"DIFFERENT" - Pt.4

Hi, this is John O'Zanting, lead pastor of Evolve Church, and this is the Evolve Church Podcast.

Thanks so much for tuning in.

We hope that you find today's message encouraging and full of hope for wherever you're at.

Repeat after me, I'm different.

Nobody's like me.

I'm different.

And that's okay with me.

We should sing that.

We should, shouldn't we?

Uh, I think we should sing it.

Have you been practicing?

I even put those words on our Instagram story this morning in case you wanted a refresher on it.

If if this is the we're on part four of a four-part series, and if if this is the first, then you're like, what is he talking about?

But if you've been here for any other week in this series, then you know what's coming.

You know it's coming.

Uh stand to your feet, please.

Come on, everybody stand up.

Stand up, because we sing better when we stand.

And if you don't know this song, that's okay.

Just look around with panic and confusion.

And if you do know it, um, then you know, I'll just sing out loud.

Here's here's how it goes.

Do you want me to sing it one more time just as a refresher?

Yeah, you can listen closely, pay attention, because there is a test.

I'm different, different, different.

Nobody is like me.

I'm different, different, different, and that's okay with me.

Yeah, that's okay with me.

On the count of three.

One, two, three.

I'm different, different, different.

Different, different, different, and that's okay with me.

That's okay, sit down.

You got it.

You got it.

So we've been on a study of a letter in the Bible called uh 1 Peter.

And we've been working through um the different chapters in that letter.

Uh, we've kind of taken a look at 1 Peter 1, 1 Peter 2, 1 Peter 3.

Today we're gonna take a little poke at uh the last two chapters, 4 and 5, in a series simply called Different.

And in the first week, we talked about uh having a different kind of faith when we go through trials.

Is your faith inherited?

Because you grew up in a blank home, fill it in.

I grew up in a Catholic home, an Anglican home, and so I must be that way.

Is your faith inherited?

Is your faith um shallow?

Is your faith conditional?

Or is your faith genuine?

Because when we walk through, when we walk through trials, it's a genuine faith that carries us.

And so, as followers of Jesus, as we're learning what that means, we can have a different kind of faith when we go through trials.

Week two, we talked about having a different set of values in an unholy culture.

Last week we talked about having a different kind of calling in a broken world, and today, well, we're gonna jump in on it because this will most likely be the most encouraging message that you never wanted to hear.

Are you ready?

I'm talking about like, wow, that was literally the most uplifting, life-giving, encouraging message that I never ever wanted to hear.

Because that's what we're in for today.

How many of you know that life is full of both good news and bad news?

Just yesterday, I had an electrician in my home, uh, a great electrician, by the way, if you're looking for one, I would highly recommend him.

And uh I have this plug in the garage that keeps tricking tripping the breaker.

And it's just, you know, anytime I like go to use something in the garage, the breaker trips.

And he came yesterday, and I'm like, give me, give me the bad news, right?

He's like, actually, the bad news is it's like an arc thingamajiggy, and I think it's just like surging.

I think if we do this, it should fix it, and it's not gonna cost you any money.

I'm like, oh, that wasn't bad news.

That was actually good news.

Thank you for that.

And um, so you know, sometimes we think we're getting good news and it's it's bad news.

Sometimes we're expecting bad news and we hear something good.

Life is full of good news, bad news.

You know that Jesus never promised us as his kids that life was gonna be pie in the sky, easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Sometimes we think that.

And we sing that too.

We sing about the promises, right?

All of God's promises are yes and amen.

Right?

His promises never fail.

And it's true.

It's true.

But he never promised that life would always be easy.

Jesus never promised that it wouldn't rain on your vacation, that you wouldn't get a headache or a migraine.

Jesus never promised that your car wouldn't break down, Jesus never promised that you would be filthy rich, that you wouldn't be heartbroken, that the Toronto Raptors would win, even though they kicked the warriors' butts the other day, right?

Jesus never promised us that life would be simple all the time.

So what did he promise?

Well, there's amazing promises.

But I want to read you a promise because if you love Jesus and follow him and live for him, do you know that Jesus promised that you would be persecuted and that the world you live in would hate you?

Can I get a good amen?

No.

Jesus promised that the world we live in would hate us and that we would be persecuted because we're learning to trust and follow Jesus.

John chapter 15, verse 18 to 20.

John 15:18–20

Just remember, when, not if, but when the unbelieving world hates you, Jesus says, they first hated me.

If you were to give your allegiance to the world, well, they would love you and welcome you as one of their own.

But because you won't, this is good, listen to this, because you won't align yourself with the values of this world, they will hate you.

Woo! Do they have to hate me?

Can't they just kind of mildly dislike me?

Right?

The world will hate us because we don't share its values.

Jesus goes on to say, I have chosen you and taken you out of this world to be mine.

Now, when I when I read taking you out of this world, I think of like the best um assassin movie that I've ever seen, right?

Like, can I pay you to take him out of this world?

That's not what Jesus is talking about here.

Um, this world is not our home.

We live here, but this world is not our home.

We're called, set apart, kings, priests, joint heirs.

We've been through it this week.

Go listen to the podcast if you missed that message.

Jesus says, I've taken you out of this world to be mine.

So remember what I taught you that a servant is not superior to his master, and since they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.

Man, that's thank you for that encouraging word, Pastor.

That's just really just lifts me up.

I just, you know, I've had a really tough week, and it's just great to hear that I'm gonna be persecuted and hated.

Everybody that's like with me so far, just shout out a good really?

Really?

Yeah, seriously, though.

Jesus promised you that if you follow him, you're gonna go through persecution.

So, if you follow Jesus, you're gonna look different than the world that you live in, and that's okay.

That's a good thing.

The world will want you to look like them, the world will want you to share its values, but you won't.

You won't look like them.

You'll be different because you have a faith in Jesus Christ.

You might even feel persecution because of those differences, but you will find hope.

You will find solace, you will find healing, you will find strength when you walk through difficult things because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

A little bit of context as we go to 1 Peter 4.

Just a reminder that when Peter wrote this letter, he was writing not to Jews who had become followers of Jesus, but to Gentiles, people that were outside of the Jewish tradition, but people that had made a decision, like you and I, to trust and follow Jesus.

And when he wrote this letter in approximately 63 years after Jesus died, 63 AD, there was a lot of garbage going on in the world.

Nero was ruling the Roman Empire and he was persecuting Christians every day.

People were dying for their faith in Jesus.

And Nero was a tyrant and he was reckless and he burned things to the ground and he blamed Christians because of it.

And so when Peter's writing in 1 Peter, again, we're looking at four and five today, remember that he's writing to Jesus' followers who are going through tremendous persecution.

Did you know that many believe that in our lifetime, our current existence on planet earth, you and me here now today, that we are seeing the worst Christian persecution in the history of our faith?

Maybe you are unaware of that.

And if you were, I want to say it one more time, just so you're like, did he really say that?

I want to say it one more time.

Are you aware that currently in the world we are seeing the worst, some some scholars would argue, but the worst Christian persecution that's ever happened on planet Earth?

It's happening right now in our world.

Every month, on average, 345 Christians are being killed for faith-related reasons.

Every month, 345.

105 churches or Christian buildings are being burned to the ground or attacked and destroyed around the world.

219 Christians are being detained without trial, they're being arrested, sentenced, and imprisoned.

Hundreds of people every month, right now, being persecuted for their faith in Jesus.

During the um the World Watch list, if you Google World Watchlist 2019, you can read a full report on persecution happening around the globe to Christians, to people that are following Jesus.

And this report at the top 50 countries in the world where human beings are being persecuted because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

It's going on in the world around us.

Have you ever been persecuted because you follow Jesus?

I wonder.

That report highlighted some things like 4,136 Christians were killed for faith-related season for faith-related reasons during the 2019 reporting period.

These are current statistics.

4,136.

That's 11 Christ followers being killed for their faith every day because they say I'm trusting the following Jesus.

Every day.

1,266 churches attacked and destroyed, 2,625 Christians detained in the reporting period.

Staggering.

Many believe that we are seeing the worst persecution against Jesus' church on planet Earth and we've ever seen in our lifetime.

Ever.

In one part of the world that might look like you absolutely losing a relationship with a family.

I think of someone who grew up in a home that acknowledged Islam as faith, or that uh subscribed to the Muslim faith.

If you declared faith in Jesus, you would be an embarrassment and be disowned from that family.

For another person, that might simply mean that they lose a job because of their faith in Jesus.

In one part of the world, to be persecuted might mean that you get arrested and beaten because of your faith.

In another part of the world, it might simply mean that you're not invited to a party or a social gathering.

Like, oh, we shouldn't invite him.

He's that weird Christian guy.

He's different.

Right?

So here it is.

The most encouraging message that you never wanted to hear.

Are you ready for this?

Today, the fourth and final way I want to encourage you to be different in your journey of following Jesus is to have a different perspective in persecution.

A different perspective.

And we're going to look at Peter's words to these Christians in the first century when they were going through persecution.

And what can we learn from this today?

1 Peter 4 12, in the Passion Translation, it says, Beloved friends, if life gets extremely difficult with many tests, don't be bewildered as though something strange were overwhelming you.

Interesting.

Another translation of that same verse in the message says, Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job.

When you go through something hard, don't quickly assume that God's not for you.

Don't be bewildered.

Instead, be glad that you're in the very thick of what Christ experienced.

If you're living faithfully for Jesus, if you're intentional about growing in this journey of trusting and following your Savior, don't be surprised when you face opposition.

Don't be shocked.

Don't be bewildered.

If you're different, if you're set apart, if you're one of God's chosen kids, where we all are, don't jump to the conclusion that God has abandoned you.

I see that happen all the time.

People that are sincere and articulate in a desire to follow Jesus, as soon as something difficult happens, they're like, I'm out.

This isn't what I signed up for.

I thought God was supposed to be good.

Right?

I'm out.

Don't be surprised.

And don't think God has abandoned you when you're going through something hard.

Don't be bewildered as though something strange were overwhelming you.

Because Jesus says, if you follow me, they hated me, they persecuted me.

The world you live in is probably gonna hate and persecute you also.

Winner, winner, right?

Any soccer players in the room?

No.

Justin, thank you.

A couple hands, a couple hands.

Beautiful, beautiful.

You know, we're we're a pretty big soccer family.

Matter of fact, this past week, six out of seven days involved soccer for our family, either games or practices.

All three of our kids are uh playing the game right now on teams, loving it, having a blast.

Sometimes I feel like the soccer pitch is my second home.

Um but I don't mind because uh I love cheering them on and watching them develop as players.

Soccer is the only team sport that I played as a kid growing up.

I know what you're thinking, six foot six.

I didn't play basketball, I did not play volleyball, I did not play football, I played soccer, and I did musical theater.

Um, this wasted height.

I know.

Yeah.

If you walk up to me and say, John, oh wow, you're so tall.

Did you play basketball?

I will look down on you and say, No, do you play miniature golf?

Just saying, okay?

Soccer family, and I love the game.

Now, picture with me.

Let's say you're on one team, I'm on another team, and you're watching from across the field.

I'm on the bench, okay?

I got my practice warm-up jersey on, and the the game's going on, but I'm on the bench and you're watching from across the field.

I got my my uh smartphone out and I'm I'm playing a uh video game on my phone, and then when I get bored of that, I'm like bottle flipping on the bench, right?

And then I see this cute girl in the stands.

Her name's Nicole, and uh she's super cute, right?

So I'm flirting with her, and I've got my warm-up jersey on, and I'm bottle flipping, and I'm flirting with Nicole, and I'm playing video games, and you're watching from across the field, and you're like, that guy's a joke, right?

Would you feel in any way threatened by me?

No, not a bit.

But when Nicole gets up out of the stands and she comes over, she kisses me on the forehead and she goes, Go get him, tiger.

And that phone gets put down and that bottle gets put down and that warm-up jersey, and I got my sock cleats and my shin guards on because it's gonna get hectic, right?

Yeah.

And I rush out onto the field, and don't don't be deceived.

I might be 43 years old, but I still got game.

Oh, yeah, don't be deceived.

But when you when you see me on the field, and you see me uh, you know, dodging and passing and running and shooting and scoring, you're like, wait, wait a second.

He's totally different on the field than off the field.

We didn't see that coming.

Are you with me?

Are you with me?

It's it's when I'm in the game, it's when I'm not in my warm-up jersey, it's when I'm not goofing off with a water bottle, it's when I'm on the field, hustling, working with the team, passing, scoring, shooting, blocking, defending, defensive, offensive.

Throw-ins perfect for him.

Keep those feet on the ground.

Come on.

Thanks, Megan.

Thank you.

One person laughs at my jokes.

That's good, that's good, right?

It's when I'm in the game that you feel threatened by me.

Don't think for a second that as a follower of Jesus, your walk, your journey of learning, right?

You might be all in.

I I professed faith, whatever, however you say it.

I made the decision, I committed my life, I'm all in.

Or you might be in process, just like, what is this all about?

I'm leaning in, I feel something kind of pulling out my heart, but I'm still not sure.

But wherever you're at in your faith journey today, let me tell you, this is not an on-the-bench warm-up activity.

This is an in-the-game, right?

What if um the enemy of our souls saw us just sitting on the bench?

Do you think for a minute he would be bothered?

Do you think for a second he would be concerned?

Do you think any opposition of threat would be perceived?

No, we're just sitting on the bench.

We're consuming Christianity.

We're drinking it like it's Kool-Aid.

That's pretty good, right?

I'm getting something out of it.

But we're not in the game.

We're not we're not a part of any meaningful relationship within Jesus' church.

We're not accountable to any other believers.

We're not serving on team somewhere, lifting up the the mandate of Jesus' church.

We're not giving, we're not contributing, we're not praying, we're not studying, we're not leaning in, we're just like, what am I gonna get out of this today?

Consumers.

I know that's not anybody here in this room, but somebody listening to this podcast right now is like, that's me.

That's me.

I know not nobody here, I'm myself included.

Right now, if you were deployed to the front lines of a battlefield as a soldier, okay, and you're out on the field, and all of a sudden the bullets start flying.

Are you gonna run back to your commanding officer and be like, wait a second, they're shooting at me.

What's going on?

No, it's a battleground.

There's gonna be opposition, there's gonna be pushback.

Christianity, the Christian faith, following Jesus is not a playground.

It is a battleground.

It is meant to pull something in us in terms of the fight, the opposition, maybe even the persecution that we're going to face.

Because our faith in Jesus is a battleground and not a playground, don't jump to the conclusion that God has abandoned you when you go through something hard.

Don't jump to the conclusion or be bewildered, overwhelmed, think, man, this I did not see this coming.

This feels really hard.

This isn't what I signed up for.

No, Christianity's a battleground.

It's there's gonna be moments that feel like war.

1 Peter 4, verse 12, we've read it from the uh passion, we've read it from the message translation.

1 Peter 4:12

They don't have this for the screens, but the New International Version says, Dear friends, don't be surprised at the fiery ordeal.

The other translations talk about trials.

This translation says, the fiery ordeal that's come on you to test you.

I wonder when Peter wrote the words fiery ordeal to first century Christians, was he actually being literal?

Because one of the ways that Nero was persecuting Christians, we've talked about this, was he was covering them in wax and tying them to trees in his garden and lighting them on fire like human candles to light up his parties.

And they would sit back and party and revel and drink and watch Jesus' followers burning for his entertainment.

When Peter writes, don't be alarmed at the fiery trials.

I wonder if some Christian somewhere in the first century was like, Yeah, but Peter, my cousin Larry was just that fiery trial.

What if that happens to me?

What if I go through something similar?

Don't be surprised.

Jesus taught that when we follow him, they will persecute you also.

And those words rang true in the first century, but they ring true today across the globe.

In 2019, when Jesus' followers are being persecuted for their faith more than any other season in history.

But what about you?

Are we doing good so far?

Is this the most encouraging message that you never wanted to hear?

Did I lie?

You're all like, what the where are we going with this?

Hang in there.

Hang in there.

Hang in there.

If Peter were writing today to Christians, he might adapt to his current audience.

Okay?

He might adapt if he was writing a letter to a Jesus follower in Libya.

Don't be surprised when someone you know is beheaded for their faith.

If Peter was writing today to a Jesus follower in Muslim Indonesia, he might say, Don't be surprised if your family outright disowns you for following Jesus.

Cut off from relationship, security.

Don't be surprised.

If he was writing to a young girl in her second year of college here in Canada, Peter might say, Don't be surprised if you don't get a second date because of your stance on purity and your kingdom choice.

Don't be surprised.

Don't be surprised if you're persecuted.

If he was writing to us in the room today, don't be surprised if your family or your community or your friends or your colleagues or your spouse or your children make fun of you for your faith in Jesus.

And for your love for his church.

Don't be surprised if you don't get invited to Thanksgiving dinner at Great Aunt Gerda's house because they're like, oh, she's she thinks she's better than us.

She's a Christian.

We don't think we're better than anybody.

Matter of fact, we're just trying to figure out what it means to learn and grow and submit our lives to Jesus and work on our stuff.

It's not that we're better than or that we've arrived.

It's just that in community we're transparent and learning and developing and growing and vulnerable.

That's a part of Jesus' church.

1 Peter 4, 12 to 13, friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the conclusion that God isn't on the job.

Instead, be glad that you're in the thick of what Christ experienced.

This is a spiritual refining process with glory just around the corner.

Some of you, you're like, man, this message is actually spot on for me.

That some of the things I'm going through right now, this is just what I needed to hear.

And others in the room are like, I like last week's message better.

We're almost done here, and that's okay, right?

But wherever you're at, and however this is speaking to you today, why is it that in some parts of the world, Jesus followers don't seem to be facing a whole lot of conflict?

Why is it here in Canada that the persecution isn't overt?

I have never once in Canada seen someone beheaded because of their faith in Jesus, wrongfully imprisoned just because they're a Jesus follower.

I haven't seen it in my nation.

Why is that?

Maybe it's because so many people in Canada, in the Western world, are seeking comfort and pleasure and ease more than anything else.

And even when I typed those words into my notes, I was like, God, is that me?

Do I live for like comfort?

Entertainment, pleasure, ease?

We might not want to admit it, but if we were to be honest with ourselves, from the youngest in the room to the oldest, I'd way rather have a kind conversation with you than a confrontational one.

I just would.

I would way rather have an easy day than a difficult day.

I would way rather get good news than bad news.

I would way rather say, man, praise God for these good blessings in my life than praise God, I'm in the thick of it.

I would way rather.

And so because of that, we avoid conflict, we dodge opposition, we take the path of least resistance, we try and fit in, we laugh at that racial or gender joke that we know we shouldn't laugh up because it doesn't build up the kingdom.

We make compromises in the workplace because we want to make the boss happy and we don't we don't want to, you know, stir the pot, make any waves, and so we we compromise bit by bit.

We wane on our integrity and our character, we hide our faith so that no one pokes fun at us.

We're like secret service Christians, right?

I'll put the suit on on Sundays, but throughout the week, I'm just an average person.

Because deep down, why?

We want comfort, we want pleasure, we want ease, but we never actually get there.

We never actually feel the comfort or feel the ease.

And there's a cycle we find ourselves in, and it looks a little bit like this.

We start way up top, we pursue comfort.

That's our priority.

We want a life of ease and comfort, but if that's where we begin, then eventually we do whatever it takes and we avoid any opposition for the sake of comfort.

We live every day with like, nope, not gonna go there.

Nope, not gonna talk to that person, nope, not gonna have that conversation, nope, not gonna share that on my social media profile.

We want to avoid any opposition because we're like, ah, I'm not sure, right?

I don't want to be made fun of.

But what happens when we pursue comfort and avoid opposition?

Well, our faith weakens.

It doesn't get enriched or strengthened, it doesn't infuse us with a sense of God is on the throne and he's gone before me and he's made a way where I can't see it.

Our faith actually weakens.

And when our faith weakens, that brings us right around to a sense of life, feeling empty.

When we're not enlarged and enriched and purposed with a sense of cause in Jesus' church.

And what happens when life feels empty?

Well, we we pursue comfort when life feels empty.

And when we pursue comfort, we avoid opposition, and then our faith weakens and life's empty, and we stay in this crazy cycle.

It might not be comfortable to say, but many of us here today could admit that some something like that circle is what our lives kind of look like.

Here in this Western culture where our faith in Jesus isn't being called to the mat each and every day in our workplace or in our home or in our family or on the street where we live.

It's just easy, comfortable.

Let's avoid the confrontation.

My faith isn't actually growing.

I don't feel fulfilled, but let's pursue comfort.

That's what's normal in our world, but we're called to be different.

We're called to be set apart.

Remember, we're we're the called-out ones.

We are set apart.

We're meant to be different.

We're kings and priests, we're a holy nation.

We are different.

And so here's another cycle I want us to consider in our last few minutes together.

Number one, we make a decision to live boldly for Jesus Christ.

Whatever it takes, whatever it costs, I'm a follower of Jesus.

Now that doesn't mean you have to be weird.

I need to say this.

That doesn't mean you have to stand on a street corner with a placard and a sign and a little radio.

It doesn't mean you have to be weird.

It just means you have to be different.

Okay?

I'm not talking about, you know, starting to wear gowns and horse and buggies and bless, bless people in our world that feel like that's their their understanding.

And sometimes we we mess up.

Well, if I'm different, if I live boldly for Jesus, what does that actually look like?

It means you stay true to you, where God has planted you, around the people that God has put you, and you follow Jesus boldly in that context.

Because when we live boldly, here's what happens: we face opposition.

Yay! When we live boldly, we will face persecution, we will come against opposition.

But I want to tell you that's okay.

Because when we lean into opposition and persecution because of our bold faith, you know what happens?

Our faith enlarges.

Our faith grows, our faith strengthens, and when our faith strengthens, we feel closer to Jesus.

When we feel enriched and enlarged and fulfilled and full of purpose in our hearts and in our lives with a mandate to be church, not just consume church, but to go into dark places and to bring light and to bring hope and to communicate love and family and acceptance and everything Jesus stood for, lived for, and died for.

Man, our faith is enlarged.

We feel closer to Jesus, and when we feel closer to Jesus, we live boldly.

And then we face opposition, but that's okay because it's going to strengthen our faith.

You know, I got to tell you, when Nicole and I started talking about the decision to leave Winnipeg and move to Edmonton to plant a new church, you know, I just naively assumed that everybody in my world would be like, yeah, go, do it.

But that's not the case.

Because people live for comfort and people live for ease, and people don't always live boldly for Jesus.

And I want to tell you, we've faced more persecution in the last year of moving our family here and pioneering this new spiritual tribe than any other season in our lives.

And I want to tell you, it was worth it.

Why?

Because of just one person that found a family, just one person that found hope in Jesus.

Just one person that God spoke into and pulled out of darkness and said, Don't forget who you are.

There is a safe place for you, there is a hope, there is a home.

So are you pursuing comfort, which leads to avoiding opposition, which leads to a weakening faith, which leads to an empty life?

Or are you living boldly, which means you're gonna face opposition, which is gonna strengthen you and draw you closer to God?

And I just want you to think about it for a second, not as a point of judgment, because this is a this hurts for me to even talk about.

Because one of the things I I I poke myself regularly right now is like eight, nine months in.

This is easy.

I was even on the way here today.

I told Maddie, one of our volunteers, I was I was just so grateful this week as I was thinking about her.

Because a year ago I met her.

We did a young adult interest gathering.

Do you know what an interest gathering is?

It's like, hi, we just moved to this city, we're starting a new church.

Wanna help?

That's what an interest gathering is.

Take an hour-long party with strangers and invite them to pray, give, join, be a part of this.

And a year ago, we were hustling hard every other week through these parties with perfect strangers.

And a year ago I met Maddie, and I had this moment this week where I was like, God, it's just been a year.

I feel like I've been a part of this family my entire lifetime.

But a year later, have I gotten comfortable?

Like we're we're coasting now.

We're gonna, every Sunday, we're good to go.

This feels good.

Am I getting comfortable?

Or am I living boldly for Jesus nine months into this church plan, continuing to take new ground for the kingdom and continuing to dream big and allow God to put new dreams inside of me?

Because which one of these two cycles best represents your last seven days?

Which one?

1 Peter 4, 19.

So then those who suffer for following God's will should enfold their lives into the Creator who will never fail them and continue to always do what is right.

Somebody here is being faced with an important decision right now, and you're scared that that decision is gonna cost you.

You're afraid of the outcome, you're worried about what people might say about you, you're terrified that the outcome will hurt you or bite you in the butt because of your faith in Jesus.

But this is gonna set someone free.

Write this down if you're taking notes.

Do what is right and trust God with the results in every season.

Live boldly for the king.

Do what is right and trust God with the results.

Do what is right at work, in the workplace.

Make the intelligent, intuitive, and integrous decision to honor Jesus in your work.

Do what is right at home.

Do what is right with your kids, do what is right in your family, do what is right in your community, in your volunteerism.

Do what is right and trust God with the results.

We don't cut corners, we don't compromise our values, we don't shy away.

Some would say that the world we're living in, even here in Canada, is getting darker and darker and dark days for the church.

I'm not worried about that.

That doesn't concern me.

Why?

Because Jesus' followers are more emblazed, more passionate, more focused, more bold than ever before.

We understand what's at stake.

It doesn't worry me at all.

Persecution has never once weakened Jesus' church, it always strengthens the body.

Matter of fact, as we wade through our faith, being genuine, trusting God in a different way when we walk through persecution, I just pray and believe that even as a community when we're going through stuff that's hard, that we would be strengthened and enriched and our lives would feel bigger for the cause of Jesus.

It's so easy to claim to be a Christian where we live in Edmonton.

It's so easy to say, Oh, yeah, I'm a Christian.

I grew up with that.

It's easy.

And we still shy away from it.

Hundreds and thousands of Edmontonians have at some point in their life said, I'm I'm this, yeah.

I'm Anglican or Baptist or Pentecostal or Lutheran or Catholic.

Yeah, I'm a Christian.

Yeah.

I go to church at Christmas and Easter.

Yeah.

It's easy.

It's like saying I'm Dutch.

I don't live in Holland or speak the language, but I'm Dutch.

Because my parents were born there.

It's easy.

But are you taking the uneasy step of living boldly in your faith for Jesus?

Because that could just springboard you into how you live.

Don't worry when you're persecuted.

Worry when you're not.

Worry when you're not.

And I just, again, wherever you're at in the room, I know this is a heavy way to end this series.

But I want to share a couple of verses in closing from 1 Peter chapter 5.

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

Because here's what it says in 1 Peter 5.

God resists you when you're proud, but he multiplies grace and favor on us when we're humble.

If we bow low in God's awesome presence, he will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in his hands.

Isn't that good?

And here's what it goes on to say pour out all your worry and stress upon him and leave it there, for he always tenderly cares for you.

Here's what's true.

Pour out, another translation is cast.

The original Greek word in that in that part of this letter was a fishing term.

Cast, like you cast a fishing line.

Just put it out there.

When it comes to the worry and the fear and the anxiety we might experience about living boldly for Jesus, God says just cast it on Jesus.

Cast it on him, pour it out, pour it out.

Struggling in a situation with one of your kids, cast it on Jesus, struggling in a health situation, feeling persecuted, cast it on Jesus, struggling at work, it's affecting you financially because you're like, man, this is really hard.

I'm following Jesus, but this isn't working out.

Cast it on Jesus.

And then goes on to say in verse 10, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ.

Wait a second.

I thought Jesus said we were called to share in his hurt and in his suffering.

Yeah, he did.

But that's okay because he modeled how to work through that, how to stay submitted to the Father through that.

And then here's what it leads us to.

We've been called to share in the eternal glory of Jesus Christ.

And then Jesus will personally and powerfully restore you, make you stronger than ever.

He will set you firmly in place.

He will build you up.

He has all the power that he needs to do this forever.

Amen.

After you've walked through this difficult, short, brief season, what's he gonna do?

He's gonna powerfully restore, he's gonna make you stronger than ever.

He's gonna set you firmly in place.

He's gonna build you up no matter what you're walking through, no matter what season you're in, what persecution you face as a follower of Jesus.

Choose to live boldly.

Choose to live boldly, work through the opposition, have it strengthen your faith as it draws you closer to Jesus Christ.

In your home, in your workplace, in your family, in your community, in your neighborhood.

Why?

Because your faith will be strengthened, and Jesus' eternal kingdom gets the benefit as we build and grow something significant.

Why?

We are light in dark places, we are called out ones, we are set apart.

We are meant to be different.

We are kings and priests, we're a holy nation, and we have a different perspective when we walk through persecution.

But be encouraged.

This is the most encouraging message that you never wanted to hear.

Am I right?

You're gonna be like, whoo, what's next week?

Well, next week we're gonna talk about dads, because it's the second most important Sunday of the year.

And uh we're gonna have a lot of fun next week.

But as we close out this series, I just wanted to remind you that in 2019, here in this city, in this nation of Canada, your faith might not feel opposed.

You might not feel persecuted because of your faith in Jesus.

You might feel comfortable, but a little opposition is not a bad thing.

It just might mean that all of us together today, every single one listening to this message, is being called to a little bit more boldness.

And that's my encouragement and my prayer, and that's what I want you to consider over lunch today.

What would it look like this week for me to be just like two percent more bold in my faith?

2% more bold in my walk with Jesus.

Because when I live boldly, I might face opposition, but my faith will be strengthened, and I'll feel drawn in closer to my walk with Jesus.

In your home, in your workplace, wherever you do life.

Let's pray together and just ask God, what would it what would it mean for me to just live a little more boldly for your kingdom as we understand a different perspective in persecution?

And let's also remember to pray for Jesus' church around the world for those hundreds and thousands of people this year that are gonna be imprisoned, lose their life because of their stand of following Jesus.

Let's let's always hold that as our brothers and sisters around the globe that are going through something tremendously persecuted because of their faith.

And how does that infuse and encourage us to live in Jesus' name?

Amen.

The most encouraging message you never wanted to hear.

Let's pray.

God, today and every day, we understand that um we're not meant to just sort of consume Christianity as a Canadian.

We're meant to live it out, we're meant to be a part of something set apart, something chosen, something ordained, something beautiful, something different in this world.

We want to have a different faith when we go through something hard, not just bail.

We want to have a set of different values than the world that we live in.

There's gonna be tension there.

We understand that we have a different calling.

Our why is very different than the broken world that we live in.

And today we want to have a different perspective and understanding of persecution, not just in our own lives, but around the globe.

God, where you're called out once.

This world's not our home.

We've been called to be different.

We have a hope in Jesus that nothing could ever strip away.

And so as we leave this place today, um, we just ask that your spirit would just nudge us to honestly examine what it would look like, to just amp up our boldness this week.

Today, tomorrow, and every day moving forward.

That there would be an increase in how we're boldly living out the message of Jesus, how we're boldly communicating and sharing our faith, how we're boldly trusting you in every season.

Because we know that that might bring some persecution, some opposition in our lives, but we're gonna feel strong in our faith.

We're gonna feel enriched and enlarged and closer to you than ever before.

Help us to not give in to the ease and the comfort that's normal in our world.

Help us not to give into that cycle which leads to unrest and pursuing comfort, but to live boldly for you.

We ask this all in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Thank you so much for listening to today's message.

If you're ever in the Edmonton area, pop by for a visit.

And if you need any more information, visit Evolvechurch.com.

We hope to see you soon.