Arkansas descended on Alabama when Ronnie and Nick Floyd kicked off the opening session of the State Evangelism Conference on Jan. 22.
The father-son duo, both of whom serve Cross Church in northwest Arkansas, took the time to speak specifically to the pastors in the audience.
Ronnie Floyd sought to prepare participants for what God wants to say to them during the conference. “And I want to prepare you for when you go home,” he said. This brought him to the story of Job, a man of integrity who feared God and knew real suffering when he lost everything — his possessions, his children, his health and, in a way, his reputation.
And yet in Job 42:2, Job said, “I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted.”
‘God has a plan’
Ronnie Floyd said, “What a powerful, powerful statement. Do you believe God can do anything? God has a plan to redeem the world. God has a plan to redeem your community. God has a plan in calling you and leading you to fulfill that plan.
“I want to say to pastors and church lay leaders here … everything that happens to you and me, it is not necessarily good. But God uses it for His ultimate good.
“Take heart in everything you might perceive as a setback in your ministry. It may be a setup for your future.”
The God who calls the morning into reality, Ronnie Floyd said, is so much bigger than our struggles, so you can lead knowing there’s nothing that can hinder God’s purpose for your life and your ministry.
“Your entire perspective of yourself and your problem is shaped into a healthy reality because you know God can do anything,” he said. “The way you view God will determine how you view everything else in your life. … If you have a small view of God, you’ll be constantly overwhelmed.
“God’s purpose will always rise up and God’s purpose will always be accomplished. … Never forget — what God wants to do He will do. We serve a God that is unstoppable. No person, no movement, no generation, no group can stop God from working in your life and in your church and keep you from reaching your community for the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
But you can stop yourself from allowing God to move within you, Nick Floyd said. “Where there is no endurance there is no evangelism,” he said.
It’s because of this knowledge that he too chose to use his time to prepare participants’ hearts, but for what they would hear the following day — messages on evangelism.
Hebrews 12:1–2 are often-quoted verses, especially when talking about evangelism, he said. “But verse three is our focus here.”
Verse 3 says, “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
“What does it mean to consider Him?” Nick Floyd asked.
We are to consider His endurance and consider what He did not do, he said. Jesus endured much hostility, but He never defends Himself and He doesn’t get bitter.
‘Healing balm’
“The gospel message is an offensive message, am I right? … The human heart hates that message, and yet to a human heart … the gospel can be a healing balm.”
In considering Jesus, one finds the secret to succeeding in ministry, Nick Floyd says — “seeking and considering Jesus.”
“Too often we consider everything other than Jesus. … Pastors can pretty easily become mentally weak when we stop considering Him. How can we expect anything different from what Jesus endured?”
_____________________________________________________________________
Heart questions for pastors to ask themselves
- Am I expecting a better situation than Jesus had?
- Have I set my eyes on things other than Jesus?
- Who’s got it better than those of us who preach the Word of Jesus?
Source: Nick Floyd
_____________________________________________________________________
Couldn’t make it to Montgomery for #ALSEC18? You can catch all the sermons at https://vimeo.com/alsbom.
Share with others: