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Hi, I'm Pastor Jason van Bemmel
from Forest Hill Presbyterian Church, and this is Walking with
Jesus and our 17th devotional in the Book of Acts, Acts chapter
6, verses 8 to 15, and asking, why is Christianity the most
persecuted and restricted religion in the world? Here's Acts chapter
6, verses 10 through 11. but they could not withstand
the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking. Then they
secretly instigated men who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous
words against Moses and God. Acts 6, 10-11. Christianity is
the most reasonable and defensible worldview in the world. Christians
who are trained and educated in the facts, evidence, and logic
of our belief system and who are filled with the Holy Spirit
and living in fellowship with Christ are very difficult to
defeat in a reasoned debate or in a principled discussion. The
evidence for the existence of God as creator and the historic
evidence for the resurrection of Jesus are very compelling. When combined with the personal
testimony of a transformed life bearing the fruit of the Spirit,
a more compelling case can be made for Christianity than for
any other worldview or belief system. As we can see today,
In the case of Stephen, the persuasive power of the Christian message
is the number one reason why Christianity is the most persecuted
and restricted religion in the world. Peter and John and the
rest of the apostles had already faced arrest, imprisonment, threats,
and ridicule. But it was impossible for the
religious authorities in Jerusalem who opposed their message to
silence them. The public miracles God performed
through them and their first-hand testimony of having seen the
risen Jesus were just too powerful to refute. So, the opposition
turned their attention to a less prominent leader in the church,
one of the first deacons, Stephen. These opponents of Christ could
not silence Stephen either. This lowly deacon had been empowered
by the Spirit to do wonders and signs, and he spoke with such
wisdom that none could effectively contradict him. So, they spread
lies and slander, hate and accusations. When the witness to Christ cannot
be disproven, the world will try any method available to silence
it. Today estimates are that more
than 75% of the world's population lives without real religious
freedom. And the religion that is most
commonly restricted is Christianity. Some 600 million Christians worldwide
cannot exercise their faith freely. Yet despite being restricted
or outlawed in the majority of the world, Christianity is the
largest religion in the world. Islam may be growing rapidly
around the world, but it is the persecutor, and not the persecuted,
a religion enforced by law on most of its adherents. Consider
these statistics from Open Door USA. Each month, 322 Christians
are killed for their faith. 214 churches and Christian properties
are destroyed, and 772 forms of violence are committed against
Christians, such as beatings, abductions, rapes, arrests, and
forced marriages. But Christ cannot be silenced,
and His Kingdom's advance cannot be slowed or halted. Even the
opponents of Christ who questioned Stephen and would later condemn
him to death, could see the evidence of Christ clearly on his face,
as verse 15 says, and gazing at him, all who sat in the council
saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, give us the
knowledge, understanding, and courage to articulate your gospel
clearly before a watching world. Empower us to speak the truth
about Christ with boldness and accuracy. Use our words to bring
glory to your name and to bring many to faith in Christ. Keep
us from being defensive, petty, foolish, or vindictive in our
witness, that people may see Christ in us. In Jesus' name
we pray, amen.
Why is Christianity So Persecuted?
Series Acts Devotionals
| Sermon ID | 211203283473 |
| Duration | 05:10 |
| Date | |
| Category | Devotional |
| Bible Text | Acts 6:8-15 |
| Language | English |
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