Where Is Your Allegiance?
Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Acts 17:1-7
Acts 17:1-7
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.”
Introduction
A line has been drawn. On September 10, 2025, something happened that shook America and the fallout has revealed the hearts of the people. While some people mourned the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, others began celebrating his death. This is how you know a society has become demonized, when they dance, shout, and celebrate when a life is taken. There is no middle ground. Persecution of believers for their faith has finally reached American soil. This is just the beginning. Jesus told us and Paul told us of perilous times to come but I am not sure we ever truly believed we would see it here before Sept. 10. The Church rises and gains strength in the greatest times of persecution. It is time for the bride of Christ to stand up and be who He has called her to be. It is time to gird up our loins and put on the whole armour of God and fight the good fight!
1. Why persecution?
explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”
When you preach and proclaim the true Jesus, it offends people.
Jesus said, John 3:19
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Evil people hate the true Jesus!! Darkness hates the light!!
Everyone is fine with the loving and meek and mild Jesus. They are not so happy when he braids a whip and flips tables. If you have the love of Jesus without the judgment of Jesus, you have a false gospel that makes people believe they can live however they want and Jesus is ok with it. When we preach the judgment of Jesus without the love and grace of Jesus, it leads to condemnation.
“He Gets us.” These ads present a false Jesus. It makes it seem like whatever you are doing, whatever lifestyle you live in, its ok, because “He gets us.”
There are many false Jesus’s preached today. Satan has crept in through wolves like Jude warned, sung a lullaby and rocked the American church to sleep.
The Mormon Church preaches a false Jesus (Joseph Smith - Moroni). The Jehovah Witness preach a false Jesus. Even many who call themselves Evangelical Christians preach a false Jesus because it is more about what I heard one pastor call “noses and nickels” than it is keeping people out of hell.
It is time to preach the true Jesus, even knowing you will be hated and possibly even killed for proclaiming the truth. It is no longer safe to just ask people, “Will you live for Jesus?” We now need to ask, “Are you willing to die for Jesus?”
2. He told us these days would come!!!!
And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
First thing, be careful that you are not deceived!!!
I am “the anointed one,” claiming to come in the name of Jesus. “I am anointed with a special word from God.” Then they preach deception and the people will believe it because they do not know the truth of the Word of God. They spend more time on TikTok than in the Word of God. They can quote you every line from their favorite movie but cannot quote a single verse of Scripture.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.
You don’t think we are living in these times Jesus prophesied? The shift began in 2020 with COVID. People started thinking it was ok to openly hate people and to turn on their friends and family and neighbors simply because they did not wear a mask to Walmart. People were wishing death on others because they did not want a vaccine. People lost their jobs, family members turned on each other. Then the election came around and it got worse and worse. Now look where we are at.
If you are not ready, you better get ready!!! Keep your faith in Jesus even in the worst of times. He will guide you and keep you.
But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.
As long as you keep your faith in Him, you will be able to stand when the time comes. Do not lose hope. Do not be deceived.
3. Same demons
But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
The demons that were behind killing Jesus and the apostles are still alive and well today. They may look different, be branded differently, but they are the same and have the same agenda, “to steal, to kill, and destroy.”
The riots of 2020 showed how quickly people will gather a mob to destroy cities and lives.
Today, the demons come in the name of diversity and toleration. They shout “love is love” and parade down Main Street. Then they come into the schools and tell our children it is ok to hate the way they were born. It is not new. That demon has been around since the ancient times. It is just packaged differently today to make it more acceptable. (Ishtar worship).
And they all shout that we should be tolerant, that we should all just come together in unity. Light has no unity with darkness. Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” the true Jesus separates good from evil, wheat from tares, light from dark. The darker this world gets, the more difference there should be in us.
4. Who is Your King?
And Jason has welcomed them into his home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
If the government is your king, you will fall. If the president is your king, he will fail. If your king is anyone other than King Jesus, you will not make it.
He was not elected king, appointed king, voted king. He was born King. He is the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. He is God Almighty and beside Him there is none other.
The time is now to become all in. If you are not all in, you will not make it. Jesus told the disciples, “He who endures to the end shall be saved.” If you are just playing church or only serving Jesus half-heartedly, you will not endure, you will fall.
Jesus is coming again soon. Are you ready? Are you ready if He calls your name today? Are you ready to stand against the attacks of the enemy? Are you willing to die for Jesus? If you are not willing to live for him now, you will not be willing to die for him then.
Today at 2PM, the whole world will witness the memorial for Charlie Kirk. It will be broadcast on every major network and is expected to be viewed worldwide by over a billion people. His pastor will be preaching the gospel. I believe Millions of people will be impacted by the gospel of Jesus and give their life to Him in this one moment. When Stephen was killed, the Church spread like wildfire. The same thing is already taking place after the assassination of Charlie. Many Churches saw more people last week than they had ever seen with thousands flooding altars for salvation. The line has been drawn. Which side of the line do you stand? It is not left vs right or democrat vs republican, it is good vs evil, the kingdom of darkness vs the Kingdom of Heaven. There is no middle ground. Today we must stand!!!!!
