Quotes and thoughts from The Insanity of Obedience by Nik Ripken

I read the Insanity of God a while back and while I liked it (in the gut-wrenchingly difficult to read sort of way), I didn’t prioritize reading this follow up work. Until… I was spending time with a young man that was feeling led to the mission field, specifically led to some dangerous places that are central to both Insanity books. This young man said The Insanity of Obedience was a game changer for how he viewed mission, the unreached, and his Christian life in general. I was convinced to read it.

I’m glad I did. I found it more applicable and more thought provoking than the first book. What follow are some great quotes as well as thoughts this book brought about.

Quotes

“So here’s the challenge. Am I more free because I live in a democracy and enjoy religious freedom, yet I’m hesitant to talk about Jesus? Or were S and Q more free even though immersed int he culture of radical Islam, living under Sharia law, knowing people were eager to silence their witness?” From the forward, by Brother Andrew

“Believers are as free to share Jesus in Saudi Arabia as they are in St. Louis… Being a witness for Jesus has little to do with political freedom. On the contrary, our willingness to witness has everything to do with obedience and courage.” p30

“Often, the challenge is not merely to go, but to develop a viable long-term Christlike presence among those who have yet to hear the gospel clearly.” p47

“If we demand a spiritual harvest, then we will be inclined to gravitate toward places where response to the gospel is more likely or to where response is already happening. At the same time, we will likely avoid places where response to the gospel is less likely. These tendencies will clearly result in the unengaged and unreached people remaining unengaged and unreached.” p48-49

“If safety is the primary issue for families, churches, and agencies, then there is only one thing to do: stop sending.” p90

“Our initial tentative conclusion has not become a rock-solid conviction: Followers of Jesus do not need to justify their presence in areas where Christ is not known. They need simply to be obedient.” p95

“If we sow a one-by-one witness we shall reap a one-by-one harvest. If we invest in our witness to families, families then have the opportunity to come to Jesus, together!” p113

“Often pastors say to us, ‘persecution is coming to America.’ When asked to explain the origin of this expected persecution, the response is often revolving around conservative evangelical stances on abortion and homosexuality. Please hear me carefully; these are important issues. But the U.S. churches’ stance opposing these activities and lifestyles is the same as conservative Islam, the same as Saudi Arabia!… Social issues are important. Yet what we are ‘measuring’ through our interviews is a persecution that comes directly related to making Jesus known…” p133

“One believer from a Muslim background stated it this way, ‘When a seeker after Jesus comes to me, I ask them, “What is it that you want: a car, a house, a wife, or to go to America?”… All I have is a cross. Do you want to pick up your cross and follow Jesus? That is all I can offer you….Everyone who followed Jesus in the New Testament gave up something. Everyone who comes to Jesus through a Westerner is trying to get something.” p202 (Note: I don’t think that everyone who comes to Jesus through a western missionary has ulterior motives, and neither did the author. However, this conversation with an MBB provides insight into a real challenge that western missionaries need to be aware of.)

“For families, lifestyle changes are the most challenging. Yet why would we not be willing to change our own schedule if doing so would provide us with greater opportunities to be with people who are hungry for the good news?” p260

“Safety cannot be our primary concern. The goal of life with Jesus is not to remain safe, but to sacrifice our lives for a lost world.” p299

Thoughts

I thought the focus on ‘why’ we’re persecuted was huge. Persecution should be caused by obedience to Jesus… following Him and sharing Him with others. We should seek to avoid persecution that comes for other reasons (like associating with a Westerner or adopting a specific model of church). I feel like we (western missionaries and myself for sure) need to increase in boldness and risk persecution for Jesus. At the same time, we (any Westerner working with a national partner) should seek to remove all other reasons for persecution. This is why security concerns and publicly sharing stories without discretion can be very dangerous. The work of sharing the Gospel will probably bring local persecution, would we add to that persecution by carelessness in how we share their story?

The discussion in chapter six about where we put our primary focus is something everyone involved in missions should read. His three choices are:
1) Sending Body/Agency, 2) The Needs of the Lost, 3) Worker Concerns.
The correct answer might be obvious, but it is worth a longer consideration of you and your organization or church to see which one your day-to-day choices and actions reveal to be your primary focus. It was a very convicting section.

In chapter 11 he details some of the major components that happen along a Muslim’s journey to Christ. I found it encouraging and worth repeating that many Muslims actually have a season of becoming more devoted to Islam as they are seeking the truth. If a Muslim has a dream or vision that is calling them to seek God more earnestly, the only way they know to do that is through the five pillars of Islam. We should not necessarily take devoutness to other religions as a sign that someone is uninterested in Jesus.

This is a longer section, but worth quoting. Here is a simple list of the characteristics of the church in the USSR as it began to face persecution:

“Church life in the USSR was largely led by ordained, literate clergy. The power and standing of the laity in leadership was minimal. Literate methods of doing church were the norm.

…church life in the USSR was primarily based in church buildings. Gatherings typically happened at a facility known for religious functions. When believers were forced into small groups - house churches - they gathered in those settings only as long as it took for them to get back into “real churches.

The church in the USSR was strong anchored to a denominational base.

The churching the USSR was also largely focused on the church building itself and on maintaining the life of the local community.

The theological stance of the church in the USSR was often anchored in Romans 13 and stressed complete obedience to the state.”

Insert USA instead of USSR and I think all of those statements would accurately describe the church in America today. Then, insert a grimacing emoji. The author goes on to contrast this with the persecuted church in China and its explosive growth.

I didn’t actually love the chapters on baptism. It felt like he based his recommendations for baptism less on God’s word and more on the home culture of new believers. I will readily acknowledge that Nik Ripken has actual front-line experience in this conversation related to the persecuted church and I do not. I just would have liked to have seen a little bit more about applying the Word’s example of baptism.

If you missed it, I interviewed Nik about what God is doing in the Muslim world. You can find that here.