Born Again Old Testament Adrian Rogers

CORDOVA, Tenn. (BP)–Steve Gaines, the new pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, filled the pulpit for the funeral of his predecessor, Adrian Rogers, who led the Memphis-area church for 32 years.

A transcript of his Nov. 17 message follows:

On behalf of the family unit -– the Rogers family and the Bellevue family unit -– I want to say thank you to each of these who have spoken so wonderfully tonight about our dear pastor emeritus, friend, mentor, blood brother in Christ, Dr. Adrian Rogers.

Dr. Rogers, all of us know, was a once-in-a-lifetime preacher considering he was a one time-in-a-lifetime person. I've had people say, "What's it like to follow Adrian Rogers?" You don't follow Adrian Rogers. You merely bear witness up and so say, "May the grace of God help me. Help me to be like Jesus and to be like him."

When I think of Dr. Rogers' life and ministry building, I think of and so many comparisons between him and various figures of the Bible. When I was hither this past March and I spoke at his retirement service on Friday night, I took those few moments to compare him to the Old Testament priest Levi, mentioned in Malachi 2:6, which says, "True instruction was in his mouth, unrighteousness was not institute on his lips. He walked with me," God says, "in peace and uprightness and he turned many back from iniquity."

As I prayerfully sought to prepare this tribute this evening, my heart went to another keen man of God in the Former Attestation, to whom Adrian Rogers tin can be readily likened. And that's the Former Attestation man of God, Samuel. Samuel lived in a day of spiritual decadence and moral abuse. The Bible says that word from the Lord was rare those days, visions were exceptional. And yet in the midst of that abysmal spiritual climate, God chosen and used the man named Samuel to bring revival to his people.

How does Adrian Rogers remind u.s.a. this evening of Samuel? First of all, like Samuel, Adrian Rogers was obviously a predestined preacher. Samuel, you might know, was called past God to be a priest very early in his life. From childhood information technology was obvious to all that God had large plans for Samuel. The Bible says that he grew before the Lord, just similar the Lord Jesus did, in stature and in favor with both the Lord and with men.

In the same way it was obvious in the life of Adrian Rogers that he was destined for greatness fifty-fifty when he was immature. At Palm Embankment High Schoolhouse, many of you know that he was voted "Most Probable to Succeed." He was the captain of the football team, the president of his senior class. He was saved and chosen to preach equally a teenager.

The Lord equipped immature Adrian Rogers with tremendous talents and gifts -– a bright mind, an able-bodied frame, a winsome personality, that one thousand thousand-dollar smile that we all loved, a disciplined work ethic and a voice that can only exist described as golden. The Lord would use these traits throughout his entire ministry and life. Like Samuel, Adrian Rogers was a called, predestined vessel to preach the give-and-take of God.

Simply as someone else has said this night already, another way we tin can liken him to Samuel is this: Like Samuel, Adrian Rogers was a prophetic preacher. The Bible says that as Samuel grew, the Lord was with him, and he let none of his words fall to the ground or fail. The Lord's good hand of favor rested upon Samuel. When he preached, God moved. And for many years, Samuel called State of israel to repent and return to the Lord.

Likewise, all of u.s.a. would agree that Adrian Rogers was indeed a prophetic preacher. From this pulpit here at Bellevue Baptist Church, Dr. Rogers shared the gospel of Jesus non but with the nation, but with the entire world. He was a prophetic voice, calling lost individuals, broken families, wayward denominations and indeed a backslidden nation to put their organized religion and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Adrian Rogers was a modernistic day prophet of God.

Another way he resembled Samuel is this: Like Samuel, Adrian Rogers was a prominent preacher. The Bible says, apropos Samuel, that from Dan even to Beersheba — that's from the northward all the way to the due south -– all Israel knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. The Bible also says that all the people lived in the fearfulness of the Lord and Samuel. It also says that in his twenty-four hours, Samuel presided over the company of all the prophets of Israel. Without a doubt, Samuel was the nigh notable representative of Yahweh in his day. He was the one who anointed the beginning 2 kings of Israel –- King Saul and King David –- and he gave them both wise counsel.

Dr. Rogers resembled Samuel in this regard. Like Samuel he presided over the company of all the prophets in his day. I wonder, I but want to know, if you're a preacher of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, would yous please stand just for a moment? Let's thank the Lord for these men.

Dr. Rogers was our leader. He served every bit a president of the Southern Baptist Convention for three terms. He was the first Southern Baptist Convention president to employ his appointed powers to make sure that all of the trustees of our Southern Baptist Convention agencies and institutions believed that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. He preached more frequently at the Southern Baptist Convention pastors' conferences and annual Southern Baptist Convention meetings than any other preacher. He was ordinarily the closing preacher at all these meetings, and we never wanted to miss his letters.

Like Samuel, Adrian Rogers was not simply prominent amidst preachers but also amidst presidents. At least 4 different presidents –- Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George West. Bush -– all cherished friendships and benefited from those friendships and from the wisdom of Dr. Adrian Rogers. He was a prominent preacher.

Like Samuel in some other way, Adrian Rogers was a prudent preacher. The Bible says that Samuel judged State of israel all the days of his life. He was the last of the Onetime Testament judges and one of the showtime of the nifty Old Attestation prophets. The word "gauge" implies that those men would possess God'south insight and wisdom. Indeed, Samuel was filled with wisdom from above.

All of us would concur that indeed Adrian Rogers was too filled with wisdom from above. I'll give you just a few of the quotes that we would all write downwardly in our Bibles:

— "Never uncertainty in the dark what God has shown you in the light."

— "Religion is praise turned inside out."

— "Define the trinity and you'll lose you listen. Deny it and you lot'll lose your soul."

— "Satan wants to cripple you lot and and then blame you lot for limping."

— "If man could have salvation and not know information technology, he could lose it and not miss information technology."

— "Human isn't a sinner considering he sins. Rather, he sins because he is a sinner."

And I love this next one:

— "You lot ally a kid of the devil and y'all'll get the devil for a father-in-police."

Don't you lot wish you lot'd said that?

— "Some people can't find Jesus for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman."

That one ever got a delayed response.

— "Nix is politically correct that is morally incorrect."

At present listen to these 3 quotes:

— "Death is simply a comma to a Christian, not a period."

— "Jesus saves the best for last."

— "Eternity is only a breath away."

These are the words of prudent preacher named Adrian Rogers.

Fifthly, like Samuel, Adrian Rogers was a prayerful preacher. Samuel said to the people of God one solar day, "Equally for me, far exist it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you." The psalmist said most Samuel, "Moses and Aaron were amid God'south priests; Samuel was among those who called on his proper noun. They called upon the Lord and he answered them."

Likewise, Dr. Rogers was a man of prayer. He prayed. He led this cracking church to be a praying church. He prayed daily with his wife. Several times I would call and he would say, "Joyce and I only finished reading our Bibles and praying." He prayed daily for his family and for this church. As I said several months ago at his retirement service, Dr. Rogers knew how to talk with God. That's precisely why he was so effective at talking for God. He was a prayerful preacher.

A sixth mode nosotros can liken him to Samuel is this: Like Samuel, Adrian Rogers was a passionate preacher. You see, Samuel had a passion to obey God. It was Samuel to said, "To obey God is better than sacrifice." Concerning Samuel, the Bible described him by simply saying that he did what the Lord said. He too had a passion for people, even people, equally has already been said, who didn't ever do what they were supposed to do. The Bible says that the Lord regretted that he had fabricated Saul king over State of israel. It was Samuel who grieved over Saul. It was Samuel who was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night because of Saul.

I tell you, that Dr. Rogers was a passionate preacher. He passionately desired to obey God and to laurels God in all that he did. He likewise loved people with passion. Information technology was not uncommon for Dr. Rogers to shed tears when he preached about subjects such as the cruelty of abortion or the eternal future of a lost person. I've talked with him and I've seen him go a tear in his when he talked about the dearest of his life, Miss Joyce, and also his children. I've also seen him get a lump in his throat and a tear in his eye when he talked well-nigh the thought of seeing Jesus one day in heaven. He understood what i preacher has called the ministry of tears. He was a passionate preacher.

There is i more matter. Similar Samuel, Adrian Rogers has now get a prize-winning preacher. The Bible says Samuel died and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him and they buried him. In the New Attestation y'all detect that Samuel was one of the few Old Testament characters who was inducted into the great hall of organized religion in Hebrews xi.

And now, just similar Samuel, our dear friend Adrian Rogers has died. And even as all Israel gathered and mourned for Samuel, this neat host of people who loved and admired Dr. Rogers take gathered tonight to mourn for him. Only equally Dr. Vines has said, we don't grieve as those who accept no hope. We know that just as surely every bit Jesus died and rose from the dead, Adrian Rogers is alive. He has entered the gates of pearl. He's walked and kicked up on those streets of gold. He's embraced and talked with the Rogers' son Phillip. He's got such an inquisitive mind, you know he'south talked with Noah and had him explain nigh the boat. He wanted to know what information technology was like for Moses on Mt. Sinai. He asked Elijah to tell him about that chariot of burn that we heard about a moment agone. Don't y'all know that he's talked to Jonah most the whale.

I believe he has sung with David, laughed with Peter, listened to Paul and revelated with John. He fifty-fifty knows who wrote the volume of Hebrews. But the greatest matter of all is, he's seen Jesus. All of life's heartaches, including cancer, have been forgotten. He has won the victory. He has received the reward. Every bit his daughter has said, he has fought the adept fight, finished the course, kept the faith and now he has been given the crown of righteousness by the Lord Jesus, the righteous judge. He won the prize. He is with the Lord.

Every bit David said, he cannot come back to united states, simply hallelujah, we will become to him, if nosotros know Jesus equally our Savior and Lord. This has already been said –- Dr. Rogers' favorite statement when he preached was this, say it with me, "Come to Jesus." I idea nigh that this week. I believe when he was a teenager the Holy Spirit said to Adrian Rogers, "Adrian, come up to Jesus and be saved." And Adrian Rogers was saved.

Non too long after that, the Holy Spirit again spoke to Adrian Rogers and said, "Adrian, come up to Jesus and preach." And Adrian Rogers began preaching the gospel. For more than five decades the Holy Spirit spoke out through Adrian Rogers to millions of people those same words –- "Come to Jesus" -– and only eternity will be able to brandish how many tens of thousands did only that. And I believe this past Tuesday forenoon, at well-nigh 3:05 a.grand., just i twenty-four hours after the nativity of the Rogers' first great-granddaughter, Marianna Rose Luce, later on a valiant struggle with illness, I believe with all my heart that the angels of glory came to Memphis, Tenn., and they hovered downward the Baptist East Hospital, entered ICU unit number 3, came aslope the bedside of the great man of God and said, "The Lord is with thee, yard mighty homo of valor. Adrian Rogers, come to Jesus." And he did.

Exercise you know what Adrian Rogers would say if he were standing here correct at present to this congregation? What would he say? Come to Jesus. Come to Jesus.
–thirty–

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Source: https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/come-to-jesus-was-hallmark-of-adrian-rogers-life-ministry/

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