Dangerous Testimony: In the Open

Acts 16:11–15 11After we put out to sea from Troas, we sailed straight to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. 12From there we went to Philippi, which is a leading city in that part of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for a number of days. 

13On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate alongside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and began to talk to the women who had gathered there. 14A woman named Lydia, who worshipped God, was listening. She was a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. The Lord opened her heart to pay close attention to what Paul was saying. 15When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. 

St. John reminds you, “This then is [God’s] command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and that we love one another just as he commanded us. Amen. (1 John 3:18)

While in the seaport city of Troas, the apostle Paul received a vision of a man of Macedonia begging him “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). There are no discussions, no committee meetings, no master planning – Paul and his compassions of Timothy, Silas and Luke – simply go to Macedonia. 

They traveled to Philippi – a very Roman city with very few Jews in it. Paul’s usual starting place for engaging the culture was to begin in the synagogue. Since there was no synagogue, Paul went to the river. Jews would often gather at a river for prayer and ceremonial washings on the Sabbath. Paul and his companions conversed with the women there and shared the gospel of Jesus with them.

One of the women was named Lydia. She was a proselyte – a Gentile who worshiped the God of Israel.

St. Luke tells us that the Lord opened Lydia’s heart. We aren’t told the exact message Paul preached but we can surmise that he preached the crucified and resurrected Christ.

The Holy Spirit didn’t only work faith in Lydia, but also the members of Lydia’s household. Since the river was right there, Lydia and the other women received baptism as a seal of their faith. Lydia then persuaded the missionaries to use her home as a base of operations for their mission work in Philippi. 

I know we are blessed to have a lot of visitors today – in the sanctuary and online – as we celebrate the confirmation of fifteen young people. Something you’ll hear me talk about constantly in catechism classes, Bible studies and sermons is our need to engage with the culture. St. Paul engaged in his culture by taking the gospel to the synagogues for the Jews and the meeting places for the Gentiles or out in the open for Gentile converts to Judaism.

Paul preached Jesus wherever he went and to whomever he met. He wasn’t afraid to share the testimony about Jesus and Jesus’ affect on his own personal life. But this testimony often became dangerous as Paul was chased, arrested, imprisoned and stoned for giving his testimony. When you read the rest of Acts 16, after Paul and Silas left Lydia’s house, they used Jesus’ name to cast a demon out of a little girl. The apostles were thrown in prison for it.

There is a debate in Christianity – right now and for quite a while – on what to do with the whole issue of culture.

On the one side there are those within Christianity who look at the world around them, see the sin that so pervades the culture and decide that the only right thing to do is completely disengage from it. These folks dress differently, listen to different music, and watch different TV. Maybe they have stopped watching sports and paying attention to politics. They see the darkness encroaching and shelter themselves away from it. They are working hard to protect themselves and their children from the worldliness and evil that is increasingly encroaching on their families. They say, “live and let life” and hopefully they can be left alone.

On the other hand, there are those who overemphasize the importance of cultural engagement by making themselves look just like the culture. These folks unthoughtfully consume everything that everyone around them consumes – TV, movies, music, social media. Churches even do this by having pastors dress casually to preach and worship services filled with musical styles that are popular in the current culture. Then Christians look and act very much like the culture that is surrounding them.

You see there are elements of truth in both tendencies. But the way to engage the culture is not in our dress or our sports or our music.

So, what should we do? Learn from St. Paul. Engage the culture by being countercultural. There is nothing more counter to any culture than the cross of Christ.

This is what St. Paul had to say about preaching the cross: “We preach Christ crucified—which is offensive to Jews and foolishness to Greeks, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). 

Confirmands, you are going to be tempted to give up the vows you’re making today so you can fit in with the culture around you. The darkness threatens to envelope you … all of you. Pagans are no longer satisfied with you saying, “Live and let live.” They want absolute obedience to their woke theology. You must openly confess acceptance of everything they say and do. Otherwise, they will bully you, cancel you and destroy you.

Whether you are being confirmed today or you were confirmed decades ago, pray for the Holy Spirit to keep you strong and steadfast to your confirmation vows. To remain faithful – even to the point of death – rather than fall away from your baptismal and confirmation faith.

Engage the culture. That doesn’t mean you need to talk about sexuality or gender or race or anything else that’s consuming the culture right now. To be countercultural, just preach Christ crucified.

Here’s the thing – the cross is scandalous; it’s foolish it’s weak. Think about the message we are presenting to the world. 

God saw that before each of us took our first breath, we were sinful. We were sinful from the moment of conception. The moment we began living in our mother’s womb, we were also waiting to die and be buried in the cemetery. As sinners, we were destined to hell where we must suffer an eternity of unquenchable fire.

To save us, the God who breathed the universe into existence and holds every galaxy in the palm of his hand, left the perfection of heaven to come to this world of sin and death. The Son of God was born of woman as an infant, taking his first breaths as God and Man in one person. Jesus did not come to blast away evil. He didn’t ride in to conquer. He didn’t come with legions of angels to destroy the culture. 

Jesus came as a Light shining in the darkness. He made himself poor, taking the nature of a servant, having no place to lay his head … except on a cross. Instead of killing sinners, Jesus became like them (except without sin in himself). He stopped breathing on the cross and gave up his spirit. He displayed his divine and sacrificial love for sinful humanity by laying down his life for those he came to save.  

Do you hear how foolish this all sounds to the unbeliever?

God becoming a Man.

Salvation from death by dying.

Glory in the shame of the cross.

In his culture, Paul spoke to Greeks who were influenced by wisdom and philosophy. They saw their gods as distant and unfeeling. 

There are many in our culture who see God the same way – as distant and uncaring. This kind of deity is convenient for them because that gives them an excuse to be spiritual but not religious. Their make-believe god doesn’t care about morality or accountability.

Here is where you go out in the open and preach your testimony – a testimony that can become dangerous to you. Because its message appears weak and foolish.

We heard from St. John today that you are not only to love with word and tongue, but also in action and truth (1 John 3:18). With word and tongue, with your actions and truth, give people what they so desperately need.

A Christ who pierces their darkness of sin with the Light of salvation.

The Way, Truth and Life in their lives of confusion, anger and death.

Instead of a god who is distant and unfeeling, this God is so invested in his creation that he takes on their flesh.

Rather than a god who doesn’t care about morality and accountability, the true God made himself accountable to his own heavenly Father – drinking the cup of wrath and being baptized with humanity’s sufferings (Mark 10:48). 

St. Paul tells you confirmands of all ages, “Proclaim this foolish, weak and scandalous message. Then watch God work to meet his people where they’re at and save them.”

Look at what happened when Paul preached Christ crucified in the open by Philippi’s river. Lydia and her household were baptized. Lydia made her house the base of operations for the apostles’ mission work.

What happens when the message of Christ crucified is preached in our homes, school, and our new church with two campuses?

Since January of 2020, the Lord has blessed us with baptizing 8 children and adults, confirming 9 children and confirming 14 adults. That’s amazing! Those are mission church numbers! Today we confirm 15 more children. There are more adults and children who will be baptized and confirmed soon. 

We pray that the Lord of the Church has great things in store for his Church on earth – and specifically here in Racine and Caledonia as we become a base of operations for mission work to our community. This is what happens when God’s people take their testimony of Christ crucified into the open.

The cross is counter cultural because it takes the whole ball of wax out of our control.

Paul gives us the reason why. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. … God chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are strong, and God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things, and the things that are not, to do away with the things that are, so that no one may boast before God. (1 Corinthians 1:18, 27-29)

We aren’t told exactly what Paul preached to Lydia and the women at the river. But we can properly assume he preached Christ’s cross. The cross takes away all human boasting because it is all God who does the work! Because there at the cross, Jesus wins for us righteousness (how? By offering up his perfect life in our place). There at the cross, Jesus wins for us sanctification (connecting the branches to the Vine). There at the scandalous cross, Jesus redeems, buys back a world of fools and weaklings and makes them his brothers and sisters.

In short, the cross means that God does it all and that we are entirely dependent upon his grace.

Confirmands, don’t just be a picture on the wall in the church basement. Go out into the open in high school, college, the workplace, your home and community. Preach Christ crucified. Don’t ever stop. Engage the culture by preaching Christ crucified. There isn’t a message on earth more countercultural than that. Amen. 

Jesus encourages you, “My Father is glorified by this: that you continue to bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:8) Amen. 

Dangerous Testimony: Dangerous to Believers

At about that time, King Herod laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.b 3When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter during the days of Unleavened Bread

4After arresting Peter, Herod put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. Herod intended to bring him before the people for trial after the Passover. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church earnestly offered up prayer to God for him.

6The very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was bound with two chains, while sentries were in front of the door, guarding the prison.

7Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood near him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel woke Peter up by striking him on the side, saying, “Quick, get up!” The chains fell from his wrists.

8Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” So he did so. Then the angel told him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” 9Peter went out, following the angel, but he did not realize that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. 10When they had passed through the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. It opened all by itself for them.d They went outside, walked down one street, and immediately the angel left him.

11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”

12When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is also called Mark.f Many had gathered there and were praying. 13When Peter knocked at the entrance gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14She recognized Peter’s voice and was so overjoyed, she did not open the gate. Instead she ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

15They told her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept on insisting it was so, and they started saying, “It’s his angel.”

16Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17Peter motioned to them with his hand to be silent and described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. He said, “Tell these things to Jamesh and to the brothers.” Then he left and went on to another place.

18At daybreak, there was no small commotion among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19After Herod searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Testimony about Christ is dangerous.

1. Testimony about Christ is dangerous to believers.

2. Testimony about Christ is dangerous to unbelievers.

INTRO

Today’s sermon is another chapter in our series on dangerous testimony. In the story of Herod Agrippa against the apostles we see two main points:

Testimony about Christ is dangerous to believers.

Testimony about Christ is dangerous to unbelievers.

Since we have already heard the sermon text I will just remind you of the main points (above)

First

1. Testimony about Christ is dangerous to believers.

Our text begins with dangerous hatred of Herod. He had a family history of dangerous hatred. His grandpa Herod the Great had killed the babies at Bethlehem. Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas, had killed John the Baptist. Now in the third generation this Herod, Herod Agrippa, carries on the family tradition. He persecuted the people of the church and murdered the apostle James. He planned to pour out his hatred further and win popularity with the leaders of Israel by putting Peter in prison to wait a charade of the trial and execution. The only weapon the church had to stop him was prayer which they undertook whole heartedly. 

The second event of our text is divine intervention and a miraculous delivery. As Peter sleep soundly on the night before his planned execution, chained between two soldiers in a heavily guarded prison, suddenly he was awakened by a heavenly light. He saw an angel beside him. The chain fell off him and at the angel’s command, he got dressed and got ready to leave. He passed by one guard post and then another. Not a soldier stirred. Peter walked on like a sleepwalker in a dream. The iron gate of the prison swung open and Peter found himself standing alone in the street. Perhaps it was the cold night air that snapped him to attention but Peter now wide awake said, “I know for sure that God has sent his angel and rescued me. 

The third stage of our text was a happy reunion and many more years of testimony. Peter headed for the meeting place of the church in the home of Mary, the mother of Mark, the future evangelist, the companion of Peter. At Mary’s house the church was gathered in prayer for Peter. They did not yet realized that they could stop praying because their prayers had been answered. A servant girl named Rhoda went to the door but got so excited to see Peter that she forgot to let him in.  She ran off to tell the congregation, but they thought she was crazy. It was surely not Peter. Maybe it was his guardian angel. (People in that time seemed to think that people had guardian angels that looked like them. The Bible does not say this, though there are angels who watch over us.)

But still there was this loud banging at the door. They were all amazed as Peter stood in their midst. After the congregation had heard the good news and I am sure songs and prayers of thanks and hugs and embraces, Peter left for another place (maybe Antioch in Syria). He continued to give his testimony for another thirty years or so. He wrote two epistles of the New Testament and delivered his testimony to Mark to preserve in his Gospel. After these years of service, if tradition is correct, Peter suffered a martyr’s death in Rome. James’ brother John lived on for 25 or 30 years after the death of Peter until he had written his Gospel, three epistles, and Revelation and the NT was complete,

James testimony was brief. He wrote no books but testified through his death. Peter testified another 30 years; John another 25 or 30 years after that. All of them completed the testimony God had assigned for them. Then they enjoyed the same salvation. It will be the same for us.

Second

1. Testimony about Christ is dangerous to unbelievers when they oppose it.

God puts an end to their opposition. The soldiers who were holding Peter for his execution were instead, executed themselves. Our text is already pretty long, but we actually need to read a bit farther—in the verses right after our text Herod himself is put to death by an angel for his blasphemy against God. 

You can think of many other examples of how opposition to God’s word brought danger to his enemies. Perhaps the first such person that comes to mind in the Bible is Pharaoh of Egypt and the ten plagues. In more recent times, I believe that the prayers of the persecuted Christians were one of the things that brought down the mighty Soviet Union after only 70 years of opposition to God. I am sure you can list many other examples ancient and modern.

When the gospel train is rushing through the world, there are only two possible outcomes. You can climb on board and be carried to safety, or you will be run over if you stand in the way or left behind if you stand aside. 

But today I am thinking about another way in which the gospel is dangerous. As we have been going through this series about dangerous testimony, have you ever asked yourself “why does the world hate the gospel so much? It does not make sense—the gospel is so beautiful; it offers free gifts. I can’t understand why they hate it.”

The reason they hate the gospel is that gospel can’t be stopped in spite of their most devilish efforts. Near the end of this story in our text it says “24But the word of God continued to grow and increase.”

People realize that the gospel is dangerous because it overpowers all the systems of the world. It sweeps aside heathen religions. It testifies against corrupt rulers. Just as the corrupt leaders of Israel realized that their evil system could not stand along side Jesus, the leaders who opposed the apostles realized there could be no compromise between Christ’s system of salvation and theirs.  It is the same today.

At one of Paul’s many trials this accusation was thrown at him. “This is the man who causes trouble all over the world.”  Was Paul guilty as charged? Absolutely! Almost every time Paul preached somewhere trouble followed. Paul’s message was simply too dangerous to Pharisaic pride and to useless idols and their priests to be ignored. This is true whenever the gospel confronts the religious and moral systems of the world.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to debate against a Muslim scholar on the topic “who is Jesus?” In the aftermath of that debate I was invited to attend the local mosque several times during the festival of Ramadan. The disagreement between us was day and night, but in general the tone of discussion was polite. But one time as I entered the mosque, a man grabbed me and was shaking me and yelling, and pandemonium followed. When my hosts came to my rescue and dragged attacker off to the corner to glare at me the rest of the night, they said, “We are sorry this happened to you our guest, but surely you understand what a dangerous man you are.” I was momentarily surprised but I quickly realized they were absolutely right—I was very dangerous, not me personally but the words I spoke. The love and forgiveness of Christ are the only thing that can overcome Islam or any other false religion. If I came and said, “Islam is a nice religion and Christianity is a nice religion and I like them both,” we could always enjoy the feast together. But members of the mosque were beginning to ask, “You mean God is a Father who loves me and forgives my sins. I never heard such a thing.” The leaders of the mosque realized that  made me very dangerous—I was dangerous to their religion, to their family unity, to their whole system. The gospel could open people’s eyes and draw them away, Not surprisingly shortly after this I was told “If we want to see you at the mosque again, you will get an invitation.” I keep checking my mail box….

Our series should leave you with two main lessons.

One: You are dangerous. If you preach the gospel, you are dangerous. It is the only thing that can change the hearts of people who are held in slavery by Satan’s lies. Rational argument and debate may shake people’s confidence in some of their ideas, but only the gospel can change their hearts and turn hate to love. Sometimes to reach safety people have to pass through danger. What a blessed danger that the gospel which threatens people’s way of life leads them to a better life the 

Two: You are safe. When Daniel’s three friends were threatened with being thrown in the fiery furnace, they told the king, “Our God can save us, but whether he does or he doesn’t, we won’t worship your idol.” They did not know whether God would save them by rescuing them from the flames or by taking them to heaven. They were ready for either alternative.  James, who suffered martyrdom in our text was the first apostle to be put to death. His brother John lived for many more years until he was the last apostle to die. Each filled his spot in God’s plan. We do not know yet what our role and our time will be in God’s plan. But we know that we will be safe and we can bring blessing to others who we rescue by our dangerous testimony.

Dangerous Testimony: Before Authorities

Jesus said to his disciples, “Peace be with you! Just as the Father has sent me, I am also sending you.” (John 20:21) Amen.

Paul has finished his third missionary tour – a four-year trip into Asia Minor and Greece – and ended his journey in Jerusalem. Some Jewish religious leaders who vehemently opposed his message about Jesus Christ stirred up a mob that almost tore Paul to pieces. Roman soldiers had to intervene. The commander put Paul under arrest until a trail could be held. Before the trial, the commander heard about an assassination plot on Paul’s life. The commander used 270 armed soldiers under the cover of darkness to protect Paul as he was moved to the port city of Caesarea to meet Governor Felix.

Felix couldn’t decide what to do with Paul and was upset that Paul didn’t give him a bribe. So Felix left Paul in prison for two years as a favor to the Jews. Felix was recalled to Rome on charges of being a corrupt governor. Festus was then installed as the Roman governor over the Judean province.

Three days after arriving in Jerusalem from Caesarea, the Jewish religious leaders presented charges against Paul to Festus. They requested that Festus transfer Paul to Jerusalem for trial, as a favor to them. They planned to ambush Paul along the way and assassinate him.

Festus went back to Caesarea and asked Paul if he was willing to go to Jerusalem to stand trial. Paul resisted the governor and appealed to a higher governing authority by saying, “I appeal to Caesar!”

After conferring with his legal counsel, Festus declared, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

A few days later, King Herod Agrippa arrives in Caesarea to pay his respects to the new Roman governor. Agrippa is the son of Herod Agrippa I who put James to death, the great nephew of Herod Antipas who beheaded John the Baptizer, and the great grandson of the Bethlehem baby-killer Herod the Great. That’s a great family tree!

Although Agrippa does not rule Judea, he has control over the temple and the right to name the high priest. His title of “King” is under the authority of the Roman government. He understands the Jewish people in a way that the Gentile Roman governor does not.

Festus is at a loss to investigate and settle Paul’s case. Under Roman law, there was no case against Paul. But as the new governor, Festus wants to get along with the Jewish leaders. This is a religious matter and the Romans don’t care about religious matters. The only thing that matters to them is keeping the peace. Festus hopes Herod can help him determine what specific charges should be pinned on Paul.

The next day Paul is brought before King Agrippa and Governor Festus and other dignitaries. This isn’t a trial. No witnesses or accusers are present. No verdict will be handed down. Paul could have refused to participate since he was not under Herod’s jurisdiction. But Paul consents to speak – not only to testify to his innocence, but mainly to testify to Christ’s gospel before the authorities.

As he had before the Sanhedrin and before Governor Felix, Paul begins with the hope of the resurrection. The Sanhedrin wanted to deny Jesus’ resurrection, but Paul says that the history of the Jewish people was based on the hope of God raising the dead. Then he recounts his conversion story on the road to Damascus when he received a vision of the risen Christ who turned a persecutor into a proclaimer.

Paul stresses that the Christian gospel is not a departure from the true, ancient faith given to the Old Testament Jews. It is a continuation and fulfillment of everything from Moses to Malachi. “I am saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would happen” (Acts 6:22). Paul then forcefully proclaims that these wonderful promises were all fulfilled in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “… that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles” (Acts 26:23). He makes the point that Christ is only the first who will be raised from the dead. He shines the light of salvation to those who are trapped in the darkness of Satan’s power until the good news of Jesus sets them free to serve God.

Festus calls Paul insane, “Paul, you are out of your mind!” Paul replies, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus, but I am clearly speaking words that are true and sensible.” Then he challenges the king. “Certainly the king to whom I am freely speaking knows about these things. Indeed, I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice, because this has not been done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

Agrippa doesn’t know what to say. If he believes the prophets, he can hardly deny they speak of the resurrection. If he doesn’t believe the prophets, he could hardly continue as “the king of the Jews.” So he answers, “In such a short time are you going to persuade me to become a Christian?”

Paul’s answer is perfect. “I pray God, that whether in a short time or a long time, not only you, but also all those who are listening to me today would become what I am, except for these chains.” Paul’s prayer is that no matter how long it might take, God will turn the hearts of all who heard him speak that day. He wants them to all be like he is – except for the whole being in prison thing – forgiven sinners and redeemed saints of God.

Paul boldly preaches before the authorities a message of law and gospel, repentance and faith. He proclaims Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Paul’s defense of his ministry is to share the gospel.

Jesus once warned his disciples of all ages: “Be on guard against people. They will hand you over to councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues. You will be brought into the presence of governors and kings for my sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” But he also promised, “Whenever they hand you over, do not be worried about how you will respond or what you will say, because what you say will be given to you in that hour. In fact you will not be the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you” (Matthew 10:17-20).

This happened to Paul. We are livening in a culture and climate where it is becoming increasingly likely that it will happen to you. You may be called to give your testimony – a dangerous testimony – before authorities. Those authorities may be the government, your university, your employer or the public.

For resisting totalitarian edicts, Pastor Coates of Gracelife church in Alberta, Canada was arrested, tried in secret and thrown in prison for over a month. Now that he’s been released, the authorities have erected large scale fencing around the church property to keep members from worshiping in their church.

A federal court recently ruled that Wayne State University discriminated against the Christian group InterVarsity Christian Fellowship when they canceled their student organization benefits because it had the audacity to require its leaders to be Christians.

More and more workplaces are requiring their employees to go through critical race theory training or be fired. Parents are having their parental rights removed if they do not endorse their children receiving gender reassignment surgery and hormones.

When we face pressure from the authorities, what will you do? Your natural inclination will be to shrink from your Christian responsibility, cower in fear, backpedal, stutter and stammer and apologize, to go along with the culture, to keep your mouth shut, cower in the corner and tolerate everything that’s going on around you.

But Jesus doesn’t ever tell us to accept and tolerate the actions of the devil and his minions. He says we are to storm the gates of hell (Matthew 16:18). We are to go on the offensive. We know full-well what can happen to us when we give our testimony. It may very well be a dangerous testimony.

We can have our business boycotted. We can be canceled. Arrested and put on trial. Expelled from college. Fired from the workplace. Even be put to death.

God calls for us to be bold witnesses before the authorities. Jesus gives you the confidence that the Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say. You will give your testimony before authorities like the government, college professors and employers. Be respectful. Speak clearly, confidently and with conviction.

Call those in the audience to repentance. They’re not persecuting you. They are persecuting the one who sent you. Proclaim your Savior’s crucifixion. Witness to Christ’s resurrection. Shine the light of Christ into their sin-darkened world. This is your opportunity.

As C.S. Lewis once said, “In such a fearful world, we need a fearless church.”

Tell them about a God who loved them enough to enter this world of sin and death, be rejected, persecuted and crucified by those he came to save. He wasn’t afraid to speak the truth before the religious and governing authorities. God’s love could not and did not stay dead. Jesus rose from the grave. Like Paul told Agrippa, none of this happened in a corner. This was testified throughout the inspired and inerrant Scriptures. Jesus is a historical person who was brutally and factually crucified. Numerous witnesses testified that Jesus walked out of the tomb alive on the third day. This is the Christ that the apostles put their lives on the line for. That Christians were thrown into prison and killed for by Saul the Pharisee. This is the Christ that Paul was in chains for.

This is the Christ for whom you are willing to be canceled, boycotted, arrested, put on trial, imprisoned and even martyred. All because you know that Jesus is the crucified and living Savior. He is the Light of the world. You will carry your cross for him since he carried his cross for you. He died so you might live. You are willing to die so you might live forever with you. He gained you heaven so you are willing to give up everything on earth.

Never be ashamed of the gospel message you share. Provide your story. Preach repentance. Proclaim Christ’s crucifixion. Pronounce Christ’s resurrection. You have no power to persuade people. There is power in the gospel that you share, though. You are always praying that God will turn the hearts of all who hear you speak clearly, confidently and with conviction. The Holy Spirit will give you the right words to say when you give your dangerous testimony before the authorities. Amen.

These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31) Amen.