"--Watchman Nee, one of the great Chinese pastors of the 20th century, ministered to a growing church in China during a period of persecution just like this -- the communist government would send spies to his church to make sure that he wasn't preaching anything against the government -- and in their eyes, preaching Christ as Lord and Ruler of everything was treason against the governmentI asked this question to my family the other day: "Would you give up your life to save twenty people?" After giving it a think, they all agreed they would. Later that night, I asked my wife, "Would you give up your life to save your children?" Without hesitation, she agreed she would. Then I pondered the answers that were given, and then asked myself, "Would I give up MY life for just one other person?"
-- so one Sunday, Watchman Nee didn't say a word -- he just grabbed a glass of water off the table and looked like he was trying to crush it with his hands -- he started shaking it and shaking it and all the water spilled out -- finally, he threw it on the ground and it shattered -- and then he took his heel and ground it against the glass -- breaking it up into smaller and smaller parts -- and then he ended the service and sent everyone home
-- the government spies didn't have a clue what had just happened -- but the true believers did -- the government of China was trying to stamp out Christianity -- but every time they tried to destroy a church by crushing it with their heel -- it didn't go away -- it just spread into more and more pieces and it grew and grew and grew -- just like the glass in Watchman Nee's sermon delivered without words
-- this is exactly what happened with the persecuted church represented by the church at Smyrna -- the more Satan tried to persecute them and wipe them off the face of the earth, the stronger they became and the more the message spread." -Excerpt taken from blog by Gregory; pastor of Koinonia Ministries, Valdosta, Georgia Imagine
These were questions that never plagued our Lord Jesus. The only thing that grieved Him was the matter in which He would have to make the sacrifice. One thing is for sure, He was about His Father's business, redemption. Can we find confidence in ourselves to be about our Father's business? I would argue, we cannot. Only because of the Atonement, or sacrifice of Christ, can we begin to embark on such a noble undertaking.
Recently, my family and I took a faith step by moving six hundred miles from what we call home to the Dallas, Texas area. The missionary agency we are with, Greater Europe Mission, had given us a directive to go and serve with our Mobilization office there. This is a faith step because we had no place to live and no income to sustain us once we arrived. We live and survive on the shoulders of ministry partners that support our family financially, so we can do the work God has instructed us to do. We are very early in our partnership development so our level of support has not reached a level to sustain us. Many people would recommend we just get regular jobs until the support catches up. Sounds completely logical and responsible. What we weren't told was, what do you do if God has called you to live differently?
Living counter-culturally is like heading the wrong way in a crowd. You know your steadily moving, but you feel you're not gaining ground. Living by faith and complete dependence on God is much like this. Please don't hear me to say God calls all believers to live this way, this is just the path He has chosen for our family.
We know in Luke 12:22, Jesus tells us "...not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear." He even goes on to compare us to the ravens and the lilies and how they grow. He says in vs. 28 "...if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?" I'll tell you why, because those who you believe to love you the most, don't understand this when it comes to those they love. Trusting God takes all of the control and security out our hands and puts it in His. We falter because we love too much.
In John 3:20-21, Jesus addresses the other kind of people that would try to condemn you for living counter-culturally. He says "...all who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants." In other words, if you trust God with complete surrender and reckless abandonment, be ready to be rejected and persecuted. Be careful, however, to look beyond their condemnation. In most cases, they love too much as well.
Fear is the deceiver's greatest weapon against the Good News of Jesus. Fear can cripple an entire nation and cause rebellion against peace. Fear can divide families and destroy children. Fear can produce complete disobedience to our creator in order to please His created.
First Peter 4:12 says, "We should not be surprised when suffering comes. Believers who live a counter-cultural lifestyle in obedience to God should expect the culture to respond with hostility. We should expect mockery, discrimination, trumped-up charges, and even violence."
C.S. Lewis in his book, Mere Christianity, addresses, what I think, is the core of why "bad things" happen to good people. He writes, "...One of the things that surprised me when I first read the New Testament seriously, was that it talked so much about a Dark Power in the universe - a mighty evil spirit who was held to be the Power behind death and disease, and sin."
So as we go back to our original question in light of what we know in scripture and what we know from the message from Watchman Nee, we gain an understanding of our persecution. We derive a purpose of the tolerance of "bad things". Jesus was the chief of experiencing "bad things" in His death on a Roman crucifix, but out of his suffering came redemption for the world, especially when He defeated death and sin by being resurrected by the Holy Spirit three days later.
The point is, when we suffer at the hand of this world because of our obedience to God, we are more like Jesus in His sufferings. That's much different than any prosperity gospel or tidy comfortable Christianity. Nevertheless, as we are believers, expect trouble. If you've made a nice life avoiding it, I would challenge you to listen more closely and obey. Jesus' brother James, makes it very clear in his writings to believers in 4:4, "You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God."
I can honestly say, because I love and hope for everyone who reads this; if I face ridicule, judgment, hostility, and even death, for the sake that others may know our Savior Jesus Christ, it was not done in vain. May grace and peace be upon you.
"So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you."
1 Peter 4:19
