RIck Warren - When You're Harassed & Bullied—Part Two

Welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Hey everybody, this is

the Bible Teaching Ministry of Rick Warren. We're so glad

that you've joined us. Today, we're bringing our series called

Talking About Stuff That Matters.

To a close.

In this series, Rix looked into the scriptures and unpacked

what it means to live in community, have real conversation

about what matters most, and face discouragement with courage and faith.

It's honest and hopeful, So please stay tuned. You won't

want to miss a second. And now the final part

of a message called when You're Harassed and.

Bullied Number four. When you have a bully in your life,

respond positively, respond positively. This is the faith step. You say, well, Rick,

how in the world do I respond positively? Well, let's

look at a couple verses Romans, Chapter twelve, Verse twenty

one says this not be overcome by evil, but overcome

evil with good. That's how you be positive. You don't

overcome evil with more evil. You don't fight darkness with darkness.

You fight darkness with light. You fight hatred with love.

You fight unkindness with kindness. You don't be overcome by evil,

but you overcome evil with good. The next verse even

gets a little bit more specific. Matthew, Chapter five, verse

forty four, It says, love your enemies. Oh, come on,

love your enemies and pray for them. Really, pray for

those who persecute you. Is that easy? No? Is it unusual? Yes?

Is it a choice? Yes, it is your choice. You

can choose why. Because I'm going to be better than

the bully. I'm going to pray for them. I'm going

to show love to them, and I'm not gonna to

be as bad as them. I'm not going to be

equal to them. I'm not going to return evil for

evil or hatred for hatred. Now, I do need to

warn you that the more positive you are, the more

negative people in this world are going to dislike you.

Jesus was the most positive person who ever lived, and

they nailed him to a cross. The more positive you are,

the more negative people. It just grates on them that

you are positive, your person of faith, you're a person

of love. How do I do that? How do I

return good for evil? Well? Number five, here's the next step.

Refocus on what God says. Refocus on what God says.

This means? What does the harassment in your life. What

does the persecution in your life? What does the bullying

in your life? What does this opposition in your life

really mean? Well, look at what the Bible says. It

means one Peter, chapter four, verse fourteen. If you are

insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed.

Why Because it means God's spirit rest on you. One

Peter four fourteen says that when I am harassed for

being a Christian, it means that God's spirit can be

seen in my life. The Bible says, all who live

godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. If I don't

ever have any harassment or any persecution or any opposition

in my life, it means I'm not living godly. Does

anybody even know you're a Christian? If people react to

Christ in your life, it means that God's spirit can

be seen in you. That's a good thing. God's spirit

can be seen in me. Let me tell you another thing.

It means Acts five forty one. The apostles were full

of joy that God considered them worthy to suffer disgrace

for Jesus's name. The second thing the Bible says, when

I'm hera and I'm bullied, and I'm put down, and

I'm opposed. It means God can trust me. Notice the

apostles were full of joy that God considered them worthy.

He said, they can handle this. God will never put

more on you than He puts in you to bear

it up. He's growing your character. It means that God

can trust you. If God can't trust can trust you, well,

that means you're still a baby, spiritual baby. Tewod Corinthians,

chapter four, verse seventeen says this, these troubles, you know,

the problems we're facing on a day to day basis,

and the people are coming against this opposition. These troubles

won't last very long. Yet this time of distress will

result in God's richest blessing upon us, how long, forever

and ever. Here's the third thing it means. It means

not only is God's spirit in me, not only does

people see God's spirit in me and that he can

trust me. It means God is going to bless me.

So he says, there, God is going to give you

his richest blessings forever and ever. Because of the trials

and the tribulations and the bullying that you stood up

to God is going to bless me over and over again.

In this book, we're taught this simple point. The pain

is temporary, it's not going to last, but the payoff

will last forever. So what do you want more of

temporary pain or long term pleasure? You have to maintain

an eternal perspective if you're going to deal with the

people who are the crazy makers in life. And that

leads to this next point. If you're going to have

an eternal perspective, the sixth thing you want to do

when you're facing a bully is remember your reward. Remember

your eternal reward. One of the most beautiful passages is

in the Sermon on the Mount. It's called the Beatitudes,

and it gives eight ways to be happy, and in

the eighth way. The eighth beatitude is Matthew chapter five,

verse eleven, and verse twelve, and Jesus promises this. He says, this,

blessed are you, blessed circle that blessed are you. When

people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds

of evil against you because of me, rejoice and be glad,

because great is your reward in heaven. For in the

same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When you respond correctly to the harassmers and the bullies

and the oppositions in your life, God says, you're right

up there with Moses and Abraham and Elijah and Elisha

and all the great prophets of the Bible. He said,

great is your reward in heaven, For in the same

way they persecuted the prophets before, you're in good company.

You're in God's hall of fame. You need to teach

that to your kids that when they're being harassed for

their faith because they won't go take drugs, or they

won't you go get drunk, they won't go have sex

with somebody, that that is saying, great as you're rewarding

heaven for in the same way they persecuted the godly

men and women who were before you. Romans, chapter eight,

verse seventeen. Look at this verse. Since we are God's children,

if we share in Christ's suffering, we will also share

in his what glory? Circle that share in his glory,

it says. This is an amazing promise that God says,

if you share in Christ's suffering. Did Christ suffer abuse

on earth? Yes, harassment on earth, Yes, bullies on earth, yes, opposition, yes, criticism, Yes.

Were the people who tried to take advantage of Jesus? Yes?

Were there people who plotted against Yes? And there maybe

people like that in your school or in your office.

But it says, since we are God's children, if we

share Christ's suffering, that's the same thing Jesus went through,

we will also share in his glory. Do you realize

what that means? You are going to share in God's

glory for eternity. You are going to share in God's

glory in heaven forever and ever and ever because you

put up with harassment and bullying and being put down

for your faith, when you stand tall for integrity and

humility and generosity. What does it mean to share God's

glory in heaven. Well, I can't even explain it. It's

going to be so glorious. But let me just give

you an analogy. Imagine a movie marquee like where they

announce new movies that are coming up, and it says,

in the marquis now starring for eternity, Jesus Christ co

starring for eternity your name. Can you imagine that you're

going to share in the glory of God forever and

ever and ever. That'll be worth it. And because of

those first six things that I just mentioned to you.

When you are having harassment for your faith or anything else,

but it's Satan's behind it, because he's trying to take

you down. It may be for your race, it may

be for your gender, but he knows you're a Christian.

The final step is this number seven. Remain faithful. Remain faithful,

Just keep doing the right thing. You don't need anybody

else's approval to be happy. You don't need their opinions.

You don't need the clique, you don't need the club,

you don't need the popular people, you don't need the bullys.

You just keep doing the right thing. You keep persevering

in doing what is right. You know, I learned a

long time ago that people can laugh at you, but

they can't stop you. They have no ability to stop

you from believing and acting and doing the right thing.

They can laugh at you, but they cannot stop you.

One Peter, chapter four or nineteen says this, So those

who suffer according to God's will, By the way, look

at that verse. There. Some people think that, well, if

I'm suffering. I'm sinning. Oh no, no, no, Did you

realize that some suffering in life is God's will? Those

who suffer according to God's will? There are some brands

Christianity thing. If you're ever sick, you're ever suffering, you

must be out of the will of God. Well, that

verse right there disproves that point that the Bible says

that sometimes we suffer according to God's will. Sometimes it's

God's will for you to be sick. Sometimes it's God's

will for you to suffer. Sometimes it's God's will for

you to have problems. Why Because He's more in your

character than your comfort, and he's more interested in growing

you to be like Christ than he is making life easy. So,

those who suffer according to God's will, what should we

do when the bullies and harassers are out there? We

should commit ourselves to their faithful creator and continue to

do good. What does that mean? Be faithful? Remain faithful,

commit yourself to your faithful creator, and you continue to

do good and be faithful. Let me ask you a

very personal question. What does it take to stop you

from doing the right thing? One person looks kind of sideways.

Somebody makes a comment what does it take you to

stop you from living for Christ? You're afraid of a

smirk or a smile, or a laugh or a giggle.

What does it take to stop you from praying in public? Well?

What would other people think? Why do you care about

what other people think? God is looking for people who

cannot be stopped. They cannot be stopped by bullying. They

cannot be stopped by harassment. They cannot be stopped by intimidation.

They cannot be stopped by put downs. They cannot be

stopped by political correctness. They cannot be stopped by peer pressure.

Two Timothy three twelve said this, everyone who wants to

live as God desires in Christ Jesus will be hurt.

If you choose not to go along with the crowd

at school, or with the crowd at work, or with

the crowd anywhere else. You can expect to be harassed.

You can expect to be ridiculed. Sometimes you can expect

to be bullied. When a teenager refuses, as I said,

to take drugs or or to smoke, or or they

make a commitment to wait until marriage for sex. Somebody's

not gonna like that. You know this is true with

adults just as much it is with kids. I know

a wealthy businessman who literally had it all. I mean

he even had two maids, full time maids, and a limousine.

And he became Christian. And when he became a Christian

started following Jesus, all his values changed. And one day

he was asked by the board of his organization of

his business to do something unethical at work, and as Christian,

he refused. You know what happened. He was fired, and

he was left unemployed, and he couldn't find a job,

and he lost so much that he even had to

move in with his friend. And it was actually I

followed this story. It was actually a two year test

of faith before things finally turned around. What do you

think is going on in that guy's mind for the

two years because I'm trying to do the right thing,

and all of a sudden I lose everything. I lose

all of the physical attributes and accouterments of wealth. And

it was a two year test of faith before actually

anything turned around. Yet he refused to compromise his integrity.

He refused to back down on his witness, and he

would not give in to pressure. I asked him, how

in the world. Did you do that? How did you

hold on going from a limo and two maids to

having to live with a friend? How did you hold

on during those two years? In that test? And he said, Rick,

I did it by clinging to God's promise. In Matthew

nineteen twenty nine, I went and looked it up. Matthew

nineteen twenty nine says this. Jesus says, anyone who has

given up houses, or lost brothers and sisters, or fathers

or mothers or children. In other words, even family members

turn on you, or you've lost property. He said, have

you lost anything for my sake? You will receive back

Notice this ae hundred times as much in return, and

you will have eternal life. That is a quote of

Jesus Christ. Do you believe Jesus Christ a hundred times

as much return on your investment? He says, whatever you

give up for Christ, you will be rewarded one hundred

times over plus eternal life. Do you believe that this

is the same. If you don't believe that, then you

can't believe that Jesus will save you, because he's the

same one. When you consider the results of being faithful

to Christ in the midst of persecution, in the midst

of harassment, in the midst of being put down, in

the midst of bullying. When you consider the results, is

the harassment worth it? It's not even a question, of

course it is, of course it is. I remember reading

a quote a long time ago from President Woodrow Wilson,

the US President, and he said this, I'd rather temporarily

lose with a cause that will ultimately succeed, then temporarily

succeed with a cause that will ultimately fail. People say, well,

you're on the wrong side of history in this issue.

It doesn't matter what history says. What doesn't matter to

be on the right side of history. What matters to

being on the right side. I'd rather temporarily lose for

a cause that will ultimately succeed, then temporarily succeed with

a cause that will ultimately fail. Now let me wrap

this up. Let me close with some personal questions. If

it became illegal, for instance, in the United States and

a crime to follow Jesus here or in your country,

in Germany, or in Buenos Aires, in Argentina or China,

or in the Philippines or anywhere else, If it became

illegal in a crime to follow Jesus in your country?

Would there be enough evidence to convict you. Let me

give you another question. When people say insulting things about

other Christians? Do you wimp out and say nothing? And

you don't speak? Up? Here? What I call a Arctic

river Christian frozen at the mouth. When people say insulting

things about Christians, don't do you wimp out and say nothing?

Do you ever stand up for a brother and sister?

Let me phrase it this way, what is your faith

costing you? Well, in much of the world, it's literally

costing believers their lives. We have it so easy. We

don't have persecution. We might have harassment, we might have

political correctness, but we don't have persecution. You're not in

danger of being arrested and thrown in jail. What is

your faith costing you? And at what cost would you

stay faithful to Christ? You see, you're not really ready

to live until you have decided what's worth dying for.

Jesus said there's a price to be paid for following him.

Nowhere in scripture does Jesus say the popularity on Earth

is guaranteed. No popularity on Earth is not guaranteed. He said,

people are not going to like you for doing the

right thing. But reward in heaven is guaranteed, and it's

going to go on and on forever. Jim Elliott once said,

he is no fool who gives up what he cannot

keep for that which he cannot lose. So let me

end with just two statements of Jesus. In Mark chapter eight,

verse thirty eight, Jesus says this, if you're ashamed of

Me and my commands in this godless and sinful generation,

I will be ashamed of you when I come back

in glory with the Holy Angels. That is a frightening statement.

It's sobering and Matthew ten, verse thirty two. But for

those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I

will do the same for them before my father in heaven.

I want that true of you. I want it true

of me. God is looking for men and women, a courage,

men and women, a courage who aren't afraid to publicly

identify themselves at school, on the campus, on the soccer field,

in the office, in the workspace, in the marketplace, who

aren't afraid to publicly identify themselves as follower of Jesus.

So let me encourage you to take a risk for

Jesus this week. Have the courage to let people know

where you stand. Don't be bullied anymore. Be courageous. What

risk will you take this week to identify yourself as

a follower of Jesus Christ. Maybe you need to start

praying before your meals in public in restaurants. That's a statement.

Nobody's going to throw you out of their restaurant for that.

They might in some countries, but not here. Take your

Bible to work with you, put it on your desk.

I dare you to do that. Make a public stand

if you haven't been baptized, that's the first stand you

need to take. Your public statement of coming out saying

I'm not ashamed to say I love Jesus Christ. And

then let me encourage you to do this. Text a

non believer this week, somebody who doesn't know Jesus. Text

them and just say, friend, I'm praying for you. That's

all you need to say. Who's going to be upset

about that I'm praying for you. Text a non believer,

I'm praying for you this week. Let me pray for you. Jesus.

We've gone through a lot of major issues in this series,

and this is another big one. And I pray that

today that people will take these seven steps and begin

to build the courage and the backbone and the integrity

to be willing to stand up in a world that

is increasingly getting darker and darker in culture. Help us

to be people of kindness in an unkind world, people

of love and an unloving world, people of integrity in

a world that practices dishonesty and deceit and deception in

every area. And help us to stand firm and speak

the truth and love, knowing that great is our reward

in heaven. Thank you that you promised that blessed are you,

and men will revile you and persecute you, and say

all manner of evil against you falsely. For my sake,

he told us, rejoice and be exceeding glad. Great is

your reward in heaven. We look forward to that reward.

I pray for every student, every grade school student, every

teenage junior, high and high school student, every college student

who've been bullied or harassed for whatever reason, that they

will stand firm and realize that you, realize that you

can trust them, that God's spirit can be seen in

them and that it's only temporary, but the rewards will

last forever. Now you pray, say Lord, I don't want

to be a weak follower of you. I want to

be a strong woman of God. I want to be

a strong man of God. I don't want to whimp out.

I don't want to let society or bullies or anybody

else determine what I believe, or how I act or

how I feel. I want to be a God pleaser,

not a person pleaser. If you've never invited Jesus Christ

in your life, say Jesus Christ, put your spirit inside me.

I need your strength. Can't do this on your own.

I open my life to you, and I humbly ask

you to accept me into your family by your grace.

I know I need you, and I pray this in

your name. Amen. You know, if you just prayed that

prayer for the very first time, or you just recommitted

your life to Jesus again today, would you let me

know about it. There's something real about sharing your commitment.

So write me Rick at pastor Rick dot com and say, Rick,

I prayed that prayer of commitment. I gave my life

to Christ and I'll send you some material that will

help you on your journey with Jesus, and I'll also

pray for you. God bless you. Wow.

Such a great message today and every day. Thanks Pastor Rick. Hey,

do you know someone who's graduating this year? Maybe it's

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Rick Warren created a special resource just for graduates called

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