ST. CHARLES – Preaching from 1 Peter 4:10-11 during a sermon at the Missouri Baptist Convention annual meeting, Oct. 25, Willie McLaurin – interim president & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee – urged Missouri Baptist messengers and guests to live for the glory of God.
“The early church made a difference because they were unified around the right priorities,” McLaurin said. “They always kept the main thing, the main thing. … They were a fellowship committed to living out the Great Commandment, and they were committed to fulfilling the Great Commission.”
McLaurin said that Southern Baptist churches are called to value “focused worship,” “biblical truth” and “gospel action.”
“We believe our God is a sending God,” he said. “You and I are created in the image of God in order that we can be on mission with God.”
To bring glory to God, McLaurin said, Missouri Baptists must depend on God in prayer, love one another, joyfully offer hospitality to one another, and serve faithfully with their God-given gifts.
“We need every member of every church of every race of every city of every state to use their gifts for the glory of God,” he said. “We need everyone … to tell the dying world that the Lord Jesus Christ is still saving men, woman, boys and girls.”