“MILITANCY IN EVANGELISM AND MISSIONS?”
By J.Farrell Fisher, July 19-22, 2017
The reason some pastors, churches, individual believers, or ‘denominations’, do not major on ‘militancy in evangelism or missions’ is that their ‘brand’ of church faith or a disciple’s personal calling exempts them from caring about a lost and dying world around them! Their faith, their preaching, their ‘calling’, to them, is not worth the time or effort to touch the world around them with a militant approach to extend the Christ within them to the needy world around them – they’re content to show up in ‘Sunday worship’ and let the world around them “Go to Hell”!
Pagan hearts miss out on the “Amazing Grace” of God if there are not loving hearts willing to share as “witnesses” of Christ’s redeeming love and awesome power to raise them out of spiritual death into the Oneness in Christ of forgiveness, redemption, raising them out of death into life everlasting, and being commissioned as His “messengers”, being “equipped” by caring pastors who trains every new disciple in his/her calling!
In the infancy of the New Testament church, before His Ascension, what did Christ Jesus tell that early assembly of believers in Acts 1:6-8? Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or season which the Father has put in His own authority. BUT you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Luke gives us even a clearer picture when in Luke 24:46-49 he recorded Jesus’ words: “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, AND that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. AND YOU ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
There’s an interesting verse in Romans 13:11 when Paul the Apostle wrote: “And do this, KNOWING THE TIME, that NOW it is high time to awake out of sleep…”, and do you think that, as it was then in Paul’s day, it can be in our day that far too many pastors and disciples and churches are ‘asleep’ when it comes to “Militancy In Evangelism and Missions”? And, I say to you, without a doubt it’s true – certainly not of a number of churches crossing denominational lines, but true of too many who never develop and train their church members in the ministry of extending Christ’s life, proving His love, and expressing His power through “blood redemption” of the spiritually unborn! (This just may be why some ‘churches’ see baptismal pools as unimportant to their ministries!).
How clear was Paul when he wrote in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”?
But not all men are true, born-again, Christ-honoring individuals! Oh, we know that the justified, living through repentance toward God and faith in Christ’s blood redemption through His Cross and empty tomb, live in and under “blessed assurance”, but unbelievers, ‘sinners’, the self-proud in all their flesh offers them, centered in the world or one’s old sin-nature, and, yes, Satan’s control, have no awareness of Christ Jesus’ intervention!
This is why Paul continued in Romans 1:20-23 saying: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image (or images in men’s minds) made like corruptible man – and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”
All men, past, present, and future, are not born ‘blind’ to God, but because they are birthed with the old sin nature, they will suppress the Truth, crucify it, or bury it in the darkest regions of their brainlessness existence so they can choose their own ‘fleshly destinies’! Examine the Holy Word of God from the beginning in the Garden until the present day, and you’ll not be shocked but sorrowful that fallen men deny the Truth, gripped by a blindness to moral truth, descending away from God not toward Him, and intentionally rationalize for themselves what “satisfies” their self-promoting darkness getting as far away as they can from the only True Light!
Oh, it’s true! Fallen men KNOW God! Psalm 19:1 declares: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork,” King David continuing in Verses 2-6, “Day unto day UTTERS SPEECH, and night unto night REVEALS KNOWLEDGE. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He (Holy God) has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.”
What did the Lord Jesus say in John 8:12? “I AM the light of the world. He who follow Me shall never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” That Light of Life is Resurrection Life in Christ, Resurrection Power in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and Resurrection Hope in Christ Jesus’ abiding words, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.”
But, sadly, Paul was deeply moved, disturbed, heart-broken after his conversion because he understand that there was and would be those who desire no part with the life and ministry of Christ. Come back with me to Romans 1 and let’s examine what the inspired Word of God has to say about unbelievers! Follow Romans 1:21-32!!
“…although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [Let me pause right here for a moment! Does that mean ‘foolish hearts, darkened by self-will, can never be enlightened’? No! A thousand times, No! There IS the mercy, grace, and love of God that can be extended if a darkened man wants the True Light!]. Paul went on: Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man – and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”
And the result? Verse 24 and following: “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, (“The Lie of Satan? “You can sin and not die!”), and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason…
(Verse 26) God gave them up to vile passions…, (Verse 28-32) God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
And if you “stand out” after reading what you just read, is there any hope for you, for me, or for any man or woman, boy or girl, that the Word just exposed? “Rest” in the Apostle Paul’s words in Colossians 1:9-18!! “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers on the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him AND FOR HIM.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consists. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, THAT IN ALL THINGS HE MAY HAVE THE PREEMINENCE.”
Are YOU personally “LIVING” under the “PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST IN ALL THINGS”? And that relates personally to who you are “in Him” and what you’re to be about! It relates to whatever ‘path’ He opens for you to walk in. It relates to every decision you have to make in your personal life, asking as others already have, “Lord, what would YOU have ME to do? What’s my calling in life? Who is Your chosen mate for me in dating, in marriage? And, Lord, make clear to me Your “open doors” or “closed doors” because I desire to walk only where and in what You choose for me to walk!”
Oswald Chambers wrote in his book “My Utmost For His Highest”, (p.170), “Never allow the dividing up of your life in Christ to remain without facing it. Beware of leakage, of the diving up of your life by the influence of friends or circumstances; beware of anything that is going to split up your oneness with Him and make you see yourself separately. Nothing is so important as to keep right spiritually. The great solution is the simple one – “Come unto Me.” The depth of our reality, intellectual, morally and spiritually, is tested by these words. In every degree in which we are not real, we will dispute rather than come.”
Belonging to Christ Jesus does not mean He frees us to do as we desire, at times, but to be fully committed to His present, perfect, eternal will in the here and now, as daily we choose to take the sentence of death to our fleshly desires, desiring only to please, honor, and give Him His rightful place as Lord and Savior in us and through us!
Do you remember Christ Jesus’ words about “Kingdom Character” in Matthew 5:3-12? ( Examine yourself as you seek to discern whether you are IN THE TRUE FAITH or “playing spiritual, ‘church-games’”?). Jesus said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs if the kingdom of heaven. (Where, when, how, who, brought you to the awareness of your ‘poverty of spirit’?). Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (How many ‘mourners’ have you witnessed at your church’s altar recently?). Blessed are the meek (the teachable) for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see god. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
The truly “blessed” are paupers? The “raised up in Christ” are those who were ‘cast down’ in their awareness of alienation and separation from God, unveiling a mournful heart and spirit? The “new creations” are the ‘teachable’ who inherit the earth, by the grace of God? The “children of redemptive faith” are those who “hunger and thirst for divine righteousness” and know Holy God is the benefactor of His eternal gifts? “Merciful citizens of His heavenly Kingdom on earth”? “Possessors of pure hearts” by the pure, shed blood of Christ? The “go-between-ers” in behalf of God for the “troubled”? Hearts and minds willing to be rejected, persecuted for righteousness’ sake? Falsely accused, but eternally blessed by God on His throne? IT IS YOUR CHOICE!
And when one “chooses” Christ, though everything about his/her unredeemed life crumbles and falls away, he/she knows, Praise God!, I’ve gone from self-consciousness to Christ-consciousness, out of death into eternal life, out of temporary satisfactions to eternal blessing, out of the weakness of self-strength into the eternal, never-fading or receding power of the God of creation, but my life now and forever is in His never-fading power in and through His Son, my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!
Dallas Willard, in his marvelous book entitled “The Great Omission,” made several points of utmost importance to all disciples spiritual journey. He said: “The missing note in evangelical life today is not in the first instance “spirituality” but rather “obedience”. First point, We have generated a variety of religion to which obedience is not regarded as essential.” Second point, “Life in Christ is a matter of the “spirit”. Third, spiritual life is a matter of living our lives “from” the reality of God. Fourth, Christian spirituality is supernatural BECAUSE obedience to Christ is supernatural and cannot be accomplished except in the power of a “life from above.” Fifth, “Spiritual formation refers to the “process” of shaping our spirit and giving it a definite character. It means the formation of our spirit in conformity with the Spirit of Christ.” Sixth, “spiritual formation is a whole life process dealing with change in every essential part of the person.” Seventh, “the aim of spiritual formation is the transformation of the self, and that it works through transformation of thought, transformation of feeling, transformation of social relations, transformation of the body, and transformation of the soul.” Eighth, “no pew potatoes, (but lives) simultaneously engaged in spiritual formation in Christ’s likeness.”
Question: Do YOU see yourself as the ‘holy temple’ in which Christ dwells to be Himself, extending Himself through YOU, and expressing God’s love and power to the needy world through YOU?
“God, help us to be delivered from ‘natural church business’ into the amazing body of Christ as the ‘lamp’ and ‘light’ of His everlasting presence shines in us and through us!” “Militancy in evangelism and missions”? Jesus said: “I came to seek and to save the lost!” Is He able to be Himself in you and through you?