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May I turn in your Bibles to 
Hebrews chapter 13? Hebrews chapter 13, this morning 
we joined with a lot of other churches, not physically, but 
in terms of prayer for the persecuted church. It's good for us to remember 
our brothers and sisters, not simply because organizations 
tell us to do so, but because the Word of God tells us to do 
so. In fact, it is the manifestation 
or a manifestation of brotherly love that we remember the prisoners. This is what the Apostle instructs, 
this is what the Apostle exhorts, this is what he commands here 
in Hebrews chapter 13 at verse 3. I just want to read verses 
1 to 6 so we can see the text in its context. Open up the passage 
and then make some application to us as a congregation. Hebrews 
13, beginning in verse 1. Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, 
for by so doing, some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember 
the prisoners as if chained with them, those who are mistreated, 
since you yourselves are in the body also. Marriage is honorable 
among all, and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers 
God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness. Be content with such things as 
you have. For he himself has said, I will 
never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say, the Lord 
is my helper. I will not fear. What can man 
do to me? Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father, we thank You for this, Your Word, and we pray for the 
ministry of Your Spirit now. We pray that You would guide 
us and lead us and instruct us and affect us, God. Help us to 
be obedient to the Scripture. Help us to live in light of our 
Christian profession. Help us to see our responsibility 
at the throne of grace, to remember prisoners, to remember those 
who are mistreated. to pray to you, the living and 
true God, on behalf of others. Help us to be faithful intercessors. Help us to exercise that privilege 
as the New Covenant priesthood, and to bring these supplications 
and prayers and intercessions and giving of thanks to you for 
all men. Father, help us in these things, 
we pray, and we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, 
in the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus, as He brings it to 
a conclusion, says that the narrow way is difficult. In John's Gospel, 
in the Upper Room Discourse, the Lord Jesus Christ says, in 
this world you will have tribulation. That difficulty and that tribulation 
is oftentimes connected to our own foolishness, and our own 
sinfulness, and our own waywardness. That foolishness and that difficulty 
and travail and tribulation, though, is oftentimes connected 
to evil men. In the book of Ephesians, in 
Ephesians 6, the apostle says that we do not wrestle against 
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, 
against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual 
hosts of wickedness, in the heavenly places. So they are the enemy, 
but they do manifest themselves through ungodly men, through 
ungodly religion, through atheism, through all manner of viciousness 
targeting the people of God from time to time. This morning, as 
I said, we read several prayer letters or several updates from 
several parts or several countries in the world, and it's just grieving. It is absolutely distressing 
to see predominantly, not just predominantly, not only, Hindus 
and Buddhists and atheists persecuted. There is that growing threat 
of Islam. I mean, as much as they want 
to trump this idea that it's a religion of peace, they are 
brutal, and they target the people of God. and it really is something 
to take consideration of. The Muslim Brotherhood and these 
various groups are not sympathetic to the people of the book by 
and large. And so as we consider this whole 
concept and idea, we do have a very specific command or a 
directive in the Scripture that bids us to be concerned about 
these sorts of things. In the prophet Ezekiel, there's 
a vision. given to Ezekiel. Where Ezekiel 
sees these men with slaughtering weapons, with battle weapons. He sees six of them. They're 
all decked out. And then he sees one man who's 
dressed in linen and he has a writer's ink horn. And what is instructed 
to that man with the ink horn is that he's to go around and 
he's to mark the foreheads of everybody in Jerusalem that sighs 
and cries over the abominations in the land. And so the man with 
the rider's inkhorn dutifully engages in that activity. And 
then the instruction is given to those men bearing the battle 
weapons. They are told to go and utterly destroy everybody 
that does not bear the mark. And he says, to start at my sanctuary. And by the time the vision is 
over, the city is filled with blood, which indicates that people 
in Jerusalem, people in Israel, didn't sigh and cry over the 
abominations in the land. They just didn't care. It didn't 
affect them, it didn't bother them, as long as they themselves 
weren't victim of violent crime or opposition to God's people, 
well then we just don't have any concern for it. I've often 
times wondered if a similar thing took place today and God's men 
started at the sanctuary, how would we fare? It is imperative 
that we take seriously this particular mandate that we find here in 
Hebrews 13.3. Note specifically the context. The context, the author is bringing 
the book to a close. Chapter 13 is about concluding, 
exhortations, a few requests, and greetings, benediction and 
greetings. Here specifically in verses 1 
to 6, he deals with love, hospitality, compassion, fidelity, and contentment. These are good things for us 
to concern ourselves with. As God's blood-bought children, 
we are to be a loving people, a hospitable people, a compassionate 
people, a faithful people in our marriage relationships, and 
we are to be a content people. not always grumbling and complaining 
and murmuring about the sorts of things that we don't have. 
Here specifically, in verse 1, there is a general command. There 
is a general exhortation. Let brotherly love continue. That ought to be part and parcel 
of the Christian church. We ought to let brotherly love 
continue. This assumes or supposes that 
there is brotherly love. Paul in Ephesians 4 says, endeavor 
to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That presupposes 
there's a degree of unity that we are able to keep. Well, here 
the author, Paul I believe, assumes that the people of God love each 
other. That's a good assumption. Remember, 
Jesus says, by this all men will know that you are my disciples, 
if you love one another. Right? He didn't say, by this 
all men will know you're my disciples, if you can recite the catechism. 
That's good, though. Recite the catechism. He doesn't 
say, by this all men will know you're my disciples, if you've 
memorized Berkov's chapter on eschatology. I don't know how 
good that would be, but go ahead and do that. But Jesus says, 
by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you 
have love for one another. Here the apostle assumes that 
the Christian church loves each other. And he says, let that 
brotherly love continue. That's the general command. Then 
he gives two specific applications in verses 2 and 3. Let brotherly 
love continue, vis-a-vis show hospitality to strangers. Verse 2. Do not forget to entertain 
strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained 
angels. This is a manifestation of love, 
showing hospitality to others. being kind, being gracious, being 
open, having people in our homes, specifically your strangers, 
not necessarily brethren from your church. They could be brethren 
from another church. They could be non-converted people. You are to exercise hospitality 
as an expression of Christian love. Another specific directive 
is found in verse 3. Remember the prisoners as if 
chained with them, those who are mistreated, since you yourselves 
are in the body also. So you see the general exhortation, 
let brotherly love continue, and the two particular applications 
of that, toward strangers, toward sufferers. Verses 2 and 3. Philip Yu says, "...true faith, 
which springs into being from the love of God, must itself 
blossom out into love for our fellow men. Brotherly love is 
the hallmark of the genuine Christian." Brotherly love is the hallmark 
of the genuine Christian. And in light of what Jesus says 
there in John 13, 35, Hughes is right on. By this all men 
will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. the context, let's consider the 
command, verse 3. We'll look at this under three 
considerations. First, the duty to remember, 
the objects we are to remember, and the reason we are to remember. But notice, first of all, he 
says, remember the prisoners. This isn't just a bear running 
through your day, oh yeah, there's people suffering for the gospel. 
It isn't just that assent. It isn't just that acknowledgement 
that somewhere out there somebody doesn't have it as good as me. 
That's not what's in view here. It is to remember to care for 
them. Remember with a view to taking 
action. Remember for good. To remember 
in a way which will benefit the person concerned in some way 
or other. Now you may not be able to go 
to Pakistan, you may not be able to visit Pastor Abedini in Iran, 
but certainly you can take that man to the throne of grace. Certainly 
you can pray for his wife and his children in Idaho. You can 
bring them before the God of heaven and earth and actually 
obey this command in the privacy of your closet. The duration. It is a present tense verb. That 
means it is to be a continual action. It's not just one day 
out of the year in November. Oh yeah, there are those who 
suffer for the cause of Christ. This ought to be something that 
finds its way into our prayer lists. It ought to be something 
that we avail ourselves with. Anymore, for the most part, you 
have to look for these kinds of stories. In other words, the 
media doesn't always report the targeting of Christians. Why 
is that? Because probably they don't care. So you have to take the time, 
you have to investigate, you have to ask some questions. Now 
sometimes they're so grisly and so barbaric, even the mainstream 
media will carry those stories. But at times it alarms me and 
it amazes me how Christians don't really understand or know just 
what's going on out there. Remember that idea of Ezekiel 
9. go after them and slaughter everyone 
that does not have the sign or the mark on his forehead as one 
who sighs and cries over the abominations of the land. And 
the demand here is we are not simply to give a verbal assent 
that we know Christians are suffering in the world. We are to remember 
them with a view to doing something about it. That's the nature of 
the command. Notice, secondly, the prisoners, 
those who are mistreated. The original hearers would understand 
this. Go back for just a moment to 
chapter 10. Chapter 10 at verse 32. This 
is the immediate context. We are to remember the prisoners. 
We are to remember those who are mistreated. This would not 
be a surprise to the people in chapter 13. because they've been 
told, chapter 10, verses 32 to 36, they have been told as well 
with reference to the suffering servants in the hall of faith 
in chapter 11. So suffering, trial, mistreatment, 
imprisonment, all these things were not foreign concepts to 
the original audience. They were tracking. They understood. They were being reminded. They 
were being exhorted. This is a concrete application 
of the general exhortation to let brotherly love continue. 
Exercise hospitality to strangers and exercise remembrance for 
sufferers. Notice in 1032, recall the former 
days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great 
struggle with sufferings, partly while you were made a spectacle 
both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions 
of those who were so treated. For you had compassion on me 
in my chains." You see, he's commending them for this very 
activity. When he gets to chapter 13-3, 
he doesn't just assume they'll continue to do this. We need 
reminder. We need these things set before 
us. We need sermons like these. We need to be told what our Christian 
duty is. And here he says, "...for you 
have had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted 
the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better 
and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven. Therefore, 
do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward, for you 
have need of endurance, so that, after you have done the will 
of God, you may receive the promise." So within the immediate context, 
these believers would be conscious of the fact that there were those 
in prison. There were those who were mistreated. 
They are being admonished to remember them with a view to 
doing something for them. And this sets the stage for a 
consideration of the larger context. It was in the Garden of Eden 
that this animosity, or what some have called an antithesis, 
was announced. In other words, the seed of the 
woman would be hated by the seed of the serpent. Genesis 3.15, 
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your 
seed and her seed. He shall bruise your head, and 
you shall bruise his heel. It is God-wrought enmity. It 
is a God-wrought antithesis. By virtue of the fact that the 
Lord is going to save His people from their sins, those who are 
not saved, those who are outside the pale of redemptive grace, 
will be in animosity toward God and toward His people. And we 
see this emphasis on tribulation, we see this emphasis on mistreatment, 
we see this emphasis on difficulties for Christians all throughout 
the Old Testament, but focusing on the New Testament. The Lord 
Christ said, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness 
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In other words, what 
the apostle is not doing in Hebrews 13.3 is saying, can you believe 
it? There's actually those who are mistreated and there are 
those who are prisoners. That's assumed. The antithesis 
is there. There is enmity between the woman 
and between the serpent. There is enmity between Christ 
and the devil. And Jesus highlights that reality, 
and he says it's going to be the lot of God's people, when 
they go through this world, to suffer. Blessed are you when 
they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against 
you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, 
for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets 
who were before you. Now if I ask any Reformed Baptist, 
who are some of the heroes of the faith? I'm sure C.H. Spurgeon's name would come up 
in the top five when we talk about particular Baptists. Spurgeon 
didn't call himself a Reformed Baptist. He was a particular 
Baptist. John Gill was a particular Baptist. 
So those men would make it high on the list. And today you can 
find Spurgeon books even in Armenian bookstores, right? I mean, you 
go in, you see Morning and Evening. He's something of a hero today, 
isn't he? I don't think just in Calvinistic circles, not just 
in Baptistic circles. I mean, people like Spurgeon. 
When I go to the old people's homes, I'm sure Cam can attest 
to this when he goes to the Linnwood, the people know who Spurgeon 
is. You don't have to have a 1689 confession to like Spurgeon. 
We don't have a corner on Spurge. He wasn't a hero in his day. 
His people loved him, he had a big flock to be sure, but he 
was hated. It was quite common for Spurgeon 
to be in the local papers. And when I say local, we're talking 
about London, England. This is a big locale. He was 
castigated. He was, you know, put down. He was mocked. He was caricatured. All these things. His wife took 
this passage, put it on a plaque or a picture of some sort, so 
that when he would wake up in the morning and he'd get up and 
he'd start to put on his clothes or slippers or whatever it was 
he was looking at, he would start the day by looking at this text. 
You see, he wasn't walking through the streets of London with everybody... doing this. People in Geneva 
named their dogs John Calvin. At the time, the great reformer 
labored in that city. That wasn't because they were 
so fond of the great reformer. It's because they despised him. I mean, look at the brethren 
in the history of the church. It is a time of trial. There is difficulty. There is 
persecution. We have seen in our studies in 
Matthew, when Jesus dispatches His disciples to go preaching 
and teaching, what does He say to you? The time will come when 
they will scourge you in their synagogues. The time will come 
when they will kill you. They will chase you, flee from 
this city and go into another city. They are going to persecute 
you. There is going to be trial. What 
about the book of Acts? We no sooner begin that blessed 
record of the history of the early church, and what do we 
find? We find the likes of Peter and 
John scourged. I mean, these were men that a 
couple of years ago were just happy to throw their nets in 
the Galilee Sea and bring in a bunch of fish. Their connection 
with the Savior, their call to apostolic ministry didn't make 
their life a whole lot better. It made it a whole lot more difficult. It's very interesting, too. This 
is a theme replete in Scripture. When you go way back in redemptive 
history, you know when David's troubles began? Really, do you 
know when David's troubles began? It's when the Spirit came upon 
him. We're not saying that the Spirit 
is to blame and all that sort of thing. But when he was a shepherd 
boy out dealing with the sheep, He was just left alone. It's 
when he's filled with the Spirit and given God's mandate and called 
to lead Israel in a particular way that the difficulties and 
the trials come. You cannot read the book of Acts, 
you cannot read the New Testament epistles, you cannot read the 
scriptures and fail to reckon with this reality that in this 
world you will have tribulation. The apostle promises in 2 Timothy 
3.12, All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer 
persecution. In 1 Peter chapter 4, the apostle 
there assumes that the people of God will know tribulation. 1 Peter 4.12, Beloved, do not 
think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, 
as though some strange thing happened to you. Right? What happens with us? Oh, they 
said a bad thing to me. I can't believe it. Why can't 
you believe it? They hated Jesus. The Lord Jesus 
says, if they hated me, they're going to hate you. How is it 
that we can't believe it? How is it that we can't believe 
that the liberties of Christians are being stripped away? How 
is it that we can't believe that you can't say Merry Christmas, 
but you can wish anybody and everybody a Happy Kwanzaa, or 
a Dillwall, or whatever they call it? Notice the target of opposition! It is against God and His Christ! That's the reality that we face 
today. We really don't have to look 
at the Muslim nations. We don't really have to go over 
to those Roman Catholic lands. We don't have to survey the third 
world. That opposition is increasing 
here in the first world as well. Peter says, do not think it strange 
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some 
strange thing happened to you. If you are faithful, if you are 
godly, if you are pursuing righteousness, if you are seeking to honor the 
Lord Christ in this lower world, Don't think it's crazy when they 
persecute you. He says, Rejoice, verse 13, to 
the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when 
His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, 
for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their 
party is blaspheme, but on your party is glorified. But let none 
of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a 
busybody in other people's matters. If you're a fool, You're wrong, 
or any of the things described here, don't say I'm suffering 
as a Christian. You're not. If you are suffering 
for these reasons, that's legit. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, 
a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. They 
don't like me because I talk about Christ. Maybe they don't 
like you because you're a busybody. You've got to make sure that 
what you're suffering for really is Christ. So many times, Christians 
are suffering for the gospel. Really? Maybe you're suffering 
because you're not legit. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, 
let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. Verse 19 says, Therefore let 
those who suffer according to the will of God. Don't miss that. 
Those who suffer according to the will of God. What happens 
to us? We suffer. We say, what happened 
to God? This is His will. This is His plan. If the Son 
of God was perfected, or learned obedience rather, through suffering, 
then what about His sons? What about us? We are going to 
learn obedience through suffering as well. Therefore, let those 
who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to 
Him in doing good as to a faithful Creator. There are prisoners, 
there are those who are mistreated. Owen says this, bonds and imprisonment 
for the truth were consecrated to God and made honorable by 
the bonds and imprisonment of Christ himself. and commended 
unto the church in all ages by the bonds and imprisonment of 
the apostles and primitive witnesses of the truth." Owen goes on to 
say this, it is better, more safe and honorable to be in bonds 
with and for Christ than to be at liberty with a brutish, raging, 
persecuting world. It's better to suffer with Jesus, 
it's better to suffer for Jesus than have the favor and the smile 
of a brutish, raging, and persecuting world. Those who are in prison, 
to be sure, and those who are mistreated. That's what the text 
specifies. Remember the prisoners as if 
chained with them, those who are mistreated since you yourselves 
are in the body also. And then notice, thirdly, we 
are to remember, or the reason we are to remember, as if chained 
with them. I gotta say that I would be praying 
more for release if I was in the cell with them. Wouldn't 
you? You're sitting in a prison cell, 
I bet your prayers would be more importunate than if you're sitting 
in your living room. That's the argument. Remember 
them as if you are chained with them. There's an interesting 
video, it's called Criminal or Hero, about a man, Shi Wen, I 
forget his last name, a Chinese fellow, Shi Wen, I think it's 
John Stone would be the equivalent in English. This man was a book 
publisher. He printed books in China. He 
also printed Bibles. He made sure that Bibles got 
into all the house churches. Well, in 2007, they arrested 
him. and they put him in jail. He says, Beijing is like New 
York, it's cold in December. They put him naked outside and 
they poured water on him. I mean, the guy suffered for 
the cause of Christ. Throughout the course of this 
story, it's about 10 minutes, I mean, 10 minutes. Criminal 
or hero, type that in Google and you'll find it. In the course 
of the story, one of his daughters says, what really helped was 
the letters. The letters that we received. 
You know, oftentimes we read these prayer and persecution 
updates and they give an address you can write here or there. 
They had bags and bags and bags and bags of letters. And this 
little girl said, you know, it was really hard because you start 
doubting, right? Maybe my dad is a criminal. I 
mean, my dad has done something wrong. You know, you're not this 
bold, triumphant faith. He's a hero for Jesus. No, I 
mean, the state, the state we love, the state we thought was 
looking out for us. I mean, she sounded like typical 
commie. We love the state. We adored 
the state. We thought the state was looking 
out for us. So when the state throws your 
father in the prison, maybe that doubt will arise." She said, 
but then the letters came. I mean, bags and bags and bags 
of letters from all over the world. She said, that was such 
an encouragement. It was such a blessing. It was 
such a boon to help us to persevere. I thought to myself, one letter 
might actually do something like that? I need to get busy on this 
sort of thing. It doesn't take, you know, what, 
five minutes to type a letter? He says, remember the prisoners 
as if chained with them. If I was sitting in a cell, I'd 
want letters. If I was sitting in a cell, I'd 
want prayers. If I was sitting in a cell, I'd 
want somebody to come and visit me. You see, the emphasis of 
the text is to remember them in such a way that you do something 
for them and to highlight or to bring some severity to this 
situation. Imagine yourself chained with 
them. And then he says, since you yourselves are in the body 
also, we are one with them in the body of Christ the Church. That's how the older interpreters 
took it. I think that's certainly in the 
case, or certainly in the text. We are one with them in the body 
of Christ the Church. We're not only to rejoice with 
those who rejoice, Romans 12.15, but we're supposed to weep with 
those who weep, same Romans 12.15. But as well, we also lead a bodily 
existence, and we know how hard it is to suffer. I mean, for 
many, a sniffle will sideline your pursuit of holiness. For 
many, a difficult morning will upset the apple cart so that 
you fall apart and you don't read or pray. Imagine being in 
a prison cell. Imagine being in Beijing in December. Imagine being naked outside in 
the snow and having people pour water on you. This is what the 
author wants you to do. He wants you to identify with 
the reality of the suffering. He wants you to identify with 
just how difficult it is, and he wants you to remember that. And as well, I think it goes 
three ways. We're one in the body with them 
in terms of the church. We're one in the body with them 
in terms of we can identify and relate to that suffering. We're 
one in the body with them and the potential exists for us to 
be arrested, to be in prison, and to be mistreated as well. 
Certainly the golden rule applies here. Shouldn't we want people 
to pray for us? And if that's the case, should 
we not pray for them? O'Brien says, this unusual expression 
is intended to convey the notion of intense identification with 
those who are suffering. intense identification with those 
who are suffering. That is what the Apostle is calling 
for as an expression or a specific application of the general exhortation 
to let brotherly love continue. A manifestation of that is hospitality 
to strangers. A manifestation of that is to 
remember the sufferers. Remember these brothers and sisters. Avail yourself of information. Know what's going on in the world. You're not supposed to sit from 
morning till night doing nothing but research in terms of these 
things. But have some clue, have some understanding, have some 
idea of what is happening in the world around us with reference 
to the persecution of our brothers and sisters so that we can take 
seriously the imperative of Hebrews 13.3 and remember them. Well, 
in conclusion, There are some examples of suffering in the 
Scripture, in the very context. There's a general statement in 
Acts 14. The Apostle says, we must, through 
many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. Paul knew of 
what he spoke because he had just been stoned. He understood 
what this text meant. When his hearers heard him, they 
understood what this text meant. They weren't puzzled because 
they saw a man who had recently been stoned. Certainly it leaves 
its marks on one's body. Certainly when he hobbles into 
the pulpit, or hobbles into wherever he's going to speak, and he starts 
talking about tribulations, they're not asking questions. Hey, what 
do you mean, Paul? What do you mean by these tribulations? 
It's Paul who's able to say to the churches of the Galatian 
region, he says, let no one trouble me anymore, for I bear in my 
body the brand marks of Jesus. I love that story. In Sinclair 
Ferguson's book, I think it was on the Sermon on the Mount, he's 
talking about that very thing, and he illustrates with Galatians 
6 there. He says, imagine you're at the 
church picnic, and the great and mighty apostle Paul is back 
from his missionary journeys. Some of the kids say, let's go 
into the lake, Paul. Paul takes off that outer garment, 
and there you see Galatians 6.17 engraved in his flesh. I bear 
in my body the brand marks of Jesus. There are specific references 
to the sorts of things that the people of God suffer for the 
cause of Christ in Hebrews chapter 11. Notice, Hebrews chapter 11, 
the kingdom is not punctuated simply with triumphant heroes, 
but it also has its suffering saints. Notice in verse 32 of 
chapter 11, And what more shall I say? For the time would fail 
me to tell of Gideon and Beric and Samson and Jephthah, also 
of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, 
worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths 
of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of 
a sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in 
battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received 
their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting 
deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 
Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains 
and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn 
into, they were tempted, they were slain with the sword, they 
wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, 
afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy They 
wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. 
And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, 
did not receive the promise, God having provided something 
better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from 
us." Mocking and scourging. Chains and imprisonment. I mean, 
just think of some of the biblical characters. Joseph is thrown 
into the pokey for no good reason. Micaiah the prophet is smacked, 
and then put into prison, and given a ration of bread and water. 
For what? Telling the truth to Ahab. Jeremiah 
the prophet. I mean, it took a pagan to feed 
him when he's in the pit. They were stoned. Zechariah the 
priest, 2 Chronicles 24. Tradition says Jeremiah was stoned 
in Egypt by the apostate Jews. They were sawn in two. Tradition 
says this occurred to the prophet Isaiah under the reign of Manasseh. That Isaiah the prophet was sawn 
in two is truly a testimony to the depravity of man. They wandered 
about in sheepskins and goatskins. They were destitute, afflicted, 
they were tormented. They wandered in deserts, they 
wandered in mountains, they wandered in dens and caves of the earth. 
Hughes says the language is vividly descriptive of the savage indignities 
and severe hardships which men and women of faith have been 
willing to endure rather than deny the truth by which they 
have been liberated. It depicts, moreover, the fierce 
hatred of the unbelieving world and its guilty hostility to the 
truth as it ruthlessly hunts and assaults those whose trust 
is in the immutability of the divine promises." As I said, 
on Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings, we read the letters, we read 
the prayer updates, we read concerning people in Pakistan, in Eritrea, 
in North Korea, in China. We see these continual patterns. We see the sufferings of God's 
people. You see little kids who no longer 
have parents because their parents love the truth and would not 
give it up. I realize not every single person 
out there dots their theological I's and crosses their theological 
T's as we do. But brethren, if a tenth of these 
reports are accurate, or a tenth of the people are the real deal, 
it is horrific. It is horrendous. Historians 
tell us that the 20th century is a far more bloody century 
in terms of Christian martyrdom than centuries 1 to 19 combined. Communism is certainly no friend 
to Christianity. Atheism is certainly no friend 
to Christianity. I used to think, in my naivete, 
that Hindus were a peace-loving folk, that Buddhists were a peace-loving 
folk, until they're stabbing Christians and cutting their 
throats and dispossessing them from their homes. They're not 
just these simple people banging tambourines and wearing orange 
robes. There is an antithesis. There 
is an hatred. There is a despising of the true 
people of God. Edwards is absolutely right. 
Because men cannot ascent and rip God off of His throne and 
throw Him down and kill Him, they will kill His people. They 
will destroy the saints of Jesus Christ. A practical benefit of 
obedience to this command? It is always good to obey God. 
I mean, I have ten things here, and that ten isn't going to take 
us long, so don't let ten make you go, oh man, we're here for 
the long haul. It's always right to obey. God says remember the 
prisoners, remember the prisoners. You don't need any enticements 
from Jim on why you should do this, but just consider some 
of these things. Remember the prisoners, because 
they're easily forgotten, because they're out of sight. Right? We're not there. We don't see 
them. It is a conscious attempt on 
our part to make sure we remember these people. So I think about 
abortion as well. We don't visit the clinics. We're 
not there where babies are being murdered. You have to consciously 
fill your head with these things so that you remember in order 
to pray. You've got to write it down. 
If you're aging and you forget things, write it down. text yourself, 
whatever your process is, the scripture says we are to remember. They're out of sight and unfortunately 
out of mind. Secondly, Jesus commends this 
mindset. I was naked and you clothed me. 
I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came 
to me. Again, you may not ever go to 
China. You may never go to Iran. You may never go to Turkey. But 
if you send a letter, and it makes its way into that man's 
hand, or into his daughter's hand, so that they're buoyed 
up, so that they're encouraged, so that they're able to persevere, 
that's a Matthew 25 situation. Remember them, number three, 
in order to pray for them. In Acts 12, what do we find? 
Peter's in jail. What's the church doing? They're 
praying for him. It's a great illustration of 
this very principle. Four, remember them in order 
to give tangible aid to them. Where was Paul when he wrote 
to the Philippians? He was sitting in a prison cell. The church in Philippi dispatch 
Epaphroditus. They send him to visit the apostle 
in prison. Epaphroditus brings a gift to 
him. It probably wasn't an Xbox. It 
was probably food. Might have been a blanket. Might 
have been a jacket. Might have been something to 
sustain his life. You see, the federal government 
didn't look out for the prisoners in those days. It was friends 
and family. You didn't get access. You weren't 
entitled to everything that prisoners are entitled to today. Fifthly, 
remember them in order to visit them. It may be the case that 
somebody that you know is mistreated or in prison for their Christian 
faith. Go visit them. Sixth, remember 
them in order to write to them. Seven, remember them in order 
to help them persevere. Again, I can't imagine what it 
would be like to be in a situation like that, but to get letters 
and to say, praise God, you were printing Bibles and giving them 
to people that needed it. That's right. I'm not a criminal. 
That's good. That's what I should be doing. 
Eight, remember them in order to pray for their persecutors. I think when it comes to praying 
for the persecutors of God's people, that prayer should go 
in two directions. The first, as we've learned in 
1 Timothy chapter 2, 1 to 4, is to pray for their salvation. 
Pray for kings and all who are in authority. Pray for those 
men in high places. Why? Because God desires all 
men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. So 
pray that God will save the persecutors. But it's interesting as well, 
secondly, we ought to pray that God stops the persecutors. In Revelation 6, 9, and 10, at 
the opening of the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls 
of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony 
which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, 
saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and 
avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth. Romans 12 
says we are not to take vengeance in our own hands. We are not 
to avenge ourselves, but we are to give place to wrath. How do 
we give place to wrath? But at the throne of grace. Take 
Psalm 94 before the throne sometime and pray that God will stop those 
men who persecute the church of Jesus Christ. Remember them 
nightly, and this is, I don't want to say a mercenary thing, 
but there is benefit in remembering others. Remember them in order 
to get your eyes off of yourself. You know, when I preach on the 
fourth commandment, like this morning and last Sunday, you 
know, it's that tendency to say, if we just cleaned up the fourth 
commandment, if everybody just obeyed the Sabbath better, the 
church would be a great place. Or whatever our particular thing 
is. If everybody would just do it this way, then we'd have a 
better... You know, I think fundamentally the problem is, is the first 
commandment. When we trip on that one, everything else just 
goes right down the tubes. Our problem is, is that we love 
ourselves at times far more than we love God. And when we look 
at the needs of others, and we remember others, and we pray 
for others, and we intercede for others, that's a good thing. A.W. Pink says, most reprehensible 
and unchrist-like is that selfish callousness which says, I have 
enough troubles of my own without concerning myself over those 
of other people. Putting it on its lowest ground, 
such a spirit ministers no relief. The most effectual method of 
getting away from our own sorrows is to seek out and relieve others 
in distress." It's a blessing. It's a good thing. And then 10thly, 
one of the church fathers is going to help us here. Remember 
them as this is an evidence that one has believed the truth of 
the gospel. The title for tonight's message 
is A Manifestation of Brotherly Love. By this all men will know 
that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. 
We are not saved by love, we are saved by grace through faith 
in Jesus and its chief manifestation, its chief expression is through 
love. There was a father named Ignatius. 
He was martyred during the reign of Trajan. was about AD 98 to 
117. So he's an early church father, 
what we call the apostolic fathers. He wrote to the Smyrnians. He 
says, note well those who hold heretical opinions about the 
grace of Jesus Christ that came to us. He says, beware, be on 
your guard, be on the lookout of heretics. Note well, or now 
note well, those who hold heretical opinions about the grace of Jesus 
Christ that came to us, note how contrary they are to the 
mind of God. They have no concern for love, 
none for the widow, none for the orphan, none for the oppressed, 
none for the prisoner or the one released, none for the hungry 
or thirsty. He is saying that a fruit of 
heresy, a fruit of not believing the truth of the Gospel, a fruit 
of not having been saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, 
a fruit of that is a lack of love, a lack of concern for the 
prisoner, a lack of concern for the hungry or thirsty, a lack 
of charity. So when we manifest such things, 
when we express such things, it indicates that we have, in 
fact, by the grace of God, believed the truth of the gospel. And 
finally, we need to understand, with reference to this concept 
of being a prisoner or being mistreated, the Lord Jesus Christ 
is worth it. He is absolutely worth our suffering. If we are called upon to suffer, 
if we are called upon to be in prison, if we are called upon 
to be mistreated, we are blessed. That's what Peter says. That's 
what Jesus says in the Beatitude. Blessed are you when you are 
persecuted. Remember, when the disciples 
were clogged, when they were scourged, they left that place 
rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His 
name. Christ is altogether lovely. 
He's chief among 10,000. He is the pearl of greatest price. 
If we suffer for Him, we're not losing anything. We are blessed 
beyond measure. We are in the company of godly 
men and women in the past, and we are in the company of the 
Savior Himself. He Himself went through such 
trial. He Himself went through such imprisonment. He Himself 
went through such mistreatment, and it culminated in the crucifixion 
of the Son of God. He is worth it, and we need to 
keep that fresh. and focused in our mind, this 
Christ is worthy of any mistreatment or any suffering that you and 
I are called upon to in this lower world. Well, may God take 
these things, seal them to our hearts, and may we be a people 
of prayer with reference to those who are in prison, those who 
are mistreated. Well, let us pray. Father, we 
thank you for your word, and we thank you for your grace and 
mercy, and we do pray for those suffering ones throughout the 
world. God, we pray for those in prison currently, for those 
families who have been deprived of a father or of a husband or 
mother. We just commit them to you, and 
we pray that you'd help us as a church to be specific in these 
things, to learn of these things, and to be conscious of the reality. 
Give us grace as well, Father, to remember with a view to doing 
something at the throne of grace or writing letters or whatever 
it may be. God, lay these things on our heart, we pray. And go 
with us now and watch over us in this coming week. Help us 
to honor and to glorify your holy name. And give us grace 
to live in such a way as to bring honor to your great name. And 
we pray through Christ the Lord. Amen.