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May 2026Christ is a conquering King. Christus vincit — Christ is conquering. But Christianity often finds itself at odds with the laws and policies of our nation in our day because we live in a post-Christian world.
The laws and policies of America often stand in complete opposition to the law and Word of God. For examples, the Bible says “If anyone does not work, neither shall he eat” — so this government creates a society where you don’t have to work and you still get to eat.
God’s Word says marriage is between a man and a woman only — so this government declares marriage between a man and a man or woman and woman to be legitimate. God’s law says, “You shall not murder” — so this government says you can murder your own sons and daughters. God’s law says, “You shall not commit adultery” — so this government says adultery is no crime at all. God’s law says homosex is a capital crime — so this government celebrates and funds the perversion.
And so, when we come with Christ’s law and Word, we come as insurgents. We bring the government of another King — the King of kings. Christ our Lord. We bring His law and Word. We bring law and Word that confronts and contravenes the lawlessness of their law and policy.
I call this Insurgent Christianity because it confronts and contravenes the current civil and political authority.
When we, as Christians, arrive on the scene, we counter the laws and policies that contradict or impugn our Lord and Savior’s law and Word. Battlefields ensue.
We are not indifferent to the evils and idols and tyrants of our nation or of a nation. Our lives and our words confront them.
We work so we can eat. We marry the opposite sex. We do not murder our sons or daughters — or anyone. We do not commit adultery against our spouse. We find homosex repugnant and filthy. We start businesses so we don’t have to give the government the first fruits of our increase. And we are not silent when we see evil in the land. We call men to repentance and point them to Christ. We confront the evils and idols and tyrants of our nation, and call the governments of men to reform.
We are trying to restore order to men and the governments of men. It is our civil government here in America that is in rebellion to God; who have abused their authority; who have decided to play the tyrant — and need to be called to account and to reform.
As Christians, we bring a whole new ethic to the nations which transforms nations. And this insurgent Christianity turned the whole world upside down. It was the testimony of Christianity from near the very beginning.
In Acts 17, wicked men and the masses referred to the Christians as those who have turned the whole world upside down. The whole world upside down! That is because God’s law and Word speak to every area of our life and every area of life! Every square inch on this entire planet is to be affected by Christ’s rule — and we must point men to His rule.
Look at the book of Acts. Christianity is insurgent. Look at the writings of the early churchmen — insurgent. Look at the missionaries — insurgent. Christ’s kingdom invades the kingdoms of men.
Look at Columba for example, missionary to the Picts. He hazarded his own life by confronting the Druid horde. He confronted every inch of the law and policy of the Scots and Picts — the idols, the evils, the tyrants. He proclaimed and practiced insurgent Christianity.
Or what about those a little closer to our time? How about John and Alice Harris who were missionaries to the Congo just a little over a hundred years ago?
They were English missionaries who went to the Congo in the early 1900s and encountered a great evil when they arrived. Rich businessmen and colonialists used forced labor to extract rubber from the jungles of Congo, and villagers who resisted were castrated, burned, or had limbs cut off.
The Harrises took photos of this injustice. They then traveled throughout the United States and Britain disseminating photos and giving lectures detailing the abuses. They also engaged the magistrates to take action against this evil. They are credited with bringing an end to this wickedness in Congo as laws were made to criminalize such cruelty.
Whether long ago — or not too long ago — the history of missionaries is one in which they confronted the great evils they encountered in the lands they brought the Gospel. They engaged the magistrates to do their God-given duty and outlaw evil and wickedness.
This is insurgent Christianity. Christianity is insurgent. I call it “insurgent Christianity” in opposition to “Moose Club Christianity.” People love to belong to clubs and groups. Yet most do not know why they exist. Odd Fellows, Loyal Order of Moose, Lions Club — most all people don’t know what they do or why they exist. And THAT is exactly how the Church in America is. Most outside the church do not know why it exists. A bunch of people with some common beliefs or activities — but for the most part, just like to hang out together. And that is what churches have become — like clubs or lodges.
Many are bored with their Christianity because it is moose club-ish. These are those who have never gotten the smell of battle in their nostrils; who have never applied their Christianity to all areas of life.
Young men — you must desire to bring Christian thought to men. This must burn in your heart — to do so must burn in your heart. Each generation must do this. You must do this!
If you would like to hear a sermon on Insurgent Christianity by Pastor Matt, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBtaA87m4CQ&t=75s
Matt Trewhella is pastor of Mercy Seat Christian Church (MercySeat.net); founder of Missionaries to the Preborn (MissionariesToThePreborn.com); and author of a book on the lesser magistrate doctrine (DefyTyrants.com). He and his wife, Clara, have eleven children and 40 grandchildren including two great-grandchildren. They reside in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. To hear sermons by Pastor Trewhella, go to the Mercy Seat Christian Church channel at YouTube.com.
