Pearls About Adrian Rogers — E.A. Johnston

Adrian Rogers Learns the Power of Humility

When Adrian Rogers was a high school student he'd recently gotten saved and he was walking across the field on his way home from Football practice and he was praying as he walked. He said Lord Jesus I want to get low enough so you can use me and he stopped walking and knelt down on the field and Asked is this low enough?

Then he felt he needed to go lower. So he laid on his stomach on the grass and then asked God is this low enough? Then a young Adrian Rogers took his thumb and dug a hole in the dirt To where he could press his nose in there and as he laid there with his nostrils full of dirt He said to the Lord Lord This is as low as I can go and God honored that in Adrian Rogers and Gifted him with some truly remarkable gifts as a preacher of the gospel.

A Pastor's Influence and a Lasting Friendship

I had the supreme privilege of having Adrian Rogers as my pastor for over 20 years and During that time God seemed pleased to bring us close together toward the end of dr. Rogers life. I Want to share some of these tidbits about him this evening friends because I know some of you pastors out there will Benefit from them.

I never knew a man that made me think of Jesus more than Adrian Rogers. Every time I was with him, I truly felt like I was hanging out with Jesus. I'd like to share with you some facets from his life that Impacted my own life and hopefully they will encourage you as well.

My relationship with dr. Rogers deepened when God called me to write the authorized biography of J. Sidlow Baxter. Dr. Baxter had preached at Bellevue Baptist Church on a number of occasions through the years and Sid and Adrian were close friends.

So when I approached dr. Rogers to write the foreword to that book He took it as a great privilege and he took deep interest in the progress of that biography. Every time I would complete a chapter He wanted me to come by his office and hand it to him so he could read it.

This gave us some opportunities to get to know each other better. I remember one time I was sitting with him in a study and I Shared a comment with him that Sidlow Baxter made when he first came to the new Bellevue campus to preach for those of you Unfamiliar with dr. Rogers Church.

It had a membership of 30 ,000 in a sprawling campus of many big impressive buildings. And as Sidlow Baxter walked to the front door on his way to see Adrian He marveled at the size of the campus and leaned over to his wife Isa and said Adrian must be watchful Lest his kingdom get too heavy.

Stories That Reveal Adrian Rogers' Character

When I shared that with dr. Rogers his eyes lit up and he told me several Sidlow Baxter stories as well. Well, I want to start this message this evening friends with a story. I was at a private party and Adrian Rogers was there and of course Everyone wanted to talk to him and I waited my time.

Until I was the very last guest to approach him as I stood facing him. I asked him something about How we met dr. Baxter and his reply surprised me and I commented I didn't know that but then Adrian Rogers put his two big hands on both sides of my face and Literally jerked me up off the ground until my face was one inch from his and in his deep booming voice He said there's a lot you don't know young man, and I reckon he was right.

But he sure shocked me when he squeezed my face like that. Another time when I was with him I asked him when it was that God gave him a special anointing as a preacher and Adrian got real quiet and Reflective and after a while.

Spiritual Anointing Through Suffering

He said it was right after the death of my baby boy. I went through a deep time and it was then God put his hand on me. Looking back on his words. It's remarkable how God has touched the lives of his servants who've passed through the deepest waters.

Lifting Up Jesus in Every Sermon

I Was seen with dr. Rogers and his study one day and I told him I just listened to him on the radio that morning. Well, I was driving in my car and I had a little notepad in my lap and a pen in my hand.

And every time he mentioned the name Jesus in his sermon I made a hash mark on that notepad and when I finally came to a stop I counted the hash marks and learned that every 60 seconds Adrian mentioned the name of Jesus 30 times.

When I told him that he smiled because he knew his job as a preacher. Was to lift up lift up Jesus for the world to see. My homiletical mentor Dr. Stephen Alford had died and his funeral service was held at Bellevue as he was a member there and Dr. Rogers, of course presided over that funeral as he and Stephen Alford were close friends.

The Need for God-Called Preachers

In the hallway outside the auditorium. I was standing there talking to Adrian Rogers. And he got real serious as he crossed his arms across his chest and in a solemn voice. He asked me a question. He said do you know what concerns me?

I Replied no, dr. Rogers. What concerns you. And he stared intently at me and said What concerns me is I see God Calling up men like Sidlow Baxter and Stephen Alford and I look around and I don't see any come uppers and He was right and that's why we're in such a sad state today because of the lack of God called God anointed preachers.

Adrian Rogers' Christlike Compassion and Final Goodbye

Well, I'll share a couple more stories with you friends about Adrian. It was a rainy night in Memphis and I had just dropped my family off at the front door of a local restaurant. While I went to park the car It was pouring cats and dogs as I made my way through the parking lot beneath my umbrella.

As soon as I entered the restaurant There stood a figure in the lobby with his arms outstretched and he hugged me as he greeted me with Ernesto. Adrian called me Ernesto because his son David was a missionary in Spain.

As he hugged me I had the incredible Sensation that I had just left earth and I was standing in heaven being hugged by Jesus. I'm not Embellishing that at all friends. I really felt that way. That's how much Adrian Reminded me of Jesus because of his surrendered life.

Too many of us preachers a day fall into the category of Sidlow Baxter's observation. How can a man full of himself? Preach the Christ to empty himself. Well the last time I saw Adrian Rogers we were at the Dedication of the Ted Rendell library at Oldford Ministries in Memphis.

And it was just me and Ted Rendell and Henry Blackaby and Adrian Rogers. Standing in a room. But dr. Rogers was all eaten up with cancer and he could hardly walk his natural force was gone from the chemo.

But as we said our goodbyes he did something that shocked me once again. Somehow he gathered all his strength and he jerked me up off the ground again to where my chin was. Resting on a shoulder and with his arms around me in a bear hug.

He hugged me so hard and so long it became embarrassing in a way. Finally, he let me down and let me go and we parted he was dead within two weeks. He knew was the end and he was hugging me that long to say goodbye.

As I stood over Adrian's casket and looked at his mortal remains for the last time I couldn't hold back the tears that ran down my face. For a man that made me think of Jesus like no other man since.