Sermon: Happy, The Persecuted

Transcription

1 Sermon: Happy, The Persecuted Happy: The Persecuted Matthew 5: 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. I. Introduction Over the last several weeks we have taken a closer look at what we call the beatitudes; Jesus words to the crowds who

2 followed him about true happiness and where it can be found in this life. These crowds expected to find happiness through the miracles they had seen Jesus perform, and so they brought their sick to him for healing. They expected happiness to follow their liberation from Roman oppression, so they came to hear the plans from this Rabbi, who was preaching about a new kingdom. But Jesus dug beneath the surface to confront their assumptions and transform their hearts. And he told them that the road to happiness leads in a different direction than what they expected. Happiness belongs to the poor in spirit, because in their humility and desperation for God, they will receive the gift of God s grace and his kingdom. Happiness belongs to those who mourn, because they will find comfort in God. The meek will be happy, because they have been filled by the Spirit and adopted as daughters and sons of God, heirs to the kingdom and new creation. Happiness will follow after those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled by the bread of life and living water of Christ. The merciful will be blessed because they have learned to forgive others in the way they have been forgiven by God. The pure in heart will be happy, because they will see God everywhere in this life and the next. Peacemakers will be happy, because they are at peace with God, and have learned to pass on to others what they have received. And finally, Jesus said that those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed. I don t know about you, but I find this last statement more personally challenging than all those that preceded it. I ve been challenged by them all, for sure, but with each of the other beatitudes I find that I have an active role to play. I am called to surrender, to be gentle, to pursue God, to forgive, to make peace, etcetera. In all of these I must learn to rely totally on God, but there is still a sense in which I feel some responsibility for, at the very least, inviting God to have his way in my life. But when it comes to the subject

3 of persecution, I feel totally powerless. Persecution is something that happens to us, not something we actively pursue. I have no part in controlling it. And I don t know about you, but I m not a big fan of situations where I have no control. II. We often fear persecution and respond accordingly I think most of us, when we really think about it, are probably somewhat fearful of persecution, and understandably so. Our news feeds have lately been filled with reports of ISIS and other terrorists, who take special interest in targeting Christians. In the last few months, in various places around the world, Christians have had their possessions taken or destroyed, they have been driven from their homes, they have had their churches burned or bombed, they have been beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and killed. And all of this has happened for no other reason than because they claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A recent watch list released by Open Doors USA lists the top 50 countries where persecution continues against Christians today. This list details significant ongoing problems in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, India, China, and Southeast Asia.[1] Violence against Christians is prevalent around the globe, and the problems are getting worse. One research study estimates that up to 70 million Christians have been martyred for their faith, since the time of Jesus, with more than half of those deaths occurring in the last century alone.[2] Statisticians disagree about the accuracy of these numbers, but one thing they all seem to agree on is this: Christians are still the most persecuted religious group in the world today. And in many countries it is illegal or unsafe to proclaim Jesus as Lord and share the good news of the gospel with others. We face a very different kind of struggle as Christians in the United States and most of Europe. We do not often risk our

4 lives or possessions, when we follow Jesus. Most of us will never encounter more than ridicule, misunderstanding, or anger, because of our faith. And even though our society has become less friendly to Christian beliefs in recent years, we should be slow to label such things as civil action or changing laws as persecution, except where they are intended to harm or harass Christians specifically. Especially when well meaning Christians so often bring problems on themselves by meeting the world with an air of self-righteousness or entitlement, rather than love. I know I have been guilty of this, even if nobody else here has. Now, please hear me when I say that I believe we have rights afforded to us by our society, and we should defend those rights, so long as they are consistent with our scriptural witness. But true persecution of the type we see elsewhere is a rare thing in our country. Maybe our unfamiliarity with real mistreatment on account of our faith is to blame for the fear we sometimes feel. And let s make no mistake about it; fear is what causes Christians in our country to lash out at those who are living far away from God, when they follow the ways of the world. It s what causes us to fight back with petitions and legislation and boycotts, when we feel slighted by those in our society who do not understand us and our beliefs. We fear change, we fear becoming marginalized, we fear our loss of control, and we fear being mistreated for what we believe. In fact, whether we recognize it or not, fear often forms the basis of our views about persecution and our responses to it. There is no shame in being afraid of things we don t understand. But as followers of Jesus we have been offered freedom from fear, if we will confess it to God and trust him for our strength. One of the consistent messages of scripture that is repeated over and over again is this: do not be afraid, for the Lord is with his people. So why do we fear what others might say or do to us, because we claim Jesus as Lord?

5 III. Blessed are the persecuted The crowds who sat at Jesus feet on the mountainside were no strangers to persecution. They remembered the stories that had been passed down to them from their ancestors in the books of the Law and Prophets. Israel had been at war with countries and kings who worshipped false gods for most of its existence. They had been thrown out of their homes and driven into captivity more than once, and even now they were living under the rule of Caesar and Rome as a conquered people. They knew what it was like to have their rights stripped away from them, to be marginalized, and to be forgotten. And in their desperation to find true happiness in this life they had come to Jesus the miracle-working rabbi to find hope. Jesus knew that, in order to find all of the blessings he had promised to them so far, they would have to overcome their present situation. They would have to learn how to embrace all of these radical claims to happiness, even in the midst of their less-than-ideal circumstances. And so he first gave them a new way to understand persecution, and then he reminded them about how God had called them to respond as his people. These same lessons apply to us, as the church, today. 1. How should we understand persecution, as Christians? First, Jesus made clear in Matthew 5:9 that not all persecution is the same. Those who are blessed are the ones who are persecuted because of righteousness. In other words, they have been mistreated because of their faithfulness to God s commands. This is an important distinction. You see, sometimes we invite mistreatment upon ourselves for other reasons, and these do not carry a blessing. Let s be honest, Christians are often at the receiving end of abuse from the world, because we have been quick to abuse others first.

6 For example, how often have you heard Christians respond with harsh criticism or contempt or an air of self-righteousness to unbelievers who are stuck in their sin? How often have we ignored the needy among us and complained about our needs? How often have we tried to legislate morality by using the courts to advance our views? And how often have these things stirred up distrust, misunderstandings, and even hatred from those who don t know Jesus, and aren t yet free from the grip of sin in their lives? When we seek to follow all the commands of God, especially the greatest commandments of loving God and loving others, we may still meet with persecution, but it will be because of our righteousness, instead of our lack thereof. Second, we should expect to be persecuted. In John 15:18-21 Jesus said, If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? A slave is not greater than the master. Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. (NLT) In Matthew 5:12 Jesus echoed this when he said that the prophets were also persecuted for their righteous pursuit of God. So, if we are living as faithful followers of Jesus, we should expect persecution in this life. And if we aren t encountering any resistance from the world, then it might be a sign that we nee d to more carefully examine our lives, to see if we are, in fact, following where he is leading us. The third thing we should understand about persecution is that it is always temporary. In verse 12 Jesus said Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. No matter what resistance we encounter in this life it will come to an end. And we have a promised future beyond our wildest dreams. Remember that we are citizens of another kingdom, and we must

7 have a kingdom perspective about such things. From this viewpoint we can see that our lives now are just a small piece of what God has planned for us. And, although there will be suffering in this life, we will be rewarded for our perseverance both in this life and in the life to come. Matthew 5:10 repeats what was said in verse 3 about the reward for faithfulness: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. These verses act as bookends to the section, and they show that all of these traits lead to the same end. The one who exhibits them will find happiness in the kingdom. If we take this kingdom view of persecution, how then should we respond when we are persecuted for our faithfulness? 2. How should we respond? I said earlier that the most challenging part of Matthew 5:10 for me is the sense I have that things are completely out of my control, when it comes to persecution. It is true that we cannot chose the time, place, or form of persecution. But we can choose how we will respond to it. The crowd who gathered around Jesus might have expected him to give them some radical new approach to dealing with their predicament. I mean, everything he had said to this point was pretty out there and it only seemed likely that his solution would be too. So, it probably came as a surprise to some that his advice was to continue doing what God had called them to do all along. He went on in Matthew 5:13, saying, You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify

8 your Father in heaven. (NLT) Israel had always been a people called to be salt and light among the nations of the earth. God had formed them into a holy nation and blessed them so that they would be a witness and a blessing to the rest of the world. They were to be set apart as an example of the transformation that God works in the hearts of those who love him. Jesus was reminding them of their charge, saying that their persecution will come precisely because of their faithfulness, so the best response they can give in the face of persecution is to remain faithful. In other words, our response to persecution should be to maintain our witness. If we are misunderstood because we seek justice and love mercy in a world filled with people who are out for themselves, then we should continue to love others sacrificially as a witness to the God of justice and mercy. If we are hated because we look and act differently than the world, then the best thing we can do is to continue to look and act differently as an example of the holiness God demands from his people. Whatever challenges we face, we should continue to embrace all of the characteristics that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 5 as a testimony to the new life we have in Christ. If we do that; if we continue to live faithfully in the midst of persecution, God will use our witness to point our persecutors toward himself. This is the reason we still hear stories about those who have martyred Christians coming to faith themselves, when they see that faith in Jesus is real and powerful to the end. The greatest witness we can ever give to the good news of Jesus Christ is to remain faithful in the midst of persecution. IV. Application This isn t an easy task, though, is it? As I reflected this

9 week on my own willingness to take this different view of persecution that Jesus offers to us, it occurred to me that I simply can t do what I must, unless Christ does it in me. I can t be the witness the salt and light that God has called me to be, unless Jesus lives in me and I abide in him. I can t endure the hardships and persecution that will come my way, unless the Spirit is sitting in the driver s seat of my life. I can t stand up under the pressure and accusations of the enemy of our souls, unless I know who I am to my heavenly Father. I m too fragile on my own; too likely to give up when the going gets too tough, to throw in the towel when it looks like I m losing the fight. But I am not alone, and neither are you. Our God will give us victory in this life and the next, if we will place our trust in him. The surest way to build the trust and confidence we need to face the challenges of this life as followers of Jesus is to ask God to show us who we are to him, and embrace the new identity he has given to us in Christ. Only when we know who we are, will we know how to act in the face of great struggles. Children have no trouble asking their parents to give them an identity, do they? They have no problem whatsoever looking to their parents and asking if they are strong, or courageous, or intelligent, or funny, or beautiful, or loved. We can learn a lot from our children. Have you asked God to tell you lately what you mean to him? Have you asked God to remind you who you are now, in Christ? Let s all take a moment to do that right now. Heavenly Father, would you speak to our hearts in these next few minutes and show us who we are in your eyes? Help us to claim our new identity in Jesus this morning. Amen. I have dared to ask God who I am to him this week, and here is what he has revealed to me. If you confess Jesus as Lord this morning, then I believe this is your identity too. Hear this promise about yourself. I am no longer my own. I am a child of the Living God; beloved of my Father and slave of Jesus Christ. I have been set free

10 by his grace, cleansed by his blood, and sealed by his promise. I have been filled with God s Spirit, born from above, and baptized into the body of Christ. No one can ever take my place in my Father s kingdom. No one can ever steal my inheritance. No one can ruin my joy or destroy my peace, so long as I abide in Jesus. No one can ever separate me from the love of God. I cannot be shaken. I cannot be bought. I cannot be led astray. I cannot be defeated by the powers of darkness, because Jesus Christ lives in me. No one will ever overcome my God. Because I am not my own, I will not fear what the world can take from me, and I will not grow weary of seeking after Jesus and his righteousness. I will trust the Lord all of my days. And if I should be called upon to suffer for my faith, I will trust him until I breathe my last breath, because I know that he is faithful. I will run the race; I will give my all, so that I might receive the prize of eternal life with him, through Jesus Christ, my Lord. What has God revealed to your heart today? Has he assured you that you are his precious child, bought at a great price? Has he promised to be with you through all the challenges you face? Has he confirmed his promise that you will live with him in paradise? Or, has God pulled back the veil to show you an area of fear in your life? Has he convicted you of some unrepentant sin that is holding you back from being his faithful witness? Or has he indicated there is something you still need to surrender fully to his control? What if we all began to take a different view of persecution, not as a battle to be fought, but rather as a mantle to be carried for the sake of the world? What if we were to stop fighting against our cross, and learned to carry it instead? What if we truly embraced and lived out the way that leads to eternal life, even when it means passing through death to get there? What if we were to become witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ, even though it sometimes leads to misunderstanding, and distrust, and hatred?

11 I suspect the fear of persecution accounts for why so few Christians share their faith with the lost, even in their own families. If you remember, recent statistics show that only 2% of all Christians in America invite someone to church in a given year. We are so afraid of what people will think or say or do if we tell them about Jesus. Let s decide today to stop worrying about persecution, and start living lives that are faithful to the gospel. When we do, persecution will eventually come. But when it does, we will be blessed as we are confirmed in our faithfulness, and we will be a blessing through our witness to the transforming presence of God in our midst. V. Closing Prayer Let us pray. Heavenly Father, as we watch the persecution of your Church unfold around the world, we ask for your continued presence and mercy. Would you deliver our brothers and sisters who are enduring tremendous hardship because of their faith? Would you protect their lives and give them strength to persevere? And Father, would you forgive those of us who live in places that aren t hostile to the faith for forgetting those who suffer? Please help us to support them in their time of need. And Father, when our time comes, would you also give us the courage to face the opposition and the strength to persevere in our faith. We ask all of this in Jesus name. Amen. Benediction Dear friends, don t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful

12 joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. (1 Peter 4:12-13, 19, NLT) [1] -list/ [2]