Sermon: Understanding Christ's Place in Our World

The evidence for the Saviour in our lives can sometimes be difficult for the world to embrace. When we see all the turmoil around the globe people don’t see his love, they just see chaos. As Christ loving, and Christ accepting members of The Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ, we see the world differently. We see hope, Love, charity and benevolence.

All through history we have examples of Christ leading our lives amidst conflict and strife. Terry Lynn Barton was a forest-service worker for the state of Colorado in the United States. In June of 2002, she was arrested for starting the biggest wildfire in Colorado’s history. She was charged with wilfully and maliciously destroying U.S. property and causing personal injury. The fire destroyed 138,000 acres of vegetation southwest of Denver, 133 homes, a commercial building and 466 outbuildings. Prosecutors said it caused nearly 30 million dollars in damages. Barton initially told authorities she had discovered the fire and reported it. She later altered her story, saying she accidentally set it while burning a letter from her estranged husband. The evidence indicated otherwise, and the jury failed to believe her. She was convicted of deliberately setting the fire, and for her crime, was sentenced to 12 years in a state prison. In addition Terry Lynn Barton was ordered to pay millions in restitution. What makes this story so difficult for us to take is that we all know the job of fire fighters is to put out fires, not start them. It makes no sense to us when someone does what is clearly contrary to their calling. Sometimes I think this is why people struggle with Christians as a whole. On occasion, we do things that are counter to what most people expect believers in Christ to do. Take the issue of conflict for example. Rather than be people who put out the fires of conflict, Christians are often the ones that ignite the fires and sit back and watch them rage out of control.

We all have times in our lives when we need to repent, and if we allow the Saviour in we can overcome all obstacles and put our lives back in line with the Lord and his teachings. We may not ever have to overcome what Lynn Barton had too but we all have our demons as Romans 14:12 tells us. We need to peruse a path of reconciliation as we will all be judged see 2Corinthians 5 9-10. Without conflict resolution we achieve nothing the fire rages on. I hope that the entire world can be healed and can be secure in the knowledge that the Lord loves us all.

God does not start conflict but with our willingness to follow his promptings we can all overcome these challenges in our lives. The apostle Paul tells us we need to live in this world as if we are already in eternity read 1 Corinthians 3 :8-10-12.

In conclusion our future is in our hands but without the Lord walking at our side we are lost and all to surly conflict would overwhelm us and we would go the way of the unrighteous destined never to taste of the love of the Saviour again.

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen

Elder Philip A. Gill