From Persecution to Preaching, Missions and Discipleship

Jesus is our forerunner who left behind an example for us to follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21). He taught, preached and lived the Gospel message of the cross showing that in this world we will suffer persecution for righteousness' sake (John 16:33). At the same time, he demonstrated resurrection power that enabled him to continue advancing the Gospel amid great persecution. 

Like the Messiah, the apostle Paul did not allow persecution to shut him down, silence the Gospel or thwart the advancement of the Kingdom of God. He embraced Jesus’ warning about imminent suffering and then passed it on to faithful witnesses wherever he went, declaring that “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). He proclaimed this in sober-mindedness after returning to Lystra, where he had been thrown out of town, stoned and left to die.

The disciples witnessed first-hand the cost of discipleship as they “gathered around him” and encouraged him (Acts 14:20). Likely to their surprise and certainly to ours, he threw off the rocks and returned to the city, showing his determination. Though he didn’t remain there, his return to town testified to the believers and his opponents that he was not afraid of man but lived in the fear and awe of God. What seemed like superhuman strength and resilience was the indwelling Holy Spirit, who upheld him with “the same power that raised Jesus from the dead” (Romans 6:4-5, 8:11).  As he later testified in Philippians 1:28, this was not only a sign of God’s power but a declaration of God’s judgment on his enemies.

From persecution to preaching and missions

It seems sensible that anyone who had narrowly escaped death would take steps to preserve their life. But since Paul’s interest in the Gospel overshadowed his human desire for self-preservation this was not the case. Instead, he declared that “if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Romans 14:8). He considered everything – even his own life – garbage compared to knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8), which enabled him to joyfully and repeatedly take gigantic risks for the sake of the Gospel. The greater goal for Paul was to “finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus [had] given to [him] – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Acts 20:24).

As a result, Paul left town and went to Derby, where he preached again and “won a large number of disciples” (Acts 14: 21). There, Agabus gave a prophecy concerning his imprisonment and persecution by the Jews in Jerusalem (Acts 21:12), and many of the believers tried to discourage him from continuing his preaching and missionary work. But Paul assured them that the Holy Spirit had already prepared him for this, showing him that “prison and hardships” were ahead (Acts 20:23). Paul knew that this persecution was not a sign of God’s disfavor but instead an indication of his favor and the efficacy of the Gospel as Jesus promised: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven…” (Matthew 5:11-12). 

Over the course of about 35 years of ministry, Paul was imprisoned three times, shipwrecked, beaten, in danger from bandits and fellow Jews, and thrown out of cities. He provides a summary of some of this suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, showing that it was not an incidental matter but something that marked his entire life as an apostle. At the same time, his accomplishments by the Spirit’s power were immense. He embarked on four missionary journeys over 16 years to about 50 cities, traveling about 10,000 miles and helping to plant at least 14 churches. 

From persecution to teaching and discipleship

In addition to preaching the Gospel and planting growing communities of Christ-followers, he helped them to build healthy leadership by appointing elders, who taught them to fast and pray for wisdom. He discipled many people including Timothy, Mark, Luke, Onesimus and other traveling companions. While in prison he wrote four epistles, using his experiences to encourage and equip the believers to stand strong in their faith and to devote their lives to God. Through those same Epistles he has and will continue to disciple billions of believers around the world. 

God's unstoppable servants and message

Like Jesus and the apostle Paul, we may experience intense opposition and persecution from proclaiming the Gospel and calling people to repentant faith in Jesus Christ. But we do not need to shrink back in fear or leave our calling because of this (Hebrews 10:39). As we follow the Lord’s and the apostle Paul’s examples, we will be encouraged and empowered by the Spirit to patiently endure. Like Paul, we will be able to declare, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10). God the Holy Spirit will strengthen us with his resurrection power in our hardships and weaknesses so that we can throw off the stones of rejection, abuse and slander and continue teaching, preaching and making disciples. God has promised he’s with us and will not forsake us and that the very gates of hell not prevail against us in the advancement of the Gospel (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 16:17-19). 

Personal reflection

I still remember the peaceful face of the student who responded to my sober reminder that we would have to suffer great persecution and hardships to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Her reply came quickly and was both simple and true, “It’s hard, but he’s worth it!” While no one, including the Lord Jesus or the apostle Paul, enjoys pain, suffering and rejection, we can endure it knowing it’s for the cause of Christ and his Kingdom. As Paul reminds us “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). And there will come a day very soon when “He will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Until that time, we need to heed Christ’s call to put our hands to the Gospel plow and press on with patient endurance, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2). The same joy that was set before him and propelled him onward is available to us as we yield our very lives to Christ, trusting and following him wherever he calls us to go. 

“… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmrTvDoqvMM

From Praise to Persecution

The Word of God reminds us that “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). During Jesus’ ministry, when many expressed belief in him because of the miracles he performed, he refused to entrust himself to them because he knew the condition of the human heart (John 2:24). What began as praise among the people could quickly shift to persecution. We witness this in Luke 4:22-30 when the crowd, who were praising Jesus, became infuriated by the truth and “drove him out of town,” seeking to throw him off a cliff.

Similarly, the apostles Paul and Barnabas experienced this quick transformation from favor to rejection while on a mission in Lystra and Derbe. After healing a man who had been crippled from birth, the people began to worship them rather than God, shouting, “The gods have come down to us in human form” (Acts 14:11-12). To stop them, the apostles declared their own mortality and testified to the Gospel – that God alone was worthy of worship as the sovereign creator. This truth encounter, along with the slander of Jewish people, laid the groundwork for persecution. The crowd quickly morphed from worship to murderous rage as they listened to lies spread about the apostles.

Seeking to destroy

The shift in their attitude is hard to understand since it happened so quickly – maybe within hours or days. It reveals not only the true nature of man but the power of the tongue to stir up strife. The slander, along with the apostle’s rebuke, so infuriated the people that they stoned Paul, dragging him “outside the city” to die (Acts 14:19). The scenario is disturbingly similar to Jesus’ interaction with the crowd in Luke 4, where they quickly moved from praise to an attempt to end his life – revealing the true condition of their hearts.

Different crowds; same problem

The crowds that sought to kill the apostles and the Lord Jesus had different group dynamics -- one was made up of Jewish people, and the other was primarily Gentile. But they shared a common problem. Though they appeared to desire to worship Jesus and the apostles, their real motivation was to make an idol that they could manipulate and control. Their worship was self-centered and flowed from a commitment to their own glory, bearing evil fruit (Matthew 7:17-20). When confronted with the truth by Jesus and the apostles – who called them to repent and worship God alone – this false adoration quickly transformed into persecution. In essence, their hearts were hostile to God and all that he stood for. True worship would have yielded to God’s Word and given glory to Jesus as King -- as the crowd did in Acts 2:37 when they sought repentance.

Warning from Jesus

Jesus knew that the disciples and followers of Christ would encounter similar opposition, so he warned about it throughout his ministry. In John 15:20, he promised that, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” He explained that the source of this persecution and opposition was a person’s hardened heart toward God and his truth (John 15:21). “But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:18-19). Those living in this darkness despise the light because it exposes their inner wickedness and convicts them of their evil works (John 3:19). Since they cannot and will not change, their only choice is to attempt to extinguish the light.

What can we learn from this?

Jesus told us that in the world, we will have trouble and tribulations, but not to fear, because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). Paul, echoing his warning, said that we would have to go through much persecution to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Often, this comes suddenly on the heels of praise as it did for Jesus and his disciples. While we cannot predict the unreliable shifting of the human heart and emotions, we can be certain of the unmoving Rock – who is Christ. He urges us to put our hope in him alone and assures us that his heart does not change like shifting shadows. He will uphold us in trouble, shield us by his power, give us his wisdom, and enable us to continue advancing with the Good News despite great opposition.

“You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition” (1 Thessalonians 2:2).

Blesed is the One Who Trusts in the Lord

The LORD himself defines both the blessed and the cursed life in Jeremiah 17:5-8. He reveals in this passage that he is the source of all life and that trusting in him results in flourishing, even in the presence of fiery trials and seasons of suffering.

The Blessed Life – What is it?

In our culture, the blessed life is often defined by one’s ability to achieve the American dream. While this definition has been slightly modified over time, the overall description remains the same. In America, a person is considered blessed when their external circumstances meet certain requirements. As a result, the goal of this blessed life is to pursue things like a quality education that can secure gainful employment, along with a happy family, possessions, investments, and a surplus of resources. Flourishing occurs when families pursuing this dream live in community with other like-minded people who have similar goals and aspirations.

On the other hand, God’s definition of the blessed life begins with an emphasis on the source of all blessing – God himself. He describes human flourishing as the result of a person’s dependent relationship with himself, fueled by their desire to make him their greatest pursuit.

To help us better understand the essence of this life, he begins in Jeremiah 17 with a description of what he considers the cursed life. He declares that anyone who refuses to trust in him but instead trusts in other humans and their own fleshly strength are living the cursed life. This life is cursed primarily because they have turned away from total dependence on the Lord. And God likens it to living in a lonely salt wasteland without inhabitants and no hope for prosperity. 

In contrast, God reveals that the person who puts their trust and confidence in him is truly blessed and will flourish. This life, portrayed throughout Scripture, is not one that is free from hardship and suffering but prospers and produces fruit in the midst of fiery trials and hardship. God explains in Jeremiah 17:8 that this thriving happens because the person is planted near to him and dwells in his very presence. Since he is the “spring of living water” (17:13), their roots drink from him a steady supply of his sustenance.

Flourishing in the Heat

God assures those who put their confidence in him that they do not need to fear when trials come (17:8). Despite the heat of the hardship, they remain confident that their leaves will remain green. The Bible has a lot to say about trials and often refers to them as fiery, indicating the purifying purpose of their presence designed to test the heart. While the very nature of the trial is painful, God amazingly promises in this passage that those who trust him will not live in fear of being burned up or consumed by the hardship. Because God is with them, they have peace and know that he will keep them safe. This assurance, along with the Lord’s daily nourishment, enables them to continue growing and producing life.

Confidence in the Drought

In seasons of drought or shortage, God declares that the one who trusts in him will experience “no worries.” This also defies human logic since a drought in the land was a sign of God’s judgment, which usually resulted in panic and anxiety among the people. But this passage shows that those who dwell in God’s presence and drink from his water will “never fail to bear fruit”—even in the most severe drought.

We see from God’s description of the blessed and cursed life that there are essentially two ways to live and two outcomes. One is to trust in ourselves, others, and our resources, and the other is to recognize our deep dependence on the Lord and trust in him with all our hearts. One refuses to rely on God and instead puts its confidence in the flesh, while the other knows that in the flesh dwells no good thing. One results in parched, desolate wasteland living, where there is no ability to thrive, while the other is anchored to the life-giving source of water – God himself -- and never ceases to bear fruit. 

The question we must ask ourself is this — Which one describes my life?

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8).