Archive for the 'Pastors' Category
Pastor, Never Let Anyone Outside Of Your Circle of Love
It was in the late 1980’s. Our church was buzzing and growing. God was moving powerfully. We had just moved into a new Worship Center and all of a sudden, transition was inevitable. While our numbers gained greatly, we also saw a few individuals and families depart. As any pastor would be, I was troubled.
It was a Moment for me
God had raised up a man to walk with me through these days of transition. His name was Ron Lewis. He was so helpful to me. He joined me on a trip to help the church in our advance towards reaching our region with the Gospel and he listened to me talk about a few departures we had along the way. As a Pastor, you know what it is like: we do not want to lose anyone and while God is bestowing our church with countless blessings, Satan sidetracks us with one little issue.
I will never forget what Ron Lewis told me that day.
Ronnie, Never let Anyone Outside of Your Circle of Love
In my February 13 blog about how I have stayed in the same church for 26 years, I mentioned this conversation briefly. Here was my executive staff sitting in an old Bonanza Restaurant working through how we could sustain the momentum and Ron said to me, “Ronnie, never let anyone outside of your circle of love.” I will never forget those words.
He Went on to say…
Ron expounded on his remarks. He shared with me that if my heart was big enough to forgive continually and love unconditionally, the very same people who may leave today, may come back around in the future. Even today I hear those words resounding continually; “Ronnie, never let anyone outside of your circle of love.”
How Have I Done?
I took Ron’s counsel to heart immediately. Additionally, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the words of the great scholar and teacher of evangelism at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Oscar Thompson. He taught us continually, “The moment you experienced the love of Jesus Christ at salvation, you chose to forfeit the right to whom you would love.” Boom! At that holy moment, God did a major work in my life personally and as a pastor-leader.
Beginning that day, I have never let anyone outside of my circle of love! I do not have the right to love this person and not love that person. Jesus sets the bar: love all people! Yes, unconditionally love for all people. Even for a Pastor and his family, there are times we are pressed on this issue. However, love and forgiveness always wins!
What can we do to Never let Anyone Outside of our Circle of Love?
Let me share three simple actions you can take to never let anyone outside your circle of love.
First: Take People to the Lord in Prayer
Pastor, you will have people in your church that will hurt you and even offend you deeply. Others will lie about you and cause problems in the fellowship. Others will leave the church, even after you have won them, loved them, discipled them, and cared for them through some of their deepest pain. How should you respond?
Take them to Jesus in prayer one by one. Call their name out to the Lord in prayer. I am convinced that if I pray for people who have hurt me or tried to hurt the church, I will never let them outside of my circle of love. Sometimes, we want to talk to everyone else about what they have done. Insure that you talk to God about them. He is the only one who can keep your heart soft and sensitive to Him and others.
Second: Forgive Continually
Forgiveness is a way of life for a Christian, especially for a Christian leader. Please do not take it lightly. Do not try to turn the rattlesnake of un-forgiveness into your pet or friend. If you do, it will strike you with a poison that will eventually destroy you and eventually even your ministry.
A Pastor and his wife cannot let Satan win this battle! He will destroy you, your marriage, your kids, and perhaps even your leadership in the church. Un-forgiveness and bitterness never has a place in the life of a Pastor and his wife. Forgive continually.
Third: Let it go
Regardless of what has been said about you, written about you, or presumed about you, let it go. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Forgive continually. Then, let it go!
You cannot go forward holding on to a past hurt. You cannot go forward resenting people or situations or the church itself. Let it go!
The End Result
When you do not let anyone outside of your circle of love, eventually, many of them will come back to you. I’ve lived long enough and pastored the same church long enough to see this occur. Just think, if I had not prayed for them, been forgiving of them and let my personal pain go, my heart would have never been opened to their return or called them to return to us as family.
My challenge to you today is very simple: Pastor, never let anyone outside of your circle of love! You will never do this unless you take them to the Lord in prayer, forgive them continually, and let it go. Remember, the moment you received the love of Christ into your life, you forfeited your right to choose whom you would love.
Yours For The Great Commission,
Ronnie Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Four Major Keys to Taking the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth
ronniefloyd.com welcomes guest writer Doug Sarver. Sarver is the Minister of Global Missions at Cross Church Northwest Arkansas.
At Cross Church we are often asked, “How does the local church effectively take the Gospel around the world?” As Minister of Global Missions at this great church, serving under an incredible, visionary pastor for over 21 years, I have discovered and learned many things relating to this question. I want to share with you four major keys to taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. In doing so, I also want to share some amazing things God is doing through Cross Church.
First: Have A “Birthed Vision”
Too many churches want the easy way out and a “quick fix” for how to be missional. Churches often study other ministries then copy most of what others do and call it their own. The first key to Gospel advancement is to truly have what I call the “birthed vision.” When you think about your church’s missional vision, ask yourself, “Have we been before God humbly asking Him for His vision for our church and ministry?” If not, all you have is borrowed vision.
I am grateful for the missional vision of Cross Church: “Reaching Northwest Arkansas, America, and the World for Jesus Christ.” This vision was birthed straight out of the heart of Jesus Christ in Acts 1:8. Cross Church is committed to ministry that extends deeply into our community, yet penetrates globally. This vision keeps us focused and provides a filter for all we do missionally as a church. This whole principle of a birthed vision allows us to dream and create with inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Over the years we have birthed ministries that are impacting hundreds and thousands. I will speak to these ministries later.
The takeaway – birth your vision, don’t borrow it
Second: Be Balanced In Your Ministry Target
The Cross Church missional vision creates the platform for balance in our ministry target. We are strongly involved in local, regional, national, and international missions. I would argue that Cross Church is one of the more balanced ministries in our nation. Allow me to illustrate:
Locally and regionally we are involved in IMPACT ministries that bring the Gospel to our community seven days a week using a fully equipped moving van. This IMPACT van is retrofitted for the side panel to drop down and form a stage. It has current technology for audio and visual presentations and a full range of games and activities. Weekly, our IMPACT volunteers are in various multi-family housing communities proclaiming the Gospel to 400-500 people. Through our IMPACT ministry many hear about Christ for the first time and come to faith in Jesus resulting in restored families and communities.
Our Compassion Center is a ministry center that also has a thrift store, which generates revenue for missions. This is also where we house our Cross Compassion ministry and regularly meet the needs of hundreds. We offer English as a second language classes, job skills and computer training, free haircuts, grocery giveaways, a laundry ministry, and much more — always being faithful to share the Gospel with every person involved. Since opening in September 2011, we have seen 153 people come to faith in Christ through the Compassion Center.
Nationally, Cross Church is in a major effort to plant Gospel centered, reproducing churches. Presently we are partnering with 51 new churches globally. This past Easter, five of these churches formally launched their worship services resulting in 525 people gathering for worship. Cross Church mission teams and prayer support are mobilized throughout the year for North American missions. Additionally, we are strongly committed to disaster relief in North America. Cross Church has disaster relief units used for distributing meals as well as mud-out and chainsaw recovery teams. Recently during Super Storm Sandy we sent many people and dollars to help families restore their lives. Through that effort the Gospel was shared with many.
Cross Church has international partnerships in Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Hungary, India, Malawi, Brazil, Ethiopia, and two other high security countries. Ministries include church planting, Gospel advancement, orphan and widow ministries, pastoral development, feeding, medical clinics, and much more.
As you can see, there is a balanced approach geographically yet also balanced in ministry diversity.
The takeaway – balance your ministry target
Third: Boldly Proclaim The Gospel
Whether it is a kids club, caring for an orphan, or feeding the poor we must always boldly proclaim the Gospel. Look at these examples. Over the last year we have seen over 9,200 people profess faith in Jesus Christ through the missional activity of Cross Church. Just this past week we received a report of two churches in Malawi baptizing over 50 new believers. Last month in India over a dozen people trusted Christ. Through our local jail ministry we saw 59 saved this past month. Yes, we do believe in boldly proclaiming the Gospel! Remember, the Gospel is the power of God through which you and your church will impact all eternity. If the Gospel is separated from other social or justice ministries, our efforts will be temporal at best.
The takeaway – boldly proclaim the Gospel in all you do
Fourth: Building The Kingdom Of God Beyond Your Church
Cross Church builds the Kingdom of God beyond our church campuses through investing in others and giving away of resources to Gospel centered people and ministries. Through the Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention, Cross Church supports thousands of missionaries in hundreds of cities and countries globally. Over the years we have committed to grow in our Cooperative Program giving to the point where we now are in the top 25 churches in Cooperative Program giving. Our Pastor and leadership are committed to continue our giving to the Cooperative Program aggressively.
Additionally, we are giving hundreds of thousands to church planting efforts in North America and internationally. Just last year, we have supported more than 730 people on short-term missionary journeys. We financially support pastors in many countries. Funds are in place to adopt an entire state in northern India that will reach many unengaged, unreached people groups. We have financially sponsored the recording of the oral Bible in the Marshallese and Sindhi languages. All of these efforts are for the purpose of building the Kingdom of God beyond Cross Church. We pray that it will always be said that Cross Church is a generous church that practices Kingdom building in an unselfish way.
The takeaway – build the Kingdom of God unselfishly for God’s glory
If we as Christ followers and Christian leaders will adopt and practice these four keys, I believe we will be better at taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Doug Sarver
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.