Sermons About Persecution
We Study Because We Want to Be...
[This is really part one...part two will take place, Lord willing, on 12/6] Why are some passages in the Bible a point of so much controversy and disagreement? Could it be because we focus on the wrong things? It is humbling to see how, far too often, we focus on the wrong things in life - albeit with good intentions. It is also humbling to see how much "baggage" we can bring to the biblical text. Is there a solution? Are we to merely agree to disagree?
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Persecution and Compromise
In Revelation 2:8-17 Jesus addresses the churches at Smyrna and Pergamos.
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We Study Because We Love Jesus
People who love Jesus love the Church because 'she' is His body. As we all know, churches (i.e., local congregations) are made up of imperfect people...so relationships are difficult. Yet we are called to be at peace with one another. That command (it is not a suggestion but a command) raises a slew of questions. One question is, "How can someone be at peace with others if they are not at peace within their own person?"
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The Church of Thyratira: Revelation 2:18-28
In America, most of us have not been physically threatened for our faith. However, like the church at Thyratira, I would argue that most of our greatest temptations to compromise stem from either economic or social pressures. The church today is radically tempted to compromise by valuing the same things that the culture around us values. We serve a God who calls us to consider everything rubbish in order that we might gain Christ and be found in him. We cannot cling to the values of this world and still hold fast to the righteousness of our savior. Jesus offers us himself. Jesus calls us live lives of repentance, constantly letting go of our sin and clinging to his blood, shed on the cross for our sin, to forgive us and give us his perfect righteousness.
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The Signs of the Times Part 2 (Luke 21:8-19)
[Theme: Jesus warns His disciples of the signs of the times and He makes promises to them.] 1. The Promise of Tribulation, vv. 8-11 2. The Promise of Persecution, vv. 12-17 (What should we expect to happen as we live for Christ today?) 3. The Promise of Salvation, vv. 18-19 (What does God promise to do for us?)
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We Study to Be Equipped
Certain things in life are inevitable. Every year at this time we are forced into a time change. For some it is inevitable that sleep will be disrupted for a while – yet that is minor. Death is another part of life on earth that is inevitable – but it is not minor. No matter how long we have to “prepare” for the death of someone we know…it is not enough. Nothing can prepare us for no longer being able to say “hello” to someone, or being unable to feel a familiar touch. How should a Christian handle death? What does this passage in 1 Thessalonians have to say about the issue? What does this passage in 1 Thessalonians not say?
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Living Among Lions
Daniel 6:1-28 Christ told His apostles that they would be persecuted and would suffer just as He suffered. Like the apostles, we who follow Christ are foreigners in this world and therefore can expect persecution and suffering as well. As aliens in this land, we should abstain from the evil influences of this evil world and conduct ourselves in such a way as to honor and glorify our Lord and King Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should maintain honorable behavior even when we are treated harshly or unjustly. God is pleased when we are patient and long-suffering. We are called by our Lord to suffer, just as He suffered, and we are to put our trust in Him just as He entrusted Himself to the Father, Who judges righteously. Perhaps no other story exemplifies this better than the story of Daniel in the Lions Den. From this story, we see that Daniel did not compromise, as as a consequence, he was hated and reviled. In spite of this, Daniel thrived and triumphed because he had a relationship with God and trusted Him for endurance and deliverance during his trials. The story of Daniel among the lions can be divided into eight parts: 1. The Promotion of Daniel (vv. 1-3) 2. The Plot Against Daniel (vv. 4-9) 3. The Prayer of Daniel (vv. 10-11) 4. The Persecution of Daniel (vv. 12-18) 5. The Preservation of Daniel (vv. 19-23) 6. The Punishment of Daniel's Enemies (v. 24) 7. The Praise of Daniel's God (vv. 25-27) 8. The Prosperity of Daniel (v. 28) Daniel is a great model to pattern our prayer life after. By his witness, King Darius came to acknowledge that the God of the Jews was the one true God. Hear the message of Daniel above the roar of the lions around you. Just as God delivered a pagan king, He can deliver us from among the lions of this world!
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The Church of Pergamum: Revelation 2:12-27
The church at Pergamum, much like many of our American churches, was filled with three kinds of people: the faithful, the compromisers, and the people who didn’t know which group was correct. As the political capital of the region, emperor worship was at its zenith in Pergamum; it was the place where Satan had his throne. In this context, Jesus rebukes the faithful for tolerating people in their church who are both compromising and telling others that it is ok to compromise. He calls the church at Pergamum and us to confront sin, root it out, and fight it. Our Savior calls us to repent of everything that threatens us from knowing and experiencing the fullness of joy that he has come to offer.
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I Saw the Light
The conversion of Paul as the glorified Christ appears to him; Paul's eyes are opened in astonishment.
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