Matt Capps Christianity, Culture, Faith, Life, Personal, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention, Thoughts

Our Decision to Adopt and the Work of God!

Laura and I have decided to begin the adoption process- hoping to adopt a baby from Ethiopia. If you would like, you can follow our journey here. We are very excited!

I truly believe that God has worked in our hearts and lives, individually and together, in showing us the joy and priority of adoption.

For me, the journey began in college. I will never forget when I visited an orphanage in Guatemala City, Guatemala almost 6 years ago. In this specific orphanage there were hundreds of children who had been abandoned by their parents for various reasons.

At one point during the day we were taken into a room lined with cribs, a small room where the workers attempted to care for 20-30 infants. This was a powerful moment that has been seared into my mind. I will never forget it.

I walked through the room with tears streaming down my face- wondering “who will care for these children?” “Who will hold them and let them know that they are loved?” “Who will nurture these children as they grow older?” I can see, and feel it, like it was yesterday. What I did not understand at the time was how God would use this moment later.

Looking back at that experience as a college student in the Guatemalan orphanage, I remembered that I was not only weeping over the abandoned children, but over the fact that there was very little I could do.

The words of Jesus are so powerful here- I wish I could have whispered them to each one of those precious children;

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18)

The raw emotion that adoption stirs in my heart has only grown as I have studied the theology of adoption. Adoption one of the metaphors Paul uses in the New Testament to express the multifaceted grace of God shown to us in salvation. (See here)

The very word translated adoption in your New Testament is a compound of two words, “son” and “placing.” Adoption in the New Testament is a term that denotes the legal act of transfer into a new family- “the placing of a son.”

With this transfer come all of the attending privileges and responsibilities of being part of the family. Adoption is a powerful image because the adoptee is taken out of his previous state and placed in a new relationship…thus, the adoptee starts a new life as part of his new family. The new family embraces their adopted son or daughter as their own. (Great resource here)

For the Christian- images of salvation should be so blatant and obvious here because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

When Christians are adopted into the family of God- it is through, and only through Jesus Christ. There is no ‘natural tie’ between sinners and a Holy God. Our spiritual adoption is a decision of God. God adopts us, orphans, out of His free love. We are given the rights of sons and daughters- as heirs!

For me, this truth has illuminated the biblical mandate and given me a solid foundation to accompany the emotion I felt six years ago in the Guatemalan orphanage.

I am in total agreement with Russell Moore when he writes;

“The Gospel of Jesus Christ means our families and churches ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans…as we become more attuned to the gospel, we’ll have more of a burden for orphans.” (Adopted for Life, 18)

Pray for us as we begin our adoption journey. Ultimately, pray that we trust in Christ- because he is the one who blazed this trail.

Matt Capps Christianity, Faith, Religion, The Great Commission Resurgence, The Southern Baptist Convention

The Great Commission Resurgence: Hard Questions for the Southern Baptist Convention

Note: This post is for Southern Baptist’s, who like myself have signed our names to The Great Commission Resurgence commitments. These questions were developed in conversation with a few younger Southern Baptist pastors.

I usually stay away from writing on denominational issues. I think we Southern Baptist talk among ourselves enough, but I could not resist on this one. I am excited about the potential of a Great Commission Resurgence in the SBC.

We as Southern Baptist’s should always be willing to examine ourselves as a denomination. I agree and pray that the “Great Commission Resurgence” commitment should serve as the next step in the renewal of our denomination. But I have my worries.

1. In all honesty, I have concerns about our denomination as a whole. I have concerns when I consider our annual meetings; which seem to have very little participation from my generation. Is the annual meeting attendance a marker for denominational participation among younger Southern Baptists?

2. I have concerns about the allocation of our money through the Cooperative Program. How much of our money actually reaches our field workers?

3. Many Christian thinkers today are noticing the dramatic shifts taking place in culture concerning technology, social structures, community, and ideas. Obviously this has effects on “how” we do ministry. What ministries is our Cooperative Program funding, and are these ministries even effective in growing mature disciples of Christ?

4. I agree with the statement that “in order for the SBC to fulfill the Great Commission we must streamline current SBC structures.”

Is it possible that some of the SBC’s infrastructures must be completely abandoned? If so, would that mean we need to consider different approaches to cooperation among SBC churches?

5. In the statement concerning our “Commitment to Gospel-Centeredness” it is written that “Gospel-centered living will help ensure that the bloody cross of a crucified King is the offense to non-believers rather than our styles, traditions, legalisms, moralisms, personal preferences, or unhelpful attitudes.”

Take a minute to consider the “styles, traditions, legalisms, moralisms, personal preferences, and unhelpful attitudes” of the SBC.

Are we willing to be open for critique when it comes to our “styles, traditions, legalisms, moralisms, personal preferences” in the Southern Baptist Convention and make necessary changes?

As a convention we have passed some pretty embarrassing and legalistic resolutions that do nothing but cause a hindrance to the gospel of Jesus Christ going forward. To those outside the SBC we are more known for what we are against. Seriously, creating legalistic resolutions does nothing to draw people towards Christ, or create mature Christ followers. (Read Galatians)

6. I am grateful for our Southern Baptist Convention and what we stand for today. Obviously there are things that I believe we need to keep in check, which would be the case in every denomination. But here is my fear;

It would seem like many of the younger Southern Baptist’s are loosing confidence in our denomination and aligning with other associations because they are frustrated with the ‘bureaucracy’ of the SBC.

Let’s suppose that the SBC keeps moving forward and everything remains “as is.”

If we do not adopt, implement, and perpetuate a Great Commission mindset what will the SBC look like in 20 years?

I signed the Great Commission Resurgence commitment because I agree with what the document affirms. But, in order for these things to come about- we need to consider and answer the hard questions.

Click Here to see Danny Akin’s sermon titled “Axioms for a Great Commission Resurgence”

Click Here to sign “The Commission Resurgence”.