What Do You Remember?

Luke 22:
19And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

Matthew 26
27And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus, on the night he was betrayed to those who would have him crucified, washed his disciples feet, and had supper with His disciples. He said, “do this in remembrance of me”, because clearly he knew, as most of us have done one time or another, that we forget. We forget why we call Him Lord.

I’m going to play a video for us right now, probably one of the most accurate on screen depictions of Jesus’ time with the cross. It’s pretty graphic, but don’t allow yourself to take your eyes off of it. Don’t be like some of His disciples who fled and hid their eyes from what they thought was a sorry sight. Let us remember what Jesus was talking about in the broken bread, and poured out cup. “Do this in remembrance of me”, let us know what we’re remembering.

I remember everything that stood between me and God being placed on the perfectly innocent, the very Son of God. I remember that everything Jesus went through, all of that was originally meant for me. That agony, that torment, that anguish, I remember that that was my now and forever apart from Jesus. I remember, as the prophet said in Isaiah 53, he took up my infirmities, carried my sorrows, he was pierced for my transgressions, crushed for my iniquities. I remember that He was wounded, punished, chastised, rejected, led to the slaughter as a sacrifice for my sins. I remember He was oppressed, afflicted, judged for my rebellion by God own Father, who had to turn His eyes away and break ties with His own son.

But oh how I remember that through Jesus there is now peace between me and God. I will remember that I now walk with the creator, and fellowship daily with my maker. I will remember that my real destiny has been restored to me, the purpose, mission, love and joy that I was originally created for. I will remember that God loved me first, even when I was still a sinner, and by faith I live in His glory in this life and the next.

I will remember that Jesus is worth calling Lord. I remember what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:

Philippians 3
7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him

I will remember that all of this life, my degrees, my career, my relationships, my possessions, my future, everything in my life is rubbish, just garbage apart Christ. I will remember how often I forget that and pledge my allegiance to earthly things. I will pray to remember to do this gift of life in remembrance of Him. I will remember that Jesus Christ is my my Saviour, my Lord, my God.

Before this bread and this cup, what will you remember? Some of you will remember the moment you entered into God’s love, and how you’ve danced in it ever since. Some of you will remember, alarmingly perhaps, that for a long time now you haven’t felt anything close to love or  joy when you looked at the cross. Some of you will remember how being under Christ’s lordship has freed you from fear, anxiety, and hopelessness. Some of you are remembering that midterm or paper coming up, that grad school you’re working so hard to get into, that payment you need to make soon. “Do this in remembrance of me”. What will you remember? Tonight, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. What will you remember?

Still others of you have never walked with Jesus and don’t have anything to remember, and I do ask you to refrain from taking the bread and cup. I do want to tell you though, that journey of finding life with God that Amanda talked about at her baptism last week, you can start that journey today! I can’t promise that you can repeat a prayer and be guaranteed to be sealed for all eternity, there isn’t some magical chant that gets heaven into your pocket. Even this bread and cup is useless if the reality behind it, God’s act of sovereign, loving sacrifice, is not fully encountered and embraced.

But what I can tell you are the same words that Jesus told his disciples, ”Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” And so if you really want Jesus, and you’ve realized His love is worth living for, this community will commit to walking with you until God brings you through that door into His Kingdom. Talk to one of us, talk to someone you trust, the friend that you came with. Talk to them about it today, like in the next minute after I’m done talking. ‘cause to be real I don’t know if you have a tomorrow. Your step towards God’s love, towards eternity is here right now. Go grab your friend, grab one of us, talk about it pray about it with them.

So come, take the bread and cup, go back to your seats. Examine your hearts for idols which have claimed some of Christ’s Lordship, and pray over such with one another. Let us take communion in remembrance of no other love, of no other Lord, than Christ. Come take the bread and cup back to your seats, and we’ll take it together when everyone is ready.

Is Suffering Optional?

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, BUT... (Pt. 5/5)

I’m not implying that suffering is the mark of a Christian and we should all go out of here and look for suffering. But when you look at all of these scriptures that describes a life lived for Jesus, and you look at the comfortable, stable, well established lives we plan for and work hard to attain, I think we have to wrestle with the question of whether we’re really living for God. Or have we taken God’s blessings, and with them make a life for ourselves where we won’t need Him anymore? Where we’ve spent most of resources creating our own stability, our own provision, our own security. Rather than us dedicating our lives to God’s purposes in love and gratitude, we really only want God for our purposes, our goals, our ambitions. Degree, job, car, wife, house with a fence and a dog.

You know what’s really scary? All of those things we think are blessings, all of that provision, status, and security here on earth, Satan is just as capable of giving those to us. The devil said to Jesus when he was tempted in the dessert that I would give you the whole world and all its splendor if you’d bow down to me, if you’d just ignore and deny God.

The gospel message, salvation, is not that Jesus saved me and I get to have a picnic on a breezy summer day and have heaven as a cherry on top. The real gospel message is that what Jesus did on the cross for us, that’s worth it. That’s worth us, that’s worth our everything! That’s the message of salvation, that’s the message we’re to believe in and live by.

A lot of us who grew up in typical North American churches have this bulk of teaching about how following God brings earthly prosperity, “How to receive God’s best”, "Your Best Life Now", how God is for the good of those who love him, how He wants us to have life and have it to the full. Some even look at the genealogy records in the OT, the part where it says so and so begot so and so, and find this one guy named Jabez who asked for land and got it, so therefore we should have land. There’s even a book on that. Some of you throughout this sermon have been nodding and saying Amen, but I know some of you in your heads right now you’re scouring through every previous piece of teaching you’ve heard because you want to find something that will explain this whole sermon away. You know what, I did that too! This week I read every verse, every chapter these verses were in, just in case I missed some context thing, 2 sometimes 3 times, just to make sure this was for real. It’s as scary to me as it is to you.

Trust me, I don’t like pain, I don’t want to suffer either. I work in the government, the place that invented political correctness, where people are so polite a conversation of any substance gets you awkward looks. I don’t want to acknowledge or even know that following hard after Christ is going to result in chastisement, mockery and hurt. But you know what, if I really believed in Jesus I don’t get to put blinders on and pick and choose what I believe about him. A lot of stuff in this book I don’t want to believe, but I don’t get to tell God what He ought to be like, and how he ought to run His universe. And more and more I’m realizing Jesus died for me. He died so that I could stand before my maker, the one who gave me life, the one whose wrath used to be against me, ‘cause I took that life and said screw you, but now because of Jesus I could call God my Father and friend, and my eternity rests with Him. So come what may, come whatever, Jesus is worth it.

Question is, what’s Jesus worth to you? Let’s get real practical, is he worth a couple hours out of 1 day a week to go pray, to go to war, with some brothers and sisters in a prayer meeting? Doesn’t have to be with us, but is Jesus worth that to you? How ‘bout a small group or bible study where you can encourage and hold other brothers or sisters to living for God? How bout lovingly confronting the salvation, or lack there of, of those you’re close to? How bout confronting your own salvation? Is Jesus worth those awkward conversation to you?

And yes I know, you’re busy. Yes I know you’re tired. And yes, I work at the government so I have no idea what you’re going through. But who are you busy for? Who are you tired for? What’s Jesus worth to you?

I’m not talking about going out there and getting shot in the head, let’s start with small practical things. So in your time of prayer I really challenge you to commit to a change. I mean if this message spoke to you at all do something about it.

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, BUT... (Pt. 4/5)

1 Timothy 1:18

18This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare

This idea that following Christ’s calling is not a picnic, it’s a war. He’ll keep talking about it in the 2nd letter.

2 Timothy

1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God

2:3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Doesn’t get much clearer than that. So what does that say about those of us who are not at all close to being persecuted or suffering trials for Christ? A brother recently started to confront his own sister whether she was really saved. Maybe not hardcore persecution, but how ‘bout risking just awkward situations? The world loves its own.

Titus 1:10-11

10For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.

Philemon 13

13I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel

You know what, Apostle Paul could’ve lived a lot longer if he kept his mouth shut about Jesus, could’ve done more “ministry” even if he turned the volume down once in a while. But he wanted to proclaim Jesus, and Jesus was worth it to Paul.

Hebrews 13:12-13

12So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.

This verse just sends chills down my spine. The Jews wouldn’t crucify Jesus inside the city walls, they didn’t want that trash crucified on their property. So they nailed him to a cross outside the city gates, Golgotha, where the rejects, outcasts and scum live. The writer of Hebrews says, let’s go out there with him, carry the same reproach that he carried. I don’t want to stay inside the city and just blend in, my Lord and saviour hung out there on a cross. I love Jesus. I don’t want to just stay in here and be safe. I want to go out to him, bear the same reproach he bore. I want to go to the cross.

We sing that don’t we? Lead me to the cross? This is what that looks like.

James

1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

2:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Crown of life. The eternal crown. That’s what we’re persevering for, that’s why we live for Jesus. So count it all joy when trials and suffering happens, because we’re on that eternal path.

1 Peter

2:19-21 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

4:12-13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

We’re going to suffer if we follow God. We’re called to follow in Christ’s steps. It’s not just we suffer cause we messed up, everyone gets that. But that we’re called to wrestle with this world for its sake, for the world’s eternity, just as Christ suffered for our sake, for our eternity.

So yeah, don’t freak out when you do good and get garbage in return. Peter says don’t find that weird. We’re called to follow Christ’s example. So rejoice when we get to share in what Christ did, share that glory.

2 Peter 2:2-3

2And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

1 John 3:13

13Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.

John means hates you because you represent Christ, not because you’re just annoying. Lots of times people are pissed at me because I’m a jerk, not because I’m Christian. But to lovingly tell someone “Hey, that’s not what God says about that. And what you’re doing is leading you to an eternity in hell and I don’t want that for you.”

Sometimes we think that the world is just confused, if we just explained Christ to them, they’d love him. And that might be true for some, but there definitely are people who aren’t confused, who know what Christ represents, the love that is also sovereign, and will hate Him for that, hate us for sharing that. To love the world as Christ loved the world. some will hate us for it, we will suffer for it, just as Christ was hated and suffered for it. Don’t be surprised.

3 John 9-10

9I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

Jude 8

8Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.

This persecution will existing inside the church too. People are going to trash those of us who live hard for God’s glory.  3 John is talking about church. Jude is also talking about church, talking about false believers who will infiltrate the church and lead people astray. Some "churched" people will think living hard for God as too radical, too hard core, when they really just mean too inconvenient and too uncomfortable. 

They just won’t like it, they won’t like how the glorious ones reminds them of who they really are, of where they’re really at with God. They’ll want to cast out these real Godly people from the church.

Revelation 2:10

10Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, BUT... (Pt. 3/5)

Romans 8:16-18

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

You’ve got to be kidding me, there’s a second part to that verse? I didn’t even know there was a second part to this verse. Normally we just stop after “we’re co-heirs with Christ”. “provided that we suffer with him”.....What does that mean? What could that possibly mean?

But the Apostle Paul says, you know what, being with Christ means I suffer now, but compared to the glory revealed to me in heaven, all this stuff in present life is going to look insignificant, not even worth comparing. He’ll say it again in 1 Cor.

1 Corinthians 15:19,30-32

19If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

30Why are we in danger every hour? 31I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

He says, man if this life is all there is to live for, we’re like the world’s biggest suckers. We would’ve gotten beaten up, spat at, imprisoned, all for nothing. If this life is all there is, forget Christ, eat, drink, just spend everything on ourselves. Enjoy it all.

But then he says you know what, I know there’s a next life. So I’m living hard for God and I’m running the race not for the temporal for the eternal prize.

Funny thing is, how many of us would say that about our lives? I mean for most of us, even if heaven didn’t exist, we’re building for ourselves lives that would be pretty good. Are we sure we’re on the path for the eternal crown?

2 Corinthians 1:5-7

5For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Galatians 6:12

12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

So there are people who won’t get persecuted. Just to give you a little background, converts being circumcised appeased the Jews, who still cling to the law as salvation, who still cling to being circumcised as being converted to a Jew, and they’ve applied that to being Christian. Apostle Paul will speak out against this multiple times in his letters.

So there are people who won’t be persecuted, they’re the ones that avoid it. They’re the ones who just want to make a good showing, be bold when it’s convenient but otherwise not ruffle any feathers, or step on any toes. They’re the ones who don’t stand up for what’s right in God’s eyes.

Ephesians 6:11-12

11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Apostle Paul says that when you live for God, Satan is going to come after you. So you better put on the whole armour of God, everything that God gives for us to stand, ‘cause your life for Christ is going to be a battle against all of hell. How many of us feel this in our lives? Does the evil one even consider us worth targeting? Or is my allegiance so ambiguous, so watered down, that Satan doesn’t even need to bother.

Philippians 1:29

29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

Put that on a bump sticker. Why isn’t this in the 4 Spiritual Laws? I barely even read this passage before this sermon. When we share the gospel, why don’t verses like these come up? Oh yeah, cause that’s really gonna ruin the success rate. Come be saved! Come suffer. But that’s what it says. Is Jesus, is the Cross, worth it?

Colossians 1:24

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

Man, such an embodiment of love. Paul says that he rejoices in suffering, because if you can’t can’t see, can’t relate to Christ’s affliction, Christ’s love for you, then you can at least see mine. My love, my affliction, compelled by Jesus, for your sake. The love that compelled Christ to give his own life, I’m living out.

1 Thessalonians 3:4

4For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.

(1 Cor 8, says that the churches in Macedonia, Thessalonica is a republic in Macedonia, went through severe affliction). Apostle Paul kept telling the Thess, you’re going to suffer affliction for what you believe. You’re gonna get outcasted and beat up for proclaiming the name of Jesus.

He kept telling them, this is going to hard, all of hell is going to come after you. And I bet you the Thessalonians weren’t surprised when crap happens, not as some of us are. You read the rest of the letter and you see that they gave beyond their ability even in their affliction, ‘cause Paul told them, and they knew, they were running towards the eternal crown.

2 Thessalonians 1:5

5This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, BUT... (Pt. 2/5)

Matt 10:34-35

34 "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

I know this rings real close to home for some of you. But I want to encourage you it is not your fault. Jesus didn’t guarantee great family time. Jesus said that him coming, him doing what he was sent to do, families will have divided opinions about Him, will stand on opposite sides. We will continue to pray for God to break that bondage, but it is in fact because you are living for God, and your family is not, that friction is happening, not because you’re not loving enough or shining brightly enough.

Mark 8:34-36

34And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Jesus says to deny yourself. That your desires and ambitions, of living a certain way, having certain things, being of a certain status, you’ll have to forgo them to follow him. He says that those spend their lives attaining those things, who spend their lives on themselves, on attaining their own ambitions, will lose their life, will lose their eternity. But those of us who would just give up everything for the gospel, who would just lose our lives for Jesus, we would have life.

The verse in Luke is even clearer.

Luke 6:22-23

22"Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

24"But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25"Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 26"Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

This hit me hard. It’s like every we take as blessings Jesus says are woes, and everything we think as woes, Jesus thinks are blessings.

You know, when I stand up here there is a tendency to worry about what people think of me . Even for me. I know some of you think that I’m a real jerk and I don’t care about what anybody thinks. I do, I do want to people to speak well of me.

But I fight it, ‘cause 2 Tim 4:3-4 says that a time is coming when people will flock to teachers, false teachers, false prophets, who will tell them what they want to hear, and I don’t want to be that guy. That’s why I fight that worry. Sometimes it’s like I’m scared I’m not telling the whole truth if I’m not making some of you uncomfortable.

How bout you? Have you ever stood up for Christ? Have you ever lovingly stood up for Christ knowing it’ll make the situation uncomfortable? Or have you always appeased people, and not cause any trouble. That’s what the false prophets did in the OT too.

John 15:18-20

18 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20Remember 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 also keep yours.

Sometimes I wonder, how did John 3:16 get so popular? I mean this passage is in John too, These are also Jesus’ words. Why isn’t this in the 5 point gospel? It’s cause John 3:16 feels good. And I’m not denying there will good things in living for God. But for those of us who say we have Jesus, the things that we think are good, has that changed at all? Does my joy come from knowing that I am pouring my life out for the saviour that I love? Do I find my peace in knowing that I’m running for a crown that will never rot? Or are my good things still based on God helping me get a degree that will get me a great job, so I can have a nice house and go to a nice church?

In my 17 years at church I’ve read the NT at least a half dozen times and it’s like I’ve been taught to focus and draw all of our perspectives from like a dozen feel-good, “victorious” verses. It’s like we have blinders on and when we get to verses like these we don’t even see that wow, it really does say that if I’m chosen out of this world, if I’m really with God, I’ll be persecuted. This world of hoarding security and attaining status, this world and its system is going to hate me if I live for God. Not only that, if I’m not feeling any of that, if this world, if everything around me loves me, I have to be careful because maybe it’s just because I’m of the world.

Jesus said that people who really follow him would suffer and be persecuted. So guess what happens in Acts.

Acts 5:40-41

40and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Guess what, they get persecuted. And they rejoiced, just like Jesus said too: blessed are you when people hate you. I know I was like, “I don’t want that blessing”. It feels all backwards. I know that sounds weird, but that’s what it says. And the saved believers in the bible saw it that way too.

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, BUT... (Pt. 1/5)

Acts 7:54-60

54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Not sure how many of you have siblings, but me and Dorothy used to throw things at each other. In hindsight, I almost always instinctively picked up something that I knew was threatening, but not life threatening. So when I imagine the stoning of Stephen, I just thinking of people picking up smooth pebbles like they were going to skip them over a pond. Think about stoning for a sec. Take a moment and imagine this scene. Murderous people. They weren’t picking up smooth pebbles. Dozens of people were picking up jagged rocks and pitching them to this one guy in the middle of the circle, until he was literally a bloody carcus.

Which is what made Stephen’s response just crazy to me. In the middle of this circle, facing a choice between appeasing the crowd or facing certain death, he picked death. But not before he boldly proclaimed Jesus, which pretty much sealed his fate.

When we’ve been trying to be obedient to God, “do something for God”, we naturally expect to be rewarded somehow. So when we step out in faith and give beyond our means, or rep Jesus’ name and stand up for Him, and we just end up broke, judged, uncertain about our future, and outcasted from our relationships, we naturally think something is wrong. Like maybe we shouldn’t be so bold, or not so radical, or so black and white. The prayers we say to God is usually “Why am I suffering?” and “Please stop the suffering”.

But neither of those sentiments were even on the radar here. I mean Stephen wasn’t praying that the persecution would go away. When the church in Acts 5 got persecuted, got beaten up, they prayed for boldness to keep doing what got them beaten up in the first place. Suffering and persecution was something the Acts church embraced. They took it as an honour to suffer for the name of Jesus. They didn’t think it was weird at all.

So I got to thinking about why we think it’s weird when our lives don’t work the way we would like, when our lives seemingly turn out worse than the non-Christians around us. Isn’t God suppose to bless me and love me and take care of me more than these secular people? Then I bumped into this sermon on Youtube by Francis Chan, this bald, dirty ‘stached Chinese pastor. He gives me a lot of hope for teachers in the Kingdom that are Chinese. I mean hope as in we can also be bold and courageous, and utterly truthful about the Word, not hope in the bald mustache part.

We’re going on a survey of the earthly consequences of living for God as found in the Word, and I gotta confess, the content isn’t entirely original. Well, no sermon is really original, but the list of scriptures I got from Francis Chan’s “Is Suffering Optional?”. Look it up on Youtube. I wrestled with these scriptures all week, and I’m just giving an abbreviated version of what really hit me. So yeah, it’s on Youtube, look it up, he’s a lot funnier.

Some of you already resonate with these scriptures, and I’m not trying to make you feel like you’re not good enough or anything like that. But I know for a lot of us, myself included, haven’t really looked at these passages before. These verses aren’t popular. So today I really want us to encounter these often ignored passages that describes what living for God is like.