Baptists tackle tough topics in Q-and-A session

Preparing and giving a sermon is like having a baby, said Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, Cordova, Tenn. “God literally puts the seed of God’s Word in your heart,” he said. “Then there’s gestation. You stay with that text until it has mastered you. Then when you get up (to the pulpit), you are birthing a baby.”

Gaines and James Merritt, senior pastor of Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, Ga., kicked off the annual State Evangelism Conference, held at Gardendale First Baptist Church Feb. 28–March 1, by taking part in a question-and-answer (Q-and-A) session that took place during a catered lunch.

Sammy Gilbreath, director of evangelism for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, asked questions on a variety of topics, such as handling criticism and managing time, that were submitted by the audience.

“There is something you can usually learn (from criticism),” Merritt said. “But never ever respond immediately. Some of the best letters I wrote in my life I never mailed. People who criticize you won’t remember their criticism, but they will remember how you responded to them.”

Gaines encouraged ministry leaders not to fight criticism.

“The Lord was criticized,” he said. “It puts you in pretty good company if you think about it.”

When it comes to time management, Merritt said, “Give God your best when you’re at your best. The biggest battle we fight in ministry all the time is to let the urgent dictate the important. Someone is going to manage your calendar, but who is going to do it?”

Following the Q-and-A session, both men took the pulpit Monday afternoon.

Preaching from 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Merritt stressed the importance of communicating the gospel clearly. “More and more churches are preaching less and less of the gospel.

“The gospel is the only message that can take a person from sin to salvation, hell to heaven, from death to life, darkness to light,” he said, noting the gospel’s message is that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was resurrected. “If certain messages are not understood, it’s no harm, no foul,” Merritt said. “But some messages, if not communicated clearly, can mean the difference between life and death.

“How important really is the gospel? … If the gospel is not true, nothing else really matters. If the gospel is true, that is the only thing that matters. And that is the gospel truth.”

Repentance also needs to be preached clearly, Gaines said.

“Repentance has fallen on tough times,” he said, preaching from Matthew 4:11–17. “No one wants to talk about repentance. I’m all for churches growing, (but) I can tell you it’s not growing the right way if repentance is not being preached.”

Gaines said for many today, repentance is not a prerequisite for salvation but something one deals with after he or she is saved. “You don’t repent after you get saved, but you repent, believe and then you’re saved,” he said. “Have you ever repented?” And if Baptist pastors are not going to preach the message of repentance, then who will, Gaines asked. “Brothers, if we can’t preach that, then we don’t have a reason to preach.” (Neisha Fuson contributed)