He is Hated John 15:18-25 (p. 995) November 7, 2010

Passion: 2010 World Tour 11,000 Christian students & leaders worshipping together Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization (Cape Town 2010) 4000 leaders from 20 countries confronting critical issues of our time The most powerful man in the world is a Christian (Barack and Michelle Obama). The leader of own nation is also a Christian (Stephen and Laureen Harper). Christians have so much going for them today.

What if God was one of us? He was one of us! We ask: We discover: How did he live? What were his experiences? We discover: How we should live. What our experiences will be like. This week: He was hated. As you know, in this series we’ve been asking the question: What if God was one of us? And our answer is so very clear: He was one of us! And following that we naturally ask: How did he live? What were his experiences like while he was here on earth? We ask this because in the answers we discover how we should live and what our experiences here on earth will be like. So we’ve covered lots of things about how Jesus lived in this series: Jesus lives in intimacy with the Father, He saves, He gives life, He is willing to die, He serves (shown by washing his disciples feet), He gives peace, He makes us fruitful if we remain in Him. For the most part it is easy to see how we are to emulate these things, how Jesus’ experience is a model for us. But this week, this week we see that He is hated. And in our North American context of 10,000 strong Passion concerts and Christian world leaders, our text today seems to contradict our experience in the first world. How do we deal with this? Well, let’s go about trying to understand that text and then see what it might be saying to us today in our context of powerful Christians, rich Christians, Passion concerts, and World Congresses…

Just like the Master v18 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. “World” John’s context = the religious leaders who did not recognize Jesus as God “Hate” John’s context = tangible, physical persecution & hatred What does this look like for us in North America? The “hatred” and rejection are subtle often unspoken rejection of God in all things

Subtle Hatred & Rejection of God The danger for us: we get too comfortable Financial, material, intellectual security We stop relying on God  We begin to belong to the world

The Sin of Rejection v22, 24 – 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… 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did [miracles], they would not be guilty of sin. We have no excuse for the ways we reject God with our lives!

How He Loves He is jealous for me loves like a hurricane I am a tree bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy When all of a sudden I am an unaware of These afflictions eclipsed by glory I realize just how beautiful You are And how great your affections are for me Oh how He loves us so! We are his portion and He is our prize Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes If grace is an ocean we’re all sinking So Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss And my heart turns violently inside of my chest I don’t have time to maintain these regrets When I think about the way

Even in our rejection, He loves and desires us! How He Loves Even in our rejection, He loves and desires us! In my rejection, I became closed to all that God could do in me! Are you like me?

Be Open To God! Change our attitudes, let go of earthly security, repent of our hard hearts For me: Suspend criticism, arrogance, judgement, and the expectation of perfection 2 Cor 4:7 – We have this treasure in jars of clay. Open up to God!