I was thinking about how amazing this past One Name Boston Conference was and how much it means to me (I was saved there in 2009) and to so many others, and so I was prompted to share these thoughts with you. They are from a sermon which I preached at another amazing conference in May - The Arabic Baptist Church of DC's Annual Conference, a.k.a. May Camp.
I love conferences like this one for a few reasons:
- The glorious gospel of Jesus Christ is always preached, which means two things will happen:
- Believers will be encouraged, challenged and reminded of their need for God in life, holiness and ministry
- Nonbelievers will hear the gospel - many for the first time - and some will repent, believe and be saved
- You see a lot of the same people and so continue to develop great friendships with other Christians and enjoy fellowship with them while also meeting new people and growing new friendships
Another great thing I love about conferences is the opportunity to reflect on my life and walk with the Lord and make any necessary adjustments - repent of something specific, consider my prayer life and Bible reading, be challenged by God's word etc.
That being said, these next verses from Isaiah 44 sum it up pretty well for me:
Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you; you are my servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist;
return to me, for I have redeemed you.
Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it;
shout, O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing, O mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob,
and will be glorified in Israel.
(Isaiah 44:21-23 ESV)
- Remember - God is your maker, that He formed us, and that we are His servants. Remember that he has loved us so much, that He died for us on the cross as our substitute, exchanging with us righteousness for sin.
- Repent - Since He has lavished grace on us, since he obliterated our past, present and future sin from His sight, let us quickly turn and run to him - His love and grace for us is our motivation for repentance.
- Rejoice! Sing because the LORD has redeemed us, He has bought us back and restored worth to us by the blood of Jesus. Let us break forth into singing because God has redeemed us and will be glorified in us!
As I get ready to head out to another conference this week, this text speaks to the importance of these reminders and check-ups that must happen on a regular basis - individually and daily in our personal prayer time, weekly in our local church communities, and somewhat nationally with the global church as we meet for conferences like this. And so I'm really looking forward to this upcoming weekend in Harrisburg, PA where I’ll be attending the 28th Annual Young Adults Conference hosted by the Arabic Baptist Church of DC. where we will fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the Lord, have a great time worshiping God and sit under the preaching of his word.
