An insidious false thinking has left the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) vulnerable to defeat by Satan and the convention’s only hope is old-fashioned confession and a Holy Ghost revival, SBC President Frank Page told convention messengers during his presidential address June 12.
Page, pastor of First Baptist Church, Taylors, S.C., preached from Psalm 51:1–3, giving a short history lesson about the infamous Maginot Line formed by the French after World War I to protect France from invasion by Germany.
Page said building the system of forts and defense systems along France’s eastern border from the south up to Belgium was a tremendous feat and a marvel of technology and engineering at the time.
When World War II broke out in 1939, French generals stood behind the perceived safety of their Maginot Line. Later, however, the Germans exploited a weakness in the line and invaded France through the Ardennes Forest. In less than a year, France had been invaded by Germany and Paris fell into Nazi control.
"We have built our own Maginot Line," Page said. He said Southern Baptists have developed wonderful entities, great programs, tremendous agencies and magnificent churches, "thinking we can stave off the defeat of the enemy."
Page warned that Southern Baptists are exposed to the maneuvers of Satan and "the enemy has outflanked us over and over."
"This insidious inculcation of false thinking has led to this defeat. … This inculcation of false thinking has lead to a hubris or arrogance with which God is not pleased," Page continued. "Instead of transforming our culture … the culture has transformed us into its own image. We know we are in a battle … yet we maintain our battle lines in internecine conflicts which leave us weak."
Page said Southern Baptists are at a crossroads, a time of decision-making that may determine whether God will continue to use them to accomplish the tasks of worldwide evangelism and missions.
"God is not shut up to us alone in this world to win the world for Christ. We are not the only game in town," Page said. "God has immensely blessed us for a reason … not that we might become spiritually obese, but that we might be a magnificent body of believers across this nation to do a major mission work for Him. … I believe God wants us to experience a genuine Holy Ghost revival. We have lost much and there is more to be lost."
Page said Satan’s attacks have diminished Southern Baptists’ unity and passion to reach lost people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"For 30 years we have been trying to raise baptism levels among nonrevived churches, among nonrevived people who have lost their passion for the lost. But interestingly enough, we have become strangely passionate about our own agendas," Page said. "Why am I not as deeply passionate about the lost?"
Satan also wishes to steal humility, Page said. In Psalm 51, Page said King David was painfully aware of his inadequacies in this regard.
"Yet we as Baptists, particularly Baptist preachers, seemed to have developed the unique ability to strut while they are still sitting down," Page said. "This convention does not belong to you, and it sure does not belong to me. … We have no business at this table except by [God’s] mercy and forgiveness." (BP)
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