SPRINGFIELD – The gospel offers Christians not only eternal life, but also abundant life and spiritual restoration, Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) President Chris Williams told MBC messengers and guests during their annual meeting here, Oct. 23-24.
Williams, pastor of Fellowship Church, Greenwood, preached about the theme of the annual meeting, “The Restored Soul,” which was based on Psalm 19:7, by sharing how Jesus’ Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-11 can foster such restoration.
“Jesus came to seek and save that which is lost,” Williams said. Jesus invites people follow Him, and He offers them a “twofold” life: Not only eternal life, but also an abundant life filled by the fruit of the Spirit.
“The Beatitudes are a means to this sort of life,” Williams said. They present “the good life, as defined by the gospel, not by this world.”
With gratitude to God, Williams told messengers how Missouri Baptists are “helping people flourish in the gospel.” But Missouri Baptists also face an enemy who wants to “kill, steal and destroy,” and they’re surrounded by distractions from social media, television and other sources. It can keep them from living the abundant life God has called them to.
“We’ve gotten so used to living in this broken, fallen world that we’ve learned to cope instead of hope,” Williams said.
“Missouri Baptists,” he said, “you are a bright light across this state and across the world. You are heralding the gospel. You are demonstrating it, and you’re preaching it and proclaiming it in a way that leads to flourishing.
“But sometimes,” he added, “we can preach this truth, yet we’re dry on the inside.”
Turning to the Beatitudes, Williams described “eight steps to the restored soul”:
1) We need to recognize our spiritual poverty and need for Christ.
2) We need to “mourn our spiritual condition.”
3) We need to “yield ourselves to Christ.”
4) We need to “hunger and thirst for right standing with God,” which produces not only “positional righteousness” in Christ, but also “practical righteousness” in ministry.
5) We need to “become merciful in our dealings with others,” since God has shown us mercy.
6) We need to “practice purity of heart.”
7) We need to “help others make peace with God.”
“We’re most like the Lord Jesus,” Williams said, “when we help others make peace with God through Jesus Christ.”
8) Even amid difficulty, we need to look with hope to the eternal reward Christ has promised.
“It is Christ and Christ alone who can bring healing to our lives,” Williams told Missouri Baptists. “I’m here to point you to Jesus, the only Way to be renewed in the deepest recesses of our hearts and our souls.”