A healthy dose of humor and a grateful spirit were both evident during Mike Shaw’s address as president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention.
“These last two years have really been a mixed bag,” he said during his introduction. “There have been a lot of blessings and a lot of heartaches.”
Shaw spoke about the April 2011 and January 2012 Alabama tornadoes as well as the recent havoc caused by post-tropical cyclone Sandy in the United States. “These past two years, we’ve had some of the worst tragedies as far as weather we’ve ever had,” he acknowledged. But even then, he said, “Alabama Baptists have stepped up” in disaster relief efforts.
Briefly touching on some statistics regarding debt, Shaw transitioned into his message titled, “The Debts We Never Can Pay,” based on Romans 1:13–16.
Paul knew a little bit about debt, Shaw said — in this passage Paul said he was a debtor, he was ready to preach the gospel and he was not ashamed.
“We all owe a debt to the Lord,” Shaw noted, for the love Jesus showed in seeking us.
Shaw then pointed to a gospel song written by Arthur Smith. The first thing in that song, he said, is “in love He sought me.”
Shaw noted that in Mark’s Gospel when a man asked what he must do to inherit eternal life, Mark says in that moment, “Jesus beholding him loved him.”
“We can say to every man, woman, boy and girl … that when Jesus looks at you, He loves you,” Shaw said. “He died to save you.”
The second part of the gospel song states, “with blood He bought me,” Shaw said. “Don’t take the blood out of the gospel or it won’t be the gospel anymore,” he added.
The last part of the song says, “I’ve been with Jesus and now I’m whole.” “When we get saved God changes us … we’re not the same person we were,” Shaw said.
Another debt we owe is to our leaders — past, present and future, Shaw continued. He acknowledged several past leaders that made a significant impact on his life, including his mother and father who were saved shortly before he was born; his mother- and father-in-law; pastors who taught him to love the Word of God; and several friends and mentors.
Shaw then pointed to present convention leaders such as Rick Lance, executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. “We have a great missions team in Alabama and we owe a debt to them,” Shaw noted.
He also recognized the leaders of schools, entities, commissions and boards who are supportive of each other.
He particularly highlighted Bob Terry, president and editor of The Alabama Baptist newspaper. “If you don’t have The Alabama Baptist in your budget, you ought to put it there, and I mean that,” Shaw said. He noted several impacts he believes the state Baptist paper has made, including informing readers about the recent storms and investigative reporting on gambling issues in the state.
Shaw said “we [also] owe the gospel to … lost people,” and that “we must never forget” that Jesus said the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Shaw urged pastors not to give up on things like revivals and Vacation Bible School to spread the gospel.
A debt is also owed to the least, Shaw said, citing Matthew 25:40.
Noting he believes in church planting, Shaw spoke of several churches First, Pelham, has helped plant over the years and how when a church plant begins it can be in a struggle to survive. Sometimes in that struggle to survive, he said, church plants may have a passion for the lost but they forget about the least.
Shaw shared a poem about a “debt of thanks” penned by the late Thomas Corts, retired president of Samford University in Birmingham. The words in that poem “echo my heart,” Shaw said.
“I owe a debt of thanks to you,” he then said as he looked out across the audience. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, for allowing me to serve as your president. And I mean this with all my heart — I love you, I love you, I love you. God bless you, God bless your family, God bless your church, God bless the Alabama Baptist State Convention, God bless America and let’s win the world for Jesus Christ.”
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