Trouble?

Morning!

Raises his cup of coffee

It is Wednesday April 2nd of 2025.  We have a cool morning with cloudy skies in the forecast and a high of 61.

Do we face trouble because of our faith?  Let me break that down into two questions.

Do we face trouble?

Is that trouble because of our faith?

If not for our faith, then why?

Psalm 119: 81-88

“My soul faints for Your salvation, but I hope in Your Word.  My eyes fail from searching Your Word, saying, ‘When will You comfort me?’  For I have become like a wineskin in smoke, yet I do not forget Your statutes.   How many are the days of Your servant?  When will You execute judgment on those who persecute me?  The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Your law.  All Your commandments are faithful; they persecute me wrongfully; help me!  They almost made an end of me on earth, but I did not forsake Your precepts.  Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, so that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.”

When we face trouble, do we find ourselves searching through the Scriptures looking for answers?

Do we pray to God asking Him to comfort us?

I want to talk a little bit about persecution today and what I call the ghost of persecution.  Let’s start by taking a moment to think about what persecution means.

Persecute: (verb)

- To harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict: to cause to suffer because of belief

- To annoy with persistent or urgent approaches: pester

David, in our text today, is being wrongfully harassed and punished.  He is being persecuted for keeping God’s Law.  And in the midst of that, he entreats the LORD to sustain him—because David’s desire is to keep the testimony of the LORD’s mouth. He wants to remain faithful to God’s Word, even while suffering.  So, the trouble we’re in—the trouble we’re thinking about today: Is it because of our faith in Jesus?  Is the trouble we’re searching Scripture for… a result of persecution?  Because Paul has something important to say about this in his letter to Timothy.

2 Timothy 3: 12

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

We are promised by Jesus Himself .

John 15: 18-21

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own.  Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.  If they kept My Word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My Name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”

He who loses his life for Jesus will find his life in Jesus.  David is showing us how to look to God’s Word and pray in the midst of persecution.  Paul teaches us that persecution is inevitable for those who desire to live godly in Christ.  And Jesus teaches us that we are to expect persecution—because they persecuted Him first.  So I thought this might be another good moment to pause and consider: Is what we’re experiencing actually religious persecution?

Let’s not forget…

James 1: 2-3

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

What did James mean by that?  I think we can find a clear example in Acts 5.  Now, Acts 5 is a rich and powerful chapter.  It begins with the story of Ananias and Sapphira—who lied to the Holy Spirit and fell down dead. Then we see the apostles doing the work they were called to do—teaching the Word, healing the sick, and casting out unclean spirits. The number of believers continued to grow.  And for this… they were thrown in prison.  But Jesus wasn’t going to have that.  An angel of the Lord comes and miraculously opens the prison doors—releasing the apostles from their cell.  Still, they were brought again before the religious council, the same group that had condemned Jesus. And after questioning them, they gave the apostles a beating for teaching in the Name of Jesus.

Acts 5: 40-42

“And when they agreed with him (the council), and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the Name of Jesus, and let them go.  So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name.  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

While doing the Work of the Lord, we count it all joy when we fall into various trials.  So the question of the day is, are we going about our Father’s Work today?  Or are we running away from the ghost of persecution?

In Matthew 10 Jesus has given His disciples authority over unclean spirits and is preparing them to do His Work.  Towards the end of the instruction we find this passage.

Matthew 10: 32-42

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.  Do not think that I can to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter in law against her mother in law; and a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.  He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.  He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.  He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward.  And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.  And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Or… is that which is afflicting us something else?  Something closer to not confessing Jesus before men?  Here’s a challenge for you: What’s on our desks at work?  Is there a Bible?  What about the scene of our rooms when we’re not in them— does it speak of our devotion to the Word of God? Or do we hide our Bibles away, just in case someone might see them?  Jesus teaches us plainly: Whoever confesses Him before men— He will confess before the Father in heaven. But whoever denies Him before men— He will also deny before the Father.

Jesus teaches us that our enemies may even come from our own household.  And if we’re believers who have been baptized into the faith while living in an unbelieving household— this Scripture will likely ring very true.

Are we ready to lose the parts of our life that Jesus wants us to let go of?  Or are we running from the ghost of persecution?  Are we shying away from men— and from our responsibility to preach the Gospel?  Are we living a life free of persecution?  Then maybe we should be asking ourselves:  What are we doing wrong?

How does a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed according to God’s Word.  It is through the Word of God that we begin to understand—

that knowledge of the Holy One is given.  It becomes the foundation— a solid ground beneath our feet that helps us make sense of the world and the happenings around us.  Wisdom—if you search for her like hidden treasure— is given liberally by God.

But persecution is only one kind of suffering.  We may be in the Word.  We may be abiding in it.  We may be speaking Christ openly—living as a Christian, doing everything we’re supposed to— and let’s even assume our heart is in the right place…  Even then, we are still promised trouble.  But the trouble we go through—we go through with God.  The Holy Spirit uses our circumstances and situations to teach us, to comfort us,

and to be with us.  Every moment we suffer, we are learning something more about Jesus— and His suffering while He walked this earth.  So the real question is: Are we being faithful to Jesus?  Because if we are— then even our suffering becomes joy.

2 Timothy 4: 1-5

“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the Word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and the will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

So…

Maybe we are facing some persecution for our faith.  Maybe we’re waiting on the Lord for movement, for direction, for answers.  But how do we turn those waiting on the Lord moments into waiting upon the Lord moments?  Let’s remember what our charge is.  Paul teaches us in his letter to Timothy that one of our goals—one of our callings— is to preach the Word.

To my brothers and sisters who have been to school for this—I love you! But it is not the university that anoints the preacher.  Every disciple of Jesus Christ is expected to preach the Word.  Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean coming up with a three-point sermon every week and delivering it from a pulpit.  It might be as simple as learning some Scripture and teaching your family.  It might happen online, through social media.  It might take place on a street corner, with a Bible in your hand.  The call—and the expectation—is clear: Preach the Word. Be ready in and out of season.  Convince.  Rebuke.  Exhort.

Convince: (verb)

- To bring to belief, consent, or a course of action: Persuade

- (obsolete) To overcome by argument

- Demonstrate, prove

Rebuke: (verb)

- To criticize sharply: Reprimand

- (archaic) To turn back or keep down: Check

Exhort: (verb)

- To incite by argument or advice: urge strongly

- To give warnings or advice: make urgent appeals

We are not only meant to preach the Word— we are meant to convince others about the Word.  We are called to rebuke those who twist or misuse Scripture.  And we are called to exhort—to be able to reason, to lay out a clear argument,  a set of truths that form an urgent appeal for the Gospel.

Romans 12: 1-19

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.  For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.  Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.  Be of the same mind toward one another.  Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.  Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.  Do not be wise in your own opinion.  Repay no one evil for evil.  Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.  If it is possible as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.  Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ Says the Lord.”

I think that’s a good place to start for the day.