Read at beginning of service:
Luke 14:25-35 (NIV)25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. 34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
We?re going to be traveling around the Bible a little bit this morning but if you are following along in your own Bible with me I encourage you to keep one particular place marked as a reference point. It is this point that will serve as the starting point of our travels and as the inspiration for this message. It?s found in 1 Corinthians 168-9
In the context of this particular passage, Paul is writing the Corinthians about his journey to them. He mentions how after passing through Macedonia on his missionary journeys that he will be staying with the Corinthian church. He emphasizes how he is hoping that he will be able to stay with them for some time.
And then Paul makes a rather interesting comment.
1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (NIV)
8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.
What makes this an interesting comment by Paul are the two reasons he gives for wanting to stay on at the church in Ephesus.
Because a great door for effective work has opened to him.
Because there are many who oppose him.
Don?t these two reasons seem contradictory? I mean, how can there be a great door for effective work opened up in Ephesus IF there are many who oppose the work that Paul is doing? The ironical thing about this passage is that Paul seemed to recognize that because there was great opposition in Ephesus there was a great door for effective work opened up. And what is the effective work Paul is talking about? Sharing the gospel of Christ.
Now opposition means different things to different people. When people are faced with opposition there are different reactions to it and the reactions vary according to the strength of the opposition.
Some people will flee from opposition, fearing the consequences of going against the will of another. Some ignore opposition ? figuring that it can?t do them any harm. There are those who join the opposition after losing faith in their ideals, their opinions, their beliefs. Then there are those like Paul, who welcome opposition who don?t flee from it – but face it head on; who don?t ignore it ? but expose it; and who don?t join it, or compromise ? but instead challenge the opposition by standing strong, firm, and resolved in their ideals, their opinions, their beliefs.
You see, if there is anyone who understands the tremendous opportunity for the spread of the gospel in the face of opposition it was Paul. Remember that before there was the apostle Paul, there was the Executioner Saul. Before he was a Christian Paul was part of the opposition ? and yet it seemed that no matter how hard he opposed the work of the gospel ? his opposition only served to increase the witness of those delivering it. Paul, when he was Saul, witnessed many Christians who died for their faith ? refusing to flee, refusing to ignore, and refusing to join or tolerate the opposition ? even if it meant saving their life (see Stephens martyrdom in Acts 7).
So when Paul had his Damascus road encounter and received the call of the Lord to preach the gospel to the Gentiles he knew that his greatest opportunities were in the face of opposition. And a quick look at the journey?s of Paul would testify to the opposition he faced! Shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, imprisoned, lashed, driven out of town are only a few examples of the opposition Paul went against. But Paul understood something about being a Christian that gives rise to the comment he would make about he opposition in Ephesus.
You see, Paul understood that its impossible to be a Christian and not have any opposition. For the Christian faith is automatically opposite to three things: (the world, satan, and old self)
The World:
The world is those without Christ. The world is everything that is opposite to the kingdom of God and the things that Christ taught. In one word the world contains sin. Do you remember the passage?
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned– 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world.Romans 5:12-13a (NIV)
22 But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin,
Gal 3:22a (NIV)
Here are some other passages dealing with the world and it?s opposition to the Christian faith.
25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.John 12:25 (NIV)
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
John 15:18-19 (NIV)
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 (NIV)
36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.
John 18:36 (NIV)
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2a (NIV)
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4 (NIV)
Satan:
Then there is the ruler of the world who is in opposition to those who belong to the Kingdom of God.
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.Eph 2:1-2 (NIV)
19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
1 John 5:19 (NIV)
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV)
Old Self:
“Old Self” is also referred to as the “sinful nature” or the “flesh” in scriptures. Since everyone is born into the world they are also born with a sinful nature and it is this sinful nature that also stands in opposition to the Christian.
3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4Gal 4:3-4 (NIV)
6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin– 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Romans 6:6-7 (NIV)
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Eph 4:22-24 (NIV)
The opposition is real. And as Christians we face it. From the beginning of the Christian church to the day we live in now Christians have faced opposition. I was just looking at some reports about the opposition faced by Christians around the world on the Internet and I found these interesting statistics reported July 18, 2000 in an article on worthynews.com. This article contained a report by Open Doors which is a ministry that documents persecution of Christians around the world.
Indonesia ? “Since the war erupted 18 months ago, more than 2,500 people are reported to have died. These are official figures, the actual number of dead may be higher. In the first six months of this year, nearly a thousand people were killed. Most of the victims are Christians.
India ? “In the first half of 2000 the number of attacks continued at a high level. At least two priests died at the hands of Hindu fanatics, four churches were bombed, and there were numberless cases of harassment, destruction and attempts at ?reconversion? of Christians to Hinduism”
Saudi Arabia ? “Saudi Arabia?s vigilante religious police (Muttawa) raided a private Christian worship service in Riyadh on January 7, arresting 15 of the estimated 100 persons gathered in a private home, including the small children of two families. This time, the Saudis decided not to sentence the Christians to jail.” “The kingdom does not permit any practice of the Christian faith.”
China ? “thousands were sent to labor camps or prison. Harassment was the order of the day. Some perished while in captivity.” “In March news leaked out that China had written new guidelines for attacking believers.” (worthy news.com, “Open Doors Issues Persecution World Watch List)
I could list many more examples of the kind of persecution that is going on around the world, and yet there are still men and woman of God who remain in these countries who like Paul are seeing the incredible door of effective witness opening up. Is it effective? Ephesus became one of the main churches during the early church years seeing phenomenal growth and impact. In fact the very history of the Christian church testifies to the “effectiveness of witness” in the face of opposition.
One of the most famous books of all time is Edward Gibbon?s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, in which this eighteenth-century historian traces what happened to that mighty empire and how it disintegrated from within. In that book is a passage that Winston Churchill memorized because he felt it so descriptive. Gibbon says this concerning the church within the empire: “While that great body {Roman Empire] was invaded by open violence or undermined by slow decay, a pure and humble religion gently insinuated itself into the minds of men, grew up in silence and obscurity, derived new vigor from opposition, and finally erected the triumphant banner of the cross on the ruins of the Capitol.” (quoted in Autoillustrator.com, “OPPOSITION”)
Friends Paul knew that this opposition ? from the world, from Satan, from the old self ? was not to be fled from, not to be ignored, and definitely not joined with BUT welcomed and faced. For it is in the face of opposition that the church is forced to trust God ? when you realize that nothing can happen with out Him! When you realize that only a miracle can bring people to God!
It is in the face of opposition that the pot is polished ? that is, the church?s witness is made powerful as God?s light exposes the darkness ? as miracles occur ? through healings, through the protection of God, and through the steadfastness of the saints in the face of death.
And finally, it is in the face of opposition that tremendous growth takes place. I have shared some examples of the opposition the church is experiencing around the world but I?d like to mention just a little bit about one of those areas: China. During 50 years of Communist rule, the Christian Church in China has grown from around one million believers in 1949 to 70-80 million today. Now we must remember that this growth is not from making Christianity appealing to the masses by sacrificing the message ? the growth is from the lost realizing their lostness and coming to Christ even in the midst of opposition and even though it means changing worlds! And they know exactly what they are doing ? moving from the kingdom of the world into the kingdom of God. And once they are there ? actively calling others to join them.
This then is not only a growth that takes place in the numbers of people coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ but also in the spiritual maturity of those who make the decision. For truly it is not merely a verbal assent but an investment of their lives ? a life choice!
The words of Jesus that were read at the beginning of this morning?s service come back to me at this time.
Luke 14:25-35 (NIV)25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. 34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Christians who face persecution really have to think about whether they are ready to go to the kingdom of God. You see opposition produces the saltiness in their lives.
But what about our corner of the world? Are we facing the opposition that other countries in the world are facing? Some of you may say yes, some of you may say no, some of you may be undecided. But the answer is really found in front of our eyes ? that is, if we?re looking in the right places.
There has been debate in parliament about the status of marriage laws, there have been cases brought to the supreme court over child pornography, some of you may remember when the mayor of London, Diane Haskett was found guilty of violating the provincial human rights code because she cited her Christian convictions when she refused to proclaim a “gay pride” weekend in 1995. There is currently question with the patent commission over whether it will be okay to allow patenting of life forms in the current world of genetics. And then, more locally, even in spite of the protest of the Christian community (in fact the community as a whole) slot machines were still brought into Hanover.
Yes, there is opposition to the Christian viewpoint in our society as well. But then, maybe it isn?t as bad as it could be! I mean, we don?t have to meet in secret ? we don?t have to worry about government agents interrupting church and arresting us for violating the law ? we don?t have to experience being shunned by neighbors or even family who aren?t Christians. We have much to be thankful for in that respect ? but are we ready to go there?
Friends, one of the biggest concerns I have is that we have a very comfortable Christianity here in Canada. But the climate is getting colder. I don?t doubt that within 10 years a Christian could be put in jail for saying the wrong thing, or practicing something that is against the law. You see the world we live in; frowns deeply at narrow-mindedness. And no matter how many ways you look at it ? being a Christian is narrow-minded. We believe that the only way to God?s favor is through Jesus Christ. We believe that man is accountable for their own actions. We take stands on homosexuality, abortion, and gambling among other things that goes against what other “open-minded” people believe. But friends, we also need to remember that although it may seem like it ? the battle line is not going to be drawn on what we preach is right and how we live. But it is going to be drawn ? or should I say is drawn ? on the fact that the Christian who is a member of the kingdom of God will not conform to the world!
The question is are you ready to go there? Are you ready to experience this kind of opposition to your faith? When the time comes will you welcome it or will you flee from it, ignore it, or join it? What about now? Are you salty? Are you ready to go where God wants you to go? Are you ready to speak what and when Christ wants you to speak? When you are with friends and family do they know your faith ? do you talk to them about it? Does being a Christian mean your life to you? Is Christ your life? Some have faced that question and have experienced tremendous tragedies because they answered yes! Think of some of the young people who were killed at Columbine High School a while back ? asked if they believed in God ? asked if they were a Christian ? and when they answered yes, shot to death. Boy, did this story ever hit the airwaves and church pulpits and Bible Study groups all over North America as people looked at these lives and applauded them for their faith and conviction. As well we should ? but there are places in other parts of the world where such an event barely makes a blip. Places where this is a too common thing happening to people who follow Christ. It is an accepted part of their decision to become a Christian ? they may die for their faith. And yet, the church is exploding ? why? Because yes, being a Christian is narrow-minded but it is also the only place where you find life ? and a life that is free from sin ? and full of God!!
Some of you maybe are wondering the answer to that question this morning for your life. And the reason why I preached this message is not to compare the western church to the persecuted church in the rest of the world. It?s not to make us feel guilty about the luxuries we enjoy as a church in this society. The reason I?ve asked this question is to have you think about the decision you?ve made for Christ if you?ve done so already or about the decision you will make if you haven?t already done so. Is this decision that I?ve made honest? Am I willing to put my life here on Earth on the line for that decision? When the test comes will I stand strong? Do I really want to pay the price for this decision? Do I really want the world to hate me? Friends, following Christ is an all or nothing proposition ? you either give Him your all or nothing at all. Are you ready to go there?
John 15:18-20 (NIV)
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.