What Message?

Even though we may find ourselves beset by negativity and fear, yet believers in Christ can be devoted to relating God's story of redemption and peace through Him. Titus 2 states:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ...

Rejoice!  The grace of God is here, and Christ has come with salvation for everyone!  What an incredible message that we have been entrusted to share.  In a world that communicates to us fear and death, we can reach out in faith to our Lord and recognize the hope and clarity that He gives. We can also look for ways we can communicate that message of restoration and reconciliation to others.  Because Jesus has come, those who come to Him can find salvation and the healing of our relationship with God.

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We can have hope in the Lord, and our words and the way we live should display the hope that we have through salvation. 1st Peter 1 encourages us to adopt this posture:
17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear;

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

One of the more popular videos on the Faith Radio YouTube channel is a conversation with John Lennox and Kevin Sorbo, who teamed up to make the movie, Against the Tide, which is now available through AgainstTheTide.movie.  It's a movie centered around an ardent defender of truth, Oxford professor John Lennox and the narrator and interviewer in the film, actor Kevin Sorbo.

Kevin and wife Sam have acquired a reputation as communicators of God's truth.  And, a recent Christian Post article opens up this way:

Actors Kevin and Sam Sorbo say the media played a "pivotal role" in helping to get abortion legalized nationwide in 1973 and encouraged Christians to use new media to combat the lies and censorship of today's mainstream press and big tech.

The couple was interviewed at a premiere of the Roe vs. Wade movie, and Sam is quoted as saying, "Media tells the story and stories are compelling and they're convicting. But they're also very convincing,” adding, “You'll see in the movie, the media played the pivotal role in this whole saga, telling a lie, a story about a young woman that was an outright lie. Then perpetuating this myth that it's not a human being, that it's a clump of cells, that the young woman will never have to think about it again. All of these other stories that they tell, and none of which are true.”

Kevin, who has found himself banned from Facebook, offers encouragement in fighting media censorship and misinformation, saying: "We got to fight back...," even though people have the opinion that "media owns everything" and respond with apathy.  Sorbo adds, "I think we just got to raise our voice and be a little more strong...We have to have the same passion...without the hate and anger and divisiveness. We just have to have the same strong passion.”

So, he, like his wife, Sam, and his friend, Professor Lennox, is devoted to speaking truth.  And, so should we, in the way that God directs.  The Sorbos also do that through movies.  Kevin, in fact, is featured in a new film called, The Girl Who Believes in Miracles, which is described by ChristianHeadlines.com:

...telling the story of a young girl in a small town who hears her pastor preach about faith and begins praying for miracles – both big and small. God heals multiple people, sparking attention from both the community and the media.

Kevin Sorbo, who plays the role of a doctor in the film, states, "I think what this movie shows is that we need the faith of a child. We need that innocence," adding, "Because as we get older ... I think a lot of people just become jaded, and they just sort of give up and don't pay attention. I think miracles happen every day. Just because you're not walking in water, it can still be a miracle. How many times have you read stories about doctors saying, 'It's a miracle. I don't know how they survived; they should have died'?"

Sorbo says that he thinks more movies with a "positive message" should be made, and relates, "I like movies that deal with redemption," adding, "I think that that's the biggest thing we need in the world right now, more than anything else. People with all their anger and hate – I think a lot of it comes from the fact that they feel lost and have nowhere to turn to. Redemption is a great message out there for people, and this movie offers it."

There are several considerations as we think on what the Sorbos are saying about the messages that are being disseminated.  First of all, we can reflect on what we are doing to communicate the accurate message of the gospel.  That's why personal study and exposure to strong Bible teaching are important, so that we might be built up in our walk with God.

Our walk should be characterized by faith and hope rather than fear and despair.  We should be joyful in our demeanor and reflect a love for Christ and for others.  We will encounter suffering in our life, but we can reach out to God in order that we might experience His joy in the midst of it. 

We can also consider whether or not our demeanor causes people to want to know our Savior. We are called and empowered to reflect His light, and the presence of Jesus through us can be used by Him to draw people to Him.  We can be cognizant of the power and opportunity to communicate His truth with compassion and conviction.