Responding To Persecution

“RESPONDING TO PERSECUTION”

Acts 4.23-31

My text is Acts 4.23-31, where we find a passage in God’s Word that provides guidance and an example for us regarding the matter of responding to persecution, an issue that is closer to us than the horizon of our imaginations:

23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Leading up to the passage just read, we find Luke’s record of the pressure applied to the apostles of Jesus Christ, Peter, and John, for their fearless presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Read the lead-up to our text for this message, and you will see two men who stood before the awesome Sanhedrin of Israel and boldly declared the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be an unalterable and undeniable fact. In our text, we see the response of the members of the Church of Jerusalem to the persecution that was applied to two of their leaders.

Please do not imagine that the passage of Scripture before us, which was penned as a record of events that occurred more than 2000 years ago, doesn’t apply and is not relevant to us today because it is. Nothing changes. Everything stays the same. “There is no new thing under the sun,” Ecclesiastes 1.9. Someday this Church will receive pressure for our testimony. And do we not see things changing so rapidly in our country, with Constitutional rights being systematically eroded so rapidly, that it is not at all difficult to imagine?

Of course, some seek recourse in the courts. But lawlessness at every level of government is becoming so rampant, with so little regard for what is legal, what is ethical, what is right, and what is moral, that court rulings, even those rulings that are favorable to us, have little or no practical benefit.

We have seen with our own eyes a president, an attorney general of the United States, and a director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, do nothing as crowds of demonstrators burned entire downtown areas of cities, took over police stations, declared so-called autonomous zones, and gathered at the homes of United States Supreme Court justices for the express purpose of intimidating them and influencing their rulings.

Be mindful of what David wrote in Psalm 11.3:

“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

What are we to do? David asked,

“In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?”

Notice how David contrasted those who, like him, put their trust in the LORD, with those who imagine that the proper thing to do is flee to a mountain refuge like a bird. What are we to do instead of running for the high country, instead of high tailing it? We are to deal with it. If you have been in Calvary Road Baptist Church for any length of time, you have heard me remark that spiritual behavior is usually planned behavior, a considered Biblical response to anticipated events, challenges, trials, and tribulations.

Well, guess what? It’s coming. Some imagine the proper response is to run and hide. They are the ignorant, the immature, and the unsaved. Their justification will be on the order of a bad economy or we are doing it for their children. As if spiritual cowardice helps children who observe it in their parents. But the reality is that you can run, but you cannot hide, and our whole land will be overswept by what seems to be headed our way.

The pressure will come first upon the pastors and leaders of Churches. I think it has already begun. I pray that pastors will respond as Peter and John did. But if the recent responses of pastors and Church leaders in the pandemic lockdown mandates are any indication, most reactions will be capitulations and compromises. I hope I will react appropriately, by God’s grace and mercy. I also pray that our congregation will respond precisely the way the Church at Jerusalem did. That Church responded to the persecution in a way that only a Church of Jesus Christ could respond to honor God and exalt Christ without grieving or quenching the Spirit.

There are three aspects of that Church’s response that I want to direct your attention to today.

The first aspect of their response concerns the Peace of the Church.

Verse 23 of Acts chapter 4 reads,

“And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.”

I think that after Peter and John returned to their beloved brethren after being arrested, jailed overnight, and threatened, there must have settled a relative quietness and peace over the congregation as they returned “to their own company,” as Luke phrases it. I noticed two things I would like to mention to you:

First, there was an affinity in that Church. Let me call it the Law of Association. It is that supernatural tendency for Christian people to gravitate toward their own. Not only do birds of a feather flock together, but God’s people are spiritually drawn to each other for having Christ and the Spirit in common. It is an observable pattern found in any great Church, large or small. It is something that we have at Calvary Road Baptist Church. But, like any Church, we need more. After all, “exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching,” Hebrews 10.25 can only be accomplished when we are together. Therefore, in anticipation of the trouble the storm clouds on the horizon seem to be brewing, let us continue to cultivate the rich soil that grows the kind of affinity that draws brethren together and outsiders into our number.

As well there was also a sympathy in that Church. They knew something about Church life that was finally put down on paper by the Apostle Paul some years later in his letters to the dysfunctional Corinthian Church. About the sympathy in the Church, Paul wrote in 12.25-26 of First Corinthians,

25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it.

After the few moments of peace, while they listened to the words of Peter and John, something else happened. Those two great men of God, so different in personality and spiritual gifts, nevertheless had in common a spiritual compulsion and duty to inform the brethren of their trials because they knew there would be interest, there would be fellowship, and there would be help from them. After all, why had the apostles been persecuted? For giving testimony of the resurrection of Christ, as the rest of the congregation also did. What was actually happening then, was an opposition to Jesus Christ, not to them.

This takes us to the second aspect of the Church’s response to the persecution. This is the Prayer of the Church.

Read verses 24-30 again with me, if you will:

24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

What would other groups of people have done in this kind of situation? Some groups would cower in fear or run off to remote regions, such as Jonestown, Guiana, or Ruby Ridge. Or, maybe retaliate in some unprincipled or illegal way, such as the Mormons did in the 19th century when they sent out bands of armed gunmen called Danites,[1] or the Church of Scientology has done since its inception.[2] Jihadis, of course, retaliate against perceived injustices by committing acts of terrorism or the wholesale slaughter of those who differ from them if they are in the majority.[3]

Russia’s Vladimir Putin has reacted to perceived threats from the West by attacking Ukraine and slaughtering civilians. And in China, the CCP responds to their paranoia by rounding up and brutalizing Uighurs and anyone else they perceive to be a threat. But the Christians at Jerusalem did not retaliate to threats or actual brutalities, nor did they fear. They simply began to pray.

Notice the contents of their prayer. They prayed a two-part kind of prayer. The first part of their prayer was devoted to the adoration of Almighty God. What insight those early believers had into the fullness of the person of God. Their adoration consisted of giving praise and glory to certain things about God. They began with a right understanding of God’s power, as He revealed Himself in Scripture.

Verse 24 reads,

“And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.”

The word rendered “Lord” in this verse may surprise you. It is the Greek word despotήV, which means despot or dictator. When the word is used nowadays, it always carries an evil or negative connotation, but not so in the days of the early Church. It was simply an accurate description of the authority of an absolute ruler. I don’t know about you, but I think that it is essential that God’s people, during any time of crisis and persecution, apprehend the fact that our God is the absolute and total dictator of the universe. He is sovereign, and nothing happens unless it will somehow and in some way bring honor and glory to Him. I am confident that persecuted community of believers was comforted by their understanding of just who their God is.

They next ascribed glory to His creative acts in the final portion of verse 24:

“thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is."

They then rehearsed a portion of David’s second Psalm in verses 25-26:

25 ... Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

For centuries Jews believed King David wrote the second Psalm to describe his enemy’s reaction when he ascended the throne of Israel a thousand years before. But those Christians also realized, maybe as the result of Christ’s teachings, that this passage has two fulfillments. Yes, David was opposed by the surrounding nations when he became king. And he fought wars for most of the duration of his reign. But the most significant fulfillment of this passage came during the last week of the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, which culminated in His death and resurrection.

Now notice verse 27:

“For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.”

This is the second fulfillment of that verse from Psalms. The word “anointed” in Psalm 2 identifies who the real subject of the passage is, not David, but the Messiah of Israel, the Anointed of Israel, the Christ of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth. What those Christians were, in essence, doing was praising God for His Word, that had accurately forecast the future.

The final area in which they gave glory to God was concerning His sovereignty. In a way, this comes full circle to their praise of God’s power, as expressed through the term despot. This is because the sovereign is the highest authority. That One over whom no one exercises control or influence. Those Christians understood that according to verses 27 and 28, the death, burial, and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ somehow fit into God’s plan. Though I’m sure they did not understand it since no man can understand such things, these Christians trusted God’s Word when it laid blame on the people for crucifying the Savior, but at the same time, showing that the plan and the Prime Mover behind the scenes were God all the time. Here is a question for your consideration, Christian. It is a question no unbeliever can answer. How can you be worried when you know Who is in control? Especially when the who is Almighty God.

Having expressed their praise and adoration to their omnipotent God, having ascribed to Him all power, both in the past by creating the universe and in the future by predicting 1000 years ahead of time the opposition that would befall Jesus Christ, they then approached their great God and made supplication to Him. At this point, and at this point only, those Christians brought the threat of the unbelievers to their Lord. Notice how they did this. There is a lesson here.

From verse 24, we know that their prayer was a united effort by a single body of believers:

“when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said”

There was a spirit of unity among them. Notice that the Bible says that they were of “one accord.” And what Greek word is that? Ὁmoqumadόn.

The substance of their supplication may surprise you. Please note that they did not ask God for protection from their enemies. Even though they could have. They also could have asked that God might take the persecution away. But they didn’t do that, either. They knew I think, that it was their privilege to endure suffering for Jesus’ sake. So, knowing that, they asked God for boldness; they asked God for more miraculous works and wonders. Did they not understand that the bolder they became, the more persecution they would then suffer? Yes, but they also knew that such persecution indicated that they were inflicting heavy damage upon the enemies of their Lord. They cared more for their Lord and the cause of Christ than they did for themselves.

The third aspect of their reaction to the persecution, and God’s answer to their fervent prayers, is seen in the power of the Church in verse 31.

“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they had assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness.”

Notice, first, that God’s response was palpable. That is, God’s response could be felt. The place was shaken where they were assembled. God wanted those folks to understand and know that He had answered their prayer, that He cared for them, and to be reminded that those events were under His sovereign control.

Notice, next, that God’s response was purposeful. Have you ever noticed something about God? Have you ever seen something about us Christians? When God directs your life into a challenging and uncomfortable situation, we typically begin to ask God to deliver us out of the situation. When we are in such difficult situations, praying for deliverance, He almost never delivers us out of them.

Do you want to know why? Being delivered from a difficult problem is just like backing up and sitting there. We never get to where we’re going by backing up all the time. Those Jerusalem Christians did not ask God for deliverance. Rather, they asked for boldness. They didn’t want to back out of a jam. With the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they wanted to bust right on through that hard spot and keep going for God. Let’s not always ask for deliverance. Let’s ask for power so that we might live for God. Our goal should not be deliverance from but deliverance through!

This brings me to the fact that God’s response was productive. When you are filled with God’s Spirit, you not only have the grace and power to get through the rough spots of life but to be talking to and about God the whole way. I don’t recall that anyone here has ever had to endure real persecution, for Christ’s sake. At least not to the point of threatened death. That means that what those folks went through was harder than anything we have gone through or are going through now. Don’t ask God to take the problem away. Don’t run away from the situation. Plead for power that you might live for Jesus through it all!

How are you responding to the anticipation of persecution, my brother? Sister? Do you always ask God to turn the heat down so you will be more comfortable?

Our example for today from the book of Acts teaches us that maybe God brings persecution into our lives so that we might ask for power through from on high rather than protection from. And being given that power, we might become more productive evangelists, giving glory to God for His tender loving mercy and grace in difficult circumstances.

But you might not feel that you are being persecuted today. Well, maybe you are persecuting yourself. Webster defines persecute as “to afflict or harass constantly to injure or distress.”[4] That’s a pretty good description of the Christian walking afar off, who isn’t living for Christ in mind, body, and soul, who doesn’t desire to surrender to the clear dictates of God’s Word.

God has made us to experience the greatest joy only when we are completely surrendered to Him. So, why should you persecute yourself any longer? Why ask for a way out of every situation? Why imitate a spiritual pansy? God wants you to recognize Who He is, then plead for boldness to live for Christ by His power, mercy, and grace.

The solution for almost every problem a child of God has is simply living for Jesus. Won’t you live for Christ today? Won’t you commit your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service?

If most spiritual behavior is planned, we have seen today the reactions of spiritual and godly people to persecution. Thus, we know now how we ought to react, how we ought to pray, and how we ought to plan to address intense spiritual opposition when God brings it our way.

It has ever been my desire to leave a legacy for my wife and daughter of a man who did not quit and run, a believer who did not wither under the threat of challenges. I trust that is your desire as well. Even more, I trust it is your desire to honor God and exalt your Savior, as those folks did so long ago.

__________

[1] http://www.1857massacre.com/MMM/danites_index.htm

[2] Paulette Cooper, The Scandal of Scientology, (Tower Publications, 1971)

[3] John S. Waldrip, The Blight Of Islam - Revised, (Monrovia, CA: Classical Baptist Press, 2018), pages 27-40, 88-99.

[4] Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, (New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 1996), page 1337.

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