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As we close this series today on the Beatitudes, let me begin by saying this. People who follow Christ and live according to the principles of God’s Word will face opposition and rejection. There are people in this world that do not like Christians and do not like what we believe and what we stand for.…

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

“In 2022, advocacy group Open Doors said that at least 360 million Christians experienced “high levels of persecution and discrimination.” This was 20 million higher than 2021.” Where is hope? How do we process our own trials? Revelation 2:8 . 8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words…

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted…

Intro: 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…

Persecution and Growth of the Church (Acts 12)

Self Persecution How many people have you encountered that have lead themselves into the position of being persecuted so they may feel worthy of their endeavor? What exactly is persecution? PERSECUTION Mistreatment of a person or group on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, race, religion, or beliefs.…

In the final beatitude, we are challenged to prepare to face persecution with joy.

Persecutor to Persecuted Introduction Let us not forget the words of Jesus to Ananias in Acts 9:15-16 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the…

Review In case you missed it, a small miracle happened last Sunday morning. I covered all of Acts chapter three in one message. Acts chapter three showed Peter and John carry on the witness for Christ in Jerusalem. The apostles do an extraordinary miracle as a lame man is healed right by the Temple Mount.…

Persecution Is Real 16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness…

Introduction Introduction to the sermon 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward…

We see the persecutor become the preacher; the preacher becomes persecuted; and from persecution comes peace. We see that we can enjoy that same peace through repentance and faith.

Transforming the Persecutor (1-9) 1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.…

Fulfilling Jesus words Jesus did not candy coat things, or mince words. Being a disciple was not going to be easy. It came with rewards but also came with tribulations and Paul was a great example of that. Persecuted for righteousness sake (Mt5:10-12) 10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for…

Follow along as I read our passage today, Mark 14:53-65 . We have witnessed the betrayal of Jesus and the abandonment by His disciples. We now witness Jesus being led away to the house of the high priest to stand before the religious elite in a mock trial. During this mock trial, Jesus will be falsely…

Good afternoon. It's a joy to gather together once again in the presence of the Lord. As we gather today, I want to extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you. Whether you've been a part of our community for years or you're here for the very first time, you are a vital part of this family, and…

Recap: Remember that Jesus would say these in the context of the others They weren’t meant to be understood as a group and not individually Jesus is ushering in the kingdom of heaven, which would be quite different from what they were experiencing Blessed are the poor in spirit The are the people who…

20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. WHAT IS CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION? Christian persecution is any hostility experienced from the world as a result of one’s…

Saul moves from persecuter to persecuted.

The Conversion of Saul – Acts 9:1-19 Luke now shifts the focus of his narrative from the work of Peter and the early church to the conversion of its chief antagonist leading the persecution against them, Saul of Tarsus. 1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,…

A. Kingdom attributes (5:1–12) 1. The poor in spirit (5:3) a. The role (5:3a): God blesses those who realize their need for him. b. T he reward (5:3b): The Kingdom of Heaven is given to them. 2. Those who mourn (5:4) a. The role (5:4a): God blesses those who mourn. b. The reward (5:4b): They will be…

Introduction Freedom as we come to the table. Let us look at Freedom That Jesus Gives Isaiah 41:8-16 Isaiah 41:8-16 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you, the offspring of Abraham my friend, you whom I grasped from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and told,…

Introduction: Church: He is risen! He is risen indeed! Today we are going to go through one of my favorite chapters of the Bible - Isaiah 53 . There are many reasons that I love this chapter. One is that it shows God’s omniscience - or that He is all knowing. It speaks in vivid detail of crucifixion.…