The Insanity of Obedience

1. Persecution is the Normal State of Obedience for True Followers

If 80 percent of a group experiences something, then perhaps what they are experiencing is normal.

Embrace the norm. Jesus explicitly stated He was sending His followers "like sheep among wolves," implying persecution is not an anomaly but an expected outcome of faithful obedience. This perspective, often alien to the comfortable Western church, is a daily reality for 80% of practicing believers worldwide. Persecution is a natural by-product of actively sharing the gospel, not a sign of God's disfavor or a problem to be avoided at all costs.

Obedience, not comfort. The primary cause of persecution is people coming into a relationship with Jesus, not merely access to the gospel. Therefore, the goal is not to reduce or eliminate persecution, but to understand it as an inevitable result of obedience. Believers are called to witness, and persecution follows; the choice is between faithful obedience with persecution or disobedience without it.

Five common, yet flawed, responses to persecution:

• Wanting persecution to stop.
• Desiring to rescue the persecuted.
• Wishing for persecutors to be punished.
• Equating Western democracy with God's kingdom.
• Relying on financial support over personal witness.
  These human-centric responses often put us out of step with God's purposes, which may include using suffering for greater good, as seen with Joseph in prison.

2. God's Miraculous Activity is Present and Active Globally

Everything that God has ever done in the Bible He is still doing!

God's ongoing work. The belief that the Bible is merely an "old book" describing past miracles, not current reality, is a lie that strips Scripture of its power. Believers in persecuted nations consistently testify to God's miraculous intervention, dreams, visions, and divine appointments that mirror biblical accounts. These are not seen as exceptional but as "normal as the sun coming up in the east."

Miracles redefined. What Westerners often dismiss as common blessings—access to multiple Bibles, advanced healthcare, freedom of worship—are considered profound miracles by those in persecuted contexts. Chinese house church leaders, for instance, expressed anguish over not experiencing the "miracles" of abundant resources and freedom that Americans take for granted, highlighting a stark difference in perspective on God's active hand.

God's initiative. God is not waiting for Western workers to initiate His work; He is already actively revealing Himself in the darkest corners of the earth. Our task is to discern where God is already at work and join Him, rather than assuming we "bring God with us." This humility allows us to partner effectively with His ongoing, miraculous activity.

3. The Western Church Harbors Lies Hindering Global Mission

The greatest hindrance to the growth of God’s kingdom globally is racism.

Unspoken excuses. The Western church often operates under subtle lies that prevent radical obedience to the Great Commission. These include:

• "The Bible is an old book," dismissing its present-day relevance.
• "God works miracles overseas, not here," limiting His power.
• "I need a special call to missions," avoiding personal responsibility.
• "We must reach our own country first," an excuse often masking deeper biases.
• "I've bargained with God to protect my family," prioritizing comfort over sacrifice.
• "God calls more single women than men," reflecting cultural imbalances.
• "My husband will be called later," deferring personal obedience.
• "Short-term trips fulfill my duty," neglecting local church ministry.
• "Financial giving is enough," creating distance from the mission field.
• "The safest place is in God's will," equating God's will with physical safety.

Consequences of fear. The belief that personal safety is paramount is a "heinous lie" that cripples mission efforts. Many Western workers inadvertently instill fear in new believers, teaching them to avoid persecution rather than embrace obedience. This fear paralyzes witness and prevents the church from fulfilling its mandate to go into dangerous places.

Sacrifice is essential. God requires not just financial offerings, but the willing surrender of our lives and even our children to His purposes. The willingness to send loved ones into hard places, accepting the risks, is a profound act of obedience that the Western church often struggles with, prioritizing the "American dream" over the kingdom.

4. Strategic Engagement: Understanding the Pentecost Model for Church Growth

We never want to cheat new believers out of Pentecost, moving them directly from pre-Pentecost to post-Pentecost and taking them directly to the slice of religious history in which Westerners are most familiar and most comfortable.

Three stages of faith. The book uses the Pentecost event (Acts 2) as an analogy for church growth, identifying three stages:

• Pre-Pentecost: No or few scattered believers, no gathered community, like the world before Acts 2. Persecution here can be deadly to nascent movements.
• Pentecost: Rapid, exponential growth of indigenous, house-based churches, multiethnic, oral communication, and fluid leadership, mirroring Acts 2. Persecution here often fuels growth.
• Post-Pentecost: Established, often institutionalized church, focused on maintenance, buildings, and literate methods, like much of the modern Western church. Persecution here is rare but can divide.

Worker's evolving role. The role of the overseas worker changes dramatically across these stages. In a pre-Pentecost world, the worker is a sower, creating a "bubble of safety" for initial growth. During Pentecost, the worker's role decreases, focusing on discerning the right time to exit and move to another pre-Pentecost setting. In post-Pentecost, the worker helps the established church re-engage with the unreached.

Avoiding cultural imposition. A critical mistake is imposing post-Pentecost models (buildings, literate clergy, Western structures) onto pre-Pentecost environments. This can hinder organic growth, create dependence, and introduce divisions before new believers fully grasp the essence of Christ's community.

5. Indigenous Leadership and Family-Focused Evangelism are Paramount

The more resistant, the more dysfunctional the culture, the older and more respected should be those we build relationships with in order to become a midwife to a rapid spread of the Good News.

Evangelism as survival. For believers in persecution, evangelism is not just a command but a primary survival tool and a solution to many problems, including persecution itself (by converting persecutors). Leaders understand that the ultimate goal is not individual conversion alone, but the formation of redeemed communities and entire families.

Intentional leadership selection. Effective leaders in persecution are not passively found but intentionally sought out. They possess specific cultural and spiritual qualities:

• Cultural: Male, over 30, married, employed, with community status (Jesus exemplified 4/5). These individuals are best positioned to transfer truth rapidly within their culture.
• Spiritual: Exhibit the filling and fruit of the Holy Spirit, naturally multiply themselves in others, and mentor new believers through at least one cycle of denial.

Discipleship as life-together. Jesus' model of discipleship was 24/7, intimate community, not weekly meetings or distant seminary training. In persecution, this means living closely, sharing life, and building character, not just transferring information. Leaders are homegrown, home-trained, and their character is openly visible.

6. The Western Worker's Role: From Leader to "Bait"

Are you willing to give up the central role that traditional workers have modeled and allow us to fish with you?

Humility and competence. Western workers must prioritize competence in local language and culture to reduce "secondary persecution" (persecution not directly for Christ but for association with outsiders). They must also cultivate mutual trust with local believers, ensuring that trust is not solely dependent on the outsider.

Staying among the lost. Workers should commit to staying among the lost, not just among new believers. Their primary role is evangelist and church planter, modeling how to reach neighbors, rather than assuming a pastoral role for emerging groups. They are to be "shadow pastors" and "shadow evangelists," decreasing their visible leadership as local leaders emerge.

Being "bait" for Jesus. Local believers often ask Westerners to be "fishing bait" – to leverage their unique position as trusted outsiders to initiate spiritual conversations. This means sacrificing traditional leadership roles, avoiding theological corruptions that elevate Westerners, and allowing local leaders to lead conversions, baptisms, and church planting. This requires profound humility and a willingness to serve the process rather than lead it.

7. Baptism: A Profound Act of Belonging and a Point of No Return

For Islam, baptism is the point of no return.

Indispensable for church birth. Baptism is crucial for establishing churches and passing faith to the next generation in persecution contexts. It signals the birth of a new church or the inclusion of a new believer into an existing local body. It is a profound expression of belonging and a clear picture of a new family.

Cultural sensitivity and timing. Baptism should follow conversion, respecting cultural norms for adulthood (e.g., not baptizing children under 18 in Muslim contexts). In Muslim cultures, baptism often follows extensive discipleship (3-5 years), while in Hindu contexts, it can be almost immediate after healing. The timing is also influenced by the number of converts and the severity of persecution.

Local administration is key. When Western workers administer baptism, it often leads to increased persecution for "secondary reasons" (e.g., being seen as a foreign ritual or bought by foreign money). Ideally, in-culture or near-culture believers should baptize, fostering trust among local believers and reducing the perception of foreign influence. This ensures that when persecution comes, it is for Jesus' sake, not for association with outsiders.

8. Overcoming Barriers to Multi-Generational Faith

The ability of the Bride of Christ to multiply in succeeding generations may well depend upon a candid conversation concerning these thirteen not so minor issues.

Four major barriers:

• Addiction to literacy: Many first-generation believers, especially men, come to faith through literate means but lack oral tools to share with illiterate family members (e.g., wives).
• Male-specific issues: Fear or hatred of fathers often delays or distorts faith declarations, hindering intergenerational transfer.
• Female-specific issues: Muslim men often declare faith for their wives, who then lack personal understanding and may revert or betray the community under pressure.
• Local CBB Church: Existing historical Christian churches often refuse to evangelize or welcome converts from the majority population due to fear, racism, or institutional preservation.

Thirteen additional barriers:

• External extraction of believers to safer countries.
• Marriage to a majority woman, drawing believers back to the old faith.
• Remaining single, diminishing witness in communal cultures.
• Loss of voice and witness due to fear or complacency.
• Presence of "fringe" people who don't connect with the broader culture.
• Compulsive fleeing or internal extraction, distancing believers from their culture.
• Expatriate hiring practices, creating dependence and making believers targets.
• Education outside of culture, leading to 80% not returning.
• Marriage to an expatriate, often leading to departure from the home country.
• "Pseudo-martyrdom" for secondary reasons, not for Christ's witness.
• Betrayal of faith by "Judases" within the movement.
• Grandparents legally taking custody of grandchildren from believing parents.
• Globalization and desire for a better life, pulling believers away from their mission field.

Strategic bridge-building. Recognizing these barriers is the first step to building bridges. It requires intentionality in evangelism and discipleship, focusing on families, empowering local leaders, and fostering financial independence and deep community.

9. Dealing with Betrayal: Expect Judas Within the Inner Circle

Judas appears when there is growth.

Judas is inevitable. The presence of a "Judas" within the inner circle is not a sign of failure but often an indication that the Holy Spirit is at work and the mission is gaining traction. Jesus Himself chose Judas, and His followers should expect similar betrayals, often emerging at critical moments of church planting or growth.

Recognizing and confronting. Leaders must learn to recognize Judas quickly, understanding his motives (often tied to "Jesus-plus" expectations like money or status). Jesus confronted Judas, not to destroy him, but to fulfill God's plan and offer a chance for repentance. This difficult task of confronting a betrayer, even one dearly mentored, is central to biblical discipleship.

Protecting the movement. While betrayal is painful and dangerous, it should not paralyze the church. Wise leaders deal with Judas internally, rather than exporting the problem or allowing it to derail the entire movement. The response to betrayal reveals the true nature of the community: whether it chooses fear or faith, and whether it focuses on Jesus and the resurrection over Judas and his betrayal.

10. Money: A Tool for Kingdom Expansion, Not Dependence

He needs us. The rest of you have never needed us.

Kingdom agenda first. Financial resources must serve God's kingdom agenda, not denominational interests or the personal comfort of workers. The highest priority is reaching the lost, and all financial decisions should reflect this. Money can inadvertently create dependence, foster "Jesus-plus" motivations, and lead to theological corruption if not handled wisely.

Fostering independence. Workers should strive to help local believers achieve financial independence from outsiders. Instead of providing employment that makes new believers targets for persecution, funds can be used for micro-enterprises that benefit both believers and non-believers, building goodwill and reducing targeted persecution. The biblical model shows early churches supporting their own sent-out ones, not being perpetually funded by outsiders.

Mutual need and sacrifice. The most profound relationships are built on mutual need, not one-sided giving. Local believers expressed deep love for a worker who "needed them" by borrowing money, allowing them to contribute meaningfully. This contrasts with Westerners who often treat locals as passive recipients, undermining their dignity and sense of partnership. True partnership involves shared sacrifice and a recognition that all parts of the Body contribute.

11. Worship: The Indispensable Foundation for Tough Places

God has made us for worship and we must get on our faces before Him as individuals, as teams, and within the larger believing community.

Personal and family worship. In environments of persecution and isolation, workers cannot rely on traditional church structures for their spiritual sustenance. Daily personal devotions and consistent family worship are indispensable disciplines. Families must learn to create their own worship experiences, modeling authentic devotion for new believers who are watching closely.

Team and community worship. Healthy teams prioritize regular worship together, addressing internal conflicts and fostering unity. Beyond the immediate team, workers should seek fellowship with international and national believers, even if these opportunities are rare. This broader community worship reinforces spiritual health and provides vital encouragement.

Evangelistic impact. The early church's vibrant worship (Acts 2:42-47) was intrinsically evangelistic, with "the Lord adding to their number daily those who were being saved." When workers model authentic, culturally sensitive worship, it becomes a powerful witness to unbelievers. This requires a willingness to adapt schedules and lifestyles to engage with local rhythms, such as late-night conversations in Muslim cultures, demonstrating a deep commitment to incarnating Christ.

Last updated: February 14, 2026