John 15:18–16:4a - Cameron Jungels - Eastside Baptist, Sunday AM.February 8, 2015

“Hated by the World” (John 15:18–16:4a) -

^{Cameron Jungels/Eastside Baptist/Sunday AM/February 8, 2015}

 

John 15:18–16:4a (NIV)

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ 

²⁶ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. ²⁷ And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. ² They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. ³ They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. ⁴ I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them.

 

Unless we truly think that the vast majority of the world around us are followers of Jesus, we should be surprised if we never face persecution for the sake of the name of Jesus.

 

Main Idea: A faithful disciple of Jesus will face hardship in this world for the sake of his name, so we should be prepared and we should take hope in the ultimate joy that awaits us.

 

1.       When Jesus’ disciples are hated by the world, it is a reflection of unbelievers’ hatred for Jesus himself (15:18–22).

 

¹³ Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. (1 John 3:13, NIV)

 

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, (Phil 1:29, NIV)

 

2.      When Jesus is hated by the world, it is a reflection of unbelievers’ hatred for God himself (15:23–25).

 

3.      Jesus calls his disciples to be Spirit-filled witnesses for him in the midst of a hostile world (15:26–16:4a).

 

²⁷ Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel  ²⁸ without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved-- and that by God.  ²⁹ For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him,  ³⁰ since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. (Philippians 1:27-30, NIV)

 

Main Idea: A faithful disciple of Jesus will face hardship in this world for the sake of his name, so we should be prepared and we should take hope in the ultimate joy that awaits us.