Oakwood Community Church
Opposition as Opportunity - Acts 21-22
Locations & Times
Oakwood Community Church
11209 Casey Rd, Tampa, FL 33618, USA
Sunday 8:00 AM
“I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Acts 21:13
Acts 21:13
Three Principles of Persecution
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the one who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”
Acts 21:11
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the one who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”
Acts 21:11
Three Principles of Persecution
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Acts 9:16
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Acts 9:16
Three Principles of Persecution
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“The Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction await me.”
Acts 20:23
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“The Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction await me.”
Acts 20:23
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked…”
2 Corinthians 11:24-25
“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked…”
2 Corinthians 11:24-25
“In danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”
2 Corinthians 11:26-27
2 Corinthians 11:26-27
Three Principles of Persecution
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10
1. Expect Opposition as a follower of Jesus
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:10
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12
Matthew 5:11-12
• Connect with Jesus by remembering His Suffering
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Philippians 3:10 (NIV)
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
Philippians 3:10 (NIV)
Three Principles of Persecution
2. Accept Suffering to help you grow
“They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple… They were seeking to kill him.”
Acts 21:30-31
2. Accept Suffering to help you grow
“They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple… They were seeking to kill him.”
Acts 21:30-31
Three Principles of Persecution
2. Accept Suffering to help you grow
“When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.”
Acts 21:32
2. Accept Suffering to help you grow
“When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.”
Acts 21:32
• Reflect the character of Jesus in patient Endurance
“He was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd.”
Acts 21:35
“He was actually carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd.”
Acts 21:35
• Reflect the character of Jesus in patient Endurance
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:3-4
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:3-4
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4
James 1:2-4
• Reflect the character of Jesus in patient Endurance
"It will all happen in the prisoner's dock as God wills, for you may be sure that we are not left to ourselves but are all in his power."
~ Perpetua, 203 A.D.
"It will all happen in the prisoner's dock as God wills, for you may be sure that we are not left to ourselves but are all in his power."
~ Perpetua, 203 A.D.
Three Principles of Persecution
3. Seek Opportunities to Testify
“I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may… complete the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
Acts 20:24 (NIV)
3. Seek Opportunities to Testify
“I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may… complete the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
Acts 20:24 (NIV)
Three Principles of Persecution
3. Seek Opportunities to Testify
“I am a Jew… brought up in this city… according to the strict manner of the law… zealous for God.”
Acts 22:3
3. Seek Opportunities to Testify
“I am a Jew… brought up in this city… according to the strict manner of the law… zealous for God.”
Acts 22:3
Three Principles of Persecution
3. Seek Opportunities to Testify
“As I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.”
Acts 22:6
3. Seek Opportunities to Testify
“As I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.”
Acts 22:6
• Share your story to introduce His story
“The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.”
Acts 22:14-15
“The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.”
Acts 22:14-15
• Share your story to introduce His story
“And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”
Acts 22:16
“And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”
Acts 22:16
• Share your story to introduce His story
“God, I want to surrender all my plans to you today. I want to give you the complete, utter control of my life. I want to lift you high above all else.”
~ Bonnie Witherall, 2002
“God, I want to surrender all my plans to you today. I want to give you the complete, utter control of my life. I want to lift you high above all else.”
~ Bonnie Witherall, 2002