Whom Shall I Fear
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Recap on Perspective of Persecution
Recap on Perspective of Persecution
Sending you amongst wolves
Wise as a serpent but innocent as a dove
When you are persecuted, it will happen, God will give us what we should say, Holy Spirit
This Battle will bring out the worst in people to the point that even family will turn on family
Hated for Jesus names sake
Expect It!
Expect It!
Story of Paul Zipp at Texas Boys State - rooming with George Zipp
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
Jesus was saying that the disciples should not expect to be treated any better than Jesus was treated.
If they called Jesus Himself Satan (Beelzebub-means lord of the flies), how much worse should the disciples of Jesus expect!
Remember, they were going to be hated for Jesus’ names sake.
“Thank God, they may call us what they like, but they cannot make us evil…God was slandered in Paradise, and Christ on Calvary; how can we hope to escape?” (Spurgeon)
It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master: This is the goal of both the disciple and servant of Jesus. We simply want to be like our teacher and master like in Romans 8:29 .
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
A soldier who enlists in the military, does so with a clear understanding that they are volunteering his life. In fact, he or she signs up and becomes United States Government Property. They expect to go to war or at least realizes that there is going to be a day when they will be asked to lay their lives down on the line for their country. That soldier walks into the first day of battle fully aware of what is being asked of them. They may have no true knowledge of what war and battle will actually be like. They don’t even really know how they will react, but at least they expect war. They expect an enemy that wants to take them out.
3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
Why is it that we don’t walk through life with this perspective on the war that is raging all around us? To many times we accept Jesus as our savior and have this pollyanna idea that our life is going to be peaches and cream and nothing will ever go wrong. You just ticked off your master’s biggest enemy and soon the world that follows that enemy will be just as dead set against you as he is Jesus! How could you think your life will be all roses and daisies?
It is God’s goal that He predestined, that we should be conformed to be “Like” our master and “Like” our teacher. If he was persecuted than we should expect it. Not be surprised by it as Ken stated last week.I don’t know about you but knowing something is coming is much easier to prepare for than having your head in the clouds and not accepting the truth of your situation. That good news is, we don’t need to fear, cause we have a relationship with the One True God of the Universe and He calls the shots.
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
We literally have nothing to fear. Our savior tells us so. Not only that but the truth and the lies will be revealed in time.
Jesus film - Wall of Martyrs 300+ back in 2007
Jesus promised His persecuted followers that the truth of their honorable sacrifice would be known, even if the persecutors did their best to hide it among the pages of history. God would reveal all and justify His servants and reveal the crime of those who thought they had hidden it.
The judgment of eternity gives us great confidence in God’s ultimate justice. Those who seem to cheat justice on earth will never cheat it in eternity.
The disciples could also have confidence that the truth would prevail, so they should go out and preach it with boldness, despite the danger of persecution.
The Draw Back of Persecution
The Draw Back of Persecution
We don’t want to be rejected.
We don’t want to be disagreed with.
We don’t want to lose out for standing up for what we believe.
We want to live bland comfortable lives if Christian insignificance, which is the exact opposite of what we’ve been called to. We are called to count it an honor to stand and suffer with Christ.
If persecution or the threat of persecution makes us draw back from speaking and preaching God’s word, then in some measure Satan has won a victory. His threat of persecution may not have succeeded in harming us, but in holding back the work of the Word of God. This is what has the church paralyzed.
41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
In the first few centuries leading up to Constantine becoming a believer and protecting the bible and the church, Roman emperors were dead set against Christianity, God’s church and God’s word. Diocletian, emperor right before Constantine, ordered that all churches be leveled and the Scriptures destroyed by fire.
“Diocletian went on to say that if one had a copy of the Scriptures and did not surrender it to be burned, if it were discovered, he would be killed. Furthermore, if any other should know of one who had a copy of the Scriptures, and did not report it, he also would be killed. During this time many, many copies of the Bible were burned, copies laboriously written in longhand. Of this period. the historian Newman said, "Multitudes . . . hastened to deny the faith and to surrender their copies of the Scriptures; many more bore the most horrible tortures and refused with their latest breath to surrender the Scriptures or in any way to compromise themselves" (Newman, Church History, p. 169). After this edict had been in force for two years, Diocletian boasted, "I have completely exterminated the Christian writings from the face of the earth!" (Rimmer, Seven Wonders of the Wonderful Word, p. 15). But had he completely destroyed it?
History tells us that the next ruler, Constantine, became a Christian. He requested that copies of the Scriptures be made for all the churches. But alas! Diocletian had completely obliterated the Word of God. After Constantine offered a substantial reward for a copy of the Scriptures, within 25 hours 50 copies of the Bible were brought to him!”
27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.
The message of Jesus was very public. It was not for a secret few and was not to be hidden in any way. There isn’t one message for the inner circle and another for those on the outside. Those on the outside may not understand the message, but they can hear it and it is not to be hidden from them.
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
God is the one to fear, not the men who persecute the followers of Jesus. The worst they can do is to destroy the body, but being a coward before God can have eternal consequences.
“There is no cure for the fear of man like the fear of God.” (Spurgeon)
Jesus’ disciples didn’t need to be afraid, because God really did care for them, even down to the most minute detail. If God cares for the sparrows, and numbers the very hairs of our head, then He will also pay careful attention to our needs. The persecuted easily feel that God forgets them, but He has not.
i. God knows us better than our friends know us; better than our husband or wife knows us; He knows us better than we know ourselves. We don’t know how many hairs are numbered on our head. The God who knows us so well will take care of us.
ii. The emphasis in this short section is clearly “do not fear.” “This is the third time, in six verses, that they and we are bid to banish this cowardly base passion, this causeless, fruitless, harmful, sinful fear of men. He that fears God need fear none else.” (Trapp)
Acknowledge Or Deny?
Acknowledge Or Deny?
32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
This is a heavy, heavy verse, because we must all stand before God one day, stand before the creator of the universe.
Now if I have confessed Jesus Christ before men, when my name is called and I have to stand before God, Jesus will step forth and confess me before the Father. "Father, this is Peter. He is perfect." Isn't that what Jude said, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless" (Jude 24).
Why should you laugh when I say, He says, "I am perfect?" Because you know the truth. I know the truth, but I also know the power of my Redeemer.
When He confesses me before the Father, and when He presents me before the Father, I will be complete in Him, "Faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
But if a person has denied Jesus before men, you're going to stand all alone before God, the books will be opened, and He who knows all things, He who knows the secrets of the heart.
The bible says, Hebrews 4:13 .
13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
And there in the embarrassment of your own bare being, and everything exposed, and you might turn fervently to Jesus Christ, and say, "Lord, Lord," and He shakes His head, "I never knew you."
Ah, what a heavy thing. "If you deny me before men, I also will deny you before my Father."
The disciple must confess Jesus publicly — before men. If we will not be public about our allegiance to Him, we cannot expect Him to be public about His allegiance to us.
Each individual Christian life should supply enough evidence — evidence that can be seen by the world — that they are indeed Christians. It is to be feared that many modern Christians, if arrested for the crime of following Jesus and tried in a court, would have the charges dismissed for a lack of evidence.
“What Christ is to you on earth, that you will be to Christ in heaven. I shall repeat that truth. Whatever Jesus Christ is to you on earth, you will be to him in the day of judgment. If he be dear and precious to you, you will be precious and dear to him. If you thought everything of him, he will think everything of you.” (Spurgeon)
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
That is our job! Yes, it is Jesus who saves and who transforms lives, but we have been given the job, the calling of snatching people out of the fire! Not fearing what man or devil can do to us, but fearing the Lord of all, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The One who holds eternity in his hands! The one who has the final say. Fear him as you honor him with your life’s message!
That begs the question. What is the message of your life? DO people know you as someone who confesses Jesus Christ is Lord and your savior, or do they no your life by some other message? Our lives are to confess, or agree, with the truth of Who Jesus is! To be a witness for Jesus!
Let’s pray.