This question has been floating around UNasked and UNanswered.What is God's greatest purpose for His Children?God's answer -To GLORIFY the Lord, as expressed through His Son.But what does that even mean?

All of us go through life and life can distract us from sharing our faith with others. We can sometimes be focused on our own hardships and feeling as though we are trapped in them, that we forget to look around and see that there are others who are hurting as well, like the prisoners who were all around Paul and Silas. Paul and Silas were not alone in that jail.

Our faith is a positive faith even in the midst of suffering and persecution. We have the great hope of heaven and full redemption. We’re dead to this world so it has no hold on us. Ask yourself... what is your greatest challenge today? What is it that produces anxiety or worry or fear? Where do you feel like Satan is out of the cage and your running for your life so he won’t catch you? Don’t you want to be free – free from anxiety; free from the constant trying to get your way – even with God? Let Go.

When we stand on the truth of God’s Word we can expect trouble. We should not be surprised by it.What are your expectations?Do you expect people to treat you well when you take a stand on God’s Word and it is contrary to the prevailing belief system of tolerance and inclusion? Are you surprised that there might be people who don’t like your beliefs and are willing to fight you over it? Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you. The world is against you.

Make no mistake – we are living in a time and in a culture that is wanting to rid itself of the truth of Jesus Christ. So the underlying question that we are constantly confronted with in 1 Peter is “will we stand with Christ in the midst of a hostile culture?” Will we live lives full of His truth and full of grace no matter the cost?

Intimidated and troubled or zealous and blessed. On which side of that statement do you live? Ask yourself these questions -Where is your security today? What is the source of your fear? What are you holding on to today? orIs Jesus everything to you? Everything. His love satisfies your need for acceptance, affection, affirmation. His life in you energizes you, makes you zealous about the future.

Unjust suffering is not a sign that we’ve done something wrong, or that God has somehow lost control of things or failed us. So, as followers of Christ seeing the trends in our culture today, what do we do? Scripture explains how Jesus faced opposition and letting these truths sink deep into our soul can give us such faith to see the future through spiritual eyes. It will help us trade in our bias towards worldly comfort and embrace the path Jesus walked – the road of suffering in this world for a greater reward.

There is such a higher purpose for the church. We are the chosen people of God, the Kingly Priests of our community, the Holy Image Bearers of the DNA of Jesus Christ and everywhere we are, there He is manifesting His glory. Will the Holy Nation of God, the Kingly Priests of Georgetown rise up and bring the kingdom of heaven with all of its glorious majesty into our city?There is no people with a greater identity, by grace, than the collection of fallen people that God has called to live together as elect exiles in your community. Is your view of your church big enough?

Are you building something for yourself or for this world or are you building something that is not of this world; that belongs to the Kingdom of God? What do you think would happen to the American church if it came under intense persecution? Are we going to do what God calls us to do in spite of opposition or danger or are we going to play it safe? Are we going to live in fear of what may happen or are we going to walk in faith, trusting only in God?

We all choose how we will respond to the temporary trials that come our way. Will we continue to be Biblical in our understanding of the world and not shrink back from the truth even if it costs us? Will we let trials draw us into Jesus who will do extraordinary things through us that will make the world wonder who are those people?There are 3 distinct groups or ways of thinking about the future:- the first is charachterized by fear- the second is characterized by resignation- the third is characterized by inexpressible joy as if what's going on in the world doesn't affect them much.This series of sermons assumes one thing that you may or may not agree with. It assumes that we are living in a culture hostile to our faith. So how do we live Christ in a culture that sees us as the enemy.