European Leadership Forum 8

The final evening meeting was a summing up of our desire to see the Gospel explode across Europe, and a sending out of the conference participants to proclaim the gospel. It was good to see a fellow Welshman giving the word, as Lindsay Brown, former General Secretary of IFES was the one chosen to speak to us. He gave a clear, powerful challenge as we face not only the pluralism of our age, but also probably increased opposition and even persecution. (One of those at the conference had nearly been imprisoned in Greece six months earlier accused of trying to proselytise someone from an Orthodox background.) He took us to the first letter of Peter and gave us a general overview in the light of our calling to be witnesses. His five point sermon was enriched as usual with stories of Christians from around the world, but this was not just a catalogue of inspiring stories. It was a direct challenge to take the gospel to others.

1) Our witness issues from our identity in Christ:
(a) We have a trans-cultural identity (1 Peter 1:1, 2:9,10) shown clearly in the make up of this conference.
(b) Our identity is tied up in our being a chosen people (1 Peter 1:2,12; 2:9)
(c) Our identity is inextricably bound in our common experience of God’s grace and wonder (1 Peter 1:10,13; 5:10)
(d) Our identity is found in knowing the living hope of the Gospel (1 Peter 1:3 – 5)
2) Our witness is sharpened by our response to adversity (1 Peter 1:7; 4:12 – 16). We do not suffer from the hopelessness of unbelief or the resignation of Stoicism when we face pain and loss.
3) Our witness is sharpened by a godly lifestyle (1 Peter 1:13 – 17; 2:11) When the Roman world suffered epidemics in the second and third century, the Christians cared for and loved those who fell ill, and many of them died, but the impact was a great influx of people to the church as they witnessed such love. In Albania, when there was a shortage of blood in the hospitals, it was the evangelical Christians who queued up to answer the need, so much so that one of the government ministers publicly thanked them for it.
4) Our witness is galvanised by conviction of the truth claim of the Gospel (1 Peter 3:15) In Algeria last year one pastor had baptised 1,500 believers. When the police took hold him to tell him that they were going to imprison all the Christians, he challenged them – You do not have enough prisons to hold us all – the Gospel is true, and we will see many people turn to Christ.
5) The heart of our witness is Christ. 1 Peter 1:8,19; 2:24; 3:18)

The meeting was both a blessing and a real challenge. It was not overly charged with emotion as the last night of a conference can often become. However the sound of people from over 42 nations raising up their voices in unison to praise the eternal God was an uplifting and encouraging experience.

I will leave the final summing up of the conference until tomorrow, when I will have had a good night's sleep in my own bed.