Okay, before you go ballistic, I admit that the title is a bit of a piece of clickbait.
Yes, there are racists among us, and people with doctrinal issues, and those who abuse women and children, and people with moral and ethical failures, as well as some structural, administration, and leadership problems within our entities. Yes, problems abound in our little denomination. Every year when our statistical report is published, the weeping and wailing can be heard throughout the cosmos and to the four corners of the earth.
We have problems.
I am making a simple point today, one I hope we do not miss. The problem in the SBC is with US, the people who comprise the SBC. When we fail to walk under the Lordship of Christ and in obedience to the word of God, we create problems. When we walk in the works of the flesh instead of the fruit of the Spirit, we create problems. When we take our cues from the business realm, our tactics from the political world, our morals and ethics from the ways of the world, we create problems. When we live for the things of the world instead of for the treasures of heaven, we create problems. When we love the world and the things that are in the world, we create problems. When we fall prey to the love of money, we shipwreck ourselves, as Paul warned.
When these problems surface in our lives, they affect our homes. These problems in our homes create problems in our churches. The SBC is a convention of churches and when there are problems in churches, those problems eventually affect associations, state conventions, and our beloved SBC.
We all know there are problems, but if we simply hunker down in our theological and ideological bunkers and take potshots at “the SBC” we may vent our anger a bit, but we will never solve anything. The real problems exist at the church level and need to be addressed there. Actually, church problems often exist at the individual level, in the hearts of pastors, leaders, and people, and need to be addressed there.
Yes, I realize that I am making sweeping generalizations here, and those prone to poking holes may find some holes to poke. I believe that the generalization stands, though. Convention problems, in general, are church problems and church problems are OUR problems.
If you and I are upset about “the problems with the SBC,” the best thing to do is to get on our knees and in the word, to submit to the Lordship of Christ and to seek the fullness of the Spirit. We should stop pointing fingers and let the Spirit hold the mirror of the word to our hearts. My heart. Yours.
To paraphrase that great prophet Pogo…
I have met the enemy, and he is ME!
