*PERSEVERING UNDER PERSECUTION Matthew 5:10 & 11

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1 *PERSEVERING UNDER PERSECUTION Matthew 5:10 & 11 Page 1 of 9 One of the major causes of unhappiness is trying to please everyone. It only leads to disappointment and frustration. You just can't please everyone no matter how hard you try. Jesus was up front about the consequences of following Him. Many people aren't going to like you. If you are trying to make everyone like you, you will be tempted not to follow Jesus and you will miss out on the greatest joy in life! Jesus warns us of *1. THE REALITY OF PERSECUTION: IT WILL HAPPEN! Jesus ends the beatitudes with. *Matthew 5:10 Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! GNT The statement was so shocking; He repeats it again, in the next verse with a little more detail. *Matthew 5:11 Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers." GNT Notice Jesus says when, not if. When people insult you, not if. Don't be caught off guard. As the more secular our world becomes, the more hostile it is towards Christians.

2 Page 2 of 9 He's tells us, happy are those whose beliefs are so strong that they obey God even when they are attacked for doing it. Let s look at *2. THE REASONS FOR PERSECUTION *Look at the second part of verse 11, "...because you are My followers." If you and I follow Jesus and live for Him, we can expect persecution because the world persecuted Jesus. *Look at what Jesus said in John 15:20, 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. NIV Evil people don't like Jesus and they are going to attack His followers. The world crucified Jesus because of His moral goodness. The light of Jesus goodness reveals the darkness of sin that is in all of us. It is overwhelming and uncomfortable until a person comes to Christ for forgiveness. -- The more like Christ you are, the more uncomfortable some people are going to be around you. *Look at 2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, NIV If you don t compromise on same sex marriage, or sex outside of marriage, or abortion, some are not going to like that. If you speak up for the poor and the immigrant, some are not going to like that.

3 Page 3 of 9 Why do some people in our community not like a simple white cross? Because it represents Jesus. The world doesn't like Jesus because of his moral goodness and because of his message. Jesus proclaimed himself to be the only way to God. He proclaimed to the world that we have all sinned and we will all spend eternity in hell unless we receive Him as our only Savior and God. -- When you proclaim the message of Christ, many people are not going to like that. The number one reason that people don't witness is the fear of rejection. We have thoughts like this, If I use a connection card and tell someone, God loves you, they will think I am a fanatic. If I tell them that Jesus Christ died for our sins, they will reject me. If I invite them to church, they will think I am pushy. Who cares what they think? They need the Savior! *ILL If you see somebody in a burning house you don t stop and think it's none of my business if they live or die. You just try to help them get out. When people are dying you want to help. Truth is, there are people all around us dying and going to hell. 176,000 people will die and go to hell in the next 24 hours. You may say I can t save them all. How about saving one? Do you have one name on your prayer list that you are actively trying to lead to faith in Christ?

4 Page 4 of 9 Our church exists to save people. Sunday mornings are an opportunity for you and I to be equipped and encouraged to go back into the community to reach people for Christ. We need to get with the program and not worry about what people think. *3. OUR RESPONSE TO PERSECUTION How do you handle being persecuted for your faith in Christ? *(1.) Recognize the source. *Look at Ephesians 6:12, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. NIV Our enemy is not people, but the devil. The devil is God s enemy and he is yours. If you want to hurt a parent, one of the best ways to do it is to hurt the child. The devil is puny compared to God, so he cannot hurt God directly, so he hurts His children. Ill It is like the county councilman in Kent county who voted against a raise for teachers. Because of that vote, some of the teachers harassed his son who was a student in the high school. The devil is using the person who is harassing you to attack God. So recognize the real source of the persecution. When you are persecuted *(2.) Refuse to retaliate.

5 Page 5 of 9 The person attacking you is really just a pawn. Lashing out at them will not help them see God s love for them. But when we do not retaliate, they see what God is like. *Look at Romans 12:17 Never pay back evil for evil. TLB When someone does something bad to you, refuse to retaliate. Instead *(3.) Respond positively. When someone does something bad to you, try to do something good to them because they are not the enemy. *Romans 12:21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. NLT Our natural reaction is to retaliate. So how do you respond positively? *Look at Matthew 5:44 pray for those who persecute you, NIV Prayer is a necessary part of responding positively. If you and I are not praying for the people that harass us, we will fall victim to the trap of the Devil. He wants you to act like the Devil. If you and I act more like the Devil than we do Jesus, it is easy to know why. We are spending more time with the Devil than with Jesus. When people put you down, build them up. Respond positively. Love them. Pray for them. Do good to them.

6 Page 6 of 9 When you are persecuted *(4.) Rejoice. Look at the first part of verse 12. *Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven NIV Jesus is not telling you to rejoice when you are criticized for being obnoxious and rude. If we are punished for being rude or demanding, we are just getting what we deserve. We need to change our behavior. Jesus is not telling us to rejoice in the pain when we are persecuted. That would be masochistic and not Christ like. Jesus despised the shame of the cross but endured it for you and me. (Hebrews 12:2) What Jesus is saying here is to rejoice because of what persecution means. It means you are being like Jesus. It means that the Spirit of Christ can be seen in your life. If I'm not being persecuted, I ought to ask, "Can anybody see Christ in me? Am I proclaiming his message of Good News? There are some church goers that say, "My witness is my life. I do not have to say anything. That is the height of egotism! What that is saying is, "I'm so good I can just walk into a room and people will automatically fall down and want to be

7 Page 7 of 9 saved!" Even Jesus had to speak the Good News for people to be saved. How can anyone think they are better than Jesus? So, rejoice when you are persecuted because of what it means. When you are persecuted *(5.) Remember your reward. Look at the first part of verse 12. *Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, Jesus says you are in good company. *for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:12 NIV Those who are persecuted for proclaiming Christ and living for Him, will be honored like the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah. There are going to be degrees of reward in heaven. The Bible tells us that those who are faithful in proclaiming Christ, even in the face of persecution, will receive a great reward. Our reward in heaven is worth whatever persecution we go through here. So, when you are persecuted, remember your reward! When you are persecuted *(6.) Remain faithful.

8 Page 8 of 9 When you are persecuted, persevere in following Christ. *Look at 1 Peter 4:19 So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. NIV We know little of real persecution in this country. One thing we can do to encourage those who are under severe persecution is to be faithful in proclaiming Christ when we have so much freedom and opportunity. Notice that line, those who suffer according to God's will. Did you know that sometimes it is God s will for you and I to suffer? That's not a message you will hear too often on television. What the health and wealth prosperity people are going to tell you is that God is going to make you healthy and wealthy, and give you a big house, a big pay check, and a big car. They will tell you if you're sick or suffering, it's because you're out of God's will or you don t have enough faith. But the Bible tells us the truth. Sometimes suffering is a part of God's will. It is an opportunity for us to trust God and to grow by being faithful to do God s will. Persecution can never stop a believer from doing the will of God, unless you let it. I read a story about a new Christian who had a great job making lots of money and very successful. The company asked him to make an unethical decision. He wouldn't do it. So he had to resign. He went from two maids and a limo to having to move in with a friend. He was unemployed for two years. It was a two year test. He did not give in to pressure! He's going to get his reward in heaven. Two years of

9 Page 9 of 9 being unemployed are nothing compared to sharing Christ's glory in heaven. (Romans 8:17) How many people are you talking to about Christ each week? You won't be in heaven five minutes before you will say, "I wish I had told more people about Jesus! Why did I waste so many opportunities?" I invite you to join the winning team. We may suffer some now, but in the end we win! Prayer: Father, I commit my life to following Christ no matter what the cost. Father, make me strong enough to not be ashamed to follow Jesus and to tell others about Him.