{"id":18858,"date":"2016-06-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-19T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/persecution-and-the-christian-part-2\/"},"modified":"2023-08-03T08:48:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T13:48:59","slug":"persecution-and-the-christian-part-2","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/persecution-and-the-christian-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Persecution and the Christian – Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[85],"series_event":[562],"sermon_service_type":[472],"speaker":[450],"class_list":["post-18858","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-matthew","series_event-topical-morris","sermon_service_type-main-service","speaker-gabe-morris","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"Persecution and the Christian - Part 2","sermon_date":"20160619","sermon_month":"06","sermon_year":"2016","sermon_notes":"","sermon_slides":6163,"sermon_mp3":3690,"sermon_id":"619161154340","series_or_event":562,"service_type":[472],"speaker":450,"books_of_the_bible":85,"chapter_and_verse":"5:10-12","sermon_transcript":"SUGAR LAND BIBLE CHURCH\r\n\r\nGabe Morris\r\n\r\nPersecution and the Christian, Part 2\r\n\r\nMatthew 5:10-12\r\n\r\n6-19-16\r\n\r\nGood morning. Happy Father\u2019s Day to all the dads out there; I hope you all are having a blessed day so far.\u00a0 The biblical role for the ministry of the father is such a tremendous call of God and a very under emphasized topic in our culture.\u00a0 You know the first command of God to the first parents were \u201cBe fruitful and multiply,\u201d that\u2019s a command I take literally.\u00a0 [Laughter]\u00a0 Some of you in internet land will get that later but\u2026 \u00a0\u00a0And throughout the Bible we discover that fatherhood is very dear to God\u2019s heart.\u00a0 He\u2019s, in fact, the ultimate Father, isn\u2019t He!\r\n\r\nCan we pray:\u00a0 Heavenly Father, we are in awe of\u00a0 your great love, your love is so great you sent your prized possession, your only Son to us and for us.\u00a0 We celebrate You, Father God, on this Father\u2019s Day along with all the fathers here and we thank\u00a0 You for being our example.\u00a0 We ask that as we approach your Holy Word we do so in humility and in reverence.\u00a0 Open our hearts and minds to Your Word that we may be changed to better serve you.\u00a0 Use me, Father, as You see fit.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name we pray\u2026 and God\u2019s people said Amen.\r\n\r\nCould we please turn to Matthew 5:10-12.\u00a0 Three Sunday\u2019s ago I shared a topical study with you on the Christian and Persecution.\u00a0 We brought it close to home and asked the question, are we ready as the American church, are we ready for persecution.\u00a0 Some beloved scholars believe that [can't understand word] wrote about Persecution coming to America, despite her uniqueness as a country legal persecution, religious persecution, ostracization, or discrimination, social and economic persecution, public expressions of Christianity stifled, some of which we are seeing today.\u00a0 We also looked at four characteristics of persecution.\u00a0 Some of you caught me but I looked back on my notes and it was actually four characteristics, not five, forgive me for that mistake.\r\n\r\nBut at any rate, by way of review those four characteristics of persecution found in the Bible were: number 1, persecution as a characteristic of this world.\u00a0 The unbelieving world is naturally opposed to God and His truth.\u00a0 Another characteristic is Satan is the arch persecutor of God\u2019s people and he has been since Genesis 3 where His seed and the seed of the woman would be perpetually at odds or at enmity.\u00a0 A third characteristic was agencies of persecution, and the four agencies we looked at were the world, earthly governments, religious authorities and other religions, and finally family and friends.\u00a0 And then the fourth characteristic of persecution is that believers or disciples should expect persecution.\u00a0 Jesus, in fact, forewarned His disciples that persecution was part of the package, was part of the deal. He said if you are going to follow Me, Christ said, you must consider the reality of persecution coming upon you to the point where you may give up your physical life.\u00a0 We see that in Matthew 16:24.\u00a0 [Matthew 16:24, \u201cThen Jesus said to His disciples, \u2018If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.\u2019\u201d]\r\n\r\nPaul, and other New Testament writers as well, they too warned their audience of persecution; that persecution may become a reality.\u00a0 Paul told his son in the faith, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 3:12, he said, \u201cIndeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.\u201d\u00a0 And so this morning I would like to continue in that vein; last time I mentioned that the primary goal of this message was to equip us as the body of Christ for the likelihood of persecution.\u00a0 And so this morning I would like to share four Christian attitudes and five responses towards persecution.\r\n\r\nSo to begin, what four attitudes must a disciple of Christ adopt in light of persecution.\u00a0 And since Paul\u2019s method was to think rightly, then act rightly, I wanted to kind of imitate that approach today:\u00a0 our attitude towards persecution and then our reaction to persecution, how we think about it and then how we act about it.\r\n\r\nWe learned last time that Jesus forewarned His disciples that persecution would be a reality once they decided to follow Him.\u00a0 Matthew 16:24-25 says this:\u00a0 \u201cThen Jesus said to His disciples, \u2018If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. [25] For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.\u201d\u00a0 Jesus here is warning again His disciples; this, in fact, is a section of what true discipleship looks like.\u00a0 We also know that before those words Jesus disclosed and predicted He would suffer many things from His adversaries and be killed by His adversaries.\u00a0 He was clearly introducing to the disciples the idea that the life of a disciple will be comprised of these things, namely persecution and sufferings, and possibly death.\u00a0 Beyond that, we discover His disciples, in fact, adopted this type of mindset because they taught it.\r\n\r\nPeter, in the book that bears his name, chapter 4:12 says this, \u201cBeloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.\u201d\u00a0 And so this brings us to our first of four attitudes towards persecution and that is we should accept and embrace it, accept and embrace persecution.\u00a0 Paul was explicitly saying that persecution should not be surprise as some strange thing.\r\n\r\nWe must, as the body of Christ, as the American church, wrap our minds around this idea, embrace this reality that there may be the possibility of suffering for Christ in this lifetime.\u00a0 We must embrace this idea.\u00a0 I would go so far as to say we should more and more entertain the idea of the thought of suffering, considering the times that we find ourselves in.\u00a0 I notice to some this may sound crazy but I think we should do that so when it does come, like Peter said, we would not be surprised by it.\u00a0 I tried this, I try to entertain the thought of persecution and I must say it wasn\u2019t easy as I prepared these lessons.\u00a0 I read the Scriptures, I read testimony after testimony, even watched videos of testimonies and stories of persecuted Christians, both men and women, from China, from North Korea, the Middle East, India, Africa.\u00a0 And then I tried to put my American feet in their shoes.\u00a0 It was troubling.\u00a0 With my American mindset and my creature comforts, sitting in my office chair, as they say in the safeties of my theological ivory tower, I had a hard time putting myself and my family in a situation like that.\u00a0 So many emotions, so much discomfort, so much pride, so much questions.\u00a0 What if this, or what if that?\u00a0 Why Lord, why would You allow something so bad to happen to Your church, Your people?\r\n\r\nBut do you remember Christ in the Upper Room, He said to His disciples in John 15:20, He said: \u201cRemember the word that I said to you,\u201d He wasn\u2019t asking them, this was a command,\u00a0 remember this \u201cword that I said you, Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. \u201cRemember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.\u201d\u00a0 Jesus was in essence saying you must embrace the reality of persecution, beloved.\r\n\r\nPaul embraced it; in fact he encouraged Timothy to embrace it as well.\u00a0 Remember in 2 Timothy 1:8 Paul said, \u201cTherefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.\u201d\u00a0 Have you ever wondered if Timothy did join in with Paul\u2019s suffering.\r\n\r\nAt the conclusion of the book of Hebrews Timothy is mentioned and is described as being released.\u00a0 Timothy was released, it could have been from prison, the Bible is not clear on that issue, but it\u2019s a safe guess that he was in prison, simply because Paul invited him to join in him in his suffering.\r\n\r\nAlso, church tradition reveals that Saint Timothy, around the year 97, he was about 80 years old, a bishop from Ephesus, attempted to halt a procession that was honoring the goddess of Diana and you know how he halted that procession?\u00a0 By preaching the gospel.\u00a0 Did not Paul charge Timothy, I charge you to preach the Word, in and out of season.\u00a0 [2 Timothy 4:2, \u201cpreach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.\u201d]\u00a0 Tradition also says that those angry pagans that he halted in enraged retaliation beat him and drug him through the streets and stoned him to death.\u00a0 He joined Paul in his suffering, he did!\r\n\r\nPlease turn to Matthew 5:10, it\u2019s only natural in our human minds, from our earthly perspective to perceive persecution as bad, horrific or evil.\u00a0 But as I read in Matthew 5:10, 12, I read again and again, I soon realized that in my American mind I was looking at persecution from the wrong perspective.\u00a0 What I should have done, I should have been looking at persecution from God\u2019s perspective.\u00a0 In Matthew 5:10 we see that Jesus is speaking.\u00a0 This is what Christ said, Matthew 5:10, \u201cBlessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.\u201d\u00a0 Verse 11, \u201cBlessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.\u201d\u00a0 Blessed, that\u2019s what He thought about; that\u2019s what God thinks about persecution, or the one being persecuted.\r\n\r\nThis brings us to our second attitude towards persecution, we are not only to embrace it and accept it, we are to see persecution as a blessing.\u00a0 Matthew 5:10, of course, is Christ\u2019s well-known sermon, the Sermon on the Mount.\u00a0 As Ed Jones said, it\u2019s called The Beatitudes, the blessed, and despite that this sermon should be understood in the context of Christ\u2019s offer of the Kingdom to Israel, this sermon can still apply to us today because it demonstrates the standard of righteous living for God\u2019s people, dependence on God.\u00a0 Verse 3, \u201cThe one who mourns and seeks after God\u2019s comfort,\u201d verse 4, \u201cbeing gentle,\u201d\u00a0 verse 5, \u201cmerciful,\u201d verse 7, \u201cpure in heart,\u201d verse 8, \u201ca peace maker.\u201d These are all righteous works that the child of God should imitate.\u00a0 But then he goes on to describe persecuted people.\u00a0 What\u2019s the deal with that?\u00a0 Why bring up the persecuted?\u00a0 I think because Christ clearly taught that it was part of the package deal; it\u2019s a package deal.\u00a0 He was preparing His disciples, He was speaking to His disciples, He was preparing them for the coming reality of persecution.\r\n\r\nNotice in verse 10 and 11 the words \u201cblessed.\u201d\u00a0 \u201cBlessed,\u201d it comes from the Greek word makarios<\/em>, which means happy.\u00a0 This word spans literally all throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.\u00a0 This is a very interesting and important concept.\u00a0 In the Bible God is in the blessing business and unlike Chick Fil A He\u2019s open on Sunday.\u00a0 In the Old Testament it affirms that God is the source of blessing, of all blessing, of all favor and well-being that\u2019s bestowed on a man that\u2019s called a blessing or in Hebrew it\u2019s called <\/em>berakah<\/em><\/em>, God is the source of all blessing.\u00a0 In fact, many Old Testament statements, like blessing to this life is to a personal relationship with God.\u00a0 And in the New Testament statements of blessing, however, it links blessing, not only to this life but also to the next.\u00a0 <\/em>\r\n\r\n\u00a0It\u2019s so interesting to learn what God has blessed as we look through the Bible.\u00a0 In Genesis the Scripture says \u201cGod blessed them,\u201d Adam and Eve, \u201cand said to them, \u2018Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 He was talking to the first parents.\u00a0 God blessed them with children; children are a blessing, did you know that?\u00a0 God blessed the 7th<\/sup> day, Genesis 2;3.\u00a0 [Genesis 2:3, \u201c<\/em>Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.\u201d]\r\n\r\nGod blessed Abraham, He said, \u201cI will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens\u201d speaking of his descendants.\u00a0 Not only that, God said \u201cin your seed all nations of the earth will be blessed.\u201d\u00a0 [Genesis 22:18]\r\n\r\nHe also blessed Sarah with a child. \u00a0God blessed the patriarchs. He blessed His people.\u00a0 He blessed the armies of Israel.\u00a0 He blessed David and many of the obedient kings of Israel, He blessed them.\r\n\r\nHe blessed the latter days of Job after he was persecuted by Satan.\u00a0 Scripture says the LORD God Almighty is blessed forever.\u00a0 Our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, is blessed.\u00a0 \u201cBlessed is he who comes in the name of the\u201d what? \u201cLord.\u201d\u00a0 [They took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, \u2018Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 John 12:13]\r\n\r\nMary was blessed among women.\u00a0 [And she cried out with a loud voice and said, \u2018Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Luke 1:42]\r\n\r\nThis is huge, \u201cBlessed is the one who God credits righteousness apart from works,\u201d Romans 4:6.\u00a0 Paul is saying the one who is saved by faith is truly blessed.\r\n\r\nDid you know that communion is described as \u201cthe cup of blessing\u201d in 1 Corinthians 10:16, it says, \u201cIs not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ?\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s a cup of blessing.\r\n\r\nThe church, His body is blessed, they\u2019re blessed \u201cwith every spiritual blessing,\u201d Ephesians 1:3 says.\u00a0 \u201cBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.\u201d\r\n\r\nJames 1:12 says, \u201cBlessed is a man who perseveres under trials\u201d [\u201cfor once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.\u201d]\u00a0 It\u2019s fascinating to see what God has blessed.\r\n\r\nAgain, Matthew 5:10, \u201cBlessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness\u2026 [11] \u00a0\u00a0Blessed are you when people insult you, and\u00a0 persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn the eyes of God those who endure persecution are blessed\u2026 blessed!\u00a0 And if God sees persecution as a blessing I too must adjust and renew my thinking to conform to His ways.\u00a0 Blessings in the Bible reveal God\u2019s divine favor and wellbeing on the beneficiary.\u00a0 The disciples knew this.\u00a0 In 1 Peter 2:20 Peter said, \u201c\u2026But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.\u201d\u00a0 In the next chapter, chapter 3, verse 14a, says, \u201cBut even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.\u201d\r\n\r\nActs 5:40 as well says, \u201cThey took his advice\u201d this was Gamaliel, the high priest\u2019s advice for letting them go, the apostles were seized, \u201cand after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.\u00a0 [41] So they\u201d, the apostles, \u201cwent on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.\u201d\u00a0 And let\u2019s not miss that last part of the verse, they were \u201crejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer \u2026for His name.\u201d\r\n\r\nIf you ever find yourself in a circumstance of persecution, rejoice my friend, because He saw fit to test you and is, in fact, selecting you for a glorious reward.\u00a0 The rest is up to you, if you want to endure it, if you want to pass the test in order to receive that reward it\u2019s up to you.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s not forget Matthew 5:11-12, \u201cBlessed are you when people<\/em> insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.\u201d\u00a0 And then verse 12 says, \u201cRejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 In light of persecution we ought to embrace it; we ought to see it as a blessing.\r\n\r\nAnd the third attitude, we should not fear it.\u00a0 We should not fear it!\u00a0 Since Christ forewarned us about persecution and Paul encouraged us to embrace it, since God sees it as a blessing, would it not be logical and in our best interest not to fear it?\u00a0 The Lord allowed me to do a sermon on fear and anxiety and worry a while back and we learned that God Himself in Scripture explicitly commands us not to fear and not to worry, nor be anxious.\u00a0 Anything short of that is sin.\r\n\r\nHe also commands us not to fear persecution, or those who persecute you.\u00a0 In regard to those who persecute you Jesus, in Matthew 10:28, He says, \u201cDo not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.\u201d\u00a0 In regard to persecution itself the righteous Judge in Revelation 2:10 says, \u201c'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.\u201d\u00a0 It goes on to say, \u201cBe faithful until\u201d you\u2019re uncomfortable\u2026 oh, wrong version, that\u2019s the prosperity gospel version, \u201cBe faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.\u201d\r\n\r\nWhat\u2019s interesting is that even though he places His beloved people, the church, in circumstances such as persecution, in that God considers us still\u2026 valuable\u2026 VALUBALE!\u00a0 If we look back on Matthew 10:28 he says, \u201cDo not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.\u00a0 [29] Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.\u00a0 [30] But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.\u00a0 [31] So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.\u201d\r\n\r\nThere\u2019s a beautiful verse in the book of Hebrews, the author references the book of Psalms, it\u2019s in Hebrews 13:6b, the latter part of the verse, it says, \u201cTHE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?\u201d\u00a0 We should not fear persecution.\r\n\r\nThis brings us to our fourth attitude towards persecution; we shouldn\u2019t be ashamed of it.\u00a0 Don\u2019t be ashamed of it.\u00a0 We should NEVER be ashamed of persecution.\u00a0 Peter again, in 1 Peter 4:16 says, \u201cbut if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.\u201d\r\n\r\nAs well in 2 Thessalonians 1:4, Paul said about the church in Thessalonica, \u201cTherefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God, for your perseverance in faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure.\u201d He spoke proudly of those who were persecuted, he was not ashamed of them.\u00a0\u00a0 Proud of persecution?\u00a0 Paul says not only you are to be proud of persecutions but jumping overjoyed with it.\r\n\r\n2 Corinthians 7:4, Paul says, \u201cGreat is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.\u201d\u00a0 What?\r\n\r\nNow these attitudes will not come automatically as a Christian.\u00a0 Remember the famous request? Lord, I need patience and give it to me now.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t work that way.\u00a0 Adopting and embracing these biblical attitudes regarding persecution will involve learning about it and cultivating them, perhaps through an accumulation of experiences all throughout life; reliance on God, obedience to God.\u00a0 I don\u2019t believe in such a thing as coincidence in a Christian\u2019s life.\r\n\r\nSpeaking of life experiences, my family and I went through a minor but very uncomfortable experience this past Thursday.\u00a0 We were at the grocery store in our van and our van broke down and we were stranded.\u00a0 The van wouldn\u2019t start, it was getting hot and humid, our newborn [can't understand word] screaming her head off, [can't understand word] was trying to comfort her of course, Jonah, our three year old son, of course, is tired and restless and irritating his sister.\u00a0 I thought the car broke down because we were low on gas and thank God we were close to a gas station, I went back and forth three times and filled the gas tank with this little gallon gas can; back and forth, nothing!\r\n\r\nThen I went into panic mode, I started getting defensive, moody, short-tempered; I\u2019m irritated and I find myself praying, Lord, can You just start our van?\u00a0 You know, we just want to go home, that\u2019s it, that\u2019s what I want.\u00a0 Everyone was coming out of the grocery store, I was so embarrassed, it was a very uncomfortable experience.\u00a0 We were there for close to an hour trying to start our van.\u00a0 We had all the doors opened, the back gate of the van was open it was so hot, it looked like we were having a tailgate party or something, all the kids were running around, very comical but\u2026.\u00a0 It was so hot we just decided that let\u2019s just walk home, let\u2019s call the tow truck, get it towed to the auto shop and we walked home.\r\n\r\nAnd as we walked home I was thinking, man, I need to get home, I\u2019ve got to work on my sermon on persecution.\u00a0 [Laughter]\u00a0 And it dawned on me, I\u2019m like if I\u2019m acting and I\u2019m thinking like this in a very minor, uncomfortable situation, how would I act in a major event like persecution?\u00a0 And I thought to myself, I am not ready\u2026 I am not ready for persecution!\u00a0 I didn\u2019t expect my van to break down, it caught me off guard.\u00a0 I was surprised.\u00a0 And in light of persecution I think we should be talking about it more, thinking about these things, praying about our fellow Americans being persecuted.\u00a0 Just like Peter says, when it comes we won\u2019t be surprised if it does happen.\u00a0 We should embrace the idea of persecution.\u00a0 We should see it as a blessing.\u00a0 We should not fear it nor be ashamed of it.\r\n\r\nNow that we looked at the four attitudes towards persecution let\u2019s look at five responses to persecution.\u00a0 Our first response should be to rejoice in it.\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at Matthew 5:10 again, \u201cBlessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.\u00a0 [11] Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.\u201d\u00a0 Here it is: [12] \u201cRejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great\u2026.\u201d\r\n\r\nI would like to take note of the structure of Matthew 5:12.\u00a0 Jesus is saying rejoice because of persecution, not in spite of it.\u00a0 There\u2019s a difference.\u00a0 Persecution should cause us to rejoice; suffering should cause us to rejoice.\u00a0 The word \u201crejoice\u201d there is the Greek word chair\u014d<\/em> which means rejoice, be glad, or exceedingly joyful.\u00a0\u00a0 The book of James echoes this idea in James 1:2-4, we all know these verses, \u201cConsider it all joy, my brethren,\u201d he\u2019s talking to believers, \u201cwhen you encounter various trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.\u201d [4, \u201cAnd let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. \u201c]\r\n\r\nYou also read in Acts 5:41, we read it earlier; listen to how the apostles responded after they were publicly humiliated; they were flogged.\u00a0 It says, \u201cSo they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.\u201d\u00a0 They were exceedingly joyful.\u00a0 Can you imagine what that looked like, that they\u2019re persecuted, you say what?\u00a0 They just endured a flogging.\u00a0 I looked up \u201cflogging\u201d and it means whipped, scourged or lashed.\u00a0 These guys walked away with welts and probably bloodied up and bruises, multiple bruises and they walked away rejoicing?\u00a0 What a testimony!\u00a0 What a testimony to their persecutors.\u00a0 What a testimony of God\u2019s grace.\r\n\r\nSpeaking of testimonies, Paul has this testimony of rejoicing in the midst of persecution.\u00a0 Remember when Paul and Silas were in prison, in chapter 15 of Acts, verse 22, it says, \u201cThe crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods.\u00a0 [23] When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;\u201d it goes on to say in verse 25, \u201cBut about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 If we find ourselves being persecuted we ought to rejoice. \u00a0Paul said in Philippians 4:4, \u201cRejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!\u201d\r\n\r\nThis brings us to our second response, we are to endure persecution.\u00a0 If we find ourselves in persecution we should endure it.\u00a0 Now when I say \u201cendure\u201d this is not a grin and bear it type of endurance; it\u2019s not a posture of indifference or stoical manner.\u00a0 The biblical description of endurance is to persevere patiently.\u00a0 In fact, the Greek term for endure is hupomen<\/em>\u014d<\/em> which means to take patiently, to persevere under misfortune and trials and to hold fast to one\u2019s faith in Christ.\r\n\r\nChrist said in Matthew 10:22, \u201cYou will be hated by all because of My name,\u201d we talked about that last session, you are hated by all in the world, \u201cbut it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn other passages of Scripture the Bible teaches to endure persecution actively AND passively.\u00a0 And what I mean by this is in regard to actively enduring it, for example, Paul invited Timothy to \u201cSuffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ.\u201d\u00a0 [2 Timothy 2:3]\u00a0 In other words, if you find yourself presently suffering for Christ, do it as a good soldier of Christ; actively endure it.\u00a0 And with regard to passively enduring it that would mean what are you doing now in light of coming persecution?\u00a0 What are\u00a0 you doing right now about it?\r\n\r\nPsalm 119:87 says, \u201cThey almost destroyed me on earth,\u201d they \u201calmost\u201d did, \u201cBut as for me, I did not forsake Your precepts.\u201d\u00a0 So what we are doing today at this moment can be regarded as passively enduring persecution, we\u2019re learning about it, we\u2019re preparing ourselves, we\u2019re equipping ourselves, we\u2019re learning about it from God\u2019s Word.\u00a0 We are called to endure persecution.\r\n\r\n2 Corinthians 1:6 says, \u201cBut if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer.\u201d\u00a0 Jesus, in Luke 21:16-19, He says this, \u201cBut you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some<\/em> of you to death, [17] and you will be hated by all because of My name. [18] Yet not a hair of your head will perish.\u201d\u00a0 Here it is,\u00a0 [19] \u201cBy your endurance you will gain your lives.\u201d\u00a0 That endurance, that\u2019s hupomen<\/em>\u014d<\/em>, endure.\r\n\r\nBefore we move on to the third response I would be remiss if I kept this verse from you.\u00a0 Paul said in Philippians 4, he said, [10] \u201cBut I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. [11] Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.\u201d\u00a0 Enduring, be content in your endurance.\r\n\r\nA third response is to flee from it. Wait, hold on here, a minute ago you said rejoicing, and endure it, now you\u2019re telling us to flee from it?\u00a0 Hey, don\u2019t persecute the messenger, I didn\u2019t write the Bible.\u00a0 There\u2019s something that we have to remember.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t cover this in the first message; there are forms, various forms of\u2026 and there are degrees of persecution found in the Bible and in everyday life.\u00a0 There\u2019s ridicule, there\u2019s all kinds of\u00a0 harassment, economic harassment, physical harassment, imprisonment, torture, death.\u00a0 In the Bible there are instances where Jesus and His disciples fled from persecution and they taught it as well.\u00a0 If you escaped with your life you live another day to preach the gospel\u2026Amen!\r\n\r\nJesus fled persecution, premature persecution.\u00a0 Remember when Jesus was born, who plotted in his sick mind to kill all the male children in Bethlehem, two years and under?\u00a0 It was the angel of the Lord that warned Joseph and Mary to go flee to Egypt with the child.\u00a0 In the book of John, when Jesus revealed His deity to the Jews, he says, \u201cBefore Abraham, I am.\u201d Jesus said to them, that is in John 8:58.\u00a0 [\u2018Truly, truly, I say to you], before Abraham was born, I am.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 Some of the Jews did not take that too kindly.\u00a0 In fact, Scripture said, \u201cTherefore, they picked up stones to throw at Jesus at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.\u00a0 Jesus fled.\r\n\r\nIn Matthew 10:23 Jesus taught it to His disciples.\u00a0 \u201cYou will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.\u00a0 [24] But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; [for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.]\u201d\u00a0 This was this fleeing persecution, this was to be the ministry pattern of Paul the apostle when persecution became so severe where he could no longer be effective in his ministry he left and he went to another city.\u00a0 We are to respond with rejoicing, with endurance.\u00a0 If possible we are to flee persecution if it hinders our ministry for Jesus we are to flee.\r\n\r\nThis brings us to our fourth, be selfless in it; instead of thinking about yourself place an emphasis on your persecutors; pray for your persecutors.\u00a0 We know this verse, Jesus commanded us to \u201clove your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.\u201d\u00a0 In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said it differently, \u201cBut I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.\u201d\u00a0 Or He says the same.\u00a0 Jesus prayed for His persecutors, He said, \u201cFather, forgive them, for they do not know what they\u2019re doing.\u201d\u00a0 [Luke 23:34.]\r\n\r\nYour persecutors don\u2019t know.\u00a0 Look at Stephen when he was persecuted, stoned to death, he prayed a one sentence prayer, \u201cLord, do not hold this sin against them.\u00a0 [Acts 7:60, \u201cThen falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, \u2018Lord, do not hold this sin against them!\u2019 Having said this, he fell asleep.\u201d]\r\n\r\nIf possible, perform acts of kindness towards them.\u00a0 What?\u00a0 There\u2019s something so divinely powerful and transcendent when the children of God behave in a manner that is totally against our world system, our culture.\u00a0 Paul said\u2026, he actually quoted the book of Proverbs; in Proverbs 25:21-22, he says, \u201cIf your enemy is hungry,\u201d feed him, \u201cgive him food to eat;\u00a0 and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; [22] For you will heap burning coals on his head,\u201d and look what it says, \u201cAnd the LORD will reward you.\u201d\u00a0 This clause, \u201cFor you will heap burning coals on\u00a0 his head,\u201d this alludes to an ancient custom.\u00a0 When a person\u2019s fire went out in their house that person would go to their neighbors and get some live coals to rekindle their fire.\u00a0 And how would they retrieve their coals?\u00a0 Through a pan, a coal pan, and this involved some danger and discomfort for the person carrying them; these are live red hot coals.\u00a0 But giving coals to a neighbor was an evidence of their neighbor\u2019s love.\r\n\r\nLikewise the person who receives good in return for evil naturally feels uncomfortable, even though he received the good gift.\u00a0 I would go so far as to say that something spiritual is happening here.\u00a0 The neighbor\u2019s discomfort or conviction arises over his guilt for having wronged his neighbor in the first place.\u00a0 So returning good for evil not only secures the blessing of God, that\u2019s verse 22b, \u201cAnd the LORD will reward\u00a0 you,\u201d it also convicts the wrongdoer of his\u00a0 ways, verse 22a, for he \u201cwill heap burning coals on your head.\u201d\u00a0 The reasons this is so important is because Jesus Himself exampled this.\r\n\r\nAnd this brings us to our fifth and final response to persecution, and this is a big one: be rooted in God\u2019s Word and prayer.\u00a0 In regard to God\u2019s Word there is an interesting statement that Christ made when He explained the parable of the sower, remember that, the sower.\u00a0 There was one sower, but the seed fell on four types of soil, or ground: beside the road, on the rocky ground, among thorns and among good soil.\u00a0 And notice what he says about the rocky ground.\u00a0 I\u2019ll start from the top.\u00a0 Mark 4:14, \u201cThe sower sows the word.\u00a0 [14\u2019 These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.\u00a0 [16] in a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; [17] and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary;\u201d here it is, \u201cthen, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.\u201d\r\n\r\nHe was clearly teaching being firmly rooted in God\u2019s Word is a divine assistance in persecution.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know how else to say this but if the Bible is not a priority in your home don\u2019t expect your children to act Christian.\u00a0 If you have children (who can read of course) living under your roof and they are not reading the Bible on a regular basis there is something wrong with you, mom and dad, period.\u00a0 This is the most basic and fundamental lesson we can teach our children, so that they would not depart from it when they grow older, Proverbs 22:6.\u00a0 [Proverbs 22:6, \u201cTrain up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.\u201d]\u00a0 If I could exhort you parents, before you teach them piano, before you teach them baseball or soccer or whatever, whatever you teach them, teach them a love for God\u2019s Word.\u00a0 Teach them a love for reading the Bible.\u00a0 Read it with them, read it in front of them.\u00a0 Read it as a family, do whatever it takes to make reading the Bible second nature to them.\u00a0 It will be the best thing you do for your children.\r\n\r\nAnd then what they do when they leave home is between them and God.\u00a0 I\u2019m not saying to forsake them, I\u2019m saying fulfill your role as a Bible believing parent.\u00a0 Raise them up in the Lord.\u00a0 Be rooted in God\u2019s Word and in prayer.\u00a0 One thing about prayer in regard to persecution, James 5:13 says this: \u201cIs anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray.\u201d\u00a0 I think it\u2019s safe to say that this statement included persecution if anyone among you are suffering, \u201cis anyone among you suffering?\u201d because he mentions those counted as blessed who endured in verses prior.\u00a0 Hupomen<\/em>\u014d<\/em>, he says, denoting those who were persecuted.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think James, the book of James or that verse means sickness because in the next verse he says is anyone sick, then he must call for the elders and so forth.\r\n\r\n[James 5:14, \u201cIs anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;\u201d]\r\n\r\nIs anyone among you suffering?\u00a0 Then he must pray.\u00a0 This call to prayer under persecution is echoed by Paul as well, \u201cWith all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit.\u201d\u00a0 Ephesians 6:18, [\u201cWith all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.\u201d]\r\n\r\nIn Acts 16:25 we read earlier, when Paul and Silas were in prison, remember that, they were praying and singing hymns of praise to God.\u00a0 [Acts 16:25, \u201cBut about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.\u201d]\u00a0 Listen to what King David said, in the middle of persecution he said this in Psalm 143:9, \u201cDeliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; I take refuge in You.\u201d\u00a0 We sang about this.\r\n\r\nI hope\u00a0 you are seeing that persecution is a very large theme that runs throughout the Bible and to avoid it, as some Christian circles do, is to do so at our peril, especially considering the times that we are in.\u00a0 We are living in unique times; we should be thinking about this more and more as Christ draws nigh, not to consume us but to prepare us.\u00a0 This is so very important because whenever the Bible talks about persecution many times there is something attached to it, in some places it\u2019s referred to as a reward, in other places it\u2019s referred to as a crown of life.\u00a0 And if God in His sovereignty is so pleased to place any one of us under some form of persecution, some degree of it, whatever it is, rejoice, jump for joy, because it means three things: one, we are prime candidates for the crown of life.\u00a0 Two, God is setting us up to entrust us too\u00a0 yield more authority as we look towards the coming Kingdom, the Bible says you will reign with Him.\u00a0 And three, He is, through this crown, Andy said it last week, giving us a greater capacity to worship Him for eternity.\u00a0 You can see for yourself, study the crown of life and see for yourself.\u00a0 So it would behoove us as the church to prepare and be ready for the possibility of persecution.\u00a0 Jesus promises this.\u00a0\u00a0 Amen.\u00a0 This is a very hard message to do.\r\n\r\nSo how do I prepare for persecution?\u00a0 Our attitudes toward persecution is one of an acceptance an embracement; we should see persecution as a blessing.\u00a0 We should not fear persecution nor be ashamed of it.\u00a0 And if we find ourselves in persecution I should rejoice in it, we should rejoice in it, we should endure it patiently.\u00a0 If possible we should flee from it.\u00a0 If our witness for the Lord is not affected, that it would halt us and if we can, flee from it.\u00a0 Be selfless in it, pray for our persecutors, acts of kindness towards our persecutors.\u00a0 And then finally, be rooted in God\u2019s Word and prayer.\r\n\r\nNow those of you who are here for the first time, who are unsure about your salvation I mentioned this at the conclusion of our last session together, I said don\u2019t let the idea of persecution cause you to walk away from Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let it cause you to walk away and not believe in Him because the Apostle Paul said this in Philippians 3:8, \u201cI count all things to be lost in the view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all\r\n\r\nthings, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.\u201d\r\n\r\nPaul counted the cost of persecution.\u00a0 In fact, he counted all things as rubbish, as a loss, \u201cthat I may gain Christ\u201d he said.\u00a0 That would mean becoming right with God is the most important thing you can do at this very moment.\u00a0 The benefits of knowing Christ far out exceed, far exceed everything else, including persecution.\u00a0 And so how do we become right with God?\u00a0 Form a relationship with His Son, you believe on the gospel message of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 And the gospel message is what Christ has done for you; Christ lived a perfect life in your place.\u00a0 Christ died in your place.\u00a0 He was buried for you and he rose again for you, and presently sits at the right hand of God.\r\n\r\nIn John 3:16, \u201cwhoever believes in Him,\u201d WHOEVER one condition, \u201cwhoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.\u201d\u00a0 Believing in Jesus Christ seals the deal.\u00a0 Amen.\u00a0 And if you\u2019ve done that you are now called a child of God; you have entered into the family of God.\u00a0 You will now live in eternity with God.\u00a0 Reap the benefits.\u00a0 And for those who are unsure, I\u2019m available to talk at the end of the service.\u00a0 Can we pray.\r\n\r\nFather, thank\u00a0 You for Your Word and how it teaches us about persecution and how to prepare for persecution in mind and in deed.\u00a0 Lord, bless us, cause us to run after You, teach us to love Your Word, teach us to dispense that to our children, that love for Your Word.\u00a0 Bless this congregation, bless\u00a0 Your church.\u00a0 I pray that we have a safe and joyous Father\u2019s Day, we honor you, in Jesus name, and God\u2019s people said, Amen.","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t