John 17: 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

John 17 discusses the difficult truth where Jesus promises that His believers will be hated by the world.  When the believer understands that, we are tempted in one of two directions.  First, the church is tempted to invite the hatred of the world by throwing truth without love at every person who doesn’t know Jesus.  Secondly, the world is tempted to live such a biblically quiet life that the entire world loves them.  Neither of these is what Jesus is talking about.  So, what exactly happens?  That’s what we pursued in our look at John 17 this week.  We answered this Big Picture Question.

Big Picture Question:  What happens when the world and the word bump into each other?

And within this passage, we identified 3 things that happen when the world and the word bump into each other.  

The world hates you.
You are protected.
You are made like Jesus.

Let’s look at each one.

The world hates you.

John 17: 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Jesus’ prayer for the Christian is that His joy will be fulfilled in them.  Jesus’ joy being fulfilled is completely different that our joy being fulfilled.  That means that our greatest joy lies in discovering and living out Jesus’ desire for our lives.  And part of that joy is Jesus’ sending Christians into the world just as He was sent.

Each Christian lives with an essential sentness that is the same as the sentness of Jesus.  And as a result, the world hates Christians.  This isn’t a hatred that is invited.  The world hated Christ first, so the hatred must only be Christ in the Christians.

What hope does the Christian have?  That’s the answer to the second thing that happens when the world and the word bump into each other.

You are protected. 

15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

How terrible it would be if the Christian was sent into the world by Jesus only to be left unprotected?  But that protection is not a protection from sickness, pain, and death.  Oh, how I wish it was.  But the promises of sickness, pain, and death are the promises of heaven, not of earth.

The protection that Jesus offers the Christian as they are hated in the world is a protection from Satan.  What that means is that the Christian will never lose their salvation.  The Christian will never lose their forgiveness.  The Christian will never lose the undying love of the Father.  That eternal hope is the motivation of the Christian, the hope of the Christian and the comfort of the Christian.

And as the Christian is hated and protected, the Christian is also made like Jesus.

You are made like Jesus. 

19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Jesus consecrated Himself.  That means that Jesus set Himself apart so that the Christian might be made like Him.  How did Jesus set Himself apart?  Jesus set Himself apart by His perfect life, His death on the Christian’s behalf, and resurrection to new life.  And that consecration is what guarantees that the Christian is going to be made like Jesus while the world hates him/her.

Being made like Jesus is promised and guaranteed as the believer is sent into the world to tell it about Jesus. 

So, what happens the word and world bump into each other?

Truth:  When the word and world bump into each other, God protects you and makes you like Jesus while the world hates you.

Application:  Jesus’ joy will be fulfilled in your life if you live knowing that you are sent into this dying world to offer it the life that is found in God’s word.

Action:  Stop being scared to raise Jesus up in this world.