I've entitled this message, Persecution
and the Gospel. Persecution and the Gospel. Before we came out of the study,
I asked Dwayne to lead us in this hymn to close tonight, but
I want to read it to you. It's a hymn by Isaac Watts, one
of my favorite hymnists, and he says, Am I a
soldier of the cross, a follower of the lamb? And shall I fear
to own his cause or blush to speak his name? Must I be carried
to the skies on flowery beds of ease while others fought to
win the prize and sailed through bloody seas? Are there no foes
for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is
this vile world a friend to grace, to help me on to God? Sure, I
must fight if I would reign. Increase my courage, Lord. I'll
bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy word. Now in Colossians chapter one,
Paul says, beginning in verse 21, and you that were sometimes
alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now
have he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death to
present you. holy and unblameable and unreprovable
in his sight. Isn't that wonderful? That's
the description of every believer. But look at verse 23. This is
so if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you've heard, which
was preached to every creature, which is under heaven, whereof
I, Paul, am made a minister who now rejoice in my sufferings
for you and fill up that which is behind, that which hadn't
taken place yet of my sufferings, of the afflictions of Christ
in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church. whereof I am made a minister."
Now, Paul says, I rejoice in my sufferings for you. Now, I
was amazed to know that part of the doctrine, the Catholic
doctrine of purgatory comes out of this verse of scripture. It
was said that Paul had some ability to suffer for the church like
Christ did. And what that means is, Some
people can have such a surplus of goodness and good works that
they can actually get people out of purgatory because of that.
And this is one of the scriptures used to support that where Paul
is said to suffer for the church. That's stretching things, isn't
it? But Paul does say he rejoiced in his sufferings and his afflictions,
which he had for Christ's sake. Now I want to look at several
scriptures. Turn with me to second Timothy chapter one. Paul says to Timothy, be not
thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of
me, his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of
the gospel. according to the power of God. And he went on to tell us what
the gospel is. And he says in verse 11, where
into I'm appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher
of the Gentiles for the which cause I also suffer these things. Look in second Timothy chapter
two, verse eight, he said, remember, that Jesus Christ of the seed
of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds. But the word of God is not bound.
Therefore I endure all things for the elect sake that they
may also obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with
eternal glory. It's a faithful saying for if
we'd be dead with him, We shall live with him. If we suffer,
we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also
deny us. If we believe not yet, he abideth
faithful. He cannot deny himself. Paul rejoiced in the afflictions
he endured and the suffering he endured for Christ's sake,
for the body of Christ. It was a token of God's blessing.
Turn to Matthew chapter five. Look at the words of our Lord. When he's giving the sermon on
the mount, he says in verse 10, blessed, oh, how blessed by God
are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake. For theirs
is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall
revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad
for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Now, persecution is the normal
way of the New Testament. It's the normal way. Now, I want
you to listen real carefully if the Lord enables you. When
Christ began his public ministry in Luke chapter four, hear the
response of his hearers after he had preached. And all they
in the synagogue, when they heard these things were filled with
wrath and rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him
to the brow of the hill where the city was built, that they
might cast him down headlong. They were so furious with the
message that they took him up to a cliff to throw him off.
After the Lord healed a man on the Sabbath day, the Jews did
persecute Jesus and sought to slay him. When he said to the
Jews before Abraham was, I am, then took they up stones to cast
at him. They were going to kill him over
this. When he said, you believe not. Now this is the way the
Lord spoke so directly. He said, you believe not because
you're not of my sheep. As I said it to you, my sheep
hear my voice. I know them and they follow me
and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand. My father, which gave them me
is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them
out of my father's hand. I and my father are one. Then
the Jews took up stones again to stone him. How many times
during his earthly ministry was he the object of rage and anger? He told his disciples, you will
be hated of all men for the son of man's sake. Turn with me for
a moment to Matthew chapter 10. Verse 32, whosoever therefore
shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before
my father, which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before
men, him will I deny before my father, which is in heaven. Now
listen to these words. Think not that I'm come to send
peace on earth. Make everybody get along. I came
not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at
variance against his father, and the daughter against her
mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and
a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he that
loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he
that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy
of me. He that findeth his life shall
lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it." He said, they hated me. They hated me without a cause. And he died a violent death when
he was delivered over to the will of the people. Persecution
is the normative way in the New Testament. As the apostles began
to preach in the book of Acts, they were quickly imprisoned.
Peter had preached that message on Pentecost, and he was so direct. He wasn't trying to be a diplomat.
He said, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, you have and with wicked hands have crucified
and slain." And he went on to end up the message saying, this
same Jesus whom you crucified, God has made him Lord and Christ. And he was put into jail. The
apostles were beaten and commanded to speak no more in that name.
And we read, and they departed from the council rejoicing. that
they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. They rejoiced
in that. It was something that they looked
as indicative of the Lord's blessing upon them. Now in Acts chapter
seven, we read of the stoning of Stephen. In Acts chapter eight,
we read where Saul of Tarsus persecuted the church. He was
the one who held the coats of the people who stoned Stephen.
Look in Acts chapter eight, what blessing, came to the church
as a result of this persecution. Verse one and Saul was consenting
unto his death. Acts chapter eight, the death
of Stephen. Remember, they laid their coats
at the feet of a young man named Saul when they stoned him to
death and Saul wanted this to happen. And Saul was consenting
unto his death. And at that time, there was a
great persecution against the church, which was in Jerusalem.
And they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea
and Samaria, except the apostles. They had to run because of the
persecution, go other places. And devout men carried Stephen
to his barrel and made great lamentation over him. As for
Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house and
hailing men and women, committed them to prison. Therefore, they
that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. The Lord used this to spread
them all over the place to preach the word. Now in Acts chapter
nine, we read of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus when God saved
him in that miraculous way. And as soon as he began to preach,
the scripture says the Jews took counsel to kill him. He who was
their friend, they now wanted murdered. In Acts chapter 12,
James is put to death. Peter's imprisoned with the intention
of doing so. We pick back up with the Apostle
Paul in Acts chapter 14 in Lystra. He goes and preaches the gospel
and they stone him. They stone him and leave him,
pull him out of the town on a trash heap thinking he was dead. And
then in Acts chapter 16, we read where after he was preaching,
he was beaten and imprisoned and put in stocks. In Acts chapter
17, he's run out of Thessalonica and he's the object of ridicule
in Athens. In Acts chapter 18, There was
an insurrection against him in Corinth. In Acts chapter 19,
there was a riot in Ephesus. Turn with me to Acts chapter
20 and look at his own testimony. Verse 22. And now behold, I go. bound in the spirit to Jerusalem,
not knowing the things which shall befall me there say that
the Holy Ghost witnesses in every city saying that bonds and afflictions
are waiting on me. Paul knew wherever he went, he
was going to take a beating. He knew he was going to be thrown
in jail and he kept going back. He says in verse 24, but none
of these things move me. Neither count I my life dear
unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry
which I've received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of
the grace of God. Now in Acts chapter 21, there
was another murder attempt on him. They tried to tear him apart
and the Roman soldiers came and delivered him. And he was allowed
to preach to these people who tried to murder him. And at the
end of his message in Acts chapter 22, here was their response.
Away with such a fellow from the earth. It's not fit that
he should live. Now, this is what took place
in the early church. Look in second Corinthians chapter
11, when Paul gives a summary of what he had gone through. He says in verse 23, speaking
of his detractors, are they ministers of Christ? Now I'm speaking as
a fool. He makes that clear. I'm speaking the way a fool would
speak. Are they ministers of Christ? I'm more. In labors more
abundant, in stripes above measure, in presents more frequent, in
deaths oft of the Jews, five times received I forty stripes,
save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods. Once was I stoned. Thrice I suffered
shipwreck. A night and a day have I been
in the deep, in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils
of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the
heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness,
in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness
and painfulness and watchings often in hunger and thirst in
fastings often in cold and nakedness besides these those things are
without that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the
churches. Now you can see and I can see
real clearly from these passages of scripture that I've been reading
that persecution was the norm wasn't it? It's what Paul experienced. Paul And another place said,
if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we're of all
men most miserable. Because he did have a miserable
life knowing he was going to get whipped, beat, imprisoned
wherever he went. You know, when Paul spoke to
the people at Lystra, he came back after being stoned And they
saw the cuts and the bruises and the gashes in him. And he
said to them, through much tribulation, we entered the kingdom of heaven.
And it meant something when he looked like that, didn't it?
Through much tribulation. Turn with me to Galatians 5. Galatians 5. Verse 11. And I brethren, if I yet preach
circumcision, if I was preaching works, that's what he's talking
about. When he says, if I preach circumcision, what that means
is preaching works. Look up at, let me show you that
in the first part of this chapter. Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you that
if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every
man that circumcised, that he's a debtor to do the whole law.
Christ has become of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are
justified by the law, you're fallen from grace." Now he says
in verse 11, if I yet preach circumcision, why am I being
persecuted so much? You see, if I'm preaching circumcision,
I will not be persecuted. then is the offense of the cross
cease. The obvious implication is if
I'm not being persecuted, I'm not preaching the offense of
the cross. I repeat, persecution was the
norm in the New Testament because men hated the Christ that was
preached. They really hated him. And there's a Jesus nobody's
mad at. There's a Jesus preach to, you
don't need to be scared of. He's in your back pocket. I mean,
you've really, you're the one in control, not him. If you decide
to let him save you, he'll save you and you're in control. Now that Jesus, nobody's mad
at that Jesus, but the enthroned Christ of the Bible, the one
whom God has made both Lord and Christ. Turn to John 15. Listen to the words of our Lord. He's speaking to his disciples
and his last message to them before he goes to the cross. And he says, beginning in verse
16, you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you and ordained
you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit
should remain that whatsoever you shall ask of the father in
my name. He may give it to you. Now, these things I command you
that you love one another. You're going to need one another.
Love one another. If the world hate you, you know
that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world,
the world would love his own. But because you're not of the
world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the
world hateth you. Remember the word that I said
unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they've
persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've kept
my saying, they'll keep yours also. But all these things will
they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him
that sent me. If I'd not come and spoken unto
them, they'd not had sin, but now they have no cloak for their
sin. He that hateth me, hateth my father also. I'd not done
among them the works which none other man did. They had not had
sin, but now they both seen and hated both me and my father. But this cometh to pass that
the word might be fulfilled. That's written in their law.
They hated me without a cause. What an evil thing it is to hate
the son of God. And yet that's what every natural
man is guilty of. You know, men hate him just as
much today. Did you know that? They hate
him just as much today. Men haven't changed. The gospel
hasn't changed. The message of the gospel is
still an offense to the natural man. That's what the Lord says. He spoke of the offense of the
cross. Now, I realize that some people,
preachers, individuals, offend men because of bad behavior.
I realize that. certainly don't want to be one
of these people who wants to, wants persecution for persecution's
sake, to prove to me that I'm somebody, that I'm willing to
bear up anything for the Lord's sake. I can remember even when
we first started this church, I would try to go out and I would
do things offensive to people. I'd go out and knock on their
door while they interrupt their dinner or I'd go down into a
place when we were back on Grace Chapel where there's a bunch
of people. I tried, they're all having a good time. I tried to break
it up and get in tracks and preach to them. And it was wrong to
do that. It was wrong what I was doing. I was trying to prove
something to myself. And I, and I don't want to be guilty of
that. I don't want to just try to prove
that I'm willing to suffer for Christ's sake. But beloved, I
do want to suffer for Christ's sake. Paul said in Philippians chapter
one, verse 27, let me ask you, how do you feel about that? How
do you feel? Paul said, it's given to you.
It's given to you, not only to believe on him, but to suffer
for his sake. That's a gift of grace. What a privilege to be allowed
to suffer for the Lord Jesus Christ. I love what that one
martyr said. When he was getting ready to
burn at the stake, I can't remember which one it was, but he said,
to die for Christ, it is an honor I do not deserve. Oh my, I want to have that kind
of attitude, don't you? Out of a love to him. Not trying
to prove anything, but out of a love to him. Oh, to preach
the offense of the cross. The message of the gospel is
still an offense to the natural man. It offends man's wisdom.
You shut up to revelation. You can't figure this thing out.
I love thinking about that. You can't figure this thing out.
It's up to God to reveal himself to you. The gospel offends men's
sense of personal righteousness because it addresses all men,
no matter who they are, as nothing but sinners before God. No personal
righteousness at all. The gospel offends men's sense
of personal rights. by saying that we're in the hands
of a sovereign God who saves whom he will and passes by whom
he will and whatever he does is right. It offends men's sense
of power and control by saying they don't have any power. They
don't have any control. I love it that way, don't you?
I love the God who's in control. The gospel of grace offends men's
love of self by calling us to deny ourselves, to take up our
cross and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, from these scriptures
I've given, it's obvious that persecution was the norm in the
New Testament. And men hate the gospel today
as much as they did in the days of the apostles. Men have not
changed. Now, here's my question. Why
is there not persecution like there was in the days of the
apostles now? Why? Why am I not being persecuted
like that? Oh, we've got people mad at us
before. We've had people persecute us
for what we believe and just speak ill of us and so on. That's
happened to everybody who's ever believed the gospel. But as far
as reading what was going on in the New Testament, that's
not going on like that now. I mean, it's just not. It's just
not. Why? Why is that? Somebody says,
well, is it because we have laws that protect us? Well, yeah,
that has something to do with it. I'm thankful for that. You
know, if men could, if men could, they'd shut this place down.
I have no doubt about it because of the gospel that's preached
here, if they could, and I'm thankful for the laws that protect us
and so on. But I also have to say this,
I suggest that the reason lies within us. Me beginning with me. I suggest
that the reason lies within us. We're just not much like the
apostles. I realize, as I said, some think
they're persecuted for Christ's sake, when in reality, they're
disliked for their offensive behavior. But I see very little
persecution for Christ's sake. Very little. Why? Well, perhaps We don't preach
the offense of the cross as we should. Perhaps we don't. You know, I think of how direct
the Lord was in his preaching, and I know he could be a lot
more direct than me or you because he knew who was a believer and
who wasn't. He knew that, but I think of
the way he spoke. You believe not because you're
not of my sheep. Now, another way you could say
that, you believe not, and the Lord said this to these people,
some directly, you believe not because you're not elect, as
I said it to you. Now, people wanted to stone him
over that. That's how angry they got. And
perhaps our preaching, and obviously I'm the one guilty if that's
the case, perhaps our preaching is too benign. Perhaps we preach
without faith in the doctrines we preach, believing them to
be the power of God and to salvation, and therefore preaching them
with the conviction that if you don't believe this, you won't
be saved. If you believe this, you will be. That's the way to
preach. Preach the truth with this earnestness. This is the gospel. You must
believe or you won't be saved. If you believe, you'll be saved. If you believe the gospel. Preaching
the truth with a conviction like that. We certainly don't seem
to have the zeal of the people of the New Testament. I certainly
don't think we practice the self-denial of the people of the New Testament.
I know every one of you agree with me on this, because you
look at things here, everything's fine. I'm going to go home to
a nice house. I'm not getting my goods confiscated.
Everything's pleasant. We certainly don't seem to have
the authority and the boldness that they did. I love that scripture
in Acts 4.13. Now, when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John. And I love that passage of scripture.
They said, what name are you doing this in? And if he would
have said in the name of God, they would have said, amen. I
believe that. But he said, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth,
we called upon this man to rise up and walk. And when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John, and they perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they took knowledge of them, that they had been with
Jesus. You know, Paul did say, all that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Now he made that promise. I want
you to think about what he just said. All that will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Now may the Lord
give us such a love for Christ that we will count it a high
honor to be allowed to be persecuted for him. Something that we really
believe we're unfit for and don't deserve. May we preach the gospel
of Christ so clearly that men either gnash their teeth in hatred
or they flip for joy. They're so happy about what's
being said. That's the only way to preach. May we have such a
love for the souls of men that out of love for their souls,
we must tell them the truth. Now turn with me to Revelation
12. Revelation 12. Verse nine, and the great dragon
was cast out. That old serpent called the devil,
the accuser, the slanderer and Satan, which deceived the whole
world. He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast
out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now has
come salvation and strength, the kingdom of God and the power
of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down. which accused them before our
God day and night. I think of this name of the devil,
the accuser of the brethren. You know, he could come up before
God and he could make so many accusations against me and every
one of them would be true. Every one of them. And he could do the same with
you. He's the accuser of the brethren. But what happened? Verse 11,
and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. You know what
the blood of the Lamb says? All those accusations are false. They're without guilt. Who shall
lay anything to the charge of God's elect? God that justifies. Who is he that can condemn? It's
Christ that died. Yea, rather, that's risen again,
who's even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession
for us. How many times have you said
to yourself, I'm nothing more than a hypocrite? Well, that
was the devil accusing you. And he said, you're nothing but
a hypocrite. And you agree. You are. But when he brings that
accusation before God, it holds no water. They overcame him by
the blood of the land. Aren't you eternally thankful
for the blood of the land? You know, I can't wait to be
in that great heavenly choir of 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands
and thousands singing worthy is the land that was slain. who
hath redeemed us by his blood out of every kindred and tribe
and tongue and nation and made us kings and priests to God.
Now that's heavenly worship. Praising the blood of the lamb.
But look what it says next in verse 11. And they overcame him
by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. What was their testimony? I know
what my testimony is. I overcome only by the blood
of the lamb. That's my testimony. The testimony of the power and
efficacy of his blood, what his blood actually accomplished.
That's our, oh, may we just make that so clear. We overcome by
the blood of the lamb. And then look what it says next.
And they loved not their lives unto the death. May God cause us, every one of
us, to be willing to die for the cause of Christ. And may he enable us to be willing
to live for the cause of Christ. Now, in this thing of suffering
persecution, Lord, Enable us, revive us to be so faithful to
your gospel. Not persecution for persecution
sake, but to preach the gospel in such simplicity and clarity
and power. That men either gnash their teeth. Or they join up with us and become
our brother. One of the two. Hopefully the
joining up. but may the Lord revive us to make it like it was in the days
of the New Testament. Let's pray together.