Sermon Tone Analysis

1 John

Do not have affection for the world or the things in the world.

an evil organized earthly system controlled by the power of the evil one that has aligned itself against God and his kingdom

What are we talking about here?

What is the World?

The things in the world that John is talking about here, are best defined as “an evil organized earthly system controlled by the power of the evil one that has aligned itself against God and his kingdom.”

1 John 2:

The New Commandment- Love Like Jesus Loved!

What in the world are the things in the world?

John gives us a nice little list here.

Let’s take a few minutes and think about each of these three categories we are warned about.

The desires of the flesh

The desires of the eyes

The pride of life

Desires= Cravings, Coveting, Self-gratification, lust

of the Flesh= your carnal sinful nature, spurned on by the Evil One

Paul lists these kind of things in several of his epistles.

Gal 5:19-21

Look at this list, which Paul introduces as a list of “the works of the flesh”.

Most of us here don’t have any problem with blatant, outward actions of the first few things listed their.

We may have issues with them in our hearts, or thoughts.

Furthermore, we like to skip right over the middle section which lists such things as; enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy).

Think about that list in relation to the past month of your life.

(Enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy)

How much conflict that stems from rivalry is in my life on a regular basis?

How much enmity or disagreement fills your day? James tells us that friendship with the world results in enmity with God.

How often do you disagree with God about something?

How often do you find yourself arguing with God over a particular circumstance or perceived injustice?

Such times are likely caused by your “friendship with the world” by the “desires of your flesh”.

How often does your life exhibit jealousy, envy, dissensions, rivalry?

Each of these are the works of the flesh, which result directly from the desires of our flesh.

Lust of the Eyes- That which is seen, viewed, gawked at.

One commentator distinguished the difference between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes in that the desires of the eyes is “simply feasting the eyes on the object in view” whereas the desire of the flesh is "the passionate desire of the flesh for immediate self-gratification.”

Lust of the eyes carries with it the connotation of greed, covetousness and ungratefulness.

Based upon this understanding of “the desires of the eyes” it would be wise for us to ask ourselves:

What are those things that we covet?

Eyes- That which is seen, viewed, gawked at.

One commentator distinguished the difference between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes in that the desires of the eyes is “simply feasting the eyes on the object in view” whereas the desire of the flesh is "the passionate desire of the flesh for immediate self-gratification.”

What do we see and desire to have, though it is not ours?

What do we look at and desire, to the point that we are not able to be grateful for what we do have?

Next John warns us to abstain from the Pride of life

Hence the former includes all the desires of possession and enjoyment, of covetousness and sensuality, of vulgar or refined form, while the latter embraces the desire which longs for, seeks and finds gratification in social intercourse and the manifestations of social joys, in works of art down to the rude outbreaks of festal joy

desiderium earum rerum quæ pertinent ad carnem, sicut cibus et concubitus et cætera hujusmodi

Pride of life= contains both ingredients of “pride and pretension”

A person experiencing the pride of life is further explained as “a person who extols his own virtues or accomplishments beyond the limits of truth and propriety or to put it more succinctly “one who assumes independence from God” A human life, we are told in Scripture is but a vapor, do you see the presumptuous behavior of any human to go about their life as if they are in control and know best and can predict what tomorrow will bring, and all these presumptions are done in the presence and knowledge of an infinite, perfect and eternal God.

Such arrogance and presumption in a human’s life, concerning the importance of their life, is sinful and evil, and John is warning us, much like the Apostle James warned us.

Listen to what the apostle James says in James chapter 4.

I would submit to you that we can easily find ourselves operating from a heart of pride.

A inner belief that says,

“I deserve more”,

“I am better than others”,

“Others are blessed to have me around”,

“they can’t live without me”,

“they are fortunate to have me on their team”,

“What would they do with out me?”

“This place would be a mess if I left”

Christ was tempted in each of these ways in , when he was out in the wilderness.

Satan attacked and tempted Jesus in these three ways.

But each time Jesus had a verse from Scripture to combat Satan’s scheme (the way of the World).

Guard your Heart

,

Luke 6:44-45

Matt 15:

Prov 21:

Even those who are offering “sacrifices” to God, can be doing so out of a heart that is wicked.

We can “do religion” and “do church” and “do good works” that have their foundation in the lust of the flesh, or the pride of life.

Psalm

1 John 2:

Know and Obey the Will of God

Not Conformed- shape shifter

Be Transformed- Metamorphosis toward holiness.

The New Commandment- Love Like Jesus Loved!

1 John 2:10

LOVE!

To love is to surrender oneself; God surrenders Himself in order to save, overcome and glorify; the creature can only surrender itself to the world to be ruined, swept along and carried off.

The creature is forbidden to enter into intimate and vital communion, or entire life-fellowship with that sphere of humanity which has fallen away from God

The Guarantee of Guarding your Heart

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Don’t be allured by the temporal things, Enjoy the blessing of the eternal

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God on the other hand, legitimately offers us eternal life and forever benefits.