Matthew 5:10-12 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

2 Timothy 2:17 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 

2 Timothy 2:17 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Blessed are the Persecuted Matthew 5:10-12, 2 Timothy 3:12-17 Sermon Series on The Beatitudes Blessed are the Persecuted Matthew 5:10-12, 2 Timothy 3:12-17

Introduction Persecution in the Bible manifests itself in a broad spectrum From research by Voice of the Martyrs

Main Idea As God leads us into righteous living, this comes into conflict and tension with the broken world around which leads to the persecution we face as God’s followers.

Outline I. Persecution comes to the Righteous II. Persecution comes on account of God III. Persecution needs to be viewed with an eternal perspective

I. Persecution comes to the Righteous Matthew 5:10 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 2 Timothy 3:12 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

I. Persecution comes to the Righteous Christians don’t seek persecution But it comes as a result of righteous living Not all persecution is blessed by God, only those who suffer for doing what is right.

II. Persecution comes on account of God Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

II. Persecution comes on account of God John 15:18-20 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. We are called upon to make choices that will separate us from the world around us.

II. Persecution comes on account of God The Cost of Discipleship is persecution. Christ followers choose to live for God’s standards and not this world’s which separates us from the world around us. We are called upon to make choices that will separate us from the world around us.

II. Persecution comes on account of God “It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life…..it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son…Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship JESUS' CLIMAX at the end of the Beatitudes says exactly this: Stand faithful and do not get blown about by the ideologies of the world. … If we lose our distinction from the world's greed, uncaring, self-centeredness, exclusionism, unfaithfulness, and violence, then we have no purpose. Glen H. Stassen, Living the Sermon on the Mount

III. Persecution needs to be viewed with an eternal perspective Matthew 5:12 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you IN THE FACE of persecution, Jesus' followers have two reasons to rejoice and be glad. First, they know that God rewards those who suffer for their faith, and that their reward will indeed be great in heaven. … The second reason Jesus' followers can rejoice in tribulation is that they stand in good company: In the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you, Jesus says. Richard B. Gardner, Matthew