Acts 29 North America Conference – "Building Healthy Churches" – with Matt Adair, Jerome Gay, Matt Chandler and more in Dallas, TX from November 6-8, 2014
Feel free to check out the Acts 29 North America
While I won't be able to share all my notes from the amazing amount of breakout sessions at the conference, I will be posting video links and my notes from the three main sessions:
- Acts 29 North America Conference | Becoming a Network of Radically Diverse Churches with Matt Adair Vimeo Video (25:17 minutes)
- Acts 29 North America Conference | How Our Theology Compels Us with Jerome Gay Vimeo Video (32:30 minutes)
- Acts 29 North America Conference | The Healthy Leader with Matt Chandler Vimeo Video (40:09 minutes)
Main Session 2 | How Our Theology Compels Us with Pastor Jerome Gay
Speaker: Pastor Jerome Gay Jr. is a member of the Acts 29 Network and Lead Pastor of Vision Church in Raleigh, NC. Texts: Acts 16; Acts 14:21-22
Theme: God gives the vision, God grants the vision, and God sustains the vision. We're stewarding what He's doing.
The triune God and Creator is redeeming a people of His own possession and reconciling them to Himself through the Son for His glory. We do not and cannot muster a moral resume to come to Him. He comes to us. He saves us. And He sends us. This is the gospel.
- Acts 16:10: " ... God had called us to preach the gospel to them."
- Acts 14:21: "... they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples ... "
- Acts 14:22: "... through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."
Do we believe the gospel is worth being uncomfortable? Because believing the gospel will bring discomfort. It did for Jesus. It did for His followers in the Scriptures. It will for us. But through our discomfort, in being faithful to preach the gospel, we will see others enter the kingdom of God as Paul did.
Keep preaching the gospel when you encounter conflict, because you will – externally and internally. You'll soon discover that some sheep can bite like lions. You will experience tribulations, hardships, and failures. But remember, in the gospel, our sins are blotted out and we get the accomplishment of Jesus. So keep pursuing those God has called and sent you to to preach the gospel to them.
Also ask, "Does our church see diversity of followers of Jesus in the church as an outpouring of the gospel?"
Next post: Acts 29 North America Conference | Main Session 3: The Healthy LeaderKeep preaching the gospel when you encounter conflict, because you will – externally and internally. You'll soon discover that some sheep can bite like lions. You will experience tribulations, hardships, and failures. But remember, in the gospel, our sins are blotted out and we get the accomplishment of Jesus. So keep pursuing those God has called and sent you to to preach the gospel to them.
Also ask, "Does our church see diversity of followers of Jesus in the church as an outpouring of the gospel?"
- What are we willing to give up for a diversity of people in our city to hear and see the gospel?
- What are we willing to lose so that a diversity of people in our city will hear and see the gospel?
- Do we believe they are worth it so that a diversity of people in our city will hear and see the gospel?
Our fulfillment is found self-denial, sacrifice, and selflessness through Jesus for others. For example, in Acts 16, Paul and Silas denied their freedom for the sake of the Philippian jailor, and his family's, salvation.
Be serious about evangelism and conversions. We grow the church from the outside in; lives are changed from the inside out.
As Jesus was known holiness and humility, we should be known for holiness and humility if we're walking with Him. But when we begin saying, "I've done xx, I've given xx, I've suffered xx ... " we've stopped focusing on Him and we're focusing on us. Focus on Jesus. Follow His lead.
2 Timothy 4:16-18: "At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
– Sully
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