Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20020929.htm
JESUS CHRIST IN OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY Part IX: Following Jesus In The Tension Of Suffering For Right Stands (Psalm 69:4, 9 and 21 with the New Testament)
Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Today's Adult Sunday School Class focused on Christ's prophecy in Revelation 3:19. There, the Lord Jesus critiques the Charismatic Movement's errant beliefs and practices, calling those in it along with the rest of errant Evangelicals to "repent."

Well, while preparing for the lesson, I was thumbing through my file for clippings on the subject when I came upon an article that had been taken from the local Voice magazine by a former attender of our Church. The article, a good one by Wink Wilson, is entitled, "The Deception of Miracles" where he revealed how we Christians should not be "deceived by the modern charismatic healings and miracles that the religious media brings into our homes."

I was not surprised by the article, but I was surprised by the handwritten note at the top of the article's page! It is written in pencil by one who later left our Church to attend a Charismatic one, and this party had written: "Don -- thought you may enjoy this!" in a supportive way regarding the article's content, and then the party had signed its name!

Amazingly, this party who penciled in that note and gave me the article later left our Church due to a STAND I had taken that was felt to be too strictly opposite the Charismatic view and other matters!

I found myself asking, "I WANT to stand for the TRUTH here at Nepaug as its pastor, but I don't want to experience the PAIN of having such people LEAVE when I DO. However, HOW can I ACHIEVE that when someone at ONE time gives me an article SUPPORTING a stand we take only to LEAVE for that very STAND on a later DATE taken due to another set of circumstances?



Well, HOW do we handle this TENSION of wanting to stand for the TRUTH, and yet NOT wanting to experience PERSECUTION pain for DOING so?



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "I want to stand for the TRUTH, but NOT pay the PRICE in PERSECUTION for DOING so! How can I address this tension?!"

1. The RISEN Jesus told the disciples on the road to Emmaus how He fulfilled Old Testament Messianic prophecies, Luke 24:25-27.
2. As these men were edified by Christ's teaching of those passages (Luke 24:32), we also view them, following the list of prophecies named in the Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, s. v. "Messianic Prophecies."
3. Psalm 69 predicts various events in Christ's life that describe how His STAND for RIGHTEOUSNESS created a RIFT with Israel's RELIGIOUS leaders, leading to His suffering on the cross.
1. In Psalm 69:9a, David predicted Jesus would be consumed with the desire to protect the holy testimony of God, and John 2:13-18 described how this led to Jesus' driving the godless moneychangers out of the temple to the concern of the temple's religious leaders!
2. In Psalm 69:4, David predicted Jesus would be hated without a just cause, and John 15:25 in light of 15:22 reports Jesus' quote of Psalm 69:4 to show the hatred He faced for exposing SIN in Israel.
3. In Psalm 69:9b, David predicted Jesus would bear insults for standing against the insults against God and His causes, a prophecy that came true as Jesus was crucified and there insulted for His stands for God's righteousness, cf. Romans 15:2-3; Matthew 39-44.
4. In Psalm 69:21, David predicted Jesus would be fed vinegar to drink by those who persecuted Him for His stands for God, and Luke 23:36-37 shows how this was fulfilled while Jesus was on the cross for His stands and was mocked for them in accord with God's will!
4. This CONTEXT shows US HOW to HANDLE the TENSION between standing for the right and being PERSECUTED for it:
1. When Jesus claimed Israel hated Him without a cause for exposing their sin in John 15:25, He was explaining how WE His followers would also be persecuted for the same REASON, John 15:18, 20.
2. If we view John 15:18-16:4a, we learn how to handle the TENSION we face between wanting to STAND for the truth, but NOT wanting to pay the price in persecution for doing so (as follows):
1. Factor One - Christ arranged for us His followers to be separate FROM the sinful world, and so the world hates us as it hates Christ Who is separate FROM it, John 15:18-19. Hence, it is GOD'S permissive WILL for us to be hated by the world!
2. Factor Two - With God's move in the spiritual realm to make us distinct FROM the world, persecution for us is inevitable, so it is only worth standing for the right regardless of the result, Jn. 15:20.
3. Factor Three - The origin of the relationship rift is NOT in US or Christ or God, but in the world's alienation from God the Father with whom we followers of Christ fellowship, John 15:21. Thus, having to suffer for righteousness is NOT a SHAMEFUL thing for US, but it IS for the WORLD that PERSECUTES us!
4. Factor Four - What creates the persecution is our exposure of the world's SIN, John 15:22, 24. We should then EXPECT to suffer as a SIGNAL we are doing what is RIGHT!
5. Factor Five - Jesus wants us to know even religious people may horribly afflict us, and think they do God a service in the process, so we should not be disillusioned, John 16:1-2. This means that RELIGIOUS people are often the MOST SINFUL, so we should not feel GUILTY or assume JESUS is an errant Party to heed EVEN if they PERSECUTE us with RELIGIOUS zeal!
6. Factor Six - Jesus said we could stand in the face of persecution for the truth if we lean on the Holy Spirit's power, John 15:26-27.

Application: (1) If we have not done so, we need to believe on Christ for salvation from sin and the world's system, Jn. 3:16. (2) Once thus properly aligned to God, we APPLY the six factors listed above for VICTORY in STANDING for God's will regardless of the persecution faced in the process for doing so! We will be blessed in the process, cf. Matthew 5:10-12.

Lesson: In light of Christ's EXAMPLE, we believers in Christ are to handle the TENSION between wanting to STAND for righteousness, but not wanting to pay the PRICE in persecution for it as follows: (1) We recall God WILLS for us to be separate from the world, so we can accept persecution as the norm; (2) we recall God's placing us in Christ makes persecution CERTAIN, so we are to accept it; (3) we recall our being persecuted is the fault ONLY of the SINFUL WORLD'S, so we must NOT feel GUILTY if thus persecuted; (4) we recall as our alignment to God's ways exposes sin in the world, we should EXPECT suffering as a SIGN we are RIGHT; (5) we recall that RELIGIOUS people are often the most ESTRANGED from God so that we must not be disillusioned with mistreated for our stands by them, (6) and we recall we can handle the persecution's damaging thrusts by relying on the Holy Spirit's POWER!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

As many of you know, due to certain physical needs, as a family we have been in contact with some of the best physicians in America regarding neurosurgery. We have found them to be remarkably gifted, dedicated and fine people.

On one occasion, while speaking with one very respected doctor at a famous hospital here on the East Coast, he was giving us advice regarding some medication. He said he would arrange for us to get some very expensive medication at minimal cost in a mildly illegal way, and he claimed the American drug companies were making too much money as it was as justification for our joining him in taking this route!

I remember that sinking feeling that came in the pit of my stomach! We lacked the means to pay for such medication. Also, this was one of the nation's most highly rated physicians even as we have heard from other doctors, and who were we not to take his advice? Besides, he was "going to bat" for our daughter's health and for our financial welfare! However, since he revealed it was illegal for us to take his advice, we smiled, thanked him for his many great services to us, and declined to go his suggested illegal route!

He then repeated his recommendation, saying it was ethically acceptable for us to do this in light of how the drug companies in his opinion were scalping the American people! I could not argue with his reasoning -- he certainly knew a lot more than we did about the rights and wrongs of drug companies, but, as Christians, we were obliged to obey 1 Peter 2:13 and obey "every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." So, we smiled, thanked him for his great services and thoughtfulness to us, but declined to go the illegal route in the matter!

There was obvious tension in the air as we left the meeting, but I knew this might be a real witnessing opportunity due to the nature of the event that had been thrust upon us! We were glad to stand our ground even though the tension continued!