Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Preaching to the Choir

The other day I had opportunity to share with a fellow minister the impact of being at T4G Conference. After hearing my enthusiasm and getting a since for the subject matter, he expressed to me his concern that it was basically a typical evangelical exercise in "preaching to the choir." I expressed to him that such was not the case. Sure most of the men in attendance were predisposed to the convictions and theology of the speakers. Yet, as we were reminded, it takes all the courage and encouragement we can muster not to give in to the culture and compromise biblical ministry for worldly success. Everyday, preachers are bombarded with mail and email telling them how to grow their ministry and how to fill the pews by employing professional models and paradigms. One of the primary charges at the conference was for men to be strong in the Lord and the power of His might; to value the gospel above all things and Christ above all powers. This is not easy. We need exhortation and example. Thank God for men like those at the T4G Conference who are willing to do both.
To really understand the impact a conference like this can have, and to see why such is not simply preaching to the choir, here is a letter written by a prominent pastor to Mark Dever after hearing Mark speak on just these issues. It is an Encouraging Testimony

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