Send Network president highlights God’s sovereignty in Convocation, ‘The Chosen’ director debuts holiday film

Liberty University welcomed Hope Church Las Vegas Founding Pastor and Send Network President Vance Pitman to Convocation on Wednesday to share about the importance of founding one’s life on the promises of God’s Kingdom instead of becoming overwhelmed by the current weight of problems in the world.

Send Network is currently the largest church planting network in North America, having planted almost 800 churches last year. Pitman’s visit was part of Church Advancement Week at Liberty, hosted by the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity. On Tuesday, the School of Divinity held a Ministry Career Fair in the LaHaye Event space, giving students the opportunity to meet with churches and other ministry organizations for potential internships and jobs. The week will conclude with a church planting simulation session in the Alumni Ballroom on Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Prior to Pitman’s message, filmmaker and “The Chosen” creator Dallas Jenkins shared a short preview of his new movie, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” which comes to theatres across the country on Nov. 8. Jenkins has had three children attend Liberty and recalled reading the “Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever” novel to them when they were children. He highlighted his desire to make Christian films that appeal to everyone, regardless of age.

“When I was in college, I used to sit in your seat and wish that there were good television or movie projects that I could enjoy,” Jenkins said, noting that the faith-based movies of the time didn’t meet the production quality of contemporary secular works. “That’s why I felt compelled to get into the movie and television business to make content in many ways for you, for the college version of myself.”

Pitman then opened his message by challenging students to live for Christ, regardless of their chosen career path.

“God is doing some incredible things through local churches across the country,” he said, noting that students interested in participating in GenSend program can gain more information by texting “Summer” to 888-123. “I want to encourage you, maybe for the summer or maybe for a long-term career choice, find a place where you can serve within the local church and make a difference and an impact with the Gospel around the world.”

Pitman next addressed the upcoming 2024 Presidential Election and said that regardless of the outcome, God is still ultimately on the throne. Comparing modern America to the ancient kingdom of Babylon in Daniel 7, he argued that the true King prevails regardless of the circumstances.

“For us today, presidents come and presidents go, but there is a King who is never up for election,” Pitman said. “He never abdicates his throne. He never takes a vacation. He never takes a nap. He never looks at the polls or meets with a stylist or a strategist. He needs no fundraising. He needs no party platform. He needs no consensus or parliament, cabinet, supreme court, or legislature. He’s the ultimate King, the King of Kings. Our future is in His hands.”

He offered three truths about what this means for modern-day believers. First, that God is sovereign and far superior to any earthly ruler or circumstance. Instead of viewing Jesus as Lord and Savior, he said Christians often errantly treat Him as a ‘co-pilot’ or a friend.

“We have so watered down Jesus in our culture today that we have lost the sense of ‘wow!’ when we see His glory and His majesty,” Pitman said.

“The reason sin is so attractive is we’ve lost sight of His glory,” he added. “The reason doubt creeps in so relentlessly is because we’ve forgotten the greatness of who He is.”

Then by sharing various scientific facts about the vastness of the universe, Pitman noted how God’s incredible power and might is far beyond what the human mind can even comprehend.

The other truths are that Christians must recognize that their ultimate citizenship lies not with an earthly nation but a heavenly Kingdom and that Christ will one day return to establish this Kingdom.

“The Kingdom of God is the big picture of what God is doing in the world,” he said. “God is on a mission right now expanding His Kingdom. We are living in the greatest days in the history of Christianity to be alive. There are more people coming to Jesus on a daily basis in the world than at any other single time in human history. God raised up your generation to swear allegiance to the King and leverage your life for the sake of the mission and the Kingdom being expanded in nations all over the world.”

In closing, he provided three words of advice for Christians as they face the current election season: to put your ballot in the box and continue to exercise your right to vote to honor those who died to afford you that right to have a say in who becomes your earthly leader; put your faith in God instead of earthly authority; and put your hope in His eventual Kingdom.