Final three reveal whether a person has taken hold of the first two. For instance: Blessed are the peacemakers points back to the first three. Anyone who has become a peacemaker, must have peace with God through the death of His Son. (That only comes through being poor in spirit, mourning, and meekness). If you woke up one morning and noticed that you had suddenly changed sides–where before you were rebellious against God but now you are seeking to make peace between others and God, would that be cause for happiness? Yes! So a peacemaker is happy 'cause He sees the evidence that he has died with Christ, and now lives to make peace. What about the next beatitude, what does it reveal? If the peacemakers points back to the cross where might this one point? (Hint: Righteousness) Let's take a look at it.

What is the reward in heaven? Souls saved, the restoration of the universe. God Himself!

Isn't that enough. God forgives us and restores us. What is left? Why do we have three more beautitudes? Why after going through the outer court of the sanctuary and the holy place do we have the Most Holy Place also.

Having forgiven us and cleansed us, what more is there for God to do? In order to understand this, we must understand how God's government works. God does nothing in secret. He does not rule by force or strength, but like a shepherd, leads His followers because they trust Him.

Why hasn't He come to take us home yet? (Illustration: Court, three aspects on trial. 1 defendant is on trial. When he's declared either guilty or not-guilty, He goes back out, and now the judge is on trial. If He's been freed, the judge's wisdom is judged by what sort of life the defendant leads. But it doesn't stop there. In the final analysis the entire community is on trial. Will they let the judge's decision stand, or will they rebel against Him? If the defendant leads a life unworthy of His forgiven status, the community should call into question the judge's decision. If, however, the defendant has had a true change of heart, the community would have to be corrupt in order to disagree with the judge's judgment. (What does the community say of God's judgments when all is said and done? "Just and true are your ways, Lord got Almighty.")

The final three show God's way of revealing the first two. How does He show that people are trusting in Jesus' death? Have they become peacemakers, he asks? Then you know they have found peace with me through the death of my son. Is that cause for happiness? Yes. It's about trusting Him, not about some deed of righteousness I have done.

Today's beatitude is another way God reveals Himself.

God's got three issues on his hands. What to do about sin, what to do about righteousness, and what to do about judgment.

If He pardons sin, He ruins the universe. If He punishes sin, He destroys those He loves. So what does He do? He punishes sin by taking the punishment on Himself so everyone knows what the result of sin will be–death, and yet He can save those whom He loves if they are willing to forsake sin.

However, now that God has pardoned sinners, he has another issue on His hands. Can those who have fallen ever be restored in their hearts to the purity of love and righteousness that existed before the fall? If not, then, though He has pardoned them, those who have fallen may never be restored to the fellowship of heaven because they wouldn't get along–they would continue to be selfish and would be a thorn and a terror in heaven where all are ruled by the law of love and unselfishness. So what does He do? He indwells His people, and His own life of purity, he lives out in them so that they do not live any longer according to their corrupt desires, but according to His pure ones.

But guess what, there's still one more problem. God may know that He can pardon sinners and restore them–but do the angels know that? Do the unfallen worlds know that? Do forgiven sinners know it? Who cares? The angels care. Do they want to have sin show up in heaven again? No.

God does not run a democracy, but He goes one better. Democracy runs on majority rule. If the majority is wrong, you get oppression, but God runs His universe by righteousness rule. That means that He is in charge, but not as a tyrant. He is in charge because He is our creator, and because He rules by love. That means that things are not decided by majority vote, but by what is right. Normally that means no decision is made without 100% agreement. And if there is disagreement–it's not the most powerful One who dictates what to do, the decision is made according to what is right. Even God must abide by His own rules of love, righteousness and holiness. The principles of His character guide Him, and He does not deviate from them. So if God doesn't have 100% agreement, He will do whatever it takes to get it–even from those who go against Him. When He gets done, they will come out and be honest–we don't think God is being unfair or unloving. We just don't want to abide by love. We want selfishness and self-destruction. And He will allow them to have what they want.

The solution for sin? Death, but praise God, I get to count Jesus' death as mine. The solution for righteousness? Jesus life in me, moment by moment–it's still not about me, and that means joy. Now this week we are in part two of the last section. A section on judgment. Why does God need a judgment? Why do we have trials and courts, open to the public? God is able to decide with perfect justness, but He is not satisfied unless we believe He is perfectly just. What good does it do to have a court system in our land that actually metes out justice, if the people of the land don't perceive it to be dispensing justice. Will we derive any comfort from knowing that the police are arresting people if we don't believe the courts will lock up the guilty to protect us and set free the innocent? No, we get no security from that at all, and if we were to continue living with such an unjust system of law–even if it is only in our own perceptions unjust–eventually what would happen, assuming we could not change it by peaceful means? We would rebel against it because we do not trust those running our legal system. God runs a universe on the basis of trust. He says, "the just shall live by faith." Trust. "Trust the Lord with all your heart, and lean not upon your own understanding and He will direct Your paths." Trust is a major issue to God. He does not force anyone to follow Him, but no one who does not trust Him can live. So in order to have a universe of peace and joy, God must show Himself to be trustworthy. He is totally trustworthy, but unless His people perceive Him that way, they cannot participate in His kingdom.

The solution for judgment? How do you tell the difference between a believer and an unbeliever? How can you tell if God's judgments are right and if He is being wise in rewarding some and destroying others? Is God revealed in His people? There's great joy in joining him in peacemaking and in being persecuted not for your own evildoing but for righteousness.

This one is also unique. It doesn't describe a characteristic of the blessed person so much as it describes what happens to the blessed person because of his or her characteristic. Again the theme of evaluation or judgment comes into play. These people are judged as worthy of persecution, why? Because of righteousness. (Isn't that interesting. In order to be considered a child of God, you only have to be a peacemaker, but in order to get persecuted, you need to exhibit righteousness.)

Don't we believe the persecution will come during the period of the judgment? It is part of the revealing process for us to be persecuted. When the persecuted respond as peacemakers, God is revealed, for He was persecuted and responded as a peacemaker. What better evidence could He give than to show that when He indwells fallen humans He can respond in them to persecution just as He did in Christ.

It's about revealing God–so His wisdom may be seen, understood, and trusted

Through trials and persecution, the glory--character--of God is revealed in His chosen ones. {MB 31}

Why does God need people who will endure persecution? It gives evidence that people are truly seeing Jesus, and have fallen in love with Him.

"The life of Christ and His sacrifice, the Innocent suffering for the guilty, should forever still the least murmur or complaint. It should be accounted a privilege to suffer for Christ and thus glory in the cross of Christ. I saw that He is honored by the lives of those who eagerly lay hold of salvation, those who consider it a privilege to suffer for Jesus. {21MR 253.4}"

"God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning, and discern the glory of the purpose which they are fulfilling as coworkers with Him. Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29). And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor. (DA 224)"

1Peter 4:

12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

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.

KJV 1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

Motive? No trouble

Have you ever heard someone say, ""I shouldn't be getting in trouble, I didn't do anything wrong"? What is that person's reason for doing right? They are doing what's right to avoid getting into trouble.

It's not easy to be persecuted

Did you know that it's very easy to get out of trouble if your in trouble for doing what's right? Yes, just stop doing what's right and your persecutors will leave you alone. So anybody who's getting persecuted for righteousness sake is persistently doing what is right despite the resistance of others. If you quit the righteousness when persecution comes, it will stop. (Story: I've figured out how to deal w/ temptation, I just give in. Same idea. When Peter and John were arrested for preaching Jesus, all they had to do to get out of trouble was quit preaching Jesus, but they said, "We must obey God rather than men."

Motive? Principle

What do you know about the motives of someone who is getting persecuted for righteousness and still won't quit. Well, we can at least draw one conclusion. They aren't doing what's right just to stay out of trouble.

It's a way to recognize motives

Just like peacemakers will be recognized as children of God, those persecuted for righteousness sake will be recognized as people of principle. Peacemakers aren't peacemaking to save their skins, but because they have been granted mercy. And those being persecuted aren't doing it to save their skins, but because righteousness is more important to them than their skins–they aren't worried about their lives because Jesus has taken care of that detail, now they are concerned with living in such a way as to honor the One who has loved them.

Not a human trait

How is that a blessing? Let me put it this way. How many of us naturally have that kind of purity of motives? None. Our hearts are evil and we cannot change them. We are naturally self-seeking creatures. So what encouraging conclusion could we draw if we found ourselves willing to endure persecution for righteousness sake? Jesus must be living in us. Is that cause for happiness?

God's honor guard

"Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, not Elijah, who ascended in a chariot of fire, was greater or more honored than John the Baptist, who perished alone in the dungeon. "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29). And of all the gifts that Heaven can bestow upon men, fellowship with Christ in His sufferings is the most weighty trust and the highest honor. (DA 224)" Is that cause for happiness? The reason we get all bent out of shape over our sufferings is that we have put too much stake in this life. If this life were all there is that would make sense, but since it is not, and we are looking to the kingdom of heaven, not the kingdom of this world for our ultimate life and fulfillment, then anything that advances the kingdom of heaven is good–even if it is our suffering. How can our suffering advance the kingdom of heaven? –Honor guard story–Jonathan and Morris Venden's daughter.

What happened to Jesus happens again to Jesus in us

Just as Jesus life was a reproach to others by its purity when He walked the earth and just as He was persecuted, so when He is born again in His people their lives will be a reproach to evil, and will bring persecution. "Therefore, so far from causing grief, persecution should bring joy to the disciples of Christ, for it is an evidence that they are following in the steps of their Master. {MB 29.3}"

The middle three

This points back to the middle three beatitudes where we see God's indwelling presence as His method for transforming believers from sin to holiness, from selfishness to love.

Not all persecution is for righteousness sake

Does this mean anyone who believes he or she is persecuted must be in the right? No. That's why Jesus didn't just say blessed are the persecuted, but the persecuted for righteousness sake. And do you remember how He defines righteousness? Righteousness is love. When people are being bigoted and exalting self and saying, "I'm being persecuted for righteousness sake–that doesn't mean a thing." Those truly being persecuted for righteousness sake are not in the business of lifting up self and pointing out persecution as a sign of divine favor.

What is the sanctuary connection?

I'd like to suggest Aaron's rod that budded. Do you remember the story?

Shepherd's rod–leadership of people representing priesthood–nation of priests

connection with holy place/righteousness almond branch, dead coming to life, bearing fruit

The right to stand in the place of priest went to the one who had life–new life, righteous life.

Have they been changed into a peacemaker? Are they so changed that they get persecuted not for evil but for righteousness? Are they so changed that they get falsely accused of evil as their Father in heaven has been?

The peacemaker question says, "Have they taken hold of the first three beatitudes?"

The persecuted for Righteousness sake says, "Are they experiencing the three growth beatitudes, hungering and thirsting so much for righteousness that it is unmistakable?"

This last one repeats the first two and gives us a broad view of the blessings of being a Christian. It was the disciples' privilege to be insulted for Jesus, but they ran away.

At this point there really wasn't any persecution going on.

It was their privilege later to be persecuted for Him, and they counted it as such.

And finally, it will be our privilege to be falsely accused of all sorts of evil for Him.

What about the sanctuary connection? What is left in the Most Holy Place? The ark of the covenant containing the law of God written on tables of stone

Being insulted for Jesus is reason to be happy.

Being Persecuted we studied last week

What does it mean to have evil spoken of us falsely for His sake? It means to be accused of all sorts of evil when we didn't really do it.

Pastor, do you mean to tell me that Jesus is the only source of happiness, and that even if I'm persecuted with Jesus, I won't find happiness by escaping persecution if I leave Jesus in order to escape persecution? That's exactly what I'm saying. How many of you have seen one of these 'bubble children' who have little or no immune system. They have to live inside a plastic bubble in a pure environment so they won't be exposed to diseases that their bodies can't fight off. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? No? You wouldn't be happy living inside a bubble? Well, let's suppose you are a bubble child, and you want to find real happiness. You are feeling persecuted because you are the only kid around living in a bubble, so you take one of your toys with a sharp edge and cut a slit in your bubble, tear a hole and escape to the outside. You're happy for the first time in your life. But that happiness is short-lived, within a few days you've come down with a common cold, but with your immune system unable to fight it, this common cold will kill you. Where's your happiness now? Persecution in Christ our life bubble is better than all the supposed happiness in the world outside.