23-1022p - Detailed Summary

Session Overview: Part two of the "Seven Threats of Our Time" series by Del Tackett, focusing on "The Consolidation of Massive Earthly Power."

God’s Modus Operandi: Highlights God’s creation of humans in His image, establishing social systems with authority, submission, and roles.

Social Institutions: Lists six social institutions created by God (family, state, church, labor, God-man relationship, community), plus God Himself as the ultimate social system, described as triune and socially complex.

Diverse Systems: Emphasizes God’s creation of a complex universe where diverse elements work for a higher good, with specific roles and authority within each social system.

God’s Design: God delegates authority to enable flourishing at all levels, glorifying Him through fruitfulness.

Satan’s Method: Contrasts with God by consolidating power, leading to dependency and destruction of fruitfulness.

Biblical Examples:

Sphere Sovereignty: Discusses how each institution has its own sovereignty under God, not over each other, using the term coined by Abraham Kuyper.

Statism Explained: When the state oversteps, assuming authority over other institutions like family, church, and labor, leading to a decline in societal fruitfulness.

Historical and Current Examples: Describes how statism leads to the downfall of nations by stifling individual and collective flourishing.

Cultural Impact: Notes the current trend in Western cultures, particularly the U.S., where federal power has expanded beyond intended constitutional limits.

Founders' Wisdom: American founders designed the Constitution to limit federal power, balancing it with state and individual rights to prevent statism.

Current Challenges: Discusses the erosion of this balance and suggests revisiting foundational principles or legislative measures like a "Balance of Powers Act" to curb excessive state power.

Global Examples: Briefly references issues in Eastern Europe where leaders attempt to control beyond their borders, illustrating modern statism.

Historical Consequences: Discusses the horrific outcomes of statism, citing mass graves and slaughter in historical contexts like Ukraine.

Unique Modern Threats: Introduces the idea that current threats are unique due to modern technology, describing them as a new type of "beast" not seen before.

State and Labor: Begins to describe the state and labor as partners in this consolidation of power, setting the stage for further discussion on labor’s influence.

New Worldview in Technology: Discusses how major tech companies have adopted a new worldview, which influences how businesses and individuals operate online.

Impact on Presence: Notes the potential for individuals or groups to be "canceled" or limited online if they do not align with this worldview.

Labor as a Power Horn: Describes how the sphere of labor, particularly through technology, has become an unprecedented source of power, capable of enforcing its worldview.

Cultural Horns: Identifies entertainment, science, media, medicine, and academia as significant sub-entities within labor, each exerting influence over culture:

Media’s Role: Explains how media, now everywhere due to technology, shapes public perception and understanding of events.

Science’s Policy Influence: Describes how scientific theories and hypotheses significantly affect global policies.

Medicine’s Cultural Impact: Points out the recent influence of medicine, especially highlighted by its role in policy-making during health crises.

Alignment of Powers: Summarizes the seven areas (state, labor, entertainment, science, media, medicine, academia) as influential "horns" that can shape cultural norms and individual behavior, cautioning against conforming to these influences.

Concept of Malevolent Compassion: Introduces the idea of a compassion that leads to harmful policies, using the imagery from Revelation to describe how this ethic pervades all areas of influence.

Policy Examples: Cites recent legislative actions in Colorado and California to illustrate how policies are justified under the guise of compassion but lead to negative outcomes.

Influence Across Sectors: Reiterates that this false compassion is the driving force behind many modern policies and cultural shifts.

Recognition: Urges the audience to recognize and understand the pervasive nature of this malevolent compassion across all influential sectors.

Hope and Action: Encourages believers not to despair despite the apparent dominance of evil, reminding them of God’s sovereignty and the call to engage with love and prayer.

Biblical Assurance: Refers to Psalms for comfort, emphasizing that justice will prevail and believers have a role in this time for a divine purpose.