ACCEPTED BY GOD & REJECTED BY MEN
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Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me.
憐憫人的人有福了， 因為他們必蒙憐憫。 內心清潔的人有福了， 因為他們必看見 神。 使人和平的人有福了， 因為他們必稱為 神的兒子。 為義遭受迫害的人有福了， 因為天國是他們的。 人若因我的緣故辱罵你們，迫害你們，並且捏造各樣壞話毀謗你們，你們就有福了。
INTRO
INTRO
MAIN POINT OF THE SERMON: As disciples of Jesus we are blessed because we can be like Jesus but also suffer life Jesus.
Mark, What do you think it means to imitate someone?
IMITATE JESUS效法耶穌
IMITATE JESUS效法耶穌
“Blessed are the merciful, for the will be shown mercy”
“Blessed are the merciful, for the will be shown mercy”
Merciful: full of mercy
a person who shows compassion, or forgiveness; especially towards someone who has offended them. When an offense happens, Jesus’ disciples respond by being merciful.
let me ask you a question church family. Are we living in a merciful culture? We live in a world of YouTube Clips,tweets, facebook posts, where people are looking for offense. We live with the reality of “cancel culture”.
This should be no surprise to you as a Christian:
Jesus promises that:
He said to his disciples, “Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
耶穌又對門徒說：「使人犯罪的事是免不了的，但那使人犯罪的人有禍了！
So church family, we must be ready to live in a world where we will be offended. If you or I try to pretend or to live a life that seeks to not get offended, my guess is that we aren’t living an honest life or we don’t have real relationships. The more real we are, the more we rub on each other the more we can offend each other. And when that happens, Jesus says we respond with compassion, with mercy.
How do we do this?
Remember Jesus is talking to people who have experienced the oppression of different empires and powers. Governments and religious leaders. They were not know for mercy. In fact in Greek culture, being a merciful leader was not seen as a positive thing. But what about the Christian God?
The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth,
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us,
How does God respond to our offense? Maybe you are sitting here and thinking, I don’t think I’ve offended God. Well you have, we all have! And it’s not just an offense against a friend, or your spouse, we have offended the eternal King fo the Universe! How does God respond to our eternal sinful offense? By making you pay for it? By forcing you to make it right? By holding bitterness and good from us? No, that’s what we do, isn’t it? No God doesn’t force you to pay for it, He pays for it Himself, on the cross.
Church family, how do we become more merciful people? By remembering the Gospel. By being like Jesus.
Jesus says you are blessed when you show mercy, not withhold mercy! Many times we think we are winning the battle when we harbor unforgiveness, when we are harsh with others, when we let people have it, our spouse, our kids, our friends, but Jesus says you are losing the battle. When we are merciful people, we are imitating Christ, when we are merci-less people we are imitating the world.
Dads would your kids describe you as merciful? As compassionate? Moms? Would they? As disciples of Jesus we are able to do this because you have first received it. We can’t give away what we don’t have. And you’ve been given mercy. Jesus is calling us to have “tough skin” but tender hearts. Tough skin, but tender hearts.
A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel person brings ruin on himself.
仁慈的人自己獲益， 殘忍的人自己受害。
Jesus says by the Spirit of Jesus we can be merciful like Jesus.
“Blessed are the pure in heart”
“Blessed are the pure in heart”
When we say the word pure, we think of something that is maybe white. Or something that hasn’t been damaged by anything else. For example, in the coffee and tea world, if you are a “purest” that means you don’t drink your tea or coffee with anything in it.
What if God took a huge flashlight and shone it on the inside of our hearts? What would He see? What if everyone around us could see every single thing in our hearts and our minds? Every thought, every word, every sin? I can’t imagine that we would be excited for that to happen would we? I am sure we’ve all said and done things these last 4 weeks that we wouldn’t want people hearing or seeing! So that’s a problem. Because Jesus says only the pure in heart will see God.
He says pure. Not just a little clean, not just trying to get better. There are a lot of people who think they know God because they are trying to be a better person, but that isn’t what Jesus says here. He says “pure.”
Pure: in a state of ritual cleanliness or free of guilt and sin. Anybody here? Anyone here fit that description? I know I don’t. So how are we made pure?
How are we made pure? For the Christian, God takes our stained lives. Our sinful hearts, our hearts of stone and...
God gives us a new heart.
I will give them integrity of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, so that they will follow my statutes, keep my ordinances, and practice them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
「我要把一顆心賜給他們，把新的靈放在他們裡面；我要從他們肉體中除掉石心，賜給他們肉心，使他們遵從我的律例，謹守遵行我的典章，這樣，他們就必作我的子民，我必作他們的 神。
he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
他就救了我們，並不是由於我們所行的義，而是照著他的憐憫，藉著重生的洗和聖靈的更新。
When this happens, Jesus says we can SEE GOD.
What does this mean? Does this just mean those who are pure in heart will one day physically “see God”? The bible says that EVERY knee will bow, EVERY person will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. So Jesus isn’t talking about just seeing God one day when we get to heaven.
This word “see” means something more: to discern God’s will, hear God’s voice, be in relationship with Jesus.
This new heart that God has given us enables us to see God, to discern God’s will, hear God’s voice, be in relationship with Jesus.
HOW important is this right here in this season! It stands to say that those who have no been given new hearts by God are BLIND to His ways, and His will!(2 Cor 4)
God has given you as a Christian the ability to see and discern what He is doing!
GIVEN US NEW GLASSES TO SEE. ILLUSTRATION? I remember when I got glasses for the first time. I went to the doctor and he looked at both my eyes. After he looked at the first eye he said, that is pretty bad Collin, and I said “oh that’s my bad eye.” But then he looked at the next one and said that that eye was even worse! There I was driving, seeing, thinking I could see clearly, but I remember when I put those glasses on. Everything came into focus, everything was clear. This is what Jesus does for us. Through a new heart, we can see, discern, know God’s will and His ways!
How does the Bible say that we “see” or “discern” what God is doing? Three ways God speaks to His people:
the Gods Word
If you want to know God’s will and God’s ways. Read the Bible. Lots of it. Someone once told me keep reading it and reading it until it gets into your heart. God is still writing the story of His people, and that includes you. The more that we read Scripture the more we can see ourselves in His story. God is still the same yesterday today and forever.
The God’s Spirit
Jesus gifts the church His Spirit. He speaks to us through His Spirit. What this means is that we need to walk in step with the Spirit. Paul says that we should live “according to the Spirit” and “not the flesh”.
How do we do this? We spend time with the Holy Spirit.
We repent of sin and anything that would grieve or hinder our ability to listen and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
(like a radio antenna) moving it around the house until you got good reception. Same with our hearts, moving anything out of the way in order for us to hear well what He is saying.
The God’s People
God speaks to us through each other. Through testimonies, through encouragement, through teaching, preaching, praying. All of those things. Jump on a zoom call, go on a social distanced walk. We need each other!
His Word, Through His Spirit, and through His People. But here is the question:
Are we paying more attention to those things in this season or more attention to people who are BLIND to God. News articles that can’t see God’s will and God’s ways. Don’t be led by BLIND GUIDES! This is the church’s hour. We can see what God is doing because we’ve been given new hearts. God is speaking to His people. Are we listening?
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God”
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God”
a mediator who tries to bring about harmonious relations (between two opposing parties). This is a go-between. I wonder how many of you would identify yourself as a “peacemaker”? You always want to have harmony, you hate the idea of conflict, you don’t like when there is that awkward feeling in a relationship?
This is a description of Jesus’ disciples.
There is a website where you can look at the Global Peace Index. It gives different facts about countries where they rank in how peaceful they are: Taiwan is ranked #37, United States? 121.
The 2020 GPI finds that the world became less peaceful for the in the last 12 years.
Since 2008, 81 countries have become less peaceful,
From 2011 to 2019, the number of riots, general strikes and anti-government demonstrations around the world increased by 244 per cent
Where are the peacemakers? Where are these mediators? Well Jesus says that His church should be those who bring peace into a situation. Here is the reason why. The reason why we can be peacemakers, is not because you just have a really great personality or you are a really kind person. It’s because we’ve been given the Gospel of Peace.
In a world that is increasingly divided: The cross ALONE destroys SINFUL division(some division is good, sheep goats, believers unbelievers) but sinful division, like racism, nationalism, anywhere else that sin seeks to dived.In fact one of the names of Satan means “one who brings division”. When we are divided in our relationships, in our marriages, in our communities, in our churches, the devil is smiling. When we allow sinful attitudes and sinful worldviews to tear apart relationships, please know that the Devil is smiling. But the Gospel comes and destroys that division! Read this in Ephesians
For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
基督就是我們的和平：他使雙方合而為一，拆毀了隔在中間的牆，就是以自己的身體除掉雙方的仇恨，並且廢掉了律法的規條，使兩者在他裡面成為一個新人，這樣就締造了和平。基督既然藉著十字架消滅了仇恨，就藉著十字架使雙方與 神和好，成為一體，並且他來把和平的福音傳給你們在遠處的人，也給在近處的人。
And so church family at the most basic level, what did it cost Jesus to bring peace?
His life! Don’t be surprised that pursuing peace, whether in your family or friends or in your community will cost you something. It is a call to suffer, to surrender.
Sons of God. As Children of God we are to reflect our Father.
example and illustration? with my own kids. Isaac talking to every person on the street, ect people saying “just like his daddy.” Jesus is saying is that when the world looks at the church, right here in this place of being peacemakers: they should be able to see our actions and say : “they look like their Father”. We are called to shine forth God’s glory on this earth. We don’t do this perfectly, just like my kids don’t. But they should see the resemblance.
Do we look more like Christ or the culture with it comes to division? In our marriages are we applying the Gospel of peace or are we allowing sin to divide? Vaccine, or no vaccine, we are called to peace church. Be at peace.
Not only can we be LIKE Jesus.
SUFFER FOR JESUS受苦
SUFFER FOR JESUS受苦
Church family, how many of us know that if we follow Jesus, we are going to suffer like Jesus?
In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
其實，所有立志在基督耶穌裡過敬虔生活的，都必遭受迫害。
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for the kingdom of heaven is theirs”
to cause to suffer, whether physically or emotionally. Persecution is a privilege Jesus’ says.
It’s not pointless-for righteousness!
It’s not final
Kingdom of heaven is yours Reward great in heaven
23 Korean missionaries captured and held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2007.
"He talked about how they got into this argument because they found out that they were going to be killed one at a time. This man I was having dinner with was saying to this other guy, 'Look, I know they are going to kill us one at a time. I die first,'" Chan recalled. "The other man said, 'No, I die first.' [The first] guy is going, 'No, I am your elder. I die first.' Then, the other man says, 'No, you have not been ordained as a pastor. I am an ordained minister. I die first.' That man was the first one that was executed." Two male hostages, one a pastor, were executed and the others were released. When they returned to Korea people asked them about their experience, and they began to tell people that in some ways they wished they were still captured. What? Why! They say this: “'When I was surrounded by these soldiers, I felt the presence of Jesus in there with me. Now that we are back in Seoul, I am trying to experience that intimacy with Him but I can't. I fast and I pray and I don't feel it. I would rather be back there because of the intimacy I had with him.'”
As Christians, it’s not that we just get to suffer FOR Jesus. But we get to suffer WITH Jesus. He will never leave you, He will never forsake you. NOTHING can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing, not quarantine, not persecution, not even death. The kingdom of heaven is ours church!
SO WHAT IS JESUS SAYING FOR US AS DISCIPLES?
ACCEPTED BY GOD, REJECTED BY MEN
ACCEPTED BY GOD, REJECTED BY MEN
We have been fully accepted by God: shown mercy, been made pure, children of God, Kingdom of God.
Isn’t this the way of Jesus?
received the mercy of God, we are the children of God, we can “see” God, we have been made pure by God, fully accepted by the God of the universe and invited into HIS KINGDOM. But at the same time what does Jesus say about His disciples? They will be rejected by men.
Hit this. With Taiwanese, people who experience this.!!!!!!several taiwanese have experienced this.
AS ONE PASTOR SAID:
“There is nothing more useless than a church imitating the world. There is nothing more powerful than a church imitating Christ.”
“There is nothing more useless than a church imitating the world. There is nothing more powerful than a church imitating Christ.”
How many of us live our lives FOR acceptance, instead of living our lives FROM acceptance? As disciples we live our lives from a place of complete acceptance of the Father, not trying to live FOR the acceptance of people.
These are the beatitudes. Jesus’ Kingdom Vision for Kingdom Citizens.
Let’s pray.