Opposition Always Follows Fire
THE EVANGELIST - PART SEVENTEENPublish date: 03/29/2026
THE EVANGELIST –– PART SEVENTEEN
Opposition Always Follows Fire
Sermon Song: Opposition Always Follows Fire
Foundation Scripture:
Now just as Jannes and Jambres were hostile to and resisted Moses, so these men also are hostile to and oppose the Truth. 2 Timothy 3:8a AMPC
1. Opposition Always Follows Fire.
a. Fire never goes unnoticed.
b. Where God moves, resistance follows.
c. Not because revival is wrong, but because it is effective.
d. The evangelist must understand this early: opposition is not an interruption to the assignment; it is confirmation of it.
e. John 1:5 KJV –– And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
f. John 1:5 AMPC –– …for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].
g. Darkness does not negotiate with fire.
h. It resists it.
2. Opposition Is Predictable, Not Personal.
a. The evangelist is not opposed because of personality, style, or delivery.
b. He is opposed because truth disrupts control.
c. 1 John 3:13 KJV –– Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
d. Resistance follows impact.
e. When souls are saved, systems react.
f. When cities change, powers respond.
g. When sin is confronted, offense rises.
h. The evangelist learns not to internalize opposition or take it personally.
i. He interprets it spiritually.
3. Religious Resistance Is Often the Loudest.
a. Jesus faced more opposition from religious leaders than from sinners.
b. Matthew 9:34 AMPC –– But the Pharisees said, He drives out demons through and with the help of the prince of demons.
c. Religion tolerates form without power.
d. It resents power without permission.
e. Acts 7:51 KJV –– Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
f. Evangelists threaten religious comfort because fire exposes dead tradition.
4. Political and Cultural Pressure Will Come.
a. When the Gospel moves publicly, it confronts culture.
b. Acts 7:57-58 KJV –– Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him…
c. Evangelism challenges:
- Moral decay
- Cultural norms
- Legal boundaries
- Social expectations
d. The evangelist must decide early whom he fears—God or man.
5. Media Opposition Is Not New.
a. False narratives did not begin with modern media.
b. Mark 14:56 KJV –– For many bare false witness against him…
c. Misrepresentation is an ancient tactic.
d. The evangelist will be:
- Misquoted
- Misunderstood
- Maligned
e. Truth does not need defending; it needs continued proclamation.
6. Personal Attacks Are Part of the War.
a. Opposition often targets the evangelist personally.
b. Zechariah 13:7 KJV –– …smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered…
c. Attacks may involve:
- Reputation
- Finances
- Health
- Family
d. The enemy aims to exhaust the carrier to slow the harvest.
e. But God strengthens those He sends.
7. Why God Allows Opposition.
a. Opposition refines focus.
b. 1 Peter 1:6-7 KJV –– Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
c. Pressure:
- Separates motives
- Removes dependence on applause
- Forces reliance on God
- Sharpens obedience
d. Fire-tested evangelists preach with greater authority.
8. The Evangelist Must Never Retaliate Carnally.
a. Evangelists do not fight flesh with flesh.
b. 2 Corinthians 10:4 KJV –– (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
c. Silence is sometimes wisdom.
d. Prayer is always power.
e. Persistence is victory.
f. God defends His servants better than they can defend themselves.
9. Joy Is a Weapon Against Opposition.
a. Fire-filled evangelists do not become bitter.
b. Matthew 5:12 KJV –– Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
c. Joy disarms intimidation.
d. Peace confounds accusers.
e. Faith steadies the heart.
f. The evangelist who loses joy loses momentum.
10. Opposition Cannot Stop the Harvest.
a. Resistance never halted revival—it accelerated it.
b. Acts 12:24 KJV –– But the word of God grew and multiplied.
c. Acts 19:20 KJV –– So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
d. Every attempt to silence truth has only amplified it.
e. God turns pressure into propulsion.
11. Encouragement for the Evangelist.
a. Opposition is not failure.
b. Resistance is not rejection.
c. Persecution is not defeat.
d. It is evidence that fire is burning where darkness once ruled.
e. The evangelist does not retreat when opposition arises.
f. He presses forward with greater clarity, deeper prayer, and stronger resolve.
g. Because fire that is not opposed is usually not spreading.