Love Christ and befriend sinners, Georgia Baptists are told on first day of annual meeting

STATESBORO, Ga. — Georgia Baptists gathered Monday for the start of the 202^nd Annual Meeting of the Georgia Baptist Convention at First Baptist Statesboro. President Josh Saefkow, senior pastor of Flat Creek Baptist Church in Fayetteville, opened the meeting, with the theme of “Answer the Call,” based on Isaiah 6:8.

Jeremy Morton, senior pastor of First Baptist Woodstock, delivered the Missionary Sermon, exhorting messengers to befriend sinners and win souls. Morton referenced Matthew 9:9-13 to show that Jesus pursued sinners. “Nothing is more important to Jesus,” Morton declared, “than winning souls.”

Morton went on to expound on Jesus’ response to the Pharisees who questioned His sharing a meal with sinners. Jesus’ answers reveal His Kingdom purpose, which is seeking the lost. “Jesus pursued lost people everywhere He went,” Morton said, and if Jesus lives in our hearts, we will too.

Jesus doesn’t just see people where they are, He sees who they can become through him, Morton said. “The world saw another tax collector,” he told the crowd, referring to Matthew, “Jesus saw a future apostle.”

Regarding the Pharisees’ reaction to seeing Jesus eating with tax collectors, Morton said, “I like Jesus’ plan to eat with sinners way more than I like the Pharisees’ plan to criticize His evangelism.”

Morton concluded by offering specific actions that believers can take to befriend sinners:

1. Call out their names to Jesus.
2. Look for ways to intentionally bring up the name Jesus in conversations with lost friends.
3. Show genuine interest and true compassion for the lost.
4. Go on an overseas mission trip.
5. Don’t wait. Simply start where you are today.

Georgia Baptists also heard from Landon Dowden, lead pastor of Hebron Baptist Church in Dacula. Dowden said he was charged with delivering the Doctrinal Sermon but he said, “If our doctrine doesn’t result in mission, we’re doing it wrong.”

We should constantly consider whether the gospel is advancing in us and through us, he said. “Are we those,” Dowden asked, “who are testifying to the gospel of God’s grace?”

The Apostle Paul, Dowden described, modeled a willingness to answer the call wherever it may lead and whatever the cost may be. Paul’s compassion for the lost, Dowden said, led the apostle to tears, and “when the church stops weeping for the lost, our communities are in trouble.”

Ultimately, our passion for sharing the gospel should be fueled by our love for Jesus, which will draw people to Him. "What Georgia needs to see more than anything,” Dowden said, “is that we are people who love Christ more than we love anything else."