The Cure for a Troubled Heart - A Reason for Hatred

Friendship with God means we will be hated by the world, at least by some. And as the days great more evil and more wicked, with increasing extent and intensity.

The fact that we have a friend in God, that we have oneness with God OUGHT to be a reality that we cling to with great tenacity.

This morning as we turn to John 15 and work our way to the end of the chapter, we will see that…

Big Idea: Love for God WILL MEAN hatred from the world. Abiding in the vine empowers us to stand fast in the face of such opposition.

John 15:18–16:4 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. 1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

As we consider this brief section and the hatred of the world, we will consider the secondhand nature of Hatred, hatred’s great failure, and hatred’s deception.

Sermon Body

Secondhand Hatred- John 15:18-20.

John 15:18–20 ESV

This speaks the issue of opposition, rejection, and persecution.

It is coming.

It is here.

And if you live passionately for Christ, you WILL face it.

Jesus here, is giving us a cure for a troubled heart in the face of persecution, of opposition, of rejection by the world.

From the beginning of the church, it has faced opposition and persecution. It really did before Stephen would become the first martyr and die at the hands of men who stood against all that Christ had come for.

You and I will find, in this life, that the more passionately we live for Christ, the more opposition we will face.

Understand this, when it comes…ultimately the world’s hatred of us IS NOT HATRED OF US but of the one we serve.

Ours is a secondhand hatred, a borrowed hatred, a transferred hatred. However you want to look at it. When we live for Christ and reflect his nature to the world, it is that nature that the world responds to.

When we feel the hatred of the world directed at us, we can take comfort in knowing that Jesus has endured it before us.

Why is the truth that Jesus was hated by the world before the world hate us such a comfort? How does this truth help?

Jesus says, “Listen, understand this…if you are hated by the world, understand not more so that I have been. I have been there. I understand. I can relate. Understand, you are not experiencing something I have not already endured .

There is also a comfort in the world’s hatred of us in that because we stand out and because we look like Jesus, we are hated. There is an affirmation here of the image of God in us.

He says, the reason they hate you is that you are not one of them. You are distinct. You stand out. You are marked by another and you do not share the same values, priorities or convictions.

Jesus says, YOU ARE MINE. You are not the world’s. And the world hates me. THUS, the world hates you.

Why does the world hate Jesus, and thus us?

John 7:7 gives us a reason.

John 7:7 ESV

7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

John 3 tells us that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.

John 3:16–21 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

When one feels exposed and threatened, fear and hatred ensue.

And when you do not know the heart of the one exposing you, when you do not know the character the one drawing you to the light, when you do not know the selfless love that is intent on doing the absolute best for you in a deliberate act of the will, that will choose your highest good all the time, that you might know him and be given the absolute best in the universe…when you do not know this heart, when you do not know the intention, the desire, the love, the sacrifice that this one is willing to make for your highest good, then all you feel is threatened and danger.

We fear what we don’t know and understand.

We cannot control that which we don’t know or understand.

We fear what we cannot control.

Is it any wonder that the world fears?

LISTEN, if the world truly understood, Jesus DID NOT come to condemn, but to save…

If they truly understood that, it would change their perspective.

YES, Jesus came to expose…BUT THIS exposure is necessary in order to reveal guilt, to draw to repentance AND TO LEAD TO SALVATION.

True safety and true passion and delight are ONLY found in Jesus.

This requires us to repent and believe.

This repentance is only possible WHEN we recognize our sin before God and experience a sorrow for that sin that lead us to change our mind about that sin, turning away from it, rejecting it and instead embracing the good God who would send His own Son to die in our place.

Jesus came, not to condemn, but to save. But salvation necessitates the exposure of sin first.

BUT that exposure is being done IN GOODNESS and LOVE for us, to save us from the wrath of God and the insufficiency of the passions we are pursuing and invites us to find hope, salvation, and life IN Him, the greatest good there is in all the universe.

WHEN YOU SEE THE HEART OF GOD as being good and desiring to save us from ourselves, from our sin, and from the consequences of our sin…

When you see the heart of God as wanting MORE for us than we even want for ourselves…

When you see the heart of God that is inviting us into intimate relationship with Himself and in so doing, granting us everything we could ever desire, THEN we understand that the exposure, the rebuke, the corrections IS BEING DRIVEN BY A HEART OF LOVE AND GRACE, seeking our best interests.

BUT, when we fail to see that, we see only hatred, judgement, and condemnation.

We are not of the world. God is not of the world. Thus the world does not know and understand who God is, who we are.

In fact, they cannot without the Spirit’s work…which again reminds us we must be a people of prayer, pleading with the Spirit to do what only he can do…convince them of His goodness, convict them of their guilt, and draw those two realities together in repentance and faith.

IF we were of the world, the world would love us.

What does it mean to be “of the world?” What would it take for them to love us?

If we shared their values…

If we shared their goals…

If we shared their priorities…

If we share their passions…

If we shared their convictions…

They would love us.

But we don’t

SO, if the world hates you, know it hated me first.

Small consolation, you say. Maybe. Maybe not.

BUT, when we understand the reason why we are hated, and that it is not personal, it is not us, we are better positioned to respond with pity, compassion, and mercy.

We are ambassadors, representatives. Thus, their anger is not personal towards us, but is ultimately directed towards God.

They hated HIM first.

They will hate us as his representatives.

Jesus reminds them…listen, they hated me. They will hate you. Do not be surprised by this. The student is not greater than the master. If they hated me, they will hate you.

EXPECT that as a follower of Christ who is actively living for Christ and like Christ that you WILL face persecution and opposition. Do not be surprised by it.

1 Peter 4:12-19.

1 Peter 4:12–19 ESV

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Too often we are surprised because we forget that nature of opposition that exists between Christ and the world. We forget that we are in fact, in a spiritual war.

If they hated Christ, which they did, rest assured, if you reflect Christ, they will hate you too. They do not know God, they do not know Jesus. It is our job to show Him to them and explain who he is and pray for the Spirit to open their eyes that they may see.

BUT they do not know his heart, they do not know him and thus they hate what they see.

And herein lies the problem. I am touched on it already but lets look a little deeper.

Hatred’s Great Failure - John 15:21-26.

John 15:21–26 ESV

21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

In what way(s) does hatred fail? Why does it never accomplish that which it intends or promises and always comes up short?

Hatred’s great failure is found in the fact that it does not unselfishly choose for another’s highest good.

Hatred is focused so much on self, that there is little to no room left to put another’s needs first.

Hatred focuses on ones own hurts, grievances, or losses.

Hatred focuses on ones own wants, wishes, will, and desire.

Hatred does not attempt to truly understand another, empathize or sympathize with another.

Hatred does not attempt to consider the needs of others.

THUS, hatred fails to reach toward another for their benefit, for mutual benefit.

Hatred will prevent full knowledge and understanding because there is simply no desire to gain such knowledge or understanding.

Hatred will prevent unity and oneness because unity and oneness requires us to reach toward another for their highest good.

Hatred lives in a state of ignorance and is locked in a prison of selfish intent.

They do not KNOW HIM WHO SENT ME.

Hatred’s failure is this…it lacks an intimate relationship with God. They do not know God. They do not know Jesus.

Nor was there a desire to get to know him.

He threatened them and their autonomy and independence.

He stood between them and their will.

They did not know or understand him and thus they feared him.

We fear what we cannot control.

We fear what we do not understand because we are threatened by it.

Here is a dilemma though..

John 15:24 ESV

24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

What do we make of verse 24 that states they have now both seen and hated the Son and the Father in light of the fact that verses 21 and 16:3 clearly state that they have not known the Son or the Father?

Two different Greek words are used here in verse 21 and in 16:3. Both are virtually the same and there is little difference between the two. They bear the idea of……

Verse 21 - They do not KNOW who sent me…(Oida)

To have information, know

To be intimately acquainted with

To know/understand

The grasp the meaning

To remember

To recognize merit, respect, honor

16:3 - They have not KNOWN the Father, nor Me (Ginosko)

To arrive at knowledge; to know or know about

To acquire information about

To grasp the significance or meaning of something

Point is…it is MORE than mere knowledge. There is understanding, even intimacy and closeness.

This is to be contrasted with the word SEEn in verse 24.

Verse 24 - They have both SEEN and hated… (Horao)

To perceive with the eye

To mentally perceive

To fix ones gaze

They may have SEEN the Son and the Father, but they have failed to KNOW them. Seeing and knowing are two different realities.

Hatred’s failure is this

They failed to KNOW, truly KNOW God, or Jesus.

Hated exists because relationship does not.

Either because of ignorance and fear OR because the flesh is opposed the Spirit and God stands in the way of what the flesh wants (men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil)

Either way, they hate God because they do not truly KNOW God. If men understood that God was the fulfillment of all their longing desires, that they seek for from the flesh, they would run to Him. If they knew that He satisfied WAY better, WAY more fully, WAY more eternally…

If they understood that God’s prohibitions were protections from harm

If they understood that Gods prohibitions were promises pointing them to the greatest good that would satisfy their souls

THEN, they may not hate God.

But, as it is, they hate because they don’t know God. They hate because there is no relationship with God. They hate because their nature is opposed to God, their deeds are evil and they fear letting go of what they have for that which is better.

And it all steps from the absence of relationship and/or a broken relationship.

Jesus also notes in John 15:22, 24…

John 15:22–24 ESV

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

If I had not come…

If I had not done works among them…

THEN they would not be guilty of sin…

Then they would not guilty…

BUT now, since I have come, they have guilt.

What does it mean that if Jesus had not come, that he if he had not done the works he had in front of them, that they would have no guilt?

Do not mistake this to mean that if Jesus had never come, man would not be guilty of sin, that is coming is the very thing that condemns us, that he if he had never come, we would be fine.

That is not what this is saying.

MacArthur summarizes well what is going on here…

The Lord was not speaking here of sin in general, but rather of the specific sin of willfully rejecting Him in the face of full revelation. That is the most serious sin of all, because it is the only one that is not forgivable. Having witnessed firsthand Jesus’ miracles and heard His teaching—both of which testified unmistakably to His deity (cf. Matt. 7:28–29; John 7:46; 10:25, 37–38; 14:10–11)—the Pharisees’ conclusion was, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons” (Matt. 12:24). Because they attributed His miraculous works to Satan instead of the Holy Spirit, Jesus pronounced their sin to be unforgivable:

Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matt. 12:31–32)

While that specific sin can no longer be committed, since Jesus is not physically present on earth, the principle remains the same. Total rejection in the face of total revelation is unforgivable, since there is nothing left for God to show such people. In the sobering words of the writer of Hebrews,

For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Heb. 6:4–6)

John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 175.…

Jesus point is that they now bear guilt because the full light and revelation of God has come down in FLESHLY form and STILL they reject it. This makes them guilty to the highest degree.

The light has come.

They have seen.

But they have not known God

And they have hated and rejected him. THUS they have not bear the full weight of that guilt and the condemnation that comes with it.

Joh notes that…

John 15:25 ESV

25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

John cites Psalm 35:19 and Psalm 69:4 here. David, an imperfect human, was hated by his enemies vehemently. If he could be hated so much, how much the Son of God who represents everything righteous true that stands opposed to man’s wickedness?

The world hated Jesus, and they will hate us, for pointing out the wickedness of their deeds for calling them to repentance…which is the better and more satisfying way.

Yes, the world hated Jesus for it.

BUT when you look at his life and works, did they really ever have any reason to accuse him of wrongdoing or find fault with him?

NO.

They had to have people LIE about him or distort his words in order to get enough cause for Rome to authorize his crucifixion. In truth, Jesus never committed wrong and thus, they hated him without cause.

Devoid of an intimate and trusting relationship with him, what other choice did they have? What other response could there be?

What is worse, and terrifying, is sin’s ability to deceive. Consider the opening verses of chapter 16 and hatred’s deception.

Hatred’s Deception - John 16:1-4.

John 16:1–4 ESV

1 “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 4 But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you. “I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

Why is Jesus speaking them his disciples about being hated by the world?

First, Jesus makes clear…

These words are are meant to comfort and strengthen you SO THAT you do not fall away.

This is yet another problem with our modern presentations of the gospel. We paint this picture that come to faith in Christ, that repentance will SOLVE ALL YOUR PROBLEMS and give you a comfortable, easy life.

This is false. We have been promises trial, hardship, and persecution, as we have seen today.

BUT, if we come into our repentance and faith FULLY AWARE of what awaits us, when it comes, we will not be surprised or discouraged.

When it does come…we will be prepared.

We need to make clear, allegiance to Christ DOES mean animosity with the world…BUT THE EXCHANGE IS WORTH IT…the price is worth it. God is worth it.

He makes clear to them what awaits them.

They will be put out the of Synagogue - a fate we discovered from John 9 is the worst possible fate for a Jew.

They will be killed

AND those doing so, will think they are doing God a service. They will do it in the name of RIGHT.

Listen, when persecution comes, we will not be arrested, tortured, and killed on honest and legit crimes. We will be lied about, set up, framed, manipulated, just like Jesus, and we will suffer for His sake.

BUT like the disciples who suffered for Christ and went away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for Jesus’ sake, so will we.

BUT the deception is this…Sin will convince them that what they are doing is right and true and good.

What are we do with the fact that the world will hate us and will oppose us? How are we to respond?

Be faithful.

Be Christlike.

Walk in the Spirit, being filled, controlled, and led by Him.

Preach the gospel

Serve others.

Use our gifts and abilities for HIS name’s sake.

Be the ambassadors that we are.

And leave the outcome to Him.

Church, if we are living and serving our risen Savior, our Eternal Creator, we will face opposition from the world. We will face animosity and ridicule. Expect it.

Don’t run from it.

Rejoice that we would be able to suffer AS OUR MASTER AND TEACHER DID for the sake of displaying the love of the gospel to a world enslaved to and dying in their sin.

When it comes, remember what was told would happen if we were faithful to Him.

When it comes, remember who God is, abide in the vine, stay vitally connected the source of your sustenance and life, and remember…GOD IS WORTH IT.

1 Peter 2:18–25 ESV

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Suffer WELL for God’s glory IN ORDER THAT OTHERS MIGHT SEE HIS WORTH and be drawn to him through your example of suffering.

Follow Christ’s example who suffered for us.

Does this sound impossible?

It is.

Unless you abide in the vine, staying vitally connected to the source of all that we are.

Only when do so, can we love those who hate us

Only when we abide can we suffer with joy and thankfulness

Only when we abide can we stand fast and not fall away when opposition and persecution comes.

Only when we abide can we endure the hatred that will come, as it did for Jesus, and be willing to pay the cost for as long as it takes in order that our Father might be glorified.

Love for God WILL MEAN hatred from the world. Abiding in the vine empowers us to stand fast in the face of such opposition.

Conclusion

Big Idea: Love for God WILL MEAN hatred from the world. Abiding in the vine empowers us to stand fast in the face of such opposition.

Secondhand Hatred- John 15:18-20.

Hatred’s Failure - John 15:21-26.

Hatred’s Deception - John 16:1-4.

Church, may we be abiding in the vine so that we will have the resolve, the strength, and the resources to stand fast WHEN the opposition comes and thereby ever be growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.

Application

Why is there comfort in knowing that Jesus was hated by the world before we were?

It means we are not alone. God has gone through it, endured it, and understands it.

It means it is not personal. We are hated BECAUSE OF GOD and not because of us. It is easier to take less offense, less hurt, less devastation when we realize that it is not us they are angry at, but God. Certainly, this too ought to make us angry, but we approach it differently when it is another. We tend to attach our sense of worth, value, and identity on other’s opinions and approval of us. Thus, if we realize the world is not really rejecting us, but God, it creates less of an tendency to be devastated by it because our hope is in God not in man.

How do maintain our light and testimony in the face of unrelenting hatred and opposition?

Abide in God. Abide in his love. Keep our focus on HIM and on HIS LOVE His love FOR US. Regularly remind ourselves how Jesus loves and how much he loves. It helps us to keep our focus on others and not on ourselves.

Expecting nothing in return from people we love and serve. As long as we expect nothing in return, we are free to love and serve them unselfishly. But the minute we expect anything in return, we become needy and dependent on them, using them for our own gratification and we not free to love them like Christ.

Look UP. Look OUT. Serve. Maintain a servant heartedness no matter what.

Pray and ask God to help us see people as needy souls headed for hell without the gospel.

Stay connected to sound bible teaching and a solid church community.

How do we develop a lifestyle of preparedness for opposition and persecution?

Keep a wartime mentality versus a peacetime.

Have a regular time in the word, reading, memorizing, studying and meditating. Draw near to God and work to deepen your passion for and intimacy with Him. Only a firm intimacy with God will enable us to love our enemies and stand fast when we have to endure suffering for him.

Prayer regularly for our enemies, for those who annoy or frustrate us. Pray for those who we do not like.

Stay closely connect to others who are passionate for God.

Practice dying to self and taking up our cross daily and following Jesus.

Walk in the fruit. Be filled with the Spirit.

Why is hatred never a useful tool?

It only enslaves. People think it empowers them, that by using the power of our hatred and anger, we can accomplish things we otherwise could not, but in truth, it only enslaves and kills. It robs of joy, peace, security, and contentment. Hatred will only seek destruction not construction. It will seek revenge not restitution. It is not a useful tool for it will always seek the wrong thing.

How do we safeguard our lives from being polluted with hatred?

Forgive daily.

Meditate often on how much we have been forgiven.

Keep our lives open to inspection and admonishment.

Be teachable always.

In what way(s) are you being deceived into thinking your actions are serving God when really they are not? Be Specific

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