JRS 61 Christian Nationalism: Its Troublesome Rise, Part 2 01/19/2025 Selected Scriptures Jesse Randolph In August of 1696, a 19-year old man named Thomas Aikenhead was walking with his friends in Edinburgh, Scotland. In typical Scottish fashion, though it was August, the weather was actually gray and chilly and dreary that day. Well, Aikenhead didn’t appreciate the late summer cold spell that they were experiencing in Scotland, so he made a comment, in jest, to his friends. Specifically, he said “I wished I were in hell, where at least it would be a little bit warmer.” Well, Aikenhead’s attempt at humor apparently wasn’t as appreciated as he thought it might be, because those same friends he’d been joking around with on that cold August day reported him to the Scottish authorities. Aikenhead was then arrested and charged with violating the Blasphemy Act of 1661 which said that anyone who “railed upon or cursed or denied God” would be sentenced to death. He was charged with violation of this law not only based on his comment about being warmer in hell but also for holding to various errant views on the Trinity, the incarnation of Christ, and the Scriptures. Well, after being jailed in Edinburgh for several months, Aikenhead eventually went to trial. At the trial, his “friends” testified against him. And it didn’t go well for the young man because not having the funds to pay for legal counsel, he had to defend himself, and he was found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to death. He attempted an appeal noting that this was his first and only violation of the Blasphemy Law, but the Scottish appeals court rejected his argument. And so, on January 8, 1697, Thomas Aikenhead now 20 years old, was forced to walk two miles from his holding cell to the gallows outside of Edinburgh. And after climbing the ladder, a noose was placed around his neck and he was hanged. The last person we know of in the history of Great Britain who was put to death for blasphemy. Now, it’s not like Thomas Aikenhead was the first or the last person to commit the sin of blasphemy, the act of ridiculing, disrespecting, or ultimately rejecting the God of the universe who has revealed Himself in the Person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. No. In addition to Thomas Aikenhead, there have been billions of mockers and scoffers and unbelievers who have walked this earth. Some who lived before Aikenhead and some who lived since. And for those who have died, including Thomas Aikenhead himself, they are right now being recompensed, in flames, with the judgment their sins deserve. Their unbelief is no longer unbelief, but rather delayed and dismayed belief as they are now recognizing, as they are being tormented in hell, what Galatians 6:7 says, that God will not be mocked. So that brings us back to Thomas Aikenhead and Scotland in 1697. If God was, as His Word declares, eventually going to mete out His perfect divine justice on Aikenhead’s sin of unbelief, what was the Scottish government doing in wielding the sword or in Aikenhead’s case, the gallows, to deal with this single citizen’s unbelief and blasphemy against God? Why had Scotland taken it upon itself to cut short the physical life of a man who for all we know might have later repented and believed in Jesus? Now, that question, the extent to which the church and the state should intermingle, the amount of interplay there ought to be between Christ and the Church, is a massive one. And I can’t possibly address every argument on either side of the question tonight and I don’t pretend to be an expert in political theory. But what this story of Thomas Aikenhead does, is it serves as a nice segue into our topic for this evening of Christian Nationalism which we started looking into last Sunday evening. And now, I noted last week, this is a subject which is inherently difficult to teach on, not only because of the countless and varying definitions that have been offered for what “Christian Nationalism” means, but also because, as I mentioned several times last Sunday night, Christian Nationalism comes in all shapes and sizes and one must be careful not to “broad-brush” and sweep everyone who bears that label into the same corner of the camp. And as I hope I made clear last Sunday night, my aim in this two-part mini-series is not to go after patriotic Christians. Christians who love both God and country and who rightly keep those two in that right order. Rather, my aim is to bring into the light a segment of evangelicalism which goes by that title, “Christian Nationalism.” This is a group which, by-and-large taps into certain shared theological presuppositions. Which not only are biblically weak but which are gaining traction in certain quarters today. And these beliefs, if carried to their logical end, could conceivably lead to a situation like the Scotland of Thomas Aikenhead’s day where the government, aided by the Church, is prosecuting and persecuting unregenerate unbelievers for rejecting what only God, not the sword, can compel them to accept. Last week, you’ll recall the message was devoted to exposing the theological roots of this movement known as Christian Nationalism. In fact, that was the title of the message. That message I shared ten theological concerns with the Christian Nationalist movement. I will review those very briefly if you weren’t here last time. First, Christian Nationalism rests on a largely postmillennial foundation. Postmillennialism, you’ll recall, is the view that the kingdom is now. The kingdom is advancing, through the proclamation of the gospel. That Jesus will return after a golden age of spiritual prosperity in a progressively Christianized world. He won’t return, in other words, after things have gotten worse, which is what the Scriptures reveal. He’ll return only after things have gotten better, after His church has expanded His kingdom, as they conceive of it, through the preaching of His gospel. Second, Christian Nationalism rests on a mistaken view of the Law. Meaning, the mistaken view that the Law of Moses, the Law that was given to Israel, is applicable to us in the Church Age. Not only is there this view that the Law is still applicable, but in some instances, it’s coupled with this other view of theonomy where the Mosaic Law is seen as being something which should be incorporated into our civil laws today. That’s where you’d get something like the Blasphemy Law, passed by legislature in Scotland in the 1600s. But again, God’s Word tells us that the Law of Moses was given to the people of Israel and was applicable to them at a particular time and place in history. But for Christians living in the Church Age we are not under the Law. John 1:17, it says, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Third, Christian Nationalism rests on a mistaken view of the Great Commission. Namely, the belief that the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded and commissioned His followers in Matthew 28:19, not to “make disciples of the nations,” but instead to “disciple the nations” so that the focal point of the Great Commission, in their way of thinking, is to make sure that the nations themselves become “Christianized.” Even if not every citizen of those nations is not necessarily regenerate. As we saw last time, the consistent witness of Scripture is that Christ came to save sinners. He did not come to save states. Fourth, Christian Nationalism rests on a mistaken mandate. Namely, to exercise dominion over unbelieving members of the Christian nation-states they are seeking to create. When the Scriptures tell us quite clearly in 2 Corinthians 5:20, that we are to be “ambassadors for Christ, as God is pleading through us.” And then it says, “We instruct you, we mandate that you…” Right? No. “We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” The teaching of Scripture is that conversion is a work of the Spirit, not of the sword. Fifth, Christian Nationalism rests on a confused definition of what a nation is. Which bleeds into the assumption that America, in our case, is a Christian nation, which, as I tried to articulate last week, is a categorical error, and a confusion of categories to call our country or any country a Christian nation. Nations have different objectives than the Christian Church. Nations are defined by their limitations, these things called borders. Whereas Christianity is defined by its inclusiveness, namely its inclusion of every tongue, tribe, and nation within the camp. Sixth, Christian Nationalism rests on a mistaken view of church and state as the Scotland of Thomas Aikenhead’s day did. Christian Nationalism conflates the separate realms, or spheres, of church and state which runs contrary to Jesus’ own words, in Matthew 22:21, where He recognized a division between the two. Remember, how there Jesus said that we are to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Seventh, Christian Nationalism rests on a mistakenly-skewed view of church history. This does not testify glowingly to the success of Christian nation-states, but instead testifies to incredible amounts of blood being shed when the spheres of church and state are intermingled. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, the execution of Thomas Aikenhead. No one would refer to these as glowing moments in history or noteworthy examples of how Christian Nationalism might be a success. No. These are noteworthy rough patches in our history. Eighth, Christian Nationalism rests on a mistaken view of priority. As we’re going to get into more this evening, many of those who are promoting Christian Nationalism, based on the content of what they preach, write, and speak on, are as interested in speaking out against wokeness and critical race theory and leftist political ideology and drag queen story hour as they are in proclaiming the gospel and building up believers in sound doctrine. And the result is that they have, in my judgment, rightly been dubbed the “Woke Right,” the fraternal twin of the Woke Left. Ninth, Christian Nationalism has allowed for pockets of racism to develop in its circles. There are certain groups of Christian Nationalists who are not merely looking to build a Christian nation, but one in which certain groups based on their ethnicity, would be by definition the ones in power, while members of other groups would expressly be denied certain privileges in this new utopian society. Tenth, Christian Nationalism lacks a focus on the Gospel. And by that I mean there are many Christian Nationalists today who have demonstrated a willingness to partner with people and groups who preach a different gospel, like Roman Catholics, for the sake of advancing their Christian Nationalist ideals. So, those are some of the theological roots of today’s Christian Nationalism movement. We went into those a lot more deeply last week but that’s the surface-level overview. Now, tonight in this Part Two of two message, we’re going to consider Christian Nationalism’s troublesome rise. That’s the title of this evening’s message, “Christian Nationalism: Its Troublesome Rise.” And why can we say that the rise of this movement is troublesome? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First and foremost, there are the theological reasons. The ones I just rattled off. The list of 10 items. The Christian Nationalist movement rests on a weak theological foundation. It sits on theological quicksand. Second though, is the means by which this movement is gaining traction today. Namely, through the means of social media and YouTube and podcasts. The reality is nowadays anyone with an iPhone and the ability to use YouTube can call themselves an “expert” in anything, including theology. No longer are so-called theologians required to be peer-reviewed by academics. No longer are so called theologians required to be shepherded by the elders in a local church context. Instead, they can say anything they want and usually the more provocative the better, because that’s how you get more followers and subscribers. And the result is that otherwise unqualified, unvetted, untrained men now become the online viral experts in an area of theology they might have started studying six months ago. That’s what we’re seeing a lot of today in the Christian Nationalist camp. A group of men with large online platforms, who are attracting disaffected and disenfranchised men. Men who are sick and tired of what’s happening in our country. Men who are tired of the woke and liberal agenda. And now these men are putting out viral videos with catchy slogans and click-baity titles. And now the Christian Nationalists movement is gaining a massive following. Now, so far tonight I’ve been general in my description of this movement. I’ve only used the title “Christian Nationalism.” But for the rest of the message what I’m going to do is name names. And I’m going to do so not to be mean-spirited toward these individuals, and not even because I really want to do this. Rather, what I’m about to do and what I am about to say, naming individuals by name, is simply a part of my job. Titus 1:9, lays forth the requirement of the pastor, the requirement of the elder, very clearly. The pastor is to “exhort,” or build up, “in sound doctrine” and he’s also to refute “those who contradict.” This message, in other words, is brought in that spirit. It’s also brought in the spirit of 1 Timothy 4:16, which says, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” So why name names? Well, it’s part of the shepherd’s job. To warn you, to protect you, to keep you out of harm’s way, spiritually speaking. This message is given in the spirit of Romans 16:17. “Now I urge you, brothers, to keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and stumblings contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.” This message is given in the spirit of Acts 20:28-30, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” The names I’m going to mention tonight and there are three of them, are men who I believe are causing dissension and stumbling. They are men who I believe are promoting false doctrine. They are men who I believe you all need to be warned about. Now, as for whether it’s appropriate to call out men out by name. Well, it’s fully sanctioned by what we see in passages of Scripture. Such as 2 Timothy 1:15. Paul says, “You are aware of this: that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.” He names names. 1 Timothy 1:18,20. “This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some, having rejected, suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” 2 Timothy 2:16-18. “But avoid godless and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their word will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.” 2 Timothy 4:9. “Be diligent to come to me soon, for Demas, having loved this present age, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” And then this one, 2 Timothy 4:14, 15. “Alexander the coppersmith showed me much harm; the Lord will award him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our words.” So Paul warned his audiences of Phygelus Hermogenes, Hymenaeus, Alexander, Philetus, and Demas. And in that spirit it’s important that names be named tonight, to protect our church. So with that we’ll be zeroing in this evening on three proponents of Christian Nationalism today. Each has a large online following. Each has borrowed from aspects of the books I mentioned last Sunday night, like “The Case for Christian Nationalism” by Stephen Wolfe; “Christian Nationalism: A Biblical Guide for Taking Dominion and Discipling Nations” by Andrew Torba and Andrew Isker; and another book I haven’t had time to get into, “Mere Christendom” by Doug Wilson. Each has taken those thoughts articulated in those books, and not only expanded upon them, but radicalized them and in potentially dangerous ways. Now I will give you a brief biographical sketch of the 3 men and then we’ll get into some of the ideas they are promoting. The first man is named Eric Conn who is the Pastor of Counseling and Leadership Development at Refuge Church in Ogden, Utah. Here’s Conn’s self-published biography. “Eric has a degree in sports journalism, attended seminary in Louisville, KY, and has worked for over a decade in the firearms & outdoor media industry as a journalist. He served as a pastor for several years in a small western town, Chief of Staff at a conservative media company, Editor in Chief at “Gun Digest” magazine, and various other managing editor roles at “Guns & Ammo Publications” and the NRA’s “Shooting Illustrated”. He is the husband to one lovely wife and proud father to three strapping young sons. When he’s not podcasting at” The King’s Hall” and “Hard Men” podcast, he’s probably in the backcountry chasing elk, mule deer, or bear somewhere in the uncharted territory of the West.” Conn is also the author of articles with titles like this: “Why Soft Men Will Get You Killed,” “Why the World Needs Dominant Men,” “Why Men Need a Gang,” “Violence Is the Answer to Plenty of Problems,” and “Why Polarizing Messages are so Effective.” That’s one guy, Eric Conn. Then there’s Dale Partridge. The best way to explain Dale Partridge is that he is a successful businessman and entrepreneur who claims to have gone through a salvation experience just a few years ago. And what he did immediately after getting “saved” is he took all of his business savvy and acumen and brought it over to the church world. And though Partridge is, at best, still a very new believer, he has started a Christian resource ministry called Relearn.org. He has started a podcast. He has started a church, called “King’s Way Church” in Prescott, Arizona. He has even started a seminary, called “Reformation Seminary” where I believe he is the provost dean and professor. He’s a professional marketer with a large platform and from that large platform, what Partridge has done is shown a remarkable tendency, like a chameleon, to regularly change his theological colors. Depending on whichever theological tribe he is trying to attach himself to and gain followers and legitimacy from, he seems to land in a new camp and be the self-proclaimed expert in that camp every couple of years. Partridge has moved from dispensational premillennialism, even attending “The Master’s Seminary” for some time, to covenant theology, to pedobaptism, to postmillennialism, to Presbyterianism. And as he’s done so, he’s churned out books on various theological topics even though his theology changes with the seasons. And in those books he’s drawn these dogmatic and oftentimes legalistic lines in the sand over a whole host of issues, some of which we’ll get into tonight. And though Partridge has been called out by various seasoned pastors and theologians as not having the credentials to do what he does, and though he’s been urged to step away from public ministry, a ministry he has propped up on his own, he still insists on leaving the doors to his shop open, so to speak, while gaining a large and ill-informed following who apparently enjoy his provocative takes and tweets. Then there is Joel Webbon. He’s the Senior Pastor of Covenant Bible Church which I’m told operates out of some sort of roadside establishment just outside of Austin, Texas. Webbon is the founder and president of an online media ministry called “Right Response Ministries.” Before that, he was a pastor in San Diego, at an Acts 29 church called “The Response Church”. Before that, the trail runs cold. There’s been a lot of scrubbing of his past. Why? Who knows. But as we’re going to get into tonigh,t no matter where Joel Webbon was ordained or where he went to seminary or who gave him the title of pastor, he is heading in a very concerning and troubling direction. So those are our 3 names. Eric Conn, Dale Partridge and Joel Webbon. Each is an avowed Christian Nationalist. Each is waving the flag of Christian Nationalism. Each is gaining a major following and each is a cause for major concern. Now, in terms of getting to the heart of the troublesome rise of men like these within Christian Nationalism circles, I’m going to lay this out how I plan to explain why these men and their teachings are so worrisome. How I am going to do this is actually by borrowing from the you have heard it said, but I say paradigm that we see Jesus using in Matthew 5 in the “Sermon on the Mount”. In His “Sermon on the Mount” Jesus was critiquing what the teachers of the Old Testament Law were teaching in His day. And He does so by starting with “you have heard it said.” He’s alluding to what the Law teachers of the day were saying at that time. And then He provides the actual, transcendent principle for them to follow by saying, “but I say.” What we’re going to do tonight is essentially flip that idea around with a series of you have heard it said statements where I’ll take you to various Scriptures. Then I’ll follow each with a but they say statement where then I quote from one of these 3 men and I show that these men are not merely postmillennial, but thoroughly unbiblical. So let’s get into it. This will be our first you have heard it said statement. And this will be an appropriate way to start because I am going to take you first to Matthew 5 where we see a literal you have heard it said statement from Jesus. Turn with me to Matthew 5:43-48. These are the words of Jesus. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Ok, so here is our, you have heard it said statement. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” That’s not always an easy command to follow. In fact, it can be a difficult command to follow. It’s part of what makes Christianity such a countercultural faith. To love our enemies? To pray for those who persecute us? “No thanks. I’d rather, in my flesh, go back to the old ways of doing things. I’d rather love those who love me. That’s much easier.” “I’d rather love those who respect me and say nice things about me. And see the world the same way I do.” “And at the same time, I’d like to be able to hate my enemies and even let them know I hate them.” That’s what the flesh wants. So again you have heard it said, “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Now here is the but they say. Here’s Joel Webbon, in his own words, “We cannot afford to be beautiful losers. We need to win. I want to win. I want to reward my friends and crush my enemies.” He’s speaking there as an advocate for his brand of Christian Nationalism. And you heard his words there. “I want to win. I want to reward my friends and crush my enemies.” But there’s nothing of Christ in that statement. Webbon’s words reflect literally the opposite of what Christ said in the “Sermon on the Mount”. Crushing and destroying and hating one’s enemies is exactly what Jesus was preaching against in His” Sermon on the Mount”! We aren’t called to look at unbelievers as our political foes. We’re to look at them as our mission field. As souls to win. Christ has given us a simple and straightforward commission. And with those words, “I want to reward my friends and crush my enemies,” Webbon has absolutely gutted it with his military rhetoric. We are called, as it says in Colossians 4:5, to “walk in wisdom toward outsiders.” Not to conquer them. Or to use Webbon’s words, “crush” them. Let’s consider another one. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1, part of our Scripture reading for this evening, 1 Corinthians 1:26-29. You have heard it said, “For consider your calling, brothers, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may abolish the things that are, so that no flesh may boast before God.” Did you catch that? Not many of you, Paul says, were wise not many of you were noble. So that’s the you have heard it said statement. But they say. And here, again, it’s Joel Webbon who says: “Some people are of more noble birth than others and therefore are more qualified to be leaders because of their ‘inate nobility’.” Again, this is literally the opposite of what the Bible teaches. This is direct refutation of Holy Scripture. Paul says, “there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.” But Joel Webbon says, there are some who are of “more noble birth” and who have an “inate nobility.” Now, to be clear, Webbon there is speaking of race and ethnicity. The context he is speaking of is racial relations. Well, the ugliness continues. Here’s our next you have heard it said, but I say in terms of race and ethnicity. Genesis 1:27. You have heard it said, “And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him.” There is one race, the human race. We are all descendants, sinful descendants of Adam. And you have heard it said, Romans 2:11, “there is no partiality with God.” And you have heard it said, that forgiveness of sin is not only offered to all, but made available to all in the same way. Romans 3:22-24: “for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” And you have heard it said, that we are to take the Gospel to the far flung corners of the world. That’s Acts 1:8. “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.” And you have heard it said, that we are to be making disciples of all nations, that’s Matthew 28:19. And you have heard it said that once saved, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” That’s Galatians 3:28. Now listen, I’m no social justice warrior. You know, back in the George Floyd post rioting days I did not change my social media profile box to a black square. I can affirm that black lives do indeed matter, while also affirming that the organization, “Black Lives Matter”, is a Satanic platform for godless anti-Christianity rhetoric. But what I can and will say with confidence based on what the Bible teaches in the passages I’ve just quoted, is that racism is sin. I just gave you 6 or 7 verses. Well, “what they say,” and enter Joel Webbon once again, this vocal proponent of Christian Nationalism. This comes from one of his recent podcast interviews. He says this: “When we moved to Texas, I needed to get a new cardiologist. And so my wife, she does a lot of this for me, because before we had kids she was an RN, and she knows a lot more than I do. She does the research, and she shows me two doctors, both within the same practice, same company, same hospital. One was a young white dude, and one was a young black dude. And I said I prefer the young white dude. The reason why is not because I’m white. We currently live in a historical moment in the West, and particularly in these United States, where I know that both of these guys could be perfectly qualified. I also know that if there’s a chance that one of them was not qualified and was given a free pass, it’d be the black guy. I know that that young white guy, there’s no way he got a free pass.” Now, say what you want about affirmative action policies and whether that actually promotes reverse racism. That’s totally outside the scope of our discussion for this evening. What we really need to understand and appreciate here is that this man who calls himself a pastor, this man who has a major platform in the broader Christian Nationalism movement is staking out positions like these and offering race-infused “hot takes” like these, which are plainly meant to poke at the embers of racial tension in our country. Pastors aren’t called to be provocative. Pastors aren’t called to be cultural flame-throwers. Pastors are called to build up believers in sound doctrine and biblical truth. Pastors are called to build up believers in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace. Joel Webbon does none of those things. Back to our you have heard it said, but they say paradigm. Go with me over to 2 Timothy 3:1-4. “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” We will just leave it there. Now these descriptors of the type of wickedness and evil which will mark and be pervasive in the last days, bring to mind, and this was fresh in the news last week or so, a man named Andrew Tate. Not everyone knows who Andrew Tate is. I will give you a brief run down. Andrew Tate is a former kickboxer and now a social media personality. He converted to Islam in 2022. He’s a total misogynist. A hater of women. He believes that women are a man’s property. Though he is nearly 40, he’s on record as saying he only dates 18 and 19 year old women so that he can, in his words, leave his “imprint” on them. He believes that rape victims bear responsibility for their attacks. He talks openingly about hitting and choking women and trashing their belongings and preventing them from leaving his house. Andrew Tate, in other words, fits that 2 Timothy 3 profile of a wicked and evil man. The kind of man that marks the state of wickedness and evil that we live in today. So you have heard it said, as 2 Timothy 3 says, to beware of such men. But they say. Here’s Dale Partridge. He says, “When you examine [Tate] further, you grasp that young men see vital features of Christ in Tate, particularly bravery, boldness, strength, etc.” Vital features of Christ? In a Muslim man whose faith is founded on a rejection of the Gospel? Rejection of Christ? And whose behavior is as anti-Christ and an offense to the gospel as one could imagine. Then here’s Eric Conn. We haven’t heard from him yet. Speaking of Andrew Tate, Conn says, “A generation of “conservative” church leaders who opened the door to feminism, brow beat men, and catered to leftist ideologies did far more damage to the Christian church than Andrew Tate ever did.” So, as we saw last time, and I even quoted it when I was referring to the summary of last times teaching, one of the theological concerns I have raised is that these men minimize the centrality of the gospel. And this is a prime example of what I was referring to. What Eric Conn is saying, is that since Andrew Tate isn’t a feminist and because he exudes masculinity and because he is conservative, he’s not as dangerous as he seems. Even though Tate is a proven enemy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, let’s not be so quick, Conn says, to condemn him. Well, what Partridge and Conn have said in attempting to thread the needle in making Tate acceptable to Christians today, it pales in comparison to what Joel Webbon said about Tate earlier this week. Now before we get there, let’s do another one of these you have heard it said, but I say comparisons. You have heard it said, 1 John 3:4, that “sin is lawlessness.” And you have heard it said, Isaiah 14, that sin was at the root of Satan’s downfall. And you have heard it said, Romans 5:12, that sin is the root of our downfall. “Just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” And you have heard it said, that our sin has severe consequences. Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.” We have heard it said all those truths. But they say, now enter Joel Webbon, speaking of Andrew Tate again, has said that because Tate is not on board with the modern move toward embracing homosexuality and transgenderism, like the culture is today, these are Webbon’s words. Tate is “sinning in the right direction.” Webbon says Tate is okay because he is sinning in the right direction. Can you grasp how unbelievably problematic that statement is? Can you grasp how foolishly unbiblical that statement is? Can you imagine saying to your spouse, when you come home some night this week, “I’m sorry I sinned against you, but don’t worry, honey, I was sinning in the right direction.” Can you imagine if I got up here one day to confess some sin to you and said, “Church, it’s ok. Don’t worry, I have been sinning in the right direction.” This is godless, pagan nonsense being peddled by one of the Christian Nationalism movement’s most vocal proponents. The reality, of course, is that God doesn’t condone any form of sin. Sin cannot be categorized. Sin is never justified as being ok. In God’s eyes, there is never an instance where one could say that they were sinning in the right direction. Satan would love to have people thinking they can sin in the right direction. And the fact that Joel Webbon is making statements that Satan would heartily agree with is quite the indictment of Webbon’s ministry and his testimony. Now, let’s get into the topic of Israel for a few moments. See, there is a definite anti-Israel streak within the Christian Nationalist movement. And it actually makes logical sense that they would be anti-Israel. Because what the Bible teaches about there being a future for Israel, really gets in the way of the Christian Nationalist’s idea that dominant Christian nations will be the victors in the end. So here’s our next you have heard it said statement. You have heard it said that Israel is, Zechariah 2:8, “the apple of [God’s] eye.” And you have heard it said that God has not permanently divorced Israel. Here’s Hosea 11:8-11, “How can I give you up,” God says, “‘O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I give you over to be like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me; all My compassions are stirred. I will not execute My burning anger; I will not make Ephraim a ruin again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, And I will not come in wrath. They will walk after Yahweh; He will roar like a lion; Indeed, He will roar, and His sons will come trembling from the west. They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria; And I will settle them in their houses,’ declares Yahweh.” And you have heard it said that Israel has a future inheritance to which it can look forward to. Jeremiah 31:35-37, “Thus says Yahweh, Who gives the sun for light by day and the statutes for the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; Yahweh of hosts is His name: ‘If these statutes are removed from before Me,’ declares Yahweh,” meaning if the sun ceases to give light by day and if the moon and stars ceased to give light by night. Then it continues: “‘Then the seed of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.’ Thus says Yahweh, ‘If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also reject all the seed of Israel for all that they have done,’ declares Yahweh, ” meaning it’s impossible for Him to give Israel up. These are very clear statements. God loves Israel. God has not given up on Israel. God has a future for Israel. But that doesn’t matter. Because they say, here’s Joel Webbon, “Christ is the true Israel.” Now, that’s wrong. Israel is Israel. And Christ is Christ. But it’s wrong in a rather tame way. The reality is we see often times replacement theologians and covenant theologians making arguments like this all the time. But as he tends to do Webbon ramps up the rhetoric and says, “God did not break his promise to Israel. He fulfilled His promise. Israel broke the promise many, many times. It’s done. Now we have the Church - the True Israel of God.” Did you catch that? Israel, according to a man who pastors in a roadside diner outside of Austin, is “done.” God has said of Israel, “I’ll never give you up. And that so long as the sun, moon, and stars are in their orbit, Israel will continue to be.” But Joel Webbon says, “it’s done.” He goes even further and heads outright into anti-Semitism with his rhetoric. Here are Webbon’s words still, “Judaism as an ideology and as a religion, I do believe, is parasitical… What it has done historically throughout the ages is typically go into other countries, other peoples with other religions, and kind of cozy up but not really for their benefit; not a mutually beneficial relationship, but where ultimately they get far more out of the deal than the Christian nation does.” In Webbon’s view of a Christian nation-state, what he calls parasitical Jews would be limited in the ways they could function and serve. He goes out of his way to say he wouldn’t necessarily deport them, but they wouldn’t be given all the rights and privileges that Christian citizens of that nation would be given. I balk at even mentioning the name, but there was a similar strand of thought that developed in Germany a little over a hundred years ago. Bringing it back over to the theological side of things with Joel Webbon and his perspective on Jewish people. Let’s do another one of these you have heard it said but they say comparisons. Turn with me to Romans 11. You have heard it said, Romans 11:17, 18, “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast against them, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.” Paul here is communicating that Israel is the root of the tree. And that Gentiles, who came later, have been grafted in. You see, He even warns the Gentiles against boasting against the original root and branches of the tree, meaning, Israel, noting “that it is not you,” meaning Gentiles, “who supports the root, but the root supports you.” Well, but they say, and here’s Joel Webbon again, “Jews need Christians. Christians do not need Jews.” This is directly contrary to the teaching of God’s Word. What Paul says, in Romans 11, is that Gentile Christians absolutely do need the Jews. We’ve been grafted into a Jewish tree. Without the Jew, there would be no such thing as a Christian. Men like Webbon betray their absolute ignorance with statements like these. Well, speaking of ignorance, the Christian Nationalist voices I’ve been quoting tonight, have proven themselves over and over to be just outright theologically inept. Let’s get into another example of this. You have heard it said, 2 Timothy 1:13, 14. “Hold to the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” And you have heard it said, 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” But they say, here’s Joel Webbon on the book of Esther. He says that Mordecai was a “Christian uncle.” He was Esther’s Christian uncle. But how was Mordecai actually referred to in that book? “Mordecai the Jew.” Here’s Dale Partridge revealing his ignorance as he collapses categories. He says “Dispensational Arminianism breeds worry and despair -- worry from the belief that the world is always in decline, and despair from the fear of losing salvation if faith isn’t constantly maintained. Postmillennial Calvinism, on the other hand, breeds hope and joy -- hope from Christ’s victory in this world through the Gospel, and joy from the rest knowing that salvation is secure because Jesus is the Author and Finisher of faith.” But how wrong and misleading this is. Dispensationalism, number one, cannot be fairly lumped in with being Arminian, and number two, it’s not made up of individuals who believe that we can lose our salvation as He’s implying. Dispensationalists are just like the postmillennial Calvinists Partridge cites, at least in the sense that we experience “joy from the rest knowing that [our] salvation is secure because Jesus is the Author and Finisher of faith.” Do you any dispensationalists believe that? I hope so. Or here’s Dale Partridge again, saying, “The Church wasn’t started in 33 A.D. It was started in the Garden of Eden.” Except the Scriptures are clear that the Church began at Pentecost as we see reflected in Acts chapter 2. Let’s shift gears now to the realm of eschatology. The Christian Nationalists that we’re looking into tonight, have through their postmillennial beliefs that we laid out last time, what is known as an over-realized eschatology. They believe that the things that God has promised His followers for the future, are supposed to be happening now. Here’s our next one. You have heard it said that we will rule and reign with Christ in the future. Turn with me to Revelation 20:1-6, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were finished. After these things he must be released for a short time. Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their witness of Jesus and because of the word of God, and who also had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” As we saw last Sunday evening as we studied the different millennial views, this occasion is yet future. The 1,000-year rule of Christ on earth where “we will reign with Him” isn’t happening now. It happens in the future after the rapture. After the seven-year period of Tribulation on earth and after the return of Christ. At that point, we “will reign with Him.” Not now. Then. So you have heard it said we will reign. But they say, here’s Dale Partridge, “if Christians expect to lose, they will.” And here’s Eric Conn. “The rise of the Christian borough is coming. Build. Fight. Win.” They want to rule now. And the way they want to do so has these real dark undertones. Partridge, for instance, says, “It should be illegal in America to build mosques, pagan shrines, and temples.” Joel Webbon, in sketching out his vision for a Christian nation, has gone on record as saying that he would want non-Christians kept out of his neighborhood. He would want immigrants shot for trying to enter the country. He would want adulterers put to death. He would want women publicly executed for making false claims of sexual assault. Every one of those are a documented statement. But the point is not that these reveal the heart of Christ. None of these reveal the heartbreak we are to have for fellow sinners. None of those express how we are to have concern over lost souls, no matter what faith background or lack of faith background they come from. What is being promoted here is iron-fisted authoritarianism, which wears a cloak of so called “Christianity.” You have heard it said, 2 Corinthians 10:4, 5, “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the tearing down of strongholds, as we tear down speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” But they say. Build. Fight. Win. Conquer. Dominate. And they’re not talking about wicked thoughts. They’re talking about fighting and battling with people so they can build their version of a Christian utopia. Well, speaking of authoritarianism and shifting gears for a moment. The segment of the Christian Nationalist movement that we’re addressing tonight is hyper-patriarchal as it relates to the family. You have heard it said, Ephesians 5:22-33, “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” Now, no doubt, what is laid out here is an order. The husband is the head of the wife. The wife is to submit to her husband. It’s also seen in 1 Corinthians 11:3. And there is no doubt the home is to be father-led. That’s what the word “patriarchy” means. A father-led home. But they say. They take this to the extreme. The Christian Nationalist crowd takes this idea of patriarchy and they have run with it in all sorts of bizarre and legalistic directions. For instance, this segment of the Christian Nationalist camp, the 3 men I have mentioned this evening, they have made the straight-face argument that there are times when it is right for a husband to discipline his wife. To lay her across his lap and give her a few swats like you would a child. This segment of the Christian Nationalist camp has spent days discussing and debating, like a month or 2 ago, when it’s ok for a husband to mandate that his wife wear a red dress on a certain number of days in a row, so that she is visually appealing to him. Now that’s up to you. That’s up to your home what you decide to wear. But the fact that they are spending time debating how much a husband can mandate and say you must wear a red dress for 20 days straight or on every Wednesday. Joel Webbon boasts in the fact that he instructs his wife on what books she can and cannot read. This isn’t male headship or servant leadership. That is authoritarianism. That strain of Christian Nationalism not only has this authoritarian streak, but also a legalistic bent. Here’s our next you have heard it said. 1 Peter 3:3, 4, Peter speaking to ladies, “Your adornment must not be merely external, braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on garments; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” Or consider these familiar words in the context of David being anointed as king of Israel. 1 Samuel 16:7, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.” So that is what we have heard said. But they say. Here’s Dale Partridge. “Want to stoke the fire in your marriage? Husbands, wear a suit and groom your hair. Wives, wear a dress and grow out your hair.” Again, here’s Dale Partridge who, more than anyone I’ll mention has an obvious obsession with external appearances. He says “Ladies, if at all possible, keep your hair long. In my book, “A Cover for Glory,” I share studies that show men notice a woman’s hair before their body and that long hair is almost unanimously desired by men.” And one more from Dale Partridge. “Young men, if she’s at the gym body flaunting, she’s advertising how insecure, shallow, and self-absorbed she is. Trust me, she’s not ‘the one.’ In fact, ‘the one’ probably isn’t at the gym at all; she’s probably watching her younger siblings or baking bread with her mom.” Might there be some objective truth to some of what Partridge is saying here? Sure. Maybe there are some preferences with some guys for long hair. Great. Whatever. But the point is there is nothing about Christ or salvation or the gospel in his presentation. Rather what this is, is a self-appointed pastor giving young women fashion tips. It’s bizarre. One more, and then we’ll be done. You have heard it said, 1 Corinthians 1:31, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.” And you have heard it said, Proverbs 27:2. “Let a stranger praise you, and not your own mouth.” But they say. And here’s Joel Webbon once more. This is in a sermon he gave at his home church, Covenant Bible Church outside of Austin. He said the following, “I’m one of the best we’ve got.” That was his self-congratulatory way of expressing his view that in the modern evangelical landscape, where pastors are afraid to say bold things, he’s among the cream of the crop. Now, this really should go without saying, but pastors aren’t supposed to pat themselves on the back ever. Pastors are called to preach the Word and get out of the way. That’s the job. Webbon apparently missed that class in seminary. Well, that’s been our two-week crash course on Christian Nationalism. Much more could be said. We could run down and chase down many more of these subgroups and teachings within this movement. But what I hope these last two Sunday nights have accomplished, is help you all to evaluate not only those theological underpinnings of this movement, recognizing that there is diversity within it, but again like we have done more tonight, to warn you of its spread and warn you specifically of the type of men, men like Eric Conn, Dale Partridge, and Joel Webbon, who are contributing to its spread. I love this country and, of course, I’d love to see more souls won to Christ in this country. I would love it if we were a more Christian nation. I think we would all share that desire. To see more godly biblical Christian virtues in the country that we happen to call home. We should all want that. We should earnestly pray for that. The big idea here to close with is that those desires and those prayer requests and those wants that we might have innately, that doesn’t equate to embracing this label of Christian Nationalism. Instead what we should be embracing are traits like what we see in 1 Peter 4:7, to “be of sound thinking and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” We also should be embracing in what we see in Hebrews 12:14, that we desire to “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.” With that, let’s close with a word of prayer. Let’s pray. Father, we thank You for this deeper dive study over the past 2 Sunday nights of this topic, Christian Nationalism. God, I do pray that You would bring men around the 3 men I mentioned tonight, that they would be willing to speak truth to their lives, not simply to fan the flames of whatever it is they are trying to provoke and spread, but rather to be a sounding board, a voice in these men’s lives. God, I don’t know the state of their soul. I want to believe that they know You through Jesus Christ. It’s hard to tell. The fruit is not evident. But I pray that You would bring men into their lives that would coach them up and counsel them and disciple them and point them into the way of truth. And maybe that means sitting on the sidelines and doing whatever they need to do to make a living while they humble themselves and sit under godly elders and learn the way of Christ. I pray that we would not be swept away as a church by the false doctrine that is coming through camps like this, that we would take every thought, as we saw in 2 Corinthians 10, in obedience to Christ. I pray we take every thought and every impulse and every desire that we have and measure it by what Your Word has objectively revealed. Help us not to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but instead to cling to the Word and what it has timelessly revealed. We thank You for the time of study this day. We thank You for this church and it’s stance for truth for so many years. We simply pray that we would be found faithful with what You have entrusted us as we continue to minister and proclaim and serve this community. In Christ’s name, Amen.