1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian 9a - Blessed are those who are persecuted _1_ | Page 9

Friday
Reading: Acts 2 v 42 – 47
Today I would like to pick upon a principle that I have spoken about recently in
church. This principle suggests that God does His best work in the dark.
The martyrs are proof of the truth of this principle that even in the midst of the
darkness of persecution, God is still at work. The church, in general, has an
incredibly good track record when it comes to persecution from without; (it has,
however, a poor track record when it comes to persecution from within). This
persecution from without seems to bring out the best in a church and its
believers. Some of the characteristics of a persecuted churchare characteristics
“worth dying for”.
• Persecuted churches are always passionate churches; they understand the
need for personal sacrifice for the cause of Christ to be extended.
• Persecuted churches do not fight over peripheral issues; they have a
wonderful ability to keepthe main thing, the main thing.
• People in persecuted churches are able to accept one another far more
willingly than those in the “free” churches. People in the “free” church tend to
judge one another according to ethnicity, social economic standing and
culture – all of these issues mean nothing in a church that is suffering
persecution.
• People in the persecuted churches are united people that, despite their
differences,are united in their cause for Christ and very obviously in their )