Good evening. As long as I can remember, I've enjoyed history and I've paid attention to what is going on in our country. I was just thinking I can remember the first presidential election that stands out to me. I remember being in fourth grade and Gerald Ford was going up against Jimmy Carter. And I remember the school was dividing up on things. And some of you are thinking, wow, he's very young. And some of you are thinking, how old is he? But I've always paid attention through high school and college. And being that my first career was in the legal field, I was paying attention to what was going on. In the context of things, I always had an interest in government. What was happening? What was going on? Originally, my interest as a young lawyer was really self-interest. Most of our clients in California were public entities, so when they had a lot of money, we had more work. And then when the tax dollars dried up, there was less work for us. But in 1993, when I got saved, I started watching in a different way. I still had a certain amount of self-interest. What is this going to do to me when this law is passed or these things like that? But I started watching things for the first time in my life from a biblical standpoint. We were at a Bible teaching church in San Diego. It's where I was saved. We were learning a lot. Debbie and I were growing in the faith. I was growing in my knowledge of the Word. And the church had a political bent, so it was a big deal. And so I followed along, and as I studied and began to learn more about what was actually in the Bible, what was going on around me began to make perfect sense. Even though the Bible was written at the earliest 2,000 years ago for the New Testament, but even longer for the Old Testament, what I saw was its diagnosis of humanity and what was happening all around me was spot on. It was actually remarkable to me. I've got old Bibles where I would write a note. This describes America. This describes what's going on. And what was happening began to take on a biblical flair that I'd never known. We're seeing that, of course, today. We live in a world populated by sinners, steeped in sin, influenced by satanic forces, and every year we see sin seemingly restrained less and less, and more people running headlong into debauchery. In fact, I don't think I'm stretching things. If you're like me and you read Romans chapter 1, you say, this is playing out in real time. Romans chapter 1 beginning at verse 18 says this, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world is invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened, professing to be wives. They became fools. In exchange, the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and of four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Well, perhaps the idols of our modern culture are different. But we're living this. The world around us professes to be wise, but in any biblical evaluation, they're fools. And what God, through Paul, described for 2,000 years ago, is true for us. Verse 24, therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity. so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Verse 26. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions. For their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural. And in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire towards one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper. being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil. disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful. And although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." If that was written yesterday, we would say, Amen. It's shocking. And there's only one voice to stand up against this foolishness. It's the church. Even though that described the wickedness in the powerful Roman Empire 2,000 years ago, humanity hasn't changed and we're seeing it. In fact, we may be closer to the side where in 2 Timothy 3.13 it says, but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse. deceiving and being deceived. That's our world. Things have clearly proceeded from bad to worse and they're not getting better. And we're fast approaching a level of evil that in my mind calls to my attention some of the earliest human records. In Genesis chapter 6, Verse 5, it describes what caused God to destroy almost all of humanity. Verse 5, Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. It's heartbreaking to look at our world and see that. It grieves me to see what the world is becoming, what our country is becoming, the world my daughters are living in and they, Lord willing, will raise their families in. If it weren't for our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and our knowledge that God is still on His throne, we would have every reason to be depressed and despondent. But because we're believers in Jesus Christ, God tells us that regardless of how bad things are, we're still His witnesses. And He still called us to be holy as He is holy. In 1 Peter 1, we read this, verse 14, As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior. Because it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. Yet the unholiness of the world continues to grow. to say we are swimming against the current and trying to live holy in today's world is a laughable understatement. So where does that lead us? We're called to be holy as God is holy in a world that not only is unholy, but it applauds unholiness. In fact, we live in a world where the opposite of everything God commands is viewed as virtue. And I look at those verses that I read and I see our country pictured, I see our society pictured, but those aren't the only verses that come to my mind. God's Word is absolutely correct. He's accurately diagnosed humanity. He knew what would describe our culture. But He also included other Scriptures that show what happens when we stand for righteousness. When we don't go along and we don't applaud evil. It's a picture of what happens when God's people are living holy lives in the midst of evil and evil doesn't like it. Talking about persecution. Something that in reality we in America have had little experience with. Yet for many of us, I'm sure many of you, we look at this relentless march of evil and think it's coming for us. Perhaps more so than we would have even believed 20 or 30 years ago. Peter was writing to churches living under the corrupt Roman Empire, but the lessons of how they were dealing with persecution speak to us as we prepare for what looks like inevitable persecution. As Peter was calling his original hearers to be holy as God is holy, he knew they were doing it in the midst of persecution. For example, in 1 Peter 1.6, Peter says this, and this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various trials. Those trials were primarily injustice, unfairness, 1 Peter 2.12, keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the things in which they slander you as evildoers. In other words, the false accusations against Christians calling good evil. 1 Peter 2.19, for this fine favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God, a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 1 Peter 3.14, but even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation and not be troubled. Continues on through verse 17. What we see over and over again is believers who were suffering because of Christ. Trials, slander, false accusation. And we're already getting a taste that it's coming. For people like us who've lived relatively free from any of that, it can seem shocking. I've had the conversations with others. I've felt it in my own heart. We look and we say, really? My country's doing this? I don't despair over what's coming. I don't like it, but it's coming. But tonight I want to give us God's perspective on this, because we're all burdened in our hearts for what we see happening around us. And the Bible addresses it. The Bible knew what was coming. But I think the Bible challenges us on this point. And I think in light of what is likely increasing persecution, perhaps minor at first, but perhaps more severe later, It would do us well to carefully contemplate God's perspective on persecution. I think we think if persecution happens, it's the worst thing that can happen to us as believers. But let's see what God says. Turn in your Bibles, if you would, to 1 Peter chapter 4. Because Peter was dealing with these issues, that's why I ever started studying this book years ago. Because I can see the handwriting on the wall. I'm not a prophet. But you don't have to be to see that we're hated and despised more and more. So we're going to study tonight in our brief time together 1 Peter chapter 4 and we're going to look at verses 12 to 14. I'm going to read it then I'll give you my, begin my outline. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing as though some strange thing were happening to you. But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rest on you. As we walk through this, I think these verses will give us a biblical perspective for understanding and responding to persecution. And the first perspective is this. Persecution of believers is normal, not exceptional. Persecution of believers is normal, not exceptional. It's interesting because as Peter begins this little segment, this little exhortation, he's actually giving a form of rebuke to these people who he's already acknowledged. We've read some scriptures. They're suffering greatly. But here, there's a little bit of a corrective involved that we'll see. But he starts with the word beloved. I don't think it's a throwaway. He did love them. He cared for them. He had a pastoral concern for them. But He wanted them to correct something that was wrong. Beloved, do not be surprised. It's actually an imperative command. He's telling them, don't be surprised. They must do this. It's something that has to be an ongoing part of who they are. And to see what he's talking about, I'm going to pull out the center part of this for a second and just kind of combine the two ends. Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you as though some strange thing were happening to you. It's clear that the trials were causing them great concern. And these were serious things. Fiery ordeal is not literal fire, but it's a picture of an intense suffering. Likely, in this case, it was more emotional than physical, although I'm sure there was some of both. But the relentless slanders, the false accusation eventually take their toll. There was a fiery ordeal that was engulfing them. That was their reality. And we may face that reality before we want to. But His admonition is, don't be surprised as though some strange thing were happening to you. Obviously, they were surprised. They were thinking, this isn't right. This can't be. But because of Jesus Christ, they were suffering and they were being told What were you expecting? It's interesting because Jesus suffered greatly, of course. In fact, Peter alludes to Jesus' suffering in ways that he repeatedly references for his hearers. For example, in 1 Peter 2, verse 23, talking of Jesus, he said, And while being reviled, he did not revile in return. While suffering, he uttered no threats, but kept entrusting himself to Him who judges rightly. Righteously. What happened to Jesus was happening to them. They were being shamed. They were being humiliated. They weren't yet crucified. But shame and humiliation and embarrassment is probably the first wave of what we'll be subjected to. In fact, we already see it. Despite this perception of you're innocent until proven guilty, you just watch the news. People are guilty as soon as they're accused, particularly believers. And once we're accused of being hateful bigots, it's impossible to undo that damage in the eyes of a fallen world. That's the type of thing Peter was addressing. No doubt many of them lost things. They lost relationships. They probably lost jobs. Some may have lost freedom, some may have lost family. A false accusation can hurt badly. And Peter wasn't denying the pain, it was a fiery ordeal, but he's saying, beloved, don't be surprised. As though this is coming from left field, borrowing our vernacular. This isn't a strange thing. In fact, persecution is what Christians should expect. Biblically speaking, persecution is not the exception, it's the rule. That's the message for us as we prepare our hearts for what we think is coming. I ask the questions myself. I never thought I would see this. What's happening to America? I remember when It didn't used to be. God's Word tells us to not be surprised. In fact, the only surprise for us should be that we've been left alone this long. When we're shocked and surprised that Christians are no longer favored, that we're getting pushback, that people don't like us, it's just an indication that we've forgotten the words of Jesus. For example, in John chapter 15, beginning at verse 18, if the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own, but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, a slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. That's what is coming. If the world persecuted Jesus, America is in the world and it will persecute us. Jesus said it's coming for His children. And I think we'll see it more and more. Peter's just telling us, look, don't be surprised. Don't let that throw you off. Don't think that that's something out of the ordinary. In 2 Timothy 3.12, Paul said the same thing. Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 1 John 3.13, the apostle said, Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We need to be prepared, but not surprised. A biblical perspective for understanding and responding to persecution. A second perspective. First, persecution of believers is normal, not exceptional. Second, persecution should strengthen us, not destroy us. Persecution should strengthen us, not destroy us. Verse 12 in the middle clause. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you which comes upon you for your testing. as though some strange thing were happening to you. It's critical because here God's sovereignty intersects with the evil all around us. Peter's making it clear when these fiery trials, when this persecution comes to us, God is using it to test us. God allows trials, in this case persecution, to come into our lives in essence to show us what we're made of. If you're one of God's true children, persecution will purify you and refine you and strengthen you. Peter's already alluded to this very thing back in chapter 1. Verse 6, he said, "...and this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you've been distressed by various trials." Verse 7, "...so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Peter's continuing that imagery. It's the idea of a purified metal. If you've ever seen some of the shows that deal with gold and things, they melt it down and the impurities rise to the top. But the genuine gold remains. That's what God is doing with the fiery ordeals. If persecution comes our way, it's not as though God fell asleep at the switch. It's not as though some awful thing is happening. God is bringing it to us. James said something very similar, similar language, although his words would go beyond persecution to all the trials of life. It's the same concept. James 1, beginning of verse 2, "...consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect results, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." That's the picture Peter is painting. That God uses these fiery ordeals, this unfairness, this injustice, this persecution, the slanders, the false accusations, to test us and strengthen us. Persecution in some ways is a paradox. The people who one day will be persecuting us are trying to hurt us. They hate us. They want to hurt us. And yet God is using that very hatred and hurt to strengthen us and build us up. We were singing the song this morning. I was thinking about a message. Even what the enemy means for evil, you turn it for our good. We have to think of persecution in those terms. God's not allowing it because of indifference or lack of care. He wants to use it to strengthen us and build us up. Persecution is an illustration of the implications of Romans 8, 28. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. When we face the persecution that's coming, we need to have the right perspective. God's not punishing us. He's not disciplining us. He's testing us and allowing us to prove genuine. People will be beating us down. People will be trying to shut us up. People will be trying to extinguish the voice of the church. But God's not going to allow that to happen. Paul expressed truths that I think illustrate the hard attitude that we should have when the time comes. In the context of a different type of oppression, but the principles of which can apply to persecution, Paul said this, beginning in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 9, And he has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties. For Christ's sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong." We need to have Paul's perspective. Now understand, Paul had prayed three times, Lord take it away. We'll certainly pray the same thing, Lord keep the persecution away. But if it comes, it's not a matter of weakness. God will use it to glorify Himself and strengthen us. Trials, when they come, are going to distinguish in another way the true church from the faults. One of the things that puzzled me when I was first saved was a verse that I'm about to read. Puzzled me because I grew up in church. Everybody in my hometown was a Christian. Everybody that I knew in surrounding communities went to church. And it seemed like all of America was Christian. And then I read Matthew 7, beginning at verse 13, and verse 14 says, "...Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." I didn't understand. It seemed like all America found it. We're all Christians, right? Persecution will show what is reality. Again, I'm not a prophet. I could be wrong, but my observations and my own experiences tells me that most people in America who claim to know Christ don't know Christ. And when there becomes a pressure and a weight and a cost for following Jesus, churches are going to empty. It's going to be the parable of the sower. Matthew 13, as Jesus explains, One of the soils, verse 20, the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary. And when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. God is not trying to destroy the church. He's not trying to destroy us if persecution comes to us. He's trying to strengthen us, but it will purify the church. From those who are following Christ and willing to pay the price, being tested in their faith, and those who one day will stand in judgment saying, Lord, Lord, Tahir, depart from me, I never knew you. Just understand this. Persecution on the horizon shouldn't terrify us because God is not trying to destroy us. He's using it to strengthen us. One final perspective. Persecution of believers is normal, not exceptional. Persecution should strengthen us, not destroy us. And third, persecution should cause us to rejoice, not complain. Persecution should cause us to rejoice, not complain. Verse 13 says this, But to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with His exaltation. Peter wants us to think rightly about persecution, and this is one of those things that doesn't really make sense from a human perspective, because persecution is hard and it hurts, and yet he says, to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing. It's one of the profound and yet hard to comprehend truths is that if we come to the point where we start suffering for the name of Christ, we're identifying with Him. We're experiencing in some small way what He experienced. And the implication is the more you suffer, the more you can rejoice. Because you're sharing more and more of Christ's sufferings. If we're subjected to hatred or abuse or slander or hardship, all in the name of Jesus, if we're thinking correctly, we realize that it brings great blessings to us. Presently on earth and in the future when we're reunited with Jesus Again for persecuted we're blessed We should be thankful we should rejoice not for the suffering the suffering hurts But for the fact that we're counted worthy to identify with Christ It's a beautiful picture of this in Acts chapter 5 where the apostles were unjustly accused, and after a big hullabaloo, they were going to be released, but they were flogged, meaning they were beaten. Acts chapter 5 verse 40, They took his advice, and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. Verse 41. really gets to the point of what I think Peter is saying and what we should look to as an example. So they went on their way from the presence of the council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. It's hard for me to say this because I don't really experience this, but that's the attitude we should have. It's not wrong to understand that the more you suffer here for Christ, the more you'll rejoice. We have to believe and act on the truth that if you're reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed. Because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. We have the indwelling Spirit of God with us to strengthen us and to sustain us. But the Scriptures over and over make it clear, if you suffer for Jesus, you're blessed. That word reviled, it's verbal, it's insulted, reproached. It's for the name of Christ. Not the normal garden variety of insults, but it's because you stand for the truth. When we call evil, evil, It infuriates the enemies of Christ. When we say that gender does matter, that God made them male and female, the world screams at us. When we say that the immorality parading as normalcy is condemned by Romans 1, the world is going to push back against us. When we say that the slaughter of unborn children is an abomination. We're accused of hating women. It's only going to increase. It's coming. Pastor Steve has rightly indicated that even our ability to live stream can be taken away immediately. We can be banned. My point to you is that if those things start coming to us, we're blessed. We should rejoice, not complain. Certainly we can exercise our legal rights. Paul did that. He appealed to Caesar. But if persecution comes our way, we shouldn't be screaming, with complaints, we should be rejoicing that we were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. I have hope in Christ, but I'm losing hope in our country. We have been blessed for a long time but it's almost as though you can see the curtain closing and it's speeding up. In no way am I saying we should go looking for trouble. My prayer every day is along the lines of 1 Timothy 2 verses 1 and 2. First of all, then I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgiving may be made on behalf of all men for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. That's what I want. To be left alone so we can proclaim Christ and share the gospel and teach God's word. But the enemy of God will push back. And if God chooses to remove his protection and our desire for tranquility and a quiet life is taken away, let me encourage you, don't despair. Rejoice. I'll close with a reminder of what Jesus said in Luke chapter 6, beginning at verse 22. Blessed are you when men hate you and ostracize you and insult you, and scorn your name as evil for the sake of the Son of Man, Be glad in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven. Let me encourage you as you look out at the horizon of America, don't despair, don't needlessly fret, don't panic. God is good. God is sovereign. And if persecution comes to us as his children, blessings will be ours in abundance. Please join me in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we look at the world around us, and if we're honest, there are times when we tremble. None of us likes to be accused of things that are untrue, to be called hateful when we just want to share the love of Christ, to be called intolerant when we're trying to point people to the holiness that exemplifies your character. Lord, when all we want to do is to tell lost and dying sinners about Jesus, and it makes us an object of scorn and ridicule. Lord, help us keep it all in perspective. We would rejoice, Lord, if revival broke out in America and none of these things came to pass. We pray, Lord, that You would convict sinners' hearts. Even now, Lord, I pray that You would convict people of their sin and they would understand before a holy God, all they face is Your wrath. But help them understand that the love of Jesus Christ caused him to die on the cross in the place of sinners. Lord, that's the message our country needs. Our people, our fellow citizens, our politicians. But Lord, if you choose not to open darkened eyes, things have gone from bad to worse. And I pray that you will help us not despair. Lord, we have brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering greatly. If you choose to allow us to join them, I pray that we would understand and appreciate the honor that we would have to suffer shame for the name of Jesus Christ. And Lord, as we Get frustrated and angry at those who are attacking the church and attacking Christians. Lord, help us remember that it used to be us. And help us appreciate all the more that you opened our eyes and you saved us through the blood of Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that if persecution comes, we'll be ready. We love you. We ask all of these things in Jesus' name. Amen.