Great Commission Resurgence Update

On Monday the task force appointed by the Southern Baptist Convention to enact structural and attitudinal changes within the convention issued a progress report of their work. This "Great Commission Resurgence" task force, headed by Dr. Ronnie Floyd has been working for many months now in examining the direction and emphasis of our convention. As we stated earlier this month while many positive things may come from the final report due in May, it is a change of heart that is truly needed in our lives and churches.

A Call to Repentance

It was the emphasis that Dr. Floyd placed on recognizing and repenting from our sin, which would mean a heartfelt return to God, that impressed me most from the meeting in which the progress report was issued. While structural changes are probably needed, they will not result in the revival in our lives and churches that is so greatly needed. True repentance and a return to God would.

We must face the hard fact that in far too many of Christians lives and our churches we have fallen away from God. There is no longer a fire for God, and we have left our "first love," Jesus Christ, and as a result we see a deadness and backslidden condition in to many Christians and churches.

The Greatest Commandment = The Great Commission

While I believe wholeheartedly we need to refocus and recommit to the Great Commission, I do not believe we can do this in God's power until we first re-embrace the Greatest Commandment. Until we are filled with the Spirit of God, and loving God "with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength," we cannot fulfil the requirements of the Great Commission(Matt 28:19-20).

We cannot fulfil the Great Commission without living the Greatest Commandment as we cannot reach the world, and disciple them, in essence "love our neighbor as ourself," until we first love God first and foremost. It is only in His power that we can accomplish this great undertaking, and without a consuming love of God powering that movement, we will be operating once again primarily in the flesh.

This is why I was encouraged by Dr. Floyd's words Monday night. This task force seems to get it. No document can change lives or our convention, only the power of God can. And that begins with returning to him with humility and broken spirits, in godly repentance. I applaud the effort so far, and I pray that when the final document is put before our convention at the annual meetings in May, this emphasis on our return to God will be centerstage. To view the document you can go to baptistpress.com.