Could it be that Jesus has opened wide a new door of shared ministry and missions for Southern Baptists to walk through together? That’s the question that continues permeating my mind after our time together in Orlando.
We need to remember we ‘have but little power’ in ourselves.
Southern Baptists have always found themselves called by God amid a vast world stage. From the Civil War to two World Wars, the Great Recession of 2008 and the Covid Pandemic, we have often felt small compared to the forces and events surrounding us. Yet God continues to call us and use us.
It is healthy for us to guard ourselves from an exaggerated sense of self-importance. Our late great statesman-leader Adrian Rogers once said in a sermon, “I’ve seen people too big in their own sight for God to use. I’ve never seen a man small in his own sight that God could not use.” We need to remember that in our own strength, we are nothing, but when we join God in his work, his ability to use us is limitless.
“I know your works. Look, I have placed before you an open door that no one can close because you have but little power; yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”
– Revelation 3:8
In Orlando and everywhere I go right now, I sense a healthy humility and desire to be used by God. The number of people answering calls to international missions and church planting is unmistakably growing. A new generation of ministry pioneers is answering God’s call. If we will stay humble and dependent on God, he will continue using us mightily.
We need to remember to keep his Word. Our time in Orlando was marked by efforts to continue living anchored in the inerrancy of Scripture. The “Truth and Unity Amendment” and our eleven resolutions represent efforts to safeguard our rootedness in Scripture and to speak to our culture from its absolute truth. As we safeguard against theological liberalism, we will need to apply equal effort to ensure we avoid drifting into destructive legalism.
The local church is the headquarters of every local association, state convention, and the SBC. Whether we thrive or decline depends on our abiding in Jesus and faithfully proclaiming his perfect Word. While our gatherings and entities must be faithful to God’s Word, this important responsibility belongs most to every local church.
We must remember to uphold his name. God wants every community in America to be blessed with a Bible-preaching, gospel-focused church. It should be Southern Baptists’ desire to join God in a gospel movement that has a generational impact on this nation we love.
As we gathered in Orlando, there was a palpable desire to see God move and use our multiplied ministry in a new way to accomplish this goal. It was inspiring to meet so many young thriving families, faithful seasoned servants, and new ministers and missionaries that God had called later in life. The common thread was that they were answering God’s call like Isaiah and saying, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”
Of course, we still face challenges, but let’s remember what God has done. We have constitutionally protected religious freedom, abundant resources, emerging technology, and an ecosystem of associations, conventions, and entities to multiply our gospel impact. We have a shared, steadfast commitment to biblical inerrancy and a desire to avoid legalism. People across America are more open to the gospel than ever. Let’s abide in Jesus and share his love together as a force for good!
Contact Scott Foshie at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.