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Matthew 5:10-12 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  With me to Matthew chapter 5.
• 0:03
  Matthew chapter 5.
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  So, as you're turning there,
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  you probably can already hear it a little bit in my voice,
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  ! But I'm fairly pollinated.
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  So, continue praying for me this morning.
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  I appreciate all the prayers I know that you have been lifting up to our Lord.
• 0:23
  Thank you for that and continue in that.
• 0:25
  So, we've reached verses 10 through 12.
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  I just want to start off by reading those,
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  and then we will jump right into it.
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  So, verses 10 through 12, picking up in verse 10 of Matthew chapter 5.
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  It says,
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  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
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  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you
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  and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
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  11 and 12 are really just an expansion and a clarification of verse 10.
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  Most believe that Jesus talked about this beatitude a bit more,
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  just to stress its weight, its importance, and its surety.
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  It's certainly not a foreign concept at all to other New Testament writers.
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  So much of the New Testament does focus on the realities of persecution
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  and what the Christian's response should be to it.
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  Even in that last song, we're just saying,
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  set your mind, your mind, your mind on things above.
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  So much of the New Testament devotes itself to that.
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  I think I'm getting picked up through the sound system now.
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  You got you.
• 1:37
  Okay.
• 1:37
  The one of the mic was still on.
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  Got you.
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  Okay, cool.
• 1:40
  So, because this is a big topic in the New Testament in general,
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  there are a lot of different ways I could go with this sermon.
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  But so that you are just in knowing how I'm thinking about this,
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  I want to preach it from this text.
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  I want to stay true to what this text here talks about it.
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  And I'll also be talking about it a good bit within our context.
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  So, that's kind of where we're going with it today.
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  A lot more could be said.
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  I wish we could say a lot more.
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  But we'll hone it in a little bit for today.
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  So, how I'm going to structure it is in four main ways.
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  So, here they are.
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  So, just a bunch of different things of how the New Testament talks about persecution.
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  First one I have is the reason for persecution.
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  The reason for persecution.
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  The next is the reality of persecution.
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  The reality of persecution.
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  Next is the response to persecution.
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  The response to persecution.
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  And lastly, we'll have the results.
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  Of persecution.
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  The results of persecution.
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  So, first off, let's just go ahead and get right into it and start off with the reason for persecution.
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  So, I'd like to bring back to mind of how Nathan broke down the different sections of the Beatitudes a few weeks ago.
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  He said that the first three are really just focused on a great awareness of our sin.
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  And the world's lack of righteousness and their need for it.
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  So, looking at verse 3.
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  It says,
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  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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  So, the poor in spirit being those who realize that they are dead.
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  They are stuck in their sins.
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  They can't do anything about it.
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  Can never get rid of them or become righteous on their own.
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  Verse 4.
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  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
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  So, those mourning over the wickedness of the world as they see its brokenness and its just lack of concern.
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  A deep sadness, really, for the state of everything around us.
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  Verse 5.
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  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
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  The meek being those who do not make much of themselves, but make much of God.
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  Those that acknowledge that everything is the Lord's and not theirs.
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  They'll have a great inheritance in the new earth.
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  So, those first three being about the reality of our need for righteousness and our inability to produce it on our own.
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  And then there's great blessings declared on them.
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  So, in the next one, we see that great need being met.
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  And then in verses, or the 5th, 6th, and 7th Beatitudes, we see outflows of that righteousness.
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  So, in verse 7.
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  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
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  So, we see that those that have been given Christ's righteousness, they'll begin in their new nature.
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  They have that whole person righteousness.
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  They are restored image bearers of God.
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  And they're going to begin to show the mercifulness of God.
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  He's shown so much to us.
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  And so, we're beginning to express that to others.
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  In verse 8, it says,
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  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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  So, again, those regenerated believers are now pure in heart.
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  They are not just seeking to do the right things.
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  But the Lord has given them a whole new nature.
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  That not only is able to do those right things, but longs to do those right things.
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  They're beginning to have that whole person righteousness.
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  They're not just doing the right things they want to.
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  And they're not, on the other end, just thinking the right things in their heart.
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  They're actually living them out.
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  They're living those out as that outflow of that new nature.
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  Verse 9, from last week.
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  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
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  So, yet another way that the new regenerated believers are becoming like our Lord.
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  He was the ultimate and perfect peacemaker.
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  And so, we're following him in making peace.
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  And so, all of those, be added to that section, were the outflows of us being granted that righteousness and that new nature from the Lord.
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  But we get to verses 10 and 12.
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  It's something new.
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  It's all about persecution.
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  Not something that is coming from us.
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  And not something that we're realizing our need in.
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  But instead, that people are persecuting us.
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  So, something coming from outside of us, not from inside at all.
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  Not a longing.
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  Not an outflow.
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  It's something that we can't really foster or would ever want to foster.
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  But, the Lord declares those that experience persecution for righteousness' sake, blessed or flourishing or happy.
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  So, what causes this persecution?
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  What is the reason for it?
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  Why do people hate Christians?
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  Well, it's an outflow of all these other beatitudes.
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  Let's think about those again for a minute.
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  Is the world poor in spirit?
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  Is the world mourning over their sin?
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  Are unbelievers meek and unselfish?
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  Absolutely not.
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  We can attest to that.
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  We have been there.
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  Before we were given our new nature without Christ, we boast in ourselves.
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  We don't care much about our sin at all.
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  We don't see it as that big of a deal.
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  If we do start to see the horrors of what sin is, we don't seek to do the correct things to fix it.
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  We try to cover our own sin up.
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  But, we are in fact incapable of longing for righteousness.
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  No one is righteous.
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  No one seeks for God.
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  We were dead in our sins.
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  We certainly, before the Lord opened our eyes, did not hunger and thirst after righteousness.
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  We didn't show mercy.
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  Even if we had seemed to have some sort of good outward action, some inward motive proved our hearts to be impure.
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  We didn't have whole person righteousness at all.
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  We certainly were not striving after peace with others or peace with God.
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  None of this.
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  All these things are brought after the Lord gives us our new nature and begins the work of these things, of sanctifying us.
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  Right?
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  So, all those are given to you not because of a great longing in us to do better, to be better, to come to God.
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  But all those come to us when the Lord knocks us down.
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  When he makes us see the reality of our sin.
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  And gives us that new nature when we trust in him as our only hope for salvation.
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  So, why am I going on this really big, long spill about all this?
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  Because this is exactly why unbelievers persecute believers.
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  It's exactly why.
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  Because we are so, so, so different from them.
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  There's something about a believer that condemns them.
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  That makes them see that their so-called righteousness is nothing.
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  It looks like filthy rags.
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  Right?
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  They start to see that a bit and they hate that.
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  They hate that.
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  And so, who do they take it out on?
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  They take it out on the people that made them realize that.
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  The believers that have a new nature.
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  They see that they're completely different.
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  So, there's our reason for persecution.
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  Let's think about it in a little bit different of a light.
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  What does being righteous really mean?
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  What does being persecuted for righteousness sake really mean?
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  What means being like Jesus?
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  There's a very simplified way to think about it.
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  That's the truth, right?
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  To see that a little bit more, turn moving to John 15.
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  John 15.
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  John 15.
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  We're going to read verses 18 through 20 here.
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  It's another confirmation from the Lord about this.
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  Verse 18 starts saying,
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  If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
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  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own.
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  But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
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  Remember the word that I said to you.
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  A servant is not greater than his master.
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  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.
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  If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
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  So we see here the Lord telling us, yeah, if you're different than the world, they're going to be able to tell.
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  And they're not going to like that.
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  They're not going to like that at all.
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  If you were of the world, then yeah, you'd be all right.
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  They'd like you okay.
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  But no, if you are different and different in the way of being like me, they're going to hate you because they'll be convicted.
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  They'll see that otherness.
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  They'll notice that they're not just differing in degree.
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  We're not just trying a little bit harder to be good people.
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  We're an entirely different kind of creature.
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  The Lord has given us that new nature.
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  Jesus even goes so far to say that we should be concerned if the world does not hate us.
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  Luke 6.26.
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  So just after Luke's account of the Beatitudes, he lists a long list of woe unto yous.
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  And one of them says just that.
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  It says, woe to you when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
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  Think about that.
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  Jesus, the vast majority of the time, was not well spoken of.
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  Sure, many people did follow him.
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  But so, so, so many did not.
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  But think about just how you picture a good Christian in your head.
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  I know that, like, when I think about that, for me, I tend to see someone that is always there for everyone in the community.
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  Someone well respected by all.
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  But I very rarely think of someone who is willing to take a stand for the truth and therefore people hate him.
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  He's kicked out of society, put in exile, told to stay away from everyone so that he can't pollute everyone with his thoughts.
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  I rarely think of that.
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  Or even the men that are, and women that are killed for taking a stand for the truth.
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  But our Lord Jesus says to be careful.
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  He says, woe unto us when society thinks well of us.
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  To be concerned when the world is right there with us.
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  When our lives don't bring some pushback, we should be alarmed.
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  Now, I want to clarify a bit right here.
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  I don't think it's generally the tendency in America or in our church culture to seek persecution or to root for it or to ag it on.
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  But in order just to be sure that we know what type of persecution Jesus is declaring this blessing on,
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  we should talk about the type it is, which I think we've hit some, and the type it is not.
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  He says that it is when we are persecuted for righteousness sake.
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  Or, in other words, persecuted for being like Jesus.
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  Right?
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  Living out these outflows, given that new nature.
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  Here are some things it does not say.
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  It does not say, blessed are they who are persecuted for being careless with their words.
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  It does not say, blessed are they who are persecuted for their political views, that they get confused with their faith.
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  It does not say that we are blessed when we are persecuted for a cause.
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  It says that we are blessed when we are persecuted for righteousness sake.
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  Now, think about those things as that it's not.
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  We certainly should not be careless with our words and should represent Christ both in grace and in truth when speaking into hard situations.
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  But these others that I mentioned, there's nothing wrong with them.
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  There's nothing wrong with having strong political views or having a really strong allegiance to some cause that you believe in.
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  And for sure, these certainly can and they should be informed by our faith.
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  But the blessing here is declared specifically when we are persecuted for righteousness sake.
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  Not slanders coming from someone who disagrees with your political views or your cause or that they think you said something that you shouldn't have.
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  We should not be going around trying to pick fights.
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  But we're simply trying to speak the truth and live the truth out in love.
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  When we come across a passage like this, I think it's important to remember the whole of Scripture on how we should live.
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  And there's so many exhortations in the New Testament that are about living quiet lives and to live as peaceably as we can with others.
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  Here's an example that comes to my mind.
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  Romans 12 verse 18 says,
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  If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.
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  So, we're not going around picking fights.
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  But we do teach, we warn, we encourage, we exhort everyone with the truth.
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  So, in summary of that first point,
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  when we are persecuted for righteousness sake,
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  it is an outflow of us demonstrating the characteristics of a true believer in our Lord.
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  It's the outflow of that new nature that He has given us.
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  And when we do demonstrate those, people are not going to like it.
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  So, that leads to the second point.
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  The reality of persecution.
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  The reality of persecution.
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  So, already with what we've seen with the flow of this beatitude,
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  Jesus saying,
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  Woe unto us when men speak highly of us.
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  And Jesus saying that because the world hated Him,
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  it's also going to hate us as we follow Him.
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  I think we can see a pretty good case already that persecution is or should just be a reality for us.
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  In some form or fashion for all Christians.
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  To make that argument a little bit stronger,
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  turn with me to 2 Timothy 3.
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  2 Timothy 3.
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  So, this is a verse that I think is probably the most commonly quoted on this topic.
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  It comes in the middle of just a passage of Paul.
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  He's encouraging Timothy about persecution and about the authority of Scripture.
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  And in 2 Timothy 3 verse 12, he says this.
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  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
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  Read that again.
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  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
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  It makes no excuses.
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  It makes no ifs.
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  It makes no exceptions.
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  It says all.
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  All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
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  Everyone.
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  Everyone who desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus.
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  Now, is that every believer?
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  Yes, that's absolutely every believer.
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  Because every believer has been given that new nature,
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  and that new nature's desire is to live a godly life.
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  So, that's absolutely every believer.
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  So, we can say, yeah, if we are followers of Christ,
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  if we love what He loves,
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  if we have been given the promised Spirit,
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  if we keep His commands and His commands are not grievous,
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  all of us, all of us who have put our full hope in Christ
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  will be persecuted.
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  Let that challenge us.
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  Let us examine our lives a bit in light of that.
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  Are we truly following Christ?
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  Are we actually living our lives in light of the truth of the gospel?
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  Are we blending in with the world?
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  Are men speaking highly of us?
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  Or are we being hated just as our Lord and Savior was hated?
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  Now, if someone was preaching this to me,
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  I would have three questions, I think, at least at this point.
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  So, a few different things that people might come up with.
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  First one is saying, I have never been persecuted.
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  What is wrong?
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  Am I an unfaithful Christian?
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  Maybe, maybe not.
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  Secondly, am I being disobedient?
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  Maybe, maybe not.
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  And third, are we really all going to experience persecution?
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  And we can confidently say absolutely yes on that one.
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  Now, join me back in Matthew 5.
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  So, flip back over there for a minute.
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  Let's notice the three different types of persecution that verses 10 to 12 mentions.
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  First off, we have physical persecution.
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  The word used in verses 10, 11, and 12 that is translated as persecuted,
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  its basic meaning is chasing, driving away, or pursuing.
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  So, over time, that word developed connotations of physical persecution, harassment,
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  abuse, or unjust treatment.
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  So, really, really intense persecution.
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  Secondly, in verse 12, we see reviling.
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  In other translations, the word revile is translated as insult or cast insult.
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  And it means exactly that, to cast a very strong insult at someone.
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  The third type we see is false accusation.
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  As people around us may utter, as it says,
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  all kinds of evil against you falsely.
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  Now, for those of us that are born and raised here,
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  maybe especially here in the South,
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  where almost everyone seems to be a cultural Christian,
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  may find that we have never been chased,
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  we've never been driven away,
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  or we've never been physically beaten for the faith.
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  I would wager to say that
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  very, very few of us in this room
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  have experienced this intense amount of persecution
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  that many of the early church did experience,
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  which is recorded for us,
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  and so many around the world
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  still experience today.
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  But that does not necessarily
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  mean that we have not experienced persecution.
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  Now, I want to be very, very, very careful here.
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  I'm not at all trying to put the pushback
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  or the slander or the false accusation
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  or the insults
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  that we may experience here on the same level
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  as our brothers and sisters being persecuted around the world.
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  But,
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  our faithfulness to our Lord,
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  our desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus,
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  our living out of that new nature,
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  is going to create some pushback.
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  It absolutely is going to create some pushback.
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  It's going to make some conflict
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  with those who are utterly unlike us.
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  We're new creatures.
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  We're different than the world.
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  It says,
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  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus
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  will be persecuted.
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  Now, this might look like
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  a lot of different things.
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  A family member telling you
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  that there are two things
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  that you were raised
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  not to talk about,
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  and those were politics and religion
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  as they're sitting frustrated
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  with you speaking truth at a holiday dinner.
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  It may look like a roommate
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  beginning to blame
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  everything that is wrong in the world on you
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  because they are beginning to be convicted
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  of their own sin
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  as they see your godly living.
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  It may look like a lost friendship
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  of a friend who
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  just doesn't want to
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  associate with you at all anymore
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  because you
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  spoke the gospel to them.
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  They were convicted of their sin,
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  and
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  you hated to see someone
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  that you're so close to
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  deny the Lord of
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  everything
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  and to suffer eternally.
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  It may be a grandparent
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  saying,
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  Your religion is great for you,
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  but
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  I don't want to talk to you about it,
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  and if that's what you're going to talk about,
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  I don't want to see you.
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  Could be being unwelcomed
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  at the lunch table at work
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  because you aren't willing to
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  tolerate the gossip
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  that usually happens.
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  Brothers and sisters,
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  these are all
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  so, so sad.
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  There are situations
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  that we would all regret.
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  There are situations
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  that show the depravity
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  of the natural human heart
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  before it's regenerated.
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  It does not want to hear truth,
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  and as it sees it
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  and sees its guilt,
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  it wants no part of it,
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  no part of it at all.
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  John MacArthur said
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  of this text
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  that Ty will preach
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  next week,
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  and I think it explains
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  why persecution
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  happens so well.
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  It just speaks to the reality
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  of that it's going to happen.
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  He said this,
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  when we become
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  Christ's salt
• 23:38
  and Christ's light,
• 23:40
  our salt
• 23:41
  will sting
• 23:42
  the world's
• 23:42
  open wounds
• 23:43
  of sin,
• 23:44
  and our light
• 23:46
  will irritate
• 23:47
  its eyes
• 23:47
  that are so used
• 23:48
  to darkness.
• 23:51
  Indeed,
• 23:52
  all who desire
• 23:54
  to live godly lives
• 23:55
  in Christ Jesus
• 23:56
  will be persecuted.
• 23:56
  But church,
• 24:00
  there is an outflow
• 24:01
  of this persecution,
• 24:03
  and that brings us
• 24:04
  to our third point.
• 24:07
  The result of persecution.
• 24:10
  The result of persecution.
• 24:12
  So back in Matthew 5 again,
• 24:14
  I want to read
• 24:14
  the whole thing again.
• 24:15
  So blessed are those
• 24:18
  who are persecuted
• 24:19
  for righteousness' sake,
• 24:20
  for theirs is the kingdom
• 24:21
  of heaven.
• 24:23
  Blessed are you
• 24:23
  when others revile you
• 24:25
  and persecute you
• 24:26
  and utter all kinds
• 24:27
  of evil against you
• 24:28
  falsely on my account.
• 24:30
  Rejoice and be glad,
• 24:31
  for your reward
• 24:32
  is great in heaven.
• 24:34
  For so they persecuted
• 24:36
  the prophets
• 24:36
  who were before you.
• 24:39
  So Jesus says
• 24:40
  that when we are persecuted
• 24:41
  for righteousness' sake,
• 24:43
  when others revile us
• 24:45
  and persecute us
• 24:45
  and utter all kinds
• 24:46
  of false accusations
• 24:47
  against us,
• 24:48
  then we are blessed.
• 24:50
  We are flourishing.
• 24:51
  We are happy.
• 24:53
  Now we just said
• 24:54
  that all of these things
• 24:56
  are awful
• 24:57
  and that we should
• 24:58
  never want persecution.
• 25:00
  Ever.
• 25:01
  We would never want
• 25:02
  to foster that.
• 25:02
  We would never
• 25:03
  want that for ourselves.
• 25:08
  And it's true
• 25:09
  that all of these things
• 25:13
  are really awful.
• 25:14
  even in our context.
• 25:16
  These false accusations,
• 25:18
  these insults,
• 25:19
  they're awful.
• 25:20
  They really are.
• 25:21
  And so much more so
• 25:22
  are brothers and sisters
• 25:23
  worldwide that are
• 25:24
  suffering physically
• 25:25
  for the faith.
• 25:26
  That's so awful.
• 25:27
  It really, really is.
• 25:30
  But the Lord says
• 25:31
  we are blessed.
• 25:33
  Now why is that?
• 25:34
  What reason does He give?
• 25:36
  Why are we blessed
• 25:37
  when all of these awful things
• 25:39
  happen to us?
• 25:39
  Look at verse 10.
• 25:42
  Verse 10 says,
• 25:44
  For theirs is the kingdom
• 25:45
  of heaven.
• 25:46
  And down in verse 12,
• 25:48
  it says,
• 25:49
  For your reward
• 25:50
  is great in heaven.
• 25:52
  Okay?
• 25:53
  So with those,
• 25:55
  that should tell us
• 25:56
  that we really are blessed
• 25:58
  because this life
• 25:59
  ultimately doesn't have
• 26:00
  that much weight.
• 26:01
  James 4.14 says,
• 26:04
  For what is your life?
• 26:06
  It is even a vapor
• 26:07
  that appears for a little time
• 26:09
  and then vanisheth away.
• 26:11
  Our life here is so,
• 26:13
  so fleeting.
• 26:15
  So, so fleeting.
• 26:16
  And so with that,
• 26:20
  the promise that we're given
• 26:22
  is His kingdom.
• 26:24
  That we will reign with Him.
• 26:26
  That our reward
• 26:26
  is great in heaven.
• 26:27
  An eternal thing.
• 26:28
  Not a fleeting vapor.
• 26:32
  And so we are blessed.
• 26:34
  And another thing
• 26:35
  to think about with this
• 26:36
  is if we are persecuted
• 26:37
  for righteousness sake,
• 26:39
  it should give us
• 26:39
  such great assurance.
• 26:42
  Such great assurance.
• 26:43
  Verse 12 says
• 26:45
  that they persecuted
• 26:45
  the prophets
• 26:46
  who were before us.
• 26:47
  Just like this.
• 26:49
  On multiple occasions
• 26:50
  throughout the book of Acts,
• 26:51
  you'll see as the apostles
• 26:52
  are like after a beating
• 26:54
  or they've been run out
• 26:55
  of a city.
• 26:56
  What were they doing?
• 26:57
  They were rejoicing
• 26:58
  that they were count
• 26:59
  worthy to suffer
• 27:00
  for the Lord.
• 27:02
  So if we were persecuted
• 27:04
  for righteousness sake,
• 27:05
  we are counted among
• 27:06
  that long list
• 27:08
  of God's people
• 27:08
  that have suffered
• 27:10
  for Him.
• 27:11
  Flip over to
• 27:12
  1 Peter 4.
• 27:15
  I'm going to read
• 27:28
  a few verses here.
• 27:29
  I'll jump around
• 27:30
  a little bit.
• 27:39
  Pick it up in verse 12
• 27:40
  to begin with.
• 27:41
  It says,
• 27:43
  Beloved,
• 27:43
  do not be surprised
• 27:44
  at the fiery trial
• 27:45
  when it comes upon you
• 27:47
  to test you
• 27:48
  as though something strange
• 27:49
  were happening to you.
• 27:50
  But rejoice
• 27:51
  insofar as you share
• 27:52
  Christ's sufferings,
• 27:53
  you may also rejoice
• 27:55
  and be glad
• 27:55
  when His glory is revealed.
• 27:58
  If you are insulted
• 27:59
  for the name of Christ,
• 28:00
  you are blessed
• 28:01
  because the Spirit of glory
• 28:02
  and of God
• 28:03
  rests upon you.
• 28:05
  Jumping to 16.
• 28:07
  Yet if anyone suffers
• 28:08
  as a Christian,
• 28:09
  let him not be ashamed,
• 28:10
  but let him glorify God
• 28:11
  in that name.
• 28:12
  Jumping to 19.
• 28:14
  Therefore,
• 28:14
  let those who suffer
• 28:15
  according to God's will
• 28:17
  entrust their souls
• 28:18
  to a faithful Creator
• 28:19
  while doing good.
• 28:21
  So we can see here
• 28:23
  very clearly
• 28:23
  that if we share
• 28:24
  in Christ's sufferings,
• 28:26
  then we can be confident
• 28:27
  that the Spirit of God
• 28:28
  rests upon us.
• 28:30
  Therefore,
• 28:30
  let us glorify God
• 28:31
  that we are part
• 28:32
  of His kingdom,
• 28:33
  part of His family.
• 28:35
  What sweet assurance
• 28:36
  to be part of that group,
• 28:37
  to know we have
• 28:38
  the promised Spirit,
• 28:39
  and to be part of those
• 28:40
  that have suffered
• 28:41
  for the Lord.
• 28:43
  What blessings
• 28:43
  to be co-heirs
• 28:44
  with Christ
• 28:46
  and to be part
• 28:47
  of His kingdom.
• 28:49
  What rejoicing
• 28:50
  to be part of God's people
• 28:52
  and for all eternity,
• 28:54
  not just a short vapor
• 28:55
  to rejoice with Him.
• 28:58
  So that leads to our next
• 28:59
  and our final point.
• 29:00
  That is the response
• 29:02
  to persecution.
• 29:04
  The response
• 29:05
  to persecution.
• 29:06
  I know I'm having you
• 29:09
  flip back and forth
• 29:10
  from Matthew so much.
• 29:11
  Turn back to Matthew 5.
• 29:12
  Sorry.
• 29:20
  So look down
• 29:21
  at verse 12 here.
• 29:22
  It gives us
• 29:23
  the command
• 29:24
  to rejoice
• 29:25
  and to be glad
• 29:26
  or in KJV
• 29:27
  to rejoice
• 29:28
  and be exceeding glad
• 29:30
  for our reward
• 29:31
  is great in heaven.
• 29:32
  For believers,
• 29:34
  these are not
• 29:35
  the greatest days
• 29:37
  of our lives.
• 29:38
  This is not
• 29:39
  all we have.
• 29:41
  This is short.
• 29:42
  This is fleeting.
• 29:43
  It is but a vapor.
• 29:45
  And so this persecution,
• 29:46
  this pushback,
• 29:47
  this tension,
• 29:48
  these lies,
• 29:49
  this wickedness
• 29:50
  of this world,
• 29:50
  these insults,
• 29:51
  it's fleeting.
• 29:52
  It's passing away.
• 29:54
  2 Corinthians 4,
• 29:55
  17 and 18
• 29:56
  says,
• 29:56
  For this light
• 29:57
  momentary affliction
• 29:58
  is preparing for us
• 30:00
  an eternal weight
• 30:01
  of glory
• 30:02
  beyond all comparison
• 30:03
  as we look
• 30:04
  not to the things
• 30:05
  that are seen
• 30:06
  but to the things
• 30:06
  that are unseen.
• 30:08
  For the things
• 30:09
  that are seen
• 30:09
  are transient
• 30:10
  but the things
• 30:10
  that are unseen
• 30:11
  are eternal.
• 30:14
  This life
• 30:15
  can't even be compared
• 30:16
  at all
• 30:17
  with the next.
• 30:19
  And so this is not
• 30:20
  what we should be
• 30:20
  focusing on
• 30:21
  so much of the time
• 30:22
  but instead
• 30:23
  focus on that
• 30:23
  eternal weight
• 30:24
  of glory.
• 30:25
  Focus on the
• 30:26
  kingdom of heaven.
• 30:27
  Focus on the
• 30:28
  treasures that the
• 30:28
  Lord has stored
• 30:29
  up for us there.
• 30:30
  And the greatest
• 30:31
  treasure is one
• 30:32
  that we even have
• 30:32
  now.
• 30:33
  Knowing our Lord.
• 30:35
  Knowing our Savior
• 30:35
  who gave everything
• 30:37
  for us.
• 30:39
  Focusing on those
• 30:40
  not whatever
• 30:43
  may come at us
• 30:44
  in this world.
• 30:45
  Now so many
• 30:46
  will try to make
• 30:48
  a counter argument
• 30:48
  here that says
• 30:50
  that anything
• 30:51
  that is fueled
• 30:53
  by a motive
• 30:53
  of reward
• 30:55
  can't be proper.
• 30:56
  Can't be a good
• 30:57
  motivation.
• 30:59
  That a person
• 30:59
  that's having
• 31:01
  that can't have
• 31:02
  a true love
• 31:04
  for Christ.
• 31:06
  But they're simply
• 31:07
  just seeking
• 31:08
  a reward.
• 31:10
  Now this
• 31:10
  seems great
• 31:11
  to do everything
• 31:12
  out of love
• 31:13
  for where you're
• 31:14
  at now
• 31:15
  and to enjoy
• 31:15
  this life
• 31:16
  for where it's
• 31:17
  at.
• 31:18
  But that's simply
• 31:19
  not scriptural.
• 31:21
  And any argument
• 31:22
  that contradicts
• 31:22
  scripture is not
• 31:23
  great no matter
• 31:24
  how great it
• 31:25
  sounds.
• 31:26
  Here we are
• 31:27
  told to rejoice
• 31:28
  for our reward
• 31:29
  is great in heaven.
• 31:30
  That is the reason
• 31:31
  it says that we
• 31:31
  are blessed,
• 31:32
  we are flourishing,
• 31:33
  and we are happy
• 31:34
  that our reward
• 31:35
  is great in heaven.
• 31:36
  In Hebrews,
• 31:37
  I think it was
• 31:38
  quoted this morning
• 31:38
  in the Lord's
• 31:39
  Supper service,
• 31:40
  it says that our
• 31:41
  Lord endured the
• 31:42
  cross for the joy
• 31:43
  set before him.
• 31:44
  He was looking
• 31:45
  to an eternal
• 31:46
  reward.
• 31:46
  All throughout
• 31:48
  scripture,
• 31:48
  we are told so
• 31:49
  much about eternity
• 31:50
  and our life
• 31:51
  to come,
• 31:51
  and that is what
• 31:52
  we are to long
• 31:53
  for.
• 31:54
  To use a bit
• 31:55
  of MacArthur
• 31:55
  language that I
• 31:56
  heard in a sermon
• 31:57
  of his a long
• 31:57
  time ago,
• 31:58
  to get through
• 31:59
  the nasty
• 31:59
  now and now,
• 32:00
  we have to set
• 32:01
  our minds
• 32:01
  on the sweet
• 32:02
  by and by.
• 32:03
  Right?
• 32:03
  We're longing
• 32:04
  for a future,
• 32:05
  future grace.
• 32:08
  As believers,
• 32:09
  we should not
• 32:10
  consent ourselves
• 32:11
  to dwell in
• 32:11
  the temporal,
• 32:12
  the fleeting,
• 32:13
  the here and now,
• 32:14
  the imperfect,
• 32:15
  but to dwell in
• 32:16
  the eternal,
• 32:17
  the everlasting,
• 32:18
  and the perfect.
• 32:20
  And that's what
• 32:21
  gets us through
• 32:21
  this suffering,
• 32:22
  this persecution,
• 32:23
  this pushback,
• 32:25
  and that's the
• 32:25
  command we're
• 32:26
  given here.
• 32:27
  Rejoice and be
• 32:28
  glad,
• 32:28
  for your reward
• 32:29
  is great in
• 32:30
  heaven.
• 32:31
  Grab your
• 32:32
  bulletin.
• 32:35
  John Calvin
• 32:36
  said,
• 32:37
  that's the quote
• 32:38
  on your bulletin,
• 32:39
  surely the gospel
• 32:40
  does not confine
• 32:42
  men's hearts to
• 32:43
  delight in the
• 32:43
  present life,
• 32:44
  death,
• 32:44
  but lifts them
• 32:45
  to the hope
• 32:46
  of immortality.
• 32:48
  It does not
• 32:49
  fasten them
• 32:49
  to earthly
• 32:50
  pleasures,
• 32:51
  but by announcing
• 32:52
  a hope that
• 32:52
  rests in heaven,
• 32:53
  it, so to speak,
• 32:54
  transports them
• 32:55
  thither.
• 32:58
  We have so
• 32:59
  little here.
• 33:01
  Our brothers and
• 33:02
  sisters around the
• 33:03
  world suffering the
• 33:04
  physical persecution
• 33:05
  have so little
• 33:05
  here.
• 33:07
  Whatever insults,
• 33:08
  pushback,
• 33:09
  or false
• 33:09
  accusations we may
• 33:10
  suffer,
• 33:11
  and so much
• 33:12
  more so,
• 33:12
  whatever beatings
• 33:13
  or tortures
• 33:14
  or even murders
• 33:15
  that our fellow
• 33:17
  brothers and
• 33:17
  sisters suffer,
• 33:19
  these are so
• 33:19
  awful,
• 33:20
  but we have
• 33:21
  such a great
• 33:22
  hope in heaven.
• 33:24
  We have so
• 33:25
  much to look
• 33:25
  forward to.
• 33:27
  I think so
• 33:28
  many of our
• 33:29
  hymns just
• 33:30
  capture that
• 33:31
  so, so, so
• 33:32
  well.
• 33:33
  I'm going to
• 33:34
  take a couple
• 33:34
  more minutes
• 33:35
  here and
• 33:36
  really help us
• 33:38
  start living out
• 33:38
  some of that
• 33:39
  rejoicing command,
• 33:41
  rejoicing in
• 33:42
  our future
• 33:43
  hope.
• 33:44
  I just want to
• 33:45
  read, I'll read
• 33:46
  four hymns here
• 33:47
  and then we'll
• 33:48
  close.
• 33:49
  So the first
• 33:49
  two I'm going to
• 33:50
  share are our
• 33:51
  longing songs,
• 33:52
  songs that are
• 33:53
  excited about that
• 33:55
  future reality but
• 33:55
  aren't there yet.
• 33:58
  So the first one,
• 34:00
  there's going to
• 34:01
  be a great
• 34:01
  rejoicing.
• 34:03
  There's going to
• 34:04
  be a great
• 34:05
  rejoicing.
• 34:07
  The troubles of
• 34:07
  this world will
• 34:09
  wither up and
• 34:10
  die.
• 34:11
  That river of
• 34:12
  tears made by
• 34:13
  the lonely someday
• 34:15
  will be dry.
• 34:16
  There's going to
• 34:17
  be a great
• 34:18
  rejoicing.
• 34:19
  There is going
• 34:20
  to be a great
• 34:21
  joy river.
• 34:23
  There is going
• 34:24
  to be a great
• 34:24
  joy river.
• 34:26
  Questions of
• 34:27
  this world someday
• 34:28
  will be known.
• 34:30
  Who's robbing you
• 34:30
  of peace and who
• 34:32
  is the giver?
• 34:33
  There's going to
• 34:34
  be a great
• 34:35
  joy river.
• 34:35
  Some day you
• 34:37
  will find me
• 34:38
  guarded in his
• 34:39
  fortress, open
• 34:41
  heart and wings
• 34:41
  that never touch
• 34:42
  the ground.
• 34:43
  Some day we
• 34:44
  will gather in a
• 34:45
  grand reunion.
• 34:47
  The depths of
• 34:47
  this old world are
• 34:48
  nowhere to be
• 34:49
  found.
• 34:50
  There's going to
• 34:51
  be a great
• 34:52
  rejoicing.
• 34:53
  This next one,
• 34:55
  kingdom of heaven
• 34:56
  that Alex and
• 34:57
  Christopher led.
• 34:59
  Where death
• 35:00
  shall be no
• 35:01
  more.
• 35:01
  no mourning,
• 35:04
  no crying,
• 35:04
  no pain.
• 35:06
  Every tear he'll
• 35:07
  wipe away in the
• 35:09
  kingdom of heaven.
• 35:11
  Where nothing is
• 35:12
  accursed, a city
• 35:14
  with a crystal
• 35:14
  river, the throne
• 35:16
  of God and of the
• 35:18
  land in the kingdom
• 35:19
  of heaven.
• 35:20
  Set your mind,
• 35:22
  your mind,
• 35:22
  your mind on
• 35:23
  things above.
• 35:25
  Set your eyes,
• 35:26
  your eyes,
• 35:27
  your eyes on the
• 35:27
  risen sun.
• 35:29
  Where there shall
• 35:30
  be no night,
• 35:31
  nor need for
• 35:32
  sun to shine.
• 35:33
  The Lord himself
• 35:34
  will be our
• 35:35
  light in the
• 35:36
  kingdom of heaven.
• 35:38
  Set your mind,
• 35:39
  your mind,
• 35:40
  your mind on
• 35:40
  things above.
• 35:41
  Set your eyes,
• 35:42
  your eyes,
• 35:43
  your eyes on
• 35:43
  the risen sun.
• 35:46
  Behold,
• 35:46
  the home of
• 35:47
  God is with
• 35:48
  man.
• 35:50
  Set your mind,
• 35:51
  your mind,
• 35:52
  your mind on
• 35:52
  things above.
• 35:54
  Set your eyes,
• 35:54
  your eyes,
• 35:55
  your eyes on
• 35:55
  the risen sun.
• 35:57
  Oh, let the
• 35:57
  thirsty come.
• 35:58
  Oh, let the
• 36:00
  one who wants
• 36:01
  drink freely of
• 36:02
  the water of
• 36:03
  the kingdom of
• 36:04
  heaven.
• 36:06
  So these next
• 36:07
  two are more
• 36:09
  in the perspective
• 36:10
  of looking at
• 36:11
  scenes in
• 36:12
  eternity.
• 36:14
  So this is the
• 36:14
  last verse of
• 36:15
  How Deep the
• 36:16
  Father's Love.
• 36:18
  Behold the
• 36:19
  king upon the
• 36:20
  throne, the
• 36:21
  sons all brought
• 36:22
  to glory.
• 36:23
  Cry hallelujah
• 36:24
  to the lamb
• 36:25
  and sing
• 36:26
  redemption story.
• 36:27
  And all
• 36:28
  creation joins
• 36:29
  as one.
• 36:30
  The wretch is
• 36:30
  now God's
• 36:31
  treasure.
• 36:32
  By grace
• 36:33
  alone, through
• 36:34
  faith alone, in
• 36:36
  Christ alone,
• 36:37
  forever.
• 36:39
  Last one.
• 36:40
  This is the
• 36:40
  last part of
• 36:41
  All Glory Be
• 36:42
  to Christ.
• 36:43
  When on the
• 36:44
  day the
• 36:45
  great I am,
• 36:46
  the faithful
• 36:47
  and the
• 36:47
  true, the
• 36:49
  lamb who
• 36:50
  was for
• 36:50
  sinners slain
• 36:51
  is making
• 36:52
  all things
• 36:53
  new.
• 36:54
  Behold, our
• 36:55
  God shall
• 36:55
  live with us
• 36:56
  and be our
• 36:57
  steadfast light
• 36:58
  and we
• 36:59
  shall air
• 36:59
  his people
• 37:00
  be.
• 37:01
  All Glory
• 37:01
  Be to
• 37:02
  Christ.
• 37:03
  All Glory
• 37:03
  Be to
• 37:04
  Christ our
• 37:04
  King.
• 37:05
  All Glory
• 37:06
  Be to
• 37:06
  Christ.
• 37:07
  His rule
• 37:07
  and his reign
• 37:08
  we will
• 37:09
  ever sing.
• 37:10
  All Glory
• 37:10
  Be to
• 37:11
  Christ.
• 37:11
  Let's
• 37:12
  pray.