Green: Let God Almighty reign, rule

OSAGE BEACH – To Mike Green, the biggest problem with the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) is obvious.

“Folks, we need some kingdom growth in our convention,” said Green, the outgoing MBC president and director of missions of Twin Rivers Baptist Association.

“The only place in the world where revival isn’t happening and where churches are not growing is America,” he said, referring to a Solemn Assembly held the night before, emphasizing the Christian’s need for personal holiness and repentance.

He brought his presidential address from Christ’s model prayer in Matthew 6:10, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

“Simply put, the kingdom of God is the rule of God,” Green said. “We need to let Him reign and rule in this convention. We need to have kingdom-focused churches, not pastor-focused churches, not staff-focused churches and, for goodness sake, not fad-focused churches.”

One way to be kingdom-focused is to be Bible-focused, he said.

 “We will never win the battle for the Bible,” Green said. “There will always be tension over orthodoxy and if we’re not careful, we will be drawn away from the Scripture.”

He said churches and pastors must also distinguish easy growth from true kingdom growth.

“The flesh can grow churches,” Green said. “It’s easy; all you have to do is publicize it and fill your church. But is it like that next Sunday? We can fill a building up, but there is a difference between a crowd and a congregation. There’s a difference between a crowd and a church.”

Simply bringing together a crowd, even a crowd of believers that is inwardly focused, is not going to result in Kingdom growth, Green said.

“That’s not a kingdom mindset,” he said. “Kingdom mindset is this: bring them in from the highways and byways, stack them to the ceiling and put a Sunday School class in the baptistery.”

Green concluded with a final plea to the convention to submit to God’s rule for the growth and glory of the kingdom.

“What I wish for more than anything is a convention full of kingdom-focused, Acts 1:8 churches, churches that are so excited, so motivated, so in love with Jesus that we can’t quit,” he said.