Session 5, Eric Simmons
May 26 2008My good friend Eric Simmons delivered the message for Session 5, What’s the Point?: Growing in Vision for Diligent Study.
Josh Harris introduced Eric as a man that “has style,” “drives a Jeep,” “is cool,” and “is a good teacher and leader.” I agree with Josh on all these points, Eric is one of my “coolest” friends, though I’m going to subtract a few cool points from Eric for the sweat rings under his armpits which, if you were looking closely, you could detect whenever he raised his arms above his head. I’ll bet you ten bucks Eric changes his shirt before lunch.
Eric began his message by expressing how much he loves being with the crowd at Na, how much he loves the privilege of preaching here. Throughout this conference I’ve enjoyed observing Eric’s enthusiastic affection for the thousands of young people gathered here. I want more of Eric’s pastoral heart to rub off on me.
Eric’s message was an exposition of 2 Timothy 3:14-17. Highlighting the larger context of 2 Timothy, Eric explained that Timothy appears to have been a man who was battling with vision regarding the Scriptures. In 2 Timothy 3:14-17 Paul provides Timothy with three reasons to keep diligently believing and studying the Scriptures. Below I’ve listed these three reasons as well as a number of quotations from Eric’s message.
You’ll want to listen to the audio in order to hear Eric’s excellent introduction about his son’s approach to God’s Word, Eric’s moving illustrations (especially the story about how Eric’s friend Matt is handling intense suffering), and the vision-casting Eric did at the end of his message. My favorite part of Eric’s message came under his third point where he cast compelling vision for young adults to be about the business of obeying God’s Word, advancing the gospel, and building healthy local churches.
1. The Scriptures Reveal Jesus Christ (vv. 14-15)
“If you love Christ, then you will love his Word.”
“If you are presently bored with the words of Scripture, perhaps it’s because Christ has become boring to you.”
“My love for the Bible is in direct proportion to my love for Jesus.”
“This Word will not submit to my idolatry...But by God’s grace it will reveal my idolatry.”
“Perhaps some of you have lost vision for your Bibles because you need to repent.”
“We come to this book as sinners saved by grace.”
2. The Scriptures Give Life (v. 16)
“When God breathes life happens.”
“I can suffer when Jesus is with me.”
3. The Scriptures Equip Us for God’s Mission (v. 17)
“When I get caught up in the day to day stuff of life...I can start defining my life by all the stuff I have to do...I can forget the mission...I can forget what God wants to do through his amazing gospel and that I have a part to play in what God is doing.”
“When I tune in to God’s mission, it’s unbelievable to me how much I need the equipping of God’s Word.”
“When I get into the lives of people...I feel the desperate need for the words of Scripture.”
“When I am sitting down on my rear end, living life centered on me and my selfish ambitions, I don’t need this Word at all.”
Get the audio!
Yeah, Justin - I also noticed Eric’s sweat rings… does cool = manly?
“Throughout this conference I’ve enjoyed observing Eric’s enthusiastic affection for the thousands of young people gathered here. I want more of Eric’s pastoral heart to rub off on me.” To that end, yes and amen! It’s so cool to see how God is growing and using Eric as a model and motivation to our generation in living out and advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
BC on Wed May 28, 2008 at 9:41 am