Facing Opposition with Godliness
Facing Opposition with Godliness
August 21, 2004 and August 22nd, 2004
1 Timothy 5
19 /Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. [1] /
Introduction
This week I was reading this Scripture and it struck me differently than it ever had before. Paul is writing to Timothy. He has sent Timothy to Ephesus to Pastor a church-really a region and Paul was giving him instruction. He talked about elders and how the church should be conducted. He then makes this statement about accusing an elder. I asked myself; “WHY?”
The reason is because it is common for people to accuse others, especially leaders. Jesus was perfect yet He was criticized.
Imagine being President Bush. Wouldn’t it be hard to wake up each day knowing people and in his case whole nations hate him. France, Iran, and Iraq for starters.
I don’t want to talk specifically about leaders today. I just want to talk about Christians. It is par for the course to be accused and criticized. Great people don’t let it stop them. Great people are able to overcome it.
Psalm 69
4 /Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. [2] /
(This guy had more enemies than hair-that is relative.)
Psalm 109
3 /With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause. 4 In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. 5 They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship. [3] /
John 15
18 /“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ a If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. [4] /
How do we learn to deal with opposition?
1. COMMIT YOURSELF TO GOD
-When Jesus was mistreated by men He submitted to God.
-God can fix your deal a whole lot better than you can!
Numbers 16
Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent a 2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. 3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”
4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown. 5 Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. 6 You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers 7 and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”
8 Moses also said to Korah, “Now listen, you Levites! 9 Isn’t it enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the Israelite community and brought you near himself to do the work at the Lord’s tabernacle and to stand before the community and minister to them? 10 He has brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too. 11 It is against the Lord that you and all your followers have banded together. Who is Aaron that you should grumble against him?”
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-The rest of the story is that God opened up the earth and it swallowed them up. Many people would like God to do that to their enemies but thank God it isn’t typical. I might have been in that place a few times in my life.
-When Paul was persecuting the early Church Jesus asked him why Paul was persecuting HIM. Jesus takes it personal when others oppose His family.
-The first thing is to go to the Lord and be very honest with Him and then give Him the opportunity to work.
2. SPEAK THE TRUTH BUT LET GOD DEFEND YOU
-If you defend yourself you miss out on having God defend you.
2 Timothy 2
25 /Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, [6]/
Proverbs 16
7 /When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him. [7] /
-If you are accused or spoken evil of and you have the chance to correct the information by all means do it.
-When it comes to one person’s opinion against another……trust God to bring out the truth.
(One time when I was in college with long hair a quick shop gas station manager saw me put a piece of gum in my mouth. He accused me of stealing it. Then he gave me change for a twenty when I had only given him a small bill. I returned it. Oh what a feeling!)
(I think about John Ashcroft. He was beaten by a dead person for senate. Everyone was saying to sue and defend yourself. He chose not to and the next thing you know he is the Attorney General of the entire nation. He is still a very hated man but God doesn’t care about their opinion. He gives all the credit to God.)
3. BE OF GOOD CHEER
John 16
33 /“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” [8] /
-KJV say “be of good cheer”. It literally means “ to be of good courage”.
-This has to do with you attitude.
-I was reading the book about George Bush’s faith and the statement was made that “his faith freed him”.
-In other words he rose above fear to take risks and be himself and to care less about what everyone thought of him.
(I think of Joseph being abused by his brothers, Potiphar’s wife, the system in Egypt and whoever else. But he had a good attitude. He rose above every circumstance because he never got bitter on the inside.)
Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's way.
Viktor Frankl, concentration camp survivor.
A chaplain was speaking to a soldier on a cot in a hospital. "You have lost an arm in the great cause," he said. "No," said the soldier with a smile. "I didn't lose it--I gave it." In that same way, Jesus did not lose His life. He gave it purposefully.
-The amazing potential of a life of faith is that you can live free from everything on the outside.
-Discipline yourself to not be a whiner!
1 Peter 4
12 /Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. [9] /
-If you do something wrong and suffer…it is your fault.
-If you suffer for the sake of the gospel, REJOICE. Be filled with joy.
4. LIVE THE LIFE
-You can’t lose if you won’t quit.
-Live it in front of them.
-Demonstrate a life committed to God. Over time they will see it in you.
1 Peter 3
8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11 He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” a
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear b; do not be frightened.” c 15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
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1 Peter 3
/Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. [11] /
Titus 2
7 /In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. [12] /
-Go for the long haul.
-If you life right you will get their attention.
-If you fail or make a mistake in front of people; apologize. Tell them you are a Christian and righteous men fall seven times but you get back up.
5. HAVE THICK SKIN AND A TENDER HEART
-If you are touchy, you aren’t walking in love.
-We have to daily set our hearts to not let things get to us.
-I am disliked by more people than some of you know. The statistics are something like 5 visitors to get one person. That means that if we are 750 people; 3000 people rejected this church.
-If you think everyone will like you; you are delusional.
Ephesians 4
32/ And pbe kind to one another, tenderhearted, qforgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.[13]/
1 Peter 3
8/ Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be 2courteous; 9 knot returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary lblessing, knowing that you were called to this, mthat you may inherit a blessing. 10 For n“He who would love life And see good days, oLet him 3refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.11Let him pturn away from evil and do good; qLet him seek peace and pursue it.12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,rAnd His ears are open to their prayers;But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[14] /
Matthew 5 The Message
“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
/ “In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.[15] /
-As a Christian, you and I are able to do what the world cannot. We can rise above opposition and be the answer to the very accuser’s problems.
Isaiah 60
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon youk
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.[16]
Love never fails, you are never a failure if you love.
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[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (1 Ti 5:19). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ps 69:4). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Ps 109:3). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
a 2 John 13:16
[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Jn 15:18). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
a Or Peleth—took men
[5]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Nu 16:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[6]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (2 Ti 2:25). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[7]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Pr 16:7). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[8]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Jn 16:33). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[9]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (1 Pe 4:12). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
a Psalm 34:12-16
b Or not fear their threats
c Isaiah 8:12
[10]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (1 Pe 3:8). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[11]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (1 Pe 3:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
[12]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Tit 2:7). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
p [Matt. 6:14]; 2 Cor. 6:10
q [Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37]
[13]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (Eph 4:31). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2 NU humble
k [Prov. 17:13]
l Matt. 5:44
m Matt. 25:34
n Ps. 34:12–16
3 restrain
p Ps. 37:27
q Rom. 12:18
r John 9:31
[14]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 (1 Pe 3:8). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[15]Peterson, E. H. (1995). The message : New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs (Mt 5:1). Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress.
[16]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (Is 60:1). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.