February 10 2010: Mid-Week Bible Study

The Living Rock Church of Iloilo City
MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY
February 10, 2010

Text: Matthew 5:11,12

Series Title
THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST

Bible Study Lesson
COMMANDMENT #3 – REJOICE

by Pastor Norman S. Lao

Introduction
The first command to “repent” (Matt. 4:17) tells us how to restore fellowship with God and become qualified to enter his kingdom. The second command to “follow me” (Matt 4:29) calls for a total change in goals and priorities so that we can become “fishers of men.”

Matthew 5:11,12: "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

The third command of Jesus is REJOICE.

1. What does it Mean?

What does REJOICE mean?

The Greek word for “rejoice” is chairo (χαίρω) and it means “to feel very happy or show great happiness about something.”

In this case, we are commanded to be happy (or extremely happy) when (1) we are insulted, (2) persecuted, and (3) falsely accused because of Jesus or of our relationship to Him.

• The word BLESSED means “favored, therefore, happy.” Some Bible versions translate this word as “Happy are you.”
• Insult – offensive words or actions. Insults are designed to hurt one’s feelings.
• Persecute – unfair treatment (for example, you are treated unfairly in the office because you are a ‘born again’ Christian)
• False accusations – people say things about you that are simply untrue. They make up stories about you because they either are convicted by your pure life or they are envious.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely accuse you because of me. Rejoice and be glad...”

This is one of the many paradoxes of Jesus.

A paradox is a statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true.

Here are Jesus’ other paradoxes:

• Matthew 10:39 “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

• Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”

• Matthew 20:26-27 “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave-“

Persecution is a NORMAL part of your Christial Life according to 2 Timothy 3:12: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...”

Some points:
• Not all persecution is because of Christ (some is because of our own failure as Christians).
• Not all persecution comes from outsiders (people outside the church) – some persecution will come from inside the church! There are people inside the church who are comfortable with the STATUS QUO and will do everything to preserve their comfort zone. When someone in the church who has a stirring of the Holy Spirit in his/her heart tries to change the status quo, he/she will be persecuted.

2. What is the Purpose?

What is the point?

Here’s the basic idea. Ordinary things can be done by ordinary people. Only those who are Supernaturally (Divinely) Empowered can do supernatural things.

• Ordinary people take revenge. Supernatural people forgive.
• Ordinary people love those who love them. Supernatural people love those who hate them.
• Ordinary people rejoice when things go well. Supernatural people rejoice in difficulties.

Obeying Christ will SET US APART from the rest of the world and Christ will be glorified in us. When we fail to follow Christ, we become just like everybody else and nobody notices us or the Christ in us. We become ordinary.

This is part of our SALT and LIGHT responsibilities (Matthew 5:13-16). We are to SHINE and INFLUENCE our world for Christ. We can only do this when we are DIFFERENT.

Secondly, Rejoicing will cancel two hindering obstacles to our following after Christ: fear and discouragement. (More of this in Point 4 below.)

3. Is this Possible?

There are times when we have a sneaking (hidden) suspicion that what is written in the Bible is fundamentally IMPOSSIBLE for us to obey. This becomes evident with comments like, “Si Jesus man to iya” or “Si Paul man to iya” or “Sa Bible man na iya.”

The underlying logic of this reasoning is that PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE ARE DIFFERENT FROM PEOPLE OF TODAY. And what we mean by this is that the Saints in the Bible are better than the Saints outside of the Bible, which is fundamentally UNTRUE! Man may differ with regards to technology, intelligence, socio-economic structures, and other external elements (such as clothes, skin color, looks, etc.) from one generation to another, but man remains basically the same -- A SINNER WHO NEEDS A SAVIOR. All sinners are EQUALLY LOST and all saved persons are EQUALLY SAVED. This is how James puts it:

“Elijah was a man just like us.” James 5:17

Here are the things that were available to the Saints in the Bible (them) and are also available to the Saints outside of the Bible (us):
1. God (Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit) John 14:17
2. God’s Grace (Saving Grace, Enabling Grace, Sustaining Grace) Ephesians 2:8,9; 2 Corinthians 12:9
3. God’s Word (Logos and Rhema) 2 Timothy 3:14-17
4. God’s Presence Hebrews 13:5
5. God’s Power Acts 2:39
6. God’s unchanging nature Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17

If the commands of Christ can only be obeyed by Christians IN the Bible, then it would be illogical to continue studying Scripture. For what is the use of trying to obey something that you cannot obey?

The question is can this be done? Can we really rejoice when we are persecuted? Have there been some who have followed this LITERALLY?

• Acts 5:41 “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”

• Acts 16:25 Paul and Silas singing at midnight in jail after they were beaten with rods.

• Acts 7:59-60 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

4. How do We Apply this?

Here are some things to consider to help us rejoice when we are persecuted for the sake of Christ and His Gospel.

A. Jesus was persecuted (John 15:20). To be persecuted is to be identified with Jesus. (Galatians 6:17; Romans 8:17)

B. We are in a world where we do not belong. (John 15:18,19)

C. Jesus promised Great Reward for those who undergo persecution because of Him. (Matthew 5:11,12)

D. Although they can kill your body, they cannot kill your soul. (Matthew 10:28)

E. It is a privilege to be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12; Acts 5:41)

F. God will be doing something Good through our persecutions (Romans 8:28). Paul’s and Silas’ rejoicing in their own persecutions brought about the salvation of a Philippian Jail Guard and his whole family. (Acts 16) There are Bible scholars that point to Stephen’s Martyrdom (in Acts 8) as the catalyst to Paul’s own salvation.

“Many men owe the grandeur of their lives to their tremendous difficulties.” C. H. Spurgeon

G. Knowing how to react during times of persecution will bring glory and honor to God. In the Old Testament, the classic example of this is Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Becuase they did not abandon their God, pagans honored their God. (Daniel 3) It is when we compromise that we diminish God’s glory and honor in the eyes of unbelievers.

H. Others have done it, so could we.

Conclusion
We do not rejoice because of the persecution, but we rejoice at WHAT the persecution will accomplish in us and through us.

What we should do is FIND reasons to rejoice.

We can rejoice in our persecution ONLY when our eyes are fixed on Jesus.


DO YOU REJOICE WHEN YOU ARE PERSECUTED?