"Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. - Matthew 10: 16-23 (ESV)
Beloved, when the real persecution comes it will not be about signing a marriage license or baking a cake. I have heard the slippery slope arguments that these events are precursors but Christians do not see that it is our reaction to these events that are the actual precursors. When we are facing even the mildest resistance, let alone persecution, we are far from fleeing. We are digging our heels in and fighting. We are allowing carnal politicians to speak for us. We are allowing false Christian leaders to speak for us. Not for the cause of Christ but for our own slice of the carnal pie we enjoy. Again we see the word endure or persevere. To endure is to suffer pain and difficulties patiently. Does that even come close to what we see in America today when the church sees the world behaving like the world? To persevere means to continue in the face of difficulty despite little to no chance of success. Beloved, the Bible says that narrow is the way to eternal life and few are those who find it. Even though it is the desire of God for all to come to repentance, He knows few will. That does not mean however that we do not give up on the only power unto the salvation of the lost and that is the Gospel. In other parts of this world Christians are asked to renounce Christ or die and their answer is an enduring and persevering no. Here we don't know about enduring or persevering because it is no longer taught. Christians are not raised to bear their own cross but to draw their own sword. We are not raised to die to self but rather to glorify self under the guise of "religious conscience." There are many moral imperatives in the Bible but they pertain to how we live our lives. Not for how we are to demand unbelievers live theirs. If Christ showed us the same level of grace and mercy that we show unbelievers, narrow would not be the way. The way would be shut.
I close today with the key verses from the Apostle Peter. Our zeal beloved must be for what is good. If it is then no persecution can truly harm us. We will consider it all joy when we are persecuted for the sake of the Gospel. In order to get there however we must be actually preaching the Gospel. Not some watered down, sugared up version of a motivational mantra wrapped in a pious sounding self help seminar. Who in their right mind would want to die for the gospel of Joel Osteen? No one. That is why it is powerless. But when we are found not believing in vain we will be walking in the power of God. The power to feel blessed during persecution. The power to have no fear over what man might want to do. The power to suffer for doing good and eschewing evil.
Because believe it or not, God has not called us to revive America. He has not called us to take dominion over a fallen earth. He not instructed us to hold in contempt the very people who need the Gospel the most. He has not asked us to do the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. One of the things He has asked us to do according to the key verses is to always be prepared. To always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that is inside of us. But they have to see that hope, not our judgment. The Bible makes it clear our judgment is reserved for those inside of the church. Those in the world we are to leave to God. Those in the world we must have an answer for. That answer needs to be delivered with gentleness and respect. For the record, telling someone you are afraid of hell because of their sin and then saying "but I love you" is not gentle nor respectful. In return for our respect we can expect to be reviled and slandered. I know the way the world thinks that's a lousy trade off but when you have an eternal mindset you realize the only thing of importance is the cause of Christ. Not our delicate sensibilities. Beloved, persecution is coming. When it does it will not come with fountain pens but with blood. It is time the church stops rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and starts pointing out to people where the lifeboats are.
Reverend Anthony Wade - September 6, 2015
