Amazing sermon

This sermon has change my life, I hope it can do the same for you. Be warned it is very bold and piercing but that is good, sometimes we need to be shaken up. And it is also very true.

and let me know because I understand that it's very long if you would like me to post it in smaller video clips over a couple day period.

Persecution

I greatly apologize for my seemingly abandonment of the blog. I've been away from the computer for a week and so I haven't had the chance to post, thank you for your patience. And by the way from now on I'm going to change back and forth from a theology post to a poetry post.

So today I'm going to talk about a very difficult but misunderstood topic, Religious Persecution. Now as you know if you believe in Christianity that Satan is ruler of the world. And he fights as hard as he can with the powers he has to prevent good, and God's will. Now persecution is one of the ways that Satan destroys good. Going back in history to the times of Jesus when so much good was occurring, there was persecution. Obviously because he was tortured, crucified... If you go later on to the early church there was much persecution, Paul was beaten, mocked, stoned, put in prison you name it. This is my first point and one that I believe is based on history, the church has been strongest when the most persecution is occurring. Where there is the true furthering of Christianity, persecution follows. Not necessarily right away but either there or coming very soon.

My second point is talking about the benefits of Persecution. Now I am a Christian, and I believe it is my duty to be willing to be tortured suffer any physical pain for my faith. This is a very bold statement and I will not try to pretend like I am at that point yet. I am striving for it though. This I believe is the main benefit of persecution. It weeds out the nonbelievers, those who say they are a Christian and pretend to act like it but are not. Matthew 13:20-22 says,
"20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.
Persecution proves there is a root, it removes the nonbelievers. This makes it almost good because it lets you see where you are really at. A man once said "You only truly love something, when you are willing to die for it." You aren't truly a Christian until you are willing to die for it.
Another benefit to persecution is breaking us down. We can never truly appreciate God, his power, his grace, and his mercy until we are broken down. Till we submit desires and wants to him. 2nd Corinthians 12:9-10 says,
" 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When we are weak God is strong in us and then we are strong.

My third point on Persecution is what the bible says the purpose of it is, Hebrews 12:7-8.
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
This verse is pretty self explanatory. God uses persecution to teach us things. And the really interesting verse is 8. Those who do not suffer persecution are illegitimate children in essence not Christians. This is a very scary verse. Does this mean that you should go looking for persecution? No of course not but the point is that if you are a true Christian and living the way you are supposed to be living. Persecution will be evident because Satan will be trying to stop you. He will be throwing everything he has at you. But this doesn't mean that if you are suffering persecution that you’re a Christian either.


To sum up, 1st Peter 1:6-7
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Persecution proves the heart, it proves to others your faith, and it sets your mind on what it should be God's will.


1st Peter 4:1-2
1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Forgiveness

I want to share a kind of personal thing with you guys. When I was younger I had somebody die to save me. I doubt many of you can understand the feelings that this gives. And the most amazing part of all is, I hurt this person, I failed him for my entire life, I didn't live up to his expectations and I ruined his life, yet he still did it. He loved me that much. If you've ever had this happen to you then you can understand the love and attachment you feel for this person, you would do anything for the person, out of love and devotion, how could you not?
He forgave me and sacrificed himself for me. He died for me I was falling into a deep pit with sharp rocks at the bottom that would have killed me, but he jumped in and threw me back up but died at the bottom, the only reason I am the person I am today is because of him. He Died For Me do you realize what this means, You know what is so amazing about it though? he died for you to. His name is Jesus. Not only did he die for me but he died for you to. Now I don't care what you say about me but i'm going to follow him, serve him, and love him for the rest of my life and you can mock me, laugh at me, and humiliate me and it doesn't even matter, because i'm serving the one who died personally for me. Christians often forget that they had somebody die for them. They know the words but they don't think about what it means, to have somebody get tortured, yes tortured he was stabbed, beaten, and then crucified for us. How can we not serve him how can we ignore the price he paid for us. http://www.hopeabides.com/





If you have questions you can email me at hopeabidesforever@gmail.com