find our hymnals we will start noon song service song number 274 thank you so
much once again for this awesome church thank you so much for everything that
you do for us Lord we love you and we just ask that you fill this church with
your spirit help us sing out to you this afternoon and it's in Jesus name we pray
for our next song let's go to our binders sung it this morning so I know
y'all had some practice I know well sing it out rejoice in the Lord it's in your
black binders the back pages from the last rejoice in the Lord let's all sing
that out together come to steadfast Baptist you need a
bulletin raise your hand one of the ushers will get one to you if you
weren't here this morning I brought up that pastor Shelley is out of town he's
in Oklahoma City today preaching for anchor Baptist Church for their one-year
anniversary if you want to listen to his sermons just search on YouTube anchor
Baptist Church it's right there and you can listen to what he had to say up
there at that church and of course be sure to like and subscribe all right we
also have our Bible memory chapter there on the bulletins Psalm 53 if you can
quote this to a non-family member you'll get a prize we have the information on
the inside of the bulletin regarding our service times and our soul winning times
pay attention to those and come out for that the stats expecting ladies in terms
of the upcoming events be sure to come out for the turkey bowl on November the
29th that's led by Brother Marcel we have the ladies Christmas party on
December the 5th Christmas caroling will take place on the 8th that's always a
great time going singing to random people after knocking their door and
being a blessing to the community in that way on the 21st it's the children's
choir they're gonna get up and perform for us looking forward to that the same
day is the cookie bake-off you can vote on your favorite cookie you can eat as
many as you like it's gonna be a party folks the 24th is the Christmas candle
light service always powerful and then we have men's preaching and pizza where
some church members are gonna get up some men are gonna get up and they're
gonna preach a five-minute sermon and we're also gonna have some pizza to go
along with that event but that's all I have for the announcements we'll move
on to our next song courtesy of brother Dustin who was in the hallway brother
Dustin come on down and let's get a let's get a song going here Psalm 139
our Psalm of the week go to Psalm 139 Psalm 139 let's all sing that out
together Isaiah chapter 53 that's Isaiah chapter 53 Isaiah 53 just real quick I
forgot to mention brother Samuel Foley is preaching for us this evening filling
in for pastor Shelley Isaiah 53 the Bible reads who hath believed our
report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed for he shall grow up
before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form
nor comeliness when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire
him he is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not
surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him
stricken smitten of God and afflicted but he was wounded for our transgressions
he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him
and with his stripes we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have
turned everyone to his own way and the Lord had laid on him the iniquity of us
all he was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he
is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is
dumb so he openeth not his mouth he was taken from prison and from judgment and
who shall declare his generation for he was cut off out of the land of the
living for the transgression of my people was he stricken and he made his
grave with the wicked and with the rich at his death because he had done no
violence neither was any deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin
he shall see his seed he shall prolong his days and the pleasure of the Lord
shall prosper in his hand he shall see the travail of his soul and shall be
satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many for he
shall bear their iniquities therefore will I divide him a portion with the
great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he had poured out his
soul under death and he was numbered with the transgressors and he bear the
sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Let's bow our heads for a
word of prayer. Father in heaven I pray Lord God that you would fill brother
Samuel Foley with your spirit enable him to preach the sermon with boldness that
you've laid on his heart help us to pay close attention to the message and apply
it to our lives we love you in Jesus name I pray amen. Amen. I want to thank
pastor Shelley for the opportunity to preach. Look with me at verse one the
Bible says who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord
revealed for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a
dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him
there is no beauty that we should desire him he is despised and rejected of men a
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from
him he was despised and we esteemed him not verse 1 is quoted in Romans chapter
10 and it's applied to the unbelieving Jews rejecting Jesus Christ and not
obeying the gospel now Jews today claim that this passage this entire chapter is
referring to the modern state of Israel and anti-semitism let's reread verse 3
it says he is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief and we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed
him not see Jews today actually fulfill this chapter by rejecting Jesus because
Jesus is in all the Old Testament Jesus is the Old Testament but Jews don't
believe the Old Testament they don't believe the Bible they believe the
Talmud not the Bible and their Antichrist book the Talmud teaches that
Jesus was a sorcerer and he led Israel into into idolatry and they teach that
he is burning in dung today in hell that's who you think God's chosen people
is today the most blessed people on the planet right bunch of Christ-hating
pagans these people are wicked and Satanic and they're gonna go to hell but
the irony is that their rejection of Jesus proves Isaiah 53 to be true turn
with me to Psalm 22 Jesus started with glory with the father in heaven and the
father sent the son to be to humble himself and become a man God manifest in
the flesh and he came to be despised and rejected and that's the title of my
sermon tonight despised and rejected I want to look at how Jesus was despised
and rejected and I want to start with a couple definitions persecution is
defined as unfair or abusive treatment toward a person or group of people and
despise means to regard with content distaste or disgust to scorn or to hate
Jesus was despised and rejected look with me in Psalm 22 starting in verse 6
the Bible says but I am a worm and no man a reproach of man and despised of
the people all day that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip they
shake the head saying he trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him let him
deliver him seeing he delighted in him skip down to verse 12 many bulls have
compassed me strong bulls of Bayshan have beset me round they gaped upon me
with their mouth as a ravening and a roaring lion I am poured out like water
and all my bones are out of joint my heart is like wax it is melted in the
midst of my bowels my strength is dried up like a pot shirt and my tongue
cleaveth to my jaws and thou has brought me into the dust of death for dogs have
compassed me the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me they pierced my hands
and my feet I may tell all my bones they look and stare upon me they part my
garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture I wonder if this also is
about the poor modern state of Israel obviously this is Jesus Christ being
despised and rejected turn with me to Matthew chapter two Matthew chapter two
in this sermon I want to really emphasize the gospel of John because I
think that Jesus is obviously despised and rejected throughout all of the
gospel accounts but I think John especially just hammers this point every
single chapter you see different aspects of how Jesus is just being persecuted
again and again and we're gonna bounce around a bit but once we get to John
keep a finger there because we'll be there for the whole sermon but starting
in Matthew chapter two look in verse 13 the Bible says and when they were
departed behold the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying
arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and be thou
there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him
when he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed into
Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying out of Egypt have I called my
son verse 16 then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men was
exceeding wrath and sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem
and in all the coasts thereof from two years old and under according to the
time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men my first point is that
Jesus had enemies and they really despised and rejected him before he was
even grown when he was a little baby Herod was already trying to kill Jesus
Jesus had enemies they hated him and Jesus's enemies tried to kill him flip
over to Luke 4 chapter 4 and verse 13 the Bible says and when the devil had
ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season now we may
sometimes get attacks from the devil I don't know for sure whether the devil
just shows up and directly attacks all of us individually because the devil is
not omniscient like God is but Jesus for sure had the devil targeting him he had
a target on his back the devil knew he was the son of God and he tempted him
with strong temptations just consider what he went through but jump down with
me to verse 24 says and he said barely I say unto you no prophet is accepted in
his own country the context is he's preaching this in Nazareth to his to the
people that he grew up around verse 25 but I tell you of a truth many widows
were in the day where in Israel in the days of Elias when the heaven was shut
up three years and six months when great famine was throughout all the land but
unto none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta a city of Sidon unto a
woman that was a widow and many lepers were in Israel in the time of
Elysaeus the prophet and none of them was cleansed saving name in the Syrian
and all they in the synagogue when they heard these things were filled with
wrath why were they wrathful because Jesus is saying that the Gentiles were
healed while the the poor widows in Israel were not the lepers in Israel
were not whereas God was working in the Gentiles at this time it filled them
with wrath verse 29 and rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him
unto the brow of the hill where on their city was built that they might cast him
down headlong and so here again is another attempt on Jesus's life flip
over with me to John 10 this was in the first days of Jesus's ministry right
after he came out of he was baptized he went to the wilderness to be tempted and
then he went here to Nazareth and they were already trying to kill him John
chapter 10 looking with me in verse 30 Jesus said I and my father are one then
the Jews took up stones again to stone him turn with me to John 8 eventually
they did kill him the Jews killed Jesus with great envy in their hearts not only
were the Jews trying to kill him you're in John 8 Luke 13 says the same day
there came certain of the Pharisees saying unto him get out and depart hence
for Herod will kill thee he was under threat of the Romans trying to kill him
not only this but the Jews also tried to trap Jesus Jesus's enemies were
constantly laying snares for him John 8 verse 1 they brought a woman caught in
adultery to Jesus John 8 1 Jesus went up unto the Mount of Olives and early in
the morning he came again into the temple and all the people came unto him
and he sat down and taught them and the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a
woman taken in adultery and when they had set her in the midst they say unto
him master this woman was taken in adultery in the very act now Moses in
the law commanded us that such should be stoned but what sayeth thou and what
they're trying to do is they're trying to trap him because if he said to stone
the woman they know that the Roman law did not allow the Jews to execute the
death penalty and if he didn't stone them then he's gonna look like he's
denying the law of Moses and so they're just trying to lay snares with for him
stay in John 8 you know they came to him and asked him if it was lawful to pay
taxes tempting him the Sadducees came to him and asked him about the woman that
had seven husbands the the the lawyer came to Jesus asking him what was the
greatest commandment they're doing all these things to tempt him to try to trap
him to try to snare him and eventually it says they caught on that you can't
trap Jesus Luke 20 says after and after that they durst not ask him any question
at all you know if they're gonna try to trap Jesus in his words and get him to
say something stupid and try to catch him don't you think they're gonna do the
same thing with us we need to be wise as serpents but harmless as doves and they
just continue conspiring Matthew 12 says then the Pharisees went out and held a
council against him how they might destroy him so Jesus was having threats
on his life and he was constantly trying to be trapped and snared he was also
accused of demon possession look at John 8 John 8 verse 46 Jesus said which of
you convinced me of sin and if I say the truth why do you not believe me he
that is of God heareth God's words ye therefore hear them not because ye are
not of God then answered the Jews and said unto him say we not well that thou
art a Samaritan and hast a devil Jesus answered I have not a devil but I honor
my father and ye do dishonor me they're saying that Jesus the same thing that
the Jews say today they're saying he's some bastard of a Samaritan just
blaspheming him and they're saying that he's demon possessed turn over to John
10 mark 3 says and the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said he hath
Beelzebub and by the prince of the devil's casteth he out devils John 10
verse 19 says therefore there was a division therefore again among the Jews
for these sayings and many of them said he hath a devil and is mad why hear ye
him others said these are not the words of him that hath a devil can a devil
open the eyes of the blind flip back to John 7 again Matthew 11 they say the son
of man came eating and drinking and they say behold a man gluttonous and a wine
beaver a friend of publicans and sinners he's being accused of being some wicked
person being some demon possessed man and they still accuse him of the same
thing today they accused him of being a drunk they accused Jesus of drinking
wine all the time John 7 verse 43 Jesus caused division amongst his enemies
Jesus was constantly dividing people in verse 43 John 7 the Bible says so there
was the division among the people because of him and some of them would
have taken him but no man laid hands on him then came the officers to the chief
priests and Pharisees and they say unto them why have you not brought him the
officers answered never man spake like this man then answered them the
Pharisees are ye also deceived have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees
believed on him but this people that knoweth not the law are cursed they could
even sayeth unto them he that came to Jesus by night being one of them doth
our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth and it goes on
but Jesus caused division amongst the people he caused divisions amongst the
rulers amongst the Pharisees he's dividing people look in a chapter 9 we
have here the story where Jesus healed a blind man John chapter 9 verse 1 and as
Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth verse 6 says when
he had thus spoken he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and he
anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay and said unto him go wash in
the pool of Siloam which is by interpretation sent he went his way
therefore and washed and came seen look in verse 13 Jesus heals the blind man
and then they they find the man that was healed verse 13 they brought to the
Pharisees him that a four-time was blind and it was the Sabbath day when Jesus
made the clay and opened his eyes then again the Pharisees also asked him how
he had received his sight he said unto them he put clay upon mine eyes and I
watched and do see therefore said some of the Pharisees this man is not of God
because he keepeth not the Sabbath day others said how can a man that is a
sinner do such miracles and again there was a division among them they say unto
the blind man again what sayeth thou of him that he hath opened thine eyes he
said he is a prophet but the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had
been blind and received his sight until they called it the parents of him that
had received his sight so they're asking this blind man what did Jesus do to you
and he said I don't know he just healed me I see now and say we don't believe
you so they call the parents in verse 19 and they asked them saying is this your
son who ye say was born blind how then doth he now see his parents answered
them and said we know not we know that this is our son and that he was born
blind but by what means he now seeeth we know not or who hath opened his eyes we
know not he is of age ask him he shall speak for himself these words spake his
parents because they feared the Jews for the Jews that agreed already that if
any man did confess that he was Christ he should be put out of the synagogue
therefore said it his parents he is of age ask him so you see this man that was
just simply healed by Jesus and he's being put on trial like he's some kind
of criminal and they're just grilling the guy calling in his parents just
because he was healed and notice in verse 22 it says if they confessed he
was Christ they should be put out of the synagogue and verse 34 just as a side
note it says here they answered and said unto him that was all together born in
sins and dost thou teach us and they cast him out Jesus heard that they had
cast him out and when he had found him he said unto him dost thou believe on
the Son of God he answered and said who is he Lord that I might believe on him
because consider before he was just healed and then went away from Jesus he
didn't have time to interact with Jesus very much and verse 37 Jesus said unto
him thou has both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee and he said Lord
I believe and he worshiped him and so this man stuck through the persecution
he stuck through where the Pharisees are just giving him a hard time and Jesus
shows up and whenever you're going through persecution stick it out and
Jesus might show up to comfort you flip over to John 11 verse 47 John 11 47 then
gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council said what do we for
this man do with many miracles if we let him thus alone all men will believe on
him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation and one
of them named Caiaphas being the high priest that same year said unto them he
know nothing at all nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should
die for the people and that the whole nation perish not and this fake he not
of himself but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die
for that nation and not for that nation only but that also he should gather
together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad so we see here
Caiaphas one of Jesus's enemies is just willing to sacrifice him conspiring
behind closed doors saying it we might as well just let this man die so we
don't lose our position Jesus had enemies trying to kill him and if you
just look at this carnally Caiaphas was well spiritually Caiaphas was
prophesying because he was the high priest though he was not saved he was
prophesying that Jesus would die for all men and save all people but if you look
at it carnally he's just speaking from his own heart saying hey we might as
well just kill him because Jesus had enemies that despised him and rejected
him John chapter 12 Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead and in John chapter 12
verse 9 the Bible says much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was
there and they came not for Jesus' sake only but that they might see Lazarus
also whom he had raised from the dead but the chief priests consulted that
they might put Lazarus also to death because that by reason of him many of
the Jews went away and believed on Jesus and so just for being raised from the
dead just having a miracle performed on you that was enough for them to try to
kill you they tried to kill Jesus they're trying to kill Lazarus turn with
me to John chapter 7 Luke 23 says and the chief priests and scribes stood and
vehemently accused him and Herod with his men of war set him at knot and mocked
him and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe and sent him away to Pilate and the same
day Pilate and Herod were made friends together for before they were at enmity
between themselves so we see that Jesus brings unity and peace not to the world
but to Herod and Pilate for having a common enemy in Jesus and hating Jesus
and rejecting Jesus. You know Jesus ripped against the scribes and the
Pharisees and they despised him for it and they rejected him and they killed
him. They said his blood be upon us and upon our children. They hated Jesus. Not
only was Jesus despised and rejected by his enemies but there were times where
his acquaintances and his family rejected him. Look at John 7, John 7 verse
1, after these things Jesus walked in Galilee for he would not walk in Jewry
because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews feast of tabernacles was at
hand. His brethren therefore said unto him depart hence and go into Judea that
thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest for there is no man that
doeth anything in secret and he himself seeketh to be known openly if thou do
these things show thyself to the world. So his brethren are saying hey just go
up to this feast and just reveal yourself they're trying to kill you but
hey just come out in the open. Verse 5 for neither did his brethren believe him
they rejected him at this moment. Verse 6 says then Jesus said unto them my time
has not yet come but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you but me
it hateth because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up
unto this feast. I go not up yet unto this feast for my time is not yet
full come. Just as a side point here in verse 8 the first word yet is removed
from the modern versions. It's removed from the NIV and what this does if you
read this passage without that word yet there it makes Jesus a liar. He says hey
I'm not going to this feast and then a couple of verses later he goes and so in
the NIV Jesus is a liar. You need to throw that garbage away. Get a King James
Bible. Turn to Mark 6. Jesus' friends said that he was beside himself. In Mark 3
you're turning to Mark 6. Mark 3 says and the multitude cometh together again so
that they could not so much as eat bread and when his friends heard of it they
went out to lay hold on him for they said he is beside himself. They're just
saying he's a madman. Mark 6 verse 1 and he went out from
thence and came into his own country his own country his hometown and his
disciples follow him and when the Sabbath day was come he began to teach
in the synagogue and many hearing him were astonished saying from whence hath
this man these things and what wisdom is this that is given unto him that even
such mighty works are wrought by him is not this the carpenter the son of Mary
the brother of James and Joseph and of Judah and Simon and are not his sisters
here with us and they were offended at him Jesus offended even his own hometown
even his own acquaintances of the people that he grew up around Jesus offended
them turn with me to John 1 in Matthew 11 it says then began he to upbraid the
cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not
woe unto thee Cherubim woe unto thee Bethsaida he did great works and the
people did not repent even where he did most of his miracles that says they were
still not believing on him they were not turning to believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ when Jesus heals the demon-possessed man in the gatherings it
says that the city came out and besought him to depart from their coast
he's doing great works amongst them and they're rejecting they're saying get out
of here Jesus was despised and rejected in John chapter 1 verse 9 the Bible says
that was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world he
was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not he came
unto his own and his own received him not he came to his own people he came to
those he came to those Jews that he grew up as a Jew he lived in Israel and he
came to them and they rejected him they wanted nothing to do with them they
despised him and they rejected him but not only was it his acquaintances his
family his nation that rejected him but even at times his his friends and his
disciples rejected him at times look over at John 1 45 says here Philip
findeth Nathaniel and saith unto him we have found him of whom Moses in the law
and the prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph and Nathaniel
said unto him can there any good thing come out of Nazareth Philip saith unto
him come and see and of course Nathaniel ended up repenting and believing on
Jesus Christ a blind halt withered waiting for the moving of the water for
an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water
whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole
of whatsoever disease he had and a certain man was there which had an
infirmity thirty and eight years when Jesus saw him lie and knew that he had
been now a long time in that case he saith unto him wilt thou be made whole
the impotent man answered him sir I have no man when the water is troubled to put
me into the pool but while I am coming another stepeth down before me Jesus
saith unto him rise take up thy bed and walk this man has just been waiting for
a miracle he's been waiting to be healed thirty and eight years it says
he was lame Jesus comes along and just says get up and go and immediately verse
nine immediately the man was made whole and took up his bed and walked and on
the same day was the Sabbath the Jews therefore said unto him that was cured
it is the Sabbath day it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed he answered
them he that made me whole the same said unto me take up thy bed and walk then
asked they him what man is that which said unto thee take up thy bed and walk
and he that was healed with not who it was for Jesus had conveyed himself away
a multitude being in that place so Jesus had healed him but he did not know that
it was Jesus verse 14 afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple and saith unto
him behold thou art made whole sin no more lest the worst thing come unto thee
15 verse 15 the man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus which had
made him whole and therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay
him because he had done these things on a Sabbath day this man was lame for 38
years Jesus comes along and heals him and he turns around and just betrays
Jesus to the Jews he knew that they were upset that he healed him on a Sabbath
day and he just goes and he finds out it was Jesus that heals him and he just
ratted him out betrayed despised rejected turn to John 12 John 6 66 says
from that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him
Jesus was constantly offending even his own disciples they were constantly
walking away from him John 12 42 says nevertheless among the chief rulers
also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him
lest they should be put out of the synagogue for they loved the praise of
men more than the praise of God and isn't that true today today many people
believe on Jesus Christ but they're not gonna go all out they're not gonna serve
him with their life they're not gonna lay it all on the line because they love
the praise of men more than the praise of God Matthew 11 says now when John had
heard in the prison of the works of Christ he sent two of his disciples and
said unto them art thou he that should come or do we look for another the
greatest man born among women that was sent to prepare the way for Jesus the
one that baptized Jesus and saw the Spirit descend bodily upon in a bodily
shape upon Jesus it says that he doubted Jesus John 13 Jesus his own familiar
friend despised him and rejected him and sold him out Judas I'm referring to John
13 26 Jesus answered he it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it
and when he had dipped the stop he gave it to Judas the scariest the son of
Simon and after the stop Satan entered into him then said Jesus unto him that
thou doest do quickly turn with me to Luke 22 Judas was with Jesus through his
ministry Judas was chosen to be one of the 12 and he turns around and betrays
Jesus hated Jesus he was a reprobate devil the Bible says Luke 22 verse 47
the Bible says and while he yet spake behold a multitude and he that was
called Judas one of the 12 went before them and drew near unto Jesus to kiss
him but Jesus said unto him Judas betrayeth thou the son of man with a
kiss in another place the Bible says he answered and said friend betray us thou
the son of man with a kiss look at verse 52 then Jesus said unto the chief
priest and captains of the temple and the elders which were come to him be he
come out as against a thief with swords and saves when I was daily with you in
the temple you stretched forth no hands against me but this is your hour and the
power of darkness he was betrayed he was always teaching openly and they didn't
come lay hands on him but they hated him and they conspired against him and they
put him to death turn with me to stay there in Luke 22 actually mark 14 says
and they all forsook him and fled referring to his disciples all of his
disciples left him in his darkest hour John 16 says behold the hour cometh ye
is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me
alone Luke 22 verse 60 the Bible says and Peter said man I know not what thou
sayest denying Jesus Christ in the context and immediately while yet spake
the cock crew notice this and the Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter
remembered the word of the Lord how he had said unto him before the cock crow
thou shalt deny me thrice now consider what's happening here Peter goes out
and he denies Jesus three times again and again and again and then he
remembers what Jesus said how he would how he prophesied this would happen and
Jesus from afar off turns around and just looks at at Peter and imagine the
feeling of dread that Peter had at that moment verse 62 and Peter went out and
wept bitterly. Peter was one of Jesus's closest disciples and he also turned on
Jesus turn to John 20 Jesus was beaten and whipped they put a crown of thorns
on his head they dressed him up in purple and mocked him they covered his
face and beat him the Jews cried crucify him his garments were parted he was
nailed to the cross while he was hanging there they gave him vinegar to drink he
was mocked and he was railed on while he was there and the thieves that were
crucified with beside him also mocked him the Bible says and they that were
crucified with him reviled him and while he was hanging on that truck cross he
even cried and lo I lo I la masa back tonight which being interpreted as my
God my God why has thou forsaken me Jesus was despised and rejected after
his resurrection when he was on the road to Emmaus he appeared to some of his
disciples and he said oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the
prophets have spoken John 20 verse 24 the Bible says but Thomas one of the
twelve called Didymus was not with them when Jesus came the other disciples
therefore said unto him we have seen the Lord but he said unto them except I
shall see in his hands the print of the nails and put my finger into the print
of the nails and thrust my hand into his side I will not believe and later Jesus
appeared and he did believe but Thomas doubted him again and again Jesus's
friends Jesus's disciples the people closest to him were turning against him
they were rejecting him and you know consider Jesus did nothing but good to
be constantly hated and mocked and ridiculed and scorned all he ever did
was good look at John 12 John 12 verse 23 John 12 23 says and Jesus answered
them saying the hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified verily
verily I say unto you except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it
abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit and so what he's saying
here is that to be glorified to receive glory and to give glory to the Father he
had to die verse 47 Jesus said and if any man hear my words and believe not I
judge him not for I cannot to judge the world but to save the world the Bible
says the world was already condemned the world was already condemned Jesus did
nothing but to come to save the world he came just to do good look at chapter
13 verse 1 now before the feast of the Passover when Jesus knew that his hour
was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father having loved
his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end all he did was simply
love his disciples and do good and come to save the world and he was hated look
at chapter 16 John 16 verse 1 says these things have I spoken unto you that ye
should not be offended they shall put you out of the synagogues
yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth
God's service these things will they do unto you because they have not known the
father nor me but these things that I told you that when the time shall come
you may remember that I told you of them and these things I said not
unto you at the beginning because I was with you he warned us he warned his
disciples that the same persecution was going to turn around on them and he
warned them for the purpose that they would not be offended when they were
despised and rejected you know when Jesus was on the cross he taught us to
pray for our enemies and when Jesus was on the cross he said father forgive them
for they know not what they do flip back to John 15 the previous chapter verse
24 says if I had not done among them the works which none other man did they had
not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my father but this
cometh the past that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law
they hated me without a cause look up at verse 18 again he says the same
persecution the same hatred is gonna pass on you verse 18 if the world hates
you you know that it hated me before it hated you if you were of the world the
world would love his own but because he are not of this world but I have chosen
you out of the world therefore the world hateth you remember the word that I
said unto you the servant is not greater than his Lord if they have persecuted me
they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they will keep yours
also Jesus went through persecution just for doing right and you need to expect
the same thing because there's nothing new under the Sun yay and all that will
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution that's a promise from God
just as much as John 3 16 is a promise from God Luke 21 says and you shall be
hated of all men for my name's sake they hate Jesus and they're gonna hate you
too so consider this sorry turn with me to 1st Peter 4 consider this if you live
godly in Christ you're gonna be looked at as a worm and no man or you might
even be looked at as a weasel you might have enemies that want you dead your
enemies might try to catch you in your words and twist everything you say you
might have evil Jews conspiring against you or against your church you might be
called demonic you might divide people people might be persecuted just for being
your friends your family might mock you your hometown might hate you you might
do great works to people that don't repent you might have friends walk away
from you you might have fakes backstab you you may do only good to people and
pray for them and they turn around and despise you and reject you but prayed
God that means you might just be a Christian 1st Peter 4 verse 12 says
beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as
though some strange thing happened unto you but rejoice in as much as ye are
partakers of Christ's sufferings that when his glory shall be revealed ye also
may be glad also with exceeding joy verse 14 if you be reproached for the
name of Christ happy are ye for the spirit of glory and if God resteth upon
you on their part he's evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified verse 16
yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed but let him glorify
God on this behalf flip back to 1st Peter 3 verse 13 the Bible says and who
is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good but and
if you suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their
terror neither be troubled skip down to verse 17 for it is better if the will of
God be so that you should suffer for well-doing then for evil doing for
Christ also at once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might
bring us to God turn to John chapter 3 persecution whenever you're going through
it it can shock you you might not know what's happening and if you don't know
what's happening you could stumble or you could fall and many people fall away
from God they fall away from serving God because of persecution but Jesus said
I've spoken these things that you should not be offended he wants us to be warned
he wants us to know that this will come he wants us to know that this is certain
if we're gonna live godly so that we're not gonna be shocked and fall whenever
it comes let persecution rather be an indication you're doing something right
everyone that takes a stand for anything whether they're saved or not they're
gonna face some kind of backlash but if you read the Bible and you pray and you
go to church and you go soul winning you're trying to get sin out of your
life you can take comfort knowing that God is pleased with you and he will
reward you for what you're going through and if you're obeying God and bad things
are happening it's not chastening it's persecution false accusations when they
come they can make you question yourself they can make you question whether you're
doing right but have faith and don't quit on God Jesus said woe unto you when all
men shall speak well of you expect for bad things to be said of you one of the
really irritating things to me about modern churches is how they just act
like everybody in America is saved and they've never faced persecution at all
so you must be nuts if you're facing backlash in America because everybody's
a Christian no what's the problem is is you live in a bubble and you don't get
persecuted because you're either not saved or you're not living godly in
Christ Jesus you know whenever I whenever I first started getting into
the new IFB I went to listen to pastor Anderson preach in pure words at the
time in Houston and he told me that he does not think he's the most persecuted
man on the world anymore he said at one time I could probably say that but he
said right now I would say that's pastor Shelley and I didn't I didn't really
know pastor Shelley at the time but that made me think hey I was I was willing to
move to Arizona at the time but that made me think hey Dallas is a whole lot
closer and if that church getting persecuted that sounds like a church I
want to go to I want to get in on the action you know I came expecting a
battle with the sodomites and that was kind of past but we had we had other
battles internally right but you never know what's gonna come next and you
need to be prepared just read Psalms and you're gonna see there's evil people
all over this world and they want to hurt the upright God's gonna persecute
them one day but just trust in God and do not quit on him you know the brighter
that you shine by drawing close to God it's kind of like how Moses went up into
the mount and when he received the Ten Commandments the Bible says he came
down and his face shone with the glory the Bible says that whenever John and
Peter they went before the Pharisees it says they took note that they had been
with Jesus and whenever you draw close to God and you're serving him people are
gonna take note of it and some people are gonna be furious about it. John 3 19
says and this is the condemnation that light is coming to the world and men
loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil for everyone that
doeth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds
should be reproved but he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his
deeds may be made manifest that they are rotting God the brighter you shine you're
gonna draw people to Jesus Christ and you know society is so unbiblical today
just living a godly clean Christian life trying to love God with some zeal you're
gonna really piss some people off but if God never let us go through
persecution and never be despised by anyone you might get really prideful so
it's kind of a blessing to go through some persecution sometimes and let us
just remember whenever we're going through persecution what Jesus went
through let it inspire us not to quit when we are despised and rejected by
this world let it motivate us to be even more zealous and to keep shining
brighter and brighter let us pray dear Heavenly Father thank you for this day
thank you for the Word of God I thank you for how much Jesus Christ went
through the Bible says he suffered such contradiction of sinners I thank you
that he endured those things so that we could have eternal life please help us
to endure our persecutions and to draw closer to you in Jesus name amen
closing let's go to song number 124 song number 124 124 God will take care of you