Untitled Sermon (31)
Notes
Transcript
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.
I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Act. A book written by a First Century disciple named Luke, who wrote it for a couple of reasons:
First, to give us a history of the church. How it started, who was there, and the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, to give us a template of sorts. A template that teaches us how to accomplish the mission Jesus gave us to take the Gospel into the rest of the world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life where you can listen to all of the messages leading up to today.
Today however we are picking back up in Acts 16
as we join Paul once again on his second missionary as he ministers in the Greek city of Philippi.
You may recall last time we were in Acts 16, Paul had run into some trouble.
It all started when Paul cast a demonic spirit out of a slave girl. A supernatural act that angered the girls owners, which then led to the arrest, beating, and imprison ment of Paul and Silas. Luke records it like this:
19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
And what we learned from this negative reaction, is that when a Christian stands for truth, there is going to be opposition that leads too persecution. And this is going to happen for a couple of reasons:
#1, there’s going to be persecution because what a Christians sees as evil, the world sees as good.
Such was the case with the slave owners who saw the girls ability to tell fortunes as a gift that had been given to her by the gods.
But Paul saw it for what it was. It was an evil spirit and not a gift. And so he cast it out.
And what was true then is still true today. Because the fact is, if a person doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus, then they are spiritually blind to the reality of the evil and sin in their life. Paul puts it like this in Ephesians 4:
18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
Paul says a person who doesn’t know Jesus sees the world differently than the person who does know Jesus.
That being the case, when you stand for truth, you will inevitably stand against what they believe to be good. And the result will be persecution.
#2, there’s going to be persecution because you are a Christian. Because you are now living for Jesus, you’re automatically going to become a threat and target to those who are not.
Why? Because in their mind you want to take away what they see as good or helpful in their life.
That’s why when Paul and Silas were arrested, their persecutors made this statement:
21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.”
You see, your life now represents the opposite of what the world advocates. And now you’re seen as the extremist. The person who thinks you’re better than others. The person who is trying to shove your morals and beliefs on others. The person who threatens the worlds way of living. You’re one of those. You’re a Christian.
And with that label comes persecution. Paul puts it like this in 2 Timothy:
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
The bottom line is this, if you’re going to follow Jesus, persecution will follow that decision. It’s just part of the package.
The question then is, “If that’s the case, what should we do?” In other words, how do we handle persecution?
I think that’s a great question and something every Christian needs to know the answer to. That being the case, I only have one goal today, and that’s to determine how we should handle persecution.
And so, to get us started, let’s go back to Acts 16 where Paul is sitting in a Philippi prison, and let’s find out how he handles his situation and the persecution he is facing.
Beginning in verse 25, Luke writes:
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 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 everyone’s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Now, there’s more to this story, but we’re going to stop here for a moment as we begin to answer the question, “How should a Christian handle persecution?”.
And from what we’ve read, I’d like to suggest that what it requires is a certain perspective, three specifically that we see modeled by Paul in this story. So, let’s begin with the first perspective, and I would state it like this.
1. When persecuted, a Christian needs to see it as an opportunity to grow spiritually.
You might be wondering, “Well how does that work? Because typically I don’t see persecution as an opportunity to grow spiritually.”
Let me show you how this works. Look again at how Paul responds as he is thrown into prison:
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,
Luke says in the midst of the persecution, Paul’s focus wasn’t on how bad his situation was, or how discouraged he was, or how beat up he was, or how unfair it was.
No, instead, Luke says in the midst of his persecution instead of complaining he started praising. In other words, he turned Spotify on and he started singing worship music.
Now, you might be wondering, “Pastor, how was Paul able to do that? I mean he’d just been beaten. He’d just been chained up in a dirty prison. How in the world could he sing and praise God at a time like this”
He was able to do it because he understood some important facts when it comes to persecution:
Facts #1 - When persecution doesn’t kill you, it only makes you spiritually stronger.
The Apostle James puts it like this:
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James says with each trial, the Christian grows stronger.
In other words, the more you are persecuted, the more your faith and trust in God grows. The more solid your foundation becomes. And so James says, when that happens, count it as joy because in that moment you are getting spiritually stronger.
It’s kind of like working out. As somebody that works out frequently, I’ve learned the more I push myself and the more I lift. the more my muscles grow and the stronger I get.
Why does it work that way? It’s called Muscle hypertrophy, which occurs when the fibers of the muscles sustain damage or injury from lifting. The body then repairs damaged fibers by fusing them, which increases the mass and size of the muscles.
And the same is true for the Christian spiritually. When persecution comes it puts a strain on the Christian, but that strain is what allows us to grow back stronger spiritually. As James says, it produces greater steadfastness and endurance.
Paul understands this, and he rejoices in it because he knows these difficult circumstances are meant to strengthen him and will only make him spiritually stronger. He puts it like this in 2 Corinthians 12:
10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul understands when persecution doesn’t kill you, it only makes you stronger, and so he rejoices in that.
Fact #2 - Even if persecution kills you, death isn’t the end.
Listen to what Paul says in Romans 5:
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
What Paul is saying here is that because of Jesus, we now have a hope that transcends this life. A hope that has been obtained through faith in Jesus. A hope that brings us peace because we know one day through His return or our death, we will be with Him.
And for the Christian, that’s an important hope to hold onto, because it’s that hope that allows us to persevere in the midst of persecution. Because listen to what Paul goes on to say about this hope. In verse 3 of Romans 5 he continues:
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
Paul says he rejoices in his suffering because he knows not only will he get stronger, but through suffering his hope will only grow. In other words, his suffering will create a greater focus and desire for the hope he has.
Let me explain it like this. I can honestly say the trials and challenges we’ve faced these last few months have only increased my hope. Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, how can your hope grow when it seems like our country is falling apart?”
Here’s how. My hope has grown because the worse this world gets or the worse my circumstances become, the more I recognize this world is not my home, and the more I desire to be with Jesus. Because at the end of the day, that’s where my hope lies. Not in what this world temporarily provides, but in what God eternally promises. And the trials and suffering of this life remind me of that.
And the truth is, if we as Christians could get our hearts and minds around that, it would change how we view trials, suffering, and persecution.
And then maybe instead of focusing on how bad our situation is or what we’ve lost, we'd focus on where our hope should really be.
Because I don’t know about you, but I’m not living for the hope this world offers. I’m living for the hope that God offers beyond this life.
And it was the same for Paul.
You see I firmly believe that Paul could rejoice in prison that night for two reasons:
First, he knew if the persecution didn’t kill him, it would only make him spiritually stronger.
Second, even if it did kill him, he still wins. Because in death he would be with Jesus, which is where his true hope lied.
Paul puts it like this in Philippians 1:
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
You see Paul didn’t put his hope in this life. Instead, he lived lived his life for Jesus and put his hope in the life to come.
Imagine if we all lived like that. Imagine if instead of complaining whenever challenges or persecution came, we rejoiced. Rejoiced in knowing that through it we would become more dependent on God. Rejoiced in knowing that even if we didn’t make it through, too depart and be with Jesus is far better.
And please hear me, I’m not saying we should walk around desiring persecution and death. What I’m saying is we shouldn’t be afraid of it. What I’m saying is when life goes sideways it should be a reminder that what this world offers is temporary and the real gain isn’t here, but in the life to come. Because to live is Christ and to die is gain.
And that’s why instead of complaining, Paul chooses to praise. Because regardless of the outcome, he’s going to come out on top.
This leads us to a second perspective we need to have when it comes to persecution, and I would state it like this:
2. When persecuted, A Christian needs to see it as an opportunity for God to work in and through them.
Look again at what Luke says happens as Paul and Silas worship.
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 everyone’s bonds were unfastened.
Luke says as Paul and Silas worshiped and cried out to God, God responded to their praise. How did He respond? He responded through an earthquake that shook the prison doors open, and in the process unfastened their chains.
So, what does this tell us? What that tells us is the most powerful spiritual moments in our life probably won’t take place on the mountain tops, but in the valley’s.
And Paul understood this. He understood his weakness was an opportunity for God to work powerfully in his life. Paul puts it like this in 2 Corinthians 12:
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Paul says through his weakness the power of God is made great through him.
Which means, the more powerless and helpless we are, the greater God can work in and through us.
And this is exactly what happens to Paul as he sits there chained and helpless in a Philippian prison as God shows up and shakes the prison doors open and sets Paul free from his chains.
That’s what his persecution produced. An opportunity for God to work powerfully in and through him.
So, how did God work through him in this moment? Check out what happened next:
27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”
Couple things I want you to notice from what we just read.
Notice first Luke says following the earthquake, the jailer wakes up and decides to kill himself.
So, a great first question would be, “After waking up, why does the jailer decide to kill himself?”
Well, Luke tells us. He says he decides to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had all escaped.
Which means, he had failed in his job as a jailer, and according to Roman law, he would now have to suffer the same consequences the prisoners would have faced, which was death.
And so instead of facing public humiliation and disgrace, he decides to end his life right there on the spot. Might as well get it over.
Which leads the second thing I want you to notice, because Luke says as the jailer pulls his sword, Paul cried out to him in a loud voice and told him to not harm himself and that everybody was still in their cell.
Which raises a second question, the question being, “Why is Paul still sitting in his cell if the doors are open and his shackle are off?” In other words, why hasn’t Paul escaped?
How about this. Because Paul has no intention of escaping. Why?
Because in this moment Paul recognizes the earthquake wasn’t meant to set him free, but instead to set this jailer free.
To set him free from sin and eternal death. And so instead of trying to escape, Paul sees this powerful move of God as an opportunity for witness.
So, what happens next? Let’s find out:
29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
Luke says after hearing Paul’s voice, the jailer grabs a lamp and rushes into Paul’s cell and falls down before him trembling.
What a change of events, right? I mean just a few moments before this, Paul is the one who is at a disadvantage. Paul is the one in stocks and chains. Paul is in the one in a place of submission. But now the jailer is at Paul’s feet trembling and begging for mercy.
And so Paul takes advantage of the opportunity, and he tells the jailer about Jesus, and in the process leads him to faith. A faith that is then confirmed by his baptism. A faith that then leads the jailers entire family coming to faith in Jesus.
What an amazing example of God’s power working in and through Paul’s weakness.
But here’s the deal. Had Paul not been arrested. Had Paul not been beaten. Had Paul not been thrown in prison. None of this would have taken place. In other words, the earthquake would have never happened. This jailer would have never been open to the gospel. And this family would have never come to faith in Jesus.
And this is where I think a lot of Christians miss the boat when it comes too persecution and on what God wants to do in and through us.
Because unlike Paul, many Christians today view persecution or trials as something to avoid. As something negative. As something we need to do everything we can to minimize in our life.
And in the process we miss out on a mighty work of God. We miss out on an opportunity where God might have worked through our weakness, through our trial, or through our persecution to do something great for Him.
You see, Paul understood persecution created opportunity. An opportunity for weakness to be turned into power. An opportunity for God to work through us in a way that is only possible when we are at our weakest.
This leads us to a third perspective we need to have when it comes to persecution, and I would state it like this:
3. When persecuted, we need to see it as an opportunity to be strategic.
Now, I know that may sound like an odd statement, but let me show you what I mean, because following this amazing move of God, Paul does something you might not expect. Check this out:
35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent the police, saying, “Let those men go.” 36 And the jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go. Therefore come out now and go in peace.”
You may recall when we started this passage a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned Paul’s arrest, beating, and imprisonment were for the most part illegal. And that what had really caused it was the social unrest Paul’s actions had created as the slave owners worked up the people.
It’s very similar to what we see today with Facebook and twitter. Somebody says or does something that isn’t illegal or immoral, but in cancel culture it’s a felony, which leads to whoever made the statement getting socially and verbally beaten to death on Facebook or maybe even thrown into Facebook jail because your post was seen as socially insensitive or offensive by Facebook. Happens all the time, right?
That’s what has happened to Paul and Silas. Because casting out the evil spirit wasn’t illegal, it just wasn’t socially acceptable in the Philippian culture.
That being the case, the people who have arrested, beaten, and thrown Paul and Silas into prison have no legal case against them, and they know it. And that’s why Luke says when the morning came, they sent the police to the prison and told the jailer to let them go and go in peace.
I guess it was their way of saying, “You know what guys, things got a little out of hand yesterday, we probably shouldn’t have posted the video of you casting the demon out, so let’s just let bygones be bygones and forget it ever happened.”
But interestingly enough, Paul’s not going to let them off that easy. Because there’s something they don’t know about Paul and Silas. Something that Paul has kept back and purposely failed to to mention until now. What was it? Check this out:
37 But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out.”
At this point Paul pulls a card out of his hand the magistrates would have never dreamed he had. Because in this moment of, “Let’s let bygones be bygones”, Paul says, “You know what, here’s the problem with that. You unjustly beat us publically and imprisoned us, and not only that, but you did it to Roman Citizens. Because we are Roman citizens. So no, you tell them to come release us themselves. They’re not getting off this easy.”
At this point all you would have been able to hear were the crickets in the room.
Because roman citizenship was hard to come by. And if you were an official Roman citizen, you had rights nobody else had. You had status nobody else had. And the last thing you would ever want to do to a Roman citizen is accuse them unjustly and then beat them publically. Because to beat and imprison a Roman citizen without trial was a criminal offense.
Now, some might ask, “How was it Paul had Roman citizenship?”
To be honest, we don’t know exactly, but what we do know is prior to his conversion to Christianity Paul was a Pharisee who had been born and raised in the city of Tarsus, which in the 1st century was a highly esteemed Roman city. Which has caused most scholars to speculate that Paul was born into Roman citizenship.
It would be similar to if a person is born in America. Just by being born here you are automatically a citizen.
But the Philippian magistrates don’t know that. And why would they. Because in their mind, they were so focused on Paul being a Jew they didn’t even consider that he might be a Roman citizen.
And so now that the cat is out of the bag, Paul has the upper hand. Because not only did they just unjustly beat and imprison him, they did it to a Roman citizen.
This would be like one of those moments you see on that show “Undercover Boss”. Anybody ever see that show?
If you haven’t, the show, in each episode the owner or CEO of a company goes undercover as an entry level employee to discover the faults in the company. And so in order to go undercover, they change their appearance and put a disguise on in order to play the part.
What happens then, is as the undercover owner/ceo interacts with other employees and mangers, they begin to discover the good, the bad, and the ugly of the company, and sometimes even some bad employees.
Which is what makes the end of the show so entertaining as they reveal their true identity to these employees.
And so you can imagine the shock for some of these employees, especially the ones who misbehaved. Not good, right?
That’s the kind of moment going on with Paul and these magistrates. Because now that Paul’s Roman citizenship has been revealed, it’s a “uh oh” moment. Because listen to what happens next:
38 The police reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Roman citizens.
Luke says when it’s reported to the magistrates the Paul is actually a Roman citizen, they were afraid.
And they had good reason to be. Because what they had done could be considered a capital offense. So, what do they do? Luke writes:
39 So they came and apologized to them. And they took them out and asked them to leave the city.
Luke says they came to Paul and Silas and apologized. The word for apologize here is “parakaleo”, and it literally means, “to plead for”. Which tells us these guys came to Paul on hands and knees, begging him to forgive them.
Again, quite a turn of events. Because the day before, these guys were the ones giving orders for Paul and Silas to be beat. But now they are on hands and knees.
Don’t you just love the way God works?
Now, the here’s the million dollar question we need to ask when it comes to this revelation. “Why did Paul wait until the end to play the Roman citizen card?”
Because had he made that clear from the beginning, he could have avoided all of this.
I’m going to suggest he did it for a couple of reasons:
#1 -Paul had more faith in his heavenly citizenship than he did his Roman citizenship.
In other words, Paul’s trust wasn’t in what Rome could do for him, but in what God could do for him. Paul puts it like this in Philippians 3:
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
You see Paul didn’t put his hope and stock in Roman citizenship. What he put his hope in stock in was his heavenly citizenship. His hope was in the fact that he was a Child of God.
So, when things started going south,, his first thought wasn’t to shout out, “I’m a Roman citizen" which would have been the plea he could have made.
No. His first thought was to trust that God and the leading of the Spirit believing God would take care of Him. Which is why he was praying and singing praises to God in that prison cell. Because he knew the first line of defense wasn’t his Roman citizenship, but his heavenly citizenship.
And as we’ve seen, God not only took care of him, but God worked through Him and an entire family was saved. Had Paul shouted out, “I’m a Roman Citizen”, the jailer and his family would have never heard the gospel.
On top of that, had Paul exerted his Roman rights, some scholars speculate that it could have worked against him. Because for a Roman Citizen to denounce the gods of Rome or be seen as someone trying to push people away from the gods, that could be seen as a criminal offense as well.
All that to say, Paul starts with his heavenly citizenship first, because that’s what his ultimate hope is in, and he knows God will be just.
Here’s what this is saying to us. One of the mistakes I think we often make as American Christians when persecution comes, is instead of putting our stock in our heavenly citizenship, we automatically go to our American citizenship. In other words, we automatically say things like, “You can’t do that to me because I have rights!”
And so what happens, is instead of putting our hope in what God might do for us, we put our hope in what the first amendment promises and what the legal system can do for us.
And here’s the problem with that. When you do that, you are putting your hope in men. You are putting your hope in a system that is flawed. A system where justice doesn’t always prevail. And at the end of the day, you may have to live with a decision or a verdict that works against you.
However, had you put your hope in what God might do first, you could have an entirely different outcome. Because whether you realize it or not, your heavenly citizenship is what gives you the upper hand, not your American rights. Because at the end of the day, God can do more for you than the first amendment. God can do more for you than a judge. God has the ability to shake the foundations of the earth and free you from any entanglement that the enemy has tried to trap you in.
Paul understands this, and so he appeals to his heavenly rights first.
There’s a second reason Paul waits until the end though to play this card, and it’s simply this:
#2 - Paul now has legal advantage over his adversaries.
You see by strategically waiting until the magistrates had broken the law, Paul now has them trapped. In other words, Paul has them in a catch 22.
Because as a Roman Citizen who had been beaten with rods without a trial, he now has the legal high ground against these magistrates. Now they are the ones who have actually broken the law.
Again, I think this is where we miss some victories as Christians. We miss them because we are so quick to jump to our American rights, and in doing so we don’t give our adversary the opportunity to dig themselves into a hole. The Psalmist puts it like this:
8 But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.
The Psalmist prays that God will go before him and that God will be his defense. And part of that defense is insnaring the enemy in their own traps.
And in Paul’s case, that’s exactly what happened. Because by depending on the Lord and by waiting for the right moment, Paul is now in a position where the magistrates are ensnared, not him.
Now, some of you might be thinking, “Pastor, are you saying we should just let people walk all over us? Are you saying we shouldn’t stand up for ourselves or claim our rights as American citizens?”
No, that’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is maybe you need to be more strategic about it. That maybe you need to wait until the Lord has put you in a position to maximize some of those rights.
Let me give you a current example of what I’m talking about.
When the Coronavirus pandemic hit in March, for the first time in my lifetime, the church had to make a decision. And the decision was, “Do we go along with the closures or do we stay open?”
Because the fact is, we didn’t have to close. And that’s not to say people wouldn’t have tried to make churches close, because some did. But I can tell you, it would have been a legal battle the church would have eventually won. And I know that because in the legal battles that have taken place between the church and state during this pandemic, the church has come out on top.
But here’s the deal, for the most part, every church in America complied with the shutdown. Why? Because we trust God, we wanted to be a part of the solution, and we wanted to honor our governing officials.
Now, did I agree that churches should shut down? Looking back on it, no. I think it caused more harm than good to America spiritually.
Now, fast forward 12 weeks, and churches, along with businesses started to reopen.
But then something intersting started to happen in some states, specifically the state of California, as restrictions were put on churches that weren’t being put on other businesses and organizations.
So, what did the church do? For the most part complied. Because again, we trust God will take care of us, we want to be part of the solution, and we want to honor our governing officials.
And then the George Floyd tragedy took place. And the protests and riots started. And before you knew it, thousands of people all over the country were out in droids shouting, screaming, burning, looting, and protesting.
And believe it or not, despite the danger of the Coronavirus, nobody stopped them. Why? Because it was said by many governing officials, “The right to protest supersedes the danger of the virus.” In fact, I heard governing official say, “The inability to protest will bring more harm to our country than the virus itself.”
Fast forward a few weeks, and coronavirus spikes begin to take place. Why? Well, as much as some want to blame President Trump, it’s not hard to determine what caused it. All you have to do is go back to the end of May when the protests started and you can track it.
But what’s amazing, is even though it’s evident what has led to the spikes, nobody wants to admit it, and the protests continue today.
In fact, when it comes to contact tracing, those conducting the contact tracing are not allowed to ask if a person has been to a protest.
So, now here we are today with a corona virus spike taking place. And once again restrictions are being added. And once again, the government is looking at the church and expecting them to follow suite.
But this time they’ve upped the auntie. Because this time in the state of California they are saying, “Not only do you need to restrict numbers, but you can’t sing or worship during your service. If you do, you could spread the virus.”
Now you may or may not agree with this, but this is where some churches are now drawing the line. This is the place where some churches are now pulling out their first amendment card. Why?
Because now they have the high ground. Because the reality is, you don’t get to pick and choose which group gets to exercise their first amendment rights and which one doesn’t
In other words, if it’s ok for people to gather shoulder to shoulder and protest as they shout and scream, then it’s ok for the church to gather and peacefully sing and worship at a safe distance from one another.
You see, those opposing the church’s ability to worship have caught themselves in their own snare.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, do you really think the state of California is targeting the church?” You bet I do. In fact, i’ve heard some governing officials admit that not only has the church been the most compliant, but they’ve also been the most targeted during this entire dilemma.
Because don’t think for one moment that the enemy isn’t going to try and take advantage of churches being shut down, and if he can, keep them shutdown.
But we can’t let that happen. Because the fact is, in the midst of what is happening in our country right now, we need the church. We need to worship. We need to seek God. Because without Him, we are done for.
Now some might say, “But pastor, can’t we do church online?” Sure. But that’s a temporary solution. And we’ve seen how that plays out. The reality is, once the novelty wore off, people started dropping off the feed. People started losing ground spiritually.
The fact is, you can’t replace or substitute what happens when the body of Christ comes together. I’m sorry, but you can’t virtually simulate that.
Now, when we meet, do we need to do it safely? Yes. Do we need to take precautions? Yes. Will there come a day when we maybe need to even wear masks in church? Possibly. And if we have to do that, so be it. Because we can’t stop being the church.
You see, there’s a place to draw a line in the sand. There’s a place to call on your rights. There’s a place to say, “I’m an American Citizen and I have rights”. But it has to be strategic. It has to be at a moment when the Lord has put us in a position to overcome the snare that has been laid.
Paul understood this. And so at the right moment, when he strategically had the upper hand, he pulled out that card.
But as I said, it wasn’t his main card. Because at the end of the day, he didn’t view his Roman citizenship as his ultimate hope. Yes it was helpful. Yes it gave him some advantages. But it’s not what he ultimately relied on. His hope was in what God could do for him.
And as a result, he didn’t fear persecution. Because he knew regardless of the outcome, wether in life or death, he would come out on top.
So, my challenge to you this morning is to adopt Paul’s thinking on persecution.
A great question would be, “How do you do that?” I’ll close with three suggestions:
Suggestion #1 - Stop seeing persecution as something to avoid.
To be honest, I think too often we try to avoid persecution at all costs. And in doing so, we miss out on what God might want to do in and through us.
Can I challenge you to consider that maybe the persecution you are desperately seeking to avoid is the very thing that will lead to the greatest victories in your life.
Suggestion #2 - Start seeing persecution as an opportunity to grow.
The fact is, God allows trials and tribulations in your life to make you stronger.
That being the case, when persecution comes, can I challenge you to stop complaining and start rejoicing. Rejoicing that in the midst of what you’re facing, God is going to grow and mature you. That during this time of trial, you’re going to learn to depend on Him in a way you never have before. That when you get through the trial, that spiritually speaking, you’re going to bigger, faster, and stronger.
Suggestion #3 - Start putting your hope in your heavenly citizenship.
As American citizens we have some amazing rights. Rights that we should fight for and use to our advantage.
However, as great as our American rights are, they don’t compare to the rights we have as citizens of heaven. Rights that you don’t have to fight for because Jesus already fought and died for them. Paul writes:
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rights that can never be taken away. Jesus puts it like this:
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
You see, your heavenly rights protect you and defend you in a way the first amendment or Bill of Rights ever could.
Can I challenge you this morning to quit making your American rights your default, and instead put your hope in your heavenly citizenship first.
I’m just telling you, if that was what we went to first, we might be surprised what God might do in and through us.
But for that to happen, we have to trust Him first.
Let’s Pray