John 16 "Persecuted"

John 16 – Brandon Hatmaker “Persecuted”
Thursday, April 3, 2008

"All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you.” – John 16:1-4

In a conversation I had recently over lunch with Matt Thomas (One of three Bishops of the Free Methodist Church of North America), he shared with me story after story of recent and continued persecution of the church in India. There are stories of houses and church buildings being burnt down. There are stories of Pastors being held with a sword at their necks calling for them to renounce Christ. There are stories of missionaries losing their lives as stones are thrown from radicals opposing the church.

All this is happening in 2008. Almost seems impossible that it could be a reality. But it is. Jesus said it would happen. He told the disciples it was coming so that we might keep the faith and hold on to hope when it comes.

The Apostle Paul understood this type of persecution. His advice? Keep your chin up. This was his reminder to the church at Corinth, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (1 Corinthians 4:8-10)

These words of scripture remind me today how blessed we truly are. It’s such an honor to worship without worry of legal action. It’s such a privilege to have freedom of faith. It’s often taken for granted that we can live a day without worry of physical attack either on us, or our families.

We are so insulated from true persecution. We have very little, if any. Unless you count getting picked on for wearing a “His Pain, Your Gain” t-shirt, or a co-worker asking us “what would Jesus do” when the copier breaks down. Our problems are more related to how expensive gas is at the boat dock, how soon the technician can get out and fix the damper on my AC so I can control two zones in my house at the same time, and why I can’t seem to get all the HD channels to work on my cable. We have real issues too in raising our kids, dealing with our time commitments, stewarding our money, etc… but those are rarely related to persecution verses just trying to live the Christian life as a spouse, parent, or professional.

Jesus said that persecution comes because they do not know God. If we were to put as much effort in to evaluating this situation as we do our businesses, maybe even hire a consultant, we’d probably come to this conclusion: Do whatever it takes to introduce them to God. Then, one person at a time, the persecution would stop, as they gained life and the understanding that comes with it.

Today, in America, most of the destruction that occurs from a skeptic of faith happens to them selves (In fact, I would argue that most of the attack on the church today comes from within, not from skeptics). If someone does not know God or His ways, how could they understand how and why they were created? Without this understanding, all of us would accept the counterfeit solutions the world provides. The solution, once again, introduce them to our God.

Jesus said, “They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”

Father, may we be thankful. Even more so, may we respond with a life wholly committed to you and your way. Help us to keep perspective, keep our chins up, and spend our time sharing your love with others. Thank you, Lord, for your grace.