Faith that endures persecution

Faith that Endures –
Enduring Persecution
Dr. Robert Patton

Martyrdom is not the
norm
 Persecution is normal in believers
 About 0.8% are martyred
 The Bible is written to the persecuted
to strengthen other persecuted

What martyrdom does!
 It reveals the reality of persecution and
the power and danger of the gospel
 It inspires us to see that the gospel is
worth dying for & wakes us up –
Example of Stephen in Acts 6-7

Why kill the martyr?
 They “rescue their god”
 Lies
 Sometimes jealousy of the martyr’s
influence
 The martyr is often uncompromising
 Demonic hatred against Christ
11/26/15 Les 1 Santa Jejej 4

Who kills the martyrs?
 Often violent men with a low view of the
value of human life

Martyrs
 Inspire a closer walk with God
 See the grandeur of the Christian life
 However, God sometimes spared the
prophets so that they could continue
their ministry – such as Jeremiah

Persecution comes slowly
 Rarely persecution comes like we
expect
 Often we don’t see it coming
 We are partially responsible for its
appearance. Evil triumphs because
moderates do nothing

Five steps in persecution
 Vacuum – Extremists move into the area when
moderates fail
 Villain – in India, the Christians. So the BJP
decided on one god, Ram, one book, the
Bhagavad-Gita, and one philosophy – Hindutva
(India only for the Hindus) 70% of Hindus are
lower class, and they worried about them
rejecting caste – so must stay in caste

 The lies – the more brazen, the better
 Timing is important
 A mob – usually carefully orchestrated, not
spontaneous. They accused the Christians of
forced conversions and disturbing community
harmony, and got support of police

 The megaphone – make the lie loud enough
and often enough to drowned out any other
voice
 Rewriting school books with lies

What is good about
persecution?
 The church is doing something right. In
India, they were reaching the lower
castes who were no longer willing to
prop up the Hindu house built on them.
And the church is 70% Dalits
 Hinduism is based on purity, and the
lower castes are “impure”. You must
stay in your caste for salvation

What is good about
persecution?
 Persecution serves the cause of the
gospel
 More acceptable to speak about religion
 Some are turned off by the extremists

Types of persecution
 Persecution from ideology
 Can’t usually hide from it
 Claims to be the only truth
 When reinforced by government –
totalitarian state
 Much less true today than in 1955

 Persecution from government
 Fear of loss of power by a totalitarian government
 Fear when large groups assemble without
government permission. They cannot stand
independent groups
 The state claims to be able to control all
aspects of life – this is where the clash occurs

 Persecution from family
 Disownment from the family
 Beatings from the family, especially the husband

 Persecution from the culture
 Punishment of the local community by evil
spirits because they are ignored by a
Christian
 Thus the culture persecutes
11/26/15 16

 Persecution from the church – often by
jealous individuals who use the state to
get rid of competition
 Persecution by corrupt individuals – to
make money from bribes to release
them

 Persecution from over boldness – like
tract bombing
 May end up causing problems for the
regular Christians living in the area
11/26/15 18

Human Rights under article 18
 To believe your religion – profess a
religion of your choice or even not
profess a religion
 To practice your religion – cannot be
limited to just a state approved religion
 To spread your religion
11/26/15 19

Human Rights under article 18
 To believe your religion – profess a
religion of your choice or even not
profess a religion
 To practice your religion – cannot be
limited to just a state approved religion
 To spread your religion
11/26/15 20

Human Rights under Article
18
 The individual has the right of changing
the religion – no Muslim country has agreed
to this
 The individual has the right to transmit
their religion to their family

Problem with human rights
 Should be based on Christian
principles, but now becoming secular
and relative
 False assumptions
 Governments do the persecution
 Changing laws will reduce persecution
 All forms of persecution can be eradicated
11/26/15 22

The Christian life involves
 Dependence on others
 Powerlessness
 Uncertain future
 Being pursued

Christians pursued
 They do not pursue us but Christ
 Persecution is universal – world, flesh,
and the devil
11/26/15 24

Who pursues and persecutes?
 Rulers – lots of power
 Priests – most likely and jealous of loss
of power
 Merchants- interfering with profits
 Mobs – to do the work of others
 Family – often extended family
11/26/15 25

Why does persecution occur?
 We are identified with Christ
 The world is against Christ; thus it is
against us
 All Christians can experience some sort
of persecution from at least one of the
five sources listed above
11/26/15 26

Why the world hates Jesus
 Light in darkness reveals the self-centered
worship of self rather than Christ
 Light came into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light
 They persecute Jesus because they FEAR
the light
 Persecution comes when we confess Christ
with our lips or life
11/26/15 1 Santa Jejej 27

Satan causes persecution
 It may be direct demonic attack
 More often, Satan uses an
intermediary, who may not realize he is
being used – a ruler, priest, family
member, thug, wealthy person
 Powers are human institutions which
enslave rather than free
11/26/15 28

Definition
 Persecution is the suffering or pressure ,
mental, moral, or physical which authorities or
individuals or crows inflict on others, especially
for opinions or beliefs, with a view to their
subjection by recantation, silencing, or, as a
last resort, execution.

Practices of persecution
 Hate
 Exclusion
 Insult
 Rejection
11/26/15 30

Broad definition
 Christian persecution is any hostility
experienced from the world, as a result
of one’s identification with Christ. This
can include hostile feelings, attitudes,
words, and actions
11/26/15 31

Principles
 The New Testament calls a wide range
of actions persecutions
 Persecution should be the universal
experience of all Christians
 Persecution is a consequence of a
spiritual battle
11/26/15 32

Principles
 The history of the church has
considered persecution universal
 Still people under severe persecution
need our help
 We need a broad definition to be able to
address some of the causes of
persecution.
11/26/15 33

Major sources of persecution
 Religious nationalism
 Governments us religion to establish
identity and legitimacy
 Often priests will join in – Hinduism in
India, Buddhism in Sri Lanka, etc.
11/26/15 34

Islamic extremism
 Saudi money & Wahabism
 Boost from Western training & weapons
to fight against Russia
 Disgust with secularism

Islamic extremism
 Governmental persecution as policy –
Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Maldives
 Communal violence flamed by Islamic
clerics
 Direct attack by militants
11/26/15 36

Islam – no theology of defeat
 The victory of the west is an affront to the
glory of Allah and must be stopped and
Allah vindicated
 In Islam, defeat = disgrace. Thus Jesus
could not have died on the cross
 But more Muslims are persecuted by
Muslim extremists than by Christians

Totalitarian governments
 Actually FEAR Christians because they
will not be dominated
 All who will not be dominated are
enemies of the state
11/26/15 38

Secular intolerance
 The idea that all religions are basically
equal is really the imposition of secular
humanistic philosophy on the believer.
 It is intellectual arrogance, and
unwillingness to accept the FACTS of
Christianity – but look at them as
prejudices

Secular intolerance
 Religion is private, and not to come into
the public sphere, which is to be run on
secular values

Latin America – sources of
persecution
 Caciques – local thugs
 Revolutionaries
 Religious extremists
 Paramilitary groups (often under drug
lords)
 Governments
 Witches & Satanists

Middle East
 Dramatic drop from 15% to 4%
Christian due to
 Population pyramid
 Exodus from persecution
 Islam was shamed by losses during
World War I
 Now they want to capture the glory
again

Persecution middle east
 Where Shari’a law reigns – no
churches, Christians are
persecuted/hunted
 Liberalism –
 Still illegal to convert from Islam
 Some toleration, but conversions may
trigger violent reactions

Persecution middle east
 Extremism
 Honor killings
 Blasphemy laws – imprisoned by simply a report
of it occurring mandating death for apostacy
 Frequent mob violence
 Secular states – most tolerant – Turkey &
Indonesia. Usually ostracism rather than
killing for conversion

Pakistan
 Extremists use blasphemy law, and
even trying to change it is dangerous
 Christians persecuted as an excuse

Saudi Arabia
 Extreme Wahabism
 No worship of any type except Islam in
Arabia
 They export these by building mosques
and staffing them with extremist leaders

Africa
 War – especially between the Islamic
north and Christian south
 Some Islamic nations feel compelled to
make them an Islamic state

Nigeria
 Although Shari’a law has been declared
unconstitutional, it has been
implemented in the north, with great
problems
 More martyrs than virtually any other
country in the world

Eritria
 More pastors than virtually any other country
 Held in metal containers without charges
 Many have died
 Marxist government – originally allowed
Orthodox, Lutheran & Catholics but not
evangelicals

Asia – Hindu zone (India &
Nepal)
 Much persecution – Hindus fear that
many Dalits and Sudras will convert
and undermine their system
 Some atrocities – more like refusing
them to use wells – some starved
because they could not work & get
water too

Asia – Communists – China,
Vietnam, Laos, North Korea
 North Korea – like a Stalinist state with
draconian punishment
 China – some dissidents punished, but
not as much as formerly
 Vietnam – Christian community
growing; 4x Catholics vs. protestants

China
 Most house churches 50-70 members;
otherwise forced to join the state church
 Government suspicious of anything that is not
registered and under control
 Vietnam – more persecution for the
evangelicals
 Laos – mostly Khmu tribe are believers and
are persecuted

Muslim zone- Indonesia,
Bangladesh, Malaysia
 Indonesia has problems but is officially
not a Muslim-only country. Some
violence has been experienced

Crises in China with the
church
 Political legitimacy – Communists parrot
communism but push economic reforms
 Social instability – jobs making many migrants
 Discipleship crisis – not enough to properly
disciple new converts
 Social needs will increase with pressure on
the churches to help

Sri Lanka
 Radical Buddhist monks organized –
they were losing power and money
 They used lies, intimidation, mobs,
media, and even murder
 Many church buildings were destroyed,
but the church continues to grow

Europe
 Secularization is partially a result of
reacting against the religious wars
between Catholics and Protestants, and
also some with Orthodox
 Some escaped to the USA – Pilgrims
also did some persecution. Two did not
 William Penn, Quacker
 Roger Williams, Baptist

Two problems in the West
 Religion is privatized and thus
excluded from the public sphere
 Religion is relativized – a matter
of taste – as part of the human
rights revolution

Persecution in the west
 Anti-minority churches
 Anti-Christian elites
 Anti-absolutes culture
11/26/15 58

Anti-minority churches
 Primarily Roman Catholic and Orthodox
churches
 Russia – no church which is less than 15
years in Russia can continue

Anti-Christian elites
 Secular elites against Christians
 Avid “gay” activists
 We see attacks against various small
businesses -

Anti-absolute culture lies to
challenge
 We have the freedom of choice to be
who we want and to do what we want
 Marriage can be between ANY two
people, and lasts only as long as they
are happy
 We’ll live in harmony if we tolerate the
beliefs of others

Anti-absolute culture lies to
challenge
 Art should break traditional norms and
challenge outworn beliefs
 Christian beliefs are a private matter
 Entertainment is a way to fulfill personal
desires
 God accepts us as we are, and there
are many ways to God

USA
 Job pressure to be politically correct
 They want to replace religious values with
secular values
 Educational pressures to accept liberal
agenda
 Constitutional attempts to drive religion
from public life

Things to avoid when helping
 Overheaded rhetoric and publicity
 We succeed with truth, not exaggeration
 Tactical polarization – saying that my
approach is the best or only approach
to the problem
 Propaganda parroting – repeating what
information you have been fed

What to do? PRAY
 Prayer makes us closer to God ourselves
 Prayer makes us part of the body of Christ
 Prayer actually changes things during the
persecution
 True prayer is costly

Telling the truth publically
 Get permission first from the individual
or his family
 Talk with the local church leaders and
get their agreement
 Last resort, because it may compromise
further ministry
 Don’t give intelligence to the authorities

Problems getting publicity
 Secular press under-estimates
importance of religion
 Difficult to document
 Political correctness, which views
Christians as persecutors
 Many are afraid to tell the truth because
of reactions

Private representation
 Not official, but quiet representation
 Trust – avoid publicly giving shame
 Personal letters
11/26/15 68

Legal intervention
 Even when unsuccessful, it may give
ammunition for political pressure from
the outside
 Embarrassment effect against
authorities
 Empowering effect

Illegal intervention
 Occasionally demanded when obeying God
rather than man – e.g. Bible smuggling
 Often the illegal may stimulate the legal;
they make new laws to allow what should be
happening

Political pressure
Individual to individual can work
sometimes
State to state

Positive engagement with
Christians helping build
society
 Business men can do this
 Others can work together

Principles for donors
 Personal contact with the persecuted
 Get real information
 The persecuted want us to get the
message more than get our money
 Prayer should be an absolute priority

 Integrity
 Morally straight
 Not pushing the founder or his family
 Board is independent and sound – diverse,
not just elderly lawyers
 Internal & external audit?

 Teamwork with other groups, because
of the complexity of persecution
 Address the long-term causes of
persecution
 Aware of the complexities of the
situation
 Is there experience over the long haul
without constant turnover?

Principles to donors
 Expect effective organizations to have
some scars and controversies
 But are they defensive, or confident
 Do they cut down other groups using other
tactics?

Lessons from the persecuted
 Faith model – am I walking the way of
the cross?
 Faith warning – Am I in enough trouble
for Jesus?
 Faith boost – Is my God big enough?

The way of the cell – Wang
Mingdao
 You need time to simplify and take time
to know God
 We don’t know how God will use us, but
we are always in His care, even when
things don’t make sense
 The persecuted are aware of those
idols (persons/ideas) demanding
worship, which we don’t recognize in
the USA11/26/15 Les 1 Santa Jejej 79

God works through the yielded
life
 God builds his kingdom not on our
achievements, but on our sacrifices
 God takes the yielded life, not the
fulfilled life. Those who try to save their
lives lose them, but those who lose their
lives for His sake find them…
 We must die first to receive resurrection
power

Persecution empties us
 We can be filled with Christ because we
have been emptied of self
 The persecuted model dying to self for
Christ, but also being filled with His joy

Am I in enough trouble for
Jesus?
 Idols – anything replacing God being in
first place
 Our culture is hostile to Christ
 A radical life in Christ will be persecuted

We struggle against
 Our reluctant hearts
 The blinding allure of the world system
 The lies of the devil

The persecuted have a BIG
God
 Their crises force them to rely on God
 Two ways
 Deliverance
 Endurance

Faith that endures persecution

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