Power In Persecution
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning the power in persecution and suffering when it bears witness to Christ.
Text: Luke 21:12-15
Date: 05/18/2025, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 193
Description:
As Jesus continues His "Discourse on the Things to Come", He sets His focus on the persecution His disciples (and thereby the church) will face in the Gospel Age. This will come both at the hands of the Jews and the Gentiles and continue until He returns. But after specifying some of the forms this persecution will take, He stuns His disciples by revealing that persecution in weakness will be one of their greatest opportunities to bear witness of Him, and that they need not even prepare for their defense. We will analyze what He means by "bear witness" and ponder why He would instruct His church to deny their primal instinct of self-preservation for His name's sake. We will find that true spiritual strength comes in our weakness, because when we are weak in ourselves, His power is manifest in us. And that even though it seems "upside down" the church will flourish and grow because of the power in persecution.
View:
Options:
I. Introduction, 2Cor. 12:9-10.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 21:12-15.
A. Context
B. Jesus' primer on persecution.
1. Trouble for the church, vs. 12.
a. Setting the time.
b. Persecution from the Jews, vs. 12a.
i. Looking at the words.
ii. The persecution of the Master, John 1:11; Luke 4:13, 19:41; Isa. 53:3-4.
iii. The persecution of the disciples.
1) Following in Jesus' footsteps, John 15:20; Rev. 12:17.
2) Fulfillment from the book of Acts.
a) The persecution of Peter and John, Acts 4:1,2,3,5-7.
b) The persecution of all the apostles, Acts 5:40-41.
c) The persecution and martyrdom of Stephen, Acts 6:12, 7:58-60.
d) The persecution of the church in general, Acts 8:1,3, 9:1-2.
c. Persecution from the Gentiles, vs. 12b, Acts 12:1-5, 26:30-32.
d. For the name of Jesus, vs. 12c, Luke 21:17; John 15:18-19; Matt. 5:10-12.
2. The surprising outcome of persecution, vs. 13.
a. Looking at the words.
i. The meaning of "opportunity".
ii. The meaning of "to bear witness".
b. Putting the words together.
i. The witness they will give, Acts 4:4,8-12, 5:30-32, 7:51-52.
ii. The witness they will live, Mark 15:39; Luke 23:42-43; Acts 7:59-60.
c. A modern disconnect.
i. The disconnect of the "health and wealth gospel".
ii. The disconnect of the "seeker sensitive" model.
3. The secret to the Power, vs. 14-15.
a. Determine to surrender, vs. 14.
i. A matter of the heart, Acts 5:33.
ii. To not prepare a defense.
b. Surrender to the advocacy of the Spirit, vs. 15.
i. The Spirit of the Son, Luke 12:11-12.
ii. A mouth and wisdom.
iii. A secret power, Acts 4:13; Heb. 13:5.
c. Maintaining perspective.
i. Don't over-prepare.
ii. Particularly in persecution.
III. Application
IV. Conclusion
