 The title of our sermon this morning is Consider Christ and take courage consider Christ and take courage and this is part two as we are in John chapter 15 verses 18 through 27 We've been working verse by verse through the gospel of John and as we've come to Essentially the last night in the Lord's life the Lord Jesus Christ is giving parting words to his disciples and this parting instruction so critical so Important to their future ministry for the Lord Jesus Christ and to ours as we consider the Lord's Having left having ascended into heaven now seated in this session at the right hand of God the Father and now we Hear left behind so to speak on this earth have a mission to accomplish for him a great commission that we've been called to So in John chapter 15 verses 18 to 27 now Lord is walking with his disciples on the eve of his execution They're crossing over the Kidron Valley going toward the Mount of Olives up the Mount of Olives where they're headed toward the Garden of Gethsemane where the Lord Jesus Christ will be betrayed into the hands of lawless men and arrested his earthly ministry to this point has elicited a rebellious and savage irrational Hatred from the world and that hatred is about to reach a boiling point in just a few hours from now Where the Lord will be crucified put to death The Lord knows Exactly what he's about to face We see his agony in the garden as he prays about that to the Father and now as they're walking along His concern now is the disciples The disciples are on his heart in his mind and he intends now during this conversation with them To prepare them for all that they're going to face and to prepare them for what his crucifixion and his departure What it would mean for them the hatred and Persecution will be fierce They will be sorely tried. They're gonna be tempted to fall back this very night The night on which he is arrested they're going to be scattered because of him Peter before the night is out He's gonna deny him three times. They're gonna be racked with doubt with confusion with despair with faithlessness with cowardice and all that said We know That the disciples of Christ are not promised a life of ease They're promised by the Lord Jesus Christ hatred from the world. They're promised persecution and The Lord knows here as he's walking along the Kidron Valley with them that that hatred and persecution Will eventually lead to their deaths 11 of the disciples Martyred for their faith martyred for their testimony of Christ one dies in exile So here if you can imagine right the scene imagine the conversation that's taking place the Lord with a sense of urgency Right with a sense of concern All of that communicated by the command to them in verse 20 Where he says to them remember he commands them to remember the word that I said to you a Servant is not greater than his master if they persecuted me They're also going to persecute you if they kept my word. They'll keep yours also So that's what we're gonna do this morning as we look at John chapter 15 verses 18 to 27. We want to remember We're remembering we're remembering that we're not promised a life of ease In fact now is the time for labor It's not time to take your ease It's not time to settle into comfort. We've not entered yet that rest That's been promised to us who believe in him We're to labor and when you labor in this world for his name listen when you labor in this world for his name You will face persecution You will face hatred In Hebrews chapter 12 verse 3 says to us consider him Consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls That's what the Lord wants them to do so walking along He knows what they're gonna face and his exhortation to them is to remember remember his words Remember his example remember his ministry and to take courage from that. Don't get discouraged. Don't fall into despair Don't fall into laziness or apathy or neglect Take up the charge take up the commission consider Christ take courage and preach the gospel Consider Christ take courage and live for him. Don't give up. Don't throw in the towel It's not meant to be easy our ease our rest is coming But it's on the other side of this life Like the disciples are following Christ here in John 15. We're to consider Christ and take courage Consider Christ and take courage. Let us go forth to him outside the camp and bear his reproach Don't avoid that. That's it for the Christian. That's a badge of honor. Isn't it for the Christian That's our joy to bear his name and the reproach that comes with it for the Christian is a joy is a blessing We're to consider Christ and take courage and not only because of how the Lord Jesus Christ Endured the hatred of the world and died But because of how he endured the hatred of the world and now lives Do you think about the disciples? After the Lord is executed murdered What gave the disciples The courageous faith To press on preaching the gospel in the same city That crucified the Lord in the same world that hated him and crucified him Because Jesus Christ was raised from the dead Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. They saw the risen Lord Now you and I are commanded just as they were you and I are commanded to go and to preach the gospel Mark chapter 16 were to go and preach the gospel to every creature, right Matthew chapter 28 go therefore Make disciples We're commanded to go Intentionally to preach the gospel in a world to a world that hates it That despises it the same world that crucified the Lord When you do that, you're gonna be mocked You're gonna be uncomfortable, right at times when you do that, you're gonna be scorned. You're gonna be hated disregarded You're gonna be reviled But our charge is clear, right and we have the most Glorious motivation to be faithful in that charge. We're to love their soul And we are to love the Lord Jesus Christ more than we love our own reputation We're to love the Lord and love their soul more than we love our own lives when we die Where are we? We've entered our rest when the Lord is through with us. He calls us home We're just passing through Be a fool for Christ's sake right and preach the gospel be a fool for Christ and preach the gospel This is a short life. It is but a vapor Jesus said in John 16 in the world you will have tribulation But take courage the Lord says I have overcome the world and he lives now Seated at the right hand of the father in attestation of that fact And I guarantee that we're gonna be Resurrected also We don't serve a dead Christ. We serve a risen Christ He who is raised from the dead has promised us low. I am with you even to the end of the age So considering the hatred of this world Considering the persecution that all disciples of Christ will face How does the Lord here intend to reassure us from the text? It's what he's doing with his disciples here in John 15. He's reassuring them Warning them of the world's hatred reassuring them. How does he reassure us from the text? Well last week in point one on your notes We considered first his example the example of the Lord Jesus Christ in verse 18 Like he was hated You too will be hated in him. That's what he's saying in verse 18 verse 18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you In verse 19 Like he was sanctified or set apart from the world You too in him are set apart or sanctified from the world to him verse 19 If you were of the world the world would love its own Yet because you are not of the world But because I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you in verse 20 Like he was persecuted You too will be persecuted with him Verse 20 remember 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 keep yours also a why why did he suffer? Why did he die? Why did he go through all of that? Why did he endure the hatred and cruelty of humanity? Why did he endure the persecution? Why did he leave his heavenly glory to suffer ridicule to suffer? Reviling to suffer blasphemy To suffer the scorn suffer the shame suffer torture to suffer crucifixion Well Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2 gives us some insight into that Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2 says that the reason that he did that suffering even the cross Was because of the joy Hebrews says that was set before him Hebrews 12 says it was for the joy that was set before him. Now. What is that joy? Before you think for a moment the joy was merely your only redeeming us need to think again Hebrews chapter 12 the joy that was set before him in context there is the joy of his exaltation The joy of his glory the glory that he had with God the father from before the worlds began The glory that was his in heaven the glory of Christ the glory of God the father and all that coming his exaltation in the redemption of wicked rebels like you and I and And now in Hebrews chapter 12 the joy that the Lord has of being seated his work finished Right his work accomplished death overcome sin overcome His people his own those whom he loved redeemed to himself now the joy of having sat down In his session sat down at the right hand of the throne of God The Lord is there now Lord is there now and so now As you and I as we run our own race for the joy that is set before us. What's that joy? It's a joy of glory also Glory in Christ the joy of having him right the joy of having Christ the joy of going to heaven when we die We're as we are running our own race for the joy that is set before us We're to look to him Him who is our hope the author and perfecter of our faith. We're to look to him for help To him for hope we're to look to him in faith as we face difficulties we face tribulation And we in light of that great hope are to lay aside every weight The author to the letter of hebrew says we're to lay aside every weight We're to lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us. It's like Concrete sometimes around our ankles, right We're set aside that sin which so easily ensnares us and we're to run with endurance the race that is set before us We follow the example of him who has gone before us Who did all that for us the one who endured the cross So understanding his example and how we live the christian life in light of his example What should be our response to these things so we talked about last week hebrews 13 verse 13 Therefore our responses. Let us go forth to him outside the camp bearing his reproach Here we have no continuing city But we seek the city that is to come that which cannot be shaken Why is it why is it that we love him because he first loved us that's right We love him because he first loved us. Why do we pursue him? Why do we seek him in his word? Why do we obey him? Why do we suffer with him? Why do we boldly go into the world and face the same hatred that he faced? Why do we Go out with the gospel which this world hates And preach that gospel which will bring to us the same persecution that it brought to him. Why do we do that? Because he's loved us We are loved in him We are accepted in the beloved Because of the great love with which he loved us, right? Why do we love him because he loved us? And he loved us in this way having suffered and died for those who are his own Why do we do all that because christ loved us and he loved us in that way Is a great him. I love this him that our church Sings on a fairly regular basis and the hymn goes like this I once was lost in darkest night Yet thought I knew the way The sin that promised joy and life had led me to the grave I had no hope that you would own a rebel to your will And if you had not loved me first, I would refuse you still But as I ran my hellbound race Indifferent to the cost You looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross And I beheld God's love displayed you suffered in my place You bore the wrath reserved for me And now all I know is grace And what's our response to that truth? What's our response to it, right? Sing it with me, right? What all I have is christ again Amen, that's our response to that truth I beheld God's love displayed He suffered in my place He suffered in my place He took that persecution. He faced that scorn. He bore my shame He bore the wrath reserved for me and now Nothing but an endless peace Endless grace Jesus is my life For all we have in this world is christ It will soon go to him Him goes on Now lord, I would now be yours alone and live so all might see That the strength to follow your commands could never come from me Father, use my ransomed life in any way you choose And let my song forever be my only boast is you The lord reassures us in the face of our own persecution Right in the face of the world's hatred The lord reassures us that we're in him Lord reassures us by his own example Lord encourages us by the hope that we have in him Lord encourages us reassures us by heaven Our portion christ who will be ours forever who we will worship in eternity God the father high lifted up praised and worshiped in spirit and in truth unfettered by sin That glorious hope should cause us to sell out for christ sell out for christ in this world There should be nothing there should be no creaturely comforts No inconvenience too great Consider christ and take courage go forth to him outside the camp and preach the gospel Next in your bulletin point two on your notes In warning us of the world's hatred warning us of the world's persecution That we're gonna face as we preach the gospel He calls us to consider the world's response to his own ministry And to take heart with the fact that that will be the world's response to our ministry Or to consider his ministry Think about it in verses 21 to 25 The only perfect preacher The only perfect communicator The one who is perfectly loving Perfectly merciful, right perfectly gracious Always had the exactly right word to say always Never too harsh Never unbalanced He was perfectly balanced between grace and wrath You couldn't say of him that he preached too much grace You couldn't say of him that he preached too much judgment Perfect And that perfect preacher was hated He was despised and rejected by men If that's the case for christ What does it mean for you when you go out and preach the gospel? When you're faithful with the word of god faithful to the message You're going to be persecuted also consider his ministry. Look with me at verse 21 All these things the Lord says All these things they will do to you for my name's sake Because they do not know him who sent me If I had not come and spoken to them they would have no sin But now they have no excuse for their sin He who hates me hates my father also If I had not done among them the works which no one else did They would have no sin But now they have seen and also hated both me and my father You notice that twice in that little section of scripture They've hated both him and his father Verse 25 But this happened all this happened That the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law They hated me without a cause But the good news the gospel right The gospel is like a glorious diamond a multifaceted Shining crystal pure clear beautiful diamond all of that against a very black backdrop The glory of god in the gospel the holiest Holiness of god in the gospel the righteousness of god in the gospel the mercy of god the grace of god all of that set against the Terribly grotesquely Deporably back black backdrop of man's sin man's corruption god is holy you and i are not You can't faithfully preach the good news without its context And we see that happening in the world all over the place, don't we Someone who goes and just wants to proclaim god loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Listen That is certainly not true of every person, but certainly not the gospel in its context What are they trying to do we have these ideas these notions Men do right worldly wisdom worldly stinking thinking not biblical thinking We have these notions that we can somehow preach the gospel better than jesus christ did And get or garner a better response than jesus christ did when you preach the gospel in its context You are going to be hated when you preach the gospel in its context You must preach the good news against the black backdrop of man's sin You must do that to be faithful with the gospel the gospel comes in the context of the wickedness of man And when you say it that way the world is going to hate you for it They're going to hate it And that hatred for the gospel hatred specifically for the lord jesus christ is expressed three ways in verses 21 to 25 We see that hatred First in the world's response to his person in verse 21 Secondly we see the world's hatred In the world's response to his words In verses 22 and 23 And finally we see that hatred expressed in the world's response to his works In verses 24 and 25 they hate his person. They hate his words. They hate his works. They hate everything to do with him Why because he says in john chapter 7 that he comes testifying of the world that its works are evil That's the context for the gospel your works are evil and you need a savior When the lord testifies of it that its works are evil the world hates him for it now Let's take a look at that first point verse 21 the world's response to his person. He says in verse 21 But all these things They will do to you for my namesake because they do not know him who sent me and the world the world's hatred Begins with a hatred of the person of the lord jesus christ all these things in verse 21 at the beginning there Refers to the hatred and the persecution that the lord describes in verses 18 to 20 They're gonna hate you And they're gonna persecute you and all these things verse 21 they will do to you for my namesake So the hatred spewed forth by the world in verses 18 and 19 The persecution that's certainly coming for every disciple of christ Described in verse 20 that hatred that persecution now has a cause in verse 21 Jesus says in verse 21 that causes his name Jesus says it's because of my name rightly understood because of me These things verse 21 they're going to do to you because of me Because of me pretty clear right mark chapter 13 verse 9 mark says of the last days He says watch out for yourselves For they will deliver you up to councils and you will be beaten in the synagogues And you will be brought before rulers and kings for my sake or because of me The lord says for a testimony to them The world's treatment of the lord's disciples Is because the world hates the person of christ They hate his name in other words the name associated with who he is they hate everything to do with him They hate his name and they're gonna hate those who bear his name They're gonna hate those who bear his name And for the genuine christian They're greatest joy is to bear his name right we've talked about the the disciples in act chapter 5 being beaten And then going away rejoicing they've been counted worthy to suffer shame for what? For his name suffer shame for his name You know you can call me anything in the book as long as you call me his own right For christians you can endure any name calling as long as you are called by his name As long as you're his Now the reason the reason for the world's hateful response to the person of the lord jesus christ Is given at the end of verse 21 That reason is this Because they do not know him who sent me In other words If they had truly known god They would have responded differently to the revelation of god in his son jesus christ If they had known god truly they would have responded differently To the revelation of god in the person of the lord jesus christ Their hatred for christ is damning evidence that they don't know god first christians chapter 2 Paul says in verse 7 We speak the wisdom of god in a mystery The hidden wisdom which god ordained before the ages for our glory Which none of the rulers of this age knew For had they known the mysteries of god had they known god they would not have crucified the lord of glory Now we know from john chapter 5 remember when we're as we're walking through the gospel of john and we're in john chapter 5 The fourfold witness for the lord jesus christ in john chapter 5 God testifies of the lord jesus christ right and god himself said this is my beloved son in whom i am well pleased right They heard the audible voice of god at the baptism of the lord jesus christ and god testifies of the lord jesus christ They rejected that witness In john chapter 5 the scriptures testify of christ the lord says you Search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life And these these scriptures are they which testify of me they searched their old testament Looking for eternal life and the old testament is pointing to christ. They rejected that witness and rejected their messiah Lastly it says in john chapter 5 Jesus testifies of himself Jesus testifies of himself that he is the christ the son of god and the words of the lord jesus christ bear witness to who he is Now how do they respond to his words? Point to the response to his words in verses 22 and 23 verse 22 If i had not come and spoken to them They would have no sin But now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my father also So in response to his words, what do they do? They hate him They hate him And because they hate him They give evidence of hating the father also Now the world's hatred if you think about this for a moment the world's hatred of christ is because Christ came and spoke to them It didn't mean that they were sinlessly perfect before christ came They weren't sinlessly perfect the world is corrupt the world is evil their deeds are evil Christ now having come and preached to them Now the world hearing his words hates him It's going to work the same for me and you if you're here this morning And you profess to be a christian But you've lived a quote-unquote comfortable easy christian life It's pretty much all I need to know about you To assess that most likely you're not opening your mouth for christ If you preach If you preach the world is going to hate you for it When you speak to them They're going to respond By rejecting the word of god they're going to respond with hatred some are going to listen to your word Some are going to obey your word Like the lord says some will keep it also as they've kept his Much of the world is going to hate you for it In that they're guilty When you've been given revelation by god what a grace what a mercy right to hear the gospel preached I don't know about you I spent A vast majority of my life having never heard the biblical gospel I can think now i'm An old guy at this point right right, but I can remember twice Twice in my entire life that anyone ever came to me and even attempted to preach They didn't preach the gospel, but they made an attempt one guy handed me a track and he's like Do you Think you're a christian? I'm like yes, and that was it. He walks off right I got the track. I didn't read it But he gave me a tract remember the other time I was walking uh Through an event this uh event that goes on here in ovito When I was lost and someone came up to me and they asked me what would you say to god when you stand before him? What are you gonna say to him? Hi god What would you have god say to you? I hope he'll say to me well done, you know good. I'm lost That's all I knew to say well done good and faithful servant And that was it that was the end of the conversation my entire life No one ever really preached the biblical gospel to me until I came to this church There's no other excuse for that But that professing christians aren't faithful with the commission they've been given Genuine christians genuine christians Can't help but preach the gospel right paul said I believed Therefore I spoke I believed therefore I spoke we've been given this ministry and See so much evidence within modern-day evangelicalism Of people who are ashamed of the gospel They're ashamed of the response that it gets from the world and so what do they do they water it down They change the message they refuse to preach it In those churches where that happens you get grace grace grace grace love love love love love trumps everything You don't get the gospel It's as easy as abc just admit your sinner believe in christ and confess Right no repentance They have no excuse for their sin We have the revelation of god In our laps right We have the word of god in our laps. We have no excuse no excuse The jews at this time claimed to love god But they accused jesus christ of being demon possessed Like those today who claim to love god But believe that jesus is a created being or believe that jesus is just a man Or would say that jesus christ is not god They hate the self revelation of christ that he is god in the flesh Just like the jews at that time who claimed to love god They see jesus christ as something other than he is and they prove themselves to hate jesus and hate god luke 8 verse 18 luke says therefore Take heed how you hear For whoever has to him more will be given and whoever does not have even what he seems to have will be taken from him They respond to the person of christ with hatred. They respond to his words with hatred. Lastly jesus says in john chapter 5 The works which the father has given me to finish the very works that i do those works Bear witness of me. Well, how do they respond to his works? In verses 24 and 25 the lord says if i had not done among them the works which no one else did Same thing right they would have no sin But now they have seen and also hated both me and my father But this has happened that the word might be fulfilled, which is written in their law. They hated me without a cause His words and his works Testify of who he is they testify of his person the world hates his person hates his words And rejects his works hate his works He is the lord jesus christ is god in the flesh He is the lamb of god the messiah the one who has come to take away the sin of the world The jews so blinded by we've seen this as we walk through the gospel right the jews so blinded by christ So blinded by their hatred for christ their hatred for his message That even the works that he did the miraculous works that he did Were attributed to satan rather than to god Jesus says in john chapter 14 verse 11 He says believe me that i'm in the father and the father is in me or else believe me for the sake of the works themselves The lord is saying believe me and if you won't believe me believe the works that i do if you remember from John chapter 3 nicodemus all the way back in john chapter 3 nicodemus saying Rabbi we know that you're a teacher come from god for no one can do these signs that you do Unless god is with him the Pharisees knew They would not believe they saw the works and they rejected christ giving evidence that their blinding hatred Had blinded them from both god the son and god the father and in that they've got no excuse Verse 24 they have no excuse. They're guilty. They're guilty for having rejected the light They've been given now think about this for a moment in the ministry of christ Jesus in john chapter 9 gives sight to a man born blind attested to by everyone the Pharisees if you remember john chapter 9 Go on this diligent hunt for evidence to the contrary But this man was born blind and the lord jesus christ gave him his sight In john chapter 11 among many other miracles right in john chapter 11 the lord jesus christ raises Lazarus from the dead An unquestionable miracle if you remember Lazarus is in the tomb four days and what do they say of Lazarus? He's stinketh He's dead and the lord jesus christ raises Lazarus from the dead the Pharisees Knew that these miracles were true. They were undeniable And all that they rejected those miracles as having been done By god through jesus christ by jesus christ in god the father They rejected both the son rejected the father and in that the lord is saying they're guilty They're culpable for having rejected the revelation that they've been given turn with me for an example of this now to matthew chapter 11 Want to make the application for us matthew chapter 11? they're guilty For having rejected the revelation that they've been given if you're familiar in scripture With the unpardonable sin We've all heard that before the unpardonable sin Essentially the unpardonable sin Being blasphemy against the holy spirit the unpardonable sin is essentially rejecting or refusing to believe Attributing the message the words the works the person of christ to satan Right, it's rejecting the fullest possible revelation that you're going to have from god God essentially Gives a revelation of himself and he gives that in the in the person the work the words of his son the lord jesus christ When a person has been given as much revelation from god as they're going to be given At that point you're done When was chapter one you're given over to a debased mind you're given over to that what you want you want your sin You want your life you're given over it's called the sin or the the wrath of god's abandonment Essentially the unpardonable sin is just you've rejected The Some total of the revelation you're going to have from god and at that point you're done When you reject light when you stand in judgment over light when you reject a rebel against the light you've been given There is a consequence. Matthew chapter 11. Look down at verse 20 the lord preaching Begins in verse 20 to rebuke the cities in which most of his mighty works had been done because they Did not repent if you've done these miracles right throughout judia And they didn't repent verse 21 the lord says whoa Whoa to you carazan. Whoa to you beth seda For if the mighty works which were done in you Had been done in tire and siden they would have repented long ago and sat cloth and ashes But I say to you it will be more tolerable for tire and siden in the day of judgment Then for you a why? why Because of their rejection of all of that revelation that they've been blessed with it's a grace of god Right when the gospels preached to you. It's the grace of god when you go out and preach the gospel It's the grace of god to you certainly But it's the grace of god to that person you're preaching to I've thought about that many times standing at the door I've gone my entire life My entire life and no one came to my door and preached the gospel like i'm preaching to this person at the door What a grace what a mercy of god the goodness of god the compassion of god to bring the gospel to that person What a grace what a blessing Take heed how you hear right you reject that but I've often asked someone at the door before How many times have you ever had a conversation like this? And a vast majority of the times it's like never never These cities had been blessed They heard his preaching they saw his miracles They had the the lord of glory among them. They witnessed his power and yet in spite of all that revelation They rejected him They hated him. They hated his message. They attributed his works to satan And jesus used these cities Bethseda Karazen he used these cities to emphasize How his own people had rejected him All those people had said uh, we're all children of god, right? We're sons of our father abraham and yet they rejected god when god was among them And he said that it would be more tolerable In that day For tire and siden the day of judgment. It'll be more tolerable for tire and siden than for you I consider that in our context today We have so much revelation given us We have the complete Bible in our hands The revelation all The revelation at this point that god intends for us to have is contained in his word He has spoken in times past To the fathers by the prophets, but to us He's spoken to us in his son We have the revelation of the lord jesus christ He's come into the world. He's died At calvary's cross for sinners. We have that revelation given to us What will you do with it? What will you do with it? Back in john chapter 15 in verse 25 Even this this hateful And rebellious rejection serves god's purposes Look at verse 25 This happened verse 25 So that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law. They hated me Without a cause It says there in their law It's the law But it's their law. It's the law that they profess to be Given to It's the law that is theirs. They profess to be Oracles recipients of the law of god. It's their law even in that law The law testifies of the lord jesus christ They've rejected him the jesus christ of the scriptures And all that happened in accord with that law which they testified to be their own This happened verse 25 that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law They hated me without a cause this statement in their own law. This statement has come true Psalm chapter 109 listen to this from the psalmist. He says in verse one Do not keep silent. Oh god of my praise For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me They have spoken against me with a lying tongue They have also surrounded me with words of hatred and they fought against me without a cause In return for my love They are my accusers But I give myself to prayer Thus they have rewarded me evil for good and hatred for my love When you think about christ right you think about that psalm the psalm that he's quoting here in john chaper 15 Also psalm 39 psalm 65 When you think about that psalm when you think about the lord jesus christ And what the lord jesus christ has done? It's stunning right it's staggering that anyone would reject The lord it's stunning that the world hates him if jesus christ had come and the lord was malicious Or the lord was mean spirited right the lord was arrogant if he were harsh If he were self-serving But the lord didn't come that way the lord came because of the great love with which he loved us And they accused him And they hated him and they rejected him they rewarded his good with evil. They rewarded his love With hatred is there anyone more loving than lord jesus christ? It's amazing isn't it? Now when you and I go out to preach the gospel if you and I go out harsh and unloving If you and I go out maliciously or mean spirited If you and I go out self-servingly or arrogant or proud then we have every reason don't we to Reap the world's rejection of us So we need to be careful that when we go out we go out as lord went out speaking the truth and love speaking the truth But speaking the truth and love isaah said Let the wicked forsake his way the unrighteous man his thoughts let him return to the lord and the lord will have mercy on him And to our god for he will abundantly pardon That's the grace and compassion of the lord joll chapter 2 now therefore says the lord Turn to me with all your heart with fasting with weeping and with mourning over your sin, right? So rend your heart not your garments return to the lord your god for he is gracious The lord is merciful the lord is slow to anger. He's of great kindness and he relents from doing harm Jesus himself says in matthew chapter 11 verse 28 come to me Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I'll give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart And you will find rest for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light The lord is not offering Winter breaking up of stones in Siberia This is good news. This is rest and hope. He is gentle and lowly His yoke is easy his burden is light John says in this love of god was manifested toward us that god has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live Through him apart from him. We face death We face eternal torment in hell apart from christ But christ has come and the love of god manifested toward us in that god has sent his only begotten son Into the world that we might live through him In this is love not that we loved god But that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins the wrath Satisfying sacrifice for our sins The wrath of god if you're outside of christ the wrath and condemnation of god hangs over your head justly You deserve to go to hell when you die Because of your sin because you've rebelled against him He made you for his glory and from your birth you have failed to live up to that purpose for which you were created You have rejected him You have rebelled against him the sin of rebellion is as a sin of witchcraft in god's sight You're an enemy of god by your wicked works And yet in all of that the love of god Is manifested toward you in this fact that the lord jesus christ came into the world That god sent forth his only begotten son so that you might live through him what grace What compassion what mercy what goodness what love And yet the lord the world the world won't hear Won't hear they hate the idea that I need a wrath satisfying sacrifice. Why? Because my deeds are wicked You apart from christ are evil. You're wicked. It's the total depravity of man And that's why christ came in love in compassion in mercy in grace to be your Propitiation if you'll repent and put your faith and trust in him You know if you're here today, and you're not a christian Listen to me young man young woman Old man old woman listen to me If you're here today And you are not a christian Then you're going to have to deal With your guilt With the extent Of your guilt not only guilt of your sin But the guilt of your sinful rejection of christ to this point It will be more tolerable in the day of judgment For most men Then it will be for you Because of the light that you've been given the light that you have right now You're here today. You're hearing of the lord jesus christ You're hearing of his mercy You're hearing the good news You're here today As witnesses of the power of god in the gospel to save sinners I'm not the same man. I once was if you're in christ, you're not the same man You're not the same woman that you weren't once were either why Because the gospel because of the gospel because of the lord jesus christ the spirit of god in dwelling you god taking out your heart of flesh Your heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh God putting off the old man putting on a new man making you a new creation in him Take heed how you hear repent and believe in the gospel follow christ mark says this In chapter eight mark says when he had called the people to himself With his disciples also he said to them Whoever desires to come after me Let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me Let him deny himself Take up his cross the instrument of his own execution And let him follow me the lord says For whoever desires to save his life will lose it But whoever loses his life for my sake and The gospels Hear the lord jesus christ Whoever loses his life for my sake And the gospels will save it For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and he loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me And my words in this adulterous and sinful generation Of him the son of man also Will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels So what should our response be to all of this? The world Has rejected his person the world has rejected his word the world has rejected his works What should be our response to this reality point three on your notes take courage in him He's overcome the world Lord jesus christ has overcome the world take courage in him Look back in john 15 at verse 26 Verse 26 the lord says but when the helper comes that's the paracletos the holy spirit, right? When the helper comes whom i shall send to you from the father the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father He the spirit of god the spirit of truth. He will testify of me You know the courage that we need brother sister, right the courage that we need to run our race The courage that we need to be faithful with the gospel the courage that we need to get off the couch And witness to somebody right the courage that we need to take up our commission Is not something that we can simply conjure up within ourselves It's not that you by yourself in your own strength can reach down grab your bootstraps Right and pull yourself up and motivate you to get out and go Get out and witness get out to obey the lord fight sin Read your bible pray. It's not something that we can conjure up in ourselves We need the helper to come We need the spirit of truth that proceeds from the father. We need him Hebrews 11 Hebrews 11 Talks about those who went before us our brothers and sisters who were martyred for the faith It talks about them as having been made strong out of weakness You and i we need to be constantly made strong out of weakness. Amen We can't do this on our own strength. We need to be made strong out of weakness. They didn't make themselves strong. They made themselves available They made themselves available and god made them strong Think about it in your battle with sin in your battle with sin Make yourselves available to the word of god Make yourselves available to the means of grace of the grace of god in christ make yourselves available in prayer Make yourselves available to fight and god in your weakness will make you strong When you go out to preach the gospel you're going out in weakness Trust him put your faith and trust in him. It's god who makes you strong You are to make yourself available and you depend upon god to make yourself strong It's in the power of god's might that all of those martyrs that went before us It's in the power of god's might that they were made strong The spirit is your help the spirit of god will testify will testify of the world Of sin righteousness and judgment the spirit of god can testify in this role apart from god's people But he doesn't testify always apart from god's people and god's people can never say that they testify apart from the spirit of god You need the spirit of god First the spirit is your help verse 26. Secondly, the gospel is your charge Look at verse 27 And you also And you also will bear witness because you've been with me from the beginning You know in the context in verse 27 the verb there Will bear witness In the context is not a future. It's not you will as in some future point bear witness The word is actually an imperative a command Better translated. You must bear witness If the spirit of god verse 26 is in the world Testifying of the lord jesus christ, then it is incumbent upon you to testify also You must testify also you also will bear witness You must The reason for that It's because you've been with him from the beginning. Now you speaking of his disciples here in john chapter 15 Who had been with him from the beginning? Right, but it's always been said of the disciples of the lord jesus christ They've been with jesus. They've been with jesus, right when the rulers the Pharisees the scribes saw those that had been with jesus they perceived that they were uneducated men But they remembered They've been with jesus, right? You can walk up to someone in a matter of moments in a conversation Sense a kindred spirit with a genuine believer and say that guy's been with jesus amen There's just something about it. God knits us together. We share the same faith. We share the same spirit one lord one baptism Here because the spirit testifies you also must testify And the lord has been with you from the beginning when you were genuinely saved and the lord indwelt you with your spirit He said he promised to you low. I am with you always even to the end of the age There are only two groups of people here If you think about verses 26 and 27 Our charge by the lord here to take courage in him with the gospel and to bear witness for the lord jesus christ It delineates two groups of people one Witnessing disciples of the lord jesus christ who are willing to suffer for him Witnessing disciples of the lord jesus christ who go forth to him Outside the camp bearing his reproach Those who believe and because of their belief in the lord jesus christ those who speak that's one group The other group is the world Evil and condemned Two groups of people According to john chapter 15 verses 18 to 27. This is the reality of our commission folks You'll hear many that will say today Doing all kinds of hermeneutical gymnastics to get around the truth that Every christian is an evangelist. It's your commission Every christian is commanded by god the lord jesus christ to whom has been given all Authority all authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth He tells every christian to go to go and to make disciples to go preach the gospel You've been given a commission There are only two groups of people Witnessing disciples of the lord jesus christ willing to suffer for his name suffer for their faith and the world The objects of that evangelism And who is evil and condemned It's interesting that the word in verse 27 if you look at that word bear witness The words bear witness in verse 27 Translate the greek word martereo martereo. It's The greek word from which we derive our english word martyr Right martyr. That's interesting to me And thinking about that word How is it That a word That simply meant witness in the greek Come to be associated with suffering persecution and death It's a word that means witness How did a word that simply means witness Come to be understood from our perspective in our modern english language to be a word associated with suffering with persecution and with death It's associated with that because of the way the world treats christians The way the world has always treated christians and the way the world will treat you Settle it in your heart and mind folks. I you know We have to be resolved of that when you go to witness Fear god more than fearing that man fear god more than fearing that woman Take up his commission and just preach the gospel settle it in your heart and mind You're going to be hated You're going to be reviled your message is going to be rejected But there are some who are going to heed your word And you and i in this room Are testimonies of that fact And there are some of you when you first heard the gospel What did you do you hate it? They've stormed i saw a couple of you storm it out of the front doors of this church Hating what you heard But you couldn't argue with it And you knew what the bible said is true And you knew the lord jesus christ is gracious and merciful And you knew what it meant that he suffered and bled on the cross You knew What it meant for him to die for sinners And you finally after having The lord breaking through that packed reinforced concrete around your heart You finally came to the understanding. I need a savior And you turned from that wicked life You turned from living for yourself and you put all of your hope all of your trust all of your faith in him You know christians when you think about the word martyr Always for christians right always for christians. It's not a an acknowledgement Of the sacrifice of the christian of their own life, right? But if you think about the word martyr and where that word comes from Martereo being spoken of as being a witness for the lord jesus christ a martyr Is someone who gives their life for the sacrifice of someone else It's the sacrifice of the lord jesus christ the sacrifice of the lord suffered for his own When you do that when you bear witness for him with the gospel they're gonna hate you you will be persecuted Matthew chapter 10 This is our charge. This is our commission Lord says whatever i tell you in the dark Speak in the light What you hear in the ear preach on the house tops Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul But rather fear him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father's will But the very hairs of your head are all numbered Do not fear therefore you are of more value than many sparrows Therefore light of all of that glorious truth Therefore whoever confesses me before men Him i will also confess before my father who is in heaven But whoever denies me before men him i will also deny before my father who is in heaven You know friendship with the world the bible says is hatred toward god Friendship with the world is hatred toward god Would you rather be Would you rather be hated by the world and loved by god Or would you rather be loved by this world and hated by god? That's a no-brainer right Look with me at hebrus chapter 11 hebrus chapter 11 Here is the author to this letter is Recounting the spirit of god recounting the examples of faith Throughout redemptive history He comes to verse 32 having giving all these examples of faith He says in verse 32 and what more shall I say? For the time would fail me the tell of gideon and barric and samson and jephtha Also of david and samuel and the prophets Who through a courageous faith right through faith Through faith they subdued kingdoms Worked righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of lions quenched the violence of fire Escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong Became valiant in battle turned to flight the armies of the aliens women received their dead raised a life again Others were tortured Not accepting deliverance they might obtain a better resurrection. That's faith right. That's a courageous faith You know, there are there are many martyrs Who die? Blindly for some absurd faith a blind faith We don't have an unsettled undetermined indeterminate Hope our hope is resolved our hope is determined lord. Jesus christ has won He's won the victory. He's overcome the world and so these Didn't accept deliverance. They were By the power of the spirit and the spirit of god able to reject that easy deliverance That they might obtain a better resurrection verse 36 still others had a trial of mockings and scourgings Yes, and of chains and imprisonment They were stoned. They were sawn in two were tempted were slain with a sword They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins being destitute Afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth And all these Having obtained a good testimony through faith did not receive the promise god having provided something better for us They should not be made perfect apart from us therefore chapter 12 verse 1 We also Since we are surrounded By so great a cloud of it's not just a few right You're not looking at a stadium that is sparsely populated big sections of empty seats the entire upper deck empty This is a pack stadium We're surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses We also now surrounded by that great cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight Take off the mud filled Waterlogged boots take them off your feet right take off The laden down heavy garments Lay aside every weight Lay aside the sin Which so easily ensnares us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us And we need a reason together from this text Lay aside lay aside every notion that the christian life is going to be easy Lay aside every thought every idea that the christian life can be lived without cost It cannot It cannot Lay aside every notion that the christian life can be lived without inconvenience to you Without a disturbance to your schedule Without a reshifting a reprioritizing of your priorities it cannot Lay aside every idea that the christian life can be lived apart from the world's hatred the world's persecution And we are called to face it all in faith the end of all that the end of our faith is that the lord jesus christ calls us home We're called home So now while we're here lay aside every weight Lay aside the sin which so easily ensnares us and run your race Run with endurance the race set before you don't lose heart Don't get lazy along the way Verse two look to jesus the author And the finisher the perfecter of our faith Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross? Despising the shame and now he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of god You and I Must have a courageous Faith filled determination to go forth to him outside the camp and bear witness for the lord jesus christ And christians have been given given everything they need to do just that We have everything that we need So what would cause you and i as we consider these things what would cause you and i to wax and wane in our commitment What causes you and i to be neglectful of that charge Or to be cowardly or to be apathetic with it One maybe consider your own heart and maybe a loss of conviction You just don't believe it like you once believed it Maybe you don't believe it a loss of conviction Will cause you to lack in zeal For the grace of god in the gospel Maybe it's a lack of the fear of god You don't fear him Who can cast both body and soul into hell Maybe it's a lack of love for the lord jesus christ If you love the lord and all that the lord has done for you And you'll preach the gospel that's what saved your soul And you'll be zealous to preach that which we can save someone else Maybe it's too much love for your own life Too much love for your own comforts Too much love for your own priorities your own time your own desires You know comfort which we are plagued with today Comfort gives rise to temptation when you're comfortable You're going to be tempted temptation with comfort gives rise to selfishness self indulgence Satisfying yourself And many christians believe they can have the gospel and have that life It's a temptation you're a war to rage against that temptation I'm going to preach the gospel for christ And jim Elliott jim Elliott was a a martyr Was killed for the faith murdered for the faith and jim Elliott had a saying It has been impactful on me as I thought about it this week And jim Elliott's statement he says he is no fool To give what he cannot keep In order to gain what he cannot lose He is no fool to give that what you cannot keep his life Right to gain What he cannot lose christ Don't be a fool Amen Let's pray Father in heaven what I praise you we worship you we thank you lord. Thank you for um the lord jesus christ His person his words his works all that he has done His substitution on our behalf his propitiation or his wrath satisfying sacrifice His atonement for sinners We praise you and thank you for the lord jesus christ. Thank you lord for the good news That in him through repentant faith sinners can be justified before god Sinners can be forgiven or we praise you and thank you that we've been forgiven in him It in him We've been made free In him All of our sin has been cast into the depths of the sea We praise you god that in him We are seen as righteous in your eyes Thank you lord for that glorious blessing or give us a A conviction of those things unseen that by faith we might preach your gospel until you call us home Counting the shame counting the persecution counting the hatred and reviling of this world As a blessing as a privilege Knowing lord that you've said when we suffer for christ's sake we have a blessing we have a reward Well, you thank you for those glorious promises Strengthen us by your spirit to do it would help us to be faithful to you in this Would help us not to neglect these things We desire from the heart that jesus christ would receive the full reward of his suffering And we counted a joy to go outside the camp going forth to him to suffer with him For the joy that is set before us Just as he did for us for the joy that was set before him We praise you and thank you for that joy We love you lord. Thank you for these dear brothers and sisters Thank you lord for the joy that it is to serve alongside them In the gospel for your name's sake. It's that name that we pray. Amen