Disordered Love - 1 John 2:12-17

(Pew up date, new chairs, please help us by putting bibles and cards in chairs)

Have you ever had an unusual friendship?

Someone who maybe is a different season of life, someone with differing interests.

For me preaching through 1 John takes me back to 20 year old Billy fumbling his way through this book for a small church in Winigan, MO.

I think of my friend John.

John was unlike me in pretty much every way.

He was a good 40 years older than me.

Had an epic Tom Selleck like mustache and had a bunch of cows.

He and his wife Mary lived just a bit down the dirt road from the church and he made it a point to have me over for lunch as often as possible.

John ended up being more light hearted than his stern demeanor let on.

John would often encourage me after I thought I preached a terrible sermon.

He took a genuine interest in me as a person.

He even made a point to follow and pray for my endeavors, like the silly Christian metal band I was in.

When I would eventually move on from that church to be an church planting resident John would support me financially.

Turns out John had many years before I met him started one of the largest Christian Outreach camps in the country.

He never mentioned it to me, someone at my Bible College told me.

No, John took far more interest in me than in pulling out all his accolades.

John always made much of Jesus and I loved him for that.

Many years later I got a phone call from his wife.

She told me that he had cancer and that it was accelerating.

John wasn’t at the point where he could talk but one of his final requests was to have his friend Billy perform his funeral.

I had never done a funeral before but I didn’t hesitate.

If John wants it consider it done.

Funeral

So many stories about John’s faithfulness

Scores of young men who had been blessed by John caring for them

John didn’t care about the fleeting things of this world, but what truly lasts.

Today we are going to be continuing in our sermon series through 1 John.

We will see that John points to the type of beautiful relationship I had with my friend John.

One of spiritual older brothers and sisters, spiritual mothers and fathers.

He calls us to see how disordered we are.

Every night I pray with Sammy a bed time blessing.

The last thing I say is, “Lord bless Samuel’s heart, may he love you and all that you have made in the right order.”

We are often all out of order, we love that which doesn’t last.

We pursue the things of this world that have no way of providing for us what we long for.

Today I want to simply point us to this

Big Idea: Christ reorders our love from the temporary to the eternal.

Going through this text I was deeply helped by Danny Akin’s outline of this passage.

So rather than try and be clever I am just going to move forward with what I have found to be so helpful.

Really this text is broken in to two parts.

v.12-14 and v.15-17

These sections seem to to be totally separate but in reality they flow into one another.

So let’s see first:

1. What We Are In Christ and What We Cannot Lose

Verses 12–14 are crafted in a rhythmic and poetic style, with John repeating the phrases “I am writing” and “I write” six times to emphasize his message.

He addresses three distinct groups: “children,” “fathers,” and “young men,” each mentioned twice to really highlight their importance.

John is highlighting different stages of spiritual growth among believers

—newcomers to the faith, those who have just gone from death to life.

those who are energetically growing in their spiritual journey

and those with a mature understanding

You could think of it as Young, maturing, mature

Now, that being said, John uses the term "children" all throughout this epistle to express his fatherly care for all church members.

So while he is hitting us at different stages and places, it's important to recognize that the truths John discusses are applicable to all believers, regardless of where you are at.

What he says is true of every believer.

But I want to point out this dynamic of differing stages.

We are richly blessed.

We have believers across the spectrum.

Those who have just started walking with the Lord and those who have known Jesus for a long time.

One of the greatest gifts you could give if you have walked with the Lord is to showcase how you know the Father.

To invest in younger believers.

To encourage those who are on the path of maturity.

Because we all forget who we are and whose we are.

So while I will seek to encourage and preach, I want you to be here on Sunday and sing…but listen an hour on Sunday ain’t gonna cut it.

We need life on life relationships.

If you have walked with Jesus for sometime. I want you to ask yourself, “who am I investing in? Do I want to see others grow with the Lord?”

We all need others pouring into us.

Why?

Because we forget.

John reminds us how we can be disordered.

I want to remind you what you are in Christ…what you cannot lose.

- YOU ARE FORGIVEN

1 John 2:12 (ESV)

I am writing to you, little children,

because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

You. Are. Forgiven.

All of the things that make your face flush.

The things you’d sooner burry or hide in a closet.

The horrible thoughts.

The lies.

You have been forgiven.

There is no sin so small it does not deserve God’s judgement

and there is no sin so big it cannot be forgiven.

A little boy coming home from church asked his elderly Christian Grandmother, “Does the devil ever trouble you about your past sins?”

She answered, “Yes.”

When the little boy asked what she did then, she replied, “Oh, I just tell him to go east.”

“What do you do if he comes back?”

“I tell him to go west.”

“And when he comes back from the west, what do you do then?”

She said, “I just keep him going from the east to the west.”

Psalm 103:12 (ESV)

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

You have been forgiven.

for HIS NAME SAKE!

That is the sure seal of your forgiveness the very blood of Jesus.

Jesus is faithful to forgive all the sins of those who trust in Him.

Having run to Jesus as our advocate and atonement , we have been welcomed by God as His children.

What a wonderful truth listen?

Proverbs 18:10 (ESV)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;

the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

you are forgive and you know the father!

- YOU KNOW THE FATHER

Look at the first part of verses 13 and 14

1 John 2:13 (ESV)

I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.

1 John 2:14 (ESV)

I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.

Not only are you forgiven.

Dear believer you have been adopted.

God is your father.

We now have a deep, enduring relationship with the One who has existed since creation.

We know the one we encounter in the Gospels.

(Come to the garden - redux - saints have always known)

This echoes the opening verses of John 1:1 and 1 John 1:1, resounding within us.

That which was from the beginning.

The eternal God of the ages.

You know him

John repeats this profound truth in verse 14, emphasizing its importance so we do not forget.

“Just in case you didn’t catch it let me say it twice!”

The longer we have lived, the deeper better we know Him.

He is not just the Almighty; He is our Father.

He is the epitome of goodness and perfection in fatherhood.

No longer seen as an adversary, through the forgiveness of our sins and His gracious act of adoption, we now know Him as our Father.

These experiences of forgiveness and deeper knowledge of God are the very heart of the New Covenant promises.

Listen to Jeremiah 31:34

Jeremiah 31:34 (ESV)

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

so you are forgiven and you know the father.

and

- YOU ARE VICTORIOUS

now look at the later part of verse 13 and 14

1 John 2:13 (ESV)

I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.

1 John 2:14 (ESV)

I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.

Again John addresses young men.

This isn’t just for men, rather these are believers who are maturing in the faith.

Those who are waging the war against disordered loves.

(Sammy - I’m GREAT HEART!)

We see three distinctives of being an overcomer.

1. They are strong

2. The word of God abides in them

3. They have overcome the evil one.

Our strength and ability to be overcomers has a two-fold source

So three distinctives

Two-fold victory

The work of Christ.

The Word of God abiding in us.

Think about this.

What does the enemy do to trip us up?

Accuse and tempt.

He accuses you- You are the worse, look how you failed.

He tempts you - Look at this, isn’t this more satisfying than the things of God?

The work of Christ answers the first tactic.

It shuts the mouth of the accuser

Satan can accuse me of sin, but I trust the work of Christ.

My debt is paid!

he can hurl accusations all day long.

But Romans 8:1

Romans 8:1 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Satan cannot condemn me - God cannot be dissatisfied in me.

When the enemy tempts me TO SIN I turn to the word of God.

I think of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.

How does he combat the lies of the enemy.

With the truth of the word of God.

Psalm 119:11 (ESV)

I have stored up your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

We abide in the word.

We are victors, we are strong, God’s word abides, we overcome the evil one.

How is our victory secured?

Through the work of Christ that silences accusation

Through God’s word abiding that fights temptation.

This is what we are and what we cannot lose

we are forgiven, we know the father, and we are victors in the faith!

But John shows us how easily are love can become disordered.

this is where we see second (second section of our text)

2. What the world offers but cannot give

John tells us not to love the world.

And immediately you may be thinking…um didn’t “God so love the world?”

What John is saying is don’t love the world’s ways.

John characterizes worldliness through three lenses:

the desires of our flesh (such as gluttony, sexual immorality, and intoxication),

the lust of our eyes (like sexual desire and envy),

and the pride of life that leads us to boast about our achievements without acknowledging God.

In a society dominated by social media, where influencers and celebrities often set cultural norms,

it's clear that if worldliness is defined by living solely to satisfy our physical desires,

chase what we want and boast about our successes,

then worldliness describes much of our modern culture.

So John warns us that while the material world will ultimately perish

But those who are part of God's kingdom will endure eternally.

This stark contrast underlines the importance of remaining vigilant in our devotion to God rather than succumbing to the ways of the World.

Listen There are three promises the world has but cannot deliver on.

John’s words are like strong medicine.

- The World Cannot Give What You Need

1 John 2:15 (ESV)

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.

The human heart fundamentally seeks to be loved and to love in return.

To truly experience deep and enduring satisfaction, we must prioritize our affections, our loves correctly.

John explicitly instructs us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.”

Why?

Because loving the world means not loving God

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Chapter 2)

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father

John advises us to "Choose your lover, but choose wisely. Choose God the Father, not the seductive allure of the father of lies"

We must understand that even good things can become detrimental when they take the place of God in our lives.

Good thing is a bad thing when it becomes a God thing

Devoting our love to anything less than God—a lesser lover—leads to disappointment

Why?

Because it can never truly fulfill our deepest needs.

(Mark 2 - Your sins are forgiven - Jesus knows what we need)

- The World Cannot Give You What It Promises

1 John 2:16 (ESV)

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.

We already mentioned this but this verse identifies the weapons that are used to seduce us away from the way of Jesus.

These are the things that disorder our love.

Desires of the flesh

Desires of the eyes

Pride of life

These same three weapons slew Adam and Eve in the Garden. Genesis 3:6 says,

“Then the woman saw that the tree was good for food [lust of the flesh] and delightful to look at [lust of the eyes], and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom [the pride of life].” Genesis 3:6

These same three weapons were conquered by Christ, the second Adam, in His temptation in the wilderness.

Luke 4:1–13 explains that the Devil beckoned Him to “tell this stone to become bread” (Luke 4:3), which is the lust of the flesh.

Then he “showed Him all the kingdoms of the world” (Luke 4:5), tempting Jesus with the lust of the eyes.

Finally, from the pinnacle of the temple, the Devil challenged him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: He will give His angels orders concerning you, to protect you, and they will support you with their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone” (Luke 4:9–10).

But even the pride of life could not lead the Savior into sin.

Consider these temptations.

They appeal to three things

Desires of the flesh - Appetites

Desires of the eyes - Affections

Pride of life - Ambitions

DESIRES OF THE FLESH

The desires of the flesh are about our cravings and appetites.

The word "desires" itself isn't good or bad;

it depends on what we're desiring.

John explains that worldly desires are related to our fleshly nature.

"Flesh" here means more than just our bodies—it refers to our tendency to fulfill our natural desires in ways that go against God’s will.

For example, a natural desire for food might lead to overeating, and a normal sexual desire could lead to sexual immorality

We give in to these desires because we are sinful.

It is important to realize that we are not sinful because we sin.

Instead, we sin because we are sinful.

We are sinful to our core.

The lure of the flesh is strong because sin is deeply rooted in us.

To us, sin often seems fun and attractive, pulling us in like a fly to flypaper or a fish to a baited hook.

We have to seek the Lord to change our appetites for the way of Jesus.

The Desires of the eyes

This points to our affections.

Again the word Affection is neutral.

It is where we set our affection.

Our eyes are indeed wonderful gifts, but John warns us about their misuse.

Jesus described the eyes as the "lamp of the body," which can either illuminate our path or plunge us into darkness (Matthew 6:22–23).

The first sin illustrates this point when Eve was tempted by the fruit that was a "delight to the eyes" (Genesis 3:6).

The "desires of the eyes" refer to our attraction to things that are visually appealing yet forbidden.

This is the tendency to be drawn to the superficial appearance of things, without considering their true value.

This involves pursuing things that look good on the surface, regardless of whether they are actually good in the eyes of God.

Finally

The Pride of Life

Your translation may say, the pride in one’s possessions.

This is a desire to have more. Be more.

This is someone who exaggerates their achievements to impress others

The person who is often dominated by the words "I, me, my."

This is someone who lives in their own world.

There was little boy on a vacation trip with his family visited the Grand Canyon.

The guide told them that the canyon had a depth of one mile.

The boy’s parents gazed with jaws dropped looking out on this beautiful marvel of nature.

As they turned to leave the boy spit out over the rim of the canyon.

That night he wrote in his diary, “Today I spit a mile.”

Many people focus only on what they do and miss the grandeur that is all about them.

This is someone who idolizes their material possessions, careers, achievements, and social status.

If power, possessions, prestige, and position become the focal points of existence.

But this is what we are told to chase after

Into this: Jesus, the King of glory, radically reversed the world’s value system.

AW Tozer

There is within the human heart a tough, fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always to possess. It covets “things” with a deep and fierce passion. The pronouns “my” and “mine” look innocent enough in print, but their constant and universal use is significant. They express the real nature of the old Adamic man better than a thousand volumes of theology could do. They are verbal symptoms of our deep disease. The roots of our hearts have grown down into things, and we dare not pull up one rootlet lest we die. Things have become necessary to us, a development never originally intended. God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution. (The Pursuit of God)

Jesus shows us a powerful example of humility.

He could have taken pride in his heritage, HE IS THE SON OF GOD

but was known simply as a carpenter's son from a poor family.

Instead of boasting about wealth, He pointed out that He had no permanent home. (son of man has no place to lay his head)

He faced skepticism about His worth because He came from Nazareth, a place not highly regarded.

He was called a friend of outcasts like tax collectors and sinners, not the elite.

When it came to knowledge, He credited everything He knew to His Father.

Even in His deepest personal desires, He chose to submit to God's will, asking for God's plan to be done over His own.

The Bible teaches us through Jesus' example. James 4:6

James 4:6 (ESV)

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

Like Jesus, we are to approach God not with pride, but with humility, recognizing our role as His creations.

So the world cannot give what it promises

And finally we see

- The World Cannot Give What will Last

1 John 2:17 (ESV)

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

This verse concludes John's argument by looking to eternity.

Why choose the world?

Why dedicate your life to what is essentially a hollow copy, a valueless counterfeit, a fleeting mirage?

The world, with its evil and deceptive nature—Satan's system—is in constant decline, its desires fading away.

The darkness began to retreat in 2:8, and the world is fleeing in 2:17.

In contrast, the eternal light and truth have been revealed in Jesus Christ.

What endures? What lasts? It's the person who consistently does God’s will.

That person remains forever.

Jesus’ work is enduring and effective because it fulfilled the Father's will.

For our actions to have lasting impact, our hearts must align not with worldly desires but with the Father’s will.

In the book Embracing Obscurity, written by an anonymous author there is a helpful contrast between the things of the world and the things of the Father

CHART ON SCREEN

THINGS OF THE WORLD - THINGS OF THE FATHER

Conclusion

One lesser-known story in the Bible is about a man named Demas. Initially, in Colossians 4:14, Demas is commended for working hard alongside Luke, spreading the gospel.

But later, in 2 Timothy 4:10, just before Paul's martyrdom, we learn that Demas has left him.

Here we simply read, “Demas has deserted me, because he loved this present world.” The NLT says, “he loves the things of this life.”

You can almost feel Paul’s heart break as he pens these words.

Let’s learn from Demas’s story.

Let’s ask Jesus to reorder our love.

Don’t let love for the things of this life eclipse your love for the Father.

Avoid chasing after temporary pleasures.

Instead, embrace God's love as shown through Jesus.

Love God with all your heart.

Let every place you enter become a space filled with God’s love, every effort an act of love to God, and every word of praise a declaration of your love for Him.

Ask Jesus to reorder your love

To shift your faze from what is temporary to what lasts.

What stage of spiritual growth do I currently see myself in? What steps can I take to grow deeper in my faith and knowledge of God?

In what ways might I be loving the things of this world more than God? How do I need Jesus to reorder my love?

What desires of the flesh, eyes, or life pride am I most susceptible to? How can I resist these temptations by focusing on God’s truth and promises?

How does the reality that 'the world is passing away along with its desires' (1 John 2:17) affect my daily decisions and priorities?