Rejection Persecution Hatred

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John 15:18–16:4 ESV
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 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. 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. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 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. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 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. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’ “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. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away. 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. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. 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.

Rejection

John 15:18–19 ESV
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 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.
Ever felt out of place or alone
Most have
Jesus says Christians have good reason for this
We are Different we are out of this world
We are not like everyone else
We were chosen by Jesus and therefore the world rejects us
If we were one of the world they would love us
Yet we have chosen to swim against the stream and therefore they hate us
Because we are Christians we are rejected by the world

Persecution

John 15:20–21 ESV
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. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.
Jesus says persecution of the Christian is a reality
two important things
We should not develop a fatalistic mindset
We should still try to effect Good in all things including limiting persecution. Example people hid Jews from Hitler people hiding missionaries do not seek the persecution unnecessarily.
Second We should not allow this to discourage us
Reason for persecution is because they despise Jesus and they know not God.
Jesus goes on to say the persecution will get much worse John 16:2-3
John 16:2–3 ESV
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. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.
The disciples would be ran out of the synagogues the Jewish places of worship.
Remember these are the only places of worship of the one true God. This would be like getting run out of Church for Preaching Jesus. Some may even die for their faith.
He even says that they will do it in the name of God, Was this not what Saul says he was doing in Acts 26:3
Acts 26:9–11 ESV
“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
Yet all this is really because they hate Jesus

Hatred

John 15:18–20 ESV
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 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. 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.
Again all the rejection all the persecution and even all the hatred of the world towards Christians is because they hate Jesus.
Why do they hate Jesus
Its a salvation issue.
Jesus explains in John 15:22-25
John 15:22–25 ESV
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. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 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. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
They hate Jesus because he has revealed their own sinfulness and are without excuse.
Because he showed himself to be God and they denied him they are guilty of rebellion against God and their hearts convict them of it. For this reason they hate Jesus and therefore they hate God.
Yet Jesus says it is hatred without a cause for what they really despise is their own wickedness as compared to the glory of God.
The root of the problem is Jesus as revealed to our own eyes our sin and we are unable to hide from it any longer. Christians also do this to a lesser degree as we begin to clean up our lives and live like Jesus. Thus we too cause people to see their sinful ways and thus they hate us for the change Jesus made in us.
Brothers and sisters let me encourage you with these final verse Jesus says in John 16:1
John 16:1 ESV
“I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.
This means Jesus knew all these things ahead of time He promises us the helper in John 15:26
John 15:26 ESV
“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.
Thus God is with us, he knows what is coming and we know from last week he loves us and is giving life and strength to all who are connected to the vine thus we can endure rejection, persecution and even hatred because God is with us. Romans 8:31
Romans 8:31 ESV
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Invitation

Will you stand for Jesus in spite of the rejection, the persecution, the hatred of the world? Or will you crumble and reject him so that you can fit in with those around you. Remember Jesus words Matthew 10:32-33
Matthew 10:32–33 ESV
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
How will you choose Jesus or the world?
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