Sermon Tone Analysis

*2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1.

*Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?

Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

What accord has Christ with Belial?

Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?

What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

I would like to continue with the theme that was introduced two weeks ago, ‘the world’s view versus God’s view and last week’s sub-topic of ‘first things first’.

And allow me to repeat the admonition of last week; if we get this wrong, out of place, in the wrong order or just ignore it, we are not only capable of yoking unequally, but we also risk losing the very faith that we proclaim that we have.

These are serious messages because they affect every one of us in some degree or another.

Our first two commandments found in Matthew 22: verses 37-40 state first that /‘You shall love the Lord/ your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Jesus says that this is /the/ first and great commandment.

And /the/ second /is/ like it: /‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’/

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

This first and great commandment is the Shema from the book of Deuteronomy (deut-ter-Ron-o-me) chapter 6;

* *“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

*Deuteronomy 6:4-9.*

And so I ask you today, not like the commercial that you hear about a popular credit card, but what’s in your house, what’s on your doorposts, what’s in your heart, what’s on your mind, who does you soul dwell on, and where does you strength lie?

First thing’s first!

And this is a very serious commandment, listen again to *Luke 14:26.

*“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

That is how serious this command is and how far the second is from the first.

My love for the Lord my God must be so amazing, so complete, so outstanding and at such a high level that in comparison my love for my Mom, my Dad, Geraldine, Kimberly, Amira, Jamelle, Johnnie and even myself would look like hate in comparison to it.

Let me illustrate this better, I think, by referring to a race in track and field; “that athlete was so fast that everyone else in the race looked like they were standing still, he threw the disc so far that there were no competition and the fight was for second place.

And /the/ second /is/ like it: /‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself./

It is like the first but it is not the first so still first things first.

Your neighbor is your parents, your sons, your daughters, your husband, your wife, that person or persons who live close to or in the neighborhood with you, that co-worker, that student, and even a stranger, that friend as well as that enemy.

This second commandment says to love them as yourself, as if the person was you.

I did not say this last week and I feel that it is important before moving on to the third commandment.

Your neighbor is human, saved or unsaved, and you must stay in prayer for wisdom and discernment.

Because your love, care, concern, openness, friendliness, and even your emotions can be misinterpreted.

Someone may interpret you as flirtatious, naïve, or giving evidence that you are available or interested.

You may be misinterpreted as homosexual, weird, or up to no-good, because you show a genuine interest or concern in the other person.

Why is this?

Because the natural man can not receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolish to him nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Therefore, stay in prayer because this misinterpretation can happen within the local church fellowship as well as any place else, but with all of that, the command doesn’t change; /‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself./

Today I would like to look at the third commandment from the New Testament.

These first two are positive commandments telling us you shall love the Lord your God and you shall love your neighbor.

The third commandment is a negative commandment.

It is found in 1 John chapter 2, verses 15, 16 and 17, please turn there and let’s stand together as this is read.

*1 John 2:15-17.**

*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.

For all that /is/ in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

You may be seated.

This reading is from the ‘New King James version.’

The English Standard Version says the same;

*1 John 2:15-17.**

*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.

For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.

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

You hear the negative; ‘do not love’, as compared to you shall love.

It does not matter where you are and when you read this it says the same, ‘do not love the world or the things in the world’!

In grammar this is called a present tense imperative.

World here means like mammon (money, riches, or possessions) or this world’s system.

I contend that it is here, New Hope Baptist Church, where we have our biggest and most serious problem.

This is the root.

Our main problem is not the secondary or the second commandment, it’s not with our neighbor, but it is where your first love is or who is your first love and if you are attempting to waver between them.

‘First things first’ must be faced by us.

Even as I deal with the Lord’s Supper, I must deal with first things first.

If I refuse to deal with it, then I can never come to grips with you my brother and sister.

Notice what Jesus said, “As often as you do this, you do it in remembrance of Me”.

It is about the first love not the second love even though the secondary gets to enjoy the benefits.

Many feel that they can play around with this but listen again to the first and great commandment; /‘You shall love the Lord/ your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

All means 100% and nothing less, 100% of your heart, your entire soul and mind!  “Do not love the world or the things of the world.

Now listen at this point, if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Think you can play with this?  Listen; *Matthew 6:24.

*“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon.

\\ What are you saying pastor?

I am saying that loving God as the first commandment commands and loving the world (worldliness) are mutually exclusive, they have nothing in common.

And I am also saying that authentic love for God and worldliness cannot coexist in the same person at the same time.

Amen!

Now, my question for you is this, ‘how worldly are you?’

What or who is able to come between you and the Lord your God?

I am not talking about things in this world that are definitely wrong and are identified in God’s word as sins.

But how about those areas that we like to call grey areas, for example, you had a hard week and a rough Saturday, I think I’ll skip church this Sunday.

Or it’s Sunday, why hurry, Pastor is long winded or I need to leave early to beat the crowd at so-in-so restaurant.

That’s your opinion of what the Bible says and each person is allowed their own opinion.

I’m not asking for prayer because then people will know that something is wrong or know my personal life.

Hear me well on this; worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude.

That is what I would like for you to come away with by these simple examples.

It is possible for a Christian to stay away from questionable amusements and doubtful places and still love the world, for worldliness is a matter of the heart.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him and this is what God says; “If you love Me, keep My commands.”

First things first!

Love Him, obey Him and submit to His will.

Look at verse 17; and the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

So it is not only the first things first but also if it is the right one, it will last.

John points out that the world uses three devices to trap Christians: For all that /is/ in the world—the lust (desires) of the flesh, the lust (desires) of the eyes, and the pride of life (possessions).

And these three devices are as old as man, *Genesis 3:6.