Blessed are the Spiritually Persecuted

We are missing out on some things God wants to do for us because we don't want to associate too closely with him. But Dr. Tony Evans says identifying with Jesus Christ and living according to his principles produces extraordinary benefits. When you decide to operate by that value system, heaven becomes yours while you're on earth because your reward shall be great. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr.

Tony Evans. Most people have a desire to be liked. But today, Dr. Evans points out that popularity comes with a price, and it's cheaper than you might think. Let's turn to Matthew chapter 5 as he begins.

The word persecution means the Greek word means to be harassed. Anybody ever been harassed? It meant to be treated in an evil way. Negative manner. He pronounces a blessing to people.

Yeah. Persecuted. But his blessing is not merely tied to the fact that you are persecuted. But why were you persecuted? He says, this blessing goes to those who are persecuted.

For the sake of righteousness. He says it another way at the end of verse three. You're persecuted. because of me.

So he's not talking about Persecution, cause you wrong. Persecution is your fault. He's talking about persecution because you chose to do the right thing. Righteousness. Persecution tied to the fact.

that you are living out the values of the kingdom of God. And you are associated with Jesus Christ. in living out those values. And therefore, negative repercussions have come upon you. Because you have chosen to adhere to that value system called righteousness.

As opposed to evil, and you have chosen to not disassociate yourself. with Jesus Christ. Because of me. When you and I decide. To be clearly Christian.

Visibly Christian. Not because we're spewing Bible verses. or sounding holier than thou. But because the value systems of the kingdom of God. Are our value systems and how we function?

You don't have to try to be a problem. You're gonna be a problem. We live in an age when the Christian value system is no longer the normative value system. And the further a culture moves. From a Christian worldview, The more those who still hold to that worldview will look peculiar.

In fact, the Bible calls us a peculiar people. It doesn't mean we're going out trying to be weird. It simply means you are out of step because you're marching to a different drum beat. You're listening to a different voice. You're adhering.

to a different standard. called righteousness Jesus' standard.

So, the issue is your identification with Christ. And when you adopt a kingdom value system, it's not just saying I'm a Christian. No, it's adopting Christ and his value system. Righteousness. Then what you are now saying is.

That governs my decisions, that value system. And that value system, I can guarantee you, is going to come in conflict. With the value system of this world order. You see it at work. you see it in family relationships where there's a clash of value systems What one group thinks is okay, another group doesn't think is okay, that's a clash, not of opinions.

Because if it's God's standards, it's a clash of value systems. He says, when you adopt righteousness, the values of the kingdom, and you adopt association with me. It is going to create Issues. When you make a decision that's from a kingdom value system. In the midst of a group who does not buy that value system.

Then you are inviting, you're not going out intentionally inviting it, but you are inevitably inviting what the Bible calls in these verses. Persecution. Rejection. Insults. and folk lying on you to make it worse for you.

Okay, you will inherit that. by association with Jesus Christ.

So what we do because we don't want that. We don't want to be rejected. We don't want to be persecuted. We don't want to be insulted. It's natural not to want that.

But in order not to get it. What we do is adjust our value system. We tweak it a little bit. We don't totally accept the other value system. We just adjust ours a little bit to make it more palatable.

To the broader society. It was like when my son Jonathan, when we first built. The Family Life Center. And we built that, and of course, it has a gym in it. He came to me and he said, Dad, dad, come to the gym.

I want to show you something. I want to show you something. I said, okay.

So I come to the gym. I said, why are you calling me over here? He's 11 years old. He's not in. you know, barely five feet tall.

He says, I want you to see me dunk. I said, what? I want you to see me dunk.

So Jonathan comes up and he bounces the ball and bounces the ball. He covers the ball under his hand. He takes off to the basket. And I saw my 11-year-old son, not even barely five feet, go up and dunk a basketball. I was It was amazing.

He ducked the basketball. Let me explain how he did it. Before we went over there. He had gotten the maintenance man to lower the gold. He lowered the goal.

So instead of it being standard 10 feet. It was now. Five feet, the standard had been lowered.

So he went and he dumped. The basketball, and he was excited that he dunked. at a lower standard.

Okay?

So I am the guy to raise the standard. back to where the standard should be. All of a sudden, his dunkability. Ran into problems because he couldn't reach the standard. And I explain, you know.

The goal should not be. to lower the standard So that you can now dunk the ball and make it look like you did something. The goal is to raise the standard and then rise to the standard, because now you really have done something. What we do is we lower the standard. meet the standard we lowered it to.

And think we've done something. When even the world can dump at that standard. What God is after is maintaining the standard, us rising from wherever we are to the standard, reaching the standard to serve notice on those who are below the standard that God has not. Changed his standard. That is God's way of having his people manifest.

Himself in the world. And when you do that. It will call attention to the fact. that you are marching to a different drumbeat. Because it will reveal What is the standard, and it will reveal those who are not operating by it.

In the Amazon, a number of years ago. A missionary went over before the People in this tribe had seen a mirror. They had never seen a mirror.

So the only way they could see themselves was in the water, the reflection of the water.

So that wasn't a good view of themselves.

So these missionaries came over and they had mirrors.

So this one missionary knocked a mirror on, put it on a tree, and the mirror was hanging from the tree so that the tribe could now see themselves. The first person to went to look at the mirror was a a female from the tribe. She was the first one to see herself. When she walked up and saw herself for the very first time. She took the mirror off the tree and smashed it.

Because she didn't like. What the mirror revealed.

So she destroyed the mirror. In other words, She was unwilling to accept the truth. about what things really look like.

So what she chose to do is stay away from that which revealed. how things really are. She got mad. At the truth. See, when you are the light.

And you are carrying the values of the kingdom. In the sphere that God has put you. And folk get to see themselves in light. of that reflection is going to produce people who mad at the mirror. Not because the mirror has done something wrong.

All the mirror did was reveal things as they really are. But what that does is cause a negative reaction. And Jesus says that will happen. All those who live godly operate by a divine value system, a divine frame of reference will create a reaction. That's why Paul says to the Thessalonians in First Thessalonians three, three and four.

He says, I kept telling you, because these people ran into suffering. He said, I kept telling you, I don't know why y'all surprised. I kept telling you that if you represent Christ, you're going to have a problem. And if you're not having a problem ever, you're not representing Christ.

Okay, I'll tell you that now. If you're not ever having insult rejection, lies told on you, losses that accrue to the fact of your value system and your identification with Jesus Christ, it is because Christ has been dimmed. In your witness. We have not manifested. Who he Is Of course some of us are trying to have it both ways.

And Dr. Evans will talk about the results of that attitude when he continues our message in just a moment. But first, I want to let you know about a special offer that can help you go deeper in your study of the Beatitudes. Right now, when you support the Ministry of the Alternative, we'll send you Tony's complete ten-part audio series, How to Be Truly Blessed. This powerful collection walks you through each of the Beatitudes, showing how living in alignment with Christ brings real lasting joy.

And for a limited time, you'll also receive Dr. Evans' book, Praying Through the Names of Jesus. In it, you'll discover the meaning behind the many ways the Lord is described in Scripture, learning how to bring those names into your prayer life and experience greater confidence and assurance as you draw near to Him. Take advantage of this special double offer by visiting Tony Evans.org or by calling 1-800-800-3222. where our resource team is ready to assist you day and night.

Again, that's tonyevans.org. or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.

Well, let's return now to hear more from Dr. Evans. You say, well, well, wait a minute. If it's negatives associated with my value system because I keep the standard high. How is that a blessing?

He calls it a blessing. In fact, he not only calls it a blessing, look what he does in verse. 12. Rejoice and be glad. Get your praise on.

He says, when they talking about you, get your praise on. He says when they line on you Be happy about it. He says when they're making fun of you. Be glad. He says, when they just messing over you, you didn't get the promotion, you didn't get the raise because you were unwilling to compromise your value system.

He says, smile about it. But I cannot smile when I got all these negative things going on. He gives you two reasons. He says the first thing that you ought to smile about at the end of verse 10. 10 is that theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Now, what does that mean? We saw that in the first Beatitude in verse 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What that means is. The people Who, because of the value system and identification with Christ, who have negative repercussions to come upon them, will get to see.

Heaven overrule earth. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Instead of being the kingdom of earth, where mineral You'll get to see the kingdom of heaven where God rules. A kingdom has a king. God is the king of heaven. You live on earth. You see?

When folk lie on you, insult you, make fun of you, keep you from getting ahead. That's the kingdom of men ruling. That's people having their way with you. that society seeking to demonstrate We can control your future, your destiny, your progress, and your productivity because we're in charge. We're the managers, we're the supervisors.

And if you hold on to that value system, you're not going to get anywhere. That is what the kingdom of men say. But he says, to those who are persecuted because of the value system and their identification with me, they get to see another kingdom operate. They get to see the kingdom of heaven, that is, they get to see. Heaven overrule earth.

You get to see the supernatural invade the natural. You get to see heaven invade history. You get to see eternity invade earth. You get to see what God looks like when he shows out on your behalf. That's good news.

That's why in the book of Acts, when they got persecuted, they said they rejoiced. that they were worthy to be considered. To suffer for their identification with Jesus Christ. Be glad because that means heaven just got on your side. You know why many of us are so miserable?

Because just earth is on our side. And there has been no heavenly investment. Eternity doesn't feel obligated to enter history.

So he says, first of all, Yours is the kingdom of heaven. Then he says, secondly of all, Rejoice and be glad, verse 12: For your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets. who were before you.

Now he brings up eternal rewards. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

That's earth. when heaven overruled earth. But now he says, you not only get a reward in heaven, you get a great reward. In other words, God is going to make a big deal. about people who are not ashamed.

to be identified With him. When you decide to operate by that value system, Heaven becomes yours. while you're on earth. and then more of heaven becomes yours because your reward shall be great. Because you are willing to associate.

You are not ashamed.

So If you're going on and on and on and on and on and on. And then have any insults, rejection? Because your value system isn't any different than anybody else's. That what Jesus said Would be true is true. He says, if you're ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you.

I wouldn't want to associate with you either. We are missing out on some things God wants to do for us because we don't want to associate. too closely with him. I love the story. of the three Hebrew boys, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego.

they're working for the government of Babylon headed by the king Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar comes out with a law. In Daniel chapter 3, and Nebuchadnezzar's law says, We're going to build a God and everybody must bow. Everybody. When you hear the bugle blow and the trumpets sound, everybody goes down and recognizes this God.

Me. The three Hebrew boys said, Okay. We'll work for you. We'll do a good job for you. We'll do overtime.

But what we won't do is bow. We can't do that because our allegiance is to the true God.

So we will do all this stuff for you. But don't ask us to bow because we can't do that. Nebuchadnezzar said, no, you don't seem to understand. When I say bow. You bow.

I hired you. And I can fire you, and I do mean fire. If you don't bow, you're going to lose everything. You're going to lose everything. Because I run this show.

This is my show. And I said you bow. Three Hebrew boys said King, with all due respect. Because they said, okay, all due respect. We don't bow.

We'll do whatever else you want. But our value system. won't allow us to bow. Nebuchadnezzar says, Okay, let me explain something. If you don't bow, you're going to burn.

And what God is there who will deliver you out of my hands? Who do you know that can overrule me? Because you in trouble now. Uh King? Since you asked the question.

Which God Can deliver us out of your hand. Our God Whom we serve. Is able to deliver us. Out of your hand.

Now, I like what they said. Our God, who we serve, not our God who we're going to start serving right now because we're in trouble. This wasn't our God who we're going to go and talk prayer about at Wednesday night prayer meeting because you just came down with this pink slip. No, the God who we've been serving all the time who got us a job in the first place. That God is more than able.

to handle This problematic, persecuting situation that you just put us in. In fact, You got this fire. That's ready to burn us. But we figure. Any God who can open up the Red Sea can get some water to douse this fire.

I got. Whom we serve is more than able to deliver us. But even if he does not, Even if it says, yeah, I want your salary to go down. I want you to lose your jobs. I want them not to include you.

I want them to reject you, even if it doesn't work out. Be it known unto you, O king, this day, we will not. Bow to the God that you have erected because that messes with our value system. The Bible says Nebuchadnezzar got hot. And he told his men to turn up the heat in the fiery furnace.

It says they turned up the heat so much. that the men who threw them in the fiery furnace burned to death throwing them in because the fire had been heated so hot. It says they tied up their hands, they tied up their feet. and threw them into the fire. Bound.

Nebuchadnezzar came to the glass.

so that he can look down to watch these three Hebrew boys burn because they would not bow. Because they would not change their value system. He came to see what the power of man could do in teaching these rebellious boys that when this company tells you what to do, you better do it because we control your destiny. But the Bible says When Nebuchadnezzar looked down into the fire. He said, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Didn't we put in three people in this file?

Well, yeah, King, we put in three people.

Well, how come I'm looking at four right now down in this fire? I see me check. I see shed breads. I see a bendigo. But there's this fourth dude in the fire.

Acting like he's the son of God. Where does fourth person come from? The Bible says that they threw a man with their hands bound and their feet bound. But when Nebuchadnezzar looked down into the fire, it says the boys were walking around the fire. with nothing on their hands and nothing on their feet.

They were in the fire and still free. They were in the fire and still delivered. Why? Because when God doesn't bring you out, he steps and joins in with you. when you're going through that persecution and hard time.

Nebuchadnezzar said, open up the door. And when they did, the three Hebrew boys came out with not a scorch on them. Nebuchadnezzar rehired them. and said let it be known that there is no other god except the god of shadrech mesh Yeah. They took their stand.

and wind up getting a promotion. Be identified.

So you can see heaven. Intervene on earth. Dr. Tony Evans, talking about the importance of standing up for our faith regardless of the consequences, in a message entitled, Blessed are the Spiritually Persecuted. If you'd like to hear the full-length version, including additional content we couldn't bring you on the air, you can get your copy when you visit TonyEvans.org.

And while you're there, don't forget to take advantage of our special double offer. The complete 10-part audio series, How to Be Truly Blessed, along with Dr. Evans' insightful book, Praying Through the Names of Jesus. Together, these resources will help you grow in your understanding of the Beatitudes, experience true spiritual joy. and deepen your prayer life by connecting with the Lord in fresh and meaningful ways.

Request your copy today at tonyevans.org or call 1-800-800-3222 to speak with one of our helpful resource team members any time of the day or night. That's tonyevans.org. or call 1-800-800-3222.

Well coming up tomorrow People think of a blessing as a little extra something we get from God. Dr. Evans points out that it's really intended to be more of a lifestyle than an event. Be sure to join us as he wraps up our series on how to be truly blessed.