Parker urges Texas Baptists to do good, live like Christ

Joseph Parker Jr., pastor of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, delivered the Convention Sermon at the BGCT annual meeting in Waco. (BGCT Photo)

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WACO—Captivity to sin hinders Christians from doing good and living as Christ lived, Joseph Parker Jr., pastor of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, told participants attending the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting.

In delivering the convention sermon, Parker drew an analogy between the story of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave and the Apostle Paul’s struggle as expressed in Romans 7.

bgct parker300Pastor Joe Parker drew an analogy between the story of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave and the Apostle Paul’s struggle as expressed in Romans 7. (PHOTO/ Robert Rogers / Baylor University)As a free man who had been enslaved illegally, Northup experienced both sides of life and had to fight to regain his freedom. Similarly, Paul had been freed by his faith in Christ, but he was still tempted and governed at times by his sinful nature.

“Do we not hear Paul’s words to the Ephesian church? ‘For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago,’” Parker said. “For the Christian to not do good or not do what is right by commission—or omission—is living a life of captivity to sin. The goodness of God’s people is evidenced in their behavior.”

Parker urged Texas Baptists to take stock of how their actions and their participation in systems and institutions contribute to oppression. Christians need to fight social ills—hunger, poverty, the spread of Ebola, payday lending and human trafficking, he said.

“When Solomon Northup was enslaved, he also knew he was free, but he said, ‘My back is thick with the scars of protesting my freedom.’ Solomon Northup struggled with not being able to live his freedom because he was captive, yet Solomon fought against his captivity,” Parker said.

“Knowing that we are free to do good, I wonder if we, Texas Baptists, if we fight when we are tempted to not do good. Do we have scars on our lives from protesting not living our freedom in Christ? Do we have scars on our lives from protesting the social captivity of others?”

Christians must see the realities of sin and oppression as God sees them, he said. Like Paul, they have been blind, but “there’s a new sight that comes with new birth.”

“Do we see injustice when it happens? Or are we wearing a patch over our eyes?” he asked. “Do we see ourselves being kind in our dealings with other people? Do we see ourselves living in such a way that kindness influences our lives together so that we are governed by mutual respect and healthiness and loving concern?


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“Are we seeing our community, state and the world through God’s eyes and acting as Jesus would, since he did engage social issues? What would Jesus want us to do, given what he sees happening in our communities and in our world?”


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