A couple of lessons ago we looked in Psalm 44 at a statement that is picked up and used again in Romans chapter 8, talking about the fact that suffering is not supposed to surprise us, that in fact suffering is the norm. And so when you're having a good day and things are going well, rejoice. And rejoice with others who are having a good day. Rejoice with those who rejoice. But be prepared to weep with those that weep, because the fact of the matter is, if you live in this world, you are going to be not just a spectator to suffering, but you're going to experience it. If you try to just invest your life avoiding suffering, basically if that's your goal, I'm just going to try and avoid suffering, you will suffer for it, okay? I mean, there's no such thing as making it out of this place alive. We all go through difficult times. Last evening, I was driving back from Chicago and we got to the, pass where you come over the ridge into the Tennessee Valley. And as we were headed up, they were warning on the news and, you know, basically it was all turning to ice. There were clouds of moisture moving in so it was fog and mist and the temperature was dropping. It was already at 32 degrees and that's freezing. And then it got down to 30, and then it got down to 28. And so you had several categories of drivers, those who said, I'm not going to try this, and they pulled off. Then you had those who put on their four-way flashers and sort of tried to creep over the mountain despite the ice. And then you had the people who were like, I'm not going to wait until it gets any colder. I'm going to try and drive through here as fast as possible in my 18-wheeler. So I'm sitting there in my little Camry. I did not have the four-way flashers on because that's illegal. You're not supposed to do that unless you're stopped and pulled off. But I drove along with my lights as I should, including my fog lights and my low beams. You don't use your high beams when it's foggy. Had your low beams on and the fog lights on, and I'm creeping along, and here are 18 wheelers going... And at times, one slid in front of us, but mercifully did not hit us. At one point, my daughter asked why I was going like this, and I said it's so that I don't put my fingers all the way through the steering wheel. I was holding on so tightly. It was tense. Well, let me tell you, there are times when life is like that, okay? There are times when you just are going through difficulty upon difficulty, and all around you there is peril. But today we want to consider especially the fact that martyrdom That is, being persecuted and even killed for our faith in Christ should not surprise us as some extraordinary thing. Now, you and I have grown up in a time and in a country where that is not at all normal. So to us, it seems very strange. Just like to us, it seems very strange when people die, even though all of us are going to. Okay, even though everybody who's gone before us has. When I was pastoring on Cape Cod and it was hard to get people to think about eternity, I would look at all these cemeteries and I thought, you know, people ought to get a clue. Because I mean, there were cemeteries everywhere and I preached a sermon one time about the witness of the cemeteries to the fact that it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment. You and I are surrounded by reminders that life is not going to just continue on as it has forever. This is brief. This is temporary. Well, unlike our recent history in this culture, throughout history and throughout the world, even to this day, Persecution of believers is widespread, and martyrdom is not unusual. It's painful. It's not that we shouldn't take it seriously. It's not that we don't need to pray for our brothers and sisters and do what we can to support the suffering church. But we said before, suffering is not supposed to surprise us. The amazing thing is that God chooses to save us. Okay, that's our theme for these three lessons. Look, if you would, in Revelation chapter six, verses nine through 11. Revelation chapter six, verses nine through 11. This is God's word. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, how long, sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. May God add his blessing. to this reading from His Holy Word. The answer to prayer is, they're saying, how long, Lord? And the answer to prayer is, this is gonna continue until the number that has been appointed for martyrdom is fulfilled. There are people alive right now who are appointed by God to be martyrs. Now, in Islam, there are people who are being taught that they will achieve for themselves great reward in the next life if they will commit some act of martyrdom, that is to say, kill yourself and in the process kill a bunch of other people and you'll have great reward. That is not martyrdom. Suicide is not martyrdom. Homicide is not martyrdom. Terrorism is not martyrdom. And those folks are all discovering after they die that they were badly mistaken about who God is, who Jesus is, how to be reconciled to God, and what happens if you blow yourself up in order to try and kill other people. I mean, that's a very tragic thing. But let me tell you. In many of those countries where that mindset prevails, we have brothers and sisters in Christ who are staking their lives on the fact that if they refuse to deny the faith, if they stand strong for Jesus, if they continue to trust in Him, they'll die, but they will receive eternal reward for their faithfulness. They're staking their lives on that. They're willing to die for that. And it's not unusual. It is Christianity. It used to be that part of an education, if you spoke English, was to read a book called Fox's Book of Martyrs. I can't even find my copy anymore. My wife assures me it's on the shelf in the living room. I went over the shelf several times before I went to Chicago. I mean, I looked up and down and checked and made sure I wasn't overlooking it. She'll probably find it this afternoon. But the fact of the matter is I wanted to have that when I spoke on this because Fox's Book of Martyrs used to be standard reading. You read the King James Bible, you read Paul, you read, not Paul Bunyan's, John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, and you read Fox's Book of Martyrs. And then if you had time, you read Shakespeare too. But I mean, you couldn't do without Pilgrim's Progress, and you couldn't do without Fox's Book of Martyrs. And as children grew up hearing the stories of martyrdom, what it instilled in them was courage. Do you remember the three? Friends of Daniel, who were told that if they would not bow down, they'd be thrown into a fiery furnace. And they said to the king, our God is able to deliver us, and he will deliver us. But even if he doesn't, we're not going to do it. Were they just stubborn? No, they were courageous. And folks, we need a fresh crop of courageous people who are willing to die because they know this life isn't all there is. They know that God has bigger plans for us than bodies that wear out in 70 years. Do you remember David? That courageous young man who went out and fought Goliath armed with a slingshot, that was courage. Yeah, but see, he knew that it wasn't his slingshot that was going to get him through. It was God. That was courage. But David died at age 75. He was an old man acting like an old man before he died. Solomon, his son, hugely successful, incredibly intelligent, enormously knowledgeable, unbelievably rich, sadly foolish, and yet he died, I think, at age 69. You know what happens to these bodies of ours? They wear out. I was just in Chicago taking care of my cousin who's in his 70s and who just learned that his cancer has returned. That's very discouraging to him. But you know what? If he doesn't die of cancer, he's going to die of something else, just like me, just like you. If we can begin to process the fact that this is not what it's all about, and that our physical bodies as we know them right now are destined to wear out and be replaced with something much better, then we begin to find a ground for courage. And we need courage to be obedient. because God is calling us to follow him in ways that will often be sacrificial. Very challenging. Let me read you a little bit from Fox's Book of Martyrs, because even though I couldn't find my copy, I have this thing at my house called the internet. Oh, is it cool? All right. I'll read you this intro from, the version that's on the internet. This is a book that will never die. It's one of the great English classics reprinted here in its most complete form. It brings to life the days when a noble army, men and boys, the matron and the maid, climbed the steep ascent of heaven mid peril, toil, and pain. After the Bible itself, no book so profoundly influenced early Protestant sentiment as the Book of Martyrs. Even in our time, it is still a living force. It's more than a record of persecution. It is an arsenal of controversy, a storehouse of romance, as well as a source of edification. Now, here's the outline. And I want you to get this because I want you to think about the different ages and the persecution there. It begins in chapter one with a history of Christian martyrs to the first general persecutions under Nero. So in other words, starting with the Book of Acts and going on through the persecutions under Nero. Then in chapter two, the 10 primitive persecutions. What does that refer to? It refers to the fact that on 10 separate occasions, there were waves of persecution where Satan, using wicked people brought destruction to the church. And yet, the more that persecution took place, the more the church grew. People who learned that death had been conquered by Jesus Christ were no longer afraid to die. Because they really believed the gospel, They were able to stand against the threats of the enemy. What are you going to do to me? I'm going to kill you. Have at it. These folks weren't afraid to die. There's not a lot you can do to threaten a person who's not afraid to die. Ten primitive persecutions, that's chapter two. Then chapter three is persecutions of the Christians in Persia. Chapter 4, papal persecutions. Chapter 5, an account of the Inquisition. Chapter 6, an account of the persecutions in Italy under the papacy. Chapter 7, an account of the life and persecutions of John Wycliffe. If that's the only part of the book you read, you ought to read the book. Just the life of Wycliffe and what he went through absolutely amazing I Know that when we study the Reformation we talk about Wycliffe Please if you haven't studied the life of Wycliffe get hold of that miss Lissy. I encourage you have your students read The life of John Wycliffe and the persecutions and suffering of John Wycliffe as part of their education you can get reprints of this chapter and It's it's good old English, too Chapter 8, an account of the persecutions in Bohemia. Now again, if you, this is one of the things that gives, I love history. You see God's spirit working here, and God's spirit working here, and these people were not in communication with each other, and God was telling them the same thing. They were going back to the scriptures, and the Spirit was showing them, this is the gospel. And they were proclaiming the gospel, and people were being converted. And it was the institutional church that persecuted them. That's who called for their death, because the institutional organized church had turned away from the gospel. Because if people believe the gospel, it's very hard to make them slaves. It's very hard to control them when they're under the control of the Holy Spirit. And so the fact of the matter, not because they won't be good employees, not because they won't be good citizens, but because they're not afraid anymore. They're not afraid anymore. So on account of the persecutions in Bohemia, and then in chapter nine, an account of the life and persecutions of Martin Luther, So I thought Luther lived he did he was he did not die a martyr's death But he suffered greatly and the only reason he didn't die a martyr's death is because God and his providence sought to preserve him Because the fact of the matter is he would have died if the church officials had had their way General persecutions in Germany is chapter 10 an account of the persecutions in the Netherlands and Chapter 12 is the life and story of the true servant and martyr of God, William Tyndale. Again, that's another one you ought to read. An account of the life of John Calvin. Then chapter 14, prior to the reign of Queen Mary I. Chapter 15, an account of the persecutions in Scotland during the reign of King Henry VIII. King Henry VIII, I thought he was a Protestant. I thought he established the Anglican Church. He did, but he persecuted all kinds of people who didn't give him what he wanted, including, by the way, persecuting Roman Catholics. Chapter 16, persecutions in England during the reign of Queen Mary and the rise and progress of the Protestant religion in Ireland with an account of the Barbarous Massacre of 1641. The rise, progress, persecutions, and sufferings of the Quakers. They were pacifists. They are pacifists. Do you know what some people want to do to folks who say, I don't believe in fighting? They want to fight them. It's like, I don't believe in fighting. I'm not going to fight. Well, then I'm going to fight you. Hey, come over here. A whole group of people who, because of their conviction about pacifism, which I don't share, by the way, but a lot of people hated them and persecuted them for it. That's just sad. An account of the life and persecutions of John Bunyan. He's the guy who wrote Pilgrim's Progress. An account of the life of John Wesley. Really? In Fox's Book of Martyrs? Yes. Then the persecutions of the French Protestants in the south of France during the years 1814 and 1820. And then, final chapter, the beginnings of American foreign missions. All right, now. It's the first time anybody's ever read me a table of contents. Why am I doing that? Because I want you to understand something. Throughout history, over and over and over and over, person after person, famous people, people you've heard of, many of the people you've heard of who were famous, who accomplished great things, paid for it with their lives. They were killed. How many of you would like to be really successful in life? No, not me. I don't want to be successful. How many of you would like to be really successful in life? Are you willing to die for it? I mean, the fact of the matter is, you've got to decide, I'd like to be successful, but I don't want to have to put a lot into it. I've told you before, I'd love to be a great pianist. I really would. I think the piano is an absolutely magnificent instrument, and I would love to be a great pianist. I have a good ear for music, I love music, and I can hear stuff in my head that I'd love to be able to play. The problem is, in order to be a great pianist, you have to practice. And starting when I was a little kid, I never wanted to practice. I wanted to go outside and play. My dog Snoopy was outside waiting for me. The fields and forest were beckoning to me. And the piano? I mean, I wanted to play it, but I didn't want to play it that badly, not enough to make the sacrifices necessary in order to do it. I would like to be a great horseman. I would like to be able to ride like Ryan McCaffrey. I would love to be able to do that. I mean, I would love to be able to do that. But you have to practice. You can't just show up. Say, OK, I'm ready to go. We had an individual here one time. We were filming a promo for the ranch. And this guy assured us he could ride. And he went out. He put the saddle. This was before Mr. McCaffrey was here. He went out. He put the saddle on. And he didn't wait until the horse took a breath to tighten the girth underneath. And so he got up. And we're filming. And this guy is riding. And he just goes like this. It was comical. I was wondering if that would be me. I wasn't the one who did it on that occasion. I was standing there with the cameraman laughing, but but I mean this guy The horse is running out across the field all of a sudden the rider is just turning sideways in the saddle falling like you know Few minutes later he comes up out of the grass. I'm okay What happened well he forgot the part about tightening the belt when the horse exhales Right you got to do that I mean, otherwise, the horse is going to go, and you're going to tighten it, and the horse is going to go, and the saddle's going to go. I would love to be in great physical condition. I'd love to have a physique like Mr. Steven. I really would. To the office? That way. I mean, I'd love it. I know where the various muscle groups are. I can name them. I just don't have them. They're not developed because it takes exercise. It takes work. You have to sweat. How much are you willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your goal? I would submit to you that better than playing the piano, better than riding horses, better than having a great physique, is obedience to God. And all these folks I've named would agree. Obedience to God is what matters, and you've got to decide, I'm willing to sacrifice everything Order to be obedient to him. I will do it no matter what it costs. I will do it if it costs me friendships popularity money Whatever it might be I will do it if it costs me my life I'm willing to lay it all down in order to follow Jesus In chapter 1 of Fox's book of martyrs he talks about what happened under Nero But He begins by going through Jesus' closest followers, the order of the martyrs who were recounted for us first in the book of Acts and then in other literature of the church regarding it. Who was the first of the martyrs? His name was Stephen. Remember Stephen? He preached the gospel. He was so filled with the Holy Spirit that his face was shining. Remember Moses in the Old Testament? Because he'd spent time with the Lord, he comes in, his face is glowing, it's shining. Remember Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration? His face was shining. Stephen's face was like that of an angel. It was bright. They recognized The wisdom with which he spoke and they couldn't answer it. They didn't have an argument against what he was saying, but they were so hate-filled toward God that they wanted to kill Stephen. So they stoned him to death. And one of those who was there giving consent for his stoning was Saul of Tarsus, who later would be converted and also die a martyr's death. James. You read the book of Acts. James was martyred. And Herod, who carried it out, saw that this pleased the Jews. And so he set out to kill a lot of other folks. But back, according to Foxe's Book of Martyrs, about 2,000 Christians suffered martyrdom during the persecution that arose about Stephen, and then the second wave was with James. Then Philip, remember Philip? Great evangelist, book of Acts. He was crucified AD 54. Matthew was beaten to death in AD 60. James the Less was beaten and stoned by Jewish opponents and finally had his brains dashed out with a Fuller's club. That's a tool that's used in laundry. He was beaten to death at age, let me see if I've got it, age 94. What would cause people to do something like that to an old guy, 94 years old? What kind of threat was he? He was a huge threat. You know why? Because he was proclaiming the truth. He was proclaiming the truth. And so at age 94, I think if I make it to 94, I've kind of made it. It's like, well, I guess I'm not going to be a martyr. No, he was beaten to death at age 94. That's the kind of world we live in, folks. Say, oh no, we live in the United States of America. Do you understand the world is bigger than our country? And do you understand that the human heart is the same here as it is overseas? We are blessed because of the residual effect of generations of believers who've gone before. But the fact of the matter is it only takes one generation to lose it, and we're in the midst of a generation that seems to be losing it. The increasing waves of violence in this country are a warning that the human heart has not changed. And those who are going to stand true for the gospel had better be prepared to be all in. Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded. Andrew was crucified. Mark was dragged to pieces. Peter was crucified. Paul was beheaded. Jude was crucified. Bartholomew was cruelly beaten and then crucified. Thomas was run through with a spear. Luke, we are told was hanged on an olive tree. in Greece. Simon was crucified in AD 74. John, the beloved disciple, brother to James the Great, the churches of Smyrna, Pergamos, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Thyatira were founded by him. From Ephesus he was ordered to be sent to Rome where it is affirmed that he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped miraculously without injury. So Domitian banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Nerva, the successor of Domitian, recalled him, and he was the only apostle who escaped a violent death. Barnabas. His death is supposed to have taken place about AD 73. What was happening with these folks? They were refusing to back down. They knew that Jesus Christ is Lord. They knew that the end of this body is not the end of real life. And if you and I live as if this body is what it's all about, we're making a huge mistake. We behave as if you only go around once so you want to grab all the gusto you can You're making an enormous miscalculation If instead we realize that the purpose of our life in this body is for the glory of God That our body is his temple not a Chucky cheese Okay, it's not just a place built for fun. I Dan and Buster's oh My body is just about giving me pleasure. That's what it's all about. I'm gonna do what feels good. No You live that way you will waste your life But if you realize My purpose is to serve my lord He redeemed me with his blood on Calvary He is stronger than death so I don't have to be afraid of death Neither life nor death can separate me from his love I'm gonna do what he says no matter what and If people applaud well, that's a surprise and if people stone me with rocks That's not a surprise because Jesus said, if they hated me, they're gonna hate you. In this world, you will have tribulation, but don't be afraid. I've already overcome the world. Let me tell you, if you're not afraid to die for Jesus, you won't be afraid to live for him. If you're not afraid that people might kill you, It won't really upset you if they don't want to be your best friend. If you're not afraid that this life could soon be over, then it's okay if this life lasts a while. You'll be at peace no matter what the circumstances. You'll have joy even when other people are filled with anxiety. Well, Pastor Wood, last night, when you were coming over the mountain there, were you afraid you might die? No, dying is not a problem. Being injured is something I try and avoid. I felt responsible. I'll tell you this. If I'd been the passenger, I would have felt a lot less anxiety. But I felt enormous responsibility. So I held on to the steering wheel and I prayed hard. But I knew that I had an appointment and a destination. And I'd asked the Lord about stopping and spending the night. And I felt like the Lord said, go on. So I did what I felt the Lord told me to do, knowing that at any moment our circumstances could change dramatically. Let me tell you something. Having courage doesn't mean you will not feel anxiety, fear, pressure. Having courage means no matter how much anxiety, fear, and pressure you feel, you will make your decision based on what God says. You will do what the Lord tells you. Do not be afraid. You may feel fear. But don't let fear take control. Do what God says. And do not be afraid. Let's pray together. Father, we hear it. We know it's true. We know that martyrdom is a vital part of your plan for your people in the earth. Not that everyone is martyred, but that many are. We don't like that. And it's hard for us even to relate to it because we've been so amazingly insulated from it in this culture. And yet, Father, I pray that you would help us to open our eyes and open our ears and open the history books and the newspaper and see the truth of what is going on even now. Even now in the Middle East, where brothers and sisters in Christ are being slaughtered by radical Muslims. Even now in places like Eritrea, and Yemen and Somalia. Father, have mercy on your children, not only those who are in the midst of suffering, but those of us who need a wake-up call. Have mercy upon us, we pray. and make us people of courage who trust in you and therefore do what you say. And we'll be careful to give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen.