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Sermon Illustrations: Persecution
Anecdotes
In the days when Japan was occupying over Korea, they perse¬cuted many of the leading Christians and carried them off to Japanese prisons. Believers who were not arrested wondered if this very fact indicated that they were somehow lacking in their Christianity. A Korean Methodist pastor went to a missionary with the complaint: "Maksa, there must be something wrong in our Methodist church. I fear we are lacking in faith. There are thirty-seven Presbyterians in jail, and only one Methodist. I fear the Lord does not count us worthy to suffer persecution."
In 155 AD, Polycarp was 86 years old, when he had a dream where his pillow was on fire. He woke up and told his disciples, “I must be burned alive.” The public games were on and the crowd demanded Polycarp be executed. When the authorities came to arrest him, he ordered that they should be given a meal. When they arrested him, even the captain didn’t want to see him die. He said, “What harm is it to say, ‘Caesar is Lord’ and to offer sacrifice and be saved?” But Polycarp refused. When he stepped into the arena, he heard a voice say, “Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.” The Proconsul told him to make his choice: curse Christ and sacrifice to Caesar, or die. Polycarp replied, “I have served Him for eighty-six years and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” He was told he would be burned. Polycarp replied, “You threaten me with the fire that burns for a time, and is quickly quenched, for you do not know the fire which awaits the wicked in the judgment to come and in everlasting punishment. Why are you waiting? Come, do what you will.”
A Christian came to Tertullian because of a decision he had to make. "What can I do?" he asked. "I must live!" "Must you?" replied Tertullian.1
Back in the days of the Soviet Union when it was very dangerous to be a Christian there. I couldn't believe it when I read about a Russian Christian who said that it was much easier to be a Christian there than in the West. He said, "In our country, when you make a decision to follow Christ, it's a clear decision because you know that one day you may have to pay for it with your life." "But in your country, life is so easy, there is no persecution, it's so much harder to really follow Jesus."
When someone spat on Willian Booth during a Midlands tour, he said to one of his assistants, "Don't rub it off - it's a medal."
Do people treat you like dirt? God took a lump of dirt and transformed it into a man.
Nicholas Ridley (1500 - 1555) had been condemned to death for his faith. The night before, his brother offered to stay with him in prison. Ridley said that he planned to sleep as well as usual. The next day he encouraged another Christian who was being executed. "Be of good heart, brother, for God will either assuage the fury of the flame, or else strengthen us to abide it." They knelt and prayed next to the stake, talked briefly, then were burned.
Su Kim's teacher promised her a special prize. "After your parents go to bed tonight, if you can find a black book at home, bring it to school tomorrow. But don't tell anyone." She was excited about the possibility of winning a prize, and looked diligently. Su Kim found a book - a Bible - and the next day took it to her teacher. But when she returned home from school her parents were gone. They'd been arrested by the North Korean police. Their crime was owning a Bible. After a frightening night home alone Su Kim became a state orphan.
Quotes
Persecution never stopped the church from growing; it usually got them going. Roger Rice
1,000 are laying down their lives for the faith every day. Derek Prince quoting David Barrett author of the Christian Encyclopaedia
1 Barclay, William Daily Study Bible: Vol 1 - Matt 1-10 p 111