Brent Detwiler teaches apologetics at Florida conference

Orlando, FL>> Contending 07, the apologetics conference hosted by Metro Life Church on January 19–20, drew an audience of 650 men and women with its goal to equip Christians to "contend for the faith." Read on for a review of the conference sent in by Debi Walter, a member at Metro Life Church, and learn where you can download the messages.

The Contending 07 conference, hosted by Metro Life Church in Orlando, Florida, proved to be much needed training for the 650 in attendance from all over the state. The conference opened on Friday night with Metro’s worship band led by Todd Twining. They taught a new song by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend entitled, "O Church Arise," which was to be the theme for the conference.

Brent Detwiler, who has studied Christian apologetics for thirty years, expounded God’s holy Word to an eager crowd. He began the evening with "Seven Things You Need to Know About the Bible," which included:

• The Bible Is Inspired by God
• The Bible Is Historically Trustworthy
• The Bible Has Been Wonderfully Preserved
• The Bible Is without Error
• The Bible Is God’s Authoritative Word
• The Bible Is Clear
• The Bible Is Sufficient

The information presented was so powerfully communicated that Brent had a difficult time moving from one point to the next. Each was so full of truth that an entire conference could not have contained all that he wished to share with us. This is how rich and rewarding the study of God’s Word is—once the topic is opened to attentive minds the riches discovered are compelling, urging the listeners to further their knowledge of God’s holy Word.

Brent appealed to the many young people in attendance, encouraging them to listen closely to the messages since understanding these truths is vital for their Christian witness on campus. He also encouraged the homeschooling fathers to use the material provided (a 100-page booklet of outlines) as curriculum for their junior and senior high-school students.

After watching a video presentation where several ordinary people on the street were asked questions such as “Is the Bible God’s Word?” and “Is Jesus the only way to heaven?,” it was evident that our culture is greatly deceived and has bought into the lies of the Enemy. Their answers were disturbing. Some claimed to be evangelical Christians, yet didn’t adhere to the belief that God’s Word was without error. God was equipping his church this weekend to go out, dialogue with others, and lead them to the truth. The call couldn’t have been clearer and the need couldn’t have been more obvious.

Brent continually exalted God for his wonderful preservation of his Word throughout the centuries. He demonstrated how to debate a secular, humanistic religion professor from any college campus. Not only was the material rich with theological treasures, it was also very practical in how to use the knowledge to reach out to our lost culture in the workplace, in our neighborhoods, and on campus.

On Saturday, Brent continued his teaching with:

• Defending the Exclusive Claims of Christ
• An Apologetic for the Deity of Christ
• Christianity v. World Religions
• Making Known the Unknown God – from Acts 17:16-31 (taught on Sunday morning)

It was like a feast for famished souls! By the end of the day, not only had we shared two meals together with friends and family, we had stuffed ourselves full of the richest, most satisfying truths from God’s Word and about God’s Word. We learned of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Synoptic Gospels, the New Testament canon as well as the Gnostic Gospels. We walked through time and discovered how God protected his Word so that none could make the claim that his Word was written by mere men.

Appropriately, Danny Jones proclaimed at the end of the conference, “I believe! I trust! I honor! I adore! Thank you, God, for who you are! We have nothing better to do but honor his holy name. Let us worship God!” As the band returned to the stage, the entire building exploded in response to what was proclaimed: “You are the way, You are the truth, You are the life, Jesus…”

The day ended with a call to minister to those who have bought into believing the Devil’s lies and those who have failed to defend the truth when given the opportunity. There was a call for salvation to young people who may have grown up around these truths, but this weekend their eyes were seeing the truth for the first time.

As Brent often asked, “What’s the point?” The point is this: We must contend for the faith. This isn’t our personal faith…he’s talking about The Faith—the sum substance of the gospel. This faith has been entrusted to our care. We didn’t discover it. No, God gave it to us. We must fight for it, guard it, and contend for it. This weekend we were shown just how to do this, and by God’s grace working in our lives and hearts, we will contend every day that he gives us on this earth!

- Debi Walter

Couldn't make it to the conference? You can still hear the teaching. Metro Life Church has made all of the messages, as well as the conference outline, available on their website for download.