Proclaim His Name Everywhere

“I have given them your Word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." John 17:14 Jesus is speaking of two kingdoms, "the world," and the Kingdom of God. What makes his people different from the world is understood in his statement, "I have given them your Word." Religions teach a multitude of platitudes, preaching that people should "be good" and do good works as the way of salvation. Today in the mega-churches you won't hear much about Jesus, except when they use Scripture to justify their corrupt message. No. What differentiates a true follower of Jesus Christ is that he/she has received the Word of God in its entirety, not merely those Scriptures that promise blessings, but all that is written including the hard sayings and the dire warnings. The mega-churches will NEVER quote the dire warnings. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth..." 2 Timothy 4:3-4 To be not of the world, one must change his entire way of thinking because he was born in the world and raised in the world, but the Scriptures say that the ways of the world are "FOOLISHNESS." "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." 1 Corinthians 3:19 One who is born again has been made aware that he has to reject all he has been taught by the world and accept the truth, even the hard truths, of the Word of God. A person who is rooted in the world is not ABLE to do that - try to persuade them and you will find out quickly that you might as well be talking to the wall. It's all about truth. The world is self-seeking and couldn't care less about truth. But the follower of Jesus Christ immerses himself in the truth and sees what the world cannot ever see. vs 16-17 "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth." When the Lord sends one of his followers into the world, that is an act of aggression. It's the Kingdom of God assailing the "god of this world's" territory. They are to preach the Gospel in a hostile setting, but they do it because it is through preaching that some will be brought out of the world and into the Kingdom of God. No matter how steeped in the world they are, some will receive the Word of God and believe. "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?" Romans 10:14 So we go, having been sent by the Lord to proclaim his Name everywhere to everyone because some among them will believe and be born into the Kingdom of God. “As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world." John 17:18 We preach the truth because some haven't heard the truth. They've heard all the philosophies of the world, but they haven't heard the Word of God. So we preach it, because: vs 16: "...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Therefore, he says: "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2 That is the calling of the one who dares follow Jesus Christ, willing to pay the price ...for "whosoever will." Many have died because of preaching the Word of God. The world is HOSTILE to the Word of God. But for the sake of those who will receive it, we preach it anyway. In the end, it will all be worth it. More: Who Is God?