(This message was originally published on January 8, 2015)

The sports world this week recognized ESPN anchor Stuart Scott, as he died this past Sunday. He was known for his charismatic and creative style as a sports broadcaster.

But, this week I have had the family and church of Brother Al in my prayers. Brother Al died this week after his own battle with cancer.

Brother Al was one of those men that make going to church even more joyful. He was a man who worked hard during the week. After being gloriously saved, he was also devoted to worshipping and serving the Lord.

I first met Brother Al almost twenty years ago. Fresh out of seminary, I was youth pastor to Al’s two children. They both are now grown and have children of their own. So much time has past, but Brother Al remained an ever constant encourager and active member of the church.

Even in the years that followed, whenever I was able to be back at that church, Brother Al always shared a warm smile, a word of thanks, and a hearty amen with me.

I guess it is his ‘hearty amens’ that I remember the most. Whether from a pew in the worship center, or from his chair in the choir loft, Brother Al was never bashful about encouraging you with a ‘hearty amen.’

Just the other week, I was preaching and someone said one of those ‘hearty amens.’ For a brief moment, I thought Brother Al was in the congregation.

Today, I simply want to encourage all of the brethren out there to never under-estimate the importance of being an encourager. You may think that you are just listening to your preacher, but rest assured your pastor(s) is listening to you too. I also want to encourage pastors to rejoice over the “Brother Al’s” that the Lord puts in our lives.

So, to all of the brethren out there who are such faithful encouragers, to those who are ministers of the Word – I simply want to say, “Amen!”

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV)

(This message was originally published on December 11, 2014)

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)

The Billy Graham Association produced a resource that I enjoyed reading through this Christmas season, The Cradle, The Cross, and the Crown.

You can find a condensed version on their website at: http://billygraham.org/decision-magazine/december-2014/the-cradle-the-cross-and-the-crown/

You can find the booklet at various online booksellers as well.

In Philippians 2, in this tremendous Christological passage of Scripture, we are reminded to consider the Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown of Christ.

In the Cradle, we are reminded of Christ Jesus humbling Himself, being born in the likeness of men. It makes me consider that the Lord of the universe was willing to experience all the humiliation of humanity, learning to walk and talk, potty training etc., just to reach me.

At the Cross, we see Christ display God’s love and see Christ pay for our sins. In this season of ‘gift obsession’, may we keep in mind that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” As my pastor said the other day, Jesus is not only the reason for the season, you are too. Jesus came and gave His life for humanity.

With the Crown, we see Christ exalted at the right hand of the Father. Simply stated, “Jesus is Lord.”

In this season that can become so hectic and busy, may we take a Christmas vacation. Take time to visit the Cradle of Christ. But, also take a visit to the Cross. And finally, remember to consider His Crown. Christ is on His throne.

Merry Christmas from all of us at the SBC of Virginia! Thank you for your church’s partnership in the Gospel as we work together to plant, strengthen, and mobilize churches.

Click for our latest SBC Spotlight Update: http://www.sbcv.org/articles/detail/sbcv_spotlight_december_2014

Your brother in Christ,

Brian Autry

(This message was originally published in October 2014)

I know Sunday is coming. Perhaps you have also had a tough week. Maybe you are just feeling like you are at max capacity.   I can have the same thoughts and experiences. However, yesterday evening, as I was helping teach a Bible Study for High School students at church, I was reminded that Our Lord Jesus is worthy!

So, I simply want to pass along two different lists that I are not original with me that can helped me to simply Praise Jesus.

JESUS IS WORTHY – “A to Z”

Jesus is…

Ancient of Days, Alpha & Omega, Anchor, Advocate, Author, Almighty
Bright Morning Star, Bread Of Life, Branch, Bridegroom, Beginning &End
Christ Jesus, Chief Cornerstone, Champion Of Salvation, Chief Shepherd
Dayspring From On High, Door to the Sheepfold, Deliverer from Darkness
Emmanuel, El Shaddai, Elohim, Everlasting Father, El Gibor, Example
Finisher Of Our Faith, First & Last, Friend Of Sinners, Forerunner
Great High Priest, Good Shepherd, God, Great Physician, Glory Of Israel
Head Of The Church, High Tower, Holy One, Hiding P lace, Hope Of Glory
I Am That I Am, Image Of God, Intercessor, Immortal, Invisible
Jesus Christ, Judge, Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Rapha, Jehovah-Shalom
King Of Kings, King Of Glory, Kinsman Redeemer, Keeper of the Keys
Lord of All, Lamb of God, Light of the World, Lion of Judah, Living Water
Messiah, Most High God, Maker, Man Of Sorrows, Master,
Narrow Way, Nebuchadnezzar is Fourth Man in the Fire, Nazarene
Only Begotten Son, Offering Once And For All, Offspring of David, Oil
Prince Of Peace, Prince Of Life, Prophet Like Unto Moses, Power Of God
Quickener Of Transgressors, Quietness & Confidence, Quieter Of Storms
Rose Of Sharon, Rock Of Salvation, Root of Jesse, Resurrection & Life
Son Of God, Son of Man, Servant, Savior, Shiloh, Strength, Song, Shield Teacher,
True Vine, The Way, The Truth, The Life
Underneath Are The Everlasting Arms, Unction from The Holy One
Victor, Virgin-Born, Veil-Splitter, Vice-Ruler at the Fathers Right Hand
Word Of Life, Witness, Wonderful Counselor, Warrior, Wisdom of God
X-Crucified, Xempt from Death Forevermore
Yeshua, Yoke-Destroyer, Yes & Amen, Yahweh,
Zion’s Stone, Zeal for the House Of God, Zacchaeus House Guest

JESUS IS WORTHY – “from Genesis to Revelation”

In Genesis – He is the seed of woman.
In Exodus – He is the Passover Lamb.
In Leviticus- He is Our High Priest.
In Numbers- He is the Cloud by day and a Pillar of Fire by night.
In Deuteronomy – He is the Prophet like unto Moses.
In Joshua – He is the Captain of our Salvation
In Judges – He is our Judge and Law giver.
In Ruth – He is our Kinsman and Redeemer.
In 1 & 2 Samuel – He is our Trusted Prophet.
In 1 & 2 Kings – He is the Lord our King.
In 1 & 2 Chronicles -He is our Reigning King.
In Ezra – He is our Faithful Spouse.
In Nehemiah – He is the Builder of broken down walls.
In Esther – He is our Mordecai.
In Job – He is our Redeemer.
In Psalms – He is the Lord our Shepherd.
In Proverbs – He is our Wisdom.
In Ecclesiastes – He is our Lover.
In the Song of Solomon – He is our Beloved Fair one.
In Isaiah – He is the Prince of Peace
In Jeremiah – He is the The Balm of Gilead.
In the Lamentations – He is the weeping Prophet.
In Ezekiel – He is the wonderful four faced Man.
In Daniel – He is the fourth man in the Fiery Furnace
In Hosea – He is the faithful Husband
In Joel – He is The Holy Ghost Baptizer
In Amos – He is the Burden Bearer
In Obadiah – He is Mighty to Save
In Jonah – He is our foreign Missionary
In Micah – He is the Messenger with Beautiful feet
In Nahum – He is the Avenger of Gods Elect
In Habakkuk – He is God’s Evangelist
In Zephaniah – He is Our Savior
In Haggai – He is The Restorer of God’s Lost Heritage
In Zechariah – He is the Fountain Open in the house of David
In Malachi – He is the Son of Righteousness with Healing in His Wings.

In Matthew – He is The Messiah
In Mark – He is The Wonder Worker
In Luke – He is The Son of Man
In John – He is The Son of God (he is the Word)
In The Acts – He is The Foundation of the Church
In Romans – He is our Justifier
In 1 & 2 Corinthians – He is our Sanctifier
In Galatians – He is the Redeemer from the curse of the law
In Ephesians – He is the Christ with Unsearchable Riches
In Philippians – He is The God that Supplies All of Our Needs
In Colossians – He is the Fullness of the Godhead Bodily
In 1 & 2 Thessalonians – He is Our Soon Coming King
In 1 & 2 Timothy – He is the Mediator between God in Man
In Titus – He is The Faithful Pastor
In Philemon – He is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother
In Hebrews – He is The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant
In James – He is Our Great Physician
In 1 & 2 Peter- He is The Chief Shepherd
In 1- 2 & 3 John – He is Love
In Jude – He is The Lord Coming with 10,000 of His saints
In The Revelation – He is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords

(This message was originally published in October 2014)

Background 

I was one of the 57% of Virginia voters that supported the referendum that resulted in the Marriage Amendment to Virginia’s constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman – November 7, 2006.

On February 13, 2014, a U.S. District Court in Norfolk ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional, though the Judge stayed the ruling pending appeal. The 4^th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling. State officials declined to defend the constitutional amendment. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the case, letting the lower court decision stand.

What now?

The church must and should always stand upon biblical ethics. This is not the first time, but the issue of marriage is one of the most profound cases in my lifetime, when biblical ethics seems to now conflict with legal and governmental policy. As churches and pastors, more than ever we must articulate a clear and sound biblical ethic of marriage to our congregations and communities.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the statement of faith that the Southern Baptist Convention adopted (as did the SBC of Virginia), reflects the biblical ethic of marriage and family:

XVIII. The Family

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption.

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage.

Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

Churches should clearly state their position on biblical marriage. Your governing documents and statement of faith should reflect this understanding. In the past, it may have been assumed. It seems clear that we must no longer assume – but clearly teach and uphold biblical marriage. SBC of Virginia is available to consult and to connect you with other churches and professionals who can assist churches as needed.

Each church can be a lighthouse in the midst of lostness, confusion, and darkness. The Gospel of Jesus Christ must be proclaimed. Repentance, redemption, and restoration remain our message. Dr. Russell Moore, in his blog on October 6, 2014, offers helpful and thoughtful words to consider. You can find his statement at: http://www.russellmoore.com/2014/10/06/same-sex-marriage-and-the-supreme-court-what-now-for-the-church/

We must each endeavor to celebrate and communicate marriage and family life as God has ordained. We all know of examples where Christ has not been honored and represented well in marriage and family life by those claiming Christ as Lord. The 1^st Century follower of Christ lived in an age of lostness, confusion, and darkness. These first followers of Christ impacted an empire with their words and deeds. May the Holy Spirit empower us to live out the biblical ethic of marriage and family life in the 21^st Century. The lost world must see the church shine the light of healthy, redemptive, biblical marriage and family life.

Pray for one another and encourage one another. SBC of Virginia churches are not alone in proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. We are not alone in holding to the biblical ethic and teaching on marriage and family. Personally, I am thankful for the continuing work of partners like the Family Foundation of Virginia, the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and others like them giving much of their energies to helping churches be salt and light.

Finally, I am not intending to give a political commentary or legal opinion, but hope to simply be an encouragement spiritually and practically as we seek to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ as SBC of Virginia churches – and more importantly I pray that my marriage and family will honor the name of the Lord Jesus. By His grace and for His glory, I make this my prayer. Thankfully and respectfully, I do not require Supreme Court justices to take up a case to make this my prayer. I regret wholeheartedly that certain authorities in America do not uphold the biblical ethic of marriage. But I know this for sure: Almighty God, who created man and woman, has made it clear throughout the ages that He has taken up the case for marriage and family. In God We Trust.

(This message was originally published on September 18, 2014)

Two weeks ago I asked you to pray for our work together as churches through the SBC of Virginia. Today, I would like to share a prayer for you: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory…

I PRAY FOR YOU TO BE STRENGTHENED AS YOU SERVE

He may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—

I PRAY YOU WILL CONTEMPLATE THE LOVE OF CHRIST

that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,

I PRAY YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH HIS HOLY SPIRIT

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

I PRAY YOU WILL BE CONFIDENT THAT HE IS ABLE

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV)

Thank you for your prayers as we work together to proclaim the Gospel across this mission field and around the world. Please join us in leading the church you serve to pray for the Vision Virginia emphasis… What is Vision Virginia?

Vision Virginia is a call to pray for these ministries and the work of the Lord around Virginia and the world.

But that’s not all. Vision Virginia is the people that all of these ministries help — and those who serve in churches all across the state. Vision Virginia only exists because people do. After all, God loves people, and His mission for the Church is to love people and help them build a relationship with Him through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Vision Virginia is the mission field, but it’s also the mission force, called and empowered by a missions-hearted God.

Vision Virginia is a missions offering. Similar to World Mission Offerings, Acts 1:8 Offerings, Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong Offerings – 100% of the gifts given through Vision Virginia go directly to the mission field. Please consider leading your church to become involved in supporting through the Vision Virginia Offering. The fund supports dozens of ministries, including things like the following:

• Appalachian Ministries
• Baptist Builders
• Church Planting
• Church Strengthening
• The DC Mission Center
• Disaster Relief
• English as a Second Language
• Statewide Evangelism
• Food Distribution
• Leadership Development
• Ministry Intern Scholarships
• Property for Church Plants
• Ready Church
• Seminarian Scholarships
• Worship Equipment for Church Plants

Thank you for your support of these vital projects. We need your church to be involved in Vision Virginia. Helpful resources to join in Vision Virginia are available here.

As always, our missionary team and SBCV staff stand ready to assist your church in the Great Commission. Please let me know if I can do anything to serve, and know that your church is vital to Vision Virginia!

Your brother in Christ,

Brian Autry

(This message was originally published on July 10, 2014)

I can still remember the words of my seminary preaching professor, “It is easier to make a new life than to raise the dead.” (He said something along those lines.) This was my professor’s way of promoting church planting. By God’s providence, it turns out that I did have the privilege of being a church planter. However, I have also had the privilege of being associated with established churches. The first church I served after graduating from seminary just celebrated its 200th anniversary – and the church has a strong and respected ministry.

Now, the SBC of Virginia has made church planting a priority since our inception. Rightly so, church planting is one of our primary ministry objectives. Through the partnership of the SBC of Virginia, churches are actively involved in supporting, strengthening, and sending out church plants. Early on in our history, ‘churches planting churches’ was more than a slogan, it became a passion.

But what about the many churches that are already established across this harvest field? While maintaining our strong priority of church planting, I believe we could see a movement to see churches revitalized too. For several years, church planting has been in the ministry spotlight, but I am also seeing a desire for churches to be revitalized.

SBC of Virginia is also dedicated to strengthening and supporting churches in being revitalized. We have strategically deployed regional missionaries that are called to strengthen church ministries, pastors, and leaders. We are working to provide local church ministry resources. We are building a team of pastors and local church leaders who are being equipped to help consult with churches.

Today, I simply want to ask for your prayers and your support as we join together as SBC of Virginia to plant churches – but let us also ask the Lord to revitalize churches – desiring all of His churches to grow stronger.

Let us pray that churches will…

Have prayerful dependence upon the Lord…

• Lead their members to be missionaries to their mission field…
• Look at their communities as a harvest field…
• Build leaders who seek to be holy, humble, and wholeheartedly serving Him…
• Have an atmosphere that is welcoming and hospitable…
• Display the glory, grace, and good news of Christ…
• …there is much more to pray for and over as we seek revitalized and strong churches.