Acts: Fulfilled Persecution

With you, and this morning we're going to get back into Book of Acts.

If you have your copy of God's Word turned with me to Acts,

chapter eight and we'll start in verse one. So we'll pick back up our

book study through the Book of Acts. And so are very excited about this

study. And it was really exciting for me over the last few weeks.

And we took a little break through Christmas and through a little study in the

Psalms, and it was good to hear by many of you who came to

me, pastors. Are we going to get back in the Acts? When

we're going to get back in Acts? So I'm excited just how God's using

this book and excited just for us to be back. You know, I

don't know if you've ever flown on commercial airline, whether you've flown domestically here

or flown internationally, but if you have, there's something that we all experience

when we get on a plane. We get on the plane, you get

settled in your seat, and then everyone's loaded up, and then the steward

has come through, and then then they go through a safety like protocol,

right, and all of us have been a part of that. Right.

They teach you how to put on your seat belt. They teach you that

it's s important that you put your phone in the airplane mode when they tell

you too. They tell you when they once you buckle your seat belts that

there's a period of time that you must remain seated and made buckled. And

then they're going to show you where the lights are where you can when the

captain turns off the note buckle sign and you can come out of your seat

belts or whatever. Say. They're going to walk you through that, and

then they're gonna walk you on how to use the oxygen in case they get

placed that the oxygen you need oxygen. The auction thing is gonna fall down.

You go put it on your face, right, Please make sure you

put it on you before you put it on someone else. Right. They

give you all these instructions. Then they're going to tell you where the exit

signs are right where they're in the front back and they'll point to where those

are. And then last they'll put that vest on right and they'll show you

how to pull the strap and then inflates it stuff. But just in case

the blowing that little pipe, inflate it yourself. All of us have been

through this, Right, if you've been on the plane, you're telling you're

hearing these instructions. You said, Yep, I've been there, pastor I've

heard those instructions. Now, how many times have you been on the plane

and you've heard those and then you get on the plane again, You're like,

Oh, here they go again. It's the same thing. It's the

same information. I don't really need this information. And the reality is most

of the time we think we really don't need that instruction, we really don't

need what they're telling us. And at times we just let's just be honest,

let's just be honest here on Sunday morning in the church, right,

we ignore them. Right, we go on by our music, we look

at the whatever, and we go in our merry way. We ignore what

they're telling us. Why because we think this, we think that doesn't apply

to me. Why because this will never happen. I'm not gonna they're not

gonna land the plane in the Arctic Ocean. They're not gonna I'm not gonna

have to get the raft out. I'm never gonna have to really need the

oxygen, you know, I really know how to put on the seatbelts,

I really don't need what they're telling me, because it's never gonna happen to

me. Just a few weeks ago, actually, on January second of twenty

twenty four, a plane from in Beijing, I think it was called Japan

Airlines flight. It was carrying three hundred sixty seven passengers and twelve crew members,

and it was landing in Tokyo. And as I was landing in Tokyo,

it actually hit a Coastguard plane that was on the was taxiing out,

was about to take off. It hit that plane, and then it landed,

and within minutes all passengers and all crew exited safely. On the off

the plane plane was actually on fire. And you know FFA and other regulations.

Tell Us tells us the reason that everyone got off of that plane,

as far as those who were on the flight and crew, it's because they

followed the instructions, because they heard the guidelines that came up. They heard

the instructions at the very beginning, and when a crisis came, when it

happened, they followed the instructions. You know, today, the title of

my sermon is actually fulfilled persecution. You know the danger about a sermon like

this today. The danger is most of the people who are in the sound

of my voice or watching on TV online today, you'll hear this message,

and this is what you'll say. You'll say just like you said to their

stewardess on their airplane. This doesn't apply to me, preacher. I don't

faith persecution. No one is knocking on my door and trying to drag me

out of my home and persecute me. I can go to church safely and

no one's attacking me. This message on persecution doesn't really apply to me.

But the reality is Jesus himself gave a warning in scripture, and in John

fifteen Jesus says this word eighteen through twenty one. He said these words.

If this is the words of warning, this is the words of him,

like the stewardess of warning, just in case something happens. This is what

you need to prepare. This is how Jesus was preparing his followers. And

this is what he said in verse eighteen. If the world hates you,

know that it's hated me before it hated you. And if you were of

the world, the world would love you as its own. But because you're

not of the world. But I chose you out of the world. Therefore

the world hates you. Remember the words that I say to you. Listen

to this him calling us to remember the words that I say to you.

Listen to what he says. A servant is not greater than his master.

If they persecute me, they will also persecute you. But if they kept

my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things that will

do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him

who sent me. You know, Jesus says to you today, if you're

a believer in Jesus Christ, if you're a follower of Jesus Christ, that

this world is not may persecute you. This world may hate you, Jesus

says. This world will hate you. Jesus says, this world will persecute

why because they hated him and they persecuted him. And if you choose to

love Jesus and follow Jesus, this world will hate you and persecute you.

And so today can I say to you this message is not irrelevant for you,

or not a message that you should ignore. But this is a message

today that we as believers must hear and apply in our own lives. You

know today the title of my sermon is fulfilled on persecution, and this is

the message. Is what we're going to see today is how what Jesus promise

in John fifteen was fulfilled in Acts chapter eight. And I want you to

see this morning. I want to assays to see how it was fulfilled in

the early church Jesus word. But I want to see examined today how does

the church correctly handle persecution. It's a question I want you to think about

today as as we look how persecution was fulfilled in Acts chapter eight, I

want you to think about how do we as a church and as individuals in

the church, how do we correctly handle persecution. Let's stand on this.

Read God's word together, Acts chapter eight, and was starting verse one,

and had said these words, and Saul approved of his execution. And there

rose on the day a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem. And they

were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Devout

men buried Stephen and make great limitation over him. And Saul was ravaging the

church, entering house after house, and he dragged off men and women and

committed them to prison. Now, those who were scattered went about preaching the

word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the

Christ. And the crowds with one accord, paid attention to what was being

said by Philip. And when they heard him, they saw the signs that

he did for unclean spirits. Crying out with a loud voice came out of

many who had had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.

So there was much joy in that city. Let's pray together, Father,

I thank you today for your warning to us. God. We thank

you today for the message of Acts chapter eight. And how wee see,

Lord, your promise or your prophecy that persecution was going to come, was

fulfilled in the early Church. Lord, as we look today and examine how

the early Church correctly handled persecution. Today, may we as individuals consider,

Lord, how will we handle persecution when it comes, and how do we

handle it correctly? Lord? I pray today you know Lord, what are

prepared. Lord, You know the things that you've brought to my attention.

And Lord, today I pray you give me clarity of speech and clarity of

thought. Lord. Today I stand Lord in confidence, not in my ability,

not in my skill, not in my talent. God, I stay

in confidence in your word today. I stand in confidence in the work of

your Holy Spirit today. So may your spirit guide me as your messenger.

And God, may you your spirit, God that hears today to respond to

the Lord your word as you speak to them. So God speak today.

We ask you, Lord, God, give us a heart that's ready to

hear and ready to obey. Lord your word to us today. In your

name, we pray, Amen, you may be seated as you see this

passage of scripture. We're going to look at how to correctly handle persecution.

And the first step in correctly handling persecution is we must recognize the rise of

persecution. We must first recognize the rise of persecution. As you come to

Acts, chapter eight. And I know it's been a while since we came

to this passage where we've been in the Book of Acts. But if you

remember, as Acts is, the record of the early Church is how the

early Church was starting. And so that's what Acts is, the acts of

the yearly Church. And so we see how the church first started. And

as we see and as we've walked through the early church beginnings, we see

persecution was a regular part. But you see at the very beginning we almost

see Luke the writer is kind of describing to us how persecution grew. It

kind of shows us that the church is growing. So did persecution grow?

And acts chapter four twenty one, we saw Peter and John that were going

into temple room. If you remember that story, They're going in the temple.

There's a lame man there by the gate, and he's begging, and

Peter and John heal him. They deliver this man from being lame, and

they go in and you remember, people, there's an uproar and everyone's wanting

to know Peter and John how did this happen? And Peter and John explain

that it wasn't by their power, wasn't by their might, but it was

by the name of Jesus that this man's healed. Right, And this kind

of creates a great commotion, so much that the leader of the synd of

God there and the religious leaders form a council, and they bring Peter and

John in front of them, right, and what do they tell them?

You remember what they told them. This is the very first time we see

persecution in the church. They tell them that you can no longer speak that

name. You can never longer speak in the name of Jesus. The first

time we see persecution in Acts, you know from there in chapter five and

verse forty, it says that the very next time, a few days later,

the apostles also win in the same place that Peter and John preach to

those in the synagogue in some of Solomon's polticode. And there in Solomon's pulticone,

not only did Peter and John preach, but now all the apostles go

to the same place where they were. And what do they begin doing.

They began proclaiming Jesus and the power of Jesus's name, and people hear,

and people respond that people are healed, people lives were changed, people were

saved. And what happens. It gets the religious leaders all upset again.

It gets the high priests all upset again and again, just like they did

with Peter and John, they bring all the apostles in. Now, so

it's not first it was just Peter and John. Now it's all the apostles

and Acts chapter five forty. What do they do? They beat them?

So at first it's just warning, They threaten them. Don't ever speak in

that name again. The second step is we see as it grows. Now

it begins they beat beat them, and they said them, what no longer

should you speak in that name? And they're beating them now to try to

stop them from saying the name of Jesus. The next time that we see

persecution, you see it was first of warning threats, next it was beating.

In Acts chapter seven, the last time we were together. In the

Book of Acts, we see kind of the climax. Steven. You remember

one who was called to serve the early Church was preaching, and as he

was preaching, he preached to the high priests and this council when they brought

him to before them, and as he was preaching about how they become stiff

neck against Jesus, how they rejected Jesus, how they killed all the prophets,

and how they also killed Jesus, what they killed him. You see,

I Axe Luke wants you to see the growth of the rise of persecution.

It first starts with threats, and then it starts with beating, then

it starts with martyrdom. And now in chapter eight it continues to That's what

Luke wants you to see. It started with just warning. It started with

them being beaten. It started then it continued with Stephen being martyred. Now

the persecution has not just gone against just the apostles and the leaders. Now

persecution is coming against the entire church. Look at verse eight, Chapter eight,

verse one. Now Saul approved of his execution, and there arose on

that day a great persecution. Listen to what the passage says against the church

in Jerusalem, that they were all scattered throughout the regions. So this persecution

here, now it started with just just Peter and John, then it went

to the apostles, then it went to Stephen. Now everyone in the church

is facing persecution. Saul is coming against them. Always see in verse three.

It expands even further. Saul is the one who's who's leading this persecution.

And it says Saul was ravaging the church. And this is scene the

church here is is of all the believers theres Again it's not localized as just

the leaders, but everyone in the church. And saw was ravaging the church.

He was entering house after house and driving men and see see imagery women

and committing them to prison. So persecution is rising here is growing. I

think it's important that you understand why why were they persecuting the Christians? Why

were the Jews persecuting in the early Church. I think first we understand two

reasons why they were One in the twofold purpose of persecution. One, they

want to silence the Christians. You remember how it started, started with Peter

and John. You can no longer speak in his name again, you say,

pastor, today, as you think about persecution and Jesus is worse to

you and worse to his followers, that as they persecuted him, they would

persecute us. You would say, what would be the purpose of persecution that

come against me? Can I say to you the purpose of persecution that might

come against believers today is that persecution wants to silence you from speaking about Jesus.

Can I tell you that people want to stop you from proclaiming the truth,

that Jesus is the way truth in the life, and no one comes

with the Father but by him. That's the purpose of persecution to silence.

It was a purpose at the very beginning for these the high priests and the

religious leaders. It is still the purpose of persecution today, the silence believers.

The second purpose of persecution is they wanted to stop from spreading. You

know, saulways give us a clear imagery here. And I want you to

understand as you come to this pastor of scripture, Lucas is wanting you to

hear Saul is the leader of persecution here because that he wants you to see

the radical transformation of one who wants you was a persecutor, the one who

next comes to find salvation and the one he tried to stop and so he

But it shows how what Paul was doing. He was the one who approved

that Stephen's martyrdom. Scripture says he was holding the clothes, the coats as

people were throwing stones at Stephen. That shows that he was compliant, that

he was approved, that he was a part of this process. But also

in this passage of verse three, he was raving it into the church.

He was going house to house. Why was he going house to house?

Why was he taking men and women and carrying them to prison? Why because

he wanted it to stop. The high priests, the religious leaders, Why

did they tell them not to speak in the name of Jesus? Why did

they tell the apostles? Why did they kill Stephen? Because they wanted Christianity

to stop. They didn't want to grow any further. They wanted to stop

the Christians. Can I tell you today that persecution comes because it desires to

silence you, but it desires to stop Christianity from growing. That's the purpose

of persecution always had, It was from the very beginning, and it always

will be. Can I tell you that I think we when we as Americans,

I think, what this is so hard? If I was preaching this

message probably in India or other countries, Russia, in so many different contexts

outside of America, this passage would speak so clearly because they know truth too

well about the realities of persecution. But we in America, we really we

live in denial at times that we think persecution really doesn't happen here in America.

But the reality is persecution in America is growing day after day. Just

last week, I'll give you an example. Just last week. I don't

know if you're into football, but Houston Texans are in the playoffs and C.

J. Stroud as the quarterback for the Texans. Then they won their

playoff game, and right after the game, you know, if the time

take the star of the game, and they do an interview, and he

starts his interview this and I'll read his words. He starts his interview with

these words. He says, first and foremost, I want to give all

glories of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How it starts his interview.

So he goes on and he talks a little bit more about the game.

Well, this week NBC, who aired the football game, posted the interview

of CJ. Stroud on their Twitter account or x or whatever it is.

Now you know what they did in the interview that edited out any references to

Jesus. So that shows you today the NBC, a television network today is

trying to silence the name of Jesus. Just as the purpose of persecution in

the early Church was the silence to Christian. There's major networks today that are

trying to silence the name of Jesus. And can I tell you today that's

happening in our world. But it's happening, it's continuing to grow on and

on where people not only want to stop the name of Jesus, but they

also want to stop the truth of Jesus and they want to silence Christian.

They want to stop them from doing what they believe and practicing what they believe

God's called them to do. If that's not so, can I just tell

you a few just examples. You know Jack Phillips. Jack Phillips was a

baker in Colorado who was making cakes and he was asked by a homosexual couple

to bake a cake and he refused to do it because his religious beliefs,

and they persecuted him. They tried to shut down his business. Another lady

by the name of Missus Saltsman, I think is how you say her name.

She was a florest. Same thing. She was asked to do a

wedding. She was a believer and she didn't believe that's what God would have

her to do, so she denied doing services for that couple, and they

pursued her so much so in court that she had to retire early because she

couldn't handle the attacks from the others. Joe Kennedy coach Joe Kennedy, I

told you about him many times in Washington, just every day, I mean

every game before football school football game, he went to the center of the

football and just prayed in the district. School district that he was at demanded

that he stopped praying before the game. This is America, and in America

growing and rising its persecution. Even our government a few years ago passed laws

right that required religious organizations to allow abortion contraception in their insurance policies. Despite

what the religious poliefs were about abortion, they demanded and required, with no

exemptions, that all Christian organizations allow those to be in their insurance policies.

That is taking away religious liberties from us, which what is America built up

on freedom of religion? Can I tell you today that we live in America

and persecution. You may think, pastor, they're not dragging me out of

my home, but can I tell you today persecution is rising and some of

you today and I want you to hear this. Some of you think that

this doesn't really apply to me, but it really does. Because some of

you are faith and persecution in your workplaces about your beliefs, and so therefore,

at times you don't say much about your faith because you don't want to

offend anyone. You don't talking much about Jesus because you're too afraid of the

persecution that you might get in your workplaces. Our students today, you may

not say much about Jesus at school because you're afraid of the persecution and the

flac that you might get from your peers because of your faith in Jesus.

Can I tell you today we live in a world the persecution where there was

coming and acts. But today persecution is rising in our world and we must

be prepared, we must be ready. Can I just tell you that Paul

talked about this and two Timothy three. Paul says this, Indeed, all

who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. I'd

say to you today, you say, pastor today I really want to be

a man of God. I really want to be a woman of God.

Then Paul would say, as Jesus says, then you will fake persecution.

You'll face persecution for speaking the name of Jesus, and there'll be those who

want to stop the church and your faith from growing. What you see.

Secondly, how do we respond. We must recognize the rise of persecution.

Secondly, we must recognize the reason for persecution. The purpose was that they

want to silence. But what is the reason the reason they persecute us?

We seeing this passage scripture in verse two, you see Saul approved. Let's

just read the passage together. Saw approved his execution, and there arose on

that day a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, and they were all

scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. In verse two,

it seems like it's a little out of place. Verse two then says,

develop men bury Stephen and make great limitations over him. If you read

the whole passage of scripture, really kind of makes it doesn't make sense of

why Luke put that in verse two. Actually, there was no delay in

biblical times. There was no delay when someone was killed. There wasn't like

time like passed. You buried someone very quickly after they died. So why

then, if Stephen was killed in verse fifty three, why or I mean

in verse sixty, why it didn't wasn't this verse one of Acts chapter eight.

The reason why is Luke wants you understand that the reason that this persecution

came was a result of Stephen's message in Stephen's preaching, You see it,

the growth of persecution came from from Stephen. And as I said before,

you kind of see things, Paul, I Meanke wants you to see this

has kind of been growing, right, started with Peter and John don't speak

the threats. It went with the beatings, then it went to the martyrdom,

and then it grew to all the church. And he wants you to

see the connection of all these together. So as you think about this,

why why is what's the reasons for persecution? Well, it really starts with

what we say. If you if you remember, if you go to what

happened to Stephen, what does Stephen say? Stephens had the religious leaders and

the high priest there, and he spoke truth. He spoke Jesus, this

was the Messiah. But he also boldly proclaimed you are stiff neck people.

You're the one who killed the prophets, and you're the one who killed Jesus.

You see, they the persecution came against them because of what the apostles

said, what Peter and John said, and what Stephen says. The second

reason why there was persecution was not only because of what they said, but

I think secondly, I think it is very important, it's also because how

they lived. You know, if you go back to Stephen, Stephen will

again you remember an act Shepherd six. The apostles were struggling with managing all

they had to do. They had to preach, and they had to pray.

Yet they had these benevolent needs in the church, and they were trying

to figure out how to care for the widows in the church, and they

were being neglected. And so therefore they rose up leaders within the church who

would care for the widows, and that way they could be committed to preaching

in prayer. And Stephen was one of those men. And as they described

Stephen, I want you to understand a few things that they said about Stephen

and Acts Chatter six, verse five, and they said, and what they

said please the whole gathering. And they chose Stephen. And what was Stephen

known? For Stephen here scripture describes was a man full of faith in the

Holy Spirit. In Chapter in verse eight, it begins talking about the ministry

of Stephen, and verse eight of Acts it says, and Stephen was full

of grace and power, and he was doing wonders and signs among the people.

You know, what was the reason why they came against persecution, came

against the early church, came against the early apostles and the early leaders.

Why is because of what they said. But also because how they lived.

I taught last week. I was in a seminar at Southeastern. I'm working

on my doctorate and we had a pastor there and his name's Al Jackson.

He was a pastor in Auburn, Alabama for like forty years at the same

church. And he was telling us about different things he experienced. And he

told the story about how he went to this church and as he was there

in his first few years as the church, there was a professor that was

teaching in the cynic school class. She was a professional of Auburn University,

and she was teaching in his Synday school class at his church. And it

came about. Information came out that she was teaching that a pluralism. She

was teaching basically there's many ways to God that someone could come to God and

they didn't have to go through Jesus. And so he said he found out

about it and went to her and says, you know, miss, I've

forgotten the lady's name. He says, just let you know. He says,

you can't teach that here. We believe that Jesus is way truth in

life. No one comes to the Father, it said by and she you

know for a little bit, she stopped and she didn't teach that anymore.

And about six months later, guess what she did. She started preaching it

again. She started teaching it again in her Cins school class that there's many

ways to God. Jesus is not the only way. So one Sunday morning

he preached on John fourteen message that declares Jesus says, I am the Way,

the Truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father

except through me. After that Sunday and that next Monday morning, she came

and she resigned from her Synday school class and they left the church. But

I tell you that because that is in a Southern Baptist church in America,

here where there are those who are still trying to come against the church based

upon what we say. And that's happening not only in the church, but

that's happened in individuals' lives. Now, my question is to you today,

as you think about this message and you think about, okay, the purpose

of persecution is that there would silence me. The purpose of persecution is that

there would stop Christianity from growing. I must recognize that it's rising, that's

coming. Now, I must think of the reasons why they may come against

me me and the reason why persecution may come against me is because of what

I say and what I do and how I live. Now, I want

to ask you today, you say, as we start this message, Pastor,

this message is really not for me, because I really don't face persecution.

Well, to ask you, why not? Is it because you don't

say enough about Jesus. And the reason that people at school don't say anything

to you about Jesus because you never tell them about Jesus. Is the reason

why people at work don't ever say anything to you about what you say about

Jesus is because you never say anything about Jesus. Is the reason why you

don't face persecution about how you live is because you're really not living for Jesus

outside the church. You're not really living for Jesus at work, you're not

really living for Jesus at school, you're not really living for Jesus outside of

the church. And therefore you're not facing persecution because you're not talking about Jesus,

nor are you really living for Jesus. And therefore, listen today,

you're not a conduct for growth. You're a conduct of just keeping things the

same. He says, we must recognize I think if we're gonna handle a

persecution correctly, we must recognize the rise. We must recognize the reason.

And third, we must recognize our response. What is our response to preach

the word? Look at verse four. Scripture says, and now those who

were scattered when about preaching. What happened was when Saul began ravaging the church

in Jerusalem and going house to house and carrying people to prison the church.

The Christians left Jerusalem, and they left where the church and where they were

at, and they began scattering. And the scripture we use the word disperse.

It means they dispersed the Christians among the different places and around Jerusalem,

in different areas. And the Bible is describing that in verse four. They're

dispersing into different areas. Now, those were scattered, that's the imagery dispersing.

And when they disperse, what did they do? Now? Remember what

is the purpose of persecution. They want to stop them from saying Jesus,

and they want to stop them from growing. What did they do? Did

they stop speaking about Jesus? Did they stop telling others? Did they stop

growing? No? On the contrary, and verse four tells us. Now

those that is believers, that's not apostles, that's not preachers, that's not

elders, that's not deacons, that's all that's lay people. What did they

do? Those who went scattered went about preaching. The word preaching here is

the word event the word we get evangelized. As you think preaching, and

like I do, if you hear preaching, you think about somebody doing what

I'm doing now, standing for a congregation and they're giving a lecture, giving

a sermon. That's not the word here. The word here is evangelizing.

They're telling people about Jesus. This so as persecution's purpose was to silence a

Christian and stop it from growing, the response of the early Church was not

to stop, but to continue to actually be more bold and sharing. They

begin evangelizing. I love verse five. You kind of what Luke does here

is he wants you to see the whole church was doing here this and then

he gives you like one example, and the example is Philip. Verse five.

It says Philip went down to the city of Samaria and he began proclaiming

to them Christ. You see the example of him proclaiming Jesus as interesting as

you come, and I'll give you the short of this as you come to

the imagery. In verse five, it says he came to the submit city

of Samaria, Samaria, and he proclaimed Christ of them Samarian Samaritans. The

Jews did not like. Samaritans were seen as a half breed, half Jews

and half gentile, and they were despised by the Jews. Who were they

first trying to reach was the Gospel in Jerusalem was the Jews. And once

the Jews rejected, they spread out to other areas. And where did Philip

go. He didn't go to places where they had. He actually went to

people who had not heard, or had who've been rejected. He went to

these Samaritans who were seen as half breeds. They're also seen as people who

people who had defected, if you will, or who had despised and there

was or seen I'm sorry, the word I'm looking for is they were seen

as people who were unfaithful. The Jews at one point had a campaign,

a building campaign where they will rebuild the Temple, and that asked Samaritans to

give to the rebuilding of the temple, and the Samaritans rejected. They didn't

do it. And not only did they reject the campaign to rebuild the temple,

but they also built their own temple. So they were seen as half

breeds, but also seen as people who were unfaithful in the Jews eyes,

so they hated them. Philip, he goes to the hated, He goes

to reject those who rejected. He goes to the people who were despised.

And what does he tell them. He tells them about the good News of

Jesus. It doesn't stop the early Church from spreading the gospel, or from

being silent, or from growing Christianity. It actually lights a fire where they

continue to share, and they go to those who need to hear, and

those who had been despised and those had been rejected. Doctor Jackson was showing

us last week that he gave us like two pictures that he had gotten throughout

his ministry that had impacted his life. And he had a picture of a

man and he told us his name. I don't even remember his name.

And he says, I had this picture, and I've put this picture in

my prayer room where I pray and I do my devotions, and he says,

I constantly look get this to remind myself what other people are experience across

the world. He said that this man that had a picture of and it

was doctor Jackson and this man a picture together of them together. And he

said he was preaching in India and there was a man there and after he's

preaching and someone said, hey, Pastor, I want you to meet this

man and forgot his name, and so he went over there and says,

yeah, it's nice to meet you. And he said, Pastor, I

want you to understand this man's being beaten four times from preaching the gospel.

I think, and I vaguely remember the details, but I believe Doctor Jackson

said that he had some physical limitations because of what was happening, what happened

to him, and he looked at Pastor Jackson he says, next week,

I can't wait to get back at it again. He just got through his

fourth beating and he's ready to go back at it again. You know,

I'll just ask you today, as you think about what is my response to

Percy. I know that they are those who wants to silence me. I

know that they will want to come after me for speaking the name Jesus.

I know there will be those who want to persecute me for how I live

for Jesus. So what would I do? Can I say to you today?

Church, preach the word share Jesus. Don't stop, don't be afraid.

Preach the word. There are those like the Samaritans who've been despised,

who have been rejected, and they're longing to hear about Jesus. And God

may be sending you to them. Don't allow the persecution to silence you.

May you be bold and proclaim Jesus with your words and with your life.

Lastly, we must recognize the result of persecution. What was the result?

It's beautiful. In verse one, it says, and there saw a rose,

and that prudes his execution. There arose on that day a great persecution

against the Church in Jerusalem, and they're all scattered throughout the region of Judea,

I mean throughout the regions. In verse eight it says that In seven

and eight it describes Philip preaching, and he's preaching, and him there there

was those people who had been rejected, who's been despised by the Jews,

and they hear about Jesus. Scripture says that Philip, through the power of

the Holy Spirit he does miracles, heals the lame, he cast out the

demons, unclean spirits, he heals the paralyzed. The Bible says in verse

A. And there was much joy in that city. Why because people found

Jesus, because someone was faithful to share and not be silent, You say,

pastor, what's the result of persecution? The gospel spreads, the church

spreads and grows if we're not silent. You know, there's a story.

And I don't know if you've ever heard this, and I want to encourage

you if you've never done this. We're going to give you some tips on

devotionals on a little bit, but I will encourage you. If you've never

watched the movie End of the spirit I want you to do that. I'll

encourage you to watch that. The story of End of the Spirits is based

upon a true story. In nineteen fifty six, on January eighth, five

missionaries from America who studied at Wheat and I think had prepared for missions and

they were going to an unreached group they're called the Aqua Indians in Ecuador.

They had been they had a plane and they had been over the last months.

They had been taking and flying over this remote village, and they'd been

dropping supplies and try to create care packages to get kind of show these people

that these Indians, again, they were remote, they have not been reached

and never had any contact. They want to show them that they were friendly

and people. And so after a few some time of doing these little care

packages, they found this little river bank where they could land their plane.

And they made a determination they were going to land a plane and they were

going to have their first encounter with the Aqua Indians. On January eighth of

nineteen fifty six, they landed a plane and as they landed the plane,

Aqua Indians came and they killed all five missionaries. You know a lot of

people. It actually exploded in our world back then. It was all over

the news, It was all over the media, Time magazine, and it

was thought then that this is going to kill the missionary movement. There would

be not more missionaries who don't want to leave America anymore, not after those

five brutally were killed by those Aqua Indians. But can I tell you the

truth is, the reality is the murderer of the martyrdom of fire of those

five missionaries started a flame of a missionary movement that caught fire like it had

never been before. Can I tell you, as a result of those five

missionaries who lost their lives, that Aqua Indians, their wives and children went

and began evangelizing, and that tribe was reached for Jesus Christ. Actually,

the man who killed the missionary actually came to know the Lord and it's saved

today. You see what Satan wants to silence. Satan wants to end.

God wants to use that that gospel might spread. Can I say to you

the result of persecution today may not be stopping you, but it may grow

and that someone that you know on your street that you live in, or

in that classroom that you're in, or in your workplace that you work with,

might hear the good news of Jesus. It may change this community,

It might change this church. It might change our world. But it starts

with us saying we will not be silent, but we will leave this place

and we'll go and we'll proclaim the good News of Jesus with our words and

with our life. The result of persecution is the gospel spreads. I don't

know about you, but I want the gospel to spread through me. So

today, as we close, will you write, will you recognize today persecution

is rising? Will you say, Lord, today I want to be I

want to be that servant for you God, and I know that's part of

that. It's persecution and the Lord. I want to be ready. May

you say, today, Lord, the reason the persecution may come is because

of what I say about Jesus and how I live for Jesus and Jesus I'll

do that. Will you recognize today your need to respond by saying, Lord,

today, you're calling me to be more bold for you and to tell

more people about You in my workplace, in my home, in my community,

in my schools. Lord, I will respond by being faithful, and

God will leave the results up to you, that you might spread the gospel

in our community, in our state, in our country, and to the

ends of the earth. Today, will you consider how you will respond?

You know the good news is today as we close, there's some of you

here today, And you know what. You're not a believer. You've never

said Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you say pastor. You

know the reality is I've gotten angry at people like you. I've got angry

at other people who've lived for Jesus and have said them things to me about

how I don't have Jesus in my life. There's times where I've been I've

been a persecutor. Can I tell you today the good news of Jesus is,

it doesn't matter what you've said, it doesn't matter what you've done,

It doesn't matter how you might come against Us or may have come against Jesus.

Scripture says that Jesus as he was on the cross, and there were

those who were saying words against him. There are those who reject him.

What did Jesus say? Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they

know not what they do. And the good news is today for you,

unbeliever, those who have not accepted Jesus. Today, Jesus wants to give

you forgiveness. He died on the cross that you might find a relationship with

him today. Would you put your faith in him today? Let's stand,

we're seen together. Courage you if this the time of this invitation for you

to come and print this altar or you to do that. If I could

pray for you'd love to do that. If I can lead you how you

can put your faith in Jesus to day, I encourage you to come,

and I'd love to share with you. However the Lord leads you, will

you respond to him? Jesus, pain and all to him