"Preparing for Persecution"

Preparing for Persecution… What a wonderful sermon title to start off the New Year!… One thing that I have learned over the years is the fact that God’s timing is ALWAYS perfect…

Whether it is an:

Encouraging phone call from a friend

A check in the mailbox that covers the exact amount of a certain bill

Or a message on Sunday morning that speaks to what you are currently going through, or helps you to prepare for something unknown in the future…

As I was studying this week and preparing this message, I couldn’t help but focus on the fact that: this is the first message that I will be speaking for the year 2023… And that kept me wondering as to why God would have this message timed out for today…

Even as I speak right now, I do not know the answer to that question… but I do know that we need to be attentive to God’s Word, we need to trust in His Sovereignty, and continue to live out what we say we believe.

The day is coming and fast approaching when your faith will be on trial. For some that day has already happened… I think of the Christian business owners that refused to do certain projects to help celebrate or promote things that go against God’s Standards. They are being sued and overrun with legal fees… just because they are standing up for their beliefs.

Here’s a couple of questions to consider…

1. What will you do when you are called into question at work about your faith?

2. What will you do when you are hauled into court to answer for ridiculous charges against you for sharing your personal testimony about Jesus Christ with someone?

I firmly believe that day may be fast approaching…

The ungodly media wants you to believe that it is you that is abnormal in society because you go to church, read the Bible, have a living relationship with Jesus Christ, pray, and live for God.

They want you to believe that normalcy in America is that of the in-your-face, sexually promiscuous, anti-God, and anti-Christian LGBTQ community… and that you are not only abnormal, but a nuisance to the whole of society… To the liberal media and this ungodly society... we are the problem.

Simon Peter wrote this passage to the strangers, “the persecuted church,” who were scattered abroad because of religious persecution.

Persecution is real for the believer. While it comes in many different ways, it is real – The group we’ve been studying about in 1 Peter suffered this horror in much a different way than we do as Christians today... However, some of the ways that they suffered are similar to what we are seeing today as well.

Dr. M.R. DeHaan put it this way:

In the early days of the church. . . , baptism was a declaration that the believer was identifying himself with that group of people who were called Christians and were despised and hated.

To be a Christian meant something. To identify yourself with those who were called Christians meant persecution, maybe even death; it meant being ostracized from your family, shunned by friends. (Some still experience this today)

The one act which was the final declaration of this identification was BAPTISM. As long as a man gathered with Christians, he was tolerated, but once he submitted to baptism, he declared to all the world, “I BELONG TO THIS DESPISED GROUP, and immediately he was persecuted, hated, and despised.”

Our text today was written by Peter to prepare small and scattered churches for a time of Persecution. At least 15 times in this letter using 8 different Greek words, Peter referred to suffering from some form of Persecution.

What that tells me is… Persecution is a real thing… it was real back then and it is real today. It can come in many forms:

• Ridiculed or mocked for your faith

• Being ignored or passed over on your job because of your faith

• Isolated or cut off from everyone else because of your faith

• Abused or beaten because of your faith

• Imprisoned of even martyred for your faith

The question is… how do we prepare for it?… … Might I suggest that; We turn to God’s Word…

Look at 1 Peter 3:13-17… (Read)

Meat:

I want you to know this morning that… If we are to be successful in prevailing in the face of opposition and persecution, there are four attitudes we must take up and hold onto.

Proper Attitudes:

First, when persecution comes, we must take up the attitude of:

1. Determination

1 Peter 3:13-14 “13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.””

The first attitude that must prevail in persecution and opposition is the attitude of doing right in the face of everything that is wrong!

“ And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?”

The word “followers” means “imitators.” This means that we have to figure out what is good… what is godly… and then imitate it.

The sincere Christian believer does not “go along to get along.” The serious Christian believer steps up to the plate, finds out for themselves what is real, important, true and virtuous; and then follows that example to the best of his or her ability… and depend on the Holy Spirit to give them strength to stand.

The NASB words v.13 in this way… “Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?”

The serious Christian believer will become zealous about doing what is right! He or she will develop a God-honoring determination to live for God in a world that is living against God!

Ill:

This past summer - late summer... early fall, we took the kids up to the dam in Hesperia. The boys tried doing some fishing on the banks of the White River and then we went and watched as others were trying to catch the coveted Salmon just below the dam.

Every so often you would see one these big Salmon jump out of the water and vigorously use its entire body to fight against the rush of water flowing over top of the spillway… they were fighting against the strong current, determined to get into the calm water above in order to spawn…

As followers and imitators of Christ we need to become “Salmon Christians” - swimming up river against the current of pollution and corruption, with a determination to honor God with our lives!

Dr. Bob Jones Sr. said, “Do right. Do right. Do right till the stars fall! Do right!”

What Peter is saying here is that we must be zealous in doing the right thing! We must be passionate followers of Jesus Christ!… Even if doing right causes persecution… Peter says that we will be blessed for it… v.14 “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.””

When we focus on the Lord Jesus, we can lose everything that life counts as dear and still have the most important thing left… Because the most important thing is Christ and His love for us… and that is something that can never be taken away!… and that should be the motive behind our determination to follow Him.

Secondly, When persecution and opposition comes there must be an attitude of…

2. Dedication

The first part of v.15 says that we are to “… sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,… ”

The word “sanctify” means to “set apart.” It’s used 29 times in the New Testament. It literally means, “to make holy, purify, to consecrate, to reverence or regard with great respect”

When the topic of sanctification is mentioned in the Bible, it usually means, “the holy act of God whereby He actively and continuously sets the believer in Jesus Christ apart from the world unto Himself.”

1 Corinthians 1:2 (NKJV)

2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord…

1 Corinthians 6:11 (NKJV)

11 … But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

and also in 2 Timothy 2:21

2 Timothy 2:21 NKJV

21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

Again, most of the occurences of this word “sanctify” are used in this way… “the holy act of God whereby He actively and continuously sets the believer in Jesus Christ apart from the world unto Himself.”

However, Peter has turned the tables. He is not writing of that which God is doing to us and for us. He is writing of that which we are to do ourselves.

When he writes for us to “Sanctify the Lord God in our hearts,” he is saying that we are to “set apart” Jesus Christ in our own hearts.

I believe that the NASB translates this verse properly… it says “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts…”

Though you are a follower and imitator of Christ… is He in the key position of your life? Does He have the most prominent place in your life? Is He first place,… is He last place… or is He somewhere in between?”

It’s important in the face of opposition and possibly persecution that we set Christ in His rightful place in our lives… Have we dedicated our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Does He occupy the throne of our heart or are there other things competing for His rightful position there?

We need to be dedicated to Him as King, as Ruler, as Lord of our lives… To often we see ourselves as the ruler of our own lives and Christ is there as one of our Chief advisers… when in reality, we need to “sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts…” and we need to be dedicated to serving Him as Ruler and Lord over our entire lives.

Next, in the face of persecution and opposition there must be an attitude of:

3. Defense

The last part of v.15 says “… and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”

The word translated as defence is the Greek word, “apologian”. This is where we get our English word, “apologetics”… … Christian apologetics is the disciplined practice of giving biblical answers to the tough questions that the world has conjured up concerning the Christian faith and our faith in Jesus Christ.

Think of a defence attorney in a court room… and you’ll have the right idea… We have to be able to give a defence of the hope that we have in Christ.

The movies “God’s not dead” and “God’s not dead 2” are wonderful examples of where we are in American society at the present time.

Being a Christian is more difficult in this society than being an atheist, an unbeliever or one that conforms to a defiant lifestyle and practice.

You may not realize this, but our faith is on trial and under attack and we need to know how to defend it… … Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? Sunday nights, we are going through a “Foundations” book. We are studying the very foundations of our faith… we are studying what we believe and why we believe it…

What would your response be to these questions…

1. Is it true that only those who believe in Jesus Christ go to Heaven?… … Why do you say that? Explain to me from the Bible why you believe that… It is no longer acceptable to say, “That’s what our church or pastor believes.” Don’t stake your eternal life on what the preacher believes. Know for yourself!

2. Is there a God and is He your Creator and Redeemer?… … How do you know that? What biblical proof do you have? Are you willing to bet your soul on that one? You better know how to answer this question!

3. What is God’s name?… … Is the God of the Christian faith the same as the god of the Muslim faith?… … Are Jehovah and Allah the same?… … Is one the true God and the other a false god? You need to know how to defend your faith!

4. Is Jesus Christ the Son of God or is He only a good man that lived in history 2,000 years ago?

5. Is the Bible true, and if it is, is the Quran true as well?… What is the difference between the two?… How do you know that?… Can you give a definitive answer as to why you believe the Bible is the only true Word of God? And if it is the Word of God, are you living by it?…

This is what Peter is writing about in this verse. If someone questions your faith in Jesus, can you defend it? Do you know that you know you are going to Heaven when you die and can you unashamedly give an answer to those who ask you of the hope that lies within you?

We must “know how to give an answer” to who ever asks us about our personal relationship with Christ… Can you do that?

This means that you and I are supposed to know how to answer our neighbors,family members, friends and foes. It means that we are supposed to know how to answer civil authorities, our employers and fellow employees, legal authorities, and strangers. Can you do that?…

Being ready takes preparation. It means that you have to study your Bible,... It means that you have to meditate on the Scriptures regularly, … It means that you must spend time with God every day, It means that you must live a life of prayer, seeking God’s direction, His blessing and His will… … Are you prepared?

The tragedy is that very few Christians know what they believe. They only know the little bit they know by attending church for just a couple of hours a week.

They only know what their Bible teacher and pastor tell them. They are unwilling to give the Lord any more time during their “busy” week to become better acquainted with Him and His Word.

Notice that Peter writes how the believer is to “be careful” how he or she answers every man. We are to do it in the spirit of meekness and fear before the Lord. We are to develop a tender spirit in humility and meekness.

We are to hold God in high regard and reverence. We are to bear a strong but gentle witness. We need to always be on alert, waiting for the opportunity to speak up for our Living Hope, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the face of persecution and opposition, we are to take up the attitude of determination. Do right no matter what the outcome! In the face of persecution and opposition, take up the attitude of dedication. Set Jesus Christ on the throne of your life! In the face of persecution and opposition take up the attitude of defense. Be ready to answer every man concerning your Christian faith.

And finally, in the face of opposition and persecution there must be an attitude of:

4. Duty

1 Peter 3:16-17 “16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. 17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.”

I will close with this last thought…

We need to make it our duty to live in such a way that we have a good conscience about how we have lived. That way, what Jesus Christ thinks about us will matter more than what others think about us.

Closing:

Let’s live in such a way that no matter whatever accusation is cast against us, we can hold our heads and hearts up high, not in pride, but in gratitude toward Jesus Christ for allowing us the opportunity to be a testimony of His grace and mercy in our lives. Let’s make it our duty to live with a good conscience.

Someone once said “While suffering is not something any of us wishes to do, if we must suffer for our faith in Christ, let us do it as a badge of honor to Jesus Christ who procured our salvation by His own suffering.”

And just as Peter said… “For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”

Persecution WAS and IS a real weapon of Satan. For thousands of years, this has been one of his main tools to destroy the church… and he will continue to use persecution until he is bound by Christ… We must be prepared!