Baptist Press news Story about Dr. Hunter's Message at the Southern Baptist Convention
NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Two former presidents and the new president of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists focused on "The Gospel: The Power of God Unto Salvation" during the group's Sunday morning worship June 17 in New Orleans prior to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting.
Braxton Hunter expressed impatience with division over the sinner's prayer; Keith Fordham said "Christ's blood" is what's needed for "what's wrong with the Southern Baptist Convention;" and the group's new president, Eric Ramsey, said if Southern Baptists' entities and programs don't have the power of the Holy Spirit, "they are worth nothing."
COSBE inducted two new members into its "Hall of Faith," at the three-hour service at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside -- John Bos of Orlando, Fla., and Tom Cox of Mountainburg, Ark.
Braxton Hunter, an evangelist based in Evansville, Ind., drew from Acts 6 for his sermon, "Just Preach It."
"If there ever was a time when Southern Baptists have to decide to just preach it, now is the time," Hunter said. "We need to come away with a refreshed understanding of the power of the Gospel and a desire to just preach it."
Hunter noted when the biblical Stephen was persecuted and killed, the written Bible, conferences and resources did not exist. Though he had likely not intended to die that day, Stephen had received the challenge that all believers have received -- "Are you willing to just preach it or are you going to augment your message so it's more palpable and appealing to the human senses?" Hunter said.
"If you don't think that we're going to face this level of persecution where we may have to lay down our lives, then that is all the more reason to preach it," Hunter said.
Recalling a 1995 court case where a judge threatened incarceration for students who mentioned the name of Jesus during high school commencement programs, Hunter said believers may soon face persecution similar to that of Stephen.
"Are we really living like people who respect what these men and women went through for us to have [the Bible]?" Hunter asked.
Citing Acts 5 when the apostles were arrested, Hunter noted this represented the first time in history when Christians were prevented from sharing their faith.
"Does that sound familiar to where we are today in the 21st century?" Hunter asked. "Today, we're getting the same societal view."
However, no matter what the law stated, the apostles decided "to proclaim the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the power of the Gospel, both privately and publicly," Hunter said.
"In a day like this, when we have a choice to make, it is time to make the right choice and just preach it," Hunter said. "If the world is getting more evangelistic, and we're getting less evangelistic, what is standing in the future for us?"
Sometimes it is not the fear of persecution but laziness that subdues preaching the Gospel, Hunter said. Too many believers, he said, are not passionate about the things of God "because there is something wrong between us and Jesus."
Citing Stephen's last moments, Hunter said he is reminded that Christians don't just die.
"We just fall asleep and wake up in the presence of Jesus," he said. "The power of the Gospel is so powerful that I believe everyone can be saved."
Restating his conviction about the power of the Gospel, Hunter talked about Southern Baptists' discussion of the sinner's prayer.
"I think the fact that we are at the SBC right now and the SBC is experiencing difficult times in many ways -- the fact that we would begin talking about whether or not it is superstitious to lead someone to pray to receive the Lord Jesus Christ -- I find to be absurd ...," Hunter said. "No matter what we decide at the SBC this week, just preach it. Whatever we talk about, this is my message to my convention: Just preach it."
Original Link: https://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38157