The Church's Response to Persecution

Introduction

ACLJ Headlines

Three street preachers arrested for preaching Jesus Christ without lawful backing, but simply because of the religious nature of their communications.

Police and a contentious Chicagoan have been the source of these first amendment violations. These arrests have been made without city statutory law as basis for their arrests. Police have continued targeting street preachers without city ordinances to back them. Christians have been at the mercy of unlawful actions of law enforcement. Thankfully there are legal ways to defend, but our first defense is prayer.

As we go through this life, there will be injustice simply for doing what Christ commanded. When we are treated unfairly, mocked, or worse for being a Christian, what will be your response when threats of violence, court cases, and fines are the cost of doing right?

Acts 4:23–31 KJV 1900

And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

D. The church does not shrink back from persecution.

P. As hatred grows towards Christianity, we cannot shrink or be silenced.

T. How can we be a church that is boldly face persecution when it comes? We must be aware of what were up against. We must resort to prayer. We rely on our gracious God’s reply to our prayers.

1. Report the threats of preaching Christ. Acts 4:23

Explain

Release from custody

The apostles had not violated any law they had broken.

The leaders were building a case for further persecution. Command that they disobey their Leader, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ to whom all power has been given, so they are under moral obligation to live in obedience to Him. The Leaders report of these threats give us insights for when we communicate with our church opposition which may come our way.

Committed to the church. “went back to their company”

Proverbs 27:10 “Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; Neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: For better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.”

Be honest about the opposition.

John 15:18–19 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

2 Timothy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

All are informed. “all...said”

Proverbs 12:17 “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: But a false witness deceit.”

Proverbs 12:19 “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: But a lying tongue is but for a moment.”

Persecution always puts a choice before you: Whom will you serve? The apostles go to their group and tells their company what they are up against. church is corporately confessing: “We will serve the LORD!”

Report to company

Don’t lie or hid what has been said. They lay open and are honest about what they are up against.

Don’t leave out or withhold any information. They leave nothing to imagination and give a complete report.

Argue

Why didn’t they keep this information to themselves.

The church is a body of believers. To effectively work together their must be honest communication.

Ephesians 4:25 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

Think about how your mind works. When you stub your toe the whole body works to minister to your throbbing toe.

Your hurting toe sends a message to the brain. My toe is stubbed and really hurts.

The brain simultaneous messages your hands and your other leg to lend aid. As you start balancing on one leg and your hands hold your toe.

Your mouth also helps ease the pain seemingly by yeowch, that hurt. Then if your a child you run to your mother for comfort too.

When we tell our church family when we have a need or opposition to our witness for Christ, we then can minister to each other most effectively as we pray and minister to the need and encourage each other to stand for the truth of the Gospel. Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”

Illustrate

In our day we face: Law-fare against Christian rights. American Civil Liberty & Justice (ACLJ) helps defend the constitutional religious rights for those that would single out Christians religious speech.

We will take you to court.

We will sue you.

We will fine you.

Today threats and fear continues to be a tactic of the enemy to silence Christians.

Carbondale, Illinois

City is attacking a pro-life advocate first amendment rights.

Free baby supplies (commercial)

We will adopt your baby

Love your pre-born neighbor as yourself

Development Manager by city attorney (Community Development Manager John Lenzini)

Violation of contemporary sign ordinance

Fight: Demonstrations exempted from ordinance. First amendment rights violated.

Police called:

you can do it.

Development Manager says no, not how I interpret it.

Go to permit: The next day, our client visited the municipal building and requested a permit to display signs, noting a provision in the ordinance for 501(c) organizations to obtain such a permit. The city officials flatly denied the request, stating that “you can only get a sign permit if you own the property,” despite the ordinance explicitly stating otherwise.

Development Manager no permit for this.

Fight: vague laws and bias

Police

Citizen

Development Manager

Preliminary injunction now to withhold enforcement of this ordinance.

Discrimination against signs and people they did not like.

Upset with religious views.

Locals are being arrested because there are complaints from those that don’t like truth, just like the Jewish leaders hated the truth of the Gospel.

Issue: The First Amendment does not permit local governments to pick and choose who gets to speak based on their viewpoints. Today, it’s Brandon’s pro-life advocacy; tomorrow, it could be any message the city finds inconvenient.

NEGATIVE: Kent Hovind

Kent Hovind, an evangelist and prominent figure in the creationist movement, was convicted of federal tax violations stemming from his refusal to pay taxes and his attempts to evade them. After founding Creation Science Evangelism and creating Dinosaur Adventure Land in Florida, Hovind garnered attention for his advocacy of Young Earth creationism, which posits a young age for the Earth and the universe. Throughout his ministry, he consistently rejected the legitimacy of tax obligations, claiming that as a minister, his possessions were exempt from taxation.

His actions led to scrutiny from the IRS, which discovered significant undeclared income and a lack of tax filings. Hovind's refusal to comply with federal tax laws escalated into legal troubles, resulting in multiple charges of tax evasion and other offenses. In 2007, he was sentenced to ten years in prison, along with substantial financial penalties. Hovind's conviction not only reflected his controversial legal stance but also had broader implications on the creationist movement, drawing criticism and scrutiny from within the community and reinforcing negative stereotypes associated with its proponents.

When I say suffering persecution for righteousness sake, I am talking about taking wrong for your obedience to Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter commanded:

1 Peter 2:13 “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;”

1 Peter 2:19–20 “For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.”

Apply

Your first priority, like the apostles, is to let your church family know what is going on and pray.

Ephesians 4:25 “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

This is bodyology. We need our members within the local body of Christ to be honest about what they are going through so that as a corporate body with one accord may go to the Lord lifting up our requests.

Sometimes the opposition tempts us to anxiety and care. Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

In America, we have a constitution that guarantees religious freedom granted in the bill of rights. Utilize your legal protections with a good Christian lawyer if need be through organizations like Christian Law Association and American Centers of Law and Justice and others.

When someone tells you to quit doing what the Bible commands. Don’t obey. If it is a legal authority, we must respectfully disobey, but that doesn’t mean we can disobey all laws. We only respectfully disobey those which are in violation of God’s Word. Mark 12:17 “And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.”

T. The reports of threats for practicing our religious beliefs ought to move us as a church to prayer.

2. Resort to prayer that resolves to obey Christ. Acts 4:24-30

Explain

Respond with united corporate prayer Acts 4:24 “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord,...”

They didn’t go to

rights legally theirs - Philippians 2:7 “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

revenge - Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

ranting - Psalm 27:12 “... such as breathe out cruelty.”

ridicule of their authorities - Titus 3:2 “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”

rage - an intense anger, heated.

or even rebellion against all these authorities now say. Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Rather they...

Listened to what Peter and John told them.

They lifted with united voice “one accord”

There is nothing to knit souls together like praying together.

Family struggles

church struggles

Community struggles

Solution: Pray together. But let’s look at the essentials for this prayer to have this power to knit together.

Remember: Who God is and what he has said. One commentator calls it, adoration. This is worship informed by truth.

Who God is - Acts 4:24 “...Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:” Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is....”

The Word Lord is despote. It means Lord, master. It denotes absolute authority. As the disciples acknowledge God they recognize they are his servants, slaves. They are to be submitted to whatever he commands. As His subjects they do cry out for help in doing what is commanded. This they do by reflection.

Reflect on who he is: Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

When out in the deer blind or watching the snow silently fall on a winter day. Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

While delighting in the spring plants sprouting. God made all this. It mindblowingly complex, yet held together by the word of his power. Colossians 1:17 “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

What God said - Acts 4:25–26 “Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.”

God is the author of HIStory - Isaiah 46:10 “Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times the things that are not yet done, Saying, My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure:”

God declared opposition to His Son’s rule would happen in Psalm 2. Psalm 2:1–3 “Why do the heathen rage, And the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, And cast away their cords from us.”

The opposition is four parts

rage - to rave, incensed, insolent anger

We experience this when people are angered when we speak of God’s holy standards.

imagine vain things/meditate - cultivate, practice, plan to act: How can we stop them.

When the enemies of Christ devise means to get rid of us and persecute those who live for Christ.

stand - stand against with hostile intentions. Plan enacted.

Take to court, sue, cause harm financially, relationally, and physically.

Foxes Book of Martyrs.

gathered against - be united against God and Christ his anointed. United opposition.

The political and religious although normally enemies united to fight against Christ.

So, too those who normally don’t get along will fight against godly Christians.

Sometimes when life is difficult we don’t adore God, rather we accuse God of not being fair. We doubt his goodness and try to dictate to God how things should be. But we must remember Romans 8:31b “...If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Recognize God can use man’s wickedness to accomplish His plan. Acts 4:27–28 “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

Governments fear-tactics

The past: Against Jesus by

Herod - Jewish Leadership

Pontius Pilate - Gentile Leadership

Gentiles

People of Israel

Today.

Targeting Christians. Acts 4:17 “But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.”

Marco Rubio - Dossiers of social media - government tagging people they don’t agree with.

Thankfully our current president is favorable to Christians, but as we have seen it is now being fought at local levels.

Threatening Christians. Acts 4:21 “So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.”

In other countries, murder, imprisonment, and torture.

Blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. c. 50.

Tertullian

God’s Word fulfilled Acts 4:27–28 “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

David spoke of persecution of the Lord’s anointed.

Jesus said if they persecuted him they would persecute us as his followers too.

The disciples recognize God is sovereignly working even their persecution for His glory, but plead with him for grace to help them to continue be the witnesses he commands them to be.

What will you do when you are targeted? Remember God can use even the wickedness of man to accomplish His plan and get Himself glory.

Transition: Let us see what the church in Acts did.

Request for God to help them obey through threates. Acts 4:29 “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,”

Behold their threatenings.

Now Lord - we are your subjects, Lord, so please take note of what we are up against and help us.

We are not asking you remove the threats, but that you help us to face the threats.

They didn’t question God. Why is he allowing this. They merely ask he look upon them. Psalm 123:2 “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, And as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, Until that he have mercy upon us.”

In your trials, whatever it may be. Fill in the blank. God in ___________ I need your help to do right. As our master God will do what is right for us albeit it sometimes is very difficult. The cross was not easy for Christ.

They were asking God, not answering God this is the way you should work out my situation. It was submission not dictation.

Boldness of speech in preaching the Word

Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Daniel 3:16–18 “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

1 John 4:17 “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

Do we have boldness in Christ or do we shrink in fear when our witness is denounced?

This morning I received this from a Baptist pastor. This comes from a Missionary that our church supports. “Khaibar was found and beaten severely, but he managed to escape his persecutors by jumping through a window. He ran faster than they did. He is currently hiding and looking for a new place to work/live. He is rejoicing to be alive. 'I am not afraid to die for the sake of the Truth of Who Jesus is and what He has done. It is painful, but God is faithful. I want to be faithful til Christ calls me home. Til then I must keep telling other Adghanis that there is life in Christ Jesus.’ Please continue to pray for Khaibar in Afghanistan.”

Broad support by the name of Jesus. Acts 4:30 “By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.”

healings - Like the lame man being healed. We should also not that our words also can bring undeniable healing to people. While we do not deny God can heal the gift of healing was only until the Word of God was complete.

Physical health results in obedience to God’s Word -

Proverbs 4:22 “For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.”

Simple handwashing as prescribed in Leviticus has saved many lives since the deadly conditions of hospitals in centuries past.

Can communicate the words of life in the Gospel -

Proverbs 15:4 “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: But perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.”

John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

Can make one strong -

Proverbs 16:24 “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

The encouragement of a Christian sister or brother can bring healing to a broken heart.

The great academy, a mother’s knee.

Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Historian)

signs - These were to be miracles

Hebrews 2:4 “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?”

wonders - a marvel

Acts 5:12 “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.”

Acts 6:8 “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.”

Acts 14:3 “Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”

Argue

We have made case in previous messages that the gifts of healings, signs, and wonders vested in a person was for the apostolic era until the completed canon of Scripture. While God still does at times use these methods they are not now vested in any particular Christian, but we go to God in prayer.

Illustrate

“open the eyes of the king of England” were the last words of William Tyndale, a Protestant reformer and Bible translator as he was strangled and then burnt at the stake. He was executed for heresy in 1536 by the order of Henry VIII. His last words were a prayer that the king would allow the English people to read the Bible in their own language. Tyndale’s prayer was fulfilled when Henry VIII authorized the publication of the Great Bible in English in 1539 a precursor to our King James Bible. That was a wonder for that dark time in history.

Apply

Make prayer your first resort when opposition to Christ comes. While we know God’s presence is promised, we ought to seek his face in prayer.

When coming to God in prayer, first take time to Adore Him for who He is. We often about getting our list checked off, but take time to meditate on Him.

God make your Son Jesus known boldly through me.

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Colossians 4:3–4 “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”

Ask God to help you know His Word and speak it fearlessly. 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

God make your work undeniable to your enemies.

Make it clear to those around me that you are working in and through me by the name of your holy child Jesus.

3. Results to such prayer glorifies Christ. Acts 4:31

Explain: The church’s desire was to obey and glorify Christ. Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”

Shaken Place - a literal earthquake

Acts 16:26 “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.”

The place was shaken. It appears there was an earthquake in response to their prayer. What a visible sign to them that God the creator of the heavens and earth had heard their prayer!

Spirit-filled People

The people had a renewed fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:19–21 “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

Speaking - Psalms, hymns spiritual songs.

Singing odes and psalms

Giving thanks to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Submitting to one another in the fear of God.

So we are submitted to God’s Word

God’s authority structures.

However, these attributes of being Spirit-filled went further than the church, they went brazenly in the face of those who sought to silence their witness.

Speaking with poise

They spoke God’s Word with boldness.

Argue: It wasn’t their own message they were proclaiming. Sometimes we try to preach our preferences, sometimes we might be tempted to be politically correct and compromise the Gospel. We must be careful to preach what God’s Word says and not our opinions or what others want to hear. Galatians 1:10 “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

It was God’s Word they were proclaiming. To God’s Word they stood true and so must we.

The church spoke with confident boldness. They were poised in what they said. They knew what was coming, persecution, but they were undeterred in their commitment to Christ their Savior.

When a person has a fresh filling of the Spirit as they afresh submit themselves to God in prayer and seeking his face, the result is always bold obedience.

Argue

God won’t listen to me. God wants to hear your prayers and glorify Jesus in your life. John 14:13 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

Illustrate:

When asking for prayer for boldness it is comforting to sense God’s clear direction in my life.

Apply

Ask God to fill you with His Spirit afresh to do his holy will. We can speak God’s Word boldly when we are submitted to God.

We can face the threats and whatever the enemies of the cross may throw at us. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 10:17–18 their will be whippings and trials before authority, but says.

Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The church in Jerusalem knew what they were up against. These same religious leaders had crucified Jesus, yet they were bold in their obedience to preach the Word. There boldness pointed to their Savior’s commitment even to the death of the cross. My question for you and I is this? Are you a soldier of the cross. Are you prepared to take up your cross and follow Jesus.

As Isaac Watts so beautifully wrote.

Am I a soldier of the cross, A follow’r of the Lamb? And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies On flow’ry beds of ease, While others fought to win the prize, And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face? Must I not stem the flood? Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign; Increase my courage, Lord; I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war Shall conquer, though they die; They see the triumph from afar, By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise, And all Thy armies shine In robes of vict’ry through the skies, The glory shall be Thine.

Conclusion:

While persecution and inconvenience for the cause of Christ will come to us, we must be gathered together as one in our striving for the Gospel. We must report to our church family when we face religious opposition . For together we can stand strong as we resorting to prayer that God give grace to obey inspite of the pressure. God is glorified in His Son Jesus through us as we continue to obey and sacrifice so others might know Christ.

Mother’s so often are those that are most remembered as the one’s whose prayers brought a child to Christ. Thank God for our mothers who so often well picture the selfless love of our Savior for us.

My friend, are you willing to share the challenges you face so we can bear them as a church together.

Is prayer your first resort? The kind of prayer that seeks God’s glory instead of escape from the hardships?

Will you be bold to share the Gospel as God gives you grace to obey?

Do you know Jesus as your Savior?