2018 Session 6: The Great Commission by Matt Bradner

Matt Bradner discussed the prioritization of doing good: making disciples. The Great Commission tells us everything the basics of what we need to know about making disciples. Here it is in Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Jesus tells us why, tells us what, and tells us why again. Why #1: all authority has been given to Jesus. What: Discipleship. Why #2: Jesus gives the promise of his presence. But that’s not all. There’s another why in verses 16-17:

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

The same message is for those who doubt and those who worship.

2018 Session 5: A Force for Good by Matt Bradner

[note this talk’s first portion was corrupted and only the 2nd half is online]

Matt Bradner discussed different aims that we all have: do good, do bad, or do nothing. And doing nothing is not necessarily better than doing bad. God calls us to do good, to be a force for good in every area of your life for the rest of your life. Titus 3:4-8 says:

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

God says to devote themselves to good works, not just abstain from evil. Matt expressed the importance of doing good with everything you are: your mouth, your eyes, your hands, your heart and more. Be a force for good not to get salvation but because you have it.

2018 Session 4: God's Rightful and Delightful Authority by Matt Bradner

Matt Bradner, the second speaker at NYC, started off his time talking about how there are things in our lives that are holding us back from accepting Jesus and following him. Even those of us who have said that we want to follow Jesus, there are still things that get in the way of our walk with him. Jesus encountered 3 different people who some of us can relate to in Luke 9:57-62:

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Matt goes through each of these situations and describes each specific circumstance these people who approached Jesus were in at the time.

2018 Session 3: Reconciliation to Others by D.A. Horton

We use the term racial reconciliation to talk about the unity between different people groups. D. A. Horton defined reconciliation: to once again be conciled (removal of animosity) to someone. There has never even been a conciliation between the ethnicities, so the word REconciliation is not appropriate. We use the word race but because there is only one race - the human race - ethnicity is more appropriate in this context. Ethnic conciliation will be possible when the church stops withholding compassion. D. A. used this passage from Luke 10:25-37 to give a biblical example of compassion:

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

The Gospel of Christ unites us and makes unlikely people brothers and sisters. Doctrine shouldn’t divide us, it should unite us.

2018 Session 2b: Reconciliation to Self by D.A. Horton

D. A. Horton continued to talk about the Gospel’s transforming power. Going through 1 Peter 2:9-10, he discussed the different parts of this paragraph in depth:

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. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

He discussed what it means to be a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession. Because of this new identity that God has given us, we are able to proclaim the excellencies of God, to give him glory by being an image bearer. Satan will try to steer you away from God’s goodness. He has done this since the beginning of the world, starting with Eve, with these to lies: doubt God and doubt God’s goodness. But God’s Word is more powerful. Because of the Gospel, you were made a new creation now that you have received mercy. You were made holy to give him glory, to proclaim the excellencies of his name.

2018 Session 2a: Reconciliation to God by D.A. Horton

In the first part of the second session D. A. Horton explained how sin separates us from God, but he hasn’t planned it to stay that way. David, a man after God’s own heart, sinned against God. D. A. uses Psalm 51:1-6 to show how King David confessed his sin, repented of it, and received grace and mercy from God.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Because God confronted David’s sin with the Gospel, he can receive grace and mercy. Likewise, when our sin is confronted with the Gospel, our sin is not just covered. It is REMOVED. Once we’re covered by Jesus’ blood, our slate is wiped clean. After receiving compassion and mercy, we are called to show compassion and mercy to others. It’s easy to point out the sin in other people’s lives, but we miss the sin in our own lives. D. A. tells us the call of being changed by the Gospel to show compassion and mercy to others as God shows it to us.

2018 Session 1: View of God by D.A. Horton

D. A. Horton kicked off the first session explaining the Gospel. He approached the story of the Bible like a Netflix series: there’s a few different seasons, but it’s all part of the same plot, and there’s one main character. We would like to think that the main character is us, but it’s God. He has connected His story to our story through Jesus and Jesus alone. His blood sacrifice was the only sufficient payment for the infinite debt we owe to God. “It is impossible for a finite creature to obtain something that is infinite.” D. A. explained it like trying to obtain the whole Atlantic Ocean by standing in it and putting it all into a 32-ounce cup. It can’t be done. You’re not going to be holding the ocean, it’s going to be holding you. God’s power has purpose for our life. God lacks nothing; he doesn’t need our praise. He deserves it. He demands it. He desires to show his power to pay the debt we racked up--our sin. Romans 1:16-17:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."

He wrapped up the session saying when we declare spiritual bankruptcy to God, He comes in and pays our debt. However, he doesn’t just pay our debt to give us an even $0. He fills our account with the perfect record of Jesus. He sees us as holy and blameless because he is holy.