Started the day with a really good coffee on the way into the auditorium. Unfortunatly the coffee was so good, I had two more during the day.
These notes are probably more useful to me than what they will be to you….but you might get something out of them.
Chris Tomlin played, and it was awesome, sung a couple of old standards as well as his normal stuff…
Exceptional multi media this year, and the new Hillsong songs seem to have more theological content that previous years…
Tuesday First Session
John Bevere
Isaiah 6:1-13
1 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of His robe filled the Temple.
2 Attending Him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.
3 They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!”
4 Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.
Holy = 3 times for emphasis
Responding to God’s holiness
Isaiah has glimpse of God & realises his own sinfulness
God speaks & only 1 person in Israel hears, the cleansed person
2
V1 Uzziah died before Isaiah heard from God
16 But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the LORD his God by entering the sanctuary of the LORD’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.
A spirit of pride & a spirit of religion run hand in hand & they strengthen each other
Pride keeps you from admitting you have a problem & religion covers it up
Pride must die for you to have a fresh vision of me
Phil 3
4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
high call=that I might know Him
1 Cor 15:9 For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church
You look at all the preachers in the world, & I am the bottom of the barrell!
10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out His special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by His grace.
But in fact he had more fruit than anyone because of God’s grace
humility When we are completely & totally dependent on Him
Ephesians 3
7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this Good News.
8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ
1 Tim 1:15,
Ps 25:9
9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way.
Israel relationship is based only on how God answered their prayers
E.g. Moses, David
The degree to which we press into humility is the degree we will know God
Is 57:15
Tuesday 2nd Session
Brian Houston
Ps 45.16
16 Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands.
Instead of the Father shall be the sons
Will of God to move from known to unknown, from predictable to unpredictable
Predictable in loyalty, reliability, belief, credibility & example, commitment, vision
Unpredictably in spontenaity, surprise, innovation, creativity – when you can see things before they are there, influence – method must come from change, empower the generations, experience is overated! I’ve only been married once…!
Experience & wisdom are not the same thing, experience is to be our servant, not our master , books don’t build churches
“I can’t read so I have to think”
Structure & program are to be our servant not the master
Keep structure under the surface
Culture is our servant not master
“that’s not our culture”
Heritage is our servant not master
Do you want to make history or serve it?
Do we learn from history or repeat it?
God wants to do something new.
I will honour/esteem elders, but I wont obey them
Tuesday 3rd Session
Steve Penny
Nehemiah
Your people are talking, the enemy is talking, everyone else is watching….
therefore….
Nehemiah understood that he had to get the people talking about Nehemiah and what God was doing in the rebuilding of the walls.
Tuesday 4th Session
Phil Baker
2 Cor 5
What is the priority of your church?
Mission, Ministry, Music, Man or….
Evangelism
Def: Introducing God to people
So therefore what is your view of God?
There was nothing appealing about Him (Jesus)
Get close to people tyranny of distance
So much easier to criticise from afar
If we want to lead people to Christ you have to narrow the gap
Liked people tyranny of disdain
Criticised for meeting people of disdain
Took time tyranny of hurry
Are we busier than Jesus?
“Everything is covered by the dust of hurry?”
Stayed put Tyranny of Movement
Primary Principle is one of a journey
Movement is more important than position
Build structures which move them along
Tuesday 5th Session
John Bevere
We need to have an eternal perspective, lifted straight from his book……
Too many scriptures to mention including 2 John 8, 1 cor 3.11-15,
we need to not only be human beings but human doers
We will be not be judged for what we have done, but what we are called to do….
3 Ways to find what Gods will for you is, in the light of eternity
1. Seek God ernestly
2. Be planted in a local church, so you can grow
3. Be free from entanglements…
Full on day…..tired, but excited….its great to be here….
