Church we have a problem. What is the problem? (John McArthur, clip 15sec)
Church we have a problem.
What is the problem?
Watch this short clip of John McArthur (15sec)
I have historically liked John McArthur, but I can’t take this. I adamantly disagree with John. We do not lose down here. Jesus did not lose on the cross He won. We have already won. Jesus already defeated death and provided away for each of us to share in that victory. It is not future victory.
IT IS VICTORY NOW.
It is shameful that some of our Christian leaders are not leading us to victory but instead are selling us on defeat. It is no wonder many Christians have no interest in the fight. They say, why bother? Well despite what John McArthur says and many others like him, John McArthur is wrong. Anyone who is selling a defeatist attitude is not in line with Jesus. They are anti-Jesus. Jesus gave us a job to do. We had better start doing the task the king has given us and it’s called the “great comission”.
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV), 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I don’t think Jesus thinks we lose down here. Jesus says He has won. Jesus won down here by sacrificing Himself for me and you on the cross. That is victory down here. That is what all authority means. He is the boss. The boss of everything including everything down here. We have a job to do church. Let’s get to it.
Now let me give you an idea how the battle is actually going. Here is a chart showing an estimate of Christians per world population at different times in history.
Around AD50 there were a few thousand plus or minus Christians according to the book of Acts. This is roughly 1 Christian for every 170,000 people in the world (best estimate)
By around AD100, it is estimated that there was about 10’s of thousands of Christians throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. This corresponds to roughly 1 Christian for 23,000 people in the world. By about AD400, it is estimated that there was roughly 1 Christian for 33 people in the world. By about AD1500, it is estimated that there was roughly 1 Christian for every 6 people in the world. Today it is estimated that there was roughly 1 Christian for every 3 people in the world. People may challenge these values but you can find data for the estimated world population at different times in history as well as values for the estimated number of Christians at different times in history. No matter the what numbers you use if you calculate the number of Christians per world population, then you will see the same trend.
That looks like winning to me. Yes, Christians are persecuted, Yes Christians are killed, but the church still grows. Persecution is like fertilizer that grows the Christian church. The American and western church might appear to be failing, but the church worldwide is not. We better step up and change things here at home. We better stop acting defeated and get back to work. That is what I say.
Here is some data from Wycliffe from September 2023. The chart on the left, shows languages and availability of scripture. More than 50% of estimated 7,394 world languages have scripture available in them. 15% of the remaining languages are probably not needed because the language is either dying out or people in that group speak and read another language. The chart of the right shows why. 97% of all people have access to scripture in a language they know. I think 97% looks like winning to me.
So are you ready to get in the fight. Because Jesus has already won, we have two choices. We can do what He told us to do or be disobedient and act like a loser.
Another problem is Eschatology. Why are we so obsessed in the western church with Eschatology. That is “end times” things. Most believe in an Bible interpretation which results in an escape from harm and avoidance of the big trouble at the end times. So then, why do we care so much about it. If they are right, then it does not affect us in any way? Why are we so worried about these that have no bearing on how we serve Jesus or reach others for Jesus. And it should not matter to us any way, we are not affected? I don’t understand this obsession with this distraction.
We do not have this same obsession for the last command Jesus gave while here on earth. Go, make, and teach. That’s the Great Commission folks. To fix the problem in the church is as simple as getting our focus back on what Jesus cares most about. That is other people. Get to work, do what Jesus told us to do. That is the plan. It is God’s bigger and better plan for our lives as well as everyone else’s. You and I are the solution to the problem in the Church and the world as a whole. We are God’s remedy if we are bold enough to follow.
I would like to mention something I read about USWNT (Women’s Soccer) Megan Rapinoe. Okay I don’t know much about her. What I know is we probably don’t agree on many issues. I’m not going to talk about that, because I don’t know. In September 2023, she played in her last international match after 11 years and 203 matches for USWNT. Just 3 minutes into the game her Achilles ruptured, and her farewell game is over. Just like that, it was over. Rapinoe later joked about the injury and said, “I mean, I’m not a religious person or anything, and if there was a God, this is proof there isn’t,” she then said with many expletives “This is (expletive) up. So, yeah, this is (expletive) up.”
Later many people took offense at her comments about God and Christians, then she came back a few days later and said “Somebody needs to check on the Christians” after her comments about proof there is no God. Rapinoe said. “I’m like, Wow, you guys are in a special place in hell that you’re celebrating this.” She added: “Somebody needs to check on the Christians, they’re not OK. They also missed the whole joke.”
I’m a little confused, she says there is no such thing as God, but she says there is a hell? You can see that even professing atheists invoke God and the Bible when it does not go their way. I say it is just life, why does she think she deserves better. I am sorry she got hurt and I wish her a fast recovery and I pray she opens her heart to God.
Now, I understand she was joking but subconsciously why do nonbelievers use God. I think God is on their mind, they can’t help it.
Politically Correct is simply wrong. Telling people they are fine when they are not is wrong. Lying to people to make ourselves feel more comfortable is simply lying. Jesus told us plainly we should make our yes be yes and our no be no.
We as Christians have been failing our culture while acting like it does not matter. Sin is at its root selfishness. Selfishness is always wrong. I believe the most hateful thing we can do is not correct someone. We are choosing our comfort over their eternity. Our selfishness over what God wants us to do. We are God’s solution to the problems the Church is facing and the problems the whole world is facing.
AW Tozer said, ”What I am anxious to see in Christian believers is a beautiful paradox. I want to see in them the joy of finding God while at the same time they are blessedly pursuing Him. I want to see in them the great joy of having God yet always wanting Him.”
I want this so badly for everyone who professes to be a Christian. To love and pursue God passionately and unapologetically. Both the Joy of having God and always wanting Him with everything that we have, in every moment we have.
This is the end of How to Defend your Faith Session 12: the Plan (Part 1 of 4)
