Architects of Culture by Ps Jim Jung

It is an amazing thing that the Creator of the universe shares with us, He gives to us, the right to partner with Him in His great plan and purpose. The Great Architect of everything we see, everything we keep discovering, the one who holds eternity in His grasp – affords to you and I the ability to partner with Him in seeing His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. What a privilege. What an equally daunting responsibility.

I’m drawn to the very beginning of the human story in the book of Genesis where God, the greatest and most impressive architect, creates the universe. His attention to detail is stunning. Yet even after all of His work he sets humanity a task. We read:

“Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” Genesis 2: 19 (NIV)

Had God forgotten something here? Was He tired after all of His efforts in creating the atom and the neutron, the complex insect population, sprinkling the heavens with billions of galaxies? Had he run out of ideas and simply wanted a rest, and so handed over this task to another to complete? Or are we witnessing the first glimpse of God’s intention to have humanity partner with Him?

The biblical narrative contains many examples of moments where God empowers individuals, families, even a nation to craft the future; to be an architect of the culture they inherit.

There was a young boy named Samuel who grew up in a time when the temple was overseen by the house of the Eli. Things were grim. Yet this young boy grew in favour with the Lord in spite of the bleak spiritual landscape that was surrounding him. In the midst of diminishing supernatural encounters the Lord spoke to Samuel. This is a story of a young boy being given the privilege of partnering with the Lord in the midst of a corrupt, degenerative and faithless culture (ref: 1 Samuel 1-3). An incredible record of this relationship is given by the writer of this account:

“Samuel grew up. God was with him, and Samuel's prophetic record was flawless.” (1 Samuel 3:19 The Message)

The NIV says that the Lord let “…none of his words fall to the ground.” Those are partnership words! God uses Samuel, a young boy, to be a partner in re-establishing the presence and word of the Lord back to the people of God.

Jesus calls twelve fairly simple men to be His disciples. Three years later, as He prepares to leave them He commissions them to continue the work by saying:

“…All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

You have been born for such a time as this. The Great Architect saw you enter His creation in this era, and He calls you now to be a partner in the greatest cultural exchange moment of human history.