Outline // What Lies Ahead #5: Persecution

Outline:
Opening
Persecution is Normal and Expected
1 John 3:12
2 Timothy 3:12
Challenge the church if they haven’t experienced persecution
Acts 7:51-60 & 8:1
God is in the midst of persecution
1 Peter 4:12-13/19
It can be easy to feel God in ___ what about when were persecuted
John 16:1-4
Persecution lies ahead
Revelation 21:8
Matthew 5:10-12
When it comes you have a choice to make


Opening

• We are studying Jesus’ last words of preparation to his disciples to see how we can use Jesus’ teachings to prepare us for what's ahead.
• So what was ahead for the disciples? What was Jesus preparing them for? Well from where we are today in John 15 Jesus’ death is just hours away. The last supper has taken place, Judas is on his way to betray Jesus and shortly they will arrive at the Garden of Gethsemane. There Jesus will be arrested, and soon after crucified. The disciples will flee out of fear, their hopes and dreams for their messiah crushed and their faith wrecked.
• But three days later Jesus will rise from the dead, he will appear to his disciples and spend 40 more days on earth with them. During this time he will continue to teach and prepare them because at the end of the 40 days Jesus will leave them and ascend into heaven.
• 10 days later as the disciples are praying together they will all receive the Holy Spirit and be filled with power, given the ability to speak in unknown languages and on that day thousands will give their lives to Christ and be added to the church. From there the church continues to grow under the leadership of the 12! Powerful signs and wonders followed them attesting to what they preached. (Pause) And then Acts chapters 7 and 8 happen.
• So far in this series Jesus has taught his disciples that they are to be humble and serve others, that they must place their trust in him, that through the Holy Spirit there is peace of mind, and that they are to be fruitful. And we see how these things prepared them for what lied ahead of them.
• Today we’ll read about Jesus’ lesson to prepare his disciples for what will come in Acts chapter 7, 8 and onwards.

John 15:18-27

• Here Jesus teaches his disciples that in the life of his followers hatred and persecution is normal and expected.

Persecution is Normal and Expected

• Why is it normal and expected? Because they hated him first! Jesus was hated and persecuted and he was perfect. We are not greater than our master so why should we expect anything different?
• This expectation for followers of God isn't anything new. The disciples knew the scriptures, they knew the history of their people. Where there are followers of God there is opposition and persecution. It's been a universal truth since the beginning!
• Go all the way back to Genesis 4 the story of Cain and Abel the sons of Adam and Eve.
  Cain was a farmer and Abel a shepherd. They both brought offerings to God, Cain an offering of fruit from his fields, and Abel an offering of his firstborn flock. Whose offering was accepted by God? Abel! And whose offering was rejected? Cain!
• And Cain became angry and dejected, he brought his brother out into the field and there Cain killed his brother Abel. Why?
• Why did Cain kill Abel?
• It wasn't Abel's fault that his offering was rejected. God rejected it. So why did Cain take his brother's life when it was God that he was really angry at? I mean he should've been angry with himself. But he was angry with God for rejecting his offering?
• 1 John 3:12 tells us.
  • 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.
• Cain killed Abel because he was righteous! Righteousness is a characteristic of God. Cain hated God but he couldn't touch God so he found the next best thing. Someone who resembled him. And that's why he killed Abel. 
• It wasn’t because of anything Abel did to him. Let's look back at John 15:25, why did they hate Jesus? They hated him without cause. Meaning they didn't hate him for any rational reason! It wasn't anything Jesus did, they hated Jesus for the same reason Cain hated Abel, because he was doing what was righteous while they did what was evil.
• Remember we are not greater than our master. Jesus was hated, he was persecuted for his righteousness and we should expect the same when we resemble him. Persecution for followers of Jesus should be normal and expected when we are likewise living righteous lives.
• So the question begs itself, are we living righteous lives that reflect our master? Have you had to walk through persecution before? Time after time scripture reinforces that these two things go hand in hand.
• Now I recognize that we do live in a special place in a special time in history where at least on a governmental level persecution against Christians isn't the norm and if you're a newer believer maybe you haven't actually experienced any persecution from others. Though it will come eventually.
• But if you've been a believer for some time and you would say you haven't experienced any persecution from the world, any pushback for your faith, then you need to step back and examine yourself because 2 Timothy 3:12 doesn't mince words when it says this:
  • 12 Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
• It's a guarantee if we're living righteous lives that reflect Jesus. When the light shines out of us it exposes and pushes back the darkness. And when that happens there is a response because the darkness doesn't like to be exposed.
• So think through that question. Because if this is not your experience then there are areas of your life where you are not being obedient to what God has called you to do. Your light isn't doing what light is meant to do.
• But now that we understand that persecution is normal and to be expected in the life of followers of Christ, what was Jesus preparing his disciples for? What happens in Acts 7 & 8? Let's read it and find out.

Acts 7:51-60, Acts 8:1

• This was the moment Jesus was preparing his disciples for. The first Christian martyr Stephen stoned to death because he spoke truth and lived righteously.
• And on that day a great wave of persecution swept over the whole church and hasn't stopped since. It continues today. 
• Sure there have been times in history where persecution against the church was more, other times less.
• But it was this moment that started it. But what about Jesus’ death, was that not what started it? Is that not what Jesus was preparing his disciples for in John 15 you might say?
• And to that I would say yes and no. Jesus’ death on the cross certainly was persecution on display but it was targeted towards Jesus as an individual. They were after the leader. When they came to the garden to make the arrest they weren't there for the disciples, they were there for Jesus.
• None of the disciples were put to death along with Jesus.
• But Jesus’ death served as an example to the disciples the extent of the persecution they would face. As they persecuted me naturally they will persecute you.
• In fact did you know that as many as 5 out of the 12 disciples are believed to have been killed by crucifixion, depending on the account as some accounts differ. John was the only one of the disciples that died of natural causes. Though even he was boiled in oil at one point but survived.
• But it was here in Acts 7 when the persecution that they saw happen to Jesus became personal and targeted toward them and the church as a whole. Now their lives were at stake for what they believed.
• This is what Jesus was preparing them for.
• And Jesus’ teaching in John and this passage out of Acts 7 teaches us something else about persecution.
• Let's go back to John 15:26
  • 26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.
• Jesus was saying to his disciples listen you will suffer persecution as I have suffered, but. I will send you the advocate. And in the midst of persecution you will be filled with power and boldness and you will testify about me.
• And we see this happen in Acts 7
  • 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 56 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”
    57 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him 58 and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.
    59 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

God is in the Midst of Persecution

• What does this teach us? It teaches us that God is in the midst of persecution!
• He doesn't leave us alone in our suffering. When we experience persecution God is there with us in the Holy Spirit and he will give us what we need to persevere, to testify and bring glory to God in the midst of it.
• For Stephen it was wisdom. The Holy Spirit gave him the words needed to testify to the Jewish leaders about God’s plan in Jesus. It was a glimpse into the glory that awaited him in the end and it was love and mercy for those who were persecuting him.
• 1 Peter 4:12-13 & 19 says this:
  • 12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
    19 So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.
• God will never abandon us. He is always there. He will never fail.
• In moments of persecution we are joining in with Christ’s suffering! In these moments we are to acknowledge that and be glad. And when we do this it's pleasing to God.
• It's easy to acknowledge God and the presence of the Holy Spirit when you step into deeper levels of humility and service to others, when you've reached a new level of trust in God. It's easy when your mind is full of peace and you see the growth of fruit in your life.
• But can you do the same in the midst of persecution? In the midst of suffering?
  He is there in the midst and he is there waiting to turn your greatest moment of suffering into his greatest victory in your life. Just like he did with Stephen, just like he did with Jesus.
• I'm telling you all these things today for the same reason Jesus told these things to his disciples.
• John 16:1-4
  • 1 “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith. 2 For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. 3 This is because they have never known the Father or me. 4 Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
• I'm telling you all these things so that when persecution comes you will not abandon your faith.
• I'm telling you all this because persecution lies ahead.

Persecution Lies Ahead

• Like I said before I recognise that we live in a special place in a special time in history.
  But the persecution and death of Christians will come to the west. The America we live in today will not stay this way. I'm not saying that as a prophet I just know the book.
  And if you’ve read ahead you know that how things are now will not stay this way forever.
• I don't know if it'll be in my lifetime, the lifetime of my kids, my grandkids, my grandkid’s grandkids…
• But we must be ready. We must also pass these truths down to our young people. The expectation that persecution will come, that it is normal. And most importantly that God is in the midst of it and desires to use it to accomplish his will if we will acknowledge and submit to him in the moment. If we fail in this they will abandon their faith when  persecution comes.
• Let's take this down into a narrower, more relevant context. God has placed this church into a season of preparation. New things lie ahead for us. Greater responsibility and fruitfulness in the kingdom of God. Additionally God has called all of us as individuals to live holy righteous lives. If we step into these callings both corporately as Freedom Valley Church and individually as Christians with obedience and effectiveness, there is a very real enemy that doesn't take much interest in ineffective believers but obedient effective believers…
• Those types of believers expose and push back the darkness. And when that happens there will be a response. Persecution will follow.
• And when it comes you have two choices.
• Will you cower? Will you abandon your faith or will you push into the Holy Spirit and what he has for you in the midst of it?
• The Bible talks about the outcomes of both of those decisions.
• Revelation 21:8
  • 8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
• Now let me preface this by saying that our God is merciful.
• We see in Luke as Jesus is hung on the cross Peter cowers and denies Jesus 3 times. Jesus was merciful, Peter was repentant and Jesus forgave him.
• We can make mistakes and cower in the face of persecution and genuine repentance results in forgiveness.
• Peter went on to stand strong for his faith throughout his life and in the end was crucified for what he believed.
• The greek word translated here as cowards is di-las which means timid, fearful, faithless.
• There are those who call themselves Christians that are faithless.
• They say they believe and they may even believe they do, but when it's time to prove their faith is genuine time and time again they cower and prove their faithlessness.
  And while I understand its faith that saves a person, not works. The bible is clear that a genuine faith will dictate your actions. And that actions show what a person truly believes.
• And because they have shown themselves to be faithless they will share in the same fate as the faithless.
• But what about those who push into the Holy Spirit? Those that acknowledge God in the midst of persecution and share in Jesus’ suffering?
• Matthew 5:10-12
  • 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
        for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
    11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
• Persecution lies ahead. It will look different for different people. I know the persecution we’ve talking about here in scripture is extreme. And one day we might face that level of persecution. But maybe it's rejection from your family. Exclusion from your friends. Hatred and confrontation from someone you're ministering to on the street.
• Whatever it is when you step into what God has called you to do, persecution will follow. And when it does you have a choice to make. Don’t abandon your faith when it comes. Rely on the Holy Spirit, he’s with you in the midst of it and he will not fail you.