EXPECT HATE BUT DON’T TAKE THE BAIT

INTRODUCTION: The events of last week have shaken us all to the core. The assignation of Charlie Kirk, (a conversative Christian influencer) is a new low for our society which continues to distance itself from the Judeo-Christian world view than our nation was founded upon.

Charlie was murdered because of his beliefs and core values that shaped his worldview.

In quoting the governor of Utah at a press conference, “Charlie was loved and hated by the young people in our nation.”

This morning, my angle is not a political one but a biblical one.

I have 5 statements to make this morning in the next 25 minutes.

1. TRUTH ISN’T SPEECH, BUT IT MUST BE IN OR IT WILL LIKE IT.

Jesus was a truth-teller but love rather than hate was his motive and manner.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth“. John 1:14

• Jesus instructed his Apostles to take his message to the whole world and in doing so be gentle as doves and wise as serpents. Matthew 10:16
• The Apostle Paul instructed followers of Christ to speak the truth in love.  (Eph.4:15)

• Jesus who declared that truth frees people from sin and bondage.

Jesus began his ministry by reading from Isaiah 61 in the temple, the Anointed one would come to set people free.”

• Truth does always come in a warm and fuzzy like backage. At times Jesus was bold in confronting the powerbrokers of his day. He called the Pharisees hypocrites (Luke 11:44), blind guides, fools, and a “bunch of snakes.” (Matthew 23:16-17, 23:33).

We all want the “feel the love,” but what we really want is for you to tell us what we want to hear.

• Loving the sinner and loving sin are two very different things. Jesus loved sinners and offered them grace, but he also called them to repent.

• Loving people doesn’t mean we have to love their values, nor their actions. But it does mean that we refuse to mistreat or name call. We must rise above this vitriol

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48

2. TRUTH TELLERS ARE FOR A SOCIETY.

Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. ^{Prov. 29:18 NIV}

This PROVERB is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied scriptures quoted in the culture and the church.

Solomon was in no way meaning to say that a company needs a vision or a church needs a vision to be successful. No, the meaning is that without divine truth in society people will live out their sin and selfish ways in the name of personal truth.

• Noah was told to build an ark to escape the flood of judgement on society because humanity had decided that God’s ways were not relevant to their appetites.

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. Gen.6:5

• Israel was defined as people who did what was right in their own eyes.

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judges 21:25

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring God News. Isa.

• God’s word is a lamp to light our way. Psa. 119:105,

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

Romans 10:15

3. JESUS WAS AND ULTIMATELY FOR NO GOOD REASON.

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.  They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.  Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.  If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father.  But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ John 15:18-25

“They hated me without a cause” is a direct quote from a prophetic statement from the Old Testament Psalms. The original phrase refers to an unjustified, baseless hatred, as described in verses like Psalm 35:19

4. THE WORLD ON CHRISTIANS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE OF THE ONE WITHOUT IT.

 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1John 5:19-20

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

• Jesus referred to Satan as a real being whose goal among humanity is to rob the human race of its joy and stomp out anyone who refuses to bow to his agenda.  (John 10:10).

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ^{John 8:44}

5. AS CHRIST FOLLOWERS WE MUST TO BE HATED, BUT WE MUST NOT TAKE THE .

Jesus was clear when teaching his disciples that they too should expect to be hated and persecuted for their faith in Christ and his teachings.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:18-19

WRAP IT UP: Brothers and sisters, may we honor the life of our brother in Christ, Charlie Kirk, who cared enough for the next generation of young people to risk his own life to expose the lies that are we don’t need God and that truth is whatever you want it to be. May we fight darkness with light, lies with truth and hate with love.