The Beatitude Sermon Series
“Clash of Clans” Matt. 5.10-12
8/16/15 CFBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
A The Beatitudes paint a very vivid picture of what the genuine/ideal believer looks like.
1 Matthew 5:3-9 (NASB) 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
a Living with these attitudes allows us to be blessed (seeing God in the circumstances).
b Everyone of us who is genuinely born again must have come to Jesus Christ with these attitudes, however simple/underdeveloped the attitudes might have been.
aa broken spirit, mourning over sin, humble before a holy God, huger/thirsty for righteousness, seeking mercy and a pure heart, desiring to make peace with God.
bb If these things existed, however minimally, you entered His Kingdom.
2 These attitudes should develop as we progress in our walk with Christ. (Be more broken, feel worse about our sin, etc.,)
a The beatitudes are a tall order to fill/high standards, but we’re talking about a God who never lower His standards just because man is sinful.
aa IL. In one class at University, the prof gave a test and the highest score was 71% (C-grade), and the rest of class were all D’s & F’s. He lowered the grading scale (60% were now 90%, 50% were now 80%, 40% were now 70%, etc.,) He lowered the standard. (God has never done that!)
bb He gave us His Son to live in us so that through Jesus working through us, we can meet the standards of God.
b When the first seven beatitudes results in the eighth.
aa When we begin to live the way God wants us to live (broken, mourn, gentle, hunger/thirst, merciful, pure hearts, peacemakers), we’re going to be troublemakers in the eyes of the world.
bb The beatitudes are not embraced by an evil world.
cc It can’t handle the poor in spirit, because the world lives in pride/look at me; doesn’t tolerate mourning over sinfulness . . . it want’s to by-pass sin all together.
c I suggest that the only thing universally recognized sin in our world (at least in the West) today is that of “intolerance.”
aa Intolerance is defined as not believing that all beliefs, lifestyle practices are equally valid (COEXIST).
bb You start saying there is only one way, one truth, and you committed the worst ‘sin’ that you can commit today.
cc Yet, as a Christian (a follower of the risen Jesus) the one thing the world hates (intolerance) is the one thing we’re told to do. . . believe, proclaim, and defend the Kingdom & King we serve.
B There is a popular app called, “Clash of Clans” where millions of players all over the world build clans to war against other clans, the goal to bring is to bring your own clan to victory.
1 There is a real-life “Clash of Clans” in our world today, not made up of a bunch of clans . . . only two: the people of God and the people warring against God.
a Cain & Abel (Cain killed able. Why?) 1 John 3.12b “Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
b There was Lamech & there was Seth; Noah and the rest of humanity; Israel and the nations . . . today, there is the Church and World.
2 Declare today that monogamous heterosexual marriage is the only legitimate outlet for sexual expression and any thing outside of it is sin . . . or declare that Jesus is the only truth/Savior of the world and all other religions are false, you know what response you’ll get? Scorned, intolerant, judgmental.
a 60 years ago the world might have been neutral (maybe even positive) toward Evangelical Christianity (although it never actually was)), today the world is hostile, opposed, against Christianity.
aa If you stand for the Kingdom and the King for which it stands . . . you’re going to catch some flack. (In parts of the Middle East, you lose your head.)
bb Matthew 5:10-12 (NASB) 10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
b Jesus tells us that if we’re doing everything right, we will be ridiculed, socially ostracized, lose friends, insulted, denied a promotion, be rejected by our family.
aa What does it mean if we’re not being ridiculed, etc.,? There is only one answer: We’ve made friends with the world. We fit in. It only knows us as one its own.
bb We must be dressing like them (immodestly), working like them, talking/playing like them.
cc We won’t be persecuted/insulted if we share the worlds beliefs, values, priorities, perspectives.
C Jesus isn’t saying to be a trouble maker just to be a trouble maker.
1 Doesn’t say, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of unrighteousness.”
a If you get into trouble because of sin, that’s not persecution, that’s punishment.
aa If we get into trouble because we’ve cheated, promiscuous, drunk . . . don’t blame God or say we’re suffering for the Kingdom.
bb This is suffering because we did something foolish/sinful.
b There is no virtue/blessing found from suffering because we sin. (1 Peter 4:15-16 (NASB) Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.
2 Doesn’t say, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of self-righteousness.”
a Sometimes we get flack because people react against our Spiritual/moral pride, judgmentalism, lack of tact, wisdom or sensitivity.
aa These are the Christians who will run over the tops of folks, “troublesome meddler” that Peter talked about.
bb When people react to their self-righteousness there is a back-lash . . . that’s the blessing, right? Nope.
b Their not reacting to your righteousness, but rather to your self-righteousness.
aa Self-righteousness comes across in our lack of tactfulness & insensitivity.
bb If you’re like a proverbial bull in a china shop, yeah, you’re going to make people mad and they’ll insult you, but not because you love Jesus, but because your jerk.
3 Cloaked in self-righteousness are those who are persecuted for non-righteousness & non-conformity.
a non-righteousness/non-conformity come from rejecting the customs, fashions, standards of where they’re at.
aa There is a popular trend among some younger “Superstar” preachers who cuss, speak in such a way that raises eyebrows from the pulpit. (Slammed by guys like me & cry “I’m being persecuted for the sake of righteousness.”)
bb This is suffering for non-conformity, self-centeredness, & pride.
cc I could never preach in bare feet (not just because of Black Toe) just because its not the custom of the rich traditions from which I come from.
dd IL. Boy wearing a hat in church was told to take it off by one of the elders and someone stopped the elder and said, “The hat is on the church.” Yeah, but know what, we don’t wear hats in church.
b Jesus isn’t blessing those who are persecuted who are suffering for the sake of rebellion or non-conformity.
aa Don’t join a Roman Catholic Church and then complain about it’s prohibition on birth control; Baptist church and complain it’s prohibition on alcohol, gambling, dancing (fun in general).
bb Don’t make a martyr out of yourself and call everyone else a Pharisee & hypocrite.
D Jesus was very specific of what kind of suffering/persecution He is in the business of blessing: “for the sake of righteousness” and “on account of Me.” (vv. 10,12)
1 He means those who are laughed at, mocked, despised, because they are trying to live as true Christians.
a In other words, those who are trying to live the beatitudes in brokeness, mourning, gentleness, hungry/thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure hearts, peacemakers.
b A life like that gets persecuted, talked about, attracts attention, resented, stirs up the fury of this world for all the right reasons.
c John 15:18-20 (NASB) 18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
2 Why should you be hated? You do not share the worlds views, values, interests, desires, lifestyle.
a The world hates Christ Why? Jesus has told us, John 15:25 (NASB) 25 "But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, 'THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.'
b The world hated our Savior for no reason, likewise, without reason they hate & persecute the Christian church.
E In the last 100 years, there have been more Christians killed for the sake of Christ than the last 2,000 years combined. What do we have to “rejoice” about (v.12)?
1 You can rejoice because being persecuted is a sign of authenticity.
a You’re in good company if you’re being hated for defending God. (Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah. . . you are with the big guns.)
b Welcome to the box seats reserved for the top-tier of those who made it already.
2 You can rejoice because you got reward waiting for you in heaven. (v.12)
a “great” means something different to God than it means to us. (Great is used to describe french fries, onion rings, ball games, or a sale at Wal-Mart.
b Reward for being persecuted is going to be an added reward on top of the reward we’re already getting in heaven. (Like finding onion rings inside your french fries!)
aa Like me asking you to help me move into my house and after the last box is loaded into my new house, I throw you the keys to my old house and say, “She’s all yours.”
bb I wouldn’t be paying you, I would be rewarding you.
c We’re usually going to have to wait until we get home before we get the reward. (Not that there isn’t blessing here, no greater blessing than living for Jesus now.) God doesn’t settle all accounts in this world.
aa Rom. 8.25, “We hope for what we do not see”; “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of thing not seen.” (Heb. 11.1).
bb We don’t often see the punishment of the wicked, cheaters & vile in this world. (We see them on the cover the PEOPLE, blowing Tweetersphere up, in office).
cc Christians in the meantime are living lives of righteousness and being persecuted, reviled, mocked, ridiculed, and slandered.
d Where’s God? He’s in heaven, with a reward with for those who are living the beatitudes in this life.
aa Until we get home, we live like Moses, “Hebrews 11:25-26 (NASB) 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
bb We live with one foot here and the other foot in eternity and we’re leaning closer to eternity with each passing second on the clock.
cc Suffering for the Kingdom is an honor, a privilege, and more lasting than any “passing pleasure” that this world can afford today.
Conclusion:
A We’ve spent all summer looking the Beatitudes and I pray they will change you as much as they are changing me.
1 Read Matt. 5.3-12 as a responsive reading. (SCREEN)
*I’ll read the odd, church read the even.
2 Jim Caviezel (Actor who portrayed Jesus in “The Passion of Christ” was speaking at FBC Orlando, FL and said it has seriously limited his career, saying that that role has lead to him being “rejected in (his) own industry.”
a Caviezel was warned by Mel Gibson of that possibility to which he said, “We all have our crosses to bear.”
b The actor said he wasn’t surprised at the reaction to the film because, “Jesus is as controversial now as he has eve been. Not much has changed in 2,000 years.”
B Caviezel is a Christian but what’s ironic is that it wasn’t his faith that blacklisted him in Hollywood, but it was portrayal of the Savior that has hindered his career.
1 Usually, acting or playing the part of a Christian doesn’t get much response, not much flack is caught when you just say you’re a believer, especially if your life doesn’t match up.
a It’s not until we get “real” with our faith that we begin to pose a real threat to the status quo.
b It’s only when we get serious about follow Jesus can we expect nothing else but scorn and ridicule from the world.
2 Jesus told us exactly how to act and the response we can expect.
a But, I also got a good idea of what’s in store for me when I get home. It’s a no brainer!
b Invitation to commit to living with the Beatitude to be the attitude of their lives.
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