Plenary 4 of Fight Clubs Pastors Conference

2. 1 TIMOTHY 6:11-12 ESV
11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these
things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, steadfastness, gentleness.

3. 1 TIMOTHY 6:11-12 ESV
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of
the eternal life to which you were called and
about which you made the good confession in
the presence of many witnesses.

4. PASTORS AS BROTHERS
HOW TO FORM GOSPEL-CENTERED
DISCIPLESHIP & ACCOUNTABILITY GROUPS

5. IS YOUR CHURCH A SAFE PLACE?
“Rather than a place for people to display their goodness
and hide their failures in fear of censure, the church
should be open, supportive, and compassionate in dealing
with our weaknesses. In such a place, there is no
expectation that people have arrived at some level of
perfection; it's a place where people journey toward God.”
~Larry Crabb, The Safest Place on Earth

8. HOW TO START A FIGHT CLUB?
1. Pray
2. Cultivate friendship
3. Invite
4. Agree to meet
5. Share life story

9. WHEN PASTORS QUIT

11. WHEN PASTORS QUIT

12. STUDY ON 246 MEN IN FULL-TIME MINISTRY
WHO EXPERIENCED MORAL FAILURE
1.None of the men was involved in any kind of
real personal accountability.
2.Each of the men had all but ceased having a
daily time of personal prayer, Bible reading,
and worship.

13. STUDY ON 246 MEN IN FULL-TIME MINISTRY
WHO EXPERIENCED MORAL FAILURE
3. More than 80 percent of the men became
sexually involved with the other woman after
spending significant time with her, often in
counseling situations.
4. Each of the 246 had been convinced that sort of
fall “would never happen to me.”

14. OBJECTIONS
AND ANSWERS

15. #1 – “I’M OKAY.”
 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he
stands take heed lest he fall. 1 Cor. 10:12
 If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1
John 1:8

16. DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner.
So everybody must conceal his son from himself and
from the fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many
Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real
sinner is discovered among the righteous. So we
remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy.
The fact is that we are all sinners!

17. #2 – “I’M STRUGGLING, BUT I CAN
DO THIS.”
 …Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be
tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so
fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he
is something, when he is nothing, he
deceives himself. Galatians 6:1-3

18. PAUL TRIPP
Our biggest problem is inside us and we
can’t fix it on our own.

19. #3 – “I WON’T FORGET THE
GOSPEL.”
 Rather, speaking the truth (the truth in
Jesus, v. 21) in love, we are to grow up in
every way into him who is the head, into
Christ. Ephesians 4:15

20. TULLIAN TCHIVIDJIAN
Whatever progress we make in our Christian lives -
whatever going onward, whatever pressing forward -
the direction will always be deeper into the gospel,
not apart from it, or aside from it. Growth in the
Christian life is the process of receiving Christ's 'It is
finished' into new and deeper parts of our being
every day…

21. #4 – “WE’RE FORGIVEN. NO NEED
FOR CONFESSION.”
 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

22. JOHN CALVIN
“It is fitting that by the confession of our own
wretchedness, we show forth the goodness
and mercy of our God, among ourselves and
before the whole world” (Institutes, III.IV.10).

23. #5 – “I CONFESS TO GOD. NO
NEED TO CONFESS TO OTHERS.”
 Therefore, confess your sins to one
another and pray for one another, that you
may be healed. James 5:16

24. DALLAS WILLARD
[Confession] will nourish our faith in God's provision
for our needs through his people, our sense of being
loved, and our humility before our brothers and
sisters….We lay down the burden of hiding and
pretending, which normally takes up such a dreadful
amount of human energy.

25. DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
The assurance of forgiveness becomes fully
certain to me only when it is spoken by a brother
in the name of God. Mutual, brotherly
confession is given to us by God in order that we
may be sure of divine forgiveness.

26. ANDREW COMISKEY
Sin can be erased only through exposure.
And that exposure occurs as one's sin is laid
bare through confession before God and
other human beings.

27. #6 – “I NEED TO CONFESS, BUT
I’M AFRAID.”
 Let us then with confidence draw near to
the throne of grace, that we may receive
mercy and find grace to help in time of
need. Hebrews 4:16

28. DIETRICH BONHOEFFER
He who is alone with his sin is utterly alone. . . .
But it is the grace of the gospel, which is so hard
for the pious to understand, that confronts us
with the truth and says: You are a sinner, a
great, desperate sinner; now come as the sinner
you are, to the God who loves you.

29. PAUL TRIPP
Rest for the heart only comes when you are
getting your identity and personal security from
the gospel…Because you rest in his forgiveness,
you don't need to fear being exposed since
nothing could be known about you that hasn't
already been covered by his sacrificial work.

30. #7 – “BUT IT’S SO MESSY.”

31. PAUL TRIPP
Things will get messy. But if you are humbled by
the messiness of sin in your own life, yet
confident in God’s grace to change you, you will
not be afraid to get close to other sinners who
need that same grace. God will use the
messiness you encounter in others to spur your
own growth in the gospel.

32. #8 – “I’M TOO BUSY.”

33. PAUL TRIPP
Being involved with people is time consuming,
messy, and complicated. From our point of view
it is inefficient, but from God's point of view it is
the best way to encourage growth in grace. Our
value system collides with God's, but his means
for bringing about change in us is best.

34. TO REMAIN GOSPEL-CENTERED,
AVOID…
1. Legalism: “I will obey to be accepted.”
2. License: “Because I am already accepted,I
don’t have to obey.”

35. TO REMAIN GOSPEL-CENTERED,
PURSUE…
1.Growing knowledge of God and self.
2. Daily repentance and living by faith:
“Because I am already accepted,I am bound
to obey.”

38. You Fight Club
1 - Praise 3 - Gospel
2 - Confession 4 - Prayer
5 - Obedience

39. 1. PRAISES
o What is God doing in your life now?
o How is he making himself known to you
through his Word and his works in your
life?

40. 2. CONFESSION
o What sins have you committed lately?
o What heart idol is exposed that is beneath
those sins?
o What temptations are you facing right now?
o What "good works" have you done with the
wrong motivations?

41. 3. GOSPEL
o Who is Jesus? How does he live as the
righteous one? What did he accomplish in
his death and resurrection?
o In light of your union with Christ, what is
your new identity?
o What are God’s promises (and warnings)?

42. 4. PRAYER
o Truth / love / power
5. PLAN OF OBEDIENCE
o How will you fight temptation?
o What adjustments will you make?
o What steps will you take to follow Jesus?