Harassed For Jesus Series

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS: HARASSED FOR JESUS

ILLUSTRATION:

In His book, Lords of the Earth, Don Richardson, author of PEACE CHILD, tells the story of Stanley Dale, a MISSIONARY to the Yali Tribe deep in the Irian Jaya JUNGLE of Indonesia in 1968. The Yali, being HEADHUNTERS and CANNIBALS, were steeped in an incredible RELIGION. They had little pieces of GROUND they believed to be so SACRED that if even a BABY happened to crawl onto one of them, it was DESECRATED and the whole village would be CURSED. In such cases, they would take the BABY and throw it off a CLIFF into the RAPIDS of

the RIVER that ran near their village.

If anyone said anything against the RELIGIOUS SYSTEM, he was SLAUGHTERED on the spot. There could be no REBELLION, no CHANGE, no QUESTIONING, no possibility of ALTERING anything. The Yali warriors called themselves “The Lords of the Earth.”

Into this difficult situation came Stanley Dale, a little, undaunted, bandy-legged Australian. He came to the Yali to teach them about Christ, and he brought with him his wife and five children.

I’ll read you the portion of Richardson’s book that describes what happened to him:

A priest of Kembu named Bereway slipped around behind Stan and, at point blank range, shot an arrow in under his upraised arm. Another priest, Bunu, shot a bamboo bladed shaft

into Stan’s back, just below the right shoulder.

As the arrows entered his flesh, Stan pulled them out, one by one, broke them, and cast them away. Dozens of them were coming at him from all directions. He kept pulling them out, breaking them, and dropping them at his feet until he could not keep ahead of them. Nalimo

reached the scene after some thirty arrows had found their mark in Stan’s body.

Stan faced his enemies, steady and unwavering except for the jolt of each new strike...

Fifty arrows - sixty! Red ribbons of blood trailed from the many wounds, but still Stan stood his ground. Nalimo saw that he was not alone in his fear. The attack had begun with hilarity, but now the warriors shot their arrows with desperation bordering on panic because

Stan refused to fall...

“FALL!” they screamed at Stan. “DIE!” It was almost a plea— “PLEASE DIE”!

A. We’ll talk about the ULTIMATE FATE of Stan Dale a little later in this message.

1. I tell you the story in order to bring fresh into your mind this fact: It isn’t always easy to be a Christian.

COMMENT:

We know that—but PERSECUTION?! No one is PERSECUTED today for being a Christian, are they? Nina Shea gives evidence in her book, In The Lion’s Den, that more FOLLOWERS of Christ around the world have been MARTYRED for their FAITH in the last CENTURY alone than in the previous nineteen centuries of the church’s history COMBINED. In many COUNTRIES

today it is a CRIME to be a Christian—PUNISHABLE by DEATH.

2. Christianity is a HATED RELIGION, not only by people in other parts of the WORLD but even by many Americas—including some who are currently serving in the highest offices of our government.

B. Jesus told his disciples- “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first”- John 15:18.

1. Jesus wants us to know that FOLLOWING Him is not always EASY—but it’s always WORTH IT!

2. We may be LIED ABOUT, GOSSIPED ABOUT, RIDICULED, TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, and THREATENED because of our FAITH in Christ, but no matter what we go through we know that Jesus has been there FIRST—He SUFFERED for US.

COMMENT:

Since Christianity is the most HATED RELIGION in the world today, the words of Jesus presented in this BEATITUDE are as RELEVANT in 2024 as they were when He spoke them

almost 2,000 years ago. Listen to Jesus- Matthew 5:10-12 (READ and COMMENT)

With these words Jesus EXPLODES the MYTH that, in order to be TRULY HAPPY we

must be LIKED by EVERYONE.

If you are a FOLLOWER of Jesus striving to be CHARACTERIZED by the first seven beatitudes that we’ve been studying for the past several weeks, that’s just not going to HAPPEN. Even being PEACEMAKERS does not PREVENT us from being PERSECUTED. We will be HATED by somebody. …Some of you have already EXPERIENCED that in some very

HURTFUL WAYS.

MESSAGE:

I. PERSECUTION WILL COME TO THOSE WHO LOVE AND STAND UP FOR JESUS

A. Jesus makes this statement about PERSECUTION very PERSONAL to His HEARERS.

1. He begins by speaking generally: “Blessed are THOSE who are PERSECUTED,” but then

quickly personalizes it by saying, “Blessed are YOU . . .”

a. Jesus knows that those who take a STAND for Him will be PERSECUTED in some way.

b. In fact, Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:12- “. . . everyone who wants to live a GODLY LIFE in