“The Church Under Persecution” 1 Peter 5:1-14

TRANSCRIPT

Date: March 21, 2021 Author: Wayne J. Edwards

The Scriptures are clear. Believers who dare to live as devoted disciples of Christ will suffer at the hands of those who hate Christ. However, the epistle of James says, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials!” (1:2) The epistle of Peter says, “Do not think it strange concerning the fire trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings.” (4:12-13) The book of Acts says Peter and the other apostles, “rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.” (5:41) Some Western Christians have reneged on their commitment to Christ, and many pastors have adjusted their sermons and toned down the gospel to avoid such persecution. They have allowed their fear of man to override their reverence for God. However, God has not called us to avoid persecution, or to even try to prevent it. He has called us to receive it, accept it, and allow it to accomplish the purpose for which God allowed it. Please join us for this final sermon in this series: “How Should We Then Live?” Title of this sermon is “The Church Under Persecution.”

The Scriptures are clear. Believers who dare to live as devoted disciples of Christ will suffer at the hands of those who hate Christ. However, the epistle of James says, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials!” (1:2) The epistle of Peter says, “Do not think it strange concerning the fire trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings.” (4:12-13) The book of Acts says Peter and the other apostles, “rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.” (5:41)

Some Western Christians have reneged on their commitment to Christ, and many pastors have adjusted their sermons and toned down the gospel to avoid such persecution. They have allowed their fear of man to override their reverence for God. However, God has not called us to avoid persecution, or to even try to prevent it. He has called us to receive it, accept it, and allow it to accomplish the purpose for which God allowed it.

Please join us for this final sermon in this series: “How Should We Then Live?” Title of this sermon is “The Church Under Persecution.”

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The epistle of 1 st Peter was written around 64AD, some 30-years after Christ’s resurrection. Having studied the whole epistle, we can conclude that Peter’s primary goals in writing this letter were:

A Brief Review:

In these closing verses, Peter defined the behavior of the believer during times of persecution.

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