Highlights from Advance 09

Piper, enough said:

"Don't let your theology get in the way of the Bible . . . . God has ordained that nails get into board by hammers—and that people get saved by prayer and gospel-telling . . . . Jesus LOVED Lazarus, so he let him die—that he might let him see his glory. It is more loving to see Jesus' glory than to live . . . . Prayer is not the work of missions; preaching is. The preached gospel is the frontline spear into unreached hearts."

Chandler's Introduction was worth the entire price of admission. He could have stopped after the first 10-15 minutes, and nobody would have felt shorted. Then, the rest of his session was vintage Chandler, great exegesis and application:

"We've heard this all before. If anything you have heard at this conference is new to you, then you shouldn't be a pastor (He wasn't disrespecting the other speakers, he was making the point that the evangelical elites continue to gather at conferences and discuss theology or church practice, but nothing ever seems to change) . . . . I'm not anti-pragmatics, but where today are the men whose heart is aflame for God with a holy angst? . . . . Repent of your cold, pragmatic heart that loves ministry and barely loves the King of Glory . . . . How to you cultivate repentance In a church? Preach the cross . . . . If you contextualize the gospel so much that everyone likes it, you're not preaching the gospel."

Driscoll's Conclusion to his second session was unapologetically blunt.  I think we all needed to hear it:

"You will become like Jesus as you worship Jesus . . . . You're an idolater--that's the problem (and then he just turned and walked off the stage)"

J.D. Greear had some good things to say, although I would like to hear what he originally had prepared:

"People's hearts have always been hard; it's always taken a miracle; 'There's no such thing as nearly dead.' . . . . Over time religion seeks to choke out the gospel among God's people . . . . The religious emphasize secondary things. 'Error is often truth out of proportion' (DA Carson) . . . . We need bold, courageous leadership; and if they fire you, plant a church."

Driscoll's first session offered some very practical clarifications and advice for pastors:

"(Driscoll reading Acts 2) 'See, Calvinism is very old.' . . . . We preach Jesus. We are a band with one song--Jesus--and we sing it until we see him . . . . "Evangelistic sermons" are a mistake; if a sermon is about Jesus, it's good for everyone . . . . if you don't have unbelievers coming to your church, it may be because 1) you don't talk about Jesus or 2) you have Sunday school . . . . Don't be so creative you become a heretic; I would rather be faithful than cool."