Do you believe the gospel has the power to revive a dying society? Listen as Susie welcomes author and social commentator Os Guinness back to the program to talk about the call on Christians to shine light in the darkness.
“Two to three years ago there was a discussion – can we really change the world? I wanted to come into that debate and say yes, of course. Not we, but the Lord with the gospel can change the world. It’s a call to reformation and a call to new confidence in the gospel. The lifestyle we insist upon today is … sapping our strength.”
What does it mean to be salt and light in a dark culture? Os and Susie spend time unpacking a few areas of renaissance:
• How to be a light – whether you’re a homemaker, a lawyer, a politician.
• Why the gospel has the power to transform societies.
• Augustine’s encouragement to “let a thousand flowers bloom.”
• Focus on the sovereignty of God in all situations.
• Augustine’s two cities – the city of man, where we rule, and the city of God, where God rules.
Os calls Christians to live with discernment and awareness of our culture, regardless of where we live and minister. It may not be easy but it’s our place as Jesus’ ambassadors. “There’s a tension with the world, and the tension, like a trampoline, becomes the resilience with which you can shape the culture. It takes engagement. That’s one of the huge problems in the church today – people can discern philosophies but they don’t discern the impact of things like cell phones, consumer shopping… where the way of the Lord is different than the way of the world, we’ve got to say no.”‘
Os’ book is Renaissance: The Power of the Gospel However Dark the Times.
Key Scriptures: Ezekiel 37:1-14; Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 3:15
Theme Song: Your Grace Finds Me by Matt Redman
This program has been previously aired.
Within the Twin Cities we have a large number of believers who believe in the gospel. Many of these believers have empty bedrooms. We have one of the largest populations of foreign speaking neighbors. We need to reach out to these foreign born neighbors for the sake of the gospel. We need to participate in the discipleship of these foreign born neighbors. We need to support these young brothers and sisters as God sends them back into the culture and language they understand. Yes we need to make the extra spaces within our homes to them. We need to give up our screen time for face time as we work to prepare these young disciples for the work the creator has created for them to complete. – Stephen