Pattern in Suffering for Righteousness

The point: Do not be shaken in your faith when suffering for righteousness' sake.

The parable of the sower and the rocky soil (Matthew 13:20-21) illustrates how some receive the word with joy but are shaken in their faith when tribulation and persecution arise, revealing a lack of deep root systems.

I'm telling you that when it comes, you won't become unstrung. I do not want you to be shaken in your faith. For remember, this is the very Lord who in the teaching of the parable of the sower and the soils describes a response of a certain type of soil when receiving the seed. It's called the rocky soil. The seed is received on a very shallow band of earth beneath which there is rock. And because the heat of the sun is absorbed by the rock and there are no deep root systems, it immediately springs up and seems to promise to be a marvelously thriving plant. But when the sun arises, it soon cau...

19:15 - 20:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not respond in kind to those who oppose you.

The analogy of a soldier proudly displaying scars and medals from battle is used to illustrate how believers should not be ashamed of their sufferings for Christ, but rather wear them as 'proud battle ribbons'.

after another after another until the scripture tells us in the passage we studied some weeks ago standing before Pilate nothing but he never hung his head in shame before all of the false accusation the mockery the nakedness with all the appearance of a criminal from his condemnation to his crucifixion to his cry of dereliction he was not ashamed of his suffering and you and I are called upon to follow his steps not to be ashamed of our suffering in the way of righteousness did you ever see a man who bears in his body scars received on the battlefield defending his country dressed out in his ...

30:11 - 31:40 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not respond in kind to those who oppose you.

The example of children engaging in a 'donnybrook' (tit for tat pushing and hitting) is used to illustrate the natural human tendency to respond in kind to opposition, which the Bible forbids.

of the Lord Jesus even his scars from the many times that he was scourged he said I wear them as proud battle ribbons battles fought in the great conflict between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent we are not to be shaken in our faith we are not to be ashamed of our sufferings but then thirdly and perhaps that which is the most difficult injunction but the most repeated we are not to respond in kind to those who oppose us when like our Lord accusations may be heaped upon us well turn to Romans 12 and verse 17 and let the word of God answer the question for us Romans 12 and verse...

31:40 - 33:06 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shifts to positive commands, first addressing internal responses to suffering. Believers are to maintain a good conscience before God (1 Peter 3:13-16), commit themselves…

A story of a politician giving a speech and being hit by a rotten egg is used to create a vivid analogy for suffering for righteousness, distinguishing between dealing with the 'egg on the face' (internal response) and the 'guy who threw it' (response to the persecutor).

The suffering upon us. May I illustrate it this way? A man's making a political speech. Someone in the audience.

40:34 - 40:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shifts to positive commands, first addressing internal responses to suffering. Believers are to maintain a good conscience before God (1 Peter 3:13-16), commit themselves…

The analogy of God creating galaxies and worlds by his word is used to assure believers that if he can do that, he can certainly take care of their 'fragile soul' when they commit it to him.

Commit your fragile soul with all of its feelings. And all of its vulnerability and fragility. Into the hands of the God who spoke worlds. Into being out of the womb of nothing.

46:06 - 46:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Continually gaze upon our Lord, beholding His glory, to be transformed into His image and receive grace.

Christ's majestic silence before Pilate, despite false accusations and mockery, is presented as the ultimate example of not striking back and demonstrating far more moral and spiritual strength than self-justification.

And when you're tempted to think I've got a right to strike back. The Lord standing in majestic silence. With the spittle dripping down off his beard. The crown of thorns upon his head.

61:00 - 61:16 Read in full sermon