Are We Being Persecuted? - Frank Brancato

I don't think we're being persecuted yet.

I think we've been inconvenienced, but what happens

if we are going to be persecuted for our faith?

What are we going to do? And how we going to respond?

Will we ever be persecuted by the law who stands outside the

building and keeps us from entering to assemble?

The worship? Will there ever be a time that

that will happen? How many times have we prayed

over the years? And we've said that God would

never allow a law to come in. That would keep us from

worshipping according to the Divine pattern.

And then we have always said but if there is such a law to give

us the courage and the strength and the conviction to do what

God has said and nothing else. Well, you know, there's been a

great discussion throughout the Brotherhood this last week and

it's been over. What do you do?

If the law says you cannot assemble, what do you do?

Some people have said, well, if the law says that you can't

assemble, we have to obey the laws of the land.

So, therefore, we will not assemble and it's not true.

We obeyed God, instead of man. If man's laws interfere with

what God has instructed us to do, now, there are things that

we can do. We can assemble at a different

location. There are other things that we

can do. We can assemble at a different

time. Somebody even said, you know, we

could meet even earlier and I know that 8 a.m. is awfully

early, but we could meet earlier than that.

There are things that we can do and I don't have time to go into

that. In fact, I wanted to preach a

sermon on these scriptural assembly.

And what are the rules for assembly?

And what would we do if we couldn't all gather together in

one place but I don't have time to go into that and 10 minutes

maybe that's coming soon but I want to talk about being

persecuted for just a little bit you know the Hebrew Brethren

that were found in written to and the book of Hebrews they

were undergoing. Going such persecution.

They were going undergoing, great persecution.

In fact, as they were looking toward, are nearing the

destruction of Jerusalem, there were great persecutions around

them and that's why the Hebrew writer.

And I believe that to be Paul said, not forsaking the

assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but

exhorting, one another and so much, the more as you see the

day, approaching historically speaking those Jewish Christians

were The going such persecution that many had turned their back

on Jesus and had gone back to the ways of the Old Law.

They said, listen, it's easier just to go back to Judaism and

not be persecuted anymore. And Paul said no, don't forsake

the assembly as some are doing. So, but you encourage one

another, as the day is approaching that day there, I

believe to be the destruction of Jerusalem because they were

going through great persecution. What did Jesus say though about

person? Duchenne in the Beatitudes, in

Matthew chapter 5. Jesus said, these amazing things

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

in verse 10. Blessed are those who are

persecuted for righteousness sake?

For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed? Are you, when they revile and

persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for

my sake rejoice and be exceedingly?

Glad for great is your reward in heaven for.

So they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Well, very briefly. Now I want to talk about three

things. There's Reasons that the child

of God can have Victorious optimism in the face of

persecution. Number one, because of the

Christians relationship to God. Number two because of the

reality of Truth. And number three because of the

reward of the righteous, these are things that we can have

Victorious. Optimism through the

persecutions that come our way. Number one though, because of

our Christian, because of the Christians relationship with God

when Jesus talked about the be E Attitudes.

By the way, the Beatitudes the Latin form of that word means

blessed. The Greek form of that word

means happy or content. So when you look at the very

idea, Jesus is saying, is happy or content are you when you're

persecuted for righteousness sake?

And it wasn't saying that you'd be happy for the physical trial

or the outward persecution. But he's talking about the

spiritual blessings that you get when you endure.

So, the first thing that we want to notice is the Christians

Relationship with God happiness is knowing that God is on our

side. I don't think there's enough

said about that. God knows where you are.

Today, God knows that you've assembled with the Lord's Church

to worship God. He knows that God is on our

side. When we pray to God, and we ask

God, that there would be no nothing that would come our way

by way of persecutions, but give us the strength to endure.

He is on our side in Romans chapter 8, and verse 31.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Paul said if God be for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 46, 1 through 3, God. It is our refuge and our

strength, in Jeremiah 20:11. The Lord is with me as an

Jeremiah 20:11

awesome mighty one. In First John 3 and verse 1

behold? What manner of love?

The father has bestowed on us that we should be called the

children of God. God is on our side, and we have

Victorious optimism. Now, I'm just going to say

something about faith briefly, if you're going to have faith,

and you're going to have increased Faith, you have to

either have faith or Not and you've heard me preach a sermon

about fear and I said a person is either fear-driven or they

are faith-driven. If you're going to be

faith-driven you literally and you got to make good decisions

on our part. Absolutely.

But we have to put our faith in our trust in God, that God is in

control and both Time. And Eternity.

God is on our side. So if we are at some point in

time persecuted for righteousness sake, there's

Victorious. ISM and happiness, being

contentment because God is on our side.

Number two, Because of the reality of truth, that's a

really interesting concept, the reality of Truth, you know,

sometimes when we undergo a persecution or we suffer in some

way or another, sometimes when we go through a suffering, we

met in our mind set on mine might say wait a minute now, is

it my fault? Have I done something that's

caused me to be in the predicament that I'm in and to

suffer what I'm suffering? So happiness comes in the

persecution knowing it's not our fault, knowing the reality of

truth and truth does not change. Happiness comes from knowing

that that truth will never change.

If we are persecuted for our faith, we know it's not our

fault because truth doesn't change, Hebrews 13, and 8, Jesus

Christ. The same yesterday and today,

and forever in Malachi 3 and verse 6.

For I am the Lord, I do not Change.

If we follow the word of God, we understand.

It is the standard. It does not change and happiness

or contentment. Is this to know that God what

God has said is right? It is true and regardless of the

circumstances in our life, God is ultimately in control.

In First Peter chapter 1 verses 22 and 23.

1 Peter 1:22

The Bible talks about the idea that the word of God lives and

abides forever. Or and truth will ultimately

Prevail in Romans Chapter 2 and verse 2.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

The Bible says we know that the Judgment of God is according to

truth. You know, something about that.

Something about that. We talk about God's word is

according to truth and God's judgment is according to truth.

Sometimes people ask the question, would God do so, and

so, and such and such, well, here's the point, it's not for

me to say what God will do or God will not do God is the

ultimate judge, but I will tell you this, whatever God's

judgment is. It will be right.

It will be just, his judgment is always right number 3.

And finally, and then I'm finished.

We have Victorious optimism because the reward that will

have in heaven one day, but there's so much more to than

that, though. There are things that we're

going to have in our life that we understand.

There are challenges that come our way, but let's talk about

briefly, the Practical benefit of challenges, the Practical

benefit of trials, that come our way.

The Apostle Paul said in second Corinthians chapter 4, these

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

things are called light Affliction.

And these light afflictions, they do something.

The more, the Affliction, the heavier weight of Glory, that's

an amazing concept. And by the way, Glory there in

that passage means this, it's talking about a person's

capacity to praise serve and honor God.

So, the greater the challenge that's in your life, as you may

suffer some day and you're persecuted for righteousness

sake, the heavier, the trial, the heavier, the weight, the

heavier, the persecution, the greater, the weight of eternal

glory, Your Capacity to serve God.

In other words, we can be better on the other side of the

challenge than we ever were before for the cause of Christ.

What else? It gives us something else.

It gives us patience practical benefit.

It gives Us patience and first Peter, 16 and 7 in this, you

greatly Rejoice that for a time, you may have these manifold

things that come our way. These various things that come

our way, but they're light. They're momentary and one day,

they'll be gone. God gets the praise when we

stand up for him now and we get the reward in heaven one day.

So, Happiness comes from understanding our reward in

heaven. Jesus said in Matthew Chapter 5

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

for great, is your reward in heaven.

So, are we being persecuted right now?

I don't think so yet, but there may come a time when that's

exactly what we'll have to endure.

And if that is the case, will we stand for?

What's right now? I'll just say this in closing,

if they came the authorities came and they said you must

disband, we would disband And then we'll meet an hour later

somewhere else. But we don't just stand there

and say, throw me in jail, we take the bullseye off the Lord

and we say, OK and then we just go assemble somewhere else.

That's what we do. There may come a time when we're

not able to assemble, what are we going to do?

We're going to keep assembling and as those Hebrew Christians,

underwent all that persecution, because of their faith will do

the same thing if that is the case.

So, pray hard, pray hard that we won't have such a circumstance.

But also pray for the Courage, the conviction and the strength

to do. What's right in conclusion,

Christians can be happy when persecuted if that is the case

because of our relationship with God, he is our refuge and our

strength realizing the reality of Truth.

It does not change and it's not our fault.

We're following the pattern that God has given.

And number three, because of the reward of the righteous one day

in heaven. We thank you for listening to

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