Point of View

Without question some of my favorite people in the world are the pastors of the Florida Baptist State Convention! I love being with them; visiting them; preaching in their churches; talking on the phone; bumping into them in airports and restaurants; and having them come to the Baptist building for appointments. Our pastors in Florida are without question God's finest.

Let me make an appeal to our pastors:

1. Keep preaching the prophetic demands of moral decisions. Though the Bible does not settle all of our decisions beyond the possibility of our human error, it does demand moral decisions. Don't let us off the hook.

2. Help us determine the will of God in every situation. I know the key factors are Scripture and prayer, but remind us of precedence, inner strength and wise counsel.

3. Probe us to use reason. Faith does not cancel reason any more than reason cancels faith. It is by the thought process that we comprehend God's truth. Truth must wrap our experiences into the total package of who we are. Reason has limitations. Encourage us to think not just react.

Reason differentiates man from the rest of God's creation which makes us responsible for our actions and elevates our dependence on the supernatural. Reason deals with the "what is" of life; faith with "what's possible" and ethics with "what ought to be." We must use reason to differentiate—remind us to use our reasoning powers.

4. Help us to give every person equal rights/opportunity under like circumstances. Seeking for truth in every circumstance should restrain our prejudice. Deliver us from a propensity of self destruction and enable us to bear the witness of deliverance through the Gospel.

5. Remind us of the mission of the church in the world and help us avoid confusing it with the mission of government. In some old seminary notes I found: "The role of government is to preserve justice that guarantees equality before the law." Challenge us to keep that intension with the mandate to win the lost and instruct them in Christ. This does not rule out participation in government but it rules in the saturation of the darkness with light.

Pastors, you are God's gift to our churches. Love is to be prized above all Christian qualities. Know of my love for you and your ministry.