Comments on: Sheep Turned Back in Terror- My Biggest Fear in Sharing the Gospel

By: Rick White

Rick White — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:47:27 +0000

Todd:
Appreciated your post. I think the fear you describe may be good for all of us who have the responsibility of proclaiming God’s Word.

By: Jonathon

Jonathon — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:41:35 +0000

I have not watched that whole Q&A. I watched Dever talk about not really knowing what “judgment” for believers will look like in the future. Interesting.

I like Chandler. I like his church’s website.

You see Peter Lumpkins respond on his blog to JD Grear’s post on Calvinism?

I think this whole thing is going to (a)blow over, (b) run the Calvinist out, or (c) kill the convention….but I do not think it will really matter for another 5 or 10 years, if not longer than that.

By: Todd Burus

Todd Burus — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:11:18 +0000

Thanks for your words on this. As you know from my previous posts, I have really been struggling with Lordship Salvation. Not in its truthfulness, I certainly believe in LS, but I wrestle with how to make it matter to people who fear works and/or struggle with indwelling sin and/or might not really be saved. It is so massively important and yet there is such a backlash against it and I am fighting through how to handle that.

As for Caner, that’s really a shame especially knowing that he does a lot of stuff down here with young people. For the last couple of years he has been the keynote speaker at the big Baptist retreat for college students in Florida. Thankfully, I do not know of anyone who is too big into what he teaches.

On the flipside of preaching/pastoring, have you listened to the Q&A from the DG Preachers Conference yet? I was really moved by how open Piper and Dever were with their struggles in personal evangelism. It’s so easy to see them as invincible soul winners, but Piper in particular was very raw with the difficulties he has in reaching people on a one-to-one level.

By: Jonathon

Jonathon — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:11:24 +0000

Good word Todd. I think in our preaching we need to challenge peole to “evaluate” their lives. Are they living a life that is characteristic of a genuine faith? Not yesterday, last week, or last year, but currently? Is there sorrow for sin, a desire to know God?

At the same time, we need, in our preaching, to encourage those whose lives are fruitful that “nothing can seperate them from the love of Christ”(Rom 8). We, as Calvinist, do well to remember this and maybe do better here.

We are very familiar with preaching that tells you that “once saved always saved,” and how it has resulted in what some (Ryrie, Chafer, etc) call “carnal Christianity.” We need not imitate their example on this point.

However, as the Reformed have the tendency to be harsh at times (all head no heart), we must remember that Paul admonished Timothy to “encourage” as well as “rebuke” and “exhort.”

So balance it. Challenge your hearers to evaluate their lives. Don’t rest on a walk down the aisle! Instead, honestly look for patterns of growth (some grow at different rates). And, for those who are being faithful, assure them that Christ will never let them go.

On another note:

Ergun Caner was at Porter for a KBC Evangelism Conference….absolutely horrible. He actually gloried in the fact that he was a horrible pastor because of his lack of “mercy” (love for people is what it boiled down to). And he is TRAINING PASTORS!!!!