Matthew  5_10-12      They're Out To Get You

Rev. David Holwick   Y                                     Beatitudes

First Baptist Church

Ledgewood, New Jersey

July 20, 2003

Matthew 5:10-12


THEY'RE OUT TO GET YOU



  I. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

      A. Famous quote by Tertullian in second century.

          1) The more Christians were killed, the larger the church

                became.


      B. Blood-soaked pages of Bible.

          1) Lonely, persecuted prophets of Old Testament.

          2) Jesus.

              a) Ridiculed by opponents, even called a tool of Satan.

              b) Opposed by his own family.

              c) Crucified by establishment.

              d) His warning in John 15:18 -

                   "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated

                      me first."

          3) Apostles.

              a) Paul was beaten up so bad he was left for dead.

                  1> (Ironic that he began his career by beating up

                        Christians.)

                  2> He gives long lists of the suffering he endured.

              b) Peter and others were imprisoned and later killed.


      C. Catacombs.

          1) The early church did not hide in them, but many of them

                ended up there (as martyrs).

          2) For three centuries the church faced bitter opposition.


      D. What about us?

          1) Some claim this past century has been the bloodiest in the

                entire history of the church.

              a) They number the martyrs in the hundreds of thousands.

              b) However, their methods of counting are pretty loose.

                  1> They may label a 90-year-old missionary dying of

                        a heart attack as a "martyr."

          2) Reasonable figure: 500 to 5,000 believers are killed

                because of their faith each year.                  #25164

              a) Some examples are horrendous.

                  1> Christians enslaved in Sudan.

                  2> Christian missionary burned to death in India.

                  3> Grenades thrown into churches in Pakistan.


II. The context of persecution.

      A. Persecution follows beatitude on peace-making.

          1) Seems ironic.

          2) But the fact that we should be peaceable does not mean

                everyone will be.

          3) Persecution gets much emphasis here - it is really a

                double beatitude.

              a) Style changes from third person (he) to second (you).


      B. Persecution hinges on our commitment to Jesus.

          1) First he says it be caused by our righteousness, then he

                says we will be persecuted because of him.  (verse 11)

          2) This shows that real Christian faith in not just proclaiming

                allegiance to Jesus, but living like he did.

          3) The more we are like Jesus, the more we will suffer.


      C. It is to be expected.

          1) 2 Timothy 3:12 --

               "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in

                   Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

          2) Philippians 1:29 --

                "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not

                   only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him."


III. Persecution involves more than death.

      A. Verbal abuse and insults.

          1) Luke even adds a woe when people speak well of you.  Lk 6:26

          2) Our lifestyle should stand in opposition to the world.


          1 Peter 4:3-5


          For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans

          choose to do--living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies,

          carousing and detestable idolatry.


          They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into

          the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.


          But they will have to give account to him who is ready to

          judge the living and the dead.


      B. Unpopularity in society.

          1) Obvious that our society is moving away from bible's values.

              a) Artwork with crucifix in urine.

              b) Homosexual marriage.

          2) More and more, we are viewed as a hostile element.

              a) What should we do about it?


IV. Be thrilled about persecution.

      A. Suffering for your faith can be a sign of genuineness.

          1) It is a sign to us, and others.


      B. Persecution sharpens you.

          1) You ask yourself, what do I truly believe?

          2) Jesus calls this counting the cost.


      C. It focuses your heart on Jesus.

          1) James Boice says persecution gives us a chance to show

                the supernatural radiance of the Christian faith.


  V. Martyrdom, not victimhood.

      A. Don't glory in persecution that results from being a jerk.

          1) Face facts - Christians deserve much of their opposition.

          2) 1 Peter - you get no credit for suffering if it is due

                to your own faults.


      B. Don't confuse fanaticism with faithfulness.

          1) Christian terrorists:

              a) Eric Rudolph, bombed Olympics, gay nightclub and

                    abortion clinic.

              b) Paul Hill, murdered abortion doctor, got death penalty.

          2) These men are not heroes.  Peter - there is no credit for

                suffering for doing evil.


      C. Don't turn the tables and become a persecutor.

          1) Rome is filled with churches dedicated to martyrs.

          2) Yet Christians have killed plenty of people, non-believers

                and believers alike.


      D. Peter's sound advice in 1 Peter 3:14-16.

          1) He repeated Jesus' beatitude on persecuted.

          2) Set apart Christ as your Lord in your heart.

          3) Give a gentle answer on the meaning of your faith.

          4) Your opponents will be shamed (assuming your lifestyle

                measures up).


[this illustration is probably too graphic for many congregations]



     In November 1963 the Soviet Union intensified its anti-religious

        propaganda.

     Four members from the Kalunda community in Western Siberia were

        arrested for illegal activities in an unregistered congregation.

     They were given prison sentences.


     One of the men, Nikolai K. Khmara, had been converted only a few

        years before after leading a life of drunkenness.

     His conversion had transformed him into a model husband, father,

        and active church worker.


     Two weeks after the trial, his family received word that he had

        died due to illness.

     Contrary to instructions, the Kalunda believers insisted on

        opening the coffin and found a brutally mutilated body.

     There were chain marks on his arms, scorch marks on his hands and

        feet, his finger- and toenails had been torn off, and there

           were gaping wounds in his abdomen made by a hot object.


     The most revolting part occurred when someone pulled the cotton

        stuffing out of his mouth.

     They discovered that Khmara's tongue was missing.


     Other prisoners later informed them that Khmara had talked about

        Christ till the end and therefore his captors had torn out his

           tongue.


     What keeps you from speaking up for Jesus?

                                                                    #2719



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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:


# 2719  "His Tongue Was Missing," from the book "Soviet Evangelicals

           Since World War Two" by Walter Sawatsky, 1981, page 143.


#25164  How Many Martyrs Are There?" by Jeff Robinson, Baptist Press,

           http://www.baptistpress.org, July 15, 2003.


These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,

absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html

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