The message was brought by Rev. Tim Powers on June 28, 2026.
We’ve been in the Abiding series for a few Sundays. We talked about abiding in the vine seeing that God prunes us if necessary. We talked about abiding in His love stressing how we need to show that love to others. Abide–what happens? When we ask the question why does the whole world seem to hate America and Israel? These two nations were primarily formed upon the Word of God. Israel has been hated from inception. Iran says the US is big Satan and Israel is little Satan. Christianity is what’s hated. We know as believers that we’re to hate no one. We are to show the love of God to others. So today let’s talk about abiding when the world hates you.
John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. 23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: 27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
What happens when you abide in Him? Jesus doesn’t sugar coat it. When you get saved, the world will hate you. At salvation you become a new creature; you and I are to be separate from the world. Verse 18 tells us to expect opposition. The world hated Jesus. Sinners flocked to Him because they saw hope. The religious crowd hated Him. Hatred of believers is not new. The world doesn’t believe. To many, Christianity and the Bible are a fairy tale. Why hate? Humpty Dumpty is a fairy tale, but we didn’t hate it. Christianity and scripture are truth, and the world hates it all. Truly abiding in Him means you won’t always be accepted. At some point, you will face opposition.
Verse 19: abiding in Christ changes your identity. You won’t like the world system you once did. The world likes what/who likes it. Our true citizenship is in heaven. Being “religious” will take you away from abiding. We don’t need religion; we need a relationship, one with Jesus Christ. Verse 20 tells us that a servant is not greater than his master. If he is mistreated, they will certainly mistreat the servants. They mistreated our Master, Jesus Christ; they will mistreat us. It’s not here yet, but if the US doesn’t change its direction, we will be in trouble. Jesus set the pattern. He was rejected. We will be rejected. Don’t take rejection personally. I used to when I first started preaching, but I soon realized that people weren’t rejecting me; they were rejecting Jesus.
Verses 21-24 tell us to recognize the world’s ignorance of God. This comes from not paying attention to the Word. There is spiritual blindness. What do you love more than God? Check yourself. When the Word is heard, there is not a cloak of covering–no excuse–no hiding from sin. Jesus took away the power of the religious. They knew the Old Testament law but rejected Jesus. Scholars today know the scriptures, yet they are lost–because of their ignorance or flat-out rejection of its truth. When you reject that truth, you reject God because He is truth. We cannot live a Christian life on our own; we must live it through Him as He lives in us through the Spirit.
Verse 25 reminds us they hated Jesus without cause. This prophecy was made before Jesus was born back in Psalms 35:19 and 69:4. He spoke the truth and was hated for it. The rejection was prophetic. God was and is still in control. Jesus died at the appointment time. When you face opposition, remember God is always with you and is in control. We rely on the Holy Spirit. He’s the Comforter. He was sent from the Father God on the Day of Pentecost. When Jesus was living on this earth He could only be in one place at a time. Even though He was God, He was human with all those limitations. The Holy Spirit indwells believers and through that is everywhere there is a believer. He always points to Jesus, never to himself. Any ministry we have must point people to Jesus.
Verse 27: As believers abiding in Jesus, we must continue the witness. Abiding in Him produces a testimony for Him. Why? Because we’ve been with Him. This produces love and gives us the witness of what He’s done. Walk closely to him. The more we abide in Him, the easier it is. But there is a cost of abiding, of standing firm in a world hostile to God and Christianity. Be like the palm tree in hurricane force winds: bend, don’t break. Ask yourself, “do I abide even if it costs me something?”
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 