THE BLESSED LIFE (PART 3)

Introduction

-{Matthew 5}

-Last weekend reports came out from Syria that the al-Qaeda affiliated terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham began to target religious minorities, including Christians. According to one report, these state-backed terrorists have increased their harassment of Christians which have included murders, abduction, arbitrary detentions, property grabs, and vandalism against their places of worship.

-Now, we might think that such things are a world away. It happens in third world countries. It happens in Muslim countries. It happens in Communist countries. But it might be closer to us than you think. In the past year, it has been reported that several men and women in Britain were arrested for praying silently near abortion clinics. You heard that right—in supposed Western nation, you can get arrested for praying silently. And not but a year or two ago there were federal laws in our nation that criminalized protesting of any sort near abortion clinics.

-But we American Christians often seem unfazed because we think that such things are weird. That they are isolated. That they are the exceptions. But when you look at church history, violence and persecution against believers in Jesus Christ are the norms. We’re the ones that are the exceptions. And we have to ask ourselves why? Maybe it’s because we aren’t living lives that are worthy of persecution.

-And you say: pastor, why would anyone want to live a life like that? Because, according to Jesus, that’s when you are truly blessed. We’ve been studying the Gospel of Matthew, and began the Sermon on the Mount which begins with the Beatitudes. Jesus is telling us the values of the Kingdom of Heaven, and Jesus tells us in the passage that we look at today that being persecuted for the faith is a Kingdom value.

-You see, our lives ought to so reflect Christ that unbelievers are either going to be attracted to the faith by its beauty, or they remain hard-hearted and harass us because our lives convict them of their sin. And what I really want us to look hard at today is if our lives evoke any sort of response by those outside of the faith. And if our lives do not evoke any sort of response by those outside the faith, or even a response from normal mediocre Christians, then that might mean we’re the mediocre Christian and we might not be doing this Christianity thing rightly.

-So, today we see why persecution is a blessing and reflect if we are living a life that would even be noticed enough to be persecuted. Let’s read what Jesus has to say:

Matthew 5:10–12 LSB

10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

-{pray}

-The Beatitudes are values that are lived by those in God’s Kingdom. Blessed are the poor in heart, those who mourn, the lowly, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. And now Jesus adds to the list those who have been persecuted. We are to cultivate in our life a humble spirit, mourning over our sin, hungering for what is right, showing mercy, completely loyal to Jesus, making peace between God and man through the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is a life that will be persecuted by the world.

-Blessed are those who have been persecuted; blessed are you when you are persecuted. Every fiber of our being fights against that. And yet Jesus says you are blessed. So, if this is a Kingdom value and a means of blessing, what does Jesus teach us about persecution? First, he speaks about:

1) The reality of persecution

-Jesus says blessed are those WHO HAVE BEEN persecuted, and blessed are you WHEN people insult you and persecute you. Jesus says that this is the norm. When you truly live like Jesus lived and you embody the values of God’s Kingdom, the world will kick back at you out of just a natural instinct because God’s Kingdom values push against and contradict the values of the world.

-When you go for your annual physical, and the doctor does all the normal tests, they’ll hit you right below the kneecap either with a hammer thing or their hand, and then by reflex your leg just kind of kicks out (if you’re healthy).

-When you live like Christ and you live for Christ, the world just reflexively kicks back at you because God’s values and the world’s values don’t mix. We’ve seen that with the other Beatitudes. The world doesn’t say to be poor in spirit and lowly—it says to be arrogant and selfish. The world doesn’t say to hunger and thirst for righteousness—it says to hunger and thirst for power, money, pleasure, ease, comfort. The two value systems don’t mix.

-So, because they don’t mix, the world fights back. And we should expect it to fight back against us. Jesus said in:

John 15:18–21 LSB

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 its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.

-Persecution is a reality. The word translated persecution means to be harassed and/or oppressed because of your beliefs. Notice HOW Jesus says that you might experience that type of harassment. He says that people might insult you. The word means to speak disparagingly about someone in a manner that is not justified. This is when you are cursed, you are mocked, you are verbally abused for no other reason than your faith. You are harshly criticized because of your perceived faults—those faults being related to your beliefs.

-Think of what our culture is like. Do you believe that marriage is between one man and one woman as the Bible defines? Then you’re a bigot. You’re a homophobe. You’re a mean-spirited, hate-filled, worthless piece of garbage. Even from those who claim a form of Christianity (but don’t actually follow the faith) they say you don’t know Jesus because Jesus would never be as hateful as you are.

-They will insult you, mock you, berate you, blaspheme you and your God because you will not embrace the values of the world. And Jesus says that when that happens to you, you are blessed.

-Jesus also says that they will FALSELY SAY ALL KINDS OF EVIL AGAINST YOU. Those who belong to the world, (and the world belongs to the devil, so these people belong to the devil) they will lie about you. The word means to tell a lie with the intent to deceive. So, they will make things up about you to try and get others on their side to make you appear to be evil, wicked, and vile.

-The early church faced state-sponsored persecution that was fueled by so many of these types of false accusations. They were accused of being insurrectionists because they believed Jesus to be King. They were accused of being atheists because they did not follow the pagan gods. They were accused of cannibalism because of misunderstanding about the Lord’s Supper—partaking in Jesus’ body and blood. They were accused of engaging in incestuous relationships because of the way church members referred to one another as brothers and sisters. And on and on it went. The world lied about believers in order to deceive others that the Christian faith was detrimental to the health of the society.

-And that is obviously not the worst of it. Later in Matthew, Jesus described to the religious leaders who opposed Jesus what they would do to His followers. He said:

Matthew 23:33–35 LSB

33 “You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? 34 “On account of this, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

-And He warned His followers of the same thing, saying:

Matthew 10:17–18 LSB

17 “But beware of men, for they will deliver you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.

Matthew 10:21–22 LSB

21 “And brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 “And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.

-Whether it is religious people who don’t actually follow Jesus, worldly people who love their sin, or false religions who do not like their false gods being exposed, we face opposition and the reality is that in this world we will suffer like our Savior suffered if our allegiance to Him remains true and strong. If you think that you can be a Christian without persecution, then you might as well step away now, because a Christian life lived rightly with Kingdom values will face the reality of persecution. Then there is another lesson Jesus gives us, and He talks about:

2) The reason for persecution

-Jesus wanted to make sure that what people called persecution actually was persecution, because a lot of times people say they are being persecuted when they’re really not. Jesus wanted us to understand what caused true persecution. Why is it that we are truly hated?

-In v. 10 Jesus explains that it is when you are persecuted / harassed for the sake of righteousness. The sake of righteousness means doing and living and saying that which is right according to God’s standards which we find in Scripture. It means a lifestyle that reflects what Jesus says is right. And as I mentioned before, this includes all the Beatitudes that came before this, all the teachings that will come after this, and everything that Jesus ever taught, said, or did.

-And, as I said before, it means that when you stand up for God’s standards that contradict the standards of the world, the world fights back because they are in rebellion against God. If you lived and spoke and believed as the world says to live and speak and believe, the world wouldn’t do anything to you because you are one of them. But when you live holy, and you speak holy, and you believe biblical truth, the world is uncomfortable and offended and it will do anything to not feel like that. So, it attacks the ones confronting its wickedness.

-And we have to wonder that if the world isn’t fighting back against our lifestyle and words, does that mean that we are cozy with the world? Or do we speak, act, think, and believe like the world? God’s holiness and the world’s wickedness will always go head to head. Paul explained to Timothy that, for those living for the sake of righteousness, they will be persecuted like he was. He said to Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:10–12 LSB

10 But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra. What persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

-Are we not being persecuted because we do not live godly in Christ Jesus?

-And another reason that Jesus gives for persecution is found at the end of v. 11 is BECAUSE OF ME. Because of Jesus. Because of your devotion and loyalty to Jesus. Because you believe the truth of who Jesus is, what Jesus taught, and what Jesus did. Because you hold to the truths of Him being both God and Man. Because you believe in the exclusivity of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Because you believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection are the only means of salvation. Because you reject the false Jesus that the world and false teachers try to pander so they are comfortable in their sins. Because you hold to the truth of the gospel.

-As I read somewhere:

“The world doesn’t hate you because you’re you—they hate you because of Whose you are....When you stand for Him, you become a threat. Why? Because the gospel isn’t just good news—it’s an indictment. It says to a rebellious world, “You’re wrong, God’s right, and you need to repent.” That’s not a message people applaud. That’s a message they fight.”

-And so, because we side with Jesus, because we side with truth, because we side with the gospel, the world hates us too. So, the world harasses us. The world insults us. The world says all manner of evil against us falsely.

-You see, the Bible also warns us that just because we suffer doesn’t mean we are suffering rightly. We might suffer for the wrong reasons—and that’s not persecution. The apostle Peter made the distinction in his epistle. He first said:

1 Peter 3:13–18 LSB

13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and fear, 16 having a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might bring you to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

-And again, he warns:

1 Peter 4:12–19 LSB

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you. 13 But to the degree you are sharing the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be put to shame, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God must entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing good.

-If you suffer for the sake of righteousness or for Jesus’ sake, you are blessed. If you suffer because you sinned, because you did something wrong, because you’re a jerk, because you broke the law, because of you’re own mistake, then that’s on you. Don’t try to pass that off as persecution. You’re suffering because of your own dumb self.

-But if you suffer as a Christian, that is to the glory of God. And then Jesus gives one final lesson:

3) The reward for persecution

-Jesus says in v. 12 that if you are persecuted in these ways for these reasons, REJOICE AND BE GLAD. We read that and there might be some sort of repulsion in our heart. Rejoice and be glad? How in the world am I supposed to get excited about persecution? I just can’t see myself saying: I’M BEING PERSECUTED! YAY!

-But listen, he says you rejoice and be glad because your reward in heaven is great. Those who live such holy lives that reflect Jesus and they cling tenaciously to the truth and will not be moved such that they endure the fiery trials from the world, they receive a great reward. But it is a reward in heaven—it is spiritual. Jesus doesn’t elaborate much on the reward, but he does mention a few things.

-At the end of v. 10 He says that theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a bookend with the first Beatitude which says the same thing. When you are being persecuted for the right reasons (for the sake of righteousness, because of Jesus) it is proof that you have been born again and that you have received an eternal inheritance that cannot be taken from you. Sure, the world through persecution might take your job, your money, your house, or even your physical life. But there is nothing that the world can do to take away what you possess in Jesus Christ (or the fact that Jesus Christ is in possession of you). Jesus is your King. You are part of His Kingdom, and no one can change that (if you truly have believed in Him).

-Another reward is that you join a company of saints both past and present who have served the Lord, were faithful, and they paid the price for it. Jesus says at the end of v. 12 that what they do to you when you are persecuted are the same things that they did to the prophets who were before you. The prophets were constantly looked at to their faithfulness because of their steadfastness even in the face of constant harassment.

James 5:10 LSB

10 As an example, brothers, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

-The New Testament saint Stephen, who himself would be martyred, confronted the Jews:

Acts 7:52 LSB

52 “And which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

-The prophet Jeremiah was constantly harassed, jailed, thrown in cisterns. The prophet Isaiah was said to have been sawn in two. Elijah was chased by wicked kings and queens. Even New Testament apostles and prophets and saints suffered and were persecuted. They were often arrested and brought before councils. And most of the apostles were eventually martyred. And what was their reaction to such constant persecution? It says:

Acts 5:41 LSB

41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for the Name.

-They rejoiced and were glad, because they knew that their reward in Christ would be great. Or as Paul put it in:

Romans 8:18 LSB

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

-Rejoice and be glad because your reward in heaven is great.

Conclusion

-If this sermon makes you uncomfortable—good. I needed to get uncomfortable myself. If you think that persecution is for super-holy people, for radicals, for another level of spirituality, then you do not understand the Christian life at all. You need to settle in your heart right now that you are so committed to Christ, that when push comes to shove you would rather suffer shame for the name of Jesus than compromise in order to be comfortable.

-I invite you to come to the altar today and wrestle with that. And if you, like me, see that you’re commitment to Christ isn’t where it should be such that you would suffer persecution for Him, then come to the altar and wrestle with it.

-But maybe you won’t suffer for Christ because you don’t know Christ. You’re religious. You’re spiritual. But you do not hold any sort of allegiance to Jesus and have no desire for a godly life. I invite you to believe in the Jesus who died for you and suffered so you could have eternal life, not a cushy earthly life. But true life...