Dealing With Darkness provides light an opportunity

Dealing With Darkness provides light an opportunity.

• • 40 Years of Stress Vietnam Watergate Abortion legalized in US and around the world Israel - Palestinian conflict – Munich Olympics 1 st Mideast Oil troubles – remember when gas went over $1 per gallon? Idi Amin & South Africa 18% Inflation Cold War – Nuclear threats • • • Iran Hostage Crisis AIDS 1 st Iraq War & Bosnia 1 st World Trade Center bombings OJ & Branch Davidians Somalia 2 nd World Trade Center Attack and 2 nd Gulf War Hurricane Katrina Darfur (Sudan) Etc.

Personal and Local Issues • family problems • local issues – economy downturn in this region, Xenia tornado April 3, 1974 • church problems • health problems

Ways To Deal With Stress & Darkness Chicken Little Approach Doomsday Approach “Woe is me” Approach “Quit exaggerating!” Approach “We’ll fix it” Approach The Christian Perspective

The Christian Perspective • • • Romans 13: 1 -7 1 Timothy 2: 1 -2 Christians are different from the world – regardless of where they live. • Matthew 5: 14 -16 • 1 Peter 2: 11 -12, Ephesians 5: 8 -12

Conclusion Ø Staying the spiritual and faithful course is the call of every Christian in every place and at every time. - Public opinion changes. - God’s word and His standard of righteousness never change. Ø Christians are called to be faithful, sowers of the gospel and examples of the right kind of life!

Conclusion Ø People who are interested in serving the Lord are called by Him by the same standards regardless of the time, culture, or experience. - No matter how dark the darkness gets let’s all be God’s servants (Habakkuk 3: 17 -18).