In Brief: Bought With a Price, Day 2

Today was the full day of the Ligonier conference on the Church. As I spoke with people during breaks I was reminded that the Holy Spirit, like a master surgeon, skillfully cuts with the Word according to each person's needs. Parts of the messages that were not particularly impacting to me were invaluable to others. In some sense, the Holy Spirit must individually-wrap each part of the preached Word and personally deliver this bundle of presents to individuals according to their exact need.

I was very impressed with John MacArthur's message on the shepherd and his flock. I regret largely ignoring his ministry in the past. Best line: "A good shepherd is not known by how well he pets the sheep; a good shepherd is to be known by how well he protects the sheep." In the context of his message, this statement packed a big punch.

Lig Duncan spoke on the Invisible Church and warned that those who deny the distinction between the visible and invisible aspects of the Church downplay the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit.

Ken Jones spoke on One Body, Many Parts; he gave two crisp reasons why a Christian must be part of a local church. First, to withhold your presence denies the church access to one of the gifts that God has supplied the church; and second, you are denying yourself access to the gifts of others.

Sinclair Ferguson presented the Church's Message giving powerful illustrations of the gospel. For example, until now I had never seen the beauty of the gospel in the arm-crossed blessing Jacob gives Ephraim and Manasseh. The father's right hand ought to rest on the rightful elder brother, but no, graciously the hand of blessing is given to the other.

Lig Duncan spoke on the Church's Mission in a Piper-esqe way emphasizing that missions exist because worship doesn't. Missions is not the goal of the church, worship is.

Mixed into the day's agenda was a hard-heart-busting presentation of a George Whitefield sermon by Max McLean, 3 small-group prayer meetings, a soul-awakening musical concert, and part one of a Q&A.