Hated for Christ’s sake.

Hated for Christ’s sake.

John  15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.  15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

John  16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 John  3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

You will be hated for choosing to follow Christ.

Why are you so severely hated?

John  17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

What will happen to you?

Acts  14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

Romans  8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.  8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

2 Corinthians  4:8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;  4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

2 Corinthians  7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.  7:6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

1 Thessalonians  3:1 Wherefore when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone;  3:2 And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:  3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.  3:4 For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know.

Revelation  2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

When you are experiencing all these, endure to the end, don’t look back, and  cleave to Christ, nothing must separate you from Him.  

Matthew  10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Matthew  24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Luke  9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Acts  11:23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.

Romans  8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.  8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.  8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,  8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Timothy  2:11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:  2:12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:  2:13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

1 Peter  4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Revelation  3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Listen to how the twelve apostles and Paul died through severe persecutions.

1. Matthew
Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, Killed by a sword wound.

2. Mark
Died in Alexandria, Egypt , after being dragged by Horses through the streets until he was dead.

3. Luke
Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous Preaching to the lost.

4. John
Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge Basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution In Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered From death.
John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos . The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey . He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully

5. Peter
He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.
According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6. James
The leader of the church in Jerusalem , was thrown over a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his
enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club.
* This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7. James the Son of Zebedee, 
was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was   beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer Walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and Knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8. Bartholomew
Also known as Nathaniel Was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9. Andrew
Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: ‘I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.’ He continued to preach to his tormentors For two days until he expired.

10. Thomas
Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the church in the Sub-continent.

11. Jude
Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12. Matthias
The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

13. Paul
Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many
epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament. 

So endure to the end God’s grace will be sufficient for you in particular in Jesus name.

2 Corinthians  9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Let us pray.