September 21, 2025 – An Opportunity for Joy
Sermon: 1665 Preparing for Persecution
Pray Over This
“So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”
Ponder This
Rejoice in the Lord. He says to rejoice and be exceeding glad. Do you know what this means? It means to leap and jump, to dance. You're so happy, you can't keep your feet on the ground. Why? Because you've been persecuted. Others can finally see the difference in you, and you’ve clearly been identified with Christ. Someone once said if people were arrested for being Christians, many wouldn’t have given enough evidence for conviction.
Rejoice and be exceeding glad when you have been identified with the Lord. The early apostles who were persecuted in this passage departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ name. Have you ever said, "Oh, thank you, Lord, I'm worthy to suffer shame for your name!”? Our Lord has commanded us to rejoice and be exceeding glad, even when opposition comes. It is another opportunity to point to Him.
- How have you encountered opposition for your faith? What would it look like to rejoice in opposition?
- Who is someone who exemplifies rejoicing in Christian hardship?
Practice This
Ask a person who has shown you what it looks like to rejoice in hardship how to hold onto joy while being persecuted.
For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org.
You can also listen to Adrian Rogers at OnePlace.com.
