Stetzer is posting the audio of the Building Bridges Conference available through the LifeWay podcast. Here’s the audio available thus far (this will be updated as more are available). Also, Dr. Nettles’ presentation is also now available (click here).
1. Calvinism and SBC Leadership (Stetzer) – PDF
2. The Historical Record (Nettles) – PDF
3. The Historical Record (Dockery) – PDF
4. Calvinism: A Cause for Rejoicing and Concern (Noblit)
5. Calvinism: A Cause for Rejoicing and Concern (Yarnell) – PDF
6. The Atonement, Design, Nature, and Extent (David Nelson)
7. The Atonement, Design, Nature, and Extent (Sam Waldron)
8. Theological Stereotypes (Lawless)
9. Theological Stereotypes (Finn) – PDF
10. Election and Calling (Keathley) – PDF
11. Election and Calling (Welty) – PDF
12. Working Together to Make Christ Known (Akin) – PDF
13. Working Together to Make Christ Known (Ascol)
14. Donald Whitney sermon
15. J.D. Greear sermon
16. Closing Comments (Stetzer)
17. Panel Discussion (Part One)
18. Panel Discussion (Part Two)
Tim,
Thanks for the audio!
Timmy,
You have done us who could not attend a great service for posting these messages on your blog.
Much thanks!
Billy
The audio is also being posted through SEBTS podcast on iTunes.
Guys,
You’re welcome, but really you should be thanking Ed Stetzer and the good folks at LifeWay for making these MP3s available.
I was checking out the download stats, and Noblit’s message has been downloaded twice as much as the rest of the audio combined. So I decided to listen to it first.
And now I see why. Thoughts?
Noblit genuinely blew me away. I was so impressed by his passion and was moved by the truth he spoke. I have never heard him before; but if he represents the future of Calvinism, then I, as a devout Arminian, feel more at ease with him by my side as a brother in Christ Jesus then what I’ve experienced in the blogosphere. To God by the glory He so rightly deserves.
Billy
Right on, Billy. I can personally vouch for the ardent preaching, fervent evangelism, and emphasis on missions at FBCMS as well as HeartCry.
Speaking of which, next year’s True Church Conference at FBCMS will be centered on Church Discipline. It would be a great conference to attend, especially if you believe in regenerate church membership and formative/corrective church discipline. More info is available at:
http://anchoredintruth.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=552&Itemid=175
I read some of the notes on the conference over at Tim Rogers blog.
I think one of the things that would be helpful for both Calvinists and noncalvinists to understand about one another [and maybe even themselves] is what perspective they have on what a worship service should be “for”.
Of course neither would not deny that a worship service should be unto God’s glory.
However, from a horizontal angle I think everyone falls into one of these five perspectives.
1. A worship service should be for the lost.
2. A worship service should be for the church.
3. A worship service should be for both the lost and the church [the 50/50 view]
4. A worship service should be primarily for the lost and secondarily for the church.
5. A worship service should be primarily for the church and secondarily for the lost.
Now, once people have become self-conscious of what perspective they hold and what others hold, then I think people can see why various worship services can have different flavors to them.
And to be even more specific, I think it can explain why various preachers within worship services can have different flavors to their preaching.
On one end the preaching flavor might be 100% evangelistic and on the total opposite end the preaching flavor might be 100% Christian Discipleship oriented.
And then there are various degrees between these two ends.
Grace
BCR
“I was checking out the download stats, and Noblit’s message has been downloaded twice as much as the rest of the audio combined. So I decided to listen to it first.
And now I see why. Thoughts?”
Thought #1: Praise the LORD for Jeff Noblit and men like him!
Thought #2: Praise the LORD for the way He is using him and that church to influence and aid other pastors and churches as they seek to be Bible-based, obedient, Christ-honoring churches.
(full disclosure: he’s my pastor and we love him)
Ed,
I am glad that you feel that way about your pastor. Too many pastors are held in contempt today (makes me wonder how much of it is warranted). Jeff has endured for over two decades in the midst of great opposition and difficulty, and it is wonderful to see how God is using he, Paul, and the entire ministry of FBCMS to bless other pastors and churches.
Tim,
I also listened to Noblit’s message first. What an encouragement! Every time I hear a message by Pastor Noblit, his combination of sound doctrine and blazing passion for the Church make him the sort of Calvinist I want to emulate…not in an idolatrous way at all, but as an example of what can happen when passion and Truth collide.
Youshould listen to a recent message that Noblit preached called “The Bible-driven Church.” Its posted over at Slice.
I listened to two audio clips from the links provided, one above, and the one on Cowardly Calvinism, and I’ve outlined 5 major points:
1) The end of the “Romans Road” (Romans 3:23, 6:23 and 10:9) is “Hell” because that’s “Decisional Regeneration” with a “false sense of security.”
2) Calvinism is the Gospel, which is why teaching theology (i.e. Calvinism) is so important.
3) Church Splits can be healthy because Jesus was a splitter.
4) Arminianism stiffles evangelism.
5) Joel Osteen was mentioned a couple of times, just for good measure.
Here is my article in response:
http://www.examiningcalvinism.com/files/Articles/how.html
Richard,
I am not quite sure how you pieced that outline together, but as a fair Calvinist, I will refrain from deleting your shameless plug to your website. As far as your response goes, I do not see it reflecting anything related to the content of the conference (perhaps this was composed earlier?). In any case, if you are looking for a game of theological one-upmanship, I would encourage you to check your bookmarks and take it elsewhere. Thanks.
These are great. What a load of information packaged here.
While I am one of those “loud Calvinitsts” I am not opposed to BB. I somewhat agree with Machen and with CHS in the cooperative spirit that they held to in accepting the opposition as brothers, but also hold closely the warnings of Whitefield and the considerations of Dort, who understood what might be the outcome of tolerance. If in the end we have reached an accord which garauntees the fair exposition of Scripture and history then we have built a large span toward the goal of extending the ministry of the Word to the world. If on the other hand we decide to place the books on the shelves and allow for the continued declined in academic study through decostructing Scripture and history, I am afraid that we will soon degrade to the conditions current before the conservative resurgence.
I was at the conference and I have to say: thanks to all the brothers who participated, and to all who were there.,I also want to say that I really enjoyed the fellowship. Having said that, I just wanna leave a couple of scriptures to meditate on. (1) 1Co 8:1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. (2)Pr 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (3)Php 3:15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.(4)Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.
Timmy,
Do you have access to downloadable copies of Merritt and Mohler’s messages?
The SEBTS site lists them, and you can barely play them 9low audio), but you cannot download them. Neither Lifeway nor your site list them. Thanks.
Jerry,
I asked Dr. Ascol about this on the Founders blog. He said that a student in the crowd recorded both of these, but Lifeway missed getting them recorded. He said these are probably the only recordings that will be available for Drs. Mohler and Merrit.
Wayne
Jeff Noblit is the most passionate preacher I have ever heard and I am envious (not a bad envy 🙂 for those who get to hear his messages Sunday after Sunday. It would be worth moving to Alabama to be apart of a true Biblical church. Thanks for the conference!
“Update to my reply to Jerry
I had sent an email to Lifeway at the same time I posted on Founders. I received a reply from Chris Turner saying that the worship services were not scheduled to be recorded, therefore they were not recorded.
Wayne
Wayne,
Thanks. I guess that these are lost to us, due to the fact that you can barely hear them on the SEBTS site, and unlike the other recordings these cannot be downloaded.
I have compiled all of the other messages and .pdf files, and will burn a CD to save for future reference.
Yeah, my guess is that if they had Greear’s and Whitney’s and not Mohler’s and Merrit’s means that the didn’t record the first night’s worship service. One audio I am particularly interested in downloading is the panel discussion.
The panel discussion is up now on Lifeway’s site.
Wayne
Thanks Wayne. I have updated the links to include the panel discussion.
Just thought I’d mention that I have added Nathan Finn’s paper (PDF) to the page (above). An further updates will be mentioned in the comments.