Archive for the 'Join the Movement' Category
Pastor, Talk to Your Church About America
This past Sunday morning, I took the opportunity to talk to my church about America. While I do not do this weekly, I do practice it regularly. I believe it is a stewardship entrusted to me for the church I pastor.
I believe it is necessary for each pastor to talk to his church about America. If we do not choose to do it, then we are neglecting our responsibility and turning our people over to navigating through these issues alone. This is dangerous for any of us.
When I Talk to Our People About America
When it was time for me to speak on Sunday, I transitioned by talking about spending three days in Washington, DC last week. I discussed some meetings I attended, mentioned that Jeana and I attended the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning, and concluded by talking about watching President Donald J. Trump’s appointment of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court.
Relating to the National Prayer Breakfast, I mentioned the dynamic and powerful message given by Chaplain Barry Black, the Chaplain of the United States Senate. Then, I mentioned the speech given by President Trump, and re-emphasized his commitment to religious liberty in our nation. Relating to the President’s appointment to the Supreme Court, I reminded our people that while presidents come and go, their appointments influence generations. Finally, I challenged our people to pray for the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court as well as the remaining appointments to serve on the President’s Cabinet. I appealed to our people to pray for our nation at this time.
While my remarks this past Sunday were specific, most of the time my remarks are much more general, leading us to a time of praying for America.
Pastor, it is Not Being Political to Talk About America
Pastor, stop thinking you are being political if you talk about America. There are bloggers who are of the opinion that a pastor should never talk about America. Do not let the opinion of someone you don’t even know cause you to forfeit your stewardship responsibility entrusted to you as a pastor.
Clearly understand that your role is to give biblical light to this time in America. You are not a pundit on a night-time television show or drive time radio, you are a man of God who is helping shepherd your people through the challenges we are facing together in our nation today.
Your role is never to denounce a leader or movement publicly, but to bear light upon the issues themselves from a biblical perspective. You cross over into being political when you ooze with your personal preferences and try to sway your people into voting or thinking about something in the same way you do.
Interestingly, when you deal with the issues biblically and spiritually, you are much more convincing than you would ever be with your own preferences. Our authority is not in what we say, but only in what God says. I am convicted deeply that our people need to hear God’s perspective about the issues in our nation.
5 Points of Counsel for Every Pastor
1. The Stewardship of Leadership: God has entrusted the stewardship of leadership to each pastor. We are temporary trustees, leading the people of God in a local church. We cannot forfeit our leadership of the church or operate passively about our nation. This would be spiritual negligence.
2. The Bible and Spirituality: In all reality, we do not need to be just another voice to our people. We need to become the biblical voice that challenges the church in America to become the spiritual life of our nation. What sets our voice apart is one thing: What God says! Not what we say or think, but what God Himself says in His Word. Our call to the church is always an upward call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Our call is to become all God wants us to be.
3. Giving Honor and Dignity to Our Leaders: Leadership in America is hard and difficult. It is unimaginable for any pastor, business leader, or educator in our nation to even comprehend what presidential candidates and the presidents themselves face when elected.
For as long as I can remember, I have never referred to a president by their last name only, which to me shows disrespect and dishonor. It has always been, for as long as I can remember, President Kennedy, President Johnson, President Nixon, President Ford, President Carter, President Reagan, President Bush, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, and President Trump. From a youngster in early elementary school when President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas to where I am today while President Trump leads our nation, I am deeply convinced that pastors and spiritual leaders do not need to do anything less than give honor to the leaders in our nation. While we may disagree with someone’s ideology or even lifestyle choices, we should always respect them by referring to them by their proper title. When we do not, it is disrespectful and a horrible example before others.
4. Praying for and Supporting our President: As men of God and pastors of local churches, we should always lead our people in praying for our nation and supporting our president in prayer and encouragement. All Americans should support and desire the success of each president in our nation. Our confidence is only found in praying for our president, entrusting him to God and His care.
5. A Future and a Hope: As a pastor of a local church, I should always lead people to have a future and a hope for their nation. Even in the worst of times, we need to be the type of prophets who, while being honest about where our nation is, also believe that we have a future and a hope in the Lord.
Therefore pastor, do your people a favor and represent Your Lord favorably by talking to your church about our nation regularly. When we speak to our people about our nation, we should also be burdened to pray for our nation fervently. Because it is in God we trust.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, immediate past President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Navigating Through the Refugee Issue from a Biblical Perspective
Passion is high in America on issues relating to refugees. The pundits, politicians, and even preachers are weighing in. How do we find our way through these complex issues?
As followers of Jesus Christ, what is the balanced, biblical perspective? If we do not look at it biblically, we enter into dialogue without authority and clarity.
Three Practical Realities
There are three practical realities that are inescapable. It is imperative we understand these or we will get lost in the complexity of the issues. Consider these three realities:
Love the Refugee
The Gospel of Jesus Christ moves me to call on all of us to demonstrate compassionate action toward the refugee. We need to honor and respect them individually for their God-given dignity. However, their long-term future in our nation is a political issue, not a spiritual one.
Fix the Immigration System
In prior writings about these issues, I have mentioned that negligent leadership and political polarization has now resulted in this American crisis. Our immigration system is not working. Otherwise, we would not be where we are today.
Immigration is a political issue and it needs to be addressed by our nation seriously and immediately. Therefore, this is not in the hands of the Church, but in the hands of our elected leadership. Justice and fairness in relationship to the law must be considered along with compassion and mercy toward all persons.
Pray Diligently
We must pray for our nation and for our leaders to come together and resolve this issue, both short-term and long-term. The lives of people are at stake. The security of our nation is at stake.
Where Do We Go from Here?
When we address this sensitive and challenging subject, our goal should be to see the issues through biblical lenses from God’s perspective. Articles and talk show hosts may be helpful at times, but what God says is more important than what anyone else says about it.
The Responsibility of Government
Romans 13:4, “For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong.”
Our government’s first responsibility is to protect the American people. Each President in our nation takes the following oath of office: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Therefore, the President and the government in our nation must work together to protect the citizens of the United States. This means they must come together and resolve many issues regarding the security of our nation, including refugee, immigration, and border issues.
President Donald Trump was clear in his campaign and to this very day about his strategy relating to the security of our nation. Whether it is President Trump, a past president, or a future president, each has the responsibility to secure our nation. Due to the changing state of our world, this can look different from administration to administration.
During my 2016 term as President of the Southern Baptist Convention, a compassionate resolution was adopted entitled, “On Refugee Ministry,” and I believe it would be worth reading. Please notice one line in this resolution that realized the biblical responsibility of government: “RESOLVED, That we call on the governing authorities to implement the strictest security measures possible in the refugee screening and selection process, guarding against anyone intent on doing harm;”
This line was included in the resolution because as followers of Christ, we must understand the tension that occurs because our government has a responsibility it is mandated to fulfill.
The Responsibility of the Church
The Church in America must pray for our president and all those in leadership in our nation. We, the Church, are not responsible for policy, but for people.
The Church is here to serve people. The Bible is very clear about how we must love the refugee and serve them compassionately.
Deuteronomy 10:18-19, “He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. You also must love the foreigner.…” Foreigners and refugees are made in the image of God, should be loved, receive compassion and justice, and never be abused. Being pro-life means we care about everyone from the womb to the tomb, no matter their nationality, race, or religion. (Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 22:21-22, 23:9; Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Leviticus 19:34, Micah 6:8; Zechariah 7:8-10, Matthew 25:35-40; and Romans 13:1)
While the Church prays for our president and political leaders to resolve these complex issues, our church and many others will continue our extensive efforts to serve the vulnerable here and abroad whatever the policy of the government. We do not advise the government regarding issues of national security and they do not advise us on who and how we serve.
The Church will continue to serve in this complex situation in America. Government will navigate these enormous challenges relating to national security, immigration reform, and the global humanitarian crisis. We would all do well to remember the longstanding policy of the humanitarian community is to prioritize assistance for those who face special threats because of their religious beliefs.
In my humble opinion, there should be no religious test except as it relates to those who face persecution because of their religious beliefs.
An Appeal to America
We are living in a dangerous world, and no one can deny the fact that terrorists—especially in Europe – have attempted to use our compassion against us.
Therefore, President Trump, his Cabinet, and the members of both houses of Congress must navigate together toward a resolution that protects our nation as well as operates with generosity and compassion. The Church should be careful with our words and judgments, giving them time to work through these long-existing, complex issues.
Furthermore, the Church should always stand ready nationally and globally to love all refugees, meeting their needs, the greatest of which is ultimately the same as ours: A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Believing and operating with biblical balance, we know the Church must realize biblically that the government’s duty is to protect its citizens. Simultaneously, we must affirm the responsibility of the Church to minister to refugees who are brought inside the borders of America.
As Jesus said, “I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church
*******
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, immediate past President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and founder of the Cross Church School of Ministry.
To request an interview with Dr. Ronnie Floyd
contact Gayla Oldham at (479) 751-4523 or email gaylao@crosschurch.com.
Visit our website at http://ronniefloyd.com
Follow Dr. Floyd on Twitter and Instagram @ronniefloyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.