The Death of one of our Generals

His Name was Adrian.

I don't mind telling you that the death of Dr. Adrian Rogers hit me hard. Real hard. And I didn't really expect it to.

Back in those early days of pastoring in the beginning, I lived close enough to the Old Bellvue Baptist Church in Memphis that I could attend his weekly Christian Businessmen's Luncheon. Afterwards, he would take as much time as his schedule would allow to talk with us individually, especially if he found out we were one of the "preacher boys" at the meeting. I once cowered up to him sheepishly apologizing for having once used one of his sermon outlines as my own. (Little did I know that every Baptist pastor had used an Adrian Rogers outline at least once in their lives!) He laughed one of his big laughs and said, "Son, if I've got any bullets that'll fit in your gun, shoot 'em!"

I also spent an entire week at the old church for the morning sessions of the School of Evangelism that Billy Graham put on while he was conducting his crusade in Memphis back in the late seventies. It was during that week that the former pastor at Bellvue famously known for his sermon, Payday Someday, died. He was famous for preaching on heaven, too. While Billy Graham, Adrian Rogers and others were praying and singing around his hospital bed one morning of that crusade week, he raised up in the bed, grabbed Dr. Graham by the arm and cried out, "Billy, I never did it justice!" Adrian Rogers was there and those are the kinds of personal memories I have of him.

I also remember the sometimes vicious battle for the Bible, as it was sometimes called, in the Southern Baptist Convention in the mid 80's. It was from those days that I have hung upon Dr. Rogers the title of "General". He led us as a convention to refuse to compromise on our stance on the inerrancy of the Bible. It was God's Word, infallible and inerrant, period! I will also be grateful to him for the example of integrity and character that I saw in those days.

He was, though he might have disagreed with me on a point or two, a very Spirit Filled man with a powerful preaching emphasis on the Spirit's power. He was really only one of a very limited few that I even recall preached on the subject at all in those days. There were those times that what he said wasn't quite enough for me. But as I look back upon his life, I now realize that he at least said what he DID say.

I will always remember the Southern Baptist Convention in St. Louis when recounted his experience of casting a demon out of a man at a crusade in India! Twice a past president of the Convention, speaking from the platform of the the current Convention and admitting that he had cast a demon out of a man in Jesus' Name and in obedience to Mark 16. What a man!

I loved him far more than I realized I did.

His memorial service the second week of November will always be remembered by me as one of the top 3 spiritual events in my life! It so inspired me in several key but basic areas of my life.

First, it caused me to long for all that mattered like Dr. Rogers did. What was it that was all that mattered to him? To finish the course and run the race and to do it well. All that matters is to please our Master and to hear him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant".

Secondly, it inspired me to get back to being a soul winner again. How could any activity or THING get so important that it keeps me from winning souls? He plead with people to "Come to Jesus" on a regular basis; in fact, his memorial was titled thus.

Then, his love for the Word of God overwhelmed me. It was though nothing else mattered in ministry but to teach and preach and proclaim his powerful Word. I had gotten a little cold in reading and knowing and loving His Word like I used to. Not after this night of memorial remembrances.

I was moved afresh to be a man who loved my wife and children above all others. Everyone who knows anything about Adrian Rogers at all knows about the love affair of his life, Miss Joyce. I got back into my car after the services and called my two daughters to tell them that I loved them. I fell in love with my family afresh on that night.

I thank God for the ministry, integrity, character and life of Dr. Adrian Rogers.

I thank God for allowing me to know this General in the conservative Christian Army.

I'm proud to say that I considered myself one of the privates under his command.

We will miss him dearly.