SBC Pastors Conference - June 12-13, 2016

I was blessed to be able to go to the 2016 SBC Pastors Conference. I was not able to see all of the speakers, but here are my notes from speaks I was able to listen to.

It was a wonderful experience and I look forward to go to more of them in the future.

Noah Oldham

“But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:5

Sober Minded Endure Suffering – Be series about everything, endure hardship.

“⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

⁸ So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me His prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. ⁹ He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” - 2 Tim 1:7-9

“⁶ You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials ⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” - 1 Peter 1:6-7

Will suffer – Do not give into fear.

“³ Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the recruiter. ⁵ Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops. ⁷ Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” - 2 Timothy 2:3-7

Share in suffering.

Be a good solider by fulfilling your mission.

God was tearing him apart in order to put him back together!

“⁸ Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead and descended from David. This is according to my gospel. ⁹ I suffer for it to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God’s message is not bound.¹⁰ This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” - 2 Timothy 2:8-10

Sun softens wax and hardens clay.

Suffering will make us better or bitter.

“⁹ Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. ¹⁰ Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personally restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little. ¹¹ The dominion belongs to Him forever. Amen.” - 1 Peter 5:9-11

James Macdonald

Endurance – endure suffering/hardship

“But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:5

“² Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” - James 1:2-4

Endurance – Remain under pressure

Feeling Pressure – Want Out – God wants you to endure!

“I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of His appearing and His kingdom:” - 2 Timothy 4:1

Solemnly charge – urgently warn you, emphatically charge you, don’t give up.

Obstacles to Perseverance

1.     Overcome loneliness – “⁹ Make every effort to come to me soon, ¹⁰ for Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:9-11

2.     Overcome Discomfort – “¹² I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³ When you come, bring the cloak I left in Troas with Carpus, as well as the scrolls, especially the parchments.” - 2 Timothy 4:12-13

3.     Overcome Conflict – “¹⁴ Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his works.¹⁵ Watch out for him yourself because he strongly opposed our words.” - 2 Timothy 4:14-16 – When conflict hits follow these steps…

a.     Get low and stay low

b.     Lean on the Lord

c.     Learn what you can from the situation

d.     Be loud with what the Lord is teaching you

e.     Leave it with God

4.     Overcome Rejection – “¹⁶ At my first defense, no one stood by me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be counted against them.¹⁷ But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the proclamation might be fully made through me and all the Gentiles might hear. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” - 2 Timothy 4:16-17

5.     Overcome Exhaustion – “¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.” – 2 Timothy 4:18

David Platt

“2 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins ² in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient. ³ We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. ⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, ⁵ made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace! ⁶ Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, ⁷ so that in the coming ages He might display the immeasurable riches of His grace through His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— ⁹ not from works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:1-9

Handout – Gospel In Your Hand

Nation does NOT need Gospel light

Evangelism = Proclaim the Gospel

G – God’s Charter – Holy, Just, Merciful

O – Offense of Sin – worthy of death, reality is we are dead

S – Sufficiency of Christ – it is the only answer, the only sacrifice that can cover our sin, He came to us out of love. His death leads to our life.

P – Personal Response – Simple Faith, there is nothing I can do to earn it, be worthy of it….

E – Eternal Urgency – our death leads to heaven or hell. Death is coming no matter what. Hell is still hot. If not hot it is the worst place you can imagine. The urgency is great.

“²² One day the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.” - Luke 16:22

2 Thessalonians 4

“⁴³ And if your hand causes your downfall, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and go to hell—the unquenchable fire, [⁴⁴ where Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] ⁴⁵ And if your foot causes your downfall, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell— [the unquenchable fire, ⁴⁶ where Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.] ⁴⁷ And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ⁴⁸ where Their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” - Mark 9:43-48

L – Life Transformation – New life, new creation, salvation changes your life.

Come to God and Get God! He is not a means to an end. Simply put we are dead without God. Don’t gloss over sin.

Remember the severity of sin is based on who is being sinned against, not who is doing the sinning.

Derwin Gray

When you wake up, who do you life for?

Does the Gospel still wreck you?

“¹⁹ We love because He first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19

“⁵ clearly recalling your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois, then in your mother Eunice, and that I am convinced is in you also.” - 2 Timothy 1:5

“But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:5

Gospel centered church.

Examine what you mean by the Gospel. The Gospel you preach is the Gospel you get!

Question the Gospel that divides.

“⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:9

The Gospel Justifies, Sanctifies, and Glorifies!

Unify the Church

“²⁸ There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:28

Be color blessed, not color blind.

“⁶ Some have deviated from these and turned aside to fruitless discussion. ⁷ They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on.” - 1 Timothy 1:6-7

Fan the flame of the gift of God in you!

People must be equipped to share the Gospel. Love People and Share their story!

Jack Graham

Finish

“⁵ But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. ⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing.” - 2 Timothy 4:5-8

1 Corinthians 15 – NEVER QUIT

Live This – Fulfill your mission – Be an Evangelist

LIVE Your Legacy – Not Leave it – LIVE IT!

How do you fulfill your ministry? Church Evangelism.

1.     Begins with the pastor. All people are supposed to do it but it begins with the pastor. Start the pulpit on fire and stay on fire. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

a.     I have a calling to preach the Gospel!

2.     Encourage and develop an invitational culture – evangelism is more caught than taught.

3.     Authenticity is critical – Keep it real – Be The Culture

4.     Trust in the power of the Gospel! Preach the Gospel every time we preach.

a.     “¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.” - Romans 1:16

b.     “¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” - 1 Corinthians 9:16

5.     Do whatever it takes to reach people for Christ. Get people to Christ, just like the men who lowered their friend through the roof to see him. Mark 2:4

6.     Train believers to share their faith.

7.     Give an invitation, models evangelism.

8.     Baptize believers as often as you can.

9.     Event evangelism – Jack suggests I am not sure I agree.

10.  Mission trips and planting churches makes it contagious

Ed Stetzer

“But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:5

Do – The Work – Of the Evangelist

1 – Action – DO!

2 – Labor – Do the Work!

Do it and lead others to do it.

“²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”” - John 20:21

Jesus said – I send you.

“¹⁸ Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

The Great Commission

“⁴⁶ He also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things.” - Luke 24:46-48

“⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8

Be a witness.

People are open to hearing about Jesus.

Nation of open hearts and a church with closed mouths!

Your Church Needs to Change!

Stop asking God to do what He has called you to do!

Evangelicals are not declining, the SBC is. Will we be part of the future?

3 - Focus – Of an Evangelist

“¹¹ And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,” - Ephesians 4:11

Equip people to do God’s ministry. Not the job of the pastor to do all the evangelizing, but to equip other believers to do the work.

All Christians have the RESPONSIBILITY to evangelize.

Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter!

4 – Fulfill your ministry

“⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8

Love your community more than your church. Don’t be a shop keeper be a missionary, not only abroad but locally.

Join Jesus on His Mission.

How do we serve others?

Notes from below 200 breakout

“⁶ In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled” - Titus 2:6

1 – Teach

2 – Show themselves

Live it so people can see it.

A practical outreach example – give parents free books to get them to fill out a survey for things that they would like help with.

Can you revitalize a small church without losing older members?

Get the vision out.

It can happen, need to influence the people.

Not always possible.

Revitalize:

Be relational

Must be extra intentional about getting out into the community.

People will be upset.

Hard to change culture, the longer a church is self-centered the harder it is to recover.

What can we do each week to be in the community?

Visit businesses and thank them for serving the community and even bring them coffee.

Impact areas, schools, businesses, pray for and connect with the people.

A Hard question to ask…. If our church was to close would we be missed? If the answer is no, we failed in our calling.

Evangelism – Genesis 4, they called on the name of the Lord, they prayed.

Strategy and Systems are killed by fear.

Greatest impact can be with those who are forgotten by society.

Do not be scared to go where the people are.

Studies show that millennials are open to door to door visits.

1.     Understand the call of God on your life and the one who called you.

2.     Servant evangelism, be the good Samaritan.

3.     85% of those saved came through a simple invitation.

“²² But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

^“25 But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works—this person will be blessed in what he does.” - James 1:25

With every person do the following:

1.     Encourage if they are a believer.

2.     If not, introduce them to Jesus.

Evangelism in a rural context:

1.     Relational.

2.     Committed.

3.     Share the Gospel.