Ronnie Floyd

Archive for the 'Southern Baptist Convention' Category

June 5th, 2015

The Marriage Moment in the United States and the Southern Baptist Convention

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege to speak at two wonderful gatherings in Washington, D.C. While I was there, each morning after my time with God and moments of study, I ran through our National Mall. There is nothing like running through this impactful city. Everywhere you go are reminders of our history and power as a nation.

The Marriage Moment in the United States

On my final morning, I focused some of my running in the region of the Supreme Court building of the United States. I thought about this significant moment in our nation. Since 1973, Roe v. Wade and the legalization of abortion, I do not believe our Supreme Court has dealt with a more watershed case that has the potential to change the trajectory of the moral direction of our nation.

I prayed for a long while as I ran. I prayed for our Supreme Court. I prayed for God to move their hearts toward the biblical and traditional view of marriage. I prayed for the mercy of God for our nation regardless of their ruling.

Unquestionably, the outcome of their ruling not only impacts marriage, but also has the potential to restrain religious liberty in our nation. This is a moment when the church needs to cry out to God for His leadership, but it is also a moment when we must stand, forwarding a strong biblical worldview.

Timidity needs to be replaced with fearlessness. We need to resound what God’s Word says about marriage. We cannot be silent now or in the future. We must be faithful to proclaim the biblical view of marriage.

Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy said, “The definition (of traditional marriage) has been with us for a millennia. And it’s very difficult for the court to say, ‘Oh well, we know better.’” I could not agree more. We do not need the Supreme Court or anyone else attempting to redefine what God has defined already.

The Southern Baptist Convention in This Marriage Moment

In our great confession of faith, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, we stand on these words:

Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.

This statement is a message to our churches and to the world. On this message we stand.

Our churches need to be resolved not only on the uniting of one man and one woman in marriage, but also understand that marriage is a covenant commitment for a lifetime. We need to call all of our churches to stand for this biblical standard. Our own testimony in this realm needs to become much more biblical.

Regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision relating to same sex marriage, we need to know God has the final ruling on marriage. The Bible is God’s final authority on the issue of marriage and He has already spoken.

Furthermore, we need to prepare for what may lie ahead in the future. While some of our churches have ministries for those dealing with same sex attraction, for those who may come to us and are already in same sex relationships, or for the families that are dealing with the challenges relating to this issue, we need all of our churches to prepare to minister effectively in this area of need.

While truth must always be shared in love, we need to also insure the tone with which we share the truth is not one of judgment, but one of compassion and love. We need to hold the truth of God in one hand and the love of God in the other hand.

Our churches need to become a mighty testimony not only for truth but also for compassion and ministry. This is why we want to help prepare our churches at the Southern Baptist Convention. On Wednesday afternoon, we have scheduled a Presidential Panel on The Supreme Court and Same Sex Marriage: Preparing Our Churches for the Future. By the end of the Supreme Court’s session this month, their ruling will be communicated.

Whatever the Supreme Court Ruling

Whatever the Supreme Court ruling is:

We need to believe in and stand for biblical marriage.
Our churches need to be ready.
Ministries need to occur in our churches to help those who are struggling with the same sex issue in various ways.
We need to hold the truth of God in one hand and the love of God in the other hand.
Pray for the Supreme Court and all of our nation’s leaders, as well as for the future of our nation.
Forward the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are fourteen days and counting until our Southern Baptist Family converges on Columbus, Ohio for our meeting on June 16-17. Until then, please join me in prayerful preparation.

Yours for the Great Commission,

Ronnie W. Floyd

Senior Pastor, Cross Church
President, Southern Baptist Convention

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Dr. Ronnie Floyd is currently serving as the President of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention is America’s largest Protestant denomination with more than 15.7 million members in over 46,000 churches nationwide.

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.

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May 29th, 2015

What are We Believing God for in Our Upcoming Southern Baptist Convention?

Southern Baptist Convention

There are years when we come together as Southern Baptists annually, having little to no expectation of what God may want to do among us. For the sake of a very lost America and an ever growing lost and dangerous world, let’s come together in Columbus believing God to work in us, among us, and through us.

Let’s Refuse Unbelief

I am reminded of the words recorded in Matthew 13:58, “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.” I am convinced this is the reason we see a limited work of God in many churches in America. I assure you, in our own church, business as usual is Satan’s weapon to create unbelief.

This year in our convention gathering, let’s refuse unbelief! It is the opposite of faith, therefore, we should refuse it in every way. As pastors and church leaders, let us not be guilty of what we accuse our people of at times: coming together with little to no expectation of God doing anything among us.

As leaders coming to Columbus, Ohio, we do not need to sit, listen, evaluate, and critique. Let’s refuse this way of thinking and all attitudes and actions of unbelief.

Let’s Believe God

I love the words of our God exhorting us in Hebrews 11:6,“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Faith is believing God is who He says He is and He can do what He says He can do. I choose faith and refuse unbelief!

1. Let’s believe God together for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Columbus.

I believe with all my heart that God desires to pour out His Spirit in our generation in a way we have never seen before. While the promise of this outpouring of the Spirit as prophesied in Joel 2 has been fulfilled at Pentecost partially, I believe before the Lord comes back, there will be a mighty outpouring of the Spirit that will ignite a significant harvest of the lost coming to Christ.

If we will come together in clear agreement, visible union and extraordinary prayer, we will be in a position for His Spirit to pour out upon us due to His great mercy and grace. Perhaps we need to let our children remind us of what we have taught them: Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there is nothing my God cannot do.

I choose to believe that our God is able. I choose to believe God for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Columbus.

2. Let’s believe God together for the next Great Awakening in America.

It is time we come together in clear agreement, believing that our number one need in America is the next great move of God. Some desire political, social, or moral reform. Historically, when God moves in a way only He is able, He changes the hearts of people radically with the power of the gospel of Christ. When the hearts of millions are touched, we may see things occur that only our God can do.

It is time to come together in visible union for this next Great Awakening. We need to refuse attitudes and actions that divide us. We need to lock arms in faith, ignited by the Gospel, empowered by the Spirit, and motivated by our love for Jesus and for one another.

It is time to come together in extraordinary prayer for this next Great Awakening. We are doing this on Tuesday night, June 16, beginning formally at 6:45 p.m. (EST). The entire session, built on the Word of God, will lead people to call out to God extraordinarily. Eleven pastors from various ethnicities will help me lead this gathering. I cannot think of one thing that is more important than this opportunity. Please adjust all of your convention gatherings and social times to join us for this significant gathering of thousands of Southern Baptists.

The brilliant theologian Jonathan Edwards writes, “Be much in prayer and fasting, both in secret and with one another. It seems to me, it would become the circumstances of the present day, IF ministers in a neighborhood would often meet together, and spend days in fasting and fervent prayer among themselves… SO it is God’s will that the prayers of His saints shall be GREAT and PRINCIPAL MEANS of CARRYING ON THE DESIGNS OF CHRIST’S KINGDOM IN THE WORLD. When God has something to accomplish for His church, it is with His will that there should precede it the EXTRAORDINARY PRAYER of His people.” May it be so with us in Columbus, Ohio.

3. We need to believe God together to reach the world for Christ.

In chapters five and seven of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we learn that, “every tribe, and language and people and nation” will be represented in heaven. There will not be one ethnicity left out by our loving Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

We need to believe God together that He wants our churches to explode with making disciples of all ethnicities rather than implode with division. We need to believe God together that He wants to ignite our churches to plant gospel churches by the thousands nationally and internationally. We need to believe God together that He wants to mobilize His church to take the gospel to every people group in the world, regardless of their vocation. Presenting the gospel to every person in the world and making disciples of all the nations is the heart of God.

It is for this big vision that we must come together in unity. Anything short of this will lead us into the weeds of division. This is why we will pray on Tuesday night, calling out to God for the next Great Awakening and to reach the world for Christ. Then, we will come together on Wednesday morning, imparting a vision that will advance the gospel to the world. There is nothing our God cannot do!

Let’s believe God together now,