Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted
TEXT: Mat 5:10-12
INTRODUCTION
· Finishing up series on the Beatitudes
· Other sermons deal ingredients of Christian character
· This one talks about the maltreatment the Christian can expect
· Basic Beatitude is in verse 10; expanded on in vss 11-12
· Why talk about it here in the United States in the 21st Century?
· Alive & well & happening today
EXAMPLE: A FEW YEARS AGO A GROUP OF STUDENTS AT AN ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL RECITED THE LORD’S PRAYER TOGETHER IN THE LUNCH ROOM, WHICH PROMPTED A SUIT BY THE PARENTS OF ANOTHER STUDENT. IN RESPONSE, JUDGE IRA DEMENT, ON OCTOBER 29, 1997 TERMED THE ACTION “RELIGIOUSLY BASED HARASSMENT” & ISSUED A BROAD RULING THAT BANNED ALL FORMS OF PRAYER IN ALABAMA SCHOOLS, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE VOLUNTARY & STUDENT-LED. HE ALSO PROHIBITED GROUPS LIKE THE GIDEONS FROM DISTRIBUTING BIBLES IN SCHOOLS, AND EVEN SPECIFICALLY BARRED PRAYER IN TIMES OF NATIONAL EMERGENCIES, SUCH AS WARS OR NATURAL DISASTERS. HE THEN ORDERED FEDERAL MONITORS TO STALK HALLWAYS & CLASSROOMS IN SEARCH OF ANY STUDENTS OR TEACHERS WHO DARED TO PRAY ON SCHOOL GROUNDS.
· The secret prayer police had arrived
· Fortunately, 3 years later, in October 2000, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Judge DeMent’s ruling
· There is application of this Beatitude for today in our country
I. JESUS BEGINS BY GIVING US SOME EXAMPLES OF THREE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF MALTREATMENT
A. Insulted – throw something in your face; to be abused with vile, vicious
mocking words
B. Persecuted - harass
C. Say evil things about you falsely - bad enough being talked about, but being
lied about is even worse
D. Why the maltreatment?
1. Vs 10 – “because of righteousness”
2. Vs 11 – “because of me”
3. Not because of a lousy personality, an obnoxious in-your-face Xy,
standing up for political principles or a noble cause
4. Because of Jesus…because of living a righteous life
E. Persecution always was & always will be alive & well for those who live
righteous lives
(IL) "ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL THE MARTYRS WAS POLYCARP, THE AGED BISHOP OF SMYRNA WHO WAS KILLED IN 156 A.D. THE MOB DRAGGED HIM TO THE TRIBUNAL OF THE ROMAN MAGISTRATE. HE WAS GIVEN THE INEVITABLE CHOICE - SACRIFICE TO THE GODHEAD OF CAESAR OR DIE. POLYCARP RESPONDED, ’EIGHTY AND SIX YEARS HAVE I SERVED CHRIST, AND HE HAS DONE ME NO WRONG. HOW CAN I BLASPHEME MY KING WHO SAVED ME?’ SO THEY BROUGHT HIM TO THE STAKE, AND HE PRAYED HIS LAST PRAYER: ’O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, THE FATHER OF THY WELL-BELOVED AND EVERLASTING SON, BY WHOM WE HAVE RECEIVED THE KNOWLEDGE OF YOU...I THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE GRACIOUSLY THOUGHT ME WORTHY OF THE DAY AND OF THIS HOUR.’" AND WITH THOSE WORDS POLYCARP WAS BURNED AT THE STAKE.
II. WHY ARE THE RIGHTEOUS PERSECUTED?
A. The one who is righteous is the conscience of society
1. If you are living righteously and following the Lord 100%, you are going
to be different than those around you
2. Your life will prick the conscience of others’
(IL) Chaplains see this principle at work all the time – goes to visit a group
of soldiers & language changes – stories aren’t as dirty, four letter
words aren’t used as frequently. They know its wrong.
3. Some won’t like it & will look for ways to get back at you, will talk about
you behind your back, etc
B. Maltreatment can be God’s way of strengthening His children
1. Ja 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be
mature & complete, not lacking anything.
2. Spiritual muscles are built, faith is strengthened during trials
a. Persecution is one of those trials
C. Some of the purest churches in the world have been in countries where
Christians are persecuted
1. Only serious Christians are a part of it.
D. Examples of maltreatment of Christians throughout the world today
1. (Mona Claren, The Washington Times, 1997) “LAI MAN PENG WAS A 22 YEAR OLD CHINESE CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST. IN 1994, AT A MEETING OF ONE OF CHINA’S HOUSE CHURCHES (A NON-GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED PRAYER MEETING), HE AND FOUR OTHER EVANGELISTS WERE SEIZED BY AGENTS OF THE PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU, CHINA’S KGB. IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION, MR. LAI & THE OTHERS WERE SEVERELY BEATEN. THE SECURITY OFFICERS NEXT HANDED THE TRUNCHEONS TO THE CONGREGANTS & ORDERED THEM TO BEAT THE PREACHERS, ON PAIN OF BEING BEATEN THEMSELVES. MR. LAI WAS SO BADLY INJURED THAT THE SECURITY TEAM FEARED HE WOULD DIE IN THEIR PRESENCE (LEAVING TOO MUCH TO EXPLAIN), SO THEY RELEASED HIM. HE CRAWLED & HOBBLED FOR SEVERAL MILES ATTEMPTING TO REACH HIS HOME, BUT FINALLY COLLAPSED & DIED ON THE ROAD. SUCH PERSECUTION IS COMMONPLACE IN CHINA. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORTS CASES OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN HUNG BY THEIR THUMBS FROM WIRES & BEATEN WITH HEAVY RODS, DENIED FOOD & WATER & SHOCKED WITH ELECTRIC PROBES.”
2. THE UNITED NATIONS REPORTS THAT THE MILITANT ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT OF CENTRAL AFRICAN SUDAN HAS DECLARED A SYSTEMATIC BATTLE AGAINST CHRISTIANS. SINCE 1982, 300,000 SUDANESE CHRISTIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED. EACH YEAR HUNDREDS OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS ARE SOLD INTO SLAVERY & TAKEN WHERE THEY HAVE TO WORK AS SLAVES OR AS CONCUBINES FOR THEIR MUSLIM MASTERS. (Religious Liberty Commission of World Evangelical Fellowship)
3. (Jeff Jacoby, “Christian Suffering Is on the Rise,” Boston Globe, 1996) “THE MUSLIM POPULATION OF KHAN JAJJA, PAKISTAN WAS INCITED IN MAY
1994 BY THE LOCAL MUSLIM CLERIC TO DRIVE THE 60 CHRISTIAN FAMILIES OF THE REGION FROM THE ‘LAND OF THE PURE’ AND TO DEMOLISH THEIR CHURCH. THE CHRISTIAN MEN WERE BEATED & THE WOMEN WERE STRIPPED NAKED. . . ., WHILE THREE GIRLS WERE KIDNAPPED & RAPED. THESE CHRISTIANS’ HOMES WERE RAZED & THEIR POSSESSIONS LOOTED OR DESTROYED.” PAKISTAN’S 1986 BLASPHEMY LAW MAKES IT A CAPITOL CRIME TO INSULT THE PROPHET MOHAMMED “BY IMPUTATION, INNUENDO, OR INSINUATION.” THE LAW HAS BEEN USED REPEATEDLY TO JUSTIFY A REIGN OF TERROR AGAINST PAKASTANI CHRISTIANS.
4. REV. PIERRE BYNUM IS A MEMBER OF A GROUP CALLED, “CAPITOL HILL PRAYER ALERT”, A WASHINGTON-BASED MINISTRY THAT COORDINATES & LEADS PRAYER THE U.S. GOVERNMENT & ITS LEADERS. THE GROUP ALSO CONDUCTS WHAT IT CALLS PRAYER TOURS OF THE CAPITOL AND ITS BUILDINGS. A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE VISIT SITES AROUND THE CAPITOL THAT REFLECT AMERICA’S CHRISTIAN HERITAGE. AFTER THE LEADER EXPLAINS THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE SITES, THE GROUP ENGAGES IN QUIET PRAYER FOR THE NATION. ON NOVEMBER 3, 1996, REV BYNUM LED ONE OF THESE TOURS AS PART OF A 40 DAY PERIOD OF PRAYER & FASTING LEADING UP TO THE 1996 ELECTIONS. FOLLOWING A DISCUSSION AT THE WASHINGTON CORNERSTONE IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING, REV. BYNUM’S GROUP SPENT A FEW MOMENTS IN QUIET, CONVERSATIONAL PRAYER. AS THE PRAYER ENDED, A TOUR PARTICIPANT HEARD A UNIFORMED MEMBER OF THE U.S. CAPITOL POLICE SAY THAT THE GROUP WAS ENGAGED IN A DEMONSTRATION. BYNUM WAS THEN TOLD IT WAS ILLEGAL TO PRAY IN THE U. S. CAPITOL & THAT THEY WOULD ALL BE ARRESTED IF THE GROUP PRAYED AGAIN. AFTER A THREE YEAR BATTLE, ON MARCH 31, 2000, A TRIAL COURT UPHELD THE RIGHT TO PRAY IN THE CAPITOL & SPECIFICALLY ORDERED THAT THE POLICE NOT RESTRICT “THE DISCREET ACT OF BOWING ONE’S HEAD, CLOSING ONE’S EYES, & CLASPING ONE’S HANDS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL.”
5. Why talk about persecution? It is alive & well
III. WHAT SHOULD THE CHRISTIAN’S ATTITUDE BE TOWARD PERSECUTION?
A. Rejoice and be glad – 3 reasons to do so
B. Reason #1 – It is a confirmation of your salvation
1. If you were blending in with the world there wouldn’t be anything to
harass
(IL) Jump School – I’d heard that the Black Hats (NCO Instructors) provided
a little extra harassment for officers and chaplains. So I tried to blend in
2. Persecution for righteousness sake is a confirmation of our salvation
because we aren’t hiding our Christianity & blending in
C. Reason #2 – You join the ranks of those who have gone on ahead (Vs 12)
1. Loyal OT folks – Abel, Jeremiah, Daniel, 3 Hebrew children, Joseph
2. Apostles – Martyred, put in prison, exiled
D. Reason #3 – Remember that heaven awaits you.
1. Vs 10 – Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Vs 11 – Rejoice & be glad because great is your reward in heaven.
3. Ro 8:18 – I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.
4. Rev 21:1-4 – Then I saw a new heaven & a new earth, for the old heaven
& the old earth had passed away & there was no longer any sea. I saw
the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a
loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men,
& He will live with them. They will be His people & God Himself will be
with them & be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes & there
will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the old order of
things has passed away.”
CONCLUSION
· Let’s live our lives with a realistic perspective - with eternity in view – always remembering that there is more than this life.
Regardless of what others may say about us or do to us – remember always that Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven
