That place was a rip off.

Should Southern Baptists attend the SBC annual meetings?

I have been to two (2) SBC annual meetings. The first was in Dallas, because my pastor/mentor Kirk Taylor took me and it was local. The second was in St. Louis, because I could enjoy other things STL has to offer (e.g., family, Cardinals, and White Castle).

When I found out the 2009 meeting was in Louisville, I was interested because they have The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary there and White Castle. Funding issues aside, the SBC annual meeting doesn't typically show up on my radar screen of conferences I might attend.

Each year I go to the Desiring God pastors conference in Minneapolis, but it's uncommon I have the resources (time & money) to go to another conference during the year. If I do, Together for the Gospel or the Founders conference or the Ligonier Ministries pastors conference or various other conferences would get resource priority over the SBC annual meeting.

I'm not alone among my generation of Southern Baptists, but why is that? Is it just a matter of opportunity cost?

After reading Alvin Reed's post "Why Should I Attend the Southern Baptist Convention?" I have a more solidified understanding of why more of my generation are absent.

"NOTE: those my senior wanted to change the world for the gospel and believed the way to do that was through convention involvement; those my junior believe such involvement in the convention actually hinders their ability to change the world for the gospel!"

Is there a lack of confidence in the Cooperative Program? If so, why? Since each Southern Baptist church is autonomous, what are the worthwhile reasons for cooperation? Has the SBC lost focus or have the priorities been obscured by lesser endeavors?

If YOU don't go, why not? If you do attend, what motivates you to do so?

Benji, Casey, and Gunny Go to White Castle.

Like 2006, 2007, and 2008 I was in Minneapolis for the 2009 Desiring God pastors conference,* which, of course, includes the obligatory trip to White Castle. This year my bus mates were Benji Magness and Casey Jones.

Michael Oh's address, "Missions As Fasting" (manuscript pdf) was convicting on many levels. It was a good reminder of what missionaries give up to follow Christ:

"Missionary fasting requires forsaking comfort, recognition and family."

He noted 2 recent trends which pose a problem to going & sending:
1. The idea that we're all missionaries.

"The term 'missions' historically meant crossing geographical or cultural boundaries to make Christ known. Making Christ known in your native context is called evangelism, which is distinct from missions."

2. The abduction of mission language by non-missional groups.

"... this can lull us into thinking that we don't need to go in order to make Christ known, but can fulfill our obligation from where we are."

This year's keynote speaker was Mark Dever and he spoke to issues regarding evangelism in the church, particularly the pastor's role.

I most appreciated his 5 Things We Can Mistake for Evangelism:

1. Imposition (of our beliefs on others through manipulation or coercion)
2. Personal Testimony (of personal experience)
3. Social Action/Public Involvement
4. Apologetics (defending the faith) - "Apologetics is responding to the agenda somebody else sets; evangelism is executing God's agenda."
   
5. The Results of Evangelism

I've said and/or thought all of these before, but not nearly as systematically or eloquently.

In another session he addressed the focus of the worship service and the need to equip folks for evangelism:

"We don't want seeker-sensitive services, but for our members to have seeker-sensitive lives."

Matt Chandler of The Village Church in Highland Village (Dallas area) spoke to the topic of "The Shepherd and His Unregenerate Sheep."

He walked us through Paul's admonitions in 1 Timothy 4 reminding us that it is far too common to have church members and participants who know about Jesus, but don't actually know Him.

At one point he spoke of how a church can take on some of the character flaws of its leadership.

"I constantly pray that God would protect the people of The Village from me. "

It's been my experience that pastors often think they reach the pinnacle of sanctification upon seminary graduation, but we continue to grow through our service in the church. Chandler said,

"No one unpacked for me that being a pastor was going to be a part of my own sanctification. It’s going to be the process of God disciplining me for the rest of my life."

Dr. John "the Pipe" Piper does a yearly biographical sketch. This year, he shared with us the phenomenon known as George Whitefield: "I Will Not Be a Velvet-Mouthed Preacher." (manuscript)

He paid tribute to a man unparalled in his preaching endurance, physical delivery, and passion, but also a man of complexity (e.g., being a slave owner, but simultaneously undermining the practice of slavery by evangelizing the slave population and treating converts as brethren).

*Check out the conference page to listen or download audio (mp3), video, and/or notes & manuscripts of the sessions, including the Q&A.

When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master.

Over the next few days I will be attending the National Founders Conference at Bethel Baptist in Owasso, Oklahoma.

The theme is Lengthening the Cords & Strengthening the Stakes: Rnewing and Planting Local Churches.

You're welcome to check out live streaming video or the audio of the conference. (Transcripts are from Timmy Brister's liveblogging.)

SCHEDULE

Tuesday, June 24

3:30 pm - Ted Christman (Transcript)
An Exposition of Psalm1

6:30 pm - Andy Davis (Transcript)
Dangers in Reforming a Church

Wednesday, June 25

9:00 am - Tom Nettles (Notes, pdf)
Biographical Sketch of Daniel Marshall

10:30 am - Voddie Baucham (Transcript)
Building a Solid Doctrinal Foundation

6:30 pm - Ed Stetzer (Transcript)
Lengthening the Cords and Strengthening the Stakes, Part 1

Thursday, June 26

9:00 am - Don Whitney (Transcript)
Reforming through Discipline

10:30 am - Ed Stetzer (Transcript)
Lengthening the Cords and Strengthening the Stakes, Part 2

1:30 pm - Leadership Dialogue (Transcript)

6:30 pm - Andy Davis (Transcript)
The Importance of Filling Your Life With Scripture

Friday, June 27

9:00 am - Phil Newton (Transcript)
From Planting to Reforming

Lance, Benji, Casey, Chad, Cody, Garold, Ross and Gunny Go to White Castle.

Like 2006 & 2007, I was in Minneapolis this week for the 2008 Desiring God pastors conference.

They're blogging (about) the conference if you want to check it out.

D. A. Carson was great, but, for me, Crawford Loritts (2nd from left) stole the show.

Crawford Loritts had 4 lessons about courage in The Call to Courage from Joshua 1:1-9, with the commissioning of Joshua after Moses' death. I heartily recommend his talk as well as the Q&A session with all the speakers (Carson, Loritts, Piper, and Livingstone).

I also recommend that pastors prayerfully consider going next year (to the conference and to White Castle).

As another has done, I'll share the Top 10 things I look forward to regarding this conference each year.

1. Being a part of the paparazzi who pounces on "The Pipe" et al for a photo op
2. Seeing seminary buddies again (e.g., Mike Ernst and Shane Freeman)
3. Great times of worship with my brothers from various and sundry places
4. Catching up with the conference regulars (e.g., Larry Newcomer, Benji Magness, Ross Strader, and Casey Jones)
5. Making some new friends (e.g., Jay Collier, Garold Timmons, and Chad Barnes)
6. Getting to White Castle - This has included walking (2006), a cab (2007), and the bus (2007 & 2008). This year's bus ride was interesting as we were packed in like sardines during rush hour and Texan Casey Jones tried his best to have a friendly conversation with a woman who clearly just wanted to get home. Finally, she informed him, "You need to get used to the way we do things in Minnesota; we keep to ourselves on the bus." I also love that when we tell folks we're trying to get to White Castle, the locals invariably ask, "Why do you wanna go there?"
7. Getting better acquainted with men I have primarily known online (e.g., Tom Ascol (pictured) and Abraham Piper).
8. Getting to visit with my local peeps (e.g., Brent Thomas, Tim Presson, Chris Blake, Cody Dixon (of Providence Church), and Lance Ward, my wingman and ol' lady at the conference)
9. Making my joy complete by sharing in culinary excellence with the brethren at White Castle - How's that for an agape feast?!
10. Having my heart stirred toward greater affection and commitment for the Lord Jesus - Priceless!

If you went, I'm curious as to what you most appreciate(d) about this conference.

Lance & Gunny Go to White Castle

(4/23/2007 ... This just in ... free audio of all 20 years' of Desiring God pastors conferences is available for downloading.)

Lance Ward, pastor of Rowlett Bible Fellowship, and I met up this week at the Desiring God conference for pastors in Minneapolis (Dr. John Piper pictured in the middle). It was great to rekindle a great friendship with a brother with whom I attended seminary and shared many great times working at Insurance Depot, a time in my life I might otherwise like to forget.

This year's theme was the Holiness of God. However, I will not give a recap of the sessions, since you may download the audio of each and there are excellent summaries of each session on the Desiring God blog (just check for the dates of February 5-7). Instead, I will interact with some of the thoughts provoked over the course of the conference in a few different posts in the upcoming days, Deo volente.

But, I will tell you up front that RC Sproul was the keynote speaker. For my money, he's the Sam Adams of conference speakers, "always a good choice," but particularly so with the theme.


I was introduced to Thabiti Anyabwile, a pastor in the Cayman Islands. His talk entitled,"The Glory of Pervasive Holiness in the Life of a Pastor" was just outstanding. He was so good, that he was actually our first "victim" with the camera.

Lance and I invited Dr. Piper to come with us to dinner at White Castle, but he couldn't. Mrs. Piper was kind enough later to tell us they had other plans. (And I'm sure they didn't involve taking two groupies from Texas to White Castle.)

With the temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit (reportedly -30 with the wind chill on Monday night), we decided to take a cab to White Castle, which is always an experience. We had many great conversations with some interesting people inside. But, I have to thank those local boys for the tip to take the bus back to the hotel.

Incidentally, I'm thinking if I ever need a job, my dream job is available in Minneapolis. (You may have to click on the picture to enlarge it to see me with the sign to understand.)

White Castle wasn't the only fine dining I experienced. I also went to Burger King in the Minneapolis Airport for dinner tonight, where I got a Quad Stacker. That's 4 pieces of beef, 4 pieces of cheese, and 8 pieces of bacon (allegedly 1,000 calories and 68 grams of fat). I had it my way by going with barbeque sauce instead of the slooge sauce, however. I ate like a man, man, 'cause that thing was good.

It was a little messy, but good, particularly due to it's exemplary MTB ratio (Meat to Bun). In fact, it was so good that I had two. But, not to worry, I balanced it all out with a Diet Coke.

Thanks to Lance for going to White Castle and thanks be to God for a great time of instruction, singing, conversation, and getting caught up with some DTS connections (e.g,. Lance Ward, Benji Magness (you still need to come by some time so we can chat futher), and Mike Ernst).



Now, I just have to figure out where's the next conference near a White Castle.

This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.

By God's grace I was able to attend the Together for the Gospel conference (Liveblogging commentary available) in Louisville, KY. The conference was a great time of being spiritually refreshed, through the speakers and through rekindling old relationships and cultivating new ones. I will attempt to share some of what I learned, both from the speakers and also through general observations and experiences.

First, they were together for the Gospel, not for other aspects of theology or practice. Those who started this movement (left to right: CJM, AM, MD, & LD) are from different denominations & backgrounds and differ on many other theological points, but they are together on the Gospel. That doesn't mean the differences are/were irrelevant, but that they were not prohibitive from fellowship and convergence of resources for that which is of greater importance.

This conference is/was about the mission of proclaiming the Gospel, a mission too important for them to allow it to be jeopardized. The individual speakers addressed issues about how to preach the Bible and different aspects of the Bible's message, particularly centered on the "good news" about Christ (e.g., centrality of justification by faith, how the message should be communicated, the audience that needs to hear its message, etc.).

Mark Dever spoke from 1 Cor 4 about 3 Marks of a Real Minister, which were (1) Cross-Centered messages, (2) Cross-Centered lives, and (3) Cross-Centered followers.

He spoke of how preachers are entrusted with God's message, rather than their own, using the illustration of a mailman who delivers not his own messages, but the messages/letters of others.

When speaking of humility, he cited Matthew Henry who noted that,

"Those commonly who know best do not think best of themselves."

Ligon Duncan spoke about preaching from the Old Testament, giving 8 exhortations:

1. Preach the OT as a Christian book - much of the NT is a hermeneutical manual to understand the OT.
2. Preach the OT expositionally - expounding books in sequential sermons.
3. Preach Christ from the OT - There are many instances (e.g., Luke 24:25-27; Is 6 & John 12:37-41) where the NT helps us see how the OT passage relates to Christ, so look for such OT relationships.
4. Preach one plan of redemptive history from OT - show the connections between God's covenants and purpose in dealing with His people.
5. Preach grace from the OT - redemption comes before obedience (e.g., Ex 19 precedes Ex 20).
6. Preach the character of God from OT - God's (inter)actions tell us so much about His character.
7. Preach experientially from OT - for example, the Psalms give language of Christian experience.
8. Preach the Christian life from the OT - yes, you can and should preach morality from the OT, seeing obligations on how one should live.

Another interesting comment was with regard to ways of conversion of people. He noted that there is "only one to God [through Christ], but there are many ways to Christ." In other words, salvation is by the same means for all, by grace through faith, but the way God graciously brings one to faith is unique for the individual. Indeed, it is fascinating to hear of the many ways God has brought home His sheep.


Al Mohler spoke about Preaching with the Culture in View. One needs to be aware of the culture in which one lives. He cited the problem was with the self, a problem in our culture, but also in our churches as the culture infiltrates our churches via Christians of this culture.

• Self-Fulfillment - This is the objective many have and all are "either in therapy or in denial" as they seek the wrong end, instead of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.
• Self-Sufficient - They see themselves as the only needed authority and source of ability.
• Self-Definition - Folks think they have the ability to define ourselves (e.g., what it means to be human, what it means to be male or female, what it means to be married, etc.).
• Self-Absorption - It's all about us. Folks long for some "me" time and they will separate from children and/or spouses in order to "be who I am."
• Self-Transcendence - People are enamored with spirituality, seeing the Gospel as merely another spirituality from which to pick & choose some appealing aspects to integrate into one's spirituality.
• Self-Enhancement - So much is geared to physical improvement and extending life & youth. Plastic surgery has become aesthetic surgery, as our bodies become works of art.
• Self-Security - We want to feel safe, thus the emphasis on safety (e.g., child-proof caps, coffee warnings on cups, bumpers on our cars, seatbelts, insurance, police force, bicycle helmets, retirement accounts, etc.). We want to feel safe, but most Christians in history did not feel safe (e.g., famine, sword, pestilence, plague, etc.). There's the illusion of safety, but it is an illusion and it's wanting to be safe from the wrong thing(s). People are more concerned about being safe from the bird flu than they are from the wrath of God.
  

A few Mohler observations that I found to be right on the money:

• Most Americans believe their problem is something that happened to them and the solution is within, but the Bible says the problem is within and the solution is without, an alien righteousness. In other words, folks think they all their negatives are attributable to the external influences (e.g., daddy didn't give me enough attention) and that the fix is from self-actualization. Biblically, however, the problem is within (i.e., sin/depravity) and the solution is God's imputation of Christ's righteousness to those who believe and are then sanctified.
• Americans are "more concerned about being good Americans than faithful Christians." Allegiance and patriotism are much more emotive for American Christians than their affection for Christ. This is pathetic and dishonoring to Christ when they get more jazzed to sing the Star Spangled Banner than O Worship the King. You sing one with gusto at a baseball game, not in a church service allegedly devoted to the worship of the One who will not share His glory with another.

R.C. Sproul spoke about The Center of Christian Preaching: Justification by Faith. He spoke to the historical differences (that still exist) between a Protestant and Roman Catholic understanding of justification. He clarified that Roman Catholics don't believe in justification apart from faith, declaring that they see faith as a necessary condition, though it is a sufficient condition for Protestants. He spoke of the difference between the infusion of grace/merit (RC) and the imputation of merit (P) that is Christ's righteousness.

RC also pointed out that people are not justified by the doctrine of justification by faith alone. The possession of faith is not the same as a profession of faith. It's the possession of faith and not the profession of faith that justifies. If I may elaborate, our faith is not in faith, but in Christ. One can have a biblical understanding of justification and not be justified.


John Piper spoke about Why Expository Preaching Is Especially Glorifying to God. He pointed out that expository preaching should be expository exultation, exulting in Christ. "You don't honor fully what you don't enjoy." He wanted us to not only get the Gospel right, but also to delight in it, which should be visible in our presentation.

Some thought-provoking quotes:

• "The value of the Gospel is as important as the truth of the Gospel."
• "When the glory of God is the treasure of our lives we will not lay up treasures on earth but spend them for His glory."
• "Every sin flows from a failure to treasure God's glory above all things."

C.J. Mahaney had a message entitle, Watch Your Life and Doctrine based on 1 Tim 4:16. Perhaps more impressive than his message was the humility and passion for authentic devotion for Christ with which it was delivered. He noted that we are all tempted to put more effort/energy into public ministry than personal piety.

In speaking of life watching, he noted

• the limitations of sound doctrine, which is essential but not all efficacious or sufficient. There must be a commitment to the application of Scripture to life; it must be preached and practiced.
• the war within never ends. There is no "pastoral privilege" in relation to sin, just greater consequences (and greater opposition, I might add). The fight against indwelling sin persists throughout this life.
• one "can't effectively watch ourself by our self, we need others" to help us see our faults and the manifestations of our sin to which we are blind. "I assume because I can see your sin clearly I can see mine."

John MacArthur spoke about 40 Years of Gospel Ministry and his life's lessons from 37 years at Grace Community Church. He said that, "Preaching is a science, an art, and an adventure." For the first, there are set rules of hermeneutics. For the second, there is stylistic variety and an aesthetic quality whereby each artist compiles a sermon that is his own masterpiece. For the third, there is a spiritual dynamic to the preaching experience.

His main concern was explaining the Bible, which he wanted to do with clarity because "people develop conviction where they have clarity." He gave us his benefits of expository preaching (chapter by chapter exposition in sermons being included in this expression for JFM):

• It establishes the authority of God's Word over the mind of any particular soul.
• It exalts the Lordship of Christ over His church as they deal with issues that come up in the text as opposed to topics desired by preacher or congregation.
• Sanctification is advanced through exposure since Spirit uses the Word to sanctify.
• It strikes a blow at pride, since it's not the pastor's words, but God's, that are important.
• There is the pastor's personal benefit from the study of the sermon text.
• You honor by the example the values of Bible study; they learn how to study the Bible by how you preach.

He also encouraged pastors to remain in churches for longer periods of time, noting that most pastors "overestimate what they can get done in 5 years, but underestimate what they can do in 20 year."


Other observations, experiences, and cogitations:

• It's such a blessing to be around brothers who embrace a life's mission to glorify the God who is supreme over all things. I made some new friends and I was impressed with the instant camaraderie.
• Pastors are still depraved sinners who have experienced and are still experiencing and needing the grace of God. I was surprised to see some the behavior that appeared selfish and to the detriment of others. For example, guys would really get pushy in their jockeying for position just to walk in and out of the conference room. You could get whacked by a backpack without so much as a "my bad" or "sorry" as folks jumped in front of you, muscling their way around. Also, we were provided with many free books at the conference, clearly intended for the participants. Yet, on numerous occasions I saw guys grabbing extra copies of stuff. For example, we received free copies of the NASB MacArthur Study Bible and there were at least a few I saw after the session grabbing extra copies for buddies back home. Now, this may seem a victimless crime, but those aren't "free" books that they are trying to unload. There are other instances, the most heinous of which I heard about from a brother on the plane coming back, but I'd rather not document it. When in contrast to my previous point, it seems that there were guys there who love Christ and loved their brothers and others who were goons, especially toward their brothers.
• White Castle still rocks. I went twice and consumed 8 double-cheese burgers each time. I was *this* close to having them for breakfast about 5:30AM Friday morning on the way back from taking my good buddy James Galyon to the airport and now regret that I did not. We were clearly not thinking straight or we would have insisted we part company only after each had his fill of "belly bombers."
  
• Before the flight home we got to swing by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. That makes 3 of 6 SBC seminaries that I have visited and actually been on the campus (SWBTS, SEBTS, SBTS, but not yet NOBTS, MBTS, or GGBTS). Since I'm halfway done, I'd like to complete the circuit at some point. The bookstore was the best LifeWay I've ever seen and it was a pretty campus, but it still isn't Texas.
• The music was great and I left feeling spiritually recharged, even though I was physically exhausted. Praise be to God for a refilling of my spiritual tank as my flaming passion for Christ was fanned.
  

Brian & Gunny Go to White Castle

Brian Hough and I went to White Castle last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We braved the cold weather and a 1.7 miles walk each way to partake Monday and Tuesday. That was a total of 6.8 miles, if you're keeping score at home.

However, we also attended the Bethlehem Conference for Pastors, put on by Desiring God Ministries and Bethlehem Baptist Church, pastored by John Piper. The conference was great and I thought Michael Campbell, pastor of Redeemer Church, stole the show with his message entitled, Sacrificing Self - The Multi-ethnic Church and the Mandate of the Gospel.

Incidentally, we didn't get Dr. Piper to go with us to White Castle, but we did get our picture with him. Of us, he's clearly the most photogenic. Amen?

P.S. Don't tell, because it's a suprise, but guess where I'm taking my wife for Valentine's Day? Though the ambiance is suspect (Brian was convinced we would surely be killed by "headphones guy"), it was a culinary delight!