Title: Destined for Persecution “Persecution is an enemy the Church has met and mastered many times… It’s indifference that we must watch for! Indifference is a far more dangerous foe.” - Brother Andrew Scripture Reading: 1 Thess. 2:17 – 3:5 (NASB) Persecution Christians. • “...orphaned from you by absence for a short while…” (2:17) • “...great desire to see your face…” (2:17) • “...we thought it best to be left behind, alone at Athens…” (3:1) Persecution our faith. • “...we sent Timothy, our brother and God’s fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the benefit of your faith, 3 so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions.” (3:2-3) • “...For who is our hope, or joy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Or is it not indeed you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.” (2:19-20) Persecution is . • “...Satan hindered us…” (2:18) • “...I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be for nothing.” (3:5) Christians are for persecution. • “...For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. 4 For even when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it happened, as you know.” (3:3-4) Persecutors are destined for God’s . • 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16, “...you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews, 15 who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out. They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all people, 16 hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always reach the limit of their sins. But wrath has come upon them fully.” Conclusion: Romans 11:22 (NASB), “See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness.”