Division, and Derision 03:15:09

JOH 17:14  "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15  "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.

16  "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17  "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

18  "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

19  "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

20 "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

22  "The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;

23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

This is a prayer that Jesus prayed.

It was for His Disciples, but it was also for us.

Look at verse 20, "I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

See, that's us.

That's all the believers in Christ since the beginning.

Verse 17 says that the world has hated them.

In other words, it hates us.

Evil can't stand good, darkness, can't tolerate light.

More and more, as the years, and now, even the days pass, we can see the division between good and bad, darkness, and light.

In verse 14,  Jesus says "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Jesus wasn't of this world, He was an alien.

So too, are we aliens.

People don't like things that are different.

Did anyone see the old movie, the Elephant Man?

He was teased, made fun of, and even hated by the so-called normal people, because of a physical deformity.

He was exploited, and used in freak shows.

You younger folks probably don't remember the freak shows at the fairs, but I do.

I refused to go into them.

Something about being different from others, made it repugnant to me, even as a kid.

Oh, our modern, enlightened society, doesn't do that anymore.

We are way to sensitive for that.

However, if you are different from others, you quickly find out, that things haven't changed much.

Verse 21 tells us that we are supposed to be one, and that singularity, is what will prove to the world that Jesus was really sent from the Father.

That He indeed is the messiah, the savior of the world.

Now, the devil knows this proclamation, of course he does.

So naturally, he will attack it.

Remember, his goal is to destroy, and devour.

So what better way to neutralize the Christians, than by attacking them at their very core.

It is simply the old divide, and conquer strategy.

The devil takes Jesus' own words, and plays on them.

MAR 3:24  "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

So, we have seen divisions, and even hatred, and fighting, all in the name of Christ.

The Inquisition was a horrible example of this.

The Lutherans hated the Catholics, and visa-versa.

They tortured, and killed people.

They slaughtered people, because they didn't believe like them.

Fox's Book of Martyrs, is another example.

So, from the beginning, the enemy has been driving wedges between us all.

Fighting about just about anything.

It isn't new, and it certainly hasn't gone away.

Fundamentalists believe that Pentecostals are sinful, because we speak in tongues.

Pentecostals think that Fundamentalists, are seriously lacking in power.

I have no idea how many different denominations there are out there.

I know that just in the Baptist denomination, there are something like 125 different groups.

There are countless Pentecostal groups as well.

I remember, in the denomination I came from, we didn't even associate with the other like churches in the area.

You see the subtlety of this strategy?

Divide, and conquer.

I have seen very respected ministers on TV, start running down another belief, right on television.

Personally, I can't stand that, and God can't stand it either.

Jesus said that we are to be one.

One with each other, and one with Him.

How can we be one with God, if we can't even be one with each other?

Don't think the world doesn't see this either.

In a lot of ways, we have been our worst enemy.

God once asked me if I was willing to accept Christians who didn't think, or act like me.

I said, “of course I can.”

Then, after thinking about it, I said, “I'll try.”

We all think we are right.

If we didn't, we'd change.

So, if I'm right, and you think differently from me, than you must be wrong, right?

I may think that in my heart and mind, but the real problem is when I decide that it is up to me, to straighten you out.

Then I push, and you push, and a division has developed.

You are right, and I am right, and never the two shall meet.

Look at what Paul wrote concerning this.

PHI 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

See, God will reveal it to you.

It isn't my job to brow beat you into submission.

Sadly, the church has thought this for 2000 years, and has even gone to war over it.

So, if the world, an outsider, looks at the church, meaning the Christians, what are they going to see?

They see gossip, and back biting, in this church, and genuine hatred in that one.

They see this church fighting with that church, and this denomination not having anything to do with that one.

Why would they want to be part of that?

Christians love to judge each other.

So why would someone want to join up with something like that?

I wouldn't, that's for sure!

However, if they see a family attitude; if they see love, and acceptance.

If they see kindness, and forgiveness, that will draw them in.

If they see unity, not division, they will want to be a part of it.

I have said many times, that the unsaved people I've known, and worked with, have treated, me, and accepted me, better than a lot of the people in the churches.

This is sad, and wrong!

We need to love each other.

We have to learn to not think that our way is the only way, or the right way.

Our worship is the only right kind, our way of praying is the only right kind, and so on.

I used to be really offended when I'd go into a church, and they would stand up, and read a prayer.

It drove me nuts.

A prayer should come from the heart, not a book.

However, I have known people, who say that those written prayers are meaningful for them, and that they pray them out of their hearts.

See, I'm judging, based on what I like, and what I am comfortable with.

ROM 14:4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Let's learn to lighten up, and relax a bit.

I'm certainly not always right, and I'm willing to bet that you aren't either.

Let's just love each other, and stand together, so that we can't be divided, and conquered.

Then the world can't deride us, and make fun of us.

Let's pray.