SBTC President calls for churches to unite for spiritual awakening

FORT WORTH — Southern Baptists of Texas Convention President Jimmy Pritchard boldly challenged messengers to contend “as one man” for spiritual awakening during his president’s address during the opening night of the convention’s 17th Annual Meeting, Nov. 10.

“We live in absolutely astounding days,” said Pritchard, pastor of First Baptist Church in Forney.

Citing both crises and turning points in the world today, he added, “These seasons of turning points give us the opportunity to speak the gospel into them. There’s power in that.”

Referencing Philippians 1:27-30, Pritchard urged attendees to live a worthy life.

“There’s a certain weight that comes with being a follower of Christ,” Pritchard said. “We live in frightening days, but we should not be afraid. There will always be opponents.”

Warning that followers of Christ will know suffering in this world, Pritchard remarked that American Christians really don’t know about suffering for Jesus Christ. Noting that most people have nice homes, nice cars, warm beds and more than enough food, Pritchard said, “Don’t ever say we are suffering at all.”

Pritchard recognized the “great spiritual heritage” and impressive giving record of the SBTC, including sending 55 percent of Cooperative Program receipts on to the Southern Baptist Convention. Still, he lamented, many SBC agencies are making cutbacks.

“We are spoiled,” Pritchard said. “The Great Commission has shifted to be the Great Convenience. Our problem is not in structure. It’s in our heart.”

Pritchard also praised the stability of the SBTC, saying a belief that the Bible is God’s Word, an ongoing commitment to the Great Commission and genuine love for one another provide the stable foundation for gospel work. Nevertheless, he said, Southern Baptists have less influence than they’ve ever had before so something must be missing.

Based on 2 Chronicles 29-30, Pritchard called for believers to seek a spiritual awakening.

“We need a Great Awakening,” Pritchard said. “Our greatest need is to stand as one man.”

Pritchard said a call to spiritual awakening is born out of prayer and announced that he will be holding times of prayer in every region of Texas during 2015.

“We’ll find out if we really want spiritual awakening by who comes to those prayer meetings,” Pritchard said, adding, “Talk is cheap.”

Pritchard also encouraged churches to evaluate their giving, noting that people often want God’s blessings but don’t want to give to his work.

“We are incredibly disobedient in our giving as Southern Baptists,” Pritchard said. “God says, ‘I can’t trust you with a dollar bill. Why would I trust you with true riches?’”

In order to experience spiritual awakening, Pritchard said some things will need to be removed.

“We live in a time when the temple is in the heart; we need to open the heart and get the filth out,” Pritchard said.

“We just want to chase the American dream, blend into culture, and we’ll just bring Jesus in and blend with the culture. We may be more American than Christian. We’ve got to love people too much to change the gospel to accommodate them.”

Pritchard said Christians should expect rejection from the culture but be bold in proclaiming the gospel.

“We have to take the message outside the walls, no matter what the opponents say,” Pritchard said, adding that Christians must have a thirst for God and be in a state of desperation in order for revival to come, concluding, “It’s hard to get desperate when we are so blessed.”

“We have to shine the light as a lighthouse, standing as one man for the sake of the gospel.”