Welcome to The Christian Experiment…
According to Wikipedia, “An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried.”
Experiments come in different shapes and forms. For example, we have a scientific experiment, a social experiment, and a thought experiment.
In addition to these experiments, I want to introduce The Christian Experiment.
This experiment is in relation to anyone who claims the name of Christ, whether as an individual, church, ministry, organization, or media outlet.
The hypothesis is as follows: when a Christian has an opportunity to help his brothers and sisters in Christ – without any cost or effort on his part – he will gladly do so, which is grounded in his love to the Father because they are His children.
By the way, I don’t expect a 100% success rate.
Not. At. All!
As such, this experiment wants to discover what kind of reasons Christians, churches, ministries, Christian organizations, and Christian media outlets will present in favor of not helping other Christians when one has a free, simple, and easy opportunity to do so.
And…
Will those reasons be able to outweigh God’s word?
Obviously, a non-response to this experiment is also a response.
One Simple Question
The Christian Experiment is about one simple question:
If you could easily and freely help your brothers and sisters in Christ, would you do so?
It’s in relation to the following Bible verse: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).
When Paul wrote these “opportunity words,” little did he know that we would have unprecedented opportunities through our social media, to share that which is good and that which will “do good.”
Furthermore, John wrote: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” (1 John 3:16-17).
What if we were to substitute “the world’s goods” with “social media influence”?
“But if anyone has social media influence and sees his brother in need…”
Without question, your social media influence can make a significant difference for your brothers and sisters in Christ, including those who live in one of the fifty-two countries where God’s word is banned and don’t have a Bible.
In other words…
Are you willing to use your God-given influence for the distribution of His word to your persecuted brothers and sisters?
It doesn’t cost you anything!
Two Confronting Illustrations
Since we live in “our version” of Christianity, it’s often helpful to consider how some Christians in the New Testament expressed their desire to help other Christians.
For example, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-4, Paul used the Macedonian believers as an example for the Corinthian believers. We read:
We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.”
These Macedonian believers begged Paul earnestly “for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.”
Even though they were severely afflicted and extremely poor themselves, they wanted to help their poverty-stricken brothers and sisters in Jerusalem and Judea.
Paul exhorted the Corinthian believers to pursue the same mindset: “See that you excel in this act of grace also” (2 Cor. 8:7).
Secondly, in Hebrews 10:32-34, we read:
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.”
These believers wanted to partner with and show compassion to their imprisoned brothers and sisters.
Such partnership and compassion came at great personal cost, though, to say the least.
Yet, they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property.
What about You?
In light of these Macedonian and Hebrew believers, is it too much to ask you to share a Bible fundraiser for your persecuted brothers and sisters on your social media, which doesn’t cost you anything?
Nothing at all!
Will you be willing or unwilling to do so, especially since your share has the potential to help distribute God’s word to Jesus’ persecuted brothers and sisters?
Is such potential worth it to you?
That is what The Christian Experiment is all about.
Here’s the main link you can share: www.HelpThePersecutedChurch.com
Ultimately, though, you have to ask yourself: what does God have to say about helping or not helping His children, especially when it’s without any cost or effort on your part.
What He has to say should be the main issue, right?
The 1% Potential
Since I don’t want The Christian Experiment to be mostly theoretical, I want to highlight the INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL that the following Christians and ministries have to help distribute Bibles to their persecuted brothers and sisters, which is without any cost or effort on their part.
Zero cost and zero effort to help distribute God’s word to Jesus’ persecuted brothers and sisters.
While I don’t want to necessarily put them on the spot, I do want to stress the incredible potential they have to easily and freely help their brothers and sisters in Christ.
For example, if they were to share this Bible fundraiser and 1% of their social media followers were to participate, they would distribute the following number of Bibles (listed in alphabetical order).
Allen Parr – 4,100 Bibles
Aaron Tabor – 103,333 Bibles
Casting Crowns – 20,333 Bibles
CeCe Winans – 9,666 Bibles
Chris Tomlin – 12,333 Bibles
David Jeremiah – 5,666 Bibles
Desiring God – 3,666 Bibles
Don Moen – 32,000 Bibles
Donnie McClurkin – 7,333 Bibles
Focus on the Family – 9,333 Bibles
Franklin Graham – 33,333 Bibles
Jeremy Camp – 8,666 Bibles
John MacArthur – 2,180 Bibles
Kirk Cameron – 12,000 Bibles
Kirk Franklin – 15,000 Bibles
Ligonier Ministries – 1,323 Bibles
Louis Giglio – 1,296 Bibles
Michael Brown – 1,956 Bibles
Michael W. Smith – 9,333 Bibles
Nick Vujicic – 33,333 Bibles
Off The Kirb Ministries – 6,333 Bibles
Operation Blessing – 6,000 Bibles
Phil Robertson – 12,666 Bibles
Rick Warren – 26,333 Bibles
Sadie Robertson – 5,666 Bibles
Steven Curtis Chapman – 5,000 Bibles
Tim Tebow – 15,000 Bibles
TobyMac – 17,666 Bibles
Tony Evans – 5,333 Bibles
Willie Robertson – 10,000 Bibles
The total number: 436,180 Bibles
Even if one tenth of that number would be true (0.1% of their social media followers), are 43,618 Bibles not more than worth it?
In all seriousness, why would any Christian, church, ministry, Christian organization, or Christian media outlet not want to be such a blessing to one’s persecuted brothers and sisters, right?
I’m afraid, though, that…
Often, the secular world is far more eager to cooperate with others in order to make an extra buck than the Christian world is willing to cooperate with others in order to help one extra person or distribute one extra Bible.
A weighty illustration…
While The Christian Experiment is in relation to the distribution of Bibles, I want to use the following illustration in order to stress the weightiness of using or not using one’s God-given influence.
If 1% of their social media followers were to participate, they would be able to sponsor the following number of children for one year ($516 per child).
Keep in mind, this is without any cost or effort on their part.
Just using their God-given influence…
Allen Parr – 47 children
Aaron Tabor – 1,201 children
Casting Crowns – 236 children
CeCe Winans – 112 children
Chris Tomlin – 143 children
David Jeremiah – 65 children
Desiring God – 42 children
Don Moen – 372 children
Donnie McClurkin – 85 children
Focus on the Family – 108 children
Franklin Graham – 387 children
Jeremy Camp – 100 children
John MacArthur – 25 children
Kirk Cameron – 139 children
Kirk Franklin – 174 children
Ligonier Ministries – 15 children
Louis Giglio – 15 children
Michael Brown – 22 children
Michael W. Smith – 108 children
Nick Vujicic – 387 children
Off The Kirb Ministries – 73 children
Operation Blessing – 69 children
Phil Robertson – 147 children
Rick Warren – 306 children
Sadie Robertson – 65 children
Steven Curtis Chapman – 58 children
Tim Tebow – 174 children
TobyMac – 205 children
Tony Evans – 62 children
Willie Robertson – 116 children
The total number: 4,284 children
At the very core of The Christian Experiment is the following question…
Should they or should they not use their God-given influence to easily and freely help more people?
Needless to say, if you believe they should do so, the same applies to you, whatever the size of your social media influence.
The bottom line…
Undoubtedly, if these Christians had been born in one of the fifty-two countries where God’s word is banned and didn’t have their own Bible, they would’ve wanted Christians in the West to help create awareness for a Bible fundraiser for the persecuted church.
Will they do for other Christians what they would’ve wanted other Christians to do for them?
Furthermore, if over half of their social media followers would be upset for not wanting to help distribute Bibles – by simply creating awareness – the likelihood that they would then do so is very high (aka social pressure).
What about doing so on biblical grounds, though?
In case you’re not sure about what God has to say about helping or not helping His children, here are three free books that present an irrefutable case for helping your brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when you have a free, simple, and easy opportunity to do so.
Here’s the main question of The Christian Experiment: as someone who claims the name of Christ, whether as an individual, church, ministry, organization, or media outlet, should you or should you not use your God-given influence in order to help distribute Bibles to your persecuted brothers and sisters, especially since it’s without any cost or effort on your part?
I’m afraid what seems a no-brainer in theory is quite the opposite in practice.
A sobering reality…
In relation to Timothy, Paul wrote: “For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 2:20-21).
The “all” doesn’t refer to Christians in the pew; it refers to those in ministry, including those who are only concerned for their ministry.
Paul also wrote: “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (1 Cor. 10:24).
Whether you have a large or small social media following, can you come up with one biblical reason to not help your persecuted brothers and sisters when you have an opportunity to do so?
In other words: will you show genuine concern for your persecuted brothers and sisters, or will you only seek your own interests when it comes to your social media, including only seeking the interests of your ministry, even though you can easily and freely help your persecuted brothers and sisters?
Simply put: do you think that the distribution of Bibles to your persecuted brothers and sisters is part of the interests of Jesus Christ?
If so, will you then share the main link: www.HelpThePersecutedChurch.com
One final thought…
If any one of these Christians were the only one to witness a devastating car crash and refused to call 911 – as one was heading to a ministry event – the media and his social media followers would be all over him, for not using his influence to alert the proper authorities when he could’ve easily and freely done so.
What about not using your God-given influence for the distribution of God’s word to Jesus’ persecuted brothers and sisters, though?
Often, there are moral outcries when a famous Christian has had a moral indiscretion, including stepping down from ministry.
What about a moral outcry for refusing to use one’s influence to help distribute Bibles to one’s persecuted brothers and sisters, especially since it’s without any cost or effort on one’s part?
Indeed…
With much social media influence comes much responsibility and accountability.
It isn’t only what you’ve done for the good of others; it’s also what you could’ve done but didn’t do.
It’s praiseworthy when a firefighter rescues four children from a home that’s on fire. What if he could’ve easily rescued the fifth child also but didn’t make use of that opportunity.
Most likely, he would be reprimanded, put on leave, or even fired.
Should the moral code for firefighters be higher than for those in ministry?
Paul wrote about “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). What about making the best use of one’s available opportunities, because the need is great?
No, I’m not any better at all. In my desire to distribute Bibles to our persecuted brothers and sisters, though, it’s hard for me to reconcile the incredible potential and the excuses I’ve heard.
Even if your share would only help distribute one Bible, would that not be more than worth it to you?
In summary…
The Christian Experiment is about one simple question: if you could easily and freely help your brothers and sisters in Christ, would you do so?
Or…
Will you come up with reasons to not do so?
Can those reasons stand up against the plain teaching of God’s word, though?
Needless to say, you have two options:
- Yes! I want to use my influence for the distribution of His word.
- No! I don’t want to use my influence for the distribution of His word.
Which response do you think is the biblical response?
It’s one thing to share Bible verses, theological essays, doctrinal critiques, and inspirational quotes; it’s quite another thing to use your social media influence and help your brothers and sisters in Christ when you have a free, simple, and easy opportunity to do so.
To love God is to love His (persecuted) sons and daughters, right?
And…
If you’re reluctant to share a third-party Bible fundraiser, you can always become an affiliate, which is also a legitimate option for any nonprofit. In doing so, you can have your own “bookstore page,” listing the books of your choice.
And…
If you object to sharing classic Christian books as a means to distribute Bibles, will you then select a ministry that distributes Bibles to the persecuted church and make a donation for at least one Bible?
For those who would like to follow along as I conduct this experiment, just click your preferred option…
If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
In Christ Alone,
Mr. Jan Blonk
P.S. If you would like proof that 50% of each purchase goes to the distribution of God’s word, just contact me and I will provide that proof to you each month.
P.P.S. Click here for some of the reasons to not want to use one’s influence for the distribution of God’s word to Jesus’ persecuted brothers and sisters.