Blessed Are the Persecuted

Introduction

[Open in Prayer]

[Worship Video]

Well, good afternoon!

Welcome to FBC. This is our final lenten lunch of the year…of course, it’s holy week…its the week, we as Christians observe the final moments of Jesus’s life prior to Him being resurrected on that Sunday morning. This week, these events, the cross, the resurrection, they’re the center piece of our Christian faith. Without the cross…without the resurrection, we’d have no reason to be here this morning…we’d have no reason for hope. And so, I hope that you, your family…you just spend some time this week reflecting on the reason we have to celebrate…the grave’s empty, amen? And for that reason, there’s nothing left for us to fear.

Over the past many weeks, we’ve been walking through the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5…and we’ve been looking at ‘em verse by verse…reflecting on what it means for us as believers. And listen, if you’ve been paying attention as we’ve done that…the Beatitudes, its a progression of what our life as believers should look like.

Our new life in Christ, it starts with us being poor in spirit, right? It starts with us recognizing our sin nature and the impacts of our sin…how it’s separated us from God. And listen, that state, it causes us to mourn because of our sin. It’s like what the Israelites did in the Old Testament…when they recognized they sinned and dishonored God, they torn their clothes and put on sack cloths…they put ashes on their heads. They mourned. Of course, when we’re poor in spirit and when we mourn, Christ comforts us…which leads us to begin taking on the character of Christ…we become meek, understanding that our salvation, its through Christ and Christ alone…its understanding that we were dead in our sins and trespasses without Christ, but that He alone became what we couldn’t and He died our death…we’re humbled after we’re comforted.

And listen, as we’re humbled…as we begin to grow in our spiritual walk with Christ, we begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness…we begin to desire the things of God…it causes us to wanna dive into His Word…it causes us to wanna apply God’s Word to our life.

That’s exactly what Paul says to the Ephesians…that was his desire for them…it was for them to grow in their walk…it was for them to desire the things of God. We see that in his prayer in chapter 3…we see him tell them to take off their old clothes and put on their new clothes in chapter 4…he tells them to live lives worthy of the gospel and to imitate Christ in chapter 5…that was the purpose of him bringing up marriage in that same chapter and giving us the armor of God in chapter 6…it was all to give us an example of what it looks like to live like Christ. We should hunger and thirst for that same righteousness as we grow in our walk.

And listen, as we grow, we become merciful and pure in heart…we become peacemakers…why? Because those are all things that embody the person of Jesus. As we grow in our salvation, the Spirit of God, He sanctifies us and as a result, we become more and more like Christ. The Beatitudes, they’re a progression of our salvation.

And so, as we look at this last one this morning, I just wanna challenge you before we get started…can you see that progression in your own salvation? Because that’s what Jesus taught…and that’s what happens in us when we come to Christ.

But listen, if you have your Bibles and I hope that you do, turn with me to Matthew chapter 5…we’re gonna finish up these Beatitudes by looking at verses 10 through 12 this afternoon.

Listen, would you stand with me as we read from the Word of God?

It says this:

Matthew 5:10–12 (ESV)

“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.

Thank you, you can be seated.

Listen, there’s three things I want you to think about as we walk through this passage. Number 1, why is persecution expected as believers? Number 2, how does persecution come to believers? And then finally, what does persecution lead believers to do?

I. Why is Persecution Expected as Believers?

And so, this first question…why is persecution expected as believers? Well, again…the whole idea here…its a progression. At this point, you should be imitating Christ. You should be giving a righteous testimony at this point in your walk. And guys, the world…it’s always stood at odds with the mindset of Christ.

That’s why over and over again, throughout the New Testament…we see this same message.

Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12:

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Jesus says in John 15:20

John 15:20 (ESV)

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

We see it in Acts 14…Matthew 10. We see it all over the place.

First, its expected for you as a believer to live a righteous life…and second, because of that righteous life, you can expect persecution.

And so, the first thing…what is righteousness? Well, righteousness, in its simplest definition…it means the quality of being morally right or justifiable. Well, what’s our guide to morality and what should be justifiable? It’s found in the Word of God, which as the Church, we believe to have been inspired by God…its all true…its all inerrant…its infallible…its without error…and every bit of it’s relevant to our lives and always will be. And so, to be righteous from a Christian point of view, it means we honor God’s Word by learning it and doing it…we hold to its truths.

That’s why Jesus said in John 14:15:

John 14:15 (ESV)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Our obedience…our dependence…our conviction in the Word of God…it demonstrates this righteous life that Jesus is teaching about in Matthew chapter 5.

And the reason, it leads to persecution…its because it’s contrary to the world…it doesn’t teach that you can just believe whatever it is you wanna believe…it doesn’t teach us to just be tolerant and acceptable. It doesn’t teach us to just accept sin in the body of Christ. It’s contrary to the world…and for that reason, the world pushes back on us.

Guys, living a righteous life today…it means we have to speak out against sin. We speak out against homosexuality…we speak out against abortion…we speak out against pornography…we speak out against all sin…we bring light to the darkness, ultimately because we care about God’s glory and those that He made in His image…we hold each other accountable to what we know to be true. Now of course, we do that in a gracious way, right? Because that’s what the gospel’s all about…its about grace and the power of Christ to overcome all sin…its rooted in His love for us. And therefore, we have to demonstrate that same kind of love.

But guys, being righteous…according to the Word of God, it means we’re gonna look a lot different than the world…it means we’re gonna speak different and act different…we gonna care about different things. Our lives, they should be the embodiment of righteousness because of the work Christ is doing in us…and the world’ll notice that.

Our progression it causes us to begin looking like Christ, who was merciful…who was pure in heart.

That’s why Paul writes in Philippians chapter 2:

Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV)

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus was nailed to a cross…ultimately because He looked very different than the world.

Now, praise Jesus that the cross was always God’s plan for our redemption…but don’t lose sight that mankind nailed Him their because they despised righteousness.

Jesus says, first we’ll be made righteous when we come to Him…and second, that they’ll hate us because they first hated Him.

II. How Does Persecution Come?

And then real quickly…the second question…how does persecution come?

Look at verse 11 with me again. It says, “11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

Listen, John Piper said this in teaching through this same passage:

If you cherish chastity, your life will be an attack on people’s love for free sex. If you embrace temperance, your life will be a statement against the love of alcohol. If you pursue self-control, your life will indict excess eating. If you live simply and happily, you will show the folly of luxury. If you walk humbly with your God, you will expose the evil of pride. If you are punctual and thorough in your dealings, you will lay open the inferiority of laziness and negligence. If you speak with compassion, you will throw callousness into sharp relief. If you are earnest, you will make the [shallow look shallow] instead of clever. If you are spiritually minded, you will expose the worldly-mindedness of those around you.

Listen, the point he’s making here…the persecution you receive, it’s determined by how you challenge the world around you. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re burned at the stake. Persecution can come in many forms and fashions.

I mean just read that passage again…what Jesus is teaching, its that the goal in persecution, its to make you irrelevant…its to take your creditability away. They wanna justify their sin…their lifestyle. And so, the persecution you receive its just to bear false witness against you so that you’ve lost your influence. Sometimes, the only way to remove someone’s influence, it is to kill them…like in Jesus’s case…but that’s not always the case.

Understanding that persecution is meant to silence us, it helps us to remain bold for the gospel of Christ.

III. What Does Persecution Lead Believers to Do?

And then finally…what does persecution lead believers to do?

Look at verse 12 again. Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad.”

Guys, that’s an imperative here…its a command. We choose to rejoice and we choose to be glad not because of our circumstances…not because of what’s happening around us…not because of persecution that we might face. We rejoice…we’re glad because we know that no matter what happens…no matter what this world throws our way, Jesus has already won the victory. The tomb’s empty!

They can stone us…they can say awful things…they can even burn us at the stake…but because of Jesus’s testimony to us, we know that grave, it won’t stay occupied for long, amen? Jesus has overcome sin…He’s overcome death…and for that reason…because we belong to Him, for those of us that have repented and believed…we get to share in that same victory. We rejoice today because our reward, its great in heaven! Our reward, it’s eternal life with Jesus…and there’s nothing anyone around us can do to rob us of that great reward. And so, we choose to rejoice no matter what!

Closing

And so listen, as we come to a close…as we finish out these Beatitudes…would you just bow your head and close your eyes with me for just a moment?

I want you to do two things for me.

Number one and most importantly…have you repented and believed in the name of Christ? Paul says in Romans 10:9:

Romans 10:9 (ESV)

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Guys, this righteousness that Jesus is teaching about in Matthew chapter 5…it can’t come from yourself. We’re incapable of this kind of righteousness on our own. In fact, the Bible tells us, that without Jesus, we all fall short of God’s glory…it says that none are righteous…Paul says, “No, not one.” The only way to become righteous, its through Christ and Christ alone…through grace and faith…its not the result of works or anything that you can do.

And so, if you haven’t done that yet…there’s never been a better time to turn from yourself and turn to Jesus…to place your faith and trust in Him.

But listen, if you’re a believer, and you know that beyond a shadow of a doubt…how does your life embody this kind of righteousness we’ve been discussing? Are you loving Jesus by keeping His word? Does your life, is it a testimony of His Word? And because of that, has the world pushed back on you?

Guys, as we approach this Easter season…Resurrection Sunday, maybe as believers we just need to ask Christ to cleanse us and embolden us to live lives worthy of His gospel.

Would you pray with me?

[Prayer]