Unity, Maturity, and Stability. Those were three stages of growth that pastor Scott Ardavanis encouraged believers to look for in local churches. Instead of getting on a cruise to nowhere, Ardavanis said believers need to be a part of putting God on display through the local church. He based his sermon on Ephesians 4:13, which says, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” Pastor Scott’s message was a fitting way to begin a weekend full of encouraging hospitality and solid teaching from God’s word.
One of the highlights of the conference was listening to Dr. John MacArthur preach from God’s word on the topic of discernment. His more than fifty years of experience pastoring at the same church in Los Angeles has given him a unique vantage point to know how to effectively shepherd God’s people.
His first session focused on the need for discernment in local churches. He emphasized how churches need to “examine all things; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22) He said, “The culture is coming at us with a ferocity, in the media, that is unlike anything seen in history.” He mentioned that believers need to be like the apostle Paul who said, “Therefore we do not lose heart.” He explained that the original Greek term used for “do not lose heart” is actually one word which means “not giving into evil.” Christians today can resist evil by keeping their focus on the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:1-6).
Pastor MacArthur emphasized how Paul’s strategy of resisting evil can help believers keep the standards of discernment intact. He taught that believers need to remember five things: 1) The superiority of the gospel, 2) The great mercy of God using imperfect people to accomplish his will, 3) the need for a pure heart, 4) the need to handle Scripture accurately, and 5) to give the results to God and not men.
Another highlight of the conference was listening to Pastor Costi Hinn’s message on discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit. Costi’s testimony provides ample evidence of someone who emphasized misguided approaches to hearing from God, instead of looking primarily to the word of God. His message included four examples of ways people lack discernment in discerning God’s will. All of these strategies were done by pastor Costi before he realized that the Spirit of God primarily speaks through Scripture.
The first misguided approach is sitting in silence until God speaks audibly. Costi spoke from experience. He humorously said, “If you do this you may be sitting in silence for a very long time.” Another misguided approach is waiting for “a still, small voice of God.” This is when people wait for an inner feeling to guide their decision. Instead of a subjective approach to seeking God’s will, Costi would recommend searching Scripture and seeking wise counsel. A third approach is one he described as “reading the tea leaves.” This is when someone looks for a special sign from God to make a decision. 1 Peter 1:9 says, “And we have as more sure the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” Costi’s point was that God’s word provides greater clarity on issues than looking for a special event to take place.
The last misguided approach that pastor Costi mentioned was one he calls the “thumb game.” This is when someone asks God to direct them by opening the Bible to a random page and claiming a promise or a blessing from God. This is not an approach that he recommends people take. Costi reminded those in attendance that the Spirit of God’s guidance will not be split from God’s word. So believers should carefully study God’s word to know the spirit’s leading.
The goal of the conference was so “the Word of God might be magnified and God may be glorified.” Those who attended were moved towards this goal with invigorating times of worship, encouraging hospitality, and thought-provoking teaching from men whose lives have been changed by the love of God and by a careful study of Scripture.
