Persecution

I.         Justice Scalia made headlines a short while ago by attending a “prayer breakfast” and speaking about being a Christian

            A.        I doubt Justice Scalia and I would agree about some aspects of what constitutes living a Christian life, but he did make some interesting comments.

II.        As Christians, we have had too easy of a life in this country.

            A.        Deut. 32.15-20 - Fulfillment turns us from God

            B.        We complain about the evil in our government, the evil in our entertainment industry, the evil in our schools.

                        1.         So who is standing up for Christian’s rights?

                        2.         But no where in the Scriptures does it teach Christians to demand their rights

III.       The Scriptures teaches Christians how to endure persecution

            A.        This is not something only reserved for missionaries going to into foreign fields.

            B.        This is not something that only leading Christians must face, but each and everyone of us.

            C.        What many consider persecution is simply a result of Christians no longer standing up for what is right and wrong. We look for the simple way out. We try to avoid confrontation.

                        1.         What would you do if were hauled into court and told to either stop bothering people with your beliefs or face time in prison?

                        2.         Bemoan the unfairness of it all? Or Acts 5:28-33

IV.      So a few self-proclaimed intellectuals don’t like Christianity

            A.        This is not heavy persecution.

            B.        We can do something about it, by living a noticeable Christian life

            C.        Matthew 5:10-16