Jesus Response to the Pharisees Accusation

I was talking to a friend this past weekend about Satan and eschatology. I received a strange look when I mentioned that I believe that Satan is already "bound". I think we are assuming that when Satan is Bound that it means that he is no longer active in his devious attempts to deceive and lead sheep astray.

1 Peter 5:8-9 (English Standard Version)

8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

I just found these sermon notes by Ligon Duncan where he describes how Jesus "bound" Satan while he was incarnte on Earth, casting out demons, defeating Satan in the wilderness. I hope this is enlightening to you.

Chris Allen

Coram Deo!!!

---

26b Matthew 12:22-32

III. Jesus response to the Pharisees accusation.
There's a third thing we learn in this passage as we study, and you will see it in verses 25 through 29. Jesus gives a devastating rejoinder to the Pharisees. As the Pharisees accuse Him of being of the evil one and doing His works according to the power of Satan. The Lord Jesus replies in a detailed reply. We are told, by the way, in verse 25 that Jesus knew their thoughts. Now that could mean that Jesus knew the method of operation. He knew the general attitude of the Pharisees. But Matthew and Luke seem to be saying more than that. They seem to be saying that Jesus knew the inner heart attitude which lay behind their outward attacks on Him. He knew their hearts. John tells us that he knew all men. And this is what Matthew is reminding us here. He is aware of their thoughts and their heart attitudes. He knows the state of their heart as they oppose Him. And the state of their heart is simply reflected in the words that they have spoken out loud.

And His response to them has five parts. We won't study all of them today, but I would like to walk you through them because they are very important. The first part of His response you will see in verses 25 and 6. The first thing that He says is that their claim about Him is absurd. He says it is absurd to claim that I am casting out demons by the power of Satan. And He opposes, and He shows the absurdity by quoting a proverb, and then by asking a question. The proverb that He quotes is one that applies to all sorts of relationships - family relationships, national relationships - and it is, a house divided against itself cannot stand.

And then having quoted that proverb which simply means, of course, that when there is internal dissension a family, a relationship, a kingdom cannot be built up, it can only disintegrate, He asks a question. Now, if that is true, then how could it be that Satan would be deliberately fighting against himself when His goal is to build up His kingdom? And so He shows the patent absurdity of their particular charge. You're saying that I'm casting out Satan's minions by the power of Satan. And He said, That just doesn't make sense. But the second thing he says is in verse 27. He shows that their criticism is unfair, it is inconsistent. You see, the Pharisees had followers who claimed to cast out demons. Now the Lord Jesus doesn't get into a long argument about whether they actually did or didn't. The Lord Jesus knows that the Pharisees had followers in Israel who claimed to cast out demons. And He basically says this, Why is it that when I cast out demons, you accuse Me of doing it by the power of Satan, but when your followers, the ones that you have taught in Hebrew school and seminary, why is it that when they do it, you say, Oh, this is a mighty work of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel. It's bad when I do it, but when they do it, it's acceptable. That's inconsistent. It's unfair criticism. And so He suggests this to them. He says, If I by beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out. For this reason they will be your judges. In other words He says, If your followers, your sons, if they judge that you are right about me, that I am casting out demons by the power of Satan, then that calls into question what they are doing. And if they judge that you are wrong about me, that I am not casting out demons by the power of Satan, then it calls in question your judgment about Me. And so He shows that the sons, the followers of the Pharisees, whichever way they answer that question will undercut the criticism which the Pharisees have brought against him.

The third thing that He says in response you will see in verse 28. There in Matthew 12:28 He says, If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. He shows that their criticism deliberately obscures the greatest work of the Holy Spirit in history. I want you to see what the Lord Jesus is saying loud and clear. The Holy Spirit had been at work under the old covenant. He had been there in the promises and prophets and types and forms. He had been there working in that era inspiring the prophets as they spoke the word of God to the people. He had done mighty works in the old covenant, but never before had there been a greater work of the Holy Spirit than the recreation of God's people and the expansion of God's kingdom. And the Lord Jesus is saying, The spirit is at work in My ministry. And yet you ascribe that work of the spirit of God to demons.

Let me try to put that for you graphically. It would be as if God spoke to the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai and said, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the house of slavery, and then gave to them the Ten Commandments, and there were a group of Israelites stood at the base of the mountain who said, You know, I don't think that was the voice of the Lord God of Israel. I think that was the voice of Satan. The Lord Jesus is saying, You have called the greatest work of the Spirit, a greater work than the giving of the Ten Commandments, the work of Satan. And that reveals the stubbornness and the wickedness of your hearts. Jesus power over the demons was a manifestation of the fact that God's kingdom had come, that the Lord was coming with power.

Indeed the Lord Jesus goes on to say that you can't even cast out Satan until you've bound him. And so he is saying, Every time you see Me cast out a demon, you know that I have first attacked Satan. I have bound him. I have restrained him, or I wouldn't be able to do that because Satan's kingdom cannot be plundered until Satan is restrained. And He is saying, That's what I'm doing every time I cast out demons. And He goes on to indicate that by His incarnation, by His victory over Satan in the wilderness, by His preaching, by His ministry, He was in the act of binding Satan. And yet they deliberately attribute that work to Satan himself.

In Memory and Honor of Dr. William S. H. Piper - John Piper's Father

There isn't much you can say about this. Death is a terrible thing and painful, but since we have hope beyond this mortal existance, we can rest in the Lord to strengthen us through these times.

Our heartfelt condolences, sympathy, and prayers go to the Piper family. This is a very touching moment as John says goodbye to his Daddy and reflecting on who his father was and how much love there was between them and love for the Lord. I would have loved to have met him.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Chris Allen
Coram Deo!!!

_________________________________

Hello, My Father Just Died

March 7, 2007 | By: John Piper
Category: Written Posts by John Piper, Current Events

The following is John Piper’s journal entry narrating his father’s death on Tuesday, March 6, 2007.

The funeral is scheduled for Friday, March 9, 2007, at 2 p.m. at White Oak Baptist Church in Greenville, S. C. Visitation is 7:00-8:30 p.m. Thursday evening, March 8, 2007, at Mackey Mortuary on Century Drive in Greenville. All are welcomed to both.

John Piper will not be preaching this weekend at Bethlehem Baptist Church.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007. 2 a.m.

The big hospital clock in room 4326 of Greenville Memorial Hospital said, with both hands straight up, midnight. Daddy had just taken his last breath. My watch said 12:01, March 6, 2007.

I had slept a little since his last morphine shot at ten. One ear sleeping, one on the breathing. At 11:45, I awoke. The breaths were coming more frequently and were very shallow. I will not sleep again, I thought. For ten minutes, I prayed aloud into his left ear with Bible texts and pleadings to Jesus to come and take him. I had made this case before, and this time felt an unusual sense of partnership with Daddy as I pressed on the Lord to relieve this warrior of his burden.

Read the whole story.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

MacArthur's Charges Against Amillennialism

My comments (as always) are in red:

<>Here is another Ironic moment in biblical teaching. While our Pastor Rusty is beginning his preaching on the book of Revelation, John MacArthur opened up the recent "Shepherd's Conference with a focus on eschatology.
He really let us Amillennial Calvinists "have it".

Below is a part of a posting by Kim Riddlebarger on his blog. And below that are some of the points that John Mac made which are posted on another blog:

This is where I have departed company with John MacArthur (whom I have the utmost respect and trust in almost all aspects of his teaching) because of his teaching or view of eschatology. One reason that I question his view, off the top of my head, is that it seems you would never have a dispensational view of the Bible if it weren't for the Schofield and Ryrie Study Bibles that had developed the 7 part grid to be applied to the Bible. Here are some questions that John Mac asked and answered:

In his message, MacArthur addressed (and answered negatively) the following four questions:

1. Were the writers of the Old Testament amillennialists? No

2. Were the Jews of Jesus time amillennialists? No

3. Was Jesus an amillennialist? No (cf. Acts 1:3, 6-7)

4. Were the apostles amillennialists? No (cf. Acts 3:19-21, 25; 15:15-17; Rom. 3:3-4; 9:6-8, 13; 11:26-29)

One of the things that stands out to me with the "Thousand year reign on Earth" would be that it seems like there would be people with "glorified" bodies living amoungst people on Earth with "fallen" bodies on a "fallen Earth".

I don't mind John MacArthur calling attention to the seriousness of eschatology, and questioning the "Amillennial" view. It challenges us all to dig in and make sure we know what we believe and why we believe it. This is certainly an area that I need to do more digging in.

I hope you enjoy this challenging post about eschatology.

Grace and Peace,
Chris
Coram Deo!!!

---

In the wake of John MacArthur's recent and unfortunate comments about amillennialism, a number of you have emailed me, asking some variant of this basic question: "I have a great deal of respect for Dr. MacArthur and am troubled by what he said." Some felt he raised serious issues and wanted immediate responses, while others were just plain angered and wanted ammunition to fight back.

Let me respond to this by simply reiterating some of the basic amillennial resources currently available--resources of which Dr. MacArthur is obviously not aware, or sadly, chose not to consult. I have already mentioned some of these books in my previous post, but now want to take to time to explain why these particular volumes are important, especially if you are troubled by Dr. MacArthur's comments.

In light of MacArthur's "five questions" (Click here: Pulpit Magazine » Blog Archive » Why Calvinism Necessitates Premillennialism), these are books that all parties interested in this topic must read. Those of you who are dispensationalists and claim to be "Reformed" this especially applies to you. Don't just take MacArthur's word as the "last word." See for yourself if what he said about amillennialism is true and whether or not his dispensationalism stands up under biblical scrutiny.

The first is Mike Horton's God of Promise (Click here: Amazon.com: God of Promise: Introducing Covenant Theology: Books: Michael Horton). Covenant theology is the glue which holds Reformed theology together. Covenant theology is not a product of medieval-Reformation scholasticism which is then mechanically imposed on the biblical text. Horton argues that covenant theology is Scripture's own internal skeletal structure. So, start here. Read Horton, and interact with his arguments and biblical evidence.

The second is my own A Case for Amillennialism (Click here: Amazon.com: A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times: Books: Kim Riddlebarger). I make the case that as a Christian, the Christ-centered New Covenant is the hermeneutical lens through which I must read all of Scripture (even the Old Testament). I am not a Jew. Christ and the Apostles tell me what the Old Testament means (in terms of how it reveals Christ in type and shadow). The New Testament tells me how Christ and his church fulfills the Old Testament covenant promises. I also deal with important biblical passages like Daniel 9:24-27, Romans 9-11, the Olivet Discourse and Revelation 20.

For the rest of Kim Riddlebarger's comments and other comments posted on his blog click on this link:

http://kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com/the-latest-post/2007/3/10/a-quick-list-of-amillennial-resources-in-light-of-macarthurs-charges.html

---

Why Calvinism Necessitates Premillennialism

March 7th, 2007

In the opening session of the Shepherds’ Conference, John MacArthur challenged the men to take eschatology seriously, noting that the end of the story matters. He further asserted that, of all people, Calvinists should be the most enthusiastic about premillennialism — because they take the doctrine of election and the biblical covenants so seriously. If God’s calling and covenants are irrevocable, then Israel necessarily has a future based on the Old Testament promises. To read the details of John’s message, please see Tim Challies’ report.

In his message, MacArthur addressed (and answered negatively) the following four questions:

1. Were the writers of the Old Testament amillennialists? No

2. Were the Jews of Jesus time amillennialists? No

3. Was Jesus an amillennialist? No (cf. Acts 1:3, 6-7)

4. Were the apostles amillennialists? No (cf. Acts 3:19-21, 25; 15:15-17; Rom. 3:3-4; 9:6-8, 13; 11:26-29)

To this could be added…

5. Were the earliest church fathers amillennialists? No (see below)

Eusebius (c. 275–339) regarding Papias (c. 60–c. 135): Papias, who is now mentioned by us, affirms that he received the sayings of the apostles from those who accompanied them, and he moreover asserts that he heard in person Aristion and the presbyter John. Accordingly he mentions them frequently by name, and in his writings gives their traditions. . . . Amongst these he says that there will be a millennium after the resurrection from the dead, when the personal reign of Christ will be established on this earth.

Justin Martyr (c. 100–165): But I and others, who are right-minded Christians on all points, are assured that there will be a resurrection of the dead, and a thousand years in Jerusalem, which will then be built, adorned, and enlarged, [as] the prophets Ezekiel and Isaiah and others declare.

Lactantius (c. 240–c. 320): Therefore peace being made, and every evil suppressed, that righteous King and Conqueror will institute a great judgment on the earth respecting the living and the dead, and will deliver all the nations into subjection to the righteous who are alive, and will raise the righteous dead to eternal life, and will Himself reign with them on the earth, and will build the holy city, and this kingdom of the righteous shall be for a thousand years.

Philip Schaff (1819–1893): The most striking point in the eschatology of the ante-Nicene age is the prominent chiliasm, or millenarianism, that is the belief of a visible reign of Christ in glory on earth with the risen saints for a thousand years, before the general resurrection and judgement. It was indeed not the doctrine of the church embodied in any creed or form of devotion, but a widely current opinion of distinguished teachers, such as Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Methodius, and Lactantius….

For those who were not able to attend the conference, this is definitely an MP3 you will want to get (even if you don’t consider yourself a premillennialist). The MP3s should be available online at http://www.shepherdsconference.org/ in a few days.

Posted in Miscellaneous, End Times |

Sharing the Gospel In The Everyday – A Narrative Exemplar - Part 5

You never know how someone is going to respond to the message of the Gospel. Remember the parable of the Sower/Soils. There are different responses to the Gospel, and it is up to God to change the heart. Jesus says we are called to spread the seed of the Gospel. Lets look at this final encounter with Nigel once again sowing seeds of the Gospel in Part 5 :
___________________________________________________________________
Nigel drove toward church, knowing he was probably too late for the fellowship dinner that preceded the weekly bible study at his church. As he pulled into the parking lot, he sighed and his stomach rumbled. He knew that he'd definitely missed the meal when he spied Tom having his usual after-dinner cigarette at the back corner of the lot. He knew Mary and the kids would have eaten already anyway so, on impulse, he strolled over to talk to Tom instead of heading straight inside. Nigel prayed as he approached the man, “Father, I thank you for the abundant mercies you shower upon us in Christ. They truly are ‘new every morning’. Lord, I humbly ask that you would direct my conversations tonight, and that you would use me as I speak with Tom. I pray that your name would be praised, Christ would be exalted, and your Gospel would be embraced. Help me, Lord to be your ambassador”.
Nigel had a good bit in common with Tom. They usually had interesting and stimulating conversations during church gatherings and occasional friendly competition on the golf course. Tom and Nigel were both engineers and had even graduated from the same college – although some years apart. However, while he enjoyed their friendship, Nigel always felt that Tom was a bit guarded around him. Even though they had long been members of the same church, it seemed that when their conversations came around to faith, Tom would typically remain somewhat distant and abstract.
Coming up to Tom, Nigel gave the man a warm handshake. “How’s it going, buddy? Did you enjoy the meal tonight?”
Responding in a somewhat distracted manner, Tom commented, “Oh, yeah, it was fine, if you like fried chicken…”
“Oh wow, I do like fried chicken! I’m sorry that I missed it – I played in a soccer game with my brother’s team after work today, and it went a bit longer than I thought it would,” said Nigel. He noticed, as he was speaking, that Tom looked a bit distracted and distant, and he added, “By the way, Tom, how’s work going for you lately?”
Tom briefly hesitated, and then, with a shallow sigh of resignation, he responded “Well, actually, I found out today that I have been caught up in the nasty business of “corporate downsizing. I’ve been laid-off.” Nigel was stunned. Tom had an excellent reputation, and was well respected as a very good engineer.
“I’m really sorry Tom!” Nigel’s heart ached for the other man as he gently probed for more information, “Did they give you any kind of notice? Will they at least keep you on until the Whitestone project is finished?”
“Well, no. Actually, they plan to have the office in Lansford finish the design work. They say it just makes more sense from a ‘bottom-line’ point of view to thin out the office here.” Tom answered. “But I am grateful for the fact that they did, at least, offer a small severance package. It should be enough to hold us over until I can find another position.” Nigel could see Tom trying to be optimistic, without much success. His next words were more vulnerable. “It’s so frustrating, Nigel! This lay-off couldn’t have come at a worse time. Sometimes I really wonder why God would allow this! If God really loves us, like you’re always talking about, then why does this kind of thing happen?”
Nigel searched for the right words to say.
“Tom, the fact is that God truly does love us. But sometimes we get caught up in thinking that His loving us means that we shouldn’t have any pain or loss or trials or problems.” Nigel hesitated, searching for some common ground with the hurting man. The last thing Tom needed right now was someone preaching at him with a simplistic and unthoughtful answer to his problems.
“It’s an easy temptation to fall into – we’re all prone to think that we know what’s best for ourselves, and to suspect that God doesn’t love us if things don’t work out like we expect,” Nigel said. “But of course, you know there are lots of times when we simply can’t see what God is doing. Do you remember when your old company, Davis, Barnes and Dowling, went out of business? After you landed your new job, you told me that losing your old position was the best thing that could have happened! Tom, the point is that God is continually working things out for the best even when they seem the worst.”
Tom was looking off into the distance while contemplating the truth Nigel offered to him. “Yeah, I guess you’re right, Nigel. I guess this is just part of living in this fallen world – like you’ve told me before. But it’s still hard to deal with.”
“Yeah,” Nigel agreed. “But we’ve gotta remember what Jesus said; ‘In this world you will surely have trouble, but do not fear for I have overcome the world…’”
Tom thought for a moment, then said, “I know, but sometimes I just wish God would make things clear, that He would give us the answers - that there wouldn’t be so many unresolved questions and conflicts.”
“Tom, I know that this might sound strange, but I wonder if there’s some good in the struggle you’re having with this. It seems that God may be working in your life, calling you to question much of what you had always accepted as truth. I know how difficult this can be – when everything you believed to be important and true suddenly becomes questioned and those things that seemed unimportant, like God and His word become the most critical. It may seem like your world is being turned upside down – and in a way, it actually is.”
Tom slowly turned to Nigel with a questioning look. “Did you go through these kinds of thoughts and questions too?”
“I believe that we all do at some point.” Nigel confessed.
Both men leaned back against Tom’s van and didn’t speak for several moments, dwelling on their discussion. Finally, Nigel said, “Hey, it’s getting late. Our wives are going to begin to wonder where in the world we are. Let’s go in and see if there’s anything left for dessert. Okay?”
“Sure Nigel – that’s fine, let’s go, said Tom. “But, I was wondering; if you have any spare time later this week, could we possibly grab some lunch? I’d like to get your thoughts on Innovative Design – that company over on Baxter Boulevard. They recently advertised for a senior engineer, and I thought I’d go over and see them. Didn’t your firm consult with them on several large projects last year?”
“We sure did Tom. I’d be glad to fill you in on their growth and planning objectives. How about lunch this Friday?”
“Sure, Friday would be great. And, if you have time, I’d also really like to continue this conversation about what in the world God might be doing, too.”
Nigel and Tom turned and walked toward the church building - they heard laughing and talking as they turned to enter. Nigel smiled as he walked silently beside the other man and prayed.
“Lord, thank you. You are abundantly loving and merciful – beyond measure and imagination. Your gospel is good news and you’ve shown me many opportunities to share bits of it today. Help me to continue to be hungry for Your Word and show me the ways I can grow in learning to communicate it clearly in whatever situations I find myself in. Help me especially to be Your ambassador as I rejoin my family tonight. I thank you in Jesus’ name, for all the ways you’ve blessed me this day. Amen.”

___________________________________________________________________

<<>>

I hope you enjoyed following along with Nigel in this encounter with people that may be similar to the people that we all know with similar attitudes towards the gospel and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
If you have a story of how you have been an "Ambassador for Christ" send me an email, I would be interested in hearing your story. > christopherallen@sbcglobal.net<

Grace and Peace,
Chris Allen
Coram Deo!!!

Sharing the Gospel In The Everyday – A Narrative Exemplar - Part 4

Nigel found a "springboard" or opportunity in the topic of a popular movie to get the thoughts pointing to Christ, as we should for all of scripture and sometimes we can find ways to do that outside of the Bible to point people back to the "ONE". The One that the Bible is pointing to. Now, Nigel is reminded of the importance of the position of an Ambassador to the King in Part 4:

---

Later, as Nigel was wrapping up the last of his work, he found himself still marveling at the day's events. He thanked God for giving him these opportunities to be a vehicle of the gospel; especially with people he would have otherwise thought impossible to talk to about God. That phrase from II Corinthians had been going through his head all day: God making his appeal through us... "Incredible!" Nigel thought.

Straightening the last stack of papers on his desk, Nigel decided to give Mary a call before heading out for the day. He told her excitedly about how he'd ended up talking to Larry more about God and the Bible than he probably ever would have been able to if he'd just pushed for his "right" to hold a Bible study. He told her about the incredible lunchtime conversation with Sam and asked her to pray that both men would ask more questions, and that God would continue to open their hearts.

"Don't hurt yourself, Nigel!" his wife teased him, when he told her he had to get going to meet his brother Karl at the Sports Zone. Tonight was the first game he'd play with Karl's soccer team, and though he was happy he'd get to spend this time with his brother, he had to admit that he was a little apprehensive. It had been a long time since he'd played, and Mary's teasing warning was probably well worth taking to heart.

Driving to the soccer game, Nigel was delighted when he turned on his radio to find his favorite radio pastor preaching from the same II Corinthians passage he'd been reading that morning. He smiled and straightened his posture at the preacher's reminder that ambassadors carry the message of a king: that we carry the message of the King of Kings. "Incredible!" Nigel found himself thinking for the second time in less than an hour. Shaking his head, he said out loud, "Ambassador of the king – the King of Kings! Me! Incredible!"

He reached the Sports Zone and grabbed his soccer gear, feeling the apprehension again as he approached the sounds and smells of the other middle-aged men who were already working out on the soccer field: men drenched in sweat, heaving and gasping for air. He knew that very soon he'd be gasping himself.

"Here he is!" Nigel heard Karl's voice as he approached the other players. Karl introduced him and Nigel felt immediately more comfortable in the presence of his brother. While he was lacing up he cleats, he made small talk with Karl about their kids and families and remembered what a blessing it was to spend time with his older brother. He just wished that of all the things they shared in common, salvation were one of them. He wasn't sure about Karl's faith and it made his heart ache.

Karl's best friend Travis was starting in the game that day and came over to the bench. "Hey, Nigel! Great to see you! You can be my sub since we play a lot alike."

"Sound's great to me," said Nigel. He liked Travis and had known him for years. "But, hey, Travis, I forgot to ask: what's the name of this team?"

"The Fighting Llamas," said Travis with a grin that acknowledged that it was a ridiculous name for a men's soccer team.

The team won and Nigel enthusiastically congratulated his big brother for scoring the winning goal, even as he wondered just how sore his own calves were going to be in the morning, and what on earth he'd gotten himself into....

When Travis invited the whole team to the bar for a celebratory beer, Nigel looked at his watch and said, "Yeah, I can hang out with you guys for a few minutes, but then I've gotta run to meet Mary and the kids at Bible Study." He saw the knowing look pass between his brother and Travis, and wasn't surprised at the next teasing comment from Travis.

"Heck, we gave up all that stuff when we grew up, didn't we Karl? When we graduated from high school, we figured the parents couldn't make us do all that 'churchy' stuff any more." Travis winced as his brother grinned and nodded.

"Of course, we still try to do the 'Christian thing' from time to time... you know, we try to get along with people, and everything…" Karl chimed in, and Nigel's heart sank all the more to hear his brother equate being a "nice guy" with being a Christian…

When the group got to the bar, Nigel tried to reopen the subject in a way that made some authentic connection with the men. "Hey, by the way, Travis," he said. "I noticed you handled that foul by Number 20 really well! When he apologized for knocking you down, you accepted his apology right away!"

"Shoot, I've been in his shoes in the past," said Travis. "I know what its like to receive threatening looks for something you didn't mean to do. I figure that we could all use a little forgiveness from time to time."

"That's remarkable, Travis, are you sure you aren't going to church?" Nigel said teasingly. "I admit that's a better attitude than I've seen from some Christians I know. What's keeping you from going to church, anyway?"

"Oh, you know," said Travis, "I figure there can't really be a God with all the evil junk that goes on in this world. I just gotta do my best to try to do some good where I can, but I don't need a church to tell me that." Nigel could see Karl out of the corner of his eye. He was obviously listening intently as he fidgeted with his beer mug. He'd told Nigel in the past to lay off the "religious talk," but he didn't seem particularly offended right now as far as Nigel could tell.

"You're right, Travis," Nigel said. "There is a lot of evil in this world. But that's exactly why God had to send His Son." He saw Karl role his eyes, but he continued. "You actually made a good case for the existence of God, Karl."

"How so?" asked Travis.

"Well," said Nigel, "You indicated that there is 'evil' in the world. In order to objectively declare something to be evil, you also need to be able to know when something is 'not evil' or 'good.' I believe that sense of what's good and evil can only come from a good and moral God, who's made us to recognize such things."

Travis seemed to think about this for a bit, and then said, "Well, I have to admit I've never really thought about why I think there's such thing as good and evil."

Nigel decided to go a bit further.

"You know why I actually love to do the 'churchy' thing, Travis?" he said. "It's because I believe that the only way a truly good God could keep from wiping us out, would be to do what the Bible says He did. He gave his Son to live the perfectly good life that we couldn't live and die for our sins as a sacrifice we couldn't even begin to offer. The Bible says that 'He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.' That's what Grace is. When we trust God's goodness, and count on what He's done for us in Christ, instead of counting on the 'good' things we think we can do; we get the heaven we don't deserve and mercy that keeps us from the wrath we do deserve! I actually like doing the churchy things because, well, I guess because I'm just grateful…"

Nigel let his voice trail off and looked at Travis and Karl. They were clearly thinking, and he breathed a sigh of relief that they seemed to have actually been listening and hearing.

Glancing at his watch, Nigel stood up to go, but thought maybe it was worth a try to say: "You're welcome to join me, tonight, you know."

Karl spoke up, "I think I'm going to head on home. Tomorrow’s a busy day."

Nigel wasn't really surprised that his invitation to the Bible Study wasn't accepted. He was simply grateful that, once again God had given him an opportunity to speak to others about Him. He prayed, as he got in his car, for more opportunities with both Travis and Karl.

He didn't know the opportunity might come so soon. When he was just a few miles down the road, his phone rang and, to his surprise, it was Karl on the other end.

"I've been thinking about what you and Travis were talking about back there," his brother said. "Would it be OK if I met up with you at your church after all?"

"Of course, Karl." said Nigel, trying to keep his emotions under control. He could feel the tears starting to well up as he said "I'll meet you there in just a bit. Mary and the kids will be so glad to see you, too!"

"Incredible!" he said out loud, after he'd hung up the phone. "God making his appeal through us… Incredible!! Thank you, God, for allowing me to be an ambassador – to my own brother!"

---

To be continued...>>>

Sharing the Gospel In The Everyday – A Narrative Exemplar - Part 3

That was a great way to handle opposition (Atheist) to the Bible Studies, and it probably provides for greater opportunity of sharing the gospel, that wouldn't be there had Nigel demanded his rights. Now lets see what Nigel does as he remembers God is making an appeal through Nigel, in Part 3:
___________________________________________________________

“Hey, Nigel! I could really go for some of those great Tacos at Tres Hombres right about now. Wanna join me?” Nigel had been walking back to his office deep in thought about the conversation with Larry that had just taken place. He heard Sam’s greeting and glanced at his watch and couldn’t believe that it was lunchtime. The conversation with Larry had lasted longer than he’d anticipated but he couldn’t complain: he was just amazed and grateful that it had happened at all. He was hungry he realized, and he looked up to give Sam a grin.
“You bet, Sam!” Nigel really enjoyed Sam’s company, and he’d been working on building a relationship with him for the past year. Sam was several years younger than he was and had a likeable and easygoing personality. Sam loved his dogs and was a big movie buff, and there always seemed to be easy and natural conversation between the two men about these and other things. Nigel hadn’t really broached the subject of faith with Sam yet. He knew that Sam knew he was a Christian, and he’d really wanted to make sure that he didn’t look like he was only interested in being his friend if he could convert the younger man. He genuinely enjoyed Sam’s company.
“Lord, would you use me again today? Would you open a door with Sam and give me an opportunity to present your truth to him, and would you help me to be wise so I see that opportunity?” Nigel prayed, as they headed for the nearby restaurant that was a favorite for both of them. Nigel had been praying for Sam’s salvation for about a year but today it seemed that he was especially aware, with gratitude, of the many opportunities being placed before him. God did provide just the right circumstances, and Nigel knew that it was God who would ultimately draw people like Larry and Sam to Himself in His timing, yet today, that verse from II Corinthians kept running through his head: God, making his appeal through us…
As they settled into a booth and ordered drinks, their conversation flowed easily. Nigel talked about his kids and soccer, and Sam related the latest escapades of his two dogs and had Nigel howling in laughter by the time their drink orders came.
“So, what good movies have you seen lately, Sam?” Nigel asked, knowing this was a favorite topic of conversation for his friend.
Sam’s eyes lit up as he gave Nigel an animated account of how he’d just re-watched the whole Matrix Trilogy that past weekend. “I just can’t seem to get enough of them no matter how many times I see them,” Sam said, enthusiastically.
“Yeah, me too, Sam. Mary and I love to watch those,” said Nigel. At the sudden quizzical look on Sam’s face, Nigel added, “You look surprised!”
“Well, I…” Sam looked a little flustered. “It’s just that, well, you’re a Christian and all, I’ve heard and, you know, those movies being rated R, somehow I just thought that…” his voice tapered off.
Nigel scrambled to answer quickly, not wanting Sam to feel embarrassed by his assumption. “Well, there might be some scenes in those movies that I don’t agree should be there, just like I don’t always agree with every page in a book I read. But I don’t think a Christian needs to hide from culture. There are actually a lot of good things in those movies. For example, why do you think you like them so much?”
Sam thought for a moment, and then replied that he loved the action scenes. “And, there’s something else about them too… It’s like, like, maybe they just make me think about life in a different way.”
Nigel thought the Holy Spirit might be providing that opening he’d asked for, and was amazed again at the way God was putting opportunities before him that day. His amazement continued as Sam went on with his observations.
“In fact,” Sam was saying, “They make me think about death, too, and questions like ‘What happens when we die?’ I think they kind of make me feel like there’s a real community here with the human race, and at the same time wonder what it’s all about. It’s funny really,” he continued, “I never noticed until now that part of the reason I really like them is because they make me think about stuff I don’t know the answer to. That’s a weird reason to like something, huh?” he said with a chuckle.
Nigel grinned back at him and took the plunge. “Well, Sam, it sounds to me like maybe you’re asking the questions that we were all meant to ask. I mean, maybe you’re being drawn to ask those questions and in a way, drawn to see that you have a need for a relationship that will make this all make sense. I believe that God created us to have a relationship with Him and that He’ll use whatever he wants to get us to the point of seeing that need.”
“So you think ‘God’ is talking to me through the Matrix movie?” Sam’s voice wasn’t mocking, just mildly teasing.
“Not quite the way you’re saying, maybe,” said Nigel, with another grin. “But I do think that all truth is God’s truth, and that when a movie like the Matrix causes you to ask the right questions, that’s certainly within God’s control.”
“Ok. So why The Matrix movies? Why can’t When Harry Met Sally get me to wonder about the deeper truths of life?” said Sam.
Nigel took a sip of his Coke, and thought about Sam’s question.
“Well, for starters, there seem to be lots of parallels between the plot and characters of the movie, and the ‘plot’ of God’s plan for saving His people. Whether that was intentional on the part of the film maker or not, I think there’s something in us that resonates with the parts of the story that mirror a bit of God’s truth,” said Nigel.
“Like?” asked Sam
“Like the fact that Neo is a ‘Savior’ in the story. He’s called “the one”, and he’s the only one who has the ability to free humans from the Matrix. His arrival and purpose has been prophesied, and in order to set people free he ultimately sacrifices himself for all of humanity. It’s a great story, but maybe you’re so drawn to it because it mirrors, in some small, imperfect way, the greatest real story there is.” Nigel studied Sam’s face, and seeing he was listening, went on.
“That great real story is that humanity really is in trouble, because of our sin. Our sin separates us from the God who created us for perfection and glory. But the problem is that our sin also prevents us from doing anything to save ourselves. We’re like those bodies that live their whole life blindly in the Matrix – we’re essentially trapped – dead, in fact, in terms of being able to get ourselves out of this mess.”
“That’s pretty depressing,” said Sam. “And you’re usually a positive guy!”
Nigel chuckled. “If that were the end of the story, it would be more than depressing. Since we can’t help ourselves, we need someone from the outside to do it for us and, the ‘non-depressing’ end of the story is that that person has been provided for us. God gave his own Son to save us: to sacrifice His life in place of ours, and to give us the good standing with God that we’d never be able to give ourselves. He’s ‘The One’ that maybe your questions from the Matrix are leading you toward. I hope so. And I’d love to tell you more about Him if you keep having those questions, which I’m guessing you will.”
Sam was playing with the wrapper from his straw, flicking it back and forth and staring into his glass. Nigel wasn’t sure what to make of the expression on his face and decided to wait. “God, I praise you for the opportunity to speak about you. But help me to be wise here with Sam. Help me to have the right words as we end our lunch. Help me to show him Christ as the answer to his questions and the source of his life.”
“Hey, Sam,” said Nigel, “I just thought of one more thing from those movies. Remember at the end of the last movie when the Oracle is speaking to the little Indian girl, and she tells her that all you have to do is believe?”
“Yes, that’s where the Sun comes up and she says that that’s something new in the Matrix, right?” asked Sam.
“Yeah, that’s right, ” Nigel smiled at him and went on. “I was thinking last time I saw that movie about how that’s the essence of Christianity. It’s believing in “the One”, Jesus. It’s faith in Christ that saves us from eternal separation from God. He’s that savior that God might be using Neo, partly, to get you to wonder about.”
“Ok, Nigel.” Sam nodded. “You’ve got me thinking. Hey - is this the type of stuff you guys talked about in that bible group that Larry made such a stink about back at the office? Do you Christians sit around talking about movies like the Matrix?”
Nigel laughed. “I can’t say movies never come up, but you know, really, all we were doing those mornings was trying to learn more about the ONE who really saved us… Not Neo, of course, but Christ. A movie might get you thinking, but God’s provided the whole story – the real thing – in the Bible.”
Nigel and Sam were silent for a while then, as they munched on the last of the chips and salsa and waited for their check. On the way back to the office, Sam was pretty quiet until, just about the time they pulled into the parking lot, he asked,
“So, how do you know the Bible is true? Even if it was true once, hasn’t it been tampered with through the years? How can you really trust it?”
Nigel laughed and clapped Sam on the shoulder. “I see God’s just going to keep at you Sam. Those are good questions. I don’t think you’re going to find the answers in The Matrix, so how about if we have lunch again soon and keep talking?”
As Sam walked away, Nigel paused to pray, “Father, thank you for your Word. Thank you for Christ, the One. Please continue to draw Sam to you. Amen”
A few minutes later, settling back into the pile of work at his desk, he thought again: God making his appeal through us… “Wow!” he said out loud, then picked up the report on the top of the pile, and breathed out a long, amazed sigh.
___________________________________________________________

To be continued...>>>

Sharing the Gospel In The Everyday – A Narrative Exemplar - Part 2

Welcome back to the story of Nigel, lets see how Nigel's day starts out at work and see if he takes on the role of an "Ambassador" for Christ...
Part 2:

---

Glancing at his watch as he rounded the corner from the stairs, Nigel grimaced, realizing he was going to be late for his meeting with the project team. He’d hoped to get to the office a bit early to put some finishing touches on his report, but he was also hoping for a few minutes to gather his thoughts before he had to face Larry. Why did it seem that he barely had time to catch his breath lately? Between work, soccer, the kids’ homework, his responsibilities at church, and the never-ending projects around the house, it seemed that he and Mary would never regain those sweet times they used to have together when they would simply sit and quietly enjoy each other’s company. Life really did seem to just get busier and busier.

Walking into the kitchen, Nigel found Mary negotiating with Katy to finish the scrambled eggs on her plate. Although running late, Nigel took a deep breath and called his sons into the kitchen for prayer. A few moments in prayer before the start of the day had become a regular practice in their home, and as Jason and Drew appeared behind him, bags and duffels in tow, Nigel was grateful for this simple routine which brought them together for a few precious minutes each day. Bowing his head, Nigel appealed to God to bless and protect his family and asked that He would enable each of them to respond to others throughout the day with deference, compassion and understanding: that they would esteem others over themselves and represent Christ well as His ambassadors.

When his prayer was done, he kissed Mary and, spilling only a little of his coffee, made his way to the car. Traffic wasn’t bad and he was grateful when he found himself arriving at the office only ten minutes later than planned. It was Wednesday morning and Nigel sighed as he mused how, until two weeks ago, he would have been here no later than 7:30. Until two weeks ago, he had lead a small Bible study with some of his fellow employees. Nigel had been surprised and grateful when Donna approached him in April, asking if he would consider leading the small group; he’d been excited about the opportunity and glad that Donna had asked. Most people at the office knew of Nigel's faith in Christ and, while he didn’t think he had the reputation of being insensitive or inappropriately pushy with his faith at work, when asked, Nigel always tried to be very forthright in speaking the truth of the gospel boldly and telling others about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Nigel had received permission from management before agreeing to lead the study, and he’d made sure that the group would conclude before the official start of the workday at 8:30. However, not everyone had been pleased.

Larry had been with the company for over twelve years and felt that he had a great deal of authority in the office. Larry was also a rather vocal atheist and would gladly engage others in conversation about his views. When he became aware of the Bible study, Larry had immediately complained to management, with the result being that while the company initially allowed the study, Larry's vociferous complaints caused them to waffle. Larry had called the Bible study an "inappropriate use of company property,” protesting that the study "distracted his people" from their work. He had further criticized the meeting by stating that clients and customers would be offended if they saw the study taking place in a business office.

Some of Nigel’s co-workers in the bible study got quite angry at Larry, declaring that they had the right to have the study – especially since management said that it was okay and they met during non-business hours! They’d asked Nigel to confront Larry and management to demand that they be allowed to continue meeting. Nigel however, had asked that they remain calm and allow him some time to think. Sure, he could confront and demand – but was that the best way to proceed? Nigel had wrestled with how to make the best testimony to the office as a whole, and had questioned whether or not pushing for his “rights” would be best. Would he, in effect, win the battle, but loose the war? Admittedly, some of the group didn't understand why Nigel would hesitate. Why wouldn't Nigel show this unbeliever that God is in control and that He wouldn’t let Christians be pushed around?

But even as he’d struggled to make a decision about the bible study, Nigel had indeed wanted Larry to see that God is in control: not to “beat” him, but to win him! And so, as the workday was drawing to a close yesterday, Nigel had stopped by Larry's office, intent on engaging the other man in an attempt to understand him. He’d asked him, in an affable way, to explain further why he objected to the bible study. He’d told Larry that he didn’t want to offend him, and that he wanted to hear what Larry believed - or didn't believe - about God and the Bible. Nigel was grateful that Larry didn’t respond to his questions with hostility. The other man had even seemed to relax and respond the sincerity of Nigel’s interest by dropping his guard a bit. To Nigel’s delight and surprise, they’d been engaged in conversation right up until the time when Larry had to leave for the day. When Nigel asked if they could talk more the next day, Larry had guardedly agreed.

"So, you're saying that the evolutionists are correct, and that man actually evolved over millions of years and that earth has been around for billions of years?" The meeting with the project team was over and Nigel found himself in the conference room alone with Larry as they looked over the data from the other team members. Their conversation had drifted back to where they had left off yesterday, and Nigel was gently pressing Larry to support some of his assertions.

Larry retorted to Nigel's latest question with, "Of course! Scientifically that’s the only explanation that makes sense. I suppose that you believe that our world and the entire universe were actually created in a week's time?!"

"To be honest with you, I do. But let me ask you this: do you believe in any type of original Creator?" Nigel asked, searching his co-workers face for an answer.

"Are you referring to all of that Intelligent Design stuff?" Larry asked, with a scoff that showed his skepticism.

"Well, sort of…" Nigel answered, "But actually, I’m asking about an Intelligent Designer, a personal Creator/Designer, not an impersonal force of some kind out there, somewhere."

"That doesn't make any sense - it's ridiculous!" Larry countered with a wave of his hand.

Nigel thought for a bit. He thought about being an ambassador. Sure, ambassadors needed a good apologetic for the faith, but he didn’t want to just win some intellectual battle with Larry, he wanted God to reach his heart. Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. Surely what Larry needed the most was to be reconciled to God.

“God, help me to know where to speak to this man’s mind and where to speak to his heart. Give me wisdom to speak the truth of your Gospel in whatever I say,” Nigel prayed silently, before going on.

"You know, Larry, let's put creation and evolution aside for the moment, because we could go back and forth for days with different theories and evidence. Let me ask you this – what will happen when you and I die?"

Larry's expression slowly changed and he didn't answer right away. Nigel continued to patiently look at him, waiting to hear the man's thoughts.

"Well," Larry shifted a bit uncomfortably in his chair. "Nothing. We die and are buried. That's about it." Nigel could tell Larry wasn’t even comfortable with his own response, and so he continued to prod gently.

"Well, then what’s the purpose of our lives? Why do we choose to act morally, trying to do what is 'right' and avoiding those things that are 'wrong'? Why bother? I mean, why do you bother Larry? I've known you for several years and I know that you're very concerned with doing what is right: helping people, being fair and honest... You've got a good reputation and you’re well respected. What do you hope for? When your life is over, what will be the point of it?"

Larry grew visibly more uncomfortable. His frustration was evident in his facial expression and the way he diverted his eyes. Finally, Larry said, "Well, all I can say is that after I'm gone – I hope to be well remembered".

Nigel stared at Larry and suddenly realized the sorrow he felt for this man. This man who was sitting across the table from him was living his life denying his Creator, railing against God, His Word, and His offer of salvation through grace. The best he could find to hope for was to be remembered as a good person when his life was finally over!

Made bold by his compassion for the man, Nigel continued, “What about our sin, Larry? What happens to that?"

"Well, nothing happens to it,” Larry responded. “We all sin: no one's perfect, we all know that. We just have to hope that at the end of the day, the good in the world will outweigh the bad and mankind will continue to progress until sin is done away with. I know that there can't be any utopia, but as we learn more and science and technology advances, our society will continue to get better. Can't you see how far man has progressed over the centuries?"

Nigel looked pensively at the papers in front of him. "Actually Larry, the heart of man has remained the same since the beginning. Yes, we do all sin – you're right – and we can’t help ourselves or fix that problem – no matter what science or technology does. We need help from someone apart from ourselves."

Larry nervously shuffled the papers in his hands; "Nigel, I have to get back to my office. But, tell you what: I’d like to pick up this conversation at some point. I appreciate your honesty and the fact that you haven't tried to push 'religion' down my throat. I respect you for that. But, I've gotta get back to work now.”

Nigel watched as Larry left the conference room, amazed at the conversation that had just taken place.

---

To be continued...>>>