DAYTONA BEACH (FBC)—During the Florida Baptist State Conention annual meeting Nov. 13 session focused on "Effective To­gether," John Sullivan, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, challenged Florida Baptists to cooperate together while embracing fundamentals of grace and conviction.

"Cooperation is a miracle of God," said Sullivan, "In fact cooperation is a mysterious miracle of God, but without the glue of grace, we will never survive together."

He asked, "Wouldn't it be tragic if we came to our greatest hour believing we are someone that we never were?"

Quoting author David Dockery from the book, SBC Consensus and Renewal, Sullivan said "we need a generation that will be both convictional and cooperative."

Then he added, "we may have all the con­viction in the world, but until we cooperate and fall in love with Jesus," all is for naught.

Sullivan continued, "God needs leaders whose nerves have not lost their resilience by being over-extended in the maze of murky minu­tia; leaders whose nerve and spirits have maintained their resilience by drinking at the pool of God's grace."

Noting that the Great Com­mission is the only plan Jesus gave to es­tab­lish His Kingdom, Sullivan said, "We must stand as the people of God to say we are going to take the Gospel to the ends of this earth.

"Cooperation is the key ingredient of going into the world. We are not given to grand individualism but rather a body of believers who not only need each other but belong to each other. There is a place for 'I,' that's a private place. When we come to church, it's a 'we' place. You may be alone in sin, but never alone in grace."

Therefore, biblical doctrine "defines us," Sullivan said, citing Ephesians 2 and I John 1: 5-11, but "cooperation in missions unites us."

Florida Bap­tists are "tied together by the grace of God and the urgency of missions and evangelism."

Sullivan offered three principles of co­op­eration: "the willingness principle" which is rooted in a willing mind that was neither coerced nor manipulated; "the all-things-in-common principle," that must include fidelity; and "the equality principle," which is the ultimate quality of grace.

Yet he reminded Florida Baptists that all principles are anchored in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

"We must draw a line in the sand to say who we are in the grace of God," Sullivan said. "There is no other way to be saved and no other way to come to heaven."