The Most Hated Thing

TEXT:  John 3:19-20

INTRODUCTION:

A.      WHAT IS THE MOST HATED THING IN THE WORLD? Greed, war, poverty?

B.      STRANGE, THE MOST HATED THING IS GOD'S WORD.

          1.       OT prophets( Jer. 5:31;  Isa. 30:9-10 ).

          2.       Characters( 2 Chron. 18:7;  Acts 7:57 ).

          3.       People hate to hear the truth about themselves( Gal. 4:16 ).

C.      ATHEISTS AND RELIGIOUS PEOPLE SOMETIMES HATE GOD'S WORD.

D.      WHY?

I.      THE WORD DESTROYS THOSE WHO OPPOSE IT.

A.      THE PROMISE OF JESUS( Matt. 24:35 ).

B.      VOLTAIRE'S PROMISE.

"One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except

one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker." (1776)

"Voltaire criticized the Bible, but now everyone reads the Bible and no one

reads Voltaire."

C.      JEZEBEL'S REBELLION AND ELIJAH'S PROMISE( 2 Kings 9:36-37 ).

D.      1 Pet. 1:25.

II.     THE WORD SHOWS US WHAT WE REALLY ARE.

A.      FEW PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE THEIR SHORTCOMINGS EXPOSED.

          1.       Sin thrives in the dark( Eph. 5:7-12;  1 Thess. 5:4-7;  John 3:19 ).

          2.       Sin contrasts with the light( John 3:20;  Eph. 5:13 ). Seen easily in contrast.

          3.       Sinners hate the light.

B.      LIGHT IS IN THE WORD AS IT TELLS OF JESUS( John 1:4-9 ).

C.      HE LIGHTETH EVERY MAN( John 8:12 ).

D.      THE WORD ENABLES US TO BE LIKE HIM( 2 Cor. 3:18,  4:3-6 ).

E.      FOR THOSE WHO LOVE DARKNESS  THE WORD IS HATED.

III.    THE WORD DEMANDS A CHANGE.

A.      PEOPLE DISLIKE CHANGE.

B.      THE NEED FOR CHANGE:

          1.       Sin( Rom. 3:23;  6:23;  Isa. 59:1-2 ).

          2.       Matt. 1:21.  Save from sins, not in sins.

          3.       The first command of the gospel( Acts 2:38 ).

C.      SIN MUST BE ELIMINATED( Rom. 6:1-2;  Col. 3:5-10 ).

D.      A CRUCIFIXION OF SELF( 1 Pet. 4:1-2 ).

IV.   THE WORD TELLS US WHAT TO DO.

A.      A DEFINITE STANDARD OF RIGHT AND WRONG.

          1.       The gospel is to be obeyed( 2 Thess. 1:8;  Heb. 5:8-9 )

          2.       No leeway( Gal. 1:6-9;  2 John 9 ).

B.      THERE ARE NO OPTIONS( Matt. 7:21 ).  NOT MERE SUGGESTIONS.

C.      THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION( Luke 6:46 ).

V.    THE WORD SHALL JUDGE US.

A.      WE DON'T LIKE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR ACTIONS.

B.      THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN WE MUST ANSWER

          ( Eccl. 12:13-14;  Heb. 9:27 ).

          1.       What is going to be judged?( 2 Cor. 5:10 ).

          2.       What is going to be the standard( John 12:48 ).

          3.       Who is going to be judged?( Acts 17:30-31 ).

VI.   THE RIGHTEOUS LOVE THE WORD.

A.      Psa. 19:7-11.

          1.       It is a pattern for my life( 2 Tim. 3:16-17 ).

          2.       In it is God's power to save( Rom. 1:16-17 ).

B.      Psa. 119:97.  SWEETER THAN THE HONEYCOMB.

CONCLUSION:  HOW DO YOU REGARD GOD'S WORD?