100:00:00,520 –> 00:00:10,560As you know, our nation is deeply divided over issues of life, marriage, gender and200:00:10,560 –> 00:00:17,520increasingly will be divided, I believe, over issues relating to death as well.300:00:17,520 –> 00:00:25,020And so all over the country, many people are asking the question that is before us today.400:00:25,020 –> 00:00:29,520What in the world are we to do?500:00:30,040 –> 00:00:32,299hello and welcome to this part of the Bible with pastor Collin Smith, I’m David Mc.600:00:32,299 –> 00:00:33,599Glad you could join us today.700:00:33,599 –> 00:00:36,299And Collin, we need to answer that question.800:00:36,299 –> 00:00:37,540What are we to do?900:00:37,540 –> 00:00:42,680Yeah, and I think first, though, we’ve got to feel the pain of the question and I feel1000:00:42,680 –> 00:00:45,599deeply grieved over how divided our country is.1100:00:45,599 –> 00:00:49,040And I think every thinking Christian will feel the same.1200:00:49,040 –> 00:00:54,580How is it that we become so polarised and so separated from one another and then what1300:00:54,580 –> 00:00:55,799are we to do about it?1400:00:55,799 –> 00:00:58,820Well, I think Romans 12 really speaks to that question.1500:00:58,939 –> 00:01:05,360We’re told there, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.1600:01:05,360 –> 00:01:10,419And these words were written by the Apostle Paul to Christians in Rome who were in a situation1700:01:10,419 –> 00:01:12,180that was really dark.1800:01:12,180 –> 00:01:16,059There was tremendous hostility against Christian believers.1900:01:16,059 –> 00:01:17,059What were they to do?2000:01:17,059 –> 00:01:19,500Well, don’t be overcome by the evil.2100:01:19,500 –> 00:01:21,599You got to overcome evil with good.2200:01:21,599 –> 00:01:24,980And the thing is, in Romans 12, he actually tells us how to do that.2300:01:24,980 –> 00:01:28,300And the place that we begin is let love be genuine.2400:01:28,300 –> 00:01:33,220And we’re going to take a walk over these next days through Romans and Chapter 12 that2500:01:33,220 –> 00:01:40,620lays out, step-by-step, how Christians are to respond to a divided and alienated culture2600:01:40,620 –> 00:01:44,800and not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.2700:01:44,800 –> 00:01:47,699Well, as you just heard, we’re in Romans chapter 12.2800:01:47,699 –> 00:01:53,120So join us there if you can, as we begin a message called Overcoming Evil with Good.2900:01:53,120 –> 00:01:54,360Here is Pastor Colin.3000:01:54,360 –> 00:01:56,220Well, good morning, everyone.3100:01:56,260 –> 00:02:01,000If you would have your Bible open at Romans chapter 12, I want to draw your attention3200:02:01,000 –> 00:02:04,199today to the last verse that was read.3300:02:04,199 –> 00:02:13,199Verse 21, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.3400:02:13,199 –> 00:02:21,800Now friends, you don’t need me to tell you that these are difficult days for our country.3500:02:21,800 –> 00:02:27,960After years in which we and many had made at hopes there would be substantial progress3600:02:27,960 –> 00:02:35,360in regards to issues of race, we find ourselves in a circumstance in which anger and tension3700:02:35,360 –> 00:02:40,720over these issues are reaching a new intensity.3800:02:40,720 –> 00:02:49,679Loss of civility, loss of manners in public life is producing a new kind of meanness of3900:02:49,779 –> 00:02:56,779spirit that often makes life increasingly unmanageable in the classroom, at work and4000:02:58,300 –> 00:03:00,720often in the home as well.4100:03:00,720 –> 00:03:05,600One of our seniors said to me recently that she could not remember a time in her entire4200:03:05,600 –> 00:03:12,600life where so many people were so angry, so much of the time.4300:03:13,220 –> 00:03:19,899On top of this, the shared sense of right and wrong that has really bound our people4400:03:19,899 –> 00:03:26,899together over centuries seems to have been discarded and in large measure swept away.4500:03:28,679 –> 00:03:35,679Our nation, as you know well, is deeply divided over issues of life, marriage, gender and4600:03:35,720 –> 00:03:42,500increasingly will be divided over issues relating to death as well.4700:03:42,679 –> 00:03:49,399Having lost the sense of living under the authority of God, our culture now sees fit4800:03:49,399 –> 00:03:55,699to take the great issues of life into its own hands and do with them as it pleases.4900:03:55,699 –> 00:04:02,699And so all over the country many people are asking the question that is before us today,5000:04:03,580 –> 00:04:08,139what in the world are we to do?5100:04:08,339 –> 00:04:17,700What in the world are believing people to do in days like these?5200:04:17,700 –> 00:04:24,079Now, friends, the answer to that question is found in Romans and chapter 12.5300:04:24,079 –> 00:04:29,579These verses that are before us for the next two months, describe what God’s people are5400:04:29,579 –> 00:04:36,579to do when we find ourselves surrounded by an increasing tide of evil.5500:04:37,179 –> 00:04:41,660So, over these next weeks, we’re going to be camping out in the second half of Romans5600:04:41,660 –> 00:04:45,739and chapter 12, and my prayer for this series is threefold.5700:04:45,739 –> 00:04:53,459The first is that God will use his word over these weeks to calm our fears, to renew our5800:04:53,459 –> 00:04:57,540hope and to strengthen our resolve, these three things.5900:04:57,540 –> 00:05:03,720Now, these verses from Romans and chapter 12 have really come to me with fresh force6000:05:03,839 –> 00:05:09,000as I have studied the historical background of the book of Romans.6100:05:09,000 –> 00:05:14,000You know, I just said the word historical, and I know that for some of you, the very6200:05:14,000 –> 00:05:18,640word historical make your eyes glaze over, make you think it’s time to reach for the6300:05:18,640 –> 00:05:19,640cell phone.6400:05:19,640 –> 00:05:21,279Please, please don’t do that.6500:05:21,279 –> 00:05:23,619Please, please don’t do that.6600:05:23,619 –> 00:05:24,619Cut me a bit of slack.6700:05:24,619 –> 00:05:32,760Give me a bit of trust for just a few minutes this morning, because when you see what was6800:05:32,760 –> 00:05:40,799going on when the Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to write to Christians in Rome, the book6900:05:40,799 –> 00:05:49,239of Romans, you will see, I believe, in a new way, the power and the relevance of these7000:05:49,239 –> 00:05:52,579verses that are going to be before us over these next weeks.7100:05:52,579 –> 00:05:57,220And you will say, it as if this was written just for us at this time, which of course7200:05:57,220 –> 00:05:59,720all of the word of God is.7300:06:00,579 –> 00:06:06,200On the screen, you will see a timeline showing the years following the birth, life, death7400:06:06,200 –> 00:06:07,959and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.7500:06:07,959 –> 00:06:14,079During the first 70 years of the first century, there were five Roman emperors.7600:06:14,079 –> 00:06:20,799The first of these was Augustus, referred to in Luke’s Gospel chapter 2 in verse 1,7700:06:20,799 –> 00:06:26,820read every Christmas in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the7800:06:26,880 –> 00:06:30,079world should be registered.7900:06:30,079 –> 00:06:35,000After Augustus, there was Tiberius and we read about him in Luke’s Gospel in chapter8000:06:35,000 –> 00:06:36,0193.8100:06:36,019 –> 00:06:42,519In the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar, Luke records, the word of God came to John the8200:06:42,519 –> 00:06:44,660Baptist out in the wilderness.8300:06:44,660 –> 00:06:51,260The 15th year of Tiberius would have been the year 29 AD.8400:06:51,260 –> 00:06:56,899That gives us a clear date with regards to the start of our Lord Jesus’ ministry which8500:06:56,899 –> 00:07:01,260of course followed immediately after the ministry of John the Baptist.8600:07:01,260 –> 00:07:13,279After Titberius came 4 traumatic years in which Rome was ruled by the infamous Caligula.8700:07:13,279 –> 00:07:18,640Some months into Caligula’s reign, he contracted an illness that seems to have affected him8800:07:18,640 –> 00:07:25,760very deeply and turned him into a tyrant who was increasingly losing his mind.8900:07:25,760 –> 00:07:29,399Caligula ordered that an altar be built for himself.9000:07:29,399 –> 00:07:33,779He thought of himself as being a god.9100:07:33,779 –> 00:07:41,739The Roman historian, this is secular Roman historian Suetonius, he records how Caligula9200:07:41,739 –> 00:07:48,339ordered that all of the statues of the gods from around the empire should be brought back9300:07:48,339 –> 00:07:54,519to Rome and that whatever image was on the face, that the head should be cut off all9400:07:54,519 –> 00:08:01,339the statues and a new head should be put on each statue that was his own image.9500:08:01,339 –> 00:08:06,559He had a temple built and there was a golden statue in the temple that was an entire image9600:08:06,559 –> 00:08:15,760of himself and he had a servant dressed that image in precisely a replica of the clothes9700:08:15,959 –> 00:08:19,059that the emperor was wearing on that particular day.9800:08:19,059 –> 00:08:20,760Can you imagine being that servant?9900:08:20,760 –> 00:08:21,760What’s he wearing today?10000:08:21,760 –> 00:08:23,019We’ve got to get a replica.10100:08:23,019 –> 00:08:26,820We’ve got to put it on the statute.10200:08:26,820 –> 00:08:31,359Many of you are aware and we don’t need the details about Caligula’s excesses and his10300:08:31,359 –> 00:08:33,500indulgence.10400:08:33,500 –> 00:08:40,599He was notorious in regards to the orgies that he held in the Imperial palace and when10500:08:40,599 –> 00:08:45,820it came to money, nobody could spend the money of the state like Caligula did.10600:08:45,820 –> 00:08:51,880In fact, Suetonius records that he had a saying that he repeated often.10700:08:51,880 –> 00:08:53,619Now think about this.10800:08:53,619 –> 00:09:01,919He said, a man ought either to be a good economist or an emperor.10900:09:01,919 –> 00:09:09,659Now, you think, shouldn’t it be a man should be a good economist in order to be an emperor?11000:09:09,659 –> 00:09:10,739That wasn’t Caligula.11100:09:10,739 –> 00:09:13,539He said, oh let the economists talk and write all they want.11200:09:13,539 –> 00:09:14,299I’m an emperor.11300:09:14,299 –> 00:09:15,940I’ll spend as much as I want.11400:09:15,940 –> 00:09:18,059And he did.11500:09:18,059 –> 00:09:18,640Extraordinary.11600:09:20,539 –> 00:09:27,099Spent all of the assets that had been passed on from Tiberius who had a very different policy and a11700:09:27,099 –> 00:09:32,520very different character in a very short space of time.11800:09:32,520 –> 00:09:37,739Now these four years were a nightmare for Rome and it was huge relief to the people when finally this11900:09:37,739 –> 00:09:42,500man was assassinated by two men, members of his own guard.12000:09:42,500 –> 00:09:50,020After Caligula came Claudius, who is referred to in Acts chapter 18 in verse two where we read about a12100:09:50,020 –> 00:09:51,179married couple.12200:09:51,179 –> 00:09:55,260Aquila and Priscilla, who moved to Corinth from Italy.12300:09:55,260 –> 00:10:02,400And the reason they moved was the scripture tells us that Claudius had commanded all of the Jews to leave12400:10:02,419 –> 00:10:02,700Rome.12500:10:02,700 –> 00:10:03,679This was a great edict.12600:10:03,700 –> 00:10:07,239The Jews were all expelled from Rome during his time.12700:10:07,239 –> 00:10:13,179And there are for sure plenty of hair raising stories that could be told about Claudius, but relative to12800:10:13,179 –> 00:10:20,219what came before and certainly relative to what came after he was something of a relief.12900:10:20,219 –> 00:10:25,080Because the next emperor of Rome was a man by the name of…13000:10:25,080 –> 00:10:26,119Nero.13100:10:26,119 –> 00:10:27,260Yeah, Nero.13200:10:27,260 –> 00:10:30,159Nero came to power in the year 54 AD.13300:10:30,159 –> 00:10:36,039He ruled for fifteen years until he took his own life at the age of 32.13400:10:37,760 –> 00:10:40,000Three things to know about Nero.13500:10:40,000 –> 00:10:44,200Number one, he had a good singing voice.13600:10:44,200 –> 00:10:48,460To the astonishment of the senate and their consternation, he would enter these singing13700:10:48,460 –> 00:10:52,580competitions, which would you be surprised to know he always won?13800:10:52,580 –> 00:10:59,460I mean, if you’re on the jury for a singing competition I vote for Nero, you know?13900:10:59,460 –> 00:11:05,580Then he moved to his own stage and put on his own concerts featuring himself in which14000:11:05,580 –> 00:11:12,619the audiences were effectively locked in and some of Suetonius’ stuff on this is hilarious.14100:11:12,619 –> 00:11:21,099He says, many of the spectators being quite wearied with hearing and applauding him, you14200:11:21,099 –> 00:11:26,140know they had to keep going all the time after every number, because the town gates were14300:11:26,140 –> 00:11:34,099shut, they slipped away privately over the walls or counterfeited themselves dead in14400:11:34,099 –> 00:11:35,580order to be carried out.14500:11:35,580 –> 00:11:39,780I mean, you know, you’re so desperate, you think how am I ever going to get out of here14600:11:39,780 –> 00:11:45,979and this guy won’t let me leave and let just let the usser’s carry me out if they think14700:11:45,979 –> 00:11:51,520I’m dead and the arrogance of this man and the self obsession.14800:11:51,520 –> 00:11:55,440He was of course also a man of extraordinary cruelty.14900:11:55,440 –> 00:12:01,260He arranged for the murder of his first wife, of his aunt and also of his own mother, three15000:12:01,260 –> 00:12:04,900times attempted to poison her and failed each time.15100:12:04,900 –> 00:12:06,580Apparently she had the antidote.15200:12:06,580 –> 00:12:13,979He ordered on one occasion that the floor above where her bedroom was should be weakened15300:12:13,979 –> 00:12:17,979in order that the ceiling would collapse on her and kill her.15400:12:17,979 –> 00:12:18,979And that didn’t work.15500:12:18,979 –> 00:12:23,059He ordered that a ship on which he was sailing would be racked and that didn’t work either,15600:12:23,059 –> 00:12:27,760and finally her life was taken after all these attempts.15700:12:27,760 –> 00:12:38,140Nero was married over a period of 15 years five times to three women and to two men.15800:12:38,140 –> 00:12:46,380Suetonius speaks about spores and says this, I quote, he even went so far as to marry15900:12:46,380 –> 00:12:51,400him with all the usual formalities of a wedding settlement.16000:12:51,400 –> 00:12:57,359When the ceremony was over he had him conducted like a bride to his own house and treated16100:12:57,359 –> 00:13:04,859him as his wife, this spores he carried about with him, dressed, that is spores was dressed16200:13:04,859 –> 00:13:14,239in the rich attire of an empress kissing him from time to time as they rode together.16300:13:14,580 –> 00:13:21,659Suetonius was of course a secular historian, no friend of Christianity whatsoever.16400:13:21,659 –> 00:13:29,460But he the secular historian sums up Nero’s life in these words, the whole of his life16500:13:29,460 –> 00:13:40,599was one continued scene of lewdness, sensuality, cruelty, and folly.16600:13:41,400 –> 00:13:46,359Now that is what was happening according to the secular historian in Rome at that time.16700:13:46,359 –> 00:13:51,960You’re listening to Open The Bible with pastor Colin Smith and a message called overcoming evil with good.16800:13:51,960 –> 00:13:57,679We’ve been looking at the timeline of the first 70 years after Christ, and the Roman empire.16900:13:57,679 –> 00:14:02,260When we come back shortly, we’ll look at the same time period through the lens of the church.17000:14:02,260 –> 00:14:04,159So I do hope you’ll stay with us.17100:14:04,159 –> 00:14:09,340If you ever miss one of the messages in this series, it’s easy to catch up or go back and listen again17200:14:09,659 –> 00:14:14,219by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk.17300:14:14,219 –> 00:14:18,919also by finding us as a podcast, and those are on all the main podcast sites.17400:14:18,919 –> 00:14:21,500Search for Open the Bible UK.17500:14:21,500 –> 00:14:26,440Back to the message now. We’re in Romans chapter 12. Here again is pastor Colin.17600:14:26,440 –> 00:14:32,659Now let’s put the key events of the story of the church onto this timeline.17700:14:32,659 –> 00:14:36,719Pentecost – that great day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the church17800:14:37,140 –> 00:14:40,880and the people of God, the church in the true sense, was born.17900:14:40,880 –> 00:14:44,219That was the year 33 AD.18000:14:44,219 –> 00:14:49,900The events then that are covered by the book of Acts cover the next 30 years18100:14:49,900 –> 00:14:55,140and therefore they were in large measure set against18200:14:55,140 –> 00:14:59,940the background of the reigns of Caligula, and Claudius, and Nero himself.18300:14:59,979 –> 00:15:03,380The book of Romans was written when Paul was in Corinth18400:15:03,380 –> 00:15:07,840in the winter of AD 56, 57.18500:15:07,840 –> 00:15:11,280And so when you read Romans 12, you are reading18600:15:11,280 –> 00:15:16,539the word that God gave to Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit18700:15:16,539 –> 00:15:20,000when Nero was emperor.18800:15:20,000 –> 00:15:23,280It’s very significant, especially when you read Romans 1318900:15:23,280 –> 00:15:26,760where the word of God speaks about submitting to governing authorities19000:15:26,760 –> 00:15:33,140that that word was given and spoken to Christians in Rome in the time of Nero.19100:15:33,140 –> 00:15:36,599Shortly after the book of Romans was written,19200:15:36,599 –> 00:15:40,419false charges were brought against the apostle Paul19300:15:40,440 –> 00:15:44,739in a place called Caesarea, and he was arrested.19400:15:44,739 –> 00:15:50,640Serious charges that people wanted that the death penalty should be applied to him.19500:15:50,640 –> 00:15:54,299They wanted to stop him from preaching the gospel.19600:15:54,299 –> 00:15:56,679But Paul was a Roman citizen19700:15:56,700 –> 00:16:00,500and so any Roman citizen who was charged with a crime19800:16:00,500 –> 00:16:03,340had the right of appeal to be tried in Rome19900:16:03,340 –> 00:16:08,440itself, rather than in one of the provinces that had been conquered by Rome.20000:16:08,440 –> 00:16:12,440And so having been arrested, the apostle Paul said,20100:16:12,440 –> 00:16:14,880and this is recorded in Acts 25,20200:16:14,880 –> 00:16:18,119I appeal to Caesar.20300:16:18,119 –> 00:16:20,320And the local governor, a man by the name of20400:16:20,320 –> 00:16:21,840Festus said to him, well,20500:16:21,840 –> 00:16:23,960to Caesar you have appealed and to Caesar20600:16:24,000 –> 00:16:25,659you will go.20700:16:25,659 –> 00:16:27,859And so you can read this at the end of the book of Acts.20800:16:27,859 –> 00:16:32,960What followed was that Paul was taken by an armed guard on a ship to Rome20900:16:32,960 –> 00:16:34,700The ship got shipwrecked.21000:16:34,700 –> 00:16:37,059But finally, in the last chapter of Acts,21100:16:37,059 –> 00:16:40,700the apostle Paul actually arrives in Rome itself.21200:16:40,700 –> 00:16:46,780And the book of Acts ends with two years in21300:16:46,780 –> 00:16:51,539which we are told Paul was effectively under a kind of house arrest in Rome21400:16:51,700 –> 00:16:57,219and these would have been the years 60 and 61.21500:16:57,219 –> 00:17:02,119Two years after that, we know that the Apostle Peter was in Rome21600:17:02,119 –> 00:17:07,420and while he was there, he wrote what we have in the New Testament.21700:17:07,420 –> 00:17:09,640The first letter of Peter.21800:17:09,640 –> 00:17:12,619And moved by the Holy Spirit, while he was in Rome,21900:17:12,619 –> 00:17:14,180he writes these words.22000:17:14,180 –> 00:17:16,540Chapter 4 and verse 12.22100:17:16,540 –> 00:17:22,619Do not be surprised at the fiery trial22200:17:22,619 –> 00:17:25,459when it comes upon you to test you.22300:17:25,459 –> 00:17:29,479Now he speaks prophetically there, surely.22400:17:29,479 –> 00:17:31,760The fiery trial, when it comes upon you.22500:17:31,760 –> 00:17:34,359There’s going to be a fiery trial, he says.22600:17:34,359 –> 00:17:37,000That’s A.D. 63.22700:17:37,000 –> 00:17:39,359What happened one year later?22800:17:39,359 –> 00:17:41,160The great fire of Rome.22900:17:41,160 –> 00:17:44,199Rome, the whole city set ablaze.23000:17:44,199 –> 00:17:46,000And the Roman historian Tacitus23100:17:46,119 –> 00:17:49,439records there were 14 precincts in the city,23200:17:49,439 –> 00:17:52,380only four of them were unaffected.23300:17:52,380 –> 00:17:55,920The rest of the city, utterly devastated.23400:17:55,920 –> 00:17:58,020And Tacitus also records that23500:17:58,020 –> 00:18:00,160at the very time that Rome burned,23600:18:00,160 –> 00:18:03,880Nero got on his platform and was singing.23700:18:03,880 –> 00:18:06,060He was happy about this, why?23800:18:06,060 –> 00:18:08,359Because the fire was giving the opportunity23900:18:08,359 –> 00:18:11,579for the building of a grander and more glorious city.24000:18:12,599 –> 00:18:14,819And that’s, by the way, where you get the phrase24100:18:14,819 –> 00:18:16,319fiddling while Rome burns,24200:18:16,319 –> 00:18:19,579because he was rejoicing while the city was being destroyed.24300:18:19,579 –> 00:18:20,579Extraordinary thing.24400:18:21,739 –> 00:18:25,140Now of course, people perceived and quickly got24500:18:25,140 –> 00:18:28,579that actually Nero himself was behind the fire,24600:18:28,579 –> 00:18:32,900and that was widely believed, and widely spread around.24700:18:32,900 –> 00:18:35,800And so Nero needed a scapegoat,24800:18:35,800 –> 00:18:40,140someone else to blame for starting this fire.24900:18:40,140 –> 00:18:45,140And the scapegoat that he chose was Christians.25000:18:46,579 –> 00:18:48,660Now the Roman historian Tacitus,25100:18:48,660 –> 00:18:51,199again, no friend of Christianity records.25200:18:51,199 –> 00:18:53,339And I quote his exact words,25300:18:54,380 –> 00:18:57,140to scourge the rumor,25400:18:57,140 –> 00:18:59,979Nero substituted as culprits25500:18:59,979 –> 00:19:04,979and punished with the utmost refinements of cruelty.25600:19:05,339 –> 00:19:10,359A class of men whom the crowd styled, Christians.25700:19:11,939 –> 00:19:16,500Christus, from whom they got their name,25800:19:16,500 –> 00:19:18,900had been executed by the sentence25900:19:18,900 –> 00:19:21,959of the procurator Pontius Pilate,26000:19:21,959 –> 00:19:24,339when Tiberius was the Emperor.26100:19:25,420 –> 00:19:28,780First then those who confessed themselves Christians26200:19:28,780 –> 00:19:30,739were arrested.26300:19:30,780 –> 00:19:33,300Next, on their disclosures,26400:19:33,300 –> 00:19:37,020a vast multitude were convicted,26500:19:38,140 –> 00:19:42,020not so much on the charge of arson,26600:19:42,920 –> 00:19:45,040because of course there wasn’t any evidence whatsoever26700:19:45,040 –> 00:19:46,699that any of them had been involved in the fire,26800:19:46,699 –> 00:19:47,839none of them were.26900:19:49,119 –> 00:19:52,699A vast multitude of them were convicted,27000:19:52,699 –> 00:19:56,099not so much on the charge of arson,27100:19:56,099 –> 00:20:01,099but for hatred of the human race.27200:20:02,319 –> 00:20:06,199Oh, any echoes coming to your mind there?27300:20:07,839 –> 00:20:09,719You see, the Christians weren’t going27400:20:09,719 –> 00:20:11,380in the direction of the culture,27500:20:11,380 –> 00:20:13,040and so what did the culture say about them?27600:20:13,040 –> 00:20:14,339You folks must be haters.27700:20:16,540 –> 00:20:19,380You must just be people who hate everyone else.27800:20:20,560 –> 00:20:22,599You must be haters of the human race,27900:20:22,599 –> 00:20:24,219and if you’re haters of the human race,28000:20:24,280 –> 00:20:26,719there’s no place for you here in the human race.28100:20:28,300 –> 00:20:29,800I continue to quote Tacitus.28200:20:29,800 –> 00:20:32,079Their death was made a matter of sport,28300:20:33,020 –> 00:20:35,439they were covered in wild beast skins28400:20:35,439 –> 00:20:37,839and torn to pieces by dogs,28500:20:37,839 –> 00:20:41,239or were fastened to crosses and set on fire28600:20:41,239 –> 00:20:43,739in order to serve as torches by night28700:20:43,739 –> 00:20:45,619when daylight failed.28800:20:45,619 –> 00:20:49,800Hence, and this is Tacitus, the Roman historian.28900:20:49,800 –> 00:20:53,479Hence, there arose a feeling of pity29000:20:53,640 –> 00:20:56,780Ordinary people had pity towards Christians29100:20:56,780 –> 00:21:01,420because it was felt that they were being sacrificed29200:21:01,420 –> 00:21:03,219not for the common good,29300:21:04,339 –> 00:21:08,300but to gratify the savagery of one man.29400:21:09,739 –> 00:21:12,920Now, notice how quickly the world changed for Christians.29500:21:12,920 –> 00:21:14,459In the late fifties,29600:21:14,459 –> 00:21:15,359Paul could say,29700:21:15,359 –> 00:21:18,300I appealed to Caesar and be very confident29800:21:18,300 –> 00:21:20,260that if he was in Rome,29900:21:20,260 –> 00:21:22,900even under a bad emperor,30000:21:22,900 –> 00:21:25,880the Roman system of justice was sufficiently strong30100:21:25,880 –> 00:21:30,219that it could protect his liberty to preach the gospel.30200:21:30,219 –> 00:21:31,260So he said, I’ll be tried there.30300:21:31,260 –> 00:21:32,660I’ll get a fair trial there.30400:21:34,160 –> 00:21:35,459Within about six years,30500:21:35,459 –> 00:21:38,619five or six years of the Apostle Paul saying that,30600:21:38,619 –> 00:21:39,520what do you have?30700:21:39,520 –> 00:21:42,219You have Christians being thrown to the lions in Rome.30800:21:43,300 –> 00:21:45,180And here’s where it comes home for us today,30900:21:45,180 –> 00:21:47,219because you’ll have heard many resonances31000:21:47,219 –> 00:21:49,060in the account that I’ve given to you.31100:21:49,060 –> 00:21:51,380When you find yourself saying31200:21:51,380 –> 00:21:54,819It seems that our freedoms are under threat.31300:21:55,780 –> 00:21:58,180When you find yourself saying,31400:21:58,180 –> 00:21:59,939the morality as we have known,31500:21:59,939 –> 00:22:02,339it seems to be swept away.31600:22:02,339 –> 00:22:06,439Remember this friends, Christians have been here before.31700:22:07,839 –> 00:22:10,260The church has been here before and you know what?31800:22:10,260 –> 00:22:11,859The church is alive and well today31900:22:11,859 –> 00:22:15,540and the Roman empire is not, remember that32000:22:16,939 –> 00:22:18,420You’ve been listening to open the Bible32100:22:18,420 –> 00:22:19,819with Pastor Colin Smith32200:22:19,819 –> 00:22:23,319and a message called overcoming evil with good32300:22:23,319 –> 00:22:26,239Next time, we’ll look at two possible outcomes32400:22:26,239 –> 00:22:30,800being overcome by evil or overcoming evil with good.32500:22:30,800 –> 00:22:33,079That’s exactly what Jesus did32600:22:33,079 –> 00:22:34,599and we’ll see how he did that32700:22:34,599 –> 00:22:37,959and what good he used to overcome that evil.32800:22:37,959 –> 00:22:40,579So hope you’ll join us next time.32900:22:40,579 –> 00:22:42,260If you ever miss one of our messages33000:22:42,260 –> 00:22:44,400you can catch up or go back and listen again33100:22:44,400 –> 00:22:46,739by coming online to our website.33200:22:46,900 –> 00:22:48,479That’s at openthebible.org.uk.33300:22:50,060 –> 00:22:52,540Also, you can find us as a podcast.33400:22:52,540 –> 00:22:53,540If that’s a better way for you33500:22:53,540 –> 00:22:55,660to keep up with Pastor Colin’s teaching,33600:22:55,660 –> 00:22:58,219those are on all the main podcast sites.33700:22:58,219 –> 00:23:00,979Search there for openthebible.uk33800:23:00,979 –> 00:23:03,359or follow the link from our website.33900:23:04,219 –> 00:23:07,660Also on our website, you’ll find Open the Bible Daily.34000:23:07,660 –> 00:23:11,380Our series of short two to three minute daily reflections34100:23:11,380 –> 00:23:13,219based on Pastor Colin’s teaching34200:23:13,219 –> 00:23:15,079and read specially in the UK.34300:23:15,959 –> 00:23:18,359Well as regular listeners will know,34400:23:18,359 –> 00:23:21,819Open the Bible is supported by our listeners financially.34500:23:21,819 –> 00:23:23,540If that’s something you already do,34600:23:23,540 –> 00:23:26,359then thank you so much for your support.34700:23:26,359 –> 00:23:27,800If you’re considering beginning34800:23:27,800 –> 00:23:30,199to support Open the Bible in the future,34900:23:30,199 –> 00:23:32,560this month we’d love to say thank you35000:23:32,560 –> 00:23:33,880by sending you a copy35100:23:33,880 –> 00:23:37,640of Pastor Colin’s brand new 30-day devotional book,35200:23:37,640 –> 00:23:39,500Grow in Love.35300:23:39,500 –> 00:23:41,699Colin, who is this book for?35400:23:41,699 –> 00:23:44,920Well, people have very different experiences35500:23:44,979 –> 00:23:48,300of love and perhaps you knew what it was35600:23:48,300 –> 00:23:50,660to grow up with a godly mother,35700:23:50,660 –> 00:23:52,760a godly father who loved you well35800:23:52,760 –> 00:23:55,180and you’ve had all the benefits of that,35900:23:55,180 –> 00:23:58,479but you still find, now you’ve come to adult life,36000:23:58,479 –> 00:24:02,319that you want to know how to grow in love yourself.36100:24:02,319 –> 00:24:05,979And if that’s where you’re at, this book is for you.36200:24:05,979 –> 00:24:08,380But there are other folks who have not had36300:24:08,380 –> 00:24:11,319the blessing of being loved well.36400:24:11,319 –> 00:24:13,739And if that’s been your experience,36500:24:13,800 –> 00:24:16,959you may find that you struggle with some real questions.36600:24:16,959 –> 00:24:19,880What does it mean to love another person?36700:24:19,880 –> 00:24:22,699What does real love actually look like?36800:24:22,699 –> 00:24:24,699Where are you going to find it while you’re not sure36900:24:24,699 –> 00:24:26,099that you know?37000:24:26,099 –> 00:24:27,339Well, this book is for you.37100:24:27,339 –> 00:24:30,880It’s going to show you how receiving love from God37200:24:30,880 –> 00:24:34,060through Jesus Christ can put you in the position37300:24:34,060 –> 00:24:35,680where you’re able to give love37400:24:35,680 –> 00:24:38,199and receive love from others well.37500:24:38,199 –> 00:24:39,900Well, we’d love to send you a copy37600:24:39,900 –> 00:24:42,280of Pastor Colin’s book, Grow In Love,37700:24:42,280 –> 00:24:44,420when you set up a new direct debit37800:24:44,420 –> 00:24:45,900to the work of Open the Bible37900:24:45,900 –> 00:24:48,619in the amount of five pounds per month or more,38000:24:48,619 –> 00:24:52,520or a one-off gift of 60 pounds or more this month.38100:24:52,520 –> 00:24:55,280Full terms and conditions and to give online,38200:24:55,280 –> 00:24:59,500come to our website, openedhebible.org.uk,38300:24:59,500 –> 00:25:02,099and don’t forget to leave your full name and address38400:25:02,099 –> 00:25:04,619so we can send you your free gift.38500:25:04,619 –> 00:25:07,060For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith,38600:25:07,060 –> 00:25:11,339I’m David Pick, and I hope you’ll join us again next time.38700:25:11,719 –> 00:25:13,660For the man or woman of God,38800:25:13,660 –> 00:25:17,300there are two possibilities when you’re surrounded by evil.38900:25:17,300 –> 00:25:20,260Find out what they are, next time on Open the Bible.