John Ch15v18-Ch16v4a - Great Cost, Great Privelege; Living As Jesus' Disciples

Good morning, everybody. Good to see you all. Could you please turn your Bibles to John chapter 15.

John 15 · chapter mention

! John chapter 15, that's page 1083. John chapter 15, we're going to start at verse 18.

John 15 · chapter mention John 15 · chapter mention

Just a little bit of context before Socrates comes to read it. Jesus is speaking these words on the night before he goes to die for us.

And he speaks these words to his original apostles. Judas has left the room at this point. He's gone out to betray Jesus into the hands of the rulers, the chief priests.

Matthias would later replace him some weeks later. Paul, we know, was later added to the number of the apostles after being called by Jesus in person on the Damascus Road.

Now, these apostles, they had a very special, they had a unique role in the early church because they were the eyewitnesses of Jesus' life and his teaching.

And he gave them a very special authority to speak his message to the world.

And it was an authority that was to be obeyed. It laid the foundation for the church.

And it was just for those few apostles.

Their accounts were written down as authoritative scripture.

And that's what we're reading today.

That's the New Testament that we have. It was written by them or by people who walked with them and recorded what they said.

So, we've got to know that because as we read these words today, Jesus is speaking these words directly to his apostles.

So there's some things that may not directly apply to us.

But there is so much here that still does apply to all disciples of Christ in every age and us here today.

So what Jesus is doing, he's giving us a prior warning about something that's going to happen in the future.

And it's something hard, which will happen in all of our lives as his disciples.

Now, we all appreciate weather warnings, right?

If a storm is coming, we'd much rather know about it than be caught in a flash flood on the Belay Road on the way home from work.

Okay? Thank you, Matt Aaron, for weather warnings.

A red weather warning may not be good news, but we need to hear it.

Well, Jesus is forewarning his disciples today about difficulty that is coming.

So that when it happens, we'll understand why it's happening.

And we won't fall away or give in.

So, listen for that warning.

What is he going to warn us about?

Listen up for that as Socrates comes and reads.

Thanks, Socrates.

John chapter 15, verse 18.

John 15:18

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.

If you belong 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.

Remember what I told you.

A servant is not 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.

But now they have no excuse for their sin.

Whoever hates me hates my father as well.

If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin.

As it is, they have seen.

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.

When the advocate 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.

All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.

They will put you out of the synagogue.

In fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are 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 their time comes,

you will remember that I warned you about them.

Well, as people, we all long to be accepted.

We long to fit in.

Just to belong.

Whether it's our families,

friendship groups,

the workplace.

We're always searching for our people.

The ones who will welcome us,

understand us,

accept us just for who we are.

And that's not a wrong desire to have.

But what Jesus says today is sobering.

The world will hate you for bearing my name.

Now, the world here refers to people who are outside of God's rule and his reign.

And Jesus says,

the world is going to undermine you,

overlook you,

exclude you because of me.

You're going to be misunderstood by family members

just because you've chosen to give your life to Jesus.

You're going to be excluded in different ways by classmates

because you're choosing a life of obedience to him.

And you're going to be criticized in the workplace

for living a life of integrity

rather than selfish gain.

Now, you may be painfully aware

of how it feels

to be rejected by people in the world.

I'm sure we could go around the room

and ask for stories.

We have hundreds of stories.

And in those moments,

it just feels easier, doesn't it,

to stay quiet

about Jesus.

Or just compromise a little.

Or even just to give in

to whatever is happening around us.

Two summers ago,

I went to Poland

visiting friends.

At their church,

I got talking to a woman from Belarus.

And she began to tell me her story.

She had fled her country

with her three-year-old daughter

just earlier that year.

Her husband

had stood up for justice

and for truth

in the face of a corrupt government there.

And he'd been imprisoned.

And he knew

they'd come for her next.

So he said,

you have to leave.

She fled across the border.

Her little daughter was there,

was playing around her feet.

And your heart would go out for her.

You know,

you think about the great cost

to that woman's life.

Just being married to this man.

She'd been forced to leave her home,

her family,

everything she knew.

And all because she bears his name.

Would she resent him?

Or somewhere deep inside,

just wondering,

what if I'd married someone else?

No.

She was resolute.

She could cope

with the hatred

of her government

and people

for the sake

of her husband.

In fact,

despite the great costs,

she counted it

an even greater privilege

to be married

to that man.

A man who would stand up

against evil

and oppression.

You see,

there were two things

side by side.

There was a great cost

and there was

great privilege.

And I think

that's just a little glimpse

of what Jesus

is telling us about here.

About our lives

as his disciples.

You see,

Jesus says

we are his bride.

And he is

our bridegroom.

We are united to him

in his life,

death,

resurrection.

Everything he has,

he shares with us.

And yet,

Jesus is up front

about the cost,

the great cost

of bearing his name.

The world

will hate you.

they will persecute

you because of me.

Yet also,

what a great privilege

alongside the cost.

Because,

you will testify

about me,

Jesus says.

And many will believe.

Being rescued out of this world

just as you were,

there is great cost.

there is great privilege.

This word is to comfort

those of us

who felt the pain

of the world's rejection.

It's also to challenge

those of us

who haven't.

And I've been afraid

to stand up for Jesus

and count that cost.

Would you pray with me

that we would listen

and hear

what Jesus has to say?

Let's pray.

Lord Jesus,

we belong to you.

We bear

your name.

And you are up front

today with the cost

of that.

Comfort us

and strengthen us

as we stand

for you.

And encourage us

with the privilege

that it is

to be known

as yours.

Holy Spirit,

speak now

into the deepest places

of our hearts.

Would you convict us

where we need

to be convicted

of sin?

And comfort us

where we need comfort.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

So first,

the great cost.

You will be hated

by the world.

Jesus gives us

three reasons

why we're hated

by the world

so that we can understand

what is happening

to us

when it happens.

And the first reason

why we're hated

by the world

is that the world

rejects those

who are not part of it.

Have a look in verse 19.

Chapter 15,

verse 19.

Jesus says,

If you belong

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.

Now,

we know it's easy

to earn

the world's love

and acceptance.

Just agree

with what everyone

else believes.

Just do what

everyone else does.

So if a friend

is sharing

some juicy gossip,

just get stuck in.

If your colleagues

are affirming

a sexual ethic

you know is wrong,

just nod along

with everyone else

and stay quiet.

If your college friends

are having one drink

too many

on a night out,

well,

just order another drink

and be able to laugh

about it the next day.

If your peer group

are spending excessively

on their own pleasures,

just do the same.

You can compare

what you bought.

Listen,

the world's acceptance

is so easy to earn.

But Jesus says,

you do not belong

to the world.

I've chosen you

out of the world

to belong to me.

Colossians says this,

the Father

has rescued us

from the dominion

of darkness

and brought us

into the kingdom

of his Son.

You know,

Jesus says it straight

in John chapter 8.

John 8 · chapter mention

He says,

before you were chosen

and adopted

by God the Father,

you belonged

to your father,

the devil,

and you wanted

to carry out

his desires,

you were enslaved

to whatever

he wanted you to do.

That describes

all people

in the world

outside of Christ.

But now,

God has chosen

you to be free

from your slavery

to sin

and to the crooked

belief systems

of this world,

and the second

that you or I

stand up

against that tide

of popular opinion,

we're going to

unsettle people

around us.

It's just going

to happen.

Nobody wants

to be challenged.

Nobody wants

to be confronted

in their sin.

Light

exposes

darkness.

You will be hated

in various

different ways.

If you belong

to them

and do what

they wanted you

to do,

they just love

you as their

own,

but as it is,

you've been

chosen out

of the world.

That's the first

thing Jesus

wants to say.

Now,

question for us.

Do we live

as if we still

belong to the world?

Like,

practically speaking?

Do your words,

actions,

or beliefs

ever challenge

people around you?

I'm not talking

about deliberately

provoking people.

And,

to be fair,

I can think

about times

when I have

provoked people

in a way

that was just

wrong.

And there are

people in Ireland

in recent years,

even,

you know,

on the news,

who have stood

for right

biblical principles,

but without

any gentleness

or respect

for people

who held

the opposing

view.

And here's

what Peter

says,

he's one

of the

apostles.

I see

you don't

have it up

there.

He says,

always be

prepared to

give an

answer to

everyone who

asks you

to give

the reason

for the

hope you

have.

Okay?

Always be

ready to

say,

to speak

for Jesus.

But,

he says,

do this

with gentleness

and respect,

keeping a

clear conscience

so that

those who

speak maliciously

against your

good behavior

in Christ

may be

ashamed of

their

slander.

So,

if people

have hated

you because

you've shown

them zero

respect or

kindness and

how you've

spoken to

them about

Jesus,

well,

that is not

persecution.

That is

something to

repent of.

Jesus is

calling us

to truly

live out

his way

and his

message with

gentleness

and respect.

So,

that's the

first thing.

The world

will hate

you because

it rejects

those who

don't belong

to it.

The next

reason Jesus

gives us

for why

the world

hates us

is the

world hates

Jesus and

you bear

his name.

Have a look

at verse 18

with me.

If the

world hates

you,

Jesus says,

keep in

mind,

it hated

me first.

Verse 20,

remember what

I told you,

a servant

is not

greater than

his master.

If they

persecuted

me,

they will

persecute

you also.

Verse 21,

they will

treat you

this way

because of

my name.

The great

cost of

bearing

Jesus'

name is

that as

people hated

him,

so they

will hate

us.

And Jesus

is hated

by the

world because

he confronts

it head

on.

He shows

up the

values and

priorities of

this world

as darkness,

as evil.

Jesus throws

out all our

attempts to

save ourselves.

He is

starkly honest

about our

sin-stained

hurts that

we cannot

mend.

Jesus claims

that his

work on the

cross is

actually the

only way

that any

of us

could be

forgiven.

are made

whole and

made right

with God.

And Jesus

demands

humility,

repentance,

and total

submission to

him as

Lord.

He calls

us to

come empty

handed to

him to

receive his

full salvation.

Now,

that message

offends.

It offends

our proud

hearts.

And not

only does

Jesus say

that.

He condemns

our selfish

individualistic

values,

which place

personal gain

over the

needs of

others.

He calls

us to

radical love

and to

give away

our lives

for others.

No wonder

Jesus is

hated by the

world.

And you

can be

sure,

if the

world hates

Jesus'

way of

living,

and his

message,

then they're

going to

hate us

as we

reflect his

way of

living and

his message.

As Jesus

says,

a servant

is not

greater than

his master.

If they

persecuted

me,

they will

persecute

you also.

Now,

hold on.

We can

avoid it,

all right?

We can.

We can

water down

the message.

We can

hide who

we truly

are.

we can

skip over

the more

offensive

parts of

the gospel.

We can

omit to

tell people

we belong

to Jesus.

We can

avoid

the rejection,

but that's

not what

Jesus has

called us

to do.

Now,

there is a

massive comfort

for you and

me in this.

You see,

our bridegroom

Jesus,

he's walked

the path

ahead of us.

He's

experienced

hatred and

rejection to

a depth

that none

of us will

ever know.

He's saying

to you

and to I

today,

I've been

there.

I know

what it

feels like

to have

vicious lies

spread about

me,

to be

hated

without

cause,

betrayed,

deserted

by friends,

condemned

though

innocent,

nailed to

a cross

by the

ones I

came to

rescue.

I was

scared,

I was

alone,

I know

how you

feel and

I'm with

you when

the world

hates you.

Take

comfort.

your savior

is with

you as

you

experience

hatred.

So that's

the second

reason why

we bear,

why we

experience

hatred.

We bear

Jesus' name. There's one last quick reason

the world doesn't know who God really is.

Have a look at verse 21. Jesus says,

They will treat you this way because of my name.

For they do not know the one

who sent me. He says it again actually in 16

and verse 3. Now the world

hates Jesus because

they don't realize who God is.

They don't recognize that Jesus is the fullness

of God. That he is the radiance of the Father.

And we read earlier

verses 22 to 25. And what Jesus was saying

there is that Jesus came speaking

his Father's words, doing

his Father's works, and still

people rejected him and reject him today.

Now all of those things are more than enough

to convince them that he is God.

And that they need to be reconciled to him.

But people still

reject Jesus. And for this

there is no excuse.

Their long foretold hatred of Jesus

is

hatred of the Father

who does his work through Jesus.

So why does the world

hate Jesus' followers?

Well another reason why is because

they just can't see who God is.

They just don't recognize

who God is.

And Jesus tells us elsewhere

to pray

for our enemies.

What we can do in this situation

is this.

We can pray

for people in the world

that God would

open their eyes

to see

who God is.

That Christ really is

God and Savior.

If God can do that for us

then God can do that for them.

So instead of our natural instinct

of

hating back

those who hate us

we can actually pray

for those who reject us.

And God

just like he did

when he opened our eyes

to see who Christ is

God can do the same

for those who persecute us.

So

we pray for them.

So that is

those are some of the reasons

Jesus gives us

for why

we are going to bear

the cost

of being hated.

But we can't leave this text

without seeing

the great privilege

we have

as those who bear his name.

It's not just the cost

Jesus tells us

about the privilege

and here it is.

We will testify

about Jesus

and people

are going to listen

and they're going to believe

and they're going to be rescued

just as we were.

Look at verse 26.

Listen for the role

Jesus gives us.

When the advocate 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've been with me

from the beginning.

Okay, so Jesus

is giving us the role

of testifying to him.

Match that with verse 20.

Have a look at that.

Remember what I told you?

A servant is not greater

than his master.

If they persecuted me

they will persecute you

also.

If they obeyed

my teaching

they will obey

yours

also.

Now the apostles

had the authority

to say

what Jesus' message

was

from day one

and to be obeyed

as if Christ

were speaking.

We

have authority

from the

King

of Kings

to speak

this message

of Christ

handed down

by the apostles

to the whole world.

We

are his ambassadors

and our job

is to speak

about Jesus

not in our own strength

in the power

of the Holy Spirit

whom he has sent

upon all

believers.

Now

to be an ambassador

for a king

or a president

that's a pretty big deal.

That's an honor

to be asked.

Imagine now

if you got a phone call

from Micheal Martin

in the morning

calling you up

to be his ambassador

to the United States

of America.

You will be sent

to Washington

to speak

his words

on his behalf.

What a massive

privilege and responsibility

that would be.

We've been given

something immeasurably

greater.

The king of kings

has entrusted

his message

to us.

And it's not a message

about trade agreements

or foreign policy.

It's the greatest message

that the world

has ever heard.

It's a message

that guilty sinners

can be forgiven.

That rebels

can become

children of God.

That slaves

to sin

can be released.

That death

is defeated.

That Jesus Christ

is Lord.

That everyone

who believes

in his name

will receive

eternal life.

No ambassador

has ever

carried a message

more important

or life

transforming

than that.

Can you see

the privilege

we have

of carrying

this message

but not just

to carry it.

that God

would have

us

play

a part

in the

salvation

of others.

Many of you

have experienced

this.

Maybe you're

a parent

whose child

has come

to Jesus

for life.

You had

the amazing

privilege

of telling them

about Jesus

over many years.

things.

Maybe you had

the privilege

of inviting

a friend

to a youth

group

or to church

on a Sunday

morning

and speaking

with them

about Christ

and now

they know

him themselves.

For most

of us though

we don't even

know

the impact

of our words

and actions

yet.

Often

we don't

see the fruit.

We don't know

what God

has been doing

behind the scenes

and in many

cases we won't

know until

heaven.

And I think

there are going

to be many

wonderful

surprises there.

I think

we will be

meeting people

who we lost

touch with

years ago

and they'll

say,

do you remember

that conversation

you had with

me?

When you

shared Jesus

with me?

Or do you

remember that

time that you

showed me

that act of

love that was

just incredible?

we may have

thought very

little of it.

But God

used our

words about

Christ and

our acts

of love as

stepping stones

that led

them to

saving faith

in Christ.

All the

glory goes

to God.

How amazing

that he would

involve us,

little us,

and his

work of

saving people.

Can I ask

you to think

about 100

years from

now?

What is

going to

matter more

than that?

You could

have a

successful

career,

travel the

world,

enjoy family

and friends.

What wonderful

things.

Amazing gifts

from God.

God, what

greater

privilege

could you

have than

to play a

real part in

someone else's

rescue story?

How they

were transferred

from the

kingdom of

darkness into

the kingdom

of the sun.

How they

are now safe

in Jesus'

arms forever.

What else

could matter

more than

that?

Brothers and

sisters,

two things.

standing side

by side.

A great

cost.

Being hated

by the

world.

A great

privilege.

Being

witnesses

to Christ

in the

world.

I have one

last

application.

What if

you've been

listening to

this whole

thing and

thinking to

yourself,

I don't

experience any

rejection or

hatred in

the world.

I just

don't

experience any

pushback or

awkward silences

or discomfort

because I'm a

Christian.

And if that's

true,

Jesus'

words here

invite us to

examine ourselves

seriously this

morning.

because the

more that we

speak his

words and

do his

works,

people will

be challenged.

They will

be unsettled.

Not because

we're argumentative

or insensitive,

but because

light exposes

darkness.

And this

passage has

challenged me

personally.

I'm thinking

about some of

the friendships

I have.

Wondering,

even after

years of

knowing these

people,

do they

even know

the most

important thing

about me?

Do they

realize Jesus

is the Lord

of my life?

Because if

they don't,

they deserve

to know.

I'm not

saying that we

have to turn

every conversation

into a three-point

summary of the

gospel.

gospel.

But we do

need to ask

ourselves,

have we been

too quiet

about the

reason for

our hope?

Have we

just gone

along with

sinful talk

and attitudes?

Have we

been more

concerned about

acceptance

than speaking

openly about

Christ,

which may

not go

down well?

I get it,

it's hard,

but there's

this disconnect

between the

disciple of

Christ we're

claiming to

be on the

one hand

and the

disciple that

Christ asks

us to be

on the

other.

James,

the brother

of Jesus,

says this

in his

letter.

He says,

don't you

know that

friendship with

the world

means enmity

against God?

Therefore,

anyone who

chooses to be

a friend of

the world

becomes an

enemy of

God.

That's what

James says.

That's

serious.

That is

disobedience to

Christ.

And for

this and

every other

sin,

Christ was

nailed to

the cross.

There is

time for

us to

repent.

We can

come to

Jesus today

God's

We can

that we

have not

stood up

for him.

That we

have feared

more what

the world

thinks of

us than

what he

thinks of

us.

We can

come to

God now

and we

can ask

for new

strength

to count

the cost

of the

world's

hatred,

to take

it on.

And to

remember the

awesome

privilege we

have of

being his

ambassadors and

standing for

him.

That is

something we

will never

in a million

years in

heaven regret.

it.

Let us

pray.

Thank you

Lord Jesus

for walking

the road of

hatred before

us.

The world

hated you

first and

you did

not fall

away.

You

remained

faithful to

your father.

Help us

to be

faithful to

you.

To bear

your name

well.

To count

it a

privilege to

suffer for

your sake.

To count

it a

privilege to

speak of

you to

the world

even when

it costs

us.

Give us

eyes to

see the

wonderful

privilege of

leading

others to

you.

Give us

a vision

for that

Lord.

That

would make

all the

costs that

we could

pay on

this earth

nothing in

comparison.

Lord we

just also

bring before

you brothers

and sisters

throughout the

world who

experience the

type of

persecution for

their faith

faith.

That we

probably never

will in

this time

in Ireland.

For

believers in

Somalia,

North Korea

and other

countries like

that who

literally face

death

simply for

claiming to

be long to

you.

Lord Jesus

we ask you to

strengthen them

this morning.

We can't even

imagine what that

feels like.

Would you

strengthen and

build up your

church?

Where the

pressure seems

too great

to even

survive?

Lord God

let them know

your power

and presence

with them

in their

pain.

And Lord

help us to

keep them in

mind as

we count

the cost

maybe

relatively in

small ways

compared to

them.

Help us to

count that

cost.

for Jesus

and to

live as

your

ambassadors

in this

world.

We pray

all of this

in Jesus'

name.

Amen.