Relevant Acts: Pride and the Post-Christian Culture

We are living in what many call a post-Christian culture. Unlike nations that have never heard the Gospel, our society has heard of Jesus and decided it has “moved beyond” Him. But while culture claims to evolve past Christian faith, it still lives off the fruit of it: justice, love, compassion, generosity. These values did not come from nowhere, they were planted by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The danger is that in this new era, people want Christianity without Christ and a church without the cross. They want the benefits of faith without the source of faith. At the heart of it all lies the oldest scheme of the enemy: pride.

Pride: The Oldest Lie in the Book
From Satan’s fall in Isaiah to Adam and Eve in the Garden, the root sin has always been pride. Pride elevates self above God, placing “me” at the center of the story. Our culture celebrates this with mantras like “follow your heart” and “be true to yourself.” On the surface, it sounds empowering, but it leads us to worship ourselves rather than our Creator.
This worship of self is the opposite of true Christian worship, which exalts God above all else. As A.J. Swoboda writes, “The opposite of worshiping God is not Satan, but the worship of self.”

The Post-Christian Creed
Here are the values that define post-Christian culture:

1. The highest good is individual freedom, happiness, and self-expression.
2. Traditions, religion, and authority, especially church, must be dismantled.
3. Progress and technology will inevitably improve the world.
4. Tolerance of all self-expression is the ultimate virtue.
5. Humans are inherently good and will flourish without God.
6. Institutions and large structures are suspect at best, evil at worst.
7. External authority is rejected, and personal authenticity is celebrated.

But this is a lie. Without God, justice becomes hollow and love becomes shallow. Limits are rejected, truth is redefined, and sin is reframed as nothing more than a “social dysfunction.”

Why the Cross Still Matters
Here’s the truth: if humans are inherently good, the cross makes no sense. Why would Jesus die if we did not have a sin problem? But the cross is proof that evil is not just “out there,” it is in here, in every human heart.

The good news is that Jesus did not come just to teach us to “be better.” He came to save us, transform us, and give us a new nature. Only the power of the cross can bring lasting change in individuals, families, and society.

A Call to the Church in Orlando (and Beyond)
The church is not meant to revolve around me and my happiness. It is a community where we are challenged, sharpened, and reminded that Jesus is Lord, not us. In a time when culture pushes isolation and self-rule, the church reminds us that we were made for community, discipleship, and worship of God.

In Orlando and across the world, the true Christian church must resist the drift toward self-worship. We must recommit to Jesus, exalt Him at the center of our lives, and boldly proclaim that the cross is still the answer.

The truth remains: the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.

PASTOR KEVIN'S SERMON NOTES
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