Sermons About Persecution
To Find Your Life Is To Lose It ...To Lose Your Life Is To Find It
A statement that appears to contradict itself, but actually has a basis in truth.
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Pressed, But Not Crushed
God’s will is going to prevail, why not completely abandon ourselves to it. The answer to our uncertainty is a God that is certain in everything that he says and does. We have the promise of scripture that ,if we trust Christ, we will be pressed but not crushed.
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Tested by Fire - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
Daniel 3 John Huss (1372 - 1415) was a religious thinker and reformer who initiated a religious movement based on the ideas of John Wycliffe. The Catholic Church did not condone such uprisings, and Huss was excommunicated in 1411, condemned by the Council of Constance, and burned at the stake as a martyr. Huss died in defense of God's Word. Where are the men and women of the convictions of John Huss today? What would your response be if your life was on the line in defense of God and our Lord Jesus Christ? Tonight, Pastor Tyson delivers a message from Chapter 3 of Daniel that will encourage our hearts and challenge our resolve in the face of persecution. Six principles that will help us face persecution: 1. Prepare for Persecution (vv. 1-7) 2. Don't be Surprised by the Trial (vv. 8-12) 3. Always be Ready to Give a Defense (vv. 13-18) 4. Expect Repercussions (vv. 19-23) 5. Hope in a Deliverance (vv. 24-27) 6. Exhalt the Glory of God (vv. 28-30) Rest assured, persecution will come to us all, but hopefully these six principles will help us to endure the persecution. And, in the process, we should remember that when we live through persecution we serve as examples to those around us. Martin Luther is one such benefactor. He was inspired by the example set by John Huss and his eventual martyrdom. Are you ready to give a defense for the hope that is within you?
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Act(s) IV Scene I, II, and III
The healing of the lame man through Peter and John upset the apple cart of the priests and elders of the Jewish community. While they could not deny the miracle, they still sought to smother the news of the healing and to intimidate Peter and John from further preaching in the name of Jesus. What would we do if faced with similar circumstances? Are we all that far away from being challenged for our faith in like manner? God has established a haven of refuge for us to run into as demonstrated by Peter and John when they were released from custody.
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Life is Good
Before Jesus went to the cross He promised His disciples that they would suffer persecution. As He was confirming the promises of the Gospel to them on the eve of His crucifixion this was among them. As Americans we are truly blessed in the sense that our founding fathers came from a culture of persecution and protected us from a lot of that kind of thinking as they framed our country's governing documents. I some sense though having been protected from it we have become soft and impure. Looking through the history of the Church, this and other promised that Jesus made to his disciples and through them to the Church, we should recognize how good we have it as we see Jesus' words fulfilled all around us.
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Letter to the church in Smyrna. Revelation 2:8-11
In his letter to the church in Smyrna, Jesus praises them for standing up for their beliefs as they suffer persecution by the Roman authorities. In this country - looking back over history - we see that we are living in unusual times; we are enjoying freedom to meet and to worship. But even today there are threats to our freedom from people who profess other faiths and from changes to law. The suffering of the church in Smyrna was real, but Jesus comforts them that it will be limited in duration. In comparison, the Kingdom of God is eternal. A lifetime, in the context of eternity, is not such a long time as it feels right now. This week, as we strive to live as Jesus wants us to live, persecution may come our way. We can be sure however that Jesus knows of our suffering, will limit it and will reward us with the crown of life. A footnote: You may have heard of St Polycarp. In his 80's he was burned alive by the Romans for refusing to deny his faith in God. Polycarp was the Bishop of the church in Smyrna, just one generation after the date of Jesus letter to that church. Do you think the words of this letter were ringing in his ears?
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Act(s) III Scene I and II
Acts chapter 3 records the healing of the lame man at the gate called Beautiful. Within an environment of prayer, Peter and John visit the temple to pray and encounter a man begging for alms. Disregarding what they did not have, they offered him what they did have; the Name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Executing their power of attorney by Jesus' Name, they extended the kingdom of God to this man and he was healed. How did we relate this story to our world? How shall we respond to a Sovereign move of God? This message visits these questions and several others.
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The Good Life -- marked by persecution
This was the last in the series "The Good Life -- Do You Have it?" Should persecution surprise the follower of Christ? Do you ever have conflict over religion in your occasions to talk with neighbors, co-workers family?
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Persecution Begins
In this message we cover around four years. We see extraordinary things that God did, but we also see the beginning of persecution.
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