I preached again!

I was once again at Paulden Christian Fellowship, planned for nearly two weeks, so before the events of the first full week of September 2025. Fortunately and unfortunately, the message was ready for this week. I also was dealing with a cold.

As usual, below are my rough notes (in fact, very rough notes this time), so there is a deviation from what is written and what was said. (P.S. I made the correction to the PowerPoint that I reference in the sermon.)

Acts 23:9-22: Conspiracies, Violence, & Persecution

[Intro]
[Read passage]

• Not facing anything new
• Paul went from persecuting to persecuted
• Hebrews 11:1-12:3 – Long list of those who suffered for their faith.
  • Abel (Genesis 4)
  • Joseph (Genesis 37-40)
  • David (1 Samuel 18-30)
  • Most of the Prophets
  • John the Baptist
  • Stephen (Acts 6-7)
  • The Apostles and other Christians (Acts 3-8 and beyond)
  • Thousands (or millions) of martyrs through today
  • [Jesus] – Hebrews 12:2-3

Recent events also show it continues.

• Approximately 380 million Christians today (opendoors.org)
  • [Confirmed] 4,476 killed in 2024
  • [Confirmed] 4,744 imprisoned in 2024
  • [Confirmed] 7,679 churches/properties attacked in 2024
• North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan are the top 10
  • 8 under Islam, 2 other tyrannical rule
  • Nigeria alone has at least 7,000 confirmed killed Christians THIS YEAR (as of August)

In the US

Rise in Persecution: In the past 15 years, so many Christian businesses, ministries, and individuals have faced civil and criminal legal troubles for standing for their biblical faith, such as the Masterpiece Cakeshop and Jack Phillips in Colorado.
(I think Kim Davis of Kentucky is a slippery story, and musician/activist Sean Feucht is creating problems.)

Charlie Kirk:

• Shot on Wednesday, 9/10, at Utah Valley University
• Shooter appears to have come from a conservative Republican and Mormon home, who went to Utah State University, where he was apparently led into agreeing with Antifa and other radicalized political groups.
• Engravings on bullet casings stated things like “Hey fascist! CATCH!”, the Antifa logo, and other sayings in support of groups that on the left side of politics.
• The shooter and his family disagreed with Charlie Kirk, but his family showed their disagreement over violence when they turned him in to authorities, knowing many were calling for the death penalty.

Step on toes: Remember that political violence happens on both sides. (Gabbi Giffords, JFK, MLK, abortion bombings of the 1980’s-90’s and later in 2020’s, shots fired/knives bared at the White house in the past four administrations).
Both sides of the political aisle have ramped up violent rhetoric.

But this serves as a reminder that we have a message that divides:

• Luke 12:49-53
• Matthew 10:16-25
• Matthew 24:3-14
• John 16:33

Remember First:

v. 11: Unlike Paul, most of us don’t get a message straight from Jesus confirming anything past today, but we have the message that He is with us (Matthew 28:20; John 16) and that we have hope of eternity when we die (Luke 23:43).

Remember Second:

vv. 12-15: Some conspiracies are true, and people will hate us for preaching righteousness.

• Matthew 10 – 10:26-28

Remember Third:

vv. 16-22: We fight for life and light & reveal darkness, but we remember those made in God’s image.

• Ignorance: Acts 7:60; Luke 23:34 (They think they’re right.) [examples of feeling they’re right compared with “our side”]
• Deceived: Romans 1:22-25 (God let them go their own way.)
• Reach out: Matthew 5:44; 2 Corinthians 5:11-16; Jude 22-23

The Real Battle:

2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:12 (and after)
Therefore, Proverbs 3:5-6, and Romans 12:14-21.