Great Commission Baptist

Awareness brings us closer to understanding.  That is why I would like to bring your awareness to a topic that is being discussed within the Southern Baptist Convention.  Last night a special task force reported to the SBC Executive Committee their study on the question of changing the name of the SBC.  The task force considered the name change and brought their suggestion back to the Executive Committee.  Here is an excerpt from Baptist Press, Task Force Report, that will shed light on this consideration of a name change.

“Our one desire from the beginning was to consider the removal of any barrier to the effective proclamation of the Gospel and reaching people for Christ. This is an issue that just won't die. In fact, the first attempt to change the name was in 1903. Over the years since then, it has been presented to the Convention in one form or another 13 times. We felt that this is an issue that needed resolution so we could move forward with full energies to present the Gospel around the world.”  

The task force mentioned many reasons to change and keep the name but, a legal name change was not beneficial to our convention.  Our name carries with it a great vision and identity that is known the world wide.  They did acknowledge that there may be churches, organizations and entities that are in friendly cooperation with the Convention that may be able to make use of a name that is not attached to a national region as indicated in the name “Southern”. 

The task force made the recommendation that no official action be taken to change the name of the SBC.  But, that we consider the granting of churches, organizations and entities the ability to use a descriptor that would indicate their relationship to each other and the SBC.  The non-legal name would be “Great Commission Baptist”, a name that would hold to our tradition and beliefs. 

The Executive Committee will have to vote to bring this recommendation to the 2012 SBC in New Orleans.  The recommendation would mean the SBC would have to vote to use the phrase “Great Commission Baptist” as a non-legal descriptor.  So, no official change, just a new phrase to associate with the Convention.

For more information on this visit, www.bpnews.net

Until the Whole World Hears,

Brandon Watson   

Drinking From A Water Hose

I still find it hard to drink water from a fire hydrant.  This past weekend Southeastern Seminary held its annual 20/20 Conference.  Each year they bring scholars, leaders and pastors from around the world to speak on each year’s conference topic.  This year the focus was on the reliability of the scriptures and the speakers did not hold anything back from delivering Biblical truth.  There are times when learning can feel so overwhelming that we quickly feel under water, drowning in a sea of words too thick to discern.  We want to turn the fire hydrant off, head inside, grab a choice container, slowly turn on the tap and drink at leisure.

Paul writes to us these words in 1 Corinthians 2:7, “However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age.”  Paul tells us that the mysteries of God are hidden from man and these mysteries are being revealed by God for us to see His glory.  Our sinful, fallen, nature has blinded us from the beauty of our God but, we must be faithful to seek Him as He does the work of revelation. 

When I hear men of God who are rightly handling he Word of God and yet the Word they are sharing with me I am not grasping hold of at that moment, I do not turn them off.  When I feel something is too much for me, I would rather pull back from this blast of knowledge and ask myself, how will I ever be able to learn and know if what is being said is glorifying God?  Well, discipline has already set me up for that.  I plan out before I enter into a teaching session to have a pen available and paper ready to take notes for the purpose of grabbing hold of the Word so that I can go back in the future to study the things I have just heard.    

I would encourage you, when someone or something is being taught or preached, don’t turn off the words of the proclaimer.  Rather, have pen and pad ready so that you will not miss the Word that God has for you.  If the fire hydrant is too much, grab what you can and sip on it later.  Take all the glory God has to offer you.  God wants you to grow in wisdom, be faithful to seek Him not just when you are in class or in preaching, but seek Him continually, desiring to see Him more.