26/12/โ26 STANDING FIRM WHEN POPULISM COLLAPSES THE TRUTH
PRAYER BEFORE THE READING
Heavenly Father, we come before Your throne in a time of great uncertainty and moral confusion. We confess that we often trust earthly powers more than Your eternal kingdom. Lord, we ask today that Your Holy Spirit will open our eyes to the truth. In a world where lies are often dressed up as truth, give us the gift of discernment. Let Your Word today break the hardness of our self-satisfaction like a hammer, and shine like a light into the dark corners of our political and social idols. We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, our only Rock and Redeemer. AMEN
SCRIPTURE READING – Psalm 11:3 โWhen the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?โ
SERMON
Introduction
We live in a time where the world order feels like a house cracking in a violent storm. Global tension, economic uncertainty, talk of war, and cultural polarisation are wearing people down. In that kind of climate, political leaders can quickly become โsavioursโ in peopleโs imagination. Historians may one day describe our era as a great โshaking.โ When we look at the global landscape, we see more than politics; we see a leadership crisis that touches the whole person. Rules we accepted for decades as โnormalโโdecency, truth, and integrityโare crumbling.
This shaky world order is not just a news headline; it touches our deepest fears. When power becomes more important than morality, and when the โstrongmanโ is lifted above the law, it feels like the ground is sliding out from under our feet. Populist rhetoric slowly chips away at the foundations of democracy and cooperation. It leaves believers asking the same question as the psalmist: What happens to a society when truth and justice are no longer the cornerstones? What we see in powerful nations often becomes a mirror for all of us, showing how fragile human-made structures are when the focus shifts from service to self-glory.
THE TEMPTATION OF THE IMMORAL LEADER
There is a real danger the church must hear in this time: we can use Godโs Name to bless our own desires. It happens when Christians say, โAt least he does what I want,โ and then we close our eyes to character, mercy, and justice.
When we start believing that โmy groupโs victoryโ is the same as โGodโs will,โ politics becomes an altar. The leader then becomes an idolโnot because he is perfect, but because he gives me what I crave: influence, revenge, identity, or security.
It is painful to see how many believers tie themselves to leaders whose private lives openly clash with the gospel of Christ. There is a trend where people are willing to overlook immorality, roughness, arrogance, and even hateful speechโas long as that leader promises to fulfil our political wishes or protect our social power. That is a dangerous trade: we give up our moral authority in exchange for a seat at the table of power. Scripture warns us not to put our trust in people. When the church makes peace with injustice because it fits our story of โwinning,โ we lose our saltiness. This Faustian bargainโpower in exchange for integrityโpoisons the soul of a community. Jesus did not come to grab the political power structures of His day, but to establish a kingdom of love and truth that calls the powerful to account.
FOUNDATIONS OVERTURNED: WHERE IS THE TRUTH?
In Psalm 11 David asks: โWhen the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?โ Today we see how foundations of truth are steadily being dismantled. In this climate, good leaders with strong principles are often labelled โevilโ or โtraitors,โ simply because they refuse to bow to a certain ideology. Truth becomes โrelativeโ; facts get dismissed as โmade-up newsโ when they donโt suit those in power.
When the foundations of moral truth are overturned, the pressure on sincere people becomes the new normal. People with integrity are pushed aside in favour of loyalists. It is an upside-down world where the arrogant are praised and the humble are trampled. The โrighteousโ person in the text is someone trying to hold on to Godโs standards in the middle of chaos. It is exhausting, because it can feel like the very language we use to tell right from wrong is being stolen from us. If we canโt agree on what is true, how can we build any foundation? When foundations are overturned, society stops being safe for the weak and becomes safe only for those who can shout the loudest.
THE CALL TO FAITHFULNESS IN THE RUBBLE
What should the righteous do? The temptation is to run away. But the believerโs answer is not to fleeโit is to trust the Lord who still sits on His throne. Earthly leaders come and go. Political systems rise and fall. But the moral compass of Godโs Word does not change. We are called to remain witnesses of the truth, even when it is unpopular.
To be faithful while foundations are shaking means we refuse to become part of polarisation and hatred. We must measure leaders by the fruit of the Spirit, not by their ability to humiliate opponents. Our calling is to be โfoundation-buildersโ in a time of demolition. That means we build on the values of the Sermon on the Mount: mercy, peace, purity of heart, and a hunger for justice.
When we confess that our guilt has been forgiven, we also accept the responsibility to live in that forgiveness and integrity. We must not allow fear to push us into sacrificing our credibility on the altar of political opportunism. The righteous stand firmโnot in their own strength, but on the Rock who is Christ.
SUMMARY
The crisis of our time is not only political; it is a spiritual test. Foundations are shaking, and it is easy to become afraid. But do not place your hope in people. The world does not need more Christians who shout; the world needs Christians whoโs light shines. People who speak the truth without manipulation. People who can disagree without contempt and insults. People who do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly.
When you confess that your guilt has been forgiven by the blood of Jesus, it calls you to a life of radical integrity. Tell your children that power without character is a trap. Teach them it is better to stand with the persecuted righteous than with corrupt powerholders. Let our community become a sign of a different kingdomโone where leaders serve instead of dominating, and where truth costs more than votes. When foundations are being destroyed, we rebuild againโone stone of justice at a timeโwith our eyes fixed on the One whose kingdom will never shake. AMEN
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You are the Lord of history. In times when foundations shake, we confess that You are our safe refuge. Lord, forgive us as a church where we have chased immoral power and where we have cheapened the gospel for political gain. Give us courage to call right and wrong by name, even when it costs us. Strengthen the hands of those who fight for justice and comfort those who are persecuted because they speak the truth. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Keep our focus on the simple truth of the cross and help us to shine as lights in a confused world. AMEN
BENEDICTION
May the Lord anchor your heart when foundations shake.
May Christ cover your guilt and set your conscience free.
May the Spirit tame your tongue and grow your love.
May God fill your home with peace and truth.
May you shine as light in a dark world. AMEN