Son of ThunderSon of Thunder

Fruit that LastsFruit that Lasts

John 15:18-16:4John 15:18-16:4

John’s Account of John’s Account of JesusJesus

ReviewReview

The quality of the fruit of my The quality of the fruit of my life is contingent upon the life is contingent upon the quality of the vine I’m quality of the vine I’m connected to connected to

Apart from Christ, I can do Apart from Christ, I can do nothingnothing

ReviewReviewI don’t have a fruit problem, I I don’t have a fruit problem, I have a connection problemhave a connection problem

Fruit that lasts= glorify God, Fruit that lasts= glorify God, prayers answered, proof of prayers answered, proof of discipleship, great joydiscipleship, great joy

Walking to GethsemaneWalking to Gethsemane

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Context:Context:

This is my command: love This is my command: love each other…- Jesuseach other…- Jesus

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““If the world hates you, If the world hates you, keep keep in mindin mind that it hated me that it hated me first”- vs. 18first”- vs. 18

World= kosmos- World= kosmos- unbelievers unbelievers who are indifferent to or who are indifferent to or hostile to Godhostile to God

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Christ’s world?Christ’s world?

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Christ’s audience?Christ’s audience?

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Keep in mind…Keep in mind…Responses to Responses to Persecution:Persecution:

• Hatred and “push back”Hatred and “push back”

• Blaming God and walking awayBlaming God and walking away

• Self-justificationSelf-justification

Keep in mind…Keep in mind…remain in me, bear remain in me, bear much much fruitfruit to my father’s glory, to my father’s glory, showing yourselves to be my showing yourselves to be my disciples…disciples…

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““If you belonged to the world, it If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why out of the world. That is why the world hates you”- vs. 19the world hates you”- vs. 19

Conformity vs. transformation= Conformity vs. transformation= comfort vs. ccomfort vs. convictiononviction

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““Remember the words I spoke Remember the words I spoke to you: to you: ‘No servant is greater ‘No servant is greater than his master.’than his master.’ If they If they persecuted me, they will persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also”- vs. 20obey yours also”- vs. 20

John 13:16- Assumes John 13:16- Assumes CChristlikenesshristlikeness

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When it comes to hatred of When it comes to hatred of believers, the reason is as believers, the reason is as important as the actionimportant as the action

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Why are we not hated?Why are we not hated?

• Christlikeness?Christlikeness?

• American DNA?American DNA?

• God’s grace?God’s grace?

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““They will treat you this way They will treat you this way because of my name, for they because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse however, they have no excuse for their sin”for their sin”

No excuse- No excuse- they heard the truththey heard the truth

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““He who hates me hates my He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one done among them what no one else did, they would not be else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and they have hated both me and my Father”my Father”

No excuse- No excuse- they saw the truth they saw the truth authenticated by miraclesauthenticated by miracles

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Do people today have an Do people today have an excuse for their sin? excuse for their sin?

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Do people today have an Do people today have an excuse for their sin? excuse for their sin?

How do they hear truth and How do they hear truth and see it authenticated?see it authenticated?

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““He who hates me hates my He who hates me hates my Father as well”Father as well”

Jesus and the Father are a Jesus and the Father are a package deal. According package deal. According to Jesus, I cannot reject to Jesus, I cannot reject one without rejecting the one without rejecting the otherother

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““But this is to fulfill what is But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason’”- vs. hated me without reason’”- vs. 21-2521-25

They claim to be champions of They claim to be champions of God’s law, yet they hate the God’s law, yet they hate the One their law points to as it’s One their law points to as it’s fulfillmentfulfillment

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““They claim to be Christians, They claim to be Christians, yet they:yet they:

• Gossip about and hate each Gossip about and hate each otherother

• Spend all their time raising Spend all their time raising money to build elaborate money to build elaborate buildingsbuildings

• Are more concerned about their Are more concerned about their comfort than Christ’s call”comfort than Christ’s call”

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““When the Counselor comes, When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from of truth who goes out from the Father, the Father, he will testifyhe will testify about me. And about me. And you also you also must testifymust testify, for you have , for you have been with me from the been with me from the beginning” - vs. 26-27beginning” - vs. 26-27

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Spirit empowers, directs, Spirit empowers, directs, convictsconvicts

Disciples speak and give Disciples speak and give testimonytestimony

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  God…reconciled us to himself God…reconciled us to himself through Christ and through Christ and gave us gave us the ministry the ministry of of reconciliation: that God was reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to reconciling the world to himself in Christ, himself in Christ, not not counting men's sins against counting men's sins against themthem. And he has committed . And he has committed to us the message of to us the message of reconciliation reconciliation 

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We are therefore Christ's We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal were making his appeal through us. We implore you on through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God- 1 Cor. 5:18-20to God- 1 Cor. 5:18-20

““You also must testify…”- JesusYou also must testify…”- Jesus

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““All this I have told you so All this I have told you so that you will not go that you will not go astray”- astray”- 16:116:1

Jesus did not come to take Jesus did not come to take his followers out of the his followers out of the world, but to reach the world, but to reach the world through themworld through them

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““All this I have told you so that All this I have told you so that you will not go astray”you will not go astray”

““Remain in me…bear much fruit… Remain in me…bear much fruit… Apart from me you can do Apart from me you can do nothing”nothing”

Concern: Become fruitless and Concern: Become fruitless and not reach the world with the not reach the world with the message of Jesusmessage of Jesus

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““They will put you out of They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when time is coming when anyone who kills you will anyone who kills you will think he is offering a think he is offering a service to God. They will service to God. They will do such things because do such things because they have not known the they have not known the Father or me”Father or me”

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““I have told you this, so I have told you this, so that when the time comes that when the time comes you will you will remember that I remember that I warned youwarned you. I did not tell . I did not tell you this at first because I you this at first because I was with you”- vs. 2-4was with you”- vs. 2-4

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Religion can justify almost Religion can justify almost anything. Those who anything. Those who follow Jesus are follow Jesus are constrained to act as he constrained to act as he would actwould act

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Stephen (+ 2,000)Stephen (+ 2,000)

Philip- whipped, imprisoned Philip- whipped, imprisoned and crucifiedand crucified

Matthew- murdered with Matthew- murdered with axe and swordaxe and sword

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James- 94 yrs old- beaten, James- 94 yrs old- beaten, stoned, brains beaten out of stoned, brains beaten out of his headhis head

Matthias- stoned and Matthias- stoned and beheadedbeheaded

Andrew- crucified and hung for Andrew- crucified and hung for 2 days while preaching2 days while preaching

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Mark- torn apart by a mobMark- torn apart by a mob

Jude- crucifiedJude- crucified

Bartholomew- beaten, Bartholomew- beaten, crucified, then beheadedcrucified, then beheaded

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Thomas- run through with a Thomas- run through with a spearspear

Luke- hangedLuke- hanged

Simon- crucifiedSimon- crucified

Peter- crucified upside downPeter- crucified upside down

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James (John’s Brother)- James (John’s Brother)- before beheading: “You’re before beheading: “You’re sinful and destined for hell. sinful and destined for hell. You have one final chance You have one final chance to receive Jesus.” to receive Jesus.”

- Official came to know - Official came to know Christ and Christ and had his head had his head cut off with Jamescut off with James

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John- boiled alive, he lived. John- boiled alive, he lived. Then exiled to Patmos Then exiled to Patmos before taken back to before taken back to Roman society in old ageRoman society in old age

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NeroNero

““Caesar is Lord”Caesar is Lord”

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Agatha- virginAgatha- virgin

Roman official imprisoned, Roman official imprisoned, scourged, burned with irons, scourged, burned with irons, hooks in flesh, laid naked on hooks in flesh, laid naked on bed of coals and glass, then bed of coals and glass, then let her die slowly on a bedlet her die slowly on a bed

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Perpetua- pregnant, let wild Perpetua- pregnant, let wild boars impale herboars impale her

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Last 100 years- more Last 100 years- more Christians died from Christians died from martyrdom than first 1900 martyrdom than first 1900 years combinedyears combined

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China- bulldozed 400 house China- bulldozed 400 house churches, 35 pastors in churches, 35 pastors in reeducation campsreeducation camps

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Pakistan- Kidnapped Pakistan- Kidnapped Christian and Muslim Christian and Muslim women. Let Muslim women women. Let Muslim women go, Muslim men raped 8 go, Muslim men raped 8 Christian womenChristian women

7 were teenagers 16-18 yrs 7 were teenagers 16-18 yrs old. 60 Christians fired for old. 60 Christians fired for reporting it to the policereporting it to the police

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Sudan right now- young Sudan right now- young Christian women: “Deny Christian women: “Deny Christ or be raped and sold Christ or be raped and sold into prostitution”into prostitution”

12-14 year old for $5012-14 year old for $50

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Mexico- Pastor’s kids Mexico- Pastor’s kids kidnapped regularly. kidnapped regularly. Ransomed or children are Ransomed or children are killed. Often the police are killed. Often the police are the kidnappersthe kidnappers

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India- yearly Hindu festival India- yearly Hindu festival with sacrifices. 1 woman with sacrifices. 1 woman becomes demon-possessed, becomes demon-possessed, prophesy and dance for a prophesy and dance for a week straightweek straight

Pastor prayed, demon left, Pastor prayed, demon left, 24 people came to faith. 24 people came to faith. Life is in jeopardyLife is in jeopardy

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““People look at me funny People look at me funny because of the fish on my because of the fish on my car…”car…”

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TakeawaysTakeaways::

• Am I being transformed by Am I being transformed by Christ as I “remain” in him? Christ as I “remain” in him?

• Do I produce conviction in Do I produce conviction in others by my (humble) life? others by my (humble) life? If not, why not?If not, why not?

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TakeawaysTakeaways::

• Do I allow trials to make me Do I allow trials to make me unfruitful, blaming God and unfruitful, blaming God and “pushing back” rather than “pushing back” rather than seeking God and growing?seeking God and growing?

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TakeawaysTakeaways::

• Am I an ambassador for Am I an ambassador for Jesus?Jesus?

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