"DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD"

Text: 1 John 2:15-17

This sermon explores 1 John 2:15-17's command to "not love the world." John doesn't mean rejecting God's creation or people, but rather the sin system opposing God. The world disguises itself in ordinary life, using God's gifts to replace devotion to the Creator. Our hearts cannot simultaneously love both the world and the Father. World-love manifests through lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life—being controlled by desires rather than controlling them. The danger lies in self-deception and rationalization. The solution: monitor what we claim to love, model Jesus' simple life, and embrace an eternal perspective, recognizing worldly things pass away while God's kingdom endures forever.

I. INTRODUCTION: THE PARADOX OF A BEAUTIFUL WORLD

A. Appreciation for God's creation (Fall in New England)

B. Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World"

C. The apparent contradiction: John's command not to love the world

D. The question: What does John mean?

II. DEFINING "THE WORLD" - THREE BIBLICAL MEANINGS

A. The World as Creation (Psalm 19:1-4) - The handiwork of God - NOT John's meaning here

B. The World as People (John 3:16; 1 John 3:16-18) - God loves humanity - We are called to love others - NOT John's meaning here

C. The World as Sin System (1 John 4:4-5; 5:19) - The unredeemed world opposing God - Under Satan's control - THIS is John's meaning- Disguises itself in ordinary life - Uses God's creation to replace devotion to the Creator

III. THE INCOMPATIBILITY: YOU CANNOT LOVE BOTH

A. The Either/Or Reality (1 John 2:15) - Hearts cannot love both world and Father - Loving the world pushes out love for the Father

B. Illustrations of Incompatible Loves- Red Sox vs. Yankees - Luke Skywalker vs. Darth Vader - Cowboys vs. Eagles

C. Jesus' Teaching on Two Masters (Luke 16:13) - Cannot serve God and mammon (stuff, possessions) - Not a call to monasticism - Jesus prayed for protection IN the world, not removal FROM it (John 17:15)

IV. THREE SYMPTOMS OF WORLD-LOVING (1 John 2:16)

A. The Lust of the Flesh- Obsession with satisfying bodily desires - Eating, drinking, sleeping, strength - Beyond just sexual sin

B. The Lust of the Eyes- Obsession with appearance - Clothing, houses, cars, beauty - What catches the eye

C. The Pride of Life- Ambition and self-glorification - Social status, family heritage - Anything making you feel superior

D. The Tricky Truth- All these things created by God - Sin is being CONTROLLED by them rather than controlling them - Lust = being governed and dominated by desires

V. THE DANGER OF SELF-DECEPTION

A. The temptation to think we're fine

B. Easy to see this sin in others, not ourselves

C. American susceptibility to rationalization

D. Jesus' warning: Hard for rich to enter kingdom

E. We're experts at explaining away our sins

VI. THREE PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR EVALUATION

A. Monitor Your "Love" Language- Track how often you say "I love..." - Ask: Does this love draw me toward or away from God? - Consider reserving "love" for truly important relationships

B. Model the Life of Jesus- Never guilty of fleshly sins - Rejected outward pomp and show - Meek and lowly - Born in stable, worked as carpenter - Lived simply despite being Lord of glory

C. Compare Worldly vs. Kingdom Approaches (Chart from Daniel Akin) - Focus: Me vs. God - Money: Accumulate vs. Give away - Comfort: Seek ease vs. Do hard things - Fame: Make my name vs. Make His name great - Happiness: Self-fulfillment vs. God's pleasure - Children: Self-love vs. Love and obey God - Appearance: Magazine idol vs. Temple of Holy Spirit - Service: When convenient vs. Always - Marriage: As long as needs met vs. Lifelong servanthood - Status: Appear powerful vs. Prefer others - Wealth: Accrue through worldly wisdom vs. Fear of God - Fashion: Stay current vs. Be content - Duration: Passing away vs. Abide forever

VII. THE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE (1 John 2:17)

A. The Transient Nature of Worldly Things- Appearance fades (youth → age) - Wealth, status, knowledge all vanishing - Seeds of death in everything worldly - All under God's wrath, heading to destruction

B. The Eternal Nature of God's Kingdom- Why love what doesn't last? - Cultivate love for what endures forever - We serve an eternal God with everlasting love - Created for something more glorious than present life - "Too good not to be true!"

VIII. CONCLUSION

Restatement of Text: 1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or anything in it

Love for world = no love for Father

World's desires pass away

Those who do God's will live forever