T4G Update

The pastoral team is all gathered in Louisville, KY for Together for the Gospel 2008. It has been a great time of outstanding teaching from the likes of Al Mohler, Ligon Duncan, Mark Dever, John MacArthur, and R. C. Sproul. We finish off this morning with John Piper and CJ Mahaney. One unusual feature of T4G is that after each session there is a panel where all the other speakers sit down and interact with the guy who just spoke over his message and its implications. These are rich times to hear some amazing theological minds debate and dialogue over important issues for the church in our day.

T4G is a unique context where pastors and leaders are gathering together to celebrate and strategize for how to build gospel centered churches regardless of denomination or tradition. For us Sovereign Grace Pastors it is a chance to connect with brothers with whom we share common vision and purpose, and to rub shoulders with men from other areas of the evangelical world and learn from them as well.

A highlight for me was a message by Thabati Anyawabile, a Baptist pastor and former Muslim who ministers now in Grand Cayman. Let’s just say, any man who makes the point that, ‘what we call race does not in reality exist’ sets out a pretty daunting proposition in our day and time. What followed was an eye opening look at how the Bible challenges even the most basic assumptions we have about race and racism.

Another highlight was a message on the substitutionary atonement of Christ by R. C. Sproul. To hear this man who has labored for decades to call the church to on-your-face reverence for the holiness of God and life defining love for the Savior is to experience preaching with extra-ordinary depth and weight. I was undone by the last simple sentence of Dr. Sproul’s message:

The Gospel is the only hope we have, and it is hope enough.

If you want to find out more on T4G, Tim Challies is doing a blow by blow blog on it at www.challies.com.