The Good Life: "Blessed are the Persecuted."

READ Matthew 5:1-12

The early followers of Jesus were persecuted because the manner in which they lived was countercultural to their culture and their association with a controversial figure.

A crucified criminal who had once been accused of being in a league with Satan.

Association with Jesus meant to take up their cross.

Tension with a nonbeliever. Jesus understood what it felt like to be labeled.

From the “poor in Spirit” to the persecuted, the kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.

1. Persecuted Because of Righteousness.

There was a reason for persecution.

Because such people display kingdom characteristics.

Poor in spirit, mournful over sin, humble, desiring righteousness, merciful, pure-hearter, and peaceable.

Jesus knew that he was teaching a radi cal way of life. A way of life that transcends our culture and reflects God’s kingdom.

“If the world hates you, understood that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.” - (John 15:18-19)

Jesus invented our way of life and anticipated that there would be a struggle.

“I don’t want anyone to be mad at me.”

The anger of people and society may feel directed at you, but you are not the source of their discontent.

“For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.” - (John 3:20-21)

Christians, we must accept the label. We aren’t secret agent believers.

“Persecution is simply the clash between two irreconciable value systems.” - John Stott

When belong to Christ and the Kingdom, you accept all that comes along with it including persecution.

2. Persecution is Honorable.

READ (Hebrews 11:32-38)

Those who experience misery for Christ’s sake put themselves in a special class of people.

It is hard to believe that undergoing persecution is a blessing.

How did the OT prophets find joy? They remembered that their reward in Heaven is great.

“Therefore, I bind these lies and slanderous accusations to my person as an ornament; it belongs to my Christian profession to be vilified, slandered, reproached and reviles, and since all this is nothing but that, as God and my conscience testify, I rejoice in being reproached for Christ’s sake.” - John Bunyan - 17th century english writer and Puritan preacher

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

Many Christians fall victim to the “here and now” temptation.

We know the future is great but the present is hard to bear.

You don’t have enough will-power to endure from the pains of life.

You need a heart change (Romans 12:1-2)

We must be transformed.

3. The Purpose of our Life is Found Kingdom Living.

READ (Joshua 24:14-15)

“Hypothetical” Christianity.

We belong to real Kingdom.