Senior Adult Evangelism Conference encourages complete surrender, fearlessness

Senior Adult Evangelism Conference encourages complete surrender, fearlessness

By Jessica Ingram
The Alabama Baptist

“You’re the one God placed there,” Roy Hill said.

“You still have an opportunity to have an impact in their life,” said Hill, pastor of First Baptist Church, Satsuma.

He’s right. I bet across the state stories abound of people impacted by the senior adults in their lives — whether grandparents or mentors. And I’m one of them. 

I was led to Christ by my grandparents at 8 years old. 

Having an impact

Even though that happened nearly 17 years ago I still see the passion they express for Christ and for sharing the gospel every time I’m around them. Postcards from missionaries cover their refrigerator; prayer lists lie on the coffee table where my grandmother has spent time covering each concern in prayer. 

That’s the impact senior adults can have in God’s kingdom. And I was reminded of that as I sat in the back of the sanctuary at Lakeside Baptist Church, Birmingham, on May 6 during the 2019 Senior Adult Evangelism Conference. 

Hill started the conference speaking on the “God of my momma.”

“The God of my momma is a God who has made all the difference,” Hill said. “I am thankful the God of our father, the God of our parents is still on the throne.”

Preaching from Joshua 24, Hill emphasized the importance of the declaration in verse 15 —  “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

“I believe that the Joshua 24 generation is in the room today,” he said. “There have been some wonderful things that have happened in Alabama Baptist churches because of the Joshua 24 generation.”

Somewhere between Joshua 24 and Judges 2 “another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel” (Judg. 2:10), and Hill said the world is back in this same place today. 

“I do believe the Judges 2 generation is staring us in the eyes today. A generation that doesn’t know the Lord nor the things He has done.” 

It is up to the Joshua 24 generation to show them the God of our mommas, Hill said.

And what can the Joshua 24 generation do to impact the Judges 2 generation in our midst, he asked. Start a revival.

‘Great praying’

“A great revival starts with great praying,” Hill said. “Maybe today you have a child or grandchild you know needs Jesus. It can start at the altar or at the kitchen table.”

Tom Richter, pastor of First Baptist Church, Cullman, preached on daily surrender as shown by Mary, the sister of Lazarus, as she bathed the feet of Jesus in expensive perfume. 

“Mary’s act of obedience to her Lord in a respectable culture looked like a waste from every perspective but one: Jesus,” he said. “But Mary wasn’t satisfied with respectable Christianity. She gave it all at Jesus’ feet. She gave the best she had. What about you? What’s your heart for evangelism? For missions?”

Just as Mary broke open her bottle of perfume at Jesus’ feet, every Christian should surrender his or her life daily to Christ.  

“How much perfume is in this room?” Richter asked the congregation. “How much of it has been broken open at the feet of Jesus? 

The broken bottle looks differently for everyone — especially for the many senior adults gathered. 

“For some of you the best you have is your grandchildren, and it could cost you,” Richter said. “It could mean you’re looking at your grandchildren over Skype instead of holding them. But it’s for the advancement of God’s kingdom.”

Just like no screw top was atop the jar of perfume Mary poured on Jesus’ feet, no screw top exists on the jar of the Christian life. It must be broken open. It must all be surrendered to the living Lord, Richter said.

“That’s why you engage in evangelism. You aren’t telling [loved ones] the teachings of a dead prophet,” he said. “You are telling them about meeting the living Lord who’s been looking for them.”

Daven Watkins, pastor of First Baptist Church, Pelham, encouraged those gathered to be fearless. 

‘Cling to Christ’

“Your fearlessness is bound in God’s faithfulness,” he said. “If you know the identity of Jesus you will cling to Christ at all times, above all things.”

Preaching from Mark 6:45–56 — when Jesus walked on water — Watkins pointed to four ways Christians know they can be fearless.

1. Jesus is our God who comes to our dilemma despite the distance. “The three and a half miles, the raging wind, the torrential rain, the lack of firm footing — none of it was a problem for Jesus when His disciples called for Him,” Watkins said. “There is no need to fear because Jesus is on His way.”

2. Jesus is God in the flesh. “For Jesus is not a lesser god … He is fully God and fully man,” Watkins said. “When you see Jesus treading on the waves in the sea your only conclusion must be that He is God in the flesh,” Watkins said, referencing Job 9:8, which proclaims, “He alone treads on the waves.” 

3. Jesus is the God who invites us to come. In Matthew’s retelling of Jesus walking on water he tells of Peter walking out to Jesus. “Everything was good as long as Peter was locked and loaded on the Lord,” Watkins said. “But when he was distracted by the wind and the waves just for a moment he began to drown.” 

Jesus offers believers today the same opportunity, Watkins said. “Jesus is the God who always issues the invitation for us to come and see what He is doing,” he said. “As long as we’re focused on the Lord we can do great things for the Lord. But when we get distracted we start to flounder. But Jesus still uses us and forgives us.”

4. Jesus has the power to immediately heal. And He has the power to immediately save, Watkins said. 

“There are some things money can’t fix. There are some things Congress can’t fix,” he said. “But there’s nothing Jesus can’t fix. Have faith in God who watches over His own. He reigns on His throne.” 

“May God use you to boldly, unapologetically go tell the good news of Christ,” Watkins concluded. “The American church has been silent far too long. It is time for us to speak out fearlessly about the identity of Jesus.”

So to all of those who may feel like they don’t have much to offer Kingdom work anymore: Trust me, you matter and you have tremendous impact. Never stop chasing after Great Commission work.