Archive for the 'Pastors' Category
Pastor, Are You Calling People to God Weekly?
Preparing to preach the Word of God and presenting this prepared Word from God under the leadership of the Spirit is one of our greatest privileges as pastors.
I believe it is obvious in the New Testament that people were given some kind of opportunity to respond to God. Jesus called people to God. Peter called people to God. Paul called people to God. Each of these preachers was faithful to call people to God.
Pastor, are you calling people to God weekly? Once you have proclaimed the message of Christ to people, do you call them to God? Do you give them some kind of opportunity to come to Christ? Whether you do it through what we call a public invitation, by asking people to meet someone in a private room, or through the use of a card or some other means, do you call people to God? What does this mean? What should we consider weekly?
Call People to Follow Christ
The most important is calling people to respond by faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I have preached the gospel, shared about Christ’s death, His burial, and His resurrection, I believe as I declare that message, I should ask people to repent of their sin, turn in faith to Jesus Christ, and trust in Him alone for their personal salvation. Unquestionably, I am faithful to always extend this gospel call.
Pastor, are you doing this weekly? Are you praying and leading to this moment in your worship and preaching? Could it be that one of the major reasons we are experiencing a lack of evangelism in our churches is because we are minimizing this tremendous moment we have weekly? We should pray for this moment, preach toward this moment, prepare for this moment, and expect God to use us as He extends the ultimate call to salvation in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
Call People to Unite With Your Church Family
This may look very different in each of our churches. Yet, we believe the church is so important to our walk with Jesus Christ that each person needs a local church family. Therefore, unashamedly, we call people who know Christ to unite with our Cross Church Family. Whether they do so by joining our fellowship from another church or following Christ in believer’s baptism, we believe being part of a local family of believers is critical to spiritual health.
Pastor, do not minimize the value of church membership. Equally, do not dumb it down to try to gather more members. We need to hold our expectations high for those who want to be a part of Christ’s church. We are not asking them to join a club, but the triumphant Church of Jesus Christ that has been charged with the greatest assignment given to mankind: Presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and make disciples of all the nations.
Call People to Surrender Their Life to God’s Call
For years, I have made the appeal to surrender to God’s call to ministry or missions each week. As pastors and preachers of the Word, we need to encourage those whom God is calling to the ministry of the Gospel. Whether you preach to thirty people or three thousand people, always extend the call to ministry and missions. You never know whom God is working on and who is ready to abandon themselves to follow Him fully in gospel ministry.
I believe one of the reasons we have so many people who have surrendered their lives to ministry or missions at Cross Church is that we have been faithful to talk about this unique calling God places upon people. As a teenager, I attended a small church of thirty to forty people each week, as do many still; therefore, do not neglect to extend the call to ministry, no matter the size of your church.
Call People to Respond to God, His Message Today, or What God is Doing in Life This Week
At Cross Church, we call people to come to the front of our church, to kneel or stand in prayer as God has convicted them through the message from His Word or through something going on in their life. We believe people need to respond to God, including challenges they face in their family, job, health, or walk with Christ. People come en masse at times, praying for themselves or over someone who has a need. Sometimes just a few may come, but the quantity is not the issue.
The issue is giving people an opportunity to respond to God. There is something healthy about this kind of atmosphere that is not legalistic, but allows the Spirit of God to work through the lives of people freely. Ultimately, their response is to God and no one else.
Renew Your Commitment to Extend These Calls
This week, I do hope you will renew your commitment to extend these calls to the people God has brought to your services. It is incumbent on us to do so. Regardless of theological persuasion, as a preacher of God’s Word and pastor of a local church, we must feel the need and urgency to call people to respond to God. Let’s renew our commitment to letting God use us to extend these calls.
Now is the Time to Lead,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
Guest Post | Why I Love the Local Church by Jeana Floyd
Today, RonnieFloyd.com welcomes guest writer, Jeana Floyd. Jeana is the wife of Dr. Ronnie Floyd, mother, grandmother, author, and 25-year breast cancer survivor.
I have a love relationship with the local church. The church has been my life – I was born a pastor’s child and eventually became a pastor’s wife. My father pastored Southern Baptist Churches for over 50 years. And although I said I’d never marry a preacher, that’s exactly what I did. Almost 39 years later, I still love my “preacher man” and the local church.
Benefits Outweigh the Negatives
I believe the benefits of being a minister’s wife in the local church far outweigh the negatives.
The local church supported Ronnie and me – way back when we were newlyweds. Our very first church loved and supported us wholeheartedly and gave us our start in ministry life. They followed Ronnie’s leadership as though we were “40 something” even though we were barely “20 something”. I have many sweet memories from that wonderful church. I vividly remember that in that small town with one grocery store and one gas station, there was a passion for ministry, regardless of the population marker located at the outskirts of town. Whether it was the First Baptist Church of Cherokee or Cross Church of Northwest Arkansas, the work ethic and passion for ministry have remained unchanged all these years.
As ministry life progressed, so came the birth of our two sons. Precious women poured into my life and mentored me in my new role as a mother. Our churches have also provided substitute parents and grandparents, a special blessing when living away from family.
My Life was Changed as a Pastor’s Wife
To write with complete integrity, I must share that I was truly saved while serving as a pastor’s wife. I had made a decision as a child out of obedience to my parents, not because they forced me in any way, but my desire to please them led me to make a decision that I would doubt for many years. I did not mean to live in a deceitful way. I loved God and I loved His church and would always rationalize how could I not be saved? But great conviction led me to an understanding that my love for the church and God had not led me to a true salvation experience. I truly gave my heart to Jesus as a pastor’s wife in 1985 and have not doubted since that time. I am grateful to have settled that most important decision of my life not only for eternity’s sake but also for the many challenges I have faced since that time. Now I know for sure that regardless of what I go through as an individual or pastor’s wife, He is with me.
The Church is Our Family
When I was diagnosed with cancer, the church became our family in a deeper way, and instead of being the ministers, we were ministered to. Both of our families lived in another state, which made it difficult for them to be with us during this challenging time. The church became our daily support system in that hard season and I gained another appreciation for what the local church can mean to all of us.
As our children grew, committed Sunday School and small group leaders came alongside us as parents. In the teen years, their youth pastors became a huge influence in their lives. These influencers helped to guide our sons into becoming godly young men, who in turn have become godly husbands and fathers. Without a doubt, the church had a huge impact on where our sons are today in their spiritual walks. I have no regrets raising our children in ministry life. In fact, I consider it to have been a blessing and great benefit for our entire family.
Today I have a new concern and investment of the church for my grandchildren. Again, coming alongside their parents, the church provides a huge opportunity for their spiritual growth. I am thankful for this provision, again, through the local church.
No Regrets
Each place we have served has a special place in my heart. Each one of those places taught us distinct lessons through our time served there. Some have been more difficult than others. There have been hard times as well as great times. God has used specific people to grow us, mold us, and to refine us in His calling to serve Him in the local church.
My greatest joys in life are being a wife, mother, grandmother, and pastor’s wife. You might say that I love my job. I have no regrets at the life investment Ronnie and I have made in the local church. I have definitely experienced first hand the faithfulness of God, serving Him in the local church in the good times and the challenging times. The Church of Jesus Christ has withstood many trials and challenges, but God’s Word tells us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). What a privilege to serve Him in ministry, to reap the benefits as an individual and a family, knowing that His Church will stand the test of time, now and forever.
Jeana Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.