0:00 Well, grace and peace to you from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my privilege to be able to open the word of God with you here today. And I know our brother just prayed, but can we do it again? Heavenly father, thank you. Lord, thank you for this time.
0:21 And, Lord, I pray as we hear your word, as we see your glory, Lord, we say our minds and our hearts and our lives, we submit it to the authority of your word. Heavenly Father, I pray that I remain faithful to the text. But more than that, Lord, I pray that the messenger today will be soon forgotten. But the message, your word, will resonate in our hearts long after we leave this building. It's your precious son's name I pray.
0:57 Amen. Amen. The first Sunday in November is annually commemorated as the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. By boldly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Open doors ministry estimates that approximately three sixty million Christians face high or extreme levels of persecution in the world today.
2:08 One in seven Christians are persecuted worldwide. One in five Christians are persecuted in Africa. Two in five occurring in the country of Nigeria. But there's other countries. You know their names.
2:40 North Korea, China, Colombia, India, and the many countries in The Middle East. Persecution runs rampant. Kidnapping, imprisonment, torture, vandalism, threats, terror, and even death. And recently, we have seen an increase in persecution here in the West. Pastors being imprisoned in Canada for holding church services, lawsuits, threats, rioting against Christians here in The United States.
3:17 The city of Chicago government even threatened to close and lock, if not demolish three churches in the city for holding worship services in 05/20/2020. And, and, and, and, in the West, it is and, and, and small portion of what the Bible says about persecution. And if you leave with nothing else today, remember the persecuted church. Will you turn with me in your Bibles to Philippians chapter one for our text today, Philippians one twelve through 14. And this is from Paul, and verse 12 of chapter one in Philippians.
4:18 Paul says, I want you to know, bro. That what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. So that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. So as we look at this passage today, we're gonna see the reason for persecution of the church.
4:53 Effects of the persecution on the church. So come with me. Verse 12. I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. What happens?
5:14 He was in prison. He wrote this letter. He wrote this epistle from a Roman prison. All based on false Verse 27. When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him crying out, men of Israel help.
6:11 This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place where they had previously seen Trophimus from the Ephesian with him in the city. And they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. And let's move down to the 30. Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains.
6:43 So Paul was in prison, and his imprisonment was meant to put a lid on the gospel, to hinder the spread of the gospel from Paul speaking boldly wherever he went about Jesus Look at this. Let's go back to Philippians. Philippians one twelve. Look at this verse. His imprisonment, Paul says, has really served to advance the gospel, has really served.
7:10 So it's not what we expect. Because imprisoned, watching. They wanted this to be a deterrent
7:37 on the Christian community. Stop speaking. But to the contrary, of everyone's expectations, Paul's imprisonment, his persecution actually caused the opposite. Rather than hindering the gospel, it caused the gospel to advance. Servant to the gospel.
8:57 God is the master and Paul's persecution was in service to the Lord's. So the God is saying, okay, listen, Jews, just a you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. God uses persecution of the church acts. Now let's go to acts twenty three eleven. And we can see here, Why why he needs to go
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10:43 Says that following night, the Lord stood by him, Paul, and said, take courage for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem. So you must testify also in Acts, at their persecution. But more importantly, look at the reason for the early church's persecution. Just briefly and see the reason for the early church's persecution. Let's begin in Acts chapter eight verse one.
11:37 And Saul, later the apostle Paul, you remember Stephen the deacon was the first martyr for preaching the word of Christ and saw stood by and gave approval. So acts chapter eight verse one, and Saul approved of his execution and there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Now let's turn to Acts chapter one verse eight.
12:08 Judea and Samaria. And now let's turn to Acts chapter one verse eight.
12:09 Judea and Samaria. And Judaea and Samaria. The Lord, as he was taken up into heaven, said this to his disciples. Acts one eight, but you will receive Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. God's plan was to spread the gospel throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
12:40 How is he going to accomplish that plan? Now let's go back to Acts chapter eight. Acts chapter eight. This is how God uses persecution. They were persecuted.
12:50 They were scattered to all regions, Judea and Samaria. Acts eight three. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Persecution has led to a miraculous spreading of the word from the very beginning throughout history even to our current day. Think about some of the martyrs from history that you know.
13:15 William Tyndale, 15 hundreds, Englishmen, persecuted, chased across Europe, burned at the stake for translating the bible into English. The results, the word of God was proclaimed. The bible's in your laps directly resulted from William Tyndale's persecution. John Bunyan, hundred years later, sixteen hundreds in England, a minister of the gospel thrown in prison because he refused to preach how the church, how the government wanted him to. He said, I will stay in prison because I will not stop preaching how the Bible says to you.
13:57 Wall and prison, second most sold book in the world after the Bible. And the Lord used that to spread the truth of his word to countless millions of people throughout the past four hundred years. Brand. -Right. -Live in Rome, communist Romania.
14:26 They were thrown in prison and tortured for Christ. Organization that has literally supported and helped and cared for millions of other persecuted brothers and sisters throughout the world over the past fifty years. And they were and they were
14:57 the the the the the the the the books that it would take to write about all of our persecuted brothers and sisters and see the gospel advance because of what they went through. But remember, suffering, persecution is not in vain. We see that God has a purpose for it if you suffer for the sake of Let's look at First Peter chapter. Those who suffer according to God's, and trust their souls to a faithful creator while doing. Good.
15:43 We and trust our souls. Because God is trust worthy. But the danger is to say that God just uses God just uses the persecution, persecuted men and women as and then discards when he's done. That couldn't be further from the truth. Yeah.
16:19 And for us Yeah. For us, still. Let's go up to verse 14. First Peter four fourteen. If you were insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed.
16:29 Because the spirit of God and the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. Blessed. But that's let's look at the words of Christ himself in Matthew. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Present suffering, yes.
17:22 Present persecution, yes. But also, present blessing, and even greater future reward. We need to have this theology of persecuted of persecution settled in our hearts and our minds now. We need to practice this now and preach this now. We have to get this settled once and for all.
17:48 What does the Bible say about persecution? So when the fiery trials do come and they will when we are in the valley of the shadow of death, when others revile you and threaten you or beat you or even put you to death, you will not falter because your faith is in Christ alone. You will not fear because your foundation is on the word of God. And you will not forsake the Lord on that day because you trust in our good and our sovereign God who loves you, who you know loves you more than you can possibly imagine. So we know the reason for persecution, the advance of the gospel.
18:35 Let's turn now to the joy of the persecuted. Verse 13, Philippians one, so that it has become known throughout the whole, and my imprisonment is for lore. Think about it. If Paul responded if Paul responded to false imprisonment for years, if he responded in anger and frustration or railing against the authorities, this seething antagonism. Look how evil these people are.
19:41 Look how wicked these people are. I have my rights. As have countless persecuted persecuted believers from the very beginning until now have been different. They have possessed a true abiding deep seated joy in the Lord that will not be shaken by their circumstances. Philippians two seventeen through 18.
20:19 Let's turn there. And I and rejoice with you all. Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me. But again, this isn't just Paul. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 10, verse 32.
20:55 Hebrews ten, thirty two. One of the most counterintuitive passages in the bible. Writer to Hebrews says, 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.
21:28 And you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property and an abiding And And abiding And then kind of joy, even And then day. And see where joy comes from, this deep abiding true joy. But since we're in the Philippians, I want to stay in the Philippians, and I want to focus on two particular sources of Paul's joy in the Lord that could vanquish even his persecution. And contempt and and and and and and and
22:11 and and and and and and and
22:12 and and because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ. The righteousness from God that depends on faith. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share his sufferings becoming like him in his death that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
23:06 Paul's saying surrender to Christ everything and you will have joy. Everything. Your profession, your abilities, your tradition, your culture, your ethnicity, your family and even your life. Literally everything to Christ and you will have true joy. Look at verse eight.
23:32 Look at this again. He says, for his sake, I have suffered the loss of all yes, he suffered the loss of all things. But that's not the key part here. But surrendering everything to Christ does. Paul says, you don't have to turn here.
24:04 You know this passage. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Someone who surrendered everything to Christ, that person is the only person who could say that passage and actually mean it. Contentment. Surrender was a source of Paul's joy.
24:25 Contentment was a source of Paul's invincible joy. Philippians four eleven through 13. If you can turn there. Let's let's look at these words. Philippians four eleven through 13.
24:39 Not that I am speaking of being in need. For I have learned, in whatever situation I am to be content, I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty, and hunger, abundance, and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
25:06 This verse is so misused. This verse is not talking about winning football games. This verse is not talking about passing that test you didn't study for. Paul is saying, your circumstances are not the foundation of your contentment. Christ is.
25:25 So when the persecuted man or woman stops looking around them on the horizontal level, no matter how dire the circumstances, no matter how genuinely genuinely fearful or dangerous or evil the circumstances are, when that person looks up at Christ, that's when verse 13 truly applies. Everything is gone. All that I have is gone because I am a Christian. But the believer says, I can do all things. I can endure all things.
26:00 I can find joy in all things through him who strengthens me. That's what this verse is about. And if you think about it, this passage for Philippines four eleven It's
26:14 true. It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true.
26:15 It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true.
26:15 It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true.
26:15 It's true. It's true. It's true. It's true.
26:15 It's true. It now. Perfect, money, a big house, maybe two big houses, multiple cars, beautiful spouse, healthy children, a good job, the prosperity, and so called American so called American so called American sounds a lot like the so called American, the really is that the prosperity it's just all this it comes from grit and hard work and Let's look at this passage again. This is how Let me read this passage to you again, how the prosperity gospel preacher would read it to you. Philippians four eleven.
27:06 Not that I am speaking of being in need for I have never been in need and I am content. Content. I don't know how to be brought low and I don't but I do know how to abound. In every in every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and abundance. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
27:26 What an abomination. That's not contentment. It's not Christianity. It's not the gospel. And it's certainly not good news for lost people.
27:38 But I wonder doesn't care if you praise God and call yourself a Christian, when everything seems to be going great. The world doesn't care when you go to church every week and raise your hands. And nothing's wrong. In fact, the danger is the world might actually see that and treat God like a genie. That's what I need to do.
28:11 I'll become a Christian and then everything will go well for me. Never have any pain, never have any sorrow of good money, a good job, and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good
28:19 and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good and a good
28:20 and a good and a good and a good
28:23 good and a good When suffering comes for the name of Christ? Well, as we've seen and we will continue to see, many will fall away. But the world will sit up and take notice. Your unsaved family and friends, even your enemies will listen to the message of Christ when you go through trials and sufferings and persecution, but you do it with joy. May we, as Christians here in the West, be more like our persecuted brothers and sisters in China or Nigeria or The Middle East than we are like our suburban next door neighbors.
29:14 Apostles, who rejoiced that they were counted to worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ. We're like the prophet of Bakkuk. Even if we lose everything, we rejoice in the Lord and take joy in the God of our salvation. Or even like the psalmist. Though the nations rage against us, though we face destruction on every side, we will not fear.
29:42 For the Lord is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. The joy of the verse 14. Let's look at the effects of persecution on the church. The effects of persecution on the church. Verse 14, Philippians one fourteen.
30:07 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. See fear. We expect to see a dissuading from following Paul's. And, again, just like we saw, in verse 12, the opposite happens here. Him in Rome and throughout all Asia Minor that read his imprisonment, not in spite of it.
31:12 So get this. Paul is saying, by my imprisonment, the brothers have become much more bold and confident in the Lord. Not because of it. Not in spite of it. Boldness did not come because of a miraculous rescue like Peter.
31:26 God does rescue people from God does rescue people from and and and and and and and when they saw Paul's imprisonment, wasn't the boldness that says, I'll preach and be bold because God will deliver me. It wasn't because of that. Paul was still in prison when he wrote this letter. The Lord will not always rescue us from temporary, physical, earthly persecution. The reason for their boldness was they were confident in the Lord.
32:04 Now this is truly how God confounds the wisdom of this world. You see the world says ramp it up because this will stop them. This will put a lid on them. God says, watch this. To see that, let's turn to Acts chapter four.
32:24 Again, we're looking at the early church. Acts chapter four verse verse 29 through 30 Peter and John were arrested and brought before the chief priest and the council for preaching Christ crucified. And they crucified. And they were told, stop preaching or something worse will happen. Chapter four verse 29, Peter and John and the disciples are gathered together.
32:54 The church gathered together. The verse says, after being threatened for preaching about Jesus, the church prays, and now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness hand to heal and signs and wonders are gathered are performed throughout through the name of your holy servant, Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together together was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with and speak the word of Yeah. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a local body.
34:25 It's a lot of And the Lord has done. As many people will testify over and over again. So join us on Wednesday night. It's a celebration. It's a privilege to pray with all of you during that.
34:47 -Yeah. -And then -And then -And then -And then -And then -And then -And then -And then -And then
34:48 -And then -And then the Lord, boldness in the Lord. And this is not a reckless boldness or some kind of blind, unthinking faith. God is not honored by that. But this boldness from the early church says, I do know the consequences. Now, to understand it better, let's take this Philippians passage, Philippians one twelve through 14.
35:22 Let's turn back there. To understand truly this boldness, let's take our passage and just reverse the order. So let's start at verse 14. Why? Because they have become confident in the Lord.
35:46 How do they become confident in the Lord? Well, they see the effects of Paul's joyful attitude among his persecutors that led even his captors to come to know the gospel. But how could Paul be effective? How could Paul be joyful in prison? Well, he knew that God had a good plan and a reason for his persecution.
36:11 The advance of the gospel, the salvation of souls, and the spreading of the church. So there's verse 14 again. At the very beginning. It says most of the brothers. Lord.
36:58 There are some who are ineffectual in the advance of the gospel because of persecution. And then we know from just the next verses in Philippians, there are some even who see another's persecution, someone else being persecuted as a means of selfish gain and who turned Christ into a commodity. Brother, sister, hear this warn warning from the word of God. Do not harden your hearts this day to the affliction and the example of the persecuted church. If you crave the approval of man more than you have the fear of the Lord, look at the persecuted church and take courage.
37:43 If you are apathetic about the lost, about people around you going to hell, look at the persecuted church and speak the words of eternal life to the unsaved, no matter the consequences. If you are a fence sitter, liking the things of heaven heaven, yes, but also liking the pleasures of this world, look at the persecuted church and make up your mind once and for all. So we've seen the reason for persecution, the joy of the persecuted, and the effects on the church. Response when we see Paul's example? We see the early church's example.
38:31 How do we respond as believers in the twenty first century? Remember the persecuted church. Remember the persecuted church. Hebrews thirteen three says, remember those who are in prison as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated since you also are in the body. How about Colossians four eighteen?
38:57 Very last phrase Paul speaks to the church in Colossae. Another letter he wrote from prison. He says to the church, remember my chains. So remember the persecuted church. And if we do that, if we remember the persecuted church, that will naturally lead into other things.
39:18 If we remember the persecuted church, we will naturally want to pray for them. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ. And think about this. We have more in common with a brother in China running from the police than we do with our unsaved family members. We have more in common with a sister in Nigeria watching her house get burned down because she converted to Christianity than we do with our blood and flesh who could care less about the gospel.
40:14 There are organizations out
40:15 there, Do your research. There are organizations out there that their main mission in ministry is to go into these hard places and provide support, to provide help, practical means to help persecuted Christians and their families. Also, to provide biblical training and resources so that the gospel might be spread even further. Find these ministries and support the church. Are you wealthy here today?
40:45 Yes. If you are sitting here today, you have shelter, you have clothes, you have food, whenever you want it, clean running water, whenever you want it, you are wealthy. And we are, in America, the wealthiest people of all time. No argument. Hands down.
41:06 God gave us our wealth. Not to hoard it, not to keep it for generations and generations. God gave us our wealth to bless others. God gave us our wealth to bless the persecuted church, to expand his kingdom, and to show the world, Christ is greater than my wealth. My persecuted brothers and sisters are greater than my wealth.
41:39 Lastly, proclaim Christ crucified. Be bold. Be confident. Be fearless in speaking the word of God. Philippians three seventeen.
41:51 You don't have to turn there. Just listen. Paul says, brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. The imitators of their faith. When the government or family or your enemies say to stop.
42:13 Stop speaking. Stop talking about God. Stop talking about the bible. When they say that, you say, I'm just gonna speak all the more loudly. When they say, I'm going to kill you.
42:27 Then you can say, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. I want to really focus on young people right now. Choose, You face temptations in your life that you will fail every single time without the Lord. Your generation is the first generation to grow up with smartphones, and social media and comments and likes and influencers and TikTok and Snapchat and Instagram. The world tells you, be like us.
43:27 You say, I want to be different. I'm my own person. But in reality, you don't want to be too different. You don't want to stand out too much, because then you'll be seen as different, or weird, or Christian. The challenge for you is to stand for Christ in your generation.
43:51 The challenge for you is to not care what the world cares about. The challenge for you is to set your hope on Christ and not on things around you, not the approval of your friends, not the likes that you get on social media. The challenge for you is to love Christ with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength, no matter what anyone else says. Now for everyone, young, old, child, or middle aged, married, or single, you live for Christ, if you are bold for Christ, if you refuse to talk like the world, dumb. You You'll be called dumb.
44:54 You'll be called weird. You'll be called self righteous, bigoted, and hateful. And one day, even in a mirror, you may be Yeah. Or have your home burn down or lose your job or even your life because you are a Christian. So what can you do now?
45:22 He endured the cross, despising the shame. So my plea to
45:22 you tonight, or today is, set your joy on Christ. Set your joy on the promises of God in his word. Set your joy on that which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Your inheritance kept in heaven for you. And if you do that, you will endure.
45:53 If you do that, you will despise the shame. It won't matter. Neither will the imprisonments or the threats or the harm or the torture or the persecution or even death because by the grace and strength of our Lord Jesus Christ, on that day, in the presence of your enemies, you will say, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Let's pray. Father, we thank you.
46:26 Lord, you are so good. And Lord, may we look to the example of our persecuted brothers and sisters in your word and throughout history. And may you give us boldness, encourage, and fearlessness to proclaim the name of the Lord Jesus Christ wherever we go. And Lord, we pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters right now. North Korea, in Iran, Iraq, and Syria, and then all over the middle In every place, Lord, where people are being for calling on your name.
47:03 May you provide them comfort. May you provide them peace. May you provide them joy that is unexplainable, and a peace that surpasses all understanding. And father, may you guard their hearts and their minds in Christ Jesus. Surround them with community.
47:23 Surround them with loving brothers and sisters to encourage them. And may they know wherever they are that they are not forgotten. That we pray for them. Help us now Lord in Jesus name. Amen.
