3-24-19 Sermon Notes
“Persecution” – 2 Timothy 3:10-12
Introduction
This is week 4 of the “Unbreakable” series. This series is designed to remind us of God’s promises – Presence, Protection, Preservation, Persecution, and Provision.
Read 2 Timothy 3:10-12
10 “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra,the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,…”
Message
Now we come to the promise that most believers would like to skip – persecution. Presence, protection, preservation and provision next week are all very encouraging promises. So is there any way that we can look upon the promise of persecution as being a good thing? Let’s take a run at it.
Before we go any further, let’s define “Christian Persecution.” Persecution is the act of harassing, oppressing, or killing people because of their difference from society. Christians are persecuted because their belief in Jesus Christ as Savior does not conform to the godlessness of a sinful world.
I think that we all agree that the degree of persecution for Christians in our country is pretty mild compared to other parts of the world. However, we are seeing signs of anti-Christian movements in our courts and media. And our society, as a whole, is becoming less and less Christian friendly.
Verse 12 – “Live a godly life….be persecuted…” Rejection, opposition and harsh treatment in various forms are certain to come to those of us who are loyal to Christ and live according to the standards and principles of His Word. Loyalty to Christ involves a constant determination not to compromise true faith or give in to the deceptive influences that try to conform us to worldly patterns of belief and behavior. Because of our devotion to Christ and His standards of truth, we will be ridiculed and in some instances deprived of basic privileges. We will be grieved by the reality that so many people reject and defy God.
Let’s move beyond the fact that we will be persecuted to some degree even here in the United States of America by looking at the following question from gotquestions.org.
Question: “How should we respond to persecution?”
Answer: As Christians, we must learn to recognize the value of persecution and even to rejoice in it, not in an ostentatious way, but quietly and humbly because persecution has great spiritual value. First, persecution allows us to share in a unique fellowship with the Lord. Paul outlined a number of things he had surrendered for the cause of Christ. Such losses, however, he viewed as “rubbish” (Philippians 3:8) in that he might share in the “fellowship of [Christ’s] sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). He even counted his chains as a grace (favor) that God had bestowed upon him (Philippians 1:7).
Second, persecution is good for believers. James argues that trials test the Christian’s faith, develop endurance in his life, and help develop maturity (James 1:2–4). As steel is tempered in the forge, trials and persecution serve to strengthen the character of believers. by yielding graciously to persecution, we demonstrate that we are of superior quality as compared to our adversaries (see Hebrews 11:38). It’s easy to be hateful, but Christlikeness produces kindness and blessing in the face of evil opposition. Peter says of Jesus, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
Third, Christian persecution enables us to better value the support of true friends. Conflict can bring faithful children of God together in an encouraging and supportive way they might not have known otherwise. Hardship can stimulate the Lord’s people toward a greater resolve to love and comfort one another and lift one another to the throne of grace in prayer. There’s nothing like an unpleasant incident to help us reach a greater level of brotherly love.
Even in the face of Christian persecution, we can press on. We can thank God for His grace and patience with us. We can express gratitude for those whom we love in the Lord and who stand with us in times of distress. And we can pray for those who would accuse, misuse, or abuse us (2 Corinthians 11:24; Romans 10:1).
Concluding Remarks and Application
We should ask ourselves: What has following Christ cost me? Have I suffered persecution because of my commitment to live for Him? Or is my lack of opposition and suffering a sign that I have not fully identified with Him or stood firmly for the truth for which He live and died?
I once heard the following, “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Interesting question!
Next Week – “Provision”