Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Good morning Church!

Today we will be finishing out our journey through Jesus introduction to His all famous, time tested, never aging, forever contemporary, all encompassing, Sermon on the Mount.

This sermon spanned 3 chapters, was spoken to multitudes of people and has been handed down from age to age as the guidebook to practical, Godly Christian living.

It covers everything from anger and malice, to our actions towards others.

It covers relationships and religion.

It covers forgiveness and feelings.

It covers desires and detriments.

From worry and anxiety, to calming confidence.

Anything and everything a Christian needs, to become more Christlike, is found right here in Matthew 5-8.

It could be and probably would be better referred to as The Christian’s guidebook to Saintly living.

But over the last seven weeks now, we have been making our way simply through the introduction of this great sermon in what is referred to as “The Beatitudes.”

One final time, these are “Attitudes that Ought to Be” found in every born again believer.

They can be a road map to the lost soul on how to be saved and what is to follow after salvation but mainly, they are guidelines, character traits for the Godly, the born again believer.

They teach us how live set apart from the world we’re in.

They teach us how to be in the world and not of the world.

They teach us how to live godly in a world full of sin.

They teach us how to be lanterns in a world of darkness.

They teach us how to draw others to the light of the gospel we preach which is the Lord Jesus Christ!

These beatitudes aren’t just good reading material, they are to be material to our being for the world to read!

They are to be part of our everyday lives in order that some other wayward soul might see our lives and be drawn to the same Savior that set us free from this world and set our sights on the world to come!

That’s why these attitudes ought to be found in every born again believer.

They’re not a set of rules and orders for the believer to follow but rather caution signs to to the world to say, “hey, you’re going the wrong way!”

They’re not for you but for those around you!

And when these “Be-attitudes” are found in the born again believer, there is no doubt whatsoever; it is absolutely, totally, guaranteed that someone you are around will notice and one of two things will happen…they will be drawn to you because of these attitudes and want to know more about them or as we are going to see here today in our final beatitude, they will shun you because it is so radically different from anything they want to be or be around.

So, with no further ado, let’s look at our final two beatitudes here today and some classify them into one which is neither here nor there because they fit together like a hand in a glove.

Matthew 5, for sake of context we will be starting in Verse 1.

If you have it would you say, Amen!

The Problem of Persecution — (Vs.

10-11)

The first thing I want us to look at this morning is The Problem of Persecution.

What does it mean to be persecuted?

The Greek word used here is (diōkō) and it means… to put to flight or to drive away but at the same time it can mean to pursue in a hostile manner and systematically oppress or harass.

Dr. Rod Mattoon said, The Greek verb "persecuted" is a passive perfect participle, and could be translated "allow themselves to be persecuted."

The perfect form indicates continuousness, in this case a continuous willingness to endure persecution if it is the price of godly living.

This beatitude speaks of a constant attitude of accepting whatever our faithfulness to Christ may bring into our lives.

Persecution in any form is never easy but the Lord Jesus warned us in...

And then our beloved Bro.

Paul wrote to young Timothy in...

Paul didn’t say some, he said all!

All that live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution!

Countless men and women, boys and girls have been persecuted and killed down through the ages for righteousness sake!

One of the most famous was the overseer of the church in Smyrna and a student of the beloved Apostle John named Polycarp.

Soldiers were sent to capture him and upon hearing of their coming he tried to escape but was discovered by a child.

After feeding the guards who captured him, he asked for an hour in prayer, which they gave him.

He prayed with such fervency, that his guards said they were sorry they were the ones who captured him.

Nevertheless, he was taken before the governor and condemned to be burned in the marketplace.

After his sentence was given, the governor said to him, “Reproach Christ and I will release you.”

Polycarp answered, “Eighty six years I have served him and he never once wronged me.

How then shall I blaspheme my King who has saved me?”

In the marketplace, he was tied to the stake rather than nailed, as was the usual custom, because he assured them he would stand immovable in the flames and not fight them.

As the dry sticks placed around him were lit, the flames rose up and circled his body without touching him.

The executioner was then ordered to pierce him with a sword.

When he did, a great amount of blood gushed out and put out the fire.

Although his Christian friends asked to be given his body as it was so they could bury him, the enemies of the gospel insisted that it be burned in the fire, which was done.

— Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

Under the rule of Roman Emperor Adrian, A man by the name of Eustachius, a successful and brave Roman commander, was ordered to join in an idolatrous sacrifice to celebrate his victories, but his heart felt faith in Christ was so much greater than his vanity that he refused.

Enraged at this, Adrian forgot Eustachius’s noble service to Rome and had him and his entire family martyred!

— Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

Under the rule of Roman Emperor Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus a Roman senator, Pammachius and his family and forty two other Christians were beheaded the same day and their heads displayed on the city gates!

— Foxe’s Book of Martyrs

One of my favorites was a man in the Church of Rome named Lawrence, who was a minister of the Gospel and in charge of distributing the church’s goods.

Marcianus greedily demanded that Lawrence tell him where the church’s riches were hid, thinking he could take them for himself.

Lawrence requested three days in which to gather the riches together and present them to the governor.

When the third day came, Marcianus demanded that Lawrence keep his promise.

Whereupon Lawrence stretched out his arms over some poor Christians that he had gathered in the place with him and said, “These are the precious riches of the Church.

They are the treasure in which faith in Christ reigns, in whom Christ has His dwelling place.

What more precious jewel can the church have than those in whom Christ promised to dwell?”

Upon hearing this, Marcianus raged in the fury and madness of devils, and screamed out his anger: “Light the fire, do not spare the wood!

This villain has tried to deceive the emperor.

Away with him, away with him!

Whip him with scourges, jerk him with hooks, buffet him with fists, brain him with clubs.

Does the traitor joke with the emperor?

Pinch him with fiery tongs, wrap him in burning plates, bring out the strongest chains, and the fire forks, and the grated bed of iron.

Pu the bed on the fire and when it’s red hot, bind the traitor on it hand and foot and roast him, broil him, toss him, turn him.

Torment him every way you can or you will be tormented yourselves.”

No sooner had he finished ranting than the tortures began.

After many cruel torments, the meek slave of Christ was laid on his fiery bed.

But in God’s providence, it was as a bed of soft feathers, and the godly Lawrence laid there and perished as if taking a nourishing rest.

These, dear church, are but a few stories of men and women who have hazarded their lives for the gospel of Christ.

This Book right here, speaks of thousands upon thousands, possibly even hundreds of thousands, of men and women who gave it all, that they might gain it all!

And this is but a fraction of the millions down throughout history who have been persecuted for righteousness sake.

All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution!

Jesus gives us a small glimpse into some of the persecutions that may come our way here in Verse 11.

He said, “blessed are ye when men shall revile you”…that means to insult or denounce.

It can also mean to reprimand or reproach.

Blessed are ye when men shall insult you, denounce you, reprimand or reproach you!

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you…shall press on you, shall pursue you with hostility, shall harass or oppress you!

“Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you and shall say all manner of eavil against you falsely, for my sake!”

It’s bad enough when someone is speaking evil about you behind your back because of something you’ve done but it’s even worse when they’re speaking evil against for something you haven’t done and it’s all because of your belief in Christ !

Over and over and over, down through the ages, people have been persecuted falsely for the cause of Christ simply because they didn’t like that person!

Dear friend, here in the United States of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, even here, if you stand up for what this Book right here says and you live according to it’s instructions and you let your light shine enough, you too shall suffer persecution!

It hasn’t been too many years ago, I suffered ridicule and harassment on Facebook for something that I had posted about homosexuality.

And right now, even at this very moment, governors all across the land are facing persecution because they are standing up for what is right and dialing back the liberalistic ideologies that have been ushered in over the last few decades.

Abortion bans are being placed in many states and because of their stance, these governors are getting backlash because they are standing for what is right!

This woke ideology that children can choose a different gender at a young age if they don’t like who they are, this junk being pushed on our kids by the far left is heinous in the eyes of God and I thank God this morning that there are some governors in place right now that see this junk taking place and are standing up for what is right and pushing back the forward progress of the evil one!

Because at the end of the day friend, I assure you the advances of the far left are driven by Satan!

I don’t care how you cut it or if you like it, the truth is the truth!

If it goes against the word of God, then dear friend it isn’t of God, Amen!

But rest assured, when you and I stand for truth, and righteousness and we stand for Christ, persecution shall come!

There’s The Problem of Persecution and the reason there’s the problem of persecution is because of The Premise of Persecution!