1-31-99 Lifestyles of the Poor and the Persecuted Mat. 5

by Ronald E. George Jr.

Known as the "Bishop of the South Pacific," John Selwyn had at one time been recognized for his boxing skill. Touched by the Holy Spirit's convicting power, however, he later became an outstanding missionary. The Southport Methodist magazine reports that one day this saintly leader reluctantly gave a stern but loving rebuke to a man who regularly attended the local church. The disorderly one resented the advice and angrily struck Brother Selwyn a violent blow in the face with his clenched fist. In return the missionary merely folded his arms and humbly looked into the man's blazing eyes. With his boxing skill and powerful rippling muscles, he could easily have knocked out his antagonist. Instead, he turned the other cheek and waited calmly to be hit a second time. This was too much for the assailant, who became greatly ashamed and fled into the jungle.

Years afterward, the man accepted the Lord as his Savior and gave his testimony before the church. It was customary at that time for a believer to choose a Christian name for himself after he was saved. When asked if he wished to follow this practice, he replied without hesitation, "Yes, call me John Selwyn! He's the one who taught me what Jesus Christ is really like!" This brought real joy to the missionary's heart, for he saw that heeding the Savior's admonition to suffer wrongfully for His sake had resulted in making his witness effective. (Luke 6:29)

Scripture Text: Mat. 5:1-12

Matt 5:1 (KJS) And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, 3 Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed [are] they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed [are] the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed [are] the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9 Blessed [are] the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 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. {falsely: Gr. lying} 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Key Verse: Matt 5:3 (KJV) Blessed [are] the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Purpose of this sermon is to invite us to enjoy a down payment the blessings of the Kingdom of heaven now and receive our full reward in the future.

1. Who is of the Kingdom of Heaven? In Mat. 4:17 Jesus goes about preaching the message of the Good news. Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The Kingdom is the place where the King rules. It is the domain of the King. This where Jesus is King. He is here today with us.
2. Who are the people of the Kingdom? All those who will become a part of this Kingdom must submit to the King. God longs for us to recognize Him in our lives as our King.

1. These people are the blessed. God gives to everyone who chooses to serve Him a number of blessings. These blessings are going to be fully realized when we finally join him in the Kingdom, but in this present life we are a down payment. We have the spirit of God to live within us. It will be well with those who serve the Lord in this life looking forward to the life to come. God gives to everyone that chooses him a heavenly coupon that comes with its own down payment.
2. These are the poor in spirit. (opposite is the proud and haughty) These are the people who are humble in heart. They aren’t prideful or high-minded but believe that they need and want God in their lives. John the Baptist said that He must increase and I must decrease. These poor in spirit receive the Gift of the Kingdom of Heaven.

   James Tharp in his "school of Prayer" explains how to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit: 1. First have assurance of being saved I John 5:13, Rom 8:16 2. Discover and deal with sin - death to sin Romans 6:11-12 3. Hunger for the fullness Matt 5:6 4. Surrender completely to God and His will 5. Receive the Holy Spirit and keep receiving Him through obedience!

   In Japan, James received a gift from the Japanese believers. A missionary told him how to receive a gift from them ... put hands out with palms up, then bow. He did so and the crowd applaused! And we need to know how to receive God's Spirit and to honor Him!

   C. These are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. (opposite is the hard hearted who don’t seem to care) Those who are broken hearted of the people of God will receive a special gift of comfort from the comforter himself. Jesus said that it was better for to go back to the father so that one who was just like him could come. That one is the comforter. He is the Holy Spirit of God that brings the Kingdom of God to reality within the life of the believer. He is our down payment of future blessings.

   D. These are the meek, who will inherit the earth. (Opposite: Those who want to force their will and way on others.)

We like to think blessed are the strong, the shrewd, those who stand up for their rights, those who refuse to be taken advantage of, those who always look out for slights, those who strike it rich and make it a success. We have a tendency to put high value on self- assertion. The natural standpoint is that a strong person is one who not only does what he wills but also bends others to do his will. The Biblical concept of meekness, however, is different. Meekness in the Greek is used to describe an animal, which has been trained by its master. Wild and unruly animals are worthless but when trained they become meek, that is teachable and quiet. If we remember this background of the term we will see that meekness is strength under the control of God and that gentleness is true power.

5. These are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. (Opposite is people who do not want seem to want God) These are the people who desire God. They want to know God and see God. Jesus says that he stands at the door of the chruch and knocks waiting to be let in to have dinner with you. He wants to be an important part of your life.
6. These are those who are full of Mercy, for they receive mercy from God. (Opposite is those who make sure that everyone gets what they have coming to them.) The merciful want to give to others that which they don’t deserve, mercy. Gal. 6:7-8
7. These are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (Opposite is those who don’t need to trust in God, but trust in others or themselves.) These are the ones who know that God alone is their hope. They have been washed in the blood of the lamb and their sins are cleansed and washed. His love to us was written in the blood that he gave for us.
8. These are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the Children of God. (Opposite is those who make war and make problems between people.) These are the people who know the prince of peace and try to make peace between themselves and others.

A young daughter was working so diligently at her homework that her father became curious and asked her what she was doing. "I'm writing a report on the condition of the world and how to bring peace," she replied. "Isn't that a pretty big order for a young girl?" her father asked. "Oh, no," she answered, "and don't worry. There are three of us in the class working on it!" Christ's mandate to be peacemakers remains an awesome challenge for all Christians.

7. These are persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of God. (Opposite is the persecutors themselves) God is theirs and they are his. John 1:12 Knowing God as their Father and enjoying him in their lives is their reward.

From Craig Keener in the Matthew Commentary, 1997.

"Here Jesus summons us to a greater honor than being prophets; he summons us to bear the name—the honor—of Jesus. The characteristics Jesus lists as belonging to the people of the kingdom are also those Jesus himself exemplifies as the leading servant of the kingdom. Will we receive his kingdom and submit ourselves to his will?"