Dale Partridge - Part 7： Powerful Christianity that Fights Islam

00:00:00.000 We've made it, finally, to the seventh sermon of a seven-part series, okay? Wow, I remember

00:00:11.700 feeling when we started this, I thought, ah, this is intimidating, a seven-part series on

00:00:16.220 eschatology. If you've been with us the entire time, you remember that in part one, I discussed

00:00:23.320 the introduction to eschatology. What is historic premillennialism? What is amillennialism? What

00:00:29.720 is post-millennialism. Part two, we talked about kind of a defense against post or pre-millennialism,

00:00:37.160 showing that there is a kingdom now and a king ruling now. Part three through five, I did an

00:00:43.840 introduction to the doctrine of partial preterism, which was showing that Matthew chapter 24 verses

00:00:50.520 1 through 35 is actually speaking of events that are related to 70 AD and not events that were in

00:00:57.360 the future eschatological events of our time. And in part six, last week, I gave a message on

00:01:04.740 post-millennialism in the Old Testament. And today, I want to wrap up this series by making

00:01:13.320 post-millennialism very practical. I want to make it practical. The challenge with high doctrines

00:01:21.200 like eschatology, is making it apply to the ground level. How do you make eschatology hit

00:01:27.640 home in your daily life? And so in this sermon, I'm going to explore how postmillennialism

00:01:35.740 breeds a confident church and a confident Christian. How it allows for Christians to

00:01:44.660 be culturally engaged in comparison to other eschatological views. Now, the word confidence

00:01:52.760 refers to a trust or a sense or a sense of security or reliability on a particular action.

00:02:02.440 So, postmillennialism is often misrepresented by people in the other positions that we believe

00:02:10.740 that the kingdom of God is going to come about through the efforts of man, or through the efforts

00:02:16.940 of the church alone. David L. Cooper, who is a premillennialist, he says, post-millennialism

00:02:23.680 mistakenly teaches that the church can bring in the kingdom through its own efforts.

00:02:30.200 Reynold Showers, who's a dispensationalist, says, by teaching that the world will be gradually

00:02:34.720 converted to Christ's rule before his second coming, post-millennialism introduces a dangerous

00:02:40.480 optimism and human effort and overlooks the biblical teaching that the kingdom of God

00:02:45.560 comes by God's work, not man's work. Okay, to be clear, I don't know any normal, serious,

00:02:55.140 orthodox post-millennialists who has confidence in their own efforts to bring in God's kingdom

00:03:04.460 into the world now second corinthians 3 4 through 5 says such is the confidence that we have through

00:03:12.520 christ not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us but our

00:03:21.000 sufficiency is from god jesus says in john 15 5 we know this famous verse sorry 15 15 i am the vine

00:03:29.860 and you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much

00:03:35.620 fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. Nothing. But the implication is that when

00:03:43.920 you are united to me, you can do much. You can do much. You can bear much fruit for the

00:03:50.040 kingdom of God. As post-millennialists, we have no confidence in ourselves. None. Apart

00:03:57.060 Apart from Christ, I can do nothing.

00:03:59.140 Apart from Christ, this church can do nothing.

00:04:01.740 Apart from Christ, your family can do nothing.

00:04:06.560 But we have a great confidence in God who uses people.

00:04:12.940 He uses His people as the means to accomplish His work in the world

00:04:19.900 in the expansion of the kingdom of God.

00:04:21.980 But, so today I want to highlight three areas where post-millennialists have a unique degree

00:04:31.960 of confidence, a unique degree of confidence that I would say the pre-millennialists or

00:04:38.880 amillennialists don't typically have. And I'm not saying they have no confidence. I'm saying

00:04:44.640 that we have a unique degree of confidence in these areas. And I want you guys today to have

00:04:51.700 your Bibles open because we will be going through a variety of passages. But number one is confidence

00:04:59.080 in our evangelism. Number two is confidence in righteousness filling our cities. And number three

00:05:09.600 is confidence that the church will overcome her earthly enemies. And so let's start with number

00:05:16.380 one, confidence in our evangelism. Why don't you turn to Genesis 22, 17 through 18. Genesis 22,

00:05:25.840 verses 17 through 18. This is God speaking to Abraham, and he says, I will surely bless you,

00:05:37.160 and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven,

00:05:41.780 and as the sand that is on the seashore.

00:05:46.140 And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies.

00:05:51.440 And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

00:05:56.360 because you have obeyed my voice.

00:06:00.440 God reiterates that promise actually a few chapters later, Genesis 26, 4.

00:06:05.780 You don't even need to turn there.

00:06:06.660 It says, I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven

00:06:10.240 And in your offspring, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

00:06:16.180 Okay, with this in mind, those two passages in mind,

00:06:19.520 it's essential that we understand who are the children of Abraham.

00:06:24.100 Who are they?

00:06:25.620 There's a massive promise just given to Abraham about his children.

00:06:32.760 That through his children, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

00:06:37.440 and that they will multiply as great as the sand of the sea and as the stars of heaven.

00:06:45.780 So you have to ask yourself pretty quickly, who are the sons or the children of Abraham?

00:06:56.720 Is it the nation of Israel?

00:07:00.400 Is it the nation of Israel in the Middle East?

00:07:02.400 Is that what God is talking about?

00:07:05.760 That's certainly how the Jews interpreted it. 0.98

00:07:07.780 We know that for a fact. 0.76

00:07:09.700 In response to Jesus' words, when he said,

00:07:12.480 the truth will set you free in John 8, 33,

00:07:14.940 the Jews answered, they said to him,

00:07:16.700 we are the offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone.

00:07:20.280 How is it that you say you will become free?

00:07:24.500 Jesus speaks to their incorrect assumption in Matthew 3, 9, saying,

00:07:30.060 and do not presume to say to yourselves that we have Abraham as our father,

00:07:33.280 For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

00:07:40.240 Presumption.

00:07:41.640 The sin of presumption.

00:07:45.980 So clearly, the children of Abraham are not merely those born of Jewish descent.

00:07:56.140 Let's look at two more verses from the New Testament.

00:07:58.440 I want you to turn to Romans chapter 9.

00:08:00.820 Romans chapter 9.

00:08:02.000 And we're going to look at verses 6 through 9.

00:08:05.620 I'll wait for you to get there.

00:08:06.820 Romans chapter 9, verses 6 through 9.

00:08:14.400 Paul says here,

00:08:17.020 But it is not as though the word of God has failed,

00:08:21.540 for not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.

00:08:27.220 Oof. 0.72

00:08:27.620 Not everyone that is in the nation of Israel actually belongs to God.

00:08:37.860 There is a group inside of a group.

00:08:39.780 And it says, he goes on, he says,

00:08:41.400 For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,

00:08:44.200 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring. 0.50

00:08:52.040 Wow.

00:08:53.080 There's another category.

00:08:54.180 Just because you're born of Abraham doesn't mean you're born of Abraham.

00:09:03.300 Verse 8, he says,

00:09:04.960 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, 0.83

00:09:09.900 that is ethnic Israel, 0.87

00:09:12.760 but the children of the promise who are counted as offspring.

00:09:18.260 Man, I wish I could teach them that sermon again.

00:09:24.340 I just taught it a couple months ago in Romans 9.

00:09:26.200 You can go back and listen to it if you want.

00:09:28.240 Galatians 3, 7-9, it says,

00:09:30.740 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

00:09:35.960 Galatians 3, 7-9,

00:09:37.320 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

00:09:42.640 And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith

00:09:48.280 Preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying

00:09:50.620 In you shall all the nations be blessed

00:09:53.240 There it is, connected the Old Testament verse to the New Testament

00:09:57.000 Saying that the true children of Abraham are not of the descendants of Abraham

00:10:00.820 By physical blood, but by faith

00:10:04.820 Romans 4, turn there, Romans 4

00:10:12.100 verses 16 and 17, Romans 4.

00:10:27.740 That is why it depends on faith, Paul says, in order that the promise given to Abraham

00:10:33.680 may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring. 0.74

00:10:40.380 Not only to the adherent of the law, speaking of believing Jews,

00:10:45.100 but also the one who shares the faith of Abraham, speaking to the believing Gentiles,

00:10:52.080 who is the father of us all.

00:10:55.060 As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations.

00:11:00.120 There is neither Jew, nor Gentile, nor slave, nor free, nor male, nor female, but we are all one in Christ.

00:11:11.680 The true offspring or children of Abraham are believers, or shall I say, the church.

00:11:21.100 The church is the true Israel with Christ as its head.

00:11:27.960 because Christ, I would say, arguably is the true Israel. 0.57

00:11:32.360 But the body of Christ, along with Christ, the head, is Israel.

00:11:39.700 This is not replacement theology.

00:11:42.940 This is fulfillment theology.

00:11:45.920 The church is the true inheritors of the promise.

00:11:52.260 Now, that church began in the nation of Israel.

00:11:56.500 the earliest forefathers and foremothers in the faith were jewish and that has extended through

00:12:05.660 the great commission out into the world where now we have believers from every tribe nation and

00:12:12.740 tongue now why does this matter to our discussion around post-millennialism

00:12:18.200 Because the illustrations that God used to communicate the quantity, the quantity of believers, they were not illustrations of limitation or shrinking growth.

00:12:36.900 But rather, those illustrations point to expansive, overwhelming numbers of people.

00:12:49.140 The number of the stars in the universe and the number of grains in the sand of the earth are both incomprehensibly large.

00:13:00.080 For example, in the known universe, scientists estimate there are 10 billion galaxies with 10 billion stars in each galaxy.

00:13:09.980 In just the sand that is on the world's beaches and deserts, there is estimated to be 18 quintillion pieces of sand.

00:13:26.460 It's an incomprehensibly large number.

00:13:31.800 It's not thousands. It's not millions. It's not billions. It's not even trillions.

00:13:39.980 now i don't believe god is giving us a literal number with those illustrations

00:13:48.880 however exactly how many stars there are that's exactly how many believers there will be i'm not

00:13:54.460 i'm not saying that but it certainly gives us the confidence that the church will grow to an

00:14:00.900 incalculable size it's going to be vast

00:14:05.240 In fact, Revelation 7-9, John is giving a glimpse of that vastness even early on, saying,

00:14:16.880 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.

00:14:28.000 so what does that mean for you as a post-millennialist it means that your

00:14:38.260 evangelistic efforts will not be in vain it means that there are billions of people yet to be saved

00:14:46.140 Billions.

00:14:53.220 And he's using men and women and children like us

00:14:57.760 to carry the gospel to these people.

00:15:01.940 That should give you hope.

00:15:07.280 You don't have to buy into the pessimistic view

00:15:09.740 that evangelism will become increasingly difficult as time goes on.

00:15:14.140 and that less and less people are going to be coming to Christ.

00:15:17.320 That is exactly the opposite of what the Scriptures teach.

00:15:23.120 Rather, you get to be confident that when you proclaim the gospel to your sister

00:15:27.300 or to your brother or to your mom or to your co-worker,

00:15:33.380 that God can and might save them.

00:15:40.140 It gives you a confidence that your efforts,

00:15:43.240 you should expect that God is going to save people with your work.

00:15:49.420 Not this person that stands before God at 83 years old and says,

00:15:55.720 I've preached the gospel to thousands and I've only had one or two converts.

00:16:00.080 No.

00:16:00.380 No, that's not what you should expect.

00:16:04.800 What you should expect is the Lord used your faithfulness

00:16:07.760 and saved many souls through your faithful ministry of the proclamation of the gospel.

00:16:14.100 And we get that because we have an optimistic hope of the size of the church.

00:16:20.520 Number two, confidence in righteousness filling our cities.

00:16:29.380 Many Christians have a limited view of the gospel.

00:16:32.980 they view the gospel as justification by faith alone

00:16:38.220 that's basically all you hear

00:16:39.860 it's just justification by faith

00:16:41.960 that's all they talk about

00:16:43.020 I grew up in that generation

00:16:44.800 where the gospel was very narrow

00:16:47.780 if you wanted to call something the gospel

00:16:50.960 it had to be talking about

00:16:53.920 you know being saved by grace alone

00:16:57.260 through faith alone and Christ alone

00:16:58.300 anything else was not really the gospel

00:17:01.240 It was just this narrow corridor.

00:17:05.420 In that group, you kind of divorce the physical from the spiritual.

00:17:08.960 You divorce heaven from earth.

00:17:10.960 It's this kind of Gnostic view of this spiritual-only gospel.

00:17:17.500 However, we have to remember that the gospel is the good news of the kingdom.

00:17:28.380 The kingdom.

00:17:29.380 Matthew 4.23 says,

00:17:32.600 And he went throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,

00:17:35.660 and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom,

00:17:40.000 and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

00:17:44.540 Luke 4.43,

00:17:45.820 But he said to them, I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God

00:17:49.720 to the other towns as well, for I was sent for this purpose.

00:17:56.640 Luke 8.1,

00:17:58.080 Soon afterward, he went on through the cities and villages,

00:18:00.260 proclaiming the good news of the gospel of the kingdom.

00:18:04.680 And the twelve were there with him.

00:18:06.920 Acts 8.12

00:18:08.640 But when they believed Philip,

00:18:10.960 as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God

00:18:13.840 and the name of Jesus Christ,

00:18:15.860 they were baptized, both men and women.

00:18:18.880 Acts 28.30-31

00:18:20.700 It says, Paul lived there two whole years at his own expense

00:18:24.380 and welcomed all who came to him,

00:18:26.280 proclaiming the kingdom of God

00:18:29.220 and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ

00:18:32.800 with all boldness and without hindrance.

00:18:38.480 Now, one of the benefits,

00:18:40.540 one of the benefits of the kingdom of God

00:18:44.260 is to be at peace with God through Christ by faith.

00:18:49.460 That's one of the benefits.

00:18:51.800 But to limit the gospel to justification by faith

00:18:58.840 While ignoring all of the other dimensions of the gospel

00:19:02.960 The comprehensive nature of the gospel

00:19:06.420 Would be like looking at a mountain

00:19:08.600 And focusing only on a rock

00:19:10.520 How strange would that be?

00:19:15.540 The rock is part of the mountain

00:19:17.560 But the rock itself is not the mountain

00:19:21.600 It might even be the tip of the mountain

00:19:26.260 Or the foundation of the mountain

00:19:29.020 But the gospel is comprehensive

00:19:32.560 It is a world view

00:19:36.640 Fathers, raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord

00:19:42.440 In the paideia of the Lord

00:19:43.900 The paideia is comprehensive

00:19:46.660 It's the world view of the Bible

00:19:48.580 it's not just raise your children in the justification by faith of god that is what

00:19:57.780 we have limited it to no the gospel of the kingdom is what we are to be preaching

00:20:04.980 in fact the gospel the good news is about so much more than justification it's about a cosmic

00:20:15.720 shift of authority.

00:20:20.840 It's about an eternal king who overcomes the world's ruler and overcomes death to bring

00:20:26.500 life and righteous rule and justice and peace to the entire earth over centuries and millennia.

00:20:33.920 It's a massive, comprehensive, beautiful story.

00:20:42.080 Isaiah 6, or Isaiah 9, why don't you turn there, Isaiah 9.

00:20:45.720 Isaiah 9, 6 through 7.

00:20:55.640 Isaiah 9, 6 through 7.

00:21:04.500 I know it's not Christmas, but we're going to go over this again.

00:21:08.680 For to us, a child is born.

00:21:13.040 To us, a son is given.

00:21:15.720 And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

00:21:29.600 Pay attention to verse 7 here.

00:21:33.420 Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end.

00:21:41.120 So it's talking about a birth.

00:21:42.620 and it's saying that from the time of this child's birth

00:21:48.660 the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end

00:21:53.780 there's a starting point and it just shoots all the way to the heavens

00:21:58.260 it goes on to say on the throne of David and over his kingdom

00:22:03.640 to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness

00:22:09.660 from this time forth and forevermore.

00:22:15.300 The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

00:22:19.940 Okay.

00:22:21.880 And we know the kingdom has expanded beyond ethnic Israel.

00:22:25.940 We know that in the Great Commission is go get all of the nations.

00:22:28.960 We talked about that last week.

00:22:30.280 i want you to notice what will fulfill that prophecy it says the zeal of the lord of hosts

00:22:43.480 will do this that's a pretty reliable source that god himself is going to make sure that

00:22:51.140 that comes to pass god's zeal is ensuring that the increase of christ's government and of peace

00:22:58.120 will have no end. God's zeal is establishing this kingdom to uphold justice and righteousness

00:23:04.860 from the time of Christ's birth to forevermore. The zeal of the Lord will do this. Now I want

00:23:12.400 you to turn to Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42, a couple chapters over. I guess like 30 chapters over,

00:23:20.420 But hey, Isaiah 42, verses 1 through 4, Isaiah 42, verses 1 through 4, it's speaking of Jesus

00:23:30.180 and it says, Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, and whom my soul delights, I have

00:23:39.440 put my spirit upon him.

00:23:41.380 He will bring forth justice to the nations.

00:23:45.180 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice or make it heard in the street.

00:23:52.700 A bruised reed he will not break and a faintly burning wick he will not quench.

00:23:58.320 It's talking that Jesus is a gentle Savior.

00:24:02.540 It says he will faithfully bring forth justice.

00:24:06.180 This is talking about over time.

00:24:07.780 He will faithfully bring forth justice.

00:24:09.720 He will not grow faint or discouraged till he has established justice in the earth.

00:24:18.460 This is a process, okay?

00:24:20.180 He will not fall until he has established justice in the earth.

00:24:30.300 And it says, and the coastlands wait for his law.

00:24:36.380 This is an amazing passage of scripture.

00:24:39.720 Look at verse 4 for a second.

00:24:44.620 He will not grow faint or be discouraged

00:24:48.460 till he has established justice in the earth

00:24:52.160 and the coastlands wait for his law.

00:24:56.080 Okay.

00:24:58.160 You have to see the context of this verse.

00:25:01.920 This is not a prophecy about the return of Christ

00:25:05.820 and everything's going to be wonderful.

00:25:09.720 It's not a prophecy about when all of Christ's enemies are subdued, then this will happen.

00:25:15.300 How do we know that?

00:25:16.580 This is a prophecy about the process of Christ expanding his kingdom amidst resistance and struggle

00:25:27.300 that would cause any other king to grow faint and discouraged, but not King Jesus.

00:25:34.700 this is talking about a time

00:25:40.240 prior to all resistance subdued

00:25:46.300 let me explain it this way

00:25:49.720 the presence of implied resistance here

00:25:52.660 that he's not going to grow weary

00:25:55.420 he's not going to be discouraged

00:25:57.420 tells us that this promise is about an era

00:26:02.740 when Christ's kingdom is growing through opposition.

00:26:08.760 Read it.

00:26:09.560 He will not grow faint.

00:26:11.440 Why would he grow faint if there's no resistance?

00:26:15.760 He will not be discouraged.

00:26:17.360 Why would he be discouraged if there's...

00:26:19.800 Like, why would that even be an opportunity to be discouraged

00:26:21.900 if everything's been subdued?

00:26:24.680 No, he's not going to grow faint,

00:26:26.140 and he's not going to be discouraged,

00:26:27.600 even in the face of massive opposition.

00:26:29.940 And unlike all the other kings that do grow faint and do grow weary, that will not happen to Christ as he is expanding his kingdom.

00:26:39.040 This is a promise of Christ's perseverance.

00:26:44.280 Perseverance to accomplish justice and peace among the nations and to bring his law to the coastlands.

00:26:54.400 i want to make a quick point regarding the inauguration of the kingdom we've heard all

00:27:04.240 of these inauguration passages right jesus talking about these things uh you know jesus speaks of

00:27:09.500 his kingdom he always says it's near the kingdom of heaven is near uh he says the kingdom of god

00:27:16.140 is at hand uh the kingdom of god is upon you the kingdom of god is among you these are the words

00:27:23.960 that Jesus used to describe the proximity of the kingdom.

00:27:31.340 These are all descriptions of nearness, not distance.

00:27:36.180 Think about that for a second.

00:27:38.180 They're descriptions of nearness, not distance.

00:27:41.560 And it makes perfect sense for Jesus to say

00:27:44.260 the kingdom of heaven is at hand

00:27:45.560 if Christ's inauguration as king

00:27:51.140 refers to his resurrection and his ascension.

00:27:53.960 it makes total sense if jesus is walking around and he's going oh the kingdom of heaven is at

00:28:03.120 hand and the kingdom of god is near if just a few months away or a year away

00:28:11.440 the resurrection and ascension will become the inauguration that makes sense

00:28:16.000 what does not make sense is jesus using all this language about the kingdom of god becoming near

00:28:22.160 and at hand, and he really means thousands of years from today.

00:28:26.480 That does not make any sense at all.

00:28:35.560 The truth is, God promises that Christ's kingdom

00:28:38.520 was inaugurated at his first coming.

00:28:43.620 And it will expand.

00:28:45.640 And the rulers of the earth, the kings, the nations,

00:28:49.540 will all come and submit to King Jesus.

00:28:55.960 Now, I want to read Psalm 2, because we've read it several times.

00:29:01.080 I'm not going to read the whole thing.

00:29:02.220 I'm just going to read 9 through 11.

00:29:03.420 It says, this is a promise of Jesus.

00:29:08.580 It says,

00:29:10.200 You shall break the kings with a rod of iron 0.99

00:29:13.020 and dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel. 0.97

00:29:15.840 Now, therefore, O kings, be wise.

00:29:17.840 Be warned, O rulers of the earth.

00:29:22.540 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

00:29:28.960 Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way.

00:29:34.260 For His wrath is quickly kindled.

00:29:36.320 Blessed are all those who take refuge in Him.

00:29:39.180 so how does this all connect with post-millennialism how does this hit home in our daily lives

00:29:51.880 well it gives us confidence that justice and righteousness and peace

00:30:00.840 over time will be increased in our cities i don't know if prescott's going to be a

00:30:08.300 Christian city in a hundred years or a thousand years. But I do know at some point this city will

00:30:17.060 be Christian. Now, what does that do for you? I don't know about you, but I've stood before 1.00

00:30:28.020 city council. I've stood before mayors and I've condemned evil and I've taught righteousness.

00:30:33.400 But when I think about these promises from the Old Testament and from the doctrine of the New Testament,

00:30:41.600 it gives me, one, a boldness to proclaim that they must submit to Christ.

00:30:47.720 Two, it gives me a confidence that my efforts are not in vain.

00:30:52.460 In fact, that the Lord might be using me to accomplish a tiny portion of that prophecy.

00:31:00.000 that the Lord might be using me

00:31:03.440 as one member of His church

00:31:05.480 to bring one tiny local ruler

00:31:09.060 by the proclamation of the gospel,

00:31:11.840 by the understanding of righteousness

00:31:13.480 in submission to Him.

00:31:16.600 It's an amazing thing.

00:31:18.560 You don't get that anywhere else

00:31:19.940 except for post-millennialism.

00:31:22.520 It's a great and beautiful confidence

00:31:24.820 that you have to go and speak to that PTA board,

00:31:28.500 to go and speak to that homeschool association,

00:31:31.560 to go and speak to the mayor or the governor or the senators or the Congress.

00:31:38.340 You have a great confidence

00:31:39.980 because you trust that Christ is coming to subdue all the kings of the earth.

00:31:47.260 Number three,

00:31:49.800 we have confidence that the church will overcome her earthly enemies.

00:31:55.900 Now I could do 40 sermons on this, but I'm going to do one dimension of this discussion today.

00:32:03.300 The church has many physical enemies in the world.

00:32:08.580 From liberals to atheists, to Christ-rejecting Jews, to members of the cults.

00:32:17.060 But there is one enemy that has proven to be the most aggressive throughout church history, 0.99

00:32:23.460 and I'm going to say that it's Islam. 1.00

00:32:26.900 I believe that Islam is the most aggressive 1.00

00:32:30.200 and formidable enemy of the church 1.00

00:32:32.760 speaking earthly enemies.

00:32:37.500 Raymond Ibrahim,

00:32:39.720 he wrote a book called The Defenders of the West,

00:32:42.720 The Christian Heroes Who Stood Against Islam.

00:32:44.780 He was in Europe recently at a conference

00:32:47.160 speaking to European Christians

00:32:49.520 about their failure in resisting Islam.

00:32:53.460 this is a quote he said in this video i watched last night he says

00:33:00.560 in all of world history there has never been a civilization that has opened up its doors to

00:33:08.540 another civilization that is openly hostile to it your ancestors fought tooth and nail 0.99

00:33:15.000 to prevent islam from entering and conquering europe and now europe is saying come on in 0.99

00:33:21.420 While you have changed over the centuries, Islam has not. 0.99

00:33:25.820 To open your borders to that demographic which has a central animosity for Christians 1.00

00:33:30.960 and the imperative to conquer the world in the name of jihad for Allah is insane. 0.85

00:33:36.840 When Europe was Christian, you had the ability to fight Islam. 0.53

00:33:40.320 But in this current void of Christian courage and an atheistic climate, it is an unprecedented moment. 0.99

00:33:47.680 It's such a betrayal of your own heritage, 0.75

00:33:50.260 of these Christian men and women who fought and died to preserve your way of life, 1.00

00:33:55.280 and now you're just welcoming them in.

00:33:59.680 That's a warning that America needs to hear. 1.00

00:34:05.660 I recently shared a video of an alarming number of mosques being built in Phoenix. 1.00

00:34:13.380 I'm talking 40 or 50 of them just in Phoenix.

00:34:17.080 one woman messaged me when I shared that.

00:34:21.040 She said, doesn't this scare you?

00:34:24.640 To which I responded, if I didn't trust in Christ's promises

00:34:27.880 of his earthly authority and kingdom, then yes, it would scare me. 0.99

00:34:34.480 But I know that Islam will not prevail against the church. 1.00

00:34:38.240 Now, to be clear, just because I know that Islam will not prevail against the church 0.75

00:34:43.840 does not mean that Islam cannot, for a time, overtake Phoenix, or overtake Arizona, or overtake America.

00:34:54.300 It can. 0.96

00:34:56.860 And if it did, it would only be because of a curse, covenantally, upon the church for their unfaithfulness in this time. 0.98

00:35:07.960 As many of you know, the Mohammedans have already prevailed in Europe and much of Canada. 0.99

00:35:15.320 They procreate while the West aborts. 1.00

00:35:19.140 They impose their religion while the West tolerates. 0.89

00:35:24.160 They aim to conquer while the West retreats. 0.94

00:35:28.820 They are, in a sense, post-millennial. 0.74

00:35:33.460 Remember, I say this all the time.

00:35:35.600 It's not whether America will be religious.

00:35:38.980 It's which religion will dominate America.

00:35:42.960 We will either be a Christian nation. 0.99

00:35:44.880 We will either be a Hindu nation. 0.99

00:35:47.040 We will either be a secular homosexual nation. 0.99

00:35:50.540 Or we will be an Islamic nation. 0.96

00:35:52.400 But what we won't be is a neutral nation. 0.97

00:35:55.960 There is a fight and a war at the national level.

00:36:00.880 At the political level.

00:36:02.560 Christianity is not an apolitical religion

00:36:07.640 Christianity starts

00:36:11.760 with the gospel 0.87

00:36:13.280 and it materializes

00:36:15.720 in the lives of his people

00:36:17.480 which change the way we vote

00:36:19.960 and change the way we legislate

00:36:22.100 and change the way we consume media

00:36:24.240 and change the way we educate

00:36:26.000 and change the way we build buildings

00:36:28.480 it changes all

00:36:30.200 things

00:36:31.220 now i believe the west its current failure to recognize the moment is a symptom of a national

00:36:43.020 church that has been pacified by the doctrines of premillennialism or dispensationalism truly

00:36:52.300 and i'm going to prove this to you in a second 0.93

00:36:55.620 america not only expects islam to conquer but many christians are waiting for it to occur

00:37:03.140 i'm going to give you a couple quotes from dispensationalist theologians and pastors 0.76

00:37:10.020 john haggie writes the spread of islam is one of the signs of the times it is part of god's plan

00:37:18.620 to bring about the fulfillment of prophecy as nations are being influenced and even 0.87

00:37:24.580 overtaken by islamic teachings this is a precursor to the final battle for the soul of the world 0.98

00:37:30.340 where the forces of evil will be led by antichrist against the forces of christ 0.95

00:37:35.860 tim la hay adds who's a dispensationalist the rise of islam is part of the process 0.96

00:37:43.980 of global unification under the antichrist as the islamic nations continue to grow in power 0.53

00:37:50.180 and influence, we see the shaping of the final world system that will oppose Christ and his 1.00

00:37:54.980 kingdom. This process may be part of God's plan to prepare the world for the final confrontation

00:38:00.740 between good and evil. Chuck Missler, dispensationalist, says, Islam's rise and expansion 1.00

00:38:09.420 across the globe should not surprise Christians. In fact, it is part of God's plan to set the stage 1.00

00:38:16.700 for the final days.

00:38:18.880 David Jeremiah. 1.00

00:38:22.660 The growth of Islam 1.00

00:38:24.100 and its aggressive expansion 1.00

00:38:25.700 into the Western society

00:38:26.920 is part of the broader conflict

00:38:28.940 that God has foretold will occur

00:38:31.060 before the return of Christ.

00:38:37.240 You need to know,

00:38:39.160 you need to know

00:38:41.020 that this sort of resignation 1.00

00:38:44.260 to Islam dominating the world 0.89

00:38:46.660 as part of apocalyptic prophecy, 0.99

00:38:50.600 being part of God's plan in some way,

00:38:55.800 you need to know that that is not the belief

00:39:00.020 of historic Christianity.

00:39:02.540 That is a very new, modern concept.

00:39:09.200 And I will prove that as well.

00:39:10.960 historic christianity believed in an earthly manifestation of god's spiritual kingdom

00:39:20.180 it was this belief that christianized europe and the west and even south america

00:39:28.560 it was this belief that sent christopher columbus to the americas and the mayflower to establish

00:39:38.580 this nation. It was this belief that built the grand cathedrals that we still look at

00:39:45.180 in Europe today. It was this belief that built universities like Cambridge and Oxford and

00:39:52.040 Harvard and Princeton. It was this belief that sent missionaries around the world.

00:39:58.280 Never do we see, ever do we see, the church expecting, waiting for Islam to dominate the world as a sign of God's plan prior to Christ's return. 0.96

00:40:14.880 That is an invention of dispensational theology that has infected America. 0.94

00:40:20.600 the historic church believed passages like hebrews 12 28 or 29 which we read earlier

00:40:30.080 therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken

00:40:34.220 and thus let us offer to god acceptable worship

00:40:39.340 with reverence and awe for our god is a consuming fire

00:40:43.640 or matthew 16 18 where jesus says i will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail

00:40:55.140 against it i want you to pay attention to this verse just for a second notice that the church

00:40:59.180 and jesus's metaphor here isn't on the defensive the church is not on the defensive hell is on the

00:41:06.740 offensive. Jesus

00:41:10.700 promises that the demonic efforts, the gates of hell, to keep

00:41:14.660 the church out,

00:41:16.800 Jesus promises that the battering ram of the gospel is going to break

00:41:22.580 through those gates.

00:41:29.140 Now one of the most effective

00:41:30.820 ways for seeing the church's 0.91

00:41:35.000 drift from historic, potent, masculine, conquering, dominating, loving, multiplying Christianity

00:41:45.720 to the modern, effeminate, retreatist, defeatist Christianity of today, is to look at the prayers

00:41:57.740 of the saints in the past. 0.99

00:42:01.940 Now, because we're talking about Islam, 0.71

00:42:04.720 I thought, let's look at some of the crusaders' prayers 0.87

00:42:07.420 as they were fighting Islam.

00:42:11.680 Now, if you're not aware about church history,

00:42:15.960 the Crusades were a Christian military response 0.96

00:42:19.700 to the evil of Islam overtaking Christian lands. 0.95

00:42:24.780 So lands that were Christian, Christians from all over the West come and rescue the lands that were taken by Islam in the East. 0.95

00:42:37.260 So we're talking about nations like Syria and Turkey and Egypt and Palestine are being obliterated by Islam. 0.94

00:42:47.460 and you get men from England and Scotland and France and Germany and Ireland 0.98

00:42:54.240 who come all the way over to the east unpaid on their own dime

00:42:59.380 to fight for years at a time to free their brothers and sisters in Christ 0.99

00:43:06.140 from the evils of Islam in their territory because they knew if they didn't do it then 1.00

00:43:10.800 that it was coming for them next. 0.99

00:43:14.500 That is the narrative of the Crusades.

00:43:17.460 their prayers give us a glimpse of the optimistic and kind of nation-conquering outlook 0.71

00:43:25.920 that Christians had regarding the earthly enemies of God.

00:43:32.380 St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in his prayer, says,

00:43:36.200 Quote,

00:43:36.480 O Lord, sovereign of all, grant us victory over those who oppose thy kingdom.

00:43:42.020 May our conquest and battle serve to advance thy reign on earth,

00:43:45.680 that all may know that there is no other king but thee.

00:43:50.020 Give us the strength to conquer and establish thy kingdom in the holy land

00:43:54.540 and that thy glory may fill the earth as the waters cover the sea.

00:44:00.360 These men knew their Bibles.

00:44:04.260 The Knights Templar in the Jerusalem Crusade 1147 prayed,

00:44:08.560 O Lord, who knowest the hearts of men, we beseech thee to give us strength to our warriors

00:44:13.600 that they may fight for the glory of thy name

00:44:16.540 and the establishment of thy kingdom on earth, 1.00

00:44:19.560 deliver the holy land from the hands of the infidels 1.00

00:44:22.620 and be restored to its rightful heirs. 1.00

00:44:26.140 Speaking of the church.

00:44:29.120 King Richard the Lionheart in 1189.

00:44:34.060 Quote,

00:44:34.660 O God mighty in power, we go forth in thy name and thy kingdom.

00:44:38.480 Strengthen our hands and the hearts

00:44:42.320 As we fight against the enemies of Christ

00:44:45.780 May our swords be guided by thy will

00:44:49.220 And may we win victory not for our own glory

00:44:52.720 But for the advancement of thy kingdom in the earth

00:44:55.700 We pray that thy kingdom may be established

00:44:58.920 So that your justice and your peace

00:45:01.380 May reign all over the earth

00:45:03.680 End quote

00:45:04.320 that's how they prayed

00:45:08.700 these aren't special crusader prayers

00:45:12.340 like they're like I'm going to start praying like a crusader now

00:45:15.020 that's just how they prayed

00:45:16.680 how does this connect with modern day post-millennialism

00:45:23.360 how does this connect with your eschatology as a person

00:45:25.840 well I'll tell you one thing 1.00

00:45:28.060 only post-millennial Christianity can stop Islam 0.99

00:45:33.640 that's a pretty bold statement only post-millennial christianity can stop islam 0.92

00:45:39.960 and i'm saying that because only post-millennial christianity is willing to stop islam in fact 0.67

00:45:46.440 only post-millennial christianity in history is what stopped islam

00:45:50.900 you don't find defeatist christianity winning over islam i have to tell people if you're afraid to

00:46:00.360 speak out against the feminists or about 0.76

00:46:02.400 immodesty or about homosexuality

00:46:04.800 that's nothing

00:46:06.680 you better wait till you're facing 1.00

00:46:08.620 Islam 1.00

00:46:09.200 if you're afraid to speak out against 0.99

00:46:12.300 the gays in our culture 1.00

00:46:14.040 and the evils that come with transsexual 1.00

00:46:16.620 lifestyles 1.00

00:46:17.660 you're going to drop to the floor 1.00

00:46:20.160 when Islam comes knocking at the doors of your city 1.00

00:46:22.720 we're talking 1.00

00:46:26.260 little enemies right now

00:46:27.660 I'm talking about a massive

00:46:30.020 historic, formidable enemy

00:46:32.340 to the earthly church of Christ. 0.98

00:46:37.160 Postmillennial Christianity

00:46:38.500 that stands on the scriptures, 0.99

00:46:41.200 that stands on the promises

00:46:42.580 of the kingdom expanding

00:46:44.160 through the proclamation of the gospel

00:46:46.200 as a primary means.

00:46:49.840 That's the only hope

00:46:51.400 the church in America has

00:46:53.080 to stand against this enemy.

00:46:59.680 Again, I'm not saying that we advance the kingdom of God by the sword.

00:47:06.260 I'm also not saying that the doctrine of post-millennialism is our savior.

00:47:11.480 I'm saying that if the church believes wrong, she'll never live strong.

00:47:16.840 If the church believes wrong, she'll never live strong.

00:47:22.340 The defeatist Christianity is a liability for the American church against its enemies.

00:47:27.680 It has been for a long time.

00:47:29.680 we have to return to biblical, optimistic, kingdom-building, historic Christianity.

00:47:44.500 Because when we do, we get this confidence in our evangelism,

00:47:53.340 we get this confidence in righteousness pervading in our cities,

00:47:57.180 and we get this confidence that the church can overcome its earthly enemies.

00:48:03.080 Now I'm going to close, just one more quick point.

00:48:08.360 You might be wondering, Dale, how did you do an entire series on eschatology

00:48:12.320 without talking or touching on Revelation?

00:48:16.820 That's a good question, I'm glad you asked.

00:48:20.960 That's actually a very important point.

00:48:22.960 what i want you to see is that post-millennialism is not a revelation doctrine or revelation only

00:48:33.180 doctrine post-millennialism is an entire bible doctrine post-millennialism is a genesis to

00:48:41.400 revelation doctrine

00:48:42.580 it's a view that the whole of scripture anticipates the gradual process of bringing

00:48:52.060 all things under the dominion of christ that's post-millennialism amen amen let's pray

00:49:01.680 father we thank you lord for

00:49:03.520 your kingdom

00:49:08.720 and for establishing your king.

00:49:14.060 Lord, we ask that you would teach us

00:49:16.040 to be faithful, to search the scriptures,

00:49:18.800 to understand the rich and deep

00:49:20.540 and systematic nature

00:49:21.720 of this king and kingdom.

00:49:26.900 Lord, we ask that we would be faithful subjects.

00:49:30.100 Lord, as the gospel as our greatest weapon.

00:49:33.520 Lord, that we would turn to prayer.

00:49:38.540 Lord, that we would turn to proclamation.

00:49:40.880 That we would turn to faithfulness.

00:49:44.160 But Lord, that we would also stand for righteousness in the public square by any means.

00:49:50.920 Lord, give us wisdom and give us humility.

00:49:55.120 But Father, give us confidence and boldness in the truth of your scriptures.

00:49:59.020 We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

00:50:03.520 You

Dale Partridge - May 12, 2025

Part 7： Powerful Christianity that Fights Islam

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