Will You Be Willing to Pay the Price of Discipleship? Neil Anderson's Warning

Neil Anderson, PhD, has been one of the most influential voices in North American Christianity for the past thirty years. Through the millions of books, he has sold, he has influenced many people. Not to mention Jesus leadership by Freedom in Jesus Christ Ministries, that he founded, and his influence as a professor at Talbot Theological Seminary.

The following is a summary of our discussion in the form of a Q&A:

Bobby Harrington: Why is the theme of this year's Forum, "The Cost of Discipleship," so important?

Neil Anderson: In case you haven't noticed, the "progressives" have already "woken up," transforming American culture, while many churches slept. The march to Marxism is fueled by "big tech," which is promoted by liberal universities, backed by the media, and currently under the control of the Executive and Legislative branches of government.

BH: What about this current culture concerns you the most?

NA: While I have always loved and served my country, my primary concern is for the church, which is my first love and for which I serve in ministry. Perhaps God was thinking of times like these when he prompted Paul to write, "Do this, knowing the time, that it’s already the moment for you to arise from your sleep; because now deliverance is nearer to us than when we believed" (Rom. 13:11).

BH: Can you tell me why you're worried about the church?

NA: What is going on in our country is sickening, but my main concern is for the "church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15). We’re the salt of this earth, according to Jesus, but when it loses its flavor, “it’s not anymore good for anything, apart from being cast out and compressed underfoot by men” (Matt. 5:13). Here's an example of what piqued my interest. I just heard of a local preacher who gave in to a peer pressure and accepted same-gender weddings, as well as the LGBTQ movement.

In a couple of months, the church went from 1200 to 150 members. He quit the church and now travels the country spreading his knowledge. The devil will bilk you for a mile if you give him the inch. “Until heaven and earth pass away, not a single letter or stroke of the Law shall vanish from the Law until everything is accomplished,” Jesus declared. In the kingdom of heaven, whomever, then annuls one of the least of these commandments and instructs others to do the same will be considered the least” (Matt. 5:18, 19). Don't compromise who you are or what you believe if you don't want to be the least in God's kingdom.

BH: What role does discipleship play in today's world?

NA: The church will be smaller after the epidemic, but those churches that wake up to who they are in Christ will be greater custodians of the faith. They'll have to pay a price for discipleship as well. We will be labeled racists, bigots, hypocrites, and haters if we stick to our guns. We are unable to respond in kind, but we must speak up. We Will Not Be Silenced, Erwin Lutzer's most recent book, come highly recommended.

BH: Do you believe bravery is particularly essential at this time?

NA: Edmund Burke once remarked, "All that is required for evil to win is for good men to do nothing." What will it take to stop us? Every Christian's character is put to the test. Nothing or no one can stop us from being the individuals God designed us to be, because that is God's plan for our life. We shall be persecuted, but we have been called to this.