THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT
THE “BE” ATTITUDE’S PART 9
MATTHEW 5:10-12
MATTHEW 5:10–12 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.
INTRODUCTION: THIS MESSAGE BRINGS US TO THE END OF THE BEATITUDES. IN THESE FINAL VERSES OF THIS SECTION OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT WE ARE TAUGHT BY JESUS HIS THOUGHTS ON PERSECUTION.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS IS SAYING ABOUT PERSECUTION AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST. REGARDLESS OF INTENSITY, PERSECUTION IS ALL ABOUT MY WALK WITH JESUS AND NOTHING MORE.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST IS TO SEEK RELIEF FROM GOD WHEN WE ARE BEING PERSECUTED, WHEN THE ISSUE BRINGING THE PERSECUTION IS MORE ABOUT ME THAN IT IS ABOUT GOD!
I. A MOMENT TO REFLECT
a. OVER THE LAST 9 WEEKS OR SO WE HAVE LOOKED INTO THE BEATITUDES AND HOW THEY SHOULD IMPACT OUR LIVES
b. THEY ASSUME BLESSING BECAUSE OF OUR ACTIVITY
i. BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT – THOSE WHO KNOW THEY HAVE NOTHING TO BRING TO GOD AND MUST RELY ON HIM.
ii. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN – THOSE WHO REALIZE THE NATURE, COST, AND IMPACT OF THEIR SIN
iii. BLESSED ARE THE MEEK – THOSE WHO MAINTAIN THEIR DEPENDENCE ON GOD
iv. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS – THOSE WHO WILL CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE OGD CAN FILL THEM WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS THEY SEEK
v. BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE MERCIFUL – THEY RECEIVE MERCY BY GIVING MERCY
vi. BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART – THOSE WHOSE HEART IS NOT TAINTED BY OTHER THINGS – REALIZING THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GETTING IN THE WAY OF MY WALK IS TO WALK THEY WAY JESUS WOULD HAVE ME WALK.
c. ALL THESE SIMPLE STATEMENTS ARE MEANT TO BE LIVED OUT BY THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST.
i. WE CAN EASILY SEE THAT THESE ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN OUR OWN STRENGTH
ii. THESE CAN ONLY BE REALIZED BY OUR DEPENDENCE ON THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
II. OUR FINAL BEATITUDE
a. THE BLESSING OF BEING INSULTED
i. LOOKING AT THE PASSAGE THERE THREE REASONS WE CAN ACCEPT THIS AS A BLESSING
1. IN THE SPAN OF ALL ETERNITY, THIS TIME IS INSIGNIFICANT
2. WE ARE IN GOOD COMPANY – THE PROPHETS WERE PERSECUTED. JESUS WAS PERSECUTED
3. THE REWARD IN HEAVEN IS GREAT
a. LIFE HERE IS FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN VANISHES AWAY – BOOK OF JAMES
b. HEAVEN IS FOREVER
c. EVERYTHING IN THIS WORLD IS SUBJECT TO DECAY AND THEFT. HEAVEN IS THE DEFINITION OF SECURITY AND SAFETY
d. SO ABUNDANT IS HEAVEN THAT WE ARE TOLD TO LAY UP TREASURE THERE, NOT HERE
e. THE DIVIDENDS GOD PAYS ARE OT NORMAL BUT THEY ARE GREAT. JUST THINK FOR A MOMENT HOW GREAT DOES SOMETHING HAVE TO BE FOR GOD TO CALL IT GREAT?
b. WHAT PERSECUTION SHOULD MEAN TO US
i. IT IS EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE UNITED WITH CHRIST
JOHN 15:19 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.
1. PROOF WE BELONG TO JESUS
2. PROOF THAT WE ARE UNITED WITH HIM FOREVER
ii. IF WE ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS’ SAKE, THEN:
1. WE CAN BE SURE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WORKING IN OUR HEARTS
2. WE CAN BE SURE THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS WORKING IN OUR LIVES TURNING US EVER FARTHER FROM SIN AND THE CONTROL OF OUR OLD NATURE
3. WE ARE BEING MOLDED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. THE MORE WE LOOK LIKE JESUS THE MORE WE WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE NEGATIVE RESPONSE OF THE WORLD!
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT GOD DOES NOTHING WITHOUT PURPOSE, AND IT IS THE PURPOSE OF GOD TO PERFECT US. PERSECUTION IS JUST ONE WAY GOD COULD BE USING
ILLUSTRATION: DR. BILLY GRAHAM TELLS OF A FRIEND OF HIS WHO WENT THROUGH THE DEPRESSION IN THE 1920S, LOSING A JOB, A FORTUNE, A WIFE, AND A HOME. BUT HE WAS A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST, AND HE TENACIOUSLY HELD TO HIS FAITH EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NATURALLY DEPRESSED AND CAST DOWN BY CIRCUMSTANCES. ONE DAY IN THE MIDST OF HIS DEPRESSION HE STOPPED TO WATCH SOME MEN DOING STONEWORK ON A HUGE CHURCH IN THE CITY. ONE WAS BUSY CHISELING A TRIANGULAR PIECE OF STONE. “WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT?” HE ASKED. THE WORKMAN STOPPED AND POINTED TO A LITTLE OPENING NEAR THE TOP OF THE SPIRE. “SEE THAT LITTLE OPENING UP THERE NEAR THE SPIRE?” HE SAID. “WELL, I’M SHAPING THIS DOWN HERE SO THAT IT WILL FIT IN UP THERE.” THE FRIEND SAID THAT TEARS FILLED HIS EYES AS HE WALKED AWAY FROM THE WORKMAN, FOR IT SEEMED THAT GOD HAD SPOKEN TO HIM PERSONALLY THROUGH THE WORKMAN TELLING HIM THAT GOD WAS SHAPING HIM FOR HEAVEN THROUGH HIS ORDEAL.
c. WHY WOULD WE BE PERSECUTED ANYWAY?
i. LIVING A BEATITUDE LIFESTYLE WILL MAKE US STANDOUT IN THE WORLD
ii. LIVING A BEATITUDE LIFESTYLE WILL BE MISUNDERSTOOD
iii. LIVING A BEATITUDE LIFESTYLE SHINES A LIGHT WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO BE IN DARKNESS
III. PERSECUTION IS RELATED TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS
a. “BECAUSE OF ME”
i. THEN AND NOW, BEING FAITHFUL TO CHRIST HAS THE TENDENCY TO RESULT IN A NEGATIVE RESPONSE
ii. CAN VERY EASILY STEM FROM THE FACT THAT THE GOSPEL OF JOHN TELLS US THAT MAN LOVES DARKNESS RATHER THAN LIGHT:
JOHN 1:5 THE LIGHT SHINES IN THE DARKNESS, BUT THE DARKNESS HAS NOT UNDERSTOOD IT.
JOHN 3:19 THIS IS THE VERDICT: LIGHT HAS COME INTO THE WORLD, BUT MEN LOVED DARKNESS INSTEAD OF LIGHT BECAUSE THEIR DEEDS WERE EVIL.
AND PAUL WRITES IN THE BOOK OF 1 CORINTHIANS THAT LIGHT AND DARKNESS DO NOT MIX
2 CORINTHIANS 6:14 DO NOT BE YOKED TOGETHER WITH UNBELIEVERS. FOR WHAT DO RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WICKEDNESS HAVE IN COMMON? OR WHAT FELLOWSHIP CAN LIGHT HAVE WITH DARKNESS?
b. THE CHANGED LIFE OF A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST MUST FLOW FROM OUR COMMITMENT TO CHRIST, AND IT IS THAT COMMITMENT THAT BRINGS THE POSSIBILITY OF PERSECUTION IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.
i. THE BIBLE ALMOST EVERYWHERE ASSUMES THAT GOD’S SERVANTS REMAIN FAITHFUL EVEN AT THE RISK OF THEIR LIVES
ii. WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE READ HEBREWS CHAPTER 11 AND SEE THE TESTIMONY OF FAITH IN ACTION
ILLUSTRATION: LATER THE EARLY CENTURY RABBIS WOULD RULE THAT A MAN MIGHT IF HIS LIFE WERE IN DANGER BREAK ANY COMMANDMENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THOSE AGAINST IDOLATRY, UNCHASTITY AND MURDER, YET AT THE SAME TIME ALSO TAUGHT THAT MARTYRS WERE GREATLY REWARDED.
IV. HOW PERSECUTION SHOWS UP
a. INSULTS – VERBAL ABUSE MEANT TO DEFAME
b. PERSECUTE – TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO SINGLE OUT
c. FALSELY SAY ALL KINDS OF EVIL – TO DECEIVE BY LIES. IN OTHER WORDS, TO TURN OTHERS AGAINST YOU AS WELL. THIS MOVES BEYOND THE ONE ON ONE CONFRONTATION AND INTO GROUP CONFRONTATION
V. GETTING PERSECUTION RIGHT
a. WHY WE DON’T SEE IT IN THE CHURCH – HIDDEN CHRISTIANITY
i. WE DO EVERYTHING WITH BELIEVERS – WE NEVER GET OUT OF THE BOX
ii. WE KEEP OUR CHRISTIANITY SECRET
iii. WE OUTWARDLY LIVE LIKE THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND US
1. OUTWARDLY APPROVE OF TODAY’S MORALS AND ETHICS
2. LIVE LIKE THE WORLD LIVES
3. LAUGH AT THE HUMOR
4. IMMERSE OURSELVES IN THEIR ENTERTAINMENT
5. SMILE WHEN GOD IS MOCKED
6. DON’T MENTION HELL
7. EVERYBODY GETS TO HEAVEN
8. DON’T TAKE A POLITICAL/MORAL STAND
9. DON’T SHARE YOUR FAITH
ILLUSTRATION: THIS IS A PHOTO OF A WOMAN RIPPING APART A BIBLE AT THE SATANCON CONFERENCE IN BOSTON THAT HAPPENED ABOUT A WEEK AGO
b. MANY TIMES, WE THINK WE ARE PERSECUTED WHEN WE ARE NOT
i. PERSECUTION HAS TO DO WITH OUR ASSOCIATION WITH JESUS
ii. PERSECUTION FOR THINGS NOT RELATED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT PERSECUTION
iii. PERSECUTION BECAUSE WE ARE JUST BEING WEIRD IS NOT PERSECUTION
c. PERSECUTION IS WHEN WE ARE RIGHTEOUS – DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.
SO, AS WE CLOSE THE BEATITUDES TODAY, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LIVE THE BEATITUDES.
THEY ARE MEANT TO BE LIVED AS A PART OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
AND REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE “PERSECUTED” FOR LIVING THEM:
? YOU ARE IN GOOD COMPANY
? YOU ARE WORKING GOD’S PLAN IN YOUR LIFE AS GOD NEVER DOES ANYTHING WITHOUT A PURPOSE
? YOU ARE STANDING FOR WHAT IS RIGHT IN A WORLD THAT NEEDS TO SEE THAT!
