Blessed Are the Persecuted

Matthew 5:1-12 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

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

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Introduction

Over the course of the last 9 weeks we have been studying the introduction to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and these Beatitudes which we have just read together.

There are a couple of things that stand out about the Beatitudes:

1.) Jesus is concerned with us being happy. Nine times in v.3-12 he says the word blessed, happy. Happier than happy. Then, in V. 12 He tells us to "rejoice (a derivative of the same word blessed) and be exceeding glad (to jump for joy)."

2.) Our idea of happiness and where it comes from is very different than God's idea of happiness and where it comes from. Happiness is found where people normally do not seek it. It is found in being poor in spirit, not in many accomplishments; it is found in mourning over sin, not contentment with one's self; happiness if found in meekness, not a domineering spirit which seeks to elevate itself; it is found in the pursuit of the person of Jesus Christ our Righteousness, not in performing good deeds in our own power; happiness is found in showing the kind of mercy that Jesus shows us, not in being judge, jury, and executioner of all that may offend us. True happiness is found when one has a pure heart, and a pure heart cannot be attained by our own efforts, but by living in complete surrender to the Lord. Happier-than-happy happiness comes from being a peacemaker, by fighting for peace between God and mankind, between people that are at odds with each other, and among a world that is torn by war. These characteristics that produce in us this happier-than-happy kind of happiness can only be developed in us supernaturally through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus directs himself to his followers, because nobody else would be able to experience or keep the teachings of the sermon on the mount i they were not born again.

Last week we studied v.9, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." This is what I personally refer to the last true Beatitude, not because it is the last thing to be discussed in this series of how to be happier than happy, but because it is the last of the character traits of the Christian. What we will get into today will the last in this list, "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake." This is not so much a character trait of a Christian as it is a consequence of following Jesus.

Once again, I bring your attention to the two main points that have stood out in this list of Beatitudes: 1) That Jesus is concerned with our happiness, but 2) that true happiness is never found where we would naturally seek it.

No one would think that true happiness would be found among persecution. No one would think that those that are reviled (taunted and jeered at) or persecuted or lied about would have cause to be happy and much less to jump for joy.

In fact, if a captive that was constantly persecuted for their faith in Christ were to always be joyful, to the point of jumping for joy, their sanity would be questioned.

We would not think that happiness could be found in the depths of persecution, however Jesus says quite the opposite in this verse. It is not something that is preached often anymore, though there was a time when it was, and this teaching needs to be brought back.

Though suffering is not a character trait, it is one of the marks of a follower of Christ. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

This is such a companion of the authentic Christian life that Jesus includes it in a list of character traits brought about supernaturally. The supernatural part of this is that it is not a normal thing to be able to rejoice in times of suffering. In fact, it is not even an easy thing to think about the possibility of going through suffering willingly.

Modern, western Christianity suffers from the curse of marketing. Marketing, the activity of promoting and selling products or services, has been a thing since ancient times. The earliest form of written marketing is from ancient China. It is a from a seller of needles, advertising that they bought only the highest quality of steel rods to manufacture their products. As I said before, modern Christianity seems to plagued by the curse of marketing.

It is presented as a wonderful thing that can only make your life better, easier, and more pain free. It is the source of health, wealth, and success. Few are the times that we hear teaching from the pulpits that to follow Christ is to live a life of suffering. It is presented, it is "sold", in the best light possible.

And you might be thinking, "Well, if people thought they were entering into a life of suffering, they would not convert." And that may be true if it were our job to convince people to get saved, but it is not. Marketing is the attempt to convince consumers to purchase or use a particular product. We are not in the business of attempting to convince anyone to do anything.

We are in the proclamation business. That is it. If we are to think of Christianity as a corporation with its many divisions, we would belong to the proclamation division. There is a whole separate division that is marketing. The Holy Spirit is the one and only person in that division. We need to stay in our lane and do what we are meant to do: tell other people of Jesus Christ. We tell them the truth, all of it. Then, the Holy Spirit has the responsibility of convincing that person.

Too often we think that we can "market" Christianity far more effectively than God can. But do you realize what this attitude is saying? It says, "I, a finite and limited human being, can step in an perform the job of the Holy Spirit, the infinite and Almighty God, better than He could."

I do not think anyone of us would actually voice that statement, but that is the underlying attitude when we think that we need to sugar coat Christianity so that others will believe in Jesus.

The truth of the matter is, however, that in times of persecution, true Christianity has always flourished. One of the reasons that happens is because those being persecuted demonstrate a level of happiness that is beyond all comprehension. It is something that happens supernaturally, a joy that is given by the Lord. A joy that exists for two reasons. 1) They are marked as citizens of the heavenly kingdom. One of the most impactful statements on the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the life and death of the Apostles. Matthew, Peter, Andrew, James, John, James the less, Nathaniel, Philip, Simon, Thomas, and Judas Thaddeus followed Jesus as the Messiah during his earthly ministry. These 11 Apostles witnessed Jesus' arrest, imprisonment, torture, and death. They also witnessed a resurrected Jesus. After having witnessed this, these disciples became willing to spread the news of who Jesus was, the Son of God, God in the flesh, the forgiver of sins, and the savior of the world.

This is not something they made up in their heads. This was not a scheme invented to get rich or to hold influence and power over people. None of the disciples became rich. They all, excluding John, were killed for not recanting the message of Jesus. Some of them had their families killed in front of them in an attempt to convince them to reject the message of Jesus.

You don't do that if you're just playing around. You don't willingly suffer and die for the idea of a lie you have concocted in your head, especially if that doesn't pan out in the riches or power that you thought it would.

And these disciples did not either. They had witnessed a truth so powerful that they could not do anything but live for that truth and die in the defense and propagation of that truth.

Many others, witnessing their willingness to be imprisoned unjustly, accused falsely, tortured, and put to death for their love for Jesus were equally convinced that they had heard truth from these men. They to, for in direct rebellion to governments and earthly powers also converted to a belief in Jesus, and not only a belief in him but also a life dedicated to His service.

There was no "marketing" of Christianity in those times and places. Just like there is no "marketing" for Christianity in nations and regions hostile to the Gospel of Jesus.

How is it marketed now? "Hey, if you will just believe in Jesus, God will adopt you as His child, and you will be happy, healthy, and prosperous. All you have to do is have faith that God wants you to be happy and rich and you will have it. Besides that, you can join a church and network relationships from there that will be beneficial to you and even to your business. People will hold you in a higher level of respect because churches are supposed to be doing charitable work, so if you donate to the church, you are a party to all the charitable work they are doing and can claim it as your own, even though you don't lift a finger to do anything." Church has become something of a country club status. You pay your dues, and you are part of an exclusive membership. And this is the way Christianity has been viewed by many over the past several generations.

And you know what kind of people this viewpoint brings in? Self-serving, fake Christians. "Christians" that are on their way to hell because they have never come to Jesus poor in spirit, they do not mourn over their sin, they aren't meek but self-centered, they have no hunger and thirst for righteousness, they show no mercy, care less about making peace, and inside, their hearts are dead and rotten.

At the first sign of persecution and discomfort they will run to another church or "abandon" Christianity altogether. I use the term "abandon" very loosely, because they never had it in the first place.

But how do you market Christianity in ancient Jerusalem and the land under the Roman empire? How do you market Christianity in Iran and Taliban controlled Afghanistan? "Hey, let me tell you about Jesus, the way the truth and the life, the savior of the world. If you abandon all and follow Him, you will be kicked out of your home. In fact, your family will hold a funeral for you and speak of you as if you had died. The government will imprison you. And all that is only if you are lucky. It could be that the moment that you tell your family, they themselves may kill you."

The Reality of Persecution

To us, persecution for following Jesus may seem like a strange and uncommon thing here in the United States. But listen to what Warren Wiersbe once said,

"There is a brand of Christianity today that seems unlike the kind that Jesus spoke about in the Gospels and that Paul spoke about in the epistles. It is an easygoing, popular kind of religion that is acceptable to the world because it involves no conviction and no cross." He continued to explain that, "Jesus proved that a person could be in the will of God, be greatly loved by God, and still suffer unjustly. There is a shallow brand of popular theology today that claims Christians will not suffer if they are in the will of God. Those who promote such ideas have not meditated much on the cross."

To us, persecution and suffering for righteousness' sake may seem strange, but for Jesus and his disciples it was the norm. For many Christians the world over, it is the norm. The country of China allows its populace to be Christian, but they must attend a church that has been certified by the government. The teachings and doctrines of Christianity are heavily regulated in these churches, with pastors and teachers being forced to interpret and apply the Bible in accordance to the governments wishes.

To study the full truth of the Bible you have to be a part of the underground church, and if you are found out, prison time is what awaits you. Recently, a pastor who was leading missions trips was arrested, and a great part of his social registry was purposefully deleted. After seven years in prison, he no longer was able to get an ID. Without this ID, he can not hold a job, or even get treated at any hospital in the country. He went from being a prisoner in a prison made of walls and bars to a being a prisoner in his own home town, where he has no rights and no privileges.

A friend of mine states this with regularity:

"Perhaps our problem is that what we have as Christians in our day is so 'sub-normal' that it makes normal look abnormal. For most times and in most places throughout church history, persecution has been the norm."

-Tyler Gillit

In Matthew chapter 16 Jesus states very clearly, "If any man comes after me, let him take up his cross..." He was not meaning to get a cross tattooed on your arm, to wear a cross necklace and earrings, or to hang decorative crosses on your walls at home. No, in those days, the cross was not a symbol of a religious belief. It was not a nice decorative piece in your home. It was a symbol of a very violent death. To wear a cross necklace back then would have been akin to wearing a necklace of an electric chair or guillotine today. It was a symbol for capital punishment.

So when Jesus tells those that are current and hopeful disciples that they must take up their cross if they wish to follow him, He is clearly telling them that they will suffer and very possibly die for following after his footsteps.

It was not just a message for them, however. It was not just a message for the New Testament believers to come. The message of "take up your cross" is a message for every believer in every place of every time period - ever.

"Normal," New Testament Christianity involves seasons of trial, suffering, opposition, and persecution for the cause of Christ and for living righteously in Him. If we are not having those seasons in our lives, then what we have is sub-normal.

If we are going to truly live for Christ, then we must be prepared to pay the price. And part of that price is suffering.

Live righteously at your job, represent Jesus openly, and eventually you will pay this price. Live righteously and represent Christ with your unbelieving friends, and you will pay this this price.

Kids and teens, if you're saved and you know Jesus as your personal savior, you should live righteously at your school. If you decide that you are going to not take part in ungodly conversations, you're not going to participate in ungodly activities, you are going to have a thankful attitude toward things, and you are going to show mercy to the undeserving, grace to abandoned, love to those that are left out, guess what? You will eventually pay this price too. And you need to be prepared for it, and parents you need to be prepared to be an encouragement when they get home and an encouragement when you drop them off at school.

Don't be surprised that you get excluded from family events when you want to live a godly life and refuse to participate in ungodly things.

The Reasons for Persecution

Let's look at what the reasons the Bible gives for persecution.

Matthew 5:10-11 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

For Righteousness' Sake - this means that we are persecuted for living a life Christ wants us to live through Christ. Galatians 2:20 Remember that none of these Beatitudes are performed or achieved of our own willpower. They all come supernaturally and are a result of surrendering our lives to the Holy Spirit. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

We must expect persecution to come when we surrender to living life the way Jesus wants us to live it, and living it in the power of the Spirit that indwells us.

For Christ's Sake - Mathew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. For Christ's sake means for the sake of lifting up the name of Jesus. Peter wrote about persecution in his letter to the saints in 1 Peter 4. Notice in these verses how he mentions persecutions because of the name of Christ.

1 Peter 4:12-16 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Notice here that he is establishing persecution and trials as the norm for Christianity. "Think it not strange."

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings (wow! Kind of sounds like he was present at the Sermon on the Mount!); that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye (notice how he doesn't say 'you should be happy,' but instead says ' you are happy.' HOW?! Well, we have been studying it throughout the Beatitudes: this is characteristic of the Christian. It is supernaturally characteristic of believers to be happy when persecution and trials arise for following Jesus and lifting His name.); for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Notice verse 15 clarifies that we do not rejoice if we are suffering justly - for sins that we have committed. Don't go 95MPH in a 60MPH zone, and then tell people that you are rejoicing in the persecution of having an enormous ticket to pay. That is not persecution for living godly or for lifting Jesus' name!

The Types of Persecution

Not all persecution is the same. Not every Christian is killed for his belief in Christ, but there are different types of persecution that can and will come into the disciples' lives. Thomas Watson, a Puritan writer who lived in the 17th century classified the different types of persecution in this manner: Persecution of the hand and persecution of the tongue.

Persecution of the Hand - These are physical persecutions, whether they be imprisonments, physical punishments, or executions.

Persecutions of the Tongue - These we see these types of persecutions enumerated in Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

A. Revilings. Psalm 55 tells us clearly that words can be as "drawn swords." "A good name," says Ecclesiastes, "is as a precious (expensive) ointment (perfume)." But you can kill a man or damage a man as much in reputation as you can physically. Christians often endure mocking and misinterpreted intentions. Hebrews 2:36 reveals that Christians of the New Testament were often subject to "trials of cruel mockings." You want to live a life that is godly at work and at school? Prepare to be mocked.

Almost daily during basic training I had another recruit that was there with me mock me for being a Christian and tell me that the first chance he got, he was going to take my Bible and burn it. Be ready for some persecution of the tongue when you decide to live for Christ.

B. Slanders. "...and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." Paul was accused of preaching that men should do evil things in order that good might come of it; Jesus Himself was accused of casting out devils in the power of Satan; the primitive Christians (Christians of the first century) were accused before the crowds in the coliseum of murdering their own children. Do not be surprised when intentions are misrepresented on purpose by others who do not love Jesus like His disciples do. Do not be surprised when you are lied about and slandered because someone hates that you live for Christ and not for the system of this world.

Our Response to Persecution

Happier-than-happy happiness!

We Do Not Retreat, We Reign - Matthew 5:10 tells us we are happy in this way knowing that we reign with Christ "for ours IS the kingdom of heaven." Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Theirs" means "belonging to them." We will reign alongside Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven one day when it is established physically, but currently, we are coheir with him and we are children of the Almighty, brothers and sister to the King of Kings; we are heavenly royalty and are, according to the book of Ephesians, already seated with Christ in heavenly places. Despite whatever persecution arises, we reign with Jesus.

Chrysostom was a great church father born in the 4th century. He was summoned before the Roman Emperor Arcadius and was told to stop proclaiming Jesus or he would be banished, Chrysostom replied, "Sire, you cannot banish me, for the world is my Father's house."

So the emperor said, "Fine, I will slay you." To which Chrysostom replied, "Nay, you cannot. For my life is hid with Christ in God."

So the angry response from the emperor came back, "You treasures will be taken!" And again, Chrysostom responded, "But sire, my treasures are in heaven where none can break through and steal."

Finally the emperor said, "Then I will drive you from men and you will have no friend left." And Chrysostom responded, "That you cannot do either, for I have a friend in heaven who has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'"

This is an example of a man who reigned in persecution. What do we do in persecution? We don't retreat, we reign.

We Rejoice - Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Why do we rejoice?

A. Because it provides us an opportunity for greater intimacy with Christ. Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

B. Because it provides opportunities for increase identification with Christ (being made conformable unto his death.)

C. Because it provides opportunities to show God's love and mercy. Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

The Rewards of Persecution

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

The reward of Heaven!

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Notice how he refers to his affliction: light affliction. He had been stoned and left for dead and had suffered many beatings and imprisonments among other things for the cause of Christ. Yet when he compared it to the blessing and the joy that he would have in heaven, it became to him a light affliction.

And I guarantee you like Paul guaranteed the church at Corinth that when you stand before God you will be glad, you will rejoice because you endured whatever persecution you got from your boss, you coworkers, your fellow students, your friends, or your family because you chose to live for Christ and not back down.

Young person, if you live for Christ at your school and are different, you may not be voted the most popular. You may not be the homecoming king or queen. But you will have the approval of the only one that matters, and you will stand before God who will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," for having boldly declared the name of Jesus in your school.

Church, if we continue in this vain of preaching this Bible exactly like it is, we may not ever become the most popular church in town. We may never get the approval of the high and mighty of Cedar Rapids. If the country continues in the direction that it is going and the Lord tarries his coming, we may run afoul of future laws and ordinances. If persecution does come, it will probably come first to churches like ours that refuse to change the message of the Bible and of the Gospel. We may suffer slanders and mockings. This church may never see mega church numbers or finances, but we will have the approval of the Head of this church, Jesus Christ. And when we meet Jesus and stand before God in heaven, he will have much to say about how this body was not afraid to boldly declare his son's name. He will receive the glory for all that was done here, and our reward will be in heaven.

God's approval is worth more than man's.

I'll close with this before the invitation.

A story is told of a concert violinist that played at a concert hall. Throughout his performance, the crowd was mesmerized with his talent. He played beautifully and when he arrived at the end of his set, he stood and took a bow as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. He walked off stage, and the crowd continued their standing ovation.

Backstage, the people encouraged the violinist to go back out. "They won't sit down," they said. "They want an encore. Go play something else." With his head bowed and his eyes watering, the violinist refused.

"Why?! Everyone loved you!"

"No, they don't," came the violinist's reply.

"But of course they do!"

The violinist opened the curtain a bit and pointed out an old man sitting in a corner, his face expressionless. He was the only one seated, the only one not clapping, and the only one not smiling.

"Who cares," the backstage crew said. "It is one man out of hundreds. Everyone loved your performance; go out there and give an encore."

"You don't understand," the violinist said. "That man is my teacher, and if he isn't pleased, neither am I."

It matters not how many people are pleased with your "performance" in life, in school, or anywhere else. If Jesus is not satisfied, it was all for nothing.

And if you please Jesus, it doesn't matter who is displeased with you.

Invitation

24MAR24@GNBC