God in the Workplace
Blackaby Keynotes God in the Workplace seminar
By Brian Blackwell
Louisiana Baptist Message Staff Writer
Do not abandon the church but rather see how to become part of the solution for positive change, Richard Blackaby, urged students at a special Louisiana Christian University chapel service March 26.
“This is a critical day for the church,” said Blackaby said, president of Blackaby Ministries International. “But the answer lies in rooms just like this with young people filled with talent, filled with ability, filled with leadership skills, who might say whatever else God has me to do with my career, some of the most important things that I may be do with my life is stepping alongside a church and helping it to become everything God intends for it. I pray that will be so.”
Blackaby, the son of “Experiencing God” author Richard Blackaby, said he has heard too many people proclaim plateauing churches must die. But, as he cited in Colossians 1:15-18, Christ is the head of the church and God’s plan to reach humanity is through the church.
“Satan hates the church because it’s God’s answer for people’s sin,” he said. “It’s God’s solution to help people get to heaven. And Satan hates the church and he will do everything in his power to destroy the church.”
Blackaby said Satan tries to accomplish this by filling the church with hypocrites, causing leaders to fall into immorality and creating division.
“He will do everything he can to turn the young people away from the church because he knows if the young people leave the church there is no future for the church,” Blackaby said. “But can I tell you as young people today, you have a big target on you. And Satan is going after you, and he will do everything he can to get you out of church so you are not involved, so that you give your best skills and talents to the world instead of the church.”
Blackaby encouraged the students to find a church where they can invest their lives.
“The future of the church rests in your hands,” he said. “Don’t wait for the old folks to fix the problems. I’m not aware of a revival that started with an old guy. I don’t know of a senior citizen who has been used as a catalyst to bring revival to anywhere. You know where most of the revivals have come from in the church? From young people. That’s where new life comes from. My prayer is that God will use young people just like you to revive the church. If a church isn’t all that it ought to be, don’t walk away from it. Say God how do you want to use me to make this church what you’ve always known it could be. Look at a church and see what it could be, not necessarily what it is.”
Blackaby was on campus to lead the second “God in the Workplace” conference March 25. The seminar equipped business leaders, pastors, students and others with tools to live out one’s faith at work.
Additional keynoters included Blake Chatelain, president and founder of Red River Bank, and a deacon at Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria; and Emma Bush, a business consultant for strategic planning, organizational development and performance optimization from Dallas, Texas.
“We are blessed and encouraged to have such top-flight leaders visit Louisiana Christian University,” said LCU President Dr. Rick Brewer. “We are emboldened to continue in the ministry God has assigned us when we are exposed to those who are making such a significant difference in Kingdom work elsewhere.”