Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, October 28,

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

Memory Verse Phil 2:5, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.”

John 15:18-21 Obstructions to Divine Good Production: Reason #1: Satan’s Cosmic System hates the believer! Reason #2: We are not of this world-Election out from the World! Reason #3: “The servant is not greater than his Lord,” therefore we too will have persecutions! John 15:18-21 Obstructions to Divine Good Production: Reason #1: Satan’s Cosmic System hates the believer! Reason #2: We are not of this world-Election out from the World! Reason #3: “The servant is not greater than his Lord,” therefore we too will have persecutions!

Reason # 4 – John 15:21: “The Cosmos does not know God and is ignorant to His Plan.”

Doctrine of Persecutions

I. Definition

A. English Definition 1. To oppress or harass with ill-treatment.

2. To treat someone extremely badly, or to refuse them equal rights, especially because of their race, religion, or political beliefs.

3. To frequently or persistently annoy or threaten someone, even of death.

B. From a Biblical perspective. 1. The hatred and affliction that follows the witness and holy life of God’s people in a hostile world.

2. It is a conflict in which the fallen angels are pitted against God, against the elect angels and against believers.

3. The angelic conflict has shifted gears; every believer is now the target in the Angelic Conflict, which has greatly intensified.

II. Etymology Greek - DIOGMOS and DIOKO (to pursue): Mat 13:21, Mark 10:30; 4:17; Acts 8:1; Mat 5:10, 12; John 15:20

Hebrew – MURDAPH and RADAPH (to pursue): Isa 14:6; Job 19:22, 28; Deut 30:7

III. Persecution in the Old Testament Times

A. Jesus said to the Pharisees that innocent blood had been shed in those times, and that they were showing themselves heirs to their fathers who had persecuted the righteous.

“From the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah”, Mat 23:34-36; Luke 11:51.

B. In Acts 7:52 Stephen accused the Pharisees of the same, “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.”

C. The writer of Hebrews listed many individuals who suffered persecution: Abel, at the hands of Cain; Joseph by his brothers; David by Saul. Elijah was forced to flee for his life, 1 Kings 19, …

Jeremiah was dropped into a well, Jeremiah 38, Amos was driven out of the sanctuary, Amos 7, and Daniel was thrown to the lions, Daniel 6.

D. As a nation, Israel experienced persecution all during its existence, especially during the period of the Maccabees, (168 through 163 B.C.).

IV. Persecutions in the period between the close of the Old Testament and the coming of Christ.

A. Believing Jews endured persecutions during this period because of their refusal to embrace idolatry, and of their faithfulness to the Mosaic Law and the true worship of God.

During that time there were many who were true martyrs and heroes of faith. For example:

1. The Maccabees, were among those who were as Daniel stated in Dan 11:32, “The people who know their God will display strength and take action.”

2. Jonathan the Jewish high priest said, “We have no need of human help having for our comfort the sacred Scriptures which are in our hands”, 1 Macc 12:9.

3. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, persecutions during the Jewish Dispensation are summed up in Heb 11:36-38.

Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, October 28, 2010 Tape # Obstructions to Divine Good Production, Part 13 Persecution, Part 4 Upper Room Discourse, Part 432 John 15:21; Heb 11:36-38 Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, October 28, 2010 Tape # Obstructions to Divine Good Production, Part 13 Persecution, Part 4 Upper Room Discourse, Part 432 John 15:21; Heb 11:36-38 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010