The World's Reaction

If you have your bibles this morning open them up to John 15, and pray with me…

I have titled the message, “The World’s Reaction” Jesus is preparing the disciples for how the world will respond to them in the text today. Remember Jesus has been over the last few chapters teaching them some important truths that they need to know because he is leaving them, and returning back to the father. In todays text we get to see an important question many Christians may have asked Jesus and that is Why does the world hate Christians? Jesus makes it clear to his disciples and even us why this is the case, and should not come as a surprise to us when this happens? Many of us if we are honest don’t like being hated for believing in something so good as Christ himself, if you are a believer it might even seem unreasonable to you that someone would hate you, just because you love Jesus. From a personal perspective I have had other people upset with me, because my views align with the Word of God rather than the world. And for Jesus this was the case as well. For people who claimed to be right with God to hate Jesus seems crazy to anyone who knows the scriptures, and sees who Christ is, but the reality is people hated Jesus. Hated him for many different reasons, and we will unpack and see in the text why that is the case. However, Jesus in the text does not leave us only with this idea that people will hate you for what you believe, he urges us to not fall away no matter what.

So what I want you to see this morning as our main idea is this… The world will hate believers because it does not know Jesus, but Jesus gives believers the Holy Spirit in a world that hates them.

And to help us understand that main idea I have several points that I want you to see, and all this can be found in your bulletin or on our facebook live as well.

1st point this morning is this..

The world hates Jesus

John 15:18 says this…

John 15:18 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.

How could anyone hate Jesus while he was on earth? He did these great miracles among the people, forgiving them of their sins, healing them of their ailments. Saving people from their sins. Making their lives and situations so much better because he did something amazing in their lives. Well those things may be good and all, but Jesus also identified himself with God which infuriated people, and gave himself these titles that were rooted in the scriptures about God and God alone. That he is the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way and the truth and the life, and as we saw last week the true vine. And despite who Jesus is they still hated him.

And so the foundation for the disciples and us on why people may hate us is because they first hated Jesus, and if we follow him faithfully there real problem is not us, but with Jesus. The world and those who belong to it hate Jesus.

The second thing is this..

The world hates disciples of Jesus, because they have not be called out of the world.

listen to verse 19.

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.

You don’t have to be a biblical scholar to understand love outside of the christian faith is not how we would define it. If you ask people outside of the church no one has the same answer. The meaning of the word love has become so watered down it has turned into a cheap catch-phase like love is love. Rather than what love truly is.

Last week we saw a great answer to what love is in John 15:13 when it said…

John 15:13 ESV

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Christian love has multiple meanings, and Jesus loved us so much that he laid himself down for us, and put away his own selfishness for the glory of God, and care of others. Which as I have stated before its countercultural to the world. And the truth is that the world tends to hate us because we are not like the world. We are different at least we are suppose to be. Our idea’s of the important things in life are so far from those who belong to the world. Our ideas on marriage, family, and politics are rooted in the word of God, not based on what is cool in the moment. And thats why Christians catch a lot of hate for it.

The disciples would have to go through a world that was filled with others Gods, other teachings, other worldviews just like we do, and Jesus is telling them people are going to hate you for what you believe. But he is commanding them be different, be distinct, because he called you out of this world. He reminds us again and again to follow what I have to say no matter the trends of this world. And that means for the disciples and for us, that we have the responsibility to put Jesus first no matter what the world tends to believe about something. Peter talks about why this important as well. 1 Peter 2:9.

1 Peter 2:9 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We have the motivation to not be like everyone else, because we are a chosen people set apart in Christ to proclaim about the one who called us out of the darkness of the world.

Remember last week Jesus said in John 15:16.

John 15:16 ESV

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

and that verse taking in the larger context of the gospel of John and in this section of scripture I am in today must be understood that to bear this good fruit we must be called out of this world. The fruit that we bear is not like the apple, peach, or orange tree, its a heavenly fruit not belonging to this world, to bear fruit we must be called out of the world, and be different from the world.

Fitting into the worlds agenda is the exact opposite of why Jesus called us out of the world. But its important for us to understand something in this being called out, and I am guilty of what I am about to say so its hard for me to say it, but we cannot be as one of my old pastors has said before Jerks for Jesus. R.C. Sproul says, That does not mean we should go out into the world and do everything we can to be as obnoxious as possible in order to prove that we are truly Jesus’ disciples. We are not supposed to go looking for persecution or hostility, but if we never experience it, that should be a wake-up call to tell us we may not be as committed to Christ as we say we are.

Personally I love God’s word I am not ashamed of it, I believe Romans 1:16-17 as it says..

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

As much as I believe that I cant and you cant be so removed from the world that you can’t impact the world either, I thought long and hard about this, our hate from the world should not come because they hate us for who we are but what us for what we believe, and really who we believe in.

which brings me to my third point this morning.

The world hates disciples of Jesus because they dont know God.

v 20-21. John 15:20-21

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.

One of the ways they hate Jesus disciples is by persecuting them, and they are persecuting them because they dont know God. And Jesus tells them this is going to happen to them if they are truly serving him. Many people persecuted Jesus, so they should not be surprised if they are also persecuted as well. In the gospel of Matthew we see this idea unpacked even more so It says this in Matthew 10 starting in verse 16 this.

Matthew 10:16–25 ESV

16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

If we are going to be like Christ we should expect persecution from those who do not know God.

in the early church that was a reality to them as we read in Acts 5.

Acts 5:40–41 ESV

40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

And the truth is those who persecute disciples of Christ don’t really know God. If they did they would not do such a thing, but because of sin they do. Which brings me to my 4th point.

4th point this…

The world hates disciples of Jesus because Jesus exposes the worlds sin.

John 15:22–25 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. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

You can’t love God and Hate Jesus, and you can’t be accepted by God until you come to God through Jesus, and Jesus life and ministry is the clearest example to mankind of God’s holiness. Jesus came down from heavenly origin, leaving the Father and The Holy Spirit entering into his own creation, becoming like us, though without sin, to expose our sin. Jesus lived a life that God expects from each and every one of us, but the biggest difference is he did not fail like we all do, and in not failing he exposed something they already should have already knew they were not perfect though God himself demands it from them.

And in there imperfection the world hated Jesus even more so because of his light. His word’s and work make it crystal clear that everyone is a sinner. There is no one without sin. Jesus is the righteous one, and Jesus life and ministry shows that he has the authority to confront sin head on, just like many of his disciples do as well. And in their sin the world hates Jesus and his followers without a cause.

Jesus quotes actually Psalms 69:4

Psalm 69:4 ESV

4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore?

and the irony in Jesus quoting that very verse is, he is using the scriptures to condemn those who belong to the world, who thought they belong to God.

If you have been with us on Wednesday nights, we have been going through every single verse in Deuteronomy, and we are almost done, but Deuteronomy for me has shown me something pretty clearly God is in charge, and his word shows us that he is Holy, and in his holiness he gets to define what is right and what is wrong, what is sin, and what is not, and how we are to be right with him, and one another,

but in the new Covenant with Jesus Christ he shows us the same thing by following that law we can’t, thus exposing the sin of the world, and its need for him, and the world hates him and us because he did that very thing. Imagine thinking I hate Jesus, because he lived a perfect life, because he died for sinners, but that is what the lost world does, because they don’t want him to be their lord. Sin makes you so delusional it would cause you to hate someone who created you, because your creator exposes your need for him, and your sin against him.

These are some reasons the world hates Jesus, we could probably even think of even more we have heard from others, even though none of those reasons ever have justification. And for the believer if the world hates you it, how are you going to make it through each and every day. Despite the world hating him and his disciples, Jesus gives us a way to counter that, and in the text we see that today.

The first way Christ helps us is this, which is the fifth point this morning.

The Holy Spirit helps our witness to the world.

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.

Back in John Chapter 14, Jesus tells them about the Holy Spirit that was going to be with them, indwell in them, never leave them, and this is needed in a world that is against believers in many ways.

And the Holy Spirit is going to be are greatest strength when testifying to the world, and Jesus wanted his disciples and us to know that very thing.

The Holy Spirit is so powerful in the believers life because The Holy Spirit is God himself. Sent by God to help us. And when we are called to give defence of what we believe in a world that is against us, do not fear believer because the Holy Spirit is present in you.

He tells the them you can be sure you can do this, because you have been with me seen me my whole ministry ( knowing that he does what he says he is going to do) , and now I am sending you, and we see in Acts, and in the documentation of the early church the disciples did some amazing work, because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

We can be confident because The Holy Spirit has been an active part of Jesus ministry for over 2000 years, and if you are a believer in Christ its continuing to this day.

The Holy Spirit helps us in another way.

6th and final point

The Holy Spirit helps believers not fall away to the world.

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.

The greatest danger in this life is not the danger the world can bring upon you, but falling away from Jesus. And the Holy Spirit keeps that from happening, and He keeps that from happening in the worst of circumstances.

The Holy Spirit is going to be that reminder to the disciples about all the things Jesus has said to them, thats how we got the gospels to this day, and his word and The Holy Spirit help us from following away. I can’t tell you how many times in my own life where the Spirit has giving me a verse or a reminder of what the word of God says, and how that helped me in moments of weakness, and in moments of witness.

If you remember back in chapter 9. Jesus healed the blind man, and his parents knew that Jesus did that very thing, but rather acknowledge Jesus before men they said ask our son, and why was this, because they feared being put of the the synagogue.Something Jesus said was going to happen to his own disciples and those who follow him.

I am convinced many Christians today are not being the bold witness they need to be because they fear they themselves will be put of the public square, and you might not think being put of the synagogues is a big deal. Its just a building, but lots in that society revolved around the synagogues. It was a place of worship, prayer, and study. Scholars say that is was the focal point of the Jewish community in any town with Jewish population. So if they were put out of them they could not receive the benefits of partaking in many community events, thus losing many opportunities.

Today Christians seem to be forced out the public square in the United States, its gotten to be so bad that people are being canceled for believing God has the authority over all matters, and some lose their jobs, their family, and friends over these things. Crazy enough when Roe v Wade was overturned I lost several facebook friends, and have been confronted often on my views of that very thing.

And the world seems to be programed today that we ACTUALLY do a service to it and their gods if we remove those who think in a Christian way. Jesus himself warned his disciples that this day is coming very soon that people who even take your life will think they are offering a service to God.

If you know your bibles well enough the first thing that comes to mind may be Saul, also know after conversation as Paul, he thought in his mind that Killing Christians getting rid of them is a service to God, when in all actuality it was him himself that didn’t really know God. he just had a head knowledge of him.

In Acts Chapter 6 Stephen was captured by this group who was apart of the Synagogue because he was preaching Christ, but they said otherwise that he was blaspheming Moses and God and because of this they wanted to kill him, and when they captured him they made it seem as though this man was really against God, and they said this man was preaching Christ, and how we are wrong, and he is right. And it upset them greatly,

And going into Chapter 7 Stephen who was full of the Holy Spirit as the text says preaches one of the greatest recorded sermons in all the bible highlighting God’s work going all the way back to Abraham highlighting the prophets, and the great works of God, and showing them that they did not respond properly to God then, nor now, and telling them they are the people who really dont know God, the text says that Stephen seen Jesus as he did this and it upset so much they killed him. Listen to just a few of the verses in the exchange.

Acts 7:56–8:3 ESV

56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Saul thought he was serving God, but he didn’t know him at-least not yet. Something happened to Saul if you are still in Acts jump to Chapter 9… Starting in verse 1.

Acts 9:1–19 (ESV)

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Notice the 3 days like Jesus was dead for three days..

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, great name for the circumstances am i right…

and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

See how it ties into the message Paul was called out by God.. Just like his disciples and us.

16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

Just like he said the disciples would suffer for his name.

17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit that helped the man who Paul had killed would come upon him, the same spirit that Jesus promised his followers as well.

18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight.

Jesus not only makes the real blind see but those who are spiritual blind… This is so good.

Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.

For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.

I love what Saul does after this verse 20 his life is totally changed.

Acts 9:20–22 ESV

20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.

The place where Christians were being kicked out of, became a place where Paul preached Christ every-wear he went.

And after that we know Paul as one who was greatly persecuted but one was so faithful to Jesus, even in chains, and through his death. Paul wrote 13 books of the bible, and lived his life for Jesus the rest of his days.

Prior to Paul being saved he belonged to the world, even though he was devote Jew, and knew the Old Testament and the Law better than anyone listening to this message, but he was spiritually dead, you yourself can be a devout person to something, but being devout or genuine doesn't mean you are right with God.

You may have been one of those people belonging to the world hating Christians for what they believe and what they stand for, but really you hate Jesus, you hate him because you have never truly met him like Paul did on that road to Damascus, or disciples who walked with him for three years, now not every conversion is as dramatic as Paul’s but every conversion has an acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord, and he died for my sins. Maybe you don’t understand why someone could serve this Jesus so much that they are willing to lose their place in the culture we live in, because you have not seen how great your sin is, and how great a savior he is.

Notice what Stephen said before he breathed his last breath, close to the same thing Jesus did when he breathed his last breath saying, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do. He said, Do not hold this sin against them, see you may have hated Jesus all your life for one reason or another, and followers of him, but he still extends grace out to sinners, no matter how bad you have been. Everyone sins against God, And if you repent of your sin today, and turn to him, he calls you sons and daughters of the most high, the gospel is good news, and good news for you today is if you have never truly put your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior you can be saved today. By repenting of your sins, and trusting in Christ, Its a simple as that. And you need not to worry, about what people might think of you he is going to give you the wonderful Gift of the Holy Spirit to come and live in you, God lives in you, and will help you in your own witness, as well as help you not fall away from him.

But at the end of the day always remember what I told you the main point was. The world will hate believers because it does not know Jesus, but Jesus gives you the Holy Spirit in a world that hates him.