G3 Conference 2019 Notes and Thoughts Post #1

This is the second day of G3 in Atlanta Georgia this week and I have to say that I have been really encouraged by all I have been able to hear so far! It's been a while since I have been able to attend a good Christian conference, so I am a bit overwhelmed by the amount of encouragement I have been receiving.

Not to mention old and new faces I have gotten the chance to acquaint and reacquaint with. It's good to keep in touch with like-minded friends and families alike!

Here are some notes I took from a message last night from Pastor Mark Dever. I encourage you to log on to the g3conference.com website and access their sermon archives to hear this for yourself!

I will be posting more notes as the day goes on, but, maybe this will wet your whistle a little. :)

7:45 session/ Mark Dever/ January 18, 2019

I.                     How to fulfill the Great Commission

A.      Church planting is the normal means of and result of fulfilling the great commission

B.      Matthew 28:16-20

1.       Go and make disciples

2.       “lost sheep of the house of Israel”

C.      Genesis 12 “I will make you into a great nation….all peoples on the earth will be blessed through you.” Speaking of Abraham.

1.        God’s promises to his people create and sustain his people

2.       “faith comes by hearing”

a.       Promises of God

b.       His Spoken and Written Word

c.       Expositional Preaching

(Deuteronomy 1:1-18)

3.       When God’s word is taught, it must be consciously believed and trusted.

II.                   Revelation 7:9

A.       It’s about the great commission, God speaks to us, and we respond in faith and trust.

B.      Jesus gives the great commission at the end of His ministry

1.       He speaks on loving one another as God loves us.

a.       “Love your neighbor as yourself”

b.       John 13:34-35

2.       Jesus establishes a people around Him.

a.       “All power in heaven and earth is on me”

b.       Matthew 16:18

c.       “On this rock I will build my church.”

3.       Jesus has entrusted the church with His “keys”; the shepherding and leading of His people.

III.                 What did the apostles understand?

A.      “There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord” (2 Corinthians 12).

1.       Essentially, He institutes spiritual gifts.

2.       (Each of the spiritual gifts are used to help the Church as a whole fulfill the Great Commission.)

B.      Paul fulfills his own great commission by church planting.

C.      Romans 15:24

a.       (example of Christians helping Paul fulfill his great commission by ministering to him.)

b.       It is normal for other apostles to help see that the churches are established (not only started).

D.      Shepherds guide the sheep. (Metaphorical expression of church planting)

E.       Shepherds feed each other. (Metaphorical expression of church growth and establishment.) (1 Corinthians 12:14)

IV.                Jesus didn’t send the disciples out to “feed” but to grow other Christians for the kingdom.

A.      God wants us to make disciples, not merely record decisions. Anything else is not real discipleship, ministry, or evangelism.

B.      Churches are lulled into thinking that the Great Commission is being fulfilled but it isn’t!

C.      We need self-conscious commitments in our discipleship in order to understand what Jesus says.

1.       We are called to love.

2.       We are called to examine.

3.       We are called to obey.

V.                  The Church’s responsibility

A.      Pray for and qualify those who are to be elders and send them out.

B.      Consider how you are going to support them.

C.      Commit yourself until the Church foundation is established.

D.      The Church needs institutions like this to become part of its culture.

VI.                Care for your pastor

VII.               It’s time for existing churches to be reclaimed.

*WHAT IS OUR GOAL IN FULFILLING THE GREAT COMMISSION?

The GLORY OF GOD

Jesus is the image of the invisible God.

Jesus is not to be worshiped through physical images.