Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Hey, guys, this is Naim, and you've reached the Mosaic Church Podcast. So excited that you're part of our listening community and love for you to be even more connected. So check out our website. There's more content there and there's more opportunities for you get connected in our ministries and events as well. Also, love for you to share this content. If this is blessed to you. I know that God wants to use you to bless other people with it, so share this podcast you will. Lastly, would you consider supporting this ministry? This is made possible by other people's generosity, and I'd love for you to pay it forward.
[00:00:39] Join us to reclaim the message and the movement of Jesus together. So would you consider giving to this ministry? I know that God is able to do immeasurably more through us when we come together. Thank you so much. God bless you. Enjoy.
[00:00:55] Hello, hello, hello, Hello. And let there be light.
[00:01:00] All right. We planned that. We planned that. Hey, well, Merry Christmas.
[00:01:06] Can I say that? Is it okay? I feel it should be like, you know, I'm saying my neighborhood, though. I don't know about yours, man. My neighborhood. We went from Halloween straight to Christmas.
[00:01:16] We skipped Thanksgiving, man. I'll tell you what. But it was great. Great to have you. Also, like, you already heard that this is the last installment of a series that we're doing. And we've been doing the series. Basically, this big idea is like, hey, besides being wanting a blessing, what does it look like for us to be a blessing? So that's like, that's been the thing. And so this is the last week. You're never going to have to watch that video again. Okay, you're welcome. You're welcome. Some of you guys, like, can we get rid of that? Can we get rid of that? Well, we are. We're trying. We're going to do it. We're going to do it.
[00:01:50] So as we jump into this last week, the last sayings of Jesus, and that's why it's been like a long series, is because, like, Jesus and blame Jesus, because it was a long sermon, you know, and, you know, he talked about all kinds of things, that you're blessed. And so we're going to jump into that. We're going to hit the last one. But before we do that, let me ask you a really quick question. Okay. How many of you have ever, ever been misunderstood?
[00:02:13] Anybody just misunderstood? Yes. In life. Yeah. You feel like you always are all misunderstood anybody. And you're like, okay, okay. You're always. And you know what's Interesting about that is, like, I think we all face that. I remember once, though, I remember this guy. Has it ever gotten you into trouble? Anybody gotten you in trouble? Like, you've been trying. You trying to say the right thing or do the right thing, but it got you trouble, Right? You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, like every good deed doesn't go unpunished kind of thing. You know what I'm saying? Like, that kind of deal. So I remember years ago, as I first started off in pastorship. Pastorship? Yeah, pastorship. And doing pastoring. I was a college pastor. And, yeah, I was talking to this college student, and she was talking to me about our family. And I just was like, man, I'm doing a great job with this. I think I'm gonna be a counselor pastor. It's gonna be a good thing. And so then she started talking to me about her mom. And so we're just talking, and I thought, you know, what's here stays here. You know what I'm saying? It's counseling situation. She stays here. And so she was talking about her mom and all that. And so the next couple of days later, her dad, because I knew them, this was a church I belonged to in South Carolina, and so I knew the family. So he comes up, and we'll just call him Mr. Rogers. Okay? Can we just do that? Yeah, Mr. Rogers. Okay. Came up. And he was like, hey, so I heard you talk to my daughter. And I was like, yeah, yeah, I did. Yes, I did. And I was like, you know, yes, I did.
[00:03:34] And I fixed her, you know, not really.
[00:03:37] And he goes, oh, okay. And so she tells me that you think that my wife is controlling.
[00:03:48] Exactly. I was like, my English no good.
[00:03:55] I didn't really say that.
[00:03:59] And the whole conversation I was trying to tell him that I kind of. Maybe. Maybe I did. I wasn't trying to say that. I wasn't trying to do that. And it's just. Oh, gets you into trouble. What's interesting about that? It's not just in, like, people that you work with. It's like, you know, like people you're trying to help. It's also exists in family dynamics, right? I mean, it happens with friends and families.
[00:04:23] We just end up miscommunicating. People misunderstand what we're trying to say or do. Sometimes we do something good and we think it's gonn to be a good thing, and it's really not a good thing. We're trying to help, and it's not helping. Apparently it exists Everywhere. And what happens with that? Well, what happens in that dynamic is that people end up not just, you know, misunderstanding us, but it gets a little deeper. People start reacting to us differently. So people start, like, I don't know, maybe just, like, not liking us. Has anybody stopped liking you? You know what I'm saying? Like, it's like. It's stuff like that. You say something and people. And right now, the world we live in, I mean, cancel culture. You guys heard about that? Anybody? Anybody? Yeah, right? Yeah. So we just cancel people or we unfollow people. I mean, I've had people literally come to me. They're like, man, I started following you a couple of years ago, and then you said something, and that's the day I unfollowed you. I'm like, why are you telling me this? Like, I don't want to know. I just want to live in the world where everybody loves me, you know what I'm saying? And everybody follows me and all that. But people start doing some things. So what do you do? What do you do when people start acting a certain way? Your clients, your co workers, you're trying to do the right thing. But. Yeah, and then you're tempted not to do the right thing. You're tempted to just go, you know what? I'm just going to do what everybody else is doing. So if everybody in this company is gonna act a certain way, if everybody in this company is gonna have this kind of attitude, I'll do the same. If everybody in this house, everybody in my world is gonna just act like that, I'll just do that. I'll just do that. So what's happening when we end up succumbing to what everybody else is doing? It seems like we get conformed into the pattern or the trend of the culture. We just conform to it. And the truth is that marketers and all kinds of media coming, telling us, giving us information, is basically saying this. It's basically telling us to conform. Conform into the norm, conform into the popular, Conform into what's trending right now. Just conform into that. Be that kind of people. That's why trends work, right? Because people take a picture in a certain way, and you're like, oh, that's trending. Okay, let's do that again. We all want to do that way, but we all want to be liked.
[00:06:32] The problem is that sometimes when teachings of Jesus are so intense because they basically say, no, no, no, we don't want. We don't. You shouldn't conform. Because conforming does not make you a blessing?
[00:06:45] No, what makes you a blessing is being transformed.
[00:06:49] So getting a blessing might not cost you anything, but being a blessing will cost you everything.
[00:06:55] And so that's why these sermons have been hard. And I'm so glad we're ending the series. Ha ha. Starting a nice Christmas series next, next week.
[00:07:04] So this, this last thought that Jesus gives us, it's also one that he actually explains. Before it was like just one liners. Blessed are those. Da da da da da da da da. But this time he explains it. So let's jump in. You guys ready? Chapter five. We're in. Matthew, chapter what?
[00:07:19] Matthew, chapter five. It's on your app as well. So it says here, God blesses those. Jesus says, God blesses those who are what?
[00:07:26] Persecuted for doing what?
[00:07:29] Doing right. For the kingdom of heaven is theirs. What's interesting about this right up, he doesn't say, blessed are you. God blesses people who are persecuted for doing right, for they will be comforted or something good will happen. They're like, no, no, no, the kingdom of heaven is yours. Okay, well, how does that help? And then he uses the word persecuted. The word persecuted. He says, God blesses those who are persecuted. I don't use that word. Do you?
[00:07:53] Do you use that word a lot? I'm persecuted if you do. No, you don't have a lot of friends. You know what I'm saying?
[00:07:59] I'm persecuted. I'm persecuted because why? Because the word persecuted, like some words out there, it always connected to a spiritual context, right? The word persecution is connected to religious. A religious word. Right? Because some of you, if I were to ask you, are you persecuted for your faith? Are you persecuted for your faith?
[00:08:19] Some of you would say, not really. I mean, I kind of keep my Christianity on the down low. You know what I'm saying? Like, no one knows that I'm really a Christian.
[00:08:29] I mean, Jesus barely knows I'm a Christian. Barely. No one knows, you know, so I'm not really persecuted. I'm just persecuted for my opinions. That's a different verse.
[00:08:42] What about. Some of you would say, when I think of the word persecution, man, I don't.
[00:08:47] I don't know. I think of global stuff. Yeah, that's what I think of. I think of global stuff. I mean, I get that. I get that some stats say that one in seven Christians around the world is persecuted for their faith. I mean, these are countries that have either a militant group or authoritative structures or a majority religion. And so to live and exist in them is very hard. And you're gonna get some kind of persecution, some kind of discrimination, things like that happen. I live in one, and so I lived in one. I should say I live in one. Maybe I do. I don't know.
[00:09:23] I used to live in one. This was in Kuwait. So I was born and raised in the Middle east, and they're a Muslim country. I grew up Muslim, So that was all chill because I'm actually Pakistani. Pakistan is also Muslim. So we're all good. All good. But then I came here, and all of a sudden I decided I'm gonna be a Christian.
[00:09:40] And so when that happened, that's when things changed. Because by law, for them, they have laws that would punish me because of my conversion. So it's not just persecution, it's more like execution.
[00:09:54] So they would do that.
[00:09:55] And because of that, the government here, the US Gave me religious asylum to stay in the country. And so I was allowed to stay here.
[00:10:02] Went through all kinds of immigration stuff. Finally got citizenship. So I'm excited about that. That's great. That's great.
[00:10:10] But people ask me, man, did you get persecuted? I'm like, not here. Not here. Honestly, if I was back there, yeah. But here, not really. Not really.
[00:10:20] I mean, I'm not quite sure, and I get that. But I think what's really good about that is that sometimes we can take our stuff that we go through and just say, oh, it's no big deal. But for Jesus, it is a big deal. See, some of us are trying to do the right thing by our family. You're trying to do the right thing at work. You're trying to do the right thing in terms of your value system, like the way you live, the way you create a culture around you, the way you are trying to instill certain values in your company, the way you do business, you're trying to do that. The way you teach your kids.
[00:10:56] You feel like this is the right thing to do, and the way you treat people. See, some of us are trying to be as accepting as possible, as loving as possible, as merciful as possible is wanting to help people out as much as possible. And have you noticed. Have you noticed that sometimes you just get a pushback? Pushback because you're too loving and you're too gracious and you're too. Whatever. Whatever. Whatever. It seems likely. And sometimes what happens is what you don't realize is that what you and I are doing, we are swimming in a certain direction, and the current of culture is going the other way. And so if you feel the friction of doing right you feel the pressure of like, you seem like you're swimming, you know, up current or whatever.
[00:11:40] It's that because the world is moving into, the culture is continually going to be going in a particular direction. And Jesus teachings are countercultural. They just. Countercultural. I just want you to know it. Just want you to know it. Because here's what Jesus says. He says, hey, God bless his people, right? And there's the kingdom, right? But then he goes on and explains it, and here's what he says. He says, here's it. He says, God blesses you when people do what they do. When they mock you, mock you and persecute you and lie about you and saying all kinds of evil things against you. And because you are my followers, let me ask you, have you ever had someone lie about you, Your character, what really happened? It happens at work all the time, right? And you're like, that didn't happen. That didn't happen. You want to defend yourself.
[00:12:33] Have you ever had people just mock you? Why have people mock me with my faith and just mock you? Like, oh, you're ridiculous. I mean, the way you act, the way you say, the things you say. I don't know.
[00:12:44] You're naive.
[00:12:45] You're naive. This is not how the world works, man. This is how you do it. This. If you want to get further in business, if you want to get further in relationships, you're gonna get further in life. This is what you gotta do, okay? It's the survival of the what?
[00:12:59] The fittest, man. It's a doggy dog world. We're doing church in the wild here. Come on.
[00:13:05] And then Jesus goes, no, you're actually being a blessing.
[00:13:09] You're actually being a blessing.
[00:13:11] You're being a blessing when you do something where people want to mock you, persecute you, and say lies and evil things about you. Really, it's just. And then he says, and here's what I want you to do. I want you to be what?
[00:13:26] Really be happy. Be happy. And then he says, be very what glad for great reward does what?
[00:13:35] It's waiting you. It's waiting on you. There's something waiting for you in heaven. He says, I want you to know this. And then he also says, I want you to remember that. What? He says, what?
[00:13:47] He says, I want you to remember that you're part of a bigger story. Huh? What? You're part of what the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way, remember, you're part of. You're standing in the space of where other people have stood to do right, to want justice, to love, mercy. You have done. You're doing the right thing. When you stand in the right thing, the few, the brave, the proud, you know, the Marine, you know, they stand there, but it's not everybody else. It's not everybody else. So you're a blessing when you do that. So let me ask you. And if you're living a life right now, like we're living a world right now, in a world right now where you're like, I just. I feel like I can't. I don't know, man. Maybe I just need to just go with the flow. Just go with the flow, man, and life will be easy.
[00:14:37] I want you to know, don't do that.
[00:14:40] Don't do that. Don't give up. Here's a couple things. Number one, I want you to know that when it comes to persecution or people mocking you or lying about you or saying all kinds of things about you, first of all, it's gonna start at home. It's gonna start at home. It's gonna start at home.
[00:14:54] It starts close. In fact, Jesus talks about it. He talks about the fact that here's what's going to happen and we'll read the verse a little bit later on. But here's what he's basically saying. He's saying it's always persecution. People's misunderstanding you, misinterpreting, lying about you not understanding what you really meant by when you send that text. I don't know, it's a family text. I said what? I said.
[00:15:13] He's like, what? What? What's going on? It starts at home. It hurts, too.
[00:15:18] It hurts. So if you look up the.
[00:15:22] The history of the church, when Jesus, you know, was resurrected and the church started, the Book of Acts kind of chronicles that, right? He talks about, hey, what happened? And he says, basically, if you read it, you find that for about first 60 years or so, the first few chapters of the book, that the church has a lot of persecution. And the reason why they have persecution is because, well, they were trying to live a different kind of life. But the question is, who were persecuting them? Like, what is the big deal?
[00:15:54] Well, you find out that the persecution came from this one particular group called the Sanhedrin. Can you guys say Sanhedrin?
[00:16:05] Sanhedrin. These are about 70 people or so. They were the Supreme Court, if you will, the people who made all the laws, Jewish laws, back in that day.
[00:16:16] They basically said what was good, what was kosher, what was not. And they're also the main people that got Jesus tortured and killed. They're the people that got him arrested. They're the people who dug him through all the corpses. They're the people who slapped him around. They're the people who interviewed him. Those are the people who are always in the back when he was doing his sermon stuff. They'd be like, ah, but what about this and what about this and what about that and what about that? Those were the guys.
[00:16:42] And so these people, you find out the early church, it came from fellow Jewish people. So Jewish people.
[00:16:52] Jewish people were hurting, abusing other Jewish people. The first 60 years after the movement of Jesus started.
[00:17:00] In fact, you guys remember Paul the Apostle? Paul the Apostle. Did you know that was not his original name?
[00:17:08] His original name was what, Saul? Guess what? He was a part of the Sanhedrin. Exactly. He was so adamant because he was like, this. This whole.
[00:17:21] This. This whole Jesus way is gonna end.
[00:17:25] This is a reformation in one sense or against, like Judaism. We don't want any of this. In fact, the early days, they called it the Way.
[00:17:35] Like, they didn't call it Christianity. They called it the Way.
[00:17:38] Jewish people were acting a different kind of way. They were just.
[00:17:44] Here's what they were doing. They were allowing Gentiles to worship with them. What is what they were eating, whatever they wanted to. Are you kidding me right now? Also, also, they weren't making a big deal about circumcision.
[00:17:58] What the Jewish people were like, we had that on lockdown.
[00:18:02] You can't be telling people not to go. No.
[00:18:05] And including people their way. The issue with the Way was they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, that he was including everybody, that they were no longer the special people.
[00:18:17] It was for the world. Jesus came for the world. And they were like, shut that down.
[00:18:23] Paul the Apostle, help.
[00:18:26] Before he got converted, he helped execute disciples, execute them.
[00:18:33] That was a big deal.
[00:18:35] It started at home. So if you feel like the people closest to you misunderstand you the most, well, you're in good company.
[00:18:44] I mean, it's just. It is what's gonna. It is what it is. And then it started, actually. Then the Romans got involved. Then the Romans got involved and basically because they started spreading rumors. And now the Romans believed that the people of the Way were now doing communion. And communion back in the day, they thought was basically drinking human blood.
[00:19:06] So they were doing all kinds of crazy stuff. They believed all kinds of nonsense about them. And so persecution kept on going and lies began. Lies and kept on going. Why do I tell you this? I tell you this because if you are going to find yourself in a place where you like, ah, I really want to be a follower of Jesus. Someone, someone and mo and probably another Jesus follower is going to be the person who's going to come at you the most.
[00:19:37] Did you hear me?
[00:19:39] It's not non believers. It's not like you living your Christian life. And there are other people, like Muslims or Sikhs or Buddhists. Be like, oh, man, you guys. Oh, no, no, no, no.
[00:19:51] If you do something out of mercy or love, if you say something, it's other Christians.
[00:19:58] It's other Christians who are going to come at you. I did not know this.
[00:20:03] I did not know this. When I started this church about almost 20 years ago, I was like, oh, my gosh, I don't know how I'm going to come. You know, my persecution is going to come from, you know, Muslims, none.
[00:20:14] Muslims don't care.
[00:20:15] You know who does care? Other Christians and their opinions. I was like, you gotta be kidding me. What is wrong? Just recently, just recently, just recently, just because of the, like, I started getting on my Instagram, I started getting DMs from pastors. From pastors, okay? Of, like, this stuff about Islam, okay? And so there's this flooding. My DMs were like, hey, Islam is taking over. We're electing all these people. Islam's gonna take over the world and all that. And I'm like, oh, oh. I remember when last time this happened, when this happened, there was major discrimination between against Muslims. And it was after 9, 11. I'm like, let's not start this fear thing. Let's not start this thing. Why? Because fear justifies mistrust, and mistrust justifies prejudice all day long. And it'll keep on. And people, you'll start this. So Islamophobia, let's not do this. So I made a video. I was like, it's gonna be good. I was like, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna make a video. I say, hey, guys. Hey. Those of you, if you fear, you know what's happening in the world, just want you to know. Muslims, you know, our brothers and sisters, they're all good. I didn't say something like that. But I just said. I didn't say that. You know, I'd be more professional than that. I was like, it's all good.
[00:21:24] And then I said, hey, but by the way, we're not supposed to be like, you know, being led by fear. We're people of love. We're supposed to be led by love. And quoted a scripture and all that. I was like, this is great. Just tell people, hey, be led by love. Don't let fear lead your life.
[00:21:39] I thought, oh, this is really good.
[00:21:42] A guy. I don't know if I should call him a buddy anymore. I don't know. But he's got my number, you know, he's texted me before. Local pastor comes at me full on. He was like, islamophobia is a made up word.
[00:21:54] I was like, first of all, all words are made up, bro. Like, I didn't say that to him. I didn't say that to him. I was like, what?
[00:22:04] No, this is. It started in the 1940s, bro. That's not. No, it's. And then, and then he was like, you're perpetuating white guilt. I'm like, I didn't say anything about any white, like, dude.
[00:22:16] And I was like. I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know about white guilt because I'm not white. But anyways, like, I didn't want to say any of that. I was just like, hey, what are you. What's going on? And this isn't the first time, but here's my problem.
[00:22:33] You have my number.
[00:22:35] Jim saying, he just text me, hey, man, let's go get a cup of coffee. What did you mean by that? Correct. No, don't come at. Why are you doing that?
[00:22:44] Why are you doing that? I'll tell you what, you know, I tell people, you know, Muslims have not made a case for me to leave Islam. Like, Muslims never made a case for me to leave Islam. I never looked at the Muslims and went, oh, my gosh, I want to leave Islam.
[00:23:00] But Christians, man, Christians are making a good case to leave Christianity.
[00:23:07] And that's why some of us are like, I don't even want us to help people. I don't even want to tell people. I don't even want to. I just want to. I just want to hide. And I just want you to know it's okay. It's okay. Jesus.
[00:23:19] Jesus got betrayed by his best friends.
[00:23:23] I mean, it's going to happen, but that doesn't mean you stop doing what is right and what is good. And Jesus was like, hey, you're gonna be persecuted. But just know this.
[00:23:33] Just know this. Your reward waits in heaven. Just know this.
[00:23:38] So then the question is, then God, why don't you just, like, fix it? Right? Like, a lot of things he should fix. Why didn't you just fix it?
[00:23:47] And I believe that God has Allowed persecution in our life. When people misunderstand us, he's allowed this pressure. He's allowed certain, you know, stuff happen to us. It's like a fire that purifies us. Why? Because it is what transforms us into who he wants us to be.
[00:24:09] It allows us not to conform. It always reminds us, hey, the pushback right now is because people in your life want you to conform to their opinions and their standards.
[00:24:21] And if you there, you feel this rub that I wanna do the right thing, I wanna be this kind of person that when you step into that, that's when you step into transformation, not being conformed. And so it's a good thing. So I just kinda thought of like, you know, what three things that I think I believe that God allowed the reason why he allows persecution in our lives. Number one, I want you wanna remind you guys, is this, is that you're doing God's will. So when you feel this pushback, when you feel that other good people are coming against you just because you're being the most loving or most accepting or most whatever, giving, I don't even know. But when you're doing good, doing good.
[00:24:58] When you're doing God's will, when you're doing good, remember you're doing God's will. Some of you guys like, I want to know what God's will is. I want to know God, tell me. Just do good.
[00:25:08] When you do good, guess what you're doing. You're doing what you're doing God's will.
[00:25:12] Just do good, do good. You have to know this. You have to know this because there'll be moments in your life that people will come at you and people will threaten you and say all kinds of things. And you feel the pressure of like, I just want you to. I just need to explain myself. I just need to defend myself. Have you ever felt like you need to do that?
[00:25:31] So I need to defend myself.
[00:25:35] And this is a really amazing moment in Jesus life where he gets a. Are you he.
[00:25:41] His journey to the cross started with him being interrogated by a guy named Pilate. And this, the. In that moment, Pilate is really ticked off at him because Jesus is sitting there and Pilate says, these people are saying all these things against you. They're saying this, this, this, this and this.
[00:26:01] He says, are you, Is it true? Is it true? Is it true? Is it true? And Jesus is not defending himself and he's really frustrated about that. He's so frustrated about that. He basically says to him, he says, do you not know? Do you not know that I have the power to crucify you or set you free. I have got that power. And this is what Jesus says to him. He says this, he says, you would help me out. You would have what, no power over me if it weren't what given to you from above.
[00:26:35] He's like, you would not have any problem. You would have no power.
[00:26:38] The reason I'm giving, I'm giving because of God. I'm letting you say this stuff about me.
[00:26:46] I'm not responding.
[00:26:48] Because this moment, I want you to know you have no power. Your lies, your threats, your rumors about me, your gossip about me has no power.
[00:26:59] The only power that comes is from above. And the reason why you're in this place is cause I am letting you. It's in moments like that when we find ourselves, like we want to defend our stuff.
[00:27:09] There have been times that people have said all kinds of things about me. And I'm like, I just want to defend myself. I just want. Hey, can I just tell you my side?
[00:27:16] Can I just tell you my side in moments like that? I gotta go. You know what? It doesn't. No, I just know that it's not. I just have to do what. I have to do what I'm called to do. I've got to stick it out and do what is right. And I don't worry about trying to defend myself and explain myself to everybody out there. I'm gonna do what is good and I'm gonna do what is right. I love this passage in 2 Corinthians, it says this, it's a powerful one. It says, we are hard pressed. On what?
[00:27:48] On hummy sides, every side. He's like, I feel like that. He said there are times that we are hard pressed on every side. Like everything is coming against us. Have you ever felt that way? He says, but, but, but, but. I just want you to know you're not. What?
[00:28:01] You're not crushed. You won't be crushed. You're perplexed, like you're confused. You're like. I'm not quite sure what I should do, but I just want you to know you are never in. What?
[00:28:11] You're not in despair. You're not in despair. You're persecuted. You feel like you're persecuted. But let me tell you, Let me just tell you, you are never what you abandoned. You're not abandoned. Why? Because you're in the center of God's will, right there. And you might be struck down, but you will never be. What?
[00:28:29] Destroyed says that the activity, the Things that you are doing there will never be destroyed. And then he keeps on going. He says. And so here, he says, we always. He says, we remind ourselves. We remind ourselves. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, reminding ourselves of what he went through, the persecution that led to his crucifixion.
[00:28:52] And we carry that with us in our minds so that the life of Jesus may be what revealed in our bodies. He says, I remember that. So now I know that when I have to respond or act, I do what Jesus would do because I remember his death. I'm living out his life.
[00:29:14] So you are doing God's will. Secondly, here's what's cool. You'll experience God's spirit in powerful ways. See, some of us, we maybe grew up in a church where you're like, oh my gosh, man, on Sunday services, man, people were like, feeling the spirit, all kinds of things happening. Others of us, you're like, ah, I don't know about that. I want you to know if you've ever been in a moment where you just feel like God moving in you and through you. Maybe it's in times when we're singing a song. Maybe in moments where you're just like. I don't know, just moments, you just feel his presence.
[00:29:46] If you want that. I want you to know when you are persecuted for doing the right things, of having the right values, treating your clients, your kids right, for not having to defend yourself all the time, when you just do the right things, when you hold on to your center, you will experience God's spirit like you've never experienced before.
[00:30:07] Let me read you this passage. It's pretty powerful.
[00:30:10] Let's put it on the screen.
[00:30:13] Jesus says, I'm sending you out. Okay, here's what I'm doing. I'm sending you out like sheep. Among what?
[00:30:20] Wolves? It's going to feel like that. It's going to feel like that. It's going to feel like that. It's going to feel like you're the weak. You're the naive ones. You're the weak in the society. You're the ones who. You guys are fragile. No, I'm just telling you, I'm sending you. I'm sending you out like that.
[00:30:34] But I want you to be as cunning as what, serpents?
[00:30:39] Cunning as serpents, but innocent as doves.
[00:30:43] Watch out for those people who will hand you over to their local councils and will whip you. Where?
[00:30:49] In their synagogues.
[00:30:52] He says, I want you to know there will come a time when your own people will whip you in their services.
[00:30:59] And this happened. This happened. And then he says this.
[00:31:03] He says, but you be brought before governors and kings, before me to testify to them and you and to the unbelievers when they hand you over, when you hand you over.
[00:31:14] Don't. What?
[00:31:16] He says, don't worry.
[00:31:18] Don't worry. Because in that hour. Because don't worry what you're going to say or what you're going to do. Because in that hour, in that moment, basically in that moment, you're going to experience something that you've rarely. We get to experience in that very moment. There's going to be time where you are going to say, that will be whatever will be given to you, it'll be given to you. Keep. Let's go next verse. He says it won't be you speaking, but the spirit of what the Father speaking through you. He says there's going to be a flow that all of a sudden everything quiets down and you know that God is speaking through.
[00:31:57] There can be moments in your life that you experience God in such a profound way. One, it's gonna transform you because you're hearing God's voice. And secondly, when you get to respond a certain way, I'll tell you what it does.
[00:32:08] It speaks to who your father is.
[00:32:12] So don't worry about always trying to defend yourself or try to explain yourself away. Now, I mean, obviously if you've miscommunicated, you gotta clarify some things. But when it comes to, like, man, this, explaining how and why you act, the way you. The way you treat your clients, the way you deal with money, I mean, if you. You don't have to explain your values all the time. But if you are. If you are in a moment where you have to. I just want you to know it's moments like that that God will speak through you. So be encouraged, be encouraged that God's gonna meet you in that moment and he's gonna reveal to everybody else who he really is.
[00:32:55] All right, let me give you the last thing. Last thing is, basically, is this persecution prepares us for the coming kingdom. It prepares us for the coming kingdom.
[00:33:07] It's again transforming us to citizens that are not of this world.
[00:33:13] And sometimes it's just so hard because you're like, everybody else is doing this.
[00:33:19] And I'm the only person in my friend group. I'm the only person at work. I'm the only person out there trying to do this. And I get it, you know, what?
[00:33:28] Transformation costs you everything, but it transforms you into the citizen of the Kingdom, it does that. And so I want to remind you, be encouraged by that, Be encouraged by that. And for some of us, it's just so tough to be in a world that you're like, ah, but they're all opposing the way of Jesus. And I get it, I get it. And you're like, I, I can't, I can't, I, I, I get it, I get it. But here's what you're doing.
[00:33:55] It's preparing you because you're living out your faith. You're actually living out your faith.
[00:34:03] So there's a passage in the scripture where this guy talks about what faith is, okay? He talks about it. He starts this passage off and he just explains what faith is. And then he gives points, like, not points. He brings up people that have done amazing things through faith. And he starts listing all the things, I mean, just the seeing dead people come to life and seeing provision, and he just kind of starts listing all the people in the Old Testament and keeps on going, keeps on going, keeps on going.
[00:34:35] And this is the writer of Hebrews. And Hebrews does that. And then he says this. He says, but then there were, he said, then there were the others.
[00:34:44] The others. And these other people, by faith, by faith, were brutally tortured but refused to be ransomed.
[00:34:55] They were brutally tortured for their faith.
[00:34:58] In faith. In faith, you're like, oh, I thought faith was supposed to be good. Yeah, in faith, they did this.
[00:35:03] They are part of that lineage, so they might receive a better resurrection. Still others endured what, taunts and floggings and even chains and imprisonment.
[00:35:20] Wow, man, that's intense. It gets worse.
[00:35:25] She says, and then there were those who were what, stoned to death?
[00:35:32] Sawed in half.
[00:35:34] What?
[00:35:36] Sawed in half and killed with the sword. They went around in sheepskin and goatskins.
[00:35:45] They were what? They were needy, they were oppressed, and they were what?
[00:35:53] They were mistreated.
[00:35:55] And then he says this, I love this line. He says, but I'll tell you what, I'll tell you what. I know they went through all kinds of things. I know they went through all kinds of things. Let me just tell you why they are mentioned in this. Why these people had great faith. I'll tell you why. Because the world wasn't worthy of them.
[00:36:15] They were too good for this world.
[00:36:18] They were too good for this world. It seemed like they could go through all kinds of things because they were focused on another world.
[00:36:27] And so let me ask you guys, when you find yourself just going, I am being misunderstood. I don't know what's going on. I just wanted you to be encouraged. Do not give up. Do not give in. Do not give up. Do not give in. Do not conform.
[00:36:40] Allow God to transform you. Allow God to move you into being the most bravest and the most courageous person you could become. And do good, regardless if everybody else criticizes.
[00:36:52] Do good and be merciful regardless of everybody else says, no, no, no. But what about this? What about this no? Be the most loving, most accepting, be the most beautiful people, beautiful expression of who God is.
[00:37:09] Because then you know that you're preparing for God's kingdom. And you might think, oh, na, dude, it's not gonna work if I do this, I will get stepped on. I will get stepped on in this world. I know he'll get stepped on in this world, but. But you're not made for this world.
[00:37:26] If you act like the kingdom of heaven king, citizens of kingdom, you're not worthy of. The world's not worthy of you guys.
[00:37:34] So what would it look like? I know these are extreme things, but what would it look like for us to change our perspective tomorrow and how we are persecuted or people come at us?
[00:37:46] What if we were to not be triggered, to respond so quickly or defend so violently?
[00:37:54] Just what if we just allowed God's kingdom to work in our lives, in us and through us? So that's my prayer for us. That's my prayer. So I want to pray for you. Can I do that?
[00:38:05] Let's pray together.
[00:38:07] Lord God, thank you so much for your love for us. Thank you that you are the God who understands what persecution is in the extreme way.
[00:38:16] God, you've had people misunderstand you, mistreat you, misinterpret you.
[00:38:22] Yet, God, yet you have grace and mercy for humanity.
[00:38:27] God, as I think about all the things that yes, people around you in this world has done, you are still gracious, you're still loving, and you still do good when it comes to us.
[00:38:40] So God, I pray that we would be citizens of you. We will be people like you, knowing God that when we are, when we are threatened or when we are.
[00:38:59] All, when we're just in despair of realizing by thinking, why are we. Why do. Why do I try so hard to explain to people and they're not getting it? God, I pray moments like those that we would just rest in the fact that, God, that you get us, you understand us, and our job is just to do good.
[00:39:25] So, God, I pray, I pray God, that we would be people who be people who are convinced that you're in us.
[00:39:38] That you're working through us.
[00:39:42] God, give us today the encouragement that we need to keep going, to not conform, but to be transformed, God, because the kingdom waits for us.
[00:39:57] And we thank you for that. God, I pray that as we go and respond as we go to the cross, as we go receive communion or light a candle, God, you would speak to us and what this moment means today for us.
[00:40:12] God, we thank you. In Jesus name, amen. Let's stand together.
[00:40:16] Thanks for listening to this message from Mosaic church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
[00:40:22] For more audio and video content, visit us at MosaicChurch TV.
