1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian 9a - Blessed are those who are persecuted _1_ | Page 12

speak for very little, who sadly have wasted the investment that God has put
into them with things that, at the end of the day, do not count. People like this
generally end like a damp squib. I cannot help but contrast that with others who
have lived this life to the full, using all of the gifts and abilities that God has
given them to be a blessing to the people around them – these people finish with
flair. Of those who have suffered incredible persecution and who have ended
dyingas martyrs, one cannot help but recognise how beautiful it is to finish
witha blaze of glory. A phenomenal example of this would be seen in the life of
the apostle Paul, who in the last days of his life wrote the words that you have
read in the Bible reading above. I am sure that in his heart there had to be a
measure of anxiety as to how this was all going to end, but the boldness for
which he loved Christ and believed in the eternal, led him to end with incredible
flair. Although Paul’s life ended tragically, we do not just contemplate his death
today, but we contemplate the greatness of a life well lived. Paul’s life
epitomised all of the Christian values that we hold dear, he poured his life out
for the cause of Christ and in those last days, stood with absolute assurance that
on the other side of death there was, for him, the glory of the crown of
righteousness.
I believe it absolutely true to say that the “church” is built upon the blood of
such martyrs. But the challenge comes to us today that, even if we do not have
to die for the cause of Christ, we can certainly do justice to what it means to live
for the cause of Christ.
I have one last thought: I am always amazed when we attend a rugby game
where on occasions the crowd is invited to stand in silence in order to remember
the life of someone who has passed on, and everybody will stand and be quiet for
one minute. I have often wondered why we do that. What is so significant about
us standing quiet for a minute? Don’t you think it would be more appropriate for
people to applaud for a minute instead of standing dumb-silent? I don’t think we
should stand in silence in memory of the death of the martyrs, but I think that
wherever we are as we read this, we should break into rapturous applause for
these amazing people. We should applaud their courage, their conviction and
their character and by so doing join the applause of heaven for the martyrs that
have, over the course of history, sacrificed their lives for the glorious cause of
Jesus.
See you in church.