The Joy of Persecution

Greeting

Isaiah 2:3 ESV

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.

Each day offers many opportunities of recreation, work, service, and worship. Today, we have chosen to gather at the mountain of the Lord to worship a loving God. Thank you for being here today, especially our visitors. I pray our time together will bless you as we praise God. Visitors, please take a moment to hit that QR code in front of you and let us know what’s going on in your life.

Grabber

Let me start with a confession: I don’t naturally rejoice when things go wrong. When the pizza arrives cold, I don’t get happy. If the Wi-Fi drops just as I’m about to hit “send” or the power goes out before I saved, I don’t pump my fist in excitement. When someone cuts me off in traffic, then honks and waves like it was my fault…rejoicing isn’t my first instinct. Julie tells me I talk about punching people a lot even though I don’t do it. I don’t know if she is telling me to stop talking about it or start doing it.

So when Jesus said, Matthew 5:11–12 ““Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad.” I want to raise my hand and say, “Jesus, are you sure you said that right?” Look, Jesus did not say, “Endure persecution.” He didn’t say, “Tolerate persecution.” He didn’t say, “White-knuckle your way through while smiling for Instagram.” He said, “Rejoice and be glad,” leap for joy for persecution.

Introduction

The last of the beatitudes told us “Blessed are those who are persecuted.” It is part of Kingdom Living. Jesus prepares us for reality, “All who live Godly in the present life shall suffer persecution.” That’s reality, but it also sounds depressing.

Then, in case they didn’t hear it, or thought it was a mistake, or raised their hand for clarification, Jesus gives it to them, “Yes, I said persecuted people are happy. Here is why…”

At its root, the persecution Jesus is referring to is the clash of two value systems: One values God and the spiritual, the other values man and material. It is the collision of worldviews between the natural and the supernatural. When we give ourselves to Kingdom Living we set ourselves up for a clash with worldliness, materialism, carnality, egotism, and selfishness. Sometimes it is difficult, other times it can be deadly. Yet, Jesus assures us there is joy in this persecution.

This morning I want to understand why Jesus thinks we can rejoice in the midst of persecution. How can joy take root in the soil of persecution? It is the Joy of Persecution.

Discussion

The Name

Matthew 5:11–12 ESV

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

Notice the shift from the anonymous “one who” in the beatitudes to the specific “you” in v. 11. Jesus now turns the expectation of this lifestyle directly to his followers and disciples and makes it personal.

Jesus uses three synonymous ideas: reviling, persecuting, and defaming. Revile means to reproach, mock or heap insults upon somone. Persecute is to drive away, drive out, pursue, press on, set to flight, harass. Defame is to lie about someone by attributing evil to them.

Then Jesus specifies it is on his account, or for his sake. By the end of the first century, Christianity had become a target of the empire. They were called atheists and unpatriotic because they refused to engage in the emperor worship. They were accused of incest because they referred to other Christians as “brother” and “sister”…then married them. They were accused of cannibalism because the ate the body and blood of Jesus. Jesus knew this was coming for his followers and was preparing them for it.

The disciples understood the assignment. Acts 5:41 “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” Our allegiance is to a suffering Savior, and being called upon to suffer for his name ought to excite us.

We rejoice because we wear his name.

The Reward

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.

Jesus says we rejoice because our reward is great.

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

2 Corinthians 4:16–17 “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”

Whatever we may face in persecution and suffering it worth it because heaven will surely be worth it all. Even to the point of death Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

We rejoice because heaven is ours.

The Company

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.

Suffering for righteousness put us in good company: For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The prophets faced great persecution. Jeremiah was thrown in a pit. Elijah was chased out of town and threatened with death. Ezekiel was taken into captivity. Daniel was thrown in the lion’s den. The priest Zechariah was killed. Isaiah may have been put in a log an sawn in two. These are our cloud of witnesses Hebrews 12:1 “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,”

We rejoice because of the company we share.

The Product

Suffering reveals the genuineness of our faith 1 Peter 1:6–7 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Persecution increases faith. James 1:2–4 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

We rejoice because of what persecution produces in us.

Application

There can be joy in persecution, but it must be for Christ’s sake.

Jesus is not promising joy for suffering for our name, reputation, or political/personal ideas. Last week, I saw a meme that said, “If you wear the name of Christ, don’t be a jerk.” Man, that is so true. If you want to protest against abortion, don’t be a jerk…even if others are being jerky to you. If you want to teach someone the gospel, do it with grace seasoned with salt, not insulting whataboutism and comparisons. In other words, don’t be a jerk. God said it this way, Exodus 20:7 ““You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” If you are a Christian and do dirty business and people revile for it, that is not suffering for Christ, that’s suffering for being a jerk. If you treat someone poorly and get called on the carpet, that’s not suffering for Christ, that suffering for being a jerk. If you get thrown out of the stands at a high school ballgame because you’re cursing the officials, that’s not suffering for Christ, that suffering for being a jerk.

Speak the truth in love. Disagree with grace. Be bold, not belligerent. It is a balancing act that requires the beatitudes. Do not shrink from persecution.

We are not called to merely endure persecution; we are called to rejoice and be glad for it.

So, What?

Jesus put joy in persection.