The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Word Made Playing with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Tony is teaching in the book of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter 17 verses 14 through 19.

Tony Clark: Now, as Jesus continues his prayer to the Father, he confirms again that he has given the disciples the word of God. Oh, we know that Greek word for word is logos, and it means the teachings of Jesus as a whole. And Jesus is saying, Father, I I've taught them your word. And as a result of taking in and studying God's word, the second part of verse 14 says, and the world has hated them. See, when we follow Jesus Christ and take in his teachings, the world will hate us because now we are no longer of the world.

Or to be of the world means to share the same basic outlook of the world, which is to have a hostility towards God. Oh, the reason why we are no longer of this world, um you know, when we take in the teachings of Jesus is because John 3 in verses 1 through 8 says that we are born again. We are born from above. Our allegiance is no longer to this world, but it it is to God. Oh, the question we have to ask ourselves is does this describe our lives today? Do you see your allegiance to God or to this world?

When we're born again or born from above, we view things differently. We see things from a heavenly perspective now. Why? Because we've been born from above. We've born again. So now we see things through God's eyes. We see things through God's perspective. And because of this, the world will hate us for our stance for Jesus Christ. And this leads me to the seventh way we can overcome the world, which is by number seven, overcome overcoming the hatred of the world. Oh, this hatred will come from those closest to us. Or for example, it will come from family members whom we love.

A spouse that is not born again. Coworkers who used to know us a certain way, and now we we're different now. See, we want to be accepted by people, and especially those closest to us. And to be hated by these people will be hard for us to endure. Oh, now true hatred will come from the world, but the hostility from those closest to us will come across as hatred in our minds. Oh, the question is can we endure this reaction when people start to treat us this way? Or will we retreat back to the world?

Can we endure the hostility? And we need to be ready for this because like Jesus said uh uh about his disciples, we are not of this world just like he was not of this world, which the last part of verse 14 says. Look what it says in verse 15. Says I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. Oh, this part of the Lord's prayer, it will seem to suggest that the hostility of the world will become so severe and so intense that his disciples, including us, would desire to be taken out of this world.

Oh, we see this throughout the Old Testament how Moses and Elijah and Jonah all prayed that they might die in Numbers 11 verse 15 and 1 Kings 19 4 and Jonah verse 4 and verse 3 and verse 8. Because in their minds, it is better to be taken out of this world than to endure or suffer any longer for what seems to be a lost cause. Am I saying that the hatred and hostility of this world against Christianity will get so intense that we will want to die and leave this world? Oh, yes, that's what I'm saying.

The handwriting is already on the wall. Oh, we still have a small voice in our country, but it is slowly being silenced through the separation of church and state group, through the you are offending me group. Oh, in China, a pastor was sentenced to 14 years in prison and his wife for 12 years in prison because they refused to take the cross down off of their church. In our country, a few years ago, a mayor in Texas uh wanted all the pastor to submit their sermons to her office to see who would preach against same sex marriages, and if they did, they would be prosecuted.

Oh, pastors around the country rallied with these pastors in Texas, and she ended up backing down. So the persecution is here. Uh and Christianity is hated everywhere. You remember the Christian baker that refused to make a same sex wedding cake and got sued. And they were ordered to pay over $100,000 to this offended couple. Oh, what's funny is someone recorded going to a Muslim owned bakery and asked them to make a same sex wedding cake, and she refused, and nothing was done or even said about it. It was not even newsworthy. And so things are going to get really really bad for believers in Jesus Christ, and we will desire to be taken out of this world, but Jesus prayed, I do not pray that you should take them out of the world.

Oh, this is key for us to understand. This shows us that God is not always going to take us out of the situations we find ourselves in. Oh, this includes a difficult job or a difficult marriage, the difficult period that you have in raising your your children. And so often we always want God to take us out of our difficult situations we find ourselves in. And God some sometimes God just not going to do it. Sometimes the prayer Jesus at the end of this verse will happen where God will keep us from the evil one.

Oh, that Greek word for keep is and it means to guard from loss or injury. Keeping the eye upon. Oh, it is the same Greek word that is used in verse 11 where Jesus prayed, Holy Father, keep through your name those whom you have given me. In other words, there are times where God will take us out of the world of persecution, and there are times where God will keep us as we go through our difficult world. Well, how is that? By giving us the power and strength to overcome the world like he did. Oh, in John 16 33, the last verse of last chapter we saw, he says, in me, Jesus said, you will have peace.

In the world, you will have tribulation. Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. And because Christ lives in us, there are times he will give us the strength to overcome the world that we're living in as well. And not by taking us out, but keeping us as we go through this world. See, it is so easy to get discouraged as this world is hating and coming against us, but it is this hostile world that needs to hear the message of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Now, I will say that a lot of hostility has come against us because of our delivery of the message of salvation.

And we have come off hostile and angry and unforgiving. And we forgot what Ephesians 4 15 says. It says, speak the truth or present the truth in love. And if we come off this way, I'm not saying that we would not be hated still because Jesus came off this way, and he was still hated. But what I am saying that a lot of hostility we receive will be a little less. If we would just present the truth and love. I say this because Proverbs 15 1 says, a soft answer turns away wrath. But a but but but grievous or angry words stir up anger.

Harsh words they stir up anger. And we have to remember this. When we come off harsh and angry, it stirs up anger from the world so that they so desperately need to hear the message of love and forgiveness through the cross. I've been on both sides of this. I've presented the truth and love and been blasted for it. And I've said, you know what? Enough is enough. I am tired of y'all coming against Christianity like this, and I have blasted them, and they blasted me back. I've been on both sides of this situation. And the Bible says we have to present the truth in love.

And so keep this in mind that we would not always be taken out of this world. There are times that God will keep us from the evil one like Matthew 6 verse 13 says. It says, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. However, we must understand that deliverance comes in two forms. Number one, a deliverance out of, and number two, a deliverance through. And as we can see from both of these verses, there is an evil one. Oh, he goes by a variety of names in the Bible as the devil and Satan and evil one and slanderers and father of lies and Beelzebub, and the list goes on and on.

But I believe that Satan's greatest deception is to convince the world that he doesn't exist. Or that the devil is what we see in the latest horror movie or sci-fi movie. We all know those aren't real, you know. And so Satan goes through the world deceiving the world and allowing Christians to take the blame for making up such an evil being that they say that you Christians, y'all made up hell and the devil just to scare people into salvation. And they blame us for doing that. It's no different than when um Caesar Nero wanted to build a great Rome after his name, so he burned Rome to the ground and blamed it on the Christians.

And the Christians received the persecution uh uh for burning down their beloved city. Oh, we're getting blamed today of making up such a being as Satan. Oh, that's just you Christians making up trying to just scare. You talking about the little guy with the goatee and the little red long johns and the and the little pitchfork. You Christians made that up and and and we get the blame. But from the looks of things, it will show me from this verse that Satan is real because Jesus said, he prayed to the Father in this verse that he will keep his disciples from the evil one.

So if Jesus believed in an evil one, then I will too. And I will pray to the Father like Jesus did to keep me and my family from such a evil one. Now, look what it says there in verse 16. It says, they are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Now, this verse is more than just a re reiteration of what Jesus said in verse 14. He is saying that we, his disciples, will be treated with hostility by the world just like Christ was treated. But also that we would experience the same protection by the Father as Jesus experienced this well.

Oh, look at verse 17. It says, sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Oh, what a blessed verse. In order to reach this hostile world for Jesus Christ, we must be set apart for his use. And this is the eighth way of overcoming the world, and number eight being set apart for God's use. Oh, that Greek word for sanctify is hagiazo in the Greek. And and it means to be set apart for the service of God. Then Jesus tells us what sanctifies or sets us apart is the truth. And then he further explains what the truth is.

He says, your word is truth. So it is the word of God that sets us apart for the service of God. Oh, I love it how someone has put it. If you want to be set apart to be used by God, you need the truth. And the truth is in a three volume set. The first volume is the Bible, which is a book to learn from. The second volume is the son, Jesus Christ. You remember what John 14 6 said. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. And Jesus is a person to love.

Oh, the third volume is the spirit. In 1 John 5 6 called the spirit, the spirit of truth. So the spirit is a power to live by. So if you are learning from the Bible, loving Jesus, and living by the power of the spirit, you will be a person that will be set apart for God's service. Oh, I I I say all of this because many people say, you know what? I want to be used by God. And I tell them to be used by God, you must be set apart. And you're set apart by following this three volume set is by the Bible, a book to learn from, by Jesus, a person to love, and by the spirit of power to live by.

So if you're learning from the Bible, loving Jesus, living by the power of the spirit, God will use you up. And I guarantee you for those who are not following that three volume set, I guarantee you not being used by God. Oh, look at yourself right now. Put a mirror up. And ask yourself, are you being used by God? And I guarantee you it's because you're not learning from the Bible, you're not loving Jesus, and you're not living by the power of the spirit. I can guarantee it. I can guarantee it. I can put my life on it.

Because when you are, God will use you up. He will use you more than you want to be used. Look at verse 18. It says, as you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Now that we have been set apart for God's service by the word of God according to verse 17, now Jesus is sending his disciples into the world. Oh, in other words, we're called to complete the work that Jesus started when he came to this earth, which is return back to God those who have turned their backs on him.

Oh, this leads me to the ninth way we overcome the world, which is by number nine, going into the world. We cannot overcome the world by being isolated from the world like the monks or by being insulated from the world like the Amish community. We're called to have contact with the world without being contaminated by the world. Oh, Jesus told us in Matthew 5 14, he told us we are the light of the world. We cannot be the light that this dark world needs to see Jesus Christ if we are isolating or insulating ourselves from the very world we're called to be the light to.

Oh, I have to ask us this, are you letting your light so shine in this world? Or are you hiding your light out of fear? Or fear of being reprimanded, out of fear of being uh persecuted or hated by those closest to you. And if you want to overcome the world, you must go out and engage this world in a loving way, the way Jesus did because remember we as his people are supposed to be finishing the work that Jesus started. Oh, look what he said in verse 19. And for their sakes, I sanctify myself that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

In this verse, Jesus is saying, Father, I am sanctifying myself by going to the cross so that my disciples can be sanctified or holy. Oh, see by Jesus sanctifying himself and going to the cross, he made it possible for our sins to be forgiven so that we could be a holy representation of Jesus Christ to this world that he is sending us into. It It is only a holy life, a life sanctified by the truth of God's word that this world would respect and listen to. Oh, you know and I know an unholy or unsanctified life is a turn off or an offense to this world.

This is why certain things we may have liberty to do we must set aside for the sake of the souls we are trying to win for Jesus Christ. The Bible says one who win souls is wise. We need the wisdom to win this generation to Jesus Christ. And if we're walking and living in an unholy life, I'm telling you the world would not listen to us. They would not respect us. They won't have anything to say. And the way that they tell us that what we're doing is not right and it's offensive to them is by one little sentence.

I thought you said you were Christian. They're saying what you are saying, how you are living, what you're doing right now, the place you're going is offensive to me and my understanding of what being like Christ is. Oh, they'll let you know too. You may say, well, you know, I got the liberty to be able to do that. Oh, let me tell you something. If your liberty is causing the very people you're called to reach to stumble, then it's no longer a liberty. Now it's a stumbling block. And now you have to stop it. Oh, you saying I got to live my life for other people?

Yeah. Yeah. You do. If you want to win them for Jesus Christ, you do. You do. Am I my brother's keeper? That's what Cain said. I don't know if I really be quoting Cain if I was you. However, you are your brother's keeper. Yeah, you are. You are. Because the Bible says, if you cause your weaker brother to stumble, you have sinned against Christ. Oh, the Oh, that is deep right there. That's heavy stuff. Oh, this is what the Bible teaches. So if we this if we're called to continue the work that Christ we're called to finish the work that Christ started, then we have to live like Christ.

Paul said, for me to live is Christ. To die is gain. He said, so I'm going I have to live like the Lord. And I'm telling you, if we're going to live in your kind of I'm I believe that this is the reason why a lot of believers don't let their light shine because their unholy life is dimming the light of Jesus in their life. And that's why the world doesn't see Jesus Christ because sin will put the light out in our lives. Oh, this is heavy stuff right here. But this is what the word of God teaches.

If we're called to reach this world and to show them the light of Jesus Christ, then we have to live like him. Oh, this is just what the word says. Well, what else did Jesus pray? Well, we got to wait until next week. We pick it up in verse 20 and hopefully finish up the rest of the chapter. God's will next week. Let me conclude with this. In this study, we saw three more ways we can overcome this world. Number seven, overcome the hatred of the world. Just realize that it is not you that they're hating, but the Jesus in you.

So don't take it personally because if you was telling them six ways on how they can win a million dollars in one week, they'll be all ears. But because you're talking about eternal life and talking about sin and that sort of thing, they're going to hate you for it. And remember it's not you. It's the Jesus in you. And number eight by being set apart. God sets us apart by the truth, and truth is in a three volume set. A, the scriptures, B, Jesus, and C, the spirit. So study the Bible, love Jesus, live by the power of God's spirit, and God will use you up.

And number nine, going into the world. We must go and show the light of Jesus to this dark world. They cannot see the light if we're isolating or insulating ourselves. We must let our light shine so they can see not us. So they can see Jesus Christ. And if you do something that happens to bless someone and someone thanks you, please just say, thank you. Keep me in your prayers and don't get weird on them. Oh, you supposed to see Jesus, not me. So oh Don't get weird. Please don't get weird. Just say, oh, thank you.

God bless you. Keep me in your prayers and and just keep it moving. Some of y'all weird. And I know I know you are. I hear about y'all out there. You just weird, think you super spiritual and just oh I'm down. Bring it down. Just say, thank you, and move on. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for this your word you've given us. And Lord, we pray that your Holy Spirit will empower us to be the light you've called us to be in this dark world that we live in. And Lord, I pray for those who have been covering up their light because their life doesn't reflect you.

I pray that they will confess that to you, Lord. And confess and repent of those things that's causing a darkness in their lives. And Lord, I pray for anyone who's never repented of their sin and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. I pray that today will be the day of salvation for them, that they repent of their sin and believe that you died on the cross for them and was buried and rose again. Lord, your word says that they confess that they will be saved. Save souls and lives today we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

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