The "be" Attitudes 09

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.