"A Good Offense"
For starters, R.C. Jr. made a play on words that is rather difficult to repeat on digits about a 'good offense is a good offense'...In other words rather than being on the defensive, we should be on the offensive, which will naturally, offend the world.
In John 17, Christ tells his disciples they will be hated by the world-this is still true today. God graciously repeats Himself telling us this (among other things) multiples times because He knows how much we love the world. We seek to earn it's favor and approval.
Once again, he returns to the offense analogy, asserting that a good offense is a good defense and a good offense is us leading against the world. We must defend the things of God, the authority of His Word, the things He has told us. Jesus was the ultimate offense to the world.
I never had thought of this like this before, but R.C. Jr. points out that when Christ declares "the gates of Hell cannot prevail" that gates are defensive in nature: "Jesus has promised that we will go into their house and take them down." [How's that for postmil? :)] He then used a great term...the point at which the world squawks is the point where we must attack.
For starters, R.C. Jr. made a play on words that is rather difficult to repeat on digits about a 'good offense is a good offense'...In other words rather than being on the defensive, we should be on the offensive, which will naturally, offend the world.
In John 17, Christ tells his disciples they will be hated by the world-this is still true today. God graciously repeats Himself telling us this (among other things) multiples times because He knows how much we love the world. We seek to earn it's favor and approval.
Once again, he returns to the offense analogy, asserting that a good offense is a good defense and a good offense is us leading against the world. We must defend the things of God, the authority of His Word, the things He has told us. Jesus was the ultimate offense to the world.
I never had thought of this like this before, but R.C. Jr. points out that when Christ declares "the gates of Hell cannot prevail" that gates are defensive in nature: "Jesus has promised that we will go into their house and take them down." [How's that for postmil? :)] He then used a great term...the point at which the world squawks is the point where we must attack.
I Corinthians 1:20-25: Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Here, Paul is not saying that we will never see the lost brought in; the Word is power. Jesus came to die for sinners--not righteous people.
We do not want to be fighting a previous war--we need to be engaged in today's war. What is it that the world object to most strongly now? Judgement. Our 1) judging other religions by saying they are false, and 2) our faith calls them to put their sins behind them--we call sin, sin.
Today, the church rather tends to cover sin up and refuse to stand our ground--this weakens the church. We must call sin what it is--sin and proclaim Christ as the only way. "If you can't say it, there's an 100% chance they won't hear it!" People already know they are sinners (Rom. 1) and under the wrath of God. They get angry with Christians because we tell them what they are trying so desperately hard to forget. They are reminded of what they already know and they don't like it. It is dangerous to the power of hell and to our pride and our complacency. The power of the preaching is shown at the gates of hell. (James 1:27)
We do not want to be fighting a previous war--we need to be engaged in today's war. What is it that the world object to most strongly now? Judgement. Our 1) judging other religions by saying they are false, and 2) our faith calls them to put their sins behind them--we call sin, sin.
Today, the church rather tends to cover sin up and refuse to stand our ground--this weakens the church. We must call sin what it is--sin and proclaim Christ as the only way. "If you can't say it, there's an 100% chance they won't hear it!" People already know they are sinners (Rom. 1) and under the wrath of God. They get angry with Christians because we tell them what they are trying so desperately hard to forget. They are reminded of what they already know and they don't like it. It is dangerous to the power of hell and to our pride and our complacency. The power of the preaching is shown at the gates of hell. (James 1:27)
