Persecution by world and refreshment from the mystery / RFOG; John 15:20

Title: John 15:20; Persecution by world and refreshment from the mystery  RFOG

 

Announcementsopening prayer:

 

John 15:18 "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.

 

The first reason the world hates the believer priest who is in the plan of God - they hated Christ and therefore hated grace.

 

John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

 

The second reason is because the believer priest in the plan of God no longer belongs to the world.

 

The third reason is that the slave is not greater than his master.

 

John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

 

“Remember” - mnemoneu,o[mnemoneuo] = to call to mind something that you have learned, something that you already know.

 

The reason you call it to mind is to apply it to the situation. So here we are commanded to recall doctrine in time of application.

 

This word suggests that within your soul there is an erected structure of doctrine from which you draw. We call this the edification complex of the soul.

 

1 Cor 3:10

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it.

 

EPH 4:11-13

[He gave] pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

 

The PT doesn’t add bricks to the body of Christ, rather his communication of doctrine strengthens each brick.

 

What are we to remember? “the word that I said to you” - dative of advantage; “the servant is not greater than his master.”

 

At the conference we saw the doctrine of slavery to Christ as well as how prevalent slavery was in the Roman Empire. There was no question that a slave was not ever to be greater than his master, even if he won his freedom the slave still had to give gifts and offer service, though limited, to his master.

 

Then He makes the application:

“if” is a 1^st class condition; “they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you [and they have].”

 

 “persecuted” - diw,kw[dioko] = to persecute or to put pressure on, and it refers to certain points of time which are all gathered into one entirety.

 

Jesus was not persecuted every minute but there were times when the pressure was on. The future tense, “they will also persecute you,” means that they are not a target yet. As long as Christ is on the earth He is the target, but He says that in the future they will be.

 

In the Church-age every believer is now the target of pressure or persecution by the cosmic system at certain points of time.

 

I personally think believers get lax in the times of no pressure and then when the pressure comes they get shocked as if some strange thing were happening.

 

1 Peter 4:12-13

 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.

 

We are told in a first class condition that the persecution and the pressure of the cosmic system is a future certainty so when it happens if shock and surprise are your reaction instead of responding with doctrine then you have just prolonged it.

 

And then we have the wonderful alternative from the RFOG who are also positive towards the word of God.

 

if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

 

Again we have a 1^st class condition meaning certainty concerning the fellowship in the word of God through the RFOG.

 

The word to “keep” here is thre,wto guard something that belongs to self. There is a fellowship amongst those believers who regard mystery doctrine as their top priority.

 

A good question is, “What are the disciples, soon to be apostles, going to teach?” Mosaic Law, morality, emotion, etc.

 

So few on this earth ever experience this often overlooked blessing to the Church. The lack of judging, the encouragement, the support, the camaraderie, the common goals of the RFOG has escaped the life of most every person while it has yet been offered to every person.

 

Phil 2:1 If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

 

Phil 2:2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

 

Phil 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;

 

Phil 2:4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

 

Phil 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

 

Phil 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

 

Phil 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

 

Phil 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

 

Phil 2:9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

 

Phil 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth,

 

Phil 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Phil 2:12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

 

Phil 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

 

Phil 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

 

Phil 2:15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

 

Phil 2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

 

Phil 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

 

Phil 2:18 And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

 

John 15:20 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

 

In the RFOG you have a nucleus with which to work. The disciplesapostles are going to have a job as does every believer.

 

There is always employment with God. The disciples may be hated but they are going to have a job. They are going to be apostles; they will be communicators of doctrine and every one of us has a spiritual gift.

 

EPH 2:10

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

 

Acts 11:25 And he [Barnabas] left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

 

Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came about that for an entire year they met with the church, and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

 

Acts 15:22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas —  Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

 

All believers of the Church Age belong to a unique system of royalty that is based on the spiritual concept of Bible doctrine, a specific doctrine, the doctrine of the mystery.

 

Regeneration is no mystery, it occurred from Adam right down to this day. But with the interruption of the Age of Israel by the Church Age there are some additional things at the point of regeneration. God the Holy Spirit baptizes every believer into union with Jesus Christ who is royalty forever. Being in union with Christ every believer is a royal member of the family of God and only the Church Age believer is in the royal family.

 

Those who honor the mystery doctrine of the CA share a common mind, a common love, are united in spirit, and intent on one purpose.

 

That’s why this fellowship or common purpose is not shared with other denomination who emphasize everything but the mystery doctrine for the CA. Exstatics like tongues, miracles, healings, or cults like JW’s, Mormon’s, Church of Christ, or those who only emphasize eschatology, or OT doctrine like the Adventists, as well as the legalism of the major Christian denominations do not share this fellowship, in fact they war with one another.