After they had observed the Passover in the upper room, as the end approached, Jesus allowed his disciples to overhear a conversation with his Father. How well they listened is evidenced by John's Spirit-assisted recollection of Jesus' prayer. Jesus prayed not only for his disciples, but for future followers who would be reached by their testimony and proclamation (John 17:20). In so doing, he demonstrated his expectation that each generation of believers will take the gospel to the next. Evangelism was on the Lord's mind as he faced the cross. He also prayed that his followers would be unified.
As the prayer unfolds, we catch a glimpse of his reasoning: “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23b). His desire was and still is that the world will know that the Father sent him. He wants the world to know that God loves them. In order for this to happen, Jesus prayed that his followers will be brought complete unity. Complete unity. Jesus knew that division distorts, diminishes and dilutes the message.
At the half-way point of Southern Baptist Convention president Bobby Welch's challenge to baptize a million persons this church year, the numbers don't look good. Although the mid-point report is incomplete, we have sufficient data to know that we are lagging far behind if we are to reach that goal by the end of September.
As I have written on previous occasions, I support President Welch's commitment and have responded to his challenge. I get encouraged by his enthusiasm and fired-up by his excitement. No one who knows him can doubt his desire to reach people. But it takes more than excitement and desire.
I hearken back to a press conference I attended following his election to a second term as SBC president in Nashville, Tenn. He told reporters that evangelism needed to be the primary focus and that we needed to all work together to make that happen. He emphasized the SBC's historic commitment to evangelism. But when he was asked if the SBC was willing to work with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in reaching people for Christ, he alluded to the possibility that a skydiver would crash through the roof and land on his desk. Until it happened, it was just theoretical and he didn't want to talk about theoretical possibilities. When I pressed him with a follow-up, he said, “I can't answer that question.”
Perhaps one reason we Baptists are experiencing a general decline in baptisms is that we are sending the lost mixed messages. On the one hand, they hear us speak sincerely of the love of Christ, while on the other they observe the rancor directed at brother Baptists.
All of this makes me wonder if we shouldn't take the Bible more seriously than we do. When Jesus pleaded with his Father that we might become completely one in order to proclaim God's love in a way that will cause the lost to believe it, did he mean it?
I can almost hear someone say, “But, we have real differences between us! How can we partner in sharing the gospel with people who do not believe as we do?”
Remember Paul's words in Philippians? He was in jail when his friends brought word that some people were proclaiming Christ with insincere motives. He replied, “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Philippians 1:15-18).
Differences? What do they matter!? The important thing is that Christ is preached! That's what the Bible says.
When we stand before Christ, I don't believe he will be convinced that doctrinal correctness was more important than overlooking differences and proclaiming the Kingdom of God to a lost world. During the days Jesus walked the earth, he took a rather dim view of sects for whom doctrinal purity was more important than the Kingdom.
Perhaps it is time for Baptists to shift their preoccupation from sins of the flesh to the seven the Bible says God hates most. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16-19, KJV).
Don't misunderstand me. Sin is sin. What the Bible condemns as sin cannot be seen as otherwise. Like most other Virginia Baptists, I am angered and sickened by what I believe is a homosexual agenda being forced upon us. But can we expect the world to act like anything except the world? Should we be surprised when the lost act like they are lost?
It is the sin of the church that should concern us most. Sins of the heart and mind. Sins of division and discord.
Nobody ever said swallowing our pride, overlooking our differences and powerfully proclaiming the gospel with a unified voice was easy. It's hard. If it weren't, Jesus wouldn't have spent precious minutes of his waning earthly life praying that we would be brought to complete unity so the world could see God's love in us. But, he did. And, since he did, should we act as though it is impossible? If you think so, you can be the one to tell him.
Meanwhile, I'm going to keep working to bring us together because when unity returns, so to will our power to evangelize.