Lessons From the Persecuted Church

November 13th is the international day of prayer for the persecuted church.  Persecution for our faith in our community is something foreign. Few if any of us have experienced it.  In fact, you are much more likely to be persecuted as a Muslim or Buddhist than a Christian.  Having traveled all over the world, I am grateful for our religious freedom.  This freedom of worship, however, carries its own set of challenges.  Primarily, it can lull the church into complacency.  In light of the upcoming international day of prayer for the persecuted church, I thought it be appropriate to look at what we might be able to learn from the persecuted church.

1. Persecution Makes a Church Gospel CenteredAs a church, when you face persecution you are no longer focused on impressing your friends or people in the community by the size of your congregation, the programs you offer, or the beauty of your building.  Your focus instead turns to the gospel because the gospel is the only enduring thing you have to offer others.

2. Persecution Compels Us to Take Up Our Cross and Follow Christ DailyPersecution places a price tag on following Christ.  The gift of religious freedom can often turn faith into easy believism that demands very little and expects much.  Under persecution, the reality of taking up one's cross, as defined in Matthew 16:24, become very real as the cost of following Christ is apparent at every turn.  Following Christ no longer becomes the easier of two paths.  Persecution raises the stakes which in turn raises the commitment of a relationship with God.

3. Persecution Gives Us an Eternal PerspectiveOne of my greatest struggles is investing too much of my time and energy on aspirations that have no eternal significance.  These aspirations are not bad in themselves, yet when they take valuable time and energy away from matters of eternal significance, they become dangerous.  In Matthew 16:26, Christ asks the telling question, "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?"  Persecution raises the price of following Christ, which then challenges believers to daily make the decision to, "focus on things above rather than things below."

4. Persecution Strengthens FaithIn the midst of persecution, the temporal things that one tends to rely on can be shaken or taken away.  In the midst of this, one has to place their faith in the only thing that is constant, Christ's promises.   Matthew 6:25-33, promises that Christ will meet all our needs.  In times of persecution one's faith in Christ's promises are strengthened as Christ faithfully meets all their needs.

5. Persecution Helps Us Find Our Sufficiency in ChristIn 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul shows us that when we repent of our sins and place our faith in Christ's work on the cross, we are a new creation.  Our identity and sufficiency suddenly shifts from our temporal aspirations and accomplishments to the One True God who saved us.   Persecution raises the eternal and crushes the temporal forcing us to find our sufficiency and identity in Christ alone.  We suddenly fine our lives echoing the third verse of the great Hymn, "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus", which says,

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease;Just from Jesus simply taking life and rest, and joy and peace.

As we focus this month on the persecuted church, I pray for three things to happen in your life.  First, I pray that you pray for the many brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted daily for following Jesus.  Secondly, I pray that your prayers for the persecuted church expand your own horizons to have a much more global vision of Christ's work.  Thirdly, I pray that you can implement the lesson to be learned from our brothers and sisters in Christ suffering for the Gospel.  For more information on how you might better pray and support the persecuted church, go online to:www.persecution.com.