Mohler urges 'authentic ministry' at 150th Anniversary celebration

DAYTONA BEACH (FBW) - Just as the evil spirits who encountered the Apostle Paul's ministry in Ephesus knew him, R. Albert Mohler Jr. challenged Florida Baptists March 1 at First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach, to make as one of their "chief ambitions" to be feared "in hell as public enemy number."

The president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., and native Floridian was the preacher for the 8th of 14 rallies being held across the Sunshine State in February and March celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Florida Baptist State Convention. Mohler was also the featured speaker at the rally held March 2 in Port St. Lucie's First Baptist Church.

Ken Whitten, pastor of Idlewild Baptist Church, Tampa, was the featured speaker at the sesquicentennial rally held March 4 at First Baptist Church, Port Charlotte.

Braving the Daytona-area streets in the midst of the annual throng of motorcycle enthusiasts attending Bike Week, a crowd of 310 attended the inspirational event that included special music by The Booth Brothers, a Florida-based trio. The audience's patriotism was stirred by the group's performance of "Under God," a song which defends the inclusion of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Like all the rallies, the Daytona event also featured a video presentation surveying the history of the Florida Baptist State Convention.

In an interview with Florida Baptist Witness following the event, host pastor Bobby Welch - whom Mohler addressed in his sermon: "I look forward to calling you, Mr. President of the Southern Baptist Convention" - praised the rally as "sensational" in its emphasis on the "right target" of "reaching people" with the Gospel.

Baptized at Lakeland's Southside Baptist Church and later a member of First Baptist Church of Pompano Beach, Mohler said, "I come here with a great sense of indebtedness," calling himself a "product of the ministry of the Florida Baptist Convention." Validating that he "had the whole Florida Baptist experience," Mohler quipped he even "got poison ivy" at Lake Yale Baptist Conference Center as a youth.

Noting that "it's important for God's people to get together" to reflect on God's blessings of the past, Mohler said that as Florida Baptists celebrate their history and look to the future every Christian, church and denomination should take Acts 19:20 as its theme: "So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing."

Mohler said realizing the theme of Acts 19:20 for Christians was based on having an "authentic ministry" with three characteristics: the origin, enemy and proof found Acts 19:11-20.

Noting that the text credits God with the existence of extraordinary miracles, Mohler said that the source for authentic ministry is found only in God Himself.

"It's very critically important that we get that issue clear, lest we think that this is about us. That is the temptation always. ... The Apostle Paul would have us know that we are not agents, we are ... the slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ, servants of God."

While God uses humans to do His work, Mohler declared, "Every single soul that is won to the Lord Jesus Christ is a miracle of God."

Contrary to what some modern Christians think, Mohler said believers today face enemies just like those in the First Century.

"In a day in which political correctness says that all ways lead to God, we have to be very clear that we serve the One who said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by Me,'" Mohler said. "If we dilute that, if we ever delude ourselves into believing something else, if we leave the Gospel, accommodate the truth, then anathema be unto us" as it was to those Paul declared a curse upon for preaching a false gospel.

"The ministry," Mohler added, "is deadly serious business. It's so serious that heaven and hell hang in the balance."

Mohler said the proof of authentic ministry is seen in the salvation of souls and "Gospel seriousness" among Christians.

"We can declare to all persons that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved," Mohler declared, noting it is the "honor" of Christians to "bring the word near to them so that they might respond to the Gospel."

Decrying a culture that is "living in a house that is already fully aflame and it's arguing as to whether the smoke is even real," Mohler said that the challenge of authentic ministry for Christians in America today requires "bravery and courage that no recent generation of Christians has been called upon to summon."

Mohler declared, "At the end of the day we're not measured by success'we're not measured by effectiveness; we're not measured by statistics that we know are matters of accountability; but ultimately we are judged by whether or not we were faithful."

Like the evil spirits who recognized Paul, Mohler urged Florida Baptists to make as "one of your chief ambitions" to be known by the residents of hell.

"Every single Florida Baptist pastor, I pray, will have his picture on the post office wall in hell, because they know his name. I pray that every single Florida Baptist ... will be known in hell as public enemy number one. God's glory will be in that."

Recognized as missions partners of the Florida Baptist State Convention from the Central Florida region, Directors of Missions Dennis Belz of the Halfax Baptist Association and Robert Richardson of the Seminole Baptist Association were introduced to the rally audience.

In interviews with Florida Baptist Witness following the rally, Belz and Richardson praised the event. "I thought that this was very uplifting, encouraging for the future of the Florida Baptist State Convention," Belz said. Richardson said that the rally was an appropriate opportunity to recognize Florida Baptists' heritage and "it's been great to get together and celebrate who we are."

Noting he has spent nearly three decades in the Sunshine State, Welch said the event caused him to remember his early days in Florida when he believed there was great promise for ministry.

"Having looked at this state for 30 years, it's been a blessing to be on this exciting journey, but the most exciting thing about it all is what lies just around the corner," Welch told the Witness. "That's really, really thrilling to me."