CHRISTIANS MUST BE PREPARED TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST
Matt. 24:9
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: MAGIC AT THE PASTRY SHOP
1. Two broke and hungry best friends, Dave and John, went into a pastry shop. Dave suddenly whisks three cookies into his pocket with lightning speed. The baker didn't notice. Dave said to John, "See how clever I am? You'll never beat that!"
2. John replied, "Oh yeah? Watch this." He said to the baker, "Give me a cookie and I’ll show you a magic trick!" The baker handed him a cookie which he promptly ate.
3. Then he said to the baker: "Give me another cookie for my magic trick." The baker was getting suspicious but he gave it to him. He ate that one too.
4. Then he said again: "Give me one more cookie... " The baker was getting angry now but gave him one anyway. He ate that one too.
5. The baker puts his hands on his hips and yelled, "Where is your magic trick?!" John pointed at Dave and said: "The three cookies are in that guy's pocket!"
B. THESIS
1. Americans, through faulty teaching of the Prosperity movement, have gotten the wrong idea that God won’t let Christians suffer any kind trouble but that, if they behave themselves, God will always give them good health and financial prosperity.
2. There are some true aspects about this and many false aspects. Let’s take a closer look at what’s taught and what the Bible says is the reality.
3. The title of this message is, “Christians Must Be Prepared to Suffer for Christ.”
I. MODERN “PROSPERITY” THEOLOGY
A. THE TEACHING OF PROSPERITY GOSPEL
1. Prosperity theology, sometimes referred to as the “Prosperity Gospel,” the “Health and Wealth Gospel,” the “Gospel of Success,” or “Seed Faith” is a religious belief among some Christians, who hold that financial blessing and physical well-being are always the will of God for them, and that faith, positive speech, and donations to religious causes will increase one's material wealth [J. Wilson].
2. Prosperity theology views the Bible as a contract between God and humans: if humans have faith in God, he will deliver security and prosperity. It usually adds the belief that its God's will for his people to be “happy.”
3. Surveys show that nearly one-third of Protestants say their churches teach that God blesses those who give money to the church, and 69 percent believe God wants them to prosper financially. [LifeWay Research]
4. It’s obvious that this philosophy is the product of materialistic and probably greed-driven teachers. They often teach that if you sow a financial “seed” into their ministry, that God will automatically reward you with a 100X return – in other words, God will make you rich.
5. Some current teachers of this are Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Jesse Duplantis, and Kenneth Copeland. It’s no accident they are some of the richest preachers in America, with 100+ million $ each!
B. MY PROBLEMS WITH PROSPERITY THEOLOGY
1. First, it’s strange that they claim to serve a Jesus who had no possessions and no place to lay His head! This same Jesus warned against laying up treasures on earth and regularly called his followers to sell all they had, give all it to the poor, and follow Him.
2. I guess that Jesus Himself and the Apostle Paul didn’t have enough faith or they would have been wealthy. And if Elisha had had more faith he would never have died of sickness, etc.
3. The truth is, that GOD DOES PROMISE BLESSINGS FOR OBEDIENCE. Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Some of God’s most faithful servants became wealthy – Abraham, Job, David, etc.
4. But God is also a SOVERIEGN BEING. It may not be in your best interests to be made rich; Jesus taught that it’s almost impossible for a rich person to make it to heaven (Mt. 19:24). Paul taught they’ll destroy you (1 Tim. 6:9). And God does sometimes use sickness to bring people closer to God or keep them from temptation (John 11:4; 2 Cor. 12:7-10).
5. GOD’S HIGHEST PRIORITY is NOT your happiness, but the saving of many lives (Gen. 45:5; Jonah 4:11; Luke 19:10)! God’s working all things together to save people from hell. A secondary goal would be the well-being of His people.
6. Frequently God asks us to give up what is most precious to us to test the sincerity of our love for Him. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son (who was a type of Jesus).
7. All these examples show that GOD DOESN’T HAVE A CONTRACT or guarantee of health and wealth. It’s only as we live for Him, we work at a job, and we’re faithful to build His kingdom, that God will make it a priority to take care of us and our happiness. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” Mt. 6:33 (3 Jn. 2, KJV).
8. GOD DOES ANSWER SPECIFIC PRAYER, and God will intervene supernaturally to glorify His Name and confirm the Gospel for His servants. So miraculous things DO happen around His people. And God does fulfill His promise in Josh. 1:8 when the circumstances warrant. Let’s don’t throw out the baby with the bath water!
9. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” 1 Tim. 6:17-18.
II. PERSECUTION IS PART OF BEING A CHRISTIAN
A. SUFFERING OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
1. Suffering is part of the Christian experience. We’re called to suffer. Jesus suffered. 11 out of 12 of the Apostles were martyred for the faith, and the twelfth was exiled after the Emperor failed to boil John in oil.
2. During the first three centuries, the early church suffered terrible persecution at the hands of the Romans.
3. It’s said that more Christians have been martyred in the 20th century that all the previous centuries combined, possibly because there are more Christians in non-Western countries than before.
4. In 1960, 70% of all evangelicals lived in North America. Today, 70% live in non-Western nations. The Church in the 3rd world is surrounded by non-believers, so they will be more persecuted than we have been.
B. TEACHING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
1. CHRISTIANS ARE CALLED TO SUFFER.
a. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” Phip. 1:29.
b. They were ENCOURAGED TO SUFFER. “Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” 2 Tim. 1:8; “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ” 2 Tim. 2:3.
Statements about the early Christian’s severe sufferings –
c. “You welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with…joy” 1 Thess. 1:6; 2:14; 2 Thess. 1:5.
d. “Remember those earlier days…when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering…You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property” Heb. 10:32,34.
2. THE LORD JESUS TOLD US WE WOULD SUFFER.
a. Matt. 5:11-12, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…”
b. Matt. 10:33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Matt. 16:25 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
c. Matt. 24:9 “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” (see also 10:22; Mk. 13:13; Lk. 21:17)
3. LORD JESUS SUFFERED
a. Our Lord Jesus was PERFECTED by His sufferings (Heb. 2:10, implying that we won’t be perfected without suffering.)
b. The Lord “learned OBEDIENCE” through suffering (Heb. 5:8). So if we would truly learn obedience, we must suffer for Christ.
c. Since Christ had to suffer, you should EXPECT and prepare your minds to suffer also. 1 Pet. 4:1, “since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude.”
4. IT MAY BE GOD’S WILL FOR YOU TO SUFFER. “It is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering” 1 Pet. 2:19. It may be God’s will for you to suffer for doing good, 1 Pet. 3:17. 1 Pet. 4:19 says, “those who suffer according to God’s will...” So it can be God’s will for you to suffer.
III. HOW SHOULD WE VIEW SUFFERING FOR CHRIST?
A. IS A CAUSE FOR REJOICING
1. The apostles rejoiced that they were counted worthy of suffering for Jesus, Acts 5:41.
2. They gloried in their sufferings, Rom. 5:3.
3. “Rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ” 1 Pet. 4:13.
B. PERSECUTION IS A BLESSING! – It shows you have the H.S.
1 Pet. 4:14, “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, YOU ARE BLESSED, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
C. IT WILL BE FAR OUTWEIGHED BY THE REWARDS
1. “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” Rom. 8:18.
2. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” 2 Cor. 4:17.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. VIDEO of Mohammed Yamout, Missionary to Lebanon, talking about his ministry in Tyre and of his family’s persecution for Christ.
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EpyptTT_Ns
Only show about 3 minutes: 27:08 to 30:02.
B. THE CALL
1. Have we been putting too much emphasis on our happiness, our prosperity, our material wealth?
2. Are we ready to give up all those things for Jesus? Are we preparing ourselves to suffer for Jesus’ sake?
3. Do we love Jesus more than our goods, our property, our reputations, our comforts, and even our families?
4. It’s time we pray about these things and ask God to search our hearts. PRAYER TIME.
