Rejoice & Be Glad

Introduction:

Connection:

The setting is 1553 in England. King Edward the 6th has just died and Bloody Queen Mary has ascended to the throne. King Edward was a Protestant—Bloody Mary was a Roman Catholic. And she was a wicked and beastly Queen indeed. She slaughtered more than three hundred Protestants who stood for Reformed principles, namely that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; live by Scripture alone—and do all the glory of God alone. For this testimony to the Gospel—and to protect her Papist throne—Protestant blood was shed.

One of the men who bled for his Puritan faith was John Bradford. Bradford was a holy, happy, and humble man. He was a chaplain who never tired of preaching the free grace of Jesus Christ. But one day he was arrested for sedition: for refusing to convert to Roman Catholicism in the favor of Bloody Mary.

Thus, on July 1st, 1555—Bradford went to the stake and his blood was shed, for the testimony of the Lamb, for he loved not his life even unto death—but rather he chose to face death by faith, to go and depart to be with the Lord Jesus Christ, rather than deny his Lord before men. Bradford was bound to the stake with a younger prisoner beside him. And do you know what his last recorded words were? Bradford went to the flames with these words on his lips, speaking to the younger prisoner: Brother, be of good comfort, for we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night, where all our pains end in peace, and our warfare in songs of joy!”.

What!? How can a man face the grave with such gratitude? How can a man face the flames with such freedom? How can a man face his death with such delight? How can this be? Because our Lord Jesus Christ said: Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven! The title for this morning’s sermon is just that:

Theme:

Rejoice & Be Glad

Need:

We need the secret to true joy in our Christian suffering & persecution. Joy is the fuel of endurance—as our eyes are looking unto the final reward and heavenly prize that is in Jesus Christ.

Purpose:

To assure the saints of their Gospel blessedness in suffering for Christ’s sake; to warn those who are against Christ and his church; to comfort the saints with the joyful hope of glory in heaven; and to exhort the saints to find spiritual strength in the example of OT prophets.

Recap:

In summary: we have seen how Jesus has been preaching the Beatitudes which have flowed from heart to hands—describing true Christianity and salvation in the soul—declaring who belongs to the covenant and kingdom of God’s grace! And last Lord’s Day we looked at the 8th Beatitude which is less character oriented—and more consequence oriented.

If you are living out the first 7 Beatitudes, the 8th will necessarily follow—persecution is the fruit of true Christian character and conduct. And here, closing off the Beatitudes—Jesus ends with another covenant blessing where he promises the reward of heaven, and how this can give us joy as we endure hardship for the his name’s sake. So let’s come to hear from Jesus as we finish the Beatitudes this AM.

Read Text:

Matt. 5:11-12 ESV

PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY

(1) Gospel Blessings Rest where Christians Suffer on Account of Christ - v. 11.

Matthew 5:11 ESV

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

(1) Gospel Blessings Rest where Christians Suffer on Account of Christ - v. 11.

Q - What does it mean to be blessed by Jesus Christ in the Beatitudes?

We had a lot of 5 stars at our discipleship group this past week! Some of you memorized the definition. This is our last Beatitude, and therefore, the last chance for you all to get 5 stars and memorize what it means to be blessed by Jesus Christ. Here is our definition: to be blessed by Jesus Christ is to be joyfully lavished with God’s saving goodness. x2.

Gospel blessing is union with Christ—belonging to Jesus and all that is in him. It is to be loved by him as our Bridegroom, redeemed by him as our Saviour, secured by him as our Lord, and welcomed by him as our Friend.

To be blessed in this way is to be invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb—not as a guest—but being part of the Bride of Christ. It is to be able to say of Jesus: I am His and He is mine!

Revelation 19:9 ESV

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

And so, these blessings are distinct. They are peculiar. They are Christian blessings. Only those who repent of their sins, and trust in Christ, can be blessed in this way. Only those who follow Jesus Christ in new obedience are blessed in this way. Only those who have been transferred out of the Kingdom of Darkness and into the Kingdom of Christ are blessed in this way.

And if your not blessed in this way … you need to be! B/c if your not blessed then your under the curse—condemnation and judgment. But you can receive the blessing by coming to Jesus Christ, who bore the curse on the Cross that we might inherit the blessing of eternal life.

So then, you blessed of the Lord—let’s unpack this Beatitude for our growth in grace and knowledge. Thus we ask:

Q - Why are Christ’s disciples reviled, persecuted, and slandered?

We are reviled, persecuted, and slandered on Christ’s account. Because of our union with Christ. Because of our identification with Christ.

We saw last Sunday that we are persecuted for righteousness sake—for pursuing sincere obedience to the just and holy law of God and its goodness, beauty, and truth. But here Jesus makes it even more personal. We’re not just suffering for our stand for the right thing—we are suffering for our stand for the right Person: for Christ’s sake, on his account.

Doriani: Verse 10 says we may suffer for our allegiance to kingdom values, but verse 11 says we may suffer for our allegiance to the King. The first statement says we may suffer opposition for being good. The second says we may suffer for believing in Jesus.

And so this reviling is because we believe in Jesus Christ the Lord. This persecution is because we proclaim the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This slander is because we stand for the Rock of Ages, whom some are destined to stumble over.

Brothers and sisters, prepare to be reviled. Prepare to be reproached for being a follower of Jesus. Prepare to be mocked for putting your only hope in Christ. Prepare to be insulted for being intolerant of other ways to God.

Brothers and sisters, prepare to be persecuted. Prepare to be culturally shamed for rejecting woke ideology. Prepare to be physically harmed by the enemies of God. Prepare to be hunted down by the wolves of the devil.

Brothers and sisters, prepare to be slandered. Prepare to be accused of all kinds of evil falsely on account of Christ. Prepare to be maligned just because people know you love the Lord Jesus. Prepare to be falsely called unloving becuase you refuse to cater to the worlds falsehood.

However, brothers and sisters, prepare to be richly blessed—blessed in your suffering on account of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter says:

1 Peter 4:14 ESV

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

And so we ask:

Q - How can this state of suffering on account of Christ be blessed by God?

Well, as we mentioned last week: because it shows who our Lord is, who we belong to, who we have allegiance to, who is our supreme love, and who is our chief pursuit. But there’s more:

Suffering for Christ is a blessing because we get to partake, some how, in the suffering of Christ himself—as members of his Body, as his hands and feet. One of the most profound verses in the Bible is in the Book of Colossians, where Paul writes:

Colossians 1:24 ESV

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,

Suffering for Christ is blessed by God as we participate in part of what it meant for Christ to take up his Cross—as we take up ours—as we, the Body, suffer for Christ, who is our Head. We become like Him in our suffering. And Christlikeness is true joy—true blessedness.

But what about those who are doing the persecuting?

Q - What will the eternal destiny be of the enemies of Christ and his church?

Hear from the Prophet Isaiah:

Isaiah 51:7–8 ESV

“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.”

We need not fear the enemies of God—for what can man do to us? Christ will put all his enemies under his and our feet. We shall share in the triumph of the Lamb as His Kingdom comes on earth as it is in heaven. The enemies of God will fade away, they will perish, Christ will crush them, and we will tread upon their necks—and the salvation we have received from Jesus will be to all generations, forever and ever.

Psalm 9:1–4 ESV

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

They may persecute us now—but they will be silenced then. We may suffer now—but we will rejoice then. Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the LORD! Until then—let’s commit ourselves to Him who judges justly, who will vindicate his people on that last day—those who are savingly blessed by Jesus Christ.

(1) Gospel Blessings Rest where Christians Suffer on Account of Christ - v. 11.

But Jesus doesn’t merely tell us to expect suffering—he also calls us to rejoice in it! So secondly this morning:

(2) Gospel Blessings Rejoice us when we Remember our Heavenly Reward - v. 12a.

Matthew 5:12 (ESV)

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven

(2) Gospel Blessings Rejoice us when we Remember our Heavenly Reward - v. 12a.

Q - How can we rejoice and be glad in the midst of Christian persecution?

Because God has seen fit to honour us with the stamp of the Suffering Servant. What a honour it is to show forth the suffering and endurance of Christ to those around us! Hear how the Apostles rejoiced in their persecution:

Acts 5:40–41 ESV

and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

We can rejoice in Christian persecution, because God has counted us worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Christ, on account of Jesus, for the sake of the Lord.

Henry: It is not enough to be patient and content under these sufferings as afflictions … but we must rejoice, because the honour and dignity, the pleasure and advantage of suffering for Christ, are much greater than the pain or shame of it.

This is a pretty hard saying. This requires some serious heart-work and re-calibration of our values and priorities…. Some of us might feel ashamed when others find out that we’re Christians—the Apostles rejoiced when they were beaten for being Christians. Why? Because they valued their loyalty to Jesus Christ over temporary pleasure and ease. Just like Moses of old:

Hebrews 11:24–26 ESV

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.

Moses chose godly pain over worldly pleasure—he chose Christian persecution over worldly treasure. And so too must we esteem allegiance to King Jesus more important than the approval of the world. For Christ’s name is the name that is above every name—and His Kingdom endures forever. But did you notice that little phrase about Moses? He was looking to the reward! Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. So:

Q - What is our promised reward that is so great in heaven?

Both the reward of everlasting life—and the rewards given in everlasting life.

1st - the reward of everlasting life.

We need to remember the grace of God and the inheritance that is promised to us when Jesus returns to make all things new.

Hebrews 10:34 ESV

For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

Indeed we have a better possession and an abiding one! The Kingdom of God cannot be shaken. For it’s everlasting! We will inherit the renewed earth—when the heavenly Jerusalem will descend as our eternal home. We will see Jesus face to face. We will worship our Triune God. We will be raised with a resurrection body, glorified and made like the body of Jesus Christ. We will be freed from the presence of sin, suffering, pain & persecution. We will be reunited to all of God’s people through all the ages. We will reign with King Jesus in the City of God forever and ever! And we will enjoy eternal pleasures in the Spirit forevermore—that which we cannot even begin to imagine. But we won’t only be given the reward of everlasting life, by grace alone, through faith alone … but:

2nd - we will also receive the rewards given in everlasting life.

The Scripture teaching that based upon how we serve the Lord in this life, based upon Spirit-wrought-fruit and the obedience of faith—we will be rewarded for every deed done in the body, wether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 ESV

For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

1 Peter 1:15–17 ESV

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

Now I confess that there is much mysterious here. We are saved by grace and grace alone, by faith and faith alone, apart from works—for by works of the law shall no man be saved or justified. Yet—no one will be saved without works, and works will be the standard of examination on the day of judgment for the Christian. The Christian will enter into glory by the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ—but he or she will be rewarded as they enter glory with their Spirit-wrought-fruit and obedience of faith in this life.

And lest we think looking toward to rewards is sub-Christian—I’d remind you that Jesus told us to look to them! Your reward is great in heaven. What will these rewards be? Only God knows. But there will be rewards. Some liken it to everyone’s cup being full—but some people having bigger cups. I don’t know! So we live by faith, and not by sight:

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

So… how can we put this Beatitude to practice?

Q - What are some ways to help us remember our heavenly inheritance & rewards?

When you bear a cross for Christ—remember the Cross of Christ.

When you suffer pain for God—remember the pleasure of God.

When you are reviled b/c of the King—remember who has the Crown above.

And maybe, most basically—when we look up at the clouds, remember Christ will return on the clouds. Look unto our living hope in Jesus Christ who comes with his recompense hand!

MLJ: In heaven, we shall see Him as He is, and worship in His glorious presence. Our very bodies will be changed, and glorified, with no sickness or disease. There will be no sorrow, no sighing; all tears shall be wiped away. All will be perpetual glory. No wars or rumours of wars; no separation, no unhappiness, nothing that drags a man down and makes him unhappy, even for a second! Unmixed joy, and glory, and holiness, and purity and wonder! That is what is awaiting us. That is your destiny and mine in Christ as certainty as we are alive at this moment. How foolish we would be if we do not spend our time thinking about that!

So let’s be wise, remembering our great reward in heaven—remembering Christ who is the Wisdom of God, who is our Wisdom and eternal hope—who will pour out his riches upon all those who repent of their sins and trust in Him. Come to Jesus and find both everlasting life by grace, and rewards in everlasting life by grace. Follow Him, in the shadow of the cross, and look unto the everlasting crown!

(2) Gospel Blessings Rejoice us when we Remember our Heavenly Reward - v. 12a.

And our last point causes us to look not only to Jesus, but also to the examples of his people:

(3) Gospel Blessings Remind us to follow the Examples of the Prophets - v. 12b.

Matthew 5:12 (ESV)

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

(3) Gospel Blessings Remind us to follow the Examples of the Prophets - v. 12b.

Q - Why does Jesus put his disciples on par with the OT prophets?

Because we share the same Gospel, worship the same God, suffer the same afflictions, receive the same promises, are members of the same church, and belong to the same kingdom.

Jesus mentions the OT prophets to assure his disciples that their suffering is not unusual. The usual way of God’s faithful saints is suffering now, and glory later—after the example of Jesus Christ, his Cross and his Crown.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

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.

You have the hope of the OT prophets, a great cloud of witnesses, flowing through your veins—so don’t throw away your hope, press on to the end, and received the promised reward of life in heaven. But:

Q - How can the OT prophets help us to endure hardship & persecution?

Because they show us how to endure patiently through faith. James says this:

James 5:10–11 ESV

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Look to the OT prophets, brothers and sisters, imitate their steadfastness, and see how the Lord is faithful to his promises—suffering now, glory hereafter. The Lord is compassionate and merciful—he will not forsake his saints—he will not revoke their reward! So let’s rejoice and follow the great cloud of witnesses, as we march toward Zion’s City. But even more specifically this morning:

Q - Who are some OT prophets that give us godly examples to follow?

Noah - who was a herald of righteousness, proclaiming the Gospel, preaching God’s wrath, rejected and slandered by a mocking world. But at last he was saved through the waters of judgment by God’s grace to enter a new creation.

Isaiah - who was the preacher of grace and judgment, giving us the Gospel Gems of the OT, but he is said to have been sawn in two under the rule of wicked King Manasseh. But now he is in the throne room of the King who is holy, holy, holy.

Jeremiah - who was the weeping prophet, who was beaten, put in stocks, thrown into a cistern, imprisoned, lonely, afflicted, and rejected by God’s people. But now He is in the presence of the Root of Jesse: the Lord our Righteousness.

Daniel - who was taken into Babylonian captivity, who refused to bow down and worship pagan rulers, who was thrown into the lion’s den for prayer in the Spirit, and who was culturally shamed for his devotion to YHWH. But now he is in the presence of the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace.

Hebrews 11:32–38 ESV

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets, of God’s people in the OT & NT, and church history—as you suffer for the Lord Jesus—because Christ is the God of the saints—Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If he preserved and rewarded them, then he will preserve and reward us too. So press on! But there is one last question that’s important for us to answer:

Q - Why did OT prophets suffer persecution for the Lord’s sake?

Because they were trusting in the promised Redeemer, they were obeying the commandments of God, they were clothed with the Spirit of power—and they feared heresy more than death. They feared compromise more than cancel-culture.

They were men of conviction, men of courage, men of clarity, and men of confidence! They were men of God! They were men of valour. Is this not the great need of the day?

All they had to do was say peace, peace—when there was no peace. All they had to do was give Israel a smooth word when they needed a scolding word. All they needed to do was say, love is love. All they needed to do was say, someone else will warn them. All they needed to do was be convinced to share the gospel with their life and not with their words. All they needed to do was to fear men, cater to the world, and water down the message.

But this they didn’t do! Because they feared the One, True and Living God! They trusted in the coming Messiah! And the Spirit of power rested on them, giving them boldness to be salt and light in their day. And if Jesus compared his disciples to the prophets—then surely we can walk as they walked—and ought to walk as they walked—faithfully loving the Word, living the Word, and sharing the Word. Let us follow their example, count the cost, take up our cross, follow our King, and speak the truth in love—bathed in prayer, prepared to suffer, and looking to the reward!

So brothers and sisters, people of God—keep your eyes on Jesus, and let’s plead for his sufficient grace—that we might endure hardships for the sake of Christ:

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 ESV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let us follow the example of the prophets and apostles—for their God is our God—and our God never changes!

(3) Gospel Blessings Remind us to follow the Examples of the Prophets - v. 12b.

So hear now our conclusion for this morning, as we finish off the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount:

(C) Rejoice to Suffer for Christ’s Sake—and Endure it—because the Reward of Heaven is Coming our Way.

Matthew 5:11 ESV

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

And so if we ever face the honour of martyrdom, we can say with John Bradford—”Brother, be of good comfort, for we shall have a merry supper with the Lord this night, where all our pains end in peace, and our warfare in songs of joy!”.

And so we’re about to sing together, with the hope of heaven: “And mine are keys to Zion’s city; Where beside the King I walk; For there my heart has found its treasure; Christ is mine forevermore”.

Matthew 5:12 ESV

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

(C) Rejoice to Suffer for Christ’s Sake—and Endure it—because the Reward of Heaven is Coming our Way.

As we close off the Beatitudes this morning, we remember that we began with being poor in spirit—and now we end with being rich in heaven. This indeed, is true Christianity. Amen? Let’s pray.

Discussion Questions:

(1) For the last time, how does Pastor Evan define Gospel Blessing? And how does this definition help you understand the Beatitudes?

(2) Why do Christ’s Disciples get reviled, persecuted, and slandered? And how is this state blessed by God?

(3) How can we rejoice and be glad in the midst of our suffering for Christ? Have you every experienced joy in your pain?

(4) What is our reward that is great in heaven? And how are these rewards given? By grace or merit?

(5) Why can looking to godly examples help us to endure suffering for the Lord? Do you have any specific examples that strengthen you?