Connecting the Two Wars!

Part 3 Bringing the Twin Wars Together

• Session 3.14 Connecting the Two Wars!

• Session 3.15 A Clash of Narratives

• Session 3.16 Three Cultures – Three Futures

Outline

• The Great Satan

• This War Is About Western Decadence

• Nominally Christian – Practically Atheists

• Ideology and Public Life

• Two-Front Offensive

• The Kingdom Offensive

The Great Satan

• Read– John 8:4– Revelation 20:3, 7-8

• Question– What do these reveal about Satan, his

nature and his strategy?

U.S.A. as the Great Satan

• One nation under man proclaims:– There is no God– There is no truth– There are no morals– Man is an animal– Sex is for recreation and entertainment

• These are all deceptions, the work of Satan

This War Is About Western Decadence

Letter to the American People

• Sunday, Nov. 24, 2002

• Two Questions:– (Q1) Why are we

fighting and opposing you?

– Q2) What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?

Reflection

• What is bin Laden saying?

• What is your response to his accusations?

This War Is about DECADENCE!

• Harvard Prof. Samuel Huntington wrote: “In Muslim eyes Western secularism, irreligiosity, and hence immorality are worse evils than the Western Christianity that produced them. …”

• Questions:– What is the Muslims’ assumption?– Is their assumption correct?– Why do they have this picture?

Nominally Christian –Practically Atheists

Common Reasoning

• Question: As Muslims look at the West, what is their reasoning?

Two Worldviews

GOD

CreatioCreationn

Evangelical Gnosticism Biblical Theism

The Greek Dichotomy

FaithTheologyEthicsMissionsDevotional LifeGospel

ReasonScienceBusiness/economicsPoliticsArt/musicPhysical ministryBread

HigherHighermore more

importantimportant

LowerLowerless less

importantimportant

SPIRITUALSPIRITUAL(sacred)(sacred)

PHYSICALPHYSICAL(secular)(secular)

GRACEGRACE

NATURENATURE

Sun

day

Sun

day

Wee

kday

sW

eekd

ays

Two Worldviews

Evangelical Gnosticism• Spiritual focus• Heart – feed emotions• What is God going to do

for me?• Christ “in me”

• Sunday Church• Compartmentalized life• Practical Atheists

Biblical Theism• Comprehensive focus• Heart, mind, and will• What does God want

me to do for Him?• Christ in me and in the

world• Monday Church• Comprehensive life• Consciously Christian

Compartmentalization

Reflection

• Where do you see this separation in:– Your own life?– Your church?

• Give examples

Ideology and Public Life

• There is never any separation of ideology from public life.

• A person’s ideology will inform public life.

Ideology and Public LifeIdeological Pluralism

A Foundational Ideology *

* Judeo-Christian Theism Atheism Islam

Marriage of Church and State

Institutional Pluralism

(separation of church and state)

Atheists’ Proclamation

Atheists’ Practice – Freedom from religion

Jihadism – Tyranny of religion

Freedom of religion

Judeo-Christian Theism

Evangelical Gnosticism

Reformed/moderate Islam

Two-Front Offensive

• In the West - The Cultural War – A War of Spirit and Ideas

• From the East - Jihad – The Hot War

• Both are wars of vision and ideas.

• Thoughtful Christians must engage in each conflict.

The Cultural War

Militant Atheism• Europe• America

Traditional Transcendent SocietiesJudeo-Christian TheismModerate Islam

counter offensive

attack

Jihad’s Hot War

Jihad’sThe Sword

WestModerate

Islam

Atheists Christians

Judeo-ChristianTheism

SubmitEvangelicalGnosticism

Submit Engage

Engage Submit

Co Belligerent

Jihad – The Hot War

The Kingdom Offensive

Salt and Light

• Read Matt. 5:13-14

• Discuss– What is the nature of light? What does it do in

a society?– What is the nature of salt? What does it do in

a society?– What happens in a society when salt loses its

saltiness?– What are the implications for our lives?

Kingdom Offensive

Christ and Him Crucified

Thy Kingdom Come

GoodnessTruth Beauty

Atheism Islam

Kingdom Offensive

Rebuilt Societies

Reformed Cultures

Repentant Souls and

Regenerated LivesGos

pel –

Ren

ewed

Min

ds –

Dis

cipl

ed N

atio

ns

Gos

pel –

Ren

ewed

Min

ds –

Dis

cipl

ed N

atio

ns Consequences – B

ehavior – Values - B

eliefs

Consequences – B

ehavior – Values - B

eliefs

Promote Life Over Death

Life is better than death.

Health is better than sickness.

Liberty is better than slavery.

Prosperity is better than poverty.

Education is better than ignorance.

Justice is better than injustice.

Muslims Coming to Christ

“In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity, …. Every day, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity.”

Sheikh Ahmad al QataaniAl-Jazeera

December 2001

 

Reasons People Are Coming to Christ

• They are HARDWIRED for love

• Repelled by the Jihadist hatred and violence

• Responding to the love of Christ