‘There is still much Great Commission work to be done,’ Chitwood preaches

Today, 155,252 people around the world will die lost and enter into a Christ-less eternity, International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood told The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary chapel audience, Feb. 27.

Chitwood preached Revelation 7:9-10, wherein John sees a vision of “a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language” standing “before the throne and before the Lamb,” clothed in white robes and praising God. Chitwood explained that, for 2,000 years, “the church has remained on earth for the very purpose of accomplishing this vision.”

“Why would the Lord, who loves His sons and daughters, whom He has adopted into His family, not bring us home to be with Him?” Chitwood asked. “Because there are others. The Lord has left us here for them.

“The Lord has left us here with a mission and with the great confidence that the mission that we undertake can and will be accomplished.”

In addition to Chitwood’s sermon, the chapel service featured the celebration of the one-year anniversary of Adam W. Greenway’s election as the ninth president of Southwestern Seminary. Danny Roberts, who chaired the presidential search committee that selected Greenway and currently serves as vice chairman of the seminary’s board of trustees, recognized and prayed over Greenway at the beginning of the service. He rejoiced that, though “it’s been a great year” and “God has done some amazing things,” “it’s only just begun, and the best days of Southwestern Seminary are out ahead of us right now.”

Following Roberts’ prayer, Greenway invited his wife, Carla, to join him on stage, and he shared that “it has been the greatest year of our married life and of our ministry to have served as your president now for one calendar year.” He added that he could not be president at Southwestern “if not for the president’s wife, Carla Greenway.”

During his sermon, Chitwood analyzed the “who,” “where,” “how,” and “why” of John’s Revelation 7 vision. Chitwood noted that the adjective “every” is significant, for it means that heaven is inclusive—that is, people from across the globe may stand before the throne of God through faith in Christ. This requires carrying the Gospel to the ends of the globe, Chitwood said.

“There is still much Great Commission work to be done. And that’s why you’re here,” said Chitwood. “You’re here because the ‘who’ of the vision are still out there; they’re yet to be reached.”

The “where,” Chitwood said, is before the throne and before the Lamb. As for how people may stand in such a position “clothed in white robes,” Chitwood explained, “That’s the how of salvation.”

“The law was fulfilled,” he said. “Our sorrow was borne. Our curse was carried. Our debt was paid. Our iniquities were washed away. Judgment for our sins was carried out on Him. God’s wrath was satisfied. His wounds brought us healing. Our sins were atoned for as the Messiah came and the Lamb was slain. And in His death, He brought us life.”

Therefore, Chitwood said, “as we share His Gospel by the work of the Holy Spirit, the lost are saved, the orphan adopted, the unworthy made worthy, the sin-stained soul washed by the blood, the slave redeemed, the blind given sight, sinners welcomed—clean and pure and adorned in white robes—into the very presence of God before the throne and before the Lamb.”

Regarding “why,” Chitwood pointed to the multitude’s praise, “Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

God “deserves to be praised in every language He has placed upon the tongues of men,” Chitwood said. “And for all eternity, He will be praised.”

“For every one of you, my encouragement today is simply this: take your place, whether it’s here or at the very ends of the earth,” Chitwood concluded. “Do your job. Be on mission. Answer the call. Go. Because the Lord is coming for those who are His, and there are still 155,252 who, just today, will die lost. Don’t forget that number.”

Following Chitwood’s sermon, Greenway invited the Southwestern Seminary and Scarborough College community to gather around Chitwood to pray for him and, through him, “for all our international missionaries, for those serving in Richmond and literally in every time zone around the world.” Brent Ray, director of the seminary’s World Missions Center, led the prayer.

“We pray for our missionaries,” Ray said. “Help us to hold the rope through our giving, our going, our praying.

“Father, we thank you for allowing us to be a part of this task. And for the 155,252 today, God, enable us, that one less [would die lost] because we fearlessly shared Jesus with someone today.”