 Dear Dads, It seems crazy to think that just two weeks ago life was relatively normal. Now, it seems that everything has changed. There is a lot of uncertainty and if you’re like me, you’re still not entirely sure what is going on. There is a lot that we are all going through and a lot that we all need encouragement in right now, but with this letter I want to encourage you to do one thing: lead on Sunday morning in your home. Covid-19 is and will continue to be disruptive and hard. But in every difficulty there is opportunity. God meant it when he had Paul pen the words of Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The reality of “church at home” is probably going to be a reality for the foreseeable future. Our church leaders and pastors are doing a great job creating online content that can help us through this time. And while it's good to sit down in front of the TV or computer screen and watch and listen as a family, there is an amazing opportunity to step up and lead your family in being the church, in actively doing church at home. Jesus told us that “where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Gather your family in the name of Jesus. Lead them in prayer and worship and in fellowship. This is an opportunity to teach your children to seek the face of Jesus, to model for them prayer and worship and what it looks like to be a man of God who looks to actively apply the teachings of Jesus. Help them learn to actively apply the teaching of Jesus in their lives. There is a simple format that can be followed that will help you lead your family. Divide your Sunday morning as a family into three thirds. Looking Back CARE: The first third of your time can be focused on caring for one another and worship. Start by praying for your time together and then ask two simple questions and allow everyone to share about how their week went.
After everyone has shared, invite your wife and kids to join you in praising God for the things that are going well and to pray for one another about the needs that were expressed. WORSHIP: Lead your family into a time of worship. Some of us are musically gifted, but for the rest of us this may mean asking your kids what their favorite worship songs are and finding them on Youtube to listen to or sing along with. It may be an opportunity to read some of the Psalms together. Regardless of what this looks like at your home, have fun worshiping the Lord together. If you have young kids, let them beat spoons on a pan or dance as they worship. CAST VISION: Is there a verse that has been particularly meaningful to you this week? Is there an area you are hoping you and your family can grow in? Take a moment to cast some vision for the things that God is putting on your heart for your family. Share a verse from the Bible to encourage your family in the way you know they need to be encouraged. Looking Up The second third of your time together can be spent looking into the word of God together. Acts 2:42 paints a picture of the early church saying "that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." This is the time to learn from the word of God. This would be a great time to tune into your church’s online service to listen together to your pastor’s message for the week. You could also use the SWORD method to lead your family in discovery Bible study, helping teach your kids how to dig into God’s word for themselves. Together you will learn what Jesus has for each of you in a particular passage of scripture. [learn about discovery Bible study] Regardless, this second third is a time to dedicate to studying the Bible. Looking Ahead The final third of your time together should be spent looking ahead to the week to come. It is a time to plan together how you can apply what you’ve learned and be a blessing to others in the coming week. A few simple questions for this time are:
After you have discussed these as a family, ask your kids to hold you accountable to actually do the things you’ve said you would do. End your time together by praying for your family. Then enjoy a great meal together! Covid-19 is going to be a life changing event for all of us. But as fathers we have an opportunity to step in and lead our families into a deeper place of faith and following. Imagine if our kids look back at this time and remember most of all that their dad led them closer to Jesus! May it be!
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 Covid-19 is an unprecedented world event that is unlike anything anyone now living has ever seen. It has interrupted life. It has caused hardship. And if the Surgeon General is correct, it's going to get worse. As followers of Jesus there is much that we can and will do in the coming weeks and perhaps months to be His hands and feet, to demonstrate His love, to share the truth and hope of the Gospel. But the most important thing we can do, is to abide in him. Last week I sent an email out to a number of pastor friends asking if there were any specific ways I could be praying. As responses came in it became increasingly apparent that these leaders were stepping into uncharted waters. Life was getting crazy as they tried to figure out what to do about Sunday morning services, how to shepherd well despite social distancing and how to care for their own families. And of course it's not just pastors. Everyone is struggling to make heads or tails of our current situation. Across the globe the Coronavirus is wreaking havoc. And so more than ever before, as the people of God we must turn to Jesus for guidance and help, and according to Jesus in John 15, we have only two choices:
And so with today's article we want to share a three resources that we have found helpful to help disciples abide in Christ. Cornerstone Reading Plan: Any reading plan will do as long as it gets you reading the word of God. This particular plan will have you read four chapters a day and allow you to immerse yourself in the whole story of the Bible. S.O.A.P.S Bible Reading: As you are reading the Bible, the S.O.A.P.S reading tool will help you to interact with the word, obey it and share with others. Prayer Wheel: The prayer wheel will give you a process to pray for one hour, five minutes at a time, prayerfully interacting with God in a number of ways. This particular resource is a pdf with three bookmarks so be sure and share it with a couple of friends as well. There are many helpful resources to help us abide in Christ. But above any particular resource, we must follow the example of Jesus who often withdrew to lonely places to be with the Father.  A few weeks after our last conversation, I returned to Ahmed’s store to say hello, grab some more Kenyan tea and see what God had in store for our next interaction. Sometimes we just chit chat but increasingly, Ahmed was turning our conversations to the major stumbling blocks to faith that most Muslims face. After our customary greetings and small talk, Ahmed again looked thoughtful. “You know what, I saw a movie the other day. Some guy was giving them out at the park and I took it home. I watched most of it. It was called 'The Passion'.” I wasn’t sure what he would think of the movie so I asked, “What did you think of the movie?” He smiled, “Oh it was a really interesting movie. Jesus’ life is very compelling. He lived such a beautiful life. I really love Jesus.” He really loved Jesus? I’d not heard Ahmed talk quite so openly about Jesus before. “Wow. It’s really great to hear you say that. It sounds like you are beginning to understand why Jesus is so important to me.” I replied. Ali looked a little surprised. “Well, I’ve always known he is important. He lived a perfect life. He did miracles. And he will come back on the last day. Jesus is one of God’s greatest prophets.” He paused then and took a deep breath as if he were about to tell me some really bad news. “It’s just that the movie got a few things wrong.” I didn’t know exactly where he was going so I said, “Hmmm. Like what?” It was the best I could do at the time but it was enough to give Ahmed the floor. He would tell me what. “Well, to start with, Jesus did not die on the cross. God would never allow his prophet to be treated that way. According to the Quran, God caused someone else, most likely Judas, to look like Jesus and die instead of him. Jesus was taken up to heaven without dying. Sura 4:157 says, “That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:” So you see my friend, Jesus did not die on the cross.” How would you respond to Ahmed? The Muslim Perspective The Quran teaches pretty clearly that Jesus did not die on the cross, but that another was crucified in his place and that Jesus was then taken directly up to heaven. Within Islam there are a number of theories about who was placed on the cross in Christs place. These include Peter, Judas, a Roman soldier, a Jewish bystander and in some minority opinions, the swoon theory is accepted. Most Muslims believe that the prophets of God in the Koran must win and be victorious. Muhammad defeated the enemies of Islam and destroyed the idols in the Ka’ba. So Jesus could not have been subjected to beating, humiliation and death. Like the post we shared last week and the week before, I’ll share a few helpful thoughts and then allow some of the experts in this to take over the heavy lifting in the articles, books and talks shared below. A Few Thoughts We don’t need to argue with our Muslim friends, but we can start by asking what I’ll call “Pebble Questions". A pebble question is a question that forces someone to consider something that will stick with them, like a pebble in their shoe. These create opportunities through which the Holy Spirit can begin to work. You’ll find this pattern familiar, but a good place to start is with three responses. The three ways to respond are once again:
Here are three simple questions that will hopefully create a pebble in their thinking about the cross. Theological Response: What glorifies God more? To help Jesus escape death or for Jesus to conquer death? Logical Response: Would you be willing to die for something that you absolutely knew was a lie? Historical Response: Have you ever read what historians in the first century wrote about the Crucifixion? Unpacking The Questions The theological response challenges our Muslim friends' belief that God is great. Saving Jesus through trickery doesn’t give glory to God or show his power nearly as much as stepping into the teeth of death and defeating it. The logical response forces our Muslim friends to see the Biblical story in light of human nature. Human nature is bent toward self-preservation. It is one thing to die for something you absolutely believe in. ISIS and Al Qaeda suicide bombers do that. But if the Quranic story is true, then the disciples and hundreds of others who claimed that Jesus was raised from the dead would have all known with absolute certainty that the resurrection was a lie. Human nature is bent toward self-preservation and yet they all willingly died violent deaths to perpetuate that lie. Maybe one person would do this. There is no logical way that the story of the resurrection would have been sustained in the heat of such intense persecution and murder if the early followers of Jesus all knew it to be a lie. The historical response allows us the opportunity to invite our Muslim friends to simple explore what the historical record says. Non-Christian sources like Tacitus and Josephus speak of the crucifixion. The historical record of the Crucifixion is so strong that even Reza Aslan, an Iranian Muslim and author of the book Zealot, agrees that one thing we can know for sure about Jesus is that he was killed by the Romans. We'll end this article with the same few paragraphs that we ended with last week. The first and last thing we should do as we discuss the Crucifixion and resurrection with our Muslim friends is to pray and fast. Intellectual assent is rarely enough for a journey to faith. "No one comes to Jesus but that the Father who sent him draws them (John 6:44)." Salvation is always a work of the Holy Spirit. Remember, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)." We must pray that the blinders be removed! As a final word, "honor Christ the Lord in your hearts as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (Colossians 4:5-6). Each person. Our Muslim friends are people. They are not arguments to be defeated. They are people to be loved and the Father is drawing them to himself. The following articles, videos and books are resources I've found helpful as I prepare to give a reason for believing in the Crucifixion, and the resurrection of Christ. Articles
Books
Videos  My good friend Ali and I had been connecting regularly to drink tea together and talk about life. Every topic was up for grabs and the very topics I’d been taught to avoid - politics and religion at the top of the list - were often the starting point of conversation for Ali and his friends. We had recently been having more in-depth conversations about the nature of Christianity and Islam and I was looking forward to meeting again. As I opened the door to Starbucks and stepped inside, Ali was there to greet me. We ordered our drinks - he always got a chai latte and I ordered my usual cup of black coffee - and we headed to a table in the corner. As we sat down Ali grinned and asked, “Shall we continue our discussion of Christianity and Islam?” I was in many ways still trying to figure Ali out. In one sense he had a real curiosity to learn about other religions, especially Christianity as he conversed with me. But it also seemed that he just liked to talk about stuff. He - and his friends when they joined us - reminded me of the Athenians in Acts 17 who “spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.” I wasn’t sure if he was really interested in my faith or just interested in talking about it. But I plugged away trusting that the Holy Spirit was working. Grinning back at him and unzipping my backpack I said, “Oh that would be great. In fact, I brought my Bible with me and wanted to share a few verses that are very important to me. They sort of explain why I believe what I believe. I’d love to hear what you think of them.” “That would be interesting,” he said as he sipped at his tea. “I guess I could tell you what I think.” “Good. The first verse is from the book of John in the New Testament. It says . . .” Ali interrupted me before I could even begin. “Wait a minute. What is the book of John? Jesus’ book is the Injeel.” I realized I’d need to explain some things. “Oh, yes. John is the fourth biography of Jesus and is part of the Injeel. We Christians call the Injeel the New Testament.” A look of concern came over Ali’s face. He began to speak cautiously. “Hmmm. I don’t want to offend you Aaron, but this only confirms what I’ve always been taught. We Muslims believe that Allah gave Isa - you call him Jesus - the Injeel. He gave him the Injeel because he had given the Tawrat to Moses but the Jews corrupted it. So then he gave the Zebur, I think you call it the Psalms, to David but it too was changed and corrupted. Then God gave the Injeel to Jesus and, I’m sorry to say this Aaron, but Christians corrupted it as well. What you have there, your Bible, is not really God’s book but is a corrupted form of the Injeel. Thankfully, God in his mercy saw fit to send the Holy Quran to the Prophet Mohammed - may peace be upon him - and it is incorruptible.” How would you answer Ali? Most Muslims believe that the Bible has been changed. It is one of the most common assumptions in the Muslim world and is an idea that has been passed on from father to son and through the teachings of local religious leaders. I’ve met few Muslims who can tell me any more than the fact that they believe it has been changed and corrupted. They believe that Jews and Christians changed the words of the Bible over time to change it’s true meaning. Like last week, I’ll offer some simple ways to respond but will encourage you to soak in the teaching of the articles, books and talks below to really gain a deeper understanding of how you can respond and help your Muslim friends begin to look at the Bible in a new light. A Few Thoughts This is an important concept that you will need to talk about with your Muslim friends. All other major objections will find their way back to the Bible and it’s reliability at some point in time. If the Bible has been reliably preserved and has not been changed, then the other objections that Muslims have to the Christian faith don’t have ground to stand on. The divine nature of Christ, the Crucifixion and the teaching of the atonement area all grounded firmly in the scriptures. Here are three ways we can respond to the idea that the Bible has been corrupted. They are taken from “Is the Injeel Corrupted" by Fouad Masri and I’ll give the bullet points here. They are explained in much more detail in the articles, books and talks below. The three ways to respond are: a) a theological response b) a logical response c) an historic response Theological Response Who is stronger? God or man? If God is stronger, then God is strong enough to protect his books. A Good Question: If God cannot protect his books, how is God all powerful? If God is strong enough to protect his books but chooses not to protect them, then how can we call God good? Logical Response If the Bible was changed, then our Muslims friends should be able to answer these questions:
Encourage your Muslims friends to find the answers to these questions. Ask them to read the Bible to find the places where it has been changed. Historical Response Please read the articles and books below to learn about all the historical evidence for the integrity of the Bible. There is so much historical evidence and nearly all historians agree that the Bible we have today is the same as the Bible that we had in the first century. These are three simple ways to help your Muslim friends wrestle with the the claim that the Bible has been changed. These responses will hopefully put a small pebble of doubt in the shoe of their minds and allow the Holy Spirit to begin the process of deconstructing the false teachings of Islam and open their hearts to Jesus. We'll end this article the same way ended last week. The first and last thing you should do as you discuss the reliability of the Bible with your Muslim friends is to pray and fast. Intellectual assent is rarely enough for a journey to faith. "No one comes to Jesus but that the Father who sent him draws them (John 6:44)." Salvation is always a work of the Holy Spirit. Remember, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)." We must pray that the blinders be removed! As a final word, "honor Christ the Lord in your hearts as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (Colossians 4:5-6). Each person. Our Muslim friends are people. They are not arguments to be defeated. They are people to be loved and the Father is drawing them to himself. The following articles, videos and books are resources I've found helpful as I prepare to give a reason for trustworthiness of the Bible. Helpful Articles:
Helpful Books:
Helpful Videos and Interviews:
Andy's excellent talk starts at the 8 minute mark. Lots of information on the Quranic witness to the validity of the Bible. A sermon given at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church on the strategies and disciple making process of Jesus in Luke 10:1-24.
 It was a blustery January afternoon when I stepped through the door of my friend Ahmed’s shop. I was stopping by to say hello, to grab a cup of tea and to continue a relationship I’d been working to build for the last few months. We’d gotten to know one another sipping tea over Champion’s League soccer match reruns on the large television and amidst the steady traffic of people coming in to pick up groceries, to wire money or to ask Ahmed for help with filling out an application. The store was also home to a group that met regularly to discuss politics, education, sports and the teachings of the Quran. I had joined them on a number of occasions. The group had met the evening before and after Ahmed and I had exchanged all the regular greetings and small talk, he began to talk about a difficult topic which was on his mind. “Our group was meeting last night and my friend Mustafa was asking about why Christians believe in three Gods so I thought I’d see if you could come by next time and sort of explain about your three gods.” It wasn’t a surprise to hear this from Ahmed and so I said, “Three gods? Ahmed, Christians don’t believe in three gods.” Ahmed looked both relieved and confused and said, “Oh? But I’ve heard about the trinity. Trinity means three. You believe in God. That God had a son and that he is somehow God. And you believe that Mary is God.” He paused but before I could break in he continued, “Honestly, it’s rather disgusting to us Muslims. The idea that God could somehow have partners is really dishonoring to His glory and greatness. God is Great. God is unique. God alone is God - He has no partners. What Christians believe is “shirk”, Islam’s cardinal sin because it diminishes God’s greatness by saying that someone else is equal to God. Muslims cannot accept this. In the Holy Quran in Sura 5:73 it says, “They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of three: when there is no Allah save the One Allah. If they desist not from so saying this, a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve.” You are my good friend. Please reconsider your beliefs. I don’t want you to experience that doom.” How would you answer Ahmed? Growing up in a Christian community I was never challenged to explain the triune nature of God. Most of my friends - myself included - believed in the trinity but outside of a few analogies we could do little to really explain why it was important to the Christian faith. Your Muslim friends will not let you off the hook so easily. With today’s article I’d like to offer a few introductory thoughts about how to step into this particular conversation. These thoughts are not exhaustive and so I'll also share a number of helpful resources and talks by experts that will do a better job than I can do to actually explain the trinity to your Muslim friends. I want to encourage you to read and listen to all of these. For me it is a bit like watching a picture appear on a canvas as an artist adds layers of paint. With each article or video, a clearer picture will emerge and you will be better equipped to help your Muslim friends understand the central importance of the triune nature of God to the Christian faith. A Few Thoughts Rather than thinking you need to completely explain the Trinity to your Muslim friends, start with the more modest goal of helping them see that a triune God is logically possible. We may not be able to completely understand but that doesn't mean it is an unreasonable ideas. Shouldn’t the all powerful, infinite and glorious God of the universe be at least a little beyond human understanding? That doesn’t make his triune nature irrational or illogical. We also need to be careful with analogies. Saying that God is like an egg is problematic in all sorts of ways and we need to make it clear that we know that God cannot be explained by an analogy. All analogies will fall far short of ever explaining God and most are filled with real problems. Give a clear definition before you do anything else. Here is Nabeel Qureshi's definition: God is one in being and three in person. "Being" is what we are. I am a human being. "Person" is who we are. Ahmed or Tim or Juana or Anna. Make sure to read the scriptures with your Muslim friends whenever the opportunity arises. Why? First, they will meet Jesus in the scriptures because it is the living and active word of God. Second, they will have to wrestle with the validity of the Bible which can be proven and which we will explore in next week's post. If the Bible has not been changed (most Muslims contend it has), then it is clear that the Bible teaches that Jesus is God. Not only are there clear statements about the divinity made by Christ (Mark 14:62) and about Christ (John 1:1) in the Bible, there are also things that Jesus does which only God has the authority to do: forgiving sins, accepting worship, dictating scripture, etc. The first and last thing you should do as you discuss the triune nature of God with your Muslim friends is to pray and fast. Intellectual assent is rarely enough for a journey to faith. "No one comes to Jesus but that the Father who sent him draws them (John 6:44)." Salvation is always a work of the Holy Spirit. Remember, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)." We must pray that the blinders be removed! As a final word, "honor Christ the Lord in your hearts as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (Colossians 4:5-6). Each person. Our Muslim friends are people. They are not arguments to be defeated. They are people to be loved and the Father is drawing them to himself. The following articles, videos and books are resources I've found helpful as I prepare to give a reason for the hope I have in the Triune God. Helpful Articles
Helpful Books
Helpful Videos  It’s been a while since I’ve put together a post for the 7 Series and so today I want to share seven articles that have been a part of shaping a great commission heart in me and in thousands around the world. I’d encourage you to take some time in the coming month to read each of these articles and then pray about one or two friends at your church to whom you can send the article with an encouragement for them to read it as well. Most of these are the bread and butter articles from the Perspectives course and so while many were written a generation ago, they continue to impact the church in powerful ways. I hope they will challenge and inspire you and remember, pass them on to others.
Be sure and stop back by and share your reaction to the articles you read in the comments below. We'd love to be able to learn from one another. And share this article you love with the friends you love.  It was a cold day in January of 1942. My then seventeen year old grandfather had cut class and walked down to the local draft office of his small Michigan town. With resolve and determination he walked in and requested to volunteer with the army. There was a war going on - the Pearl Harbor attack was still fresh in the minds of the country - and my grandfather wanted to do his part to end it. The gentleman behind the desk wisely sent my grandfather back to school with instructions to return after graduation in May. He did that and by early June had joined a mass of other young men at boot camp in Southern California. There he was trained as a soldier first and then as a radio operator, learning morse code and radio maintenance. He was part of the United States Army and the following fall would sail to Europe where he would be part of the liberation of France and the Buchenwald Concentration camp and of the ending of the war. My grandfather had taken his place in the story of World War 2. He had risked his life for a cause that was bigger than himself. He had joined millions of young men who felt that this war was worth any sacrifice. But it wasn’t just the young men who thought this war was worth any sacrifice. My grandmother was then sixteen, still in high school, still living at home. She and her family saw the need to sacrifice for the war effort as well. They spent their hard earned money to buy war bonds and they willingly accepted the rationing system on gasoline, coffee, sugar and other foods. She told of the day that her entire school skipped classes and drove throughout the county in large farm trucks to collect any scrap metal they could find. As they drove back into town after a hard days work, they came upon the owner of the bank. He was drenched in sweat, cutting his wrought iron fence down with a hack saw. There was a war going on and they were going to do their part to win it. Everyone had a part to play. Everyone had a sacrifice to make. Everyone had taken their place in the story. History looks back on that generation and remembers them as the greatest generation. They lived with a wartime mentality. They did not ask what they wanted or what made them happy. They simply asked what they could do to help win the war. I am forty six and my generation is often known as the “me” generation. For the most part my generation has focused on how we can be happy, on what brings us fulfillment, on how we can live the life that we want to live. World War 2 was a result of the brokenness of man and the tyranny of Satan. He is a thief who has come to lie, kill and destroy. Today there is a war going on that is cosmic in proportion and the consequences are eternal. Well over 5 billion people on earth, if asked, would say that they are not Christians. Their destination is an eternity separated from God in hell if something does not change. Over 2 billion in our world have never even had an opportunity to hear the gospel. Many of them are Muslims, trapped in a religious system that tells them that they have to earn their way to heaven. There is a war going on. It involves billions more souls than World War 2 and for all of them, eternity is at stake. There is a role for every follower of Christ in this story. Some will be soldiers on the front lines. Many more will stay home and do their part from there. But they will all be part of this greatest story. For Christians it is a question of legacies. Which legacy will we step into? Will we look at the redemptive story of scripture, at the Father’s heart and the brutal facts of lostness and decide that there is no sacrifice too great to be a part of that story? Will our legacy be like that of the greatest generation or of the me generation?  God loves Muslims. He really does. He came to earth as a baby, lived a perfect life and went to the cross because he loves Muslims and he desires both relationship with them and worship from them. It's what he desires for all of us. He loves them so much that he has begun to do an amazing work in the Muslim world. More Muslims have come to faith in Christ in the last fifteen years than in the previous 1,400 years combined! God is on the move in the Muslim world. And yet. Of the 1.8 billion Muslims in the world, the percentage who have come to faith is still extremely small. Even if the number were tens of millions, in order to reach 10% of the world’s Muslim population, there would need to be 180 million Muslims come to faith in Christ. There is still so much work to be done! And here is the challenge. The vast majority of Muslims in our world today live in places where there is little to no gospel witness. Turkey for example is a nation of over 80 million people and the number of Muslims who have come to faith in Christ is less than 10,000. Of the country’s 81 provinces, 18 of them have no established church. The vast majority of Muslims in Turkey will live and die without ever meeting a true follower of Jesus or having an opportunity to respond to the gospel. The story repeats itself across the Muslim world.
This list represents nearly half a billion people in just twelve of the largest Muslim people groups. These twelve people groups are just one quarter of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims, most of whom live within the 10/40 window, the region of the earth between 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator in the eastern hemisphere. Are Muslims hard to reach? Are they resistant to the gospel? The reality is that we don’t know because the global church sends so few missionaries to the Muslim world - just one missionary for every 405,500 Muslims in 2015. The only thing we know for certain is that vast majority of Muslims across the globe have never had a chance to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news." - Romans 10:11-15 What can you do this week to ensure that more Muslims have an opportunity to respond to the gospel and be connected to a true follower of Christ? Here are a few ideas:  As you begin to share the gospel regularly with friends, family and strangers, there are several predictable responses you will receive to your efforts. Three of these responses can be seen in scripture. Let’s look at Acts 17:32-34. They heard Paul talk about the dead being raised. Some of them made fun of this idea. But others said, “We want to hear you speak about this again.” So Paul left the meeting of the Areopagus. Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed in Jesus. While Paul has just finished sharing with a large group of intellectuals, politicians and philosophers in Athens, the response that the message receives will be much the same regardless of the audience. Some mocked. Some wanted to learn more. Some repented and believed. There is a fourth response that you might also run into - you’ll share with someone who already is a follower of Jesus. Outside of that, not much has changed in the 2,000 years since Paul shared in the Areopagus. The responses Paul got in Acts 17 are the same sorts of responses that we will get when we share the gospel today. If we get out into the harvest and share the gospel abundantly, some will reject the message, some will be curious to learn more and some will repent and believe - Jesus said that the harvest was plentiful after all. That the harvest is plentiful was and is a statement of fact. The Stoplight Tool A helpful way to think about these four response is to think about a stop light with its red, yellow and green lights. This is a tool that comes out of the No Place Left Coalition and is helpfully articulated by Troy Cooper in the video below. A red light is when the person you are trying to connect with simply says no. They may say it with a door closed in your face. They may yell at you. Most often they politely let you know that they aren’t interested in where the conversation is going. Of the hundreds of doors I have knocked on to offer prayer and look for opportunities to share the gospel, I have never been yelled at, never been beaten up and, as of yet, I’ve never been stabbed. Most red lights have been pretty gentle. They have been red, but they have been civil. A yellow light is when you begin to share with someone who is interested. Something you’ve said or done has struck a chord. They recognize some need they have but they just aren’t sure or they’re just not ready to jump into giving Jesus lordship over their lives. They often welcome prayer and are encouraged by scripture and if you ask, they’ll be more than willing to have you stop back by again. They haven’t said yes to Jesus, but they haven’t said no either. A green light is when God leads you to someone who He has prepared to hear the gospel. In John 6:44 Jesus tells his disciples that no one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. This person has been drawn by God to Jesus and when you share the gospel with them, they say yes. The final person you’ll run into as you share the gospel is the follower of Jesus. They are already a Christian and are trusting in Jesus for their salvation. Our Response While it is helpful to understand the four main responses to a gospel presentation, what is more helpful is to know how we can respond to those responses. Red Light Response So the person you are talking with makes it known that they really aren’t interested in hearing about the good news of Jesus. They shut the conversation down. They close the door. Move on. Say a prayer of blessing as you leave, and move on. The God prepared person is out there and so we keep moving, keep proclaiming, keep offering prayers, keep searching for the person who God is calling to Jesus. If this is a person from your relational network - a family member, friend, neighbor or co-worker - then you begin to pray every day for them and you wait for the Holy Spirit to move. As much as you might want to “shake the dust from your shoes”, God has placed you in their lives for a reason and your only response can be patient, persevering love and prayer. Yellow Light Response Most of the people you interact with will most likely exhibit yellow light responses. They won’t say no. They have some interest - perhaps in the message, perhaps just in you. And so if you’ve ministered to someone in prayer and in sharing the gospel, ask if you can stop back by their house in a week to visit some more. You may ask them if they would be willing to get their friends and family together to discover what the Bible has to say about living a life of purpose, peace and joy. I rarely ask anyone to come to church. Most won’t. But many are open to studying the Bible in their own homes. Start a discovery Bible study using a series of stories that leads them from Creation to Christ or perhaps helps them discover Jesus in the scriptures. Most of our new far from God friends have not rejected Jesus. They’ve rejected an idea they have created in their minds about what a Christian is. Most of us would reject that idea too! By taking them to the stories of Jesus we allow them to discover Jesus for themselves. Discovery Bible Study allows you to do this and is a great way to respond to our yellow light friends. Green Light Response Sometimes we’ll begin sharing and discover that the person is immediately ready to put their faith in Jesus. It’s as if they’ve been waiting for someone to share with them! [Watch an Example] If you have the privilege and joy to be used by God to help someone step into a new life in Christ your job is to immediately begin to train them to be a disciple of Jesus. First train them how to share with their friends and family. Then set a regular time to begin to walk with them through a short term discipleship plan. If they are ready and you have freedom, baptize them immediately like we see in scripture. It is your job to help them become a disciple who has the tools to grow into maturity and to help others do the same. I’m A Christian When you find yourself sharing with someone who is a Christian, take them to Matthew 28:18-20 to cast vision for disciple making and then invite them into the harvest. First train them how to share with their friends and family. Then set a regular time to begin to walk with them through a short term discipleship plan so that they will be able to walk those they lead to faith through the same plan. These are the four responses we’ll see as we share the gospel and the four ways in which we can respond. Now get out into the harvest and put this tool into practice. |
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AuthorsWe are a collection of practitioners and trainers dedicated to equipping and encouraging everyone everywhere to proclaim the gospel and make disciples among the unreached locally, nationally and globally. |
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