We have all set down at the table for a meal and had this same experience. I can remember countless times eating a meal that my grandma and granddaddy cooked--whether it was barbeque chicken, chicken pastry, cheese biscuits, etc.,--and eating until I was about to bust, but still wanting to taste more and more.
That was/is our experience in the midst and wake of attending the T4G '08 Conference in Louisville. We went to be fed and God was gracious to fill us full, but still wanting more and more and more. Another attendee of the conference commented that being at the conference and now leaving the conference is "similar" to what Peter, James, and John must have felt like on the Mount of Transfiguration when they saw Jesus in a fuller expression of his glory and beauty, along with Elijah and Moses. Peter, upon experiencing this basically said, "Lord, this is good. Let's pitch our tent here and stay." But they had to come down from the mountain and back to where they were to live out God's call on their lives among those who had not seen what they had seen, but who must see it.
The two days at T4G were a glimpse of glory--gathering with almost 6,000 other believers, focusing on the atonement of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, and singing praises to the Lamb that was slain from before the foundation of the earth! I cannot imagine what it will be like to spend eternity with ten thousands of ten thousands of believers singing praises to the King and enjoying Him forever and ever. If you have never had the blessing of singing praises to God through theologically sound and deep hymns with thousands of other believers, then pray that God would open the door for you to have the opportunity somewhere, sometime and you will know by way of experience that heaven and eternity with Jesus will not be boring!
What a joy and blessing it was to worship with my bride and be challenged because of the gospel to love her better. What a joy and blessing it was to see God work in her heart through the gospel! There was indeed a sense at the end of the conference, as we were making our way out of the convention center of, "It can't be over. We don't want to leave. Let's just stay here." But, we must share what we have seen and live what we have learned so that others may see and live it as well.
I hope to in the coming days/weeks to share with you some reflections from the conference--different moments, phrases, ideas that God branded within my heart while at the conference and hopefully that he will brand even deeper as I take the time to go back and listen to the messages again. (You can hear all of the messages for free online at http://www.t4g.org/resources/ and I would encourage you to take/make the time to listen to them especially R.C. Sproul and John Piper's messages) Here's a taste:
But for now, know that we are grateful to have been on the mountain and excited about being down from the mountain to live and share what we have seen and heard having been together for the gospel.
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