together in God's house this morning, so let's look to the Lord, even as we have gathered in His presence. Our God and our Father, we thank and praise Thee for this opportunity that Thou has afforded to us, Thy people, in this, Thy day, to join together in this meeting place, this meeting house, as our forefathers used to call it. And we pray that truly that this will be a meeting place with our God, that we will know that God has drawn very near to us as we draw nigh unto Thee. Loving Father, send the Holy Spirit, and do so because we asked this our prayer in Jesus' precious and His worthy name. Amen. Let's open up the Word of God to Romans chapter 4, please. As we continue through this great epistle, Romans 4. And we'll read from verse 1 through to verse 12. So Romans 4, and commencing at verse 1. and let us hear the Lord's Word. What shall we say then that Abraham, our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is a reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God impurities righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision or in uncircumcision. Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received a sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith, which he had yet been uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also. And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had been yet uncircumcised. Amen. And we'll end our reading there at verse 12. And trust the Lord will bless it to our hearts. Returning for opening praise to 142nd Psalm this morning, Psalm 142. You'll find that on the page 131. Psalm 142, and we'll sing all of this psalm together, and we'll stand and we'll sing the Lord's praise, please. I'm waiting in my troubled mind expressed. When overwhelmed my spirit is, then will I start my way. Where I live, God has shared for me. ♪ They prefer me, they'll say ♪ ♪ Earth on the right hand and me, Lord ♪ ♪ There's something only there ♪ ♪ Our refuge, earth, we fail and none ♪ ♪ God formed thy schools, they came to thee ♪ Give to me, I say, the right, a refuge warm to weep. Love of my portion in the land of those that fear in me. ♪ Because I am from very low ♪ ♪ Added up to my crown ♪ ♪ He from my persecutors saved ♪ ♪ Good, stronger power than I ♪ ♪ From prison break my soul ♪ Well, again, let's continue on before the Lord in prayer. Let's unite together again. Our gracious God and loving Father, we cry to Thee that Thou would attend unto our prayer. that thou would give ear to the voice of our supplication. We confess at times, Lord, in life we are brought very low, and yet the psalmist was able to say, out of the depths have I cried unto thee. Rejoice, O God, that art the one that hears the prayers of thy people, because by raising up thy Son, O Lord, we think of the depths to which he came, We think of God, the sorrows and the miseries of this life, the abandonment of God, the isolation, the darkness, the suffering, the affliction, Lord, all manner that he felt bodily, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, brought into the very depths. And yet, loving Father, it was for our sakes that he came so low. Loving Father and gracious God, we thank Thee that not only did Christ die and not only was He buried, we thank Thee that He rose again. And Lord, He sits triumphant, exalted at Thy right hand. The one who was very low is crowned with glory now. And we thank Thee that there is one in the very heights of splendor, one who is our elder brother. one who is the head of His church, one who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities, the one who does hear, the one who does attend to the cries of His people. Loving Father, hear us for Thy Son's sake. Come, Lord, and meet with us in the person of the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Holy Ghost will come, ministering to each and every heart that is gathered, thou who knowest the hearts of all men. Lord, you know the needs of every individual gathered, those who are thine, those who are, Lord, with the sunshine of God's providence upon them. We pray, O God, that Thou will continue to bless them, those whom, Lord, the dark clouds of providence overshadow them. We pray, O God, that Thou will draw near to them. We thank Thee that Thou has promised never to leave Thy people, neither forsake them. And, loving Father, we pray that they will know and sense the nearness of God, even through the ministry of the Word and the answer to their prayers, and the peace of God ruling and reigning in their hearts. Gracious God and Father, remember those who are not saved, who sit here, they're not in the kingdom. Lord, who have not the blessing of God upon their lives, they're under the curse. We pray that they would look upon the one who was cursed for the sinner's sake and who hung upon the tree. Gracious God and loving Father, these are the works that only thou canst do, applying, ministering, comforting, correcting, convicting the hearts of men and women. Loving Father, send the Spirit to operate amongst us this morning. Remember all such gatherings here, Lord, in our own little province, in the mainland, the south of Ireland, further afield into Europe. Across the nations of this world, every missionary station, connected with our little denomination, Lord and Father, we pray, O God, that thou would bless thy people to the ends of the earth. I rejoice there are a people. We thank that there are those for whom Christ has died. And where thy people meet, they are assured of thy presence. Loving Father and eternal God, extend thy kingdom. Try back the wicked one. Lord, visit thy church with a breath from heaven. Lord, come to us here. Remember every ministry, the meetings throughout the rest of the day, this incoming week. We pray for God's blessing upon them. Lord, may we look back upon a day. Lord, see that there, that was the day that God moved. that God began to work, work upon our hearts, Lord. We confess, Lord, we don't expect Thee to leave us out, to bypass us and go straight to the ungodly. Lord, judgment must begin in the house of God. Lord, You must take a dealing with us. You must revive Thy people. You must, O God, give us the spirit of repentance and grace and supplication. Lord, these are things that must happen. And we cry to Thee that Thou would visit our hearts And in visiting us, Lord, it was spread out even to our own little locality here, this town of Balaamina that lies in darkness, that wickedness is upon. O loving Father and eternal God, come with a breath from heaven. Come and visit us, O God, with times of refreshing from the presence of our God. Our ears have heard, our fathers have told us what Thou hast did in time past. And all we can say is, Thou would do it again. Come to these hearts of ours. Come to these homes of ours. Come to this house of thine. Come, O God, to thy people. with revival power. Lord, hear our prayer. Remember the needs of thy people, suffering and sorrowing saints. Many, Lord, in these days, we thank Lord of the tactics of the wicked one, who has come to wear out the saints, to grind them down with the pressures of life, with the struggles and the strains of all that we have to face, and all compounded by the fact that we are the Lord's. O loving Father, bless thy people. Lord, give us days of encouragement. Revive us, that our hearts may rejoice in Thee. Lord, not in our circumstances, but Lord, rejoicing in Thee, the God of our salvation. Give us the spirit of Habakkuk, who was able to do that in his day and his generation. Hear our prayer. Continue with us, Lord, as we worship Thee. Help us, Lord, to worship Thee. Help us not just to sing words, but help us to mean the words, to be challenged by the words, to be edified. Lord, even as Paul wrote to those there in Colossians, that we are to sing and minister and edify to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. and we should do so with grace in our hearts. So, Lord, help us to fulfill that command, even now as we sing Thy praise. For this we ask with an eye to Thy glory and to the praise of Thy Son, Jesus Christ. For in His name we ask to ease our petitions and for His glory alone. Amen. Our second hymn this morning is 500. 535, rejoice in the Lord, O let His mercy cheer. He sunders, abandons, and enthralls, redeemed by His blood. Why should we ever fear, since Jesus is our all in all? 535, and again we'll stand to worship the Lord with this hymn, please. In Christ, dear Lord, a lender's mercy dear, He shoulders the land and floor. Redeem, guide, and love, why should we ever fear? Since Jesus is our Lord. Before us, who can be against us? Who, who, who? Who can be against us, against us? Strong in the Lord, rejoicing in His might, we loyal to Him by faith. If God be for us, if God be for us, if God be for us, who can be against us? Who? Who? against us, against us. Oh, how high in His love His promise is so sure. In Christ they are yea and amen. Oh, earth pass away, and they ever shall endure. He's with them over and over again. God be for us. God be for us. God be for us. Who can be against us? Who? Who? Who? Who can be against us again? His life everlasting be done. With love from His hand, the weakest trembling soul, with never-ending joy. May God be for us. May God be for us. May God be for us. Good can be against us. Good can be against us, against us. Well, I give a word of welcome to all this morning in God's house. It's good to see you all in your place again this morning. We're going to turn again our hymn books. 602 is the hymn this time. I shall wear a golden crown when I get home. I shall lay my burdens down when I get home. It's been a little while since I've sung this hymn, and so we trust we get on to it well. 602, and again we'll rise and we'll sing the Lord's praise together, please. Yeah. It's the big glass when I get home. I should see the light of glass when I get home. I'm from heaven streaming, Lord, my pathway leading, heaven guides me on. Sing again of saving grace when I get home. I shall stand before Him, gladly adore Him, ever to be with Him when I get home, when I get home, when I get home. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. Could I just remind the ladies tomorrow evening that there will be a retiring offering taken up for SGA, so do come prepared for that and support that work in that ministry, so do remember that, please, tomorrow evening. Let's open up God's Word to Matthew, chapter 5, please, Matthew 5. And again, we'll just read the three verses that we'll focus on this morning. Matthew chapter 5, I'll read verse 10, 11, and 12, these verses together. So let's hear the Word of the Lord. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For so persecuted they, the prophets, which were before you." Amen. And we trust the Lord will bless His Word to our heart. Let's take a moment just to pray and look to the Lord to help us, even as we have gathered round now His Word. Let's look to the Lord. Gracious God and eternal Father, We thank Thee, Lord, for this opportunity now to, Lord, settle ourselves, to still our hearts, to hear what God would have to say. Lord, we thank Thee that we can have fellowship, the one with the other, conversations, asked about one another's welfare in that Christian, compassionate way. Lord, we thank Thee that, Lord, we can do that, and we can bear one another's burdens. But Lord, we desire to hear from Thee. We desire to hear the voice of God, to be instructed, to be edified, to be strengthened, to be prepared. O God, to be corrected, Lord, even in our thinking, and to be challenged, Lord, in our living. Loving Father and eternal God, to that end, therefore, we pray for the Holy Spirit. Lord, I thank Thee for the responsibility and the privilege to preach Your Word. And yet, Lord, if I'm left, abandoned to myself, to stand and preach with my ability, my capability, or even lack of it, Lord, I'd be all in vain. I would not profit to hear. Lord, we thank Thee for the promised Holy Ghost. We thank Thee for the one who comes and infills a preacher, the one who comes and applies the Word, who grabs the attention of the hearer, that turns away distracting thoughts and gives an elevated focus and attention upon the Word of God. and applies that Word with great power to the heart and to the soul. Lord, that's what we long for. That's what we need, Lord, the presence of God, Lord, as the Word is preached. That, Lord, that even as the priests, they stood to minister, Lord, they were, as it were, put out of the way. And the Lord himself came down with glory, and the Lord was ministering, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. We pray that that will be the keys, that this preacher will be hid far away behind the cross, and that none will be seen save Christ alone. Speak to thy people all the different needs. May they hang, Lord, their confidence upon a word this morning, a little line, a little phrase, a verse, a little hymn, something quoted, Lord. something that will bless them and encourage them in their pilgrimage through this life. So, Lord, hear prayer and bring glory to Thy Son. For again, we have an eye to His praise and Thine everlasting glory. We ask this in His precious and high and holy name. Amen. Now, we come to our final installment. of the Beatitudes this morning, characteristics which mark those who are in the kingdom of heaven. And these distinctives, they are exhibited by all those who belong to Christ, those who are the blessed of God. Now, we've come to the last of the eight beatitudes, and we noted last week that we cannot drop this one off the end. We cannot pick and choose which ones, which beatitudes we will experience and which ones we will not. They are worked in us by the Spirit of God, and they are the consequence of what it means to be the child of God. And there is none more consequential than this last one. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is really the result of being pure in spirit. mournful, meek, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, and a peacemaker. Now, last week, we began to consider and look at this beatitude under the heading of persecuted people. And in the first place, we looked at, we noted the reality of persecution. Now, to be persecuted, it means to be harassed, to be pursued, to be pressurized or vexed. And the persecution of the kingdom dweller, well, it's something that is clearly stated in Scripture. The Lord Jesus told His disciples that this is something that they can expect now that they are in the kingdom. And we looked at the reality of that persecution as it is recorded throughout history. I did a brief overview, starting right at the very beginning of biblical history and the murder of Abel, then through the Old Testament into the New Testament period, the early church, the early Christians in those early centuries A.D., into the Middle Ages, the Waldensians, the Reformation period, and right up to this very day. Christianity is the most persecuted religious grouping in the world. That is fact. That is the reality. Now, we went on in the second place to consider the revelation of persecution. We all know that persecution can take the form of physical abuse. But the Lord goes on in verse 11 to expand on that to include non-physical, verbal abuse. He says there in verse 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. And since all that will live godly shall suffer persecution, then there must be forms of persecution that those will face who are not under the threat of physical persecution, that are not under some tyranny, who are not under some dictator. And we know that there are forms of persecution that you and I who have civil and religious liberties, there are types and forms of persecution that we can face. There is a non-physical, verbal abuse that the Christian can experience to their face. That is where people insult them, where people would slander them. And that's the thought behind the word revile. It means to cast in one's teeth. That is something that Christ himself endured. And then there is the non-physical, verbal persecution that can happen behind the believer's back. where men try to discredit the Christians. They make accusations against them to defame their character and ruin their testimony. In the Bible class this morning, I was doing the second part of John Bunyan's biography. And behind Bunyan's back, they said of him that he was a witch, that he was a Jesuit, that he was a highwayman, that he was someone who had a mistress, that he was a man who had a number of illegitimate children with many different women throughout the countryside. And so that was a slander behind his back, to defame his character, to discredit his testimony. And you know, that is an awful persecution for anyone who is zealous for the glory of Christ. That's basically what we know today as cancel culture. If anyone says something that is against a sinful, wicked narrative of our age, well then they are pursued out of society, either by pressure to conform or affirm or accept what is being done, or by silencing them. This is how persecution is revealed today. You have the physical persecution. You have the non-physical, verbal persecution that can either be to your face or behind your back. That's where we got to last week, the reality of persecution and the revelation of persecution. So this is part two of A Persecuted People, three points this afternoon. The first thing I want you to notice is the reason for persecution. The reason for persecution Now, it would be dismissive of me and very ignorant of me to say that Christians are the only ones who suffer persecution in whatever form that might take. Persecution happens to many people because of religion, race, or some other factor. In fact, in the days of Christ, some of the Galilean zealots, those were Jews who wanted to overthrow the Roman occupation by military means, they themselves were persecuted. They were reviled, they were hated, they were even killed when they rose up against Rome and against Herod. But that was a persecution that came upon them because of a political position which they held. And that's not the kind of persecution that the Lord Jesus is talking about here. This is not also the persecution that might have come to someone because they're just plain offensive, or arrogant, or who have in some way themselves been abusive to another person. That is not what the Lord Jesus is talking about here. Know the blessedness of God resides only upon those who are persecuted for a particular reason. And that reason is plainly stated in these verses. Look at verse 10. It says, Blessed are they which are persecuted, quite simple, here's the reason, for righteousness' sake. Righteousness is the reason why those in the kingdom are persecuted. Now, righteousness, that is the quality of being upright. It speaks of rightness in standing before God and rightness of action before men. And in its simplest sense, it conveys the idea of conformity to a standard or a norm. This means that righteousness, therefore, it is the opposite of sin, which itself is defined as missing the mark that is set. And I believe there's two aspects to this, being persecuted for righteousness. See, there is a righteousness that you and I as Christians declare with our life. And that is a reason why we are persecuted. And then there is a righteousness that we declare with our lips. And that is a reason why we are persecuted. Firstly, the righteousness that we declare with our life. See, antagonism, opposition, persecution is inevitable between the true Christian and the world. And the reason for that is the gospel produces a lifestyle in the individual that is characterized by righteousness or right living. Take the character of the kingdom dweller. that is sketched in all those preceding verses. Point by point, that is alien and fundamentally different from the attitudes of those who are yet outside the kingdom and the attitudes and the character that they display. The principles are different and the practices are different. Dr. Lloyd-Jones, he made this comment. He, that is a Christian, is fundamentally different, and the non-Christian recognizes this. The Christian is not just like everybody else with a slight difference. He is essentially different. He has a different nature, and he is a different man. And it is because the Christian is and will be different and does not fit into the system of this world, does not go along with the narrative of this world, and has a different worldview, that is the reason why they will face persecution. You see, not to do what everybody else does, it stirs up the world's sleepy conscience. More than that, it irritates the world. It gives them annoyance, even anger. And that is the reason persecuted for righteousness' sake. For example, the righteous individual will be one of absolute integrity and honesty. And that could bring the child of God into conflict with others in business or at work. You see, if there's someone who is trying to fiddle the books or falsify the hours, the child of God will take no part in it. The child of God will warn against it. The child of God will even go as far to say, I will expose the wrongdoing, and it's done. And upon that individual, because of right and righteous living, well, the pressure will come. The persecution will come. The other employees, they will get angry, they will get jealous, they will get spiteful, when the Christian does not rob their employer of their time, but has diligence and an integrity in their workplace. You see, the believer, the kingdom dweller, is one who confronts the sin of this world by their godliness, by their right living. A true Christian ought to be a living, standing rebuke to the world and the way that the world is living. The Christian will be a prick in the conscience of those who are living in unrighteousness. That is something that the world does not like. And the world will not just sit by and let that happen. The world will come against you. They will pressurize you to either conform to how they're living, or they will seek to silence you by threat of maybe job loss or being ostracized from the work group or the work team. The world will not sit idly by when a Christian lives a righteous life. You know, that fits into exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ taught in John 15, in verse 19. If you want to turn there, and I referenced this last week, this fits exactly into what the Lord was teaching, that you and I as Christians, we are fundamentally, we are essentially different, and because we are different, the world will hate us. The Lord says, "'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 heareth you.'" The world, that's those outside the kingdom, they do not like the light of righteousness because their deeds are evil. Since that's the case, as I've said, they will seek to silence the believer. They will seek to push their rebuking lifestyle out of society. Now you look on down there in John chapter 15 again and in verse 25. And there Christ is speaking about the persecution that He faced and was going to face. So John 15 and the verse 25, and the Lord says this, You see, there was no just cause for the people to hate Christ. He had done nothing to provoke them by hostility or antagonism on his part. He was one that had went about doing good, and yet they hated him. Why? He was a righteous man. His sinless life was a rebuke to their sinful life, and they hated him for it. Now Christ there is really quoting from the Old Testament, Psalm 69 in verse 4. And those words being hated without a cause were originally spoken by David. And Ida refers to a time when he was persecuted by Saul or his son Absalom. But whatever the occasion, David had given no cause for offense. He had caused those men no injury. And yet he, a man after God's own heart, was pursued out of Jerusalem, and he was driven out by both men. Christ, in that discourse in the upper room, he goes on in John 16, in verse 1, he says there, These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. He was saying to his disciples, you know, you shouldn't be surprised. Even though you give no cause for persecution, for offense, and that you're not hostile, you're not antagonistic, you're not abusive, that you haven't wronged anyone, though you give no just cause, this persecution will still come. Though they live a life that is righteous, that is upright, that is honest, that is merciful, that is meek, that is pure, that is peacemaking, it is because of such a life that persecution will come. I read the story of a Christian by the name of Aristides the Just, and he lived in the 5th century, and he was a man who was banished from Athens. When one of the citizens was asked why he voted for the banishment of Aristides, he said, because I am tired of hearing him always called the Just. It irritates me that people identified him as righteous. He was banished because He was righteous. And so there's a righteousness that you and I declare with our lives that brings persecution upon us. But secondly, there is a righteousness which we declare with our lips that is also a reason why we will suffer persecution. You see, sinful man does not like to hear that he is not not righteous, that all his self-righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God, that there's nothing that he can do to make himself righteous. You see, that's a blow to sinful man's pride, to hear that he is not what he thinks he is, and that he can do absolutely nothing in this matter of making himself right before God. I hope you understand that this morning if you're gathered here and you're not saved. You're unrighteous. You might think that you have some moral, upright living, but on the side of God, your self-righteousness, they are as filthy rags. Now, I trust that the gospel offends you. This is the offense of the cross. You need to understand you are not what you think you are. You are unrighteous. you can do nothing to make yourself righteous. A natural man hates the message of the necessity of an imputed alien righteousness that is to be received by faith alone. You see, that excludes all self-boasting and all glorying that an individual might have. And he hated that message. You'll go back to the very first act of persecution, and you will see that it was for that very reason that Cain shed the blood of righteous Abel, as the Lord describes. Hebrews 11 and the verse 4, By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. That offended Cain. He was offended. And because he couldn't take it out in God, he took it out in Abel. But it says about Abel, by which he obtained a witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh." You see, it was this message of the need of a righteousness that exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees that brought persecution upon the Savior. It was the same for the Apostle Paul, who preached that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness' sake, that brought persecution upon him. It was the same for Stephen, who was persecuted for his faith. It was the same for the Reformers who preached imputed righteousness, received by faith alone, as a reason and a means by which one is justified by God and not infused righteousness, which the church of Rome would have taught. The same reason. Why, when we preach today that righteousness comes through faith in Christ, that people will oppose that message. As I said, the ungodly do not like to hear that they're sinners, that they lack righteousness, that they're offensive to God, and that the wrath of God abides upon them. And so there is a persecution that will come upon the child of God, physical, non-physical, because of the righteousness that they declare with their life how they live, but also with their lip as they testify of the Lord Jesus Christ. Another reason it comes upon us is because we are the Lord's. And that's what we find at the end of verse 11. The Lord says there, in chapter 5, Matthew 5, He says, for my sake. Now, we read something similar in Luke chapter 6, verse 22. Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, when they shall separate you from their company and shall reproach you and cast your name as evil for the son of man's sake. Later in Matthew chapter 10 verse 22, Christ, he said to his disciples, and you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye. For the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. On their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." You see, when we are united and identify with the Lord Jesus Christ, well then we become the objects of persecution. We become the objects of persecution. It is an evident token of that enmity that there is between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. I mentioned it last week when Saul was persecuting the Christians, the Lord asked him on the road to Damascus, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And those are the reasons why the kingdom dweller will face persecution, for righteousness' sake and for the righteous one's sake. And again, we must examine our lives. Are our lives a standing rebuke to the world? And are they seeking to conform us, to silence us by their pressure? It's only those who are persecuted for these reasons are blessed. The reason for persecution. Secondly, I want us to consider the response to persecution. In verse 12, we read something of how we are to respond to persecution. The opening words of verse 12, rejoice and be exceeding glad. Now, it is interesting that these words are in the form of a command. This is not how any would naturally respond to persecution, either physical or non-physical. The flesh, our flesh, would respond in a very different way. But we are commanded to rejoice and be exceeding glad. And even though that is hard to do, we can always be assured that in the Lord's commands, He always gives enabling grace to fulfill those commands. You see, we naturally rejoice when we're prosperous, but we can only supernaturally rejoice when we are persecuted. It's only when you and I are unfilled by the Spirit of God that we can fulfill this command. Why? Well, joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. This is something that would not naturally come to us. Someone would maybe say something against us. Oh, you're this, you're that. You're an old fuddy-duddy. You're always going on about this and that and saying this. And well, well, we might naturally respond in a very different way, but we are to rejoice. We are not to retaliate like a non-believer. We're not to sulk like a child. We're not to lick our wounds and self-pity like a dog. We're not to grin and bear it like a stoic. We are not to pretend that we enjoy it like some masochist. We are not to do that. Rather, as Christians, we are to rejoice. And then it tells us we are to be exceeding glad. You see, you can't fake this type of joy. Those words, exceeding glad, they literally mean to jump for joy. You see, this is an expression of great joy. This is something that is not confined within. It doesn't just simply reside within the heart, this joy, but it radiates without. It is not simply, therefore, an emotion, but it is also an attitude that is seen. Now, can this be the case, you might ask? Can someone really rejoice, leap for joy, be exceedingly glad because they face persecution for righteousness' sake, for Christ's sake? Well, it can, and it does happen. You turn to Acts chapter 5, and we have a biblical example here, and I'll give you a historical example. Even though the Bible has historical examples too, but I'll give you one here from the Bible. Acts chapter 5, and the verse 40. And we read here about this response to persecution. And when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus. There's trying to silence them, putting the pressure on them, and let them go. And here's their response. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Their beatings were badges of honor to them. They were rejoicing, for they were partakers of Christ's suffering, as Peter wrote about. The Apostle Paul, he also wrote about the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. What do we read about Paul and Silas when they were thrown into prison in Acts chapter 16, that Philippian jail? We read there that they were singing praises unto the Lord. They were able to rejoice in the midst of their persecution. Romanian pastor Richard Wurmbrand. He's the man who formed the organization Jesus to the Communist World, which has now become Voice of the Martyrs, which I know has become somewhat ecumenical in nature. I'm not plugging them here from this pulpit. You can save your e-mails and your pens and your complaints to me. I'm not giving them a plug here. I know how they've went. But there's none of us face persecution, or I would suggest would face persecution the way that man faced persecution, for preaching the gospel. He publicly said that communism and Christianity were incompatible. He's a man who preached at bomb shelters and rescued Jews during World War II, and he was imprisoned and tortured by the communist regime in Romania at that time. In prison as captors, they broke four of his vertebrae in his back, and they either cut or burnt 18 holes in his body. He was often confined to solitary confinement with little or no food, and for weeks and months on end, he would have no company, no fellowship, no conversation with any individual in his little cell. Yet he could testify that each night he was so overcome with joy to the point that he would often get up and leap around a cell for gladness, sensing and knowing the nearness and the presence of his God, and that he was counted worthy to suffer for Christ's sake. When he was unexpectedly released from prison, he was so emaciated that as he was walking home, that a peasant upon the road offered him some food. He replied, No, thank you. I'm going home to fast." And as he got home to his wife, they both prayed and fasted as a memorial to the joy that God had given to him while he was undergoing the horrors of persecution, and he asked God for the same joy outside of prison that he had in prison. So, that's how he responded. Praise is just one aspect of how we are to respond when we are persecuted. Another response, of course, is to pray. See, we are to pray for ourselves when we are persecuted. We are to pray that the Lord will give us sufficient grace to endure, and that we would not dishonor His name nor our testimony. We're also to pray for those who persecute us. And this is really to follow in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the one who prayed on the cross, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Stephen, he prayed for his persecutors as the stones were raining down upon him. For he went on to say, or he said in Acts 7 verse 60, And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. And so often, you read accounts of those who prayed for their persecutors. It's often that we find that some of those persecutors themselves came to faith in Christ because of the testimony of those who are being persecuted. We're also to pray for others when we hear of their persecution. We're to pray for ourselves. We're to pray for our persecutors. We're to pray for those who are persecuted. Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 3, it tells us to remember them that are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the body. You see, when one member suffers of the body, then we all should suffer. We often hear reports from our own mission board of the threat of some of our own missionaries face and are under. That's why some of the online broadcasts, well, they have to be cut off because of the threat of persecution, and we are to pray for them. And there are other associations and societies that inform us of the persecution that the saints of God face, inform us on how we are to pray for them. On Friday, someone sent me a little link, a little report, of 70 Christians who were beheaded for their faith in the Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting together as a fellowship. And there they were, and they heard voices outside gently calling to them, come out to us, come out to us. And when they did, initially 30 were beheaded. And then another 40 were rounded up and beheaded for their faith. And so, we are to praise, rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. We are to pray, but we also are, in response to persecution, patiently endure. You see, Paul exhorted those believers in Rome to bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not. Again, the Lord Jesus, well, He's the greatest example of that. 1 Peter 4, verse 23, You see, when we are persecuted for Christ's sake, we must remember that He is the avenger of His people. That's why we are to patiently endure. In Psalm 10, verse 14, it tells us there that God beholds their mischief and despite, and that He will requite or make an appropriate return unto those whom He has seen causing mischief, and with spite against His people, He will requite with His own hand. The martyred saints. Those who are slain for the Word of God and for the testimony that they held, whose souls are under the altar, they realize that God someday will avenge their persecution. And so they patiently wait. Paul encouraged those in Corinth that though they were reviled, they were to bless. Though they were persecuted, they were to suffer it. Peter tells us we're not to render evil for evil or reeling for reeling. Why? Because that's what we're appointed on to. And when we receive that, well, we are to know that we shall inherit a blessing because of it. And that leads me to my last point this afternoon. We have thought there about the reason. of persecution. The response to persecution, but now, and finally, the reward of persecution. Verse 10, blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Is, is in the present tense, which means the kingdom of heaven, and all that that includes, the king, his protection, his provision, and his peace, is their continual and current possession. Yes, it is a kingdom that is yet to be consummated and enjoyed to its fullest and eternal extent. When seventh angels shall sound a trumpet and a multitude of voices will shout, the kingdoms of this world have now become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and forever. But the kingdom is theirs now. It is the persecuted child of God's now. are already experienced now by the Christian to some extent, in some measure. They will just be higher and purer and more glorious in the ages to come, when Christ's kingdom comes in all its fullness. You know what God tells me if it is the kingdom now, if it's ours now? He tells me if the Lord so willed it, He could protect all His children and all His people. from persecution. He could send a host of angels to protect His children from physical persecution. He could stop the mouths of those who revile, just as He stopped the mouths of the lions. If the Lord so willed, since the kingdom is ours now, well, God could preserve us from such persecution. But He permits His children to experience persecution. Why? To prove the validity of their faith. and also to assure them that their salvation is genuine. For they would not know this persecution, except they were in the kingdom of heaven. By suffering persecution, child of God, You are identifying with the great company of the Lord's servants who have gone before and suffered for the exact same reasons. That's what we read there at the end of verse 12. For so persecuted the prophets which were before you. Spurgeon made this comment, you are in the true prophetic succession if you cheerfully bear reproach of this kind for Christ's sake. who are in God's kingdom." Christ, He tells them why they were to rejoice, why they were to be exceeding glad. In verse 12, He says, "'For great is your reward in heaven.'" And there's not some paltry reward. It's great, multiple, grand. And He says, "'For great is your reward in heaven.'" A reward not of debt that is earned, and something that God owes us, but it is a reward of grace that God gives us because of Christ who was persecuted for our sakes. The Apostle Paul, he writes to the Christians at Rome, The place will be the very epicenter of the most severest persecution in those early centuries. Romans chapter 8, verse 18. He tells them there, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed on us. He writes something similar to the believers at Corinth. 2 Corinthians 4, 17, See, it's going to be worth it all. When we see Jesus, to be reviled for Christ's sake will mean nothing, will be nothing, when Christ stands up What will it matter if someone calls us a do-gooder, a holy joe? What will it matter if someone walks past in the open air and shakes their head? What will it matter if someone clears their throat on us? What will it matter if someone, because you decide to do the right thing in your employment or in your school or in your class, what will it matter if someone pushes you to a little side and treats you a little different just because you've been righteous? What will that matter? When you see the King stand up at the Father's right hand to welcome you into glory, It'll be a badge of honor. It'll be a crown that you can throw and lay at His feet. Those who are in the kingdom will be and are a persecuted people. The reality of persecution, we will face it. Some form or another, some degree or another, physical, non-physical, to our face, behind our back. The reason for persecution. Righteousness sake, for Christ's sake. The response. We're to praise, we're to pray, we're to patiently endure. Why? The reward is great. The kingdom is ours. The king is ours. I finish with the words of Isaac Watt's hymn. On this beatitude, the verse, his stanza, he says, blessed are the sufferers who partake of pain and shame for Jesus' sake. Their souls shall triumph in the Lord. Glory and joy are their reward. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. May the Lord bless His word to our hearts and prepare us even for persecution. Let's unite in prayer. Loving God and eternal Father, we thank the Lord for these beatitudes. And we pray, Lord, these will be graces and attributes and characteristics and marks that are worked in our lives more and more by the Spirit of God. We pray, Lord, that you'll help us to always be poor in spirit, to not be self-sufficient. Help us to mourn over our sin. Because of that, to be meek and to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to be merciful to others, without and within the kingdom, to be pure in heart, to be peacemakers, and then, Lord, to have the consequence of that all, to suffer persecution for Thy name's sake. Dear God and Father, remember the persecuted church, those who this day are undergoing severe physical persecution. who have separated those pastors from their flock, those men from their wives and children, those family members who have been ostracized and thrown out of a family because they have been deemed to have brought shame upon the family. O loving Father and eternal God, we thank Thee for the work that Thou art doing. And for the interest there is in the underground church for the things of God, for the spread of the gospel, the distribution of Scripture, for the building of thy church, loving Father and eternal God, pass us not by. Lord, as the pressure comes on, to conform us to the wickedness of society, to, O God, indoctrinate us with a narrative that is pushed and peddled on every hand, in every realm and sector. O God, have mercy upon us. Lord, turn again our own captivity Lord, give to us that breath from heaven. Help us, Lord, as we go on to read, and we will look at in coming weeks. Help us to be salt and light in this world. Help us, Lord, in the light of these Beatitudes, to be who and what we ought to be in this our day and generation. So, loving Father, depart us now with thy blessing. We pray for this evening's service. Lord, we pray that Thou will bring many in, those who have promised to come, those who are invited. We pray, O God, that You will bring them in, that the house will be full. Help, Lord, in the testifying. Help in the preaching. May glory be brought to Thy great name. Save the lost. Glorify Thy Son. And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of the Spirit be the portion of Thy people now and forevermore. Hear our prayer. Dismiss us with Thy blessing. We ask this in Jesus' precious name, for His sake and glory. Amen.