Graffiti and Our Response to Persecution

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Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, March 20, 2011

1 Corinthians 16:8-9, “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

Colossians 4:2-6, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

Philippians 1:12-14, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

2 Thessalonians 3:1-3, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”

I know that that was a larger than normal grouping of passages to read as we open up our study time this morning. Nevertheless, I wanted to sort of set the stage for what I want to share with you today, and to use these verses to provide the Biblical context and foundation for what I am about to say.

This last week, on Thursday morning, the phone rang at our home, and it was Officer Mitch Jenkins of the McKinney Police Department. He was calling to inform me that our beloved house of worship – this building – had been hit by vandals, who had spray painted profane words on the west end outside wall of our facility. Officer Jenkins informed me that the graffiti had all the signs of street gang activity. He had seen such evidence many times before, including across the street from us in the last several days. And, he also urged us to be on the lookout for suspicious activity involving groups of young people, ‘hanging out’ in our neighborhoods, and to call the police to report such activity.

To be honest with you, as I am sure is true for you, when I heard this news, a number of different thoughts and reactions passed through my mind.

For one thing, I was angered and offended that it had happened. ‘How could they do such a thing, and to a house of worship?’ But, then I thought, “Why not? I mean, we’re here, aren’t we? To shine the light of Christ’s truth and love into the darkness of Satan’s dominion, should it surprise us when something like this occurs? Should it astonish us when the devil and his servants fight back?’

Then, I thought: ‘As a matter of fact, what is surprising is that something like this, or perhaps, something far worse hasn’t happened here before.’ By the way, saying that, I am not intending to stir up fear in any of us; remember Jesus’ words? He urged us not to fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. Rather, He challenged us to fear God, Who alone has the power and authority, to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).

Now, don’t misunderstand me, please. I don’t think that Jesus intends for us to be foolhardy in our ‘boldness’ to take unnecessary risks, or to fail to provide appropriate safety precautions for when we meet here for worship and other activities. But, listen, ultimately, where does our trust, our confidence, our security and safety lie? In a dead-bolt? In a guard light? In an alarm system, 9-1-1 or even in a law enforcement officer in our midst? The fourth of the four passages I read from a moment ago put it like this: “Brethren, PRAY FOR US, that we may be delivered [that God may rescue us] from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But [what an important word that is!] ask God to rescue us from unreasonable and wicked men, for not all have faith! But the Lord is faithful, He will establish you and guard you from the evil one!” Our trust, our confidence, our safety and security, as these words of a man who knew danger, who experienced hardship and extreme opposition from those absurd and wicked men he mentions here, ultimately is and must be in Someone who is ALWAYS faithful to shield His people from the evil one!

Yes, when I received Officer Jenkins’ phone call, I had several different thoughts and reaction to what he told me. But, then I remembered the first of the passages I read at the beginning this morning, the 1 Corinthians 16 text. Take a look again at it with me, wil you? What does it say? The apostle Paul in brief fashion here in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 summarizes for us what we can read about in detail in Acts chapters 19 and 20. He is ministering in a city called Ephesus, home of the false goddess, the demonic worship of Diana, a city, like our city, home of thousands of people from all kinds of backgrounds and all of them – ALL of them – in need of hearing and believing the gospel of Christ. What does the apostle Paul remind us about here? What divinely-inspired insight into our situation does he supply for us here? Take a look. He says, “I’m going to stick around here in Ephesus for a while yet, at least till Pentecost.” But why, Paul? Why? “Because a great and effective door [a divinely-arranged opportunity] has opened to me [here], and there are many adversaries.”

My friends, it would be easy and perhaps, from a human perspective, quite understandable, to think to react with anger, or out of fear. To exclaim, ‘we’re gonna find those criminals, and we’re gonna see that they get what they deserve!’ or to cower in the corner and whimper, ‘well, I guess we need to close up the place and go into hiding.’ But, listen: if we do react in one of those ways, I believe the devil will have won the victory here!

‘Hey, y’all! Just wanted you to know that I’ve run into some opposition here in Ephesus, so, I’m taking my candle and relocating it to Philippi. I’m putting my light under a bushel!” Is that what Paul did? Is that what Jesus wants us to do?

Beloved, it shouldn’t surprise us, not one bit, when unbelievers, when enemies of the cross of Christ - whose god is their fleshly desires and whose glory, whose greatest thrill is found in their wicked and shameful thoughts and words and actions – it shouldn’t ever surprise us when those who are in the darkness ACT like those dwell in Satan’s dominion! But, it should anger us! What? Yes! But, with a righteous anger, a God-prompted anger. Satan, the roaring lion, is on the prowl, and he is gobbling up people, especially young people, left and right! We should be angry enough to determine, to resolve, NEVER to let evil triumph! But, to overcome evil, through God’s infinite strength, with good!

And, instead of only shaking our heads in disgust, let us fall on our knees, in broken-hearted, passionate prayer for these whose lives are being decimated by the one who hates them and wants to destroy them! (John 10:10)

My loved ones, we have before us a great and effective door, a wide-open, God-ordained opportunity to impact this neighborhood for Jesus’ sake. But, listen. It‘s not going to be easy! And, listen, our door of opportunity will be missed, if we do not make it a prayer priority.

Yes, yes, I know that we have a lot to pray about with respect to needs of the flock. People in the hospital, loved ones and brothers and sisters in Christ, struggling physically, emotionally, spiritually, even financially. But, listen, what about the LOST little lambs? When was the last time we prayed and worked earnestly, driven by the compassion and urgency of the GOOD Shepherd, to reach and rescue them?

B---- S., our new brother in Christ, a teacher over here at the ‘Linc Center’ as it is called, put it best when he explained to me yesterday, “You know, David, I’ve figured out what God’s purpose for me is. God put me there, at the Linc Center, to help all the hurting and troubled kids who are my students. I’ve been hurt. My background has some trouble in it, and so I can relate to them. God has put me there to minister to these young people.”

A door of opportunity, great and effectual, God has opened it up for B----. And, he’s making the most of it. And, yes, in a dark and difficult place like the one where he works, his light, the light of Christ shining through him, is not without opposition or hindrance! Pray for him, will you? Encourage him in his work.

This is kind of an unusual sermon today. But, of course, it is written and preached in light of our unusual situation, in light of our unique opportunity.

If I may, I’d like to leave you with two questions to ponder, and passages of Scripture that I pray God will use to guide your thoughts and meditations into His truth concerning these matters.

First the questions:

Why did this happen? One of the most gut-wrenching questions that confronts God’s people is the WHY question. “Why do bad things happen to God’s people?”

Secondly, let’s ask ourselves: what are we to DO, what does God want us to BE and DO in light of what has happened?

Now, the Scriptural insights to help us answer and act upon these question: Philippians 1:12ff and Colossians 4:2ff. God’s inspired answer, through the words of the apostle Paul, God’s heavenly insight into the WHY question. Let’s read these texts:

Philippians 1:12-14, “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”

Colossians 4:2-6, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

Why do BAD things happen to God’s people? One of the answers, one of the heavenly insights into this question that we must see - and see clearly - is that which the apostle Paul provides for us while wearing the chains of a prisoner, in custody of the state. By the way, the details regarding the how he came to be detained by the Roman government are recorded in Acts chapters 21 through 28.

Why do BAD things happen to God’s people? Philippians 1:12ff, “…what has happened to me has actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel… Christ is being preached,” he exclaims, in verse 18, “and because of that I rejoice!” One of the answers to the WHY question, building on a foundation that we live in a fallen world, where Satan is working feverishly to do his dirty work, a world where folks like Paul and us – God’s people – are affected and impacted by the darkness all around us, by sinners serving Satan; one of the answers to the WHY question that is built on that back to Genesis foundation, yet that beams brightly with the light and hope of the New Covenant, is this perspective: “bad things happen to God’s people so as to advance the gospel! Seemingly bad things like chains and imprisonment, graffiti, theft and vandalism, happen to “open up a door to us for the word,” Colossians 4:3.

So, then, what are we to DO? What does God want us to BE and DO in light of what has happened here?

2 Corinthians 2:12-17, “Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”

What are we to do? Go buy a case of our own spray paint and find where those folks live and pay them back? I hope you know the answer to that one. No! What we are to do is to spread the aroma of Christ, His marvelously pungent, penetrating fragrance in every place! We are, as Paul goes on to say in chapter 3:1-6, to minister the new covenant of grace and truth in Christ to human hearts. We are to BE – to BE – to some, the aroma of death leading to death, but to others, praise God, to others – God, who is our sufficiency, God who by His almighty spirit enables us - to DO and to BE, through Him, to others, the aroma of life leading to life!

Graffiti on the wall of our beloved house of worship: surprising? Not really. Frustrating? In a sense. But, listen: keep in mind this one very sobering reality taken from the words of one who experienced far more violent and virulent opposition than we have yet to see:

2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”

The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, its shining radiance, is hidden from their sight. And, so they are groping, think of it! What an awful situation! They are groping, in the dark, about to tumble headlong over the precipice of no return! They are perishing! And what are we o do? We are to be God’s agents in rescuing them. Will it be easy? No! But, must we do it? Yes. Yes!