#3. The New Calvinism - 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now - TIME
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."-Romans 1:16 (ESV)"...Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"-1 Corinthians 9:16 (ESV)"...now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."-Acts 17:30 (ESV)
To everyone who has supported me as a missionary in the Hawaiian and Marshall Islands:
Dear friends,
Many of you have known me to be a strong believer in Christ over the last three years. Today I confess that this has not been true. Yes, I am a believer, but I never fully believed in the sovereignty of God.
This is no small issue. The missionary's understanding of God's sovereignty will deeply affect every aspect of his "ministry." And today I am in shame and I lament to think of some of the silly things I once did and thought I was doing "missions."
What is God's sovereignty? In a nutshell, it means God is in complete control-- of everything. He is Ruler and King. All-powerfull, all-knowing... (You get the picture!) Now, I have been hanging out with Christians long enough to know that we all say we believe this stuff about God-- but the fact is, that our lives and ministries are evidence that many of us actually do not believe this truth of God's sovereignty! This is how it has been in my story.
If you have not read my past blog, Reflections Of The Marshall Islands, go ahead... But please take notice of how little is mentioned of the actual preaching of the gospel. This is simply because I did not speak much of the gospel. What a disgrace! To think that I could go to a foreign country, with the title of a "missionary", and speak so little of God's eternal gospel! (Read Revelation 14:6)
People-- I write this to you with a heavy heart... I get very sad about what I have done. Or rather, what I have not done. (Sure, I did a lot of "good things" while I was in Hawaii and the Marshall Islands. In fact, I did things that all missionaries should be doing, but I left out one of the most essential tasks of a true missionary-- the preaching of the gospel in words.) I am writing this in hopes that others will learn from my mistakes. And perhaps our Lord may grant repentance to others who have ears to hear the truths of God's sovereignty regarding election and salvation.
As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.19 You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory---24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?(Romans 9:13-24)
So what does God's sovereignty have to do with preaching the gospel? It has everything to do with it. Today we Christians are so afraid to preach because we fear men. We don't want to offend anybody. But the fact is, that according to scripture, God chooses who will be saved. And as ministers of the gospel it is our duty to proclaim, or "preach" this gospel "from the rooftops." When we open our mouths and lift up Christ for all of the world to see, God uses this preaching to draw out the elect (those whom He has chosen) to himself and it is those who are saved.
Friends, we are so afraid of offending people, but we should be more afraid of offending a holy, holy, holy God. Let me ask you, what is the worst thing that is going to happen when we boldly proclaim Christ to unbelievers? Will they go to hell #2? This is the problem with the seeker sensitive movement. Scripture teaches that all men hate God and want nothing to do with Him. (Read Gen. 6:5, 8:21, Job 15:14-16, Psalm 14:1-3, Jeremiah 4:22, 13:23, 17:9-10,) It is the grace of God that saves men. People cannot choose to seek God, and will only choose God should God first choose them. God is the seeker and it is Him that we all must be sensitive towards.
"BUT YOU'RE GOING TO SCARE PEOPLE AWAY!" I hear you gasping already. Wrong. God's grace is irresistable. Those for whom Christ has died, Christ will save. Unless you would dare claim that God has failed? I once did. But can the God of whom Jeremiah says, "Nothing is too hard for you." (32:17 esv.) fail? -- NEVER. People, God is in control. You and I can not stop him, and if we disobey, God will find somebody else to get the job done.
"Preach the gospel at all times and only use words when necessary." St. Francis of Assisi said. Sounds good, yeah? No. What we are really parroting makes about as much sense as saying, "Feed starving children and only use food when necessary."
God uses preachers who are willing to do anything He says-- preaching until they are stoned or until people get saved.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.-Romans 10:14-17 (ESV)
God used Paul Washer to reveal these truths to me. Paul has been a missionary to Peru. He is the preacher of the type I mentioned earlier who would be willing to preach to his death. He is able to preach not only in English, but also in Spanish. He speaks of amazing stories of being lost in the jungle in Guerilla territory-- and friends, when we are lost in the jungles of the world, behind enemy lines-- we had better believe in God's complete control and sovereignty under every circumstance!
When I was in fifth grade in a Sunday School class, an old man named Jim Glazener said to everybody, "I am going to take your pictures this week. Next week I will tell you what you are going to be when you grow up." And the following week he came and said, "Adam, you are going to be an evangelist." And, "James, you are going to be an engineer." I forgot about this until about three years ago. I don't know what happened to my buddy James, but I bet you he is an engineer. Well, like Jonah, I have been running from this call to preach the gospel for a long time, but by the grace of God-- I will run no more. I cannot resist the call of God!
Once a week my friend Stephan and I preach the gospel every week to all of the kids who come to our local Salvation Army After-school program. We started doing this about a month ago. We preach from the Word of God in boldness and truth. We lift up our Lord Jesus Christ high for everybody to see, parents and kids. And I must say, my life has been changed.
Lord, give me boldness and faith. I repent.
Friends and loved ones, please pray for Stephan, myself, and the kids at the afterschool program.
As for myself, I will stay here in Coos Bay unless the Lord sends me somewhere else.
For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written,"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart."20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles,24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."-1 Corinthians 1:17-31 (ESV)"Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.18 And when they came to him, he said to them:"You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.22 And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,23 except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.25 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you,27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears.32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.37 And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him,38 being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship."-Acts 20:17-38 (ESV)
Required viewing for fellow unbelieving missionaries:
Paul Washer's Testimony,
Paul Washer on Missions,
Paul Washer on Missions (In full),
