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Conversion is a very important topic… Especially where we live, the Bible Belt. In the Bible Belt we seem to think that conversion=any interest in Jesus. This is not biblical at all and that type of mindset has done a lot of damage in our culture. A bad understanding of conversion leads to a lot of people having a false assurance of salvation. In our culture any time someone has any type of emotional response to something Godward we assume they got saved.

We forget the Gospels when many people were very interested and intrigued in Jesus. They were following him around to hear his teaching, watch his signs and miracles, and appeared to have legitimate interest in what was going on. Yet, Jesus often said things to them that made many of them turn away. He would often turn to the large crowds following him and say things like, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26-27

Jesus was not interested in casual followers. Jesus is still not interest in casual followers. When someone truly experience conversion everything changes.

Blind to the beauty of Christ —> NEW BIRTH —> see Him as the all-satisfying treasure of your heart.

As David Wells says it,

Conversion involves forsaking sin, with its self deifying attitudes and self-serving conduct, and turning to Christ, whose death on the cross is the basis for God’s offer of mercy and forgiveness… Conversion occurs when we turn from our waywardness and accept Christ’s death on our behalf.

In our culture many people who think they are saved (and we assume is saved) have merely added Jesus as another thing into their life, rather than totally reorienting their life around him. For many, there isnt a “turn away from our waywardness” but merely an “add Jesus on to what is already a good life.” This is dangerous. This is hell-bound.

New Birth(conversion)=New Life, not Imitation of Life.

Many people in our own church, in our families, and many friends we have are just like those who followed Jesus casually, listening to his teachings and watching his miracles. Now many go to church casually observing, enjoying the good music, occasionally motivated by the sermon, but no change happening. Conversion has not taken place.

The New Testament is very clear on what must take place for conversion to happen, for us to be born again. We must, as Mark 1:15 says, “Repent and believe the gospel.” If there is no repentance(turning away from our waywardness) there is no new birth, no conversion.  John Piper says, ”Until God awakens us from spiritual death and gives us the life that finds joy in killing sin and being holy, we are slaves and cannot get free.” God makes us born again through repentance and faith or we will forever be slaves of sin.

How Do We Know if Conversion Has Happened?

1) Evidence of Repentance

“In the new birth, our dead, stony boredom with Christ is replaced by a heart that senses the worth of Jesus.” John Piper

“The Bible has a clear and devastating message about the state of our souls. And the reason it does is so that we will know what we need and shout for joy when God gives it to us.” Piper

At some point there is a change of heart. For many people they cannot point towards a specific day that they became a Christian. This is fine. We are not looking for a day of repentance, but for evidence that the repentance happened. If someone is saved there has to be a time in which the gospel didnt not delight the heart and then a time that it did. What I posted above is helpful in understanding this, I’ll post it again.

Blind to the beauty of Christ —> NEW BIRTH —> see Him as the all-satisfying treasure of your heart.

The greatest evidence of conversion is when a complete reorientation has taken place. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul points to in Philippians 3:4-11. Verse 7-8 sums it up when he says,

“But whatever gain I had a counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I might gain Christ“

There has to be a point in which the things of this world we treasured become strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. 

2) Fruit of Repentance

The best proof of our conversion is an obedient and fruitful life.

David Wells says,

Religious enthusiasms are easily generated. Their reality is not measured by the degree of excitement, but by the quality of endurance. The result of the test should be fruitfulness- the new character and the new direction of life that emerges.

Countless times in the New Testament Jesus says things like, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15. And “By this all men will know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35. John the Baptist urged his followers to “Bear fruit that befits repentance.” Matthew 3:8.

We know we have been born again (converted) when the desires of our hearts have changed and that has led to a significant change in our lives. 

Goal of Conversion

The goal of conversion is nothing less than loving God with all one’s will, emotions, and thinking, whereas previously all of these faculties were engaged in self love. David Wells

If you have read this and you are having serious doubts of your conversion please shoot me an email (matt.svoboda@bridgesh.com) or reach out to a Christian friend you know. Repent and believe the gospel in order for the things of this world to grow dim and the beauty of Christ to become bright.

Eternity hangs in the balance. Many of you have had some type of religious experience in the past and yet you know in your heart nothing has really changed. You are not a Christian. The good news is that God offers you grace today. Turn from your waywardness and trust in the all satisfying Savior and what he has done on our behalf.

What does the life of a missionary look like right here in Spring Hill? What does it look like for a stay at home mom and the family that seems to busy for mission?

We just bought two resources to help you answer those questions! They are both $12.00 and they will be on the Resource Table this Sunday.

Here they are:

This is a great book for families. It is called “A Meal with Jesus: Discovering Grace Community, and Mission around the Table”

Families with full schedules can utilize this book greatly. It will help you see how living missionally really just means being intentional with things that are already in your schedule- like eating dinner.

This is a great book for all of you stay at home moms at The Bridge. It is called, “The Missional Mom: Living with Purpose at Home and in the World”

Your calling as a mom is an important one. Your calling as a missionary is equally important. This book helps give you a picture of what a Missional Mom can look like. Husbands, you can serve your wives big time by getting this for her. Call it a late Mother’s Day Gift.

You can pick both of these up at the Resource Table this Sunday for $12!

They are led by these three godly men:

These three guys are crazy. They have this belief that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and that through the gospel they can reach Madison, WI with the gospel. They, like us, have the desire to not just plant one church and grow as large as they can. These guys plan to plant several churches in the Madison area.

We are honored to get to come behind these men and this church. We support them financially, through relationship, and now we get to support them by coming behind them and helping them serve their city.

For The City Video

The Details:

Dates: July 24th-29th

Cost: Maximum of $400 

Who Can Go: You! and you family. If you have been wanting to take your kids on a mission trip this is a great opportunity for that.  This might also be a chance for you and your spouse to send them off to the grandparents.  ;)

What We Wil be Doing: Serving Madison, WI and The Vine Church. We are going there to be a blessing to the city and the church. We will be doing several different service projects out in the community. This is a way to love on Madison with The Vine Church and help them build relationships with people in their city!

What To Expect: Sleeping arrangements will be made for us. We will be staying in people’s homes and potentially at a larger church in the area. This means bring your own sleeping stuff. Air mattress, sleeping bag, pillows, etc. We will be buying some groceries and stuff while we are there for breakfast and lunch things, but we will also be eating out 4 nights in Madison (really looking forward to this!). Once you pay the $400 per person it will cover everything. That will pay for the groceries and the dinners.

That money also goes towards blessing The Vine Church, helping pay for some of the service project materials, and travel expenses!

Let’s go be crazy with the guys in Madison who want to see their city transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ! Sign up at Connection Center in the lobby!

This is a great opportunity for us to love on and serve our community. We will have the chance to engage with several families, have a good time, and serve them. We started our volunteer sign ups on Sunday. We still need several more.

The Details:

Date: June 2nd

Time: 11 am-5 pm

Entrance Fee: some canned goods or a pair of shoes!

Volunteer: we will be setting up our own booth along with the other sponsors. We wil be helping with parking, handing out literature at our booth, engaging families, and having cookie decorations at our booth for the kids.

Be sure to sign up at Connection Center this Sunday. We are going to do it in two different shifts of 3 hours. This way people are also able to simply enjoy the festival as well as serve.

Just once, I’d like to see a TV interview go more like this:

Host: You are a Christian pastor, and you say you believe the Bible, which means you are supposed to love all people.

Pastor: That’s right.

Host: But it appears to me that you and your church take a rather unloving position when it comes to gay people. Are homosexuals welcome to come to your church?

Pastor: Of course. We believe that the gospel is a message relevant for every person on the planet, and we want everyone to hear the gospel and find salvation in Jesus Christ. So at our church, our arms are outstretched to people from every background, every race, every ethnicity and culture. We’re a place for all kinds of sinners and people with all kinds of problems.

Host: But you said there, “We’re a place for sinners.” So you do believe that homosexuality is sinful, right?

Pastor: Yes, I do.

Host: So how do you reconcile the command to love all people with a position on homosexuality that some would say is radically intolerant?

Pastor: (smiling) If you think my position on homosexuality is radical, just wait until you hear what else I believe! I believe that a teenage guy and girl who have sex in the backseat of a pick-up are sinning. The unmarried heterosexual couple living down the street from me is sinning. In fact, any sexual activity that takes place outside of the marriage covenant between a husband and wife is sinful. What’s more, Jesus takes this sexual ethic a step further and goes to the heart of the matter. That means that any time I even lust after someone else, I am sinning. Jesus’ radical view of sexuality shows all of us up as sexual sinners, and that’s why He came to die. Jesus died to save lustful, homo- and heterosexual sinners and transform our hearts and minds and behavior. Because He died for me, I owe Him my all. And as a follower of Jesus, I’m bound to what He says about sex and morality.

Host: But Jesus didn’t condemn homosexuality outright, did He?

Pastor: He didn’t have to. He went to the heart issue and intensified the commands against immoral behavior in the Old Testament. So Jesus doesn’t just condemn adultery, for example, as does one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus condemns even the lust that leads to adultery, all with the purpose of offering us transformed hearts that begin beating in step with His radical demands.

Host: You say he condemned adultery, but he chose not to condemn the woman caught in adultery.

Pastor: That’s right, but He did tell her to “go and sin no more.”

Host: But who are you to condemn someone who doesn’t line up with your personal beliefs about sexuality?

Pastor: Who am I? No one. It’s not all that important what I think about these things. This conversation about homosexuality isn’t really about my personal beliefs. They’re about Jesus and what He says. I have no right to condemn or judge the world. That right belongs to Jesus. My hope is to follow Him faithfully. That means that whatever He says in regard to sexual practices is what I believe to be true, loving, and ultimately best for human flourishing – even when it seems out of step with the whims of contemporary culture.

Host: But you are judging. You are telling all the gay people watching this broadcast that they are sinners.

Pastor: I’m not singling out gay people. I’m pointing to Jesus as the answer to all sexual sinfulness.

Host: But you are referring to gay people. Why are you so focused on homosexuality?

Pastor: (smiling) With all due respect, you are the one who brought up this subject.

Host: Are you saying that you can’t be gay and Christian?

Pastor: No. I’m saying that you can’t be a genuine Christian without repentance. Everyone – including me – is guilty of sin, but Christianity hinges on repentance. We agree with God about our sin, and we turn from it and turn toward Jesus. When it comes to Christianity, this debate is not about homosexuality versus other sins. It’s about whether or not repentance is integral to the Christian life.

Host: But do you see why a homosexual watching this might think you are attacking them personally? You’re saying that something is wrong with them.

Pastor: I think Jesus’ teaching on sexuality shows us that there is something wrong withall of us – something that can only be fixed by what Jesus did for us on the cross and in His resurrection. That said, I understand why people might think I am attacking them personally. Most people with same-sex desires believe they were born with these tendencies. That’s why they often see their attraction as going to the very core of who they are, and so they identify themselves with the “gay” label. So whenever someone questions their behavior or desires, they take it as an attack on the very core of their being. That’s usually not the intent of the person who disagrees with homosexual behavior. But that’s the way it is perceived. I understand that.

Host: If it’s true that a person is born with one sexual orientation or another, then how can it possibly be loving to condemn one person’s orientation?

Pastor: Well, we really don’t know for certain about sexual attraction being innate and set from birth. All we have is the testimony of people who say that they’ve experienced same-sex desires since childhood. Christianity teaches that all people are born with a bent toward sin. It’s possible that some people will have a propensity toward alcohol abuse or angry outbursts, while others may have a propensity toward other sins. Regardless, Christians believe people are more than their sexual urges. We believe that human dignity is diminished whenever we define ourselves by sexual urges and behaviors. Consider this: married men are sometimes attracted to multiple women who are not their wives. Does this mean they should self-identify as polygamists? Not at all. And surely you wouldn’t consider it hateful for Christians to encourage married men not to act on their desires in an effort to remain faithful to their spouses. It is the Christian way, after all.

Host: No, but it still seems like you are telling people not to be true to who they are.

Pastor: It only seems that way because you believe sexual desire reflects the core of one’s identity. It would help if you and others who agree with you would understand that in your putting pressure on me to accept homosexual behavior as normal and virtuous, you are going to the very core of my identity as a follower of Jesus. The label most important to me is “Christian.” My identity – in Christ – is central to who I am. So I could say the same thing and call you intolerant, bigoted, and hateful for trying to change a conviction that goes to the core of who I am as a Christian. I don’t say that because I don’t believe that’s your intention. But neither should you think it’s my intention to attack a homosexual person or cause them harm merely because I disagree.

Host: But the problem is, your position fosters hate and encourages bullying.

Pastor: I recognize that some people have mistreated homosexuals in the past. It’s a shame that anyone anywhere would mock, taunt, or bully another human being made in God’s image. That said, I think we need to make one thing clear in regard to civil discourse: To differ is not to hate. I hope we can still have a real conversation in this country about different points of view without casting one another in the worst possible light. The idea that disagreeing with homosexual behavior necessarily results in harm to gay people is designed to shut down conversation and immediately rule one point of view (in this case, the Christian one) out of bounds. As a Christian, I am to love my neighbor and seek his good, even when I don’t see eye to eye with my neighbor. Furthermore, the picture of Christ on the cross dying for His enemies necessarily affects the way I think about this and other issues.

1) to train Christians how to better live out their faith and invest in others

2) to develop leaders for the mission God has called us too.

God has called Christians to a radical life. We are called to be Jesus’ disciples. What do disciples do? They make more disciples, that is what the Great Commission is all about. Porterbrook is meant to help you do just that. Porterbrook will challenge every Christian to grow in three areas:

1) Theologically

2)Relationally

3) Missionally

The tag line for Porterbrook Spring Hill is “To equip the people of God for the mission of God.” 

We are serious when we say that Porterbrook is for everyone. There is not one Christian at The Bridge that wouldn’t benefit greatly from Porterbrook. Not only will it help you grow in theologically, relationally, and missionally, but it also equips you to use the gifts God has given you to make an impact in His Kingdom.

We are also serious when we say that Porterbrook is specifically for those who feel called to different areas of church leadership. We will be using Porterbrook to raise up leaders for The Bridge and to send out! Porterbrook is very much for your “everyday Christian” and for those who feel a call of God to an area of church leadership. That is why…

We are offering two different tracks:

1) Basic Track- this is for anyone and everyone. If you want to grow as a disciple, learn how to better invest in others, and better understand how to put your faith into practice this track is for you.

2) Church Leadership Track- This is for anyone who:

1. Feels called to vocational ministry.
2. Aspires to the office of Elder.
3. Is a woman that desires to lead other women (i.e.Titus 2 Collective).
4. Interested in other areas of church leadership: ministry lead, House Group leader.

Each person who signs up for Porterbrook is going to sign up for one of these two tracks. Both tracks go through the Porterbrook curriculum. The difference is that the Church Leadership Track has additional work that the Basic Track does not have. This is also why the cost is different for both tracks.

Fees:

When you sign up you are only signing up for 1 year. It is a two year curriculum, but you only commit to one year at a time.

Basic Porterbrook Track: $400 per year ($650 for couples)

Church Leadership Track: $600 per year ($1,000 for couples)

The fees pay for the curriculum, supplies, administrative needs, childcare- snacks and drinks for Seminar days, guest speakers, donates a portion back to the Porterbrook Network, amongst other things.

All money needs to be turned in at Connection Center in the lobby of The Bridge Church. Money is due by August 1st.

How it Functions:

The curriculum is made up of 4 different streams: Character, Bible & Doctrine, Church, and World.

Introductory day: 1st September 2012
Cohorts (4-6 people): Meets weekly for one hour- when depends on specific cohort
Saturday Seminars: We will have a seminar with all students on the first Saturday of the month from 5 pm-8pm. Childcare will be provided.

Go to THIS PAGE to learn how Porterbrook will be structured and to sign up! Email me- matt.svoboda@bridgesh.com if you have questions or ask in the comment section!

1. Premillennials insist on a so called “literal” interpretation of Eschatological/apocalyptic literature (Revelation particularly). I hear from Premillennials that we should interpret Revelation with the most natural reading of the text. We should interpret it as literally and as naturally as we possibly can. This sounds good, but there is a major problem with it- the book of Revelation wasnt written to 21st Century American Christians. The most “natural and literal” reading to us is vastly different from the most “natural and literal” reading from a 1st century Christian- who Revelation was written too. We have to do the due diligence of asking, “How would a 1st century Christian that read it in the same culture it was written interpret this book? The most “literal” reading of the text means to read it in the way it was meant to be interpreted- by 1st century Christians.

According to biblical and non-biblical apocalyptic literature the genre demands symbolism. Most Premillennials simply do not do justice to Revelation when they insist on all of the literalism. Every first centruy Christian would have read Revelation with a serious symbolic undertone becuse that was the norm of the genre in their day. To be fair- this isn’t every Premillennial. If someone is absolutely convinced that Revelation 20 occurs after Christ’s return I suggest Dr. Grant Osbornes commentary- he at least does justice to the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation as a Historic Premillennialist (one of the few).

As I will demonstrate in a few points below- when I deal with certain texts- that Premillennials want the “plain, straightforward, literal interpretation of Revelation 20,” yet, they reject a plain, straightforward, literal interpretation of many other New Testament texts that deal with Eschatology. So, Premills insist on a literal interpretation on apocalyptic literature, which is meant to be symbolic, and yet reject a straightforward reading of texts that are not apocalyptic. Obviously, no Premill will say that is what they do, but as I will demonstrate it seems to me that is exactly what they do.

2. 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10:

“They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because out testimony to you was believed.”

(Read verses 5-10 for context.) Here, the straightforward, plain, literal reading of the text says that, lost people will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction- when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints. This passage is clearly saying that the punishment of the lost comes on the same day that he comes to be glorified in his saints. When does he come to be glorified in his Saints? At the 2nd coming. This passage does not leave any room for a 1,000 year period in between the glorification of the saints and the destruction of the lost as Premillennials have to hold.

Here is how Premills typically try to answer this:

a. “Suffer the punishment of eternal destruction” is talking about God’s wrath in the tribulation. This must be thrown out for the only “eternal destruction” that exists is hell. The tribulation isnt eternal, hell is. This passage also implies that it is including everyone- all the lost will suffer eternal destruction and all of the saints will have relief. There is nothing in this passage to suggest otherwise.

b. Ladd and others argue this passage is explaining the entire scope of time in which these events occur, similar to Matthew 24. With this they insist this harmonizes with Revelation 20. This is simply wrong and I expected better from Ladd when I read his argument for this. The passage very clearly says that the two events- destruction of the lost and relief of the saints happens on that day. The two events happen on the very same day. Well, at least that is what a straightforward, literal reading of it says.

Yes, the example above is an example of Premills wanting a literal reading of Revelation 20 and yet trying to explain away the literal reading of 2 Thess. 1. IMHO, eisegesis is the only explanation for how Premills can come to an understanding of that passage that doesn’t conclude with- “Yes, eternal destruction of the lost and relief of the saints happens on the same day.”

3. John 5:28-29:

“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.”

An hour is coming when all who are in the tombs, i.e., the physically dead, whether believer or unbeliever, shall hear his voice and come forth in the resurrection.

Sam Storms- “The Premillennial, however, is unable to accept this straightforward declaration. He insists that a 1000-year earthly reign of Christ must intervene between the resurrection of believers and the resurrection of unbelievers. He points to v. 25 where the word “hour” encompasses the whole of this present age. Why, then, can’t the “hour” in v. 28 also span the 1000 years of a millennial age? Anthony Hoekema answers this question:

“First, in order to be parallel to what is said in verse 25, the resurrection of believers and unbelievers should then be taking place throughout this thousand-year period, as is the case with the regeneration of people during the ‘hour’ mentioned in verse 25. But, according to the theory under discussion (Premillennialism), this is not the case; rather this theory teaches that there will be one resurrection at the beginning of the thousand years and another at the end.

Of this, however, there is not a hint in this passage. Further, note the words “all who are in the tombs will hear his voice.” The reference would seem to be to a general resurrection of all who are in their graves; it is straining the meaning of these words to make them describe two groups (or four groups) of people who will be raised at separate times. Moreover, this passage states specifically that all these dead will hear the voice of the Son of man. The clear implication seems to be that this voice will be sounded once, not two times or four times. If the word ‘hour’ is interpreted as standing for a period of a thousand years plus, this would imply that the voice of Jesus keeps sounding for a thousand years. Does this seem likely?” (32)

No, it doesn’t.

4. The rest of the New Testament doesn’t leave room for a 1,000 year gap.

Every passage that talks about the Second Coming (outside of a PM reading of Rev. 20) has it coupled with either the resurrection of the dead, judgment-reward, or the ushering in of the new heavens and new earth. So, in every instance that the Second Coming is talked about at least one of those things is accompanying it. Yet, because in the PM system one passage trumps all the others they insist there is a gap… Despite the fact the two verses above prove this gap simply cannot be harmonized with some of the other passages in the New Testament.

5. The nature of a Premillennial Millennium

The PM understanding of what the actual Millennium is baffles me… After Jesus returns I am supposed to believe there is still people getting saved and sinning? Outside of a PM reading of Rev. 20 that goes against everything I read in the New Testament. It appears to me that when Jesus returns sin is no more and there certainly is not lost people (who survived the wrath of God at the second coming and entered into the Millennium) getting saved. Not only do I find that understanding awkward, but simply against everything else I read in the New Testament. PMs also have to believe that mortal lost people and immortal Christians in glorified bodies are living amongst each other. Lost people are still in their carnal bodies dealing with death and Christians have glorified bodies that cannot die. The entire Bible manages to stay away from seeming like a sci-fi movie until Premillennials try to explain Revelation 20.

Many Premillennials even believe that in the Millennium we go back to animal sacrifices. This is proving a faulty hermeneutic. We are not going backward to the types and shadows of the Old Testament, we are going forward to even greater fulfillment of the purposes of God.

I cannot read the New Testament and believe that after Jesus comes back sin is still rampant, many lost people haven’t been dealt with, mortals and immortals live amongst each other, death and destruction are the same as they ever were, etc. The nature of the Premillennial Millennium makes the second coming of Jesus not all that great, in my humble opinion.

Conclusion

Well, I have a few more points (yes, I have found more than 5 problems with Premillennialism ), but we have gone long enough… I hope you have enjoyed this series. Feel free to ask any questions about this post OR any other questions you might have about Eschatology.