Key Truth: We will suffer the persecution and hatred of the world because of our union with Christ who sends the Holy Spirit to help us to endure in love as we bear witness to Him.  

Introduction:

Q: How do you respond to being confronted with your sin? Does your response depend more on the delivery of the person or the truth of the confrontation?

“Well might our Lord enjoin his Disciples to love one another; for, if they be not united in affection towards each other, they will in vain look for any love in the world.”

Charles Simeon, Horae Homileticae, Vol. 13: Luke XVII to John XII

True Communion with Christ: Enduring Hatred and Suffering Persecution:

John 15:18-25

“As Jesus’ disciples and friends, we receive His peace, His love, and His joy, but we must also participate in the inheritance He receives from the world. The legacy of the world to Christ is its enmity, scorn, rejection, and hatred.’”

R.C. Sproul, John: St. Andrews Expository Commentary

What are some ways in which you have experienced the hatred of the world because of your union with Christ?
What are you doing to prepare for being persecuted and hated because of your relationship with Christ?

The Helper Comes: Bearing Witness to Christ In and Through Us:

John 15:26-27

“The coupling of the witness of the Spirit with that of the disciples defines their reciprocal relationship. Without the witness of the Spirit, the disciples’ witness would be powerless; with the disciples’ witness, the Spirit would be restricted in his means of expression.”

Merrill C. Tenney, “The Gospel of John” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary

What are some ways in which you are bearing witness to Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit in your various spheres of influence?
What are you doing to cultivate your ability to share your witness to Christ’s work in your life?

Application:

John 15:18-27 teaches us that:
- we will suffer the persecution and hatred of the world because of our union with Christ
- the Holy Spirit will help us to endure in love as we bear witness to Christ at work in us

Communion

Benediction:

Romans 15:13