The Gospel for OC

4 Reasons The Gathering Conference Has Me Rejoicing

Dustin Smetona — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:12:22 +0000

(by Dustin Smetona)

It’s difficult to explain how wonderful The Gathering Conference was this past Saturday. I’m going to give it a quick attempt, knowing that I won’t do it justice. If you did attend, I hope these few observations encourage you and help to memorialize the great things God accomplished in your heart at the conference. If you could not make it, then I pray that you’ll be encouraged and strengthened by these few reflections offered here.

1. The Sinless Savior Died and Rose Again

The greatest reason to sing and rejoice is the glorious gospel of God’s grace. The controlling aim of The Gathering Conference was to renew our pleasure in the good news of all that Christ has done for us. This was accomplished in the singing, teaching, seminars, and fellowship. The Gathering Conference has me rejoicing because my heart cried out, over and over again, with hundreds of other saints: “Hallelujah, all I have is Christ!”

2. God is at Work in Southern CA

The conference actually sold out the week leading up to it. This was a surprise since it was hosted by a church made up of just under 100 people. The place was packed! Around 575 people, representing over 80 local churches attended. These people were hungry to hear Bob Kauflin explain how the gospel shapes our meetings and to engage in corporate worship with hundreds of other Southern Californians who see the gospel as the centerpiece of their entire existence. We must take a moment to recognize this as a mighty work that God is doing in our hearts. The Lord is here, moving in such a way that many are compelled to see and savor Jesus Christ. What cause for celebration!

3. Singing Together is Better than Singing Alone

If you read this guest post by Bob Kauflin, you’ll see him make reference to the importance of tuning our attention to others as we worship. He goes so far as to instruct us to look around at others while we’re singing. I put this to practice while at the conference and found it to be incredibly edifying! Seeing others transfixed with the Savior made me desire to offer praise to Him even more.

4. There is More Yet to Come

One of the NT passages that we lean on to encourage one another for corporate gatherings is Hebrews 10:24-25. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” The Gathering Conference was an expression of this encouragement from Hebrews. As great as the conference was, we are convinced that God still has many great things in store for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). And we pray that He brings those things to pass in His sovereign, perfect timing.

*If you would like to see the full photo gallery please click here.

The Type of Leaders We Need and Ought to Be

Chris Poblete — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:26:03 +0000

“My dear friends, most churches make the mistake of selecting as leaders the confident, the competent, and the successful. But what you most need in a leader is someone who has been broken by the knowledge of his or her sin, and even greater knowledge of Jesus’ costly grace. The number one leaders in every church ought to be the people who repent the most fully without excuses, because you don’t need any now; the most easily without bitterness; the most publicly and the most joyfully. They know their standing isn’t based on their performance.”

—Tim Keller

(HT: JW via DD)

Singing to Magnify the Greatness of God

Bob Kauflin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:07:01 +0000

(guest post by Bob Kauflin)

“Great is the LORD,” David reminds us, “and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable” (Psalm 145:3).

David shows the appropriate starting point for worship. It involves thinking about, magnifying, and responding to the glory and splendor of God. Magnifying and cherishing his greatness is at the heart of biblical worship. As J.I. Packer reminds us:

Today, vast stress is laid on the thought that God is personal, but this truth is so stated as to leave the impression that God is a person of the same sort as we are–weak, inadequate, ineffective, a little pathetic. But this is not the God of the Bible! Our personal life is a finite thing: it is limited in every direction, in space, in time, in knowledge, in power. But God is not so limited. He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. He has us in his hands; we never have him in ours. Like us he is personal; but unlike us, he is great.

David invites God’s worshipers in Psalm 34:3 to “magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!” The first priority of our gatherings is to magnify the Lord. Our frail minds need to be reminded that God is bigger than our problems and joys, greater than our sorrows and successes, and more significant than our tests and triumphs. Our great, weekly privilege is to come together to help one another see, through eyes of faith, how great God has actually revealed himself to be.

This same invitation is made to you. Would you come this Saturday, January 28th to magnify the greatness of God together with other brothers and sisters in Orange County? As our friend and organizer of this event, Eric Turbedsky would say: “It’s an 8-hour investment into a lifetime of Sunday mornings.” We look forward to seeing you there.

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Want to learn more about why we sing to magnify the Greatness of God? Join us for The Gathering Conference, January 28th in Huntington Beach, CA. Hosted by Sovereign Grace Church with Bob Kauflin, Enfield, and in partnership with Sovereign Grace Music.

This article was adapted by Dustin Smetona from pg. 61-62 of Bob Kauflin’s book, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God.

EVENT: Vertical Worship – Round 2 (next Thursday @ O.C.C)

Dylan Budd — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:28:00 +0000

(by Dylan Budd)

Worship is evangelism. Evangelism is worship.

Promoting the glory of God and revealing the character of God is the means by which we reach people who are far from God!

We believe the most effective form of evangelism is when the body of Christ engages in unapologetic God-ward worship—whether it’s personal or corporate. We don’t see worship and evangelism as two separate modes of the church. Instead, we see them inextricably linked. This is made clear all throughout the book of Acts. Worship (corporate or individual) is evangelism and evangelism is worship!

Join us for a night of song & worship at Orange Coast College

With this in mind, the Lord placed a burden on our hearts for the students and faculty at Orange Coast College. So we’ve invited local churches from all over Orange County to come together on OCC’s campus to celebrate Christ who is the radiance of God’s glory and the expressed imprint of His nature (Hebrews 1:3)!

Here are the details:

Robert B. Moore Theatre (OCC Campus)
February 2nd, 2012
7pm-8:30pm
Admission and parking are free.

We are praying that as a result of this corporate worship gathering on OCC’s campus, the power of the gospel would spark vertical worship among the students and faculty on this campus. That the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ would explode in the hearts of students on this campus and as a result infect this county with the gospel of God for the glory of God.

You can RSVP at the official Vertical Worship Facebook event page.

Feel free to email us if you have any questions.

Singing to Proclaim the Gospel

Bob Kauflin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:21:11 +0000

(guest post by Bob Kauflin)

This is the second post in a three-part series. The last post was about Singing to Each Other.

Peter tells us that we have been saved “that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness and into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). We’re meant to fulfill this command both in our meetings and in our lives.

But why is proclamation important? Because we forget. We lose track of who God is and what he’s done. Proclamation helps set our minds and hearts right. It reminds us of the convictions and realities that should guide and govern our daily lives. It draws our hearts back to God’s greatness, what he has accomplished, and all that he has promised. We all need to be reminded, and proclamation helps us remember.

People come into our churches proclaiming all sorts of things with their words and actions. Through close-fisted giving, some are asserting how much their own personal wealth matters. Others, by their complaining, are declaring that personal comfort matters. Teens in the latest fashions may be proclaiming that being cool matters. Others confirm through their smiles or frowns that their musical preferences matter.

But we want each of them to leave proclaiming this: The gospel of Jesus Christ matters.

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Want to learn more about why we sing to proclaim the gospel? Register today for The Gathering Conference, January 28th in Huntington Beach, CA. Hosted by Sovereign Grace Church with Bob Kauflin, Enfield, and in partnership with Sovereign Grace Music.

This article was adapted by Dustin Smetona from pg. 129-130 of Bob Kauflin’s book, Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God.

For the Ministry (1/23)

The Gospel for OC — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:59:25 +0000

UPCOMING EVENTS:

THIS SATURDAY : THE GATHERING CONFERENCE (Sovereign Grace Music)

A worship conference for every member of your church. Join us in discovering what it means to build our meetings around the gospel. Hosted by Sovereign Grace Music and Sovereign Grace Church - Orange County.

Featured speakers include: Bob Kauflin, Pat Sczebel, and more…

(Visit the event website)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 : VERTICAL WORSHIP

“God continues to confirm that our best method in reaching an unbelieving world is for Christians to engage in unapologetic vertical worship. As we fix our gaze on the true treasure of the universe (Christ) we communicate to the world what is ultimate, what is immeasurable, what is glorious, and what is worthy of our worship!”

(Visit the event Facebook page)

Jesus Isn’t Safe: An Appeal to Christian Radio and Its Listeners

Excellent post from music artist Matt Papa:

Imagine with me: The apostle Paul, John the Baptist, the prophet Isaiah, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and Hudson Taylor all sitting in a room together. The year is 2012, and they’re listening to a mainstream christian radio station. After listening for an hour, someone finally speaks up:

Isaiah: um….

Paul: wow.

Luther: THIS IS CHRISTIAN?!?!

Augustine: Did that song just say ‘God you are super neat’?!?

Taylor: Haven’t heard a song about the cross yet.

John: This is embarrassing. (bites into a bug)

(Click to read part 1 and part 2)

TGC: New blogs

Many of you are aware that we also run The Gospel Coalition’s Orange County regional chapter. Well, we are excited to announce that the TGC family is expanding, with new blogs and plans for 2012.

Sanctity of Life Resources

Yesterday was Sanctity of Life Sunday, and the Christian blogosphere was replete with pro-life resources. Even if your church did not recognize this day, the resources are still out there and worth a gander.

“Keep a close watch…”

Trevor Wright — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:24:39 +0000

(by Trevor Wright)

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
1 Timothy 4:16
(emphasis added)

Being a leader in the church doesn’t just mean knowing all the right doctrine, it means knowing about yourself in light of that doctrine, and constantly pursuing a life that is subject to that doctrine. It’s not enough to simply pursue sound teaching. You have to also pursue sound living; you have to examine yourself in light of what the Bible calls you to be. The only way to grow in the knowledge of the faith is to be teachable, and therefore humble, in acknowledging that you do not know everything. The only way to grow in Christian living is by acknowledging that there are certain aspects of your character and conduct that don’t display Christ, and being humble enough to hear correction from God’s Word and God’s people. This is a weighty calling—life hangs in the balance—so don’t ignore it. Examine both yourself and your teaching today.

The Forgetful God

Dustin Smetona — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:00:25 +0000

(by Dustin Smetona)

One of God’s most important qualities—especially for sinners like us—is His forgetfulness. Where would we be if God were not a forgetful God?

Our Unintentional Forgetfulness

We use the word forget to refer to something we lose track of unintentionally. In 3rd grade I competed in a spelling bee at the new school I had started attending that year. In the later rounds as the numbers were whittling down, I was starting to feel confident that I might be able to win. I came up to the mic and the judge said, “Please spell the word forgetful.” I began to spell, “F-R…” and immediately stopped as the auditorium erupted in laughter. I was devastated and embarrassed, but I’m better now. That mental spasm demonstrates precisely what we mean when we say “forget.” We don’t typically desire to forget things, but we do because of our lack of capacity to remember.

God’s Intentional Forgetfulness

God, on the other hand, only forgets when He intends to. This is because His capacity to remember is infinite. He can’t forget anything! That is, of course, unless He means to.

So if God can only forget on purpose, what does He forget? Consider the following three verses:

Isaiah 43:25
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

Jeremiah 31:34
“And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Ezekiel 33:16
“None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.”

The only thing that God willfully forgets is sin. But how does He actually do that? If His capacity to remember is infinite and infallible, how can He make something disappear from His memory?

He does not magically wish our sins away. Instead, He “remembered” your sins on Christ, and as a result He “remembers” Christ’s righteousness on you! This forgetful act on our behalf is the supreme display of His abundant love. It is incalculably wonderful to consider and to savor.

Heading into 2012

Since we are at the very beginning of a new year, I’m convinced this truth has special significance. I don’t know what 2011 was like for you. My guess is that there were some monumental achievements and some crushing defeats. If you are beginning 2012 with any guilt from sins committed this past year, I hope you will embrace the gospel again and be renewed. God has removed 2011′s sins “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12) and you have complete assurance of that reality because they were nailed to the cross back in the 1st century. Find freedom, joy, and comfort knowing that God delights in you as a father does his precious child. His plans for your this year are for His glory and your good. Trust your loving, forgetful God as you move ahead into 2012.

Jonathan Edwards’ Resolution #24: Kill Sin at the Root

Jon Keene — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:03:20 +0000

NOTE: This was already posted, but we lost the article’s data when someone tried to hack our site. So here we go again.

(written by Jon Keene)

Resolution #24

Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavour to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

This may be my personal favorite to date. To be so aware of your own sin and downfalls, to realize the when and where of your depravity is truly the mark of God’s beloved. I see throughout the present church a type of “forgive and forget” mentality—as if to say, it is always going to happen (which it does), so we shouldn’t worry about it too much when it does. Please do not get me wrong; in a way, that ought to be our attitude with one another. After all, when Peter asked how often we should forgive our Lord responded, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven,” (Matt 18:22). But it is the glancing over of sin that is a terrible mistake. God hates sin, and so should we. In order to fight against it we must take careful action, whatever that might be, to do it no more and, most importantly, fight and pray for God to keep us from it.

I sin constantly, and yet I do not find myself tracing back to the origins of it as often as I should. So what happens? I end up heading down the same crooked path, only to find myself struggling with my old enemy Wormwood¹. I think it would be a good thing for us to really take some time to ask what tempts each of us most, in order that we may plead with Christ to grant us the power and obtain mercy in the fight against whatever sin we may be struggling with. May our prayer be like that of the Psalmist, who desires to walk with the Lord morning and night, that our feet are behind His and our hands grasping to the seam of His garment.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
(Psalm 143:8)

1. Wormwood is a way of saying “alluring temptation”. The phrase comes from the name “Wormwood” – a fictional character in C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. In Screwtape Letters, Wormwood is a young demon hell-bent on learning how to secure the damnation of souls. Highly recommend the book.

Singing to Each Other

Bob Kauflin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:44:49 +0000

(guest post from Bob Kauflin)

Ephesians 5:19 is an often quoted verse as we consider how to shape our corporate gatherings in a Biblical way. It would seem natural that in his instruction on singing in worship, Paul would begin with God. He doesn’t. The first focus of our singing that Paul mentions is not God, but one another. He fills this idea out further in Colossians 3:16 as he writes that we’re “teaching and admonishing one another.” This shows us that one of the primary aims of corporate worship is to be building each other up, not simply having our own personal encounter with God.

If we can agree that this is the case, there is one natural question that follows: How can we sing to each other in an edifying manner? Let me offer a few suggestions.

1. Sing songs that are full of Biblical truth and doctrinal depth.
When we only sing songs that are primarily subjective, focused on how we feel or what we’re doing, we will not have much to say to one another. Instead, let us utilize songs that are rich with gospel truths, God-centered meditations, and declarations of what He has done. If this is the case, then the words that we are singing to each other can be instructive and edifying rather than merely personal.

2. Allow for solos and other variations that include congregational involvement.
Having a soloist sing a song that is horizontal (i.e. Crown Him With Many Crowns) is a great way to encourage singing to one another. It does not necessarily have to be a “performance.” When the vocalist’s motives and gestures are Christ-exalting and natural, our hearts can be inspired and instructed as we listen to someone else’s Spirit-filled singing. One other suggestion would be to use songs that have the men alternating lines with the women. There are a few of them out there but it may even be good for your worship leader to creatively choose a song, break it up into parts, and teach the congregation.

3. Keep your eyes open and look at one another singing.
I’ve had many profound moments as I’ve focused in an undistracted way on the words I’m singing and the Savior I’m singing to. But being Spirit-filled should actually make us more aware of others, not less. It makes sense that we should be enjoying the celebration of Jesus Christ together, and in order to do so we must be aware of one another.

After preaching a message on Eph. 5:15-21, I wanted to apply it in a memorable way. So I had everyone stand up and told them we were going to sing Amazing Grace a cappella. Only I didn’t want anyone closing their eyes. I wanted people to look around the room as they sang, rejoicing at God’s mercy in each other’s lives. It was a little awkward at first, but eventually we were singing with all our hearts, unashamedly “addressing one another” in song, reminding ourselves of how amazing God’s grace truly is, to save wretches like us.

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Want to learn more about why we sing to one another? Register today for The Gathering Conference, January 28th in Huntington Beach, CA. Hosted by Sovereign Grace Church with Bob Kauflin, Enfield, and in partnership with Sovereign Grace Music.

This article was adapted by Dustin Smetona from Bob Kauflin’s writings over at worshipmatters.com. You can access the original article by clicking here.