The
Sermon on the Mount Compared to Paul's Epistles Part
VI ...expounded unto him the way of God more
perfectly. Acts 18:26
Matthew 5:12 -
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for
so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
A quick look into the gospels concerning persecution (verses
9-11), we see...
...that persecution is mainly to Jesus Himself as well as on the prophets
before them.
John 1:12 - He
came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 5:16 - And
therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because
he had done these things on the sabbath day.
John 10:33 -
The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for
blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
...there are parables of persecutions to 'others'
Mark 4:17, referring to someone hears
the word of God, And have no root in themselves,
and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution
ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
...because of Jesus..
Matthew 2:16 -
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding
wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem,
and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according
to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.
...any suffering for 'others' may be in the simple
fact that in order to follow Jesus during the gospel days,
they had to give up everything...
Matthew 19:16, 20-22
- And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have eternal life? The young man saith unto him,
All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet? Jesus said
unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow
me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for
he had great possessions.
... and that they would believe that He
was the Christ, that Son of the living God.
John 6:60 - 69 -
Many
wouldn't take it!
60 - Many therefore
of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying;
who can hear it?
64 - But there
are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who
they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 - And he said,
Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were
given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went
back, and walked no more with him.
69 - And we believe
and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
... they were hassled for believing and being
healed, etc.
John 9 -
the young blind man - vs
34 - They answered and said unto him, Thou
wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him
out.
Mark 13:13 - And
ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure
unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Luke 6:22 - Blessed
are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from
their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil,
for the Son of man's sake.
The real persecution for them came during the
Great Commission
Now that they believe that he was their Messiah -
THAT Christ - the Son of God, etc.
Acts 1-8
Acts 5:40,41 - And
to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them,
they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let
them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
However, by choosing to
follow the gospels and Great Commission today, these misguided folks are choosing to be falsely
persecuted, thinking they have great reward in heaven
for their persecution!
Their persecutions are based on a general belief
that Jesus is the son of God - if they really believe that.
Religion!
Often based on their own actions and stupidity and
stubbornness combined!
Claiming these are suffering church days!
Revelation 2,3
Suffer persecution for wrong dispensational issues!
They have a conceitness and pride, not a joy nor
happiness!
They believe that God has told them they must suffer...
it is His will for them!
They appear to go out of their way to 'suffer' or
to be 'persecuted,' etc.
They ask for it; to them, it is part of the 'gain;'
part of their sight to prove:
God blesses them because of their persecution!
They are walking 'right' or they wouldn't be receiving
that persecution!
They believe they have great reward coming because
of their persecution!
We aware that to be the
proper Christian today will bring forth persecution
The Risen Christ says so... but details are still
different today with Paul's teachings and the types of sufferings should
be different and for different doctrinal truths!
Study SermonsIV
and V
for details on persecution and suffering based upon Paul's teachings received
from the Risen Saviour!
Ok, so what about the persecution,
etc. during the Tribulation?
My, my - I see verses that are used today to force
the Christian to 'change' - and to put the guilt and control and threats
onto the congregation, etc.
That sort of preaching goes against what Paul preaches
- note: these verses are not from Paul's epistles, only from the Tribulation
books!
Do you recognize any of the following verses from
any preaching you have heard?
I Peter 5:10 -
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by
Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish,
strengthen, settle you.
Is this how Paul would have us grow today?
Sure, this could fit under God's chastisement teachings,
but those are still Hebrews and
Revelation 3:14-22, not from Paul to the
Gentiles!
... so they are not to us!
Will of God for your life?
I Peter 4:19 - Wherefore
let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping
of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Sure, but only for during the Tribulation!
Lord against you?
I Peter 3:12-14 - For
the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto
their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not
afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
Sure, but only for during the Tribulation!
Our example to follow in His steps?
I Peter 2:21-24 -
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled,
reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself
to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his
own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:
by whose stripes ye were healed.
Sure, but only for during the Tribulation!
makes them "imitators" today!
Trial of our faith by fire?
I Peter 1:6-8 - Wherein
ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness
through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being
much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with
fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing
of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye
see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of
glory:
Sure, but only for during the Tribulation!
Nothing that serious is going to happen today!
Hope to the end through it all
I Peter 1:13 - Wherefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the
grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Sure, but only for during the Tribulation!
Endure to the end!
James 1:12 -Blessed
is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall
receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love
him.
James 5:11 - Behold,
we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience
of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful,
and of tender mercy.
Sure, but only for during the Tribulation!
PS. - Why do so many "Christians" turn to Job these
days?
It isn't that bad - yet!
Job lost the physical!
Paul didn't care about the physical!
Philippians 3:8 -
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Sure, we suffer the loss of some things to, but NOT
in order TO follow Jesus, but only BECAUSE of following the risen Christ...
...and learning more of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
and making changes in our lives to please Him!
More of the 'foundation from Paul!'
Along with I Corinthians
3:10, we have II
Timothy 2:8,9 -
lays the foundation and is our master-builder
Dead with him; live with him; reign with him - if
we suffer for living according to Paul!
Philippians 4:9 - Those
things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in
me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Today, Paul and the KJB says
we have to endure hardness; as a soldier; for believing the way of God
more perfectly and that from rightly divided KJB!
II Timothy 2:3 - Thou
therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
I Timothy 4:10 - For
therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the
living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that
believe.
Study SermonsIV
and V
for details on persecution and suffering based upon Paul's teachings received
from the Risen Saviour!
Sermon
notes from King James Bible Church of Touchet, WA Pastor
- Mike Paulson www.touchet1611.org The
entire King James Bible is written FOR us, but it is not all written TO
us!
We
learn from the "For" and we try to apply the 'TO!"