This message on Deuteronomy 12:1-7 from Don Carson was given at The Gospel Coalition's 2018 Women's Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. Download the free study guide for Deuteronomy here: bit.ly/2ttOnqf
God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness. - Acts 3:26 God has blessed us and that's why he has turned us away from our wickedness.
Dr. Carson, Tim Keller, John Piper and others are closely associated with The Gospel Coalition as well as their own well known local ministries. John MacArthur was more closely associated with Ligonier MInistries along with R. C. Sproul and others. Both TGC and Ligonier are quality organizations. I enjoy and benefit from each. You seldom see much cross over between the two organizations although I've never seen either being critical of the other. Just keeping up with the demands of personal ministry and association with their respective organizations is a full time commitment. It may be as simple as there simply not being time enough to see that happen. I wouldn't want to read anymore into it unless there is some evidence to the contrary. Just my thoughts.
So.... This will probably seem contentious but I'm positing that calling out error isn't contentious...holding to it is. A lack of unity is never produced when we call out error. Those who see the Truth come into unity. Those who suppress the Truth are warned twice then removed, bibically. So i see these videos that wanna talk about what's wrong with the church and missions. None of them have addressed the actual bibical issues that are causing all the problems we're seeing today. When you look at the early church and then the church today, it's clear they aren't the same. Here's the issues i see. There are many conflicting views...however there is only one intent of the author. If people would trust what the bible says, theyd see we are intended to be one body united in love and Truth by the mind of Christ as we mature. Not gonna argue about it but i do encourage everyone to investigate each point honestly and objectively, and be a "berean." If you do i have no doubt the Spirit of Truth will show you the same. Something has to change. We are so far from Jesus' prayer in John 17 it's not funny. Without further ado... There is definitly a problem. So many false pictures of God out there called chritianity. That are not the biblical picture of who God is, what he wants, or how he works. No wonder there's no unity. I can't point to one church that follows the model of acts and Jesus. Though I'm sure there are a few out there. It's all from RCC and protestantism. It's crazy out there as well. You got people claiming to be Jesus in the church. Pastor having a twerking contest in the church, then told his critics to F* off. Greedy liars like J. duplantis and C. dollar. Eastern mysticism at places like bethel. Large groups pushing the gnostic idea of Devine determinism, contrary to the teaching of Christ and traditions of the apostles. Teaching legalism and righteousness by law. Herbrew roots movements that are the modern judisers paul fought against. Groups with a form of godliness but they deny his power. And conversely, False prophets and apostles working lying signs and wonders, as scripture warns there would be, who will hear i never knew you to their surprise. Ecumenicalism leading to a world religion through coexist and daniels fourth kingdom through a world court. Groups like calvinism who have been aloud to completely change the definitions of biblical terms like: Grace, faith, sovereignty, dead, ect. Groups like Methodists allowing lesbians to be their "lead pastor." Jesuits are allowed here in america again, while people competely forget why they were ever barred. Sda, mormon, Unitarians, and all kinds of other groups that fall under "christianity." Biblical discipline seen in 1 Cor 5, is completely ignored. Its strange for people who claim to believe the bible is the inspired word of God...we sure seem to do what we think is right instead in every area of life and ministry. Smh.... Each generation we drift farther and farther from the simplicity of Christ and worshipping God in Spirit and Truth. And we move further into deception and philosophy and empty deceit built on the spiritual forces of the world, instead of Christ. Jesus said many would fall away from the faith before he came back. We've gotta be close. Maranatha. So I'm hoping this a good reminder of Truth and Love and what matters. There is no unity in the Church today. Biblical unity isn't getting along while completely disagreeing about God...that's coexist. We should be at peace with all men as much as it depends on us, but bibically that's never called unity, that idea is tradition made by people. Biblical Unity according to Jesus and the Apostles, is presented as being led by the Spirit of Truth, into the mind of Christ, as we are transformed by the renewing of our mind daily from one degree of glory to the next. Thus having the same love, the same mind, all things in common, counting nothing as our own, ect., as we grow up into the image of our king. John speaks of this as well, in 1st John 2 he calls it, the anointing that is true and rests on you and leads you, teaching you all things, so walk in that Truth. When you read the didache it shows how those discipled by the apostles understood them. We have completely lost that and instead each does what seems right in their own eyes. We replaced the Spiritual power and leading with tradition and mental assent to claims. Creating movements after men and teaching we idolize above the Spirit and Truth. Producing division and denominations. I think as long as all this is so prevalent and most of the body has no desire for the type of unity the Bible calls for, or just doesn't understand it, things arent going to change. We can encourage people about these side issues or argue about side issues all day, but if that doesn't change nothing is going to change. If we don't see and address the heart of the issues it will remain and grow worse. Though as close as we are to the end I'm not sure it will change, the bible warned us it would be like this now. But even if the majority won't, individually we can ask God what steps we can take to make things better where we are at. If we will change then we will look again as the body was intended, with the result we saw at the beginning and in Jesus' john 17 prayer. It matters, souls are at stake. At what point did the body begin to care more about the status quo then being united in love and Truth so the world will believe? What Jesus prays for is seen clearly in the letter of aristides to Hadrean Caesar, Google it. Pray for this everyone, please. Timely reminder. Some really aren't gonna like this. But if anyone sets their mind to honestly seek what's True...you'll see it. ❤love y'all.
Wow, that was a long winded exhortation. Unity must be based on holiness and not a sacrifice of truth. The book of Proverbs says that "open rebuke is better than secret love." Don's message was timely. Jesus said let him that has ears hear.
You lost me at if Eve would have said this or that the world would look very different. If Eve would have not eaten and shared the fruit then there would be no need for salvation which was promised before the foundation of the world. So not loving these half truths or ideas that the world would be better off without salvation and in essence that what is being said when you draw on this idea . I how ever did not listen to the whole sermon.
You're operating from a supralapsarian theology, which I do not believe D.A. Carson (or many others) operate from. Your supralapsarian lens means you operate with a different set of presuppositions than Carson so I'm not surprised you did not agree with his statement.
