A Line In The Sand, pt.2 Living In The Heat of a Hostile Environment 1 Peter 3 & 4 Introduction 1. Today, persecution has crossed those seas and is now a part of the American believer s experience. It should not surprise us. Usually American Christians are seen as having the higher moral ground and we are made fun of our puritanical ways. We were goaded for non-conformity, but our position was obviously the better one. Today, we are seen as holding the low ground on the debate about homosexuality and homosexual marriage. 2. In 1996, DOMA was passed by wide margins in Congress and signed into law by Pres Bill Clinton. 17 years later, The former President rejects it, most politicians don t want to touch it and the Supreme Court has overturned it. 17 years! 3. What a sea change! Everyone in this room is affected by this discussion. It used to be that you didn t have to say anything, b/c most were in agreement with your position. Today you have to say something, b/c most are in disagreement with your position. But understand, as you take a stand on the 5 Mountains to Die On (previous message), you will experience the heat of persecution. 4. Text: 1 Peter 3.13-18, 4.1, 4.12-19 5. Big Idea: Your persecution for Jesus stands as a witness to all of the future judgment to come on mankind. 6. We consider persecution something odd and random, but it is the environment Christianity was born into. To us it s an annoyance we try to push aside, but from the very beginning of Christianity until Jesus returns, Christians were persecuted and will be persecuted many have died and many more will die for their faith in Jesus. It is reality that the American Christian better get used to. How to live in the Heat of Persecution I. Don t be surprised (4.12) a. This is not new. What did Herod want to do with baby Jesus? His home town when he began His ministry? The religious leaders? What did they eventually do? How did the early church begin? How does it progress?
How does it end? Persecution only intensifies the closer Jesus returns. As pressure increases on the planet, so does resistance against the one true God and those who represent Him. b. Rev.12 the woman and her children. Dan.7.21f and the war being waged against God s people. c. Students it only gets worse for you! You have to decide today that you will stand for Him in the day of fire/battle. It s a not a matter of if you will be persecuted for your faith, but how much you will be persecuted for your faith. This is especially true for those attending colleges who work in educational & gov t institutions. d. Don t be surprised About those who walk away from the faith. i. Before the Lord returns, the pressure will be so great that many will turn from the faith to find a less demanding religious system. This falling away is already happening in America. ii. There are those here who will or are seriously thinking about dropping away from the faith. You won t renounce Jesus, but you won t stand with him in the day of testing. Jesus says to you, If you re not for me, then you are against me. iii. Don t expect support from politicians. In 17 years there has been a huge reversal of politician s beliefs about homosexual marriage, what will their position be in another 17 years? e. This is not strange or unusual. II. Praise God for the privilege (4.16) a. Mt.5.11f. - 11 God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you [a] and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. b. Praise God for the opportunity to stand for Him just as He stood for us. c. Acts 5.40ff 40 The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. 41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. d. The Apostles rejoiced b/c they were counted worthy for suffering disgrace for His name.
e. 4.13a we are partners with Christ. There is a camaraderie that exists between veterans of war a special bond with one another of having tasted the same difficulties and trials of the battlefield. Likewise, for the believer in Christ, when we suffer for His sake we can come to know the Lord in a way we have never known. There is a kinship with Jesus that is born on the fires of persecution. f. Song Knowing You, Jesus All I once held dear, built my life upon All this world reveres, and wars to own All I once thought gain I have counted loss Spent and worthless now, compared to this Knowing you, Jesus Knowing you, there is no greater thing You're my all, you're the best You're my joy, my righteousness And I love you, Lord Now my heart's desire is to know you more To be found in you and known as yours To possess by faith what I could not earn All-surpassing gift of righteousness Oh, to know the power of your risen life And to know You in Your sufferings To become like you in your death, my Lord So with you to live and never die g. Rev.6.9-11 (the ones who died before the Great Tribulation); 7.9f, 13-17 (the ones who die during the GT). There is a special relationship between those who suffer and die for Jesus. III. Don t be worried or afraid (3.14) a. God is watching out for you. b. 2 Peter 2.5-8. God watches out for His own. He knows how to deliver us in the day of trial. Noah & Lot s family were not removed from the hardship, but they were delivered through the hardship! c. It doesn t always end the way we desire. Sometimes a believer s faithful testimony ends with his/her death for Jesus. i. Modern Ex
ii. The first Christian who died as a faithful witness for Jesus was Stephen Acts 6 7. Stephen was a deacon filled with the HS and power. He was taken on trumped up charges before the Jewish High Council. He delivered a powerful message that infuriated the High Council. They took him outside to stone him and heaven was rent and the glory of God came upon him, he proclaimed, I see Jesus tanding in the place of honor at God s right hand! iii. Why was he standing?!! He was standing for the same reason we stand, when a fallen soldier s flagged drapped coffin passes us by. We stand in honor; we stand in respect; we stand in gratefulness b/c of what this man did for us as Americans. Likewise, I believe our Lord Jesus stands out of honor, love and gratefulness for those who took a stand for Him and paid for it with their very life. IV. iv. Mt. 10.28 28 Don t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell v. Don t be worried or afraid of the persecution, he is standing there with you. Be ready to explain your faith in a gentle and respectful way (3.15-16a) a. We should never be shy or ashamed of explaining our faith. Whether it is in a court of law or private conversation, we should be ready to offer an explanation/defense (Gk apologia ). We must have sound intellectual grounds for believing the gospel. We are not to shy away from any question of the faith. Every issue that people have with Christianity can be answered. b. Don t back off or waiver from your faith in Jesus. Often when people leave the confines of their safe Christian community and enter into a new environment that is hostile to their faith, they squeamishly dig a hole. They either hide their faith or chunk their faith into it letting it rot. Instead of taking the opportunity to really mature under fire, they melt under the heat. i. Great resources: Kerby Anderson probe.org; John Ankerberg ankerberg.org; Ravi Zacharia rzim.org; Lee Stroebel
leestroebel.com; Doug Powell dougpowell.com; The Truth Project. ii. Apologectics315.com has a listing of 100 of the greatest Christian apologist. iii. You have no argument or person to be afraid of. Your enemy wants you to think you are defeated. c. Respond in gentle and respectful ways. They throw hand grenades at you; you show kindness and respect to them. There is nothing worse than blowing up at a person and the person responds to you in gentleness and respect. You feel like such a jerk. i. Rom.12.14, 20f. Bless those who persecute you. Don t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Instead, If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads. Don t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good d. 1 Pet.3.16b. The beauty of our lives will substantiate the claims of our faith. People can disagree with our beliefs, but they cannot argue with a beautiful life. e. Ill conversion of a persecutor b/c of another person s changed life. V. Remember there is a future reward for the saint (3.14) who stands faithful to Jesus during the heat of the battle. a. Mt.10.32-39 don t deny Him. Stand with Him 32 Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. 34 Don t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. 35 I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Your enemies will be right in your own household! 37 If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
b. There is a special reward for those who remain faithful during persecution and suffering - James 1.12; Rev.2.10. Don t assume b/c you re a Christian you get the crown of life. It s only available to those who are faithful to Him through suffering and persecution. c. Heaven is not a place of equality! We are all loved the same, but we are all rewarded differently. There are great rewards for the persecuted but stalwart Christian. VI. The heat is far more intense for those w/o Jesus (4.17f) a. He s saying, You think it s challenging now? You can t believe how scary and crazy it will be those will stand in judgment before me. Mt.10.28 b. Judgment in the form of persecution is already here, but there is a greater and more severe judgment on the horizon for those who reject Jesus. c. There is eternal judgment, torment, separation and hopelessness for those who reject Jesus. Judgment for us is momentary; judgment for them is eternal. d. As we experience the heat of persecution, let it be a constant reminder of the raging fire of God s wrath that the enemies of Jesus will be consumed by. Conclusion: Your persecution stands as a witness to all of the future judgment to come. Will you stand with Him in the hour of persecution?