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The Broken Heart of a Baptist
Posted by SBC Today | May 2, 2008
I, Tim Rogers, would like to begin this post by saying that if my words and disagreements with others had anything to do with contributing in the attacks toward Dr. Yarnell, I am sorry. I also would like to acknowledge my sorrow concerning my statements describing Dr. Tom Ascoll as uncooperative. Where I wrote that Dr. Ascoll was asked to affirm the SBTC resolution, he affirmed my words, but his decision not to affirm the resolution does not mean he is being uncooperative.
Dr. Malcolm Yarnell has called us back to the true heart of the resolution. I will say that we must remember that the SBC has a process in place once the resolutions are released. That process is known as the Resolution Committee. They can view the resolutions and make one of three decisions. 1.) They can choose between the two resolutions and send one to the floor. 2.) They can take both resolutions and combine them and then send them to the floor. 3.) They can refuse to allow any resolution out of committee concerning this subject. I, and I think Dr. Yarnell would affirm, agree that if either resolution or a combination of these resolutions come out of committee it will probably receive my vote.
Dr. Yarnell, your words before us today certainly brings us back to the heart of the matter.
My heart is broken for us and our people. Even our leaders cannot come together and promote a revival without cross-accusations, etc. We need not say more about it, need we? Call me a mystic, but I see no way for us as Southern Baptists but broken prayer. After reading various comments from Southern Baptist friends of all persuasions at SBC Today, it became apparent that we have reached a crisis.
We live in a world corrupted by evil and filled with evil people, including ourselves. It is by grace that those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord have been born again. And, it is by grace that we can even try to live sanctified lives. And, it is by grace that our salvation will be brought to a successful conclusion by God.
The issue before us, ultimately, is not whether Tom’s resolution is superior or whether the SBTC resolution is superior, nor is it about how the events transpired in both resolutions coming to be. The issue, ultimately, is about whether our churches will truly resolve together to recover Regenerate Church Membership. This is our hope and is the reason that ties Bart and I so closely together, and what makes our hearts believe in what Tom is doing. Our hope is that all Baptists will keep our eyes on Christ’s will for us and our churches, as our forefathers did, when they were at their best.
My friends, we are all sinners and subject to divine wrath, an eternity in hell - that is the bad news. The Father, however, sent his only begotten Son to atone for our sins on a cross, and he offers salvation to us freely through faith - now that is good news. What all of us are arguing is that the Gospel is free, but that it has implications for our lives.
Those who have been born again (i.e. regenerated) must live as born again people. This includes both our individual lives as Christians and our corporate lives as churches. What we all detect is that we have perhaps been striving to do so as individuals, but we have not been so successful as churches. This is where the rubber hits the road. The resolution is intended to serve as a summons for us to change our ways and seek to implement the Gospel in our corporate lives just as we seek to implement it in our personal lives.
I pray that this will not get lost in all of the supposition about who said what when and where, and what were their motivations. I cannot speak to the motivations of others, and, like Paul, I cannot even judge myself adequately in this regard. What I do know is that my heart has a burning passion to glorify my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the churches that led me to him are not always evidencing that passion. This breaks my heart. This makes me weep. This is why we want our convention to pass a resolution on Regenerate Church Membership, and then begin living it out.
Although I love being a Baptist, it is not really about being a Baptist. Although I am a non-Calvinist by conviction, it is not really about being a non-Calvinist. What it is about is Jesus. He is my Savior and has forgiven this worm for all of his sin. And He is my Lord and calls me to a full life in him.
When I look around, I see imperfect people who have been saved by grace through faith. I see people whom I respect highly because God works so magnificently through them upon me as they mine and speak God’s Word. And I see people whom I have difficulty with because it is obvious that they are resisting and not implementing what God has for us. What is really disconcerting is that the people I respect and the people with whom I have difficulty are the exact same people, and that includes me.
I pray that we will remember that God is perfect, and we are trying to be, and not think that any of us are any better than anybody else. I pray that we will repent of our sinfulness as individuals and as churches and come back to where God wants us to be. There are no perfect Christians this side of glory, and there are no perfect churches this side of glory, but we have to try to do better.
We have to be better Christians. We have to be better witnesses about Christ. We have to be better teachers about Christ. We have to be better at forgiving one another. We have to be better, and none of us are there, yet, and none of us can accuse another for his or her failures. We must simply glorify Christ in all we say and do, and we haven’t been doing very well at it, have we?
Where are the Christians today that God will use to bring a mighty revival in our world? Where are the Chrysostoms? Where are the Luthers? Where are the Calvins? Where are the Cranmers? Where are the Smyths? Where are the Helwyses? Where are the Kiffins? Where are the Granthams? Where are the Gills? Where are the Fullers? Where are the Spurgeons? Where are the Edwardses? Where are the Mullinses? Where are the great saints for today? They could be us.
Rogers could be our Chrysostom. Patterson could be our Luther. Mohler could be our Calvin. Dockery could be our Cranmer. Kenney could be our Smyth. Barber could be our Helwys. Welty could be our Kiffin. Lemke could be our Grantham. George could be our Gill. Page could be our Fuller. Vines could be our Spurgeon. Moore could be our Edwards. Rainer could be our Mullins. Me, I just want to sit at the feet of these men, be inspired by them to witness, and be a better witness to the only one who can save this world from its repetitive disasters of nature and justice. Could we be these people? Could we be better witnesses to the Gospel, not just in our words, but in our lives, individually and corporately?
This is my passion. This is my soul’s desire. I want to say, “Thank you, Jesus, for everything you have given, are giving, and will give me. I am so sorry for not being a better witness. I am so sorry for not being a better churchman. I am so sorry for not glorifying you as I should. Please forgive me for my failures, and help me to be better express your grace. I am not very smart, Jesus, but I trust you will help me be a better theologian, in spite of me. I am not very bright with people, Lord, but I hope you will help me be a better minister to people, in spite of me.”
My friends, that is my heart, and I have no other purpose. There are no hidden agendas here. There are no covert emails. I am a broken man looking at a broken people, and I know Jesus Christ is our only hope to be better. His grace saved me and his grace will make me a better man. His grace saved the people in our churches and only his grace will help our churches to be better churches.
“Oh, Jesus, would you bring your churches a revival? Oh, Spirit, would you bring the lost regeneration? Oh, Father, would you grant your people the grace to live as you command? As Augustine said, Lord, ‘Command what you will but grant what you command.’”
In Christ,
Malcolm
We thank God for men of heart and conviction like Dr. Yarnell.
Topics: Guest Author, SBC Issues |
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 am
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