Text: Hebrews 13: 1-3
Today we remember there is a day to come. We are one day closer than we were yesterday. The Old and New Testament point to it. The Day of the Lord. Judgment Day when everyone who lives or who’s ever lived will have to stand before God’s Son.
What will the Lord say to us? We know what we deserve to hear. Get out of my sight forever. But something has changed that. SomeONE has changed that. Jesus whose name means, The Lord saves. In Him, that Day will bring us a much different Judgment. In Christ, we have crossed over from death to life.
But Jesus tells us while we wait for that day, everything is not going to be happy, happy, joy, joy for us. In fact, sometimes it’s going to be downright tough. In this world, you will have trouble. Jesus said. Well one of those troubles that can come and will come to Christians is persecution.
For us in the United States, persecution might take the form of an insult. Someone might avoid us because they think Christians are strange or intolerant. For us persecution usually means not much more that getting our feelings hurt. But if you stick your head up and look around at the rest of the world, persecution often looks a lot different.
Her name is Asia Bibi. Asia is a poor Pakistani Christian, a wife and mother of five children who would work out in the field. Asia is in jail under a death sentence. She has been there for four years awaiting an appeal. And why is she there? Someone falsely accused her of mocking the prophet Muhammed when she defended her faith with these words. Our Christ is alive. And for that in Pakistan, you can be put to death. It’s called a blasphemy law and it’s a convenient way to oppress religious minorities.
I wish I could say that Asia is an exception in this world of ours. But she is not. The persecution of Christians is more widespread than we might realize and more severe. Some have estimated that more Christians have died in our time than did in the days of the Roman empire.
That’s where this Word of God points us today. To have a heart for those suffering for their faith in Jesus. And I have to admit I haven’t done a very good job of encouraging you in this way. I repent of that. For God’s Word urges us
Remember those persecuted
I. With the love we owe them
II. As if you were suffering
I think we Christians in America have a harder time appreciating it. We’re so accustomed to thinking and acting like individuals. We forget that we have been brought together in a very special relationship. Think of this Word. But now in Christ, you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ (Eph 2:13) There was a time when our sins put a deadly distance between us and God. We were without God and without hope. But God has brought us near. How? What do we sing? Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed his blood for me. Jesus took away our guilt that so offended God and brought us near.
How near? Listen to the apostle John who can hardly contain himself. How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God and that is what we are! (1Jn3:1) Listen to Paul in Galatians: You are all sons [children] of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (3:26) So yes, we were far away from God, but he’s brought us near. He’s made us family, his family.
And as family this is what owe one another. Keep on loving each other as brothers. Of course. For some of us that picture of me and my brother or sister doesn’t look too loving. We may have pounded on each other when we were young. So here’s a different picture for us brothers and sisters in Christ: What Jesus said: Love one another as I have loved you. As Jesus loved you and me. We owe that love to our family in Christ.
But who is my family? It’s easy to think of our church family here and those in our Synod, those who believe as we do. But here’s where we can get the wrong idea. When we think about those Christians who carry a different label and have some different teachings we believe are wrong. We may not take communion with them, but understand they are family too. Our family, brothers and sisters in Christ. So we owe them our love. And that especially goes for Christians like Asia there in prison. We can’t just write them off and forget about them. We are to remember those persecuted with the love we owe them.
Back in Bible times, Christians would sometimes be driven out of their homes, even out of their towns. We hear about that kind of thing from time to time in Pakistan or India or the Sudan. Christians become refugees with no place to go. They are on the road. So just imagine you live there and they come to your door. That’s what this Word is talking about when it says: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers (ESV) That person might be a stranger to you or me. But he or she or they are family, family in Christ. They are family members suffering persecution. We owe them our love. Remember those persecuted.
Well what’s that look like when most of these folks are 1000’s of miles away? To remember them can mean any number of things. But here God’s Word again begins with our hearts. Remember those persecuted as if you were suffering
3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Think of Asia Bibi. Day after day she sits in her small cell. Visits are limited. She is isolated because radical Muslims have vowed to murder her in the prison and certainly if she is released.
To remember Asia and others like her means more than having a passing thought. It means more than shaking our heads and saying oh, that’s too bad. It means picturing ourselves there in her cell under the same sentence. Remember those persecuted as if you were suffering.
As if you were Godwin Vincent of Nigeria. His picture is on the cover of this magazine. Make sure you take one. He is holding his pen while reading his Bible. But you can’t help but notice that Godwin is holding that pen with an artificial arm. That’s because about 18 months ago, Godwin was on his way to the grocery store. A mob attacked him because some knew he was a Christian. When he raised his arm to protect his face… well you can imagine what happened. Here God calls on us to put ourselves in brother Godwin’s shoes. Remember those persecuted as if you were suffering.
As if it was your church that was burned to the ground. In Pakistan, there was a Lutheran church that stood for 92 years. There also was a High School and a pastor’s residence. A few days after this past 9-11, a mob came and set the church and the rest ablaze. The pastor and others were powerless to stop them. Imagine that was your church and there is no insurance against acts of terrorism. Remember those persecuted as if you were suffering.
But what does it mean to remember? I shouldn’t have to tell anyone. A Christian heart knows without saying. It means to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer and help them as we can. Think about it. You and I value each other’s prayers. When I went into the hospital, I knew you were praying for me. Thank you for that.
Well when you read about these suffering Christians, you hear it again and again. They treasure our prayers. For they know what God promises in his Word. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16) These folks are so thankful for our prayers for strength and protection.
In fact, in the magazine there is a poster of the world which asks: Will you pray and then shows us the many countries where Christians are harassed, imprisoned, killed or deprived of their possessions. Will you remember them in your prayers?
And of course, if we were suffering we’d be looking for help. How can we help? Sometimes through our missionaries. We can write to our government and ask them to intervene.
But here I’d like to suggest another organization. It’s called the Voice of the Martyrs. They help in many ways. They are working for the release of Asia. And have succeeded with others. They paid for that artificial arm for Godwin. They get Bibles to Christians in places like China or Vietnam where Bibles are hard to come by and it can be hazardous to spread the gospel.
The Voice of the Martyrs. It is a story worth reading. It began with a Lutheran pastor who suffered years of torture and imprisonment by the communists in Rumania. During that time he led prisoners, even some guards to Christ. Well Pastor Richard Wurmbrand started the Voice of the martyrs to help us Remember those persecuted.
And it’s our privilege to remember. It’s our privilege in the Lord who remembered us when we were lost. It’s our privilege to remember those persecuted, to pray for them and help them persevere. And here’s the interesting thing. From a jail cell or a hospital room or a place where they are hated, they help us. By their faith that clings to Christ no matter what, they inspire us to do the same. So that when that day, the day of judgment comes, we will not be afraid. Instead we will forget all the sadness of this life and praise our Lord Jesus who remembered us and saved us to be his own. Amen.