1 John 2.12-17 Changing your Worldview part 1

Sing Praise the Savior #4 in the hymnal before the service

I am starting a two part message that I am calling what is your world view?

From my point of view there are two worldviews, a Biblical worldview and textbooks like to call it a secular worldview but that doesn’t really work. I would like to suggest that opposed to the Biblical worldview is the worldly worldview. I know that seems reundant but hear me out. Either you are on Jesus team or you are of the WORLD. That’s it.

In the book of Genesis we have the origins of the universe that God created for man. I believe that your worldview is very important. I believe that God created the world in six literal days. Evolution is no a viable option. I am about to talk to you about origins and I will tell you that man did not evolve from a lesser life form. We were created in the image of God. That changes everything. Evolution can not be accurate. Listen to these 4 insurmountable arguements against the theory of evolution.

1) Life does not come from non life.

2) A single celled organism does not evolve into more complex organisms.

There is a myth that all life evolved from single celled organisms. Not so, even though there are single celled organisms. Man has never observed a 2, 3, 4, or 5 celled single celled organism.

3) Time and chance are not evolutions friend.

There is this idea that if you give the universe enough time and probablility that eventually life would have evolved into what we see today that all the amino acids would arrange themselves into a protein and order would continue. Not so, there are more ways for the protein to be destroyed than organized. The more time you give it the more chances of trending towards disorder, that is still true today.

4) Microevolution does not lead to an increase in genetic material.

Gregor Mendell proved this a long time ago. As a matter of fact you here this all the time among creationist. Random mutations always lead to a loss of information not a gaining of information. interesting!

As Dr Ken Ham likes to say I can take a wolf and breed you a poodle but I can not breed a poodle and give you a wolf.

In Genesis God created this world in 6 literal days and rested on the seventh. In this church’s biblical worldview. God was giving us a pattern to live by. Live by it and He gave us our God given identity. In the image of God He made them male and female. The Devil wants to ruin who God created you to be. Also God also gave you your responsiblity on planet earth. To have dominion, to be a caretaker of this great planet that God gave to you. I don’t think that God ever wanted a young man to spend all His day in front of a TV screen rotting His brain. He wanted him to have dominion. To care for this world. Take care of the piece of earth that God gave to you and to other places to. You will find your purpose when you do. Finally God intended for man to have a relationship with Him an eternal loving relationship with the Almighty. Each and every day God wants to have a relationship with you nothing has changed. And God wanted man to be innocent and morallly obedient and gave ADAM one command don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of God and evil.

The origin of the WORLD!

Genesis 3:1–7 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

There is a phrase used in Christianity. The WORLD, Egypt is a type of the world. So to an extent is Babylon in the Bible. But it is opposed to God’s plan for man it is so opposed to best life that God wants you to have. It is temptation, it is disobeience. It ruins your relationship with God by taking it off of Him and lusting after something else. Lust leads to sin guilt. sin and Guilt leads to death. It is thinking that you are better than God. It is a place where you fall out of a loving relationship with God. It isn’t New York or Los Angeles, it is any place that leaves you away from God. The world can be right outside the doors of this church. It can be on a TV screen, it can be the radio or a book. But they don’t have to be. Some people can be in the middle of the world, but not be of it.

Spiritually maturity is renewing your worldview.

3 Types of Spiritual Maturity.

Little Children (Spiritual babes in Christ)

1 John 2:12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

A spiritual babe in Christ. We love these people. They know that Jesus died for them and they are forgiven. That is all they need right away and they are going to grow. But as Jesus said it is dangerous to be a new Christian. Some will be seduced by the world and we the church are wondering. Did they lose their salvation? (I don’t believe that someone can lose their salvation) or were they ever saved? Or are they a prodigal that God will eventually call home?

Fathers (Spiritually Mature)

1 John 2:13a I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

Spiritually maturity is getting back to Eden. This side of glory we won’t back to where we should be. You remember the great hym that we sung today Praise the Savior. The final stanza of that song reads

THEN we shall be where we would be, THEN we shall be what we should be, Things that are not now, nor could be, soon shall be our own.

We aren’t there yet. John will later in this book in chapter 3 tell us when we have arrived but right now we are on our way back to Eden and forward to heaven at the same time.

Young Men (Spiritually Growing)

1 John 2:13b I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one.

Spiritually Growing People are dangerous. They are like a tidal wave and the devil can’t stand in front of Him. Are you spiritually growing or stagnant. Do you know what I mean by stagnant. Water that isn’t on the move. It is a brooding ground for disease and death. It begins to stink and that is what the devil wants from you. Because when you are maturing, then you are GROWING and you have power like a rushing river that carves out canyons and carries away debree that gets in its way. Remember those powerful flood waters of rivers that carried away that tragedy in Texas when you are growing, You are as powerful as flood waters and the devil gets scared.

Little Children - Their sins are forgiven and they know the Father.

1 John 2:13c I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.

Verse 12 says that the spiritual babes in Christ their sins are forgiven and in the last part of verse 13 it says that they know the Father. They know the basics. But that’s all you really need to know in order to get to glory, again you don’t want to stay a babe Paul warns us not to be keep going for the milk when you should be feasting on meat. To not develop spiritually is to become stagnant, but on judgment day the most important thing is do you know Jesus the Savior the forgiver of sins.

Fathers - They have Spiritual Experience.

1 John 2:14 a I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

Again the same thing John says before you know the everlasting God intimately. The Spiritually Mature and God are like this. They have the spiritual discernment to face any situation because they know God. They aren’t great because they are great. They are great because they have and know a great God!

Young Men - They have the Word of God and are applying it.

1 John 2:14 b I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.

I think of Jeremiah and Timothy. 2 Men in scripture who were told don’t worry. People will call you a young whiper snapper, but that’s ok because you have a fire inside of you and that fire should derive from the word of God and it’s dangerous. Remember Charlie Kirk or have you forgotten him already. 31 years old and on fire from the LORD. I have had a lot of old people tell me that’s what is wrong with young people today! What’s wrong with young people today. I believe the Devil was scared of Charlie Kirk. So he had to silence him. But he didn’t silence him what the devil means for evil God uses for good to save much people alive. THE POWER TO DEFEAT THE DEVIL is RIGHT HERE!! Come on be a young man for Christ and guess what this isn’t about age it’s about maturity. Some of you are babes in Christ.

Only God can rescue you from the world.

Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

The renewing of your worldview is a three step process. In this passage it is talking about us and our relationship to the world. Positionally you are saved from sin

There is a 3 step process out of the WORLD.

2 Corinthians 1:10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us,

I love this verse it says that we are today positionally saved from sin and we are currently being saved from the power of sin and one day we will be saved from the very presence of sin. OR THE WORLD in John’s case. John’s spiritual maturity is represented by the three step process of salvation. Don’t get me wrong SALVATION IS immediate just ask the thief of the cross but we experience our salvation one step at a time through the maturity process. and John’s 3 men illustrate this well

Justification - The little children’s sins are forgiven and they stand right before God.

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Justification is a work of the grace of Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:5–7 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

You are made right your worldview is renewed not by you working at it, but it begins with a supernatural work of Jesus Christ finished on the cross.

2. Sanctification - young man learns that he has power to overcome evil in the world. He has power in the word of God abiding in his life.

The renewing process is called sanctification.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

Do you see that? This book is the key to your sanctification and God wants you to be sanctified.

Sanctification is realizing power of God over the world.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Sanctification - being set apart for God’s special purpose.

3. Glorification - The Father’s finally realize that their relationship with God is restored. They are finally redeemed.

1 Peter 1:5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

We aren’t there yet, none of you are no matter how good you think that you are but boy we long to see Jesus.

I want you to have a Biblical Worldview. A restored redeemed Mind. Where are you on that journey. Maybe you are a baby Christian. GREAT if you were to die today God would welcome you into heaven your sins are forgiven. If you are a young Man AWESOME! You are understanding the POWER OF GOD maybe for the first time. Watch out devil because here you come. The devil whispers in your ear and you say bug off Snake! Maybe you are a father. You feel heaven is only a stones throw away. That is very few of us. I must admit. But you have been faithful. You are ready to hear well done though God and faithful servant. I salute you! I stand so tall in honor of the life you life.

Having A Biblical world view means that you see things like God does through the lens of God’s word. How do you do that ,discipleship.

Change your world view!

Don’t imitate evil.

3 John 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

Don’t try to be like the world. Don’t follow their steps. Be different. Be like God

Imitate Godly people.

1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

I am so proud of my wife. She has been saying for years. Where are the women to teach me? I get it. I believe God gave my wife my mother for a season but God took her away from her. My wife has been amazing me. She hasn’t waited for Godly women to come and say Gee I want to disciple you. KNOW that woman goes looking. Twice now I have just wanted to cry. My wife has sought out Godly women I don’t know why and said TEACH ME!!!!! Wow that will change your world view. I am so proud of my wife she is a keeper. GRAB one of those young men or fathers in the faith and say DISCIPLE ME!!!!!! Force them to do it.

Command - GO, Make Disciples!

Matthew 28:19–20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Every Christian here should be a disciple maker. If you aren’t there is a problem. Do you have someone under your wing trainging in the word of God. If not change that, today!

That is how you begin making disciples. That is how we get people with a Biblical Worldview.

Change your worldview - Study God’s word.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

I like the King James “STUDY” Get into the book. Learn - Get smarter on the things of God every day.

Gee tell me what you learn about God EVERY DAY I promise I won’t tire of your emails,

Get out of the world, RENEW your mind!

Romans 12:1–2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Change who you are from the inside out. Don’t be conformed to the world. You don’t have to belong to it. BE TRANSFORMED!!! That is what Jesus wants from you that is what this passage is all about

Step one You are SAVED, Justified, sins are forgiven and you know God. Step 2 you are sancfitified the power of God is alive in your life. His word His spirit give you power over sin and the devil. Step 3 - GLORIFICATION! Then we shall be what we should be. Glorification is coming! But until then keep on being transformed into the image of God.

NOW GO GROW IN GRACE and Make disciples.