“When the Fight Comes Looking For YOU!”

In a world where the lines between faith and politics seem increasingly blurred, this powerful message challenges us to examine where we stand when our convictions are tested. Drawing from Matthew 5:10-12, we're reminded that Jesus himself promised blessing to those persecuted for righteousness' sake—not comfort, but blessing. The sermon confronts a pressing reality: churches across America are facing opposition not because they've invaded the streets, but because the streets have invaded them. From Minnesota to California to Washington D.C., believers are experiencing what the early church knew well—that standing firm on God's unchanging Word will inevitably clash with a world in constant moral flux. The message traces this pattern through Scripture: John the Baptist arrested for speaking truth to power, Stephen martyred for his faithful witness, Paul and Silas imprisoned for freeing a demon-possessed girl, and all the way back to Abel, killed simply for worshiping God correctly. What's striking is that none of these believers went looking for conflict—they simply refused to move when the world's standards shifted around them. The question becomes urgent: when government expands to regulate even the most intimate details of our lives, when laws change but God's Word remains constant, where do we stand? This isn't a call to riot or protest, but to recognize that our battle is spiritual, not physical. Our mission field includes those who oppose us, because they're not our enemies—they're captives of our enemy. The challenge is clear: will we stay silent to keep peace, or speak truth in love regardless of cost?