Title: Persecuted Christians
Series: The Acts of the Holy Spirit (9)
Author: Collin Wimberly
Text: Acts 4:1-31
CIT - Peter and John are persecuted by the Jewish authorities for preaching the Gospel.
Proposition - Believers today must remain faithful in the face of Christian persecution.
7-2-2023
INTRODUCTION:
What is Christian persecution?
A woman in India watches as her sister is dragged off by Hindu nationalists. She doesn't know if her sister is alive or dead.
A man in a North Korean prison camp is shaken awake after being beaten unconscious; the beatings begin again.
A woman in Nigeria runs for her life. She has escaped from Boko Haram, who kidnapped her. She is pregnant, and when she returns home, her community will reject her and her baby.
A group of children are laughing and talking as they come down to their church's sanctuary after eating together. Instantly, many of them are killed by a bomb blast. It's Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.
Did you know that more Christians died for their faith in the 20th century than in all the other centuries since Christ combined?
Did you know that in many parts of the world Christianity is the most brutally persecuted of all religions?
Even here in America we face subtle forms of persecution.
A young person who makes a radical stand for Christ may be ridiculed and isolated.
A executive who refuses to bend the rules for the sake of the bottom line because of his or her faith in Christ may find promotions hard to come by.
So, what do you do?
Context: The lame beggar has been healed. People are pushing into the temple from every direction to see the miracle and hear Peter's preaching. Suddenly, from out of the crowd rushes a group of men. Priests, temple guards, and Sadducees. They are angry because of the commotion, but mainly because Peter has the audacity to teach in the temple, without their permission, and even worse to teach that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah!
...
Series: The Acts of the Holy Spirit (9)
Author: Collin Wimberly
Text: Acts 4:1-31
CIT - Peter and John are persecuted by the Jewish authorities for preaching the Gospel.
Proposition - Believers today must remain faithful in the face of Christian persecution.
7-2-2023
INTRODUCTION:
What is Christian persecution?
A woman in India watches as her sister is dragged off by Hindu nationalists. She doesn't know if her sister is alive or dead.
A man in a North Korean prison camp is shaken awake after being beaten unconscious; the beatings begin again.
A woman in Nigeria runs for her life. She has escaped from Boko Haram, who kidnapped her. She is pregnant, and when she returns home, her community will reject her and her baby.
A group of children are laughing and talking as they come down to their church's sanctuary after eating together. Instantly, many of them are killed by a bomb blast. It's Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka.
Did you know that more Christians died for their faith in the 20th century than in all the other centuries since Christ combined?
Did you know that in many parts of the world Christianity is the most brutally persecuted of all religions?
Even here in America we face subtle forms of persecution.
A young person who makes a radical stand for Christ may be ridiculed and isolated.
A executive who refuses to bend the rules for the sake of the bottom line because of his or her faith in Christ may find promotions hard to come by.
So, what do you do?
Context: The lame beggar has been healed. People are pushing into the temple from every direction to see the miracle and hear Peter's preaching. Suddenly, from out of the crowd rushes a group of men. Priests, temple guards, and Sadducees. They are angry because of the commotion, but mainly because Peter has the audacity to teach in the temple, without their permission, and even worse to teach that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah!
...
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