Light Makes Right.

"Lord, make us different so that we might make a difference." (Pastor Sam)

Pastor Sam shared three ways in which we employ the strategy of incarnational holiness: relevance, revelation, and redemption. Today we'll consider the last of of these sermon points: redemption.

Redemption

Our pastor shared with us that "nobody can see the glory of God and remain the same." Redemptive influence occurs because we have been successful in infiltrating the world without being corrupted by it: and, our infiltration influences the world to turn to the Lord. We, like Jesus, have become involved with people so that they can be introduced to the ways of the kingdom of God.

Through us, God has a means whereby He can shine His love to the world. Our presence in church is not merely to entertain ourselves, but to be equipped to leave the church building and influence those who are closest to us. As people recognize that we care for them, the day may come when they care enough to listen to us on matters of faith.

"The light can only shine if you have the real Light. So, brothers and sisters: 'In the world, not of the world, for the world'." Pastor Sam exhorted us to commit ourselves to God so that we will not be corrupted and co-opted by the world.  Our church has a corporate commitment to being a redemptive influence, and our prayer is that each individual will be sufficiently changed in order to be an effective agent of change in the world.

At the start of the altar call, Pastor Sam shared a prophetic insight regarding those who are not yet ready to be a redemptive influence for a world that needs the Lord. Christ says: "You are not coming from a place in Me that will be able to sustain you with them." For some of us, redemption will need to be real and integral in our own experience before we can be a vehicle of redemption for anyone else.

As we go through our day today, let us keep in mind the heart of Sunday's altar call: "Lord, help me to be somebody that is sufficiently changed, that I will be an agent of change."

God, form Your character in me so that You will be able to use me as a means of redemption.
Forgive us, Lord, for having a desire to escape from the world instead of seeking to redeem the world.
Forgive us, Lord, for wasting opportunities that You gave us to be a redemptive influence in the places that You put us every day.
Forgive us, Lord, for masking Your Light and refusing to infiltrate our sphere of influence.
Let us show You to people simply by being who You have made us to be.

Amen. We commit ourselves to being a redemptive influence in the Bronx, and in the world, to the glory of God.