The Insanity of Obedience - Bible Study Book: Advancing the Gospel When Facing Challenge and Persecution - Softcover

Ripken, Nik

Softcover

ISBN 10: 143005512X ISBN 13: 9781430055129

Publisher: Lifeway Press, 2016

Synopsis

The Insanity of Obedience Bible Study Book includes small-group experiences for six sessions, weekly individual-study opportunities, applicable Scripture, “How to Use This Study,” and tips for leading a group.
 
How do we begin to walk and work with God, especially in dangerous places? Based on the documentary The Insanity of God, this Bible study presents missionary Nik Ripken sharing true stories of people who are suffering for the name of Jesus.
 
This study is an invitation to open your heart, your mind, and your eyes to the realities of walking with Jesus in difficult places. Engage with Scripture and see what it means to be a true follower of Jesus, not just someone who believes certain truths. Discover the answers to key missiological and theological questions about living sacrificially for the cause of Christ.
 
Believers play a significant role in God’s divine purpose. Observe how Christians all over the world are not only surviving but also thriving in the midst of persecution.
 
Session Content:
1) Nations
This session deals with God’s command to be on mission and our response to His command. The Bible is to be lived out in the present active tense.
2) Persecution
This session explores faith in persecution and suffering. Is obedience on this level insane, especially in the midst of popular theology that encourages obedience leading to success and comfort?
3) Family
This session deals with the spread of the gospel by addition and exponential growth. Faith grows in families and communities, from a single believer to small groups of believers to succeeding generations.
4) Growth
This session deals with the dynamics of healthy growth.
5) Victory
This session describes and celebrates the miracle of victorious living through an enduring faith—especially in hostile environments.
6) Church
This session is a summary and personal call to action for individuals, groups, and churches to join God’s mission—no matter how insane obedience may look. Why? Because Jesus is worth it.

Features: 
· Clips from the feature documentary The Insanity of Obedience
· Biblically rooted and gospel-centered
· Firsthand accounts in the author’s voice
· Individual-study opportunities for ongoing spiritual growth
· Six-week Bible Study Book with group and personal components
· Step-by-step plans for six group sessions
· Promotional content, including a promotional video for the Bible study
· Social-media assets for the group leader
 
Benefits: 
· Confront the misconception that church membership is the same as following Jesus.
· See that the Bible's commands are nonnegotiable.
· Break the grip of the seduction of comfort and ask Christians to face the question, Who is Jesus, and is He worth my life?
· Put aside programs and practices to insert missional sacrifice and calling into the normal rhythms of church culture.
· Give group members examples of ways to identify and respond to God’s call on their lives.
· Show believers how best to respond when persecution comes.
· Demonstrate to groups that the bar of Christianity has become low in Western culture.
· Reveal the Bible as nonnegotiable.
· Lead believers to the conclusion that telling people about Jesus is normal Christianity.
· Celebrate the miracle of victorious living.
· Explore faith in persecution and suffering.
· Provide a means to find courage from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
· Explore the dynamics of the personal call to action for individuals, groups, and churches to join God’s mission.

About this title

About the Author:

Nik Ripken es un experto con respecto a la iglesia perseguida en contextos islámicos. Es misionero veterano con 30 años de experiencia. Sirvió principalmente en el norte de África y el Oriente Medio. Es el autor de “La locura de Dios” y “The Insanity of Obedience” (La locura de la obediencia) —este último, recientemente publicado—. Nik y su esposa han investigado intensamente el problema de la iglesia perseguida, como así también de los cristianos de origen musulmán, en aproximadamente 72 países.

Nik Ripken is the world's leading expert on the persecuted church in Muslim contexts. He is a missions veteran of 30 years, having served primarily in North Africa and the Middle East. He is the author of The Insanity of God and the new book The Insanity of Obedience. He and his wife have done extensive research on the persecuted church, and on Muslim background believers, in approximately 72 countries.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lifeway Press
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 143005512X
• ISBN 13: 9781430055129
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 112