We have been talking about preaching on Sbcwitness the past few days. Dr. Mohler’s past two blogs have covered some of the growing preaching trends and thoughts in the culture. The titles of these blogs are “Does God Want Us to Be Rich? TIME Looks at Prosperity Theology†and “The Problem of Preaching to Felt Needsâ€. Check these out at Albert Mohler.com.
This week there are seven games featuring top 25 teams squaring off against one another. It should be a lot of fun, I plan to make chilli dogs, drink diet coke, and pretend to get reading done while watching the games. Sorry about missing last weeks games, I hope that does not happen again, and after about week 5 I will begin to keep a running talley of records for those that post their picks on our website.
Here at the Witness we are going to do a weekly college football contest. We are going to have people comment on who they think will win the games of the week in college football. College Football has always been around our household an avenue of fellowship and fun that we can enjoy together. Also, it is another wonderful way for believers to fellowship and “hang out†together. Enjoy the weekend with friends, family, and the church. So I hope that this will be a fun activity here at the Witness.
Week One:
Here
 
Dr. Akin specifically addressed perils in the region where he serves. He aggressively denounced the evils of racism and socio-economic snobbery. He adamantly proclaimed to his students that partiality, whether racial or economic, is a matter of the heart. Partiality does not evidence a heart captured by our Savior. He specifically mentioned a story from his days as a young Bible college student at Criswell College. Dr. Akin worked in a kitchen at a local church. A staff person there racially slurred both he and a co-worker. Unfortunately, racism is still a problem in the church. Near the end of the sermon Akin gives advice to the future pastor who interviews with a search committee. Akin says that the candidate should ask questions about several issues, especially on issues of racism and partiality, because these are "gospel issues." Prospective pastors must be careful because they might be called into a "wicked religious social club" that does not reflect the gospel and is not really a church. Dr. Akin is very passionate in this sermon and I believe it is a piece that ministers and lay people should heed in order to see people as Jesus sees people.
Dr. Moore also thundered away on similar issues. He particularly singled out theological snobbery. He begins his sermon with the example of Herman Moore. Herman Moore, Dr. Moore's granddad, was a "typical" Southern Baptist Pastor. He was a man whom academia would look down upon because he was unpolished and had only a grade school education. As Dr. Moore points out there is a tendency in the academic world to be arrogant about one's knowledge. I have grown up around Seminaries and seen this time and again. Knowledge indeed "puffs up" (1 Cor. 8). Moore warns of the danger to not be relevant to those people that we will serve in our Southern Baptist Convention. Those in a Seminary culture sometimes are more concerned with impressing other seminarians or those in the blogosphere than they are with impacting the plumber in their congregation. Moore explicitly asserts that if our attitudes are wrong then it does not matter how right our doctrine is. He explains that we do not realize that those that we look down on God has chosen to rule the cosmos with Christ. This sermon, like Dr. Akin's, is delivered with power and authority. Dr. Moore provided a message that is very convicting as I now sit in Seminary classes and train in theology.Â
So, why would two administrators start the academic year off with this passage? Both of these men felt a burden to deliver these messages because there is always a tendency in academia towards arrogance. This is a message that we as seminary students, future pastors, current pastors, future professors, current professors, current administrators, and teachers need to hear and heed. We cannot ever see ourselves as better than the people that we serve or the people that we must evangelize. If we do we blaspheme that "noble name from which we are called." Brothers and sisters, let us never think that we are too good to talk to the "fisherman," "tax collector," "woman at the well," or the "thief on the cross."Â
I hope these messages will be as helpful to you and your ministry as they have been to me. As Southern Baptists support another year of seminary education, I pray that we will thank God for the leadership God has given them. And I hope that we all never forget that the kingdom of God is advancing throughout all the world, whether that's seen in the academy or the Wal-Mart break room. And its advancement doesn't come through eloquent words. It comes through a simple message, Jesus Christ is Lord!
Nathan AkinÂ
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One of the largest newspapers in the country, the Dallas Morning News, released two articles concerning the alcohol issue in the SBC. Danny Akin, the President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote his article a few weeks ago for Baptist Press, and it appeared in this recent Dallas Morning News’ release. Also, a rebuttal from Benjamin Cole, a pastor in the Arlington area, appeared. The alcohol issue came to the forefront of the SBC after a resolution passed at the convention. Some estimates from the platform indicated that nearly 90% of the convention floor voted for the resolution, even after the messengers added an amendment discouraging the appointment of social drinkers to trustee boards (though the Dallas Morning News reported that nearly a fifth of the convention voted against the amendment). SBCWitness will continue to monitor this issue, and we hope that the discussion will lead to holiness of life and love for the lost.
Nathan Akin
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission has a link on its website referencing several articles about the toll that Liberalism has had on the church. The article from the LA Times has been referenced by some of our favorite bloggers here and here. You can read it here. The LA Times article and another article entitled "God-Lite Doesn't Cut It" from the National Review tell a story that should be of great encouragement to the minister who strives to preach the scriptures as authoritative in our lives. This should strengthen our resolve to be committed to the authority of scripture and the exclusivity of Christ. It might stun you to realize the articles came from secular sources, but it is worth noting how the secular world looks at the problem of liberalism in the church. May this ERLC page make us grateful for the men of our convention who fought to win this battle over the “faith once for all delivered to the saintsâ€. May we realize that the battle for the Bible was not just about rescuing poor theology, but the battle for the Bible was about rescuing the perishing.
Also, not to beat a dead horse but the ERLC has a link on alcohol. It, like the other alcohol links we have referenced, is very clearly and well put together. The page goes through a number of scripture references to help the believer think through this issue.
Nathan Akin
Dr. Mohler is running a three part series on Apologetics at his website. The series initially appeared in October of 2005, however; this is of special interest to me as I prepare to teach Apologetics to juniors in High School this upcoming school year. The first part of the series really drives home Dr. Mohler's thought that apologetics are as important now as they have ever been. I think that Dr. Mohler reminds us very clearly that we must “always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in usâ€, and he points out that this need is at an all-time high as truth comes under attack. I know this will be helpful for me and I hope that it will be helpful for all believers in this postmodern age. Part 2 of the series has been released and is entitled “The Beginning of the Apologetic Task.â€Â The final installment has been added entitled "You Are Bringing Strange Things to Our Ears: Christian Apologetics for a Postmodern Age, part 3".
Nathan Akin
On an issue like this it is a tragedy that there is such confusion and malice in much of the discussion. In this article, Dr. Akin articulates the position held by most Southern Baptists’ with both clarity and charity. While it may be true that a couple of us are biased when it comes to this man, I hope that you will find that I have not overstated the helpfulness of this article to the discussion.