[SPEAKER_00]: Christian parenting.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, hello true seekers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the very last day of our summer series on the Beatitudes.
[SPEAKER_00]: I hope you have learned much about what it means to influence for Jesus, to be an influencer, for Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: So far, we have learned that influencers, for Jesus are poor and spirit.
[SPEAKER_00]: They only rely on the power of the Holy Spirit living in them.
[SPEAKER_00]: They mourn and
[SPEAKER_00]: They are meek, they hunger and thirst for righteousness, they are merciful, they are pure and heart, and they are peacemakers.
[SPEAKER_00]: We have one more be out of tune to learn about today.
[SPEAKER_00]: This last one is a pretty serious one.
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you ready?
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus said, blessed are those who are persecuted for theirs as the kingdom of heaven.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think Jesus might have saved this one for last because he knew it was a serious one that we needed to be ready and prepared for.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's interesting that of eight bi attitudes, out of just eight things that Jesus could tell us and prepare us for.
[SPEAKER_00]: He chose to add persecution as one of them, and
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's because Jesus knew that as we live in this world, we are going to not only face hard times, but we will face people who don't understand that we believe in Him.
[SPEAKER_00]: We will face people who might make fun of us, laugh at us, mock us,
[SPEAKER_00]: slander us, say all kinds of awful things about us, and even hurt us because of our faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we have to be ready because Jesus has promised that those who are persecuted will receive the kingdom of heaven.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said it's blessed to be persecuted.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you believe that?
[SPEAKER_00]: He said blessed are you who are persecuted.
[SPEAKER_00]: So the next time, maybe somebody makes fun of you or laughs at you for following Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can think, man, I am blessed.
[SPEAKER_00]: I am blessed because I have the kingdom of God living inside of me.
[SPEAKER_00]: So to be persecuted as a Christian is to be treated cruelly or to be hurt or slandered or mistreated for what you believe in.
[SPEAKER_00]: There are many, many Christians who have been persecuted throughout the years.
[SPEAKER_00]: In fact, the disciples, after Jesus ascended back into heaven, went through a period of persecution.
[SPEAKER_00]: Many of them were murdered for their faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: This means they were martyrs to be a martyr as to be someone who is killed for what you believe in.
[SPEAKER_00]: there are many Christians today who live in other countries who are being persecuted and treated unfairly because they believe in Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: We need to pray for our brothers and sisters who live all around the world who are in other countries that are not as gracious or open to the Christian faith as America has been.
[SPEAKER_00]: We need to pray for them that they would have
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to tell you a story today about three men who were persecuted for their faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: When I say three men in the Bible who were persecuted for their faith, do you know who I'm talking about?
[SPEAKER_00]: These are three men that we learned about already in our Old Testament series on the podcast.
[SPEAKER_00]: And if you said, Shadrack me Shackin' Abednego then you are correct.
[SPEAKER_00]: Shadrack me Shackin' Abednego had been taken captive by the Babylonians as young men.
[SPEAKER_00]: They lived and grew up in a very sinful nation.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Babylonians worshipped false gods and did not believe in Yahweh the one true and living God.
[SPEAKER_00]: And yet Shadrack me Shackin' Abednego would not give up their faith, despite the fact they had been taken to live in such an evil and wicked place.
[SPEAKER_00]: One day, King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon decided to have a large gigantic statue made of himself.
[SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't bad enough that King Nebuchadnezzar had this statue made, but he issued a decree that whenever the people heard the music start playing throughout the land, they were to bow down and worship the statue.
[SPEAKER_00]: In essence, they were to worship King Nebuchadnezzar.
[SPEAKER_00]: If anyone refused to bow down, they would be thrown into the fiery furnace.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, Shadrack, me Shack and Abednego were resolved in their faith, they would not bow down to a golden statue.
[SPEAKER_00]: They knew that God had strictly forbidden the Israelites to worship any other God besides him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now you might be thinking, couldn't they just pretend to bow down and pray to God instead?
[SPEAKER_00]: Everybody else was bowing down, could they just bow down, but not really worship the
[SPEAKER_00]: Friends, they were influencers.
[SPEAKER_00]: They knew others would be watching.
[SPEAKER_00]: If they bowed down to a false God, everything they believed in would mean nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: Everything they ever said and did would mean nothing.
[SPEAKER_00]: People were watching.
[SPEAKER_00]: Would they stand by the faith that they had proclaimed their whole lives?
[SPEAKER_00]: Would they continue to put their faith in Yahweh, the one true and living God?
[SPEAKER_00]: When the music started to play, everyone bowed down.
[SPEAKER_00]: Everyone that is except for Shadrack, Mishak, and Abednego.
[SPEAKER_00]: When King Nebuchadnezzar realized that they had refused to bow down, he was furious.
[SPEAKER_00]: He commanded that they be brought to him.
[SPEAKER_00]: What did they have to say for themselves?
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, Shadraak Mishak and Abendnego replied to the King.
[SPEAKER_00]: O King, Nebuchadnezzar, We do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter.
[SPEAKER_00]: If we are thrown into the blazing furnace The God we serve is able to deliver us from it And He will deliver us from your majesty's hand.
[SPEAKER_00]: But even if he does not, we want you to know your majesty that we will not serve your gods, or worship the image of gold you have set up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then, Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrak, Mishak, and Abendigo.
[SPEAKER_00]: His attitude toward them changed.
[SPEAKER_00]: He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrak Mishak and Abendigo and throw them into the blazing furnace.
[SPEAKER_00]: So these men wearing their robes, trousers, turbins, and other clothes were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
[SPEAKER_00]: The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrachmi Shaken Abednego.
[SPEAKER_00]: And these three men firmly tied fell into the blazing furnace.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?
[SPEAKER_00]: They replied, certainly, your majesty.
[SPEAKER_00]: He said, look, I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed.
[SPEAKER_00]: and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted Shadrak, Mishak and a bendigo servants of the most high god come out, come here.
[SPEAKER_00]: So Shadrak Mishak and a bendigo came out of the fire.
[SPEAKER_00]: And the say traps, prefects, governors, and royal advisors crowded around them.
[SPEAKER_00]: They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a harer of their heads sinned, their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then Nebuchadnezzar said, praise be to the God of Shadrak, Mishak and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants.
[SPEAKER_00]: They trusted in him and defied the King's command, and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve, or worship any God except their own.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dear True Seekers, don't be afraid of persecution.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't be afraid when people make fun of you or laugh at you because you believe in Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like Shadrak me shacking a bed and go, we know the truth, and I am willing to give my life for the truth, because I know Jesus is real.
[SPEAKER_00]: and I know what he has to give me is real, and I know one day I'm going to see him face to face, and the blessings that he has promised to me will come to pass.
[SPEAKER_00]: So friends, don't give up on your faith.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't let go of your faith in Jesus, even in the hardest of hard times we can believe.
[SPEAKER_00]: The Jesus is true.
[SPEAKER_00]: and real and good that he sees us, that he hears us, that he knows what we walk through and that he is coming back for us one day and we will see the fullness of his kingdom and it's going to be wonderful and glorious and amazing.
[SPEAKER_00]: There will be no more sin, no more tears, no more suffering and that is what keeps us going friends, a heavenly perspective.
[SPEAKER_00]: So friends, even in persecution, we can know we are blessed because we have Jesus, the Prince of Peace, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me pray with you before we go.
[SPEAKER_00]: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you that you have promised you would never leave us or forsake us.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I thank you that even in times of persecution you have promised to be with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: I thank you for this story of Shadraak Mishak and Bennego that shows that even though they were thrown into the fire, the Jesus you were there with them in the fire.
[SPEAKER_00]: you walked with them in the fire.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jesus, what a beautiful picture of your promise to us that as we faithfully serve you and follow you even in persecution, that you have promised us the kingdom of God.
[SPEAKER_00]: The kingdom of God is righteous and joy, peace, hope, love.
[SPEAKER_00]: all of the fruits of the Spirit you promised to us, and so I pray Jesus that those who are listening, if they're walking through hard times of persecution right now, that you would strengthen their faith, that you would strengthen their resolve, just like Shadraq Mishak and Abendigo.
[SPEAKER_00]: that they would say I will not bow down to the images and the idolatry of this world.
[SPEAKER_00]: I will not bow down to the false gods of this world.
[SPEAKER_00]: I will not bow down to whatever the enemy tries to get me to bow down to.
[SPEAKER_00]: I will worship you and only you, Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: Help us to say that today and every day, because we know to be true,
[SPEAKER_00]: influencers for you Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: It takes courage to stand for what we believe in, to not let go of the truth of who you are and of your word.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now we will do that to the very end.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are influencers for you Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: help us every day to live for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: We thank you for being with us, for going before us, for going behind us, for being beside us, for being in us.
[SPEAKER_00]: We thank you that you have promised us through the power of your Holy Spirit that you will always always be with us.
[SPEAKER_00]: And so we thank you for that promise today.
[SPEAKER_00]: help us to go forward to influence a world for you, a world who's living in darkness and needs your truth in your light.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even if it's one person that we influence, I pray that they would be the one to see you Jesus living in us in your name, amen.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, true seekers, you are, influencers for Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: I charge you to go forth and spread the good news.
[SPEAKER_00]: Share the gospel, but also just be who God has called you to be.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be the peacemakers, be the meek and humble.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be the ones who show mercy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Be the ones who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
[SPEAKER_00]: As you go about your days, living your lives, following these eight biatitudes that Jesus has left us.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to influence people and you won't even know that you are, and blessings, the blessings of the Lord will be upon you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Blessings of God will go before you, will hum you in, will guide you protect you and keep you as you continue to follow Jesus.
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, two seekers.
[SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for joining me these last eight days.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'll talk to you soon.