Recently I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Sinclair Ferguson speak at the Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. The truths he shared with the audience were too good not to share with you. I am operating from my own notes, so...just understand that.
1. Salvation experiences serve to add people to His church. When Paul writes "you" in his letters, it is plural.
2. Every time we read scripture, we should ask ourselves, "What is it here that surprises me?" (I must admit that I do not do that. I am often surprised by how it affects me differently each time I read a passage, but I do not look for those surprises. Will work on that.)
3. Jesus' purpose here was to build a church. He came and died in order to build a church here. It was His central plan. (Amazing to look at His coming in that way.)
4. As Jesus draws us closer to Himself, we will also grow closer to each other. (I love that! We will not all grow at the same rate, but we WILL grow! There is no room for shyness or self appointed wallflowers.)
He is building a community.
5. We are born into a family. This is one thing that the world cannot imitate. The church is filled with love for one another...unfailing, forgiving, unconditional love. Jesus will bring together the family branch on earth with the branch that is in heaven one day.
6. Jesus planned to build His church on enemy occupied territory. (This is huge!) The gates of hell will not prevail against it. It is constantly fought against. From His birth to His death, Jesus was always being challenged. Infant Jesus vs. King Herod. (Guess who won?) We must never be surprised when things go wrong. We are under hellish attack.
Satan has three weapons:
a. Intimidation - It was physical in the early church. Even in today's churches, the enemy struggles to make the Christian feel inferior. Put on the whole armor of God.
b. False Ambition - wanting to do that which you are not equipped to do. Do what you are able to do, and all that He calls you to do. He will ready you for whatever He asks of you.
c. Complaining - It creates division.
7. God builds His church by servants marked by frailty. (He isn't looking for super heroes, but willing servants with a mighty God behind them.)
8. He builds it on the ground plan of His destiny...the cross.
2 Corinthians 4:7-12 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
I hope and pray that my notes were adequate enough to get across to you some important, valuable truths.
Dr. Ferguson is a man of God, who speaks of His marvelous goodness.
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