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That's MBTS dot edu

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slash knowing failure. Okay. Now listeners,

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that was the ad that I read, but let

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it.

1:32

Welcome to Afterfact, knowing Faith mini

1:34

episode where we look to take a big question, address

1:37

it in just a few minutes. Or

1:39

after the fact episodes this season are brought to

1:41

you by our season sponsor, Midwestern

1:43

Baptist Theological Seminary. And

1:45

I love Midwestern's Motto. For

1:47

the church. That resonates so

1:50

deeply with the goal of knowing faith to see

1:52

a theological movement that is from

1:54

and for the church. Joining

1:56

us today is doctor Joe Alan, the students

1:59

around campus call him doctor Joe

2:01

to distinguish him from the president, doctor

2:03

Jason Allen. So doctor Joe serves

2:05

as the assistant a Professor of Missions at Midwestern

2:08

Baptist Theological Seminary. Joe

2:10

is the author of a series of theology books for

2:12

kids called Big Thoughts for Little Thinkers, which

2:14

includes the Trinity, the gospel, the scripture,

2:17

and the mission. He also wrote a gospel track

2:19

called Welcome to Heaven, which has been printed

2:21

over twenty million times translated

2:23

into more than twenty

2:24

languages, doctor Joe. Welcome back to the

2:26

fact. Thanks for joining us.

2:27

Oh, thrilled to be here. Glad to have your brother.

2:30

Here's the big question for you. If God

2:32

calls why evangelize.

2:34

If God does the work of salvation, if he calls

2:36

his people, why Evangelize? You wrote

2:38

a gospel track that's been printed over twenty

2:41

million

2:41

times. Why are you doing that? If God

2:43

does the work, why why are you

2:45

doing that? This is not a new question

2:48

actually. William Carey, when

2:50

the Lord began to stir in his heart,

2:53

make him aware of the nations. He

2:55

got very excited about this. According

2:58

to the story, a man in his church,

3:00

John Rieland, told him

3:03

young man sit down when

3:05

god pleases to convert the heat and

3:07

he will do it without your aid

3:09

or mind. That

3:11

conversation in part

3:13

led Kerry to write his

3:16

famous inquiry into the obligation

3:18

of Christians to use means

3:20

for the conversion of the heathen.

3:23

And that is only the short title. The

3:25

the full title is much longer. Okay.

3:28

And as we think about the term he

3:30

then, that sounds a little derogatory. At

3:32

that time, he did not mean it in any

3:34

way other than simply to say, these

3:36

are non believers, non Christians,

3:38

people who do not have access to the gospel,

3:41

his book was revolutionary in

3:44

arguing he made a powerful case

3:47

that the great commission applies

3:50

today. So those

3:53

instructions from Jesus after the

3:55

resurrection shortly before his ascension

3:58

still applied to believers today.

4:00

It's still binding on us. And

4:02

so we get to participate. It's

4:05

not that we have to. It's that God

4:07

invites us as

4:09

Paul says in first Corinthians three

4:12

nine that we are fellow

4:14

workers -- Mhmm. -- or then IV

4:16

says, coworkers, co laborers

4:19

in this mission that God is fulfilling

4:22

here on

4:22

earth. So let's just say that a

4:24

Christian comes to you and says, doctor Joe.

4:27

It says in the bible that

4:30

God is gonna save his people.

4:33

It says that God is gonna do this. He's not gonna lose

4:35

anybody that belongs to him. He's gonna

4:37

save all of Right. -- save all

4:39

of his people. Grace is God's gift to

4:41

give, salvation is God's to grant.

4:43

And you would say, yes and amen to them. Am I are

4:45

we together so far?

4:46

Amen. Hey men. Absolutely.

4:49

So if God is going to do that,

4:52

then does it matter? I like,

4:54

I think that's maybe the question that

4:56

maybe some Christians might have is like, okay, I

4:58

understand that the Bible is calling me

5:00

to do it. But it is my

5:03

obedience to it of consequence

5:05

or merely of faithfulness. Is

5:07

it of difference or is it merely

5:10

of obedience? So

5:12

god or danes not only

5:15

the ends, but the means. In

5:17

other words, how do we get there? How do we

5:19

accomplish this? God is

5:21

in charge from top to bottom

5:23

from beginning to end. Sure. He

5:25

invites us, indeed commands

5:28

us to participate in what he

5:30

is doing around the world. And what

5:32

we see from Genesis all the way

5:34

to revelation is that

5:36

god works through

5:38

agents through representatives,

5:41

emissaries, deputies, messengers

5:44

-- Yeah. -- he selects people

5:47

to fulfill his will on

5:50

earth. You know, starting with

5:52

Adam, Abraham, Moses, David,

5:55

then in the fullest way

5:57

Mhmm. -- he sent the Lord

5:59

Jesus, his own son

6:01

-- Yeah. -- he became flesh Yeah.

6:03

And then God sent the holy spirit.

6:06

So we see the triune god

6:08

at work in salvation fulfilling

6:10

his mission then the holy

6:12

spirit indwells believers and

6:16

sends them, impels them to

6:18

the furthest places on the world. Mhmm.

6:20

So The church

6:22

is God's agent today fulfilling

6:25

God's mission through the power of the Holy

6:27

Spirit. We get to be a part of that.

6:29

Easter

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7:55

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7:56

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7:58

walking in faithfulness to what God has said?

8:00

Yes or no? Yes.

8:02

If I go out and share the gospel with

8:04

my neighbor today, I have confidence

8:06

that God will do what I can't

8:08

do. That's right. It is a supernatural

8:11

event you cannot change people's

8:13

hearts

8:14

Mhmm. But God loves to use

8:16

you to be a part of that.

8:17

That's right. He invites you, he commands

8:20

you to be a part of that. It is a

8:22

wonderful privilege Even

8:24

yesterday, I was reading first

8:26

thessalonians chapter two, the

8:28

very last two verses nineteen

8:30

and twenty, for First Thessalonians

8:33

too, Paul says, who

8:35

is our hope, our

8:37

joy or crown of

8:39

pride in the presence of our

8:41

Lord Jesus at his coming. Is

8:44

it not indeed you? You

8:47

are joy and our glory.

8:50

That verse is so

8:53

powerful. It resonates with me because

8:55

one day we will stand

8:57

in the presence of Jesus and

9:00

what a privilege to be

9:02

able to look around at

9:04

all the people you influenced, all

9:07

the people that you evangelized that

9:09

told the gospel, and now they are there

9:12

in the presence of Jesus. With

9:14

you and you get to say,

9:17

Lord, this is my crown. This

9:19

is my glory. And they are

9:21

worshiping Jesus because you had

9:23

an impact in their

9:24

life.

9:24

Man, that is

9:25

mind blowing. That is a good motivation, good

9:28

reminder for us to maintain faithfulness in

9:30

call to evangelize our neighbors and the

9:32

nation's

9:32

doctor. Joe, thank you for joining us.

9:34

Thank

9:35

you for this privilege and opportunity. After

9:37

the fact is brought to you by Midwestern is theological

9:40

Seminary. Are you ready to take your next

9:42

step in theological training, consider Midwestern

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Seminary, and how therefore the Church vision

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Considering

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