Are You Going to the Upcoming SI Conference?

Are you going to the upcoming SI conference?

Well, before you do, let me ask you a few questions:
1) What are you looking for at the conference that you think the local church cannot offer?
2) Which one do you think God cares more about: faithfulness, or religious excitement?

Now, the reason I am asking these questions is because people who simply seek "revival" have a tendency to forego some of the most basic principles found in Scripture. For instance:

1) I have met someone at an SI conference who was on the edge of divorce because of his sexual sins. He was the personal assistant of someone who travels across the country with the message of revival.

2) I have met someone at an SI conference who mocked me and belittled me when I didn't know the details of a particular passage in Scripture. When I tried challenging him about his unloving behavior, he got upset and left before I could finish speaking.

3) I have seen strange fire at an SI conference, where the "worship" leaders were more worldly than your typical contemporary church.

4) I have met a person at a revival meeting who said that we should be open to Mormonism and other cults, because the Bible after all is "full of contradictions".

5) I have heard a preacher at a revival meeting say that he wanted revival because "You just get tired of the same old things..." (namely, the Gospel, the normal means of grace that God has appointed)

Now, I recognize that you'll find bad apples anywhere you go, and I also recognize that we all have things to work on (after all, we're not perfect this side of glory), BUT I still think it is worth examining our motives, and considering whether or not we are focusing on the right things.

I'm NOT SAYING that you shouldn't go to the SI conference, and I'm NOT SAYING that you should be perfect in order to go to the SI conference.

BUT, I am asking you to consider whether your desire for "revival" should be subservient to other more fundamental truths of Scripture, such as being a faithful Christian, husband, and neighbor, loving the Gospel and your Savior, and submitting to (imperfect) leaders that God has appointed in the local church to take care of your soul (Hebrews 13:17).

Love in Christ,
Renoncer

First to answer the question in the title, yes I do plan on attending the conference. I believe it will be a blessing just like the others I've been to. The Word of God is preached from godly men who I respect. That is always something I desire to hear because I want to hear what God has placed on their hearts. There is much that can be learned from these conferences.

Now regarding the rest of your post, I think you have mentioned some things that are certainly worth considering. We should never simply go to a conference for something to do or as a way of going around God Himself to get a blessing. That is seriously wrong.

One thing I think everyone should realize, though, is this is not exactly a revival conference. The conference's theme reveals this. It is more of a conference to hear what God has placed in the hearts of His ministers about His bride being prepared for His coming. It is a warning to not be like the foolish virgins but to be sober and watchful. If someone thinks this is a conference to get fired up by then I believe they are mistaken. It is more like an exhortation similar to what Keith Daniel shouts in the promo video: "LOOK! The Bridegroom cometh!" In other words, wake up from your slumber and seek God because His coming is very near.