Hated, John 15:18-16:4, 23 June 2013

Big Idea: The world will hate true followers of Jesus, but He is with us.

Introduction

As we continue our series on the Gospel of John, Jesus continues His farewell address to His eleven disciples prior to the crucifixion. Today’s text is especially sobering, especially in our USAmerican culture that values safety, comfort, pleasure, and popularity. I honestly wish passages such as this were not included, yet they are God’s Word and a vital reminder to us about the realities of following Jesus.

Jesus said

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 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. (18-19)

Do you like to be liked? We all love to be surrounded by friends, family and fans that love us.

Do you like to be criticized or even hated? It’s a silly question.

A child of God cannot be popular with the world.

I’ve heard of some Christians that act like jerks to people and blame Jesus, saying that they are martyrs for their faith. Jesus is not saying we’ll be hated because
we offend people. He said we are not of this world and, therefore, as children of God, we serve Him and not the world.

There are two extremes that are dangerous. The first is syncretism. This is when we look and act just like everyone else. If we do not reflect the light of Christ in the darkness, we are just as dark as our surroundings.

The other extreme is separatism. This is when we avoid the world, separating ourselves, ignoring the darkness and keeping the light to ourselves.

We are called to participate in the
missio dei, the mission of God. We are called to be light in the darkness. The darkness hates light, but some will be drawn to it.

Virtually everything Jesus said and did was revolutionary and radical. He said the first will be last. He said to save your life you must lose it. He said to serve rather than be served.

Expect to be hated in the process.

Expectations

I believe one of the most important things in life is expectations. It is one of the secrets to peace and contentment. Let me explain.

When I do pre-marital counseling with couples, I confront two very different, broken human beings, each with a lifetime of experiences and baggage. That may not sound pleasant, but that’s reality. Often, people enter a marriage expecting the other to meet their needs and, as one actress famously said, “complete.” Needless to say, the expectations are frequently unrealistic.

On the other hand, I remember one couple that asked me to marry them. I knew them both and the extensive challenges each had, yet when we discussed their expectations, I was overjoyed to learn they were modest and honest. Because they entered marriage knowing they would face many difficulties, it’s not surprise to me that many years later they are among the most happily married couples I know.

Jesus did not want to paint a fantasy picture for His followers, past and present. Throughout His ministry, He “raised the bar,” challenged people, told them to count the cost, and even watched many turn away, unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices to be His disciple.

When Jesus said Christians would be hated, He meant it. He didn’t say following Him would make us happy. He didn’t promise “best life now.” He never promised us a rose garden, a castle, or a Mercedes. Contrary to the message of a whole movement of so-called Christianity, it’s not about us. Jesus said it’s about His glory. He would die, and we would, too.

In this passage, Jesus contrasts following the world versus following Him. Like a man with one foot on a pier and the other on a boat about to drift away, we must make a choice. We can’t have it both ways.

Are you a follower of the world or a follower of Jesus?

We all know the right answer on Sunday morning, but tomorrow is the test. Will you go into debt like everyone else or save and give generously? Will you join the water cooler gossip or be a champion for the underdog and outcast? Will you tell that so-called “little white lie” or tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Will you fill your mind with the Word of God and devote yourselves to prayer or allow yourself to be entertained by the TV and Facebook?

Are you a follower of the world or a follower of Jesus?

Every day we answer this question with our checkbook and calendar.

Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. (20-22)

He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ (23-25)

Jesus is the light. The darkness hates the light.

At this moment, 50,000-70,000 of our brothers and sisters are facing hard labor and tortured in North Korea…for their faith. (
http://www.eauk.org/current-affairs/politics/christians-imprisoned-and-tortured-in-north-korea.cfm)

That is just one of more than 50 nations where Christians are actively persecuted for their faith.

We must not be surprised when Jesus warned us more than 2000 years ago that this was inevitable, yet there are ways we can help, too. Visit persecution.com for details.

“When the Counselor 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. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
(26-27)

The Holy Spirit is predicted yet again.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit by confessing our sins and inviting Him into our lives, the presence of God Almighty lives in us. We are never alone. He is with us.

“All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.
(16:1-14)

Conclusion

This text seems distant to us, yet at this moment many of our spiritual siblings are reading this very text from prison, perhaps from a smuggled Bible. There are a few things we can do in response:

  1. Thank God for the freedoms we enjoy. They can be removed.
  2. Pray for the persecuted. Persecuted.com is a great place for resources. See below for other ways to get involved.
  3. Reflect upon your own life. If it became illegal to follow Jesus in this country, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Are you a follower of the world or a follower of Jesus?

Next Steps

http://www.prisoneralert.com/  This website is where people can choose a country/person, etc. of their choice and the website will populate a letter with up to 12 pre-selected phrases and translate them into the prisoner’s native tongue. Once complete, you print the letters and addresses. Some cases it is sent direct to the prisoner, and in others it is sent to the embassy or elected officials. . . you can track the number of letters receive updates on who has been released.
 
http://www.biblesunbound.com This website allows you to select a country or region of the world and send Bibles to those who have requested them. If it’s an open country, you will be sent a list of people who will receive your Bibles, so that you can pray for them as they receive and read them. And, near and dear to my heart, are the covert operations. You don’t get a list of names, but you assist in getting New Testaments into the hands of those behind closed or hostile areas (like Burma). These Bibles are delivered by courageous people who take these Bibles in at great risk. There is a map with little crosses to show you where your Bibles have been sent.
 
At 
http://www.persecution.com, under Give, is the opportunity to send funds specifically to the families of those who have been imprisoned for their faith and are no longer able to support their families. They also have a PSP program – which is similar to Compassion in sponsorship. In this instance, it’s a Christian worker in a persecuted country, that receives support to fund outreach and service to fellow Christians and non-believers.  http://www.persecution.com/psp this page has detailed information on what criteria is used to determine eligibility to receive support through this program.

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