Rev. David Holwick Y Beatitudes
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
July 20, 2003
Matthew 5:10-12
|
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
=========================================================================
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
=========================================================================
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
Created with the Freeware Edition of HelpNDoc: Free Web Help generator