Do Not Love the World
Victory over the Enemy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Please find a seat in the middle section!
Schedule:
- 7:00-7:45 Lesson (Joe)
- 7:45-8:15 Discussion (Small Groups)
- 8:15-8:25 Prayer (Groups of 2/3)
Title Slide
Do Not Love the World
Do Not Love the World
Victory Over the Enemy
Chapter 2
How many of you have been to the Leamington fair (or another fair) before?
If you have, you know there are lots of things to trying to attract your attention. (It can be quite overwhelming!)
Throw out some things that you can think of at the fair that are seeking to attract you.
The rides, with lights and music
The food trucks
The games
The tents selling products
The farm animals
Application
A fair is a good example of how the world works.
The devil uses the world to draw your attention away from God.
“You can take your life seriously and consider God tomorrow. For today, just enjoy yourself!”
Transition
In chapter 2 of the book, Bill Cook begins with a look at…
The World Revealed
The World Revealed
1 John 2:15—17
The classic text on not loving the world is…
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Here John says not to love the world.
But Jesus said in John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
So if God loves the world, then why does John command us NOT to love the world?
The word world can have different meanings, including:
the created universe
the world of people
Or, in the case of 1 John 2:15—17…
humanity in rebellion against God and under the dominion of Satan.
Cook quotes Clinton Arnold who says…
“The world is the unhealthy social environment in which we live. This includes the ungodly aspects of culture, peer pressure, values, traditions, ‘what is in,’ ‘what is uncool,’ customs, philosophies, and attitudes. The world represents the prevailing worldview assumptions of the day that stand contrary to the biblical understanding of reality and biblical values.” — Clinton Arnold
The reason the world stands in opposition to God and His Word is because…
1 John 5:19 (ESV)
19 the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
A number of times in his gospel, John refers to Satan as the “ruler of this world”.
Cook says,
“The world under Satan’s dominance manifests itself in the promotion of godless cultures and worldviews. The prince of this world uses the enticement of the world to seduce people further and further away from God.” — William Cook
Transition
The first way we see “The World Revealed”, is…
As a Prostitute
As a Prostitute
Revelation 17:1—6
The image of a prostitute is shocking for us…
especially when you compare it to the Bride of Christ,
which is pure, spotless, and holy.
The image of the world as a prostitute is found in…
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters,
2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”
3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.
4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality.
5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”
6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.
The prostitute has influence, and uses that influence to promote:
Idolatry — worshipping anything but God
Sexual immorality… AND
Persecuting God’s people
The world lures people in by promising a fulfilling life,
but in the end there is nothing but destruction and death.
This is why James says…
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Every person is responsible to decide whether to love the world, OR God.
You cannot love both.
Transition
The second way we see “The World Revealed”, is…
As an Empire
As an Empire
Revelation 18:1-3
1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory.
2 And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
On the outside, the world looks impressive.
It’s easy to see how so many people are lured in by sex, money and power.
There is much to be gained by becoming a friend to the world.
But as Mark says in his gospel…
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
For all that the world offers,
its way ends in death!
Transition
So we see how Scripture teaches us about the world,
and therefore why in 1 John he says…
Do Not Love the World
Do Not Love the World
1 John 2:15-17
We remember John said in 1 John 2:15
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
In verse 16, John explains WHY we should not love the world…
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
Transition
The first area we are not to love the world is…
Lust of the Flesh
Lust of the Flesh
The lust of the flesh refers to our sinful longings because we are fallen humans in Adam.
In our sin, we
live according to our flesh…
perform the works of the flesh.
This is a result of our deceitful desires, and the old self.
Someone who is living this way is hostile, and opposed to God.
This is what John means when he says in…
1 John 2:15 (ESV)
15 If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
In the book, Cook quotes Bob Yarbrough, a NT scholar…
“authentic love for God exists only when it has no essential rivals. . . . To Attempt to love God in multitasking fashion, dedicating a portion of one's love worldward and then the remaining amount godward, is fruitless because it fails to acknowledge God as he truly is: sole, unique, sovereign, alone deserving one’s core allegiance.” — Bob Yarbrough
Transition
The next area we are not to love the world is…
Lust of the Eyes
Lust of the Eyes
The lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh are connected…
Cook says…
“The lust of the eyes is a way of describing sinful desires initiated or inflamed by what one sees and results in feelings of envy and coveting." — William Cook
We remember that when Eve was tempted in the garden,
she was tempted by what she saw.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
Achan sinned because of the lust of the eyes as well…
20 And Achan answered Joshua, “Truly I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I did: 21 when I saw among the spoil a beautiful cloak from Shinar, and 200 shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing 50 shekels, then I coveted them and took them. And see, they are hidden in the earth inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
David sinned as a result of the lust of the eyes as well…
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
It is because of the lust of the eyes:
that Paul says “flee sexual immorality”!
Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust you have committed adultery in your heart.
Jesus also said if your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out!
Cook says,
“Jesus's point is not to offer a list of legalistic rules and regulations, but to admonish his followers to deal ruthlessly with the source of temptation. You do not weed your garden by trimming the leaves of the parasitic plant to make it prettier—you pull them out by the roots!” — William Cook
Transition
The final area we are not to love the world is…
Pride of One’s Possessions
Pride of One’s Possessions
This is the arrogance and feeling of self-importance that people have that is based on what they have.
You may remember the story of the rich young ruler who came to Jesus,
but as far as we know, he was not willing to give up his wealth to follow Jesus.
Jesus said…
24 Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Money and power in this life can blind someone to their need for Christ.
They don’t think they need Him!
We must remember that everything we have is from God.
Paul, confronts the Corinthians who were boastful of their possessions…
1 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV)
7 What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?
Cook says…
“Boasting about skill or possessions is rooted in the neglect of our Creator as the all-sufficient giver, and—audaciously—it seeks to receive the glory due to God." — William Cook
Summary
What we need to understand is that,
the lust of the flesh…
the lust of the eyes… and
pride in one’s possessions…
are not just worldly things outside of us…
but they are issues in our hearts!
Worldliness is not from God, but from the world.
Cook says…
“What hangs in the balance is of eternal importance. To live for the world is to lose everything in the end; the things of the world are transitory, but the one who lives for God lives forever. The choice is clear and the consequences obvious (1 John 2:17).” — William Cook
Transition
Being in—but Not of—the World
Being in—but Not of—the World
When we look at how alluring the world can be,
it can be easy to feel overwhelmed!
But God’s Word makes it clear that we have the ability to resist the world.
Transition
The first way we are in but not of the world is…
Not Conformed but Transformed
Not Conformed but Transformed
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind
Because the world around us is fallen, and under the sway of Satan,
we must be careful to not be conformed to the world.
God commanded the Israelites to not conform as well…
3 You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes.
but we know that the Israelites DID conform…
15 They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.
as a result, God warns them in…
12 and you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you.”
Satan has been using the world to conform people,
and he will continue using the world to conform people.
He wants us to find our value and worth according to worldly standards.
But Paul encourages us to…
Romans 12:2 (ESV)
2 be transformed by the renewal of your mind
Cook says…
“This transformation takes place as the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to causes a believer to think more and more in line with Scripture about the things of this world. This transformation ultimately enables believers, whose minds are saturated with Scripture, to discern God’s will.” — William Cook
Since we have been born again,
and have the mind of Christ,
we are then transformed by God’s Spirit,
through God’s Word!
We are not conformed to the world,
but transformed to God’s will.
Transition
The second way we are “in but not of the world” is…
we do not use…
Not the World’s Wisdom
Not the World’s Wisdom
James 3:13-18
James contrasts the wisdom of the world with the wisdom from God…
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.
15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
There are two kinds of wisdom,
one that is from the world, and
one that is from God.
The kind of wisdom you are following is determined by what is in your heart.
Sin cannot come out of you unless it is first in your heart.
So when we find sin in our lives,
we must go to God and His Word to seek to be transformed to His wisdom,
and not the wisdom of this world.
Transition
The third way we are “in but not of the world” is…
that we have an…
Overcoming Faith
Overcoming Faith
1 John 5:4
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
This does not mean it’s easy!
But in order to conquer the world, we must increase our faith.
But how?
Three Ways to Grow Your Faith
Three Ways to Grow Your Faith
Three Ways to Grow Your Faith
Three Ways to Grow Your Faith
1. Read God’s Word
Paul taught that…
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Cook says…
“The Spirit of God uses the Word of God in the people of God to conform them into the image of the Son of God.” — William Cook
Don’t underestimate how reading Scripture can grow your faith!
Three Ways to Grow Your Faith
Three Ways to Grow Your Faith
Another way we grow our faith is by
2. Ask God
We remember the man who said to Jesus…
Mark 9:24 (ESV)
24 “I believe; help my unbelief!”
A third way to grow
Three Ways to Grow Your Faith
3. Exercise Faith
If we ask God to grow our faith,
he will put us in positions to exercise our faith.
It is like a muscle that grows through stretching it.
Transition
The fourth area we must be “in but not of the world” is…
The Church and the World
The Church and the World
Many churches today look a lot more like the world than they do God’s called out people.
They are more prone to follow the world than God’s Word.
It is easy for church leaders to sucked into focusing on numbers,
and their own fame and status.
Paul said…
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.
Church leaders must make sure they follow God’s Word,
and give Him the glory for any growth He allows.
They are simply servants that God chooses to use.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As God’s children,
we are called to be in the world, but not of the world.
When we think of the world,
it may be tempting to isolate ourselves like the Amish.
There may be practical ways we can restrict the world’s influence on us,
but to completely avoid the world misses the point.
“Jesus left heaven to enter the world that he might redeem a people for God. He entrusts those whom he saves with the good news and sends them out into the world. Jesus calls them to holiness and nonconformity, not to isolation. Christians are called to be salt and light.” — William Cook