THE UNDERSIDE OF FAITH
Rev. 6:9-11
Sermon Objective: To emphasize and illustrate the very real potential of persecution as well as God’s promises for those who are suffering in His name.
INTRO:
We don’t talk about it much. It is the side of faith that we tend to avoid in our conversations; not because it is embarrassing, contradictory, hypocritical or sinful but, rather, because it is painful. You might call it “the underside of faith.” The Bible calls it suffering. It comes in many forms … but it comes none-the-less.
The Scriptures are clear and honest with us about its reality. We are told to count the cost (Luke 14:28). We are told that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV). That does not mean it is a badge of honor, an experience to be sought or provoked, or even one that our Heavenly Father wishes upon us. However, it is still a natural byproduct of living “Godly in Christ Jesus.”
And it behooves the church to talk about the issue, be prepared for its onslaught, and to encourage one another as we face it.
As I said, it comes in many forms.
• Some have lost their jobs because they refuse to compromise the ethical standards of the Gospel.
• Some have been abandoned by family members.
• Some have lost friendships.
• Some have lost financial potential.
• Some have even lost their lives.
Suffering is a predictable reality for the Christian.
It is also dreaded.
It is also worth it!
Many (maybe even all) the writers of the New Testament address the suffering of God’s faithful. All who do address it do so with a sense of compassion, warning, gentleness, and boldness.
Why can they be bold as they recount their experiences and encourage us in ours? Because they know, through firsthand encounters, about God’s blessings during these times of danger. For example:
• Matthew (5:10) says “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
• John (15:20) says “The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”
• Paul (Romans 5:3-4) says “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
• Peter (1 Peter 4:12-13) says “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
But no book in the Bible addresses the suffering of the faithful like John’s Revelation. From the very first chapter it acknowledges the reality. Not just the reality of suffering but the reality of God’s blessings in the midst of suffering.
Maybe it would be worth our while to take a few minutes this morning and uncover some of the jewels associated with suffering in His name. I notice many. Most of these jewels are encapsulated or hinted at in the fifth seal of the scroll. They introduce the reader/hearer to the reality of potentially being numbered among the persecuted.
REV. 6:9-11
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
1. SUFFERING IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE PRESENCE OF GOD
• I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.
• Like Antipas in 2:13 they were killed because of their witness to the truth of Jesus Christ.
• This is also the same reason John was in exile (“The Word of God and the testimony of Jesus” in 1:9-10) and why others (later in the book) will be killed (11:7-9 & 20:4).
• Many who have suffered for His name have testified to the acute sense of nearness they feel during those times. My suffering does not in any way compare to that of the persecuted church but I do know that during the times when I have taken abuse for remaining faithful to God I have sensed His nearness in a very distinct and undeniable way. The comfort that such a presence provides is beyond explanation.
• I have asked Erin to sing a hymn for us throughout this morning’s sermon. She will, for now sing the first verse of “Near to the Heart of God.”
2. SUFFERING IS ACCOMPANIED BY A REWARD FOR FAITHFULNESS
• Then each of them was given a white robe,
• The martyrs were each given a "white robe" as an evidence of their righteousness, victory, and the Judge of the earth’s approval
• I know these martyrs are not the only ones who wish to be declared faithful by God. I know you, too, desire to please Him – to sense His applause and approval. That will require nothing less of you than it did of these and others … “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Mt. 24:13).
• When we suffer for our faith, remain true to God and spotless from sin (i.e. do not retaliate, become bitter, etc.) we can be assured of God’s reward. In fact, this is His promise to us.
• “Near to the heart of God” (v. 2)
3. SUFFERING IS ACCOMPANIED BY THE COMFORT OF GOD
• And they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
• The souls were under the altar … this suggests that, from God’s perspective, they were a sacrifice. This also suggests they had reached a place of safety.
• It is not by accident that Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “The comforter” (John 14). His ministry to us during such times is so real and powerful. It explains why the Scriptures teach that God can give us a “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:17).
• “Near to the heart of God” (v. 3)
WRAP-UP
Suffering for the name of Jesus is not something that just happened in the less-civilized days of yesteryear. In fact, there are more people being persecuted for the cause of Christ today that at any time in the history of the world … that includes the unspeakable horrors that the church went through under Nero and Domitian. According to the agencies that track such things, Christian persecution is currently (THIS VERY DAY) taking place in: Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Burma, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Laos, North Korea, Bhutan, Maldives, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Cuba, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Turkey, Jordan, and Palestine.
And do not think the West is somehow immune.
• Last year (July 2009), Catherina Cenzon-DeCarlo, a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City was told that she would help a doctor perform an abortion or be fired. Even though the hospital knew it was against her Christian values.
• In September of 2009 at Pace (Florida) High School, Principal Frank Lay and athletic director Robert Freeman went on trial in federal district court for saying grace before their meals on School property. They were charged criminally for “flagrant first amendment violations.”
• Rifqa Bary (August 2009) fled her home in New Albany, Ohio last year because her father (a Muslim from Sri Lanka) was going to kill her in what is known as an “Islamic honor killing” because she converted to Christianity. She was spared the death. But not so for two sisters in Dallas, Texas.
• Amina and Sarah Said of Dallas were killed in January 2008, by the father (an Egyptian born Muslim) in an Islamic honor killing because of their faith in Christ.
I could give you other illustrations but suffice it to say that the potential of suffering for Christ is a very real and present danger. It comes in many forms … but it comes none-the-less. John’s Revelation informs us that it is not only the price of genuine faith but that it comes with an incorruptible reward as well.
I’d like us to close by singing the hymn Erin sang for us (Near to the Heart of God). Afterward, we will spend some time in prayer for the persecuted church around the world.
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam Church of the Nazarene
Potsdam, New York
www.potsdam-naz.org
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Below is a testimony sent to The Voice of the Martyrs from VOM contacts in Iran. It shows the resilience of believers who are sharing the gospel despite persecution
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
In one of the cities in Iran, there was a lady who, with so much difficulty, was able to rent a place in her city to start a tailoring business. Her desire to start a business began because she had a family of four and was in great financial need. Her husband was a drug addict and did not contribute toward the expenses of the family. This lady is a very committed Christian.
A few months ago, she was teaching three young ladies how to sew. She took the opportunity to share the gospel with them and started discipling them. One of the young ladies came from a fanatic Muslim family. When her family found out about her Christian faith, they were against her faith. But this young lady was seriously following her Christian beliefs. Things got worse, to the extent that her parents started beating her up and threatening her if she didn't leave her faith. They told her, "If you don't return to Islam, we will keep beating you until you die." This young lady did not want to give up her faith under those circumstances. She eventually found a way to leave her parents house and went to stay with one of her relatives in another city in Iran. The parents started looking for her, as they could not find her. They thought she might have taken refuge in the home of the lady who was teaching her how to sew. They had heard about her and the fact that she had evangelized their daughter. In any case, they contacted that lady and threatened her by telling her that if she did not send their daughter back to them, they would close down her shop and would even arrange to kill her. Within fundamentalist Islam, the penalty of someone who turns from Islam is death. That is why they had the right to kill her if they wanted to. Obviously, their daughter was not staying with that seamstress, but the parents did not believe this.
On one of the days when the seamstress was working in the dress shop, the young woman's family, including the father, went to the shop and broke all her equipment. A couple of ladies from the family started beating up the woman. They kept telling her that she forced their daughter to turn from Islam and become a Christian. They eventually informed the police about it. This lady was taken to the court because of all that had happened to her. The judge considered her to be the guilty one. He told her that there was no way of refunding all the broken items in her shop. The judge said the persecutors had the right to attack her. The judge told the lady that if he heard about her doing evangelism again, he would punish her more severely.
This poor lady has no safety in her own city, and her equipment will no longer be useful to her. She eventually moved to another city and is under medical care because of all the physical attacks she went through. Her house church pastor eventually heard about the difficulties she had gone through. He realized that she needed some funds for her medical costs. The church contributed towards that. She is planning to start another shop in a different city where she is less known and VOM is helping her do this.
Philippians 3:10
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
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Faith Under Fire
(Dearborn, MI) This past Friday, on June 18th, 2010, three Christians; Dr. Nabeel Quereshi, David Woods, and Paul Rezkalla, were arrested at the Arab International Festival in Dearborn, Michigan, which was held on public property.
The testimonies of the three men and others nearby confirms that, as Dr. Nabeel says “We didn’t approach anyone. We waited for them to approach us, and they did.” He says that at first, the Muslims that came up to them would accuse them and call them racist, but “in a matter of minutes, multiple times, we were talking very amicably [with them], and enjoying the conversation. We made many friends yesterday…” Toward the end of one of those conversations, however, officers approached and handcuffed the three, leading them away to the police truck.
Dr. Nabeel notes, “It cannot be said that we were arrested for causing a disturbance, because we did not approach anyone, rather everyone with whom we spoke first approached us. It cannot be said that we were harassing anyone, because the moment anyone said ’stop talking to me,’ we would stop talking to them. And it cannot be said that we were spreading hate speech, because we said virtually nothing about Islam at all. On the contrary, we repeatedly affirmed our love for all Muslims. Whenever I was asked ‘Why would you love me?’ I said ‘Because Jesus loves you, and He told me to love you.’
No hating, no disturbing, no harassing. The three were arrested simply for being Christian Preachers at the Arab Festival in Dearborn.”
State Representative Tom McMillin, has called on the state attorney general to investigate the arrests. The police illegally confiscated their video cameras and personal property and have been accused of enforcing Islamic law.
Romans 8:17
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
