Grace Fellowship Grace Fellowship ChurchChurch

Pastor/TeacherPastor/TeacherJim RickardJim Rickard

Tuesday, Tuesday, November 2, 2010November 2, 2010

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

DoxologyDoxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him, all creatures here below;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.—Amen.Amen.

Memory VerseMemory Verse

Phil 2:5, Phil 2:5, “Have this attitude in “Have this attitude in

yourselves which was also yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.”in Christ Jesus.”

John 15:18-21John 15:18-21 Obstructions to Divine Good Production:Obstructions to Divine Good Production:

Reason #1:Reason #1: Satan’s Cosmic System hates the Satan’s Cosmic System hates the believer! believer!Reason #2:Reason #2: We are not of this world-Election We are not of this world-Election

out from the World! out from the World!Reason #3:Reason #3: “The servant is not greater than “The servant is not greater than his Lord,” therefore we too will have his Lord,” therefore we too will have persecutions! persecutions!Reason #4:Reason #4: “The Cosmos does not know “The Cosmos does not know God and is ignorant to His Plan.” God and is ignorant to His Plan.”

Doctrine of PersecutionsDoctrine of PersecutionsPaul warned of persecution Paul warned of persecution

with encouragement.with encouragement.1 Cor 4:12-13; 2 Cor 4:7-1 Cor 4:12-13; 2 Cor 4:7-10; Gal 4:29; 2 Tim. 3:1210; Gal 4:29; 2 Tim. 3:12

VII. Various Forms of VII. Various Forms of Persecution in the Early Persecution in the Early

Church.Church.

A. Persecutions would take A. Persecutions would take different forms from false different forms from false accusation to the infliction accusation to the infliction

of death, and beyond. of death, and beyond.

B. The early Church was B. The early Church was primarily persecuted by the primarily persecuted by the

established religion of established religion of Jewish Sadducees and Jewish Sadducees and

Pharisees.Pharisees.Acts 4:1-3; 5:17-18Acts 4:1-3; 5:17-18

C. As Christianity C. As Christianity expanded various heathens expanded various heathens also persecuted those who also persecuted those who

witnessed for Christ. witnessed for Christ. (Fox’s Book of Martyrs)(Fox’s Book of Martyrs)

D. The methods of D. The methods of persecution included: persecution included:

1. Men would revile them 1. Men would revile them and would say all kinds of and would say all kinds of evil against them falsely, evil against them falsely,

for Christ’s sake, Mat 5:11. for Christ’s sake, Mat 5:11.

2. Contempt and 2. Contempt and disparagement, Mat 10:25; disparagement, Mat 10:25;

John 8:48.John 8:48.

John 8:48, John 8:48, “Do we not say rightly that “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and You are a Samaritan and

have a demon?” have a demon?”

Mat 10:25, Mat 10:25, “If they have called the head “If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how of the house Beelzebul, how much more much more will they malignwill they malign

the members of his the members of his household!”household!”

3. They were forcibly 3. They were forcibly separated from others and separated from others and

expelled from the expelled from the synagogues, Luke 6:22; synagogues, Luke 6:22;

John 16:2.John 16:2.

Luke 6:22, Luke 6:22, “Blessed are you when men “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, hate you, and ostracize you,

and insult you, and scorn and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.”sake of the Son of Man.”

4. Illegal arrest and 4. Illegal arrest and plundering of goods, and plundering of goods, and

death itself.death itself.

5. In the case of Christ, 5. In the case of Christ, persecution took the form of:persecution took the form of:

a. Attempts to entrap Him a. Attempts to entrap Him in His speech, Mat 22:15. in His speech, Mat 22:15.

a. Attempts to entrap Him a. Attempts to entrap Him in His speech, Mat 22:15. in His speech, Mat 22:15.

b. The questioning of His b. The questioning of His authority, Mark 11:28. authority, Mark 11:28.

c. Illegal arrest. c. Illegal arrest.

c. Illegal arrest. c. Illegal arrest.

d. Every insult imaginable, d. Every insult imaginable, false accusations, and a false accusations, and a cruel and violent death. cruel and violent death.

B. All of these methods B. All of these methods were foretold and came to were foretold and came to

pass. The loyal disciple pass. The loyal disciple would have to endure them would have to endure them

too, Mat 23:34; John too, Mat 23:34; John 16:2b.16:2b.

Mat 23:34, Mat 23:34, “Therefore, behold, I am sending “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will scribes; some of them you will

kill and crucify, and some of them kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your you will scourge in your

synagogues, and persecute from synagogues, and persecute from city to city.”city to city.”

John 16:2b, John 16:2b, “But an hour is coming for “But an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to everyone who kills you to think that he is offering think that he is offering

service to God.”service to God.”

VIII. Persecutions were VIII. Persecutions were primarily instigated by primarily instigated by the legalistic Jews in the the legalistic Jews in the

early Church.early Church.

A. After our Lord’s A. After our Lord’s resurrection the first resurrection the first attacks against His attacks against His

disciples came from the disciples came from the high priest and his party, high priest and his party,

the Sadducees….the Sadducees….

… … because they did not because they did not believe in resurrection and believe in resurrection and the apostles “proclaimed in the apostles “proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from Jesus the resurrection from the dead”, Acts 4:2; 5:17. the dead”, Acts 4:2; 5:17.

E. Serious persecution of E. Serious persecution of the Church began with the Church began with

Stephen’s stoning death, Stephen’s stoning death, Acts 7:1-60. Acts 7:1-60.

This lawless execution was This lawless execution was followed by “a great followed by “a great persecution” directed persecution” directed

against the Christians in against the Christians in Jerusalem. Jerusalem.

1. This “great persecution”, 1. This “great persecution”, Acts 8:1, scattered the Acts 8:1, scattered the

church who fled in order to church who fled in order to avoid bonds and avoid bonds and

imprisonment and death. imprisonment and death.

2. Saul (who later became 2. Saul (who later became Paul) established himself Paul) established himself

amongst the Pharisees and amongst the Pharisees and Sadducees by persecuting Sadducees by persecuting “this Way to the death…” “this Way to the death…”

Acts 22:4Acts 22:4

C. The Apostle James was C. The Apostle James was slain with the sword by slain with the sword by

Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:2. Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:2.

C. The Apostle James was C. The Apostle James was slain with the sword by slain with the sword by

Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:2. Herod Agrippa, Acts 12:2.

Peter was imprisoned, and Peter was imprisoned, and delivered by an angel, Acts delivered by an angel, Acts

12:7-11.12:7-11.

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchTuesday, November 2, 2010Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Tape # 10-120Tape # 10-120

Obstructions to Divine Good Production, Part 15Obstructions to Divine Good Production, Part 15Persecution, Part 6Persecution, Part 6

Upper Room Discourse, Part 434Upper Room Discourse, Part 434

John 15:21; Acts 7:1-60; 8:1-5, 22:4 John 15:21; Acts 7:1-60; 8:1-5, 22:4 

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010