Archive for April, 2015
Be Confident in God’s Power
Have you ever had to follow a strong leader? Maybe someone who led a team left your company and you had to step into his or her shoes. Maybe you followed a strong pastor who had led a great church. Or, maybe you followed a military leader well respected by his or her subordinates.
Following Great Leadership
It can be difficult to follow great leadership. Expectations are high, margins of error are low, and the pressure can be enormous.
Now, think for a moment what it must have been like to follow Moses. Moses is considered one of the heroes of the faith: His encounter with God at the burning bush, his back-and-forth with Pharaoh, and leading Israel through the Red Sea. The Bible records Moses this way,
“No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unparalleled for all the signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do against the land of Egypt–to Pharaoh, to all his officials, and to all his land, and for all the mighty acts of power and terrifying deeds that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel” (Deut. 34:10-12).
This is the man Joshua had to follow in leading Israel. When God called Joshua to lead His people, it was a straightforward: “Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites” (Joshua 1:2).1
Learning From Other Leaders
Everything Joshua needed to know to lead he had learned from Moses. All the power Joshua needed he would get from God.
We often do not respond to God’s call to lead because we don’t have confidence in God’s power. We don’t doubt that God empowered Moses and Joshua, but we struggle to believe that He will help us in the same way.
Writing in Bible Studies for Life, Paul Jimenez notes: “[T]he people had affirmed Moses as their leader because they recognized God was present with him. Now, God would ‘exalt’ Joshua to show that his leadership would also be marked by God’s presence and power.”2
God will do the same for us. While we may not be exalted in the same way Joshua was, God will lift us in leadership through His power. We can have absolute confidence that God’s power is sufficient for our every challenge.
Your Biggest Challenge
Think about the biggest challenge God can give you. Is it bigger than crossing the Red Sea or the Jordan River? Think about the most successful leader you might follow. Is that leader more successful than Moses? Can God put you in any position where He cannot sustain you? Can He call you to any task for which He cannot empower you? Can God send you anywhere He cannot find you?
The answer to all these questions is “no.” Therefore, we can be confident in God’s complete power to do in and through us all He desires.
Whatever your biggest challenge is in leadership today, God will see you through!
Yours for the Great Commission,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Senior Pastor, Cross Church General Editor, Bible Studies for Life President, Southern Baptist Convention
References
1-All scripture HCSB.
2–Bible Studies for Life, Be Strong and Courageous, Paul Jimenez
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
The Supreme Court and Same Sex Marriage: Preparing Our Churches for the Future | SBC Presidential Panel
One of the most powerful features in our upcoming Southern Baptist Convention in Columbus, Ohio, will occur in our final afternoon session on Wednesday, June 17. This is NOT the year to leave the Annual Meeting early!
The Stakes Are Rising
The United States Supreme Court is beginning to hear oral arguments this week for and against redefining marriage in America. Marriage between a man and a woman is a God-ordained institution; the courts in our land do not need to attempt to redefine what God Himself has already clearly defined.
Yet, this week the stakes begin to rise regarding marriage in our nation. If the United States Supreme Court rules to redefine marriage, the continual attack that is already taking place on religious liberty will escalate.
Hear me clearly: If we lose the freedom of religion, then all the freedoms we have today will begin to diminish.
What is at stake is great. This is undeniable. We do not control the Supreme Court. At this point, our number one role must be to pray. Regardless of the outcome, may God have mercy on America and teach us how to live daily.
Preparing Our Churches for the Future
It is incumbent upon us to do all we can with all we have to prepare our churches for the future. The Supreme Court may rule on this issue within days of or during our convention in Columbus, and regardless of the outcome, our churches need to be prepared. We must respond to the issue and toward those who may have differing opinions in a way that would represent our Lord Jesus Christ in the highest manner. Unquestionably, things are changing, and the way we address this issue must be done with the truth of God in one hand and the love of God in the other hand.
Our Southern Baptist churches must rise in this moment and minister to people of all ages who are wrestling with all the challenges of the sexual revolution in America. Children and teenagers need help. Parents need help. Adults of all ages need help. Pastors, Christian leaders, and churches need help.
SBC Presidential Panel
Since this need is so pressing, I appealed to our 2015 Committee on Order of Business to allocate some time for us to address it on Wednesday afternoon. I am thankful to Dr. Andrew Hebert, our Chairman, and the members of this terrific committee who provided us with an answer to this need.
We created an SBC Presidential Panel for a session entitled The Supreme Court and Same Sex marriage: Preparing Our Churches for the Future. I prayerfully thought about who could contribute to this conversation and sought counsel from others. I am absolutely thrilled with who God has put together. I will lead this panel with five gifted people, each of which have valuable insight into this discussion.
Let Me Introduce You to Our Panel
The Presidential Panel includes:
- R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
- Russell Moore, President of The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Nashville, Tennessee
- Rosaria Butterfield, Writer, Speaker, Educator, Pastor’s Wife, and Author, Durham, North Carolina
- Ryan Blackwell, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, San Francisco, California
- Matt Carter, Senior Pastor, The Austin Stone Community Church, Austin, Texas
While most of us are very familiar with the giftedness and contributions of Dr. Mohler and Dr. Moore, the other three leaders will also bring a special perspective. Recently, I listened to the powerful testimony of Rosaria Butterfield concerning this issue. You will not want to miss her insight. Additionally, my thirty-one year old dear friend, Ryan Blackwell, has pastored San Francisco’s First Baptist Church for four years. Our own Matt Carter has pastored in the capital city of Texas since 2002 and speaks into the lives of people weekly who live and navigate through cultural issues.
Spread the Word and Join Us
Spread the word and join us for the final session of our 2015 Southern Baptist Convention. Do not miss any session of the SBC, including this final session. Let’s experience our convention all the way through the final prayer with a great expectation for God to encounter us powerfully.
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.