The John Calvin is Awesome Conference + The Church is for Training

The 2009 Ligonier National Conference was preceded by a “John Calvin” Mini-Conference. If you ask me, these addresses were part of the conference. The only reason they label them separately is because they probably didn't want to be forced into changing the name of the conference to The Holiness of God + John Calvin is Awesome 2009. This series of four addresses was wrapped up with a Q&A session featuring the four men who had delivered addresses. Here are the answers to one of the questions that Tim Challies live blogged - LEAVE US WITH SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT YOU’VE LEARNED FROM CALVIN’S LIFE OR WRITING: 

Ferguson - He has been the model of what a gospel minister in a local congregation should be.

Lawson - To understand Calvin is to understand Calvin the preacher. He was many things, but primarily a preacher. This is what is so desperately needed in churches today.

Mohler - I am in agreement with the other two so will just add this. Calvin was also a teacher and he understood the necessity of the church to be a school. We want the churches to again be the schools of Christ. I want to die like Calvin died, studying and teaching and preaching to the end. Calvin didn’t retire; he died. (emphasis mine)

Duncan - Calvin taught me that the fundamental problem we face as human beings is idolatry. There are true worshippers of God and idolaters; that is all. The doctrine of the atonement—Calvin gave the best biblical explanation of the atonement that had been given in 1560 years. There have been great ones since, but none before.

There is so much that we can learn from Calvin, and the one point that Mohler made is crucial. Our churches are supposed to be schools of theology. Why have we forgotten this fact?  Jesus wants disciples, not converts. Furthermore, the Bible clearly teaches that if someone is truly converted, then God is going to finish the process of turning him into a disciple. Yet, the church has decided to be almost completely hands off in this process.  

When someone begins the process to become a doctor, lawyer, or carpenter, we don't accept him into the school or hire him for the job and then assume that he will figure it out by only attending one brief seminar each Sunday morning.  In every area of the professional world, we want people to be well trained. We prefer to know who a person was trained by, how much time he has put into learning a trade, and what is his current skill level.  We are constantly assessing and reassessing everyone's knowledge and/or ability. However, when someone becomes a Christian, all we do is encourage them to read the Bible some on their own and come to church each week. If a church is really zealous, then the leaders will suggest that everyone attend a small group for an additional couple of hours each week.  Is this sufficient? I don't think so. However, I also don't think that pastors should start preaching six nights each week. 

I have two suggestions.  First, most churches need to improve the content of the material their members receive during those view hours each week. Please, if you are a teacher/preacher, then preach exegetically from the Bible. Also, stop giving your small groups Beth Moore and Max Lucado. Second, we need to create discipleship plans for our congregations.  This plan could be a ministry training program, similar to a less intense Bible college. Or, this plan could just be a well thought out offering of classes, studies, and other educational opportunities at the church.  In the end, we cannot force feed the sheep, but many pastors and church staffs are doing a pathetic job of even preparing a meal and setting the table.

The average Christian needs to be challenged (notice I didn't write "the average church member").  If someone is truly regenerate, then God is in the process of changing their passions and priorities.  The local church needs to begin training them in correct thought and deed.  Most Churches are quick to give a new believer a list of things they have to stop doing, but they usually don't hand them the a copy of the Apostle's Creed to memorize with that list of actions they need to correct. God wants our head, heart, and hands.  Believers are to pursue pure deeds and affections, but they should also strive for orthodox theology.  The church is supposed to be the place that teaches them orthodoxy, not Oprah, a Television Pastor, or a book they buy in Wal-Mart.

Also, to be fair, some churches are already doing everything I am proposing. Some churches are training their members better than most seminaries are training their students. I actually stole my ideas from those churches, and they have proven how effective a local church can be at training its members.