This final episode addresses a common reason why many Christians choose not to evangelize: they're not worthy because of sin issues, and they don't want to be hypocrites. Most Christians haven't fully given over to Christ's Lordship, and many struggle with sins "that so easily entangle." (Hebrews 12:1) The way forward is not to take an extended sabbatical from witnessing till substantial victory is realized, for few Christians ever feel sufficiently victorious. The recipe for gaining substantial victory over the flesh is Romans 13:14: "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts." Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ means so regularly identifying with Christ through reading Scripture and prayer that Christ's character and mission become part of the believer. One is then motivated to lay aside the flesh, because it clearly obstructs and hinders the vision Christ has imparted to us, that of being ambassadors. Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ (inhaling) naturally leads to the ministry of reconciliation (exhaling), both of which clarify our purpose and reason for existence. We then see sin for what it truly is, an obstacle to true fulfillment, and we lay it aside. The alternative, being an unemployed Christian, rarely leads to victory over the flesh. "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint." (Proverbs 29:18) Absent the invigorating power of Christ, inspiring and illuminating His plans for us, we only see the flesh. If we're going nowhere and willfully unemployed, rejecting participation in the Great Commission, we cast off restraint. We indulge the flesh even more, the paltry dividends of the lusts of deceit medicate us temporarily from loss of purpose and meaning. We settle for a substandard Christian life, where victory is always elusive and ministry is made a captive of the law of sin and death.* Clearly this latter alternative is not an option. All of us in varying degrees are called to be ministers of reconciliation, and ironically our battles with sin propel us to identify with Christ more. "Where sin abounds, grace abounds more.." Is it possible God wants to use you as a mighty evangelist, through your struggles with sin?
Omission of the Great Commission Makes a Dull Christian
This episode initially drives home the central point of the previous lesson, that response to the Great Commission mandate is a matter of obedience, not feelings. And it is comparable to growth in many Christian disciplines, in which "feeling" dividends are not immediately realized but nevertheless accumulate with a lifestyle of obedience. This episode paints the stark contrast of an obedient disciple of Christ, making the most of every evangelistic opportunity, with the mediocre Christian life that never responds to the evangelistic call. In the case of the latter, a sub-standard Christian life sets in after prolonged disobedience to the Great Commission. The love of God poured out in the heart of the believer is imprisoned within oneself or family, and the unconditional love of God pleading with the world "be ye reconciled to Christ" withers away in solitary confinement. It is always technically present, but the indwelling Spirit is grieved that the UNCONDITIONAL love that defines Him is at best extended to cellmates. The disciple obedient to the Great Commission, by contrast, experiences greater degrees of the divine zoe life. Disciplined to follow the Spirit's promptings in leading others to Christ, he is constantly being strengthened with power in the inner man, rooting and grounding him in the agape love that he readily extends to unbelievers. (Ephesians 3:16-19) The supernatural mission of Christ IS his mission, and Christ's joy (and the angels) becomes his when he assists in bringing sinners to repentance. The zoe life characterized by obedience in making disciples becomes LIFE itself.
Not FEELING it? Let Your FEELINGS Follow Obedience!
This episode mostly deals with psychological hindrances to evangelism, principally a ministry mindset that is driven more by "feelings" than obedience. Many believers gravitate to serving in areas in which they are gifted, and feelings of fulfillment naturally abound. Sharing the gospel on some level, is however not the sole prerogative of the "gifted" evangelist and apologist, for ALL believers are exhorted to provide a reasoned account for "the hope that lies within them, with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15) Evangelism then is not a "gifted-restricted" ministry but a universal mandate placed on all believers. Not being a gifted evangelist, I struggled to respond to this universal command because of fear and low self-esteem, resulting in disobedience in this area. The program contains my testimony how I overcame my "feeling" driven mindset and became obedient to the universal command to witness. Positive feelings and a heightened sense of purpose FOLLOWED obedience, highlighting a common Christian growth experience. God commands us to obey, making us initially uncomfortable and dissatisfied, but obedience ultimately brings satisfaction and positive feelings that more than compensate for initial hesitancy and awkwardness.
Converting People is NOT in your Job Description
This initial episode unpacks the classic "formula" for salvation articulated in Romans 10:9, "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." This relatively straightforward "easy" confession is predicated on the work of the Holy Spirit, so persuading and even manipulating someone to recite the sinner's prayer, APART from the leading of the Holy Spirit, is a vain useless exercise. The evangelist should see himself/herself as the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit, following Him as the LEAD player in any evangelistic encounter. The Romans 10:9 "formula" requires renouncing the kingdom of darkness (repentance) and receiving the kingdom of God's beloved Son (faith). No one can convince someone to "believe in their heart," so mere parroting of the formula doesn't make one a son or daughter of the Kingdom. The episode emphasizes that "no man can call Jesus Lord, except by the Holy Spirit," (1 Corinthians 12:3) and ALL successful evangelism proceeds accordingly.
Christian Nationalism: Winning Culture Battles and Losing the War
This episode expands on the previous episode, emphasizing the appropriate posture of believers to non-Christians, based on 2 Timothy 2:22-26. "The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to ALL, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition," who "are held captive by him [the devil] to do his will." The present culture war mentality of many evangelicals in the United States is evidently not informed by Pauline theology, where the devil is the real adversary and unbelievers are his hostages. The episode bluntly confronts the quarrelsome posture of culture warrior Christians whose mission and hatred are misplaced. More informed by the vitriol of Fox News than the liberating imperative of the Great Commission, these believers make worldly power an end, and some version of Christian nationalism the means, resulting in, not surprisingly, further alienation and mistrust from non-believing hostages. Their mission is misplaced and is tantamount to shooting prisoners that Christians are commanded to liberate. The culture war mentality contradicts the winsome mission-oriented focus of Paul, in which believers are admonished to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)
The Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, NOT to the State
This episode elaborates on the previous episode, principally focusing on Matthew 16:18-19, where believers are given the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Christ builds His Church by calling people out of the kingdom of darkness and placing them in the kingdom of Christ, through the person of the Holy Spirit. The "ekklesia," or church literally means "those called out of." Those who don't respond to the call carry on in the kingdom of darkness, and the natural locus of ungodly power is the state. This fact alone points to the inevitable conflict of kingdoms as both the Church and non-Christians seek to co-op the State to serve their respective interests. The history of Christian nationalism largely reflects widespread corruption in the Christian Church based on an unhealthy mixing of the kingdoms. Since Christ gave believers the keys to the kingdom of heaven, NOT those accessing worldly kingdoms, Christians should focus their efforts on reaching unbelievers through preaching the gospel. Setting up earthly "Christian" kingdoms amounts to making the Church another powerbroker, diluting and corrupting its mission. Believers instead should utilize their LEGITIMATE authority to make disciples, not presuming they have been given a mandate to FORCE Christ's other-worldly kingdom onto non-Christians. The episode finally addresses "binding and loosing" as it relates to the keys of the kingdom.
What true repentance looks like
This episode develops the application of true and false repentance based on the parable of the talents, highlighting the Biblical expectation that true believers will not be perpetual infants who see salvation singularly in terms of forgiveness of sins. "Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" is the secure foundation of Christ's work that every believer is expected to build on with 'gold, silver, and precious stone." False repentance never advances beyond preoccupation with sin issues to serve the living God.