Look Out! Trouble’s Coming…

I can’t believe what is going on in our churches and association! I believe it has caught everyone by surprise and our association is near the point of no return. In spite of everything we have done, there is a movement among us that will not only impact our churches and association, but the aftershocks will rip through Beaufort and Jasper Counties with a tremendous effect.

Look at what’s happening:

·         Over 200 people in SRBA have been praying for the association and its churches each day for the last 3 weeks. They are praying daily for one more week that God will clearly reveal what He wants SRBA to focus on for the next 2-3 years.

·         Easter services across SRBA hit record highs. Port Royal Baptist Church’s nearly doubled their average 2009 attendance of 156. Bluffton FBC topped 500 on Easter Sunday.

·         Great Swamp just ordained a man for Gospel ministry (he’s now serving at a church in Allendale-Hampton Association and The Link is set to ordain another.

·         Our Jasper Region youth leaders hosted a youth revival that saw 200 kids nightly for three nights; the North Region held a three-day discipleship weekend for 70 youth from 5 churches.

·         Six churches have joined together to form LowCountry Collegiate Ministries of SRBA and are working to initiate this ministry at the campuses of USCB this fall.

·         Our Spring Session this Saturday, April 17, will gather representatives from our churches to discover needs throughout the two-county area and have a meaningful conversation about what God is doing and how we can unite to join Him. This conversation will lead to association initiatives for the next 2-3 years.

All this has just been since March! God is really at work and our churches are uniting as an association and pursuing His will.

But we must be careful. It will be easy to fall into snares that serve to distract and divide us as the Bible warns: Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:11 NIV).

Doubt—As we look to where God is calling us, our natural response will be “We can’t do that!” We have prayed fervently for God’s leadership and asked Him to shows us the way to go. Let’s trust God’s leadership and continue seeking God’s face.   Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62).

Distractions—Distractions are caused by misplaced priorities. There are a lot of good things we can do as an association. Whenever we can, we should do good things.

But God redeemed us, took us from being nobodies to being somebodies (1 Peter 2:9-10), and charged us to go make disciples of every people group (Matthew 28:19-20). With a servant attitude, let’s join our efforts to make disciples of each group present in the 172,765 people who live in Beaufort and Jasper Counties, remembering that 150,306 of them have no personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Division—It is easier for us to fight among ourselves than it is to carry out the mission of Christ. Whether we argue over the color of the carpet, the placement of the pulpit, or a careless remark that hurt our feelings, division attacks the heart of God’s Kingdom.

·         If someone has wronged you, seek reconciliation in love, not righteousness.

·         If someone differs with you theologically, be sure you stand firm on the essentials and let matters that are secondary be secondary.

·         If you differ with someone on a mission or ministry approach, if their approach is not contrary to the Bible, pray that they will be effective and you do faithfully what God has called you to do.

·         Pray through everything and make sure you have the mind and heart of Christ:

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11 The Message)

God is at work among us and it is simply incredible. Let’s join with God where God is working and see if the aftershocks don’t rip through Beaufort and Jasper Counties with a tremendous effect