We don’t like to think about persecution and there was a time when we in America could put off thinking about, but that time is firmly behind us now. We’re IN IT.
Now those who walk through a big city street openly carrying a Bible showing their conservative beliefs are in danger of being attacked and even killed because of their beliefs. Those who preach the truth of sin and the need for repentance are in danger of being charged with “hate speech.” Truly, our world has turned upside down.
Some of the things we will consider today are…
1. Persecution Rising in America
2. History of Persecution
3. Who Will Be Persecuted
4. Persecution in the Bible
5. Ways People Answer Persecution
6. How Will YOU Answer Persecution?
These are very sobering times. We have all been watching the things happen the Lord has been warning us about for thousands of years. We all feel the uncertainty of not knowing what is going to happen next, though we see clearly where this is all headed.
We live in one of the two most momentous times on earth. The first one was when Jesus came, this one will be when He returns for us . Whether you call it the rapture or the return or what, I don’t think that makes any difference. He has told us He will return for us.
This will be a time of persecution unlike any we have seen before, and that is saying a lot, especially if you look at persecution in other centuries, such as the Dark Ages.'
A lot of people don’t want to hear about what’s coming. That’s their prerogative. There are numerous groups among Christians when it comes to the truth of end times and they range from being in complete denial that any judgments ever could or SHOULD happen to Christians to hard core Here is what’s going down and we better all get ready and prep like the daylights for it.
The Bible tells us Judgment is coming and what it will look like – everything from earthquakes & pestilence to asteroids hitting the earth and the sun being darkened.
We know the Bible is the absolute true and inerrant Word of God, so we can look at it and know these things will AT SOME POINT befall the people on the earth, or we can stick our head in the sand and pretend nothing bad can ever happen to us in spite of all the evidence at our doors that it not only can but IS.
Or we can take an attitude with God that HOW DARE HE even THINK of judging us for ANYTHING. You get to choose your attitude every day, and that attitude can help you or it can hurt you and the people who believe nothing bad could or should ever befall them if they are Christians are going to have a VERY difficult if not IMPOSSIBLE time keeping their faith til the end in what is coming, especially if they have a tendency to become angry at God when things don't go their way. Because the devil can talk people who are angry at God into turning against Him very easily by pointing out everything bad that has happened to them and saying ‘Oh, a LOVING GOD would never allow THAT to happen…” It makes me think of Eve in the Garden of Eden - Yeah, hath God really said …???
Anyone who knows anything at ALL about what the Bible says knows we are living in the end times. Even unbelievers at this stage of the game are beginning to see something is amiss.
Persecution has been rising for some time now. We all know it. We don’t have to like it, but we DO have to endure it if we want to go to our reward on the other side. So let’s talk a little about persecution and how we might answer it when it comes our way. I want to give you some things to think about. And I want to tell you, too, that its human to feel afraid about these situations, but I believe we can overcome that fear with our faith. That is why satan works so hard to steal your faith. He KNOWS we are called to be overcomers and he wants us to give any answer except what will make our Savior proud of us in these times.
The definition of persecution is Hostility or Ill Treatment, especially because of race or political or religious beliefs; persistent annoyance or harassment.
That makes me think of Matthew 5:11.
Matthew 5:11 - 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. (kjv)
The Greek word translated persecute in that verse is Dee-OH-ko and it means to make to run or flee, put to flight, drive away, especially in a hostile manner or with the INTENT TO DO HARM. SO PERSECUTION IS DESIGNED TO MAKE US RUN, to chase us off.
Because we can clearly see persecution against Christians is increasing every week in America, we need to be as informed as we can about what persecution is and how different people handled in the past, and we need to give some serious thought to how WE will handle it in the future when it comes to our own doorsteps, which is WILL.
From the book Jesus Freaks: Revolutionaries by DC Talk:
"In the United States in recent years, those who have called themselves fundamentalist believers in God have bombed abortion clinics, assassinated doctors who performed abortions, holed themselves up within compounds and shot it out with the FBI, or committed mass suicides thinking that their “martyrdoms” would change the way people think. …
TRUE MARTYRDOM IS BEING A WITNESS OF THE TRUTH.
Martyrs die because they refuse to deny the Truth, they are unwilling to force their ways upon others, and they are unwilling to fight back when fighting back would deny the Love they are trying to show those hurting them.
THIS is how martyrdom changes things: It stands up as a witness of the One who is Truth and Love, and the one who is truth and love can do little else but stand up and surround them with His Presence. And His Presence changes things."
John 15:18-19
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Though NO ONE wants to be arrested or imprisoned for their faith, other shining examples have gone before us to lead the way – and we must consider if this happens to us that it is possible the Lord has a purpose for it.
I think in all that’s coming, we have to keep in mind Rev. 12:11:
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
This means that you stop loving and trying to cling to your life.
I want to read you the story of a famous martyr named Polycarp. He was old. He said on the day he was ordered to burn incense to the Emperor of Rome that he had served the Lord for 86 years. That may have been his whole age, or the number of years he had lived since he gave his life to Jesus, we don’t know.
"Polycarp is recorded as saying on the day of his death: "Eighty and six years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong." This could indicate either that he was then eighty-six years old[13] or that he had lived eighty-six years after he gave his heart to the Lord. Polycarp goes on to say: "How then can I blaspheme my King and Savior? You threaten me with a fire that burns for a season, and after a little while is quenched; but you are ignorant of the fire of everlasting punishment that is prepared for the wicked."[10] Polycarp was burned at the stake and pierced with a spear for refusing to burn incense to the Roman Emperor.[14] On his farewell, he said: "I bless you, Father, for judging me worthy of this hour, so that in the company of the martyrs I may share the cup of Christ."[10] - story from Wikipedia
It IS possible to endure – even years of torture – Richard Wurmbrand and his wife Sabina DID! https://www.persecution.com/founders/ Their persecution led to the founding of Voice of the Martyrs.
Persecution brings revival. We all know there is one more really big revival that will come before the end. The persecution and death of Jesus brought the revival we read about in Acts.
If you realize – truly realize that we are speeding to the end right now and we’re almost there and that you won’t get out of this thing alive once the Mark comes out, I think it makes it easier not to love your life and try to fight death.
Okay, so let’s look at some cases of persecution in the Bible so we can understand the history of what we are studying.
Stephen the deacon was considered the first martyr,
Stephen
I quote here some interesting information about Stephen from Wikipedia:
"Stephen (c. AD 5 – c. AD 34) traditionally venerated as the first martyr of Christianity,[1] was according to the Acts of the Apostles a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who aroused the enmity of members of various synagogues by his teachings. Accused of blasphemy (like Jesus!) at his trial, he made a speech denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was then stoned to death. His martyrdom was witnessed by Saul of Tarsus, a Pharisee who would later become a believer known as Paul the Apostle.
The only primary source for information about Stephen is the New Testament book of the Acts of the Apostles.[2] Stephen is mentioned in Acts 6 as one of the Greek-speaking Hellenistic Jews selected to participate in a fairer distribution of welfare to the Greek-speaking widows.[3] "
The fact he as selected to help with the distribution to the widows shows he was known as a man of integrity.
I don’t know if yall have noticed lately in our world, but integrity is in scarce supply these days. It is SO rare to find anyone who walks in integrity, who does the right thing even if it costs them.
Acts 6:5 calls Stephen a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. Further down in Chapter 6, it also says:
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,
13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
Then Stephen proceeded to preach to them a beautiful, anointed sermon – about MOSES !! They were Jews, so they revered Moses. And they had as much as claimed he did NOT revere Moses.
And that sermon ended in Acts 7 with:
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
AND vs. 60 TELLS US HOW STEPHEN ANSWERED PERSECUTION:
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen’s story encourages me more than anyone’s because I think after he prayed for the Lord to forgive his attackers (also like Jesus!!), the Lord just put him into a deep sleep so he didn’t feel the rest of the pain of the stoning! Stephen’s response to persecution to the point of martyrdom was much like that of Jesus in that He prayed for forgiveness for his attackers.
Stephen’s death was followed by the death of James, the brother of John. Tradition says that all of the Twelve Apostles were martyred except for John. Others who were martyred include Mark, Barnabas, James the Lord’s brother and Paul.
"James was one of the first disciples to join Jesus. The Synoptic Gospels state that James and John were with their father by the seashore when Jesus called them to follow him.[Matt. 4:21–22][Mk. 1:19–20] James was one of only three apostles whom Jesus selected to bear witness to his Transfiguration." - Wikipedia
Acts of the Apostles records that "Herod the king" (traditionally Herod Agrippa) had James executed by the sword, it is believed in A.D. 44. Some suggest that this may have been caused by James's fiery temper, for which he and his brother earned the nickname "Sons of Thunder".
John the brother of James – they were the sons of Zebedee that asked Jesus if they could sit on His right hand and on His left when He came into His Kingdom. They really did not understand He was the Son of God, the Messiah, when they asked that.
No one enjoys suffering. No one. Most people across the globe recognize, however, that suffering is normal in this fallen world. Our culture in America has glorified comfort and convenience almost to the point of entitlement. Some of the teachings going around would have you to think the Lord always wants you supremely happy, comfortable, healthy, wealthy and wise, but that really does not line up with what the Bible says.
Persecution and martyrdom, which is sometimes the result in cases of extreme persecution, is a distant thought to the majority of us here in American especially. Since we Christians who really try to live for the Lord have a much clearer idea of the lateness of the hour, it is not so strange to us. I don’t want it to be foreign to you as we know this is already starting to come to us here in America. I want all of you to be prepared when it shows up.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Let us not be ignorant of Satan’s devices. He will try anything to get us to give up our faith. You must be willing to give up anything rather than that. Literally. Anything or Anyone, but not your faith in the Lord, if you are to make it to heaven. We must, therefore, set our hearts and minds to endure to the end, regardless of what we must walk through to do that.
Matthew 24:13
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
It is not common to hear a message on suffering in churches in America. Indeed, few are even willing to preach on sin and repentance, but the lack of repentance is exactly what has gotten us to where we are now.
In the Bible, suffering is not considered unusual.
"first followers of Jesus consistently experienced suffering for the sake of Jesus, in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1). Galatia (Gal. 3:4), Philippi (Phil. 1:29), Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:14), and Asia Minor (1 Peter 4:12), along with the recipients of the letter to the Hebrews (Heb. 10:32). Paul went through horrible suffering (2 Cor. 11:23–29), as did the other apostles (Acts 5–8). Paul was quite explicit in saying this was to be expected by everyone who follows Jesus (2 Tim. 3:12, ESV). In the Bible, suffering and opposition are a normal part of the normal Christian life."
The comfort we experience as Christians in the West has actually been an anomaly compared to many other countries. Because of our Christian heritage, combined with democratic freedom and the laws protecting our freedoms we could once count on, we Christians in the West have heretofore been for the most part left alone with our faith." - - Wikipedia
2 Timothy 3:12
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
You know, there is a large body of Christians in the world today, especially here in America, that, when the law is passed that makes Christianity a crime, they won’t have to worry because there is not enough evidence of being Christian in their lives to even convict them. Woe to them when Jesus returns, because they will be left behind. Woe to them on the Day of Judgment, because they have no REAL belief or FAITH and a fiery eternity awaits them.
Let us at the end be able to say
2 Timothy 4:7
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
Persecution is being harassed and threatened with harm, put on the run, because of what you believe. Extreme persecution can lead to martyrdom for those who refuse to deny Christ, who is the Truth.
How will you answer when persecution comes to your door? Will you be a witness for the Truth that Jesus is Lord, or will you deny Him to save your temporary skin? To get a bowl of porridge to live another day in this temporary life? How will you choose?
TRUE MARTYRDOM IS BEING A WITNESS OF THE TRUTH.
For current martyr statistics:
https://forthemartyrs.com/10-facts-about-christian-persecution/?utm_term=christian%20martyrs&utm_campaign=Christian+Persecution&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=9723476535&hsa_cam=10566974116&hsa_grp=102695138285&hsa_ad=449011726772&hsa_src=g&hsa_tgt=kwd-10376980&hsa_kw=christian%20martyrs&hsa_mt=b&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8Jrk7K7q6wIVBh6tBh1x-Aa3EAAYASAAEgJSifD_BwE
