The Radius Conference Sessions

When we hear of thousands of people being converted and hundreds of churches being planted in remarkably short periods of time, what are we to think? Does the Spirit work differently overseas than He does in our country? Should we be employing faster, more efficient methods to see converts made and churches planted? This session will speak to the tried and true—the ordinary means of grace laid down in scripture versus the new and modern that is so popular in missions today.

There are many false gospels, but only one true Biblical gospel. In missions the propagation of false gospels usually has little to do with the sincerity or the heart of the gospel messenger, and everything to do with outcomes sought. This session will speak to the true gospel and how to protect and cherish it across time and culture.

In recent days the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement (PSA) has fallen on hard times. This supposed “Western” doctrine is often spoken of as “one option” when communicating the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The language of honor/shame is seen as more culturally relevant for non-western cultures. This session will point out the error of deviating from PSA, and while honor/shame can be helpful, it remains the handmaiden to the doctrine that Scripture sets forth for all cultures and at all times.

The gospel is not “Western” nor is it rooted in any particular culture, time, or people group. For centuries, the people of God have understood that those who are hidden in Christ come from every nation, tribe, people and language. This session will speak to the supracultural nature of the gospel regardless of tongue and culture, and the “sheep from other sheep pens” that the Master still calls His own.

The story of the church advancing across culture, geography, and time is the story of missions. What do the previous generations teach us and how does modern missiology stack up to what we see historically? This session will walk through encouragements and dangers in modern missions and how churches can be faithful to the Great Commission in this day and age.

Missionaries today not only need to know the gospel message, but also, just as importantly, how to communicate that message across language and culture to those still in darkness. This will be a session that will look at those two challenges and how churches can help prepare their sent ones for the task of missions among unreached language groups.

The Apostle Paul spoke of his driving ambition to “preach the gospel where Christ had not been named.” When Paul spoke these words, he saw them in line with Isaiah 52:15—the coming of the suffering servant, and His atoning work for the “nations.” This session will press toward that atoning work of Christ and the church’s work of proclaiming that atonement to the ends of the earth.

What type of mindset and consecration will it take to bring the gospel to the last remaining language groups? We will look briefly at what King David understood about sacrifice, how Paul lived and demonstrated to the Corinthians what it is to be a follower of Christ, and, lastly, what Jesus spoke of as the immutable standard for those who bear His name. The easy places have been reached, it’s the hard ones that remain. Unless consecration is clearly in our minds, the modern-day gospel workers will be ill-equipped for the challenges that lie ahead.