PRAYING FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
Acts 12:1-19
Introduction:
Asia
Bibi, a 37-year-old Pakistani woman from the village of Ittanwali, was arrested
by police on Friday, June 19, 2009. Asia (also called Asia Noreen) is the wife
of 50-year-old Ashiq Masih, and their family is one of only three Christian
families in a village of 1,500 families. Many of the local women, including
Asia, work on the farm of Muslim landowner Muhammad Idrees. During their work,
many of the Muslim women have pressured Asia to renounce Christianity and
accept Islam. In June, the pressure became especially strong. On Friday, June 19, there was an intense
discussion among the women about their faith. The Muslim women told Asia about
Islam. Asia responded by telling them about her faith in Christ. Asia told the
Muslim women Christ had died on the cross for sins, then asked them what
Mohammad had done for them, according to VOM sources. She told them Jesus is
alive, but Mohammad is dead. “Our Christ is the true prophet of God,” she reportedly
told them, “and yours is not true.” Upon hearing this, the Muslim women became
angry and began to beat Asia. Then
some men took her and locked her in a room. Later on the local police arrested
her.
Seventeen months after Asia’s
arrest, she was convicted of violating subsection C of Pakistan’s 295 blasphemy
law - blasphemy against the prophet Muhammad - and was sentenced to death. No
Christian in Pakistan has ever been executed under the blasphemy law, but in
several cases, extremists have murdered Christians after their release from
prison.
Asia’s
conviction and death sentence have brought international attention to the
country’s blasphemy laws. Christians have called for Asia’s release and for a
repeal of the laws, while extremists in Pakistan continue to demand that she be
executed. The Voice of the Martyrs urged Christians around the world to pray
for Asia Bibi and her family. Many have been praying for her release. Finally,
God answered the persistent prayers of Christians worldwide.
On
Oct. 31, 2018 at 9 a.m. Pakistani time, Pakistan's Supreme Court acquitted Asia
Bibi. The justices deferred their decision for nearly three weeks before
swiftly announcing Asia's acquittal and immediate release. This is just one
story. In more than 50 nations around the world today Christians are being
persecuted for their faith. In some of these nations it is illegal to own a
Bible, to share your faith Christ, change your faith or teach your children
about Jesus. Those who boldly follow Christ—in spite of government edict or
radical opposition—can face harassment, arrest, torture and even death. Yet
Christians continue to meet for worship and to witness for Christ, and the
church in restricted nations is growing.
We are living in a relatively peaceful country
where we have the freedom to preach and practice our Christian faith. Thank God
that we are spared from persecution here, unlike in many other countries. As a
result, I wonder are we are becoming apathetic, and our love for the Lord and
others may be growing cold. I believe today the Lord will stir us up, so that
we can become more compassionate about the struggles and hardship of others, in
particular our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for their faith.
Today
is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, where many
Christians around the world are and will be praying and standing in solidarity
with Christians that are being persecuted. God forbid, this would happen, but
in case if we are to face persecution for our faith here in the USA, how do we
respond to it? What should be our response towards persecution in general and
the persecuted church worldwide?
I. I
DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS! (Persecution)
In
the west many Christians when they first accept Christ as their personal savior
have a rosy idea of what it is to follow Him. The feel elated to know that
their sins have been forgiven, Joy and Peace had been restored, and now they
are on their way to heaven.
However,
what they often fail to recognize is that before we get to heaven we must go
through hardships, difficulties and even persecution. Did I say, persecution? You
might be saying; wait a minute, when I accepted Jesus as my savior, I did not
sign up for persecution. No one ever told me about it. You are right even the
early disciples did not get it at first. But as they kept following Christ, and
listening to his tough teachings on “picking up the cross, dying to self “they
realized that there is price to be paid inorder to become devoted followers of
Christ.
Listen
to this conversation between the Apostle Peter and Jesus. Mark 10:28-30, “Then
Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,”
Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or
father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a
hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers,
children and fields along with persecutions and in the age to
come eternal life.”
Yes,
we will receive a hundred-fold blessing when we follow Christ, but along with
that let’s not make a mistake we will be persecuted for our faith. Jesus warned
his disciples saying, Matthew 10:22-23, “You will be hated by everyone because
of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are
persecuted in one place, flee to another.” II Timothy 3:12, “In fact, everyone
who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
In
spite of these scriptural warnings, when we do actually go through persecution,
we are surprised! We tend to think we are the only one going through this
suffering. The scriptures give us a couple of ways how we can we respond to
persecution when persecution strikes our door. First, our personal response to
persecution starts with recognition, that I am not the only one who is going
through this suffering but there are many of my brothers and sisters in the
family of God who are going through the same suffering or even worse.
I
Peter 4: 12-14, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has
come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the
sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the
Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
Secondly,
we are to pray for God’s strength to endure, and also for those who are
persecuting us. Matthew 5: 43-44, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” So
far, we looked at our individual response to our persecution, now let’s look at
our corporate response to those who are being persecuted.
II.
PRAYING FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH
Whenever, missionaries meet the persecuted
Christians, the first thing they would tell them is that please pray for us,
and tell the Church not to forget us. In the passage we read we will see how
the church responded towards Peter who was being persecuted for His faith.
Acts,
12th chapter begins with the unleashing of persecution upon the
church by King Herod. Several Christians were arrested, and James the brother
of John was put to death by a sword. King Herod was a man pleaser, when he saw
what he did was pleasing to the Jews he seized Peter and put him in prison during
the feast of the Unleavened bread. Peter was to be guarded by four squads of four
soldiers, to cover all four watches of the night.
Peter
was placed in between two soldiers, bound with two chains, making escape highly
impossible. When Peter was in prison, the Church was earnestly praying for
Peter’s release. God heard their prayers and sent an angel to rescue Peter. Vs
7, “Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He
struck Peter on the side and woke him up.
Quick,
get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. “As the story
continuous, we see Peter standing at the door of the house where they were praying
and kept knocking the door. A servant girl named Rhoda came to the door, when
she recognized it was Peter, she went back and told the group that Peter was
standing at the door. But they couldn’t believe their ears, they said to her,
“You are out of your mind.” Really! Who was out of their mind here?
She
kept insisting, it was Peter and they kept saying, No! It was his angel. Peter
kept knocking, and finally when they had opened the door they were amazed. I
wonder why? Were they not praying for his release? When God answered their prayer,
why were they amazed? Some times we too are like that, we pray for something
and when God answers we are surprised.
This morning we are going to watch a brief
video, about the persecuted Christians in Pakistan and we will get to pray for
them. At the end of the service please take the commitment cards and make a
commitment to pray for them regularly. Many Christians like Asia BiBi are
imprisoned for their faith. They are looking to God for help, can we stand in
the gap through our prayers and support so that God would answer our prayers
and release them from their imprisonment. Amen!
