Good morning and welcome to the Panhandle. Come on in, the Bible is open and His Word is great so let's do some surfing. We will be looking at Matthew 5:10-12 today.
It is not easy to be a dedicated Christian. Our society is not a friend to God or to God’s people. Whether we like it or not, there is conflict between us and the world. Why? Because we are different from the world and we have different attitudes.
As we read the Beatitudes, we find that they represent an outlook radically different from that of the world. The world praises pride, not humility. The world endorses sin, especially if you “get away with it.” The world is at war with God, while He is seeking to reconcile with His enemies and make them His children. We must expect to be persecuted if we are living as God wants us to live. But we must be sure that our suffering is not due to our own foolishness or disobedience.1
Isn't strange that in most universities you can speak freely of Freud, or of Marx, of Islam or Buddhism? You can stand for religious ideals or for moral principles and be accepted in a society that is pluralistic. However, when you affirms that it is in Christ alone that we are truly related to God, the very exclusiveness of this claim subjects you to persecution. In the first centuries of the Christian church the disciples met emperor worship with the words, “Caesar is not Lord; Jesus Christ is Lord.”
And to this day the issues of nationalism, of secularism, and of materialism confront us with the same issue. Contrary to what world thinks these principalities and powers are not Lord; Christ Jesus is Lord. This is our message, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, NASR).
This the eighth beatitude seems to be out of place until we see the logical order of the Beatitudes. The first seven beatitudes describe the Christian directly:
The first three are a recognition of need: the poor in spirit, they who mourn, and the meek.
The next two are a satisfaction of need: they who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
The next three are indications of satisfaction:
the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers.
The poor in spirit are the most likely to be merciful, they who mourn become pure in heart, and the meek are the peacemakers.
The eighth beatitude describes the Christian indirectly.
The outcome of the eighth beatitude and our focus this morning: Living the Christian life without compromise, and being persecuted for it.
Matthew 5:10-12
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Let's start by getting something straight, not all persecution is blessed.
1. Persecution That Is Not Blessed (vs. 10)
Persecution is a familiar story. We hear about and read about all kinds of persecution in the news.
There are different kinds of persecution and not all are blessed.
Some suffer persecution because they are difficult.
They are, so to speak, born with “a chip on their shoulder and an “I dare you to knock it off,” type of attitude.
Some are persecuted because they are foolish. They lack the ability to manage their lives.
Plane and simple they suffer from poor judgment.
Others are persecuted because of self-righteousness. “Praise God! I haven’t sinned in fifty years,” cried the self-righteous saint in a testimony meeting.
There is a vast difference between being offensive by self-righteousness and causing an offense because of righteousness.
Some are persecuted for wrongdoing. Peter admonished us not to suffer persecution “as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters” (1 Peter 4:15).
The person from whose mouth the venom of criticism flows freely is usually one also persecuted by the world.
Many dedicated Christians suffer persecution because they are “busybodies.” No one suffers more than the person who cannot seem to keep his or her nose out of other people’s business.
Unfortunately there is persecution in this world. But remember Christ Jesus didn't offer a blanket pass for the persecuted. He said that only those persecuted for righteousness sake would inherit the kingdom of heaven.
He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him...He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed...He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, (Isaiah 53:3, 5, 7)
2. Christ Jesus Persecuted (vs. 11)
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.2 Matthew uses the word oneidizo (on-i-did'-zo) for “all kinds of evil against you.” means to defame, i.e. rail at, chide, taunt, (suffer) reproach, revile, accuse.Make no mistake, Christ Jesus was reviled, and He was persecuted. Even as a child Christ Jesus suffered persecution from Herod when Herod sent solders to Bethlehem to kill Him. Throughout His public ministry, the Pharisees, scribes, Herodians, and Sadducees persecuted Him.
Before Christ Jesus' crucifixion He endured illegal trials by both Jews and Romans. False witnesses testified against Him. Before they nailed Christ Jesus to that old rugged cross they scourged Him, spit on Him, slapped Him, and cursed Him. Peter reminds his readers and us ~ For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (1 Peter 2:21-24).
Yes, all manner of evil was heaped on Christ Jesus falsely. The world hated our Lord. He came as God in the flesh, providing for the needs of men, to offer Himself upon the cross, and yet He was despised, rejected, hated, slandered, and crucified. But you shouldn't be surprised by this ~ The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this...I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel." (Genesis 3:14-15).
Christ Jesus took all of this abuse for you, what are you willing to do for Him?
Remember the words I spoke to you: `No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. (John 15:20).
3. Christians Persecuted
“Sacrifice to Caesar or die,” the Roman judge told Polycarp, the aged bishop of Smyrna. His reply was classic: “Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”In the first century, Christians were flung to the lions or burned at the stake. Nero covered some Christians in pitch and set them afire to use as living torches to light his gardens. Many were chased from their homes and lost all that they owned. And these are just a few ways Christians in the 1st - 3rd century were persecuted.
When reading the early accounts of persecution, we are prone to ask, “Does the modern Christian suffer persecution at all?” According to "The New Persecuted." In two millennia of Christian history, about 70 million faithful have given their lives for the faith, and of these, 45.5 million -- fully 65% -- were in the 20th century,
Remember that Persecution comes in many forms not just martyrdom. Although that is persecution to the extreme. Closing churches like China; arresting Christian pastors like Turkey; putting up a fence around a church and it's parking lot like Canada. Trying to force a florist do the flowers for a same sex wedding like Washington State or a baker make a cake for a same sex wedding or transgender coming out in Colorado. These are also forms of persecution.
I remember Kevin once saying in one of our evening Bible Studies, “Some times it harder to live for Christ Jesus than to die for Him.”
Blessed (vs. 10), Blessed (vs. 11), Rejoice (vs. 12)
4. Persecution Equals A Blessing
Christ Jesus spoke of a blessing for those who are persecuted and mistreated for the gospel's sake. The truth is that the world doesn't care for those who seek to serve the Lord. As a Christian you like a moral compass and the world doesn't like that. They don't like being reminded what they are doing is wrong.
You will be left out, ignored, spoken evil of, and even hated because of Christ Jesus. The world does not embrace those who live for the Lord. Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12). It isn't a question of "if," but "when" this persecution will come.
This should really come as no surprise for us. As these persecutions come, we must remember to whom we belong. The world has no problem with those who live according to its desires. Men don't despise those who walk in the same way, but they do; those who go contrary to the grain.
It is hard to endure, but suffering hardship for the Lord should come as a blessing. If the world has a problem with your stand for the Lord, then you have made an impact on their lives. You ought to rejoice that you have lived for the Lord in such a way that someone has noticed.
Individuals and churches that face persecution have been noticed for their devotion to the Lord. I would like to think that I am living close enough to the Lord for someone to notice! Pulpit Pages - Topical Sermons
You may not enjoy the acceptance of the world, but you can expect sweet fellowship with Christ Jesus.
During the Depression years, a lonely Christian who had lost his job, his fortune, his wife, and his home was aimlessly walking the streets. He had continued to live the Christian life even in the face of persecution by his friends. He happened upon some masons who were working on a large church. He was particularly interested in one man who was chiseling on a triangular piece of stone that just did not seem to fit anywhere in the building. When asked about it, the workman replied, “See that little opening way up there near the spire? Well, I’m shaping this down here so that it will fit up there.” Tears filled the man's eyes as he walked away, realizing that his persecution on earth was shaping him for heaven.
Being a Christian does not sound fun, after all who really like persecution? Nobody, that's who. But we endure it for Christ Jesus' sake. And we remember what Philippians 1:21 says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” I pray you find encouragement in these words.
Thanks again for dropping by and sharing in this time of study of God's Word. I pray that God will bless you and yours as you go through the week and I'll see you back here next week Lord willing.
Biblesurfer
1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 21–22). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
2 New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Mt 5:11). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
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