Introduction

An outstanding characteristic of most of Western Christianity is the struggle to bear effective witness. When I came to Christ at university several believers in my year suddenly came into the light. It is not unusual to hear stories of active believers engaging non Christians in their workplace in conversation about spiritual things whilst in the same office known churchgoers remain completely silent.

There have been countless sermons and seminars on this topic. Entire movements have emphasised the baptism of the Holy Spirit as the supernatural power of witness. More recently schools of supernatural ministry are popping up around Australia seeking to teach people how to minster in signs and wonders. Whilst we give God the glory for outstanding ministries who operate in such gifting, none of these currents seem to be able to stem the tide of intimidation that is over the people of God as a whole.

As I was praying about such things whilst I was in the Middle East I saw in my mind a picture of the ancient mosaic floor in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, Jesus’ birth place. I believe the Lord was telling me that any genuine restoration of sustained kingdom ministry needed to rebuilt from the foundations. This means going back to the very shape of the life of Jesus and the source of his continuous kingdom power and presence. What is required is a very radical reconstructing of the way we think of ourselves as Christians.

The Real Problem

Paul begins his classic exposition of the gospel in Romans with a very direct statement, “I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”” (Rom 1:16-17). The central problem which must be overcome to release witness is shame.

To illustrate this I recall a conversation with the Arabic speaking YWAM leader from the Middle East, who has resided there for many years. He impressed upon us that in Arab culture, which is much closer to biblical culture than Western society, honour is everything. You never dishonour someone by raising a matter you know will shame them – even if it is something everyone already knows about, silence must be maintained. Shame, or at least the fear of being shamed, is what is silencing effective witness in Australia. We are either ashamed of Jesus, or ashamed of who we are as believers in Christ. No true believer can be embarrassed about Jesus, so it must be the case that we sense that there is something lacking in who we are in Christ. This is where the “spirit of deprivation” over the nation comes into play.

Whenever I talk with ordinary believers about the testimony of persecuted Christians in the world (like some of the folk we met in Egypt), they always seem to respond with a sort of “them and us” mentality. “Their” spirituality is somehow on another level than ours, and we are embarrassed by this. At a deep level we must believe that there is something wrong at the centre of our lives so that our inmost being[1] cannot be exposed. This way of thinking, conscious or subconscious, must be based on a conviction that godliness depends on us, and our efforts to contribute to our spiritual growth are inadequate. This is a powerful deception that causes us to take our eyes off Jesus. We have forgotten[2] that who Christ is and who we are in Christ cannot be separated. To put this in terms of the kingdom of God which has been a focus of this series, the spirit of deprivation strangling the Australian Church feeds off a fear that we are incapable of abiding in the pleasure of the Father.

This contrasts strongly with the promises of scripture. Jesus said to his marginalised disciples, ““Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”” (Luke 12:32) and commanded Peter as his successor, ““Feed my lambs.”” (John 21:15). In a powerful word about the exalted spiritual status of his worldly weak followers, Christ exclaims, ““See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 18:10). Each of these words links the blessings of the kingdom of heaven to a diminutive or despised status in human society.[3] Those who would normally be socially shamed are honoured by their Lord. This connects directly with the manner of Jesus own life.

Lions in Lamb’s Clothing

One of the churches we visited in Israel was in the home of a Christian Arab family in Bethlehem who had come to Christ through the miraculous healing of a daughter. On the coffee table in their lounge room can be found a carving made from a single piece of olive wood, it is a lion and a lamb. In Revelation 5:5-6 we read, “behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”. Jesus is the Lion because he has conquered evil, Satan and death by becoming “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)[4]. This paradoxical image reveals the secret identity of the children of God[5].

This is a vision of Christ’s place in heaven within the throne room of God. Jesus has sat down on the throne of his Father (Rev 3:21), the same throne around which is a rainbow of grace (Rev 4:3). Since we are seated with Christ “in the heavenly places” (Eph 2:6) our lives are always under the same canopy of grace and blessing. At the very end of Revelation we read, “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” (22:3-4). We share in this spiritual reality now – our Father never turns his face from us, in his presence there is no shame. Our confession about Jesus, ““You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”” (Matt 16:17), shows that we are “in Christ” and as such sons of the Blessed One (Mark 14:61; Matt 16:17). If we believe this to be true about ourselves we will unhesitatingly testify to it.

Seeing the Treasure

One morning when I was praying in Amman I sensed some spiritual truths with great clarity. Everything we do in ministry is based on what is already stored up in heaven for us, when we have a revelation of this it is precious to us like a treasure. Paul describes genuine Christian ministry as building on the foundation of Christ “with gold, silver, precious stones” (1 Cor 3:12). The apostle John employs similar imagery in describing the heavenly Jerusalem made up of gold, pearls and shining jewels (Rev 21:15-21), and in context equates this city with the ““the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”” (Rev 21:9).

In stretching the language of magnificence to its limits the apostles are not speaking mythologically of some future utopia[6], they are speaking of the true state of the life of the Church. Since Christ the “hope of glory” (Col 1:27) dwells in us[7], “we have this treasure in jars of clay” (2 Cor 4:7). Such a treasure (like the treasure in the field and the pearl of great price) is certainly in my heart, and in the hearts of all the saints. That God would indwell us is an essential part of the mystery of the glory of the gospel (2 Cor 4:4; 1 Tim 1:11), and anyone who senses this is powerfully motivated to share these unlimited riches.

Since Christ indwells you, your very life in him is a blessing to the world, the world (kosmos) for which he died (John 3:16-17). To preach entry into the kingdom of God via repentance and submission to God as a son to a heavenly Father, is not some onerous thing but the means by which the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord (Hab 2:14). Jesus himself walked the way of identificational repentance and submission because he recognised this was the way in which God would fill all things with his blessed kingdom’s righteousness (Matt 3:15; 6:33). It is the justice, goodness and wisdom of obedience to the Father that enables him to fill the earth with the beauty of his presence[8]. This is why we command the nations to obey the teachings of Jesus (Acts 17:31) and baptise them in his name (Matt 28:18-20).

These realities are not restricted to some far off future world, they are true for us “upon whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10:11; cf. Heb 9:26). The awareness of the nearness of the Kingdom of God always imparts a quality of immediate urgency. Our prophetic testimony to God’s presence in these last days[9] is particularly intense.

Eschatological Witness: the Prophethood of All Believers

Revelation, the climax of all biblical prophecy opens with the promise of a blessing, “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Rev 1:1-3 cf. 22:7) This scripture promises that as Jesus is blessed to testify to the things of his Father the same blessing will flow to his servants who faithfully witness to him. The prophets and saints (11:18; 16:6; 18:20, 24) in Revelation are not some special class of believer, but embrace all those who “hold to the testimony of Jesus (… the spirit of prophecy).” (19:10).

I have spoken several times in earlier studies about God speaking to us in a new tone, especially a tone of compassion, prophetic testimony to the nearness of the coming of the kingdom of God amplifies this. Genuine prophecy must echo Jesus own witness, “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”” (Rev 22:20) The tone of prophecy is consistent, “Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring…. “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”” (Rev 10:3, 11)[10].

The central biblical role of the New Testament prophet is to confront their audience by word and action with the reality of living in a genuine end time situation, of already standing before the judgment seat of God. Jesus came preaching, ““The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:15). His Word from God placed the world in what in Greek is a kairos time, a time of opportunity, challenge and decision where indifference is impossible. In Christ we live in this kairos time and our witness has the power to bring others into an immediate awareness of eternal things[11].

Eschatological Witness: the Priesthood of All Believers

As a priest in heaven Jesus is praying for us and “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb 7:25) In the structure of Hebrews, Christ is qualified for this priesthood in a particular way.

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 5:7-10). This scene takes place in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is in the utmost agony of prayer and in a state of supreme weakness.

The perfection of Christ’s priesthood is illuminated by a particular Old Testament background where the word “perfect” is used at the ordination of a priest, and literally means “to fill the hand”[12]. Whether the priest’s hands are filled with sacrificial victims or stretched out in prayer over the people, the aim must always be the dispensing of blessing (Lev 9:22; Num 6:22-27). Through his supreme weakness and suffering Jesus is equipped to perfectly sympathise with our limitations and has become a great high priest of an eternal order of blessing (Heb 4:15). It is through sharing in his weakness that the power to impart heavenly blessing is instilled in us.

Paul recounts a visionary experience of heaven, then to keep him from conceit, “a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me” (2 Cor 12:7). His prayers to Jesus for its removal were denied, with the explanation, ““My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”” (12:9a). Paul understand that the thorn was a gift from God designed to keep him in a weakened state so that divine power might be “perfected” through his life and ministry. Jesus said, ““Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20). The poor are recipients of the powerful presence of the kingdom of God because their only hope is God’s future. When we learn that all our present affluence of ideas and resources have no future, we too will see the kingdom of God come with power. Poverty of spirit, and often of body, is the only vehicle for the penetrating presence of the kingdom of God[13].

Eschatological Witness: Kingly Ministry

There is a multiplication of what we may call kingly ministry in our time. In the third study of this series, on the kingdom of God, I described The House of Light[14] in Israel. the Arab Christian couple there visit prisons, collect clothing for the needy, minister to children and advance Arab-Jewish reconciliation. Their action of kindness and distributive justice mirror these words of Jesus,

““When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matt 25:31-40)

Acts of “social justice” done in the name of Jesus image the rainbow cloud of glory by spreading grace beyond a coming flood of Judgement. This is the fearful eternal Judgement of Christ the King on his throne exacted upon those who oppressed his weakened brothers. ““Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”” (25:41-46).

The blessing of God is intensely manifested when aid is provided to oppressed Christians, because the persecution of the followers of the crucified and exalted Messiah is a clear sign of the end times[15]. “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (1 Pet 4:14)[16]. When we learn to sow our ample resources in the cause of the kingdom of God his rule will come on us with increasing power.

Conflict and Witness

One of the reasons I originally went to the Middle East was to more deeply familiarise myself with the persecution of Christians. The thing that probably impacted me most through hearing various stories is that if you are a believer in a nation based on Sharia law you cannot expect justice from the government – government is the problem not the solution. When overseas I strongly sensed we were entering into a time of increasing conflict and bloodshed, not only in the Middle East but in many other nations of the world. This is happening with great regularity[17].

The apostles grasped that persecution and hardship were necessary[18] conditions in creating the end time environment where the kingdom of God could come with power drawing forth faith, repentance and a discipled life in those who responded to the gospel. To be effective witnesses of Jesus we should expect various episodes of social shaming, dishonour and exclusion as a part of the coming of the kingdom of God (Heb 12:2).

Conclusion

To be a suffering witness is a deeply profound thing. As I was meditating on these things abroad I sensed that suffering for Christ is like a spiritual song. When Paul and Barnabas was beaten and imprisoned in Philippi they were “singing hymns to God” (Acts 16:25) and the martyrs in heaven are pictured as singing (Rev 14:3; 15:3). There is something extraordinarily beautiful about this in a deeply intimate way, it is a participation in the fellowship of Christ’s own suffering (Phil 3:10), “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:2).

When the church of God receives a revelation of these kingdom mysteries they will bring a new atmosphere of ultimate urgency to life and ministry that is the seedbed for genuine discipleship. Out of this environment will arise a new generation/wave of prophets, priests and kings across the body of Christ who are conscious that in the Lord’ Spirit they have an extreme authority to bless the lost condition of this world, just as Jesus did. Instead of living for themselves Christians will grasp that the reason we were created was to bless the Father of all blessing, and the way to do this is to focus on believing in Jesus, that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and to testify that this is so. As we proclaim this in simple child like simplicty we can expect the kingdom of God to come with power.

 

The central biblical role of the New Testament prophet is to confront their audience by word and action with the reality of living in a genuine end time situation, of already standing before the judgment seat of God. Jesus came preaching, ““The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” (Mark 1:15). His Word from God placed the world in what in Greek is a