Standing Firm: Overcoming Worldly Pressures

1. "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."

2. "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

3. "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

4. "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me." (John 15:18-21)

5. "They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service." (John 16:2)

6. From our text, we see that the world loves its own and hates those who are not a part thereof. • Because it hates us, it will persecute us. • But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. (2 Tim. 3:10-12)

7. From our text, we see that the world loves its own and hates those who are not a part thereof. • Because it hates us, it will persecute us. • Persecution can, of course, vary in its form, intensity, frequency and length. • But we can be sure that it will come, if we are living the lives that we ought to be living.

8. One particular form of persecution is pressure. • By "pressure" I mean compelling influence. • Those who are yet in the world will, from time to time, pressure us to do this or that which would not be in keeping with the Lord’s revealed will.

9. Whether one is a schoolteacher, retail store manager, beauty consultant, electrical engineer, registered nurse, fire fighter, delivery person, retired individual, or even a full time gospel preacher, he or she is under almost constant pressure to: • Compromise the Truth • Conform to the World • Please Men • Be Lukewarm • Be Dishonest • Give Up the Faith

10. Pressure to Compromise the Truth • By "compromise" I mean surrender. • By "truth" I mean the word of God (John 17:17). • It is the truth that will make us free (John 8:32). • But the truth must be obeyed. • Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. (1 Peter 1:22-23) • We must have a love of the truth. • and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion,

11. Pressure to Compromise the Truth • By "compromise" I mean surrender. • By "truth" I mean the word of God (John 17:17). • It is the truth that will make us free (John 8:32). • But the truth must be obeyed. • We must have a love of the truth. • that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thess. 2:10-12). • Therefore, Satan will try to take the word of truth out of our hearts. • "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the...

12. Pressure to Compromise the Truth • By "compromise" I mean surrender. • By "truth" I mean the word of God (John 17:17). • It is the truth that will make us free (John 8:32). • But the truth must be obeyed. • We must have a love of the truth. • Therefore, Satan will try to take the word of truth out of our hearts. • "word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved." (Luke 8:11-12)

13. Pressure to Conform to the World • We are not to love the things of the world. • Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17).

14. Pressure to Conform to the World • We are not to love the things of the world. • Christians are not to be mindless fashion slaves. • in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. (1 Tim. 2:9-10)

15. Pressure to Conform to the World • We are not to love the things of the world. • Christians are not to be mindless fashion slaves. • Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:3-4)

16. Pressure to Conform to the World • We are not to love the things of the world. • Christians are not to be mindless fashion slaves. • The young, especially, are subject to the pressure to conform ("Everybody else is doing it!") but young Christians are to be leaders—not followers—of their peers. • Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Tim. 4:12)

17. Pressure to Conform to the World • We are not to love the things of the world. • Christians are not to be mindless fashion slaves. • The young, especially, are subject to the pressure to conform ("Everybody else is doing it!") but young Christians are to be leaders—not followers—of their peers. • The only way we can prevent ourselves from conforming to the world is by being conformed to the image of God’s Son.

18. Pressure to Conform to the World • For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Rom. 8:29) • And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:2)

19. Pressure to Please Men • Some men want you to please them rather than God. • For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Tim. 4:3-4)

20. Pressure to Please Men • Some men want you to please them rather than God. • You cannot please men, rather than God, and be a servant of Christ. • For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. (Gal. 1:10)

21. Pressure to Please Men • Some men want you to please them rather than God. • You cannot please men, rather than God, and be a servant of Christ. • Some prefer the praise of men to the praise of God. • Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:42-43)

22. Pressure to Please Men • Some men want you to please them rather than God. • You cannot please men, rather than God, and be a servant of Christ. • Some prefer the praise of men to the praise of God. • The apostles were ready to suffer at the hands of men, in order to please God, rather than to please men and take a chance on suffering at the hands of God.

23. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

24. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

25. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:18-20)

26. So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!"

27. So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.

28. So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,

29. So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!"

30. So one came and told them, saying, "Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!" Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:25-29)

31. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while.

32. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men.

33. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.

34. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: "Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.

35. "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing;

36. "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God."

37. "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God." And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

38. "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it--lest you even be found to fight against God." And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5:34-41) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Heb. 10:31)

39. Pressure to Be Lukewarm • You cannot serve two masters. • "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24)

40. Pressure to Be Lukewarm • You cannot serve two masters. • You are either with Christ or against Him. • "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." (Matt. 12:30)

41. Pressure to Be Lukewarm • You cannot serve two masters. • You are either with Christ or against Him. • The church at Laodicea was lukewarm. • "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

42. Pressure to Be Lukewarm • You cannot serve two masters. • You are either with Christ or against Him. • The church at Laodicea was lukewarm. • "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'--and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich;

43. Pressure to Be Lukewarm • You cannot serve two masters. • You are either with Christ or against Him. • The church at Laodicea was lukewarm. • "and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

44. Pressure to Be Lukewarm • You cannot serve two masters. • You are either with Christ or against Him. • The church at Laodicea was lukewarm. • "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:15-20)

45. Pressure to Be Lukewarm • You cannot serve two masters. • You are either with Christ or against Him. • The church at Laodicea was lukewarm. • We cannot afford to be lukewarm. • Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (1 Cor. 15:58)

46. Pressure to Be Dishonest • This was prohibited by the ninth commandment. • "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."(Ex. 20:16)

47. Pressure to Be Dishonest • This was prohibited by the ninth commandment. • Repeated in the New Testament. • Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

48. Pressure to Be Dishonest • This was prohibited by the ninth commandment. • Repeated in the New Testament. • Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Rom. 13:8-9)

49. Pressure to Be Dishonest • This was prohibited by the ninth commandment. • Repeated in the New Testament. • Honesty is not merely "the best policy." • Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. (2 Cor. 13:7)

50. Pressure to Be Dishonest • This was prohibited by the ninth commandment. • Repeated in the New Testament. • Honesty is not merely "the best policy." • "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8)