Vision Casting … by Carlisle Driggers

It has been so very encouraging to my heart to be with, or to learn about, a sizable number of our churches in South Carolina that fully understand the vision and strategy of Jesus for churches to adopt. His plan is simple but totally comprehensive and far-reaching. Think with me about what He taught.

Carlisle Driggers

Our Lord said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek you first the Kingdom of God.” In other words, He calls His people of every generation to focus their time, energies, talents, resources, and dedication on being Kingdom citizens on this earth. He clearly wants that to be the spiritual vision for their personal lives and for their churches.

In adopting that vision, the strategy of Jesus becomes for His people then to be witnesses all over the world (Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8) of His transforming power of love, mercy and grace. For a fact, Christ Jesus wants none to be lost but all to be redeemed and saved (2 Peter 3:9).

The finest two books I know these days to grasp this vision and strategy of the Lord are “EKG: The Heartbeat of God” by Kenneth Hemphill, and “The Acts 1:8 Challenge” by Nate Adams. When read in that order, those books are profound. I wish every pastor would teach the contents of both books to their congregations. Those pastors who are doing so are reporting wonderful results for spiritual development and Kingdom growth in their churches.

I love to hear the encouraging accounts and reports of every one of the churches. There is no substitute for being faithful to the vision and strategy of Jesus for the salvation and transformation of the peoples of the world. On the other hand, it is equally discouraging to realize how much disunity and conflict there is among far too many of our churches. The influence of the evil one is all around, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Surely the heart of God must be sad when there is evidence on every side of broken fellowship and intense struggles in the body of believers. When the house is divided and falls (Matthew 12:25), God is not honored and Kingdom growth is seriously harmed.

It has been my observation over and over that most conflict occurs when there is no long-term commitment to the vision and strategy of Jesus. It is a fact in all we do that where there is no clear, spiritual vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). Your state convention staff members are prepared and ready to help the leaders and members of the churches which do have issues of division and upheaval and need to develop a plan for Kingdom growth. If you do not know whom to contact at the convention building, please call me at 1-800-723-7242, or 1-803-765-0030, and I will point you to the right source. Also, my e-mail address is carlisledriggers@scbaptist.org.

With God’s help, we must reduce the tensions in our churches so that we can get on with positive, exciting Kingdom endeavors. We must not be defeated by our own selfish, shortsighted attempts at personal kingdom-building schemes.

A sure sign this year of Kingdom advancement will be if every one of our churches by Dec. 31 has reached and baptized at least one new believer in Jesus. What a great victory it will be if 100 percent of the churches of the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 2006 baptize someone. I yearn for that to happen. I have been praying all year for God to bless our evangelistic efforts this year as never before.

We should have a huge crowd of messengers and guests at our annual convention meeting this year at First Baptist Church, Taylors. The dates are Nov. 14-15. Our president, Dr. Don Wilton, and his officers, along with the Order of Business Committee, will lead us through each hour of the agenda. The theme for this year will be “Give It Away.” Our music will be led by Sonny Clardy, music evangelist from Myrtle Beach. The convention sermon will be delivered by Marshall Blalock, pastor of First Baptist Church, Charleston. Dr. Wilton will, of course, bring the president’s address, and the guest preacher who was with us in 2004 and is returning by popular request will be Dr. Robert Smith Jr., professor of preaching at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.

I look forward to seeing you with much joy and expectation for the blessings of our loving Lord to be very real to us.