Here are some highlights from the final Desiring God 2014 National Conference:
Ben Stuart
Executive Director at Breakaway ministry, a college ministry serving Texas A&M students
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/pure-and-simple-devotion
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/the-next-generation
The first is about 30 minutes and the second is 10 minutes. Both are very good.
Nancy Gutherie
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/the-bible-s-big-story
Really enjoyed this. Gives me some food for thought as the book of Revelation and the start of our trek through the Old Testament looms.
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/the-best-things-about-the-boring-parts-of-the-bible
Daniel Montgomery
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/doctrines-of-grace-and-mission
He provides a good critique of the ethos of the Reformed tradition.
Five Sermons on Romans 8
John Piper #1: Scripture: The Kindling of Christian Hedonism
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/scripture-the-kindling-of-christian-hedonism
John Piper #2: Free from Judgment, Fighting Sin, Full Assurance
Rom 8:1-8
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/free-from-judgment-fighting-sin-full-assurance
John Piper recites the entire Rom 8 by memory – you must watch the opening minutes
[Ask Brother DY to recite Rom 8 – he already memorized it! Praise the Lord!]
John Piper #3: Groaning Creation, Groaning Saints, Groaning Spirit
Rom 8:9-25
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/groaning-creation-groaning-saints-groaning-spirit
There are 2 ministries of the Holy Spirit discussed in Rom 8:12-17.
First, through the Holy Spirit, we receive the Spirit of adoption and the He enables us to cry out, “Abba, Daddy,” with our own lips.
Second, by the Spirit, we are able to put the deeds of the flesh to death.
On the one hand, there is the dependent humility of a child crying out, “Daddy!” On the other hand, there is the ferociousness of a lion when it comes to personal sin. Not focusing on other’s sins, but our own.
Reminiscent of the Lamb of God slain who is also known as the Lion of Judah.
John Piper #4: Predestination, Justification, No Separation
Rom 8:26-39
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/predestination-justification-no-separation
You have to watch from 1 hr 5 min mark to the end.
John Piper #5: Greatest Book, Greatest Chapter, Greatest Joy
http://www.desiringgod.org/conference-messages/greatest-book-greatest-chapter-greatest-joy
Closing excerpts from John Piper #5 (final sermon of the conference)
The word “Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit 30 times in the book of Romans. Twenty of those are in Romans 8. And 15 of those 20 are in the first 16 verses. In other words, the Holy Spirit is a very prominent reality in Romans 8 and the dominant reality in the first 16 verses.
The Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts. That means we feel it. We experience. We sense ourselves possessed by the love of God. That is the work of the Spirit.
Joy in God is not native to fallen people. It is foreign, alien. But in the Spirit, it is native — natural. This is the native air we breathe in the Spirit. Because the Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts. The Spirit removes the blindness to the glory of the facts.
The God of hope fills with joy. He does it through our believing. And thus we experience the power of the Holy Spirit filling us with hope and joy. So here are the pieces of this wonder-filled verse: The God of hope. The awakening of faith in glorious facts. The abounding of hope. And the wonderful sway of peace and joy.
The point of these three clues is this: the reason that the chapter with the most sustained description of joy-awakening, hope-giving facts is also the chapter that begins with the greatest focus on the Holy Spirit, is that without the work of the Holy Spirit we could not see or savor the glory of the Himalayan magnitude of these facts. But the greatest joy in the greatest chapter in the greatest book is in fact to see and savor and share in and show the glory of God.
Without the Holy Spirit none of these — seeing, savoring, sharing in, showing the glory of God — would happen. But by his awakening, life-giving power they would. The greatest joy will happen in the chapter with no reference to joy, and no commands. Three of these — seeing, savoring, sharing in — are relatively clear.
John the apostle said it: “When he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). And even now, in measure, Paul says it is happening: “Beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This will not just be the joy of our seeing, but of being. The child of God does not just want to see his Father, but be like his Father. The child of God does not just want to see perfect holiness. He wants to be holy as his Father is holy. We don’t just admire the sinless purity of God. We ache to be done with our own sinning forever. We want to share in the glory of God. Be gloriously holy and full of purity and love and righteousness and wisdom.
And Paul says that, by the power of the precious Holy Spirit, we will.
So the greatest chapter in the greatest book in the world may not mention joy or have any commands in it. Only hope-giving, joy-awakening facts. And the power of the Holy Spirit. And by his power in us those Himalayan facts change everything. We see, we savor, we share in, and one day we will show the glory of God through all creation. And that will be the greatest joy.