The Good Life - Becoming Invincible When Misunderstood

Our Theme for 2025 is “Live Like Jesus”

It comes out of a simple desire to follow Jesus - and to learn better what that means.

We are spending the entire year in the Gospel of Matthew.

We began with a short portion of scripture that summarizes Matthews gospel - The sermon on the Mount - and specifically the beatitudes.

Matthew five through seven contains a text referred to as the sermon on the mount and the first twelve verses are called the beatitudes.

Jesus opens his sermon on the mount with eight statements about “the good life”, but the good life is not what you think.

The last statement is repeated three times.

Remember what we say about repetition in the Bible?- Emphasis!

Remember we said that the beatitudes are a kind of “spiritual alignment.”

Live like Jesus means aligning our minds, hearts and actions with His.

So how about a little quiz to take inventory of our alignment?

Note the seven statements on your insert and give yourself a score from A-D on each of them.

So let’s review the first seven statements:

Matthew 5:1–3 ESV

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to 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.

You can live the good life and live with in your means.

Because wealth, power and influence according to the material world’s standards are not ultimately what is important.

There is a spiritual reality and an eternal Kingdom which operates entirely on another currency.

How are you doing in the area of contentment and keeping a heavenly perspective?

Matthew 5:4 ESV

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

You also have to give yourself permission to feel.

The world tells us to hide our feelings or suppress them, because negative emotions only get us into trouble.

Jesus tells us to express our pain openly but appropriately and move through our grief.

The best way to deal with negative emotions is to share them with someone who cares and preferably someone who has been there and truly understands.

So how are you doing with your own self-awareness and emotional expression?

Matthew 5:5 ESV

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Realize that you have nothing to prove.

Following Jesus is not about just trying harder to be the right kind of person.

Jesus says that the meek, the people you probably never notice, are going to be the ones left standing when all is said and done.

It’s like the tortoise and the hare, slow and stead wins the race.

The point is that the meek, in their hearts, are settled on the promises of God and so they eventually also receive those promises.

How are you at balancing humility with confidence? Are you focused?

Matthew 5:6 ESV

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Learn to desire the right things.

Remember how we talked about our desires - what to you want and what do you love?

Whatever you want - what you desire and what you think will fulfill you - that is how you define “the good life.”

If we begin to think about what God wants, and if we begin to desire the things that God wants, then not only does God get what He wants, but we are fulfilled as well.

So how’s your love life? With God, I mean! Is what you really want consistent with what you say you want?

Matthew 5:7 ESV

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Let yourself really care about people.

Mercy is about showing appropriate care to our fellow human beings.

Mercy, really caring, is what God gives to us, and it is because of His mercy that we can really care for others.

It can sometimes hurt when we really care - we have to resolve to care anyway.

How are you doing with that? Are you moved with empathy and compassion?

Matthew 5:8 ESV

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

God wants to restore our innocence so we can know Him.

We are talking about the purity of our inner life - having our thoughts and intentions cleansed- so that we can perceive the Divine.

The more we learn about God’s holiness, the more we realize that we can’t do it on our own.

That is why Jesus met the requirement for us and then we spend our lives letting the Holy Spirit make us into the people that God says we are.

So where are you in that process? Have you even begun? Are you seeing more of God daily?

Matthew 5:9 ESV

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Be a reconciler.

God wants you to join in His mission - reconciling the world to Himself - and that we would find our identity in that purpose.

The good life is found in actively participating in God's work of reconciliation, which reflects His character and brings peace to a broken world.

Are you moving closer to God and to others? I realize that all of us have broken relationships. I’m just asking if you are doing what you can to work toward restoration?

The Eight Beatitude

So there you have the first seven statements of the beatitudes!

We are doing our questions for reflection at the beginning of the sermon instead of at the end.

How are you doing when measured by this standard?

Is your life aligned with Jesus?

Do you have mostly B’s & C’s or maybe even some D’s?

You are learning to live like Jesus!

If you are living your life to be more like Jesus, you then have another problem.

You are not like most of the people around you.

The world expects you to live for yourself, not like Jesus.

And even most Christians, who claim to be followers of Jesus, merely give lip service to these principles - it’s like nobody expects you to actually do them!

Live your life unselfishly, looking to God for your approval and not caring what people think, but genuinely caring about them anyway.

I mean, who does that! Oh, Jesus does.

The last statement of the beatitudes anticipates the reaction you will get when you pay attention to the first seven.

Some people are going to feel threatened when you live differently than they do.

Add to that the spiritual conflict that is at the heart of Jesus ministry and mission.

The devil doesn’t seem to mind you saying that you are a follower of Jesus, but he definitely doesn’t want you acting like it!

When you truly begin to live like Jesus, you are going to get some serious push back.

Matthew 5:10–12 ESV

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Three verses make the final statement.

You need to persevere through the pressure.

Put the opposition in perspective.

And turn what would otherwise be a negative into a positive.

That makes you invincible!

Sure, you are still greatly misunderstood, but so was Jesus.

Persevering through the pressure.

So you are blessed when you are persecuted.

How is that “the good life?”

The Greek word for persecution means to be “chased, hunted or pursued”.

It essentially means to flee people who want to do you harm.

It occurs three times in these three verses.

The idea is that this is really the point of Jesus’ message and not a side note or something that is unlikely to happen.

And also notice that the second part of the statement- “yours is the Kingdom of heaven” - is the same promise that is given in the first beatitude statement.

Not only is this last statement given special emphasis, but it also serves as a “bookend” to the first one.

You could say that it completes the package.

Persecution, resistance or pressure from the world doesn’t mean you are doing something wrong - it probably means you are doing it right!

My first job, besides working on the farm for my own family, was one summer during high school I worked for Monsey Corp. in Kimberton helping out on the loading docks. I learned how to punch a clock, drive a forklift and navigate relationships with a wide variety of co-workers, including some pretty rough characters. But I did my job diligently and the boss liked me.

You would think that meant that I got along with everyone. Not at all! I got harassed all day long by certain co-workers who would make fun of me and get others to make fun of me as well. Do you know why? Precisely because the boss liked me and I worked diligently. And It made them look bad!

Sometimes doing the right thing will get you persecuted, especially when you are going against what everyone else is doing.

Jesus warned us about this.

Persecution identifies you with Jesus.

John 15:18–19 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 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.

I said last week that “Peacemaking in this world can never be passive because of the larger spiritual battle in which we all must definitely take a side.”

Jesus said that when you identify with Him, you are taking a side in this spiritual battle.

Most of the world has either sided with the enemy or is complicit out of ignorance.

Choosing to follow Jesus Christ makes you a target.

Actually doing what Jesus said to do, makes you an even bigger target.

Jesus is not telling us about persecution so that we will avoid it.

He is telling us so that we will be prepared and successfully engage in battle.

1 Peter 5:8–9 ESV

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

What is more, when you are persecuted for being a follower of Christ, you have something in common with many of the world’s finest people.

I am talking about Christians from Asia to North Africa and the Middle East who risk their lives every day, not only to live for Christ, but they continue to share Christ even under hostile circumstances.

I’m talking about people like Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Deitrick Bonhoeffer - people who stood for what was right in the face of great opposition.

Peter, Paul and virtually all of Jesus disciples were martyred for their faith - only John died a natural death and that is because God miraculously preserved him every time they tried to kill him.

In the early church, giving your life as a martyr was the ultimate proof that you were indeed a follower of Christ.

Many Christians prayed that they might be considered worthy of this experience.

It is not that they loved being persecuted - they loved Jesus so much that they wanted to be like him.

Persecution is opposition to Christ’s mission.

Matthew 10:16 ESV

16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Matthew 10:22 ESV

22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

When Jesus sent out his disciples and commissioned them to do His ministry, he warned them that persecution would come in direct opposition to His mission.

What we are involved in is a clash of kingdoms.

It is life vs. death.

It is light vs. darkness.

It is good vs. evil.

It is the kingdom of God vs. satan and his hordes.

By choosing to follow Christ, you have taken a side in this battle.

A lot of Christians come to Christ because they think that God is going to make their life better - and they are not wrong.

But they don’t take into account that when they thought they were serving themselves, they actually served another master.

They didn’t know that their decision was really a declaration of war.

But don’t worry, you have chosen the right side.

1 John 4:4 NLT

4 But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

If the thought of spiritual warfare intimidates you or makes you afraid, I would invite you to put your life and choices in perspective.

Putting the opposition in perspective.

Matthew 5:11 NLT

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

Nobody likes to be mocked, harassed or caused to suffer, so why would Jesus say that you are blessed to have endured it?

The key to enduring hardship is not to focus on the pain, but to stick to your principles.

If suffering is the object of your attention, you will of course, avoid it.

But if something else is the object of your attention, you will go through anything to get it.

Even for the early church, persecution was not the goal, although for modern readers looking back it may sure seem that way.

The goal was to be like Christ, to transcend this world and its corruption, and to be like Christ - an indestructible resurrected being.

We are not looking for a fight, but we will do what we have to do when we know what we are fighting for.

Focus on what is good.

2 Timothy 3:12–15 ESV

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Paul reminds Timothy to keep his focus despite persecution.

Remember what you were taught and the people who taught you.

Remember the joy of being saved.

Remember how the truth of the gospel impacted you.

Remember how impressed you were with the godly people that are in your life and you they lived lives that demonstrate God’s wisdom.

Remember what it is like to be in awe of God, even as a child.

Remember what convinced you that God’s way is best.

Remember realizing that you are truly and deeply loved by God.

The point is to remember the goodness of God and let that be your motivation.

Even Jesus did this while he endured the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 ESV

2 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.

Persecution is hard - nobody is saying you need to like it.

But you can endure it when you are focused on the goodness of God and persecution is just opposition you need to get through on your journey with God.

Remember what is true.

John 3:19–20 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

Sometimes when life is hard, it is hard to see the goodness of God.

It may be more helpful to get perspective by thinking in terms of what you know to be true.

Remember that we only know goodness because of God.

We might be tempted to think that “good” is what feels good or what is good for us.

But we are not the center of our own universe - He is!

Life, light, goodness and truth all find their source in Him.

Remember that there is a spiritual rebellion happening and that is responsible for the fall of mankind and the sinful nature.

Nobody talks about sin anymore.

Nobody wants to admit that sometimes we want what is evil.

When you start to call things “right” or “wrong,” that’s just looking for trouble!

No, that is looking for truth.

We believe that there will come a day when God will judge the world.

Everything is eventually going to be exposed.

We want to be bringing ourselves into the light, so we can deal with whatever is there, before it gets exposed.

If you do that, you don’t have to be afraid of what anyone else says about you.

If they find any dirt on you, they’re just doing you a favor, because you were looking to get rid of that anyway.

We are not trying to create our own reality, so there is no reason to hide from the truth.

God is truth.

We want to know truth so we can know God better.

That is how you turn things around.

Turning a negative into a positive.

We started with eight statements of Jesus that tell us how to live like Jesus.

These eight statements each begin with “blessed” the beatitudes - this is how you live “the good life.”

But the good life is not at all what most people expect it to be.

In fact, it is exactly the opposite of what most of the world is thinking or doing.

We are now on the eighth statement which, paraphrased, would say “The good life is when you are doing all of these things right to the point where people think you are doing it wrong.”

In other words, if you want to live like Jesus, you are going to be misunderstood.

He was, why shouldn’t you be!

If you can just understand and put into perspective what everyone else has misunderstood, it will make you invincible for whatever happens next.

First of all, you don’t need their approval - you have God’s approval.

Second, the whole world is deceived and headed for destruction, but you see it and refuse to go that way.

Third, people get upset at you for being different, especially because it makes them look bad, feel bad or begin to realize that they might just be headed in the wrong direction.

But hey, you’re not their savior, you’re just the messenger.

The eight beatitude it there to free you from any guilt, condemnation or weight of what the world will try to put on you.

The “good life” is knowing that none of that can touch you.

Only God gets to tell you who you are - and you are in Him.

You are invincible, even though you are misunderstood.

Count it all joy.

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

What do I mean by invincible? (because it certainly doesn’t feel like it).

No one can take away your joy.

In fact, when you think about it, the more you have to endure, the more joy you may have.

Why? Because we are trying to shed the deceitfulness of our own selfish sinful nature.

We don’t want any part of what is headed for destruction.

The more you have to stand up for your faith the more it brings you into the light and the more you have to face the truth about yourself.

When people accuse you, it just makes you examine yourself.

Maybe they are partly right in what they are saying.

So that just means I can give that to God too!

OK, great! glad to be rid of that - do you see how it can lead to joy?

We are not worried about being found guilty because we have already confessed and accepted a plea bargain - Jesus’ blood on our behalf.

Anything the world throws at us can only make us better.

Because we are not pretending to be something we are not.

It all just makes God’s grace that much greater!

John 15:11 NLT

11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!

Our joy is not saying that we have it all together, it is to say that He has us all together, and we are complete in Him!

Consider your reward.

James 1:12 TPT

12 If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life’s difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test with faith, and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God!

Jesus says that when we are persecuted, to think of our heavenly reward.

After all, they persecuted the prophets...

The prophets were people whom God used to speak for Him.

They would go before kings and tell them that God was not pleased with their corruption.

Most of them were not powerful people by any means, but they held powerful people accountable to God.

Many of these kings thought they were living the good life.

They enjoyed elaborated houses, fine food and entertainment while oppressing the poor and ignoring the needy.

They thought they were invincible - they had large armies and could make virtually anyone do anything that they asked.

And then a prophet shows up in their court - scruffy guy in a hairy rode that smells of the desert - dares to tell them that they are not as good or as powerful as they think they are.

So, they chase him off - but the message has been delivered.

Kings fall, armies are defeated and the people remember the words of the prophet.

Prophets usually lose in the short term, but if they are a prophet of God, they usually win in the long term.

Kings live (well, like kings) but most of them are only remembered for their battles and for their corruption.

Prophets live like hermits in caves, fleeing for their lives, but their every word is written down and recounted thousands of years later.

Whose reward would you rather have?

If all that you believe in is what you know now, you live for the kingdom of this world, and you will do whatever it takes to live as good as you can in the short term.

But if you know God, and you believe that His rule is over all.

If you are willing to sacrifice what you know and can see now, to have a view of life that includes eternity - the Kingdom of God.

It you were certain that you would have “the good life,” maybe not so much now, but eventually and eternally - that would be a “no-brainier.”

That is the life that Jesus calls us to - to look beyond the present reality - and to follow Him into eternity.