Pastor Vic continues his studies through the Book of John, in the Simply Jesus series.
Today our topic is persecution, with a challenging message for believers.
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Sunday 5th January - Simply Jesus 50
- Good morning. Welcome if you're joining us. Live, probably a few folk live, watching us. That's more like it. And welcome for your listening later on. Let us pray, Alleluia. Father, we thank you for this morning. Thank you for our worship. Thank you for the testimony of how good you are. How interested you are in us, and in our loved ones. I know it's your will that everyone comes to repentance and safe and you are about that business. We thank you Father. Thank you for hearing this voice. Speak of blessing out over our brothers and sisters traveling this morning. Steering green as they're coming home. Speak of blessing, traveling mercies out over them. Speak of blessing out over our brothers and sisters sitting at home, watching this. And those in the many parts of the world who watch and listen. We thank you for them Father. Thank you for those who come here this morning to gather together as your local church. To worship together and to listen to your words. We speak of blessing out over this gathering. I speak of understanding now as we plant these seeds in our hearts, understanding so that these seeds are not stolen, understanding of these precious words that we're about to put into our hearts, understanding so the fruitful. So this seeds will germinate and grow and that we will develop fruit in Jesus name. Amen. I had thought about doing a rising welcome to 2025 sermon to challenge you all on this new year. And then I thought, no, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to go back to simply Jesus back into John 15 back into the 50th lesson of the series of simply Jesus. And guess what? It's turned into quite a challenging message. And that I've been really challenged by and actually had to be very careful not to slip into condemnation. So yes, it is that kind of message this morning. Kick up 2025, 2025 with that. But yeah, we're working our way through gospel of John. We're in the chapter 15, this is Jesus, given his disciples some encouragement and teaching before what's going to be the hardest time of their lives. I was saying how it's good for us to get this into our hearts before we're like the disciples, before these challenging things come along. That's the kind of better way to learn, to learn in advance rather than learn going through this adversity like the disciples had to. Lessons we can learn from, lessons we can use in our lives for those hard times. So we got up to John 15, 17 in the last sermon in this in November. And so let's go John 15, 18. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If he were off the world, the world would love his own. But because you're not off the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sent, but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hated me, hated my father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sent. But now have they both seen and hated both me and my father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled, that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause. But when the comforter has come, who might shall send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth, which preceded from the father, he shall testify of me. And you also shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning. Amen. The section, the final cloth of John 15, it's all about persecution. And it was a challenging read for me. And I think it should be a challenging read for most of us. So I'm just going to get to the crux of the martyr because I'm not suffering persecution. And I'm just wondering if anybody around the room or if the enemy in there is suffering persecution. Well, not like the suffering, the persecution of the disciples. You know, they suffered. Every one of the disciples spoken to here, bar John died a violent death for their faith. John, I believe died in his sleep. But the rest of them, stones crucified upside down. Beheaded for their faith. That's persecution. And I don't think I'm suffering and we're not suffering persecution like brothers and sisters in some parts of the world. I'm suffering. They have been killed for their faith. And seeing the disciples killed for their faith and seeing other people today being killed for their faith. That's one of the reasons why I think what their preaching is the truth. They truly believe what they were preaching. Think about the disciples here. The disciples saw the risen Christ and went telling people about it and took it to their death and died because of that. And that's, you know, I sometimes think, you know, if they were being persecuted for their faith and were about to die because of what they were preaching, do you think of it was a lie? You might have said so. No, no, don't crucify me upside down. You just made all that stuff up. No, they took it to their death. Because it was the truth. And it's a real, for me, it's real evidence that what we're preaching today is the truth. It's the truth as well. And Christians today are being persecuted and killed across the globe. Africa are aged up predominantly, predominantly Muslim countries, but not exclusively. And as you'll see when I go through this and then get to some new covenant verses, I was challenged over the last few days because I'm not being persecuted. But what does Jesus say about persecution in this passage? Let's look at that first. What's he saying to the disciples and what is he saying to us? My, it's gone really quiet in this place, hasn't it? You're probably thinking about the new covenant verses already. The first thing I see Jesus saying is, look, guys, see this persecution? It's not about you. In fact, it's not how to do with you. If you're being persecuted, it's not you that they're persecuted. It's me. That's what Jesus is saying. If you are hated, they're not hating you. They're hating me. If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. Christians are hated because Jesus is hated. He was hated first. Christians are hated later because of him. What this is saying to me, and again, this is challenging aspect that people see Jesus enough, we will be hated. Because they hate him. He's the stumbling stone. He's the one who attracts the Lord man. He's the one who is despised. Isaiah 53 prophesied it. 53 3. He is despised and rejected of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. That's a wonder he came. But he did. John 1-1, sorry, not John 1-1, John 1-11. Confirmed, emphasized this truth. He came unto his own and his own received him not. You know, it wasn't widely liked. It wasn't widely admired. It is Jesus that I've written this wrong. It's Jesus that causes offense. That's wrong. It's Jesus who causes people to take offense. There's a lot of things giving offense. People take it. We'll be more on that next week. Fresh verse in John 16-1 as being offended. It's Jesus that causes offense. I've seen this many times. You can talk to people a bit God. You can talk to people a bit creation. You can talk to people a bit spirits or things. And discuss it. But mention Jesus and the discussion changes. I mentioned Jesus and I'm not going to get old. Scolded language isn't the first thing. But the poo hits the fan. It starts thinking about Jesus. God creation that. I'm sorry, you can have a decent discussion about that. But bring Jesus into it. You know, it's far safer to say I go to church. I believe in God. Far safer to do that than talking about Jesus. If you are of the world, verse 19, the world would love his own. But because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore the world hated you. If you are not of faith, those not of faith should not love you. I said that wrong. If you are not of faith, the world will love you. It's what Jesus is saying to you. This term in the world. I mean, I'm in the world just a moment. But it doesn't mean you're on earth. It means in the world as of the enemy, out of faith. It's what that term in the world means. If you're not of faith, those who are not of faith will love you. The opposite is true. Or should be true. If you're not of this world, not of the enemy, not of the prince of this earth, you should be hated by those in the world. If you're of Jesus chosen by him, accepted by him, the world really should hate you. It's just a message here. Really quite challenging. I don't know, but I'm not experiencing much hate. And then I think he gives a verse of comfort, a verse of encouragement. How we verse reminding his disciples not to quit. Remember the word I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things, all they do unto you in my name because they know not me. What's Jesus saying here? If they persecute me, they're going to persecute you as you're not greater than me. I'm greater than you. This is not about you. This is not about you. It's about me. Now, if we are successful in life, if we are, and we're Christians, and we're successful in our ministry, or successful in our business, do we say, "Oh, that was me. How wasn't I great?" We generally don't. We believe the scriptures that says we can do these things to Christ. We can do these things with the help of God. We don't take that personally, not unless we're really arrogant and full of pride. But most of us, I agree, would say, you know, I recognize the gifts I've been given from God. I'm grateful for these gifts that God has given me. That's allowed me to be successful in business. That's allowed me to be successful in whatever. And we give God the credit. We don't take that personally, or we should not anyway. And the opposite is also true. When this persecution comes, when this hatred comes, we should accept that that too is about Christ. You see, if we don't, Jesus warns us later in another part, that if we do take it personally, we can fall into self-pity, fall into self-doubt, and potentially give up. I can't do this. You see that falling in your right. I can't do this. I can't take that here because I can't take that pressure because I just can't take that anymore. We don't have to, because it's not against you, it's against Jesus. So we're seeing ways we don't pop ourselves up when we get the successes. We don't take it personally if people come against us. That's not something coming against Jesus. I'm just going to carry on. That's what we should be saying. You know, we can't get into this, "Oh, who is me?" We're difficulties. And we can put difficulties in hardships into this as well. Difficulty is hardships, not just persecution. But if difficulties hardships come along, that's the enemy trying to get a Jesus and get it to work and not us. So we just carry on because it's not. Personally, don't get into this "Oh, who is me?" attitude. Because it's all about Jesus. No self-congratulation, therefore no self-pity either. And we can just carry on for His sake, whatever's happening, amen. That's what He's telling in verse 21. But all these things will they do unto me from my name's sake. Because they know not Him that sent me. Jesus spells this out for us. Again, it's all about me. He's saying it's not about you. What they do unto you is all about me. It's not personal. Attacks on us are really attacks on Jesus and what He has done and who He is. Because people don't know who Jesus says, don't know who Jesus was, don't know who Jesus will be. And people know what they are. People who are not of faith, they all know what they are. And that's why they hate Jesus. Because Jesus pointed out to them. Look at 22 to 24. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sent. Now that means they weren't sinners. They just won't recognize that, weren't aware of it, didn't acknowledge it. And now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hated me, hated my father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin. But now have they both seen and hated both me and my father. Jesus, what He did, His ministry, what He pointed out to people, how He did that. Made people recognize who they are, who they are, who they were. And He's still doing that today. And they don't want to know that. They don't want to know that they're in sin. They don't want to know that there's a Creator God who they're responsible to. They don't want to know that they're not the be all and end all of the universe. And they're not the center of the universe. And they don't like it. And they hate them for it. It's what you say in here. People know they're sinners and in sin and they hate Jesus for it. But he's calling them to do it. But he's just pointing that out to them. What Jesus did, points out who He is and who we are. And most reject Him and hate Him for it. And then because of that, that hatred should be put onto us as well. Because we are Him. Or are we? And we're portraying Him. Or are we? The world hates being told about sin, all the while knowing the state they're in. And they recoil against it and often violently and then hate for it. And Jesus says, this is all prophesied. You've all been able to see this coming. But this comes to pass that the word might be fulfilled. That is written in the law. They hated me without a cause. But it says in John 2025. And that's a quote from Psalm 69 verse 4. "They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head. And they that would destroy me being my enemies wrong, clear, mighty. Then I restored that which I took not away. It's also reiterated in Psalm 109 verse 3. They encompassed me about also with words of hatred. And fought against me without a cause. There are people out there fighting against Jesus. And without a cause. Because He came for them. To hide from them. You know what? He's actually forgiven them. They just don't get it. Now all this must have been quite a challenge for the disciples. Challenging message. But Jesus now encourages them. Verse 26 and 27. But when the comforter is come. When I will send unto you from the Father. Even the Spirit of truth which preceded from the Father. He shall testify of me. And you also shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning. Jesus said, I'm going to go back to the Father. And I'm going to send the comforter. The Father is going to send the comforter to you. The Holy Spirit. And He will testify about me. He will testify about Jesus on His truth. And what is done. And what we are. Of what you are as a gift of grace through faith. And we. His disciples will be able to carry on bearing witness. Of Jesus. So He's ending on a positive note for the disciples. You know, it's quite a hard message. They're going to hate you. They're going to absolutely hate you. And despise you because of me. They just don't recognize what I've done, who I am. And they're going to hate me and hate you for it. But I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit. He will testify of me. And He will allow you to continue bearing witness. So ending on a positive note for the disciples. And then next week we'll hear why He did not. Just stop them getting offended more than that next week. And that's what Jesus said. That was a quick run through what Jesus said to the disciples. And He's saying to us. But what of us. What does it mean for us. These verses of the persecution. I told you a couple of times that I was deeply challenged by this message from Jesus. And when I went on to rightly divide them and looking at new covenant. Confirmation of all these things. And I was thinking about my own experience. I have had people speak out against me. Speak out against what I believe and what I teach. It's not from the world. Not from the world. From the alleged church. From believers. That's where most of the criticism and what you could maybe call persecution. Has come from against me and my ministry. I mean I've kept this to myself for a long time. But I have one believer or a church to go in anyways. It just seems to hate me and everything I do in my business and my ministry. I don't know why. I think I know now. I think He hates Jesus. I have to be honest and say what I get from the world. So from most of the world is curiosity. Or ambivalence. Or mild ridicule. Not much persecution. And I think we've got to split those out. So persecution, ridicule, whatever from the chip from losing the church. It's the wrong doctrine. I think that's different from what Jesus is talking about here. I think what Jesus is talking about here and in this context is about persecution from the world. In the world. As of those not in faith. I'm thinking opposition and criticism and persecution from those in faith is something slightly different maybe. I've not thought it through properly. But just because Jesus uses the word in the world twice versus 18 and 19. I think what we're talking about here is persecution from outside the church. And that's challenged me. And it should be challenging if we're not suffering persecution. Now, I'm not looking for persecution. I'm not trying to glorify it. I'm like, oh, look how amazing and you'll see in a minute how godly I am. Look at all this persecution and suffering from. I'm not about that. But it is challenging. Because of one pizza. For verse 12. No. Well, I'm going to do them. I'll do them both yet. One Peter for 12. Behold, think it not strange consenting the fiery trial, which is to try you. Don't be surprised from bad things happen. The fiery trials. Now, we know they're not from the Lord because we've rightly divided the word and we know other scriptures. But there are fiery trials which come to try us. Don't think that strange. We can take into this context. We could talk about persecution. You shouldn't be surprised when it does happen. You'd actually be surprised if it's not. It's what Peter's writing here. And then the one I was thinking about. Two Timothy. Three, the verse 12. And this was the verse that really challenged me. Yeah. And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. That's really challenging for days now. Going to turn a key from the hall where I've been walking on Friday night. I don't know if you noticed towards the end coming back. I was kind of lagging a bit behind as I always doing walks with nuns. Marching ahead. I'm kind of lagging behind because this has gone through my head. I just would not leave. And just as we're coming around the corner, I was starting to get condemned. But I know that was from the enemy and I wouldn't accept that. I accept the challenge. I am not going to accept condemnation because that comes from the enemy. Challenge is a good thing and should be considered. Condemnation is not good, but challenge is a good thing. And this was challenging because, and you know, I like doing this. You could alter this to mean the same thing. Yeah, and all those who are not living godly in Christ Jesus shall not suffer persecution. That's what that verse is saying. That is saying godliness in Christ Jesus shall lead to persecution. And if we're not being persecuted, that should be a challenge. Did you know what that's saying? We're not living godly in Christ Jesus. That's not me saying that. And I'm not saying this to condemn anyone. I'm hoping it'll challenge you. But I'm speaking this out in front of a mirror. Because it has been so challenging. Now, some of us could argue it away. So, well, we live in a free society. We're not in a Muslim society. We're not in a Christian. We're not in a communist country, for example. So, there will be no persecution. We're kind of still in a Christian country. Nowhere not. I don't believe that for a second. We no longer live in a Christian society. Some people can say, well, we're in a kind of Christian society and we're modern. Everything goes. So, there will be no persecution. Now, that's not what the word says. The word doesn't say if you live in a Muslim country, you shall suffer persecution. The word doesn't say if you live in a communist country, you shall suffer persecution. The word says if you are living godly in Christ Jesus, you shall suffer persecution. What it's saying is, and this is so difficult. But I can't say any other way. But I started reading these verses in Joseph 15 to preach the day. I'm thinking, oh, no, I can't preach on that this week. Because I'm going to have to go to one, two, first of all. I can't not, I can't not go there. It's not encouraging. Who is this there in New Year? It's all going to be happy. It's going to be great. We're going to do this. We're going to do that. No, we're not suffering persecution. So, we need to start thinking, are we living godly in Christ Jesus? It's a hard message. What this verse is saying is, the level of our persecution depends entirely on our godliness. And I'm not suffering persecution. No, I'm not going to ask you if you're suffering. Godly. I'm laughing nervously here. It's a difficult message. That is so challenging. I'll tell you one thing. I'm not going to get condensed. Because I know the answer. Pauline told us. Pauline told us the answer. I'm not going to get condensed. Because that's what the enemy wants. He wants us to go. Oh, who is me? I'm not being persecuted there for I'm not living godly there. There's no point in this ministry. So, I'm just going to give up. That's what he wants. Not a chance makes. That's not happening. So, we should, we'll have to be asking the question. How do we live more godly? And you all know the answer. There's a feature about it all the time. Pauline just gave us the answer. You Peter one too. Grace and peace. We multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. According to says divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and what. Godliness. All things pertain unto life and godliness through what through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue. Learning about him. He's the one who has called us to glory and virtue. It's knowledge of him that comes back to everything to do with life and godliness. Now don't get condemned if we're not suffering persecution. Don't get condemned if you listen to this message. You'd think flipping it back is a bit heavy for the start of the new year. No, I'm going to now give us a model. Because what we must do is think I need to get into persecution. I need to get into persecution. I must be getting persecuted. So that's not what we take from this sermon. And also what we don't take from this sermon is because that is law coming up. I must live more godly. I must live more godly. I'm going to have to do this and do that. I've got to be more godly godly godly godly. We don't think like that either. We go back to the start of the model. I must have more knowledge about him who have called us to glory and virtue. There must be something we're missing. That has to be it. That's not the model. So don't focus on persecution. Don't focus on being godly although that's really all I've spoken about this morning. What we focus on is how do you get more knowledge about him who have called us into glory and virtue. But we mustn't just take one scripture, Vic and build a doctrine or not. Well, let's go to Titus then. Titus 2 and it's not 11 and 12. That's because I'm in two Timothy. Yeah, it's Titus 2, 11 and 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared to all men. Who's that talking about? No, who's the grace of God that has appeared to us? Bring in salvation. Jesus, absolutely. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation half appeared to all men. That's Jesus Christ, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly loss. We should live soberly, righteously and what? Godly in this present world. If we want to live godly. We ought not to be ungodly and have worldly lusts. And how do we get that? By understanding about Jesus Christ. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation has appeared to all men. That's Jesus teaching. Jesus teaching. Teaching is passing on knowledge. So that was your verse Pauline. 2 Peter 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. Knowledge of Jesus Christ. Now it's the same Jesus teaching us. This is a pretty simple model. This verse, Timothy, Titus 2, 11 and 12. Talk about the grace of God that has appeared to all men. Jesus, the word became flesh and 12 among us. Saying he can teach us to live soberly and more godly. It's all about what we know that leads to what we do. So we mustn't get condemned but we're not being persecuted. Challenge, yes. Out of that, we mustn't try and force ourselves to live godly. Because that's the law. And we all know that fails. So we go further back of what's the answer to that? It's knowledge and teaching about the grace of Jesus Christ. It's the answer to everything. He can teach us to know ungodliness and lust so we can live soberly and righteously and therefore be godly. And which extends here while on this earth. Now we all know in our spirit where it's righteous and godly and as perfect as we're ever going to be. But we also know spirit, soul and body, we need to renew our mind to get that righteousness and that godliness out through our mind and our bodies so that we act more godly and more righteously. Renew in the mind to be transformed as the key. Knowledge is the key. Teaching about Jesus Christ is the key. And surprise, surprise. That's going to be the focus for twenty-five. It should be the focus every time you come into church. Gaining more knowledge about him. That we can then help renew our minds and that will lead to transformation and that will lead to more godliness. Now, and I'm really sorry guys. The word is true. If we start getting that, it should lead to persecution. Not glorifying in it. But that's just what the word says. So we don't go out there looking to be persecuted. But if we understand more about Jesus and renew our mind and we're transformed, it's going to lead to that. But what you've got to remember is it's not personal. It's all about him. Everything in our walk is all about him. So in our sense, not making it the focus that lets make it an aim to live godlier this year and going forward. We don't focus on that. How do we do it? Learn more about the grace of god that has appeared to all men And that of course is Jesus, amen.