Should Christians Support Immigration for Muslim Refugees | Rapp Report 001 | Andrew Rappaport | SFE | Striving for Eternity

Should we as Christians be supporting Muslim Refugees to come in as immigrants to this country.

Ministry Introduction and the Question of Muslim Refugees

Welcome to the rap report with Andrew rap report where we provide biblical interpretations and applications. This is a ministry of striving for eternity. More content or to request a speaker or seminar for your church go to striving for eternity.

Well, welcome to another edition of the rap report we're gonna deal with something that well It might be a little bit more controversial than many of us Want to deal with but the question that we have for us today is the question should we as Christians?

Be supporting the Muslim refugees into this country. Now. This is why I think this is an interesting issue. Because of two reasons, I think many Christians have been so focused on Nationalism and the u .s. That they're the immediate knee-jerk reaction is no, they should not.

Why should they not because they are going to ruin our country? They're gonna come in and try to take over our country because Islam is as much as a religious system. It is also a political system and people have that fear.

But then if that's the case Should we be supporting Christians in Muslim countries to be? You know overthrowing the government because somehow the government needs to be non-muslim. Is that the answer?

Really? What I think the issue is is do we as Christians? Especially those of us who say we believe in the sovereignty of God. Do we believe it and you see this in so many areas with people that say they believe that God is sovereign and then they Don't trust him.

And I think this is one of those areas. This is an area where I think Very often we see Christians that say well, I trust God. He's sovereign He's gonna do what he's gonna do, but then we get all political about things like Immigration now, this is something that I'm I'm saying that this is a change that I've come to I was very much against well, I'm still very much against illegal immigration because that word e Legal, it's funny people don't get that like, you know.

They talk about whether illegal aliens are doing things to break laws in the country after they're already here.

Illegally.

Yes by definition an illegal alien. Someone who's here illegally is by definition breaking the law. So, yes, I expect that people that are willing to break the law to get in the country will probably be willing to break other Laws, I mean seriously, but so the fact is Romans 13 I would turn to and say well if you're here illegally and we had this actually in in a church where I was in.

We had a guy from Indonesia. He was in the church a believer and We in the leadership didn't know he was here illegally and that came to light. And we realized he actually had a wife and kids back in Indonesia and we had to say look You need to return home.

You're here illegally Romans 13 You need to obey the laws being in America is not something that's depriving you of worshiping God so I still support the Fact that immigration should be for people that follow the laws legally getting in here.

But refugees there's a different issue because they are coming in legally so should we as Christians be supporting this and Our knee-jerk reaction for many of us is no because we realize what it could do to the country.

We understand that. I mean look most these immigrants that have been coming in are males of the the military age, you know. You don't see the families that you typically would see with with refugees. You don't see the children.

That's a concern. What really concerns me is you don't see the Christians. I mean the Christians are the ones being persecuted in these countries and they're not the ones who we see coming in and That's a concern however.

The two things I look at is one do we believe that God is sovereign? I mean if God wants America and and think about this just take a step back and think about this if God wanted America to become a Muslim nation.

Are you okay with that Christian? I Mean we want to say yes. But if we're gonna be honest, I mean some of us are saying no in our heart, right? We we want to say yes, because God's sovereign we're gonna do it.

But we don't want America to be a Muslim nation. We want it to be a democracy. We want it to be capitalism. We want to be a Christian nation. We want to be what how it was founded. Well, it's not staying that way right so so how do we respond.

There's plenty of Christians around the world that suffer Persecution or have to live in a nation. That is not democracy. That's not Capitalism it's it's under Islamic law. Should they be trying to overthrow it or should they be Romans 13 submitting to that government as best they can.

Where it doesn't cause them to violate scripture. That's a question. We think we know the answer to that one, right? So but as Americans we are we're raised with this idea of individualism and That we should have our rights and the idea of losing those rights Kind of bothers us and yet we are losing those rights anyway in different slow Degree degree slow decay.

We are losing those rights and Should we as Christians be saying no we shouldn't allow Muslim refugees in in fact. Here's gonna be my case that I'm gonna make with you today. I believe. And this is the change in position.

I've had I believe we should not only Have the refugees and Muslim refugees coming in. I think we as Christians should support it now before you turn this off. Listen to the argument. Okay, first off Christians.

You and I are not here because America is our home. In fact, this is what Peter says in first Peter chapter 2 verse 11. Beloved I urge you as sojourners and exiles to Abstain from passions of the flesh which war against your soul.

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles Honorable so that when they speak against you as evil doers they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation be subject for the Lord's sake to every human Institution whether it be to the Emperor as Supreme or to the governor's sent by him to Punish those who do evil and to praise Those who do good for this is the will of God that by doing good You should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.

Live as people who are free not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil. But living as servants of God honoring one another Love the Brotherhood Fear God honor the Emperor. Peter is saying that for these people who were being persecuted by the Emperor That they should honor them.

They should obey the authorities. This is something that in American mindset is just not what we're used to. We're not used to the idea of Not of really of having a king rule over us type of thing and and here Peter is saying we are sojourners.

This is not our home. America is not our home. Earth is not our home as Christians we have a.

A.

Citizenship in heaven. That's our home. That's what we fight for. That's where we live for. That's where we desire to be. We're passing through as it says here. We're sojourners. We're just passing through as exiles of this world.

That should be our mindset. So what becomes more important? Is it more important that we save America? I mean be watching that Fox News for quite frankly I think way too many Christians are spending time watching Fox News and Not understanding the good news.

This is the problem we have in America. We have way too many Christians.

Who are.

Not getting into God's book. They're not putting their face on the ground before God in prayer, but they're making sure they're on Facebook. Maybe we should forgo Facebook and get on our face before God and get into his book because the reality is is that what we end up seeing is that we have in American Christianity a large number of Christians that can't handle the thought that we Might be concerned with something greater than America.

We might give lip service to Christ, but in reality, here's where the rubber is gonna meet the road. Would you be willing. Would I be willing to? Start making changes to try to seek out the Muslims that may be in our areas those refugees and reach out to them.

Here's why you know these countries they're coming from. They don't have the gospel proclaimed in the streets. They don't have the gospel proclaimed in the airwaves. In fact Christianity it is illegal for a Christian to share the gospel in many of these countries.

That could get them killed. Now many do that and yes. We hear the reports of people having dreams and visions and people's coming to Christ from those things. Can't speak to that don't know enough about it.

I've heard the same reports many of you have but God may be doing that. God may be bringing them in visions and dreams. But here's the thing God may also be bringing them to America where there's a bunch of Christians that need to get off their Bottoms and get out there and start reaching to the Muslim community the instead of being afraid of them and Worried about what they may do and say and how they may affect America.

So what?

This is not our home Christian. This is where we sojourn. This is where we pass through waiting to be with our king in glory and What he would have us do is not worry about how we can make America great again.

Sorry, Donald Trump. That's not the goal you claim to be a Christian. You should know better. It's not I mean we want a great America fine. But as Christians it is about making Christ known to these Muslims who don't have Christ being proclaimed in their country.

Maybe God is bringing them here so that you could reach out to them and. So I actually think we as Christians should be encouraging Muslim refugees that are not terrorists are not looking to violate our laws not looking to do harm to people but people who are trying to escape the oppression of their country and they want to make a better life here and What are most Christians doing.

We're we're giving them the idea that we're afraid of them that we don't like them that we want them gone. Instead of saying Welcome, come let us share the good news with you that you don't know. Let us talk to you about Jesus Christ not the Christ that's mentioned in the Quran.

But the Christ that's mentioned in the Bible these people. These many many refugees that are trying to truly escape oppression are coming here. It's an opportunity for us to be able to minister to them to share the good news with them.

Now granted I live in New York or in the New York area. I get to meet many Muslims. I get to talk to many of them. One of the things I think we're gonna start trying to do here is maybe take some of the arguments that they make because the Reality for many Christians, they don't they don't listen to Muslim YouTube channels and Muslim teaching.

I do and what I find in that is that they have a gross misunderstanding of Christianity and Because they are speaking in their own echo chamber. They only speak to other Muslims they don't get a view of proper Christianity and We as Christians need to correct that we as Christians need to not only explain what Christianity properly is.

But show why Christianity is something that they should believe. Because if they're going to ever have the forgiveness of sin, you're not gonna find it in Islam. We find the forgiveness of sin in Christ.

They don't know that. That's what we need to encourage them. That's what we need to communicate to them. Which means if we're gonna encourage them coming into this country, we better be trying to reach out to them now I I I know that some of you may be saying as I was speaking earlier with with Vincent and and he's like.

But but.

You know, I don't know Muslim communities in my area in the Deep South, you know where they all say y 'all Actually down there. They say all y 'all right? So but the reality is We need to look for areas that we can reach out in whichever way we can maybe there's not Muslims in your neighborhood.

Maybe there's not a mosque in your neighborhood but maybe Excuse me. Maybe there may not be that mosque. But the question is is there? Something you could do to reach out to Muslims. Do you have a computer?

Are you are you online? Do you have the means of getting on and using YouTube using podcasts to target to Muslims to try to reach out to Muslims and Communicate the truth to them. Simple question. We could use the technology and sit in the luxury of our own homes and still communicate Messages by making it directed toward some of these Muslims.

Because the reality is and maybe there's some Muslims who are listening to this maybe there's some Muslims who because Of the the title of this are gonna say well, you know what? Maybe I'm gonna listen to that.

Well, if you're listening and you're a Muslim. Let me communicate something to you because I took for granted them speaking to Christians and maybe some of you are saying no. No, no. No, what do you mean only within Christ?

We have forgiveness. You know, one of the things we have to understand is that it within Islam they would speak of God they would call him Allah. They would speak of Allah as being most merciful and What you end up seeing in that is that they're saying that Allah is most merciful, but here's the thing You have to have choose in every religion.

You have to choose between mercy or Justice. You can't have both. You see they're mutually exclusive if if Vincent here was to do something against me he he says something or does something that would be an offense to me and There's a proper punishment for it.

I Could do one of two things I could meet that meet out that punishment.

Or I.

Could forgive him. I could show mercy but I can't show both. You see Justice means that the punishment is going to be paid to the full extent mercy means. You're letting go of that punishment so you can't have both.

You could say Allah is most merciful, but you can't say he's then just and I know many Muslims say. But God is just but how within your system. Can you have mercy and justice if Allah is just giving it at his own at his own whim?

Really? I mean you can't know how Allah will show this mercy. But you see in Christianity one of the unique things that separates Christianity from all other religions what makes it unique is that mercy and Justice are resolved at the cross.

You see the full punishment of Sin of violating God's law was paid. There wasn't an ounce of it not paid. It is fully meted out at the cross. Christ paid the fine and he took the full weight of sin. The full punishment of a fine upon himself and because that is now paid now He paid it himself.

God himself paid it now He can offer mercy and that's the only way you can have both grace or sorry both mercy and justice. It's at the grace of Christ what he did on the cross as a payment of sin that's where great where we have mercy and justice married together.

And that's the only way you can have that that is the only way you can have the forgiveness of sin. This is the message we need to communicate to Muslims who don't understand this now Muslims are taught and because part of being a Muslim is to submit you are not to question the Quran.

And yet the question the Quran should be questioned because the Quran teaches things That are impossible. To have been written from God if the author of the Quran was God. Then why does he have a wrong view of Christianity teaching that the Trinity is the father the mother and the son?

Nowhere do Christians ever teach that Mary is God and yet surah chapter 5 states that Where Allah is speaking and says Mary did I did I call Jesus and Mary to be God? That's not what the Trinity is it describes the Trinity in surah 5 for surah 6.

It is it describes the Trinity as three gods. Well, that's not what the Trinity is. And So this is what thing that many Muslims don't understand we as Christians need to reach out to them. Don't be afraid of them.

What is the worst that a Muslim is going to do to you? Kill you. What is it that Christ said what does it mean? I think it's in Matthew. I'm Looking up my largus. But what does it say? What's the worst that a man could do to take your body?

So what as Christians this is not what we live for. If they keep your body guess what you immediately are in the presence of God. This is the argument that Paul makes in Philippians where he's a he's knows that he could lose his head.

He's in prison. He would he's saying it's better to die because he'll be with Christ. He prefers that that may seem strange to many Christians because for many Christians They are living not for the eternal state.

They're living for here and now you know, this is why we name the ministry striving for eternity and The reason is is because we want people to strive to be living for something beyond this earth. Not for the temporal things that we might be able to get out of earth and and and look for temporal things.

Temporal pleasures and no we should be striving for that which is eternal living in a way that we are seeking the face of our Lord and Savior and I think that many American Christians get very mixed up when it comes to the issue of this immigration of Muslims.

I Was one of them, but I'm church. I've changed my view. I've changed my view because I believe that as Christians We should be reaching out to them. We should see this as an opportunity for where they come to us so that they could hear the gospel.

You know, one of the reasons I go to New York to evangelize is because literally I can evangelize the world in one city almost every country in the world is represented in New York and comes through New York and visits New York and so I love to go to New York because There's people who can come to us to hear the gospel and then they go back To their own country, hopefully with the good news of Jesus Christ, I hope that that's what they're gonna bring to their country.

But if we're keeping silent because we're afraid what they may say we're afraid what they may do they may. They may harm us. They can't harm us.

Why?

Because we live for eternity before the face of Christ and. So the thing is is what's gonna be our mindset. We have to choose. What we're gonna live for. Are we gonna live for Christ? Are we gonna live for America?

That's a decision that I think every American Christian should make must make. And the reality is. In America right now many of us Christians. I mean solid believers we are complaining about the Joel Steens and all these the Stephen Furtick's and all these kind of guys that are just making a shambles of Christianity and.

And doing things in the name of Christ. The reality is it's time for us to stand up and say let them do what they want to do. They're they're doing this in the name of Christ. Let's stand up and preach the truth.

Let's reach out to a lost world. Stop focusing on what all these ridiculous people are doing.

Now I.

I'm saying this but I have been I agree with my friend Justin Peters when he said Islam is not a threat to the church. Okay, this Stephen Furtick's a threat to the church. Why. Because he's doing it in the name of Christ.

Everyone knows that what Islam does is not in the name of Christ. So. That's there is that difference but the reality is I think many of us are afraid. We are we're afraid of what the Muslim may do. And so we come back from this break.

I'm gonna bring in John and Vincent. I want to dialogue and and discuss. This is something we need to think about as Christians. What's gonna be our view toward Muslim refugees? So we'll discuss that right after this break.

Biblical Interpretation, Sovereignty, and Immigration

The good news is striving for eternity. Would love to come to your church to spend two days with your folks. Teaching them biblical hermeneutics. That's right. The art and science of interpreting scripture.

The bad news is somebody attending might be really upset to discover Jeremiah 29 11 should not be their life first. To learn more go to striving for eternity org to host a Bible interpretation made easy seminar in your area.

Would you consider donating to striving for eternity? This ministry is one that tries to reach out to some of those smaller churches that most people most speakers want to avoid but by our monthly donors.

It allows us to get into smaller churches and provide for them the seminars and conferences that usually only larger churches can do. We can do that because we have monthly supporters who on a regular basis Support us so we could support others.

Would you consider being one of our monthly supporters today? You can go to striving for eternity dot o RG slash donate and Set up for a monthly donation today. Your donation helps us to be able to spread the gospel around the world to be able to disciple others and to provide Resources for churches and people who are struggling to grow deeper in God's Word.

Consider donating today at striving for eternity dot org slash donate and we thank you very much for your consideration. And we do we do appreciate every gift that we get. It is a way that we are able to do some of the things.

We do.

And like I said there, you know We we try to help the smaller churches and not many ministries are looking to do that looking to reach out to small churches that don't have the money and don't have the The the big platform.

So if you could help us in that way, that is greatly appreciated. So Vincent and John are here with me. I want to dialogue with them and ask. I mean, so so we talked beforehand about this. What do you what do you guys think?

What do you think? My position is totally off. Not at all. Can I?

All right. So hey everyone. I'm Vincent. Loss on so first I want to.

Just.

Give y 'all with what all y 'all means. So all y 'all means a specific group of all a subset of all so just just for those Not privy to what we mean in the South when we say all y 'all.

That's the deep.

Anyway, but and also being in a deep South I do want to you know from my perspective I really fear and see a lot of that People conflating the American dream with the good news because You know God bless America red white and blue.

You can you have the American dream? That's that's the good news, you know not so much. Christ I'm for your sins and We need a savior but.

Feedback for someone. Yeah, and yet you're in the Bible Belt where everyone goes church.

Everybody go if you don't go to your more you're looked at weird if you don't go to church here. So and like I said, yeah, we Don't. I mean we have some Christian cults here like the Seventh-day Adventist and the Jehovah's Witnesses.

But I really I don't know one mosque anywhere close to where I am at least and I'm in I'm in South, Mississippi. There may be but they definitely don't make any noise for sure if they if there is any.

They're very quiet like and I think that's part of their strategy. I know people fear the Muslim community, especially once they get a majority, but my issue with that is How much faith are you putting in the power of the gospel?

I mean, why what are you worried about it? Does not the gospel itself have power to convict and convert anyone? So that's kind of my issue when people are getting afraid of this, so are you scared to.

That the gospel isn't going to work on these people.

You know, that's just my observations. Are we scared to are we scared to share the gospel with gangbangers? I mean You know, I'll actually I'll tell you this Folks go do a search For Kirk Cameron, I think it's just search for on YouTube Kirk Cameron gangbangers.

Sure, it'll come up but you'll see Kirk Cameron sharing the gospel with a bunch of gangbangers now first off. He had a hidden microphone, which may not be the smartest thing to do. You know like you they might think you're you're you know undercover, you know swatters, yeah, but You know Kurt had told me that if you watch that video You're gonna see one guy that gets in his face and that guy made him nervous.

He actually said he got scared. He was scared sharing the gospel with those guys. But he continued doing it and he thought that this one guy in front of him was a guy that he was talking to that Seemed the most receptive and and he said he pressed on for that guy and yet you know what?

Five years later that guy that got in his face that made him nervous and he got scared friend of mine Scotty saw him out holding a pro-life sign and Realized it was the same guy went up and talked to him and found out that guy who got in Kirk's face.

Got saved. That guy who made Kirk nervous and was afraid Got saved and now proclaims the gospel. We need to overcome our fear. Be bold. I really think comes down to perspectives Vincent. I think it comes down to what it was it we're living for.

You agree? Oh, yeah.

I mean, what is it if you gained a whole world, but. Yeah, you could gain everything in this earth. If you're not it just ends if you're not saved. So, I mean we try to have an eternal perspective at least in our group, you know.

Yeah, you could gay you could be a million billionaire. It doesn't matter. You're still gonna die and it's been eternity and hell if you don't have Jesus, so.

What's really important? Let's look at let's look at our president, right? We got President Trump. He's he's got billions, right? I mean, he's got he. Why would he want to become president? Why what would he.

What does he gain from this? Right? You know, he's an older man the last few years of life. He wants to be able to say he was president. Is it is it for stat? You know, his argument is he's doing it because he wants to make America great again.

But He's got all that money, right? He's not doing it for the money. But is making America great again the big issue.

But I'd ask what is the standard of America being great really? Yeah, and. But by whose perspective, you know.

I think making great America great again would be where the gospel is Going across the land.

So much so that yeah, you know.

I mean look when this country was founded and all these people that want to say that this wasn't a Christian nation. Okay, it wasn't. It wasn't a Christian nation. It was based on Christian values and.

One of the things I think when I look at this I look at this and say, okay. This country was so influenced by Christians Christian men and women that men like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson who were not Christians.

They were deists but listen to their speeches. You'd think they're Christians. Because the nation was so influenced with Christianity that they they had to sound like Christians to stay in politics.

And.

That would be great to see. I mean America like sending missionaries around the world again, that would be great to see.

So so my issue with America today. Did you see the Tony Miano ruling where?

Recently, no, I Have not heard. I mean I recently was sent something about this.

He was rule. He can't preach outside of a abortion clinic or be sent to jail. I mean they he was just reading the Bible and they are now this judge is Throwing a book at him. He's got like a jail sentence.

That's been a whatever you stayed. But if he's caught preaching the gospel or reading a Bible outside of a abortion clinic, he's going straight to jail.

Yeah, my understanding is he's if he is outside of a Planned Parenthood. He will spend 30 days in jail like he was sentenced to 30 days in prison. But it's like Community or like yeah, actually have to do it unless he breaks some one of these rules.

Which is being outside of a Planned Parenthood.

That's the way America's gone. This is making America great again.

Yeah, and you know and and this is the thing look we could we could look at abortion. Hate it wish it was illegal, you know, and as it's the argument I make, you know. It's the argument that I made to Matt Dillahunty when he and I were talking and he said that you know I I was asking him why he's he's so against, you know, Christianity and makes this, you know does everything he does.

It's like well you Christians supposedly force our beliefs on everybody and this is a you know. They have their atheists are trying to overturn, you know, the Christian Government that we have and and I'm like really we force our beliefs on people then explain abortion.

How is abortion legal if this is a if if Christians have such power? You know, but for a lot of Christians they focus on the abortion. They focus on You know same-sex marriages and all the stuff that's going on with the LGTB and and it's wrong.

Don't you know, don't mistake me. It's wrong. It you know that that lifestyle is sinful fine. But is that the goal that the Christian should be doing is to overturn? Your Roe vs. Wade or overturn? Same-sex marriage.

Or is our our mission to be sharing the gospel with people? So that They would they would vote differently, right? I mean they're going to behave differently. It's the Gospels the solution.

It's the gospel that transforms not Deistic moralism that we try to force on people. But yes, it's the gospel that will change hearts.

Let me ask you Vincent. You're you're down in the deep south in the Bible Belt. Everyone goes to church there. Yep, everyone a Christian down in the Bible Belt.

I would say everyone thinks they're Christian in the Bible Belt, but no, I don't think everyone is. They are they are cultural Christians, but they're not born-again true Christians, I would say.

Moralism on them. Isn't that the worst thing we could do because now they're not looking for a Savior.

They actually think they're they're good to go. I mean anyway, I go to church up. You know up meet all the requirements I do my time I'm good and.

And see this is the thing that I don't want to just teach moralism I don't want to just have us trying to get a moral America. I'd like to see a saved America and I think that as Christians, that's what we as Christians should be seeking.

Not just morality not just a better government not just better economy or Capitalism or whatever the thing, you know. We should be about the business of seeing Christ save souls and in order to do that He says how are they gonna hear without someone?

Preaching we need to go out and open our mouths and share with people. It doesn't mean you have to stand on a street corner. But there's different ways of doing it I mean You know John Vincent you guys have that your Council of Google plus that you guys do on a regular basis you open it up your Google Hangouts and your discord to people to come in and have discussions.

You guys are Constantly sharing the gospel of people that don't believe the gospel. You use technology, right?

It's the best way at least the most efficient way that we can I mean we do in live real life when we can but Honestly, we do reach a lot of people that we would not normally through our digital medium.

So I mean the Lord has blessed us with this medium to use and so we're gonna proclaim the truth the gospel every chance we can with every People group we come in contact with. So I do I do want to praise God for that.

But yeah, whether we do we do I talk to people in real life a lot. Yet has afforded us an opportunity to reach groups that we normally wouldn't and and groups around the world.

I mean, I remember there was a guy who was coming in to the when Matt and I would do the slick answers. It's a guy from Australia. He was a nurse. He would come in on an almost regular basis and he was reading good Christian apologetics.

He was an agnostic, but he was searching. He was looking he was studying and he'd asked good questions. It was great having him. He's in Australia. I mean you and I probably wouldn't get the opportunity to sit and talk with him if it wasn't for the technology.

Right, right, correct. We speak to people in Australia, India South America around the world literally from.

The the technology in our own home sitting in our own living room right now.

Which and your living room is very far away about as far away as you can get from me in this country. Right. I mean you're on the opposite coast you know and so I.

Mean.

John you're in a more liberal area. Okay, like like me.