T4G 08 – Session 7: John Piper – How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice.

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John Piper is the Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the author of more than 30 books and more than 25 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at the Desiring God Website.

Piper led us through several passages in Hebrews (10:32ff; 11:6, 24, 35; 12:2; 13:12ff) to explore and answer the question: How does the supremacy of Christ create radical Christian sacrifice?

His challenge was simple: radical Christian sacrifice occurs as we treasure Christ and our future with him beyond all that this world has to offer.

He called us to lay aside the riches and stuff of this world that so easily captures our attention, and treasure the supreme Christ above all else.

The message (like the 2nd message he preached at New Word Alive, available here) also addressed the supremacy of Christ and treasuring Him in the face of suffering and persecution. We have an indestructible joy that will sustain us in the midst of present sufferings.

T4G 08 – Session 6: Al Mohler – Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution

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Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., serves as the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary – the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.

Dr. Mohler has been recognized by such influential publications as Time and Christianity Today as a leader among American evangelicals. In fact, Time.com called him the “reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S“.

He is one smart guy! In fact, a running conference joke was that Mohler’s mind runs on 25+ tracks, where as the average pastor only has 1! As a result of only being an average pastor, Dr Mohler’s very academic message (more like a seminary lecture than preach) was like a whirlwind of information, that I struggled to keep up with, missing the other 24 tracks he was working on!!

He led us through a historical theology of the doctrine of penal substitionary atonement, highlighting its current serious threats from scholars and popular authors (i.e. Steve Chalke), and the theological arguments that are often raised against penal substitution. He also provided a defence against these arguments.

I left this session grateful that Dr Mohler IS operating on the level he is. In our day, we need men like this who are able to think deeply and thoroughly about the great truths of Scripture, and rigorously defend them on our behalf.

I also left the session grateful for the superb book “Pierced for Our Transgressions” by Jeffrey, Ovey and Sach, that deals with, and defends this vital issue in great detail, in an extremely acessible, yet not watered down way. I highly, highly recommend that book, both for its doctrinal weight, which will help us think clearly about this central tenant of the gospel; but also, for its devotional value, as we consider afresh just what Christ death accomplished.

Having mentioned earlier about our next Family Matters (don’t forget!) I thought this little video clip of all the things you mums have ever said to your kids packed into 60 seconds might give you a good laugh! Enjoy!

Our next Family Matters seminar is being held on Saturday 7th June 2008.

Please organise your babysitter NOW so you can make it for that Saturday. Our focus will be parenting.

Exact details of meeting time & venue to follow – watch this space! As always, questions are welcome ahead of time, leave a comment or send an email.

T4G 08 – Session 5: R.C Sproul – The Curse Motif of the Atonement

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Dr Sproul is a living Christian legend! Scholar, teacher, author, pastor. He is the founder and president of Ligonier Ministries, and currently serves as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Florida.

A prolific author, Dr Sproul, he has written more than 60 books, including the classic MUST-READ The Holiness of God, and scores of articles for national evangelical publications. Dr Sproul has produced more than 300 lecture series and has recorded more than 80 video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.

As Dr Sproul approaches his 70′s, it was a wonderful joy to have the privilege of sitting and hearing this hero of the faith preach live once again.

CJ Mahaney captured the dynamic affect of the life of R.C Sproul, when he introduced him by describing him as “Luther-like” in his defence of Justification by faith.

And Dr Sproul did not disappoint! This was, for me, far and away the best session of the conference, and one of the most brilliant, powerful, anointed, awe-filled and awesome messages I have EVER heard. Looking at my notes, you would think I didn’t enjoy or take it in, but I sat riveted to all Dr Sproul was saying.

He began by explaining that though he has studied the subject for 50+ years, he still feels like he is barely scratching the surface of the meaning and significance of the cross of Christ, and he explained how he planned to explore with us one angle on the multi-faceted glory of the gospel, by guiding us through the meaning and significance of the idea of God’s divine curse.

He took us to Galatians 3:10-14 and read how Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law not just by being cursed for us, but by becoming a curse for us – that he who is the incarnation of the glory of God now becomes the very incarnation of the divine curse.

He then explored with us the Old Testament understanding of “curse”, taking us through the idea of prophetic oracles of woe, and the Day of Atonement with the imagery of propitiation and sacrifice, scape-goat and expiation.

Then he masterfully, focused in on Christ’s Curse-taking work and all that took place at Calvary. Sproul explained that God is too holy to even look at sin. At the cross, His eyes are averted from His Son. The light of His countenance is turned off; all blessedness is removed from His Son whom He loves and in its place is the full measure of the divine curse. Bearing the full measure of the curse Christ screams out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”. R.C powerful taught that Jesus did not merely feel forsaken; He was utterly, totally and completely forsaken by the Father.

He finished by announcing that everyone who is not covered by the righteousness of Christ is still under this terrible curse of God, and their, and our, only hope is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is our only hope, but it IS hope ENOUGH!

Audio is now available for last week’s message by Peter: Meeting God in Our Fears (Psalm 56).

And today’s message from our new 6-week series: Engaging with the Holy Spirit (Part 1).