Scripture: John 15:5, 12

C.I.: Enduring in Jesus

We are studying John 15. - Jesus is in the upper room with His apostles. – In a few hours…!
So far: our relationship with Jesus, our relationship with each other. – Today, our relationship to the world.

I. A Believer’s Relationship with the World (Verses 18-27)

A. A Chilling Reality & the Four Reasons for It, (vs. 18-24)

1. (v. 18), “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”
a. “World” = the non-believers, (cf. Jn. 1:10; 3:16-17), “He was in the w. – For God so loved the w… judge the w. but so the world might be saved through Him.”
1) The world has a different agenda/desires – (I Jn. 2:15-16), “Do not love the world….”
2) The world hates Jesus – because He upsets the world’s applecart/desires.
3) Since Jesus commands us to “abide” in Him (v. 4a) – the world will also hate us!

2. Reason #1: Not of the World – (v. 19), “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
a. We don’t value system of beliefs as the world..
1) True believers have a different set of values, (Jms. 4:4).
2) True believers have a different set of beliefs – (Rom. 12:2), “Do not be conformed….”
3) True believers are totally committed to God. – The 9/11 hijackers were NOT good men – but they were committed to their god– “When the sacred months are past, kill those who join other gods wherever you find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them with every kind of ambush; but if they convert … let them go their way,” Sura 9:5.
4) If they are willing to do this evil for their god – what good are we willing to do for Jesus??!!

3. Reason #2: Identified with Jesus – (v. 20), “Remember the word I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ – If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word….”
a. Since Jesus faced persecution from the world – why are we surprised, (I Pt. 4:12)?!!
1) TEST: Do you find - your non-Xn friends questioning you about your words/actions/beliefs? If not perhaps its because they don’t see them as any different from their own, (Matt. 5:13)?!
2) Yet even as some kept the words of Jesus – so will some listen to us! Why we share w/them!

4. Reason #3: World Does Not Know God – (v. 21), “But all these things they will do to you - for My name’s sake, - because they did not know the One who sent Me.”
a. The world believes God’s purpose is to fulfill all their desires – (6:26), “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, - but because you ate the loaves & were filled”
1) Purpose for the “signs” – was so they would believe in Jesus, - (Jn. 20:30-31). –
2) They wanted the food. - To them, God is a “divine Santa Claus” – who brings what they want
3) But we know that God through Jesus – has already provided us – with all that we need!
4) Thus, God says, (Eph. 4:18), “Being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart.”

5. Reason #4: We Expose the World for What It Truly Is (Jesus did this in two different ways…)
a. By His Words – (v. 22), “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”
1) Everyone orders his/her life according to something, (civil rule, cultural expectations, Jesus).
a) They believe they are already “good people” because of this – yet, (Mk. 10:18b).
b) It will be Jesus words that condemn us or save us. – (Jn. 6:68; 12:48), “Lord, where could we go? You have words of eternal life” – “He who rejects Me and does not….”

b. By His Actions – (vs. 23-24), “He who hates Me hates My Father also. – If I had not done
amongst them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; - but now they have both
seen and hated Me and My Father as well.”
1) The words & actions of Christ were in agreement – and they both originated from God the F.
2) (Quote Jn. 12:49; 5:19; 10:30), “I did not speak … The Son can do nothing of Himself unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son does in like manner … I and the Father are one.”
3) Therefore, to hate/reject Jesus – is to hate/reject the Father – (II John 9).

6. The World has “No Excuse” for Its Hatred

a. (v. 25), “But they have done this - in order that the word may be fulfilled - that is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”- The world’s hatred of our Lord – does not make sense!
1) He lived & spoke of righteousness – so that we might have a pattern & and an example.
2) He loved and cared for people – even though it cost Him His life!
3) Thus, the world’s hatred doesn’t make sense – (Psa. 109:5), “They have repaid Me evil for
good, and hatred for My love.”

b. Therefore the world will hate us. – Yet we mustn’t live in order to receive the world’s love – but
because of our love for God & them – we must live/speak so they might be saved!

B. The Believer’s Witness to the World (vs. 26-27)

1. (v. 26), “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to your from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who
proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me.”
a. The purpose of “witness” is to bring people to a knowledge/acceptance of the truth.
1) Spirit’s witness is the inspired word – so people may believe, (II Pt. 1:20-21; Rom. 10:17).

2. (v. 27), “…and you will bear witness also, because you have been w/Me from the beginning.”
a. In the immediate context this refers to the apostles – so their lives & words form a witness.
1) Yet our lives too are a witness – to what Jesus can do in/through us.
2) (Acts 4:13; II Tim. 2:2), “Now as they observed the confidence… - the things which you
have seen and heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful
men who will be able to train others also.”

Review main points!

Mark 16:15-16