Pastor Montia Setzler
January 25, 2015
Series: Discovering the Life Changing Gospel
When the World Neither “Likes” or “Follows” You
John 15:18–25 (HCSB)
18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave 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 they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they don’t know the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates Me also hates My Father. 24 If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened so that the statement written in their scripture might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason.
The World hates Christians because:
1. WE ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE WORLD (15:18a, 19)
1 Peter 2:9 (HCSB)
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
• As Christians, we will face the same kind of hatred that Jesus did.
• Because we are different than the world, the hate will come.
2. THEY HATE THE SAVIOR WE SERVE (15:18b, 20)
2 Timothy 3:12 (HCSB)
12 In fact, all those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
• We should not expect to be treated any different than Jesus was.
• They persecuted Him, they will persecute us as well.
3. THEY DO NOT KNOW CHRIST (15:21–25)
Romans 8:7 (HCSB)
7 For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.
Matthew 5:10–12 (HCSB)
10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
• People are down on what they are not up on.
• Jesus came and shined His light on a dark world.
• The world doesn’t even know Him, yet they hate Him.
How to avoid persecution:
1. Be indistinguishable from the World
2. Hide your identification with Christ
3. Just know about Jesus without a personal relationship
The World hated Jesus so what should we expect when we follow Jesus? They hate believers because we are not a part of their world. They hate Jesus because they do not know Him.
