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Jack Graham: Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. Your faith in Jesus Christ, if it is a passionate faith, will be put to the test. And when we are called upon to do battle for our faith, it clarifies what we really believe. On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can live courageously for Christ today. Now, here's Dr. Graham with his message, "Bravehearts."

I'd invite you to take God's word and turn with me to the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, Acts chapter 4. Jesus warned that when we follow him, we would experience suffering and perhaps persecution. In fact, he said all that live godly, the word of God says all that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. It is impossible to follow Jesus Christ with passion and conviction without facing opposition, without facing persecution.

Now, I know here in America we face very little if any physical persecution. You do need to know that around the world Christians are being physically persecuted perhaps like never before and we need to pray for the persecuted church. But there is a different kind of opposition and conflict that we deal with here in our country and in the free world and that is the conflict and the opposition that would produce compromise.

And rather than courage and bold braveheartedness, we shrink into the shadows. Rather than speaking boldly of our faith, we quietly go away. Why are so many Christians ashamed of the name of Jesus? Why are so many who say they are followers of Christ afraid to follow him even if it means danger? We need courageous Christians in our generation. What is needed is muscular faith, faith that refuses to relent, refuses to retreat, and faith that refuses to flinch.

The kind of faith we find in Acts chapter 4, beginning at verse 13. "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go outside of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, 'What shall we do to these men?'"

" 'For indeed a notable miracle has been done through them and is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them that from now on they speak to no man in this name.' So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.'"

" 'For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.' So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For this man was over 40 years old whom the miracle of healing had been performed." Your faith in Jesus Christ, if it is a passionate faith, will be put to the test. You will face the flak for your faith in Jesus Christ.

And when we are called upon to do battle for our faith, to stand up for our convictions, it clarifies what we really believe. It magnifies Christ in our lives and it clarifies our own faith and our own convictions. So I want to talk to you today really about how your heart can be brave. One of the themes of Acts 4 and 5 is that of courage, boldness in faith. That's what we need today.

How do we get it? Number one, we realize that opposition, conflict, even persecution will happen. Be prepared for it. Someone said describing passion that passion is what you are willing to die for. And what you're willing to die for is what you're willing to live for. Jesus said, "Be willing to pay the ultimate price if necessary in following me." He clearly said to all of us who would be his followers, "Count the cost. Pick up the cross."

In his final hours with his disciples in the upper room in John chapter 15, he said, "Those who hate me will also hate you. And those who want to kill me and persecute me will also want to persecute you." Peter, who knew himself the passion of persecution, said in 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 12, "Don't be surprised when the fiery trial which is to try you comes upon you, as if some strange thing happens to you."

Trials, tests are inevitable in the life of the believer living for Christ. We are, if you'll recall, in the midst of a satanic spiritual struggle. There is a world system and the Christian is in conflict with the satanic world system. We are fighting spiritual battles. We have an invisible and yet very powerful enemy, an adversary who is real. And Satan has spent these years after the cross and the resurrection attempting to defeat believers, to hurt them, to even destroy them through persecution, both inside the church and outside the church.

Remember this, when God's church moves out, Satan tries to move in. Now, in our day, the church of Jesus is expanding at an unprecedented rate. Now, I know that when we look at our culture and we see it going in the other direction, we wonder about that and we wonder about some of the professions and confessions of faith that are being made today.

But the fact is, in my observation, there's never been more prayer, more prayer groups, more churches praying, more ministries of prayer. Never been more passionate prayer in my lifetime than I'm seeing today. And the fact is, more are being born into the kingdom of God than in any other generation. God is doing something unusually unique and different in our times. The cross is being lifted up and the gates of hell will not prevail against God's church.

But that does not lessen the fact that when the church is emerging and expanding, as in the first century, and I believe it is expanding and emerging today, we can count on the fact that there will be great opposition to the gospel, to the message of Jesus Christ. Yet despite the anti-Christian bigotry that exists in our country and in our culture today, many more are hearing the gospel.

Many are abandoning their religion and are moving into a living faith and trust of Jesus Christ. Why? Because the gospel transcends race, it transcends religion, creeds, and cultures. Jesus is alive and the message of the gospel, the death, burial, and the resurrection of Christ is still powerful. The blood will never lose its power. And so, as a result, if you're living for Christ, you can expect that there will be opposition.

And perhaps, though we don't know this, but perhaps in the days ahead, there will be more and more effort to stop the message of Jesus Christ in our society, even here in America. And we need to work and pray and we will have the freedom that we have enjoyed and experienced in the days ahead to share the gospel of Christ. The fact is, on a personal level, if you stand for Jesus, you may be persecuted at some level.

You may be put out of the group. You may not be included in the circle of friends that you would like. You may not get that promotion at the office. You may find yourself in the middle of a test. And the faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. Peter and John were on trial. Their faith was on trial because they dared to preach that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message "Bravehearts." Easter is just around the corner and we want to help you prepare your heart for the season. When you sign up, we will send you a video devotion every day until Easter to remind you of the sacrifice Jesus made so that we can be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. Dr. Graham will share a short devotion about the final words that Jesus spoke from the cross and what they mean to us today.

To sign up, just text CROSS to 59789. Again, text CROSS to 59789. Right now you have the incredible opportunity to help others experience the unshakable hope and abundant life found only in Jesus Christ. Your support of PowerPoint Ministries makes a real and lasting difference, changing lives for eternity as people encounter God's word. And because your partnership matters so deeply, we'd love to send you Dr. Graham's new book, "Living Hope in a Hostile World," as our thanks for your gift of $10 or more.

This book explores the bold truths of 1 Peter and offers strength, courage, and hope for whatever you may face. To give your gift, text FEB to 59789. Text F-E-B to 59789. Now, let's get back to today's message, "Bravehearts."

Jack Graham: Something else that creates within us a bold heart is not only when we expect and realize that it's going to happen, but rejoice. Rejoice when we are given the opportunity to stand for Christ and even to face opposition. It's what the disciples did. Verses 24 and 28, we didn't read those verses, but they went back to their own company, the church, and Peter and John were exhilarated.

Exhilarated by the privilege that they had enjoyed of standing for their faith and standing for Christ. Later in Acts chapter 5 and verse 41, in fact, look at Acts chapter 5 and verse 41 as the persecution intensified and increased. They were ultimately beaten and bloodied for their faith, but verse 41 of chapter 5 says they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

You see, it is the name of Jesus that is the tipping point for trouble and trials. Peter and John got into trouble because they preached Christ, because they performed a miracle in the name of Jesus. So Peter, respectfully responding to the challenge, speaks to the Jewish Sanhedrin in Acts chapter 4 and he reminds the people of who Jesus is and what he did. He said that Jesus is the chief cornerstone, the stone that the builders rejected.

He came unto his own and his own received him not. Peter dared along with John to stand before the very group that put Christ on the cross, the religious establishment who sent Jesus to the Romans to die. And he dared to remind them that you have rejected the Lord of life, the one who is the chief cornerstone. But not only he went a step further, he said not only is he the chief cornerstone of our faith, but he is the solitary savior.

Look back in chapter 4 and verse 12. We started at verse 13, but verse 12 is really what put them in the middle of the griddle. Said, "Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Now, Peter is echoing the words of Jesus who said in John chapter 14 and verse 6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except by me."

He said, "I am the door. I am the way to life." Now, when you preach this, that Jesus and Jesus alone is Savior and Lord, in an age of inclusivism, when you preach an exclusive salvation in Christ and Christ alone, that is when you will face persecution and face opposition for your faith. Because most people today have accepted the notion that there are many paths, many religions and many ways to God.

And to preach truth, the truth of Jesus Christ in an age of tolerance will get you in trouble with some. Opposition is inevitable when you preach a solitary savior. But think about it. To say that Jesus Christ is not the only way and that there are many ways, I would simply ask, how do you know that any of the ways that you claim, all the ways that you claim are the roads to heaven?

How do you know they're not the road to hell? If Jesus is not the way, the truth, and the life, then I don't believe he could be any of the ways in this so-called pathway to God. Because Jesus himself claimed to be God and claimed to be the gate to glory and to heaven. What gets us in trouble is when we boldly, bravely stand for our faith with our lives, with our lips, and with our loyalty to Christ.

It was clear according to verse 13 that the boldness of Peter and John was what captured the anger of their opposers and accusers. They had been with Jesus. They had shared the fellowship of his life and now they're sharing the fellowship of his sufferings. Now, just come up real close for just a minute and listen. When you in life experience suffering, especially when you suffer for your faith in Jesus Christ in some way, you can count on the fact that Jesus will be there with you.

We share in the fellowship of his sufferings, in the intimacy of his passion. That's what Philippians chapter 3 says. Remember the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? They stood tall for their faith. They refused to bow down and worship the king's image. So Nebuchadnezzar said, "If you don't bow down, we're going to heat this furnace up seven times hotter and you're going to burn for your faith."

They said, "We don't care. We don't have to have a committee meeting. We don't have to discuss it. We've already made up our minds. We're not going to bow down to your idol, oh king." And so they threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace, heating it up as hot as it could go. Nebuchadnezzar the king who threw him in there later said, as he was looking into the fiery furnace, he said, "Didn't we just throw three guys in there?"

They said, "Yeah king, we threw three of them in there." Said, "Well, why are there four walking around in there and one looks like the Son of God?" When you get into the fire with Jesus, you can count on the fact that he will be there with you to strengthen you and sustain you. And so rejoice. Jesus said rejoice. Have a party. Not a pity party, but a real party if you are persecuted for me, if you're shut out for me, if you're told to shut up for me.

That's what they said initially to Peter and John. They said don't speak again in the name of Jesus. So that brings me to my third point and that is refuse to be ashamed. Don't be intimidated by the critics, by the skeptics, by the cynics. They said, "Don't you dare use this name again. Don't you dare speak about Jesus and this message of his cross and his resurrection again. We don't want to hear this again."

Peter and John no doubt were somehow tempted, they certainly were tested to fold up their wings and go home and hide. They said, "We cannot help but speak of those things that we have seen and heard." Let me tell you something. A Christian with a solid rock-solid testimony in Jesus Christ is never at the mercy of a skeptic with an argument. A Christian with a testimony is never at the mercy of a skeptic with an argument.

If you know that Christ has changed your life, if you know that it is true that Jesus Christ is the Lord of your life, the Savior of your soul, if you know that's true, then you cannot help but speak. Is it real to you? So they were threatened and told not to speak, and yet they show boldness and courage. Don't be ashamed of the gospel. Don't be ashamed of the name of Jesus.

Don't be ashamed to say that you believe that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible word of God. Don't be ashamed of living the Christian life. The fact that you're faithful to your family, you're faithful to your church. Don't be ashamed of the fact that you live for Christ in purity and holiness in an ungodly world. God has promised to be with you. His Spirit will fill you.

So congratulations if you're called upon to take a stand for Jesus Christ. He said, "If you stand for me, I'm going to stand for you. But if you don't stand for me, if you're ashamed of me," he said, "I'll be ashamed of you when I come with my holy angels." One final thing that will encourage your brave heart: not only to realize that opposition and conflict is going to happen and to rejoice in it and refuse to compromise, refuse to hold back your faith in Christ, but fourthly, remember the reward that's coming.

Peter and John have been in heaven all of these years now and they're rejoicing in the presence of Christ. And they rejoiced that day along with many others in the train and the testimony of history who have been willing to pay the price. Peter and John both suffered for their faith. We're told that Peter was crucified upside down. That's Christian tradition, but it's early on in the testimony of church history.

We're told that Peter was made to watch his wife be crucified first and then to die himself. John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos and put out from his friends and from the church. He died at an old age but after suffering much for the cause of Christ. All the disciples, the followers of Jesus, the band of believers that were known as the apostles, they laid down their lives.

And through the years, people have laid down their lives for their faith in Jesus Christ. But they're now rewarded because following the grit of suffering and persecution is the glory and the promise and the hope of eternal life in heaven.

Guest (Male): You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message "Bravehearts." Your support of PowerPoint Ministries makes a profound impact, helping more people discover the truth and hope of Jesus Christ. And to thank you for your generous gift today, we'd love to send you Dr. Jack Graham's new book, "Living Hope in a Hostile World." It's a timely resource that reminds you how to stay firm in faith, cling to God's grace, and live with courage even in your most challenging times.

As you grow in your walk with the Lord through this resource, may you be encouraged to know that your generous support is helping others do the same. Text FEB to 59789. Again, text FEB as in February to 59789. Easter is just around the corner and we want to help you prepare your heart for the season. When you sign up, we will send you a video devotion every day until Easter to remind you of the sacrifice Jesus made so that we can be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God.

Dr. Graham will share a short devotion about the final words that Jesus spoke from the cross and what they mean to us today. To sign up, just text CROSS to 59789. Again, text CROSS to 59789. Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today?

Jack Graham: I've been reading in recent days about some of these bravehearted believers, martyrs of the Christian faith. I ran across one the other day. It's the story of a man by the name of Hans Bret. Hans was burned at the stake in 1577 at the age of 21, before he had the opportunity to get married, before he had an opportunity to have a family. He died for his faith.

At age 21, young Hans was working in a bakery to support his widowed mother, but in every free moment, he was out preaching the gospel of Christ. Well, he was having such an impact for Christ that the authorities came to his house and arrested him. He was then taken to the castle in Antwerp and there he was put in a dungeon and tortured for several months because he refused to compromise his convictions or his love for the word of God.

And so they brought him on trial. And when he was on trial, he preached the gospel of Christ. He preached a powerful message in the courtroom of the power of Jesus to save. The exasperated judge was so incensed that he sentenced him to death, to be burned at the stake. And on the morning of his execution, forgive the graphic nature of this, by the way, they placed an iron clamp on his tongue and screwed it down with a vice screw and burned the end of his tongue so that it would swell and he could not remove it from the clamp.

So why would they do this? Because they knew that Hans was so passionate about Jesus Christ that he would preach all the way to his death and execution. So they tried to shut him up. After this horrible execution, a friend found the only thing that survived the intense heat of that fire: the tongue screw. And even to this day, in Hans Bret's family, they have passed that tongue screw down from generation to generation over 300 years as a testimony of his faithfulness to Christ even unto death.

They could not silence him. They could not stop the message of Jesus from going forward. And whether it is by scars or tongue screws or pain, our hurt, our suffering, however we may face the fire, they must not stop the message of Jesus Christ. Because that message, when given from the heart of a believer who is bravehearted, is unstoppable. May God help us, like Hans Bret and so many others, to have bold, daring hearts for Jesus Christ and tongues on fire with the passion of the gospel of our Savior.

And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember, when you give a gift of $10 or more to PowerPoint, we will send you Dr. Graham's book, "Living Hope in a Hostile World." Just text FEB to 59789. Join us again next time when Dr. Graham brings a message about what you can do to truly change our culture. That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.

Guest (Male): Easter is just around the corner and we want to help you prepare your heart for the season. When you sign up, we will send you a video devotion every day until Easter to remind you of the sacrifice Jesus made so that we can be forgiven of our sins and reconciled to God. Dr. Graham will share a short devotion about the final words that Jesus spoke from the cross and what they mean to us today. To sign up, just text CROSS to 59789. Again, text CROSS to 59789.