# Winning over oppression

Date: May 21, 2025

Today’s missionary letter is from Andrew Sears, our missionary to Tasmania. It says, “Dear Pastor and Friends, when we realize our own weakness before Almighty God, and in the process, acknowledge how much we need him above all else in life, it becomes amazing to experience what he’s prepared to do, what he has prepared to do to work through us in such a way that truly does bring him all the glory.”

This clearly needs to be the goal of every believer and follower of Christ. As I reflect on the Lord’s mercy during these past few years, with a major part of the years of being taking care of Laura and her declining health, being used to see folks saved, influencing a man’s decision to get baptized, having folks testify to how one’s preaching has been used to help them personally, and seeing others get excited about visiting church, all seems to keep one’s focus on maintaining utter dependence on him from day to day.

Quincy was keen to accept the need of humbly acknowledging his sinful condition and bow his head to ask Jesus for the greatest gift, which is offered to every one of us unconditionally. Rob appreciated the same as of others in recent years.

Some prayer requests I have are that the Lord would continue to help me impact lives for his glory and honor in the remaining few weeks left before returning to the field of Tasmania, where such work is to continue, that in these final days of furlough, the Lord would help me see the last remaining boxes for shipping finalized and packaging, all with one hand, too. Yes, it’s amazing how much any one of us can achieve in completing any task in spite of what we might perceive is merely our own physical shortcomings, hence a limitation is only… so if we think we have one.

And then lastly, as a prayer request, that the new carbon fiber leg brace would not fail me with the continued muscle spasms from the dystonia, which now seems to fight me to unprecedented levels down my right side, even while merely trying to walk. Only the muscle pain in the dystonia produces is the underlying challenge to fight on. Amen, 2 Corinthians 12:9.

All is against the backdrop of what Brother Lester Roloff would often say, which anyone serving the Lord must appreciate what we are up against. To paraphrase it, this is not a recreation room. It is a fight, not a game. Praise the Lord for being on the winning side, with old smutty face, the devil, being the ultimate loser. Again, it cannot be emphasized enough: the grace that so many of you have conveyed in your prayers and ongoing support in my perseverance and serving the Lord, especially since the Lord saw fit to take Laura home. I love you and continue to pray for you all, especially in your co-labor, in making a difference on behalf of our wondrous Savior, all to the glory of God and our wondrous Savior, Brother Andrew Sears.

Let’s take Brother Andrew to the Lord in prayer. Let me just say a word. Let me just say a word. Make a little bit more personal. He’s maybe just a touch older than me. He went to Bible College with him. He is from Australia. He had graduated, I think, in Sydney with an engineer degree, but just sold out to the Lord as a college student. Came in the United States to Bible College. Has MS, even when he was a young man, but it just kept going, and it’s gotten worse and added things now. He, you know, he’s one of those guys who went to the mission field as a single. You thought, is he ever going to get married? Eventually, he did, to a lady that worked at the college, good lady, Laura, and they’ve been serving the Lord for years, years. She had cancer, just passed. Came back to the States to take care of her. She just passed. He’s going back now and still winning souls. You heard the letter by just a picture of just staying faithful after so much adversity, just staying after.

So pray for him. Can you imagine? He’s got braces, both legs, whatnot, and his wife’s passed, and he’s still going back to the mission field, serving the Lord. So let’s pray for him. Maybe, you know, you get your heart in there a little bit more, just realizing what all the man’s going through. Great man, stayed faithful. Came to college with some friends from the university. I think they are, as far as I know, I haven’t heard. I don’t think they’re really in full-time ministry, but he stayed faithful all these years. Just a good guy. So pray for him if you would, please. Thank you.

Let’s take Brother Andrew to the Lord in prayer. Dear God, we just thank you so much for labors that against all adversity, against all odds, continue to spread your word and your gospel. God, I can’t imagine what Brother Andrew is going through with everybody he’s lost recently and for all the health problems that he has for his hand and for his knees and his legs, Lord. God, I just want to pray that you would touch him. Give him a special mighty touch from your hand. You are the great physician. Lord, thank you that he’s been on the search and on the hunt for souls, even the time that he’s been on furlough, and he’s excited to go back. I pray that you’d help them as they work to pack up these last few containers and to get everything sent back over to Tasmania. And I just pray that you would just help him in spite of everything, Lord. God, your grace is made perfect in our weakness, and your strength is made perfect in our weakness. And so we just put our faith and trust in you and that you would continue to use him, be with him in all of his travels and help him to just see plenty and a big field that’s white unto harvest and to see a lot of souls saved, not for his glory, but for yours. We ask all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Amen. I pray, Lord, for great missionaries to just stay faithful. Pretty amazing, for sure. Good to see everyone here tonight. And good to have some folk back. Good to have the Johanons back, Junior and senior traveling, and good to have them back. And the Simon’s back. And just everyone. Joshua and Giselle, they were out. All three little ones were sick Sunday. Well, that just makes it tough. Look like mom and dad didn’t get it. Praise the Lord for that. That’s a good thing. So that’s a blessing.

But if you need a prayer request card, one of those shares in front of you should have a blank one. You fill that out and turn that in, and we’ll pray over that thing here. Brother Marlon, can I get you up here to lead us in just a minute here? We’ll get those that shuffled over. Brother Marley, getting to lead us here.

Next Wednesday, the Bible College tour group, How’s Anderson, they’ll be with us. Looking forward to them singing for us. Come and bring some with you. It’s always encouraging to hear those just Bible college students sing. Refreshing, and looking forward to a good, good time. Same time as always, 7 o’clock next Wednesday, so plan on that.

Then following Friday, the races, if you’d like to be a part of that with the church group, please sign up for that Friday night. Is Rutherford County Christian School graduation. I’m excited about that. You’re going to enjoy it, and those boys and girls are working hard, and the teachers are—Miss Patterson has got a whip, she’s been cracking on them—and yeah, yeah, it’ll be great. They’ll do a wonderful job, and I appreciate the teachers getting them ready for it. They do a great job at that.

And then Saturday, Saturday is our last spring soul winning, so make sure you’re in your place 9:30 breakfast. Could have asked, we and our ladies have just done a wonderful job signing up for it. Sometimes we’ll have someone kind of head that up; we didn’t have that this session, if you will, and just people signed up and made it happen. I appreciate that so very, very much.

Last time I checked this afternoon, we did not have anyone signed up for breakfast on Saturday. It would be anyone that would be interested in providing breakfast for our soul winners on Saturday. Anybody, and I know you all have schedules and whatnot, you might not be able to make it. I get that. Everybody’s got things going on, but if you could—we’ve got two Ms. Myra, Ms. Brenda—raise your hand. Maybe if you want to just talk, sometimes it makes great that way. Don’t put it all on one person. Thank you all for that. And I’m sure we’ll only have about 400 or so. No, I wish we’d have that. But we’ll have 20 or so typically. 9:30? Yes, ma’am. And it’s usually about 20 people, but you all talk and get that thing planned out. It’ll do a great job. Thank you all very, very much. We appreciate that. That adds a lot to our spring soul winning. And so thank you very, very much for that.

And, oh, let’s see here. If you’ve got your cards filled out, for passing down the aisle or ushers will walk by and collect those. For Sunday, we’ll celebrate Memorial Day. Looking forward to that and honoring those that gave their lives for our country. And make sure you’re here. It’ll just be a special Sunday on that. If you haven’t gotten one of the baby bottles back there for Port-A-Choir, get you one of those and get it returned back by Father’s Day. That would be great.

I’ve got a prayer request card here just for myself. I’ll leave it up here for Brother Maher. Her husband had her out riding electric scooters, and they’re fun, but they can go—I mean—and she wrecked, and she’s over the bumps and bruises pretty good, but she’s got a pretty major concussion. And, no, you know, we spent hours and hours in the yard making sure there’s no major, but just dizzy. It’s interesting. She had mentioned all recently, she said, “Nobody can really understand what Miss Stacy is going through,” and now she can. She took her to the doctor today again to get staples and whatnot, and she—I said, “You know who you look like?” She was walking just like Miss Stacy, you know. And so pray for her. Typically, it kind of heals on its own, but we’ll see. You know, sometimes the crystals get messed up and they have to do therapy. So we’re kind of got to wait to see about all that, but pray for her if you would. And we appreciate your prayers for that. We are selling the scooters. Amen. They’re gone. And on the way out. And so no more of those for us.

But then would you pray for a teacher and more students for Rutherford County Christian School? A teacher and more students, if you pray for that. We’ll be adding fourth grade next year on that. We got some testimonials from some of the parents. We’re going to put it on the school website. Well, just a blessing to read over those. And we don’t have them on there quite yet. When it gets all done, maybe I’ll mention it. You can look those over. I think it would be a blessing for you also. And just pray for another teacher, more students.

And then the building. Now, praise the Lord, our builders, our contractors, good to go, but ministry builders—those ministry builders that we were trying to line up to be a part of it—they had backed out. So pray for either new ministry builders or more financing to cover those ministry builders. Have the Lord, we’ll work it out. But you pray for that. Everything’s still a go. August 24th, breaking ground. The $5.5 million is counted in without the ministry builders, but with financing and whatnot, we either need more or get new ministry builders. So you pray about that. God’s going to work it out, but he might be just trying to get us to pray more and get us all just on board praying about this thing. And so I’m excited. I believe the timing’s right. God’s in it. But there’s just going to be battles, amen. And it’s part of it, but that just makes us use our faith and pray. And so let’s do that.

Somebody tonight, they brought in a coffee can of coins—nickels and dimes and quarters and pennies and all that. They said they’ve been saving it for a year or two now, and they’ll make sure they got in for the building. Praise the Lord. Sometimes things like that mean more because God sees the heart, he sees the intent, the sacrifice, and God says, “Hey, I see all that, and now I’m going to step in and get involved,” and he can handle the load. And so just—just want to kind of—I’m trying to keep everybody informed on those things, want you to pray about it, and excited about what God’s going to do. I’m excited about it, looking forward to when you be praying. And let’s just pray in faith, and God meet the need. I’m trying to just kind of keep it open in front of us to pray about all those things. Would you please?

Brother Marla, would you come lead us in order of prayer? I told my wife, I said, “Don’t ever say that you don’t understand what they’re going through.” Don’t say that again. No more that. I’m joking a little bit. Would you lead us, please, sir?

Amy’s recovery. So let’s pray for her and her concussion. She heals up. And a teacher and students for the school. And new ministry builders. Yes, sir. Okay. This is from Brother Josh. Prayer request is for his daughter Darla recovering from kidney stones, and they will be traveling to Pennsylvania this Friday. So travel mercies for them. And pray for brother—add that to it. I’m so sorry. This isn’t—this is from Ariana. Her grandmother, Sarah, she is recovering from a stroke that happened a couple weeks ago. So let’s pray for her. From Ms. Patty: praises for safety on their trip, and prayer request is for Ms. Patty. She has carpal tunnel surgery tomorrow at 1:30. Tomorrow at 1:30, carpal tunnel surgery for her.

Says from the Powers, Brother Joel, praises his mom Geraldine, successful hip surgery after her fall, and recovering now at Adams Place. We’ll pray for Ms. Geraldine. And this was from me and Stace. Praises God’s love. Prayer request: lost family members. Pray for lost family members. And let’s pray for Brother Frank and Ms. Wanda, lift them up.

So let’s take these to the Lord in prayer. Lord Father, thank you, Lord, so much for bringing us together tonight in your house, Lord. Lord Father, thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace, Lord Father. And I do ask you, please, just pour it all over your house tonight. Give us a sweet night in your house. Please guide our pastor, Lord Father, to give him the liberty to say exactly what you need him to, Lord Father, just to speak to our hearts that we can live a better Christian life for you, Lord. And again, Lord, I’ll lift up Ms. Tammy to you, Lord. I pray for complete healing for her. I pray, Lord, just a quick recovery, Lord. And Lord, please place your healing hands on her. And I’m going to lift our school up to you, Lord, with the teacher and the students, Lord. I pray that you please just to bless there. And Lord, I do ask you, please provide for our new building, Lord Father. I pray that you just give us the right builders. Please work out all the details there. Lord, I do ask for Darla. I pray that you please place your healing hands on her, Lord Father, with these kidney stones. And Lord, I do pray that you just give her body the strength that it needs. Lord, I do ask for a hand of protection around Brother Josh as they are traveling this weekend to pay respects for their grandmother. Lord Father, I want to lift up Brother Rick to you. I pray that his kidney stones, Lord, that the doctors get that taken care of tomorrow, I believe, Lord Jesus. And Lord, Ms. Sarah recovering from her stroke, I pray that you please, Lord, just reveal yourself there in a great way, give her the strength to recover there. And Lord, with Miss Patty and her surgery tomorrow, Lord, I pray for just a complete successful surgery. Please guide the doctors in that surgery with her carpal tunnel. Lord Father, thank you so much for the successful surgery for Ms. Geraldine. Do pray for just a complete recovery there at Adams Place, Lord. I pray just for wisdom and knowledge for her therapy there, Lord. And Lord Father, I imagine with every one of us in here, we do have lost family members, Lord Father. Pray that we could be a light to them. Lord Father, know when to talk to them about it. Just be wise about that, Lord Jesus, and just pray for our lost family members. Lord, I do want to lift up Brother Frank and Ms. Wanda to you, Lord Father. I pray for just a continued grace for the DeLeonardo family. Please continue just giving Brother Frank the strength that he needs, Lord Father. And please keep Ms. Wanda healthy through this time as she’s taking care of him, Lord. And Lord Jesus, I do ask you, please bless these tithes and offerings. Just meet with us in a great way tonight, Lord Father. And we love you. And we praise you, Lord Jesus. And we pray this in your name. Amen.

Turn your Bibles, if you would, to Acts chapter number five. That’s a fitting song. We’re going to have business meeting here in a bit. Jesus Paid It All, amen. I like that. I like that for sure. Thank you, Brother Garrett, Ms. Grace. Acts chapter number five, and we’re going to review just a little bit. I’m going to get us going towards this routine we haven’t did it, and my fault, but Acts chapter number one. Anybody just make—what’s the major things of Acts chapter number one?

Someone just, boom, they’re gone. Jesus’ ascension. What I’m trying to get out there now, you know, trying to get you—help me out. If you know these things here, then after his ascension, these 120 people went up in the upper room, and what did they do for 10 days? Yeah, 10-day prayer meeting. Good.

Then chapter number two. This is not charades, amen, but we’re trying to get everybody on board here. Chapter number two. God really answered those prayers, and we typically call that the Day of Pentecost. What’s a big thing? How many people? Yeah, 3,000 people saved and baptized. Good.

Then chapter number four—excuse me, chapter three. We missed that. Chapter number three, Peter and John, they’re going into the temple. What happens? What happens? “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee, in the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk.” Yeah, they helped the lame man. He had been lame from the time he was born; he was over 40 years old. So people just start hearing about it, rush in there, 5,000 saved at that point, at that point.

Chapter number four—Peter and John, the first—often the headers of your Bible say the first persecution. And Peter and John, God’s using them, people getting saved, and the higher-ups have them put in jail. They spend one night in jail, and then the next day they were threatened. Now, they weren’t beaten or anything; they were just threatened. All right. Chapter 4.

Peter and John put in jail, and they were threatened. And then chapter 5, three major things really happened in chapter 5. First of all, these two individuals, they lied to the Holy Ghost. Who was that? Yeah, Ananias and Sapphira. Good.

Then last week we talked about, I think it’s verse 12 through verse 16 or so, many—what? Many signs and wonders. Good. Wow, y’all are listening. I’m impressed, man. Many signs and wonders. We talked about the sign gifts, the apostolic age, and all those things. God still works today, but just a touch different, and we talked about that. And then for just a little bit tonight, persecution. And the last part of Acts chapter number five, all right? We’re going to start verse number 17, Acts 5 and verse number 17. Would you please stand as I read God’s word together, Acts 5 and verse number 17?

Now we’re going to read a little bit, so try to stay engaged with what the Word of God is saying here tonight. Acts 5 and 17: “Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation.” Sometimes it’s amazing how you almost lose friends sometimes when God begins to bless. That’s sad.

Verse number 18: “And laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them out, brought them forth and said, ‘Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.’” I mean, I like that. It’s very interesting later on. The guards did not even know they were not there. I wonder if the angels were invisible to the regular man and kind of made Peter and John, those guys, invisible. It’s interesting. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but something on that line.

Verse number 21: “And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with them, and called the council together and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, saying, ‘The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keeper standing without before the doors. But when we were not open, we found no man within.’”

Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them wherein this would grow. By the way, wouldn’t it have been better if they said, “Maybe there’s something else to this thing”? I mean, if they get escaped and somehow they’re just escaping, maybe God is in this thing. They didn’t care about that. They’re just worrying about everybody. Well, everybody’s going to hear what happened. They weren’t seeking truth.

Verse number 25: “Then came one and told them saying, ‘Behold—I’m sorry, I’m going—no, no, no, that’s where we’re at. Then came one and told them saying, “Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing at the temple and teaching the people.”’”

“Then went the captain with the officers and brought them without violence. For they feared the people.” That is, they should have been stoned. I like that. And the people were getting saved, and God’s work, and they know God’s doing something. The people were rallying behind the apostles.

“When they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked them saying, ‘Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name? And behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’”

“Then Paul and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince, a savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We are His witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him.’”

When they heard that, they were cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them. I’m going to skip a couple of verses there. There’s a man, Gamaliel, stepped up and said, “Be careful before you start killing them. If it’s of God, you’re not going to beat them. If it’s a man, it’ll pass away.”

And now verse number 40—look down to verse number 40 right there, verse number 40. And to him they agreed when they had called the apostles and beaten them. By the way, that wasn’t just a couple slaps. That typically that kind of a beating with rods—I was thinking like cane pole. Have you ever been cane pole fishing before? Come on now. We’ve got more people. You ever been cane fishing? Yeah, something like that. These rods they would beat them with. Wow. Welts and scars just left. They beat them.

Verse number 40: “And beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go.” And they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name, and daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Now just a bit. These are great, great examples, great people. Wow. I think I have persecution—man, I got nothing compared to what they went through, and they kept going. Let’s hear a little bit about this persecution or oppression we’re going to call it tonight.

Father, would you bless tonight? Lord, please speak to hearts. Lord, help me, Lord, not to get in autopilot mode. Lord, I want to be yielded to you and only ask for your input and your guidance and your power. Lord, apply the truths to every single individual here tonight, those watching online also, Lord, all of us, and encourage us, strengthen us by it, Father. And we’ll thank you, Lord, for what you do. It’s in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

Now, this is not a trick question, but who do you think is behind this persecution? Come on. Satan, yeah. By the way, typically this is called the second persecution; the first one over there, chapter four. But Satan’s behind it. It’s just kind of an easy answer there on that. He don’t like what’s going on. He’s trying to stop it—people getting saved, lives getting changed—and so he’s sending persecution.

Now let’s just try to make it a little bit more real to us, if you will. Typically in America and our end times, especially with the present president we have, there’s not physical persecution going on in America. Now, there may have been some in the past couple years. I don’t think there’s much right now at this moment. Hopefully there will not be for years and years.

But we do have what I would call inner persecution. Maybe you can kind of lump it underneath this term: it’s just oppression. Oppression. And this instance, this oppression from the devil was physical persecution, especially with the rods. They put them in jail. And you could call that persecution. But I would just kind of want to use this term a lot tonight: oppression. That’s a Bible term, by the way.

But it’s the devil just trying to oppress those men and ladies that are trying to serve God, trying to do something for the Lord, Lord’s very in a great way. And there’s just oppression from the devil coming on them in the form of physical persecution to them. Now, I don’t know that we have this physical persecution in America. A lot of parts of the world that’s going on very much today, but for the most part, in America, that’s not going on.

But we have oppression in America for sure. And now Satan’s behind all this, and you realize Satan, when Adam and Eve sinned over there, they somewhat—remember God had created the garden, and he put man in there and gave them, “Hey, whatever you do, it’s going to—you name that animal, that’s going to be the name it’s going to stick.” Remember Adam and Eve, they sinned, and in some way, somewhat they somewhat gave the title of this old world. We were given, “Hey, we were given the rights to this world, control of this world.” And when Adam and Eve sinned, we somewhat gave the title deed to the devil.

You said, “Well, now Jesus is going to come back one day. He’s going to put his feet on the Mount of Olives and say, ‘Buddy, this is mine.’” But right now, look over, if you will, in Matthew chapter number four. This is very, very interesting. Matthew chapter number four, and this is Jesus in the great temptation. And remember the devil’s coming to him and giving him these great temptations. I want you to notice one of them and notice the wording of it. I want you to notice it’s pretty amazing. Matthew chapter four, and look in verse number eight, would you please?

Matthew 4 and verse number 8: The Bible there says, “And again, the devil taketh him, that is Jesus, up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.” Watch this: “And saith unto him, ‘All these things will I give thee.’” Wow. Yeah. By the way, there had to be a little bit of something to it, or else Satan wouldn’t just waste one of his temptations. There had to be something tangible to this thing, or else why would Satan use this as a temptation? This is all these things, the kings of the world, all these things will I give to thee if that will fall down and worship me.

I’m just saying somewhat, somewhat we’re living in Satan’s world. Second Corinthians calls Satan “the god of this world.” What’s it say in Ephesians 2:2? Satan, he’s called the prince of the power of the air. And that’s why sometimes we say, “Well, if you’re going to live for God in this old world, you’re swimming upstream.” There’s some truth to that.

And so a little bit we’re living where Satan is the god of this world, and he has much control in this world, and Satan, he oppresses. He’s just trying to oppress these apostles. And in our time, in our world, there’s a lot of oppression going on. Now I want you to think about that word oppression. What does that look like for you? Oppression.

It’s interesting. I’ve heard a lot of people say just when, you know, with Obama, President Obama and President Biden, they said, “Well, you could just feel oppression.” Anybody, did you feel that a little bit? Yeah, they’re just people talking here. Yeah. A lot of people shake it. It’s amazing when President Trump got in, somebody just said, “Man, I just felt like oppression has lifted.”

A lot of oppression in our world is not necessarily physical; it’s emotional, and minimal, and even sometimes within us, we just kind of imagine it’s there, so it becomes reality to us. It’s a very sad thing. But oppression—Satan loves to work through oppression. He’ll make you feel like, “Well, Christians are so small in numbers. You’re going to church on a Wednesday night.” Look around, there are not many people going. “You’re just a little bit of small, minute crowd, and you’re pulled up, you’re dumb old Christians, and you’re kind of second-class citizens,” and Satan will love to get you thinking like that. And that’s part of his plan to oppress you.

Maybe at work, he’ll get some coworkers that are just intimidating. Maybe it’ll get some coworkers that don’t like you speaking about Jesus or standing up for good and right, and he’ll try to bring oppression. And, boy, sometimes they’ll get somebody we just think they’re so intelligent because they know those $10 words. You know what Benjamin Franklin said? Some man was so intelligent he could name his horse a name in nine different languages, but be so dumb he bought a cow to ride on, you know.

But, you know, they can be intimidating and just kind of oppression, you know, and you don’t feel like saying anything because they’re smarter than you and all the rest of that. The news sometimes can be oppressive. Make you feel depressed and defeated. Make it seem like, you know, the godless crowd is big, and there’s no reality cheering for the Lord and on God’s side. And just oppression. People can be oppressive. It’s amazing. Sometimes one person in the family is very oppressive and dominates that family. Nobody else wants to say anything because that one person—Satan’s like that. He’s like a bully. He tries to oppress people.

The first time that word oppression is used—look over it just briefly; it might give us a little insight into it. Exodus chapter number three. Genesis, Exodus. And it is talking about the Egyptians, which represents the world typically in Scripture. It doesn’t mean every Egyptian is bad, not that at all. There are some good, godly Egyptian people, but as a whole, the nation of Egypt in the Bible of Scripture typically represents the world. And so kind of give that in your mind, and now, the children of Israel, God’s people. And the first time oppression is mentioned in all the Bible is over here in Exodus 3 and verse number nine. God speaking to Moses. He says, “Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come up unto me. I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.”

I want you to think—maybe ask the Lord, just whisper a quick prayer: What’s the oppression in your life right now that the devil is trying to put on you? Sometimes he’ll use your past. He’ll try all kinds of different ways, just oppress you, just like the Egyptians would oppress God’s people, the children of Israel, and this whole world is trying to conform you into its image and oppress you.

Now let’s look real quickly here. How did the apostles—how did they win against this oppression? What did they do? Just winning against oppression. Just real quickly here, a couple of thoughts about it. Look back over in Acts chapter four. And we’re going to go to the first persecution or the first oppression in chapter number four. And I want you to notice the first thing they do in Acts 4 and verse number 19. Now they’re just threatened, and we’ll start verse 17. Acts 4:17. Are you there tonight? Amen.

We’ve got a couple of you. Everybody there? Amen? Good deal, good deal. Here we go, verse number 17: “But that it spread no farther among the people, that we straightly threaten them”—that’s oppression—“that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.” And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, “Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.” Look over in chapter number five, chapter number five, and this is the second oppression or persecution. Let’s look and see how they respond there. Chapter 5 and verse number 29: “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than man.’” Both times they bring up, “Now wait, you tell me, should we obey you, this council, these people that are pressing them, or should we obey God?” And it was kind of like a status quo. Hey, well, I’d obey God.

Here’s going to be number one: When you get oppressed, just determine no matter what, you’re going to obey God. Yes, no matter what they’re going to do, how they do it, who’s against you, how intelligent they are, how big they are, how much they oppress you—I’m just going to obey God.

There are so many different ways of soul winning. I don’t act like on Saturday, door-to-door, is the only way to do it, but often when we’re out door-to-door soul winning, we’ll go—I don’t know how many apartment complexes we’ve been kicked out of over the years. And typically in this area, they’re very nice about it, typically. I don’t know how many managers we’ve had say, “Well, I’ve got to ask you to leave.” I kind of hate to do it. How many people have kicked us out of trailer parks or apartments over the years, and the person that’s doing the kicking out, they end up taking a tract themselves? That’s the typical, really. That is the typical area. Every once in a while, you may get one little snooty, you know, “Well, we’ve got to pick up the tracts people throw down.” That’s pretty rare.

But here’s my thing, here’s my thing: we’ll go somewhere else. We don’t fight that; we don’t buy it. That’s fine because we can still obey God and go somewhere else. But we’ve got to determine we’re going to obey God. We’re not going to file it, then we leave. Typically, we’ll make sure we get everything kind of covered in the office area. We cover that last. Amen, you know. Been covered already. But I’m saying, even then, you know, that’s no problem. I’ll go somewhere else. We’re always kind and compliant about it, you know, and no problem there. But, hey, we’re going to obey God, though. We’re going to find somebody because he told us to go and to teach the gospel and preach the Word. And so we’re going to find somebody somewhere. And you’ve got to determine just no matter what oppression, I’m going to obey God.

I never forget one workplace I worked at on day shift. I was the only Christian there, and that wasn’t a huge company, but as far as I know, there was the only born-again Christian there. And I remember going to the lunchroom, and somebody had—they were debating about were homosexuals born like that or not? And, of course, I had to stand up and say, “Hey, they have a choice in the matter. God didn’t make them, or they didn’t have a choice whether they’re sin or not.” Well, a lot of people didn’t like that. You’re like, “Man, you’re the only one there.” Man, you got somewhere along the line, did I do it the most eloquently and the best and the most intelligent? Nah, probably you do a whole lot better than I did on that day. But something inside you’re just going to do what God wants me to do. Better to obey God rather than man. And you’ve got to have something inside. He said, “I’m just going to obey God.”

And it’s just—and they say, “Hey, you tell me what’s better here: to obey man or God?” No, to obey God. Every time they brought up God, well, God, you judge. Better for me to obey man or God? And you just kind of get your mindset right. No matter what the oppression, I’m going to do what God wants. I’m going to follow God.

By the way, it worked to the point—remember Gamaliel? We didn’t read that, but Gamaliel said, “Look, fellas, that’s what Peter just said. Well, you judge, you judge. Should we obey man or God?” And Gamaliel said, “Well, if this thing is of God, we’re not going to stop it.” We’re kind of stuck in his head, see. And you get oppression, you just say, “You know what? I’m going to do it.”

Here’s another thing about it: it helps not to blame yourself. You ever try to do something for God and right in the middle of it, it’s all going bad, and you’re like, “What in the world? That’s just crazy.” But you say, “You know what? God led me here. God let me do this thing. I didn’t get myself in this mess. I’m following God.” And they kept bringing it back to God. Well, what’s better, obey man or God? And keep that mindset: I didn’t get myself in this mess. I just follow God in this mess.

And so number one, when oppression comes in, it will—Satan trying to oppress you—just determine, I’m going to obey God. Just—it’s just better to obey God rather than man. Just that mindset.

Number two, number two, watch what happens here. Let me just say it this way: stay in church. Let’s go back and look at it, chapter four, this first persecution. And look in verse number 23, chapter 4, verse number 23. “And being let go, they were threatened,” and then they were let go. “They went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.”

Look over in chapter number five, chapter number five, and verse number 41: “They departed from the presence of the council.” Notice it. “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name, and daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

Here’s what I’m getting at: after persecution, they didn’t run off on their own and say, “Well, I’m going to go be a maverick. I’m going to battle them on.” They stayed in community. In our day and time, that’s church. Oh, if you’re going under oppression, you need church. Church is—I call it the FOB, Forward Operating Base. You know, we go and set up in Iraq or Afghanistan, wherever these places, they’ll set up FOBs. That’s a forward operating base. And out of there, they run their missions. That’s the base there. And the church is God’s FOB in this world. And it’s a haven.

And you get beat down by the oppression, you come back into church and the strength—strength in numbers, folks. We don’t always do it like this, but typically, why we go on a bus on Saturdays out and soul winning is because it’s just some strength of numbers. You get back on that bus after it’s over, you might not have got to see anybody saved, but somebody on the bus typically got to see somebody saved, and there’s strength in numbers. And stay in church under oppression. Stay in church.

Number three, we’re going to hurry along here. What else? When you have oppression, they had a prayer meeting. Look in chapter four, and look in verse number 24, 4:24. This is the first persecution. “When they heard of it, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth and sea and all that in them is,’” and goes on and on, quoting some scripture there.

Look over all—let’s see—in verse number 29, verse number 29: “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. By stretching forth thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.

Number three, they prayed. They had a prayer meeting. When oppression comes, sometimes Satan’s goal is to get you away from the prayer closet, get you away from God in your mind praying. I’m going to stay connected to the Lord. Keep praying. You just determine, I’m going to beg God, no matter what. Stay in church, stay with the community, God’s people, God’s house. Number three: prayer.

You know that prayer meeting does so much, so very much. You’re seeking God’s involvement. You know also—you know it does—it unifies. They’re in one accord again about prayer meeting. How they get one accord? Chapter number one, prayer meeting. They’re back in one accord praying, praying together. Does that when it’s true, sincere, honest praying, that unifies? Oh, prayer is so very, very important. It’s just key. Prayer brings the Holy Ghost power in. We read that there. Prayer gives boldness.

Man, I want to hit a home run for the Lord. Well, let me give you a little formula here. Base number one is prayer. Base number two is the Bible. By the way, they started quoting Bible in their prayer. And base number three is keep witnessing. You hit a home run for the Lord that way.

Last thing, look over in chapter four—five, excuse me, chapter five. Just about winning against oppression. Chapter five. Look at verse number 41. Chapter 5, verse number 41. This is after they were beaten with the rods. They were beaten them. They were not speaking in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Verse number 41: “And they departed from the presence of the council.” What’s the next word? Rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

Number four: Don’t let Satan in his oppression get your spirit, your attitude. That is so key. He’s after your attitude. He’s after your spirit. And it’s so very, very important that you’re vigilant about your attitude, your spirit. They were oppressed. They had put them in jail twice. They were threatened. Now they’ve been beaten. And still they left there rejoicing. Don’t let it get your spirit. Work at that. You’re not going to be perfect at it, but work at it. By the way, rejoicing, it’s going to go, but you bring it back up and rejoice. Always working at your attitude, your spirit. “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken up and without walls.” Work at your attitude.

Look, if you will, over in John chapter number 16. It’s a great verse, great verse. We’ll be done here in just a minute here. We’ll look over in John 16 and look in verse number 33, that last verse there. John 16 and verse number 33 is a great, great verse. Once you know it’s just all of us—great, but a couple parts of it, one part of it really. Jesus here, he says, “These things have I spoken unto you. I’m not about to leave, fellas. I’m going to send the Spirit. These things have I spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In the world, ye shall have tribulation.” Watch this: “But be of good cheer.”

What’s the next few words? Good cheer. Work at that. Work at it. Don’t let it get your spirit. “I have overcome the world.” You’re going to work at that when oppression is on you.

I just think about Ms. Jennifer. She substitutes into public schools. And she’s very open about the Lord. I think she’s wise about it, and they, of course, give better answers than I about it, but I guarantee you she feels some oppression there. And these things are so important: I’m going to obey God. I want to stay in church, pray, and don’t let it get your spirit. Oh, the devil’s always after your spirit.

This is so interesting to me. I preach a message on it from time to time. But John the Baptist is the greatest man born among women, according to Jesus’ opinion. And Jesus, the greatest—you know what the Bible says about them when they were young men? Sometimes they say, “Well, the Bible doesn’t tell us anything about Jesus before he was 12.” That’s not true. The Bible does. You know one of the things the Bible tells us about Jesus before he was 12 years old? He waxed strong in spirit. Says that about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ as boys: waxed strong in spirit. What does that mean? He got stronger and stronger at keeping a good attitude in the midst of adversity. Don’t let him get your spirit. I mean, just, no, I’m not going to get bitter, not going to get mean, not going to get mad.

You know, basketball, they say typically the second elbow is the one that gets called for the foul almost always. Kind of like the guy back in early America, cowboy, Western America, you know, and sometimes they would have Chinese people as servants or even slaves, and this Chinese man had gotten saved. He was a good, godly Christian, but his owner was a mean man, and the servant would always talk about Jesus, bother him. And so, man, that owner would just oppress—would be mean to him, call him all kinds of names, make fun of him, and maybe even hit him somewhat.

And somehow that owner of that Chinese man, he got convicted. And one time they were eating, and that Chinese man always served their food, you know. And the owner of him said, “I’m sorry. I’m not going to be mean to you anymore.” And God got a hold of his heart. He said, “I’m not going to call your name. I’m not going to beat you anymore.” And I’m going to go with us. And so the Chinese man said, “Me no more spit your food either.” Now, be careful. That doesn’t get your spirit.

I’m going to close with this. But Frank and Wanda, somebody brought up prayer request, Brother Martin, pray for it. They’re amazing. I keep in the great spirit. I tell him, Brother Frank, the other day, I said, “Man, I wish I was as good as you are.” Just pancreatic cancer. Tell them the other day, he said, “Can you believe two months have already gone by?” And great attitude. Well, I put it in the Lord’s hands, whatever, I’m good with it. And still, still, many of the other days, it’s something about, “Well, keep praying,” you know, is one thing. I want to put a shovel in the ground over there, groundbreaking. What a spirit he has! Just all that the devil hasn’t gotten his spirit. I love it. Miss Wanda is just good. Amazing wife.

Well, I want to be so good to him that maybe I’ll have him—yeah, but have him around here a little longer. I want to keep him a little bit longer. Just a sweet attitude, both of them. Amazing. I think about Jesus. You know, all they did is Jesus—they spit on him. Not right there—just get anybody’s attitude. Can you imagine me spitting on him? Anybody ever seen anybody in a spit fight? Man, just nasty. I want to say, “Man, just kill each other. Don’t spit on each other.” It’s crazy. Yeah. But you just go ahead and just kill the other guy. There you go. There you go. Crazy. They spit on him. Crown of thorns. At one point, they stripped him. Cat o’ nine tails, 39 lashes. I mean, all that. Made him carry his cross up the rugged hill. Got inside and finally helped him, drove those nails in his hands and his feet. And you know what? Jesus—I love it: “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” They never got a spirit. Never got a spirit. “Father, forgive them, Lord.” Never got a spirit.

Hey, oppression will come. It’s just—it’s going to come in some form, some fashion. Hey, you just say, “I’m going to do it. I’m going to do it. No matter what, I’m going to obey God instead of man. Keep praying. Don’t get so focused on this that you’re not praying. Keep this—stay in church. You need the community. We all need it. And then don’t let it get your spirit.”

Would you bow your heads, close your eyes just for a moment here? Let’s just spend a little time. Ask the Lord, “Give me victory over oppression.” It comes to all of us in different forms and fashion. “Give me victory over oppression.” Would you stand, please? We’ll have word of prayer. And you spend some time—whether it be an old-fashioned altar, wherever God leads you—you just spend some time. “Lord, give me victory over the oppression in my life.” Father, thank you for the great examples in these apostles. Lord, just seem like you made them stronger, and you spread your gospel around the globe through it. Use the oppression in our lives, Lord. Help us to handle it properly. Bless these few minutes in Jesus, and we pray. Amen.

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - ＂Winning Over Oppresion＂ Wednesday PM 05⧸21⧸2025 [MRm16NNT12g]