After lunch, Piper came and gave a biography on J.C. Ryle. This talk really helped show what manhood looked like in the life of a historical figure. Manhood requires courage. Here’s my tweets:#dgpascon time for @JohnPiper ‘s bio of JC Ryle #bringit#dgpascon God has given Christianity a masculine flare#dgpascon the masculine feel of Christianity is liable to serious misunderstanding and abuse.#dgpascon 8 features of masculine ministry…1) masculine ministry puts men at head to take the first bullets of criticism#dgpascon 2) masculine ministry seizes full-orbed doctrine, pressing it into life of people#dgpascon Ryle took on jellyfish clergyman who lacked doctrinal nerve#dgpascon 3) masculine ministry brings out rugged aspects of Christian life // sanctification is war!#dgpascon 4) masculine ministry takes heavy, weighty things (like hell) and never shrinks back from the truth of it#dgpascon 5) masculine ministry heralds the Scriptures with urgency and forcefulness#dgpascon 6) masculine ministry welcomes cost of courageous leadership w/o grumbling & complaining for progress of church#dgpascon 7) masculine ministry publicly & privately promote mobilizing people (women), fully engaging all people in ministry#dgpascon 8) masculine ministry models caring for wife and children for the good of the church
There are moments as Piper was speaking that I was filled with praise to God for the faithful life of Ryle. But, deeper still, I recognized the calling upon my life requires courage and boldness as well.
After this session, we had a break for dinner, then, Doug Wilson returned for an evening session on Father Hunger and the Church. My tweets:#dgpascon the Gospel means you are privileged to carry your sin around like David carried Goliath’s head (in victory)#dgpascon we need teachers, instructors & fathers but acknowledge we have One Mediator between God & man. Don’t let them step in between.#dgpascon role of fatherhood in church esv.to/1cor4:15-16 church & family are not plan a & plan b but plan a & plan a#dgpascon we need fathers because we can only learn some things by imitation. God designed it this way.#dgpascon our job as fathers is not to get them to live by the standard but to love the standard#dgpascon we’re scared by masculine piety#dgpascon two kinds of authority: of office & of blessing, fruit of death and resurrection, taking responsibility#dgpascon worship of God the Father fills checkbook: it fuels spiritual responsibility#dgpascon when we call people to the Father … We are calling people to be like Him#dgpascon do you want traditional, godly fathers without God the Father? you are dreaming. We were made for this…#dgpascon when you come to worship corporately, you come to a person (the Father),through Jesus, and are affected, battling unbelief
Again, Wilson brought great God-honoring, Gospel-filled truth. We need to raise the standard for manhood in the church and not apologize for it. God has made us for this. In fact, the power of the Holy Spirit magnifies Jesus because He brings us to the Father. This direction shows us what our lives were meant for: the glorify the Father. We reflect this reality in church life.