God's People in a Broken Culture

God's people need to engage our broken culture in transforming ways. In a society that continues to reject biblical morality and suffer the consequences, Christians can become deeply discouraged about our ability to make a meaningful difference.

Let me share this note of encouragement: AS WE WORK, GOD WORKS!

When we pay a price to serve Jesus faithfully, Jesus honors our commitment and uses us in ways we cannot fully imagine in this life. 

Hebrews 11 speaks of those who "through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, [and] obtained promises" (v. 33). We can emulate them knowing that "it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).

Christmas proves once and for all that our God is "Immanuel," a name which means "God with us" (Matthew 1:23). The One born in Bethlehem now makes his manger in us by his Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) and will partner with us whenever we choose "not to be served but to serve" (Mark 10:45).

"Love rather than fear was to inspire his worship"

St. Peter Chrysologus ("golden-worded") was born in Italy in AD 380 and died in 450. He served as bishop in Ravenna, a town in northeast Italy, where he was noted for his exceptional oratorical eloquence. In his sermon titled "Love desires to see God," he described God's partnership with those he used to change the world.

Noah was his first example: "He called Noah to be the father of a new era, urged him with kind words, and showed that he trusted him; he gave him fatherly instruction about the present calamity, and through his grace consoled him with hope for the future. But God did not merely issue commands; rather with Noah sharing the work, he filled the ark with the future seed of the whole world."

Abraham was his second: "God called Abraham out of the heathen world . . . and made him the father of all believers. God walked with him on his journeys, protected him in foreign lands, enriched him with earthly possessions, and honored him with victories. He made a covenant with him, saved him from harm, accepted his hospitality, and astonished him by giving him the offspring he had despaired of. Favored with so many graces and drawn by such great sweetness of divine love, Abraham was to learn to love God rather than fear him, and love rather than fear was to inspire his worship."

He continued: "God comforted Jacob by a dream during his flight, roused him to combat upon his return, and encircled him with a wrestler's embrace to teach him not to be afraid of the author of the conflict, but to love him. God called Moses as a father would, and with fatherly affection invited him to become the liberator of his people."

Now the God of Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Moses is our God. What he did through them he stands ready to do through us.

Do you believe that this is true for you today?

If you do, set your course to serve him with all that is within you.