I recently put Jodi on a train to visit our son and his family…ok…our grandson and his parents (smile). As the station made the call for the train, the announcer mentioned the many and varied stops between the station and Jodi’s destination. Train 89 to Savannah will depart in 5 minutes with stops in….
Now the point of the trip was to arrive at the destination and see family. Period. Full stop. But consider what it would have been like if she got off the train in Wilmington, Fayetteville, or even in Charleston. Nice cities. Lots to do and see. None, however, are what was of ultimate importance, and none were her intended destination.
How sad it would be to evaluate the entire trip based on an experience in a city along the way. That’s a lot like the Christian life. We are created for a purpose. We have a destination. There are experiences along the way and each one is useful but none of them are the ultimate point. Don’t question God’s purpose for your life or His caring actions toward you based on the conditions you experience around you. You’re not home yet.
If this life in this world seems less than satisfying, take courage…you’re not home yet. You are passing through. You are meant to learn and gain and be shaped by your experiences, but the stopover cities are just dots on a map. You were made for more. Stop trying to make the cities of this world like home. They will never satisfy.
That reality is the heartbeat of the memory verses for our church this week:
8By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Hebrews 11:8–10 (NASB95)
Press in. Press on. Look to the horizon. You’re not home yet.
I hope that this devotional reaches you on Thanksgiving day and that this day is especially meaningful to you. I pray that you will take the opportunity to give thanks for those things that are most important.
I have often said that our thankfulness/ gratitude is the barometer of our faith. By that, I mean that we can tell a great deal about what a person believes (diagnostic) and the general course and speed of their growth in Christ (predictive). As I wrote this article this morning, I thought it might be important to define the terms. Many people know that a thermometer measures current temperature. That can be predictive to some degree (see what I did there), but it is generally intended to tell us how things are at present. A barometer is different. It measures changes in atmospheric pressure which is a prominent factor in predicting the weather. Thermometers tell you how things are; barometers indicate how things will be.
As I was reading the letters to the Thessalonians, I noticed that the thankfulness was palpable, Paul’s tone is effusive. He opens both letters with strong statements of gratitude. As the Scriptures above indicate, he also closes the first letter with the same tone. Here is what may not be as obvious:
The commands for rejoice (v.16) and give thanks (v.18) are the same root word. Gratitude and rejoicing are closely related. That means that we could paraphrase the idea of these verses in this way: “Pray incessantly, giving thanks always and in everything…because this is why God created you.
We were created for worship (rejoicing/giving thanks). We exist to worship. We live to worship. To paraphrase a favorite preacher of mine, “When you put the transmission of our lives in neutral, the hum of the gears is worship/gratitude.” Gratitude is the foundation and the fruit of a believer’s life. Where does that kind of understanding come from?
As Christ-followers, we recognize that we were hopelessly and helplessly unable to reverse the consequences of our rebellious actions toward God (Eph 2:1, 5, 8-9). God rescued and redeemed us. He restored us to life and committed to us a renewed purpose (Eph 2:10).
We join with the chorus of all created things in declaring the glory of God!
1The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1, NASB95
6The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples have seen His glory. Psalm 97:6, NASB95
We give thanks to God as all glory and dominion and praise belongs to Him!
11“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. 1 Chronicles 29:11, NASB95
When we realize that is God’s grace that is the firm foundation on which we rest our feet; and, it is God’s glory that is the expression of our lips and the example of our lives…we are advancing in our discipleship. Our gratitude then is the barometer of our faith indicating that we are becoming precisely what we were created to be.
One may ask: Which comes first? Is gratitude the foundation or the fruit of my life? The answer is yes! As we reflect on God’s grace toward us, we give thanks. As we experience every circumstance in life…acknowledging that God Himself is working that circumstance for good in our lives in order to conform us to look like Jesus (Rom 8:28-30), we give thanks! As we look back at what God has done…we give thanks! As we look forward at the opportunities ahead to glorify Him, we give thanks!
Today, choose gratitude. You, like me, may be walking through a very different Thanksgiving celebration due to a death, or the absence of a prodigal, or distance from loved ones. Give thanks. Even if it feels counterintuitive…give thanks. In everything, always , give thanks!
Again, Happy Thanksgiving! I love you and consider it a blessing to serve you as we walk through life together!
What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? I shall lift up the cup of salvation And call upon the name of the Lord.I shall pay my vows to the Lord, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
Have you ever gotten into a conversation with someone who was recently saved? Maybe you led them to trust Christ or perhaps you met them shortly after. They are “wide-eyed” with wonder at this new reality of their lives! It is exciting.
Contrast that with the person saved for twenty, forty, or fifty years. May times, these “veteran” saints have been saved so long that they have forgotten what it was like to be lost! The reality is there, but the wonder isn’t.
Through the years I have watched Christians who have ripened in their faith. I often like to remind them from where they have come from. In fact, this is why I rehearse the gospel and often insert myself in the story when I preach weekly. I want them to remember, and I never want to forget! God’s salvation is amazing!
When you consider the wonder of your salvation, you may be tempted to want to repay the Lord. Go to church, share your faith, serve the poor, give generously…all in an effort to repay God for His kindness.
Years ago, I heard a pastor speak about this very thing. He pointed out that trying to repay God actually cheapens the gift God has given us. After all, if we can repay Him…then we could have “paid” for our salvation on our own in the first place. Since we know this is not true…we can only do one thing: enjoy our salvation to the fullest.
That’s the heart of the psalmist in these verses. How can I respond to God for His benefits toward me? I will rejoice in His salvation and cry out to Him as my Lord…and I will walk faithfully according to my vows! Father, help me to walk as a bondservant of Christ, freed from the obligations and yet freely embracing my vow to follow my Lord and my King. Amen, Amen.
A major mark of maturity is discipline. Recently, Jodi and I were hanging out with our 18-month-old grandson. Of course, he is perfect (to us). Watching his mind work as he scurries from point to point, toy to toy, and person to person is more entertaining than NASCAR. He has limits, however, and when he comes up against one look out! One morning, he was exceptionally tired and was not to be denied. He asked me for something, and I told him, “No” to which he went into a full-on meltdown. He thought that a display of anger and frustration would force my hand. Of course, it didn’t, but it was a good example of what it looks like when an immature person doesn’t get his way. This came to mind as I read from today’s reading in Proverbs:
A fool’s anger is known at once, but a prudent man conceals dishonor. – Proverbs 12:16
There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing – Proverbs 12:18
It’s not uncommon in our present age, particularly with social media, to watch grown folks act like toddlers. Something they dislike happens, and it is as if they go into full-on meltdown and attack mode. They begin slicing and dicing, plunging verbal daggers into their perceived opponent with relentless disregard for anyone or anything else.
Do you ever wonder what the desired outcome is? Do they hope that their opponent will be won over by their tirade? Do they expect that the onlooking audience will suddenly become their advocates? Do they see the Name of Jesus suddenly elevated in the eyes of others?
I suspect that none of these things even enter the thought process. Like the immature man, or the unbridled horse, or the tantrum-throwing toddler, they seek only to display their own emotions, opinions, and frustration.
God calls His people to better. Furthermore, good manners among people who could not care less about God drive the mature and the wise to hold onto a word and choose better when forming a response.
Mature people choose discipline, focus on the goal, and acting accordingly in the moment. As Grandma used to say, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. 2 Corinthians 8:7 (NASB95)
How does God demonstrate grace to you? Grace, or undeserved favor, is something we talk about often in the church, but do we understand it? We know that we are saved by grace (Eph 2:8), and we, along with the entire universe, are sustained by grace (Heb 1:3), but do we recognize God’s grace in our sanctification/growth?
As Paul writes to the Corinthian church, he challenges them to experience their growth in God’s grace through generosity. He begins chapter 8 by commending (bragging on) the Macedonian churches that were an example both of generosity but also of God’s favor (vv.1-5). He then commends the Corinthians for their growth in grace in faith, knowledge, proclamation, zealous perseverance, and in love. (Yes, this is the same church that he spent so much time correcting for messiness in their midst as well.)
Notice how v.7 ends: “that you may abound in this gracious work also.” We know that they were then abounding in the five things he just mentioned: faith, knowledge, proclamation, zealous perseverance, and love. We also know that this is only possible because of God’s kindness toward them (grace) as He grew them in these areas. Paul knew that God was graciously working in them to grow them in the area of generosity as well. This church made a commitment at some point in the past (vv.10-11), and now Paul was urging them to see it through. As with the Macedonians, Paul charged this church to remember their commitment to God first and then to the needs of the saints by God’s grace.
Here is where the wheels fall off for some. Sometimes, we view God’s work in our lives as Him desiring to get something from us, as if He were lacking and we were going to provide for His need. In actuality, as Paul expresses here, God is seeking to do something in this church (the people) and did not want them to miss it. They could only experience God’s blessing in this area as they yielded to His gracious calling on their lives. This is why Paul focuses not on the activity of giving, but on their desire to give (vv. 10, 12). Paul saw the opportunity to join God in providing for the saints in another place as God’s gracious work in the lives of the Corinthians.
Have you ever lacked fulfillment? Have you ever desired to be part of something greater than yourself? Have you ever wanted to see God move powerfully in your midst? Could the answer to these desires be as close as simply trusting His gracious work in an area of life that has been difficult to fully surrender to Him? If so, the answer, and the pathway to abundant life (John 10:10) is in a renewed commitment (both desire and action) to His gracious work. Let’s choose to never miss God’s blessings because we did not recognize His gracious work.
This post is intentionally prepared for my church family as I sought their prayerful intercession in advance of the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention/ Great Commission Baptists, which took place in Nashville, TN in June 2021. It is only appropriate that I report back to the church with the fruits of their prayers. With nearly 16,000 Messengers (think delegates to the convention) and over 21,000 Messengers and Guests in attendance, this was one of the largest attended Conventions in recent history and the highest attendance since 1995 in Atlanta.
My observations are not inspired. They are observations, informed by prayer and biblical study, and are provided to inform our church family as to matters of cultural and ecclesiological significance. The Southern Baptist Convention is a lot like a local church or an individual believer. It had questionable beginnings and an imperfect past. It is not a denomination in the true sense of the word, since, organizationally, it is a convened association of approximately 50,000 independent and autonomous churches. The churches are the top of the organizational pyramid…meaning that the primary purpose of the Annual Meeting is to conduct business and empower the entities of the Convention to operate between meetings.
Below is the text of my report to the church, in its unvarnished entirety. I also provided a verbal report during the evening worship opportunity on June 27, 2021 which is available HERE.
My purpose is simply to shepherd the people of God that I am charged to lead in these days to understand and live out matters of faith as they intersect with the values and concerns of the world we live in everyday. You comments are always welcomed but are moderated. Abusive or vulgar comments are immediately and unashamedly deleted. I don’t even bat an eyelash. Respectfully communicated disagreement, discussion, and so forth is always approved, even if it differs with an opinion expressed here. Furthermore, I would love to say that these opinions are mine alone and do not reflect the church that I lead; however, I am not sure that is ever completely true. What I can say is that my church family has not yet heard or seen this review, so they are certainly innocent of any fault that may be found with the contents herein. For any error, I alone bear the responsibility and for any good that comes from this…it is only by the grace of God.
Let me take a moment to say thank you and commend you for your commitment to “the mission.” We affirm that the Lord’s Great Commission demands of us that we actively engage in the concentric circles of our community, our nation, and the far reaches of the world, with the gospel of Jesus. To facilitate this, we intentionally partner with churches of like faith and passion through the Southern Baptist Convention, North Carolina Baptists, and other local churches.
These past weeks, I asked you to pray with me regarding our participation in the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, held in Nashville, Tennessee. It seems appropriate to share with you some of the things we were part of and to offer some perspective on the big issues at hand.
This is not a comprehensive report. Every action and every motion will not be discussed. I am intentionally focusing on some of the more high-profile actions and those that have some cultural implications for us.
You may be asking why we would set aside time for a report on a business meeting and to rehash items that were already reported on in the media. It is important that we can understand the issues of our day.
When David gathered his warriors at Hebron, among them were a group recognized as those with discernment-
1 Chronicles 12:32 (NLT)
32From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.
We are instructed to speak appropriately and accurately when questioned-
Colossians 4:6 (NASB95)
6Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
And, we are called to be vigilant to give an explanation for the things we believe as Christians-
1 Peter 3:15 (NASB95)
15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Highlights:
As a Convention (a more precise term for our partnership than the commonly used term of a denomination) we met, prayed, discussed matters of societal importance and conducted essential business.
This Convention had nearly sixteen thousand Messengers present and an attendance north of twenty-one thousand overall. This represents the largest Convention in more than twenty-five years.
We commissioned 64 missionaries to the nations through our International Mission Board. I list this item first because it is the primary purpose of our strategic partnership as part of the Convention.
As a Convention, we embraced the Vision 2025 proposal from Dr. Floyd and the Executive Committee that focused on 6 key initiatives in five years:
Sending 500 more missionaries overseas
Adding 5,000 more congregations across North America
Calling out the called
Reversing the decline in children and teenage baptisms under 18 years of age
Increasing giving through the Cooperative Program
Prayerfully endeavoring to eliminate all incidents of sexual abuse and racial discrimination among our churches.
We saw before our eyes that what binds us together as a Convention is plenteous and strong. Much was reported before, during and after the Convention about areas of disagreement. What we saw was a generally sweet spirit of humility and commitment to the Great Commission among people who held varying positions on an array of secondary issues.
We elected a strongly conservative pastor to lead our Convention. Dr. Ed Litton who pastors Redemption Church in Mobile, AL (https://goredemption.com) has served that church for the last 27 years. He is a visionary leader, an encourager, and a friend to churches and church leaders. Dr. Litton was elected on a second ballot against pastor Mike Stone (Senior Pastor, Emmanuel Baptist church, Blackshear, GA, www.ebchurch.net). The first ballot included these men along with Randy Adams (Executive-Director of the Northwest Baptist Convention) and Dr. Albert Mohler (President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), both of whom serve as entity leaders within the SBC. Many in the Press picked up on differences in these godly men and magnified them, seeking to sensationalize what is really nuanced differences on secondary issues. Many supporters of each candidate engaged in a good deal of “mudslinging” before the Convention. Some of it continues even now with the election firmly in the rearview mirror. As far as I can tell from my research along with some personal knowledge of a couple of the candidates, I believe that all four candidates personally affirm conservative values and views of the Scripture, doctrine, and practices that are characteristic of Baptists. At the same time, these secondary differences were distinct enough to allow Messengers to indicate a mandate. In my assessment, the Messengers indicated that negativity and in-fighting were tired messages and there was a distinct preference of pastors to lead the Convention over entity heads that serve within the SBC structure.
The Messengers, considering sexual abuse allegations that had come to light in recent years among some SBC churches, charged the incoming President to commission a task force to oversee a third-party independent investigation into the Executive Committee’s knowledge of allegation of abuse and response to such claims. The message seemed clear to me: Ensure that justice is secured for any victims and do so in the light of day so that the world sees our commitment to it. This is a good step before a watching world. While every SBC church is independent and autonomous in its governance, our Convention recognizes that every church in our Convention is perceived guilty by Association if we fail to disassociate ourselves with unrepentant congregations that ignore sexual abuse.
The Messengers took action to stipulate that churches were not to be considered in friendly cooperation with our Convention if they were engaged in unrepentant instances of racial injustice or revealed sexual abuse in their churches. In other words, this action wrote into the requirements of affiliation that a church would not tolerate these things in addition to other areas of doctrinal alignment.
The Messengers heard 40 proposed resolutions brought before the Convention for consideration. The resolution process is interesting, since no resolutions can be voted on from the floor per se; rather, a committee reviews all resolutions and may even modify them for the purpose of clarity. Often times, many resolutions will be combined together. A resolution represents an opinion of the Convention as voiced through its Messengers in a particular gathering. As such, several motions were made to rescind resolutions of previous years, including Resolution 9 of the 2019 Convention that asserted that Critical Race Theory could be a helpful analytical tool subordinate to Scripture. Attempts to rescind previous resolutions (going back to some in the 1800s) were ruled out of order since the resolutions were not binding on present of future Conventions. Again, resolutions state an opinion for the Convention at a point in time as voiced by a group of Messengers.
The Messengers weighed in on the subject of Critical Race Theory when they passed Resolution 2 which states: [i]
RESOLUTION 2: ON THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE FOR RACE AND RACIAL RECONCILIATION
WHEREAS, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17); and
WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states, “All Scripture is totally true and trustworthy” (Article I); and
WHEREAS, “God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:27); and
WHEREAS, “From one man [God] has made every nationality to live over the whole earth” (Acts 17:26); and
WHEREAS, In his prophetic vision John saw “a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9-10); and
WHEREAS, “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12); and
WHEREAS, “Through faith [we] are all sons of God in Christ Jesus … There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26-28); and
WHEREAS, “God … has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18); and WHEREAS, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 states, “Christians should oppose racism” (Article XV); now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, June 15–16, 2021, affirm the sufficiency of Scripture on race and racial reconciliation; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our agreement with historic, biblically-faithful Southern Baptist condemnations of racism in all forms; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reject any theory or worldview that finds the ultimate identity of human beings in ethnicity or in any other group dynamic; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we reject any theory or worldview that sees the primary problem of humanity as anything other than sin against God and the ultimate solution as anything other than redemption found only in Christ; and be it further
RESOLVED, We, therefore, reject any theory or worldview that denies that racism, oppression, or discrimination is rooted, ultimately, in anything other than sin; and be it further
RESOLVED, That, understanding we live in a fallen world, we reaffirm the 1995 Resolution On Racial Reconciliation On The 150th Anniversary Of The Southern Baptist Convention, which includes, “That we apologize to all African-Americans for condoning and/or perpetuating individual and systemic racism in our lifetime; and we genuinely repent of racism of which we have been guilty, whether consciously (Psalm 19:13) or unconsciously (Leviticus 4:27),” applying this disposition to every instance of racism; and be it finally
RESOLVED, We affirm that our reconciliation in Christ gives us the opportunity and responsibility to pursue reconciliation with others so that we can display and share the hope of the gospel with the world.
This resolution may have been one of the most contentious going into the meeting because many messengers simply wanted a resolution that repudiated Critical Race Theory. The Committee explained their rationale that they did not want to limit the action to only CRT/I; rather, they desired for any theory (such as evolutionary theory for instance) to be treated in like manner. The Resolution passed with overwhelming approval of the Messengers.
I believe this was a good and proper decision of the Convention. While I do not believe that I would have affirmed Resolution 9 from 2019, I did not find the mention of CRT/I offensive, or helpful- other than to demonstrate that the SBC was aware and informed about CRT/I and saw it only as helpful insofar as it was subordinate to Scripture and our gospel mandate.
While I am not an expert on CRT/I, I have given myself to read a good deal on it and, having done so, I do not believe that CRT/I is a helpful tool in addressing racism or racial oppression. This view is based, in part, on these five primary tenets of Critical Race Theory:[ii]
Racism is ordinary and not aberrational
The idea of an interest convergence
The social construction of race
The idea of storytelling and counter-storytelling
Whites have actually been the recipients of civil rights legislation
Janel George, writing for a publication of the American BAR Association states: [iii]
CRT is not a diversity and inclusion “training” but a practice of interrogating the role of race and racism in society that emerged in the legal academy and spread to other fields of scholarship. Crenshaw—who coined the term “CRT”—notes that CRT is not a noun, but a verb. It cannot be confined to a static and narrow definition but is considered to be an evolving and malleable practice. It critiques how the social construction of race and institutionalized racism perpetuate a racial caste system that relegates people of color to the bottom tiers. CRT also recognizes that race intersects with other identities, including sexuality, gender identity, and others. CRT recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past. Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation, and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation.
In my prayerful reading of the subject, while again affirming that I am not an expert in the subject of CRT, I recognize that CRT/I is an academic theory, and, as such, cannot sufficiently bring resolution to the issue of racial disparity and injustice that has occurred and continues to occur today. While I would state that the racial climate of our nation is far better than during or prior to the civil rights era, there is still work to do.
What I do know is this: The gospel, for the people of God, is a unique solution to the issue of racial injustice because it recognizes that sin has been the cause for suffering of all humanity and the Gospel alone has the power to redeem and restore those suffering under the curse of sin. Furthermore, the Gospel compels Christians to seek the welfare of others (Jeremiah 29:4-7) and to subordinate our own personal interests to the interests of others (Philippians 2:3). It calls us to care for the vulnerable and oppressed (James 1:27). It directs us to live out the heart of the Father toward all people, which is indisputably a heart of love and compassion (John 3:16; Matthew 9:36), and a heart of justice for all peoples (Micah 6:8).
Furthermore, I find that it is an error to assert that we should be solely committed to evangelism or solely committed to righting social wrongs. Somehow, God expects and empowers us to address both missions as we “preach and heal” (Matthew 4:23, 10:7-8).
Another Resolution was passed to abolish Abortion. This resolution was debated extensively and passed in an amended form. Originally, the resolution was submitted in a form that disavowed any mediate steps of reducing abortions. In other words, it sought to declare participants in abortion and those who permitted such as committing murder. The Messengers struggled with the language because the resolution would not allow, for instance, a lawmaker to support a partial birth abortion bill or a heartbeat bill since doing so would allow for some abortions to take place, making the lawmaker who stood to restrict abortion, complicit in its existence. The resolution did not allow for any health or welfare exceptions. In the end, the Messengers softened the language and passed the resolution that spoke strongly against abortion by inserting the word “alone” in the second resolve.
Text of Resolution on Abolishing Abortion As adopted by the SBC annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn., June 16, 2021
WHEREAS, from the moment of fertilization, all humans are created in God’s image by, through, and for Jesus to the glory of God, and all souls belong to Him (Genesis 1:27; 4:1; 21:2; Isaiah 7:14; Colossians 1:16; Romans 11:36; Ezekiel 18:4), and
WHEREAS, as God’s image-bearers, all humans both display His divine worth, power, and attributes, and possess equal, objective worth before God, not varying based on incidental characteristics; such as ethnicity, age, size, means of conception, mental development, physical development, gender, potential, or contribution to society (Rom 1:19-20; Gen 1:27; 9:6; Matthew 18:6), and
WHEREAS, to murder any preborn image-bearer is a sin, violating both the natural law of retributive justice as set forth in the Noahic covenant, as well as the sixth commandment forbidding murder, and as such, is ultimately an assault on God’s image, seeking to usurp God’s sovereignty as Creator (Gen 9:5-6; Exodus 20:13; Proverbs 6:17), and
WHEREAS, God’s Word declares that all human life is a sacred gift and that His Law is supreme over man’s life and man’s law (Psalm 127:3-5; 139:13-16; Rom 2:15-16; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 1 Corinthians 4:5), and
WHEREAS, God commands His people to “rescue those who are being taken away to death” and holds them responsible and without excuse when they fail to do so (Prov 24:11-12), and
WHEREAS, God establishes all governing authorities as His avenging servants to carry out His wrath on the evildoer, and commands these authorities to judge justly, neither showing partiality to the wicked, nor using unequal standards, which are abominations (Psa 82; Prov 20:10; Rom 13:4), and
WHEREAS, in 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States rendered an iniquitous decision on Roe v. Wade, and in doing so deprived the innocent of their rights, and usurped God, who sovereignly ordained their authority (Isa 5:23; 10:1-2; Psa 2; Matt 22:21; John 19:11; Acts 4:19; 5:29, Rom 13:1), and
WHEREAS, in the Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court of the United States subverted the U.S. Constitution namely, the Preamble, as well as the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments without any legal authority (Article 6, Clause 2 “Supremacy Clause”), and
WHEREAS, governing authorities at every level have a duty before God to uphold justice asserting their God-ordained and constitutional authority to establish equal protection under the law for all, born and preborn, by intervening, ignoring, or nullifying iniquitous decisions when other authorities, such as the Supreme Court, condone such injustices as the legal taking of innocent life (Daniel 3; 1 Kings 12; 2 Kings 11; Jeremiah 26:10-16; 36:9-31; 37:11- 21; 39:7-10), and
WHEREAS, over the past 48 years with 60+ million abortions, traditional Pro-life laws, though well intended, have not established equal protection and justice for the preborn, but on the contrary, appallingly have established incremental, regulatory guidelines for when, where, why, and how to obtain legal abortion of innocent preborn children, thereby legally sanctioning abortion, and
WHEREAS, since 1980, the SBC has passed many resolutions reaffirming the importance of human life at all stages of development, but we have yet to call for the immediate abolition of abortion without exception or compromise, and
WHEREAS, our confessional statement, The Baptist Faith and Message, according to Article XV, affirms that children “from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord”; and further affirms that Southern Baptists are mandated by Scripture to “speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death,” now, be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the messengers of the SBC meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, June 15-16, 2021, do state unequivocally that abortion is murder, and we reject any position that allows for any exceptions to the legal protection of our preborn neighbors, compromises God’s holy standard of justice, or promotes any God-hating partiality (Psa 94:6; Isa 10:1-2; Prov 24:11; Psa 82:1-4), and be it further
RESOLVED, that we will not embrace an incremental approach alone to ending abortion because it challenges God’s Lordship over the heart and the conscience, and rejects His call to repent of sin completely and immediately (Gen 3:1; John 8:44; Rom 2:14-15; 2 Corinthians 11:3), and be it further
RESOLVED, that we affirm that the murder of preborn children is a crime against humanity that must be punished equally under the law, and be it further
RESOLVED, that we humbly confess and lament any complicity in recognizing exceptions that legitimize or regulate abortion, and of any apathy, in not laboring with the power and influence we have to abolish abortion, and be it further
RESOLVED, that as Southern Baptists we will engage, with God’s help, in establishing equal justice and protection for the preborn according to the authority of God’s Word as well as local and federal law, and call upon pastors and leaders to use their God-given gifts of preaching, teaching, and leading with one unified, principled, prophetic voice to abolish abortion, and be it finally
RESOLVED, that, because abolishing abortion is a Great Commission issue, we must call upon governing authorities at all levels to repent and “obey everything that [Christ] has commanded,” exhorting them to bear fruit in keeping with repentance by faithfully executing their responsibilities as God’s servants of justice, and working with all urgency to enact legislation using the full weight of their office to interpose on behalf of the preborn, abolishing abortion immediately, without exception or compromise (Mark 6:18; Matt 28:18-20; Rom 13:4, 6).
The general tone of the resolution in my assessment was more “anti-abortion” than “pro-life” and could do more harm to the fight against abortion than good. Southern Baptists are confessionally and practically a vocal pro-life people[iv]. Tireless efforts to counsel, correct, and change abortion laws are part and parcel of our greater work. I believe that in a system of laws that has determined it legal to terminate the life of the preborn, it is GOOD when restrictions are codified in the law that restrict and reduce the number of abortions.
Friends, let me say unequivocally, I am pro-life. I believe that this is a Gospel issue. I believe that all Christians ought to be concerned with life “from the womb to the tomb” and, therefore, I further believe that the same passion we exhibit, and rightly so, for the unborn should also exist for children who are in abusive relationships, victims of sex trafficking, slavery, genocide, injustice, and other such life stealing schemes of the devil (John 10:10).
I do not believe that laws against abortion will ultimately change the heart of the person considering or engaging in abortion. Abortion advocates agree, regularly citing that to make abortions illegal would only force mothers to have an illegal abortion that is potentially less safe. This does not mean that I would affirm or even appreciate legalized abortion. It simply means that I recognize that the issue is a deeper one of the heart. As such:
I pray that one day, we will have more pro-life language than anti-abortion language.
I pray that we, as Christians, will live and work sacrificially and tirelessly to make choices of life easier by making adoption affordable and care for at-risk mothers possible.
I pray that the church will always be a place where a person shackled in sin can find help and hope in redemption and will experience the grace of God through God’s redeemed people.
I pray that the lost and those in sin will always be welcome among the people of God and will be lovingly and winsomely (to quote on of my mentors, Dr. Gray Allison) called to repentance so that they can experience the transforming power of the gospel.
I pray that Christians will be quick to point out the log in our eyes as we help our neighbor with the speck of sawdust in their eyes (Matthew 7:5).
And, I pray that we will be known for our humility and gentleness of speech with believers and unbelievers alike, as we faithfully call all to live out and experience the power of the gospel.
Other resolutions were considered and passed on a variety of matters including the Hyde Amendment, gratitude to the City of Nashville for their hospitality, and many others.
Summary
I think that pulling together 16,000 people from across as many as 50,000 churches to vote on matters of such public significance is messy, at times inefficient, and the best form of governing that I know. I am a convictional Baptist. I get frustrated with some of what I see and hear at times. I imagine that some feel the same way about me as well.
In the things that matter most, I believe that our Convention is the best there is. Through our Cooperative Program of financial support and our shoulder-to-shoulder partnerships, we fulfill with distinction the shared responsibilities of:
Theological training and education
Sending and caring for missionaries
Providing one of the world’s largest disaster and needs-meeting networks
Care for the most vulnerable through orphan ministry
Influencing the wider culture by providing ethical and biblical counsel to all three branches of government as well as engaging in the public discourse
And, providing fellowship, accountability, and doctrinal alignment through our voluntary associational structure
I further think that we have an awesome responsibility to not only continue but to increase our efforts in planting churches and sending missionaries throughout the world.
I look for and pray for the day when we will see dozens of people sent out every year from our church to plant churches and to take the gospel to places in the world where it has yet to be heard.
I look forward to and pray for the day when we see dozens of young men and women serving through our church as interns as they explore their sense of calling to full-time ministry.
I look forward to and pray for the day when we embrace the cause of adoption, fostering, and child advocacy in such a way that not one child in our area sleeps in an orphanage, but enjoys the stability of a loving home of Christ-followers from Englewood who will care for them and love them to Jesus.
I look for and pray for the day when hundreds more families find their place among the family of Englewood and return the locus of biblical discipleship to the kitchen table, the living room, the back yard, and the family vacation.
I look for and pray for the day when our church is known across our city and across surrounding cities as the most generous, most caring, most loving, most humble, most actively engaged, and most giving people they know.
I look for and pray for the day when we will all stand before Christ and can say that we left nothing, not one thing undone, and we hear those words- Well done, good and faithful servant.
While I cannot and do not represent that I speak for the whole of Southern Baptists, nor do I claim responsibility to influence the larger Convention or even the onlooking world, I do hope that this report from pastor to people will be received as a faithful reflection of what I saw and heard personally at the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2021. I hope that the readers will review this with great charity toward me as one is limited in the ability to communicate “heart intent” in the medium of print. I further hope that this reflection will encourage those I serve in their affiliation with the SBC and that my vision will inspire us to undertake the weighty task before us as we continue to love and lead like Jesus in a world that is confessionally at odds with most things we believe, desire, and work for. I also hope that questions to this report will be addressed biblically to me first along with biblical rationale for any areas of disagreement. Holy Scripture is inspired. This report is not. I can be corrected if it is demonstrated that I have understood these matters wrongly.
Until such time as we are gathered home to meet King Jesus face to face, let’s commit ourselves to the task before us and continue pressing on toward the upward call in Christ Jesus.
[ii] These tenets are articulated well in a paper written by Nicholas Daniel Hartlep, a PhD candidate at the time of authorship, in his literature review of the subject as part of his work toward his degree from the University of Wisconsin in Urban Education and Social Foundations of Education.
[iii] George, Janel. “A Lesson on Critical Race Theory” published January 12, 2021, in Human Rights Magazine, Vol. 46, No.2: Civil Rights Policing, by the American Bar Association on their public website. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/civil-rights-reimagining-policing/a-lesson-on-critical-race-theory/, accessed June 26, 2021. George notes that some of the key features/tenets of CRT include (but are not limited to): (1) Recognition that race is not biologically real but is socially constructed and socially significant. It recognizes that science (as demonstrated in the Human Genome Project) refutes the idea of biological racial differences. According to scholars Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, race is the product of social thought and is not connected to biological reality. (2) Acknowledgement that racism is a normal feature of society and is embedded within systems and institutions, like the legal system, that replicate racial inequality. This dismisses the idea that racist incidents are aberrations but instead are manifestations of structural and systemic racism. (3) Rejection of popular understandings about racism, such as arguments that confine racism to a few “bad apples.” CRT recognizes that racism is codified in law, embedded in structures, and woven into public policy. CRT rejects claims of meritocracy or “colorblindness.” CRT recognizes that it is the systemic nature of racism that bears primary responsibility for reproducing racial inequality. (4) Recognition of the relevance of people’s everyday lives to scholarship. This includes embracing the lived experiences of people of color, including those preserved through storytelling, and rejecting deficit-informed research that excludes the epistemologies of people of color.
You Only Live Once...is the battle cry of the adventurous. Don’t live lives of quiet existence when you can experience zest, passion, and excitement! After all…You Only Live Once!
A great battle cry…YES. True? NO! The fact is, we don’t only live once. There is life after this one…and it is more important than the one we are living. After all…it lasts for eternity!
“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
John 5:28–29 (NASB95)
Jesus dealt with the YOLO attitude of His day as well. In a parable that appears in Luke 16:19-31, He describes a man who experienced every pleasure in this life only to die and experience torment. In juxtaposition, Lazarus suffered in this life but found peace in eternity. Jesus explained the point in the convictions of both men in eternity. Lazarus was at perfect peace while the other man exhibited great concern for his own well-being and for those he cared for, who were still living. It seemed that the man felt some sense of responsibility, perhaps due to his familial affections or perhaps in recognition of his influence on others who would soon follow him to eternal judgment.
The truth is, no one only lives once. But only one life in eternity is worth living. Furthermore, it is what we do in this life that controls our destiny in the next. What we do in this life also, as Jesus’ parable makes clear, powerfully influences how well-prepared others are for their next life.
If your life is all about the now, I want to tell you that it’s not too late (if you’re reading this), but you should act today. Jesus permits U-turns and desires for you to experience the very best He has to offer…in this life and in eternity.
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
There is a popular idiom that says, “He’s lost his edge.” What is meant is that someone was once the best and has diminished in some way. This can happen to anyone. I suspect it has been happening as long as people have dwelt on the earth.
As Solomon spoke the proverb that we see in our text today, I imagine he had observed the same thing. Sometimes, men can fall a step behind in life. They grow comfortable, complacent, apathetic, or dull. No one sets out to be that way, but life has a way of slowly but surely dulling the fine edge that we are meant to have.
This is true in athletics, in business, in relationships, and, yes, in spiritual matters as well. Therefore, sharpening is required if we are to hold our edge. Notice that it is not circumstance of life that are used to sharpen us, but other men. People help people remain sharp. Isolation permits us to dull, but regular interaction promotes a razor-sharp edge.
This kind of sharpening requires time. It involves friction. It demands intentionality. I think that the Lord intended for church community to be a laboratory of sharpening. He expected that when people came together, there would be encouragement, accountability, confrontation, and consolation. What’s true is we were intended to be sharp, and isolation makes us dull.
If you feel like you’re losing your edge, check your commitment to community. If it is lacking, the solution is clear. If you examine your blade and you are sharp, consider who in your circle is growing dull. Drawn near to them and ask God to allow you to be the sharpening stone in their lives. As you do, you both win. As iron sharpens iron, so ONE MAN sharpens ANOTHER.
“But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.” Luke 15:32, NASB95
A parable is a heavenly story with an earthly application. In other words, the story brings attention to and clarity on a truth that is difficult to fully grasp in other ways. Jesus often taught in parables which is a testimony in itself of their effectiveness.
I think that Luke 15 is one parable with several moving parts. The lost sheep, the lost coin, and the two lost sons all serve to point to a single truth: God loves reconciling lost things. The main actor in the parable is the Father as he is depicted in the searching shepherd, the seeking woman, and the Father who waits, welcomes, and rejoices.
The chapter ends with an audacious claim: All of heaven rejoices with the lost is found! Now the centerpiece of heaven is God Himself. Everything exists to His praise. Honor, and glory. So, the picture of a celebrating God over the lost being found is spot on!
Picture, if you will, the Father leaping to His feet and shouting “welcome home” over the deafening applause of every creature in heaven—every time a lost son returns home, a sinning daughter repents, and a wayward Pharisee turns toward grace. Heaven erupts with joy and celebration when the rebel is reconciled, when the enslaved is set free, when the lost is found, and when the wicked are redeemed.
The point of the Lord’s parable of the Father is to remind us that we truly speak God’s “love language” (if you will allow me one more comparison) when we seek out the lost and gather them in to the family.
Question: Is blessing the Lord in this way your priority for living? Is it your highest ethic of worship? Is it your missional focus every morning? Is it your commitment every day? If not, you can start over, today.
“Do not fear, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the Kingdom.” Luke 12:32, NASB
We are an anxious people. One thing that the recent pandemic has made clear is the rise of anxiety. Across all ages and stages of life, the circumstances of the day bring to light the fact that an ever-increasing number of people struggle with a lack of insight and a lack of control.
This is not really unique to us in our generation. In reality, people from the past also struggled with the lack of control they had in the world. Further, we are never told to think otherwise! We are never told to rely on our control or to get better control of the world around us; rather; we are told to place our confidence in the One who never lost control of anything!
Notice in this verse (which is a favorite of mine) a couple of key truths which bring me a great deal of comfort.
First, we are told to “fear not” or “do not fear.” God never instructs us to do the impossible; so, we discern here that it is possible to live without fear or anxiousness.
Second, we are reminded of our relationship. He is our “Father,” and we are His flock. Both of these powerful images remind us to trust our Shepherd King and our Father who guards and protects us. We are led to green pastures and still waters. Further, we are never abandoned in the in the dark valleys of the shadow of death.
Third, The Father has already chosen that our inheritance is the Kingdom. We cannot earn it; therefore, we cannot lose it. It is wholly His and therefore it is assuredly ours.
Finally, the Father does not do this begrudgingly, but gladly. He wants to give us the Kingdom. He wants to provide for us. He wants to care for us. He wants us to rely on Him.
As a child, I learned to sing “He’s got the whole world…in His hands.” We can still trust in the truths of this song today. He does control it all and He desires to provide all we need from His own abundance.
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