Living for Christ in a World Opposed to Him – Part 3 (John 17:14-17)

John 17:14-19
Living for Christ in a World Opposed to Him (Part 3)

Key Idea: To live faithfully for Christ in a world opposed to Christ we must be in the world, but not of the world, for the purpose of witnessing to the world.

• We must be in the world
  • Verse 15 – “I do not ask you to take them out of the world”
  • Verse 18 – “so I have sent them into the world”
• But not of the world
  • Verses 14 and 16 – “they are not of the world”
• For the purpose of witnessing to the world
  • Verse 18 – “so I have sent them into the world”
  • Verse 21 – “so that the world may believe that you have sent me”

1. We must be in the world… (Verses 14-15)

Main focus – To be “in the world” means we live in a culture that hates us, and with the devil who opposes us.

2. …but not of the world… (Verses 16-19)

Three ways we should NOT respond to the hatred and persecution of the world:

• It is not isolation
• It is not assimilation
• It is not sinful confrontation

Main focus – To be “not of the world” means to be faithful to Christ through living according to the Word, by living transformed by the Word

A. To be “not of the world” means to live according to the Word

To live for Christ, we must think and live like Christ.

We are not changed by truth in general, but specifically the truth that comes from the Word of God.

• The Bible is the ultimate truth, so every falsehood submits to it
• The Bible is the ultimate truth, so every other truth submits to it

Practical applications of how we let our Biblical beliefs lead to Biblical love:

1. We must let the Word remind us that loving others is truly important
2. We must let the Word help define who we are for (not just what we are against)
3. We must fight the lies of the world, but even more fight to love the people of the world
4. We must share biblical truth that builds others up in love

The Word is not just a set of beliefs about controversial issues, it is the reality we get to live in.

B. To be “not of the world” means to live transformed by the Word

3. … for the purpose of witnessing to the world (next week)