything that can be done that is possible. That is what the Bible says about God. And in that perfect knowledge, and in that perfect power, and with perfect holiness, and expressing His perfect love, God ordains everything.
3. God wills evil to exist. He has allowed evil and sin within His sovereign purposes so that His holiness and grace might be put on display.
Without sin and evil, we wouldn’t know that He is as righteous as He is, as loving as He is, and as holy as He is. God allowed sin so that He could display His wrath. Without sin, there would be no display of righteousness, no display of love and no display of holiness. God endures sin. “He endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction” (Rom. 9:22). He endures sin patiently so that in the end He might be glorified by displaying both His wrath (v. 22) and His grace (v. 23).
The whole reason God ordained evil to exist was for His own glory sake, so that forever and ever holy angels and redeemed saints would give Him glory in full comprehension of all His attributes. Prior to sin God was not worshiped fully for His righteousness against the background of unrighteousness. He was not worshiped nor could be fully for His love until He demonstrated the kind of love that loves rebellious sinners. He was not worshiped fully for His holiness until His wrath displayed how He hated sin. And He was not worshiped for His grace until He displayed forgiveness and mercy on the elect. In every case there is this great disclosure of the nature of God. Why? In order to fully display His glory.
For another report on Dr. MacArthur’s address, see this site.
(for the 2 sermons above that require registration please note you will need to login first as a Shepherds’ Fellowship member. If you are not a member, you can sign up for free (at which point you will have access to all of the audio).
After you access the media vault [at the link above, or by clicking on the "Resources" tab], click on “Shepherds’ Conference” and then on “2009″ to access this year’s audio. Pick what you want and download it to your computer.)