What if the gospel isn't just about personal forgiveness—but about the defeat of the powers and the reclaiming of the nations?

In this episode, we take a step back from familiar church language and rediscover the gospel within the larger story of Scripture. From Pentecost and the Great Commission to the defeat of the rulers and powers, the New Testament reveals that Jesus' death and resurrection were not only about personal forgiveness, but about reclaiming the nations and restoring God's human family.

We explore the biblical distinction between salvation and discipleship, what it means to belong to God's kingdom in an "already—but not yet" world, and why the resurrection marked the beginning of the end for the spiritual forces that once held the nations in darkness.

If the gospel is not about what we do for God, but about what Christ has done for us—then what does belief really mean? And how does faith differ from loyalty?

This episode unpacks the content of the gospel, why salvation is by faith alone, and how the kingdom of God is expanding—even now—as people are delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God's beloved Son.

The war has been decided.
Next, we learn how to walk in the victory.

After Eden, the flood, Babel, Abraham, Sinai, kings, and exile… the story reaches its turning point.

God didn't abandon His plan for a human family. He didn't surrender the nations to darkness. And He didn't scrap creation when rebellion kept repeating itself.

Instead, He stepped in.

In this episode, we trace the arc from Israel's failure to the Incarnation—why God chose to become a man, how the crucifixion blindsided the powers of darkness, and what Paul meant when he said that if the rulers of this age had understood what was happening, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

We also look at Pentecost through a different lens. Those 3,000 believers weren't just converts—they were God's first wave of reclaiming the nations. Scattered among the Gentile world, they became embedded witnesses in territory long held by other gods.

The Great Commission wasn't a church program.

It was a cosmic invasion.

And it's still unfolding.

The story isn't over—and neither is your part in it.

Scriptures referenced include: Genesis 6; Deuteronomy 32:8–9; Psalm 82; Exodus 19; 1 Corinthians 2:8; Ephesians 2:7; Ephesians 3:10; Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 2.

This series follows the broad theological framework popularized by Dr. Michael Heiser in What Does God Want? and Supernatural. For listeners who want to explore these themes more deeply, those books are an excellent place to start.

What Does God Want? (Part Two): Rebellion, Rescue, and God's Unfinished Family

In part two of What Does God Want?, we move deeper into the biblical story to explore why evil accelerated so dramatically after Eden—and why God's response was not abandonment, but rescue.

This episode examines the two additional rebellions described in Scripture: the transgression of the sons of God in Genesis 6 and the rebellion of the nations at the Tower of Babel. Together, these events explain why corruption spread beyond individual sin and why God intervened in such decisive ways, including the flood.

We'll look closely at Noah, the meaning of righteousness in a corrupted world, and God's covenant to preserve humanity. From there, the story moves through Babel, the division of the nations, and God's decision to begin again with one man—Abraham—through whom He would rebuild a human family by promise, not performance.

This episode also traces God's faithfulness through Israel's rescue from Egypt, the giving of the law at Sinai, and the crucial distinction between belief, loyalty, and obedience. Throughout it all, one truth remains constant: when humanity falters, God does not abandon His plan—He advances it.

Genesis:
Genesis 6; 9:8–17; 11:1–9; 12:1–9; 15; 17; 18:1–15; 21:1–7; 32:28; 45:5–11

Exodus:
Exodus 1–3; 7–12; 19:5–6; 23:20–23

Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 7:7–8; 32

Judges:
Judges 2:1

Psalms:
Psalm 82

Isaiah:
Isaiah 44:1

New Testament:
Romans 4:1–12; Galatians 3; 2 Peter 2; Jude 6