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We bless and worship God for the grace given to us to gather at His feet for the continuation of His teaching unto us concerning the Kingdom Lifestyle - the Sermon on the Mount. We pray that Gods Word will come to us in power and in grace so that we might understand His counsel and be strengthened in our hearts in order to do His will.
Last week we introduced the blessedness of those that are being persecuted for righteousness sake as the Lord spoke to us about persecution in His Sermon on the Mount. This week we shall consider the reason for persecution, we will look at why the world persecutes any man who is committed to living and standing for righteousness. As we continue with this focus we pray that the Spirit of God will give you illumination in the Name of Jesus. We continue this week as we turn to the Word of God and read from Mat. 5: 10-12 (KJV).
Mat 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
We notice the Lord Jesus here saying that those that are persecuted for righteousness sake will possess the Kingdom of God; and that when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, at that point you should rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so they persecuted prophets that went before you.
Last week in our study we saw that persecution is not peculiar to you, it is not peculiar to where you live nor is it peculiar to your generation. We realised that every man that must pass through the road unto eternity and must live Godly and walk in righteousness with the Lord Jesus will be persecuted.
Today we want to look at what is the reason for our persecution; what is the reason why the world is so hostile unto any man who decides to be a disciple of Jesus in true righteousness and absolute obedience to the principle of scripture. Let us turn to Hebrews 11 so that we might confirm indeed that all the men that went before us, whether in the old testament or in the new testament or in our contemporary time - persecution is common to all: all whose name is written in the book of life and live not to sell their birthright because of temporary pleasure. Hebrews 11 gives a catalogue of others who have gone before us and have passed triumphantly through the fire of persecution. The reason why the fire of persecution must come is what we are set to search out. Let us read from verse 36 - 40
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
We realise from this scripture that due to their faith, and their stand for righteousness and the principle of the truth which we also are learning in Christ Jesus, some of the men and women who have walked the path of faith before us were stoned, and some were slain with the sword: some wondered about in sheep-skin being destitute, some were afflicted and tormented, the world system threw them out - they excommunicated them from their company and made sure they were not comfortable anywhere. The Bible speaks of them that the world was not worthy of them.
As we go on today, we would like to have an insight into why should every believer be persecuted. Why should any man who wants to stand for God be persecuted in this world? Cant we live a life that can reach a compromise with the world system? Cant we practice our faith in such a way that the children of disobedience will encourage us in our practice? I would like to say to you that by the nature of our calling and by the nature of the world system, the world and God can NEVER become friendly! Once you stand for Jesus you become an enemy of the world automatically; and once you stand for the world system, there will not be any space for you with the Lord.
Jesus gave some quick explanations which I would like us to look at in Jn. 15: 18-25 and Jn. 16: 1-4 (KJV)
Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Joh 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Joh 15:20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
Joh 15:21 But all these things will they do unto you for my names sake, because they know not him that sent me.
Joh 15:22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
Joh 15:23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
Joh 15:24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
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