The Southern Baptist Convention meets this week in Houston, Texas.

The congregation I serve voluntarily associates and identifies with Southern Baptists. We participate in the Southern Baptist Convention’s goals to take the message of the gospel around the corner and around the world.

As the Southern Baptist Convention meets this week, what can we expect?

First, we can expect good preaching and singing and stirring messages of the good news of Jesus Christ. Last night we attended the Pastor’s Conference, one of the highlights of the convention week. We heard Timothy McKenzie quote Holy Scripture for thirty-five minutes as he described God’s creation and God’s desire for human beings. His only words were Scripture. God’s Spirit spoke mightily to me through His Word.

We also heard Governor Mike Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist pastor. He encouraged pastors to feed God’s sheep. Early on he talked about the possibility of losing his iPhone and having a service which could find it for him. He said he no longer needed the service. From now on he would simply call the federal government to tell him where he could find his phone.

Second, we can expect Fred Luter, Jr of New Orleans to preside over a well-run convention and to be reelected for a second term. Fred is the first African-American to be elected as president of the convention.

Third, we can expect to hear a lot about declining churches. Like other denominations, Southern Baptists have many congregations in need of revival and revitalization. It seems many congregations have lost a vision for how God can work in a church and in an individual. Apart from the work of God, no one seems to know what to do about this large number of congregations.

Fourth, we can expect to hear a great deal about our declining culture. As a Boy Scout, I well remember reciting the Boy Scout pledge to keep myself morally pure. The attendees at the convention will mourn the decisions of scouting and mourn the immoral decisions of many in our culture.

Finally, we can expect to hear about the only hope–that which is found in Christ. 

That message will be the most important we hear. It will remind us the only hope for human beings is to trust in the God who gave His Only Son for us.

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