1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,680 Father, we thank you for today and just the opportunity to to 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:06,560 be here tonight. Lord, we realize that there's so 3 00:00:06,560 --> 00:00:10,600 much that we do not understand about you and your Kingdom, and 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,360 yet you've given us your word that explains things to us. 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,800 And we want to be students of the word. 6 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:21,800 We want to learn about you and we want to know our God, our 7 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,000 prayer. Father is like the apostle Paul 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,960 that we might know you and the fellowship of your sufferings. 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:31,800 He was a man who who wrote so much of the New Testament, yet 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:35,600 was always longing to know you even more. 11 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:39,720 I I pray that that would be us, that Lord, we would never get 12 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:43,880 enough of you and that we would always be longing to know more 13 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:47,200 of who you are. And that Lord, as we get to know 14 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:51,160 you, you rub off on us in such a way it transforms everything 15 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:54,560 that we say and do and think and act. 16 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:57,440 So it is to ask, Lord, that tonight, as we come to 17 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:01,000 understand more of who You are, that You would shape us and mold 18 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,840 us into Your image, that we might better glorify Your 19 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:07,400 precious name. I pray for the downtrodden this 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:09,040 evening, or that You encourage them. 21 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,480 I pray, Lord, for those who are discouraged that you'd uplift 22 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:14,480 them. I pray for those who are 23 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:19,200 hurting, that Your word would provide some some remedy, some 24 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,080 comfort for them during this time. 25 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,720 And pray that Lord, we learn to minister to one another even 26 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,800 more so as you see the day of Your coming drawing near. 27 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:34,480 Pray this in Jesus name, Amen. Take your Bible and turn with 28 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:37,920 me, if you would, to Matthew chapter 5. 29 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,480 Matthew chapter 5 is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount 30 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:47,880 simply because the Lord went up on to a mount, sat down and 31 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:52,320 began to preach the sermon in Matthew chapter 8. 32 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:57,240 When he's done preaching, he descends the mount, and so we 33 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:01,800 know that this is a place where our Lord would ascend to teach 34 00:02:01,800 --> 00:02:04,840 people the truth about Kingdom living. 35 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,720 Where that mount exactly is, no one really knows. 36 00:02:09,479 --> 00:02:14,000 There is a traditional place. It's not necessarily the actual 37 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:19,800 place, but people go there and reminisce about what Christ said 38 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:25,480 in Matthews 5-6 and seven. It's not so much the place where 39 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:28,880 he said these things, it's the it's the person who said them. 40 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,400 It's not necessarily the mountain that's important. 41 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,560 It's the message that Christ gave on that mountain which is 42 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,160 so important. And the message he gives is all 43 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,720 about learning to live like a child of the King. 44 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:47,000 Have you ever wondered what a child of the king looks like? 45 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:53,720 Well, wonder no more, because in Matthew chapter 5, verses 1 to 46 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:58,120 12, he describes to us the children of the Kingdom. 47 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:04,040 He teaches us what it means to grow up in the Kingdom, how to 48 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:08,880 get into the Kingdom. He explains to us what it means 49 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,200 to live like a child of the king. 50 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:18,800 And so you can easily see someone as a child of the king 51 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:24,280 if they understand the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, verses 52 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:29,560 1 to 12, you can understand those people who are children of 53 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:36,040 the king because they're merciful, they're meek, they're 54 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,960 peacemakers, they hunger and thirst for righteousness. 55 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:44,840 They are the ones who have mourned over their sin and over 56 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,240 the judgement that awaits them, so much so that they give their 57 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,280 life to Christ. They recognize that they are so 58 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:55,400 poor in spirit, they have nothing to give toward their 59 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,200 salvation. Those are people that Christ 60 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,560 describes as those who have come into His Kingdom, and they're 61 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:08,360 growing in His Kingdom. So if you want to know whether 62 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,440 or not you're a child of the King, match yourself against 63 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:17,200 what Jesus says. He says these words in Matthew 64 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:23,400 chapter 5 verse #3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs 65 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,440 is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for 66 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:30,560 they and they only shall be comforted. 67 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:35,160 Blessed are the gentle or the meek, for they and they only 68 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,920 shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and 69 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:43,000 thirst for righteousness, for they and they only shall be 70 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:47,080 satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for 71 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,960 they and they only shall receive mercy. 72 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,360 Blessed are the pure heart, for only they shall see God. 73 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:03,680 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of 74 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,600 God. You could imagine what it must 75 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,680 have been like for all these people, scores of them, 76 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,200 thousands of them on the mountainside, listening to the 77 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:18,720 words of Jesus. He preaches his sermon and he 78 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:25,880 begins with blessedness, happiness, true inner joy and 79 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:32,520 contentment and inner and inner contentment that's non affected 80 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:38,400 by circumstances around them. Because there is an inner joy, 81 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,440 there's an inner peace, there's a inner contentment, there's an 82 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:46,560 inner blessedness, a, a blissfulness about their lives. 83 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,000 And so they, they, they are sitting there listening to Jesus 84 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:56,320 speak and, and he begins by talking to them about true 85 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,640 blessing. And the words that he uses are 86 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:04,480 probably contrary to anything they had ever heard simply 87 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,840 because Jesus never quotes a rabbi. 88 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:16,920 He never quotes the Mishnah. He just speaks at the end of the 89 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:18,880 sermon. They are, they are astounded 90 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:21,760 because never a man spoke like this man. 91 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,600 He spoke differently than everybody else spoke. 92 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:30,400 And so there would be scores of people that would follow him 93 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:36,320 down the mountain, probably as many as have followed him up the 94 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,960 mountain. But when you come to the 95 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:45,160 Beatitudes and you come to the next one, I'm sure it must have 96 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:50,960 caused people to pause, because listen to what Jesus says next. 97 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:58,440 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of 98 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:01,240 righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 99 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:08,720 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and 100 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,800 falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 101 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:17,120 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great. 102 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:24,560 For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were 103 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:28,800 before you. I'm sure that there were people 104 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,160 on the mountain that would scratch their heads, maybe begin 105 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:40,560 to snicker or sneer or even begin to scratch their heads and 106 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,360 look to their friend and say this can't be true. 107 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:50,320 Blessed are they persecuted? How? 108 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,800 How can that possibly be? How can those who are persecuted 109 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:58,800 rejoice and be glad? How can they be exuberant? 110 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:05,160 How can they ever receive a blessing if they are persecuted? 111 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:13,240 But that's what Jesus says as he concludes the first part of a 112 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,800 sermon. Verse 10 is the beatitude. 113 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:20,040 Verses 11 and 12 are the explanation to the beatitude. 114 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,440 And so in order for us to understand it, we will go 115 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,840 through the same outline that we've gone over the last several 116 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:30,680 weeks. And that is what we will define 117 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:35,280 the condition persecution. Then we'll describe the 118 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:40,240 consequences of those who are persecuted, detail their 119 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,840 characteristics, and then determine which course we will 120 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,440 follow as a result of what Christ has said. 121 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:49,960 Very simple outline. We've used it for all the 122 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,920 Beatitudes. But let's first of all define 123 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,960 the condition. You can define it several ways. 124 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:03,680 You can define it #1 personally #2 that which is promised and #3 125 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:09,640 that which is painful, and you can add a fourth one, that which 126 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:15,600 is purposeful. But this persecution is that 127 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:20,280 which is personal. Listen to what Jesus says. 128 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:28,280 He says blessed are those. He continues in the same way of 129 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:32,800 the other Beatitudes until he comes to verse 11 and then he 130 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:38,200 personalizes it. He says blessed are you when 131 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:44,760 people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of 132 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:50,440 evil against you. So he wants to personalize the 133 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:56,000 persecution and take it away from that which is generic, the 134 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:01,680 populace to the individual. And the question would come, 135 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:04,520 well, how? How is it the meek person is 136 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:08,120 persecuted? How is it you just said that 137 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:11,560 the, the peacemakers are, are called the sons of God? 138 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:15,080 Why would peacemakers be persecuted? 139 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,840 Are peacemakers really troublemakers? 140 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,200 Are peacemakers the ones who cause the most strife? 141 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:29,440 How can that possibly be? How is it that those who hunger 142 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:33,040 and thirst for truth and righteousness, why is it they 143 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:40,800 are persecuted? And those who show mercy, why 144 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:45,240 would they be persecuted? And those in the audience would 145 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:50,800 have to ask that question. Whether or not Jesus pause, I 146 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:55,560 don't know. Text doesn't tell us, but but he 147 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:58,520 repeats it to make sure that you get it. 148 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:02,240 Blessed are those who are are persecuted for righteousness 149 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,960 sake for for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 150 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:10,200 And then he reiterates it by saying blessed are you when men 151 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:13,360 insult you. Blessed are men when you when 152 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,320 people abuse you. So he he, he wants to double 153 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,680 down on the persecution to make sure that you understand it, 154 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,360 because the question would be, are you kidding? 155 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:31,440 How can that possibly be? So Christ makes it very 156 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,880 personal. But the persecution is that 157 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,440 which is also promised. It's promised. 158 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:43,120 It's going to come. It's the natural outflow of 159 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:47,080 living like a child of the King. Listen carefully. 160 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:58,320 If you are not being persecuted, it's because you are reflecting 161 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,680 the world, not rebuking the world. 162 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,840 It's that simple. If you're not being persecuted 163 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,280 for righteousness sake, it's because your lifestyle more 164 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:19,680 reflects the things of the world instead of rebuking the things 165 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,880 of the world. You see, if you're a peacemaker, 166 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,240 we started this last week, you, you're committed to, to 167 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:31,080 righteousness and truth. Psalm 85, righteousness and 168 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,240 truth have have kissed each other because they're one in the 169 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:36,520 same. And so if you're a peacemaker, 170 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:40,360 you are a truth teller. If you're a truth teller, all 171 00:12:40,360 --> 00:12:44,840 those who don't want to adhere to truth are going to be upset. 172 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:49,560 They're not going to like that. They're going to become very, 173 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:54,120 very angry. It would be the apostle Paul 174 00:12:54,120 --> 00:12:58,080 said in Second Timothy 312 that all those who live godly in 175 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:02,080 Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 176 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:08,480 So if you don't want to suffer persecution, live ungodly, but 177 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,880 if you live godly, you shall suffer persecution. 178 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:14,800 Paul tells that the young Timothy, so he understands the 179 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,720 fact that when you live for Christ, it's going to cost you. 180 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:29,800 It was Moses who chose to suffer affliction with the people of 181 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:36,080 God than to choose the passing pleasures of sin. 182 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:42,680 Moses made a choice. He chose to forego the passing 183 00:13:42,680 --> 00:13:47,560 pleasures of sin, that which the world would give him. 184 00:13:48,400 --> 00:13:50,920 And he was Nixon line to to be the Pharaoh. 185 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:57,320 He was educated in the greatest educational system of his day. 186 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:06,880 He had wealth that had no limits and yet he chose to suffer 187 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:11,480 affliction with the people of God, then to enjoy the passing 188 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:16,920 pleasures of sin for a season. The Bible also says in 189 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:26,320 Philippians 129 these words for to you it has been granted for 190 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:32,600 Christ's sake, not only to believe in him, but to suffer 191 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:39,440 for him. For Christ's sake it has been 192 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:44,520 granted to you. For the sake of Christ's name, 193 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:51,120 for the sake of who Christ is, it's been granted you not just 194 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:55,840 to believe in his name, because we know that belief is a gift. 195 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:59,000 And if you believe in God, it's something that God has granted 196 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,480 you, but also to suffer for his name. 197 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,720 That's also a gift that God gives. 198 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:12,320 That's why persecution is is promised. 199 00:15:13,200 --> 00:15:20,200 Acts 18 When you receive the Spirit of God, you will become 200 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:25,200 my witnesses, literally motor race, my martyrs. 201 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,360 When you receive the Spirit of God, you will be martyred for 202 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:35,240 me. And is it not true that all the 203 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:42,680 apostles were martyred in some brutal kind of way except for 204 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:45,800 the apostle John? He was exiled to the island of 205 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,720 Patmos, but all the rest were were martyred. 206 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:54,000 Church history tells us that Peter was crucified upside down 207 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:59,080 because he wasn't worthy to be crucified right side up like his 208 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,920 Lord. Andrew was crucified on an X 209 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,640 shaped cross. And you go down through church 210 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:10,000 history and you read about these men that everything that was 211 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:14,840 promised to them came true because persecution is the 212 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:20,520 promise given to the Son of God, to the child of God. 213 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:26,960 It makes you, makes you pause for a moment, doesn't it? 214 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:31,800 And ask yourself the question, how is it I'm being persecuted? 215 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:38,000 How is it I'm being insulted or abused? 216 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:46,080 Or am I, am I just fitting into the the the fabric of society? 217 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,400 Do I fit in so well that my whole Christianity is 218 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:55,160 camouflaged that no one really knows my stand on the truth? 219 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:02,360 Even in your own family, right? A lot of you have unsafe family 220 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:03,760 members. Some of you have unsaved 221 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:08,000 husbands or wives. Or are you just fitting into the 222 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,119 framework of the family? Or you standing strong on the 223 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:15,599 truth of the gospel and your husband or wife are persecuting 224 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:21,119 you because of your stand on the truth, your unwillingness to 225 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:25,280 compromise? See, you can avoid persecution 226 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:29,200 by compromise. You can avoid persecution by 227 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:33,720 being tolerant. You can avoid persecution by not 228 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:38,920 saying anything. You can avoid persecution by by 229 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:43,480 accepting and affirming all the things of the world and not 230 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,680 going against the things of the world. 231 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,240 We, we so many times just want to fit in and, and, and just be 232 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:54,440 silent and just go through life on a bed of ease. 233 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:03,240 Except the Lord said, blessed are you when men persecute you, 234 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:09,800 when they insult you, when they speak all matter of evil against 235 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:15,600 you, for my name's sake. Very important. 236 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,520 Jesus also said, I think it's important to note this, that 237 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:28,560 those who are shamed of me and my words, I will be ashamed of 238 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:32,720 them before my Father who is in heaven. 239 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,120 He says my words because you can't be ashamed of what God 240 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:41,840 says. Christ says don't be ashamed of 241 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:46,800 me nor nor my words, my truth, my gospel. 242 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:54,040 Don't be ashamed of that because you run the danger of me being 243 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,720 you being ashamed before my Father who is in heaven, which 244 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,160 means that the Lord has no part with you. 245 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:04,920 You see, persecution is a great thing. 246 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:07,760 We don't see this great, but it really is. 247 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,160 It's it's the greatest purifier of the church. 248 00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:16,160 Nothing purifies the church greater than persecution. 249 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:22,040 Think about the Tribulation. Revelation 69 to 11 speaks about 250 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,280 those martyrs who have been killed during the Tribulation. 251 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:29,040 And they, they're asking how long the Lord, how long the Lord 252 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:34,440 And the Lord says it will happen until others like you have been 253 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,160 killed as well, because Christians will be martyred 254 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:43,040 during the Tribulation period. We don't, we don't face much of 255 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:46,760 that today in our society. We will, but not now. 256 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:54,280 We don't face being beheaded as those in Revelation 20 will die 257 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,400 in this tribulation. They'll have their heads cut 258 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,120 off. We don't face that today in 259 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:05,240 America. And yet I wonder how how we'd 260 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:14,480 fare if those who speak against us would threaten our lives and 261 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:15,720 they could actually carry it out. 262 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:21,440 The early church was was a purified church because they 263 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:25,720 really suffered persecution. If you were a Jew and and you 264 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:29,680 gave your life to Christ, you were you were excommunicated 265 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:32,480 from the synagogue. You are excommunicated from your 266 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:37,160 family. So if you're a Jew in the days 267 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:42,640 of Jesus, to be committed to Christ would be you lose 268 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:50,680 everything, everything. So Jesus says in Luke 9, if any 269 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,400 man come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and 270 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,800 follow me. And the cross of course, was a 271 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:00,480 symbol of derision. It was a symbol of of pain and 272 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,400 suffering. So Jesus made it very clear that 273 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:13,200 if you want to follow me, do so, but you must deny yourself then, 274 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:17,840 and then only can you take up your cross and be a disciple of 275 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:22,520 mine. He spoke very clearly. 276 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,000 He didn't want anybody to have a mixed message about 277 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,160 Christianity. See, the problem in our day is 278 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,520 that we've we've downplayed Christianity, we've downplayed 279 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:35,240 the gospel. We've diluted the gospel to such 280 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,840 an extent that anybody who hears it can believe it. 281 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,680 That's why in our churches, when we we downplay the gospel and we 282 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:47,920 we seek to accommodate the unbeliever. 283 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,240 The church was never designed to accommodate the believer, to 284 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:55,160 make the church a place where the unbeliever is, is 285 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:59,640 comfortable. If an unbeliever walks through 286 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:02,680 our doors, they should be extremely uncomfortable. 287 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:06,360 But isn't it interesting that the church today has changed all 288 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:11,480 that to make the unbeliever so comfortable in our setting? 289 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:18,240 They just feel right at home. That's not true Christianity. 290 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:24,400 That's not what Jesus said. You want the unbeliever to come 291 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:28,680 and feel convicted because they've heard something that 292 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,920 goes against their life and they get so mad they never want to 293 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,200 come back. Or they truly repent of sin and 294 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:38,000 say, right, I need the Lord. That's what you want to see 295 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,960 happen. The worst thing you can do is 296 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:45,120 make the unbeliever feel comfortable in your church. 297 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:52,080 That would not be a church. That would be a whole bunch of 298 00:22:52,080 --> 00:22:55,880 people pretending to be churches or pretending to be Christians 299 00:22:55,880 --> 00:23:00,200 in a church. The church was never designed to 300 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:01,720 do that. The church is the pillar and 301 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,920 foundation of the truth. First Timothy 3, right? 302 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,520 And if we don't stand for the truth, who will? 303 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,360 So Christ comes out and says, look, if you're going to live 304 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:16,000 like a child of the king, this is the end result. 305 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:20,040 This is where it's leading you. If, if you come into my Kingdom 306 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:21,680 because you're, you're poor in spirit. 307 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:24,400 If you come into my Kingdom because you mourn over your sin, 308 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:25,720 because that's the only way to get in. 309 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:30,720 And you demonstrated a meek and gentle spirit and you hunger and 310 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:33,720 thirst for that which is true and righteous. 311 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,880 And you're merciful to others because you've been shown mercy. 312 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:45,040 At the same time, you, you desire to have a pure and holy 313 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:51,200 heart that you might get a clear glimpse of the Lord, and you 314 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:54,160 seek to make peace with those who are at odds with God. 315 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:59,400 The only natural result is persecution. 316 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,760 That's it. Now look, I, I didn't make this 317 00:24:04,760 --> 00:24:07,400 up. These are not my words. 318 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,760 These are Christ's words. I'm just quoting what Jesus 319 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:14,080 says. And so we need to understand 320 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:20,040 that persecution, persecution is that which is #1 personal #2 321 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:28,520 that which is promised #3 that which is is painful, painful. 322 00:24:32,080 --> 00:24:34,680 The difference between persecution and punishment is 323 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:41,200 huge. You are punished by good men for 324 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:48,360 doing evil, but you're persecuted by bad men for doing 325 00:24:48,360 --> 00:24:52,640 good. There's a big difference there. 326 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:02,360 And the reason you're persecuted is because of Christ's sake, for 327 00:25:02,360 --> 00:25:06,040 righteousness sake. You're not. 328 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:09,200 You're not persecuted because you're belligerent, That would 329 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,960 be wrong. You're not persecuted because 330 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:13,960 you're egotistical. That would be wrong. 331 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:17,600 You're not persecution for any other reason other than for 332 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,480 righteousness sake because you're acting in accordance with 333 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:25,760 the law of God. Peter says that this way over in 334 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:31,440 first Peter chapter 4. He says these words. 335 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:38,160 First Peter 4 verse 14. If you are reviled for the name 336 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,440 of Christ, you are blessed. Peter picks up on this. 337 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:47,080 Peter understands it was was Peter there on the mountain 338 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:50,000 side? How how long did it take Peter 339 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,960 to get this? If you are reviled for the name 340 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,960 of Christ, you are blessed because the spirit of glory and 341 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:04,000 of God rests on you. That's just a an incredible 342 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,720 statement. This is this. 343 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:11,520 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, thief, 344 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:17,440 evildoer, or troublesome meddler, that that's not being 345 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,280 persecuted for righteousness sake, he says. 346 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:25,800 But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be 347 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:32,360 ashamed, but it's to glorify God in this name. 348 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:41,400 Jesus would say it again differently in John 15 verse #18 349 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,600 He says it this way. If the world hates you, you know 350 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,000 that it has hated me before it hated you. 351 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:55,080 If you were of the world, the world will love its own. 352 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:00,040 So He makes it very clear, if you're of the world, the world 353 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:03,760 loves you. If you're not of the world, the 354 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:07,680 world hates you. Does the world hate you or love 355 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:13,680 you? Then he says this, but because 356 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:17,880 you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, 357 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:21,920 because of this the world hates you. 358 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:29,520 The world hates you because of Christ, because you bear his 359 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:33,120 name. You're a child of the King, and 360 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:35,920 you live like a child of the King. 361 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:41,480 It says, Remember the word that I said to you, A slave is not 362 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,840 greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will 363 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:50,520 also persecute you. In other words, if they 364 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:57,400 persecuted the sinless Son of God, they're certainly going to 365 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,800 persecute you because you're not sinless. 366 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,240 And so Christ makes it very clear to his men on the on the 367 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:09,640 eve of the crucifixion that don't don't expect to be loved 368 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:13,960 by the world. You're going to be hated by the 369 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:18,560 world if you stand strong on the truth. 370 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,280 That's why Solomon says Proverbs 2328 Buy truth. 371 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:26,520 Never sell it. Do all you can to obtain the 372 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:28,600 truth. Once you get it, never 373 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,680 compromise it. Never let it go. 374 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,600 Never sell it out. Don't sell out the truth. 375 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,920 Do all you can to obtain it. Once you obtain it, protect it. 376 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:46,320 Watch over it because it's priceless, but never compromise. 377 00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:51,920 But so many times we find ourselves willing to compromise 378 00:28:52,920 --> 00:29:00,480 for the sake of keeping the peace and all reality. 379 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,880 You're just pushing off the inevitable. 380 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:09,440 Christ never compromised the truth to keep the peace. 381 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,320 He always spoke the truth because there is no peace 382 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,880 without the truth. This isn't. 383 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:20,800 I think the Prince of Peace knows that really well. 384 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,920 Remember Matthew 13, the parable of the soul and the soil? 385 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:31,880 There was the rocky soil that when they heard the word, they, 386 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,680 they jumped on the Jesus bandwagon. 387 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:38,760 They received the word with joy. They they heard a message, they 388 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,240 heard the gospel. They receded with joy. 389 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:43,360 And they're like, wow, this is great. 390 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,120 Until affliction and persecution came. 391 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:52,000 And because they had no roots, they fell away. 392 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:56,920 They were never truly born again to begin with. 393 00:29:57,480 --> 00:30:02,040 They had no firm roots. They had no foundation. 394 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,000 And that's what happens with people when when they realize 395 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:08,000 that man, I want to follow Jesus. 396 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:10,000 I want to live for this is great. 397 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,840 I'll give my life to Jesus. He forgives my sin. 398 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:14,600 That's great. And then all of a sudden the 399 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,120 persecution comes their way and they're like, oh, I didn't ask 400 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:20,120 for this. I don't want this. 401 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,360 Who bargains for this kind of behavior or treatment? 402 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,680 They fall away. That's a lot of people. 403 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:34,800 That's why persecution is a purifier. 404 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,160 That's why persecution, and this is a fourth point, is not just 405 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:45,360 personal, not just promise, not just painful, but it's 406 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,720 purposeful. This is what Peter says. 407 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:53,680 Peter says this way. First Peter, chapter 3. 408 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:57,120 Sorry. First Peter, chapter one, verse 409 00:30:57,120 --> 00:31:01,240 6. In this you greatly rejoice, 410 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:04,440 even though now, for a little while, if necessary, you have 411 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:09,120 been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of 412 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,920 your faith being more precious than gold, which is perishable, 413 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:17,760 even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and 414 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:21,200 glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 415 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:23,400 And though you have not seen Him, you love Him. 416 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:26,960 And though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you 417 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:32,040 greatly rejoice with joy, inexpressible and full of glory, 418 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:35,200 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your 419 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:38,520 souls. Again, Peter understands. 420 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:44,280 And Peter didn't want people who claim to be a follower of Christ 421 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:48,080 to misunderstand Christianity, just like Paul didn't want 422 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:51,360 people to misunderstand Christianity, just like Jesus 423 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,800 didn't want them to misunderstand Christianity. 424 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:57,800 But you see, we we have stripped our gospel presentation of the 425 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:02,800 bite that it's supposed to have by watering it down, taking out 426 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,520 the law, taking out repentance, taking out the persecution, 427 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:09,840 taking out what it means to be a follower of Christ just so that 428 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:15,600 we can win someone to Christ. But what did you really win them 429 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,520 to just to get them to say a prayer? 430 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:25,640 Or did you really win them to the the true Jesus? 431 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:29,760 And Jesus is the consummate evangelist. 432 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,360 I mean, if anybody could evangelize the world to be 433 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,680 Jesus, right? I mean, he is the gospel. 434 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:40,200 He is the truth. So whatever he says is gospel 435 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,320 truth. He knows how to how to present 436 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:46,080 what needs to be presented to people so that they might come 437 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:48,480 to follow him. That's why there were so many 438 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,840 people who believed him or believed in him, but he never 439 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:54,120 committed himself to them because he knew what was in the 440 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:57,920 heart of man. You and I, we don't know what's 441 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:00,520 in the heart of man. We don't know. 442 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:06,600 Only the Lord knows. But here our Lord comes along 443 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:11,000 and says these words because he wants everybody to know that the 444 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,880 true blessing, the true blissfulness, the true 445 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:16,920 contentment that comes to those who are children of the King 446 00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:22,040 results in persecution for my name's sake. 447 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:28,640 But rejoice and be glad, he says. 448 00:33:29,160 --> 00:33:31,640 These are the consequences. Let me describe them for you. 449 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:41,440 A glad heart, a glorious home and great, great honor. 450 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:50,760 A glad heart, he says. Rejoice and be glad. 451 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,600 The blessing is on the inner part of a man. 452 00:33:55,800 --> 00:34:01,200 It's it's the heart blessing. It's, it's almost like it's a 453 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:05,600 double blessing. Blessed are those who have been 454 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:09,679 persecuted and blessed are you when people insult you and you 455 00:34:09,679 --> 00:34:13,920 can rejoice and be glad. He, he's doubling down on the 456 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,120 blessing. He's doubling down on the joy. 457 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,560 He's doubling down because people are not going to believe 458 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:21,560 what he says. They're going to like, are you 459 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:22,800 kidding me? Who wants that? 460 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:26,639 And Jesus said no, the blessing comes this way. 461 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,199 Believe me, this is what a true blessing is. 462 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:34,239 Why? Simply because of a glad heart. 463 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:38,280 Remember in Acts 541, I love this. 464 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:43,320 Acts 540 they took this his advice and after calling the 465 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:47,080 apostles and they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in 466 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:49,679 the name of Jesus and then release them. 467 00:34:50,840 --> 00:34:53,679 So they went on their way from the presence of the council, 468 00:34:53,679 --> 00:34:57,960 rejoicing that they've been considered worthy to suffer 469 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:05,920 shame for his name. Imagine being flogged that 470 00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:10,640 that's that's 30 times in the back, nine times on the front 471 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:18,280 with no shirt on, with a whip, with bone fragments and glass in 472 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:22,560 it. And they went away rejoicing. 473 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,120 It's almost like, man, this is great. 474 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,520 We're suffering for the sake of his name. 475 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:34,280 And they went on and kept preaching the gospel, even 476 00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:37,480 though they were threatened not to do it anymore. 477 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,400 Was there any question about their Christianity? 478 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:48,600 No, we get told that work don't do that anymore. 479 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,960 And So what do we do? We don't do it anymore for fear 480 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:53,600 of what? Losing our job? 481 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,360 Not losing your life, losing your job. 482 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,560 You can always get another job, right? 483 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:07,560 There's another job next door, on the side of the street, 484 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:13,120 someplace else. And so we, we, we, we fear man 485 00:36:13,120 --> 00:36:16,680 more than we fear God. Can't do that. 486 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:19,000 Can't say that anymore. Really. 487 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:22,960 You can tell me what I can and cannot say when it comes to the 488 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:27,800 truth of the, of the gospel. You going to try to muzzle me? 489 00:36:29,200 --> 00:36:31,960 The apostles weren't muzzled. They were threatened with the 490 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:35,600 end of their life. And you're not threatened within 491 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:41,120 the end of your life just with the fact that you might lose a 492 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:48,760 job. I love the illustration that's 493 00:36:48,760 --> 00:36:56,640 given by that 2nd century Christian leader to Tolian, who 494 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:01,120 was approached by a man who said, I, I have come to Christ, 495 00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:08,320 but I do not know what to do. I have a job that I don't think 496 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:11,280 is consistent with what the Scriptures teach. 497 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:15,440 What can I do? I must live. 498 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:20,960 To which Tertullian said, must you? 499 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:28,920 You'd rather compromise and keep your life than stand for truth 500 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:35,640 and lose your life. You see, we, we, we so easily 501 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:38,920 just acquiesce to the ways of the world. 502 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:44,520 We don't want to get in trouble. Will anybody say anything bad 503 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:47,480 about us? Don't lose their job. 504 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:53,560 Don't want to offend somebody because I'm speaking the truth, 505 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:58,000 so I don't do anything. We hide ourselves away. 506 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:05,040 That's not what Christians do. Christians always stand for 507 00:38:05,040 --> 00:38:06,840 truth and on the gospel. Amen. 508 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:10,800 They're not afraid of what man can do to them. 509 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:20,280 They fear only God, not man. And so the consequences are 510 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:27,840 glad, a glad heart. I wonder what Joseph would have 511 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:31,160 done. Joseph was falsely accused, 512 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:37,640 imprisoned, but because he never lost sight of the God of his 513 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:41,440 life, he rose to great power in Egypt. 514 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:48,720 Daniel threatened with the lion's den, would not worship a 515 00:38:48,720 --> 00:38:54,120 false idol, not bow down to anyone but the true God, and was 516 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:58,520 thrown in the lion's den. But behold, he was not eaten. 517 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:01,800 God protected him. Why? 518 00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:10,320 Because of their commitment to never compromise the truth would 519 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:12,680 it be that every one of us would would be like that. 520 00:39:12,880 --> 00:39:15,600 Not just a glad heart, but a glorious home. 521 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:19,480 Yours is the Kingdom of heaven. That's the same thing he says in 522 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:21,800 in the first beatitude. Blessed are the poor in spirit, 523 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:23,440 for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. 524 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:26,560 Now he wants to reiterate that now that you're in the Kingdom, 525 00:39:26,560 --> 00:39:28,320 you're going to be persecuted for the Kingdom. 526 00:39:28,440 --> 00:39:32,040 But because you are, don't worry, the home is still yours, 527 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:40,440 the glorious home, your final destiny, the promise of God's 528 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:46,760 glorious Kingdom, his presence, the place where the King dwells. 529 00:39:48,040 --> 00:39:52,600 And then great honor, Look what he says, Rejoice in me. 530 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:55,920 Glad we reward. And heaven is great. 531 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,480 For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were 532 00:39:59,480 --> 00:40:03,040 before you. Great honor, not just a crown, 533 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:09,760 but a company of class. So they persecuted the prophets 534 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:13,600 that were before you remember what it says over in in the book 535 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:20,600 of Hebrews the the 11th chapter as it speaks about the followers 536 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:26,120 of of Christ. It helps us understand it says 537 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:30,840 these words verse 35 of Hebrews 11 women received back their 538 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:33,680 dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, not 539 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,280 accepting their release so that they might obtain a better 540 00:40:36,280 --> 00:40:39,040 resurrection and others experienced mockings and 541 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:41,200 scourging. Yes, also changed and 542 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:42,760 imprisonment. They were stoned. 543 00:40:42,760 --> 00:40:45,120 They were son and two they were tempted. 544 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:49,840 They were they were put to death with a sword and they went about 545 00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:54,480 in sheepskins in goat skins, being destitute afflicted. 546 00:40:54,480 --> 00:41:00,280 I'll treated men of whom the world was not worthy, but they 547 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:05,160 were worthy of God's Kingdom. They just weren't worthy of the 548 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:08,320 world. Why the world hated them? 549 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:11,040 What had nothing to do with them? 550 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:13,920 Could you imagine being sawn in two? 551 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:18,880 That's not with an electric saw. That's what the guys on each 552 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:21,200 side doing this. You know what I'm saying? 553 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:25,800 Very slowly. That would be very painful. 554 00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:30,640 Ask Isaiah, because that's what happened to him. 555 00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:37,200 Wasn't very pretty way to go, very painful way to go. 556 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:43,840 But the world was not worthy of them, but God was worthy of 557 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:49,800 them. So what are the characteristics 558 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:54,600 of those people who abuse you? Well, there is a verbally verbal 559 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:58,280 abuse, there is a physical attack and there is false 560 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:04,680 accusations. First of all, verbally abused 561 00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:12,160 people insult you, revile you. It's it's a word that means to, 562 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:15,920 to, to cast in the teeth. It's a face to face 563 00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:18,720 confrontation. It's what happened with with 564 00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:22,280 Christ when they reviled him before the Sanhedrin, when they 565 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:25,240 said prophesied to us, you Christ, who's the one who hits 566 00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:27,440 you. If you're a prophet, tell us 567 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:29,200 what is the name of the person who hits you? 568 00:42:29,200 --> 00:42:33,480 And they insulted him, they slapped his face and they mocked 569 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:37,400 him. And Paul would talk about it in 570 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:43,160 First Corinthians chapter 4. We said these words about what 571 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:47,200 his life was like. First Corinthians 4. 572 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:55,400 He said we are persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but 573 00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:59,760 not destroyed, always caring about in the body the dying of 574 00:42:59,760 --> 00:43:04,120 Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our 575 00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:06,720 body. For we who live are constantly 576 00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:11,160 being delivered over to death for Jesus sake, so that the life 577 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:16,320 of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 578 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:20,880 So death works in us, but life in you. 579 00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:25,720 There there was a man who took no account of his own life but 580 00:43:25,720 --> 00:43:31,640 the life of other people. There is verbal abuse, insults, 581 00:43:31,640 --> 00:43:35,120 reviling and there's physical attacks being persecuted. 582 00:43:35,320 --> 00:43:39,280 The word Diyoko it's it's a word that means to pursue to to chase 583 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:43,680 down and that's what happened to early Christians. 584 00:43:43,680 --> 00:43:47,600 They they were chased and haunted fact it says in act 585 00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:50,760 seven that Stephen was was haunted down and stone. 586 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:56,920 Acts 14 Paul was haunted, down and stoned and Acts 16 Peter and 587 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:02,400 Paul Acts 12 Peter Acts 16 Paul and Silas were in prison because 588 00:44:02,400 --> 00:44:05,920 they were chased down, haunted and thrown to prison. 589 00:44:07,080 --> 00:44:10,520 People will go after you, take you down. 590 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:16,880 Acts 752 Stephen says which of the prophets have your father's 591 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:22,760 not persecuted? Paul says in Romans 836, For thy 592 00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:30,000 sake we are killed all day long. So there will be verbal abuse, 593 00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:35,040 there will be physical attacks, and there will be false 594 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:42,040 accusations. It says that they will speak all 595 00:44:42,040 --> 00:44:47,840 kinds of evil against you falsely because of my namesake. 596 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:52,440 They they will not say things to your face, though they'll say 597 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:55,120 things to others about you, but they won't be true. 598 00:44:55,120 --> 00:44:58,680 Like of our Lord in John 9 when they accused him of being the 599 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:05,720 illegitimate son of a Roman soldier, or in John chapter 8 600 00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:13,280 when they charged Christ with being a devil when he would cast 601 00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:21,920 out devils. Matthew 11, 19 That says of 602 00:45:21,920 --> 00:45:27,280 Christ, Behold, he is a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a 603 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:32,120 friend of tax gatherers and sinners. 604 00:45:33,920 --> 00:45:38,560 They would falsely accuse him. They could find nothing against 605 00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:41,720 him, so they falsely accused him. 606 00:45:45,920 --> 00:45:51,120 Luke 626 has these words which probably you should memorize and 607 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:57,640 live according to. It says beware if all men speak 608 00:45:57,640 --> 00:46:02,800 well of you. You ever talk to somebody, say 609 00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:06,680 this is a friend of mine and and everybody has something good to 610 00:46:06,680 --> 00:46:10,520 say about him. That's not a good thing to say 611 00:46:10,520 --> 00:46:12,720 about anybody. That's an indictment against 612 00:46:12,720 --> 00:46:16,880 them. Beware, if all men speak well of 613 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:21,160 you, that that means you're not saying anything to upset the 614 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:23,440 apple cart. That means you're not standing 615 00:46:23,440 --> 00:46:25,720 on truth. You're not speaking the truth 616 00:46:26,160 --> 00:46:29,600 because truth always opposes those who live in error, who 617 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:33,400 want to live in sin. And they don't want to hear 618 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:36,120 that. They don't want to follow that. 619 00:46:39,240 --> 00:46:44,760 So it's important to understand, as Peter says in first Peter 620 00:46:46,240 --> 00:46:55,760 chapter 4, these words, first Peter 4 verse one. 621 00:46:56,720 --> 00:46:59,200 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm 622 00:46:59,200 --> 00:47:02,440 yourselves also with the same purpose, because He has suffered 623 00:47:02,440 --> 00:47:05,960 in the flesh, has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of 624 00:47:05,960 --> 00:47:09,320 the time in the flesh, no longer for the lust of men, but for the 625 00:47:09,320 --> 00:47:11,920 will of God. But the time already passed is 626 00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:14,440 sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the 627 00:47:14,440 --> 00:47:16,480 Gentiles. Having pursued a course of 628 00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:20,480 sensuality, lust, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and 629 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:25,320 abominable idolatry, idolatries and all this, they are surprised 630 00:47:25,520 --> 00:47:30,400 that you do not run with them into the same excesses of 631 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:33,560 dissipation. And they malign you. 632 00:47:36,560 --> 00:47:38,080 They malign you. Why? 633 00:47:38,240 --> 00:47:41,720 Because you were this way and now you are no longer that way. 634 00:47:42,080 --> 00:47:44,320 You don't no longer live according to your lust. 635 00:47:44,320 --> 00:47:48,360 You no longer live engaging in drunken parties. 636 00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:50,560 You no longer live the way you used to live. 637 00:47:50,560 --> 00:47:52,320 Why? Because Christ is in you. 638 00:47:52,440 --> 00:47:55,400 And because Christ is in you now they malign you. 639 00:47:55,800 --> 00:48:01,240 They speak against you because you don't run in the same 640 00:48:01,240 --> 00:48:05,320 circles you ran before with the same people used to run with 641 00:48:05,320 --> 00:48:08,040 before. You don't do that. 642 00:48:08,640 --> 00:48:12,560 Why? Because you want to live like a 643 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:18,800 child of the King. You have one, an audience of one 644 00:48:19,160 --> 00:48:22,840 that you want to please, and that is our our Lord. 645 00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:32,360 So where do we go from here? Well, number one, you want to 646 00:48:32,360 --> 00:48:39,040 live the life that Christ has prescribed. 647 00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:45,160 Will you live that life? Will you live a Beatitude kind 648 00:48:45,160 --> 00:48:47,400 of life? Paul would say it this way very 649 00:48:47,400 --> 00:48:49,520 simply. For me to live is Christ. 650 00:48:50,240 --> 00:48:54,320 To die is gain. For me to live is Christ. 651 00:48:54,320 --> 00:48:57,520 I'm going to live for Christ. I'm going to live as Christ. 652 00:48:58,120 --> 00:49:01,920 I'm going to please Christ. That's a child of the King. 653 00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:06,720 I want to please the King. I want to honor the king. 654 00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:15,360 I want to praise his name. Again, Peter in first Peter 655 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:20,000 chapter 3 said these words, verse 13. 656 00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:24,040 Who was there to harm you? If you prove zealous for what is 657 00:49:24,040 --> 00:49:27,680 good, but even if you should suffer for the sake of 658 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:31,160 righteousness, you are blessed. Again, Peter talks about 659 00:49:31,280 --> 00:49:35,080 suffering for righteousness, and you are blessed, he says. 660 00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:37,760 And do not fear their intimidation and do not be 661 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:41,240 troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always 662 00:49:41,240 --> 00:49:44,600 being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an 663 00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:47,680 account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and 664 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:50,960 reverence. And keep a good conscience so 665 00:49:50,960 --> 00:49:55,800 that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile 666 00:49:55,800 --> 00:50:02,800 your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 667 00:50:03,840 --> 00:50:07,400 For it's better if God should. Will it so that you suffer for 668 00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:14,600 doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 669 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:19,760 Peter knows that. The question is, what kind of 670 00:50:19,760 --> 00:50:23,440 life will you live? Will you live the life that 671 00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:27,280 doesn't compromise the truth? Will you live a life that always 672 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:31,720 stands on the truth? Will you kind of live the life 673 00:50:31,720 --> 00:50:37,000 that that doesn't laugh with the the jokes of the world? 674 00:50:38,720 --> 00:50:41,400 Will you, will you stand against those things? 675 00:50:43,560 --> 00:50:45,880 You know, so many times we understand what people stand 676 00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:47,720 for, but what do you stand against? 677 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:54,240 Does anybody know that that's very, very important? 678 00:50:56,000 --> 00:51:00,520 Will you stand on the truth of the gospel without compromise? 679 00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:06,920 Do you live the life of a child of the king? 680 00:51:07,800 --> 00:51:09,240 That's the question you got to ask yourself. 681 00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:14,320 Have you been doing that? Will you do that? 682 00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:22,120 Number 2, Will you pay the price of the child of the king? 683 00:51:23,840 --> 00:51:27,200 Are you willing to pay the price? 684 00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:34,760 John Christendom. He was the godly leader in the 685 00:51:34,760 --> 00:51:39,680 4th century church. He preached strongly against 686 00:51:39,680 --> 00:51:43,640 sin, so much so that he offended. 687 00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:50,560 He offended many church officials, so he summoned before 688 00:51:50,560 --> 00:51:55,760 the Emperor. He was threatened with 689 00:51:55,760 --> 00:52:02,840 banishment if he did not cease his uncompromising preaching. 690 00:52:04,240 --> 00:52:11,400 This was his response. Sire, you cannot banish me, for 691 00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:19,000 the world is my father's house. Then the emperor said, Then I 692 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:23,680 will slay you. He said Nay, but you cannot, for 693 00:52:23,680 --> 00:52:25,840 my life is hid with Christ and God. 694 00:52:31,120 --> 00:52:33,360 He said, Then your treasures will be confiscated. 695 00:52:34,400 --> 00:52:41,400 To which John replied, Sire, that cannot be either, for my 696 00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:47,640 treasures are in heaven, where none can breakthrough and steal. 697 00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:53,680 That would drive you from man, and you will have no friends 698 00:52:53,680 --> 00:53:00,000 left, was the final warning. With that you cannot do either, 699 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:04,760 sire, for I have a friend in heaven who has said I will never 700 00:53:04,760 --> 00:53:11,200 leave you nor forsake you. He was banished, but before he 701 00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:15,000 got to his destination, he was he was killed, he died. 702 00:53:16,480 --> 00:53:18,600 But you see the the point is this. 703 00:53:19,280 --> 00:53:23,960 The things that he valued most he could not lose. 704 00:53:25,840 --> 00:53:31,960 They could not be taken away. And therefore there was nothing 705 00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:39,000 the emperor could do to him that would diminish his joy because 706 00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:42,760 he recognized the price. He's willing to pay the price, 707 00:53:43,240 --> 00:53:49,760 the cost, because he counted the cost before following Christ. 708 00:53:50,440 --> 00:53:54,960 How about you? Will you live the life of the 709 00:53:54,960 --> 00:53:57,040 child of the king? Will you pay the price as a 710 00:53:57,040 --> 00:54:01,720 child of the king? Then comes the question, will 711 00:54:01,720 --> 00:54:07,800 you receive the reward as a child of the king? 712 00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:15,760 Because reward is great. There's a crown of glory, 713 00:54:16,600 --> 00:54:19,280 there's a crown which is life, the crown of righteousness, the 714 00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:24,760 the imperishable crown, the reward that God gives to those 715 00:54:24,760 --> 00:54:29,120 who who live for him and honor him and are never ashamed of 716 00:54:29,120 --> 00:54:35,040 him. This is so important in a world 717 00:54:35,040 --> 00:54:39,480 of of tolerance. That's where we live where 718 00:54:39,480 --> 00:54:41,520 nobody wants to upset the apple cart. 719 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:46,200 Nobody wants to say anything that will cause a disruption, 720 00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:50,680 whether it's in your family or at work or at school. 721 00:54:51,680 --> 00:54:57,440 Just want to keep the peace. The child of the King will 722 00:54:57,440 --> 00:55:05,040 always live for the King and never compromise the king in 723 00:55:05,040 --> 00:55:10,040 public, but will represent him purely and truly and honestly, 724 00:55:12,000 --> 00:55:16,320 not in a belligerent way, but in a very kind and honest and 725 00:55:16,360 --> 00:55:20,200 truthful way, as John Christendom did. 726 00:55:21,240 --> 00:55:26,160 Sir, I can't banish me. I This is my father's world. 727 00:55:27,840 --> 00:55:31,400 You, you can't leave me alone. My father will always be with 728 00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:33,520 me. He'll always be there. 729 00:55:34,720 --> 00:55:38,680 Hit that ironclad assurance. A man who never feared the 730 00:55:38,960 --> 00:55:40,840 feared man, but only feared the Lord. 731 00:55:42,120 --> 00:55:43,800 That that's the kind of people we need. 732 00:55:44,320 --> 00:55:46,360 Why? Because these are the only 733 00:55:46,360 --> 00:55:53,800 people who can do what's next. These are people that are the 734 00:55:53,800 --> 00:55:58,040 salt of the earth. These are the people that are 735 00:55:58,040 --> 00:56:04,280 the light of the world. You want to be salt and light. 736 00:56:05,520 --> 00:56:07,280 Well, to do so, you got to be child of the king. 737 00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:13,560 And, and Christ calls us to make an impact on our environment. 738 00:56:15,440 --> 00:56:18,680 And the only way you can do that is to live like a child of the 739 00:56:18,680 --> 00:56:21,280 king. And that's the theme of the 740 00:56:21,280 --> 00:56:24,240 Sermon on the Mount. May God give us the grace to 741 00:56:24,240 --> 00:56:26,160 accomplish that. Let's pray together. 742 00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:31,360 Lord God, we thank you for tonight, the opportunity that 743 00:56:31,360 --> 00:56:32,760 you've given us to study your word. 744 00:56:33,160 --> 00:56:35,720 I pray for everyone in the room that you strengthen them, 745 00:56:35,720 --> 00:56:39,800 encourage them, move them to action, to live for the glory of 746 00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:43,600 your Kingdom. Our prayer, Father, is that we 747 00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:49,680 would always stand strong, never compromising the truth, the Word 748 00:56:49,680 --> 00:56:55,320 of God, never been ashamed of the gospel, never been ashamed 749 00:56:55,640 --> 00:57:03,000 of our God, but always, always standing strong, head held high, 750 00:57:03,280 --> 00:57:10,880 knowing that our God is the King of all kings, Lord of all Lords. 751 00:57:12,440 --> 00:57:14,640 We pray in Jesus name, Amen.