Grace Abounding

Seven thousands pastors and church leaders gathered this week at Together For the Gospel (T4G) to glory in God’s grace and discuss what faithful ministry of the gospel looks like. T4G is a diverse gathering of churches that all hold passionately to the core of Christian truth, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Third Time’s the Charm

I’ve had the privilege of representing Grace Church of Alexandria there the three times T4G has been held; this certainly was the best of the three. I must admit I didn’t get much out of the second one, T4G ’08. Must have been because I was utterly spent and exhausted the weekend before from my examination for ordination as a minister of the gospel, held the weekend before in South Carolina. Getting up at 4:30 am and driving to Louisville, KY, for the conference after my ordination just numbed my mind and that conference was a blur. Not so T4G ’10!

A Theology of Sleep

Hearing from John MacArthur on a “Theology of Sleep” (Mark 4) re-kindled my sure confidence that faithful preaching and teaching of the Scriptures inevitably bears fruit, because the power of the gospel is not in me the messenger but in God who grants faith & repentance. MacArthur reminded me that, as a pastor, my utmost focus ought to be on understanding and proclaiming God’s truth accurately, so that I may gladly rest and entrust the congregation’s response to the Word to Him. This sermon serves every Christian who works to share the gospel with your co-worker or family members, and seeks to teach the Word to your children or disciple a Christian friend. God’s Word bears fruit because the sovereign God is the Lord of the harvest. We can rest easy and not fear when we have done our job and delivered the message accurately and faithfully.

T4G 2010 — Session 5 — John MacArthur from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.
Sing Praise To God

Each day was filled with the resounding echo of 7,000 voices of pastors and church leaders giving loud praise to God in singing gospel laden hymns and songs. Making a joyful noise to the Lord with Christians from across the globe committed to the same message, the same Savior, the same body of Christ, and the same glory of God filled my heart with fire to press on in gospel ministry here in our city of Alexandria. For what we believe is nothing new. In fact, it is the same message that countless people in all nations and throughout time have hung their hopes on, and have always found God faithful to deliver on his magnificent and gracious promises.

Watch & Listen For Free

Seven T4G sessions are available in audio and video for free here. Each is worth your time. I especially commend to you John MacArthur’s “Theology of Sleep,” John Piper’s sermon on the stunning clarity of the gospel in the Old Testament and in Jesus’s teaching, and C.J. Mahaney’s encouraging and transparent talk to “Ordinary Pastors.”

If you  would like to share your experience at T4G or have questions, go ahead and post in the “comments” section below this post.