Unbreakable Courage

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This is the martyrdom of Perpetua Infilistis.
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This is something about courage that doesn't make sense to this world.
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Because most people, when faced with pain, with suffering, with death, run.
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And honestly, it's human.
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But every once in a while, a story surfaces that completely flips the instinct on its head.
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A story where people don't run.
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They stand.
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And not because they're strong, not because they're fearless, but because they believe something greater than their fear is waiting for them on the other side.
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Today's story is one of those stories.
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It's the story of two women from completely different worlds who walked into death with peace.
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Now, the world they lived in at the time was the early third century.
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The Roman Empire is at its peak.
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It's powerful, expansive, unmatched.
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But Rome didn't want just obedience.
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It wanted worship.
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Citizens were expected to offer sacrifices to the Roman gods.
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And more than that, they were expected to acknowledge that Caesar himself carried divine authority.
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Wild, right?
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This wasn't optional either.
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So this was law.
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This is the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas.
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There's something about courage that doesn't make sense in the world.
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But because most people, when faced with pain, with suffering, with death, run.
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And honestly, that's human.
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But every once in a while, a story surfaces.
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It completely flips the instinct on its head.
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A story where people don't run.
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They stand.
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Not because they are fearless, but because they believe something greater than their fear is waiting on the other side.
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Today's story is one of those stories, the story of Perpetua and Felicitas.
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They lived in a world that was early third century.
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The Roman Empire is at its peak, powerful, expansive, unmatched.
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But Rome didn't just want obedience, it wanted worship.
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Citizens were expected to sacrifice to Roman gods and honor the emperor as divine.
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Christians refused.
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Perpetua, she was about 22 years old, educated, from a respective family, a new mother.
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She had everything to lose.
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But when ordered to deny Christ, she refused.
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She was put in prison.
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She was arrested.
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With her was Felicitas.
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Now Felicitas was a lot different.
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She was a slave, a different life, but the same faith.
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They became sisters in Christ at that time.
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Her father, her father came begging for her to recant.
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Think of your child.
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But she said, I am a Christian.
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In prison, she had a vision, a ladder to heaven, a serpent below.
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She stepped over it and climbed.
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At the top, at the top was Christ.
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Now Felicitas, she was pregnant.
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She prayed to give birth before execution, and she did.
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When mocked, though, she said, Now I suffer, but then another will suffer in me.
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Their execution day came and they were in the arena.
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Crowds filled it, they expected fear, but the Christians walked in with peace, and some even sang.
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In their final moments, they were attacked by animals.
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They fell, but stood again.
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Perpetua helped Felicitas.
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Even then, even then, they lifted each other up.
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In the end, they were executed, but their story spread.
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Their faith inspired others, and their story lives on.
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Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.
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Matthew 10 28.
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What would you stand for if it cost you everything?
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Christ is king.