WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.440 So, for the last time just now, we're going to read through the whole Beatitudes. 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:08.080 And I hope that as we do so, you'll kind of quickly, if you've been here, remember one 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:14.120 or two of the things that have been said over the last number of weeks. 00:00:14.120 --> 00:00:18.039 Matthew 5, seeing the crowds, he went up onto the mountain and when he had sat down, his 00:00:18.039 --> 00:00:21.080 disciples came to him. 00:00:21.080 --> 00:00:25.560 And he opened his mouth and taught them saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs 00:00:25.560 --> 00:00:27.560 is the kingdom of heaven. 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:31.399 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 00:00:31.399 --> 00:00:35.079 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:40.840 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:45.239 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 00:00:45.239 --> 00:00:49.840 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:54.799 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:01:01.399 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 00:01:01.399 --> 00:01:06.840 Blessed are you when others revile and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:09.399 falsely on my account. 00:01:09.399 --> 00:01:11.959 Rejoice and be glad. 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:17.319 For your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:18.319 them. 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:22.039 And so tonight we're going to look at the last of these, or we're going to come to the 00:01:22.040 --> 00:01:29.080 last of these, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. 00:01:29.080 --> 00:01:35.960 I wondered if you went out onto the streets this evening, or today, and asked people, 00:01:35.960 --> 00:01:42.880 what does a beautiful life look like for you? 00:01:42.880 --> 00:01:49.320 I wonder what kind of answers we would get, maybe particularly challenging today, to go 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:54.639 out and ask that question when people are surrounded by filthy streets and the health 00:01:54.639 --> 00:01:59.479 hazard of all the ugliness of these overflowing bins. 00:01:59.479 --> 00:02:04.280 But generally what would the average Joe say if they were asked that question? 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:07.599 I mean, you would have as many answers as I have. 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.159 What would your colleagues and friends say? 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:15.719 You know, what does a beautiful life look like for you? 00:02:15.719 --> 00:02:23.120 I suspect they would say things like being healthy, being loved, the ability to love 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:31.120 and to be loved by others, to be significant, you know, either in the workplace or in the 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:38.759 achievements that you are able to do in life, to be wealthy, or at least to have enough 00:02:38.759 --> 00:02:44.960 money to be comfortable in order to rest, to provide for yourself and those around you, 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:51.960 and to do the kind of things you want to do, the bucket list, maybe, to be popular or to 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:55.879 be at peace, to live a life that benefits other people. 00:02:55.879 --> 00:03:01.319 You would get a lot of different answers to what a beautiful life would look like for 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:02.319 most people. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:06.200 And it's a good question to ask, I think, for people, and it's a good question for 00:03:06.200 --> 00:03:07.760 us to consider. 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:17.639 I imagine very few people would actually involve or mention God in that particular conversation. 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:23.280 Most people wouldn't think about including God in what a beautiful life would look like. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:28.719 And yet interestingly, the kind of things that most people say would make up a beautiful 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:37.719 life have the seed of truth in them and reminds us that every one of us have these longings 00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:43.000 that reflect the fact that we are image bearers of God and that we are looking, and maybe 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:48.159 I think we saw this recently in one of the sermons from the morning, that sometimes we 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:53.120 are looking for the right things in the wrong places. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:57.479 And many people will be looking for the beautiful life without going to the source of where 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:03.240 the beautiful life comes from, and that is God Himself. 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:08.120 And so I guess from that the question will often, maybe a supplementary question that 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:15.120 we could ask is that what do you do when you can't achieve your beautiful life? 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:21.920 Or what do you do when the beautiful life doesn't happen or is broken into by events 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:28.960 and circumstances that break your dreams and break your hopes when reality comes into our 00:04:28.959 --> 00:04:36.479 lives because life for most of us is not always beautiful, it is a struggle. 00:04:36.479 --> 00:04:42.399 Sometimes it can be very ugly, sometimes that can be of our own making, other times it can 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:44.759 be out of our control. 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:53.319 And maybe even at best in our lives, we only glimpse beauty and it's a fading beauty, 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:55.199 it doesn't last. 00:04:55.199 --> 00:05:00.759 So what do people do when they are seeking that beautiful life and it doesn't happen? 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:09.800 Well I suspect the vast majority of people shrug their shoulders, sell a vie, well that's 00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:10.800 life. 00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:11.800 That's just what happens. 00:05:11.800 --> 00:05:18.639 I suspect most people don't think terribly deeply about the reality of broken dreams 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:27.680 or about the reality of ugliness and just take it for granted that it's part of life. 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:35.279 But I think we recognize that it's important to seek answers when questions and difficulties 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:40.519 and when brokenness and ugliness comes into our lives and as Christians, we've sought 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:48.199 answers to the recognition that life isn't all that we dreamed it would become and God's 00:05:48.199 --> 00:05:50.759 word exposes that for us. 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:58.360 And so we find and know and understand and appreciate to a greater or lesser degree that 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:03.959 only in relationship with Jesus Christ do we find lasting beauty. 00:06:03.959 --> 00:06:12.079 Do we find a life that has hope and a future and has great beauty connected with it. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:21.359 God, the author of life, reminds us that the ugliness and the temporary nature of our 00:06:21.359 --> 00:06:26.079 life exposes where the problem lies. 00:06:26.079 --> 00:06:34.479 That humanity has chosen to go its own way apart from God, the author of life, leading 00:06:34.479 --> 00:06:39.240 to brokenness, ugliness and death. 00:06:39.240 --> 00:06:46.720 And it's in God, in Christ, in relationship with Christ that we recognize the exclusive 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:55.100 hope of eternal life and the exclusive hope of never ending beauty that is the message 00:06:55.100 --> 00:06:57.600 of the gospel. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:06.360 And the beatitudes, it's really the meaning of the word, is that the beatitudes express 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:12.360 and display the way of true beauty for followers of Jesus. 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:21.040 It's not the way to beauty, but it is a reflection of having put our trust in Jesus that He 00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:27.520 comes to begin to transform our hearts and lives and character so that we are characterised 00:07:27.520 --> 00:07:33.280 by the beauty that comes from looking at Jesus in faith. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:37.679 It characterises what we should become more and more like. 00:07:37.679 --> 00:07:46.479 It marks and it expresses the kind of life that is being changed by the love of Jesus. 00:07:46.479 --> 00:07:49.759 Remember we've seen over these last number of weeks, it's one unit. 00:07:49.759 --> 00:07:54.119 It's not that one person mourns and another person is persecuted. 00:07:54.119 --> 00:07:57.079 It really is like the fruit of the Spirit. 00:07:57.079 --> 00:08:02.239 It's a reminder that to a greater or lesser degree, all of these characteristics, all 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:09.800 of these aspects of a beautiful life should mark our lives as believers, as Christians, 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:15.280 because it's a reflection of having put our trust in Jesus. 00:08:15.280 --> 00:08:20.720 And the beatitudes start and finish with a promise of His kingdom. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:28.079 We are kingdom citizens that we belong to King Jesus, and these are the blessings that 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:34.159 begin to be reflected in our lives as we follow Jesus. 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:39.559 So kind of in summary and looking at all of the, or not looking at all of the Beatitudes, 00:08:39.559 --> 00:08:43.919 but bearing in mind all of the Beatitudes, just a couple of things that I think it's 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:47.039 important to say as we summarise this series. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:57.759 The first is that when we read these Beatitudes, we are reminded that they're absolutely impossible 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:00.639 without Jesus Christ. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:02.480 This is not a formula of how to live. 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:07.120 It's not a tick box exercise, see if I can do this, this and this and this, then I'll 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:08.120 become a Christian. 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:15.639 It's a recognition always that not only the Beatitudes, but for example the wider context 00:09:15.639 --> 00:09:22.240 of the Sermon and the Mount, are pointing us to our need for Jesus and the importance 00:09:22.240 --> 00:09:24.279 of Jesus in our lives. 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:30.079 So the Sermon and the Mount doesn't tell us about Jesus being a great teacher, they tell 00:09:30.079 --> 00:09:33.199 us about Jesus being a great saviour. 00:09:33.199 --> 00:09:36.399 And that's very important because a lot of people take the Sermon and the Mount as the 00:09:36.399 --> 00:09:42.439 ethics by which to live without coming to Christ as the saviour. 00:09:42.439 --> 00:09:48.839 But we can't live, it's impossible to live the Beatitudes without coming to the one 00:09:48.839 --> 00:09:50.319 who gifts them to us. 00:09:50.319 --> 00:09:52.600 It's impossible without Christ. 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:57.879 I think the second thing that we might notice from the Beatitudes is that they're not really 00:09:57.879 --> 00:10:00.920 a best seller. 00:10:00.920 --> 00:10:04.600 They're not really populist, are they? 00:10:04.600 --> 00:10:10.200 If this is an advert for Christianity, it's a marketing disaster, isn't it? 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:15.240 It's not going to entice people to come to Jesus Christ, really, is it? 00:10:15.240 --> 00:10:19.840 I wonder if they characterize the kind of things we would ever say to people when we're 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:23.160 talking to them about our faith. 00:10:23.160 --> 00:10:26.440 It's a market, it's not a best seller. 00:10:26.440 --> 00:10:29.000 Don't think you're a great person before God. 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:32.360 Don't try and justify yourself before God. 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:36.360 Admit your failure to love and serve Him with deep sorrow. 00:10:36.360 --> 00:10:41.879 Don't pamper yourself by denying the truth and hurting other people. 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:45.200 Be passionate for holiness, hungry to be like Jesus. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:49.600 Be forgiving and filled with a gracious attitude to other people. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:10:53.800 Can't be a hypocrite and too faced before God and other people. 00:10:53.800 --> 00:10:56.800 But let Him make your heart pure. 00:10:56.800 --> 00:11:01.040 Work at making peace when there is tension, strife and sin. 00:11:01.040 --> 00:11:04.040 Don't jump headlong into it gleefully. 00:11:04.040 --> 00:11:11.000 Don't stir up trouble and accept that you'll be ridiculed, rejected and opposed. 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.879 I'm going to come back to that last one because that's the one we're looking at. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:18.680 But it's really, it's a marketing disaster, isn't it? 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:27.319 And yet, it's also a life of infinite love and hope that is spoken of here. 00:11:27.319 --> 00:11:33.399 The blessing, the favour, the fatherhood of God in our lives. 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:39.559 The happiness that comes from the heart outward and expresses itself in our lives. 00:11:39.559 --> 00:11:48.479 The divine smile of God coming from His sacrificial love for us. 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:54.879 Great life's battles, difficulties, letdowns and sadness. 00:11:54.879 --> 00:12:01.960 His shalom, His great peace and eternal life. 00:12:01.960 --> 00:12:07.080 Great blessings, infinite love and hope. 00:12:07.080 --> 00:12:11.879 So let's go back to the last one just for a few minutes this evening. 00:12:11.879 --> 00:12:18.440 How can persecution, how can opposition, how can abuse be part of the world? 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:20.920 The beautiful life, surely not. 00:12:20.920 --> 00:12:23.800 That can't possibly be. 00:12:23.800 --> 00:12:28.720 How is it that we can include blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:30.560 sake, theirs is the kingdom of heaven? 00:12:30.560 --> 00:12:36.400 And if you'll notice, this is the only beatitude that kind of breaks into two and moves from 00:12:36.400 --> 00:12:39.200 the third person to the first person. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:45.080 So blessed are those, blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter 00:12:45.080 --> 00:12:48.680 all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 00:12:48.680 --> 00:12:53.759 How can persecution be part of this beautiful life in Jesus Christ? 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:54.920 One of two things to say. 00:12:54.920 --> 00:12:57.080 First is it's the price, isn't it? 00:12:57.080 --> 00:13:01.879 It's the price of loyal love to Jesus Christ. 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:07.240 When we come to Jesus Christ and recognize His sacrificial death for us in the cross, 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:09.280 the curse is taken from us. 00:13:09.280 --> 00:13:14.200 The judgment of God is taken from us, but not the cross. 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:22.600 And interestingly, the reminder is we're persecuted and He says it's because of me, because of 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:23.879 me. 00:13:23.879 --> 00:13:31.879 And that's tremendously important to remember and recognize that it's in Christ's name, 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:36.920 it's because of our relationship with Jesus Christ and it can't be any other way. 00:13:36.920 --> 00:13:42.800 Jesus says in Luke 6, 26, beware when all men say good things about you. 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:44.439 And everyone says good things about you. 00:13:44.439 --> 00:13:49.319 Beware of that because that is not the way of the kingdom. 00:13:49.319 --> 00:13:58.079 If we are being true to Jesus Christ, if we recognize His Lordship in our lives, then 00:13:58.079 --> 00:14:05.679 there will always come a point where we are standing up for His truth, for His righteousness, 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:09.799 for His sake as part of the kingdom. 00:14:09.799 --> 00:14:19.479 And that standing up for His truth may well be the Rubicon over which we begin to recognize 00:14:19.479 --> 00:14:21.679 and face opposition. 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:29.159 The temptation will always be at that point to deny Him, to be so afraid that we reject 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:36.240 His Lordship and we deny His truth and deny our relationship with Him. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:42.039 Or we change the truth to make it acceptable to everyone around us so that we might be 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:43.720 accepted. 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:49.480 But there will always come a point in our relationship with others and in our Christian 00:14:49.480 --> 00:14:57.600 lives when we will be opposed and persecuted for Jesus' sake, if we remain faithful to 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.600 Him because it's the price of loyal love. 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:04.320 And He said, as they persecuted me, so they will persecute you. 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:05.320 It's just the reality. 00:15:05.320 --> 00:15:08.920 We'll say a little bit more about what that means in a minute. 00:15:08.920 --> 00:15:15.320 But can I say, it's not persecution on account of being a fool, okay? 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:19.280 It's not persecution on account of being an idiot. 00:15:19.280 --> 00:15:25.879 It's not saying that you'll be persecuted because you're an obnoxious, arrogant clown 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:26.879 in the way. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:32.560 A little bit what Cody was talking about this morning about, you know, speaking the truth 00:15:32.560 --> 00:15:34.600 without love is evil. 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:37.560 It's about speaking the truth in love. 00:15:37.560 --> 00:15:42.080 It's that dovetailing of the two together. 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:50.120 So it doesn't give any excuse for us being clowns, being abrasive or abusive or aggressive 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:59.120 or unhelpfully argumentative or just a belter, which sometimes we are as Christians in the 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:06.960 name of Christ, or not in the name of Christ, but just in a proud and arrogant way. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:16.399 See, the recognition here is that people are accusing us falsely on Jesus' account. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:20.759 It's not that they're looking at your life and saying things that are true and saying 00:16:20.759 --> 00:16:25.360 that the way you're acting is good. 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:31.840 They're having to accuse you falsely because of the manner and the demeanour and the reality 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:38.320 of your Christian life is something that they can't argue against. 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:44.279 It's not about being persecuted on account of being a fool. 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:45.440 In other words, we're never... 00:16:45.440 --> 00:16:52.399 And I think sometimes this passage and other passages have been taken as a reason to look 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.399 for persecution. 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:59.120 You're kind of going around looking for persecution, looking for people to oppose you, as if somehow 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:01.840 that makes your standing greater as a Christian. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:04.519 It's not speaking about that at all. 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:07.559 It's not about having a martyr mentality in any way. 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:11.039 Think of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:12.759 Please Lord, take this cup from me. 00:17:12.759 --> 00:17:18.079 If there is any other way, He wasn't looking for martyrdom at that level in a sense. 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:21.200 I know it's uniquely Christ and He was going to the cross. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:27.000 But there was a... in His humanity, there was a... there was a recoiling from all of 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:28.000 that. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.960 And we will naturally recoil from persecution. 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:32.559 Of course we will. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:39.559 But sometimes there's simply no other way if we are to be faithful and loving to Jesus 00:17:39.559 --> 00:17:40.559 Christ. 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:50.559 But we're not to seek persecution on account of being foolish or arrogant or unloving. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:57.799 What we recognize here and elsewhere in Scripture that persecution will happen because it exposes 00:17:57.799 --> 00:18:01.759 humanity's core, doesn't it? 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:07.559 It exposes the fact that humanity and all of us naturally suppress the knowledge of 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:16.519 God because God challenges our hearts and challenges who we are. 00:18:16.519 --> 00:18:21.359 In Romans 118 it says, you know, that people, everyone suppresses the knowledge of God 00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:23.400 in unrighteousness. 00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:32.440 And so there will always be opposition when we present God through Christ by our lives 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:36.359 and by saying that we are Christians. 00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:42.000 Because Christ claims and challenges our claims to independence. 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:48.480 And so when others are confronted by our Christianity and maybe see God or hear about 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:54.400 God through us, then they want to put us to flight. 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:58.440 Because that's exactly what the word here, persecution actually means. 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:01.440 It means that people are put to flight. 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:02.720 We want them to run it. 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:03.720 We want to get rid... 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:04.720 Run them out of town. 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:09.000 You know, like they try to run Jesus to the edge of the cliff and get rid of Him. 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:15.039 And that story when He was in His hometown, the pursue and get rid of Him. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:23.339 And that is a reality you and I have probably faced in our lives at different times. 00:19:23.339 --> 00:19:28.319 People will want to just push us out of the conversation, talk about anything else, deal 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:39.159 with anything else and expose and revile anyone who stands up for Christ. 00:19:39.159 --> 00:19:41.240 It exposes humanity's core. 00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:44.759 And I think it also... 00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:50.240 Persecution also marks a genuine as opposed to spurious faith. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:55.960 I think the parable of Saur that we read about speaks about that, doesn't it? 00:19:55.960 --> 00:20:01.240 In Matthew 14, was it Matthew 14 we read? 00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:04.519 I know it wasn't Matthew 14. 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:07.039 I've forgotten what chapter it was. 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:15.880 But in that passage we see that when the root of the gospel is not deeply embedded in Christ, 00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:22.480 when it's shallow, when it's not really significant, that when persecution comes, that the faith 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:31.519 of that person withers, of course it will, because without true faith we will never cling 00:20:31.519 --> 00:20:32.720 on to Jesus Christ. 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:35.559 So it's a mark of genuine faith. 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:41.039 Now that's a challenging question for each of us. 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:51.480 Not only the life we're living and the relationships we have, but also a recognition or a challenge 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:58.799 to how we respond when we are opposed and when we are scandalized for our faith. 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:00.480 So it's a price of loyal love. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:04.759 It's not about being persecuted for being a fool. 00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:07.160 It exposes humanity's core. 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:10.240 It marks a genuine, not spurious faith. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:12.400 And it is a given. 00:21:12.400 --> 00:21:14.880 It's actually a given. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:23.480 You notice when he's speaking he said, blessed are those when you are persecuted, those when 00:21:23.480 --> 00:21:24.480 others reveal you. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:27.040 It's not if, it's a when. 00:21:27.040 --> 00:21:32.360 And it's interesting that Christ, as I said, moves in this stepped beatitude that's kind 00:21:32.360 --> 00:21:33.360 of split into two. 00:21:33.360 --> 00:21:37.160 He moves from the third person to the first person. 00:21:37.160 --> 00:21:42.200 And at the end of the beatitude, it kind of sums up the whole beatitude to say it's not 00:21:42.200 --> 00:21:46.200 just a third person characteristic. 00:21:46.200 --> 00:21:50.799 He's saying it's to every believer. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:54.000 It's what characterizes you. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:55.600 Blessed are you. 00:21:55.600 --> 00:22:00.920 Not just blessed are those in some kind of church, somewhere else who are Christians 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:02.640 at some time in history. 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:03.640 Is it blessed are those? 00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:05.600 But blessed are you. 00:22:05.600 --> 00:22:09.039 You and me as disciples are those who are followers. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:10.039 It's a given. 00:22:10.039 --> 00:22:11.120 It will happen. 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:13.119 It will happen in our lives. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:20.519 But interestingly, remember, and go back to that, it's kind of in a sense a last resort 00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:23.439 because it's put beside blessed are the peacemakers. 00:22:23.439 --> 00:22:26.239 I think that's significant and important. 00:22:26.239 --> 00:22:29.199 We do everything in our power to be peacemakers. 00:22:29.199 --> 00:22:31.000 We don't look for persecution. 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:35.519 It will find us when we're being honest and true to the gospel. 00:22:35.519 --> 00:22:40.919 But it will be a given even though we are to be characterized as peacemakers. 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:45.120 Those who do everything in our power to avoid opposition. 00:22:45.120 --> 00:22:50.920 We do nothing that will provoke in a wrong way opposition or persecution. 00:22:50.920 --> 00:22:54.480 Foundationally, it will happen. 00:22:54.480 --> 00:23:02.759 And that is because when we come to Christ, we awaken a spiritual enemy who will do all 00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:06.240 in his power to destroy our faith, the evil one. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:12.160 He's been defeated on the cross, and as he thrashes out before complete destruction, 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:18.519 he will do all in his power to oppose every single believer who is in Christ, to drift, 00:23:18.519 --> 00:23:26.799 to turn away from the faith, to avoid persecution and to live lives that deny the truth. 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:30.240 That is his work. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:33.839 But it's a beatitude. 00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:38.000 It's a part of everyday life and witness. 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:43.720 We expect opposition while doing all in our power to be peacemakers. 00:23:43.720 --> 00:23:46.919 Okay, just about done. 00:23:46.919 --> 00:23:54.959 If persecution wasn't bad enough, let's consider in conclusion the response. 00:23:54.959 --> 00:24:00.879 The response to when we're opposed as Christians, when we're persecuted, when we're falsely accused, 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:05.400 when we're ridiculed, when we're ostracized. 00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:08.080 The response is not retaliation. 00:24:08.080 --> 00:24:09.960 It's not sulking. 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:12.000 It's not the poor me. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:14.080 It's not that self-pity. 00:24:14.080 --> 00:24:17.480 And it's certainly not masochistic enjoyment. 00:24:17.480 --> 00:24:20.320 It's none of these things. 00:24:20.320 --> 00:24:26.480 But it's a recognition, firstly, that we're blessed. 00:24:26.480 --> 00:24:36.120 And as in all the beatitudes, we are those who are blessed and who know God's favour 00:24:36.120 --> 00:24:40.039 through Christ and the happiness that that brings. 00:24:40.039 --> 00:24:44.079 That whatever happens, we're loved. 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:48.200 It's the greatest blessing, it's the greatest happiness that the universe offers, because 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:53.799 it takes us right through the valley of the shadow of death, into eternity and into what 00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:55.759 he has for us. 00:24:55.759 --> 00:25:04.599 It just reminds us and is a helpful encouragement that there's something greater than not being 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:05.599 persecuted. 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:17.200 There's something greater than not being liked when we are loved by Christ and by His salvation 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:18.720 for us. 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:26.039 So we are blessed, but we're also called to rejoice and be glad. 00:25:26.039 --> 00:25:29.039 That's crazy, eh? 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:31.039 Rejoice and be glad. 00:25:31.039 --> 00:25:38.000 For your reward is great in heaven, so they persecute the prophets who are before you. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:40.920 We rejoice and be glad. 00:25:40.920 --> 00:25:42.720 Why? 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:48.559 Because we stand shoulder to shoulder with believers throughout history, because we recognize 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:52.440 it as a mark of authenticity. 00:25:52.440 --> 00:26:02.279 It reminds us that we've been loyal to the truth of Jesus, that we've been tested and 00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:12.319 that our faith, God is taking our faith and using even the opposition to strengthen our 00:26:12.319 --> 00:26:16.519 faith, to take out the impurities of our faith like gold that's been tested in the fire. 00:26:16.519 --> 00:26:18.839 You know, that whole picture. 00:26:18.839 --> 00:26:26.079 So that even the bad and the difficult and the troubling times are in the hand of a sovereign 00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:35.119 God who takes the trouble to use them to mold us and transform us to be more like Him, use 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:36.119 it for our good. 00:26:36.119 --> 00:26:45.240 So we can rejoice and be glad, not in a kind of in an unhuman or weird way, but in a deep-seated 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:57.000 recognition of this mark of authenticity that stood through the ages and is an evidence 00:26:57.000 --> 00:26:59.960 of the love of God working in us and through us. 00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:01.519 So we know God's favour and blessing. 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:03.559 We rejoice and be glad. 00:27:03.559 --> 00:27:10.240 And we remember that the best is still to come, because that's what we're reminded of 00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:13.120 with the truth of the Kingdom of Heaven, isn't it? 00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:18.679 We're part of the Kingdom of Heaven now, as this already belongs, but there's a future 00:27:18.679 --> 00:27:21.000 hope and the best is still to come. 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:25.399 So the trajectory for us, even though we're persecuted and going through difficulty, is 00:27:25.399 --> 00:27:32.559 a brilliant one because the troubles and battles and difficulties and failings and tears that 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:40.159 we experience now are temporary. 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:46.840 And we know that God's justice has been satisfied in Jesus and what He's done on our behalf, 00:27:46.840 --> 00:27:54.720 and that we will meet Him not as judged but as Father, and He will be the one who wipes 00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:56.080 away the tears. 00:27:56.080 --> 00:27:58.240 He will be the one who wipes away the tears. 00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:04.880 The battle will be over, and the evil and unbelief will no longer be the feature of 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:09.400 the world in which righteousness will dwell. 00:28:09.400 --> 00:28:16.960 So it's paradoxical, it's counter-cultural, it's challenging, but it's the truth of Jesus, 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:24.560 and it's where we find blessing, His favour as we come to Him in Christ. 00:28:24.560 --> 00:28:26.400 It's impossible without Him. 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:27.920 So tonight it's all about Jesus again. 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:32.880 It's all about what He's done and what He is doing and what He will do. 00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:39.040 And if you're not a Christian, I invite you with all my heart to consider Jesus. 00:28:39.039 --> 00:28:40.039 These are great Saviour. 00:28:40.039 --> 00:28:41.039 Amen. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:42.039 Let's pray. 00:28:42.039 --> 00:28:48.319 Father God, we ask and pray that you would bless our thoughts on your word. 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:52.519 We thank You, Lord, for the beatitudes. 00:28:52.519 --> 00:29:05.279 We recognise them as offering a manifesto that is impossible and unattractive in many 00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:13.799 ways unless we see the beauty of Jesus and see the power of His great love and grace 00:29:13.799 --> 00:29:23.879 and the life that He offers as it exposes our selfishness, our sinfulness, and our pride 00:29:23.879 --> 00:29:28.639 which keeps us from knowing Him and loving Him and loving others. 00:29:28.639 --> 00:29:34.319 So Lord, we pray that we would become people who are triggered to pray more and more through 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:43.679 looking at this beautiful life, beatitudinal life that's spoken of here and may we strive 00:29:43.679 --> 00:29:53.039 by grace to have the Holy Spirit transform our hearts more and more into these remarkable 00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:55.279 children of the living God. 00:29:55.279 --> 00:29:57.319 We pray that in Jesus' name. 00:29:57.319 --> 00:30:04.319 Amen.