Saturday - Session 5 - Jono Sims

Jono Sims started his talk with the words "verbal, plenary, inspired scripture." Not the usual words you'll hear at a youth conference!! But then, this is no ordinary youth conference. There are no vendors hawking glowsticks or t-shirts in the lobby (although there is a small room with a few book tables). There is no dancing in the aisles during driving musical numbers. There are youth groups scattered here and there, but by and large there are groups of families and clusters of adults. I would have probably been more appropriately labeled a "family conference." I think it would fit in quite nicely with Voddie Baucham and others who have a heart for "Family Integrated Churches." Baucham has a quote on his church's website from Dr. Alvin Reid who says, “The largest rise of youth professionals in history has been accompanied by a decline in youth evangelism effectiveness.” This conference is the antithesis to traditional youth ministry methodology.

Jono Sims addressed this by saying that all of the youth ministry training materials and conferences today push the idea that you must dumb down the message in order for today's teenagers to understand it or make it easier for them to take. He rejects that notion by saying that these same kids are taking classes at school that require incredibly complex higher level thinking skills such as algebra II, trig, biology, chemistry, etc. God has given us this incredible book and he wants us to wrap our arms around it and embrace it! (thus giving him the chutzpah to begin a talk at a "youth conference" with the words 'verbal, plenary, inspired scripture')

Sims' talk was on Titus 3:1-8 and was about salvation. He posed the question, "Do I have the salvation that Paul, through the Holy Spirit, describes, or do I have something else?"

First, he went through the reasons we need to be saved: Total depravity... Romans 3:10-12 (there is no one righteous), Romans 3:23 (all have sinned and fall short), Ephesians 2:1 (you were dead in your transgressions), Isaiah 59:2,(your iniquities have separated you from God) James 4:4 (friendship with the world is hatred toward God), Romans 1:18 (wrath of God is being revealed against all ungodlessness by men who suppress the truth).

He then went through the list of vices in the chapter and said this is what those without Christ look like to God.

Next, we must understand something of why God reached out to us with salvation. It was no [as many are wont to teach] because God needs our fellowship or because it makes God complete. It was because "the kindness and love of God our Savior" (v. 4) and "he saved us....because of his mercy" (v. 5). The word"saved" here is the word we get "soteriology" from [another word you don't hear at youth conferencees].

From what/whom did God save us? From whom did he save Noah? From Himself. Sims says, "God has protected us through salvation from his own wrath."

Next, he talked about the three aspects of saving faith and their respective time periods in the life of the believer:

• Regeneration/Justification - Past
• Sanctification - Present
• Glorification - Future

"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) This verse is demonstrates the three time periods/grammatical tenses as well (past, present and future tense), which are also demonstrated in Titus 3.

Verse 5-7: Washing of rebirth and justified by his grace - Regeneration/Justification (Past)

Verse 5: Renewal (bring back anew again) - Sanctification (Present)

Verse 8: Devote themselves to doing what is good - Sanctification (Present)

Verse 7: Heirs having the hope of eternal life - Glorification (Future)

"The message has been sent that you can be justified and glorified without being sanctified. It-is-a-lie!"

"If you think you're going to heaven and you're living like hell, you're going where you're living - you've embraced a false gospel."

I came away from this talk incredibly overwhelmed with a feeling of love for the gospel! The sheer beauty of it brought tears to my eyes. Indeed, his mercies are new every day!!

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. " Lamentations 3:22-23