Untitled Sermon (9)

Hook: C.S. Lewis in a famous sermon said, If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. (26)….See lewis was talking about the weight of the glory we give to God in our lives…..and Lewis makes the argument that many of us are satisfied with mud pies…or desires are missed placed….I couldn’t help but think of this famous quote as I studied our passage that we are looking at.…

Today I want to shine a light on one of the biggest concerns at stake right now for the American church. Right-now around the majority world their is a huge problem of persecution…

However the problem in our churches in America today is not persecution from the world but more seduction by the world—-or worldliness……

Charles Spurgeon says, “ I believe that one reason why the Church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the Church.”

I mean ask yourself the question how does 21st century Christians look different than the world?

What scares me is it seems like we are in a day, which it seems like it’s harder to tell the difference is someone who says they are believer of Jesus or not….I mean Majority of America…. Barna says 75 percent of America is Christians…..in which the majority of statists show …Christians look just like the world…they are just as sexual immoral, materialistic, self focus, and more divided…..6 percent of Christians tithe…..

I was humbled by David Platt as he chimed in on our current status of wordiness “In parenting, the priorities of professing Christian parents for their kids look virtually identical to the priorities of non-Christian parents. We cart our kids all over town in the exact same way that non- Christian parents do, teaching our kids to be good at the things the world says are most important, like sports and entertainment. We took a survey in our student ministry, asking, “What if anything hinders your family’s spiritual life?” Over 80% said busyness and heavy schedules were their top hindrances.

It’s not necessarily what our kids are getting that’s bad—it’s what our kids are not getting. They spend hours upon hours in practices for this or that, playing video games, in front of a screen—and minutes, if any time at all, in the Word or in prayer with Mom or Dad. The effects are evident. All the research we hear says that many of our kids who grow up in church walk away from their faith after leaving home.

Having four kids of my own I can’t be content with that!

My prayer(2 corthians) this morning is that the world would fall into proper place for many of you… and those who are loving the world…or making mud pies…would be so convicted by the love of the Father who is this holiday at the sea…..that your heart would explode with Joy in him….

Passing love of the world drives out love of the Father but Everlasting love of the Father drives out love of the world.

Context: 1 John is a very fascinating and amazing little letter. First of all, the book was written by the apostle John, Yes the same John who wrote the gospel of John, 1, 2, 3 John and Revelation., the same John who calls himself the”one Jesus loved” (john 19:26). John is older when he writes this letter, He most likely wrote this letter from Ephesus between 80-95 AD(Platt). Not a 100 percent sure who exactly he was writing to however John does bring up the fact that some had left the church because of false teaching 2:18-19. John writes as a good pastor to care for his people to make sure those who remained were not following the same error. You will find huge themes all throughout the book…such as God is light, love, and life. However, I believe one of the primary themes in the book of 1 John, or

If someone asked me why first John was written I would point them to first john 5:13

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” Assurance of your salvation is what 1 John is all about, John wants you to know for sure that you are saved! God wants you to know that you have salvation!

And as I have noted earlier our relationship with the world is evidence of if we have saving faith or not…you love the world the love of the father is not in you…..thats not my word that Gods words…..

Moves:

What does John mean by love of the world?

because many who know there bible well, are like wait a minute this sound kinda contradictory to the famous passage of .. For God so loved the world?

What it doesn’t mean?

Doesn’t mean that you can’t look at a good sunset or enjoy good friendship, or enjoy good artwork….Don’t be one of the christians that makes Christian everything(clubs this and that and sits in your basement)..thats weird….thats kinda silly……God loves his creation and his people….we are going to flesh this out more in a little so that is all I'm going to say in the time being….

What is he meaning then on the other hand?

The world in the original language is kosmos give the sense of a patter our systems of belief contrary to God——- “2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

“What he is telling us is we are not to love and idolize thoughts, values, and behaviors that are contranyer to God’s word(14) and his will(17)

John is going to give us a more detailed definition of what the world means, he give us three defining marks of the world (verse 16)

….The desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes and pride of life, which lets unpack but before we do we have to understand the word desire or lusts( word epithuma) which give us the sense of a desire that has taken on to much weight.

1. Desire flesh

these are our…. passions…. or…. appetites…This is to fill natural human desires(sex, food, drink, ) in a way that is contrary to what God wants. Out of this desire of the flesh comes things like gluttony, alcoholism, sexual immorality….. For example, you have an appetite for a glass of wine, ok good have a glass of wine if you are of age, think their is biblical liberty their…however the desire of the flesh would be now you have to have the glass of wine….to get through, you have to have the beer, and so out of your wrong appetite and misplace passion you show love for the world

2. Lust or desire of the eye

If the flesh is passion eye is posessions and if the flesh is appetites the eye is our affection……think of it like the things you see that you can’t live without….you see a material position and you want it…..I am amazed at what amazon can do as they appeal to the lust or desire of the eye…..at the bottom of amazon when you login to your account there is a section titled, “Get yourself a little something” and based on you current buying history it creates all these images of stuff that they think you would want to buy….And all of a sudden you start saying I didn’t now I wanted it till I saw it and now I can’t live without it…..and putting weight on positions is the lust of the eye…..

3. Then final the pride of life

-Notice the past two definitions of the world are things we don’t have but this one is referring to the thing that you do have. Think position and ambition, your status——-This is the arrogance and boastful person in the Job status or the name and money they have made for themselves. All they care about is their prestige, power, and position. This is someone who looks down on others that aren’t as achieved as him, ….this is the person who when asked how they know they will be good in the future? They will answer in confidence because of something they have achieved or have more SELF focused than God fouces !!

So appetites, affections, ambition—-Passion, position, and position——all bearing weight that wasn’t suppose to bear….

And notice these were in when the enemy tempted Adam and Eve

“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). …

What is the downfall of loving the world?

1. The world is passing away(verse 17)

….These things wont last……Guess what that appetites for food will come back and come back and come back……I remember when I bought my first screen tv…guess where it is now……….Yes try to be the best athlete or best in your position….but guess what…..You wont be able to do you job in the grave…..play that sport…… So its passing….WONT last

and even more important

2. The love of the father isn’t in you (verse 15)

(“If anyone loves the world the love of the father isn not in him” What could be more sad….. “The theif comes only to steal and kill and destroy I came that they my have life and have it abundantly”

So What do I do with the world?

So Rem should I have a desire for house? A desire for friends? A desire to have a spouse and lots of children? A desire for that vacation on the beach? or A desire for this material position or this level of fitness? And the answer is no

“Do you desire a spouse merely for selfish pleasure, or do you desire a spouse so that God might be glorified in the selfless love you will show that spouse? Do you desire marriage so that you might grow to love and enjoy God more with a husband or wife as you display the gospel for the glory of God in the world? A desire for a spouse is intended to be grounded in a desire for God. So apply that to everything else. The Christian life is now a life in love with God over anything and everything in this world, which means that anything and everything in this world is simply an opportunity to know and show the love of God more.”

Simple but God is your life…He becomes everything to you, which makes makes sense whatever you do weather eat or drink….Do it all for the glory of God…..

Saint Augustine said: “He loves Thee too little ,who loves anything together with Thee which he loves not for Thy sake.”

beach ball——

Jesus is better than any earthly pleasures. At their best, earthly pleasures are supposed to function like rays of the sun that direct us back to their source.7…..that was the point of a child…….. to make you hold them and love God more, a good steak, a good friendship over coffee…..See again don’t put weight on something that can’t hold it…..See first John ends with this random left field verse…..like squirrel……He says , “Little children, keep yourselves from Idols”(I believe John is summarizing all of what he has been in 1 John He is getting at the heart of conversion in which…is this God become God to you again….You stop putting weight on those thing that can’t hold what God was ultimately suppose to hold!! HE will ultimately satisfy every desire of your heart church…..stop running….

And finally John says whoever does the will of the Father abides forever…..

And the ultimate thing God wants you to do is repent and find life in him….

How do you overcome the world?

John answers in.first john 5:4

For everyone who has been born of god overcome the world.

And this is the victory that has overcome the world-OUR FAITH, who is it that overcome the world expect the one whole believes that Jesus is the son of God…….

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Drop the mud pies of the world…their fleeting…put Repent of your desire and believe that Jesus is the son of God who made a way to the Father…And you don’t just come to Jesus to get a ticket to heave, but life with God, who shows you everything in this world with great eyes….and he says enjoy as they stoke love for me….Jesus has done this for us to open our eyes God to enjoy this holiday at the sea!

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.