Sermons on Persecution
1 Samuel 22:6–23
The contrast between Saul and David reaches a terrifying climax in this passage. Saul, the false king, turns his rage against the priests of the Lord, while David, the true anointed one, becomes a refuge for the persecuted. In this sermon on 1 Samuel 22:6–23, we trace the pattern of false messiahs persecuting the true Messiah and His people. Saul’s paranoia, Doeg’s betrayal, and the slaughter at Nob reveal the ugliness of rebellious power that outwardly belongs to the covenant…
1 Samuel 21:10–22:5
David, though the Lord’s anointed king, is driven into exile, rejected by his own people, and forced into the wilderness. Yet in this very humiliation, he becomes a powerful picture of Christ—the suffering Messiah who protects His people in their pilgrimage through this fallen world. In this sermon on 1 Samuel 21:10–22:5, we explore David’s flight to Gath, his faith in the midst of fear, and the gathering of the distressed to him in the cave of Adullam. These wilderness…
1 Samuel 21:1–9
When God’s anointed suffers, God still provides. In 1 Samuel 21, David is on the run for his life. Hunted by Saul, cut off from safety, and uncertain who he can trust, he finds himself in desperate need. Yet even in the wilderness, God proves faithful—providing bread from the tabernacle and the sword of Goliath. This passage shows us more than historical narrative. It reveals a pattern: God sustains His chosen servant in exile until the day of vindication. David…
Revelation 17:1-18 (Part 2)
In Revelation 17:1-18 Pastor Grasso explains the significance of Babylon, the great harlot, who rides on the beast. Babylon stands for the religious arm that persecutes the people of God in connection with the state. Surprisingly, in the end the beast will cast off this alliance and claim all power for itself in the person of the antichrist. Evil always ends up fighting against itself, and this will be true in the end as well.
Revelation 17:1-18 (Part 1)
In Revelation 17:1-18 Pastor Grasso explains the significance of the beast on which Babylon rides. The beast and Babylon have an alliance in the fight against the people of God, which will be abandoned in the end. With the description of the beast in Revelation 17, we are introduced to the concept of a final antichrist who will arise to make war on the saints before the last day.
Revelation 13:11-18 (Part 2)
In Revelation 13:11-18 the second beast arises to persecute the church. One expression of this beast is the cultural forces at work today which seek to bring glory to Leftism, an expression of the first beast, and to make it costly to be a Christian in society. We must be aware of such opposition and remain firm in the faith, recognizing that it will cost us something to be faithful.
Revelation 13:11-18 (Part 1)
In Revelation 13:11-18 a second beast arises. Whereas the first beast is a counterfeit Christ, the second is a counterfeit Spirit. This beast seeks to bring glory to the first beast by promoting image worship. The connection to image worship and the emphasis on a counterfeit form of Christianity make it clear that Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and any other group that follows the decisions of the Second Council of Nicea are expressions of this second beast.
Revelation 13:1-10
In Revelation 13:1-10 a beast rises from the sea to persecute the people of God. What is this beast? We recognize that it is associated both with a counterfeit form of Christianity and with the persecution of the people of God through temporal power. The Catholic Church during the time of the Reformation was clearly an expression of this beast as is all forms of Leftism today.
Revelation 12:13-17
In Revelation 12:13-17 we are told more about the persecutions that we will face as a result of the devil being thrown to earth. Though the devil will never overcome the church, he will still pursue Christians vigorously.
Revelation 12:7-12
In Revelation 12:7-12 we get a glimpse of what was happening in the heavenly realm as Christ defeated Satan on the cross. Satan is thrown down and is unable to bring accusations against the people of God anymore. Satan is overcome by those who trust in Christ who defeated him.
Revelation 12:1-6
In Revelation 12:1-6 John sees a vision of a woman and a dragon. This vision builds on the first gospel promise in Genesis 3:15. Ultimately the dragon is defeated by Christ, born of the woman, Zion. Though it would be natural to think this would be the end of the persecution of the dragon, we are actually told that this makes it worse. The devil pursues the woman because he knows his time is short. We must, therefore, always be…
Revelation 11:7-14
In Revelation 11:7-14, the two witnesses are put to death and, like their Lord, are raised from the dead. We understand from this that the church and her ministry will always follow the pattern of her Lord. She will conquer by death and resurrection like her Lord.