Men's Devotional | 2021 - Day 4
Are You a Wise Person?
By Chris Alsup
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and one who is wise gains souls.”
Proverbs 11:30
A re you a wise person?
My hero is Adrian Rogers, the three-time president of the Southern Baptist Convention and longtime pastor of the 30,000 member Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee where I grew up. He is the wisest man I ever knew. He walked with the Lord faithfully all the way to the very end and was called the “Prince of Preachers” by many.
I recently came across the final video recording of his ministry. It was made only days before his death, and it is obvious he was racked with the disease of cancer. It was his last days in the recording studio (he had double pneumonia), and with a bright smile on his face, he recorded 12 sessions. Following is the transcript of his final recorded words from the final session on Matthew 28:18-20:
“There’s never been a greater day to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we need to stop whining and moaning and complaining and going around with our head between our knees singing hold the fort. We need to lift up our heads, sound the trumpet, unsheathe the sword, and say onward Christian soldiers! He will not fail you! You want a thrill? You want a life that counts? You let congress make the laws. You let Wall Street handle the finances. Let Hollywood have the fame. You become a winner of souls. ‘He that wins souls is wise!’”
Are you a wise person? Are you a winner of souls? When is the last time you led someone personally to the Lord Jesus Christ? If you are a wise person then you are a winner of souls. Adrian said on several occasions, “If you’re not a soul winner then I doubt you are a Christian.” Is it the priority of your life like it was for Adrian Rogers? What will be that last verse you quote for posterity? For Adrian Rogers it was Proverbs 11:30. Having heroes like Adrian Rogers is good and acceptable. Being one is also a calling of every believer.
Take a few moments and consider what you would like to say in your final video. I am praying that you and I will be wise in following godly heroes like Adrian Rogers who were following Jesus, whose last recorded command expressed in the Great Commission was “Go and make disciples…!”
Author Bio
Chris Alsup
Men’s Devotional – Heroes
Chris grew up at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee under Dr. Adrian Rogers. He served 8 years on staff in student ministry there and has served in Florida and Hawaii as a worship pastor and senior pastor. In addition to his work with Hope Partners, he recently began a position with Tyndale Theological Seminary, Amsterdam, Netherlands. He is a graduate of Mid America Baptist Theological Seminary and loves spending time on the beach in Kailua, singing, creating art, and evangelizing.