By David Leavell
President, Tennessee Baptist Convention / Pastor, First Baptist Church, Millington
I sometimes get the impression that many of us in church would settle for reformation rather than transformation. Let me explain. If one of our members would start attending more regularly, we would be happy.
If one of our members would just come to Sunday School, that would be wonderful. If a member would quit smoking or drinking socially, his or her life would be healthier. In our community, if people would quit carousing, cussing or using drugs, things would be better.
I believe, many times, we settle for less than God’s best. All the above-mentioned goals can be cured by reformation. Change habits and change outcomes. Double down on self-will and works, and we will have a better outcome.
But self-will and works are not ways to be right with God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are you saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
When it comes to personal faith in Jesus Christ, our ways change after salvation, not before. Let there be no doubt. You cannot have a new master and Lord calling the shots in your life and there not be some changes of behavior and attitudes. But the changes come from a heart that has been delivered from darkness to Light. Through faith in Christ, our hearts are transformed, changed, forgiven and set free. Then, we begin to be made “conformable into the image of Christ.”
Reformation rarely works and even when it does, it is an external change or a temporary season in life. The gospel begins at the soul. When the soul is redeemed, it changes everything. Reformation starts outside, to the actions of man, hoping an inward change will follow.
The gospel starts inside the heart of mankind, to the soul and affects the whole human being. Of course, this should make perfect sense to the believer. I Samuel 16:7b says, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
As God changes the heart, He gives us new priorities. Matthew 6:33-34 puts the goal of the Christian life into perspective. It says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
As believers, we have the power of the Holy Spirit of God indwelling each of us. We have a source of strength never experienced prior to accepting Christ. We can live transformed lives! That power will assist us daily in living the Christian life and will cause us to become witnesses to people who don’t know Christ. Refer to Acts 1:8.
That leads me to the John 3:16 Challenge! The challenge is for all Tennessee Baptists to “share John 3:16, once a week, with a lost person, with the intention to leading them to personal faith in Christ.”
It’s a simple, strategic plan of sharing “the greatest verse in the universe.” A simple outline that I read on the back of Max Lucado book years ago put it this way, “He Loves, He Gave, We Believe, We Live.” These are five words that come straight from the text. Three words are personal pronouns. They give a construct for sharing the gospel. Couple the verse with your personal testimony and you have everything you need to lead someone to personal faith in Jesus Christ! The only thing we lack in sharing Jesus with all Tennesseans is some obedient Christians.
In Mark 1:17, Jesus said, “Follow me, and I’ll make you fishers of men.” Evangelism and discipleship must get remarried in Southern Baptist life! It’s cyclical. The Jesus kind of true discipleship leads to evangelism and true evangelism leads to discipleship. As best I can figure, that’s what Jesus had in mind.
I’ve got good news! While the Southern Baptist Convention is in a historic, 17-year decline in baptisms, from 2016 to 2017, Tennessee saw an increase in baptized souls!
We went from 20,302 souls in 2016 to approximately 20,719 in 2017, an increase of approximately 417 souls. During that same time frame, Tennessee grew by approximately 55,000 to 60,000 people. We have our work cut out for us, but it can happen! It will take some obedient Southern Baptists, sharing Christ in the normal traffic patterns of their life, each week.
Let’s take the challenge! Believer, let’s share Christ weekly. Let’s join together in this gospel mandate and make it hard to go to hell from Tennessee! May the Lord help us as we endeavor to be all that He desires us to be.