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HOUSTON—Preaching accompanied the business sessions of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention’s 2015 annual meeting held in Houston Nov. 9-10. The messages, delivered by four Texas pastors over the course of the meeting, challenged messengers in unity—the theme of the two-day gathering—as well as evangelism, a key priority among SBTC churches.
Barry Jeffries
Barry Jeffries, senior pastor of Humble Area’s First Baptist Church, delivered the first biblical exposition. Drawing from Ephesians 1-3 and also pointing to John 17, Jeffries reminded attendees that Christ calls his followers to unite with fellow believers “so that the world is changed and the gospel is advanced.”
“After all, we are not to unify for unity’s sake,” Jeffries said, explaining that biblical unification does not toss aside theological foundations or convictions but looks to partner with those who share the calling and confession of the Lord Jesus Christ for the sake of the gospel.
Johnnie Bradley
Johnnie Bradley, senior pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, also delivered a message from Ephesians, highlighting the path to unity Paul lays out in that letter.
Bradley explained that Paul instructs believers to walk worthy of the calling they have received and to recognize that Jesus has already broken down walls that would hamper unity through the redemption he offers from the shedding of his blood.
Alex Marin
Alex Marin, senior pastor of Second Baptist Church of Jacinto City, drew from Philippians, 2 Chronicles, Matthew, 1 Peter and 2 Corinthians in discussing elements of churches walking in unity. He said Christians must pray, humble themselves, forgive and forget, and love in all things if they desire to unify for the glory of God and the salvation of lost people.
“We need to look at our priorities and see what counts, because there is a lost world that needs us,” Marin said.
Jason Crandall
Jason Crandall, lead pastor of CityView Church in Pearland, delivered the final biblical exposition of the annual meeting and, preaching from 2 Corinthians 5, challenged messengers and guests to live out a conviction that “people matter.”
People matter, Crandall said, because they have eternal value, they can change, God uses people, and God says they matter.
Being convinced that people matter, he said, should drive Baptists to seek out the lost and to pray for them and share the gospel with them.
“Southern Baptists of Texas, I beg,” Crandall said, “I implore on behalf of Christ that you be reconciled to God and that you would be reconcilers to God, in the name of Jesus.”
