"How to Overcome Persecution"

INTRODUCTION

The book of Exodus is written by Moses. This book takes place during a time of oppression and harsh slavery.

If this new Pharoah formerly reigned in Thebes, it is probable that he would know nothing about the Hebrews; and that, as foreigners and shepherds, the new government would, regard them with dislike and scorn them.

Egypt was fearful because these foreigners were growing in numbers in their country. The Pharaoh at the time wanted to put fierce persecution on the Hebrews to prevent them from growing.

Many times there are people who try and try and try to stop something from happening because they don’t like what is happening. As believers we grow spiritually each day if we are doing the things we need to do.

The unbelievers in our lives may not like what is happening, matter of a fact, there may even be people who try and put road blocks in our lives to stop us from growing.

How do we overcome that though?

How do we overcome persecution?

English Standard Version Chapter 1

1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Pharaoh Oppresses Israel

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

PRAY!

I. Growing

English Standard Version Chapter 1

8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

For 60 years Joseph had been dead and a revolution took place in Egypt

The upper and lower Egypt were now combined and there lay the Hebrews “a nation within a nation”

For roughly 200-250 years after Josephs death the people of Israel grew stronger and multiplied

English Standard Version Chapter 1

7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

They continued to follow Gods only commandment at the time

which was given to Adam and Eve which was given to Noah

English Standard Version Chapter 1

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

English Standard Version Chapter 9

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

This new Pharoah comes in charge and he doesn’t like what he sees

People who aren’t Egyptian have land and there are many of them

They just had a revolution roughly 200 years prior

He didn’t want a revolt

He also didn’t want Israel to go to his enemies and fight with them

So he devised a plan

English Standard Version Chapter 1

10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”

English Standard Version Chapter 1

10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.

“Shrewdly” means “wisely”

“Shrewdly” means “wisely”

His plan was simple and it was a wise plan

“

His plan was simple

Only he forgot one thing......the power of the divine God

The one true God

His plan was to take the men and divide them from their wives and have them build two cities Pithom and Raamses

He was going to work them harsh and hard

They were sick, they still worked, they didn’t rest

His goal was to kill them off and weaken them

They didn’t rest

But no matter how hard he tried to kill them off the more they grew

Was it ok for Pharoah to treat these people like this?

They were being persecuted because they were from another nation

People were fearful that Israel would overcome them

What does that sound like?

That sounds like America anytime refugees want to come to our country

Let me state first, I believe we should have a wall and better boarder control and we also should have a better way of checking people before they come in.

Let me ask this

Why are we so scared to let refugees come into this country?

They will over run us

They can harm us

Higher crime rates

Why are we scared of that though?

There are things we need to be doing so that we aren’t driven by fear

Did you know if these people from these other countries come to America that gives us a better opportunity to share the Gospel with people?

I would say the commandment given to Adam and Eve and Noah would also apply to Christians as well

Be fruitful and multiply doesn’t just mean have babies

We have to grow our numbers and we have to do it faster than the false religions

HOW DO WE OVERCOME PERSECUTION?

By Growing

The more Israel was persecuted the more they multiplied

English Standard Version Chapter 1

7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

If we are “fearful” of what other people are going to do to us we should just be hermits and lock ourselves in the house

We live in a fallen world that strives to steal, kill, and destroy everything we have

Because the one driving them to it is the master of deceivers

The one who wants us to fail

The one who is the ultimate persecutor

English Standard Version Chapter 15

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

That is just the world we live in

We have to cling to each other

Through our persecution people will be saved

Our numbers will grow and the enemy will be fearful

ILLUSTRATION

Fedu grew up in a predominately Muslim area in Bangladesh. He was in charge of teaching at a mosque just like his father and grand-father.

One day while working at the mosque Fedu met a student named Azad and grew to become friends with him. Two years later Azad became a Christian and Fedu was worried about his friend.

Fedu stopped talking to Azad altogether, then 15 years later Fedu recieved a call from Azad who felt God nudging him to reconnect with his old friend. The two were catching up and Azad mentioned how Jesus changed his life. Azad gave Fedu a Bible and some Christian literature to read. They spoke 2 more times before losing touch again.

Fedu dismissed the gift but he eventually started reading it, comparing its teaching with the Quran. The more he studied the books the more he doubted Islam.

Fedu knew the Quran taught that God would send his word. But in the Bible, he read in that God had sent His Word in the person of Jesus. Then he read Jesus’ words in , “I am the way, the truth, and the life No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

He couldn’t defend the Quran against the Bible anymore. In 2011 He placed his faith in Jesus.

For 6 years he continued to teach at the mosque but he prayed to God for a way out. The more he read his bible the more it would come out through his teachings, they told him “his job is done.”

Then he began to be persecuted.

The Muslims destroyed his pharmacy and robbed him of his last source of income. Two of his brothers beat him for leaving Islam. Some of his Muslim neighbors banned his family from the area.

Fedu was persecuted and that didn’t stop him

He continued to share the Gospel

They will start to worry about us and think we are “radical” because our lives are lived through the bible

His own brothers beat him up for turning on Islam

We will start to draw the line for what we stand for and what God we actually serve which is the one true God

He didn’t hold any hatred toward them

He just continued to do what the Lord needed Him to do

We will surround ourselves with Godly people

We won’t be as susceptible to peer pressure in doing things we probably shouldn’t be doing

HOW DO WE OVERCOME PERSECUTION?

GROWING

The more we grow spiritually the more unbelievers in our lives will start to be jealous and fearful of what we are becoming

They will start to worry about us and think we are “radical” because our lives are lived through the bible

We will start to draw the line for what we stand for and what God we actually serve which is the one true God

We will surround ourselves with Godly people

We won’t be as susceptible to peer pressure in doing things we probably shouldn’t be doing

English Standard Version Chapter 8

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

The fact we can hold onto is that it doesn’t matter what adversities come our way

We know that no matter what all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Even in persecution all things work together for good

English Standard Version Chapter 4

4 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,

THE BEST WAY TO OVERCOME PERSECUTION

IS TO GROW

INVITATION

We have to grow in numbers

When we start to share the Gospel through being persecuted we will see more people come to Jesus

People don’t die for nothing

When people see you suffer because you are a believer they will see the Gospel living through you

We have to grow spiritually

It is easy to get angry

It is easy to not read our bibles or study

It is easy to not let the Gospel change us

We just simply ignore it

But if we ever want to overcome persecution

We have to grow spiritually

Then we will understand that persecution HAS to happen

We can’t live in fear because people may harm us

God is in control

If he wanted persecution to happen then it will

Sometimes we put the God of the universe in a small box

We make God a lot smaller than He actually is

Through God all things are possible

Even spiritual growth and growing in numbers