Discipline 3

State: The three directives we have been given so far about dealing with hardship, struggle or opposition are:

1) Ask God to reveal any thing that you need to cast off and no longer be associated with:

People

Activities

2) Deal with any active sin, unconfessed sin, unforgiveness (be working on it)

3) Find your strength, hope and endurance from being heavenly minded

Regarding what you are going to inherit to be worth more than what you are suffering in your faith.

State: The next perspectives the writer of Hebrews brings out is found in

Hebrews 12:4 NIV

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

State:

The sentiment seems to be that suffering for your faith to the point of real physical harm is not to be out of the question, rather expected.

State:

What could cause the shedding of blood in the struggle against sin?

Sin is seen here as the forces of evil working through people opposed to Christianity

Martyrdom was a thing by then

Christians were being killed by Nero around this time.

Christians were having their property taken and being kicked out of areas

We do not need to fear being physically attacked…yet

But we have seen some changes in Canada....

State:

The society and government we live in is ever increasingly scrutinizing Conservative Christian doctrines, especially around morality (the definition of what marriage is)

Easy Example

Example of this: Bill C-4

Definition of conversion therapy BILL-C-4

320.‍101 In sections 320.‍102 to 320.‍104, conversion therapy means a practice, treatment or service designed to

(a) change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual; (b) change a person’s gender identity to cisgender; (c) change a person’s gender expression so that it conforms to the sex assigned to the person at birth; (d) repress or reduce non-heterosexual attraction or sexual behaviour; (e) repress a person’s non-cisgender gender identity; or (f) repress or reduce a person’s gender expression that does not conform to the sex assigned to the person at birth.

For greater certainty, this definition does not include a practice, treatment or service that relates to the exploration or development of an integrated personal identity — such as a practice, treatment or service that relates to a person’s gender transition — and that is not based on an assumption that a particular sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression is to be preferred over another.

Conversion therapy

320.‍102 Everyone who knowingly causes another person to undergo conversion therapy — including by providing conversion therapy to that other person — is

(a) guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years; or

(b) guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

Promoting or advertising

320.‍103 Everyone who knowingly promotes or advertises conversion therapy is

(a) guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years; or

(b) guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

Material benefit

320.‍104 Everyone who receives a financial or other material benefit, knowing that it is obtained or derived directly or indirectly from the provision of conversion therapy, is

(a) guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years; or

(b) guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

State: This is a government law that restricts the teaching of or assistance regarding a sexual behavior

It does not matter if you are a mature Christian desiring to attend a program that discusses conservative biblical perspectives on sexuality.

POINT: The government is regulating something that is a faith conscience issue

The government can regulate religious belief in the public domain

Churches are so far still exempt from this regulation within their walls and it is not a program

State:

This begs a question:

What are we willing to suffer for our faith?

(a question we may need to consider)

What physical inconveniences, financial costs, reproach from people are we willing to accept.

And understand that such “suffering” should not surprise us

State:

People love the church when we are:

feeding the poor

passing out Christmas baskets

supporting community events

(mosaic example of community support and no one coming to the church)

Adam’s foodbank Testimony

State: The church is called to take care of the poor / sick

And also and formost - guard scripture’s original truth and understanding

1 Timothy 3:15 NIV

15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

State: The church is the earthy depository of truth

The truth about:

Where we came from

Where we are going

Who God is

What he requires

Why is evil in the world

What is sin

How to live morally

How to live in peace and prosperity

(love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself)

We are called to reflect the biblical truth in our lifestyle and speech

We are called to protect the biblical truth from being re-interpreted to satisfy society’s changing moral code.

We cannot be more concerned with appearing “loving” than being biblically accurate

State:

Have we suffered to the point of shedding our blood for this truth?

No, but

Summary:

As far as scripture is concerned, suffering for the gospel needs to include the possibility of dieing for that belief

This sounds radical and uneccessary in our peaceful Canada

But what about all the things that come on the way towards this final step of persecution

Germany did not suddenly start taking Jews to the camps

They had to get the public against the Jews first

But it did not take long before Jews were on trains to the camps