Sermon Tone Analysis

Persecution for Righteousness Sake

 

Matt.

5:10 Blessed /are/ they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

[1]

 

The first eight beatitudes including this one are to “they” not to you.

Is it a corporate issue?

Such as the whole congregation.

Even if it is, the whole congregation, each individual must be participating for the

 

ministry to be effective

 

*Also,* we must realize that whenever God comes to us in an instructive way individually in our lives and we refuse to walk in what he is showing us, it not only hurts us, but it hurts our family, our friends, the church congregation and the community that you live in.

Remember Adam and David.

*We must* realize now and from now on that no matter how large or how great we *seem* to become, we will always be poor without the life of Christ.

We will always need to mourn, to be meek, to hunger and thirst, to be merciful, to have a pureness of motive and to be peacemakers, realizing that we may be lambasted from both sides, and accepting persecution gladly and peacefully.

The extremely hard thing to accept will be that one or both sides in a dispute may not understand what you are trying to accomplish and will make you out to be the bad guy.

Matt 5,44   Romans 12,14  We all have to be of the same mind in this area, as a congregation, to do right with the right Spirit and to suffer wrong with the right spirit for the sake of the Gospel, without murmuring or complaining.

How does this follow the progress of the other beatitudes?

First of all if you will remember, when we begin to be peacemakers, if we are not careful and even if we are careful, we are likely to end up with some persecution because of our right stand, with the right attitude, or right spirit.

Then if we are walking this way consistently people will begin to notice that you do not walk in the same excess of riot as they do or the same excess of control as they do and they will begin to mock you and make fun of you.

God has never intimidated anyone.

This also is a form of persecution.

Persecute--- *to systematically* organize a program to oppress and harass people—‘to persecute, to harass, persecution.’9[2]

Persecution can be for many reasons other than righteousness, for political reasons, for class warfare, for race or for just being different.

While all these are very real and very hurtful, they are not what are blessed in God’s eyes.

Also we must realize that our opponent does not give up easily nor does he tire easily.

One thing we must realize is that he has a better grasp and view of the eternal consequences than we do, and he knows that every minute of every day counts.

Are you willing to devote your entire life in this direction?

This persecution will be systematic (formed with a regular consistency and connection of parts, or in this case situations, to each other).

Every persecution will be brought about with the previous one and the next one in order for the express purpose of wearing out the saints or in getting them to quit and not persevere in the righteousness they are walking in.

They will be disguised in many ways, such as he\she said something about me, or they never ask me to help, or I’m just a nobody.

All of these are types of persecution, only they are the mental persecutions that cause us to get worn down.

So be careful when you get some relief, don’t let your guard down, and don’t get complacent.

It is usually when we have a time of rest from the battle that we get into more trouble.

Another issue here is you will be persecuted for doing what is right, not only for what we do wrong.

That is always harder to withstand then the other, especially with the right attitude and the right motive.

People will not understand you, they will think you are meddling, (maybe you are, but maybe you are not), or that you are nosey, or gossiping, when all along you are just trying to be helpful.

The second issue in this point is when it is other Christians who are doing the persecuting.

It will go like this; you are being too strict or to legalistic on the one side or you are being too worldly and to earthly minded on the other side.

This is extremely hard to bear and will cause all kinds of mental turmoil.

That is why it is so important that you study the scripture and become settled in your own mind.

Are there issues you are not certain of, then study them and ask God to open your understanding and grant you peace in that area.

What about women’s dress?

Have you studied God’s word or have you made your decision based on the desires of your heart?

If your decision is based on the Word of God then you will not be troubled when others interpretations disagree with you, because you will be anchored in what God has shown you.

Really there are two issues with the dress as I see it and that is modesty and differentiation.

Now if you noticed I said “as I see it” not this is what you should believe.

What is of utmost importance in being able to withstand the persecution, is to have a sure word that you can stand on so you won’t be blown about with every wind of doctrine.

It does not say every doctrine, but every wind of doctrine.

You must have searched it out and have asked the Holy Spirit to illuminate it to you.

Also remember that if your attitude, motive and spirit are correct than it will be a happy time.

Also one other issue is John 3.20 Every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved.

Acts 22.7 The world does not hate you but me it hateth, because I testify of it that its works are evil.

As we grow in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, our lives will more and more testify of the evil deeds of this world, sometimes without our having to say a word.

1 Cor 4:12, 2 Cor 4:9,    Finally we should also realize that the persecutions of today are for the benefits of those around us and those that follow us.

Our success or our failure will have direct effects on them.

We have the historical record to support our view.

Prior physical persecutions led to future freedoms.

The religious persecution of the Dark Ages led eventually to the founding of the USA for the free exercise of Christianity.

Jeremiah 22:3 (KJV)

2 Tim 3:12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Righteousness Sake

Now let’s look at righteousness for a short time.

Righteousness---Purity of life and Rectitude (Conformity of mind and life to the truth or right) of life

What is truth?

This is the main issue you will have to have settled in your belief and that  is this Bible the truth?

Can I trust it?

Or do I trust the Da Vinci Code?

Phil.

1:15-18  However Christ is preached.

Anything that brings it up whether controversy or otherwise gives us the opportunity to speak of Christ.

JER.22,3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

[3]

 

Deuteronomy 24:13 (KJV)

13 In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.

[4]

*godliness*—“piety.”

/Righteousness/ is more in relation to our fellow man; /piety/ (“godliness”) to God”; /faith/ is the root of both (see on Tit 2:12).[5]

Why does it take faith for piety towards God?

Is not to believe what He has promised

 

What about our fellow man?

He is not as dependable as God; we never know what a man may do.

What if we act right, but the man takes advantage of us?

It takes faith to believe that it will

 work out no matter what the results are.

Besides, who is our faith in, the man or the God who made the man?

1 Tim 6:11 The virtues and noble qualities set before Timothy are not just heaped haphazardly together.

There is an order in them.

First, there comes /righteousness, //dikaiosune/.

This is defined as “giving both to men and to God their due.”

It is the most comprehensive of the virtues; the righteous man is he who does his duty to God and to his fellow-men.

What is our duty to God? Obey his Commandments.

What are his commandments?

Love our neighbor!

It does not say our Christian neighbor or our fairly righteous neighbor,

Second, there comes a group of three virtues which look towards God.

/Godliness, //eusebeia/, is the reverence of the man who never ceases to be aware that all life is lived in the presence of God.

/Faith, //pistis/, here means /fidelity/, and is the virtue of the man who, through all the chances and the changes of life, down even to the gates of death, is loyal to God. /Love, //agapē/, is the virtue of the man who, even if he tried, could not forget what God has done for him nor the love of God to men.[6]

 *11–12.*

*But,* in striking contrast, the man of God should *flee, follow,* and *fight.

Flee* is in the Greek present imperative and denotes a continuous action.

The temptation for riches is ever present and Timothy was to constantly run from this desire.

Instead he was to *follow* (Gr /diōkō/) or “to run” after *righteousness.*

This is not the imputed righteousness which every believer has by faith (Rom 10:1–9), but is personal and practical righteous living which brings usefulness and rewards.

Not defeated by the snares which he flees, but clothed with this fruit of the Spirit (righteousness, godliness, faith, etc.) he is to *Fight the good fight of faith.*

The word *Fight* (Gr /agōnizomai/) is an athletic term meaning “to engage in a contest.”