Raising Rebellious Teenagers: The Gospel as an Anti-Rebellion Rebellion

School just started for the kids on our mission team last week here in Montepuez and I’ve been thinking about a video that Abby and I did for the Downtown Church of Christ youth group at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year.

Abby and I were asked to share about the meaning of the Gospel and we set it in different terms than are usually used to consider it:

The Gospel as an anti-rebellion-rebellion.

We hoped to show how, in significant and real ways, following the Gospel for me (Alan) as a parent means… raising rebellious teenagers.  Here’s a slightly adapted text of what we shared.  Hope you enjoy it!

Alan

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Matthew 9:35 says, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” (NIV)

The word “Gospel” literally means good news.  And the good news that Jesus announced over and over again was that the kingdom of God was at hand and everyone was invited to enter it. 

Here in Mozambique, our friends are very familiar with the idea of kingdoms.  I’ve known kings and queens and even a 'king of kings.'  So, when we talk about Jesus’ Gospel or good news with our Mozambican friends it’s natural to talk about contrasting kingdoms: the Kingdom of Light verses the Kingdom of Darkness. 

Our African friends also know what it is like to announce a new, coming kingdom.  Back in 1975, Mozambique won its independence from the Portuguese colonial powers.  People who heard the good news of the victory would go to neighbors and friends and share the good news that the old Empire had fallen – there was a new regime.

One of my favorite verses is Matthew 9:35 because it summarizes Jesus’ ministry so well.

Matthew tells us that Jesus traveled to a bunch of different villages announcing the good news that the Kingdom of God was near. He taught in the synagogues about how to live lives pleasing to God. And it says that he healed people of all sorts of physical and spiritual diseases. When the church is acting like the body of Christ, it follows his mission. By doing those three things it serves as a sign of God's coming kingdom.

In that way, the church functions as 'God's Kingdom Embassy' set up here on earth… An embassy that exists in enemy territory.  So, people who are dissatisfied with life in this world - a kingdom reigned by sin, death and Satan - have been issued a standing invitation to leave that corrupt kingdom of darkness and begin to live under God's good reign.

What that means is that Christians are part of a rebellion – okay technically it is an anti-rebellion-rebellion.  Satan first rebelled against God and set up a competing Evil Empire.  And Christians are those who live in open rebellion to Satan’s Kingdom of darkness.  So, followers of Jesus are those loyal to the true king.  You are part of that rebellion.

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says, “Enemy occupied territory – that’s what this world is.  Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say, landed in disguise, and is calling us to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”

“A great campaign of sabotage.”  I know it may not always look like it in Searcy, AR, but to the Powers and Principalities of this world – what you are plotting to do as a youth group is sabotage – it is seditious to the Kingdom of this world.  Now the way we do this, our rules for engagement mean that we don’t have to carry weapons or coerce people by force.  No, we are part of a peaceful insurgency.  And I know it takes a lot of work to remember who we are, because the world pummels us with messages that call us to assimilate to their ways, but the truth is that the Powers are threatened by your presence.   So, as you get ready to go back to school, you don’t have to tell anyone that you are part of this rebellion – just go out and act like Jesus.  Follow the way of the Gospel - the good news.  Announce the Kingdom (invitation).  Teach the way of the Kingdom (initiation).  And display the Kingdom of God by your actions (demonstration).  That’s good news as Jesus told it and lived it.

The gospel is the good news that the kingdom of God has come near and you and I can be a part of what God wants to do in the world.  We don’t have to live in a kingdom of death and darkness and disease…  The good news is that we are invited into a kingdom of light and life and liberty and love.

When Abby was baptized, her Mom and I were so excited, but we also knew that what she had done was really serious.

She’s now a full-follower of the Gospel and is part of the great anti-rebellion-rebellion against the forces of darkness in the world.  And if you are a Christian you also are called to be a rebellious teenager, subverting the Evil Empire and your leader is the true King of Kings.