June 18, 2001
Luter delivers historic convention sermon at SBC
___By Lacy Thompson
___Louisiana Baptist Message
___NEW ORLEANS--Fred Luter made history at last week's Southern Baptist Convention--and brought thousands of messengers to their feet in doing it.
___In delivering a full-throttle convention sermon, Luter became the first African-American to bring the annual address in the denomination's history.
___He made the most of it, delivering a message that was interrupted several times byapplause and that ended with messengers on their feet, calling Luter back to the podium for a final exhortation.
FRED LUTER (Photo by Gibbs Frazeur)
___In many ways, it was a fitting honor for an amazing story.
___In 1986, Luter was a street preacher in New Orleans when Louisiana Baptist leaders asked him to become pastor at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church.
___The New Orleans congregation had undergone inner-city transition and was down to a few dozen members. Although Luter never had served as a pastor, Louisiana Baptist leaders entrusted him with the church. They also made it plain that he was to bury it or resurrect it. Whichever one it turned out to be was up to Luter, they said.
___Luter chose not to preside over a funeral. Instead, he launched a three-pronged ministry focusing on biblical preaching, discipling men and establishing a sense of accountability among church leaders and members.
___Things began to change--and then they began to explode.
___Fifteen years later, the church has grown to be one of the largest in the state, numbering more than 6,000 members and standing as a perennial state leader in baptisms.
___Messengers applauded as SBC President James Merritt affirmed Luter would be the first African-American to deliver the annual sermon.
___For his part, Luter quickly acknowledged the honor and paid tribute to African-American leaders who have preceded him in Southern Baptist life.
___"Tonight I realize that I'm standing on the shoulders of other African-American pastors and denominational workers ... who were trailblazers long before I ever was a Southern Baptist," he said. "My brothers, I honor you for your commitment to the Lord and to this convention. I want to make it known tonight, I am standing on your shoulders."
___Luter then launched his sermon, based on Matthew 9:35-38, in which Jesus is moved by the plight of people and calls on his followers to pray for God to send more laborers to reap the plentiful harvest.
___As other speakers before him, Luter focused squarely on the convention theme of evangelism. "The theme of this convention is 'Until he comes, go, ...' he noted. "But the question of tonight is--are we doing just that?"
___Luter asked messengers to consider what a tragedy it would be to have a fish that could not swim or a dog that could not bark or a cat that could not meow.
___"It would be really sad, really tragic for none of those things to do what God created them to do," he said. "But all of those things do what God created them to do."
___In contrast, consider the pain God must feel when humans do not do what God has created them to do, Luter added.
___"Think of the hurt God feels when men don't want to be men. Think of the hurt God feels when women don't want to be women," he emphasized. "Think of the hurt God feels when husbands don't love and wives don't respect their husbands. Think of the hurt God feels when teenagers and children don't respect their parents in the Lord. Think of the hurt God feels when preachers don't practice what they preach.
___"It's no wonder our nation is messed up. When people don't do what God created them to do, we reap the consequences. ... And that's why, Southern Baptists, the Master is calling for laborers."
___Southern Baptists must heed the call, Luter declared. In doing so, he reminded Baptists to remember four things found in the Matthew 9 passage:
___The concern of Jesus. Jesus had genuine concern for people, Luter reminded. "He cared for everybody. People were not just numbers to Jesus Christ. People were not just statistics to Jesus Christ. He truly was concerned about people."
___Southern Baptists must reflect the same type of attitude and love, he said. "We must care about people. We must care about their hurts. ... We must care about their pain. We must care about their eternal destiny."
___
___"He saw their lives and was moved with compassion," he explained. "He saw their predicament and was moved with compassion. ... He saw their lostness and was moved with compassion. He saw they were weary. They were worn out. They were like sheep, scattered without a shepherd."
___Lost people still are like that--and still have no understanding how they are being destroyed by sin, Luter noted.
___"That's why the Master is calling for laborers. That's why the Master is calling for workers tonight, so we can tell the lost ... that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life."
___
___"People need the Lord, ... but they won't know unless we tell them," he stressed. "Let's make the main thing the main thing in this convention. Too many of us are majoring on the minor. Too many of us are getting off track.
___"Soul winning is not an option," Luter continued. "Soul winning is not just for the pastor. ... Soul winning is for every child of God. ... We need every member of every church of every size of every race of every city of every state."
___Luter rejected the idea that people cannot witness because they have not taken a training course or read a particular book on the subject of evangelism.
___"If you've been redeemed, you ought to say so," he urged. "You tell people, once I was lost, but now I'm found. ... In other words, you have a testimony. You have a story to tell. So, go into all the world, and tell your story. Say so through your testimony. Say so through your lifestyle. Say so through your conversation. Say so through your conduct. Say so through your marriage. Say so through your ministry.
___
___"I think of no better way to get laborers ... than to ask the Lord of the harvest," he added, "because God has a good track record about answering the prayers of his children."
___Southern Baptists have enough choir members, musicians, deacons, pastors and others, Luter asserted. "We need laborers.
___"What about you, my brother? What about you, my sister? Can the Lord count on you to go until he comes? Can the Lord count on you to go until he comes? ...
___"Southern Baptists, can you say, 'Lord, count on me'?"
___
Get printer-friendly version of this story
Send this story to a friend
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!
