A Note from Michael Gossett
The Certainty of Christ in a World of Chaos
Every morning, before we even pour our first cup of coffee, the headlines remind us that the world is not as it should be. The assassination of Charlie Kirk sent shockwaves across the globe. Political systems shake with instability around the world. Russia continues its aggression against Europe, threatening an even broader conflict. Governments in the Middle East seem to rise and collapse constantly. In London, unrest fills the streets. In America, violence erupts in schools, on city streets, and in homes. The economy wavers with uncertainty, and the public narrative is filled with outrage and despair.
Chaos is no longer occasional—it feels like the normal state of affairs. And for many, the sheer weight of it all raises unsettling questions: What can I cling to when the world feels like it is unraveling? Where is hope to be found when stability seems impossible?
For Christians, the answer is not vague optimism or denial. You cannot choose to put your head in the sand and pretend like the chaos doesn’t exist, but you also cannot dwell on it in fear. The answer is rooted in a Person. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8, CSB). The chaos of the world may scream louder and louder, but Christ is the certainty that is immovable. He was sovereign yesterday, He reigns today, and He will reign tomorrow. Guaranteed.
But to feel the weight of this truth, we must look more closely at what chaos reveals, what Christ secures, and how the church must live in such a time as this.
What Chaos Reveals About Us
When the world shakes, it reveals not just external instability but internal fragility. Chaos acts like an x-ray of the soul, exposing what we actually believe about ourselves, our world, and the Lord.
Our cultural anthropology (what we believe about humanity) is often dangerously high. We are told that people are basically good, that we are self-sufficient, and that with the right education, policies, or technology, progress will occur. This is the same political promise that most politicians give. The story our culture tells is one of human ascent: we are climbing upward toward enlightenment and peace.
But history, as well as Scripture, paints a different picture. The Bible presents what might be called a “low anthropology.” It does not flatter us. Instead, it confronts us. Paul writes in Romans 3:10-11: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” This is not pessimism intended to bring us down; it is a reality that we must understand. Humanity is not neutral, waiting to choose good or evil. Humanity is corrupted by sin at the very core. Jeremiah 17:9 is blunt: “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?”
Chaos in the world exposes this low anthropology in vivid color. Political systems collapse because they are run by people corrupted by power and self-interest. Economies falter because greed and fear rule markets as much as numbers and data. Violence erupts because anger, hatred, and despair boil just beneath the surface of the human heart.
Take the assassination and martyrdom of Charlie Kirk. Regardless of one’s political ideology, the act itself reveals how fractured and hostile the human heart can become. Or consider the unrelenting wars in the Middle East, with their cycles of vengeance and bloodshed. It is a haunting reminder of Cain and Abel, a theme that has been seen across human history. School shootings in our own nation expose not only the brokenness of individuals but the emptiness of a culture that has turned away from God, devalued human life, and left people adrift in confusion and despair.
A high anthropology leads us to shock when the world breaks down—as though these things shouldn’t happen. A low anthropology reminds us that this is precisely what we should expect from a humanity estranged from God.
Yet here lies the hope: when you have a low anthropology, you are finally ready for a high Christology. If humanity is not capable of saving itself, then salvation must come from outside of us. Chaos strips us of illusions of self-sufficiency and drives us to the only Savior who can anchor us in the storm.
The Sovereignty of Christ in Chaos
When Christians speak of Christ’s sovereignty, we are not offering a shallow reassurance that “things will work out.” We are confessing the weighty, biblical reality that Christ rules over all things, at all times, in every place. Sovereignty means that nothing happens apart from His will, nothing unfolds beyond His control, and nothing escapes His purposes.
This conviction flows out of the whole counsel of Scripture. Psalm 115:3 declares, “Our God is in heaven and does whatever he pleases.” Ephesians 1:11 tells us that God “works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will.” Christ Himself affirms that not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from the Father’s care (Matthew 10:29). From the smallest details of life to the largest movements of history, Christ reigns.
This sovereignty is not theoretical. It is rooted in the doctrines of God’s providence and decrees. God’s eternal decree has established all that comes to pass (Isaiah 46:10), and His providence governs the unfolding of those decrees in time. This means that chaos is never ultimate and it is always subordinate to Christ’s rule. Wars, assassinations, pandemics, and political collapses may seem random or senseless, but none of them fall outside of Christ’s sovereign hand.
This sovereignty is also Christ-centered. The Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth to the risen Christ (Matthew 28:18). He is not waiting for some future enthronement; He reigns now. Revelation 1:5 calls Him “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” That phrase is not metaphorical gibberish; it is a theological reality. Presidents, parliaments, and prime ministers exist under His lordship. He raises them up, and He removes them (Daniel 2:21). They may plot and rage against Him, but Psalm 2 reminds us that their rebellion only secures their downfall.
For believers, this sovereignty is not meant to foster passivity but to give a great peace that surpasses our own understanding. If Christ rules all, then nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). If Christ is sovereign, then even suffering and chaos are folded into His purposes for our good (Romans 8:28). His sovereignty does not mean we will avoid storms; it means the storms cannot undo or thwart His plan.
This is why Hebrews 13:8 is such an anchor: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The One who sovereignly spoke creation into being, who sovereignly calmed the sea, and who sovereignly rose from the grave is the same One who sovereignly rules today. The sovereignty of Christ is not cold determinism but warm assurance. It tells us that behind the apparent chaos of history is the steady hand of a reigning Savior.
The Call of the Church in an Age of Chaos
If Christ is sovereign in the chaos, then the question becomes: how should His church live? What does it look like to bear witness to Christ when the world feels like it is coming apart?
First, the church must embody peace in an age of panic. When the disciples faced a storm on the Sea of Galilee, they panicked while Jesus slept. But when He rose and stilled the waves, He asked, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” (Matthew 8:26). Fear reveals misplaced trust. In a world addicted to anxiety, the church must be the community that rests in Christ’s peace. Jesus said plainly, “My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful” (John 14:27).
Second, the church must embody hope in an age of despair. Outrage dominates social media. Violence fills the news. Many wonder if the future holds anything but decline. But Christians know that history is not spiraling out of control; it is marching toward Christ’s return. Our testimony is that the end is not collapse, but consummation! The church must be the people who proclaim, with confidence, the hope of Revelation 21: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more.”
Third, the church must embody truth in an age of confusion. Chaos is not just external but intellectual. Our culture is disoriented about morality, identity, and meaning itself. Into this, the church must speak the unchanging truth of God’s Word. “The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever” (Isaiah 40:8). The Word does not shift with opinion polls. It stands when everything else falls.
Finally, the church must embody love in an age of hostility. Violence, political division, and cultural fragmentation tempt us to mirror the rage of the world. But Jesus calls us to a higher way: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). To live as Christ’s church is to forgive when others demand revenge, to show mercy when others demand punishment, and to care for the weak when the world discards them.
The church’s witness in an age of chaos is not in shouting louder but in shining brighter. The darker the night, the more radiant the light of Christ must appear in His people.
The Certainty That Holds Us
The storms of history are not going to calm overnight. Nations will rage. Violence will continue. Economies will rise and fall. Scripture prepares us for this. Jesus Himself said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6). Chaos, in other words, will persist until the day Christ returns.
But Christians endure because our certainty is not in the absence of storms, but in the presence of the Savior. He is the One who stills the sea with a word. He is the One who defeated death itself. He is the One who will one day return to establish a kingdom that cannot be shaken.
This is why Hebrews calls us to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). In a world of chaos, He is the anchor of the soul (Hebrews 6:19).
Practical Steps for Believers Today
- Stay rooted in Scripture. Let God’s Word be the lens through which you interpret the headlines. Spend more time in the Bible than in the news.
- Turn panic into prayer. When the news tempts you to despair, turn immediately to God in prayer. Philippians 4:6–7 promises His peace when we bring our anxieties to Him.
- Guard your heart from outrage. Resist the temptation to mirror the anger of the culture. James 1:20 reminds us, “Human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.”
- Invest in community. Do not isolate. In chaotic times, we need the church more than ever—a place of stability and encouragement.
- Bear witness with hope. Speak of Christ often. Let your words and actions display the peace, truth, and love of the kingdom. In a fearful world, even quiet confidence in Christ is a radical testimony.
It may seem that the enemy is winning through chaos, but lift your eyes above the storm. Fix your gaze on Christ. He is the certainty in a world of chaos, and He will not move.
Do you have a story of God’s faithfulness to share? Text the word “PRAISE” to 903-525-1100 and let us know about your answered prayer! Your testimony encourages others and reminds us that God is always at work. Whether big or small, every answered prayer matters — and we’d love to celebrate with you.
This Sunday at Green Acres
This Sunday at Green Acres, we’ll be walking through one of the most moving stories in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus met a grieving widow in the darkest moment of her life and brought her hope no one thought possible.
The truth is, we all face seasons of darkness, such as loss, uncertainty, fear, and even death itself. But in Luke 7:11-17, we see that when Jesus steps into the darkness, He brings a hope stronger than despair, a light brighter than the night, and a life greater than death.
Don’t miss this message. If you’ve ever wondered where God is in your grief… if you’ve ever needed hope when the world felt overwhelming… if you’ve longed for light in your darkest hour—this word from the Lord is for you.
Bring a friend, invite a neighbor, and join us this Sunday. Because the same Jesus who brought hope to Nain is the same Jesus who brings hope to us today.
Come discover what “Hope in the Darkness” is all about at 9:30 or 11:00 at the Tyler Campus or Flint Campus, and 11:00 in Español.
We also offer Connect Groups, which are essential for your spiritual growth, meeting at 8:00 am, 9:30 am, and 11:00 am. Come and join us!
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett