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PASTOR'S MESSAGE
“When God measures a man, He puts
the tape around the heart instead of the head.”
“The Lord seeth not as a man seeth,
for man looketh on the outward
appearance, but
the Lord looketh
on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b)
–God’s Little Instruction
Book
NEW BAPTIST COVENANT
Unity took center stage during the New Baptist Covenant Celebration. About
15,000 African-American, Anglo, Asian-American and Hispanic Baptists gathered at the urging of former President Jimmy Carter
and Mercer University President William D. Underwood. They represented about 30 Baptist conventions and organizations affiliated
with the North American Baptist Fellowship, the regional affiliate of the Baptist World Alliance.
In the opening remarks, former President Jimmy Carter urged participants to
focus on unity. He said, “The issues that drive Christians into factions are not nearly as important as the things on
which there is widespread agreement.”
Sessions emphasized Jesus’ mandate “to proclaim freedom and recovery
of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
The celebration embodied a dream come true for Baptists who have worked and
prayed for racial reconciliation among Baptist bodies.
Former Vice President Al Gore placed his presentation on global warming in
the context of Genesis. “The purpose of life is to glorify God. And, if we continue to heap contempt on God’s
creation, that is inconsistent with glorifying God. There is an opportunity to do the things better, and that’s what
the climate crises is really all about.”
Organizers acknowledge that getting 30 groups with different cultures and
histories to work together would not be ease. “We’re not an organized structure,” said Jimmy Allen, program
chairman for the Celebration. “We’re stimulating and reflecting a movement of God that is bigger than us.”
THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL
“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the
power of God unto every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16)
The theme of the Book of Romans and the message of the Church is that the gospel of Jesus Christ
is the power of God to redeem sinners. The Apostle Paul sets forth this truth in the midst of a world that is filled with
sin and depravity.
Paul sets forth the downward steps of the human race into what looks
like a hopeless pool of human wickedness and misery. He begins the description of this by showing that the first step was
to fail to glorify God as God. Next they are not thankful for all that this loving God and creator has done in making provision
for all their needs both physical and spiritual. Failure in these first steps downward has led
to complete and total depravity.
In the passage of Romans 1:18-33 The Apostle explains
how the human race has taken the downward road step by step. They changed the glory of God into an image. They dishonored
their own bodies between themselves which led them into homosexuality. They became filled with all unrighteousness
from disobedience to parents to murder. In their final state they had become so callused that that they did that which they
knew was worthy of death but took pleasure in them that do the same things. The law has no power against those who
have lost all respect for God and the fear of death. Only the gospel empowered by the Holy Spirit can bring conviction and
repentance.
The Apostle Paul proclaims that the gospel not only has the power
to save but that it also has the power to redeem the lowest sinner from faith to faith. Just as the multitudes went away from
God step by step faith in the Crucified Jesus lifts them step to step to knowing God and honoring
Him with praise and thanksgiving.
“I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”
(1 Corinthians 2:2)
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