The goal of the American dream is to make much of us, the goal of the gospel is to make much of God.
Platt, David (2010-04-17). Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (pp. 46-47). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
The earliest Americans were a ragged group of individuals in a dangerous situation who realized that without God’s help they were lost. Through them God began to change the world.
The earliest disciples were a ragged group of individuals in a dangerous situation who realized that without God’s help they were lost. Through them God began to change the world.
Somewhere along the line Americans and American Christians began to believe that they did it on their own. Since that time both America and the American church have begun to crumble. But the church isn’t crumbling everywhere. There are places were the church is flourishing. In those places, it is dangerous to be a Christian. The church is not popular, in fact, it is persecuted. Christians don’t have freedoms, or big buildings, or flashy pastors or much money. But they do have Jesus.
The history of the children of Israel is a story of God doing great things through a people he loved and those people getting to believe that they did it all themselves. When that would happen, things would begin to go wrong. Enemies would attack. Crops would fail. Eventually, the people were enslaved and scattered.
The story of the Israel is a foreshadowing of the story of the church. Europe is a bit further along in the story than is America. In Europe churches are now museums or mosques. But we are not far behind.
There seems little that the individual disciple can do to turn the church around. But what we can each do is make sure that we don’t fail individually where our country and our church has failed as a group. Each individual and each group of gathered Christians needs to make sure we don’t make much of us and that we make very much of God.
This is how God works. He puts his people in positions where they are desperate for his power, and then he shows his provision in ways that display his greatness.
Platt, David (2010-04-17). Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream (p. 48). Random House, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
Are we desperate enough for His power?
Be desperate and be blessed.
Nick
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