Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness

now we have a few different passages to look at together a couple from John's gospel spent a lot

of time in John's gospel recently and then we'll be back in Matthew so here in John chapter 3

John 3 · chapter mention

and at verse 16 we read we're going to read down to verse 21 we read there for God so loved the

world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have

eternal life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world

through him whoever believes in him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned

already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only son this is the verdict

light has come into the world but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds

were evil everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their

deeds will be exposed but whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly

that what they have done has been done in the sight of God and then John chapter 15

John 15 · chapter mention

and beginning at verse 18 down to verse 25 where Jesus says if the world hates you keep in mind that

it hated me first 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 remember what I told

you a servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me they will persecute you also

if they obeyed my teaching they will obey yours also they will treat you this way because of my name

for they do not know the one who sent me if I had not come and spoken to them they would not be guilty

of sin but now they have no excuse for their sin whoever hates me hates my father as well

if I had not done among them the works no one else did they would not be guilty of sin as it is they

have seen and yet they have hated both me and my father but this is to fulfill what is written in

their law they hated me without reason and now our beatitude which is in Matthew chapter 5 and from

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

verse 10 to verse 12 blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of

heaven blessed are you when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you

because of me 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 want to begin with a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer he said this suffering is the badge of true

discipleship now Bonhoeffer as you may know was someone who was imprisoned and tortured and ultimately killed

for opposing Hitler and the Nazi regime during the second world war

that regime that rejected Jesus and rejected the values of Jesus saw Bonhoeffer and those like him in the

confessing church as voices to be silenced they were standing on the side of Jesus so they needed to be got rid of

I came across a statistic this week a very sobering one

that between the years 2000 and 2010 it is estimated that there were one million Christian martyrs

one million people killed because of their faith

and today you can read of stories of religious persecution in different parts of the world

where even the the covid pandemic is being used as a as a weapon to deny poor suffering Christians from

getting aid and relief as they have already been denied work or land or freedom

so especially if you're a part of the clue our next missions night in December will focus attention on work

for the persecuted church

so that'll be a Wednesday night at the beginning of December and we're going to pray for the persecuted church

shortly

think how challenging the idea of persecution is

for our day and for where we are we live in a culture of comfort

that's very risk averse we like our comfort and security

and we live in a time where any kind of inconvenience is unwelcome even at the most moderate level where

you know we lose internet connection and it's oh it's a disaster

so you think about persecution and our gut instinct

most likely

is to think of how to avoid it

so this final beatitude continues to challenge us

just as the others have

so we're going to think about three things together that Jesus teaches us here about persecution

first of all the reality

of persecution this is very much a when not an if

it's interesting to notice maybe you noticed it as we were reading the change of vocabulary so

so the main body of the the beatitudes

blessed are those blessed are those but in verse 11

blessed are you

when people insult you persecute you and falsely say all kinds of things about you so here's an emphasis

deliberately from Jesus to the disciples right in front of him you will face persecution

they are being told loyalty to Jesus

brings rejection

not recognition and acclaim

to pursue righteousness to aim for

integrity

mercy

to be concerned for justice

to live looking to practice mercy

and to live out God's standards

while we would expect to be

applauded perhaps as as model citizens

will actually Jesus says

put you in the firing line

because we find ourselves in the heat as Christians of spiritual battle

and and our lives of righteousness when they are lived before the world challenges the moral indifference that we see around us

challenges the conscience of people and that is not something

that is popular

and that's the consistent teaching of Jesus

that's why we read those passages in John's Gospel so we read

in John chapter 3

John 3 · chapter mention

we read that sort of the famous

Gospel verse about

God's

love

for the world that those who would believe

would have eternal life

but Jesus goes on to say that though he is

his light and though he has come to give love and to bring life

people prefer darkness

they actually hate

the light they hate Jesus they don't want to feel

exposed

and Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount will say to the church you are the light of the world

and so a similar thing happens

with Jesus as with his followers

and then in John 15

we read there and that's just after that that wonderful section where Jesus said I'm the vine and you are the branches and that

call to abide in him and to bear fruit and then he goes on immediately to talk about

well the world hated me so don't be surprised when they hate you

he says to his followers

you've been chosen out of the world by God's grace saved by grace so you no longer belong to the world so that the world

rejects you

and so Jesus teaches the disciples and teaches us that if we want to represent

the Lord Jesus Christ if we want to represent his righteousness

and

some will be drawn to the light

like if you're out in the dark you switch on

a light and you'll see insects being drawn to the light

but others

will want to extinguish the light

so they can continue

to to live in the darkness of

their sin

without having that guilt

being exposed

the consistent message of the Bible

is that spiritual warfare is real

and there are no neutral countries

there is no middle ground that we can find

and we can trace that conflict right through

the Bible and indeed through church history

there is Adam

made in the image of God

living in God's perfect world

with Eve

and the enemy comes

Satan

who wants to destroy and divide

and lead them into sin

we see

the conflict between

spiritual good and spiritual evil there with

with Moses and Pharaoh

who wants to resist God and resist God's plan

we see it with Israel and the nations

Israel is called to be a light to the nations

but the nations want to extinguish and eliminate the people of God

and the purposes of God

and sadly to Israel too often fail to be that light

we see it with King David

who has to face the opposition of the giant Goliath

who would defy God and the armies of God

we see it when Jesus arrives in the world

and King Herod wants to kill him as an infant

and we see the powers of his day

colluding together to have Jesus crucified

just as God's saving plan had ordained

and then we see in the book of Acts

and through the rest of the New Testament

that the church is attacked and persecuted

by the religious authorities and by the powers of Rome

and so we see that story continue

so it's important that as Christians we recognise that we must on the one hand pursue righteousness

and we must expect that to be costly

in our workplace

to pursue honesty and integrity

to avoid the gossip or the backbiting

in your classroom

to maintain the moral values that the Bible lays out

to live in our society

wanting to be guided by biblical truth

is going to mean people will take pot shots at us

and that's a hard thing

Jonathan Dodson in his book

Our Good Crisis

says the only way we're going to do this

is when we decide

to bank everything

on the truth

that Jesus loves us

and that belonging to him

and his kingdom

is worth it

Let's think now for a few moments about the nature of persecution

because it's important for us to recognise in these verses

that there is a kind of persecution that is blessed

and there are different forms that persecution takes

So first of all let's think about this

what persecution is and is not blessed

Jesus is not saying

every time we suffer that we are blessed

when we are persecuted because of our unrighteousness

If we do wrong and we face consequences

if we sin and we face consequences

is that persecution?

No, that's punishment

and that's a different thing

So we're not blessed if we're persecuted because of our unrighteousness

and we're not blessed if we're persecuted due to our self-righteousness

So we know what that looks like when we're judgmental towards others

when we are offensive towards others

Yes, there is the offense of the gospel

but we don't want to be personally offensive and vindictive to others

We don't want to be proud in the way that we talk to and about others

It's why in the letter of 1 Peter so much is about character and speech

as we live as exiles, as we as Christians are foreigners

then it's important that we show honour to people

It's important that we give people proper respect

and that we speak about our truth with gentleness

We look to persuade people with our humility and kindness

So we're not blessed if we're persecuted because we're self-righteous

What persecution is blessed though?

It's when we're persecuted because of righteousness

In other words, when we are loyal to Jesus

When we are loyal to the values of Jesus

and when we look to live those out with the character of Jesus

then we are blessed even as we are persecuted

Jesus, just a few verses later in chapter 5 and verse 16

will say, in the same way

Let your light shine before others

that they may see your good deeds

and glorify your Father in heaven

So we are to shine at a light in the darkness

To be persecuted means to be mocked or despised

to be alienated or snubbed

To be humiliated for trying to live that way

For trying to live as a follower of Jesus

We are familiar with the concept of being guilty by association

I still remember as a naive first year student

wearing a certain set of football colours

in the wrong part of Glasgow

And because of an association with a particular football club

receiving the shouts and the insults that go with

People reject Jesus

People reject his gospel

So they will reject and persecute those who are loyal to Jesus and the gospel

We are persecuted by our association with the Lord Jesus

So when we suffer, we want to suffer because we are doing God's will

That's the suffering that's commended when we are doing good for the sake of Jesus

What forms can persecution take?

Verse 11 is helpful in this

It says, blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you

and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me

So we have drawn and we will later draw attention to

the physical persecution that's mentioned there

because we are aware today

that we have brothers and sisters in other parts of the world

who are being attacked and being imprisoned

and being denied basic rights and being martyred today

Now that's not our experience

Most of us will not experience physical persecution

But Jesus does refer to emotional persecution

And maybe that's something we identify with

where we are demeaned because of our faith

where we're cut out of

conversations, miss out on opportunities

where we are shamed

because we're Christians

And there is also verbal persecution

perhaps a whispering campaign

perhaps it's slander

or outright lies

because we want to follow Jesus

Persecution can be obvious

or it can be subtle

it can be public

or it can be private

But as a church

as Christians

we need our eyes wide open

Jesus teaches

it's inevitable

We follow after all

a persecuted

cross-carrying saviour

So again to go back to Peter

he said

don't be surprised

by the fiery trials

And in all that

as we are aware

that persecution is something

that is real for the Christian

we also need to recognise

again that our response matters

In our community discipleship groups

we're spending time in

in 1 Peter

and again we're seeing

time and again

that call to honour and gentleness

and to bear up under suffering

for the sake of the gospel

And as we do so

we remember that we are following

in the footsteps of Jesus

Jesus again

in the Sermon on the Mount

chapter 5 verse 44

said

I tell you

love your enemies

and pray

for those who persecute you

And Jesus of course

practised what he preached

Do you remember as Jesus

was there on the cross

being mocked

having been savagely beaten

and now hung up to die

prayed

Father forgive them

they don't know what they're doing

Jesus died on the cross

out of love for his enemies

If you're a follower of Jesus

you are once an enemy

and it was out of sheer love

and grace

that Jesus came to reconcile you

to make enemies

into friends

So Jesus

loved us

when we were

persecuting him

when we were resisting

him and his will

And it's so important

to remember

that Jesus has done that

to give us strength

and to recognise too

that he promises

to be with us

to give his Holy Spirit

to help us

so that we can love others

that we can pray

for others

that we can honour

those

who mean

ill

against us

Now the last thing to say

the radically challenging thing to say

is that Jesus calls us

blessed

when we are persecuted

and he calls us

to

in verse 12

rejoice

in persecution

rejoice and be glad

because great

is your reward

in heaven

for in the same way

they persecuted

the prophets

who were before you

now how counter-cultural

is this

this isn't

this isn't Jesus saying

run

from

persecution

but embrace it

rejoice

when you are persecuted

now how in the world

can we do that

Jesus gives us

two reasons

in verse 12

the first reason

is

the reward

of the kingdom

of heaven

the Beatitudes

have got as it were

a kingdom of heaven

sandwich

verse 3

first Beatitude

blessed are the poor

in spirit

for theirs is the kingdom

of heaven

the last Beatitude

blessed are those

who are persecuted

because of righteousness

for theirs is the kingdom

of heaven

and then the other

Beatitudes in a sense

are the filling

this is

what we receive

now

and we look forward

to in the future

as those who are part

of the kingdom

of heaven

as we rejoice

in suffering

out of loyalty

to Jesus

he's saying to us

that you will be comforted

and you will

inherit the earth

when you hunger

and thirst

for righteousness

you will be filled

you will be shown

mercy

you will see God

you will be called

sons of God

the reward

of the kingdom

of heaven

is how we can rejoice

in persecution

and that requires

a very different

perspective

to recognise

that here

we may lose

but in heaven

there is gain

ultimately

the reward

is God

himself

and so we want

our trajectory

our perspective

to be that we want

to live for him

and to see him

as our great reward

so we can rejoice

in persecution

because of the reward

of the kingdom

of heaven

but then we can also

rejoice

because when we are

persecuted

as followers of Christ

it's a sign

of our genuine faith

that's why Jesus says

look it was the story

for the prophets

in the Old Testament

anybody who wants

to follow after

God's ways

follow after Jesus

will face this

Acts chapter 5

Acts 5:41

verse 41

the apostles

left the Sanhedrin

rejoicing

because they'd been

counted worthy

of suffering disgrace

for the name

suffering disgrace

for Jesus

at the end of the day

in God's eyes

the persecuted church

is on the right side

of history

mocked

attacked

despised

even killed

but those who are

loyal in battle

receive that medal

of honour

which is the crown

of life

John Stott

in his book

on the Sermon

on the Mount

says that the ways

of the God

of Scripture

seem topsy-turvy

to people

that's nowhere

I think more

clear than

here

to go back

to Bonhoeffer

who we began

with

he says this

discipleship

means

allegiance

to the suffering

Christ

and it is

therefore not

surprising

that Christians

should be called

upon to suffer

in fact

it is a joy

and a token

of his grace

in closing

let me encourage

you as I want

to encourage myself

examine

your allegiance

and your loyalty

is it to

Christ

or is it

to

comfort

are you

ready

to stand

up for

Jesus

to embrace

persecution

as reality

for the sake

of living

as

the people

of God

and as

we reflect

on that

remember

the Saviour

who went

into battle

for us

the one

who suffered

and was

persecuted

and was

killed

for us

the one

who stands

with us

so we're not

asked to do

this in our

own strength

these are

ideals

for the

people of

God

to follow

those who

are filled

with the

Spirit

those who

have the

presence

of Jesus

the Saviour

those who

have our

Father in

heaven

who watches

over us

blessed

are those

who are

persecuted

because of

righteousness

for theirs

is the

kingdom of

heaven

and

.