Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 9
He uses Joshua’s question “Are you for us?” and the angel’s answer “Nay…captain of the host of the Lord” to critique today’s “Which side are you on?” pressure (MacArthur vs. Claiborne, Trump vs. Biden); what would it concretely look like for a church to live as though it belongs to a different kingdom when both political camps insist “any self-respecting Christian” must join them?
Another way to ask: If the church belongs to God’s kingdom, not any political side, what would that look like in real life when everyone demands you pick a camp? How could a church resist the pressure to say “we’re with MacArthur/Claiborne” or “we’re with Trump/Biden”?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Concretely, it would mean refusing to treat either party as the church’s identity, and instead publicly aligning with Jesus’ kingdom—praying for rulers, teaching Jesus’ ways, and resisting loyalty tests that redefine “real Christian” as “my voter.” The speaker’s thrust is that the church must answer “Nay” to partisan captivity and say, “We want to be for Jesus.”
- He highlights the recurring demand: “Whose side are you on?” and connects it to today.
- He quotes Joshua’s encounter: “Are thou for us or for our adversaries?” and the response: “Nay…captain of the host of the Lord.”
- He applies it: “That’s who we want to be for. We want to be for Jesus.”
- He critiques both sides: leaders saying “any real Christian” must vote Trump, while others support Biden—showing partisan moral pressure in both directions.
- He insists “the cistern is broken” and says, “It’s time to let Jesus be president once again,” meaning Jesus’ authority must displace political saviorism.
- He models a kingdom posture by quoting 1 Timothy 2 and praying for leaders rather than campaigning for them.