While younger generations of Christians show great passion for helping those in need, David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., encouraged students to also show more devotion toward speaking out on other social issues.
“In one sense my heart is encouraged, particularly among younger evangelicals, as I sense opposition to injustice regarding the poor, orphaned and enslaved,” said Platt, who spoke Aug. 27 during a chapel service at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest. “I am concerned by a lack of zeal on social issues that are just as, if not more, important. These issues include abortion, sexual immorality and so called same-sex marriage.”
Platt called the members and leaders of Christ’s church to a contrite, compassionate and courageous battle on the front lines of our culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Much of Platt’s message focused on Genesis 1-3. He spoke about the biblical foundations found there and the cultural implications from the text.
Found in Genesis 1, “God creates us as a demonstration of His glory. … Not natural selection but supernatural provision,” said Platt, explaining how this reveals that man is created in the image of God with the unique capacity to relate, know, walk and worship God.
Followers of Christ have no choice but to oppose abortion, he said.
|
SEBTS photo by Maria Estes In a recent Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary chapel service, David Platt encouraged church members and leaders to the front lines on the battle between culture and the gospel of Jesus Christ. |
“We do not have a choice; we are constrained by the gospel to fight abortion as an assault on God’s creation and an affront to God’s glory,” he said. “We live in a country where 1 million babies are aborted each year – 3,000 everyday and one baby every 20 to 25 seconds. All over the world 130,000 abortions occur every day.
“I do not believe it is an overstatement to call abortion a modern holocaust. We must not hide from the reality of what is happening all around the country and all over the world.”
Platt also addressed the issue of marriage.
In Genesis 2, Platt said, “God designs us for the display of His gospel. Man and woman were created with equal dignity, value and importance before God yet clearly designed with different roles. Both complement each other. … That through this [marriage] relationship it may show the world the relationship between Christ and the church.”
“Today’s cultural climate creates a huge opportunity for gospel witness through marriage,” he said. “God’s design for marriage is far more breathtaking and satisfying than anything our culture will ever create. We defend sexual complimentary in marriage for the sake of the gospel and the world.”
God’s people must reflect His character in a world that is filled with the weak and fatherless, the sick and needy, the impoverished and enslaved, Platt said. The calling in Micah 6:8 to do justice is modeled by giving a cup of clean water or building a well with clean water while declaring the gospel of the living water.
“We must give our lives and lead our churches to pursue people still unreached by God’s redeeming love,” he said. “Surely the greatest injustice in our day without question is that 6,000 people groups and 2 billion people [have]yet to even hear of God’s redeeming love.
“Christ is worthy of glory from every single people group on the planet,” he said. “There is a battle that is raging in North America and among the nations. I challenge you today to engage in the battle. … To engage the gospel on battlefronts across our culture is to be faithful to the gospel in our day.”