With that being said, I wish that you were reading the book which I mentioned this morning – “Mila 18.” It’s not an uplifting book, sure to bring you close to the Lord, increasing your faith and service to God. In fact, it could accomplish the opposite – depending on your spiritual state and state of mind. As I said this morning, the things which befell the Polish Jews in 1939, could very easily fall upon us today. And its in that light, coming to these verses, that they weigh down upon my soul. Unfortunately, you are not reading that book, and so these verses may not mean the same thing to you that they mean to me at the moment. There are just two primary points to this message, but there are nearly two dozen sub-points. Most of them are self-explanatory, so we may not be here as long as you fear – or as long as we could be.
Before we get to those two points, I must ask one very important question: For whom was this chapter intended? If we answer that the Lord Jesus was speaking only to His twelve Apostles, then we might cut this really short, and we could all go home happy and full. However, if Christ was speaking to us as well as the twelve, then the serious nature of this subject should demand that we stop and stay awhile. A second question would then have to be: Did all of the things mentioned in these twenty-seven verses fall on the original twelve? I am persuaded that they did suffer through many of these things, but we don’t have proof of that. And if that is the case – again – shouldn’t that give us some serious concern?
A study of Baptist history, shows that what these verses describe, has been poured out upon our forefathers off and on for the past two thousand years. And it appears to me that some of these things will befall the saints of God just prior to the Tribulation. Together this means that you and your grandchildren could face the sufferings that this chapter describes. And even if the full force of this persecution does not come upon us, some of these things in a limited sort of way have already been felt by some in this room. There is good reason to expect that every aspect of Jesus’ revelation will be poured out upon us. And if you choose to deny it, sticking your head in the sand, let me remind you that in 1935 very few expected the Holocaust.
I have read and re-read this chapter, with pen in hand, watching for two things – First, I was looking for Christ’s description of the upcoming persecution that His disciples would face. And then I wanted to find those things which they could do to prepare themselves for it. And I repeat – there is very good reason to prepare ourselves for these same sort of things.
Notice the persecutions which would fall upon the saints.
First the Lord describes us, at least in the eyes of the ungodly, as prey. Verse 16 – “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.” What does a wolf see, when it looks at a flock of sheep? He sees supper – helpless and defenseless fast food. Recently, I was sitting across the table from a retired professor of chemistry from Whitworth University. Because it is a Presbyterian school, I was expecting a nominal Christian man, but that was not the case. He was an unbelieving, ultra- liberal, who almost spat out his hatred of Bible-believing people. For example he said that “everybody knows that homosexuality is caused by biological chemistry.” He didn’t say that it was “a chemical imbalance” – but just a different human chemistry. Like a wolf, the man was ready to virtually kill, shred, chew up, and devour those imbecile evangelicals, who might say that “homosexuality is a sin.” I’m glad that the subject didn’t turn to abortion, capital punishment or salvation by grace through faith. As a superior type of human being, at the intellectual top of the food chain, that man was ready to devour stupid and weak sheep like you and me. That was the Catholic attitude towards our forefathers; it was the Nazi attitude toward the Jews, and it could very well become the official attitude towards God’s saints again someday soon.
And when that day comes we shall be apprehended and arranged as criminals and lunatics. Verses 17-18 – “But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.” Please notice that these charges against us will come from both government and religion – councils, synagogues, kings and governors. Universities and public opinion are poisoning the government, and Satanic seminaries continue to poison the modernistic church. Perhaps for a while we will be brought before them to give an answer and a testimony. But eventually we shall simply be scourged and beaten, incarcerated as lunatics, and ultimately executed. Read the histories of the Waldensians and other Baptistic people; read “Mila 18.”
And of course underlying these attacks will be simple Satanic hatred. Verses 21-22 – “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” Verse 36 – “A man’s foes shall be they of his own household.” Read Samuel Morland’s book, “The History of Churches of the Valley’s of the Piedmont,” and you will see the uncontrolled hatred of God’s enemies. There may be many reasons why someone would deliver his brother to be put to death, but hatred has to be one of them – remember Cain and Abel. But of course, while it may not be personal hatred towards us, it certainly will be hatred toward Christ. “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.”
Defamation of the out-and-out Christian is already a part of the world’s arsenal against us. Verse 25 – “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” I was not called “Beelzebub” two Saturday’s ago, but the man came relatively close. He did spit out the word “evangelical” with a malevolency that was palpable. I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear him precede the word with a wicked and degrading adjective or two. “Mila 18″ is filled with those gross and unworthy epithets, like “filthy,” “detestable.,” “stupid,” and “diseased.”
Of course, the ultimate end of the persecution will be death. Verse 28 – “Fear not them which kill the body.” Verse 39 – “He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” The reference to the falling sparrow implies that there will be deaths. During the Lord’s initial charge to His disciples, he tells them they will be hated to the point of death. That doesn’t seem like a very helpful way to start a new religion. That isn’t the way to make and keep disciples and workers. But what the Lord was telling those twelve men was true, and most of them suffered some of these things. Furthermore these things have often come up in the subsequent history of the Lord’s Church. And they will come up again, perhaps in our personal futures as well.
How can someone prepare for such persecution?
Summarizing what the Lord tells us in these verses, I think that we need to stick with the word “preparation.” It is an ancient proverb, but it is true – “to be forewarned is to be forearmed.” I find at least a dozen things in these verses which help to prepare us for what is to come. For example, there is the simple fact that when Jesus commissioned those disciples He told them up front that they would suffer. Isn’t the fact that Christ knows somewhat comforting? If those words were coming from me – weak and helpless me – they might be nothing but terrifying. But they are coming from the lips of the One whom we know to be omnipotent as well as omniscient.
And those two attributes remind us that there is a theological preparation. The more steeped we are in the person of the Lord, the better prepared we will be. For example, never forget that the Lord knows all things – He really is omniscient. He who has numbered every hair on your head knows every detail of what falls upon us. And He who knows when a sparrow falls knows when we are felled. “Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” And while you meditate upon the Lord’s omniscience don’t forget His omnipotence and sovereignty. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We also know that the Lord will hold the wicked accountable – even for those things which they do against God’s saints. In addition to these things never forget God’s love and care for each and every one of His saints. Ye are infinitely more valuable than the largest flock of God’s most beautiful sparrows. “For whom he did foreknow (you) he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” When the persecution comes “cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.” Oh, that we were more familiar with the Psalms, because there we read David’s testimony of these things, and he was man well familiar with the hatred of God’s enemy.
Flowing out of what we know of the Lord, there should be an abiding and growing love. This is not something which we need only for the day of persecution; we need it constantly. But when the world goes mad, and society begins to collapse upon us as saints of God, we need the strength which can only be found in love towards God. “The brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.” “I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” How much do you love God – really? If the unthinkable took place, and a family member turned you in to the gestapo, could you still say that you love God?
We need to be mentally and spiritually prepared for what might be ahead. “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” Conflict is the nature of the business of Christ. “For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” Christendom’s ideas about easy-believism and easy-Christian-living may be common in the hearts of man, but they are not to be found in the Bible.
And part of that mental preparation involves at least a generally prepared response. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” How many times have you been surprised by someone’s attitude – either joyful or hateful. And because of your surprise, your response was off the cuff and surprised even yourself? Was it the best possible response? Notice the word “therefore” in verse 16 –“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” The Lord is not telling us respond spitting venom, but to react with wisdom and meekness. Are you prepared to be meek before those who hate you? That may take preparation on your part. Notice that this is supposed to be your initial response, before the Lord mentions anything else. That is, we are suppose to behave the way in which He responded to His persecution.
Part of our preparation should be a readiness to surrender. I’m not thinking about surrender to the enemy, but surrender to the Lord. Verse 19 – “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” This is a difficult verse for me. I am not a spontaneous sort of person; I like to have a map in front of me; maybe I lack proper faith. But clearly, the Lord is saying, when these things fall upon you, give the Holy Spirit liberty to direct you.
Verses 22 and 23 remind us to remind ourselves never to give up hope. This is one of the many themes in that book by Leon Uris. Many of those Jews gave up all hope, and as a result they died long before they died. Some were on the verge of losing hope, but they got it back through various means – faith, love, even circumstances. Let’s make sure that we maintain our hope, but make sure that it is rooted in the Lord. “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” Never let it leave your mind or heart that the Lord Jesus is coming again. One of our watch words ought to be “Maranatha” – our Lord comes. Perhaps we should even use the verbal pair “Anathama Maranatha” – “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”
Verse 23 also suggests another plan of action when we see that the gestapo, KGB, or the corrupted FBI is over the hill and heading our direction. “When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another.” There will always be those people who say that it is cowardly to flee or retreat, and sometimes that is the case. But without a doubt the Lord Jesus grants His approval in certain circumstances.
I thought about making our next point a part of my introduction, but I’ve saved it until now. Part of our preparation ought to be that everything which is prophesied to fall upon the disciples and upon the rest of us, befell the Lord Jesus first. The realization that we are never alone can be a most helpful thought. “There hath no temptation (or trial, or persecution) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.“ To know that others have suffered, or are suffering with us can be a comforting thought. But more important than that is the realization that Christ is always with us in persecution. “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” Before Paul was persecuted, he was Saul the persecutor of the church of Christ. At the time of his conversion, the Lord said “in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” How was he persecuting Christ? By persecuting the people of the Lord. Just as you have identified with Christ in salvation, Christ identifies with you. Praise God from whom this blessing flows.
I am sure that we could subdivide these verses into more parts, but let me conclude with what may be the most helpful point. No matter how bad things become, never forget that it will all be resolved according to the eternal decree of God. “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” I go back to the message from this morning, “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Don’t let the world and the devil, divert you from the Lord or from your love for the Lord. “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
And one final word – The prescription which the Lord gives to us here, was originally given in the context of persecution. But even prior to that, the Lord was talking about the ministry. These things are not only good for when the days are bad; they are good for today. They can be a blessing to us in persecution, but they are what we need in any sort of ministry.