I made comments along these lines at our Sunday morning services. They certainly don’t address the specific issues at hand, but are important to remember as we move forward:
There’s a degree of fear within the Church fueling a sentiment that last week’s Supreme Court marriage ruling is a step toward America becoming a Godless nation. Hold on. Breathe. Let’s not lose track of a critical truth amidst the confusion: God’s territory is not contained by the borders of any nation. God’s territory is his Church. Not the visible American church economy of buildings and denominations and theologies and budgets and staff and programs, but the mostly invisible, simple church…the true church of Spirit-empowered, Jesus-following people who sacrificially live in the trenches of everyday life. As long as Jesus’ Church is alive in a nation, God is alive in that nation. If death itself will not have any power over it (Mt 16:18, CEV), then absolutely nothing will overpower the Church–certainly not a constitutional ruling, whether good or bad; whether you like it or not.
Nations will come and go. Governments will come and go. Denominations will come and go. Leaders and movements and laws and moral strength and people will come and go. The only thing that will never go…the only thing that is never-ending…is God’s Church. Never fear that God is hampered in bringing about his will. No matter what the circumstances of life may suggest, we can always and forever be confident that God is always in control and that his Church will prevail.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
No need to fear. God is well. Always.
