*Join us on Saturday, March 12th, in North Austin, TX for our upcoming “RESISTING TYRANNY & WOKENESS CONFERENCE” with Pastor Joel Webbon, AD Robles, & Jon Harris! This One-Day Conference is completely free, but space is filling up quick. Use this link to RSVP today! rightresponseministries.com/events/free-mini-conference/
Yes! All of Christ for all of life! This should prompt all Post-Mil Christians to build - our church is currently building an unashamedly Christian Classical School launching in 2 ‘23!!! Our state, Washington, is such a dark place but we will push back the darkness and build the kingdom here
Currently reading The Mission of God. Joe Boot is the man! Happy as a Canadian to have his voice and influence up here. And glad my pastor listens to him and is so solid 🙌🏻
I hadn’t listened to theocast before but I’d heard it mentioned a couple months ago by some people I’d considered pretty solid. What’s the deal with it?
@@RightResponseMinistries I think that’s an overestimation, however you’re on the right track. Their stuff on assurance is fantastic but they don’t have eschatology/missiology and the application of the law (3rd use) figured out.
I was today years old when I heard of "three uses of the law," but it was quick and easy to get caught up on. Hopefully I'll remember it. Schoolmaster/mirror to bring you to Christ, civil use, and guide for the believer. Odd arrangement because I would've probably formulated the 3rd and 2nd to be switched if I came up with the categorization. I'm guessing these folks, if they deny the 3rd use, are probably taking the fact that per the 1st use, the law cannot bring you to salvation by anything it works in you, and is in that sense useless, but they seem to be applying that to the regenerate life as well, in which case it's not serving a salvific role either, but is indeed effective in the redeemed to promote godliness. I don't know if I would've gotten that right on the spot if asked, but the mistake of thinking the law is pointless to the born-again believer is evident in Psalm 199, "I love the law" over and over and over....
Love Joe Boot -his work and his books are amazing.... a little difficult for me to understand sometimes but everything I've gleaned from him has been good.
Great talk. Joe Boot is great and the Bible is clear on law and justice. I support more talks like this and fewer on divisive extrabiblical doctrines like restricting the content women can teach to other women!
I may have misunderstood what I was reading (and it was a few years ago now), but the dichotomy between the sacred/secular and how the Christian is to understand God's Lordship over both reminds me of Nancy Pearcey's book "Total Truth."
I’m an Acts 29 Pastor. I share some of your concerns as well and loved Joe’s book The Mission of God. There’s many A29 guys who have pushed back against the woke theology and Neo-Kuyperianism. Also, just an FYI, Eric Mason left Acts 29 a while back.
This is so exciting. Ironically, when I wasn’t too familiar with Dr. Boot or Pastor Webbon, I got them mixed up and wasn’t sure if they were the same person 😅
This helped me understand post-mil a little bit better. I can now understand how Christ's kingdom would overtake the stronghold that Satan has here if everyone in their own sphere evangelizes and disciples where they are. The only thing that keeps me back is the persecution that will increase in the world. I read that in the scriptures, and that Satan is getting more anxious because he knows his time is short. So I'm not defeatist or negative, I just can't escape the fact that persecution will increase despite the church increasing. No matter what one's eschatology, we are either obedient to Christ, or we aren't in the way we live now. This also helped me understand why I was confused as to why pastors shut their churches down for the last 2 years. It is obvious that Statism has more authority than the Lord in some areas of their life. Thanks.
Since you are considering UA-cam comments. I have a a question. Is asking congregants to “neglect the gathering” (especially habitually) sin? For both parties. I’m thinking of “children’s church” and that being the result. Also if following that logic. Where does the youth minister (and all the volunteers considering they are not on a rotation aka full time/every Sunday) go to church if they are not in attendance on the Lords day 99% of the time.
Great question. Yes, it is a major problem for people to regularly miss the Lord’s Day gathering due to children’s ministry. I did a whole episode on this topic on my show called “Questions.” I can’t remember the exact date, but if you look through the prior episodes of “Questions,” you should be able to find it fairly easily.
I would venture to say that 95 percent of "Christian Churches" in the US need to do some major repentance concerning the content of this podcast by incorporating what is in this podcast into their Christianity. Is it any wonder that men no longer want to go to church because of an abandenment of a Biblical World View. So goes the church, so goes the nation. People in America are sick of Christianity in its defeatist attitude as am I.
Amen! I might even go so far as to say that the churches and pastors are so feminized that they can't tell good from evil and are comprised of churchy Pharisees. Certainly their youth is not being discipled to authentic Christianity, which is the most troubling thing to me and the reason that youth are leaving some sort of "faith" in droves.
@Baptised in Frisian God bless you for homeschooling! It was bold salt and light homeschool families who removed my final stumbling block to Jesus Christ 18 years ago when I was homeschooling my two youngest for purely secular reasons as an atheist. When I saw authentic Biblical Christianity on display for the first time in my life, I said to myself "It's real. Christians actually exist in America. They might be an Underground, but they exist." Soon thereafter, I gave my life to Christ. Hallelujah! God bless the homeschoolers!
@Baptised in Frisian Trust me when I say that just taking a stand for your children and demonstrating the love within your family is a powerful Gospel in and of itself. I would know. Well-done!
The professing Christians I know that took on social justice were the ones that had a 2 kingdom perspective and anti theonomy. As image bearers of God we desire true justice, but after rejecting biblical justice they filled that void with social justice. Since they don’t believe biblical justice applies to the world’s kingdom, I think it naturally leads to accepting worldly social justice.
Hi Joel, honest question with zero sarcasm….just wanted to say that so my tone isn’t mistaken. What’s the difference between post mill and NAR? Also John MacArthur has taken so much ground for the church over the past 2 years in his strong stand for the sovereignty of God. He is pre mill and hasn’t just thrown his hands up. There are many of us fighting from the ore mill camp. I have written to my prime minister and MP against lockdowns and restrictions on the church. I have spoken out to the school our boys attend against the practices they’ve started to introduce. Please can you clarify what pre mill people you mean and is that all of us or are you lumping us in with certain groups that don’t ever fight for the gospel?
Not an expert on this by any means, but it might go something like this. NAR people are likely post-mil, but not all post-mil people are NAR. NAR is more of an extreme, if you will, belief that would moreso lend itself to pneumatology, whereas post-mil is eschatological. People can be post-mil or they can be NAR and post-mil. Re: Jmac, I think post-mil folks would say that Jmac is dispensational but is inconsistent in his dispensationalism and is a Calvinist (re: sovereignty of God), so that's why we're seeing him make decisions, take stands of this sort, etc. I'm not post-mil but I like certain aspects of post-mil eschatology and know Calvinist/Reformed folks who are post-mil.
I listened to this episode and I don't think he's saying that all pre-mil folks are the same. But many pre-mil Christians are not politically active because they lean more pietistic than others. I think he's saying that having that eschatology directly lends itself to being pietistic, along with other factors. But I don't think he's saying that all pre-mil Christians are what he might term as overly- pietistic. But I do think he's saying the vast majority are of this mindset where it is now a problem.
@@RebeccaJeffersonOAC thanks for that. After I posted my comment I did a dive and watched some NAR videos to learn more about them. They’re very charismatic and all about apostles being back again. I guess they gave us a clue in the name 😂 I’m a pre mill Calvinist like John MacArthur. The reason I asked Joel about his comment is also because of a UA-cam short he did a few weeks ago. He compared pre mill believers with Democrats and said we’re not getting anything done. He’s pretty clear on what he thinks. I really like Joel and have sent money to support the church. I’d just like to see him be more understanding with his brethren who don’t share his eschatology.
@@danielwarton5343 Yeah, I think we do need to watch how we as Christians overall express ourselves even when it seems a position we hold has merit. Not all pre-mil Christians have a completely "meh" attitude when it comes to the future of our children, and not all post-mil Christians will give a flying hoot about the legacy we leave behind. Certain worldviews just lend themselves to different perspectives, but it doesn't mean that every single person from said worldview will have the exact same perspective. Some pre-mil people disagree on the role of Islam (or lack thereof) in the last days. Some post-mil people lean amil. And then some can't fit comfortably in any position because they find inconsistencies in all eschatological positions. I think sometimes too we have to wait and see because any position, eschatological or not, will stand or fall on its own weight. The logical conclusion of said positions will either lead to something biblically consistent or it won't. Re: pre-mil, as some folks believe, the generation from 1949 will see everything fulfilled per Matthew 24 or it won't. It's the same with post-mil and amil in their respective areas. We can effectively sharpen iron without severing heads, something we as Christians sometimes do all too well.
Another question. During a marriage class would it be ok for the wife of an elder to “instruct and encourage” (either together or before or after one another) ?
Every born from above believer is an active member of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is too clear to be misunderstood in a number of passages of scripture. Most notable is John chapter 3. The kingdom of God is realized in this fallen world by those who are the obedient disciples of the Lord Jesus. The kingdom of God comes to the world by way of the life and faith of God's elect and their presence and influence as the Holy Spirit leads. There is an invisible unrecognized feature of this kingdom as Jesus reigns over it in that He governs by his rule and authority preparing all things for His disciples to make Him known as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings though the unsaved wicked have no knowledge or care for such a doctrine. All things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Whether in the political arena, the false church and apostate denominations which bear His name. That power which resides in those truly born from above and enables them to be faithful and true despite even the fiercest of opposition of the world, false brethren and false teachers and doctrines of demons all of which they contend against. Every true believer who is baptised into His body which is a visible regular and ongoing body of disciples who meet together regularly for preaching worship and fellowship in the truth is and represents the kingdom of God in the entirery of their lives whether at home or in the work place or the Assembly they meet with structured by the word of God. There is no distinction between the Assembly which is what Ecclesia means in the NT. There is a difference in one's relationship to the Assembly and one's relationship to other areas and concerns of the life. Such as one's vocation. Two believers who work in the same place do not constitute an Assembly of Christ. They do constitute the kingdom of God and the rule and reign of Jesus as their Lord and Savior to whom they bear witness. Believers have peculiar relationship as active members of a duly constituted gospel Assembly and a peculiar relationship outside of this Assembly. The Assembly is one manifestation of the kingdom of God just as the lives and witness of a true disciple to his master or employer, neighbor and his family is another. God's dealing in the world and among the nations and unsaved is a manifestation of the Sovereign rule of Jesus in whom all power in heaven and earth has been given but this feature comprises something God's people have no direct part of effecting and is left to the domain of heaven alone. Example where Christ and the gospel has no witness as yet. This is not of our concern but falls into the absolute Sovereignty and providence of God at His own discretion. Believers are not part of this kingdom rule until we fulfil the gospel mandate to disciple the nations at which time the kingdom of God and the Assembly will join together after sinners repent and believe the gospel and are baptised as a sign of their salvation. Because there exists a kingdom an Assembly of disciples will follow. Here is a good distinction which clearly teaches one need not be a baptised disciple and yet be a member of the kingdom of God.The theif on the cross who was saved right before his death. At the moment he was saved he entered into the kingdom of God but was not baptised into a body of believers in the institutional Assembly on earth. A sinner who is saved as he hears the gospel in his prison cell will not be a partakers and living member of an Assembly of God's redeemed yet if he is truly born again he has entered into the kingdom of God. There is an inter-connection between the two concepts and yet there is also a marked distinction as well. The invisible church idea as expressed in the Westminster is a clever novelty of Reformed covenant theology. However it cannot stand up against exegetical scrutiny and the uniform teaching of scripture. The very word itself (ecckesia)and the ordinances appointed by its Head make such an idea impractical and impossible. Maybe in the minds of men it seems plausible and an interesting way to see the ideal but the scriptures do not substantiate such a notion. Actually an ideal invisible church is more aligned with neo-platonism than sound Christian doctrine.
I am so tired of hearing about John MacArthur. MacArthur is friends with TGC and won't challenge them as he said, i won't go against my friends. Does the word coward come to mind. MacArthur is a mediocre thinker and preacher. His redeeming feature is his popularity. Another is his willingness to address many issues that others avoid. If you go to Masters college you will see the kind of Christian student who attends that institution. Not very impressive MacArthur is treated like a god on campus. Masters seminary has not exactly sent out into the world any outstanding theologians and preachers of note. MacArthur is good on many topics but to hold him.in such high esteem is really hard to figure. And now that he has celebrity status and host of sycophant followers with their hero worship he has become ubiquitous ad nuaesum. MacArthur has his reward in this life and when we finally reach the new heaven and new earth the MacArthur's of this age will receive no special attention or any accolades from the Lord. They will be just one servant among a host of those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. There will be no special rewards for him and the rest of new breed of Christian rock stars we see parading all over social media. Millionaire preachers? MacArthur has not been a practical Pastor for many years. Too busy as an author, writing forwards and endorsements to help sell the books of fellow authors and being a headliner in the Christian conference circuit. Or more accurately conference circus. The old standards are gone the Landmarks which our fathers set are fading and being replaced with a modern contemporary look to fit in to today's opulence. Tragic. Is it any wonder why professing Christians are tattooing themselves in the house of the devil? Young women coming to church with Jean's with holes in the legs, right jeans serially immodest clothing. Young men who look and dress slovenly? Christian hip hop? And this is going on in Reformed churches not among the Hellsong types. We know and see right through that false worldly faith. Look at all of our social media hipsters talking reformed theology. Not one will address the new emerging Christian paganism all around us as the target to fill churches is the perverse youth pop culture where being outlandish and sensually oriented is the spirit of the age. Christian preachers are desperately reaching out to this new 21st century Cretan. You can profess Christ and keep you pierced ears eyebrows noses tongues and belly buttons in tact. And yes all of those tattoos you can still flaunt them as you had before your profession. In fact you can now get tattoos with a christian symbol or text of scripture just to make tattooing not look so bad. This generation is going to be in for a great surprise on judgment day. Many are called but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14. Few enter in through the straight and narrow. Matthew 7:13,14. Luke 13:23-30. Woe unto those who are at ease in Zion. Amos 6:1 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20. We desperately Puritan like preachers in the churches today. There has never been a more pressing time in my Christian experience which is coming close to its 38th year to open up and make a thorough and exhaustive study of the book of Revelation especially chapters 2 and 3. If the Lord addressed the7 churches as He did then I can only imagine what He would say to the churches today. I am sure He would have much to rebuke, repudiate and demand repentance of.
*Join us on Saturday, March 12th, in North Austin, TX for our upcoming “RESISTING TYRANNY & WOKENESS CONFERENCE” with Pastor Joel Webbon, AD Robles, & Jon Harris! This One-Day Conference is completely free, but space is filling up quick. Use this link to RSVP today! rightresponseministries.com/events/free-mini-conference/
Yes! All of Christ for all of life! This should prompt all Post-Mil Christians to build - our church is currently building an unashamedly Christian Classical School launching in 2
‘23!!! Our state, Washington, is such a dark place but we will push back the darkness and build the kingdom here
Joe Boot is always a must listen. Thanks Pastor Joel for another great conversation!
Dr. Boot is fantastic!
He definitely is! He’s a great conversationalist at coffee as well
So pumped for you, AD, and John!
Me too!
I'm a simple man. I see Joe Boot, I click the thumbnail.
Currently reading The Mission of God. Joe Boot is the man! Happy as a Canadian to have his voice and influence up here. And glad my pastor listens to him and is so solid 🙌🏻
I appreciate the detail in this discussion. Praying that the men over at theocast will hear this.
Seriously. Sadly, they have despised the Law of God for a long time.
I hadn’t listened to theocast before but I’d heard it mentioned a couple months ago by some people I’d considered pretty solid. What’s the deal with it?
@@hammerbarca6 embrace of antinomianism in the technical sense. Rejection of the third use of the law.
@@RightResponseMinistries I think that’s an overestimation, however you’re on the right track. Their stuff on assurance is fantastic but they don’t have eschatology/missiology and the application of the law (3rd use) figured out.
I was today years old when I heard of "three uses of the law," but it was quick and easy to get caught up on. Hopefully I'll remember it. Schoolmaster/mirror to bring you to Christ, civil use, and guide for the believer. Odd arrangement because I would've probably formulated the 3rd and 2nd to be switched if I came up with the categorization. I'm guessing these folks, if they deny the 3rd use, are probably taking the fact that per the 1st use, the law cannot bring you to salvation by anything it works in you, and is in that sense useless, but they seem to be applying that to the regenerate life as well, in which case it's not serving a salvific role either, but is indeed effective in the redeemed to promote godliness. I don't know if I would've gotten that right on the spot if asked, but the mistake of thinking the law is pointless to the born-again believer is evident in Psalm 199, "I love the law" over and over and over....
Love Joe Boot -his work and his books are amazing.... a little difficult for me to understand sometimes but everything I've gleaned from him has been good.
Excellent presentation! Maranatha!
Joe Boot is so encouraging, thanks for this interview
He’s fantastic!
WOOHOO! Hey Joe. Remember me? I used to attend your church at Westminster!I’ so happy you’re speaking to Joel. Great people.
James Jordan says we are “homo adorans”: worshipping man. I have appreciated that little nugget for years.
Insightful.
Woot! looking forward to March!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
This is my favorite episode you have done! 🔥
Me too!!
Joe Boot is the Canadian Gospel Gangster 😎🔥😎
I like Jon Harris and Dr. Boot. Very interesting content, quite an education. Keeping me on my spiritual toes.
Great talk. Joe Boot is great and the Bible is clear on law and justice. I support more talks like this and fewer on divisive extrabiblical doctrines like restricting the content women can teach to other women!
@Baptised in Frisian
It’s divisive because the idea that women can’t teach other women true Christian doctrine is nowhere in the Bible.
I may have misunderstood what I was reading (and it was a few years ago now), but the dichotomy between the sacred/secular and how the Christian is to understand God's Lordship over both reminds me of Nancy Pearcey's book "Total Truth."
Great book.
I’m an Acts 29 Pastor. I share some of your concerns as well and loved Joe’s book The Mission of God. There’s many A29 guys who have pushed back against the woke theology and Neo-Kuyperianism. Also, just an FYI, Eric Mason left Acts 29 a while back.
Glad to hear that. Stay faithful brother.
Excellent !
Yes!! Less Lori Alexander MORE Joe Boot!!!
This is so exciting. Ironically, when I wasn’t too familiar with Dr. Boot or Pastor Webbon, I got them mixed up and wasn’t sure if they were the same person 😅
This helped me understand post-mil a little bit better. I can now understand how Christ's kingdom would overtake the stronghold that Satan has here if everyone in their own sphere evangelizes and disciples where they are. The only thing that keeps me back is the persecution that will increase in the world. I read that in the scriptures, and that Satan is getting more anxious because he knows his time is short. So I'm not defeatist or negative, I just can't escape the fact that persecution will increase despite the church increasing. No matter what one's eschatology, we are either obedient to Christ, or we aren't in the way we live now. This also helped me understand why I was confused as to why pastors shut their churches down for the last 2 years. It is obvious that Statism has more authority than the Lord in some areas of their life. Thanks.
Good discussion.
Thanks!
Hey, great video, thanks!
I would say the tool given to the church are the keys, not the sword of the spirit. :)
Thanks for all the awesome content!
Since you are considering UA-cam comments. I have a a question. Is asking congregants to “neglect the gathering” (especially habitually) sin? For both parties.
I’m thinking of “children’s church” and that being the result.
Also if following that logic. Where does the youth minister (and all the volunteers considering they are not on a rotation aka full time/every Sunday) go to church if they are not in attendance on the Lords day 99% of the time.
Great question. Yes, it is a major problem for people to regularly miss the Lord’s Day gathering due to children’s ministry. I did a whole episode on this topic on my show called “Questions.” I can’t remember the exact date, but if you look through the prior episodes of “Questions,” you should be able to find it fairly easily.
@@RightResponseMinistries thank you. I will search for that
I would venture to say that 95 percent of "Christian Churches" in the US need to do some major repentance concerning the content of this podcast by incorporating what is in this podcast into their Christianity. Is it any wonder that men no longer want to go to church because of an abandenment of a Biblical World View. So goes the church, so goes the nation. People in America are sick of Christianity in its defeatist attitude as am I.
Amen! I might even go so far as to say that the churches and pastors are so feminized that they can't tell good from evil and are comprised of churchy Pharisees. Certainly their youth is not being discipled to authentic Christianity, which is the most troubling thing to me and the reason that youth are leaving some sort of "faith" in droves.
You’re absolutely right. I’m encouraged by your comment. Thank you!
@Baptised in Frisian God bless you for homeschooling! It was bold salt and light homeschool families who removed my final stumbling block to Jesus Christ 18 years ago when I was homeschooling my two youngest for purely secular reasons as an atheist. When I saw authentic Biblical Christianity on display for the first time in my life, I said to myself "It's real. Christians actually exist in America. They might be an Underground, but they exist." Soon thereafter, I gave my life to Christ. Hallelujah! God bless the homeschoolers!
@Baptised in Frisian Trust me when I say that just taking a stand for your children and demonstrating the love within your family is a powerful Gospel in and of itself. I would know. Well-done!
The professing Christians I know that took on social justice were the ones that had a 2 kingdom perspective and anti theonomy. As image bearers of God we desire true justice, but after rejecting biblical justice they filled that void with social justice. Since they don’t believe biblical justice applies to the world’s kingdom, I think it naturally leads to accepting worldly social justice.
Hi Joel, honest question with zero sarcasm….just wanted to say that so my tone isn’t mistaken.
What’s the difference between post mill and NAR?
Also John MacArthur has taken so much ground for the church over the past 2 years in his strong stand for the sovereignty of God. He is pre mill and hasn’t just thrown his hands up. There are many of us fighting from the ore mill camp. I have written to my prime minister and MP against lockdowns and restrictions on the church. I have spoken out to the school our boys attend against the practices they’ve started to introduce.
Please can you clarify what pre mill people you mean and is that all of us or are you lumping us in with certain groups that don’t ever fight for the gospel?
I have had the same question on postmill and the NAR. Would love to hear it fully explained.
Not an expert on this by any means, but it might go something like this. NAR people are likely post-mil, but not all post-mil people are NAR. NAR is more of an extreme, if you will, belief that would moreso lend itself to pneumatology, whereas post-mil is eschatological. People can be post-mil or they can be NAR and post-mil. Re: Jmac, I think post-mil folks would say that Jmac is dispensational but is inconsistent in his dispensationalism and is a Calvinist (re: sovereignty of God), so that's why we're seeing him make decisions, take stands of this sort, etc. I'm not post-mil but I like certain aspects of post-mil eschatology and know Calvinist/Reformed folks who are post-mil.
I listened to this episode and I don't think he's saying that all pre-mil folks are the same. But many pre-mil Christians are not politically active because they lean more pietistic than others. I think he's saying that having that eschatology directly lends itself to being pietistic, along with other factors. But I don't think he's saying that all pre-mil Christians are what he might term as overly- pietistic. But I do think he's saying the vast majority are of this mindset where it is now a problem.
@@RebeccaJeffersonOAC thanks for that. After I posted my comment I did a dive and watched some NAR videos to learn more about them. They’re very charismatic and all about apostles being back again. I guess they gave us a clue in the name 😂
I’m a pre mill Calvinist like John MacArthur.
The reason I asked Joel about his comment is also because of a UA-cam short he did a few weeks ago. He compared pre mill believers with Democrats and said we’re not getting anything done. He’s pretty clear on what he thinks.
I really like Joel and have sent money to support the church. I’d just like to see him be more understanding with his brethren who don’t share his eschatology.
@@danielwarton5343 Yeah, I think we do need to watch how we as Christians overall express ourselves even when it seems a position we hold has merit. Not all pre-mil Christians have a completely "meh" attitude when it comes to the future of our children, and not all post-mil Christians will give a flying hoot about the legacy we leave behind. Certain worldviews just lend themselves to different perspectives, but it doesn't mean that every single person from said worldview will have the exact same perspective. Some pre-mil people disagree on the role of Islam (or lack thereof) in the last days. Some post-mil people lean amil. And then some can't fit comfortably in any position because they find inconsistencies in all eschatological positions. I think sometimes too we have to wait and see because any position, eschatological or not, will stand or fall on its own weight. The logical conclusion of said positions will either lead to something biblically consistent or it won't. Re: pre-mil, as some folks believe, the generation from 1949 will see everything fulfilled per Matthew 24 or it won't. It's the same with post-mil and amil in their respective areas. We can effectively sharpen iron without severing heads, something we as Christians sometimes do all too well.
Another question. During a marriage class would it be ok for the wife of an elder to “instruct and encourage” (either together or before or after one another) ?
⚔️👑
MLJ ? (Minute 54:10.)
🙋
Does the hand raise emoji mean you have a question?
ANTIESTABLISHMENTARIANISM
Disney's Lion King reference to describe the kingdom of God? Ugh.
Every born from above believer is an active member of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is too clear to be misunderstood in a number of passages of scripture. Most notable is John chapter 3. The kingdom of God is realized in this fallen world by those who are the obedient disciples of the Lord Jesus. The kingdom of God comes to the world by way of the life and faith of God's elect and their presence and influence as the Holy Spirit leads.
There is an invisible unrecognized feature of this kingdom as Jesus reigns over it in that He governs by his rule and authority preparing all things for His disciples to make Him known as the Lord of Lords and King of Kings though the unsaved wicked have no knowledge or care for such a doctrine. All things work together for good to those who love the Lord. Whether in the political arena, the false church and apostate denominations which bear His name. That power which resides in those truly born from above and enables them to be faithful and true despite even the fiercest of opposition of the world, false brethren and false teachers and doctrines of demons all of which they contend against. Every true believer who is baptised into His body which is a visible regular and ongoing body of disciples who meet together regularly for preaching worship and fellowship in the truth is and represents the kingdom of God in the entirery of their lives whether at home or in the work place or the Assembly they meet with structured by the word of God.
There is no distinction between the Assembly which is what Ecclesia means in the NT. There is a difference in one's relationship to the Assembly and one's relationship to other areas and concerns of the life. Such as one's vocation. Two believers who work in the same place do not constitute an Assembly of Christ. They do constitute the kingdom of God and the rule and reign of Jesus as their Lord and Savior to whom they bear witness.
Believers have peculiar relationship as active members of a duly constituted gospel Assembly and a peculiar relationship outside of this Assembly. The Assembly is one manifestation of the kingdom of God just as the lives and witness of a true disciple to his master or employer, neighbor and his family is another. God's dealing in the world and among the nations and unsaved is a manifestation of the Sovereign rule of Jesus in whom all power in heaven and earth has been given but this feature comprises something God's people have no direct part of effecting and is left to the domain of heaven alone. Example where Christ and the gospel has no witness as yet. This is not of our concern but falls into the absolute Sovereignty and providence of God at His own discretion. Believers are not part of this kingdom rule until we fulfil the gospel mandate to disciple the nations at which time the kingdom of God and the Assembly will join together after sinners repent and believe the gospel and are baptised as a sign of their salvation. Because there exists a kingdom an Assembly of disciples will follow. Here is a good distinction which clearly teaches one need not be a baptised disciple and yet be a member of the kingdom of God.The theif on the cross who was saved right before his death. At the moment he was saved he entered into the kingdom of God but was not baptised into a body of believers in the institutional Assembly on earth. A sinner who is saved as he hears the gospel in his prison cell will not be a partakers and living member of an Assembly of God's redeemed yet if he is truly born again he has entered into the kingdom of God. There is an inter-connection between the two concepts and yet there is also a marked distinction as well.
The invisible church idea as expressed in the Westminster is a clever novelty of Reformed covenant theology. However it cannot stand up against exegetical scrutiny and the uniform teaching of scripture. The very word itself (ecckesia)and the ordinances appointed by its Head make such an idea impractical and impossible.
Maybe in the minds of men it seems plausible and an interesting way to see the ideal but the scriptures do not substantiate such a notion. Actually an ideal invisible church is more aligned with neo-platonism than sound Christian doctrine.
I am so tired of hearing about John MacArthur. MacArthur is friends with TGC and won't challenge them as he said, i won't go against my friends. Does the word coward come to mind. MacArthur is a mediocre thinker and preacher. His redeeming feature is his popularity. Another is his willingness to address many issues that others avoid. If you go to Masters college you will see the kind of Christian student who attends that institution. Not very impressive
MacArthur is treated like a god on campus. Masters seminary has not exactly sent out into the world any outstanding theologians and preachers of note. MacArthur is good on many topics but to hold him.in such high esteem is really hard to figure. And now that he has celebrity status and host of sycophant followers with their hero worship he has become ubiquitous ad nuaesum. MacArthur has his reward in this life and when we finally reach the new heaven and new earth the MacArthur's of this age will receive no special attention or any accolades from the Lord. They will be just one servant among a host of those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.
There will be no special rewards for him and the rest of new breed of Christian rock stars we see parading all over social media. Millionaire preachers? MacArthur has not been a practical Pastor for many years. Too busy as an author, writing forwards and endorsements to help sell the books of fellow authors and being a headliner in the Christian conference circuit. Or more accurately conference circus.
The old standards are gone the Landmarks which our fathers set are fading and being replaced with a modern contemporary look to fit in to today's opulence. Tragic. Is it any wonder why professing Christians are tattooing themselves in the house of the devil? Young women coming to church with Jean's with holes in the legs, right jeans serially immodest clothing. Young men who look and dress slovenly? Christian hip hop? And this is going on in Reformed churches not among the Hellsong types. We know and see right through that false worldly faith.
Look at all of our social media hipsters talking reformed theology.
Not one will address the new emerging Christian paganism all around us as the target to fill churches is the perverse youth pop culture where being outlandish and sensually oriented is the spirit of the age. Christian preachers are desperately reaching out to this new 21st century Cretan. You can profess Christ and keep you pierced ears eyebrows noses tongues and belly buttons in tact. And yes all of those tattoos you can still flaunt them as you had before your profession. In fact you can now get tattoos with a christian symbol or text of scripture just to make tattooing not look so bad.
This generation is going to be in for a great surprise on judgment day.
Many are called but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14. Few enter in through the straight and narrow. Matthew 7:13,14. Luke 13:23-30.
Woe unto those who are at ease in Zion. Amos 6:1 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20. We desperately Puritan like preachers in the churches today.
There has never been a more pressing time in my Christian experience which is coming close to its 38th year to open up and make a thorough and exhaustive study of the book of Revelation especially chapters 2 and 3. If the Lord addressed the7 churches as He did then I can only imagine what He would say to the churches today.
I am sure He would have much to rebuke, repudiate and demand repentance of.