Beyond Sunday with Pastor Nic
Join me for a more personal look into the weekend sermons, as well as some thoughts on theology, marriage, parenting, and leadership. I will also explore some of your most asked questions throughout the year.
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Beyond Sunday with Pastor Nic
Faith Under Fire: Embracing Persecution with Courage
This episode is packed with practical guidance on staying anchored in Christ during tough times. By embracing daily spiritual habits and relying on the Holy Spirit, we learn how to navigate worldly rejection. Pastor Nick shares how maintaining a close relationship with Jesus and fostering community fellowship can fortify our faith, making us resilient against persecution. Don’t miss out on this enriching conversation that will equip you with biblical principles to handle modern-day challenges with grace and confidence.
Hey, welcome to Beyond Sunday, where we explore how biblical principles can guide us through the complexities of modern life. I'm Pastor Nick, and today we delve into a challenging yet essential theme responding to rejection, based on John, chapter 15, verse 18,. Through the first few verses of chapter 16, we'll uncover how Jesus prepares us for the inevitable moments of persecution and rejection that come with being his followers. Have you ever felt pushed aside, misunderstood or outright rejected because of your faith? It's a tough spot to be in, but today we're going to explore how these challenges can actually strengthen our commitment and deepen our faith. As Jesus nears the end of his earthly ministry, he does not shy away from addressing the hardships his disciples will face. These passages in John are a heartfelt preparation for the persecution they and, by extension, all believers are to expect. Understanding this context helps us appreciate the weight of his words and the depth of his guidance. Let me talk to you for a moment about the reality of Christian persecution.
Speaker 1:Jesus begins by setting the expectation that his followers will face persecution. John 15, 20,. Remember the word that I said to you a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. Consider the early Christians, like Stephen the first martyr, who faced severe opposition and yet stood firm in his faith, reflecting Christ's own steadfastness. Jesus uses his own experiences as a benchmark. He encourages us to see the persecution not as a sign of failure but as a participation in his own sufferings and a testament to our own identity in him. Another way to say that is when you get persecuted, you are living the life of Christ and accept that, reflect on that, be excited about that. We mentioned this on Sunday that when you are rejected because of your faith, you have to be reminded that it's not you that's being rejected, it's Christ in you that's being rejected, although it feels pretty personal sometimes. So let's talk about the source of persecution for a minute.
Speaker 1:Understanding why the world rejects believers is key to responding appropriately. John 15, 18 through 19 says if the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before. It hated you. If you were of, the world would love you as its own, but because you are not of the world, I chose you out of the world. Therefore the world hates you. I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Rich Mullins once said the world does not hate you, it just loves you less than it loves itself.
Speaker 1:Jesus highlights the contrast between kingdom values and worldly values, which often leads to conflict. This understanding helps us not to take persecution personally, but to see it as a reflection of a greater spiritual reality. I said on Sunday when somebody persecutes you, that should be a loud scream in your head that they don't know Christ. If they are persecuting through your fate, then they are saying I don't know Jesus and I don't know about you. But that should get you excited. Instead of taking it personally, we should say man, now I know somebody that doesn't know Jesus and I'm on mission. I'm excited. I'm excited to tell this person about Jesus.
Speaker 1:So, through all this, the way we survive it, the way you get through persecution, is by doing what Jesus said at the beginning of John chapter 15, staying connected to Christ. Maintaining this close relationship with Jesus is crucial during times of rejection. John 15, verses 4 and 5, said "abide in me and I in you". As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. By developing daily habits such as prayer, scripture reading and community fellowship, we reinforce our spiritual foundation, making us less susceptible to the destabilizing effects of rejection. Staying connected to Christ, being in community, changes everything.
Speaker 1:Now, one of the cool things about this passage in John, chapter 15, and we'll actually talk about this more on the podcast next week but is the role of the Holy Spirit in bringing comfort and truth. Jesus promises in this passage the advocate, the Holy Spirit who will help us in times of persecution by guiding us in truth and comforting us John 15, verse 26,. But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. The Holy Spirit plays a critical role in empowering and comforting believers. This divine support helps us not only endure, but also respond wisely and lovingly to opposition. The Holy Spirit does not make us better than others. Rather, he makes us better than ourselves.
Speaker 1:Igor Sikorsky said that this reflection emphasizes the transformative and supportive role of the Holy Spirit in our lives during trials. Now he says the advocate will testify about me, but then he goes on to the next verse and says that you will also testify about me. The last part of the verse says because you've been with me, and so he's speaking specifically in this passage in context to the disciples. They've been with him and so they are going to continue to testify about him, but that doesn't change the call that you and I have to do the same to testify about who Jesus is. That's the role we get to play to tell people. That's the cool part of our story is you and I get to be witnesses. We get to be armor bearers. We get to be the people that tell other people about the Savior. Now, last thing I want to talk to you about is learning from rejection.
Speaker 1:Jesus teaches that persecution could be a learning and growth opportunity for believers. John 16, first couple of verses, said I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away, from going astray. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he's offering a service to God. Jesus is speaking very directly to the disciples and they probably don't understand how real this is about to get, but he's telling them exactly what's going to happen, that they're going to be kicked out of the synagogues. They're going to be kicked out of the churches. They're going to be martyred and killed for their faith.
Speaker 1:Consider the Apostle Paul, who transformed from a persecutor of Christians to a persecuted Christian himself, using each instance of rejection to deepen his understanding and proclamation of the gospel. See persecution, though painful, sharpens our faith. It clarifies our convictions and can even open doors for new ministry opportunities. It's important to look for lessons and growth in every experience of rejection. Years ago, I was on staff at another church here locally in Sarasota and they changed their theology overnight. It was still one of the wildest experiences I've had in my life and I'll never forget the next several days, sitting in meetings with the lead pastor and talking through theology and realizing that I was being persecuted for standing on the Word of God, being persecuted for standing on the word of God, and I still look back at that moment as a turning point in my faith. I'd always had a strong faith. I'd been a pastor at this point, but I realized how strong I really needed to lean into my convictions, how well I needed to know the scriptures to be able to discuss these things, how well I needed to be able to say I'm standing firm in the gospel. And through that persecution, through that season, even though there was great pain and loss and it was a hard time that I would wish upon no one. It's also one of those moments that I'm glad God took me through, because I wouldn't be where I was today, I wouldn't have the strength of my fate as strong as it is today had I not gone through those moments.
Speaker 1:It's important for you and I to look for lessons and growth in every experience of rejection. In today's episode, we've journeyed through Jesus' teachings in John, chapter 15,. Uncovering the absolutely indispensable key to living a Christian life is in the face of rejection and persecution. From recognizing the inevitability of persecution, understanding its source, staying rooted in Christ, relying on the Holy Spirit and learning from our experiences of rejection, each point offers strategic insights for not just surviving but thriving in your faith. As we close, I encourage you to reflect on these teachings and consider how you can apply them in your own life. Remember the trials we face for our faith are not just obstacles. They are opportunities to grow closer to Christ and stronger in our convictions. Thank you for joining us on Beyond Sunday. May this week be one where you feel deeply connected to Christ, resilient in the face of challenges and open to the growth that comes from every experience. Until next time, keep living your faith every day.