Matthew 5:10-12
Notes
Transcript
Blessed are the Persecuted
Blessed are the Persecuted
Here we come to the culmination of the Beatitudes. They all make a great climax in these last 3 verses 10-12. And tonight we will discuss verse 10 and really dive into what this says to us.
One of the Ultimate Paradoxes
One of the Ultimate Paradoxes
When you read these words at first glance, you’d say to yourself - “You can’t be serious!” I’m supposed to be happy about being persecuted?!?!” Are you kidding me? How is that even possible? I’m being persecuted and I’m supposed to be blessed for it?
One of the troubles I have when it comes to studying the Bible isn’t to comprehend something that is difficult, it is obeying what I understand already. And this is a prime example, it is something that we already understand to be true - it’s just a fact of obeying it.
Why persecution at the end of the Beatitudes?
Why persecution at the end of the Beatitudes?
You might look at this and read the first 7 Beatitudes and go - “Well - If I’m living all these other Beatitudes, if I’m poor in spirit, and I’m mourning over my sin, and if I’m meek, and if I’m hungering for righteousness, and I’m showing mercy, and I’m pure in heart, and I’m a peacemaker - THEN SURELY THINGS WILL GO WELL FOR ME! Right?!?
Surely if we do all these things right God will give us a safe and easy passage in this life on our way to Eternity right?
Wrong.
When I think of one of the greatest examples in the Bible apart from Christ for Godly living I think of Paul. Paul wrote the majority of the New Testament apart from the Gospels.
Did Paul live an easy, comfort filled life?
Let’s read about it.
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
So, this great and Godly man that we revere so highly faced a ridiculous amount of persecution!
He wasn’t above the persecution because of his lifestyle!
In fact, his lifestyle brought on the persecution!
If you live a life that displays these Beatitude characteristics - YOU WILL BE PERSECUTED!
The lesson here is to remember that we are not guaranteed an easy comfortable life.
Being persecuted is a part of living a devoted Christian life.
So - the question I asked myself and you need to ask yourself - “Are you being persecuted?”
Are you?
Listen - if you or I are not being persecuted at some point in our normal routine - then we are not living like we should.
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Isn’t that a telling verse? ALL who desire to live a godly life WILL BE PERSECUTED!
A devoted Christian should be so DIFFERENT than the world, that it is extremely obvious that they are unique.
Swimming upstream in a dirty culture
Swimming upstream in a dirty culture
A devoted Christian is constantly swimming upstream against the corruption of the world and the flesh and the devil. If you are living a devoted Christian life, you will be constantly going against the grain. You will be swimming constantly upstream in a world that is polluted with sin.
Do we as Christians feel like we are swimming upstream constantly? Are our values and our lifestyle so different than our non-believing neighbors?
So, we’ve made it clear that if we are living a radically different Christian life - we WILL be persecuted. It will come. And we should expect it.
Why are we being persecuted?
Why are we being persecuted?
Look at what it says - “for righteousness sake”. We are persecuted as Christians “for righteousness sake”.
Listen to this quote that I read by Warren Wiersbe.
“The world has no problem accepting and following a religious leader who permits them to stay in their sins; but they will crucify the man who dares to point them to a narrow gate that leads to a narrow way.”
Isn’t that true today? The health, wealth, and prosperity gospel preachers today that you see on TV are so popular because they are NOT CONFRONTING SIN.
The world is ok with someone that says to them that their life is ok as long as they add in a few prayers here and a few church services there - BUT when you start telling them they must repent of their sin and turn from it - it’s a whole different story!
The world doesn’t want to hear that they are sinful. They want to be coddled and have their itching ears satisfied.
So, I can tell you very plainly we are a church that is blessed with a Pastor that isn’t afraid to confront sin. He isn’t afraid to confront the sins of the people that are walking counter to God’s truth!
So, in short - the Christian is persecuted because they are living like God asks them to.
They are persecuted because they are living in opposition to the way the world lives.
Define Persecution
Define Persecution
What is this persecution that is being referred to here?
Church history of persecution.
Nero & the church
Current China
Persecution looks a little different than this in America today, but it is prevalent no less. We see persecution of Christians today in America but it comes in different forms.
Persecution today takes place in schools, in the workplace, on college campuses, in the political realm.
There is no area of your life that is safe from persecution if you are living a Beatitude kind of life.
Listen to 1 Peter 1:12-16 about persecution.
What do we learn from these verses?
Don’t be surprised when suffering and persecution comes.
You are sharing in Christ’s suffering for YOU.
Persecution is never caused by your sin.
Don’t confuse punishment with persecution. Good men punish us for doing bad things. Bad men persecute us for doing good things. Big difference there that we can’t afford to get it wrong.
God will give you the ability to glorify Him in your persecution. That is ultimately His goal in your persecution that He will get the glory.
Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of Heaven