2819 Church - KINGDOM CALLINGS | Called & Persecuted | Matthew 10:16-25 | Philip Anthony Mitchell

Episode Date: January 4, 2025

In this must-hear message, Pastor Philip A. Mitchell unpacks Matthew 10:16-25 for week four of KINGDOM CALLINGS. Welcome to the official Youtube channel for 2819 Church. This channel features powerful and life-impacting messages from Philip Anthony Mitchell and guest communicators. As you listen to these sound biblical messages you can expect to be challenged, stirred, matured and inspired in your faith and walk with God. For more information about us visit 2819Church.org.

To our global online family, we welcome you. Wish you were in the room. Maybe one day we'll have churches in other places. And if you're an unbeliever, we're so thankful that you're here. Maybe that might change for you by the time this is over. We are walking through the Gospel of Matthew, which is a book that has been preserved for us in the New Testament, and what is called the Scriptures, God's holy word. And we are in a series right now called Kingdom Callings as we're teaching

through Matthews chapter 10 and 11. And this is week four of that series. Y'all sure y'all come on Philip and I said come on Philip come on Philip I'll try my best to condense it I'll try my best I'll try don't condense it don't condense it

water down for all of my note takers we're going to unpack Water down, water down. For all of my note takers, we're going to unpack Matthew chapter 10, verse 16 through 25. Holy Spirit, help me in my weakness right now and in our weakness in the preaching and the receiving of God's holy word. The church of Jesus says amen. Amen. My brothers and sisters, look right at me. I want to spend today talking to you about something that is very serious.

And I think as we grow older, as my children get older, it's going to be something that increases in this nation. And I want you to look back on the time you spent in this house, the time you've heard me preach to say that my pastor was preparing me for this. That the preaching that was coming out of this pulpit was not just to make you feel good about yourselves, but it was to keep leading you into a deeper, more personal, intimate with the Lord Jesus Christ and to prepare you for what I think is coming to this nation. And I've been saying this for 10 years.

Now, family, I'm going to tell you something that I have experienced personally and many of you have experienced. Probably one of the most painful things that we ever encounter in our inter-human relationships in this life is the sting that comes from rejection. Has anybody ever felt that sting before? Yeah. It could be as subtle as your memory of being in school and being chosen last to be on the team. It can be as subtle as being at your job and you're kind of like excluded from the primary group or being at your school and not being a part of the cool kids or being excluded from a certain group that you want to be in, in these subtle forms. It could come in more overt forms like a parent rejecting a child.

Or some of us know what this feels like. Or being rejected by someone you love. Being dumped or broken up with. By someone you love, someone you had feelings for, who just could not see you for who you really was. All these things are painful. And I've come to realize, dealing with my own rejection issues from the past, that rejection is extremely painful to us because by nature, watch, we have been wired for love. And because as human beings, we have been wired for love, a byproduct of being wired for love is that we have a natural human desire for social acceptance. And so whenever we feel unaccepted or we don't feel a part of a

group or a clique or a community, anytime we feel pushed away by someone we trusted or loved, there is a tendency for us to feel the sting of rejection because we have been wired for social acceptance. You following that? Now, on the backside of rejection, there's always consequences. There's broken hearts. There's broken relationships. But I personally think probably one of the most significant consequences, one of the most severe outcomes of rejection is when people reject God himself. When they reject God's love, when they reject God's kingdom, when they reject God's gospel, when they reject God's Christ,

his son. Christ is not his last name, Jesus Christ. Christ in Greek means the anointed one. I think one of the most damaging consequences for human beings in this life is when we reject Yahweh and we reject his son, when we reject his kingdom and reject his love. It brings painful consequences. Now, in its most extreme forms of rejecting God, oftentimes right now as I'm talking to you, pay attention, rejection of God and everything connected to him in its extreme forms, right now as I'm talking to you, it looks something like this on the screen. Watch what I'm about to put on the screen. It looks like this.

This is a gathering facility like ours in Pakistan, where Christians, brothers and sisters, just like you and I, would try to gather every single week to open up the Scriptures and to worship and to celebrate Jesus in Pakistan, a nation that is hostile to the gospel. Right? We'd be over here complaining about the little things you'll be feeling and if you got a flat tire the devil got you this week but in a nation like pakistan that's hostile to

the gospel i've read stories like this just this story not that long ago where a pastor and his congregation rolled up on their morning to gather and found their facility burned to the ground. Everything in there burned to the ground. Now they have no place to publicly worship. Now they're in fear for their lives. And this kind of atrocities is happening all around the world right now while you're sitting comfortable in those chairs with no AC. Man, forget the AC. Thank God you're worshiping right now and there's nobody in the parking lot waiting to take you out when you get out there. All my American brothers and sisters, this is what rejection of God looks like in extreme forms. We hate God, and we hate the people that's connected to him, and we will show our hate with violence, while the brothers and sisters, our brothers and sisters, they weep over what they lose. This is happening every day around the world. In other extreme forms, it looks like this. Watch the next image. Watch. Laws from anti-Christ nations like North Korea. Look at

this law. Christians in North Korea must practice their faith since you take for granted that you can gather and you want to come to church once a month. And you take for granted that you can do this and nobody's waiting for you in the parking lot. You treat this as common. As ordinary. Why? Because we're entitled and ungrateful. And the things of God are at the bottom of our list. Like this is not sacred and important.

But in North Korea and other nations in the east, right, they can't meet together to worship or tell others about Jesus. Watch the penalty. If you even proclaim the gospel in North Korea, and if they're caught with a Bible, singing a hymn in public, or praying in public, or praying in public. Anyone in North Korea caught worshiping, praying, owning a Bible, singing,

anywhere in public where you could be heard by another person. Face up to 15 years of labor and hard camps, breaking rocks. Or life. Life in the camp is unbearable. Prison for worship. Prison for owning a Bible. Prison for trying to gather. So this is why across the world, outside of America, we have what's called the underground church. Where they're doing this in homes and in secret because it's so important to them.

I know of places in China where they have churches which just have one page of the Scriptures, and they read that page back and forth every week, and they lean into whatever revelation they have from one page of the Scriptures. We have the whole book and don't care. And because we don't read and we're unexposed, we don't even know how good we got it in this nation. You've got 66 documents you don't care about. And you've got whole churches hanging on to one page. And they keep reading the same verses back and front and keep trusting Jesus to meet them with them same verses.

It's happening right now as I'm talking to you on the other side of the world. Some group of people, 10, 20, 30 of them in somebody's house in China holding on to one page of the scriptures, fighting to connect with Jesus with just one chapter of the word of God. In other extreme forms outside this nation it looks like this watch look my dad tried to kill me it's a true article when i converted to christianity daughters and sons being put to death by fathers islam Islamic extremists, who see children have visions of Christ and put their faith in Christ. And watch, and the Spirit of God fills them so now they cannot deny what is on us inside.

Watch, and in their boldness to take a stand for who has transformed their life. We're such cowards. Children are ran off by fathers and mothers for the faith this is happening it's under my foot it's all good this is happening

it's demonic it's under my foot this is happening all around the world watch right now as I'm talking to you. But how about in America, right? I'm going to show you the embryonic stages of this in America, right?

Because by the time my kids are old, it may be like that. This is what's happening in Europe where Christianity came here from Europe and now it's being dominated by Islam. And let me show you the embryonic stages of this in our nation. Since the people of God don't pay attention. Since we do church and we blind. Since we shout and we dance, but we're not awakened to what's happening all around us. Since we're not like the sons of Issachar who discerned the times and knew what to do about it. We see these kind of things.

Watch. You see what I'm about to show you next. Watch. And some of you, you see it and you don't even care. You don't even realize it's the seed of what's coming to this nation. Let me repeat. What I'm about to show you next, you see it all the time. I bet there's not a week that go by that you don't see some form of this and you don't even care about it. And you don't even realize it's the seed of what's coming to this nation. So that's what it looks like in extreme forms, rejection of God. But what does rejection of God look like in lesser forms? Watch this next one on the screen. Give it to me. How about this social media post? Where you're supposed to be a

witness, right? Watch. I saw this on social media. A person says, this was on Reddit, I was on Twitter, or X, so stupid. I was on Twitter, and someone made a post and called Jesus a broke A ninja. If somebody said that about Muhammad, these Christians are so soft, we're such pansy-waists. If somebody said this about Muhammad, who lived in the 600s AD, if somebody said this about Muhammad, it would be bloodshed and war. This is the seed of what's coming to our nation i'm about to show you i was on twitter and someone made a post and called jesus a broke a ninja am i surprised they casually disrespect him no i'm not surprised this is someone who's paying attention. Watch.

But I'm just in disbelief. They are mocking him about whether or not he had earthly riches and disrespecting him during the convo. When I read through the comments, I deleted the whole app. It made me feel sad to know that people are mocking our God because Jesus was God in the flesh. Right? The person who is still graceful. Watch this.

That is people blaspheme God and wake up the next morning. So nobody keep telling me this garbage about god is cruel cruel people blaspheme him hold a finger up to him flip him off talk trash about him they disrespect jesus and call him a ninja and wake up the next morning not even knowing that it's only him allowing them to breathe no one has breath that god did not give them And with the same breath he put in their lungs, they blaspheme him from their mouth. And watch. And in his patience, that's going to run out. His time is going to run out.

He's only going to be patient, but for so long. Kind of read Revelation. He's going to be patient, but for so long. That's why we need to be about this gospel. Watch. Some of you, you should have saw yourself right there because you was just as blasphemous, just as lost, just as crazy,

just as dishonorable to God. You did all of that and he still saved you. All of this demonic stuff and still saved you. Overlooking your sin just to reconcile you to himself. And we got the nerve to treat salvation like we earned that. Everyone in this room who's saved should always be thankful that you were rescued. Do I got any thankful people for salvation in the room? Let the Lord hear you.

Thankful that I'm saved, that my name is written in the book of life. Never take that for granted. If he don't do another thing, it's enough. If he don't do another thing, if this church don't get bigger than 800 people or 1,000 people, whatever we are right now, 1,000, if he don't do bigger than 800 people or 1,000 people, whatever we are right now, 1,000, if he don't do another thing,

if I don't move out of the house I'm living in, my car is nine years old, if I never drive a brand new vehicle, if I never preach at a major conference, the fact that I know what my name is, and I know what's going to happen to me when I draw my last breath, that I'm going to wake up and stumble into the arms of a loving Savior.

Yo, if he don't do another thing, yo, yo, wake up, man. If he don't do, I'm talking to you. If he don't do another thing, isn't he not always worthy of my praise? Now, somebody praise him right now. Come on, praise him just for salvation. Is he not worthy of that? I said, is he not worthy of that? Is he not a God that brings deliverance and healing and freedom?

Is he not a God that breaks chains? All kind of shackles on the altar. I said if he don't do another thing, if he don't fill in my vision board, I'm going to go deeper. I don't want to hurt somebody. If you never get married. If your name is never in lights. If you died with a no name. If all he wanted from you was to just be a good Christian parent. Can I go deeper if he don't heal you in your physical body

until he see you if he says no I want you to hold this until you arrive in glory like if he says if he says to you my grace is sufficient until you see my face will I still be worthy if I don't be a genie Like if he says to you, my grace is sufficient until you see my face. Will I still be worthy if I don't be a genie?

See, they missed that. Let me repeat. Will I still be worthy if I'm not your genie? If I don't respond to all of your American bad preaching and I don't be a genie, would I still be worthy if I don't answer all of your desires? If I don't listen to your false prophet and all their blank checks and blank promises of prosperity and wealth and things that are unhealthy. If every Christian don't die a millionaire. If we don't live like Paul, knowing what it is to be abounding and abased.

Notice, I'm not anti-get your get your bag i'm anti bad doctrine if he don't do any of that stuff i'm asking everyone a question i'm going to get through this is he is he still worthy just for who he is? I want to ask you, it's in my spirit. I want to ask somebody in the room this question. Is his blood not strong enough to deal with everything in this room? No, no, you don't believe that. Because some of you are still hanging on to your generational curses. Really generational cycles.

Acting like you can't make a different decision. And you can't live righteous. And you can't have a good marriage. And you can't be a good parent. And you can't prosper. And you can't thrive. And you can't come up. And you can't have a different. You thrive and you can't come up and you can't have

a different, you think you're bound by a generational curse as if the blood of Christ is not strong enough than any omen that somebody tried to put on you. Are you crazy? Are you crazy? You think the blood of Christ is not stronger than any omen that somebody tried to put on you or your family? What are we talking about? We American Christians, we in my context, we're all your generational curse talk, and then you use that as an excuse to have a victim mentality. Well, that's the ones that want to regenerate, so I'm just going to have a victim mentality. Well, that's the ones it was to regenerate. So I'm just going to have a bad marriage. I'm going to have a bad mind.

I'm going to have a bad heart. That's what happened to my grandmama. I'm bound for the same thing. Like the blood of Christ. It's not stronger than anything from your past. Call at me, man. What are y'all talking about? Than anything from your past. How did I mean man? What are y'all talking about? Y'all think we serve a weak God?

Let me educate my people. There's no sin. Greater than the blood. There's nothing from your past. Greater than the blood. There's nothing from your past greater than the blood. There's nothing I'm standing on on this altar that's greater than the blood. There's no omen, nothing nobody has spoken against you or your family that's greater than the blood. What are you talking about? What are you talking about?

Y'all stop that nonsense. Stop trying to bound people by telling them everybody got a generational curse. So what? My uncle was crazy. I'm going to love my wife and I'm going to love my children and I'm going to raise up righteous seeds

and I'm going to stand for Christ in my generation because I've been bought by his blood. Somebody holla at me, man. Do I got any bloodought people in the room? Let the devil hear you right now. So we're going to stop talking that garbage and we're gonna stop thank you holy spirit look at me everybody look right here we're gonna stop giving more credit to satan like he more powerful than the god we serve he's a defeated foe did you not read Colossians when the but when the writer said a collage of Paul said that at the cross Jesus disarmed the prince

of Paul said to the church at Colossae on the cross powers the cross disarmed I'm especially going to help my people come up from our bad mindsets bad doctrines and our victim mentality you're not a victim how are you in Christ and you're a victim the blood is on me I'm a victorious believer you're not a victim. How are you in Christ and you're a victim?

The blood is on me. I'm a victorious believer in the name of Jesus. I'm the head and not the tail. Above and not beneath. The first and not the last. I am a child of the most high God. Are you crazy? Don't care what happened in my bloodline. You take one verse from the Old Testament about God visiting the sin of the children to the third and fourth generation and you make everybody after

that a victim. I don't care about no generational cycle. I'm a free man. You need to read Galatians. I'm a free man in Jesus' name. I don't care about who past was wrecked. I'm going to love this woman. I'm going to disciple these children. I'm going to love this woman.

I'm going to disciple these children. I'm going to stand for Christ in my generation. Ain't that right, Q? Ain't that right, Elders? Ain't that right, Tiana? Ain't that right, Courtney? Ain't that right, Shakia? Ain't that right, Patricia?

Ain't that right, Danielle? Ain't that right, Alexis? Ain't that right, Danielle? Ain't that right, Alexis? Ain't that right, man of God? Ain't that right, Q? Ain't that right, Yoshi? Ain't that right Trey pull back up that last picture on the screen so he says I get most of my news and stay on this

from this app in the know through Twitter I'll have to find another way or another app to stay in the know with the world news I'll also just add a link to the post so here's a brother who's seen the disrespect of jesus this is this is this is the rejection of god watch in america watch in embryonic form what what look at the word i use embryonic what am i trying to tell you it's going to get it's going to get it's going to get what talk to me it's going to get what it's going to get

worse all that stuff you're listening to is it preparing you for what's coming listen all this preaching that don't train you to have a prayer life don't train you in the word of god don't train you to have a prayer life. Don't train you in the word of God. Don't train you to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. And we got millions of Christians that's not prepared for what's coming in this nation. So consequently, we can't stand. We just go downstream with culture. Watch, when this kind of heat start coming,

we're gonna see who stand and who bow a knee to satan my knee won't hit the floor i'd rather stand with broken knees and see jesus than bow my knee to bail and and and the foolishness that's come ain't bound and none of these idols this is look at me all right let me run through the text this is the rejection of god in embryonic form in our nation and it's only going to get oh yes it is you watch and see watch you watch and see so family listen to me carefully before i unpack this text there will never be a season in this life where the church of jesus christ will ever know proclamation without persecution

let me repeat this one more time because what i'm talking to you about today is very important there will never be a season in this life until Jesus comes where the church of Jesus global will never know a season of proclamation without persecution. As long as we remain in this earth, we will feel the winds of rejection and hostility and persecution against Christ and the church wherever it exists and even where we are comfortable now it will get worse in our nation you're gonna you're gonna come back to this message five ten years from now I promise you it's gonna get worse so no watch this watch the scriptures watch the wisdom of Christ so no good general sends men and women into war without briefing them about the danger they're going to face. This is so powerful to me. Let me say that again. No wise general of any army will send men and women into warfare

and not prepare them for what they're going to face when they go into battle. In the same way, Jesus, gosh, is so powerful. The greatest general the world has ever known. Watch. Watch. Pete Matthew calls brothers to himself like he calls you to himself. Walks with them and trains them like he's walking with you and training you shows them a harvest field of lost humanity that is ripe for the picking like he's trying to help you to see that there is a lost humanity out there and there's work for us to do watch watch last week watch this gives them instructions before they go out because there's no ministry without guidance.

And like a good general, watch this. I'm going to fly through the text. After he gives them instructions, the good general prepares them for the danger they're going to face. Now watch this. It's the same danger that you and I are going to face. Now everybody watch the danger. Matthew chapter 10. You sure I can teach this real quick?

Matthew 10, verse 16. So now he tells them after he instructed them from last week, behold. You know what behold is? That means pay attention. Now Jesus is about to give them a warning of great significance that was for them and it's for you right now this is a warning for you right now as you're sitting here you're listening to the warning right here is the warning everybody watch now don't listen

to philip anthony mitchell hear the voice of christ i'm reading the scriptures it's red it's red that means christ is talking to you right now in this moment. He's talking to us as followers. Behold, this is descriptive, but then it's also prescriptive in principle. Behold, I am sending you out. That is, I'm saving you. Now I want you to go out and be my witness. But where? Watch. As sheep, an unintelligent animal that is dependent upon a shepherd,

that has no natural defense mechanism against its top predator. So he wants you to know that without me, you can't do watch the master teacher. He didn't even say I'm sending you out as apostles. He stripped them of their title to show them their weakness he didn't say i'm sending you out as machines or as apostles or prophets or pastors or teachers i'm sending you out as what i see you as sheep an unintelligent animal that has no natural defense mechanism apart from the shepherd that is you can do anything nothing of any lasting value without the shepherd

build your ministry without the shepherd they who labor without christ they labor in vain all right behold i'm sending you out as a sheep. Watch this. In need of me, in the midst that is all around you of wolves. So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Pause. So Jesus said to his followers what he says to you and I. I saved you. Now I'm sending you into a world as a sheep who needs me in the midst of wolves. What is this? This is the arena of persecution. It is the world. Who are the wolves? The wolf in Israel, because I've been there, is the top predator of the sheep. In the text, who was the wolf in our lives? The wolf is every person that is not saved, who's unregenerate, who at any moment could be subject to demonic influence to bring harm against you or anybody else connected to Jesus.

So the wolf would be like an unsaved boss who's persecuting you at your job. A wolf would be an unsaved person at your school that's being a bully and trying to beat you up all the time in the bathroom. That's being a bully and trying to beat you up all the time in the bathroom. That's a wolf. A wolf is all the people we encounter who are not saved outside of this room, outside of the kingdom, who at any time could be subject, being influenced by the devil to bring harm to God's people. A wolf is the father that tried to kill that daughter. A wolf is anybody that devil can use to persecute God's people. What is he trying to say?

Outside of the kingdom, everything outside of the kingdom is a dangerous place because all of us outside the kingdom was unregenerate, and the unregenerate man is a dangerous man. An unregenerate man is a dangerous man. An unregenerate woman is a dangerous woman. That's not to say everybody like Joe Smith next year is going to do evil, but any person is subject to hurt you badly for the name of Christ. The devil could get a hold of anyone that's unregenerate. Watch. So watch this. So the Lord says, as you're saved and you be my witness in the gym,

in school, on your campus, in your job, on social media. You are out there amongst wolves. They're all around you all the time. Now watch this. So he says, because y'all are always around wolves, watch the master teacher. While you're out there, stop boasting about your title. I want you to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Pastor, what does that mean? Wise as serpents. You know what a serpent is? He's talking about two words that start with a P. Write them down. The first word when he says wise as serpent, he wants you to be, write this down, he wants you to be, watch this word, prudent. That's what he means by wise as serpent. He wants you to be prudent. A snake is a prudent animal.

It is cunning and it is crafty. He did not tell you to be vicious like a snake. Some of y'all act like that. He told you to be wise like a snake. You know what? Be prudent. You know what prudent is? When a person is prudent, everybody watch.

I'm going to fly through the text. When a person is prudent, you know when to speak and when to keep quiet. When a person is prudent, you know how to come into a room and observe everything in the room. When a person is prudent, you have discernment as to what's going on around you. When a person is prudent, you can sense people who are for you and people who are against you. When a person is prudent, you come into an environment and you you know let me not make myself known yet in this environment when the person is prudent you know how to carry yourself in environments and not even make yourself known when you're prudent you know how to move in society without getting yourself in unnecessary trouble you know how to be in the gym and scheming on somebody you want to share the gospel with prudence a person who's prudent

they're wise the opposite of prudent is when i'm led by my flesh and by my emotions and when i'm led by impulses i feel and i do so he's telling y'all you need to be prudent while you're dealing with people what's the other one be innocent as doves you know here's the other word prudence you know what's the other word purity a dove is pure that's the symbol of a dove that's why it came down and landed on jesus shoulder and his back it's a symbol of purity watch god you can't be a good witness with a foul heart so if your heart is just as dark as the world how are you going to be a good witness for christ so he wants you to be prudent and pure a person who's pure has an intimate relationship with the lord they're sensitive to the holy spirit they conduct themselves in a certain way. They try to live a life, watch this word, above reproach. I'm not one thing in public

and another thing in the dark. In my prayer time, I'm wringing out my heart from all of my sin, my darkness, and my wickedness. Ain't nobody in here perfect, even the person with the microphone be in his office crying out to Lord. Lord, I pray you would wring this sin out of my heart. I got jealous this week. Wring that out. I got lustful this week. Wring that out. I got complacent this week. Wring that out. I felt competitive this week. Wring that out. I felt entitled this week. Wring that out. I felt complacent this week. Wr ring that out i felt complacent this week ring that out purity cultivating the garden of my own heart now watch let's run through the text now he now watch everybody watch he just told them the

environment that y'all are acting in you're in an environment around unsaved people in the world that's the arena where anything can happen to you. It is dangerous. So because of that, the Lord tells them next, four areas of human interaction where you can expect this whole church

to be persecuted and rejected. Can I show you these four areas? And then pray for you. Here are four areas in our lifetime. america around the world christians can't watch this world what's the word expect that's what verse that's what the first verse is telling you you can you can bet on this here are four areas when you can expect to either be rejected or persecuted now pay attention this is very important everybody

listen pay attention because this this is going to get worse in our country. Everybody watching? Are you watching? You asked me to do this, so don't try to play me now that I'm teaching. I see some of y'all like, man, what time is the reservation? Don't play me now. I'm doing this because you asked me to. I could have went home and preached this next week.

So don't try to blame me. I need you to pay attention because I'm not up here for entertainment and I could be doing something else. I'm up here serving Christ by trying to feed you. So I need you to pay attention because you're not going to blame me when you stand before the Lord and say, my pastor didn't teach me right. Ain't nobody's blood going to be on my hands. So I'm asking you to pay attention. Pay attention. What's coming next in the text? Verse 17 to 25. Four areas you can expect in this life, if you're a believer,

to feel the winds of rejection and persecution. Y'all ready for them? Verse... What verse we on? What them? Verse. What verse we on? What verse we on? What verse we on? Verse 17. Beware of men. And that is women.

That's people. For they will deliver you over to courts. And flog you in their synagogues. Stop. I want you to focus on the word synagogues. Focus on the word synagogues. In verse 17, focus on the word synagogues. Jesus first told him the first place you can expect to be rejected is religious persecution. You can expect to feel adversity through religion. In the old days, in the first century, when Jesus said this, they would take people and tie them to posts and beat them inside the gathering place.

40 lashes and rip the flesh off your back. So he's trying to tell them. Now Jesus is speaking about the present and as you read the rest of the text, he's talking about the future to the persecution that happened in Acts and even to the persecution happening now all the way to the great tribulation talked about in Revelation. So he's speaking throughout all of time. The first place you can expect to be persecuted is religious persecution. Y'all don't believe that? Do we not see Islamic girls and boys being killed by parents for converting to Christ? Religious persecution. Do we not see extremists all across the country of Africa? Leave it. Don't touch it. It needs to be broken in jesus name that's symbolic it was broken over somebody's life now it's shattered into all these pieces

leave it there all across the continent of africa people are being persecuted by religious extremists for their faith. Anybody know that? Because we're unread and untraveled. All across the continent of Africa, Eastern nations, Christians, brothers and sisters, being put to death

by extreme religious organizations. Same thing is coming in here in our United States. People states people watch who in the name of some false god whatever they worship persecuting christians in the name of the god of the atheist because that's a god too a demonic force and whatever religion they were persecuting biblical christians because we have values that's antithetical to their false religions. So this is like you posting some scriptures and then somebody who claims to be a Christian fights you about something that's in the word of God. God. All right, let me just keep moving because y'all it's gonna get worse in this nation

the second area next few verses watch verse what verse we on what verse we on what verse we on and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake i like that word to be a witness that is stand for me when you get in the heat and kings for my sake. I like that word. To bear witness, that is stand for me when you get in the heat. Before them and before Gentiles, when they deliver you over, do not be anxious or do not be afraid. Gosh, how you're going to speak

or your response or what you're going to say for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, I love this, but the spirit of your father speaking through you. So he says, man, there is another place where you're going to, oh my gosh, there is another place where you're going to find rejection and persecution. I want you to focus on the word governors and kings the second area he's telling you expect to be rejected it's gonna heat up in this nation is political persecution gosh i'm trying to i'm

gonna be a good teacher to my church you know what that is that is when you start feeling heat from your local government against the word of God and against Christianity. Like in California, if you say certain things about same-sex marriage, they're trying to call that hate speech. We need to wake up. Watch. Watch. And if you elect officials that pass laws, watch, that muzzle a verse. If you elect officials that pass laws, that muzzle verses,

they only got to muzzle one part of the book of Romans before you muzzle the whole book. So if the scripture teaches me what a marriage is supposed to look like, and I preach that, but it affects a community that does not believe that, in other states they're trying to pass laws that says that is called hate speech. And if you talk like that, we're going to strip you of your 501c3, so we're going to call all the pastors to shut up. We're going to put a muzzle on you because you live in the United States. And if they muzzle one verse, that's only the open door to muzzle the whole

word of God. Then you look up 20 years from now, and if you preach anything that's orthodox Christianity, you could be arrested, lose your license, lose your business, lose your 501c3. You don't want to make a cake for a same-sex marriage. We're going to take your business license. Y'all are not paying attention to the political persecution that's happening right now in America. People who have lost their businesses because they refuse to do stuff for communities that's anti-Christ. Watch, I don't care. They're going to hate me.

I don't care. Because you're not paying attention to the political persecution that is settling on our nation. Political cancel culture. Anything that is orthodox Christianity, they're trying to muzzle. Why? Because they don't want to be offended in their sin. And that's why you need to read Romans 1. When the scripture says, man, our conscious, you're conscious, you're C-O-N, science. Con means with, science means God.

You're with God, tells you right and wrong, but we have to suppress that to lean into lies. And since we want what is evil more than what is righteous, the Lord's punishment is, if you want that so bad, I'm going to give you all of what you want. But you can't have me and that at the same time. God don't have to spank you to punish you. He'll just give you over to what you want so bad. It's called reprobate mind. Read, read.

I want my people to read. Read Romans 1. That's your homework. Read Romans 1. I want my people to keep reading the New Testament and coming up for answer. Does this sound like american preaching and then he says watch when you get into heat political heat you know what he says don't try to let me go let me go country on y'all because being the self when i find myself in heat i ain't finna say whatever i want to do i ain't finna say nothing i'm gonna be sensitive to what

the spirit is saying and i'm learning how to speak according to the Holy Spirit. So when I feel heat, I learn to speak according to the Holy Spirit. Let me repeat this for you. Everybody listen. When you feel, what's the word? Heat. You must learn to speak according to the Holy Spirit. When you feel heat, you must learn to speak according to the Holy Spirit. You be led by the Spirit and not by your flesh. Even if the Spirit says, don't say anything. Watch me, watch, fight this battle for you. You ain't got to say nothing or I want you to watch go ham and cry aloud you like that one yeah carry you don't want to be silent me neither i don't want to be silent i want to cry aloud and spare not let me keep crying loud till they come for me. Next verses. Look at the third place. So he talked to you about religious

persecution and rejection, political persecution and rejection. What verse are we on? What verse are we on? What verse are we on? Now this is the one where it's most personal. What verse are we on? What verse we on? Now this is the one where it's most personal. What verse we on? And he said, the times is coming. Now, then, tribulation. Brother will deliver brother over to death. And a father, his child. And children will rise against parents

and have their own parents put to death. So we all are going to feel this one. The third area, he said, you can expect to be rejected and persecuted. It's relational. Family. Family. Friends. Watch this.

There's nothing more painful than to be rejected by people who got your last name. People who got your DNA. People who got the same blood in their veins. People who grew up in the same house. It's the child that is raised in an unsafe home and gets saved, and then the parent persecutes the child because they can't see the child now is going after God. It's the... God. It's the child that's raised in a Christian home and goes into the world and then persecutes their parents because they get hooked up with some new age philosophy.

And now they hate the Christianity from the home they came out of. It's the spouse that gets saved and married to an unbeliever. Now the unbelieving spouse is persecuting them they was in the world together now she's believing for him to be saved can i go deeper it's the family members that know you're a believer and then they distance themselves from you and they stop inviting you to things because they just don't want to even be around you. God forbid some Jesus talk come out of your mouth at the family barbecue. So we don't even call you. We don't invite you. We don't even want you around.

They stop unfollowing you. They unfollow you on social media. They don't want to see your post. Your own mother don't want to see your posts. It's the family members that cut you off. They talk bad about you behind your back. They make you the black sheep of the family because you're the only one

that's really running after Christ and they think you're serving a false God. Somebody tell Sam, I'm done. That one hurts. Has anybody ever felt rejection by a family member for the faith? Ever felt persecuted by someone you love? I remember a man I love looked me in my face one day and told me, you, you poor, you ashy,

you too urban. Nobody ever going to listen to you. Any ministry you do is going to fail. It's not going to work. People don't listen to people like you. And then when you deal with that kind of rejection, man, you'll be questioning yourself all the time. It creates new insecurities in you. You start feeling like what they said to you actually matters.

Their voice almost becomes louder than God's voice. You think that because they were my blood or because they were close, they were intimate, they must have really known me and they can see in me what they're saying must be true. And then their observation becomes greater than the word of God in my own life. And the last one. What verse are we on?

What verse are we on? What verse are we on? What verse are we on? What verse are we on? What verse are we on? What verse are we on? What verse are we on? And you will be hated by all for my namesake.

The one who endures to the end will be saved. So the Lord has said in this life, there's a type of persecution, number four, for Christians that's going to be universal. It's going to come from every angle. You're going to feel heat from family. You'll feel heat that's political. You'll feel heat that's political. You'll feel heat that's religious. A day is coming when Christians are going to be so squeezed on every side.

You're going to be even tempted to bow out. But the Lord said, those who endure to the end, who stands firm until it's over. They're going to be saved. Verse 23. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For truly I say to you, you will not have gone through all of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. So I don't have time to unpack this a whole lot but just listen to the principle he's saying if you can avoid it run from it they're persecuting you there get out of there

he's trying to say don't die before your time don't stay in toxic situations too long don't stay in ungodly environments for too long. For what purpose? For the purpose of gospel expansion. I have need of you, so get out of that place. Gosh. Be so wise that you know how to escape toxicity for the sake of future gospel expansion. Your time is not yet. Get out of there. They don't value you. Get out of there. They hate you. Get out of there. They crucify you at that place. Get out of there. Get avoided. If it's unnecessary, avoid it. You don't got to be thugged out everywhere. They don't see your value, get out of there. I said, I'm done, Sam. I'm finished.

Now, everybody watch these last two verses because they're very important listen to me carefully no forgive me listen to your Lord pay attention pay attention verse 24 and 25 this is for anybody who thinks I ain't gonna deal with none of that

so the Lord he humbles us This is for anybody who thinks, I ain't going to deal with none of that. So the Lord, he humbles us and he gives us an even playing field. Here's the ultimate equalizer. I'm done. Listen. Listen. Listen to your Savior. Listen.

Nobody move. Listen. Because this is happening right now in our country. It's going to get worse. It's the trolls that creep onto your social media. Every week, I got new trolls persecuting me, calling me a false prophet, saying I got bad doctrine, all this foolishness like you know me. They don't know me. Somebody accused me two weeks ago of wearing a $1,000 sweater because I had on an Armani sweater. They said it was a thousand. Look at him up there preaching about eternity and a $1,000 sweater, a $100 sweater I got from Amazon. Can I go deeper? Two weeks ago, I told you there's no utopia we're going to create down here.

Watch. There's nothing we're going to create down here watch there's nothing we're going to build down here that's going to be greater than what Jesus has prepared for us so there's nothing in this life watch everybody listen nothing in this life is going to be greater than eternity do you believe that like anything we're going to create in this fallen world is going to be greater than what Jesus is building and a pastor came on my page and said, that's garbage. Not an atheist. A pastor of another church came on my page and said, that's garbage. Really?

So you can show me from the Scriptures anything we're going to do down here that's going to be better than what Jesus is building in eternity. Like the Scripture says, eyes have not seen and ears have not heard what the lord has prepared for those of us who love him and because of bad doctrine you take that and attach it to right now that watch watch watch how we say that makes for good preaching, yes. But in context, it's talking about eternity. Go study for yourself. Don't believe me. Be a Berean. Go study.

The Lord has been trying to tell us all throughout the New Testament, ain't nothing y'all going to do down here that's going to be better than what I'm preparing for you. That's why you need to make it. And a pastor came on my page and said, all that you just said is garbage. And somebody, listen, watch, watch, prudence. I was threatened to say something to him because you're part of my camp. You're supposed to be a shepherd. So I wanted to correct him, like, bro, DM me.

Let's talk about this through the scriptures. And the Holy Spirit said, no, don't say nothing. Watch, prudence. And somebody came on my page and defended me. They said, can you show us a scripture to prove Pastor Philip wrong? One day go by. Two days go by. Three days go by. Four days go by.

Five days go by. The person come back and four days go by, five days go by. The person comes back and says, it's been five days. We see no scripture from you. Now, I'm not saying that because I'm perfect. I make mistakes, but I'm trying my best. I am afraid of the word of God. I have reverence and respect for it. When I was in Israel in 2018, I was on the top of Masada outside of Jerusalem, and I saw a Messianic Jew in a cave with ink copying the entire Old Testament and New Testament by hand

in Hebrew and Aramaic and he said to us I do this eight hours a day every day if I make one mistake one stroke wrong I gotta start the whole copy over from the beginning and then I wept I wept because I thought about we keep this on the floor. It's full of dust. We don't believe it. Don't read it. Don't know it. And here's a man who spends eight hours copying it by hand. And if he makes one mistake, he says, I have to do it all over again. And what I saw in that moment was an honor for the word of God I had not seen in the United States. It changed my, I ain't been the same since I came back from Jerusalem. It changed my life.

So holy is God in Israel, they take out the vowels from Yahweh. They won't even say his name with all the vowels because they said his name is so holy. For you it's just a t-shirt you take that song I am a friend of God you take it you you take it to the extreme of disrespect and dishonor for a being me. What verse was I on? Watch. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough. What am I called to do when I'm finna do? It is enough for a disciple

to be like his teacher. You know what is the greatest calling? Is to become like Christ. What does it profit you to call yourself a prophet and you look nothing like the character of Christ? What does it profit you to call yourself an apostle and in private you are nothing like the character of Christ? What does it profit you to call yourself an apostle and in private you are nothing like Christ? What does it profit me to say I'm Pastor Philip and I look nothing like Christ? You know what's my highest ambition? To die looking like my savior.

In character, word, and deed. No, that's too boring for us. We don't want no parts of that it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. Now watch. If they called the master of the house Beelzebul. How much more will they malign those of his household? If the purest person who ever walked the planet was rejected and talked about and misunderstood and persecuted and not liked and hated. If they had an issue with him, what makes you think you're going to escape this life without somebody not having an issue with you for the faith? So what he's trying to say is, yo, don't be surprised when they hate on you.

But remember the text. But they do this and you stand for my namesake. That is, if you're persecuted, I like what the apostles said in Acts. They've counted it worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ. That when they speak evil of you and you know your heart is righteous, just sit back and say, God, thank you. You counted me worthy to suffer for your name. You see my heart. They see wrong.

I am persecuted now for your namesake. It's almost a badge of honor to be mistreated for the Lord Jesus Christ. So can you handle the heat that's happening in our nation right now? Can you handle the heat that is coming? Are you going to be a coward in the culture? Are you going to run from heat? Or will you stand for Christ? Will you pose for Christ?

Will you grow in Christ? Will you have a prayer life with Christ? Would you love Christ above all these idols? Will you be a witness for him in a culture that's going to become increasingly more hostile towards Christ? Will you bow your knee to Baal? Or will you stand for me in this crooked and wicked generation? Where are my sons and daughters? Where are my true servants?

Where are those I can trust with my name and my anointing and my favor. Because even as they feel the heat, they are prudent, they are pure, they are withstanding all manner of persecution from every side. They will not quit or bow out for me.

Father, I pray right now over my brothers and sisters. Don't ruffle a page. Don't move. Still. Father, I pray from these, my brothers and sisters, those of us first who are not living under the tyranny of the visceral, grotesque persecution that is befalling our brothers and our sisters.

Let us care about the persecuted church outside of the West. Let us not pray only for ourselves, but pray for the mothers, fathers, and children that are being put to death for the name let us pray for the missionaries and the pastors and leaders on the front line of battle and hostile anti-Christ nations

and father here in the west let your people be awakened to the subtleties of the persecutions that is growing in this nation. We see it on social media. We see it in the government. We feel it around us. Wake us up. May we be soldiers on the wall, prayer warriors standing in the gap. May we be heralds of that great gospel truth. Witnesses in word, in deed, in our knees, in our giving, all of us for the advancement of the gospel while time is running out. We will not bow. We will not run unless we have to move. We will not tuck our tails. We will not live in compromise. We're not trying to win the approval of every man. We will not be people pleasers.

We will stand on the rooftop and shout from the roof, Jesus is Lord. I pray boldness. I like that word. Come upon your sons and daughters. For the hour that we are living in, you need bold voices and witnesses. I pray. If you're not saved, right there in your seat, I'm not going to tell you to move.

God is calling you. Just like this brother who gave his life to Christ in the beginning, you can give your life to Christ right there in the seat. I'm done. My MC should be coming. I'm not calling nobody to the front. You wrestle with God right there in your seat. Surrender.

Put your faith in him. Surrender to him. Don't reject God. Tomorrow's not promised to you. You can die in a car crash on the way home tell the Lord right there Lord I surrender my life to you forgive me for my sins I put my heart on the altar like my brother that's it I'm not running I surrender you could die in a car crash on the way home and be hurled into eternity and separated from God for all eternity. The Bible says in the day you hear the call, do not harden your heart.

Surrender. And Lord, I just trust by faith you're saving people right now in their seat. People listening to me right now. They're on the side of the road listening to my voice pulled over. Surrender. Fill them right now, they're on the side of the road, listening to my voice, pulled over, surrender. Fill them right now with your Holy Spirit. Open their blinded eyes. Pour into their hearts your love.

Lead them into an intimate relationship with you. Teach them to pray and to seek your face. Deliver them from every chain, every bondage, every prison cell, every false thought and belief. I thank you. Although I can't see them, you see them. They are your sons and daughters. They are your children. They belong to you. I pray a blessing over them in Christ's name. If you did that at your seat, don't have time to bring you to the front. There's a black tent in our parking lot. When you leave this room, stop at that black tent. There's a bag, a gift there for you.

Inside that bag is the word of God and other gifts we prepared for you to help guide you in your walk with Jesus. If you belong to this church, don't move, don't flip a page. Respect the moment. I want to train us to be respectful. If you belong to 2819, I am pleading with you, not manipulating, pleading with you. This is the time when I'm supposed to remind you to be a faithful giver. All across the country, people are manipulated to do this. I am not going to do it. I can't bring myself to manipulate you, for the Lord loves a cheerful giver. All across the country, people are manipulated to do this. I am not going to do,

I can't bring myself to manipulate you, for the Lord loves a cheerful giver. There is a part of your income that does not belong in your hair. It does not belong in your gas tank. It does not belong in your fridge. It does not belong in your pocket or your trinkets or toys. There is a part of our income that is supposed to be given for the spread of the gospel would you be delivered from being selfish would you be delivered from being tight would you be delivered from being afraid and just say now in this season in these end times i'm going to be faithful to support my church to support the spread of the gospel. If you're worried that I'm going to take your money and buy a jet, don't give it. If you think I'm a charlatan, don't give it. If you think I'm trying

to manipulate you, don't give it. It's what I want for you, not I want from you. The Lord loves a cheerful giver. Those who sow sparingly, reap sparingly. Those who sow bountifully, reap bountifully. He just wants you to support kingdom ministry. All of your giving goes towards the spread of the gospel, the operation of our church, the winning of souls, the making of disciples. Who would not want to support the most important work humanity has ever seen? You're praying for God to bless your business, but you don't support his house. How? How? You said, but I don't have that much to give. Start with what you have and just be faithful at

a percentage and then increase it as he blesses you. In the Old Testament, it was 10%. In the New Testament, it's as you feel led. But that was the baseline for generosity. Just be led. Just be generous. You can give online. You could give with the app. You could give at home. We're trying to get a building.

We're trying to raise $5 million. We can actually do that faster. If everyone who calls this place home, you're being fed. If you don't be a consumer but be a contributor, say, because I'm fed, I'm going to support my church. I'm going to start being faithful. I'm going to give an offering, a tithe, whatever you want to call it. I'm going to be faithful, man, so we can have our own property, our own facility, someplace for our children. Our children right now are in a basement. There's a hundred of them down there with no space. We don't have no more space in this room. We don't have any AC. We're trying to be

good stewards and support the school and save money to get out of here. It's our time now. If everybody would just be faithful, I don't have to manipulate. If everybody would just be faithful, we can do that much sooner. Father, I pray a blessing over every faithful partner of the gospel? Would you bless their homes and their businesses and their endeavors? Would you raise up even millionaires in this house who would be so generous that they can become the answer to other people's prayers? For those who have entrepreneurial ventures, as they support your house, would you support their house? As they bless your kingdom, will you bless their endeavors? Would you teach us to be faithful with a portion of our income for the gospel? Would you open our fingers from being afraid and stingy and tight?

Would you help a spirit of generosity to come upon this house? And would we do that without being manipulated or being contrived? So I just pray a blessing over this house. I pray for those who don't have jobs, that they would have jobs. I pray for economic increase. I pray for economic favor and boom. I pray 2019 will be a church of great resources that we can be your hands and feet throughout this city, and we can have more cameras, we could do more work, we could have our own facility very soon. I pray a blessing over these, and I pray a blessing for the one who physically

doesn't have it. Move on their behalf with something that'll blow their mind that they can be generous. Teach us to be good stewards over resources, to cancel debt, to not buy things we can't afford. Help us not to prioritize Visa and MasterCard and everything else other than the kingdom. Help us to know a portion belongs to you. Help us not to be enslaved to the gods of this world and not support the God of heaven and earth. I pray that over my family in the mighty and majestic and the matchless name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Stand to your feet.