Dr. G. B. Vick
1975 May Graduation Fellowship Address

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Go with me, if you will, over a hundred years ago, to a scene that was enacted in the heart of Europe. It was a number of years after the fateful battle of Waterloo, which changed the history of Europe and of the world. There was a strange gathering there. And the honorees on that occasion were varied in their looks and in their actions. Those who were the honorees were called to the platform to face him who had been their Emperor in years past. I say, they varied in many, many ways. Some limped up to the platform on wooden legs; some had a patch over one eye; some were unable to salute their former Emperor because they had empty sleeves. There was but one thing in common with all these men, as they passed by, they received that one thing in common: the medal which their former commander pinned upon them was not a gold or a silver medal, it was simple, plain iron disk. Not pretty in appearance. And on that peculiar, rough, rude medal, just three words: "I Was There." Those three words were meaningful.

Tonight I would cite you to others who were there on a fateful occasion, that famous Texas Hotel meeting, and I'm going to ask everyone of you who were there to stand together with me, will you please...all who were in that hotel meeting in the Texas Hotel. Twenty-five years ago this very week, 1950, the third week in May...no, not a hundred left. Some have graduated to higher planes. Each of us who was there whom God has preserved and brought to this good hour can say with Napoleon's old guard, "I Was There!" Thank you, be seated.

Certainly the scars and the sacrifices of those early years have left us with a great heritage. We are reminded in the word of God to esteem the heritage which has been purchased for us and handed down to us. We're enjoined through the inspired pen of Isaiah, to "remember the Rock from whence we are hewn, and the pit from whence we were digged." Therefore, we emphasize our heritage.

Inherent in any successful movement is some intangible something called "Pioneer Spirit." What is it? I think there are several ingredients which go to make up "Pioneer Spirit" and our Christian heritage.

The first that I would name would be faith to attempt the impossible. And certainly from a human standpoint we, in those early days, did attempt against overwhelming odds that which to human eyes would appear impossible. For during these twenty-five years, and we speak of it nothing to boast of but something to render grateful thanks to Almighty God for, we've seen more progress under the good hand of our God in a shorter period than any Bible-believing movement in modern church history in America. I remember one of those early Graduation Fellowship meetings...(we were in High Street, Dave [speaking to Dr. David Cavin who was seated behind him]...we didn't have these facilities then). And there, as a little company of graduates passed across the platform as they passed in review on Class day, they were telling where God had called them. John Rawlings was sitting at my side, and you know, he isn't exactly a sentimentalist! He's a realist. But you know, as he turned to me his eyes were brimming with tears (do you remember that? [speaking to Dr. Rawlings]) And he said, "Beauchamp, these kids would charge Hell with a bucket of water." I said, "That's exactly what we're trying to inculcate in them!" I trust that that spirit shall never cease among the graduates of the Baptist Bible College. Yes, I say, we attempted the impossible, and we did it on faith.

The second necessity if we are to have and maintain this Christian heritage would be a willingness to endure hardships. Our beginnings were rather humble. We either had to sacrifice, and endure, and do without or else quit. Today I hope that that, too, will never fade; our willingness to sacrifice, our willingness to get the job done! "For he that putteth his hand to the plow and looketh back is not worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven."

Yes, a willingness to endure hardships. Too many young preachers (I don't think this is characteristic of us as a whole, but at least there are too many if there's one); many young preachers today won't accept a pastorate unless "the deal" is good. They want a Mark IV automobile; they insist on a $50,000.00 parsonage; a retirement plan, a stock option; a cut on Holy Land tours; two secretaries; an expense account, and more exotic office furniture than the Temple Baptist Church has ever had! [laughter].

Yes, the old time picture of a fundamental Baptist wasn't that, was it? I think the real heroes of our Fellowship have been those who have gone out in a wilderness of sin and driven down the stakes deep and staked a claim, a gospel claim, on a certain territory to which they felt God had led them.

Yes, willing to endure hardship in order to see it survive. A willingness to endure hardship cannot be over emphasized in this day of soft living on the part of the average American. You know, some of our present students even have come to expect the relative luxury of BBC as compared with the old days: air conditioned cafeteria, some air conditioned classrooms, married apartments, athletic facilities, intramural and intercollegiate sports, well prepared food in the cafeteria, and still they grip, just like some of you earlier graduates gripped in the old days when you didn't have near that much. Yes, I remember those old Army barracks. They were sneered at. (Some) said they were full of germs because they were once in a hospital, but I never heard of anybody getting sick from them. I remember we used to have to wade through ankle-deep mud to get from a dormitory to a classroom, and what a celebration there was when we finally scraped up $300.00 above the necessary weekly payroll to put in three-foot wide walks to keep us out of ankle-deep mud as we went to the classrooms. That was quite a day! I'm glad we don't have to wade through mud now. I'm glad we don't have to endure some of those things anymore. But if we ever lose the willingness to do so if it's necessary, then we'll die as an army of the Lord! Yes, I say, no matter how much people have, it seems the more they grip. Old Dr. Bob Jones, a real friend of this institution from its beginning; a great Christian philosopher, as well as educator and evangelist...Old Dr. Bob Jones used to tell his students, "Don't you come around here gripping." He said, "Some of you kids will grip when you get to heaven, and you'll go up to the Arch Angel or the Lord Himself, and you'll say, "You know, my crown doesn't fit!" or "My golden slippers are too tight" or something else! Yes, the more have the more we want...isn't that right?

Then there's a third necessity for the preservation of a real Pioneer Spirit and that is a willingness to fight. A willingness to fight. For the Bible enjoins us, "Fight the good fight of faith..." Incidentally, how in the world am I going to fight the devil looking like Mother Hubbard! Some of you guys help me get this thing off, will you! [He was referring to his robe...it was hot in the fieldhouse and he took off his robe to a standing ovation from the graduates]. Incidentally, it's hot! [laughter].

A willingness to fight...You know we need to take our stand, not only on religious issues, certainly that has the priority, but we need to fight the good fight on every moral issue that comes along. Wherever the devil sticks his head up we need to cut it off! We need to stand on issues, on every moral issue, on every religious issue. You know, there are many American people today who think the Roman Catholics are the only ones who are fighting abortion in this day. And it used to be that fundamental Baptists were in the forefront of the battle on every great scriptural or moral issue. Incidentally, we need to let our voice be heard on these issues which are before us today. And isn't it a peculiar thing that these sickly sentimentalists are so afraid that they must safeguard the rights and privileges of these dirty, lowdown gangsters and murderers and rapists, that they have softened our laws and eased up on the punishment affixed thereto, and yet they advocate the murder of unborn infants and deny the scriptural precept of capitol punishment! Strange, strange people. "Inconsistency, thou art a jewel that dost adorn the shirt front of every modernist." A willingness to fight, to stand, and having done all to stand. We used to fight on the liquor question. (John, remember what a good time we had there in Tyler, Texas [speaking to John Rawlings]. I really enjoyed it. We licked the thunder out of that liquor crowd in those days. But it's been a long time since you or I either one were in it. That's true.). We used to fight on every issue. Not only willing to name issues and to name specific sins...too many of us are like former President Calvin Coolidge who went to church one day when Mrs. Coolidge, his wife, was unable to go. When President Coolidge got back she said, "What did the Preacher preach on?" And he said, "Oh, sin." She said, "What'd he say about it?" He said, "Oh, he was against it!" We need not only to fight sin in the abstract but to name specific sins, and to warn men of the inevitable consequences thereof. We not only used to hear fundamental Baptist preachers name sin, but name sinners. That's right. Some of you preachers are afraid to mention the name of Billy Graham, though some of your people, you could question the Virgin Birth of Christ and they'd never bat an eye, and yet you say a word about Billy Graham and you'd have a riot on your hands! That shows how uninformed many so-called Christians and fundamental Baptists are! [loud amens]

I say, we need to name sin specifically, and even if necessary, to name the sinners. Now I hope I don't violate the laws of good taste or propriety, but if so, here goes anyway! [laughter] Now we greatly appreciate, and we honor the powers that be. We're enjoined to pray for those in authority. And I greatly appreciated, as did you, the proclamation which was issued by the Governor of this state, to make this week, over the entire State of Missouri, Baptist Bible College and Baptist Bible Fellowship Week. I think that was good. But that doesn't mean that we have to agree with everything which Governor Bond espouses! And I say I hope I don't violate the laws of good taste, but Governor Bond, when you push for the enactment of the ERA [Equal Rights Amendment for Women], you're wrong! [loud amens] You're wrong morally and your wrong spiritually! [loud amens] And incidentally, I respect President Ford, our Michigan President. I think he's a sincere man facing a hard job. And I appreciated the nice message which he sent down here to us. That was great. On the other hand, I wish President Ford would keep his wife from exercising pressure on legislators in Missouri and other States to pass the ERA! [loud amens] I wish you'd exercise a little more scriptural authority over your wife! [loud applause!!] He says he's born again, and I think he is, I certainly hope he is. But he lacks a lot of being a fundamental Baptist! [laughter]

All right, we've discussed briefly our great heritage. And that's important. But the important thing is, let's preserve it.

And not only would I give attention to our great heritage, but to our harvest. And you know the harvest is an increase. The harvest means increase. And God has blessed and increased our forces. These figures in part have been given to you several times this week, but we need to engrave them on our hearts, coupled with a gratitude in our hearts for the Lord and His blessing. Approximately one hundred and fifty churches, which we had in the beginning, most of those churches were weak. I remember the youth camp in Turner Falls, Oklahoma. Several of us got together and we began to count up and there were only four churches and Sunday Schools in that hundred and fifty that composed the beginnings of the Baptist Bible Fellowship that had an average attendance of 500. I say, weak, small, many of them almost infant churches. That one hundred and fifty churches has grown to approximately twenty-four hundred churches, many of which are the greatest churches that the sun shines upon anywhere on earth's surface tonight. We've grown from a hundred and seven students on September 5, 1950 to the Twenty-three Hundred and Eighty-four which we have matriculated in the halls of Baptist Bible College this school year. We had just a little handful of missionaries, and they've grown to Four hundred and Seventy-two missionaries preaching the gospel, spreading the good news that men don't have to go to Hell, the remedy's been found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and that's on Forty-seven major mission fields on earth's surface. Financially, we thank God for the liberality of the churches and pastors of our Fellowship, as manifested yesterday. When this movement began September, 1950 we had the magnificent sum-total of Eleven thousand dollars and now you can look around the campus of 35 acres, grown from the original five and you can see facilities which if they had to be built today would run approximately Ten million dollars! This is the Lord's doing; it's marvelous in our eyes! The from the thirteen graduate in 1951 to nearly Five hundred here sitting before you. Yes, speaking entirely from an unbiased standpoint, we're great! We're somebody. From a religious standpoint, we're the greatest thing going in religious circles today. If I didn't believe that, I think I'd try to find the crowd that was better and join them, wouldn't you? But you can search the whole wide world over, and in my opinion, I don't think you'd find one. Therefore, we thank God for His blessings.

Yes, but wait a minute. With our added blessings and with the added greatness, inevitably greater responsibilities fall upon us. "To whom much is given, of him shall much be required." With all of our greatness, we're far, far from perfect. I say, we're far from perfect! And we need to guard against those spiritually debilitating tendencies which might prevent us from reaching our full potential. What are those dangers against which we must guard? Well, I'd name one: a failure to innovate. Just satisfaction with the status quo; and that's soul-deadening! And that's murder to any institution or movement. Satisfaction with the status quo, a failure to innovate. Now our message doesn't change, but we're constantly on the look out to improve the spread of that message beginning in our Jerusalem unto the uttermost parts of the earth. We constantly review means by which we may improve the spreading of this gospel. And speaking for the college, I think that's one thing in which we have not been lax in the past.

We innovated, recently, the Fourth Year Program. We've begun the Elementary Education Department to prepare teachers for Christian Day Schools, to keep kids out of the permissivism and the rottenness of the average public school today. We've innovated the application for accreditation in the highest accreditation association Bible colleges know in America today. We've instituted pastor's seminars in which we take various representatives of our faculty to various sections of the country and there gather the pastors of that locale and there give them just a little taste of what their students are getting here in these halls. We've computerized our records because of the enormity of the record load which is necessary in an institution of this size. We've instituted the Creation Science courses to arm our young men against the devil-inspired doctrine of evolution which is so wide-spread and so commonly accepted. We've instituted a Christian Service Department. We've instituted a Development Department. We've instituted a plan to keep the pastors more informed concerning the conduct and the records that their students are making while here. I think that's helpful.

Yes, we have other plans, and I'll let you in on a little secret. Somebody said, "What are we going to do when we pay off that debt?" We're going to start building again. [Amens] And our next building, as of the present time, our next plans call for a beautiful complex located over there between the Mission Building and our present Administration Building, a beautiful lot, which will give us all of the valley between the hill upon which this building stands and the hill upon which our Mission Building stands. Boy, that'll be a sight! And that will be for the purpose of a new and enlarged Administrative facilities and a new library.

Another innovation which we hope to materialize: I try learn something wherever I go...I still find I've got plenty to learn! In our recent trip to the Orient, this thing was driven home to us with tremendous force: the necessity of our missionaries being able to properly communicate in the language of the native people with whom they work. ANd we're thinking and planning and hoping and praying now for an enlarged foreign language department. Now for a long time we've been teaching Spanish, and that includes missionaries going out to old Mexico and Central America and all the countries of South America except one, Brazil. And that perhaps would embrace between thirty and forty countries that we're trying to prepare our future missionaries for even while they're here in school. In addition to that, as we send out our missionaries to the Orient, we're hoping and praying and planning, if the Lord will enable us, to import some wonderful, dedicated, Korean (just one would be all that's necessary to start with), and a wonderful, dedicated, Christian Japanese recommended of course by our missionaries and their respective countries, and teach those who are going out to the Orient those languages for the three or four years in which they study here; and I believe it would save them at least one entire term of service if they know the language before they ever get there. I think it would cost a great deal more for our college, but it would save ten times that much toward our mission department and toward our Fellowship expenses by having these missionaries go out and spend at least one term before they are able to adequately at all to communicate in the language of the people to whom they minister. I say, ten times over the cost. But wait a minute, our plans and our innovations are conditions upon the added liberality and the added support of the pastors and churches of our Baptist Bible Fellowship. I'm trying to put the baby in your lap.

Yes, we have been innovative, and we plan to so continue. But wait a minute, we'll either innovate or stagnate. There's no standing still.

Another thing against which we should guard, a failure to maintain our Baptist, fundamental distinctives. Historically fundamental Baptists have been different. About the only law I remember of Physics is the definition of energy, the definition of power is the measure of difference. And that applies just as much to the spiritual as to the physical. The definition of power is the measure of difference, and we don't win the world by trying to dress like them and talk like them and act like them! And I think some of our young pastors, some of our youth leaders could take special note there. You don't have to look like a hippie in order to reach hippies! You don't have to look like a child of the devil in order to reach children of the devil! And I say our spiritual power is largely dependent upon the measure of difference which we have from them.

Oh yes, our looks are different now from what they used to look like among the old-time, typical fundamentalist Baptist preacher. Our look's even different. Traditionally, the old-time fundamentalist Baptist preacher was a lean, long, hungry, rugged individual not afraid to pick up a pick or a shovel or a hoe, or a gun if necessary or whatever else to get the job done! And to lead people by their example to work for the Lord, and not say, "You go ahead and do it." Yes, today's typical Baptist preacher however, can't leave his parsonage, without ten different kinds of deodorant having been applied! [laughter] Now that's not altogether bad! On the other hand, there's no use in going to the extreme. I see our typical soldier of the Cross, a rugged fundamental Baptist preacher, when he gets up in the morning he takes a shower with rose-scented soap. He then rolls on lemon flavored deodorant; he brushes his teeth with mint-flavored toothpaste; he gargles with some cherry mouthwash; he sprinkles on lilac foot powder before he puts his shoes on; he washes his hair with strawberry shampoo; he shaves with lime foamy; and then he slaps on peach cologne; then he sprays his hair with apple blossom hair spray; and then when he walks out of his home to do mortal combat with the devil and his forces for that day, he looks like a cross between a china doll and he smells like a fruitcake! [laughter and applause] He gets into his Mark IV Continental, he turns on the air conditioner, he slips on the Imperial Quartets' numbers, and as he drives along he sings with them, "I'm satisfied with just a cottage below!" [laughter and more applause] I say we don't even look like the old time preachers did!

That brings me to another question...we don't even sound like the old time preachers did. That's right, the old songs we used to hear and used to sing with such fervor use to put iron in your blood and a ramrod up your back! They were a course in systematic theology as we pondered the words and sang them.

"How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord, is laid for your faith in His excellent word! What more can he say than to you He hath said, to you who for refuge to Jesus hath fled! That soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes! [pounding the lectern] That soul, though all Hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

Not only that, but I'm afraid in too many cases even our preaching has changed a little bit . That's right. Difference in delivery. Used to be you could tell a fundamental Baptist preacher even if you were blindfolded. Different in delivery. Different in context. Preachers, how long has it been since you preached a sermon on Hell? I don't mean just referred to it in passing, I mean preached a straight out sermon on the burning fires of an everlasting Hell and held the congregation over so close they could smell the brimstone? "There is no fear of God before their eyes!" It's our fault if there's no fear of Hell before our people. We need to preach and sound it forth as never before the necessity of repentance, and speak against every sin that the devil sponsors. As long as God gives me health and strength, I propose to preach a sin that's black, a life that's short, a death that's certain, a Hell that's hot, an eternity that's long, a judgment that's sure, and call sinners to a blood bought redemption.

Yes, sometimes our preaching is even different in origin. It's become fashionable to use many different versions of the Bible today. It even becomes fashionable to question in some quarters and correct that Bible, that English Bible which has been the source of the greatest revivals that earth ever knew and been the result of the preaching of the gospel and the souls that were saved than even the original manuscripts were, because they didn't last very long. I'm not a crank on the subject, but I still believe that we need to shun such expressions, as we come across some word, "You know, now that does not appear in the Original documents" or "This verse is not found in the oldest manuscripts" or "This could be more properly rendered as such and such," trying to improve the Bible!

Listen! This King James Version, our English Bible, the Bible of our fathers and mothers, is the one that has come floating down to us upon the blood of Christian martyrs, our forefathers. It has been, I say, the one text of the Baptist Bible College, and it will be as long as I have anything to do with this school! [loud amens and applause] Yes, I'm afraid we've even differed in priority. Let's stick to the old Book.

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We've studied briefly our Heritage, our Harvest, now our Help. This is a good outline whether it's a good message or not! Our Heritage, our Harvest, our Help. We need to keep constantly before us the fact that we have just a small measure of success, it's not we that did it, but God. "The Lord hath done wondrous things for us, whereof we are glad!" "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our sight!" "I lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. He that keepeth thee will not slumber; He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." "The Lord is thy keeper! The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand; the sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil. He shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve our going out and our coming in from this time forth and evermore."

Yes, my friends, this doing is of the Lord. For "except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. Except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain." The Lord our help, our redeemer, our all. Whatever good is seen around the Baptist Bible College, the Lord deserves the credit. Certainly not Beauchamp Vick, not even these men and women that we've tried to assemble the best group of qualified and spiritual, consecrated, dedicated teachers that any school affords anywhere in America. They don't deserve the credit. This is the Lord's doing! Yes, our help.

Then I want us to consider just a moment our Horizon. Our Heritage, our Harvest, our Help, our Horizon. On the occasion of the convening of the first Continental Congress, the wisest statesmen the Thirteen struggling colonies could afford had assembled yonder in Philadelphia. They met in old Independence Hall. And for two weeks those representatives, those jealous representatives of their own particular section from whence they came quibbled and quarreled about the wording of this and that and the other...not a scratch of a pen had been made as they signed one important document. Not a single resolution was passed. They were wrangling, they were fussing and fighting..in the midst of that, old Benjamin Franklin arose, though he had taken a bath in Voltaire's atheism when he was our ambassador yonder in France; yet old Benjamin Franklin arose and said something like this, "Mr. President," addressing George Washington who was chairing the occasion. He said, "I'm an old man. My hairs are white with the frosts of many winters. I've watched through these years the hand of God in dealing with individuals and with nations. Sir, I am persuaded that no nation can be successfully launched without seeking and obtaining the help of Divine Providence. I move you, therefore, Mr. President, that every time we come together we open this session in prayer asking God to guide in every detail." And the last time I was there, I hope it's still there, in old Independence Hall, there's a picture on the wall. There are forefathers knelt upon those broad twelve inch wide planks, and there George Washington was standing with his face raised to the God who alone can make nations great and he asked His divine help and guidance. And soon thereafter there came forth the Declaration of Independence which is the greatest treatise of law and equity and judgment and government that earth knows anything about. There while that was going on, after God had prospered them, something had been accomplished, old Benjamin Franklin arose again and he said, "Sir, I've been looking at a picture there on the wall. I see there the half of a sun and the artist has shown just half of that sun because it is pictured and outlined against the distant horizon. I've been trying to ponder whether or not that pictured a rising or a setting sun. And now, after these blessings and accomplishments have been finished, I believe a new day is dawning. I believe that's a rising sun for our country." My friends, I believe a new day is dawning. I believe the second quarter of a century [of the Baptist Bible Fellowship] should see the rising of a new sun and of greater accomplishments. Yes, I believe our greatest sermons are yet to be preached, that our greatest churches are yet to be built, that our greatest mission work has yet to be accomplished, our greatest student body yet to be assembled, our greatest offerings yet to be taken and given, our greatest influence yet to be felt, our greatest victories yet to be won, and perhaps, perhaps our greatest sacrifices are yet to be made. The groundwork has been done.

There's a picture in the old Moravian hymnal that portrayed three of the great heroes of the Reformation. That picture showed Wycliffe, the Morning Star of the Reformation, shows Wycliffe taking the torch, it shows Huss lighting it, and it shows Luther holding it high. Graduates of 1975, the torch has been taken, the torch has been lighted, before long, the present pastors of the Fellowship will be handing that torch to you. Are you going to let it fall to the ground or are you going to lift it high? Yes, I believe our Fellowship is facing a new day, a rising sun.

In the last chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, we read these significant words, I think their applicable: ""And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and in the days of the elders that outlived Joshua." Just over on the opposite page, the first chapter of the Book of Judges, those same words, "And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and in the days of the elders that outlived Joshua." What a man he was, to keep a nation bowing at the altar of Jehovah, walking in the precepts of God's word for two whole generations. "The same commit thou to faithful men who are able to teach others also."

Then again one more quotation from old Dr. Bob Jones. In one of our early graduations he preached the graduation message; some of you can remember it. Old Dr. Bob Jones, in the closing days of his ministry, looked into the future, and he feared, like any conscientious man of God would that after his influence would wane with the passing years, and he wouldn't be there to safeguard everything which he thought needed to be safeguarded, he said something like this: "According to the laws of nature I won't be with you always. When God calls me home, if I ever look over the precipice of heaven and see Bob Jones University dipping its colors, compromising in its doctrine and in its practice; if I see compromise and liberalism and modernism being taught in these halls, and the word of God questioned, and the name of Christ dragged in the mire, I'm going to go up to the Lord and I'm going to say, 'Lord, would you just excuse me for a little while. I've got a job to do.' I'll come down here and there won't be one single stone left of these buildings here on this territory!"

My friends, according to the laws of nature those of us whom you've called founders of this institution will not be here if another twenty-five years comes and the Lord Jesus tarries His coming. My friends, if it ever comes when doubts are distilled, and when question marks are put behind the word of God, and when the gospel of Jesus Christ, the saving Gospel of blood redemption fails to be proclaimed, those of us whom you've called founders, will join Noel Smith and Fred Donnelson and others and we'll walk up and say, "Lord, would you just excuse us just a few minutes. We have a task to perform!" [Amens and applause].

END