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Be Prepared Against A Hostile World
By Rev (Dr) Timothy Tow
(Preached at Life BPC, 10.30am service, 15 Jul 2001)
Text: Matt 10:16-42
With Christianity in Singapore rising from 14 to 17% during the last decade, it seems we are more received by the people. In fact we are not. Two instances will prove my point. Some years ago when there was free flow of traffic along our side road to Chancery Lane, some of our members parked into spaces reserved for residents of the URA flats behind us. When they repeated this offence due to carelessness the secretary of the Residents Association gave us a nasty note, "Next time you do this we will puncture your tires." Second instance: A European voice complained to me on the phone one Sunday morning, "Why do you ring your church bell so loud as to wake me out of sleep? Where can I lodge a complaint?"
This is what Jesus means, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves." Christians will be prosecuted before the authorities and will be persecuted out of their place of abode, they will be killed, they will be hated even by their immediate family members. That sons would betray their own parents to the Communist authorities during Mao's Cultural Revolution is a well-known fact. This is forewarned in Micah 7:5,6. "Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom. For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man's enemies are the men of his own house." But God will endue them with wisdom for self-defence that they will be able to live alongside wicked people as harmless citizens.
I. "But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you" (Matt 10:19-20).
In 1900, 101 years ago, there arose a great persecution of Christians in China known as the Boxer Rebellion. As a result 185 missionaries including their children were beheaded for their faith. About 20,000 Chinese Christians also lost their lives. The Boxer Rebellion burst out in North China, but quickly spread to the South.
In that year my grandfather was a young pastor of a church in Swatow, South China. Sensing the Boxers would invade his church, he had the signboard of his church openly displayed, "JESUS THE TRUE RELIGION." He prepared a big pot of the best Chinese tea with a pile of peanut caramel which the Teochews relished. When the Boxers descended upon him with swords and spears, he calmly invited them to tea. The Boxers seeing the tea and sweetmeats placed before them enjoyed themselves to the full. And seeing my grandfather was a just man they left the scene without violence, taking away only the German wall clock. The wisdom of standing firm in the face of extreme danger came from the Holy Spirit. This episode in my Grandpa's life, which he related to us his grandchildren, has remained with me to this day. "Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves" (Matt 10:16). God is able to help you outwit your adversaries.
II. "But when they persecute you in this city, flee you unto another" (v.23). Before the time for us to die for our Lord, we should flee for safety, in the face of persecution, in order that we might continue to witness for Christ. After Saul was converted on the Damascus Road, he became Paul. When he began to preach Christ, he was hounded by the governor of Damascus who set a garrison to catch him. But disciples helped him escape by letting him through a window in a basket down the city wall. A similar experience helped Calvin escape from the house where he was staying in Paris when he heard wind that the University authorities suspected he was the author of a Protestant message preached by his friend against the Roman Catholic Church. Friends tied bed sheets together and let him out of a window to escape in the nick of time. The contribution he made for the Protestant Faith with this escape is a glorious chapter of Church history.
Should we be persecuted for preaching Christ, God is able to outmaneuver us from danger for His Name's sake.
III. But followers of Christ must be prepared to go all the way with Him. Here our Lord hints of His persecution by His enemies unto death. As the disciple is not above his master, so He also hints we must be prepared to die with Him. Christians are in the hands of God who has power over life and death and He will save us to heaven should we be killed.
So the Muslims are also taught to die for their faith. But their martyrdom involves a suicidal death in present conflict with the Jews. A suicide bomber by the name of Nefaz who directed his attack at a Jewish check point in Gaza just last week detonated his bomb prematurely and perished in the blast without hurting anybody. What a sad end of a self-martyrdom.
Christians, however, are martyred for the truth as they submit to enemies of the Cross by the appointment of God. Both Peter and Paul gave their lives willingly for the Gospel's sake. By their deaths, the faith of other Christians were strengthened. By the deaths of other Christians following suit, Christianity won the victory in the early fourth century when Constantine the Roman Emperor was converted. As a result the whole Roman Empire became Christian. Christians out-martyr all other forms of martyrdom. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father" (Matt 10:28,29).
Before our appointed time, God assures us, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (vv. 30-31). Our Heavenly Father is a loving Father. He will not make us suffer unnecessarily.
IV. "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (vv. 38-39). In serving the Lord we must come to the conclusion that our life no more belongs to us. To be a true disciple we must serve him unconditionally. Can we say with Peter, "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?" (Matt 19:27).
Jesus said to Peter and the other disciples, "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life" (Matt 19:29).
"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt 10:39). This section recedes from martyrdom to our day-to-day living. Do we serve Him as one dead to the world? Are we dead to our dearest human relations? Should the love of parents hinder our love for the Saviour? Should even the love of wife detract us from Him? If we are, we are no more worthy to be His servants. If we love the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind then we will begin to really live. Have we found the true meaning of life?
Our closest relatives may reject us, but those who belong to Christ will receive us. "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward" (v.42). We are not alone. We have found new friends. The Lord's people will take care of us.
In preparing us against a hostile world, God will help us outwit our enemy, out-maneuver us from their persecution, help us to out-martyr those who die in suicide bombing and bless us to live the real life by forsaking our own. Amen.
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