Peacemakers and Persecuted

Good morning, welcome to NHCC. Please open your Bibles to Matthew 5.

Good Friday service- 7 PM at Full Gospel.

Next week- Easter- Who might you invite?

Read Matthew 5:1–12- “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”

Pray.

Progression continues.

1. Making peace in a world of strife.

Passively and Actively making peace.

Passively a peacemaker- Means we are peaceable.

The need for peace within.

Titus 3:3- “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”

Meant to have a peace within; as Jesus calmed the storm, we see that He does the same with our lives.

Think of the end of the sermon on the mount- Building a house on the rock or the sand.

Actively a peacemaker- Means we seek to make peace.

Inner peace is meant to be shared.

What we experience in our own hearts ought to be shared with others.

Instead of Christianity being shared as a lists of don’ts, we share the goodness of what it is that we have.

Peace with God is to be spread.

Go and make disciples, no matter the cost.

Pursuing peace practically.

Silence yourself.

James 1:19- “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…”

Often ignore peace because we want to be heard.

View all situations in light of the gospel.

How does the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ shape my response to this situation?

How does faith in Jesus and the grace of God shape my response to this situation?

Go out of your way to find a means for making peace.

So often give up without really trying.

Becoming sons and daughters of God.

Joke in our home- That’s your son. That’s your daughter.

What we mean- that child is behaving just like you.

In making peace, both passively and actively, we reflect the character of God.

Hebrews 13:20- “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant…”

Colossians 1:19–20- “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

2. The natural world rejects the blessed life.

We have had the blessed life laid out for us by Jesus. Now, we come at last to the reaction that will come to such a life.

Blessed are those who are persecuted. Blessed are those who are reviled. Blessed are those who are slandered.

This is the natural response to a life that grows in these beatitudes.

Who is it that will received God’s blessing here?

What is the promise not saying?

Does not say- Blessed are those who are persecuted for the various situations they have gotten themselves into.

We often get ourselves into a mess through careless behavior, and face a backlash because of it, and then consider it suffering or persecution.

1 Peter 4:15- “But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler.”

Does not say- Blessed are those who are persecuted for living a nice life.

In fact, a nice life is typically accepted and accommodated in a world that rejects the gospel.

This is the case because people look at a nice life, a kind life, and recognize that it is within their realm of possibility.

The world sees nice and kind people as similar to itself, so it typically accepts such behavior.

Instead- Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for the sake of Jesus.

When a person lives the life that Jesus lived, then persecution comes.

This is the life defined by the beatitudes- the life of righteousness, the very life of Jesus Himself.

And such a life is rejected by the natural world because this life cannot be imitated.

Think of the opposition of the religious leaders to Jesus- Part of such opposition was that Jesus’ righteousness and authority made the righteousness and authority of the religious leaders look counterfeit.

Thus, we find in the NT that life in Christ is ridiculed and persecuted by a world that rejects the gospel.

2 Timothy 3:12- “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…”

John 15:18–19- “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

When we live as Jesus lived, when we walk in the footsteps of the prophets before Jesus’ earthly life, we find the opposition of the world.

In fact, not only the world, but we also find the opposition of nominal Christianity.

“That’s going too far.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones- “If you try to imitate Christ the world will praise you; if you become Christlike it will hate you.”

3. The necessary fuel for the blessed life.

How is any of this possible?

You will look at all of these beatitudes and believe that none of it is possible. You are correct.

Mark 10:26–27- “And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’”

These beatitudes are impossible for one who is not in Christ.

Consider the opposition you will face.

From the world, sometimes from the Church, even from yourself.

Trust God.

Faith is at the root of the entirety of the beatitudes.

Hebrews 12:1–3- “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”

Armageddon movie- Drilling to destroy an asteroid.

Harry Stamper (aka Bruce Willis) saying dryly: "I don't think this thing likes us." To which Chick (Will Patton) replies: "That's because it knows we're here to kill it."

The Beatitudes show the type of life we are meant to live. In the eyes of the world, and often in the eyes of self, it’s a low life.

Meekness, mercy, peace. Putting away self, seeking the good of others and the glory of God.

Such a person drives herself into the dirt, constantly, regardless of the opposition.

And the world opposes, because in some ways, what we are doing is seeking to put an end to the world as we have known it.

God’s Kingdom advances through the redemption of this earth.