2015 NYC - Only One Love by Matt Reagan

2 Corinthians 4:4-6 “4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

1. How do we see the glory of God?

  • In the face of Christ

  • Christ came to demonstrate God and His love

2. What is the gospel?

  • Jesus shows himself through it

  • 1 Peter 3:18 - Paul is the foremost of sinners

*There is one love, God’s love for us. The gospel is free, His love is free*

3. Why don’t we get giddy when we start talking about the gospel of Jesus?  
 - Because we don’t think of God as a person, we think of God as a concept

     a.  We are meant to know the warm, loving face of our father God

     b. Because we think of Him as a cosmic police officer who is never                      pleased

  • His countenance is a frown

  • Luke 15:20 “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”

  • Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

   c. Because we don’t look at the world around us as loving communication

  • But everything around us is sending a message from God

  • Psalm 19:1-5 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving it's chamber, and, like a strong man runs it's course for joy."
    Because the cross of Jesus has become cliche

    d. Because the cross of Jesus has become cliche

  • Use my imagination to see the cross more clearly

2015 NYC - Only One Mission by John Piper

1. God’s pursuit of his glory and my joy are not two pursuits, but one
  - John 12:27, 1 Peter 3:18, Psalm 16:11

  • God sent Jesus to glorify the father because we trample on it every day 
  • He died so that we might have everlasting joy in His presence

2. I must not minimize or diminish my joy in God, but pursue it with all of my heart

  • I conquer sin by a superior superior satisfaction in Jesus- we sin because it feels good
  • We can’t be christians by ‘should nots’ but by the biggest ‘want to’ of pursuing joy true joy in Jesus


ONE MISSION: Joyfully and sacrificially declare and demonstrate that the glory of christ is more precious than life. And help all people discover that their only hope is in Christ’s death and resurrection for everlasting happiness. 

  • Our mission is not living, or staying alive

Breaking down our life mission statement:

1. Declare

  • 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 
  • With our words 
  • Sometimes by giving up our lives 

2. He is better than life 

  • Luke 21:12-18 “12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers[a] and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17 You will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish.”
  • If  we ever get arrested for being a christian, we are on assignment 

3. Demonstrate 

  • 2 Corinthians 8:1-2 “1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.”
  • The glory of Christ has made me more happy than the removal of affliction or poverty 
  • 1 Peter 2:12 “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
  •  We hope people will see our lives and see Jesus 

4. To all people 

  • Revelation 5: 9-10 “9 And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the scroll   and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,  and they shall reign on the earth.”

2015 NYC - Relationships Talk by Reid and Nikki Jilek

Reid and Nikki share their story and Biblical principles for relationships. 

Five Guidelines Healthy for Dating

1. The point of dating is marriage - are you ready to get married? If not, maybe avoid dating for a while. 

2. The bible calls us to community - dating in isolation can be dangerous

(Hebrews 10:24-25, Proverbs 18:1)

3. Be clear about your attentions - both the guy and the girl

Genesis 3:6 - warns against male passivity.
Genesis 3:16 - warns against desires for control and manipulation

4. How to pace a relationship

The emotional, spiritual and physical parts of the relationship should all slowly grow equally. 
But the bible clearly warns about saving sex for marriage, fight to live in community and in the light with the physical parts of dating. 

5. Both of you must have an understanding of the Gospel
 

2015 NYC - Ministry to College Athletes by Stephen Lawrence

Are you a college athlete or engaged in ministry with athletes?  If so, you know there are unique challenges to walking with God and making Him known on your teams.  This seminar will address helpful tips and perspective for those wanting to make an eternal difference on their athletic teams. 

2015 NYC - Talking about Jesus with People Who Don't Want To by Eric Longergan

Jesus is becoming increasingly unpopular and misunderstood in American culture.  Many people have grown up with little to no familiarity with church, Christianity, or Jesus.  In addition to this, many people are believing that to even disagree about something is to be intolerant.  How do we share the gospel message in what many call a Post-Christian culture?  If that's a question you're asking, come and find out more in this seminar. 

2015 NYC - Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual Disciplines by David Mathis

Reading, meditating, studying, memorizing, praying, fasting, silence, solitude, evangelism, stewardship-is your head spinning yet?  What if spiritual health and growth weren't about juggling a long list of to-dos, but three simple principles for receiving God's ongoing grace in fresh way s that are life-giving and specific to you?  The Christian life is not about checking boxes, but knowing and enjoying the living Christ through the means He has appointed: hearing His voice, having His ear, and belonging to His body. 

2015 NYC - Knowing is Only One Half by Paul Poteat

Jesus loves me this I know...or do I?  What is it like to experience the love of Christ, to know that you are forgiven, to feel the power of grace?  There are many ideas and truths that you probably attest to, that say you believe, but you don't really live in light of these, you don't experience these things do you?  Well, you're not the only one, I'm in the same boat.  So, let's engage not simply knowing truth, but feeling it. 

2015 NYC - Christianity 101: Understanding the Essentials by Nate Frantz

What does it mean to become a Christian?  Why should I give my life to Christ and how do I do that?  What does it mean to believe and trust in Christ?  If you have any questions like this, Christianity 101 will explain some of the foundational aspects of the gospel. 

2015 NYC - You: Redefined by Larry Martini

Do you ever feel like there is some invisible standard that you are always being pressured to live up to?  It can happen in school, family, friendships, or really in any part of your life.  It can feel especially overwhelming if you can never quite reach the standard.  During this seminar, we will learn how the Gospel gives you a new standard that helps you see yourself in a completely different light. 

2015 NYC - All of Life is Worship by Connor Dimmick

I understand how Bible study, praying, and churchgoing are means to worshiping God, but what about my school work? My lesiure time? My sleep schedule? Eating and drinking?? This seminar will look to answer the question, "What does it look like to glorify God in every area of my life?" 

2015 NYC - Apologetics in Today's World by Nirmal Mekala

The Bible makes many bold claims about the world.  Whether you find yourself skeptical of the Bible and want to learn more or you believe the Bible and want to learn to defend it well, this seminar is for you.  We will look at what the Bible has to say about doubt in general and how to answer some common objections to Christianity. 

2015 NYC - Gender Roles & Identity by John Piper

God purposefully creates man and woman. 

  • Genesis 1:27 - "Male and female he created them"

Three main qualities of manhood:

  1. Initiation
  2. Provision
  3. Protection
  • These are primarily man's responsibility, but not solely; women help in this 

Piper's fictional story that paints a picture of complementarianism: a man initiates a date with a woman, has a plan for the date and pays for her, and then walks her home. They are confronted by two men who want to take the woman. She is a black belt, and her date knows this, but he still puts himself between her and the bad men in order to protect her at risk to himself. He gets beaten up, and when he regains consciousness, he realizes she has beaten up the two bad men using her skills as a black belt. 

    - This story is to demonstrate that it's not about who is more competent; the woman was clearly more competent to fight the men, but the man risked himself for her sake, anyway. 

Ephesians 5:2-33

1) Marriage is a dramatization of Christ and the Church (verse 32)

2) In the drama, husbands take their cues from Christ and women take their cues from what God wills for the Church.

3) The primary responsibility for initiative, leadership, provision, and protection fall on the man. 

          - the man should always be looking for ways to help bring out the woman's gifts and talents 

2015 NYC - Only One Passion by John Piper

2 Corinthians 6: 4-10

“4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

1. What does it mean as christians to be ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’? Which part, sorrowful or rejoicing, has the emphasis?

- We learn from this passage that the first part of the phrase creates the background for the second part of the phrase.

  1. Genuine, yet regarded as imposters

  2. Known by God, yet unknown to the world

  3. Dying, yet we live on for eternity

  4. Beaten, yet not killed

  5. Sorrowful because of the pain in the world, yet always rejoicing in the hope of the Gospel

  6. Poor materially, yet making many rich for eternity

  7. Having nothing, yet possessing everything
     

2. The gospel brings us to life to see more and feel more for the people all around us. We see the pain of the world and feel is deeply. So, what can our joy be rooted in that makes the sorrow ok to feel?

  • Sorrow is feeding off the gloom of the world

  • Rejoicing is feeding off the glory of God

3. Passion

  •  Sometimes people think of passion as a feeling
  •  Here it is the object of our feelings, our passion is Jesus Christ and His glory

Peter 1:3-8 “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice,though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials...8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” I Peter 1:3-8

4. What does it mean to call have glorious Joy?

  • The literal Greek meaning is Glorified joy
  • When you are thrilled by something, it shapes the person that you are.
  •  If we are thrilled by sin, it shapes us into people who love darkness and evil
  • If we are taken up by something beautiful or something we delight in, it shapes our joy.

1 Peter 4:12- 14
“12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

  • What makes joy durable in the midst of trials is Jesus’ glory.
  • There is glory to come, but we have a glory here and now on this earth. “you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you”

Implications

  1. God’s aim to be glorified and his aim to give us joy are the same thing - God is shown to be great when we are happy in him.

  2. Since God is shown to be great by us being happy in Him, we should fight to always be happy in Him.
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