Title: Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted Because of Righteousness

Text: Matthew 5:10-12                

• "Blessed" means have God's approval
  • A blessed life = God’s favor and approval that leads to God’s blessings. 
  • Would your life be approved?
  • Sermon on The Mount… 8 Characteristics = God's Approval
  • Matthew 5:3-12 
• Big Idea: God approves and rewards those who are persecuted for righteousness. (reiterate)
• Heart Question: Am I faithfully and fully following Jesus into righteousness?

1. Disciples will be “persecuted”
   1. “Persecuted”. Gk. “Dee-oko” “Harassed; Driven out”
   2. Paul driven out and stoned for the Gospel
   3. VERBAL. V.11 “You are blessed when they insult you… and falsely say every kind of evil against you”
   4. VIOLENCE. Lk. 21:12 “...lay hands on you”; Death 
   5. ALL FOLLOWERS - 2 Tim. 3:12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
   6. Deitrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Suffering, then, is the badge of true discipleship. The disciple is not above his master.
2. God’s people have always been persecuted (Matthew 5:12 “...the prophets who were before you.” )
   1. Abel. Joseph. Israelites. Daniel. Shadrach, Mesh, Abed. Jeremiah. John the Baptist. The disciples.
   2. Tacitus, a Romans historian, tells of how Nero burned Christians to light up his gardens at night.
   3. USA - South context. Freedom of religion. Not as a reason for complacency but opportunity for greater witness. 
3. Persecution comes “because of righteousness” 
   1. NOT anything and everything counts as "because of righteousness"
   2. Which is louder your faith or your politics? Making Jesus known or Your positions known? 
   3. There is a difference between “being offensive and causing offense because of righteousness” 
   4. “Because of righteousness” means living in agreement with God’s will (a way God approves)
   5. "Because of righteousness" means living out the Beatitudes (Mt.5:3-10)
   6. If we are living the Beatitudes out, then we’re a contrast to darkness in this world.
   7. Put YOUR NAME next to each Beatitude. Does it describe your life? Where could you grow?
   8. “Because of righteousness” means living like Jesus (Matthew 5:11 persecution “...because of me.”)
   9. Jesus was persecuted. Rejected. Mocked. Beaten. Crucified.
   10. John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
   11. People should see Jesus in our lives. If we don’t face persecution, perhaps we are more like the world than Jesus. 
4. The reward for being persecuted for righteousness is “the kingdom of heaven”.
   1. “the kingdom of heaven’ is joyous experience of God’s righteous reign in the new heavens and the new earth
   2. Notice: “Theirs” is emphasized in the word order here. This underscores WHO is blessed— the persecuted for righteousness
   3. Consider the joy of heaven. 1 Cor. 2:9 What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived—God has prepared these things for those who love him. 
   4. In heaven there is great joy and peace in God's presence for all eternity.
   5. The blessed life looks beyond this world to our eternal life
   6. The reward of heaven far outweighs the persecution
   7. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
5. How should we live out this message?
   1. Pursue righteousness, not persecution
   2. Be a gentle, respectful, and courageous witness.
   3. Love your enemies. (Matthew 5:39 “Turn the other cheek”; 5:43-45a “Love your enemies and pray…")
   4. Find hope in Jesus’ promises (Read throug the Beatitudes and emphasize the promises and rewards.
      1. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
      2. COMFORTED
      3. INHERIT THE EARTH
      4. FILLED WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS
      5. RECEIVE MERCY
      6. SEE GOD
      7. CALLED SONS OF GOD
      8. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

Bottomline: Pursue righteousness in Christ and experience the blessed life now and forevermore.