The Church and the World

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John 15:17–16:4 ESV

17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another. 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. John 16 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.”

Opening Prayer

Setting the Stage

What we’ve seen in this chapter, so far, has to do with our union with Christ.

If we are in the Vine, or in union with Christ, then we have the following:

Christ working in us to produce fruit.

He is the source of all good.

Christ’s perfect love for us.

Exemplified in the Cross.

Christ’s command for His disciples to love one another.

Follows the example of Christ’s sacrificial love.

So, we have been taught about Christ’s love for us.

We have been taught that we are to love one another.

This morning, we will be looking at what we can expect from those outside of Christ.

We see this division given by Christ.

This division of relationship with God.

This division of who is your father.

If you are in Christ:

God is your Father.

If you are not in Christ:

the Devil is your Father.

You are either of Christ or of the world.

These are the divisions of the world.

There are only two.

The True Church and the World.

Now, Jesus is preparing the eleven, and us, for how the world may treat us.

The Potential Treatment of the Church

In this passage we see three specific ways in which the world will treat us.

John 15:18–19 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.

John 15:20 ESV

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.

John 16:2 ESV

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.

So, we see three negative ways that encompass how the world will treat Christians, who are the bride of Christ.

Hate/Persecution/Killing

This has been proven throughout the history of the world, as well.

We are still witnessing these truths today.

We’re just often unaware of it, because it’s happening, primarily, in different countries…on different continents.

In countries like Sudan, Libya, Nigeria and many more, last year:

5,000 Christians are murdered a year for their faith.

Over 4,000 Christians were arrested and imprisoned for their faith.

Nearly 4,000 Christians were abducted.

More than 3,200 Christian women were sexually assaulted or forced to marry non-Christians.

Over 42,000 Christians were physically abused.

300,000 Christians were displaced to shelters in other places…forced to move.

More than 14,000 Christian churches, schools, and hospitals were targeted last year.

Over 10,000 churches forced to close.

Over 2,000 churches were physically attacked.

Even when the world/government/culture seem to not dislike us…

It is a toleration that only goes as far as comfort and convenience go.

Peer pressure to not get cancelled.

Peer pressure to maintain a good reputation.

Let the culture’s opinion shift and you see the leaders’ tolerance of Christians lessen.

Let the leaders’ opinion shift and you see the culture’s tolerance of Christian’s lessen.

Small doses of intolerance over the last 50 years is how you get to where we are today.

Why Does the World Hate Us?

John 15:19 ESV

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.

Lots of truth here.

Christ chose us out from among the world.

The world hates you because you are in the world, but not of the world.

We are opposed to the self-righteousness of the world.

We are opposed to the suppression of God in the world.

The world’s goal, as Paul puts it in Romans 1, is to expend all its energy in suppressing the truth of God…

In order to sear their God-given conscience.

And, convince themselves all their life that they’re okay.

This is how the Devil dupes people into hell, while they’re smiling.

But, as Christians, we spend our life proclaiming the glory of the God they want to suppress.

We are a reminder to them of what creation and conscience declare.

That God is God and He is holy and righteous and good.

That they have sinned against Him and are under condemnation.

And, they hate that thought.

It causes them to recoil in fear and more hatred towards God.

But, we as Christians have this message of peace with God.

This gospel of good news that God is merciful, gracious, and loving in spite of our sinful ungratefulness and suppression of the truth of God.

That God has made a way for the sinner to be justified by faith in Christ.

So, we are to take the message of the gospel to the world so they do not recoil at God.

But, our problem is that the thought of persecution too often causes the Christians to recoil from preaching the gospel.

But, we need to be reminded that…

The Christian Mission is Offensive

This really has me thinking that we have designated our self to a Defensive Movement in the last few decades.

As the culture has raged, we’ve grown more silent.

But, Christianity, although peaceful, is meant to be offensive.

Meaning actively pursuing the lost.

Romans 12:18 ESV

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

This is how we present the gospel…in peace.

This is how we respond when the gospel is rejected...in peace.

Romans 10:14–15 ESV

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

This our offense…our active pursuit of the lost.

We go to them with the gospel.

We offer them peace with God through faith in Christ.

We offer them peace of conscience through reconciliation with God by faith in Christ.

But, Jesus is preparing us to not be caught off guard.

John 15:20 ESV

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.

TheJesus was hated, despised, rejected, persecuted, and killed…

Because He preached the truth of God’s Word.

John 15:26–27 ESV

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.

The Spirit’s work is to testify to Christ and point to Him.

He does this through the Word and through the good works that Christian’s perform in the Spirit’s power.

The Spirit testifies to the Christian internally.

And, the Christian witnesses to others.

There are two alternatives to the preaching of the gospel:

Scorn

Acceptance

John 15:20–21 ESV

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.

Those who scorn do not know God.

Those who accept have been taught by the Father and know the Father through the regenerating work of the HS.

We Need to Be Ready

Our Savior has not left us to figure things out on our own.

He has revealed truth to us.

We are to be on active mission to preach the gospel to all who will hear.

We are to be ready to be persecuted or received with joy.

Those outcomes should not cause us to waver in our mission.

To the one who scoffs and persecutes us, we pray for them and respond to them with peace.

To the one who receives us with joy is brought into the household of love.

And, here is a truth for us to remember…

Let’s think about this...

The Hatred of the World Increases Our Enjoyment of Brotherly Love

When we go out and feel:

the hostility of the world

the rejection of the world

the persecution of the world

It should cause an inner prompting that stirs us to want to be back in the household of God…

To experience the love of God through the fellowship of the saints.

To experience the love of God through the worship of God expressed by the saints.

And, I wonder if one of the reasons we do not ong to be gathered as the church…

Is because we’re not living in such a way to feel the rejection of the world.

Rest in the finished work of Christ, dear Christian.

And, be so full of joy over it that you can’t help but point the world to that same rest.

And, enjoy that rest through fellowship within the body of Christ.

Closing Prayer