Todd's Road Grace Church would
like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 1030 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
945 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now, here's our pastor. I'd like to read the eighth,
the attitude. Matthew, chapter five, verse
10, blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when
men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner
of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly
glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted
they the prophets which were before you. I've entitled this
message, Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake. Now, it's not without significance
that the Seventh Beatitude is about being a peacemaker and
coming right before being persecuted for righteousness' sake. He says
in verse 9, blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the
children of God. You can't be persecuted for righteousness
if you're not first a peacemaker. Now, remember, the Beatitudes
are a description of what a believer is. Not what a believer strives
to be, but what a believer is. The believer is poor in spirit. The believer mourns over his
sin. The believer is meek before God.
The believer hungers and thirsts after righteousness. The believer
is pure in heart. The believer is a peacemaker. The believer is persecuted for
righteousness sake. This is what a believer is. Now,
I have never been persecuted for righteousness sake unless
I'm first a peacemaker. Now, why do I say that? Well,
how many people have treated someone wrong? And when the person
that they have treated wrong retaliates or reacts to the way
they have been mistreated, the person thinks he's being persecuted
for righteousness sake. Now, you're not being persecuted
for righteousness sake under that condition. You're being
persecuted for being a jerk. No, we don't want to do it. I
want to first be a peacemaker. If I'm just a contentious, argumentative
person that gets people stirred up and gets people mad all the
time because of my contention and argumentative ways, and then
say I'm being persecuted for righteousness' sake, that's a
lie. That's not being persecuted for righteousness' sake. It's
being persecuted for being a jerk. Now, I want to be someone, though,
who's persecuted for righteousness' sake. Because the Lord says,
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If I'm not somebody who is persecuted
for righteousness' sake, that means mine is not the kingdom
of heaven. Paul said in Philippians 1.27, it's given to you not only
to believe on Christ, but also to suffer for His name's sake.
That's a blessing of the covenant of grace, being persecuted for
righteousness' sake. Now, first, what is meant by
righteousness? Blessed are they who are persecuted
for righteousness' sake. Now, I have to ask that question
because there are a lot of things that go under the name righteousness
that are not righteous or righteousness. For instance, when Paul talks
about Satan, he says he'll come as an angel of light and his
ministers, ministers of righteousness. Same word, but obviously they
don't come truly as ministers of righteousness because they're
ministers of Satan. They masquerade under the name
of righteousness. A lot of people use this word
righteousness with really no understanding of what it even
means. What is righteousness? According
to the scripture, righteousness is being without sin. Sin is the transgression of the
law. For me to be righteous, I have to be without sin. I have to be perfect before God's
holy law. I have to have kept the Ten Commandments
perfectly. That is what righteousness means. Now, here, righteousness, when
he says, Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness'
sake. Righteousness is not an adjective. describing behavior. Righteousness is a noun. There's only one righteousness.
The righteousness of God, when he's talking about being persecuted
for righteousness sake, he's not talking about being persecuted
for good behavior or right behavior. Now there are times, no doubt,
when someone can be persecuted for doing what is right, for
right behavior, but for the most part, if you treat people well,
they'll reciprocate. They'll be thankful you treated
them well. If you're kind to them, if you're fair to them,
people are going to appreciate that. If you do acts of generosity
and help people, you might get your picture in the paper. You
might have a big picture with somebody, you handing somebody
a check for your gift to the charity and so on. You're not
going to be persecuted for that. You're going to be admired for
it. When our Lord says, blessed are they who are persecuted for
righteousness sake, He's not talking about conduct. right conduct, doing the right
thing. Now, we ought to always do the right thing. Don't let
anyone misunderstand me. We ought to always do the right
thing. We ought not ever sin, period. But when our Lord says,
blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, He's
talking about the only righteousness there is, His own. Now, why would
I say that? Because Paul tells us, quoted
in Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 and Romans chapter 3, verse 10, there
is none righteous. Talking about men. There's none
righteous. No, not one. There's none that
understands. They've all gone out of the way.
They've together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good.
No, not one. We read in Genesis chapter 6
verse 5, And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually. Now, that's not just the way
they were back then. That's the way you and I are now by nature.
Every thought of the heart is only evil continually. These people cannot be righteous. As a matter of fact, Isaiah said
in Isaiah chapter 64 verse 6, our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags. So when the Lord is speaking
of being persecuted for righteousness sake, I know He's not talking
about any human righteousness, because there's none righteous,
no, not one. Now understand, You cannot be
partially righteous and partially bad. Righteousness is a perfect
standing before God's holy law. It's to be without sin. It's
to be perfectly righteous. In Isaiah chapter 61, verse 10,
we read, He hath covered me with a robe of righteousness. Now, what that's a reference
to is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. His obedience. His law-keeping being mine. His righteousness being mine. I've heard people say, well,
my righteousness is based upon His righteousness. Oh, no. My
righteousness is His righteousness. This is what the Lord is talking
about when He says, blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness'
sake. I'd like to read you a passage
from Matthew chapter 22, beginning in verse 1, And Jesus
answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made
a marriage for his son. And he sent forth his servants
to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they wouldn't
come. And he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which
were bidden. Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings
are killed, and all things are ready, come unto the marriage.
But then they'd lied of it, every one of them. It wasn't important
to them. And they went their ways, one to his farm and another
to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants
and entreated them spitefully and slew them. But when the king
heard thereof, he was wroth. You can understand why he was.
And he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers
and burned up their city. Then said he to his servants,
the wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find,
bid to the marriage." Go out everywhere and bring people into
this marriage. So those servants went out into the highways and
gathered together, all, as many as they found, both bad and good,
and the wedding was furnished with guests. Now, in those days,
when you came to a wedding, a wedding garment was provided. You came
in with the wedding garment that the giver of the wedding was
providing. And this was a great rich king
and what glorious garments he provided. Now, let's go on reading. And when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding
garment. Remember that robe of righteousness,
that garment of salvation? Here was a man who came in who
did not have a wedding garment, which is the righteousness of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And he said to him, friend, how
camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was
speechless. You see, that garment is for
anybody who wants it. He evidently felt like there
was no need for it. He felt like his garment was
good enough. He thought his looked as good as anybody else's. And
he was speechless. He couldn't give a good reason
as to why he didn't have a wedding garment. Then said the king to
the servants, bind him, hand and foot, and take him away,
and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen. This man
was cast out because he didn't have the wedding garment, the
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me read you another
passage of Scripture about this great wedding feast, the feast
of the Lord Jesus Christ that's going to take place in heaven.
We read in verse 7 of Revelation chapter 19, let us be glad and
rejoice. and give honor to him, for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself
ready. And to her was granted that she
should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine
linen is the righteousness of the saints." Now, I've heard
people say, well, what that's talking about is the righteous
needs of the saints. My dear friend, let me assure you, you
and I do not have A pure, clean, white deed. There's always been
sin in it. The only pure, white, clean linen
is the righteousness and merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. His
righteousness is the righteousness of the saints. Let me repeat
that. His righteousness is the righteousness
of the saints. Believers have one righteousness. He is. And they preach one righteousness. His, and they exclude all other
righteousnesses, calling them for what they are. As Isaiah
said, our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. I love what the
hymn writer said. When I stand before thy throne,
dressed in beauty, not my own. When I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully know.
not to avenge how much I owe. Blessed are they who are persecuted
for righteousness' sake." Now, this persecution began early. People started persecuting people
who believed that the righteousness of Christ was the only righteousness
there is. It began early. It began right
after the fall. We read in Genesis chapter 4,
the story of Cain and Abel. Verse 1, And Adam knew Eve, his
wife, and she conceived and bare Cain. and said, I've gotten a
man from the Lord, and she again bared his brother Abel. And Abel
was a keeper of the sheep. He was a shepherd. But Cain was
a tiller of the ground. He was a farmer. I'm sure he
was a good farmer, and I'm sure Abel was a good shepherd. And
in the process of time, it came to pass that Cain brought of
the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. Now, I have no
doubt that he knew he shouldn't do that. His father taught him
that the only way that God can be approached is through a bloody
sacrifice. And these animals we sacrifice,
picture the coming lamb of God. He heard that, but I guess he
didn't think it was that essential. As long as I bring some kind
of offering, it'll be OK. God accepts my best. He accepts
my sincerity. So he brought the fruit of the
ground. It's the best he had. He brought it to the Lord. And
Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of
the fat thereof. He brought blood that had been
shed. A lamb was slain. And the Lord had respect unto
Abel and his offering. Now something must be very glorious
to make the Lord respect it. And you see, the offering of
Abel made Abel a righteous man. By faith, Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he also obtained
witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts.
You see, the blood of Christ makes someone righteous because
all sin is washed away and they're given the very righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And God respected Abel and his
offering. But to Cain and to his offering,
he had not respect. It was worse. It was wrong. And
Cain was very wrong. He was upset about this. And
his countenance was fallen. And the Lord said to Cain, Why
art thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest
well, shall thou not be accepted? If you bring the right sacrifice,
you'll be accepted. If you come only pleading the blood of Christ,
you'll be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin
lieth at the door. And I think this is interesting.
The first time sin is mentioned, it's with reference to bringing
the wrong sacrifice. And unto thee shall his desire
be, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel.
He argued with him. And it came to pass when they
were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and
slew him. Cain was mad at Abel. You think
you're better than me. You think you're better than
me because God accepted your sacrifice and not mine." Abel said, that
doesn't have anything to do with it. I know the only way we can
approach God is through blood. Not through your works, not through
your best, but through the blood of the coming land, the promised
seed that will crush the serpent's head. That's the only way we
can approach God. And Abel, or Cain got blood,
I'll show you blood, and it killed him. He was so enraged over this. Abel was the first Christian
martyr and he was persecuted for righteousness sake. And that's what the Lord is referring
to when He says, if any man will come after Me, let him deny himself,
take up his cross. That is the persecution that
will come for believing that the righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the only righteousness there is, and there is no other
righteousness, and only His righteousness are you trusting, not your own.
That's why people were persecuted. Now, the Lord says, blessed are
you, blessed are you when you're persecuted for righteousness'
sake. I love the Beatitudes. You see, blessed are the poor.
The poor know they have no personal righteousness and they look to
Christ only. Blessed are they that mourn.
They mourn over their sin and they know the only righteousness
there is that would cover their sins, the righteousness of the
Lord Jesus Christ and His precious blood wiping away their sin.
The meek before God know the righteousness of Christ is their
righteousness. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
know they have no personal righteousness and they're hunger and thirsting
after His righteousness. Those who are pure in heart see
the evil of their own natural hearts and the only righteousness
there is is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those
who are merciful know that the reason they've obtained mercy
is for Christ's sake. Those who are peacemakers Preach
the peace that Christ accomplished on Calvary Street. And they know
His righteousness is the only righteousness. And those who
are persecuted for righteousness' sake are those who are persecuted
because of Christ's righteousness. Now, if I'm not being persecuted
in some way because of what I believe concerning His righteousness,
the kingdom of God is not mine. I'm certainly not being a faithful
witness of Christ. If I'm being persecuted for His
righteousness sake, I got a question. If I know that the only way to
heaven is His righteousness, the only way you'll be brought
into heaven is if you have His righteousness and how His righteousness
is obtained. If I know that and if I don't
tell you that, what does that make me? That makes me a murderer
of your soul. That makes me unfaithful to God
if I don't tell the truth. If you have what you think is
a personal righteousness that God will accept, you think it's
enough, what if I didn't tell you that righteousness is no
good? God will not accept it. You must have the righteousness
of Christ. You have to be as good as God.
What if I didn't tell you that? Why? I would be unfaithful to
your soul? And I would be wrong. There's
no love to the souls of men. There's no faithfulness to God
in not preaching His righteousness regardless of the persecution
that will be involved. However, men will be offended
when they are told that their righteousness is nothing more
than filthy rags and that they'll go to hell as a result of their
righteousness. Now listen to me. Everybody in hell has this in
common. Not one of them trusted the righteousness
of Christ as their righteousness before God. They all have that
in common. None of them bowed the knee to
His righteousness. Now, it's true, men will be offended. But so be it. This is the only
gospel that will save. David said in Psalm 71, 16, I've
made mention of thy righteousness, even thine only. When the Lord described his preaching
in Psalm 40, he said, I have preached thy righteousness to
the great congregation. Now, why would somebody be persecuted
for preaching righteousness, the righteousness of Christ as
being the only righteousness there is. Well, let's consider
if there's a whistleblower in an organization and he's exposing
some corrupt practices, who is going to be mad at him for blowing
the whistle? Some will be happy that he blew the whistle. Because
he's perhaps saved the organization. Perhaps he's saved jobs. He's
done the right thing. And there'll be some people who'll
be happy. Who will be upset with that? With the people who feel
like they're losers by it. The people who feel like they've
been exposed by it and it causes them trouble. That's the one
who's going to persecute the whistleblower. Because they think
they're losing by it. Now, if I preach righteousness,
the righteousness of Christ, You know it was called the preacher
of righteousness. There's only one righteousness. His. If I
preach righteousness, but allow a man to believe himself to be
saved when he does not believe in Christ's righteousness only,
I will be persecuted. He hasn't lost anything by that. Well, I'm still saved. I'm okay.
You're okay. We're all going to the same place. Now, if I
preach his righteousness, In this sense, His righteousness
is the only righteousness, and if someone looks anywhere other
than His righteousness only, they're under the wrath of God.
They're not saved. They've never bowed the knee
to Christ. They've never believed the gospel. If I preach righteousness
in that manner, somebody is going to be upset with that. Somebody
is going to be mad about that, and I will be persecuted for
righteousness' sake. Let me read a passage of Scripture
in Romans chapter 10. There's not a more important
passage of Scripture in all of the Word of God. Now Paul says
in verse 1 of Romans chapter 10, Brethren, my heart's desire
and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. Now two things about these people
he's praying for. One, they're not saved. Number
two, he wanted them to be. He said, brethren, my heart's
desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be
saved. For I bear them record, he says in verse 2, that they
have a zeal of God. They're very religious. And this
is the God of the Scriptures too. They have a zeal of God.
They read their Bible. They know the books of the Bible.
They can tell you the commands of the Bible. They have a zeal
of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant
of God's righteousness, they're ignorant of His righteous character,
they think that He could be pleased with their works. If you think
God could be pleased with anything you do apart from Christ, you've
got a weak God. You've got a not very holy God.
You see, God is holy, and if I think I can please Him, or
if I think I can earn His favor by anything I do, even an act
of my will, I'm ignorant of God's righteousness. I'm ignorant of
His righteousness in my damnation, that He would be just and right
in doing so. I'm ignorant of His righteousness
in salvation, how Christ is the only righteousness that man has
before God. For they, being ignorant of God's
righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness. Lord, You've got to save me.
I've done this. I've done that. I quit doing this and I've stopped
doing that. I've established a righteousness. I'm going to
church. I'm reading my Bible. They've never submitted to God's
righteousness. Going about to establish their
own righteousness. have not submitted themselves
unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believes." Now, do you believe
His righteousness is the only righteousness before God? Well,
you're not going to persecute somebody for preaching that because
you know that's the only hope you have. But if you've never
submitted to God's righteousness, and you have some righteousness
of your own. You've not submitted to the righteousness of God.
Now, back to our text in Matthew chapter 5, it says, Blessed are
they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. And then it says in verse
11, Blessed are you whom men shall revile you. and persecute
you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for
my sake." He doesn't care about good works. He doesn't care about
obedience in his life. He thinks it's okay to sin. I mean, he's just trusting the
righteousness of Christ and he's not caring about his own... People
make all kinds of accusations against someone who stands for
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord says,
blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you
and ostracize you and speak all manner of evil falsely for my
sake, making up all kinds of things about you. Rejoice and
be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For
so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. And the Savior says, the things
they say against you are really what they say against me. It's
his righteousness people don't love. He said, what they say
against you, they do so for my sake, but how blessed you are.
Peter said, if you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy
are you, for the spirit of glory and of God resteth on you. On their part, he's evil spoken
of, but on your part, he is glorified. Now, a peacemaker. Remember the
way I started this message. A peacemaker. Oh, blessed are
the peacemakers. If it be possible as much as
life in you live peaceably with all men. You're quick to apologize. You're quick to say, I'm sorry.
You're not looking for a fight. That's a peacemaker. A peacemaker
is somebody who preaches the gospel of peace. He is our peace. The peacemaker He's going to
be someone who is persecuted for righteousness' sake. Because that peacemaker says
his righteousness is the only ground of peace. And he's going
to be persecuted for righteousness' sake. But he's someone the Savior
says, are they. Now, I want to be someone the
Savior calls blessed. Because if He calls me blessed,
I am. Now, we have this message on
DVD, CD. If you call the church right
away, they will send you copies. This is Todd Niners. Thank you
for helping me. Please do make a settlement. To request a copy of the sermon
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