Why God Used Adrian Rogers — E.A. Johnston

Adrian Rogers Made Christ Visible

I have been privileged to have known some men of God, whom God used in mighty ways. One of those men was Dr. Adrian Rogers. Adrian Rogers was my pastor for 20 years. Adrian made me think of Jesus. Every time I was with him, I felt like I was with Jesus.

I'm not kidding, friends, because Jesus was so prominent in his life and preeminent in his worship, that was why Jesus shined so clearly in Adrian Rogers. It was a rainy night in Memphis, and I just dropped my family off at the door of a local restaurant while I went to park the car.

I quickly made my way in the rain beneath the storm in my umbrella, and as soon as I entered the lobby of the restaurant, I saw a tall figure standing there. Open arms hugged me as a big booming voice greeted me, Ernesto.

It was Adrian Rogers, and at that precise moment in time, I felt I had left this earthly spear and was being greeted in heaven by Jesus. That's how much Adrian Rogers made me think of Jesus. My message today, friends, is entitled, Why God Used Adrian Rogers, and I give it, friends, as a tribute to his memory and an exhortation for each of us to live more for Christ Jesus in this sin-soaked world that's fast spinning out of control.

God used Adrian Rogers because he was a self-emptied man. After Adrian Rogers got saved as a teenager, he was cutting across a field on his way home when he felt impressed to get serious with God. Right there and then he knelt on the grass and prayed, Lord, I want to get low for you so you can use me.

And he felt kneeling there wasn't low enough, so he lay flat on the ground with his face in the grass and prayed, Lord, is this low enough? Compelled to continue, he lifted his head enough to dig a hole in the dirt with his index finger.

Then he pushed his nose in that hole in the dirt, and as he lay on his belly on the ground with dirt in his nostrils, he prayed, Lord, this is as low as I can go. Well, God accepted that commitment that day by his servant, Adrian Rogers.

Hatred Against Sin

And he would one day give him a global ministry that would touch the world and a church with a membership of 30 ,000. Secondly, God used Adrian Rogers because he had a hatred against sin. As pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, he discovered that a copy of Playboy magazine was in the desk drawer of one of his employees.

After he dealt with the offender, he took the magazine outside with him and left the church. He placed the magazine face down on the front seat of his car. As he drove away mad against sin, he thought, how can I get rid of this filth?

And he saw a gutter in the curb up the street, so he pulled over and got out of his car to shove the Playboy magazine into the gutter because he felt that was the best place for it. God used Adrian Rogers because he was a man of his convictions.

As serving his second term as president of the Southern Baptist Convention, there arose a controversy over the Bible's inspiration. A lawyer from the moderate camp said to him, Adrian, if you don't compromise, we will never get together.

Rogers kindly replied, I'm willing to compromise about many things, but not the word of God. So far as getting together is concerned, we don't have to get together. The Southern Baptist Convention, as it is, does not have to survive.

Preaching With Authority

I don't have to be the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church. I don't have to be loved. I don't even have to live, but I will not compromise the word of God. God used Adrian Rogers because he preached with authority.

One time, during a Sunday sermon, a woman in the congregation stood up and started shouting amen, and she wouldn't stop. Adrian stopped preaching, pointed his finger at the woman, and he yelled, sit down, lady, I'm the only one preaching here.

Church Discipline Without Fear

God used Adrian Rogers because he wasn't afraid of men when it came to exercising church discipline. It was brought to his attention that one of his staff ministers was having an adulterous affair with his secretary, Dr. Rogers, had them both come up to the platform after an evening service, and Adrian announced to his congregation, don't anybody leave here until we conduct some church business.

And he made the man stand face-to-face to him. In a loud, rebuking voice, he announced, I rebuke you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and you are hereby fired because of your adultery, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Contagious Love for Jesus

God used Adrian Rogers because he had a love for Jesus that was contagious. One day, while sitting with him in his office, I mentioned to him that as I was driving in my car, listening to him preach over the radio, I had a notebook in my lap and a pen in my hand, and every time he mentioned Jesus, I made a hash mark on that notepad, and I determined that every 10 minutes he mentioned Jesus 30 times.

Humility in Leadership

God used Adrian Rogers because he was a humble man. One day, Dr. Rogers was meeting with some bigwigs from the denomination, and they were to have lunch at a local restaurant. Well, Adrian got there early to find the right table so they could have some privacy.

He found a back room, and he pushed two tables together. A waitress quickly entered and rebuked him for messing with her tables. In his mind, he's thinking, Lady, don't you know who I am and who I'm going to be meeting with?

A Burden for the Souls of Men

But with his lips, he acknowledged it was her territory after all, and he apologized to her, and they sat at two tables. Finally, God used Adrian Rogers because he had a burden for the souls of men. He would go to any length to make Jesus known.

This was seen in an opportunity he had to witness to Muhammad Ali at the Rumble in the Jungle fight through a friend of a friend. Adrian got an appointment to see the heavyweight champ in his hotel room the night before the fight.

Dr. Rogers said to Muhammad Ali, How you doing, champ? The champ was lying in bed watching TV with a bowl of ice cream on his stomach. The champ listened to Adrian share the gospel with him. Then he asked a good question.

Jesus as the Unique Son of God

Ali asked him, How can you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the unique Son of God, just because he was born of a virgin? Why, Adam didn't have a father or a mother. Wouldn't that make Adam more Son of God than Jesus?

Adrian Rogers replied, Champ, Jesus was not the Son of God because he was born of a virgin. He was born of a virgin because he was the Son of God. Well, those are some reasons, friends, why God used Adrian Rogers.

And I hope this little message has encouraged you as it has encouraged me.