March 2013 Press toward the Mark
“He is not here; He is risen,” proclaimed the angel on the day of Christ’s resurrection. We continue to proclaim the same message today, because people for whom Christ died and rose again still need to hear and obey this message. Additional media and venues expand our delivery of this message, but the message remains the same.
It remains the same because the need of all humanity remains the same, and the remedy for humanity’s need remains the same. All of humanity has sinned against holy God. This sinful rebellion against God resulted in every human’s judgment and damnation. Therefore, everyone is spiritually lost and separated from God. Death is the penalty for sin. It is the unavoidable result, because when one sins against God that person walks away from life. Death is the only other path available when one departs from life. The ultimate end for this condition is hell. All who die physically without a remedy for their spiritually lost condition will remain separated forever from God in hell.
The remedy for all humanity is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus: the Gospel or good news. Jesus died for us. He took our place and suffered for us. He paid the penalty in full. No one can add nor subtract from the payment by Jesus for our sins. His burial verifies that He really did die. The angelic announcement of His actual, physical resurrection verifies that the Father accepted the payment by Jesus. Had Jesus not been an acceptable and sufficient offering for our sin, He would remain in the tomb to this day. However, He arose. We know that our sin debt has been paid. All the claims and promises of Jesus can be accepted and trusted for His resurrection verifies that He is the Christ, the son of the living God: Redeemer, Savior, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Hallelujah!
Since the only remedy for the universal problem of humanity’s sin problem is the Gospel. All of humanity needs to hear the message. As believers in the Gospel, that is our mission and ministry. We are ambassadors of Christ with the mission from our Master to tell the good news to the whole world. For those of us in Ohio, the world begins in our state but it does not end there. We share the responsibility for telling the whole world.
The 2020 vision for Ohio Southern Baptists directs us to concentrate on Ohio. Because He is risen, let us press toward the mark of having one million members of Southern Baptist churches by the year 2020.
While we are primarily responsible for Ohio, that does not excuse us from the responsibility of telling the whole world about Jesus. God gave Southern Baptists a unique plan to fulfill this responsibility: the Cooperative Mission Program. Since 1925, Southern Baptists have been able to share in taking the Gospel to the whole world through the Cooperative Program. Tithes and offerings from members of a Southern Baptist church support the ministry of their local church. Their local church sends a percentage of their undesignated receipts to the Cooperative Program. The Cooperative Mission Program funds the work of the state convention and world-wide missions beyond the state convention.
Overseas and home missions have occupied the priority positions for Cooperative Mission Program ministries beyond the state convention. Today, the Cooperative Mission Program provides the backbone support for Southern Baptist missionaries around the world. Here at home, the Cooperative Mission Program supports missions in every state and territory of the United States. The Cooperative Mission Program enables Southern Baptists to take the Gospel around the world every day of the year.
Other ministries receive Cooperative Mission Program support. These ministries support our world-wide mission thrust: Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, Seminaries, and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. While Southern Baptists are doing many godly and righteous ministries through the auspices of the Cooperative Mission Program, the main purpose remains taking the Gospel to the whole world.
As we celebrate the Resurrection this month, let us renew our commitment to taking the Gospel to the whole world: Ohio and beyond. The next month April is designated as Cooperative Mission Program month. Please take this opportunity to share our global mission vision and plan with your church during the weeks ahead. When your church enters in budget planning for 2014, please pray earnestly about increasing your participation in global missions through your Cooperative Mission Program giving. Let us Press toward the Mark of global missions, because HE IS RISEN!
