Persecuted but Not Forsaken - 260101

Speaker A Hello, welcome to Let God Speak. I am your host, Uriah St. Juste. Do you still write letters by hand and send them away via the post office? In our time we have seen letter writing slowly being replaced by the telephone pages, fax machines, emails, text messages, and now face to face video calling. This week on Let God Speak, we begin a new Bible study series studying the epistles of Paul to the Philippians and Colossians. Come with me as we become familiar with these two letters and gain powerful insights from them on how to face life's difficulties as we study the topic. Persecuted but Not Forsaken today on Let God Speak. Speaker A On our panel today we have Carissa van Deventer and Alan Fisher. Welcome Carissa, and welcome Alan. Please join us as we pray. Father, we thank you today for this wonderful privilege that you have provided for us to begin to study a new portion of youf Word. We pray, Father, as the title of this program is that yout would speak through youh Word today, bless our listening and viewing audience. Bless our panelists and Father, may the Word shine and bring hope and comfort and joy to the hearts of those who may be experiencing some difficulties and help us to be able to understand you'd More today as we study youy Word. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen. Speaker A The word Epistle is not one we use in our everyday speech anymore. In the Bible, an Epistle was a letter written by an apostle. Of the 21 New Testament epistles, 13 are attributed to Paul, and one Hebrews is accepted as being his work. Like every letter, most of the epistles identifies the sender and intended recipient. It contains a greeting body and closing salutations with blessings, mentions of specific people, and a farewell. One type of letter, the friendly letter, was an intimate dialogue between friends. It was a way of keeping in touch with personal matters when being face to face was not possible. The style will be characterized by flowery words of deep affection and and longing to be present. Could it be possible for such a letter to be written from prison? And most Bible scholars accept that this is exactly what Philippians was, a friendly letter written by the Apostle Paul from a prison. So Alan, when we look at the ministry of the Apostle Paul broadly, how can we describe his ministry? What is it like? Speaker B Well, he had a very difficult time. He was persecuted, physical injuries, threats of death. He tells us here in 2nd Corinthians 11, starting in verse 23, he describes his ministry in labours more abundant in stripes above measurements, in prisons more frequently, and deaths often from the Jews. Five times I received 40 stripes, minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked a night and a day have I been in the deep. So, yeah, he had a tough time. It's enough to make anyone want to give up. Speaker A And it's interesting here it says in prisons. Speaker A More frequently. So he would have spent time in many different prisons frequently. So, yeah, you're quite correct, like you said, that it would be enough to make someone say, look, I'm done, I'm finished, because obviously this isn't working out for me. So, Carissa, someone like Paul, who's obviously not having a great time as a missionary, he is writing to the believers in Philippi. What advice does he have for them from prison? Speaker C Paul sends advice from Philippians 4:4, which says, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. So he encourages them to rejoice, to feel joy no matter what their circumstances, no matter what their situation is like. And this is not always easy when we're going through challenges and hardship, but it's an encouragement to stay positive, perfect. Speaker A And, you know, so he's actually writing to them in prison that they should rejoice, that they should be joyous. So, Alan, how is it possible for someone to be joyful when they are being persecuted and they are being imprisoned because they are doing God's work? Speaker B Jesus went through this. He was persecuted by his own people. And he tells us here in Matthew 5, starting in verse 10, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for. Speaker B So they persecuted the prophets who were before you. And so, as Jesus points out. Speaker B Persecution is really a blessing and a reward. God promises rewards for those who are persecuted. Of course, this persecution must be unjustified and for Christ, not persecution that you deserve for what you've done wrong. Speaker A It wouldn't be persecution if you didn't deserve it. So essentially the definition of persecution is it's unjustified punishment for not anything wrong that you've done, but for doing the right thing. That's the essence of persecution. So, Carissa, does that mean that when we suffer for Christ, that God sees it as a good thing? And the reason why this is an important question. Speaker A Should we look at suffering as a good thing, that that's something that we should wish for on our lives, on ourselves. Speaker C There are two powerful lessons from scripture that can help us answer this question. First, let's look at 1 John 1:5. It says, this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you that God is light, and in him he is no darkness. God does not do evil, and he is not the originator of bad things happening. We also look at Romans 8:28, which says, and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. When bad things happen to followers of Christ, he's able to turn these situations into something beautiful. Speaker A And that's wonderful. You know, the text doesn't say all things are good. You know, bad things are really bad. But the beauty and the power of God is to be able to turn these things around into something beautiful, into something that can work to a greater purpose. And that's the lesson that we get here. That's wonderful. So, Alan, Paul is in prison and he has every reason, as you said, to feel despondent and to, you know, be angry at God. How does he describe himself as a prisoner in prison? Speaker B Well. Speaker B Ephesians 3:1, Paul describes himself. He says, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles. So we could take that to mean that he's imprisoned for preaching the gospel or that he was bound to preach the gospel as he's imprisoned by Christ to do so. But either way, he wasn't bitter about his imprisonment, but he saw it as a badge of honour. Speaker A That's wonderful. You know, he's able to be positive. And I think that's something that is an overarching theme in this study as we introduce to Philippians and Paul's experience in prison, the that he does not complain and he does not see prison as a bad thing. Now, Alan, do we have any idea from Scripture where Paul wrote Philippians from which prison he was in at the time? Speaker B Yeah, well, not everybody agrees on this point. Some say it was in Ephesus, some say it was in Caesarea. But in the book of Philippians, chapter one, when we look at verse 13, Paul speaks about his imprisonment and he says so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ. So this suggests that he speaks about the palace guard, that this was that elite group of soldiers that they had in Rome guarding the emperor and his prisoners. So the evidence is that it was in Rome where he was imprisoned. Speaker A That's interesting. So he is, you know, in the big Prison, maximum security, where there are these serious specialist guards guarding him. Now, Carissa, if he is imprisoned in Rome, you know, that's not really a good thing. You know, how does God use that situation? How does God turn that around for good? Speaker C Philippians 4:22 says, all the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. The emperor's staff became Christians. The number were great, and their influence was also profound. And this is a lesson for all of us that seeds can be planted in trying circumstances, but it can also bear great fruit for God. Speaker A So these prison guards, they became Christians. But do we have any evidence there, Carissa, that it was a direct result of Paul's witness that these prison guards and members of the household became Christians? Speaker C Yes, we do. Philippians 1:12 says, But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the Gospel. He basically says that bad things happen to further the Gospel. And the next verse, he says that the prison guards saw that he was falsely imprisoned because he preached Christ not for any wrong that he had committed. And this was a great witness for them. Speaker A So the power of his life that they were able to see that he was not he had done anything wrong. He was a good person, and he was wrongly convicted. And we must remember also that he's in Rome. There's a reason why it's important that he was in Rome, because Rome was the center of the Roman Empire. And these guards, these servants, they were able to travel very widely throughout the empire. And so the message that was delivered then would be able to travel very widely throughout the empire. So it tells us that God knows what he's doing. So refocusing back on. Speaker A The title of the study this week, Persecuted but Not Forsaken. God's hand could still be seen in the entire process of Paul being imprisoned falsely. Now, Alan, I want us to turn to Second Corinthians, chapter 11 and. Speaker A Second Corinthians, Shari, chapter 4. And we will read verse 8 and 9. And this is what Paul is saying here, Second Corinthians 4, 8, 9. He's saying, we are pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We are perplexed, but not in despair, Persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. And here is where the title of the study this week comes from. It actually comes from Second Corinthians 4, 9. Obviously, he's been very positive. Paul is always encouraging people to be very positive here. Alan, how can Paul be able to be so positive knowing that his entire life and ministry was so filled with difficulties. Speaker B Well, following on from the verses you read, in verse 10, 10, 12, he speaks about always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body, for we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. So he's saying that just as Christ's death gives us life, eternal life as believers, when we suffer loss for Christ, it leads to life in others. Speaker A And Paul always gets his encouragement and motivation from the life of Jesus. And that's what he's saying. You know, Jesus died, and that resulted in eternal life for the whole world. So he too, he is not afraid to die. He's not afraid to lay down his life. And that would breathe life into the church. It inspires us. And that's how many of the Christian martyrs were also able to suffer persecution and even death because they knew that by their death, many more would be led to Christ. And I think that's again, an overarching lesson that we get from the life of Paul. Now, Carissa, Paul is writing to the Christians in Philippi from a prison in Rome. But these were people that he would have ministered to, he would have preached to, and so he's writing to them to encourage them. Let's go back to what caused him to go to Philippi in the first place. How did he end up going to Philippi in the first place? Speaker C Paul was on his second missionary journey, preaching in Asia Minor or modern day Turkey, along with Silas, Timothy and Luke. However, the Holy Spirit stopped them from continuing to preach in Asia. And we see this in Acts 16, 9. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, come over to Macedonia and help us. Macedonia was a large region in Greece, on the European continent, with several cities and towns, including Philippi, where he visited first. Speaker A So this was a larger region, Macedonia, and he chose to go to Philippi, and there were other cities or towns that he could have gone to. So, Alan, what made Paul choose Philippi? Speaker B Yeah, well, Philippi was an island town. It was a special place. We read in Acts 16 and in Verse 12 where he's speaking about how they went to Macedonia, how they went from Troas across to Neapolis, and then verse 12 from there to 5, Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in the city for some days. Speaker B And. Speaker B This Philippi, as we said, it was an honoured city. It had the designation of Use Italicum, which meant that it was governed under Roman law and not under the local law. So anyone who lived there was automatically a Roman citizen, and they had exemptions from certain taxes and so forth. And what's more, it was strategically located. It was on the main road, the Via Egnatia, the Egnatian Way, which was a direct route from Rome across to Constantinople. And so from Philippi, you could reach that whole region. Speaker A And it's important to understand they were in what is modern day Turkey. And so the Holy Spirit, when they got the Macedonian call, would have sailed westward across the Aegean Sea and landed in Macedonia, and they chose to go to Philippi. Now he's actually moving from Asia to Europe. And as you said, it's on this major roadway that leads to Rome and the rest of Europe. And so obviously, Philippi was a city that if you were born in that city, you were privileged because you're automatically a Roman citizen and you're guarded. And so it was a favored city. So people are now living there, attracted there, and as they move towards Rome, what happens? The Gospel not only gets to Rome, but it spreads throughout Europe. And so, by choosing to go to Philippi, by choosing to answer the Macedonian call, he was able to ensure that the Gospel got through Europe. And of course, we know it was able to spread throughout the rest of the world. Now, let's move, because remember this, we are studying Philippians and Colossians Charissa. So let's move to Colossians. The church in. In Colossae, was this a church, one of the churches that Paul planted himself? Speaker C Carissa, Paul never mentions that he visited Colossae. We read this in Colossians 1:4, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints. So here it says he merely heard of the faith. It would indicate that he was not directly part of it in terms of preaching and planting the church himself. Speaker A So he didn't plant. In studying this. That's something I discovered myself, which I didn't know before, actually, that he actually didn't plant the church himself. And obviously it would mean that somebody else did. Now, let's actually go to Colossians chapter two and read verse one. He says, for I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. Now, Colossae and Laodicea they were cities that were in close proximity to each other in the Lycus Valley. But Laodicea was a pretty large church. As a matter of fact, it's very prominent. It's mentioned in Revelation as one of the seven churches. Why is it, Alan, that. Speaker A Laodicea is listed as one of the seven churches, but Colossae is not mentioned as one of the great churches in Revelation? Speaker B Laodicea, as you've said, was about nine miles from Colossae. But Laodicea was a much bigger place, a much larger city and had a larger church. And Colossae had a lot of paganism. In that town there was a large pagan population who worshiped multiple gods. And it would have been hard to be a believer for Christ there. So Laodicea seems to get mentioned more than Colosseus. Speaker A And so it would seem that the city that was relatively easier becomes more famous biblically. But here's little Colossae. You know, it's very difficult to get a church started and planted there because of all of the paganism. And we remember that Paul didn't do it. So Carissa, such a challenging city with lots of paganism, difficult to get a church to, and if you do, difficult to get it to continue. Speaker A And yet it was not done by someone who was such a great evangelist as Paul. How was that able to happen? Speaker C We must remember that it is the Holy Spirit that produces results and not the capability of individuals. We read in Colossians 1:7, as you also learn from Epaphras, our dear fellow saint, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf. Epaphras is not a well known character, yet God used him to be the first convert to take the gospel to Colossae. The work of the Gospel is not just for pastors and evangelists, but it's for every believer. We are all called to be witnesses for God. Speaker A That's a very, very good point and that Paul always encourages that. We'll see that for his. His writing. Now, Alan, in both the opening of Philippians and Colossians, Paul describes. He uses a very interesting word to describe the church members there. He uses the word saints. And of course, in Christianity today, that word, you know, has a particular meaning. What does that word saints, that designation, what does it mean actually? Speaker B Well, in some parts of. Speaker B Christendom, it's used to refer to a person who lived an exemplary life and performed miracles and so forth. But that's not how the Bible uses the word saints. It applies it to all believers. And so in the original language, the word saint meant a holy person. And everyone who is accepted in Christ and his righteousness by faith is holy and thus can be classed as a saint. Speaker A Wonderful. So I actually want to just read what it says here. In the opening of Colossians, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colossae. So obviously he is referring to the entire church as saints. And if we go to the beginning of Philippians as well, we see that he's saying again, the same thing. Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the bishops and the deacons. So, you know, we have this idea in some Christian denominations that sainthood is something that belongs to a special class of people and that you have to actually be dead. So do we get that idea that, you know, sainthood is something that's only classed to dead people? Alan? Speaker B No, no. As we said, it applies to every believer in Christ. Speaker A And he's writing to obviously people who are alive, who are living. So right now, Carissa, in addition to the saints, in both epistles, Paul addresses his letter to the bishops and also to the deacons and also to the faithful brethren. When we look at the church today, there should be a lesson there for the church today. What lesson is there for the church today? That he's not only addressing the saints, but bishops and deacons and faithful brethren. Speaker C Paul frequently encouraged churches to appoint leaders. He himself modeled this by training Silas, Barnabas, Timothy and among others for leadership. This was a process that happened often. Every believer should use their talents to help make the church a better place, to share the Gospel and be willing to take up leadership in God's work. Speaker A So by taking Silas and Barnabas with him, he's actually modeling that we do ministry together. Ministry is not a one man show. It's not something where one person takes the lead and gets all the credit. And we can even see with Colosse that there was this very obscure Bible character who was the one that God used to plant that church. So it wasn't the great evangelist Paul who planted Colossae, but the Holy Spirit was able to grow someone else and to develop their skills, and they were also appointed the leader of that church. So we can see clearly throughout Scripture that every believer must use their talents. And Paul later talks about the priesthood of all believers, that every church member should develop their talents and use it for God and be part of leadership in God's church. This is a wonderful lesson and I can't wait to dive deeper into the rest of the lesson. But that's all the time we have today for our program. Thank you very much, Carissa and Alan. Speaker A Can anything good come out of prison? John was an English thinker who had found religion and become a popular preacher. Soon he attracted large crowds, but his powerful sermons landed him in trouble with the King for not conforming to the Church of England. He was arrested and locked up in a Bedford jail. What was initially a three month sentence turned out to be 12 years in prison because he refused to agree to stop preaching. It was during this time in an English jail that John Bunyan expressed the impact that state persecution had on him and produced the great literary Christian epic the Pilgrim's Progress. It is an allegory of the trials and adventures of Christian a crusader on his way to the Celestial City. Just like John Bunyan and Christian, you too can turn your mess into a message and your test into a testimony. We are glad that you have joined us today on Let God Speak. Remember, all past programs plus teacher's notes are available on our website, threeabnaustralia.org au or you can email us if you wish on lgsabnaustralia.org. Speaker A Join us again next time. God bless. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.