Yesterday I had the opportunity to go to th
e NewSpring Leadership Conference thanks to a friend who paid for my ticket. It was geared toward pastors, so I had the amazing experience of having no line for the bathroom while the guys' line snaked through the hallway.
I was blown away by the speakers and the total difference in personality that came out through their preaching style, yet how obviously God was able to use each of them to proclaim his word. I was also greatly amused that they all wore jeans, and one of them was even in skinny jeans.
The day was refreshing. It was great to take some time to get away from everything and be encouraged to be more firmly focused on God and not on the busyness of life. We all need that at some point.
Below are the notes I took (10 typed pages worth). Use at your own discretion.
Perry Noble (speaker)
The Most Important Person in the Room
- We plan and often forget to bring Jesus into the planning
Look at Joshua 5:13-6:5
à Before God wants to do something great through you, he wants to do something great in you.
First steps for something great:
1. Recognition
a. Who: we must recognize who Jesus is.
i. We must not get so busy that we fail to see/recognize Jesus (Jesus at work)
ii. We cannot lose sight of Jesus!
iii. We, as leaders, need to “push” people to recognize Jesus
b. What: significant spiritual breakthrough. When we get close to Christ, see who he is, we will be near big spiritual breakthrough!
i. We need to have a bigger vision
ii. If we are not willing to be uncomfortable, we will eventually become faithful.
iii. God doesn’t ask us to do easy things.
iv. The book of Acts is foundation, we should be looking for bigger things
c. How: spent time alone with God
i. We will experience/have greater intimacy with God when we spend time along with God
ii. When he was alone he (Joshua) saw Jesus
iii. MORE than just your quiet time
iv. When we are alone we hear his voice
v. Failure to rest is disobedience
2. Submission – God tells us the truth, we must listen and obey
a. Joshua 5:15 – Joshua did what God said
i. Listen to God and do what he says. Period.
ii. Preach Jesus, be aware that things are different in different circumstance (what obedience looks like)
iii. God wants his holiness to touch the nastiness of Joshua’s body (feet)
iv. We must be obedient to the small things to be trusted with the big things
v. Where is God asking us to take off our shoes (reveal our nastiness? Pride, anger, fear, insecurity?
vi. We must be ready/willing to deal with our sin
vii. Our sin can “shut down” the functioning of your church/ministry
viii. Keep going back to the cross; be aware and repentant of sin.
ix. Luke 10:17-20 – do not rejoice that spirits submit… rejoice that our names are in heaven
Mark Driscoll (Speaker)
à If you want God to use you greatly, he must first wound you deeply (Biblical precedent)
- Will you suffer like Christ?
- We need to learn to suffer well.
o We will often suffer because of our faithfulness in ministry
- We MUST recognize that our suffering is not punishment, it is loving correction from our heavenly Father
Scripture: Ephesians 3:1-13 – essential! Learn how Paul is thinking, suffering
- Paul is in jail suffering
- If your church loves you, they will suffer with you
Benefits of Suffering
1. Sanctification comes through suffering (Eph. 3:1)
a. Paul is ultimately a prisoner to Christ, NOT Rome
b. Everything can/will be used for God’s glory, others
c. Good. It passes through God’s hands (Heb 2:10)
d. We will have a hard time being sympathetic and empathetic towards those who are suffering if we have not suffered
e. Think more deeply in suffering (don’t just feel). Think of Christ’s sufferings.
f. Jesus suffered. When we suffer we become more like him.
2. Stewardship comes through suffering (Eph. 3:2-6)
a. Reminded of what is important when we are suffering.
i. “Mystery” is Christ alone
ii. Suffering reminds Paul that he is stewarding a mystery (gospel for the nations)
iii. If we are interested in anything more than Christ we need to suffer more.
1. Get away from causes (ministries) and focus on Christ
iv. We are to steward the mystery of the gospel of Christ. Help make forward progress toward redemption of all peoples
b. God likes to prune before harvest
i. We must cut off the fruitless branches so that we can grow more fruit
ii. Suffering is the means by which God prunes the church
3. Serving comes from suffering (Eph. 3:7)
a. Suffering is a wonderful opportunity if we redeem it!
i. We must continue to think more deeply!
b. Jesus is our suffering servant
c. When we are weak, God wants to use us
d. Suffering is the means by which God wants to use us to serve
e. Serving comes out of suffering
i. We learn to appreciate those who serve us
f. We more deeply appreciate Jesus
4. Our Speaking comes from our suffering (Eph. 3:8-9)
a. It changes our speaking/preaching when we suffer
b. Preachers who preach repentance and don’t practice it are toxic. Be willing to talk about current sin (not just sin that we’ve “conquered”).
c. Paul preaches out of losses.
d. As Paul gets closer to Jesus, the more aware of his sin he is. I Cor. 15:9, Eph 3:8, I Tim. 1:15
e. Paul speaks of his own sin.
f. If you preach and don’t practice repentance you create a toxic church
g. Paul’s sin was religious sin
h. Preach/live out of repentance (Rachel’s note: this was obviously important to Driscoll as he said it MANY times!)
i. You want changed lives, not religious people
ii. How much religious sin are you tolerating in your life? In your church?
5. Showing comes through suffering (Eph. 3:10-12)
a. The church shows God’s glory!
b. Paul treasures gospel above all. He is able to have joy in the midst of suffering
c. God uses church (though nobodies) to bring salvation
d. Church is where Jesus’ grace, love, mercy is shown
i. Church is not perfect, but we are still to love it
ii. Church can cause people to suffer, but should be a place for suffering people.
6. Sustaining comes through suffering (Eph. 3:13)
a. We need to learn to suffer well.
b. Who has betrayed/abandoned us?
c. How are we handling it?
d. How have you handled losses, failures, etc. from those around you?
e. What is it, who is it, and how will you use it for God’ glory, other’s good?
Jud Wilhite (Speaker)
The Church in the World
- The Church (people of God) can be used to save/transform lives
- We are to love the church
- We must be all in – in loving/serving the church
- What we’re doing through the local church is the most powerful thing that is happening on earth
John 4 (Woman at the Well)
Vs. 7-9 – Jesus chose to interact with a lowly, five-time divorced woman.
Jesus is about reaching the broken.
1. Reach out to the broken and you will always have an audience!
a. Be willing to connect with people in their pain and brokenness
b. Remember the Holy Spirit is at work in the lives of those around you
c. vs. 16-18
i. Who’s hurting that we can help?
ii. Who isn’t reached that needs to be reached?
iii. If you are afraid to reach our, those who are broken will die on the steps of the church
iv. The more you grow, the more critics you will have
1. You must stay focused on reaching out! You’ll ALWAYS have an audience, but it will get messy
v. Major on the majors, not the minors
vi. Stay in the church to reach to brokenness
2. See restriction as an opportunity
a. Go beyond need – use need as an opportunity to share Christ
b. The need is not a problem, it’s an opportunity
c. What’s an area that you see as a problem? Reframe as an opportunity to see Jesus work in/through you
i. Experiencing God working happens through trial/restrictions
d. Fight the martyr mentality
i. Fight the thoughts that go “we’re not as good as….”
ii. Remember to look at what you do have, not what we don’t have
e. Find the “yes”
i. Stop looking at the “no” options when there are restrictions
ii. Don’t stop because of a constriction
f. Place yourself in high-risk situations in order to see God work (use restrictions in this way!)
g. God is not calling you to give what you don’t have. We have the power of Christ to give!
3. Tell the truth in love. John 4:25-26
a. The bolder I get in telling the truth of who Jesus is, the greater the impact I have
b. Teach the whole counsel of the Bible in love
i. Focus on telling the truth about God and men.
ii. Less programming and props, more Jesus
iii. Make the focus Jesus, not the preacher or programming
iv. Don’t apologize for the truth of God’s love
c. God’s not done!
Judah Smith (Speaker)
In the midst of the pains and problems we should experience calm with Jesus
Matters of the Meantime – in the midst of transition
Mark 4:35-5:1, 6:45-53
àAre we there yet? We’ve done everything we know to do… we’re impatient.
- We know we’re not “there” but we still question God and why it’s taking so long
- When is “then” and “when” in these passages?
o We don’t know how long it will take!
o We can’t put God on a timetable (or use steps and methods), it’s about a relationship
- What do you do when you’re not where you used to be, but you’re not where you’re “supposed” to be?
- How do we handle the meantime (waiting)?
- History doesn’t record the “meantime”
- You can do everything right and still have “meantimes”
- The meantime matter to God. What you do in the meantime determines where you will go.
1. It is impossible to get ourselves to the other side
a. God must work in/through us to get us to the other side
b. We can get embarrassed about the meantime
i. We sometimes fool ourselves, feel pressured to pretend we are on the “other side”
ii. We put on masks and pretend it’s ok while we are ready to fall apart
c. First step to getting to the other side is to admit you’re not there and get help!
d. We think only the spiritually mature/elite get to the “other side”
e. Mark 6:52 – God takes hard-hearted people to the other side. It is his grace!
i. What did the disciples do to “deserve” to get to the other side? They didn’t jump ship. They stayed in the boat.
ii. Be diligent to stay where God has put you.
f. Prov. 13:12 – reason people feel like giving up.
i. Because of delay we assume we are denied (Abraham)
g. Gal. 6:9 – corporate nature. Encouragement to continue. No timetable, just promise.
h. It is a good thing to have a friend in the boat to keep you in the boat.
à In the meantime – trust Him, hold on
- There is NO timetable, we’ve done everything… Eph 6 tells us to stand
- We’re not missing anything when we have Jesus. We must stay with Him.
- God will bring us to where He wants us by His strength. Rest in His sufficiency.
Francis Chan (Speaker) à Spoke more from his heart, as encouragement then giving a specific message
John 9:23 – Boast in the Lord, in your knowledge and understanding of the Lord
- What’s changed in your life? Are we listening and failing to act?
- It’s about knowing God, lifting His name up and praising Him.
- Keep eyes open to see things of Jesus, not your own manipulation.
- We must look to see God’s grace, it is all around us.
- God listens to our prayers, we must be willing to step our and trust Him.
- It’s normal to not know what’s happening next
- If you put my life story in Scripture would it look radical?
- Do we still believe God wants to do great things in our lives?
o Do we idolize people in the Bible? They’re just like us! James 5:17
- Once we’ve made it through, God himself will restore/strengthen/establish me
Phil. 1:27-28
- God wants to see unity!
o Strive side by side
o You are bolder/stronger in a team
- We should not be frightened of anything
o We must be bold
- Our God hears our every little prayer, so why be afraid?
o Num. 14 – the odds will always be against us
Acts 4:19 – Bold, uneducated
- Continue in boldness
- Pray for one another for boldness
Joshua 14:7-12: Be strong and courageous regardless of who follows
Steven Furtick (Speaker)
Sometimes you need to borrow someone else’s faith (for a little while) until you have enough to stand on your own.
àWe ca get so familiar with what used to blow our minds through monotony that we forget how amazing God is.
John 2:1-5
- Let us never run out of wine (joy)
- How can we take something that was meant to be magnificent and make it miserable (the church)?
Mark 11:1-6
- Don’t be afraid of doing something that’s never been done before
- When you do as Jesus says, it will be just like he told you (vs. 6).
- It’s ok to say “Jesus told me to”
1. Do what Jesus tells me
a. If the information/transformation does not result in action, this is futile (the conference)
i. We must seek to draw out practical applications
ii. What am I going to do with what I heard?
iii. We must step up, step out, and act!
iv. Immediate obedience is essential
v. We need specific and immediate obedience
2. Do whatever Jesus tells me to do
a. Even (especially) grunt work
b. Extraordinary moves of God start with ordinary obedience
c. Nothing is insignificant when done for Christ
d. It’s normal to not know what’s happening next
e. Verbally commit to someone who can hold me accountable
f. God’s past performance is the best predictor of future actions
3. Whatever he tells you to do, do it
a. Embrace your uniqueness
b. Don’t walk in someone else’s footsteps, follow where God is leading you
i. Don’t mimic someone else’s miracle, mimic their faith
c. We may be one painful decision away from seeing God’s glory break through
4. Jesus sends people to do something he has already done
a. All we need is faith for the first step
b. Do it like it is already done, because it is
i. Have confidence that God will get you to where he’s prepared for you
c. Take the next step. He might not show you the end point, just the next step
d. Don’t rely on feeling, circumstances. Base faith on Christ alone
e. Remember to look at what’s been done (God’s work in the past) and rely on God’s faithfulness
àThere’s nothing more powerful then a promise from God
Andy Stanley (Speaker)
We are handing off the church to the next generation (continually); we are part of the marvelous history of the church.
Acts 15: Four Gravitational Pulls of Every Church for Every Generation
- A pull from where things are to where they shouldn’t be…
1. Churches always gravitate toward insiders and away from outsiders (Jews vs. Gentiles)
a. Church was never intended to be for “church people”
b. We must not be overly concerned with making “insiders” happy
c. Jesus likes people who were nothing like him
d. We must resist this pull in the planning of services, preaching, etc.
e. Keep eye on temperature: what kind of complaints (from insiders or outsiders?), how we’re praying (for sickness or lost people?)
à Don’t deceive yourself with attendance! Big church is NOTHING, growing church is EVERYTHING!
2. Churches gravitate toward law and away from grace (requirements for Gentiles)
a. Practically and relationally.
b. Development of “categories” of people makes it easier to slip into law (divorced, black, gay, etc.)
i. Don’t put people in categories as it causes legalism
c. Don’t think in terms of categories, think in terms of relationships.
i. Relationships mess up categories every time
ii. It’s easier to have categories. Relationships get messy
d. It’s risk because acceptance looks like approval. Take the risk!
i. If we’re going to influence we must run the risk of acceptance.
3. Churches gravitate toward complexity and away from simplicity (following of various O.T. laws)
a. Be clear about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it
b. Find what your church is meant for. Do what you do well.
i. Be what/who God has called you to be
c. Partner, don’t Pioneer!
i. Find groups who do things well that you want to join with for service, etc.
4. Churches gravitate toward preserving rather then advancing
a. Protect history, resources, way of doing things, etc.
b. Don’t honor/protect over moving forward.
c. Don’t be risk adverse
d. Work toward great commission
e. Continually think like a church plant
i. What would we do if we didn’t have any money/land/resources?
à God didn’t call us to protect anything, but to advance his kingdom
4 Commitments
1. Stay more concerned about who we are reaching rather then who we are keeping
2. Always err on side of grace
3. Remain focused on unique calling
4. Remain open-handed (with resources) – fearless in use of resources (people and money)
àWe have the baton of the local church. Do NOT lose the amazement of what God has trusted us with. Be a good steward with it!
