Embracing the "Great Commission Resurgence"

There is a growing desire within many in the SBC for a resurgence of Great Commission zeal and practice within our churches. Count me in as one of those.

I am very happy that this effort is picking up steam. In fact, a Great Commission Resurgence website has just recently been launched. This website describes in detail what this effort is all about.

The GCR has put forth a declaration which has many positive statements in it. If embraced by our churches, this statement could have great impact.

A few of the highlights from the declaration include:

"Jesus Christ must be our passion and priority and we should aspire to both know Him and love Him more fully."

"Gospel-centered living will help ensure that the bloody cross of a crucified King is the offense to non-believers rather than our styles, traditions, legalisms, moralisms, personal preferences, or unhelpful attitudes."

"We must be willing to alter our practices to better accord with a robust Baptist identity, including in many churches a more responsible baptismal policy, a recovery a redemptive church discipline, a healthier balance between pastoral leadership and congregational authority, and a commitment to an every-member ministry."

"We must be willing to alter our practices to better accord with a robust Baptist identity, including in many churches a more responsible baptismal policy, a recovery a redemptive church discipline, a healthier balance between pastoral leadership and congregational authority, and a commitment to an every-member ministry."

"We must take steps toward simplifying our denominational structures in an effort to streamline our structure, clarify our institutional identity, and maximize our resources for Great Commission priorities. We should ask hard questions about every aspect of our Convention structure and priorities and pray for God’s wisdom and blessing as we pursue wise answers to those questions."

"We believe that distinctively Christian families are characterized by a deep love of Jesus Christ above all things and a desire to honor God as a family. We believe that Biblical truth is loved, taught, and lived out in healthy Christian homes. We believe that godly families cast a vision for spiritual greatness and equip every member, including children, to live for God’s glory and pursue great things for His name’s sake."

I strongly agree with these statements. My hope is that this effort will bear fruit within the SBC and beyond. However, it will do nothing if the people in our churches do not rally around it. Let's pray that God will use this effort to stir up the passion of our people to live as Christ lived, to love and serve others, and to proclaim the glorious gospel of Christ.