Remember To Trust the Words of Jesus

Bible Book: John 15 : 17-27

Subject: Witnessing; Trusting Jesus; Word of God; Commitment

Series: What Jesus Wants You To Remember

Introduction

John 15: 17-27

Have you ever told something that wasn’t 100 percent the truth? It may not have been a total fabrication, but you stretched the truth or deleted something from your information in order to get a person to do what you wanted or to buy something from you? Has someone ever stretched or shrunk the truth in order to influence you in some false way? I can tell from seeing your smiles from behind you masks that you have probably been on both sides of this issue.

As we continue with our sermon series, “What Jesus Wants You ToRemember,” we find ourselves in the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John. Jesus is specifically talking to His disciples and wants them to remember something He said to them. Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than the Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.” (v. 20)

Of course, my goal in this sermon series was to find the places where Jesus used the word, “remember” to emphasize a particular point regarding the way we are to live and serve Him. However, the more I thought about my reasoning in this sermon series, I realized that everything Jesus said, regardless of whether He said to remember it or not, is something we need to remember.

So, let’s remember that we CAN TRUST JESUS WITH EVERYTHING HE SAID. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” As the Truth, Jesus never misleads us in any way whatsoever. If you can trust Jesus with everything that He said, then you have to trust Him with your…

I. Testimony to the World

For example, Jesus said that we are to love one another. Why should Jesus remind us of something that we should already know? Do you ever have to remind your children of things they should already know? Well, that answers the question, doesn’t it!

Jesus said we are to love one another because Love must transcends personal opinions and personal proclivities. For example, the disciples didn’t like each other at times. Two of them sought to sneak in a request to Jesus for the best seats in the Kingdom. John and Peter didn’t exactly ooze with love for each other at times. So, Jesus emphasized that He meant for the people who were His followers to truly love each other.

When Jesus said to love each other it went beyond simply gritting your teeth and agreeing on issues. He meant to love, regardless of differences. That’s not easy. This goes beyond agreeing to disagree, but actually involves loving one another regardless of emotion. Again, loving each other as we should is a very hard thing to do, but Jesus told us to do it, and that means that you and I can do it. Jesus never told us to do that which we cannot do. To accomplish the divine mandate regarding love, must trust Jesus with the fact that He said.

When we move into the spiritual position of being “In Christ,” it means we are “out of this world.” By this I do not mean that we are isolated from life or ignore the world’s needs, but rather I’m making reference to fact that we are to look at the things of earth from heaven’s point of view and not to conform to the world.

Next, we can trust Jesus with…

II. The Testimony From the World

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.” The world spoke about Jesus and speaks about us. The world’s view of us is less than positive and is sometimes downright hateful and deadly. If you seek to please the world, you cannot please God.

Now, what is the world? The world is the society apart from God and opposed to God. This includes all the people, plans, organizations, activities, philosophies, and values that belong to society without God.

Let’s look at some examples from the Bible that reveals the mindset of the world toward God and God’s servants. Cain hated his brother Abel because his works were righteous, as a matter of fact, the first false religion was founded by Cain. It was the religion of self-effort, good works, and a Satan inspired sacrifice where their would be no blood, no cross, no lamb, no Christ, and no truth.

So, Cain hated his brother Abel
Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing
Joseph’s brothers hated him because his father loved him
Saul hated David because the Lord was with him

The world hates you because you don’t belong to them and that you do belong to Christ. Hatred is the character and genius of the devil’s kingdom, as love is of the Kingdom of Christ Don’t be surprised when the world hates you.

You Can Trust Jesus With Everything He Said, and the plain truth is that “a servant is not greater than his master.” We must attend to His business, not ours.

You can trust the words of Jesus as …

III. The Witness To the World

“If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.” (v. 24)

Jesus did things that only He could do, which of these things made the world hate Him so much? He Changed water into wine, multiplied loaves and fishes to provide a feast to hungry people, cleansed lepers, gave sight to the blind, and even raised a man from the dead. Who else has risen from the dead after being in a tomb for 3 days? This is the record of Jesus Christ alone.

Jesus pointed out their sin, now they were without excuse. This world stands guilty of the greatest crime in the annals of time and eternity, the crime of turning its back on the Son of God and nailing Him to a cross.

Today, when you hear the Gospel, you can no longer sin in ignorance, you are sinning against a flood of light.

Today, when you hear and accept the Gospel, you can’t be upset when hard things come your way, because Jesus told you they would. The Witness to the World points to Scripture to show how the world would react to Him, Psalm 35:19, 64:4

You Can Trust Jesus With Everything He Said

Conclusion

Even Though Jesus Is Gone, He did not leave us alone – He sent the Holy Spirit to be His presence with us. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Helper! I like that description.

The Holy Spirit is in our hearts to help us love and serve in this world
The Spirit helps us in our troubles with His comfort
The Spirit helps us in our trials with His conviction of right and wrong
The Spirit helps us in our temptation with His confirmation that uphold us and keep us strong!
And remember this, Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will remind us of all things he said and taught.

You Can Trust Jesus with Everything He Said, and if you allow Him, the Holy Spirit will remind you in every situation of what Jesus taught you to do.