Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Bottom Line: The world system is a dangerous spiritual enemy that lures Christians into loving it instead of God.

Our primary passages for understanding the world are James 4:4-6, 1 John 2:15-17 and John 15:18-25.

1.

The exhortation: Don’t love the world or the things in the world.

a. Don’t love

The verb for love here is agape and is used here in the sense of “to strive after,” “to try to get” as in when Jesus said the Pharisees “love the important seats in the synagogues,” Luke 11:43; You can also think of it as “to prefer,” in the sense of liking things better than the things of God, as in when Jesus said “people love darkness instead of the light,” John 3:19.

It’s what they prefer.

APPLICATION: What are you striving after in this life?

What do you prefer?

Is it God and the things of God or the world and the things of the world?

To answer that question let’s look at the next part of the exhortation.

b.

The world.

The world or world system is the transitory system of beliefs, standards, values and priorities accepted, embraced and promoted by the culture and society in which we live.

It is opposed to God, influenced by the flesh and controlled by Satan.

The Greek word translated world is κόσμος.

It’s used in different ways in the Bible.

Sometimes it refers to the planet on which we live,John 12:26, Jesus came into the world.

Sometimes it is used to refer to the people who live on the planet as in John 3:16.

And sometimes it’s used as we’re using it today to refer to that system or world order that is alienated from and opposed to God.

c.

The things in the world:

i.

The desires of the flesh, what the flesh desires, Galatians 5:19-21

ii.

The desires of the eyes, what the eyes desire.

Matthew 6:22, Psalm 101:3, Job 31:1-8

The lust of the eyes has respect to seeing, consequently the lust to see, and to see that which is the object of such lust.

Hence Spener explains correctly: “all sinful lust which seeks for enjoyment in the very seeing,” and so does Huther: “the desire of seeing that which is unseemly, and the sinful gratification afforded by seeing it.”

Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Brain, K., & Mombert, J. I. (2008).

The world promotes its values visually to entrap us.

Advertising

Entertainment

Media

iii.

The pride of life, the life that causes people to boast.

James 4:13-17, Luke 12:16-21

Arrogance that comes from having what one needs to sustain life; hence, ‘property,’ ‘possessions,’ ‘riches.

2. First reason for the exhortation: Love for the Father and the world cannot go together.

a.

The world hates the Father, Jesus and His followers John 15:18-25

b.

The best that the world offers falls short of what God offers.

The world’s peace John 14:27

ii.

The world’s wisdom 1 Corinthians 1:20-21

iii.

The world’s strong 1 Corinthians 1:27

c.

The world is controlled by the evil one. 1 John 5:19, Ephesians 2:2

d.

The one who loves the world lives in hostility to God. James 4:4-6

3. Second reason: Loving the transitory world doesn’t make sense for one who lives forever.

a.

The world and its desires are passing away. 2 Peter 3:10

b.

The children of God remain forever.

John 3:16, John 5:24.

APPLICATION: Do you have a favorite paper plate?

I don’t mean style or color, I mean one actual paper plate you have used and treasured for years?

That question doesn’t make sense, does it?

Why would anyone value something that you know is of no worth after using it once?

You wouldn’t.

Look around you.

Everything you see is a paper plate.

Think about everything in your life, except people.

Your home, your car, your photos, your bank account.

All paper plates.

Your coin collection, your awards, your most prized possessions.

4. The keys to overcoming the world.

a. Remember Jesus has already overcome the world.

John 16:33

b.

Our faith in Jesus will overcome the world. 1 John 5:4-5

c.

Continually renew your mind with God’s truth.

Romans 12:1-2