Jesus Is Still Sovereign
Matthew 5:10-12
When There Is Persecution
These past months of COVID-19 have initiated a whole range of conversations and topics – one of those topics has been persecution of Christians.
A QB church this week noted with irony … and with a subtle reference to persecution … that in outback Queensland licensed venues, RSL clubs, and hotels can have up to 20 people at one time; but churches can only have 10.
More broadly there are organisations watching with vigilance to discern if the Federal or State government uses this “unprecedented event” as a cover to erode the rights of religious organisations or freedom of religious expression.
Recently Evangelical Alliance reported that persecuted Christian minorities around the world were being blamed for the spread of COVID-19. In Russia. In China. In India. In Nigeria.
Persecution.
It has happened since the first days of the church.
Today millions of Christians around the world are persecuted.
It will keep happening until the return of Jesus.
John 15:20
20 Remember what I told you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
They will persecute you. Persecution is not a matter of “if”, but “when”.
That is not a thought that leads to comfort.
As a grand-father … I think of Lydia.
I know a lot of you saw that beautiful photo on the Church Members Facebook page. My grand-daughter surrounding in lights … wonder on her face.
Thinking about a world where she could be persecuted!
Give me a COVID-19 lockdown over that any time.
They will persecute you.
Think about your loved ones as you process what Jesus is saying.
Hold onto the feelings and emotions you have.
… …
Now listen to these words of Jesus.
Matthew 5:10-12
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
When persecution takes place we are blessed.
Feeling blessed is not one of the first natural emotions or thoughts we have about persecution. That is because such thoughts are not natural. The ability and capacity to experience blessedness in the face of persecution is a “spiritual” response.
Matthew 5:10
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It is the last of a series of sayings which we call the Beatitudes. These are the attitudes we have when we are in relationship with Jesus. When we live these attitudes … when we live the “beatitudinal” life … the world is going to push back
Blessed are the poor in spirit … those who recognise they have nothing of worth to offer God.
To them the world says …. you are delusional.
There is no god that you are accountable to. Live life however you choose. You need to listen to reason and to science.
Blessed are those who mourn … seeking forgiveness because of the magnitude of their sin.
To them the world says …. this is just the church trying to control you.
Stop putting yourself under false guilt. Stop putting your standards on others and making them feel guilty for no reason.
Blessed are the meek … the ones who are gentle in their response to others.
To them the world says …. you are just setting yourself up to be taken advantage of … you are weak. If you don’t stand up for yourself, well others will just tread all over you.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … making their relationship with Jesus a priority.
To them the world says …. well you are just too spiritual to be of any earthly use. We don’t want people who tell us that they are praying for wisdom. Get up and get to work and give us proper answers.
Blessed are the merciful … coming to the aid of the needy and helping the fallen.
To them the world says …. don’t expect to find any mercy from others in this harsh world. We live in a dog-eat-dog society and it is survival of the fittest.
Blessed are the pure in heart … relying on Jesus as they seek to live in obedience.
To them the world says …. you are so judgemental and think that you are better than everyone else. Stop putting your standards on me and accept my moral standard without judgement.
Blessed are the peacemakers … the one who tries and introduces others to Jesus.
To them the world says …. don’t force your religion down my throat and just keep your views to yourself.
Summing this all up the last beatitude says:- “You’re blessed when you are persecuted.” When we live the “beatitudinal” life the effect we have on the people around is to cause opposition. It is an expected.
Many people know John 3:16.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
This verse describes the essence, the heart, the primary objective, the main point, the key, the only reason … that we can have a relationship with God in heaven. Everything in our connection with the Father hinges on this truth. Then, after outlining such an important truth, just three verses later Jesus says the following:-
John 3:19
19 This is the verdict: light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Jesus has come to give a comprehensive answer to our hopelessness, but the world … people … would rather stay in the darkness.
In fact it, goes deeper than that – “the people loved darkness.”
The Greek word used for “love” there is agape. It is the same word used to describe the sacrificial love that Jesus has for us.
With the same intensity that Jesus loves us.
With that intensity … the people love the darkness.
When we go out with a “Beatitudinal” life people look at what is happening and they react to what they see. Because they see light they hate it … they hate us … and they will react in a negative way and persecution.
It might be through physical death.
In Acts 7 we find Stephen the first Christian martyr – put to death by his own people.
James is beheaded by Herod.
Paul … formerly known as Paul … was persecuting Christians.
Most of the Apostles were martyred.
In the early church many Christians were crucified for their faith, others were burnt at the stake, still others were beheaded.
The 20th century is noted by the fact that more people died for the faith then in that century then in any other century.
Persecution also comes through insults and false accusation. They are all designed to misrepresent our character and motives. And it is no wonder that persecution takes this form.
Authentic Christians stand out with our Christ-like “beatitudinal” character.
What charge can people of this world bring against those who have the moral foundation of Christian integrity? Nothing, so insults must be resorted to.
Christianity is a crutch … it takes people from the real world.
Christians are judgemental … calling people sinners.
Christians are hypocrites … not living the way they expect from others.
Isn't it arrogant to say that your Saviour is the only Saviour which can get people to heaven. What about all those good and religious people?
Insults and false accusations … this too is persecution.
When this persecution happens—we are blessed. How does persecution make us blessed? Let’s read the wider context of a verse we read earlier.
John 15:18-20
18 ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
When we are persecuted we are being reminded of our identity.
The world hates Jesus. When the world sees Jesus in us … well the world hates us also. Persecution comes because the world has seen that our identity is intricately connected to the identity of Jesus.
Jesus who, in the eyes of the world, dares to claim authority.
Jesus who, in the eyes of the world, seeks to be the only Sovereign.
We know he is in authority. We know he is Sovereign. So we are very joyful … thankful … willing … to be identified and connected to Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
That is the blessing which is ours. Jesus is revealed through us.
Our willingness to give Him authority and sovereignty over our lives.
In persecution we move forward in hope and strength because Jesus Is Still Sovereign. It is a hope and strength that carries many persecuted Christians.
Last Sunday the prayer that the Barnabas Fund …
The Barnabas Fund is an organisation that shares news about, and seeks to raise funds for to support, and encourages prayer for, persecuted Christians.
The prayer for last Sunday 17th May went as follows.
Lord Jesus, as many Christians around the world are prevented from meeting together to worship You because of coronavirus, we remember Christians for whom this isolation is their normal situation - those who have never been able to worship You with others because of persecution.
So the prayer is one of identification with persecuted Christians.
Today, as we are reminded that Jesus is still sovereign when we are persecuted, let’s keep praying this prayer, but also ask a question.
Can we identify with persecuted Christians enough to say,
“Lord, in a very small way COVID-19 has helped me have a little experience of what it means to be isolated because of persecution” This experience has given me the firm assurance that, when persecution comes, I will be blessed.”
Are you ready to be hated for the sake of Christ?
To be the servant, following in obedience the path Jesus took?
To hold on to the power of God and the treasure in the jar of clay?
If this time of COVID-19 has caused you to think about the persecution of Christians - think about persecution from that perspective.
Be ready in Christ when persecution comes … and be blessed.
Prayer
