THE DUNGEON WORTH DYING FOR
Shift #8
MATTHEW 5:10-12; 1 PETER 4:14-16
INTRODUCTION:
For 7 weeks we have looked at the attitudes that Jesus has said will bring true and genuine happiness. I hope these messages have been beneficial and I hope you’ve been trying to put them into practice. To be humble (poor in spirit), to be repentant (mourn), to surrender to His control, (Meek), to yearn for a personal relationship with Jesus, to read the Bible, talk to him on a daily basis (hunger & thirst), to be forgiving (merciful), to be genuine- the same on the inside as the outside (pure in heart), & to pursue harmony between man & God and man & man (peacemakers.)
So now, we come to the last Beatitude. Allow me to make three observations here before we dig into this last truth. (1) This Beatitude is different as to the primary audience Jesus addresses. When Jesus gave these sayings they were a part of a sermon we call “The Sermon on the Mount.” The first seven Beatitudes are given to both seeker and believer alike. However, this one is given specifically to those who believe. Jesus says in vs:11 - “Blessed are you when people insult you...” etc., “because of me.” Now, it’s the same crowd and most of them were seekers, because Jesus was just starting his ministry and they were wondering about who he was. But Jesus also knew that there would be those that listened to him that would place their belief in Him and he wanted them to know what they were up against. Plus, even the seeker wants the truth. Jesus is not a doctor who touches up the x-rays in order to give you the politically correct diagnosis. No, Jesus Christ always gives you the straight scoop. Interestingly, in a recent study of unchurched people by Thom Rainer, those who were seekers said that when they came to church they expected to be challenged. They did not want diluted, pop-psychology but the truth from the Bible.
And that brings me to the (2) second observation. Jesus gives us a different kind of end result. He tells us here that after we’ve incorporated all of the attitudes of the first seven Beatitudes here’s what we get: Earthly blessings? No. Prestige, popularity, prominence? None of those. Jesus says, “If the first seven are now the basis for your life you get ... persecuted.” What? You mean after we have done the best we can to assimilate these attitudes into our character we get punished? Yes, that’s what Jesus says you can expect. And to make matters more surprising, how are we supposed to react to this mistreatment? We are to "Rejoice and be glad! Does that make sense? Is that fair? But Jesus is a realist and He wants you to know the truth.
You know one thing about Jesus- He never pulled any punches. Jesus always spoke with startling honesty. He didn’t say, "Now that you’ve have heard all the things I want you to incorporate in your character everything in your life will turn out healthy and wealthy." Jesus fully intended for us to be aware that there would be a cost to our discipleship. He never left any doubt what would happen to those who chose to follow Him. Christianity is a paradox. You do what He says & you are not promised comfort but a cross, not worldly security but suffering, not earthly triumph but tribulation. But don’t miss this. Jesus is reminding us that He did not come into the world to make life easy but to make people great.. for God. Jesus is saying, "Happy many times over are those whose beliefs are so strong that they can withstand attack."
And then (3) the third observation is the most obvious. This Beatitude is different in its emphasis. It’s the longest of the eight. It is the only one that Jesus takes the time to define. It’s the only beatitude that He repeats twice. This saying gets more space than any other. Since it’s that important to Jesus, let’s dig in and see what He means by: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you.."
I. THE DEFINITION:
The word that Jesus uses here for persecute is the Greek word "dioko." It literally means to "be pursued." It can have a positive definition, to "run after something good," but in this context it has to do with hostility, so it means to "be pursued by a hostile force." Maybe the word today that we would most closely connect with "Dioko," is the word harassment. Jesus is saying that harassment, mistreatment and ridicule is what the committed Christian receives from the world.
And notice that He leaves no room for doubt that mistreatment is inevitable. He doesn’t say, "Blessed are you "if" people insult you, etc.” What does He say? "Blessed are you "when" people insult you, persecute you, etc.” Persecution will happen. And I’m convinced that as the world gets more and more secular in its thinking, it will become more and more hostile to Christianity.
Now, it is important to look at the reason for persecution. Jesus is not talking about racial or ethnic harassment. Being mistreated due to the color of your skin or your accent is not right but it’s not what Jesus is referring to here. He’s not talking about harassment due to our own obnoxiousness or offensive self-righteousness either. In fact 1 Ptr- 4:15 says, “If you suffer it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.” Most of us are not going to murder or steal but we might meddle, or be nosey, or a gossiper. Jesus isn’t talking about being put down for those things. In other words he is not saying, “Blessed are those who suffer because they are jerks.” The right reason for suffering mistreatment is for being like Jesus. Look at our text: Vs:10- "Blessed are those who are persecuted (circle) because of righteousness.. Vs:11- “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you (circle) because of Me.” 1 Ptr 4:14- "If you are insulted (circle) because of the name of Christ..” The only persecution that brings the blessings that Jesus offers is the mistreatment that comes from being like Him. Jesus said in John 15:20- "Remember the words I spoke to you: no servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you."
Why is that? Please understand that just as in the 1st century, people are still offended by Jesus. But now, instead of attacking Him directly they attack His followers. The more of His light that is seen in your life, the more darkness the world sees in theirs. The more positive you are, the more people are confronted with their own negativity. 2 Tim. 3:12- ".. Everyone who wants to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. It doesn’t say "might be persecuted," "Will be.." Just go to High School and say: "I’m a follower of Jesus Christ and I’m going to stay a virgin until I’m married." Go to work and say, "I’m can’t participate in promising something we can’t really deliver because I don’t think that would please my Lord." You’ll be thought of as out of step, as foolish. The reality is, we will be pursued by hostile forces, just make sure it is for the right reason, for living a Godly life, for being like Jesus Christ.
II. THE APPLICATION:
So, let’s talk about our response to mistreatment, how do I handle persecution? Now, maybe you’re sitting there saying, "Tim, I don’t need this part because no one ever harasses me for being like Jesus, I’m never mistreated for living for Christ.” What does that tell you? 2 Tim. 3:12 said, "All who live Godly lives will," what? "Will be persecuted.." If you never suffer any chide remarks, if you never suffer any ostracism, if you never suffer in ridicule, any insults, etc. maybe people aren’t seeing clearly enough, the difference between your life in Christ and their life outside Christ! Jesus says, mistreatment is inevitable. So the key word for this Beatitude is... well, let’s let Bruce Wayne, aka, Batman, give the word to us.
Video Clip - The Dark Knight - :33
Ok, so Alfred actually gave the word. What would you have me do? “Endure, take it.” Endurance is the right choice. Jesus is saying, “When you stand up for me and my teaching you will be mistreated so enduring through those times is key.” How do we do that? Let’s discuss how to handle the harassment that will come. Three suggestions here.
#1- Recognize the source. Eph. 6:12- "..our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against powers of this dark world.. Against the spiritual forces of evil..." People, we are not fighting against human beings... Now, for those of you who are new to Christianity or are just checking this whole God thing out, what I’m about to say is going to sound like something out of the X-Files. But the Bible teaches that the real source of any mistreatment, any evil, is Satan and his minions. They are behind it all. Our real enemy is not the Islamic extremists, the liberals in Washington, the abortionist Doctors, or the Gay rights activists. The person harassing you is not the problem. “our struggle is not against flesh and blood.”
Now, Jesus describes three types of persecution in vs:11 that the devil gets people to inflict on Christians. (1) There is verbal abuse- "Blessed are you when people insult you.." You take a stand for Christ and people call you "narrow," "stupid," "not with it," "unsophisticated." You take a stand for Christian values and you just don’t know what
"real life" is. You may be called "prude," "goody two shoes," a "religious fanatic."
(2) Physical abuse. - "Blessed are you when people persecute you." And the word persecute here means to be “beaten upon, hurt physically.” Now, we don’t receive much of that today like the followers in the 1st century that were thrown to lions and flogged. But I do know of some modern day missionaries that have been assaulted and I know of one high school girl who years ago was raped because she refused to "go all the way" with the captain of the football team. (3) There’s character assassination. Jesus says, "Blessed are you when people falsely say all kinds of evil against you.." In other words, they will tell lies about you. You know, the world loves to discredit Christians. And if your walk is above reproach, if you have integrity there are some who, not being able to find anything against you, will make stuff up. Did you know that Jesus was accused of being a drunk? His enemies said, "He’s a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of tax collectors and other outcasts!”(Mt.11:19 TEV)What they were saying was that Jesus was a "party animal!" "Yea, you know that teacher from Nazareth? Don’t put much stock in what He says, He’s a lush." And if it happened to him, it will happen to us. Understand that the devil will use every trick in the book to discredit you because in so doing he hurts the cause of Christ.
#2-Rejoice over your mistreatment. Here’s the one we stumble over. Not only does Jesus ask us to put up with harassment and abuse He tells us to "Rejoice and be glad," when it happens! What? Is Jesus some kind of masochist? "Hurt me, hurt me!" No. He’s not telling us to rejoice in the pain but.. when people put you down because of your positive and peaceful stand for Him or when you get put down because your different in the office place or at school because of your faith in Jesus... don’t complain... celebrate! Celebrate the cause of your mistreatment! You say, “Why in the world should I do that? Why should I rejoice when I get mistreated?” Three reasons:
(1) When I suffer any kind of abuse for my faith it means God’s Spirit can be seen in my life. If it wasn’t being seen in your life no one would harass you. So being mistreated means that others can see Jesus shining forth. 1 Peter 4:14- “If you’re abused because of Christ, count yourself fortunate. It’s the Spirit of God and his glory in you that brought you to the notice of others.”(MSG) When people put you down for being a Christian they see God’s spirit in you. In fact, if I’m never persecuted- never ridiculed, never ostracized or put down.. I ought to be asking, "Can anyone tell I have the Spirit of Christ?" "Can anyone tell I’m a believer?"And truly there are a lot of people who have "churchianity not Christianity," they have religion but not a relationship with Jesus. It’s like the old question- "If you were put on trial for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Or would people say, "Well, they go to church kind of regularly, they own a Bible but...” God is looking for “show and tell” Christians. People who make their walk with Christ a dynamic part of every moment they live. So if you are being mistreated, you should be glad because it means others can see Jesus shining in your life.
(2) It means God can trust me! You know the Bible teaches that when you are being persecuted, when you are being mistreated it means that God thinks you can handle it! Listen to this- Acts 5:41- "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing, because God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name (of Christ.)" Now, we have to admit, that as American Christians we have it pretty easy. And yet around the world, do you realize that hundreds of Christians are martyred everyday? Yes, every single day. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia an average of 833 believers are killed on a daily basis! That’s over 300,000 Christians martyred every year! David Barrett, the editor of that Encyclopedia, and a leading authority on Christian martyrdom, concludes that the worldwide statistical chances of becoming a martyr in your lifetime, if you are a missionary outside the USA is 1 in 50. If you are a native preacher full-time in a country outside America, your chances of being killed for your faith are 1 in 20. We don’t have any concept of that kind of persecution! But is that really a blessing? Do you know that the Christians in Russia pray for the Christians in America? Do you know why? Because they say we are so weak. They have been made strong by their persecution, on the other hand, many have a feeble faith because of our lack of it.
Rick Warren tells the story of when Communist China invaded Enshon, Korea, during the Korean War. The first thing they did was to take a prominent Pastor and his family to a big hole just outside of town. They put the husband, wife and their 3 children in the ground, then they brought the church and the whole city out to witness what was about to happen. After everyone was there the Communist leader said to the Pastor, "The only words you are to say is in renunciation of your faith. Unless you renounce your belief we will bury your family alive, right before your very eyes." Can you imagine? His kids started crying and the pastor sunk to his knees in anguish. Finally, he looked at his family and was just about to renounce his faith when his wife put her hand over his mouth and said, "Please, don’t deprive us of the privilege of dying for Jesus. He died for us." How much do you love Jesus? Do you consider it a privilege to suffer for Him? You know our problem? The problem for us is not persecution but convenience. If it’s inconvenient our stand is diluted. Foreign preachers say, "they braved the sword, they were killed, imprisoned." American preachers say, "they braved the rain, they gave up a Jaquars game, they sacrificed a hunting trip, a shopping bargain, a family outing... they really sacrificed!” People, we should rejoice when we are mistreated, for that means God thinks enough of your faith to think that you can handle it.
(3) It is only temporary. Whatever we suffer for Him will last only a little while. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 2 Cor. 4:17- "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, what is unseen is eternal." Listen, the life you’re living right now? It’s not real life! What you see here, is temporary! It will all be burnt up some day. The only real life is eternity and you’ve already started that. The only choice is where you finish it. "Only one life, twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last." Rejoice in your mistreatment, your problems are only temporary, they are far outweighed by an eternal glory.
So, how do you handle persecution? Recognize the source, rejoice over the mistreatment, and (3) Remain faithful to the end. Continue, as Alfred said in our clip, to endure, keep doing the right thing, persevere. 1 Ptr 4:19- "So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." He says simply continue to do what’s right- be faithful to the One who is always faithful to you. Listen, people can put you down but no-one, absolutely no-one, can stop you from living for Jesus- unless you allow it. So what, someone laughs at you, someone ostracizes you.. A laugh, a put down, a rejection, never destroyed anyone, unless they let it. Let me ask you something. “What does it take to stop you for standing up for Jesus?” A word of criticism? An insult.. one person who thinks you’re weird for reading your Bible during your coffee break? You won’t be in heaven for 5 minutes without saying, "Why didn’t I give more?" "Why didn’t I do more?" Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from living for Jesus. The reward far outweighs any inconvenience, any ridicule, any thing you might have to suffer.
III. THE SATISFACTION:
And that brings us to the best part of the message- the reward that Jesus promises. Jesus says, in vs:12 - "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward.. not little, great! What is this great reward?.. I see at least two.
(1) Because our suffering is for Him, we get to share in Christ’s glory right now! That’s what 1 Peter 4:14 says doesn’t it? So does Rom. 8:17- "Now we are heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if we share in His suffering we share in His glory." What a verse! One preacher said about this verse: “It reminds me of a Hollywood or Las Vegas marque where it says, "Starring- Wayne Newton." Then beneath it, it says, co-starring so & so.” He said, “Can’t you just see it? When I suffer for Jesus there’s a great heavenly marquee that says, "Now, starring.. Jesus Christ. Co-starring, Tim Smith." Or Chris Murray or Laura Williams. When we suffer for Him, we share Christ’s glory. And look at the company we keep when we suffer. Mt. 5:12 says we’re like the prophets who went before us. “You mean when I suffer for Christ I’m in the same league as Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist?” Absolutely! What an honor. But there’s more...
(2) You know what I think are the most important 2 words in this beatitude? Jesus says, "..great is your reward, in heaven.” I think Jesus must of smiled when He said that line. His eyes must have danced, and his hand must have pointed skyward. For He knew all about heaven, it was His home. When you look at this world, stained by innocent blood and smudged with selfishness, doesn’t it make you want something better? Well, the book of Revelation tells us that the Christian doesn’t just get something better, they get something perfect! In heaven there will be no more tears, no more death, no more pain, no more good-byes.
I went to Haiti several years ago. I spent 8 days there starting on a Saturday, and as rewarding as it was, by Thursday I wanted to go home. I wrote a journal of my trip. As we headed back for Port-a-Prince this was my entry- "Finally, homeward bound. I can’t wait to see the missionary compound, it will mean I’m really going home. The ride is incredible, my spirits grow lighter with each mile we travel. I can’t wait to see Deb, I can’t wait to see the kids, I can’t wait for a shower!" The next morning I was on the plane. Excitement coursed through me when the nose of the jet dipped on its approach. As I saw the flight attendant getting ready, I thought: Deb and the kids are probably in the parking lot headed for my gate. The plane landed, I descended the ramp, I went to customs, the crowd was big but.. then I saw them. I heard those precious words: "Daddy, daddy, Tim." I couldn’t help but break into tears.. they were waving and then running toward me- first my bride, then Marlo, Rusty and bringing up the rear was Zachary.. you know what he was doing? Running, laughing & applauding! Applauding for me! I was finally home.
Oh, can’t you see? You may not have noticed it but you are closer to home than ever before. Each moment a step is taken. Each breath is a page turned. Each day a mile is marked. You are closer to home than you’ve ever been. Before you know it, your appointed time will come; you’ll descend the ramp and enter the City. You’ll see faces waiting for you. You’ll hear your name called out by those who love you. And, in the back, behind the crowds- the One who would rather die than live without you will remove His pierced hands from His heavenly robe and .. applaud. You’re finally home. "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
