Jax Pastors Conference Friday Highlights: Brunson, Platt, Cymbala

Pastor Mac Brunson

• Part of being created in the image if God is being created for relationship.
• The crucival of crisis will reveal the relationships that you have built for what they really are.
• “How long will you torment me and break me into pieces with words.” – Job 19:2
• Dont build friendships with people who stroke your ego w/ flattery.
• Having a cynical heart puts you on the verge of sin.
• We don’t necessarily need the  WHY, all we need to know is the WHO.
• God is just in everything that He does.

Pastor David Platt

• Your only hope for ______ is found in the brutal, bloody, humiliating cross of Christ.
• Christians don’t move from the cross on to other things, they live at the cross.
• Putting a cross around your neck in the 1st century is like wearing an electric chair around your neck.
• Before the sun appeared, before the stars were flung into place, before the mountains were dropped on earth, and before the oceans were poured – God set his sights on your soul.
• It was God’s will to crush His son on the cross instead of you.
• The cross wasnt just a place of death for Jesus, it’s a place of death for us.
• In a world that says, “Take care of yourself”, Jesus says,”slay yourself”.
• When you come to Christ, you lose the life as you knew it.
• We are dead to this world, no longer alive to the passions, pursuits, and possessions of this world.
• Resist the temptation to preach a crowd pleasing Christianity and preach the crucified life.

Pastor Jim Cymbala

• Preaching itself wont work
• We don’t fit the bible into culture, we take culture and line it up against the bible.
• Clever communication has taken the place of the Holy Spirit in the church today.
• God doesn’t use copycat visions.
• Your not called to be a _______ , your called to be with Christ.
• If you’re not with Jesus, your preaching will be compromised and powerless.
• The 1st calling of the disciples was to be with Jesus, preaching was a secondary calling.
• Prayer isn’t just making requests to God. It’s also taking the time to listen. There’s great strength in just sitting in His presence.
• I try to do good in the hood.
• One morning I didn’t go to church, I sat in my prayer room from 1030am – 645pm
• Just let God hold you. He doesn’t want anything from you. He just wants to be with you.
• What’s God’s will? What do I preach? You ONLY find out from being with Him.
• Prophetic preaching is lacking in the pulpit today. Having the right word at the right time comes from being with God.
• You can use someone elses sermon, but is it from God? Or perhaps it was from God when it was originally preached.
• Don’t preach first, be with Me first.

Thursday at the Jax Pastors Conference, Highlights

Pastor Tullian Tchividjian

• Pastors don’t have the freedom to say anything we want.
• What we say HAS TO mirror what Jesus says.
• Jesus didn’t come to tell us what to do, He came to tell us what He did.
• We are slaves to self salvation.
• Your worth to God isn’t wrapped up in your success.
• Preach Christ, not the Christian way.
• My behavior isn’t my justifier, Jesus is my justifier.
• “The Law is a Hercules that was sent to demolish the monster of self righteousness.” – Martin Luther
• We need Jesus for many things, but what we need Him most for is to be a substitute. He is my substitutionary atonement.
• We have the false assumption that we need Jesus more for our justification than we do for our sanctification.
• At the end of his life, The Apostle Paul said, “I’m the worst guy I know”. “Oh wretched man that I am” – Rom 7
• The Bible isn’t a self help manual, it’s the revelation of Jesus Christ.
• If we teach people that they are the center of their story, one day their life will be a tragedy.
• Our churches are full of people who are afraid, insecure, ashamed, failing, and guilty.
• I’m justified and have peace with God, not through my obedience, but through Christ.
• Jesus didn’t say be like the Pharisees… outwardly, they were doing it better than anybody.
• Fear and guild only motivates for a little while. Grace and faith motivates people for a lifetime.
• If the last impression you leave with people is more about what they can DO, than what Jesus has DONE for them, then the gospel hasn’t been shared.
• It’s not do more, try harder, or peddle faster – Its come to Jesus all who are tired. (Matt 11:28)
•  Once you give up on fixing yourself, you’re free!
• Jesus, period!

Pastor Johnny Hunt

• “When people criticize you, stop and thank God they don’t know you like Jesus does”. – Warren Weirsbe
• Be a passionate preacher.
• Prioritize your family.
• Never quit growing, be teachable.
• Dont copy God’s vision for other churches. Get a personal vision from God uniquely tailored for YOU.
• Dont let guilt by association rule you. People need you and it will cost you.
• Everything is better caught than taught, show people how.
• Use the platform God has given you to help others succeed.

Pastor JD Greear

• The Gospel isn’t the diving board, the gospel is the pool.
• Sin is a worship problem.
• The problem isn’t that my desire for sin it too big, it’s that my desire for God & His GRACE is too small.
• The grace of God motivates people.
• “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.” – Jesus (John 8)
• When Paul needed to pull out the ace card, he didn’t pull out guilt, he pulled out GRACE.
• As you see your desire for grace increase, you’ll see your desire for sin decrease.
• I’m first a sinner, second Im sinned against.

Pastor Erwin Lutzer

• The problem wasnt Hurricane Katrina, it was that the levys broke.
• Choose the right battle.
• Suffering is a part of the gospel.
• The prosperity gospel has weakened the church because it has no place for suffering.
• Where there is fear, there is silence.
• The greatest contribution a pastor can give to his church is his own personal holiness.
• There’s a connection between personal holiness and power.
• Leave a legacy, let your faithfulness be left for the generation behind you.

The Gospel: My power or God’s, one or the other, not both…

Some of us are so grateful for the gospel that we want EVERYONE to experience the same forgiveness in Christ that we have. But at times, that passion can disrupt the Spirit’s flow. How? Sometimes we try to take the place of the Spirit in helping people get it. Without the Spirit’s power, they cant… 

…No one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit… – 2 Cor 2:11-13 (esv)

With out the Spirit, there’s no power. You can share with passion, creativity, convincing words, lofty words, impressive words, you can draw pictures, or even use visuals to help people get it. All of that is for naught if it’s void of the Spirit’s power.

For Christ sent me to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. – 1 Cor 1:17 (esv)

My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. – 2 Cor 2:4-5 (esv)

We can be convincing at times apart from the Spirit, especially to people we love. A parent can make it nearly impossible for a child or teenager  to reject the Gospel… Many children make a decision for their parents, not for Christ. I don’t want anyone making a decision to “trust Christ” because of my persuasion. Would it be just empty words in response to me or God?  I want them to Trust Christ because the Spirit revealed it to them! For that, the Gospel needs to be empowered by God, not me. What power do I have? None! Jesus said, “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  

Its my power or God’s, one or the other, not both.

Guilt free

Have you ever been to a restaurant that has a guilt free menu? As if to say you can enjoy this food and still be faithful to a lien diet? There’s usually not enough food to be guilty over. I like to eat, if I order a few of them for dinner, is it still guilt free?

“Jesus will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 (esv)

• Am I a thief? Guilty
• Am I a liar? Guilty
• Am I rebellious? Guilty
• Am I prideful? Guilty
• Am I selfish? Guilty

In the eyes of man, I’m guilty; guilty of much more than the previous. But, in the eyes of God its strikingly different, I’m declared not guilty. As I stand before God for all the many wrong things I’ve done, I stand before Him guiltless.

When God looks at me, He sees no sin, He sees Jesus. As a judge declares a man guilty on all accounts, so I am declared by God justified, righteous, blameless… guiltless.

The next time the devil brings up the past, or even the present… remember Jesus. The One became your sin so you could become the righteousness of God. He’s enough to satisfy the wrath of God against your sin, until the say you stand before Him… guiltless.

I’m thankful for that.

From the manger to the cross

Would you trust the wisest person ever to live? Perhaps. Or maybe your answer to that question is,”no one can be trusted“. Maybe. Or perhaps you have serious trust issues…

The wisest person ever to live penned these words: “Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad”. Solomon, Ecclesiastes 12:13, NLT

He’s making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice… wait, no one’s nice enough. Solomon said  its everyone’s duty to fear God and obey Him. Its what’s expected of mankind. I completely agree. I also say that I’ve completely screwed that up! I havent feared God. I havent obeyed Him. As a matter of fact, at times, I have rebelled, turned my face, and done the exact opposite of what I knew to be right…

One day I’ll face judgement for this…

The only thing I’ll have on that day is Jesus. And that will be enough. Jesus came into this world through a virgin named Mary. He was born in an animal stall & slept in an old wooden germ infested feeding trough. He lived a sinless life, and died an undeserving death – the judgment of God fell on Him, for me…

I stand unjudged, because He was judged.

I stand uncondemned, because He was condemned.

Jesus has always been God’s plan to redeem mankind. He knew we would turn against Him in disobedience, so He made a way… a way to be made right with Him. It all started over 2000 years ago as an angel named Gabriel visited Mary and said, ““Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.” – Luke 1:30-31 (NLT)

And that miracle baby, breathing His first few breaths as he lay in a wooden manger, would one day be laid on another piece of wood, a cross, where He would breath His last.

For me.

Merry Christmas.

I hate my job

Solomon, the richest  & wisest man ever to live wrote a depressing book thousands of years ago, Ecclesiastes. He spent his life chasing things to fill a void in His life, seeking real joy & satisfaction. Like many of us, we STILL search for it today.

Sure, you’ll never find authentic joy outside of Christ. You were created for Him (Col 1:16). But even after men receive Christ, they still miss out on WHO they were created for. A life of good works prepared by God (Eph 2:10)

I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man – King Solomon, Ecc 3:12-13

Be joyful, do good, and take pleasure in your work… Joy doesn’t come from gaining, it comes from giving. Flip the order around in that verse and I think you will find joy… “Take pleasure in your work, do good, and be joyful.”

Have you ever said, “I hate my job”? It’s no mistake that you work “that” job, God has placed you there for a reason. If we can go to work everyday with that perspective, we will have focus. We will have a reason other than money to get up and go to work. If I have purpose in my work, then I will leverage it to do good. Not for personal gain, but to personally give value to others and do good. That brings real joy, not a joy that feels threatened that someone will take something away from me, but a joy that is gained by giving to others. How can someone take from you what you’ve given away?

Solomon had it right, just not in the right order. Take pleasure in your work, do good, and be joyful.

• Do you “lack joy” in your job? Maybe it’s because you’ve been consumed with gaining from others instead of giving?

As bright as a spotlight

Without fail, one of the fathers in our connect group always takes his son outside as we leave to find the moon. Apparently he’s fascinated with it… as we all should be. Tonight the moon was so bright it looked like a spotlight!

You know the moon has no light in & of itself. It only reflects the light of the glorious sun! It reminds me of myself – I have no light of my own to shine, none. The only thing I can do is reflect the light of the Son, Jesus!

Just a reminder, were it not for His grace, we would still be walking around in darkness. East Coast, its been on our hearts for months from our study in John – “We’re sent from God to bear witness of the light”. And light shines best in the darkness. Remember we have nothing of our own to shine, it all comes from a life found in Him. For when we walk in Him, we reflect His light, a light that shines as bright as a spotlight! My friend Tony Nolan likes to describe himself in this way, “A spotlight holder on Jesus”.

East Coast, that’s a pretty good perspective to have. Lets do that this week.

A few thoughts on Catalyst ’11 Day Two…

• Stick to the vision, even when there’s no profit, even when you cant pay the bills – Blake Mycoskie
• Fear preaches a false gospel, it causes us to worship a false savior – Mark Driscoll
• Stop worrying about the future that isn’t going to happen, its causing you unnecessary anxiety – Mark Driscoll
• The most frequent mentioned command in the bible is, “Fear Not” – Mark Driscoll
• “Fear not, for I am with you” – God
• When fear comes, we FORGET that God is with us. Fear brings us a LIE that says, “You are alone in this”. – Mark Driscoll
• Everything may not be ok, but if God is with you, you are going to be ok – Mark Driscoll
• You cant love your neighbor if you don’t love yourself – Dr. Cornel West
• I’m not tired because I’m doing too much, I’m tired because I’m doing the wrong things – Chris Seay
• Be intentional about pouring into the leaders that come behind you, they’re next… – Andy Stanley
• You aren’t responsible for knowing everything about your field, nor do you have to know more than everyone else. Your responsibility is to pass on what you know to others – Andy Stanley
• LET young people DO SOMETHING. Of course they aren’t “ready & mature’. Its our responsibility to invest in them. – Andy Stanley
• Don’t. Work. Alone – Andy Stanley
•  Success isn’t measured by how capable I am of handling my responsibility. Its measured by whether or not I leave my responsibility in capable hands – Andy Stanley

Ive been to Catalyst for 8 years – and I enjoy it every year. I almost didnt make it this year and Im grateful for the chance to go! If you get the opportunity to attend in October 2012, I highly suggest it!

Kevin

 

A few thoughts on Catalyst ’11 Day One…

CATALYST DAY ONE… What an amazing day, here are a few thoughts I jotted down in my journal:

• You can’t do anything about the past, the future will come later, live in the NOW… be present where you are.
• You can’t be accessible to everyone, though your body will be present, your mind wont. – Andy Stanley
• Do for ONE what you wish you could do for everyone. – Andy Stanley
• Go DEEP rather than wide, LONG TERM rather than short term, give TIME more than just money. – Andy Stanley
• Leadership isn’t always about personality, it’s about HUMILITY. Leaders don’t always have to be charismatic. – Jim Collins
• Marry creativity with discipline in a way that magnifies the creativity. – Jim Collins
• Creativity, without DISCIPLINE, is just a thought, nothing more.
• Turn off your electronic gadgets every week for at least one day. – Jim Collins
• Give attention to a stop doing list, not just a to do list… – Jim Collins
• Double your reach to people half your age by changing your practices, without changing your values. – Jim Collins
• God isn’t all that impressed with us, because He is already completely head over heals in love with us (Rich Mullins) – Joel Houston
• Jesus died on the cross for the homeless man in the gutter just as much as He died for me. – Joel Houston
• Our value is found in Christ, nothing else. – Joel Houston
• Our job isn’t to impress God with what we can do for Him. Our job is to reflect what He’s already done for us at the cross. – Joel Houston
• Courage isn’t about knowing the path, it’s about taking the first step towards it. – Katie Davis
• If I had a transcript of my prayers over the past 30 days, what could I say is the ONE THING I kept asking God for? – Francis Chan
• If Satan can get us NOT to be present when we pray, he’s won. – Francis Chan
• Does my dream & vision REQUIRE the presence of God? If I can do it without His presence… It will be NOTHING (John 15:5) – Francis Chan
• You don’t have to wait any longer or look any further, Jesus is it! – Judah Smith

There’s a reason it’s never enough

I can eat till I’m FULL, yet hours later still be left with wanting more.

I can buy a new car, yet still desire the one next to me in on the road.

I can buy new clothes, yet stand at my closet and say, “I have nothing to wear”.

I can buy an NEW iPhone 4, yet be drawn to purchase the all new iPhone 5.

I can listen to a new album, yet get bored with it and move on to something else.

The list goes on and on… What’s most satisfying to you? I can _________, yet let a short period of time go by and I’m left with a desire to satisfy an empty space… Nothing completely satisfies… It always leaves me hungry. Its never enough.

Proverbs 27:20 –  … Human desire is never satisfied. (Proverbs 27:20 NLT)

If we discover a desire within us that nothing in this world can satisfy, also we should begin to wonder if perhaps we were created for another world? – C. S. Lewis

We’ve yet to see a day when we’ve been satisfied, left without a feeling of wanting nothing more. Give it time and you’ll be back. Nothing this side of eternity completely satisfies our soul. One day there will be, when we stand in the presence of the One who created us – for Himself! We were created BY GOD, FOR GOD (Col 1:16).

Its ok to find temporary satisfaction in things. But understand that NOTHING satisfies a soul like the One who created it – Jesus! Real satisfaction comes from doing what you were created to do, commune with God.

There’s a reason it’s never enough…