Blessed Are the Persecuted

Grace Church good to have everybody here apologize for being late. I was not paying attention to my watch is unaware watch so announcements we got our weekly prayer meeting Wednesday at 7 PM in the Fellowship Hall were in a study on prayer and then ladies Bible studies begins tomorrow and they're going to meet in the Fellowship Hall at 10 AM I think the reason every other week and Lynn. Nicholas is leading that that Bible study another's daily, our daily bread devotionals out in the vestibule area outside here to help yourself this Saturday the our group of men is going to Alaska to be with Mark Ferris and there to be there 8 to 10 days during construction up. He is his house and facility where they take care people and am I missing the other announcements that do have any first-time visitors. If you are first-time visitor. If you raise your hand will get you packet of information seeing them collateral Hartford perfect pair for worship: please stand with me is what is a reader called worship seek the Lord and his strength seek his presence continually means please be seated for the scheduled Lord in prayer and mention our churches in California are brothers and sisters there that are designed to meet and will probably seek some persecution in the coming weeks as they meet (gracious heavenly father Lord is good to be with your people today is good to be in the presence of you Holy Spirit, but we just thank you for the opportunity to come together to fellowship to worship to praise you Lord to be edified or we just pray that is the word unfolds.

Today it would work in our heart changes, Lord, that we would come more like Christ. Each day over that you would break our hearts of the sins that we have in our life that we have not confessed to Lord she would bring those to her mind and help us to turn from the Lord, we pray for wisdom Mike to have a right word for those in need of that word. Lord we lift up Linda McCaffrey until you Nancy Malone just pray for healing Wanda Chilson Lord just minister to these ladies, their families and give them security and you give them peace and we do pray for healing father what we pray for our nation.

I lift up our nation. I lift up your church to pray for that we would turn to you. We would work repent. We would seek your face turn our priorities to you, Lord, I pray for the leaders of our nation that you would give them unity that you would give them wisdom Lord and that we would become one nation, one people and over that are our nation would turn to you father in heaven we are. We are blessed to be able to meet together and we are blessed to have fellowship together. Lord just just bless this day blesses time of worship and watch over and guide us to Jesus. And we praise you and thank you man. We are pilgrims we are foreigners in a strange in a dry and barren land, our home, our citizenship is in heaven, not of this world and we look forward to the day when Christ will come and make all things new, will consummate all covenant blessings he will conform our lowly bodies to his glorious body. We long for that day. But in the meantime, we are pilgrims. Praise God that through this pilgrimage here on earth we have a guide. We have a strong power to which we may resort continually. We have a covenant keeping Lord, and this is the God that we worship today, would you stand with me as we sing.

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah and I and and and will and and and and and and and and and dear to special guests here today were glad to have the Millers Mike and Caroline are missionaries to Greece, a relatively new to the missionary list Grace Church supports, but we are tickled to have been here today to share with the Lord has been doing so. Mike Carolina will come up and give us give us a report. I always love coming here to see you guys and especially to see because four years ago Doug asked me Mike has anybody ever should have. To receive Christ is King day I met in that day I became a born-again believer. So Doug has a special place in my heart and thankful I don't put Doug about the Lord. But I'm glad the Lord used in my life. And so we are Mike and Caroline Miller we serve in Athens, Greece. We partner with the first Greek evangelical church in Athens which is a reformed Presbyterian Church and we are so grateful we get to help plant new form Presbyterian Church is for Greek people in Athens.

The these statistics are very very low in Greece. Much, much lower than you might expect, being a Greek Orthodox nation, actually about half 1% of the population are considered evangelical believers, put that in perspective. Actually the nation of Iran has more evangelical believers standards groups so you have a small church plants and northeast part of the city can't eat and one morning we come to church this young girl and she keeps coming week after week, we come to find out that she has received Christ has developed this hunger and thirst for him, she found out about our church online. She came just watching her.

Her eyes filled with tears as she comes to talk to us about the sermon just like this hunger and thirst and desire to know more about Christ so we prayed right away. More likely, do we need we want to encourage her to help her and get plugged in and work on discipling her and growing her and she so hungry know God's heart does mind was on Mary. Mine was not when he put this in my heart and wanted her to grow that I wasn't putting the two together and so he put in my heart to start something called Greek language fellowship.

Greek is very hard to learn, especially when you're older like us and also it's expensive to learn and so I wanted to offer something free and something slower because they go so fast in class just can't absorb it all and there I noticed other missionary struggling with it and I said well I know enough at this point where I can teach level I to them with the textbook will go through it. I basically facilitated.

I wouldn't call teacher necessarily, but we do the first hour and they is just is just us is no Greeks weird no Greeks learning Greek then the second hour. We bring in a native Greek speaker who can help us answer our questions with some pronunciations and questions we've written down and so the Lord puts in my heart. Mary Mary's young 18-year-old girls and she is so excited and so Mary every week. We met actually twice a week. We met and we she would come and a bunch of missionary as well as about eight of us.

I think at the time got to speak into Mary's life to help her grow. God is amazing to watch God's care and love one more thing that came out of the Greek language fellowship is I wanted shares work together more partner and one missionary couples from another agency said can you go and teach with cheese what you're doing for us the same thing because they need to learn Greek to summit many of them are just stuck here and click okay. Every Thursday night I go to the refugee center and I teach 30 refugees great and I have to prepare my slides in five languages, Greek and English and then Frank for the North Africans do for the Pakistanis and Bengali for those from Bangladesh says anything is after that to get right with them and start conversations in Christ. And so it's it's a blessing and a blessing. Shortly after we moved to Athens which was about two years ago must this month will be two years and we noticed that there was that college right in the street from our apartment and are charts and we learn more about us. A small private school are mostly Greeks to go there bags and it's all in English because it's the American College of grace. Nothing on us during so we start praying about ministry may be that what can we do to minister to campus and we asked you guys to pray. Starting June of last year so June 2019, we start asking for just pray the Lord might do here. We wait we wait and in January of this past year to college students from America show up in our church and like and they are students there study abroad students at the skylights come over. We went to talk to you think we drink start Bible study today, the next week so we have circle for an interest in Vista 13 & we have contacts with 21 students from the campus and just as a place for then many of them are study abroad students from America, there they are just for semester summary there longer and we gave them a vision for the campus like yes this is this is your little circle of encouragement.

We can pray with you study the work together but then when you go back to class your Greek classmates who is pretty much an atheist, they would say there an atheist and orthodoxy scrub Orthodox facts don't believe in God so they just like latched onto this vision for the campus so we are very excited. We also plan to marry into this group and we took a group to Corinth about an hour away from Mary was able to meet some of these young people and to encourage her and her walk, but this was Mark's first thing is what happened in March so locked down non-American students head back to the states just as quickly as they appeared quickly. They disappeared but there is a remnant mayor and would answer when students will, or college life is to be like in the fall, but we do pray for that remnant that we will start meeting again in the fall and see this. Pray for that ministry. That campus like I might can do on the campus and so were here today just to say thank you. We can't be there without your financial support in your prayer support self so much like a Caroline thank you for your faithful work for the kingdom. And thank you for taking time out of your time back home to come and be with us today itself told earlier service of so good to hear another perspective and to be reminded that God is at work outside of Cabarrus County. We see this little slice of the kingdom. But God's kingdom.

It reaches for broader then than we oftentimes realize so it's good to hear the Lord is at work on.

On the other side of oceans. Thank you for being here. Our new Testaments reading this morning is going to be from Romans chapter 10 verses five through 15. This is a passage that reminds us that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation and not only is the gospel. The power God also ordains the means by which that power gets into people's lives. God uses people like the Millers like you like me to proclaim that gospel so that people are transformer converted come to faith in Christ. Let's read about this. Romans 10 verses five through 15 for Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says do not say in your heart who will ascended to heaven. That is, to bring Christ down or who will descend into the abyss. That is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

But what does it say the word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart that is the word of faith that we proclaim because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your hearts that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved for the Scripture says everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. There is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed and how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard and how are they to hear without someone preaching and how are they to preach unless they are sent.

As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news. This is the word of the Lord.

Let's take a moment this morning to confess that Jesus is Lord and that he is the only source of righteousness that any center can have. We need his mercy. We need his pardon. We need his righteousness to become our righteousness because we break God's law every day we are sinners left to ourselves.

We have no hope of salvation, but in Christ we have every hope of salvation. Would you pray with me church gracious God, we confess that we have long too much for the comforts of this world.

We have lovely gifts more than the giver in your mercy, help us to see that all the things we pine for our shadows, but you are substance that they are quick stands but you are mountain that they are shifting, but you are anchor weep, leave your forgiveness on the merits of Jesus Christ accept his worthiness for our unworthiness is sinlessness for our transgressions's fullness for our emptiness.

His glory for our shame is righteousness for our dead works. His death for our life. We pray in Jesus name, amen. Just a moment to silently bow before the Lord and confess to him your particular sentence. So now to these words from Isaiah 53 but Christ was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us are God delights to show mercy to his children. When asked Laura to come up and sing a song give you an opportunity to listen and meditate on these words as we think about the fact that nothing can snatch us out of the hand of our Redeemer. He will hold us fast and and and saying I be will be the game will gain main need this past week I had a man dear friend of mine called me his wife died of cancer is relatively young man and he shared with me that his wife, who I know very well was really being attacked and that she was doubting her salvation and that I felt like it was just flat out demonic attack trying to make these days as miserable for hers as possible. He asked me if is can you give me Scripture something to help her out and we talked for a good while and gave him a lot of Scripture to take back to her. After we finished, I was just like down fell asleep and Cindy came in and she said she listen to the song and she played the song that larger signs are beautifully and I lay there in my bed and I just wept as I thought about my friend Anna said send that to her. Please send that her right now and so she sent it to work and she sends back a big smiley face and said in what she was actually saying. Was this is not how much help. Strongly I can hold onto Jesus is how strongly Jesus holds on to me and I just wanted that song Sonia asked Eugene some of which racial persecution this morning and I said could Laura possibly selling that force in and they agree today that Laura, thank you so much Millers. Praise God for you guys. Thank you for your faithfulness to Jesus and for you taken the gospel to the four corners of the earth, and we pray for you and I pray for you every day and we will continue to do that you keep on keeping on, and keep on listen up Jesus like you have your Bibles with you turn with me if you want to first name your chapter 18 I'm not read verse 13 to 16 and as we get into the passage will go all the way through 30. So Saul removed him from his presence and made him a commander of a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people and David had success in all his undertakings for the Lord was with him, and when Saul, Saul, that he had great success. The student fearful all of him, but all Israel and Judah loved David we went out and came in before the Jabal with me as we got our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father, we are dealing with a difficult but very real challenge. In the true Christian life that challenges persecution, we the church in America, been spared this difficulty for about 25 decades that is quickly changing father, we could avoid this by compromise and accommodation that you don't honor that kind of spiritual weakness you called your people to be tenderhearted, but tough. You called us to fight the good fight to finish the course.

Keep the faith. We pray that you put steel in our backbone. We might stand strongly against the world, the flesh and the devil. Heavenly father we pray specifically, this morning for our brothers. Pastors in California. We have heard that there goodness in the government and to stop their services this morning. Pray for John MacArthur and those that have made the decision to obey God rather than man and pray father that she would be with him in great great power that he would encourage them if this kind of persecution does go on the day we pray father that you would use it for your glory. Help us to not fear criticism or lies or attacks on our character.

May we remember what Paul said in Philippians 40 is given to you on the behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Lord Paul believe that suffering for Christ was a part of this calling.

He didn't run from it. He ran to it. They believe that this persecution would bring honor to God. My that trees blossom in our hearts, and may we say with Peter. We rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer for Christ. We love you Lord, please help us to fight the good fight.

40 is the holy and precious name of Jesus that we pray. Amen may be seated. RC Sproul went to a seminary where they had both conservative and liberal professors. Hey was in one particular theology class and the professor asked him to give his opinion on the doctrine of sin and RC Sproul said this scene is a transgression of God's law is missing the mark is coming short of God's glory is stepping over God's boundaries. It is a filthy condition of the human heart that alienates mankind from a holy God. And after he said that the professor mocked his remarks. The professor laughed at his definition.

The professor criticized what he had to say and and said that's way to Byblos size and just mocked him as being a radical in the faith. RC Sproul city walked out of that classroom feeling beaten down like a dog and he walked across the hall to the office of his favorite professor, Dr. John Kirchner and when Don John Gerstner Saul, the longest of his face.

He said what's wrong son RC told him what just happened in the class John Garza stood up and he held his hand out to wink and he said shake my hand for I want to congratulate you son, for you are a blessed man and RC said what you talking about Lisa. Jesus said this. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and speak all manner of evil against you falsely, for my namesake.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, and RC said I don't feel blessed and he said, in fact I feel about as low as I've ever felt in my life. I feel beaten down and abused and John Gerstner said that's okay that you have put yourself in a position to be more like Jesus than perhaps you've ever been in your life.

Persecution as part of the Christian experience and if you think that you can love the Lord God with all your heart and that she can serve him with fervency and not be persecuted, then you are sadly mistaken. Second Timothy 312 says that all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

It is inevitable that persecution will occur because on this earth. There are two worlds that are fighting the world the flesh and the devil will do everything I can to bring destruction to the kingdom of God. The world will entice you, the flesh will inflame you and the devil will deceive you the story that we are looking at today is a classic biblical example of ungodly persecution. Saul is jealous of David and he wants to ruin his name and he wants to take his life.

As we dig in the story we need to remember that some people are treated terribly and roughly because they deserve it.

They deliberately disobeyed God they deliberately do what they want to do and the consequences of sin are they get treated badly as their fault, but there are other times when an innocent Christian suffers persecution and he suffers it for righteousness sake, you might've heard the phrase, it takes two to tango. What is that mean Leslie idea if there's an altercation. Then both parties I have to share part of the blame. Well that's true sometimes but it's not always true.

I think of the time. What is most not true and that is with Jesus Christ.

For me ask you something, was the cross Jesus's fault. No, Jesus was perfect.

Jesus was sinless Jesus was was righteous. He was perfectly holy Jesus never did anything wrong he'd always treated people better than he treated himself. They always get a correct counsel. He was holy and righteous before his father and had a training they mocked him, they spit in his face like leaders face beyond recognition and they nailed him to across. I took perfect love and perfect holiness, and they nailed it to across. It doesn't always take two to tango Jesus in every situation was always innocent of sin and wrongdoing. David in this case was innocent. David had done nothing wrong.

He had obeyed God. He had been courageous in battle and he had been loyal to his king, and yet the king went all out to put into his life. The king took a spear and threw it. David what was David doing David was playing on the heartwarming trying to relieve the from his depression and Saul tried to killing Roger L were said this the most obvious thing David teaches us is this don't throw the spear back but just concentrate on our duties easy would it be in for David to do this he had already proved himself to be a fearless warrior when that spear went whizzing by could simply have seized it and hurled it right back and saw Saul would not of stood a chance. David could live legitimately pleaded self-defense and stepped right into the kingship of Israel. Furthermore, he could just about the whole thing in his own mind by simply saying that this was the way in which God intended him to come to the throne. Retaliation is the way the world you throw spirit me and I'm going to throw it back at you. But the Christian is different. He is in the world but he's not of it. He is a citizen of a higher world and subscribes to a higher standard. The fact that we are not to retaliate when others throw spears at us does not mean we must do nothing at all. There is something for us today when others make life miserable for us. We do what David did in verse 14 he behaved wisely in all his ways.

In other words, David responded to the spear thrown by Saul, but just going about his business. He did not go around talking about what solid done. The defendant himself, he knew that if he focused on doing what he was supposed to do God would take care of his reputation.

Five points that I will share with you about a persecution today. In the first one is the calls of persecution. Look again at verse 13 to 15. Saul removed him from his presence and by the commander of the thigh out made him a commander of a thousand, and he went out and came in before the people and David had success in all his undertakings for the Lord was with him, and when Saul saw that he had great success. He stood and fearful all of him, but all Israel and Judah love David.

He went out and came in for them.

Saul was scared to death. David was to start a rebellion and take his throne. So what did Saul do. He demoted him from general to to Capt. and he gave the MAA lesser group of men to supervise a dropped his squadron down 2000 and number now. I was also afraid Saul remembered what he had done a few months back. Saul had disobeyed God purposely, intentionally disobey God. God told Saul to kill all the Amalekites and destroy all their possessions. Saul said I'm not gonna do it.

And so, in the light of that, God sent Samuel the prophet to go and rebuke Saul.

I think from that day on till the day that he died that that salt what happened with with Samuel was played in his mind like a videotape over and over and over again. That's all he could think about what was it that Samuel said to doing.

Samuel said this because Ellis rejected the word of the Lord. He is also rejected you from being king and the Lord is rent the kingdom of Israel from you and given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.

Saul could not get that word of God out of his mind. He knew that judgment was coming in here was that he wrote David standing right before him, David had killed the intimidator, Goliath, and he had the respect of all the people in Israel to Saul tries a little skiing to stop God's judgment on himself. He demotes David to Capt. and he gives David less authority had that worked out for Saul when not to wail for the people just identify the common people did identified with David Saul's own son Jonathan love David became covenant brothers together. Saul's daughter Michael wanted to marry David and finally did and the people of Israel. Love, David. Saul could see the handwriting on the wall. This young man.

David was destined for the throne. Now this just shows us how rebellious Saul really is for this would've been the perfect time for Saul to resign as Saul could have got the people of Israel together in and said look I got an announcement to make to you.

I've been disobedient to the Lord and the Lord has judged me and taken the throne for me and he said that he would raise up a man after God's own heart to be the king of Israel, and God has raised up David to do that. So here's David David I'm giving the throne to you. May God be with you. You pray for me and I will pray for you David. He could have done that and I believe that if he had done that, I believe the Lord may spirit is like letting him live a much longer life, but he didn't do that era bailed even further and fall hard against God.

He became jealous of David and then angry at David and then fearful. It is amazing what fear will do to a man's heart.

How many men have killed people because they were afraid that that particular person was going to expose their sin, Jeffrey Epstein provided young teenage girls for sexual exploitation and some of the most powerful man in the world took advantage of that and involve themselves in this horrible sinfulness. Epstein was finally put in jail.

Not long after he is put in jail. They found him dead.

I told us at first that it was a suicide. Nobody believe that and as they begin to check things out.

They saw that it probably could not have been a suicide that it was indeed murder he had to die. Why so that powerful men would not be exposed. The causal Saul's persecution of David is jealousy, anger and fear and brothers and sisters. If you're going through a time of persecution.

You can rest assured that those are probably the causes either jealousy, anger, or fear.

Second thing I want to see is the deceitfulness of the intimidator. Look at verse 17 through 18 then Saul said to David, here's my elder daughter marrow. I will give her to you for a wife only be valiant for me and fight the Lord's battles for Saul fault. Let not my hand be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him and David said to Saul, who am I and who are my relatives, my father's clan in Israel that I should be son-in-law of the king.

Nephew love the Lord and your conscience is clear, then you can be transparent. Can't you know everybody knows that no one is perfect so no one sixpacks everybody to be perfect but if your conscience is clear and you have to worry about somebody exposing who you are, what's going on in your heart. That's exactly what's wrong with it was Saul was disappointed time he wants to kill David, but he didn't want anybody to know that he wants to kill David so he decides to send David out into combat against a ferocious Italian the Philistines.

Saul said to himself I will provide my daughter for David. If you will go out and fight this great battle for the Lord and kill these Philistines. Saul was thinking I'll send them out in this battle I will have to worry about giving my daughter because David will get killed in this battle and and I will have to worry about them anymore. But this is the very height of hypocrisy that Christians here's where we need to be careful for in this situation.

David is the victim's heart is right before God and the deceitful conspiracy is against him.

He felt how horrible this was. He failed how wrong this was. It was just penetrating him but yet 25 years later, what is he doing he commits adultery with Bathsheba in order to keep his sin from being exposed. He kills her husband Uriah the Hittite was the most loyal men in his whole army, a mighty man of valor and what is a good he sends them out into a senseless battle, hoping that it be killed and he was killed while what a warning for us as God's children, we need to remember in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 12 where Paul said let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. So David went out. He did battle against the Philistines. Anyone and he was totally unharmed and he came back to receive Saul's daughter America to be his wife but when he came back he is is King Saul's reneged and he said no, you're not taking her and he gave his daughter to a man I'm a drill hole with light while what it's all do that. I think he did it to provoke a reaction out of David. I think he did it because if David had been ugly and he had and he had cursed Saul and he rebelled against him and and just trying to fight against him. Then Saul can is said this is self-defense, and he could've taken David's life. David did not do that. He took the injustice, as if he deserved the injustice and that just made him brighter in the eyes of the people of Israel but God's people are known more for their reactions than they are for their actions.

Saul is not helping his own calls. Here he's digging his own grave. 5.3 the perseverance of the of the persecutor. Look at verse 20 through 21. Saul's daughter, Michael love, David and I told Saul and the king policed in the thing pleased him. Saul thought, let me give her to him that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against thing therefore Saul. Saul said to David a second time.

You shall now be my son-in-law Saul would not give up.

Soon he found out that Michael love to David. He said I can use this to my advantage. And this is what I'll do, I'll I will use her. I'll get her in at David into the family. He'll marry her and then he'll get comfortable and then when he lets down his guard. I will take his life. You see what he's doing is using his own daughter is a trap is a snare he's using her as nothing but fish bait. AA doesn't care that her and her husband is good guy and that she's going to be brokenhearted. It doesn't bother him at all, that one day she's going be standing before the grave of her husband, weeping like crazy with a broken heart, because if he does this he shall get his way. Some of you parents have watched your child or children go through a very heartrending time.

Maybe they've had their heart broken and you just wanted to jump in and help you wanted to do something you wanted to stand in their place.

You wanted to take their pain. You know what that feels like you love your child and the last thing that you won't is to see your child going to the time of hurt, disappointment and heart brokenness, but here Saul and he's purposely break in the heart of his own daughter in order that he might get his own way, what goes around comes around and it was Paul who said be not deceived for God is not mocked whatsoever a man so with that shall he also reap all this anger and jealousy and in fear that is being poured out on David is is going to be poured out on Saul's own head before thing that I see is the response of the persecuted verse 25 to 27 then Saul said the show, you say to David, the king desires no bride price except 100 foreskins of Philistines that he may be avenged of the King's enemies. That's all thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines, and what his servants told David these words please David Weyl to be the king son-in-law before the time and expire. David arose and he will along with his million kill 200 of the Philistines and David brought their foreskins which are given in full number to the king that he might become the king son-in-law Saul gave him his daughter, Michael, the wife when David heard this always willing to allow him to marry his daughter, Michael.

He he responded in great humility. He said I'm a poor man. I come from a poor family. I don't have the money nor the social class to be the husband of the of the king's daughter and is soon as Saul heard that it was like his mind clicked into another gear. He said this is great. I will charge David a dowry for my daughter and I'll make him go out and kill hundreds Philistines and he will probably be killed in the battle against those hundreds Philistines what he David do. He went out to war against the Philistines and kill not 100, but he killed 200 and he brought their foreskins and laid them before Saul and said, I've done what you asked is not by coincidence that David responded by giving Saul twice as much as what he asked for.

Is this not what Jesus told us to do with those who are our enemies Jesus and first of all it where to turn the other cheek to our enemies and that's exactly what David has been doing. He's been smitten by Paul Sato blocking Saul over and over and over again and every time he gets right back up refuses to retaliate and turns the other cheek.

Jesus also says to do this, go the 2nd mile to twice as much is you have to now in Israel and that day of Jesus when a Roman soldier told the Jewish teenage boy to carry his pack he had to carry a mile.

He didn't have to carry it but a mile exactly enough to go one step further. But he was forced by law to carry the mile and so he would take up the pack. He put it on his back was very interesting in Jerusalem. They had mile markers that were set up just for this thing and you would have to walk a mile when he came to the marker than then the boys carry in the pack with throw it off his back and limit land in the dust and he walked out thoroughly disgusted. Jesus said don't do that young men he said when they ask you to walk with them 1 mile, go with them to do it. Joy how often you think Jesus did that a bit. Jesus did that over and over again as a teenage boy soldier say here boy get this pack and carry it on your back, and they'd walk a mile. Jesus would talk with me get to the end of the mile marker was right there in the soldier say are you not care anymore since all you have to do and you synonymy. Another mile for you when we cared another mile and and Jesus would talk and witness to them as he walked in he would do it with joy. David is doing the same thing.

Saul asked for hundred foreskins. David Gissing 200 against him twice as much as he asked for. I think this is what's blowing Saul's mind Saul tries to kill David what is David he takes the abuse he absorbs the hurt he responds in love. He turns the other cheek. He goes a 2nd mile.

You know when the God was being dishonored.

David fault like a whirlwind, but when David was dishonored the data just took it. Richard Phillips said this. This is why Saul was so unnerved by David, the Lord was with David and for David it was for the same reason that the Roman empire grew to fear and hold early Christians in all.

Justin Martyr explained to the Emperor in his first apology. You can kill but not hurt us, then this is why savage official persecution of Christians in China not only has done nothing to slow the gospel spread, but is actually spurred the expansion of the church as people and witness the power of God to bless his people even to get such affliction, so it was that that the more Saul salt evil for David.

The more he feared he why because the promise of Psalm 121 was true for David.

Is it true for all others who are owned by God through saving faith. The Lord is your keeper the Lord will keep you from all evil. He will keep your life. Imagine trying to oppose the people who have God for their keeper most precious to believers is the even greater promise that through the work that though the world may sometimes wrongfully heinous as Saul envied and hated David neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of God's creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The experience of seeking to harm a man found in such unfailing love drove mad Saul in the even deeper distress in the same reality today. She calls the opponents of Christ to fear the Lord. I fifthly there's the purpose of persecution versus 28 the 30 but when Saul saw in you that the Lord was with David and Michael Saul's daughter letting Saul was even more afraid of David.

So Saul was David's enemy continually then the commanders of Philistines came out the battle and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul so that his name was highly esteemed. Why does God allow wicked man like Saul to persecute a godly man like David, he did it so that David would get tough, so that David's faith would be stretched so that that the people could see the power of God in David's life so that David could be prepared prepared to become the new king of Israel.

How many do we have here today that enjoy persecution. Nobody how many we have here today that like to get mocked and criticized nobody. How many we have here today that like to get their name just just drug through the mud and have lies told about you. Nobody we hope that it tears us up on the inside and it makes us just want to give up and throw in the towel is what makes us wanted to but don't do that for when you are going to the time of persecution and you're going to that time, for Christ's sake.

And this is the greatest time that you have for bringing glory to God.

Peter Seddon and first Peter chapter 4 verse 12.

Beloved. Think it not strange. When these fiery trials come upon you is in some strange thing has happened to you, but rejoice that you been counted worthy to suffer for Christ sake Stephen Lawson said this, don't adjust your conscience to fit the culture don't don't don't adjust your conscience to fit the culture church in America is never truly experienced tough persecution.

All we got in the door slammed in our face, we been called ugly names that snarky remarks made about us, but in this country, at least up to this point we have not been imprisoned or had her head chopped off for say in Jesus Christ is Lord, our primary goal in this life is to glorify God. One of the greatest ways that we do that is through the propagation of the gospel, but nail our culture demands that we focus not on God's goals but on our goals. They are goals.

What are their goals in this culture that's rising up in America today. Their goals are of Marxist agenda.

It is you accepting every form of perversion is abortion. It is pay hatred for patriotism and shame for your ethnicity.

If those are not our goals. Then persecutions going to come see and angry people at the mall where in strange church to this day, and in this last few weeks as a shirt called bad religion across the top of it.

And then there's a picture of across with a big X, which marked out, I tell you this because we need to prepare brothers and sisters. Persecution is coming and it's coming more quickly than we can begin to imagine suffering as part of our calling and God help us to prepare for it.

Philippians chapter 1 verse 29 says this foot has been given to us on the behalf of Christ not only to believe upon him, but also to suffer for his sake. Not only are you call to salvation but you are called to suffer for Christ sake and the reward for that calling is sweet, glorious fellowship with Christ. This is what Paul meant when he said we come to know Jesus, to the fellowship of his sufferings.

David Peter, Paul and Jesus had a word for us that are going to persecution and this is the word rejoice, rejoice, rejoice when you're going to persecution. Why because Jesus Christ is Lord Jesus Christ is King, Jesus Christ is still on the throne for spray heavenly father we have seen today that the weapons of Christian warfare are different than the worldly weapons of war instead of a steel sword.

We have the word of God instead of guns and tanks. We have prayer instead of direct frontal attacks.

We are told to turn the other cheek go the 2nd mile. Help us to realize that these are not passive weapons but are godly principles at the world does not know how to handle may we take seriously Paul's command to the church in Ephesians 6 when he said finally, brethren put on the whole armor of God, that you may stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities rulers of darkness in this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

Lord we throw our sales on your mercy, we can't win this battle without total dependence on you. Give us strength, toughness and fortitude and make any persecution we go through the use for your glory for what is in the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray.

Amen as you stand with me as we conclude our service and respond to the truth that we for this morning I saw an God's laws is and will is a will.

I on on and on.

I can work on worshiping with us today and think next Saturday is winter group is headed off to Alaska State Park Hill and Darrell torrents and Eric swim and Richard Meyer. They're going to do work a lot of construction work and I'm sure just opportunities 00 floors for them to witnesses as well with their tongues so be praying for them and how long are you going on 10 days be lifting them up in prayer. New lease Saturday.

Is that right right just want to encourage you to be back on on Wednesday night.

We are doing a study on prayer and how many we have here there satisfies your prayer life may neither and and this is been a huge encouragement to me to pray into and to this how to pray and so you think Jay's teaching this week so it'll be good just encourage you to be there with us. In closing, let me encourage you with these words. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to task you as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice insofar as you share Christ sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed, and all God's children said and