Do Not Love the World (1 John 2:15-17)

Good morning everybody find your seats. We'll we'll get going this morning. Thank you all for coming. I hope you had a great great week and Be nice to get into the Word of the Lord and hear what he has to say for us.

But before we get going, let's let's have a word of prayer father. We love you. We praise your name The God that is amazing providing a way for us for salvation Way to heaven a Way to be able to live our lives here on this earth and be able to shine our light for you Lord.

We just give you all the praise and all the glory Go before us this morning and give us your wisdom and understanding and grace. We just thank you now in Jesus name. Amen. How many people are golfers here?

Big golfers. We got we got we got one or two Used to be well I've golfed in a lot of charity golf tournaments over the years and you know, you They're fun events. You can you can get around and you know, you play a format called best ball where all four of you tee off and You take the best drive.

That's the the way that they do it and Sometimes though no one gets a good drive. No one gets a good drive and So what happens is prior to the tournament usually you can buy these things called Mulligans know what a Mulligan is.

Mulligan is when you you know, take your tee shot. Slice it off into no-man's land, which I have been known to do a few times. I've done that a number of times.

And.

So I wanted to let you know that I need to take a Mulligan for last week's lesson.

I.

Just you know, I got off into the world system and covered a lot of things and What happens with that sometimes in this case is that I got off from the meaning of the text. Right, I got off from the meaning of the text and when that happens, right it's there's confusion and Could cause misunderstandings now this wasn't intentional obviously.

But you know, it's it's a little discouraging for someone like me that Obviously you spend all that time studying and trying to go through it and you're trying to be accurate and then when you're not accurate.

You know, it's a little discouraging and it's it's hard to swallow but it is reality. And what happened and I Wanted to apologize to you and you know ask for your forgiveness for that. And I'll try to connect the dots a little bit better today.

So we can actually learn what the passage has to teach because it is pretty amazing. It's kind of like the matrix, right? You ever seen that little pen that they have and you just hit that pen and you forget everything from last week but that's kind of what I Would hope that would happen.

Not that the information was all bad. And I think we can all understand and agree that the world has its definite evils. The the world the motive behind a lot of the system can be dark. I mean, we know that Satan is the ruler as we talked about last week.

The whole world lies in the power of the evil one is what we talked a little bit about. But however, we need to strike a balance with this. We need to strike a balance because everything isn't evil in this world.

Objects and systems and These kinds of things are not evil in and of themselves. Are they? When it becomes evil is by our choices. When our choices draw us in to our fleshly desires and our actions that are sinful.

When we do those things our choices it shows us in a way that we are loving the world. When we follow after that our choices that we face every day. It really shows our allegiance. And we can make good choices we can make them well and we can also make sinful choices.

We have that ability to do that. And that's what John is referring to here in in verse 15 that we are not to have any unhealthy desires or appetites for the things of this world. Because there's nothing wrong with owning a car.

There's nothing wrong with having a nice house and Enjoying a good meal. Nothing wrong with those things. I mean prescription drugs in and of themselves are not evil. But when a person is drawn away by their own lusts Into using those in the wrong way.

It is in a way showing that they do love the world system. The Internet has made life easy. It's easy for it to prepare messages, it's easy to research find information. But when those Google searches turn into corrupt Searches it is a way of showing a love for this world and it's not something that we should be drawn into.

Anything really that pulls us away From the Lord by the lusts of the flesh is loving something other than the Lord.

The Command Not to Love the World

So.

Let's read our text again. We're gonna cover 1st John 2 15 to 17 This morning. So if you have your Bibles you can turn their 1st John 2 15 to 17 do not love the world nor 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 and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but it's from the world and the world is passing away and Also, it's lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

Now if you look at that those three verses you're gonna see that John lays out three reasons Why we are not to love the world. The first one in verse 15 that says it reveals that the love of the Father is not in you.

That's the first one. Second one is found in verse 16. It says all that is in the world is not from the Father and The third one is because the world is passing away. Our affections our desires should not be focused here because the world is passing away.

This.

Cosmos is passing away. And you have to wonder you look at that do not love the world where does this sinful System and people behind it started it started with the sin of Adam Romans 5 12 therefore just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin and so death spread to all men.

Because all sin that started the whole process in the beginning. It was good. There was no sin. Corruption entered in and then sinful people come in and corrupt that system and it started there. But how do we as Christians live in a fallen world and still glorify the Lord?

That's that's the question. How were we in this? System in this world and still glorify the Lord. How do we not love the things of this world? How do we not love the things of this world? Any thoughts.

It's so obvious. Love the things of the Lord more and yeah, you won't love the things that are in this world. And I think that's that's really an astute Way to look at it. I Think it's don't be drawn in to sin by our fleshly lusts.

That's sin that corrupts us. Adam sin in our own bodies. It has corrupted us and Thankfully the Lord when he entered in Saved us, but we're still tainted. Aren't we? Yes, right. Right. We we are not loving the world.

How do we as Christians not live in this fallen world? I mean your comment is is important because it's there's an order love God. Right is what you're saying put a emphasis on that. Because all things in the world aren't bad so is that kind of what.

Yeah, those are create those are created in him. Right. I like that. I'm trying to see if I can repeat it exactly. Just an order there's an order. God created that order we put more emphasis on him than we do the created things.

I think that's what it comes down to.

The.

System that we live in it can enslave and it does enslave the unregenerate. We can see how it impacts their lives in a way, but it also creates friction for believers as well. Creates friction for believers every one of us.

I mean we have to make decisions every day. We live here. We fight the flesh to conform to the to God's image. The good and the bad are all around us No matter what we do, and so there's that friction comes in to play and Those worldly influences Around us.

It's not an accident. Much of everything we witness is heavily influenced By the people that are following after the the spirit of the evil one. That's what we see and it seems that the forces of darkness are always there providing us opportunities.

Always providing us opportunities for decisions that run contrary to the will of God ever been to Vegas. Sensory overload. That's what happens it's all around us. We would do well to heed the words of James where he says resist the devil and he will flee from you.

That's what we're supposed to do as believers. Resist him and he will flee from you when the world really parades its fleshly desires. Before us we should be ready to honor God with our choices. We flee from the devil when we are not drawn into his schemes again from James.

We read we're to keep ourselves unstained from the world. To live unstained is just not to have the mud All over the world of the world all over us. We're to be unstained by it were to remain spotless from the effects of this world.

That's what James is talking about. It's true that there are evil motives desires all over the place. But we can't forget that all God also has a love for this world. Doesn't he first or John 3 16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that Whoever believes in him should not perish.

But have eternal life all is not lost. For those that don't believe but the time isn't always going to be on your side if you don't believe I mean the Lord is certainly Gracious and allowing space for people to consider the gospel.

There's no doubt about that. Giving them space to repent from their sins and to trust him. Second Peter lays it out pretty well. The Lord is not slow about his promise. As some consider slowness, but his patient toward you not willing for any to perish.

But for all to come to repentance the world is not our home. It's not our home. We're looking toward eternity. Much of what I see in John Does want to draw draw your attention to something that is in the book of 1st John and it's also in the book of Revelation.

John was written between 1890 and 95 somewhere in that range and the book of Revelation was written in 1895. So it's they're pretty close in time frame. These these tests that John is talking about we've we've cut we've talked a little bit about those the tests and first John are part of.

The structure we have been working through in this he's talking to the church. He's addressing the Gnostic false teaching. But he's also talking about true and false believers in the church and how to identify those the tests have been laid out by John in Verse chapter 1 verse 6 if we say we have fellowship with him and yet walk in darkness.

We lie and do not do the truth in 180 says if we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. In 110 he says if we say we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us and In verses or chapter 2 verse 3 and 4 and this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments.

The one who says I have come to know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. Chapter 2 verse 5 but whoever keeps his word Truly in him the love of God has been perfected.

Chapter 2 verse 9 the one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. And what I find interesting that in chapter 2 of Revelation Those in Ephesus were commended for their steadfastness and testing those that said they were Apostles, but actually weren't They carried that Knowledge that John is teaching here over into later writings.

I.

Think about the testing of their faith. It's for the whole church. I mean John is writing if you look back a few verses in chapter 2. He's writing to fathers. He's writing to young men. He's writing to children.

This is a message for the entire church in any age. It doesn't matter What it is that we are to test. Those that say they are in the faith because it either proves that your authenticity by the actions and the choices that you make or It proves that you are an imposter by the actions and choices that you make.

That's the the point of it all but now John brings us to the test of love. This is the command here. Do not love the things in this world, right? The other ones are examples and In that this is a command That he says do not love the world.

What we love tends to define us. Doesn't it? What we love defines us. It says that Demas loved this present age in 2nd Timothy 4 10 he deserted Paul and the cause of Christ to follow after something else that is never going to fulfill his needs.

But you know what the world didn't make him do that Demas left under his own accord. What was in his heart? Moved him to leave the very Apostle Paul to seek something other and that's hard to understand.

But that's what sin does. So in verse 16 of our Lesson this morning. It says when John says do not love the things in this world. Or the things that draw us into the world's ways. He's mentioning the things that are in this world it is the Lust of the flesh lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life.

If you let those things control you to focus on those things and in a wrong fashion. Then we shouldn't be doing that. What's the first thing that pops into your head when you hear that phrase? Lust of the flesh.

What's the first thing that pops into your head?

What is it?

Peter.

Pornography a negative sexual desire.

Addiction.

Sins sins of any kind of addiction. That that's kind of what plays in my mind. I think these are more of the sensual Sins that John is talking about. It could encompass more, but I think there's an emphasis on that here for sure.

So lust of the flesh. It's the negative sexual desires pornography things that are in there. What is lust?

What is lust?

Strong desire. It's an unhealthy desire. It's a longing for something That you have. The longing for something that satisfies the body, but those could be good and those could be evil. Right that could be.

Either or but in this case we're talking about the things that are negative. Things that are negative lust of the flesh carnal appetites. Those are negative attributes. What is the flesh?

What is the flesh?

No one ever said hey minister to the Lord in the flesh can't be good. What is the flesh? Physical rather than spiritual. So it's just our bodies. Is that what we're talking about here, it's our sin nature.

Yeah. Exactly it represents man's sin nature our fleshly desires that run contrary to the Lord. That's that's the flesh. And we know a lust isn't always negative is that it's the object of that lust. That is negative can be negative and the choices that lead us to make those can be ungodly.

Where does lust come from? Comes from sin from Satan comes from within a person. By our sinful desires and passions that are within side of us doesn't it the inner desires those cravings that are within.

That's the flesh. It's inherent in every fabric of our being isn't it? And that's why we have friction. That's why we try to fight it all the time and why we want to be around The word of God at all times.

Because there's that friction there Paul tells us in romans 7 18 for I know that nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh. For the willing in is present in me, but the working out of the good is not Nothing in the flesh that is good and desirable.

And I think we see that in galatians because the objects Themselves, like I said aren't necessarily good or bad. It's the choices and and the things that we decide to do. That's why I think in galatians it says now the deeds of the flesh are evident the things that we do that are run contrary to the lord are Evident he says in galatians and these are immorality Impurity Sensuality idolatry sorcery enmity strife jealousies outbursts of anger disputes dissensions factions envying drunkenness carousing and Things like these of which I forewarn you as I have forewarned you that those who practice Such things will not inherit the kingdom of god.

You practice those deeds?

Those are the ones that are going to lead you astray. You make those choices to follow those things in this worldly system because Romans 8 6 says this the mind set on the flesh is death. Can't be good.

You focus on those things it leads to death and destruction and all kinds of problems with relationships. And everything else but on that flip side. There's the fruit of the spirit. In galatians. Which is love joy peace?

Patience kindness goodness faithfulness gentleness self-control. Against such things as these there isn't even a law against those. No one can come against you for that. And romans 8 6 says but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.

Completely different one side is death. The other side is life and peace. Isn't that amazing? We're not to put any confidence in the flesh. Because it leads to all kinds of sin, but the life and the spirit produces a healthy fruit.

Jeremiah 17 5 says thus says the yahweh cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength. Makes flesh his strength and whose heart turns away from yahweh. We're not to put any confidence in the flesh.

Zero. Our confidence should be in the lord as a believer and when we are in the flesh We're being drawn away from the strength of god. We're being taken away from him instead of operating.

Under.

His power we focus ourselves. On our own self-reliance not trusting god for everything. It is living under our own power instead of god's power. Fleshly living leads to brokenness and destruction and that's not where we want to be.

Then john brings it down to the next uh next one there in verse 16, uh lust of the eyes. Lust of the eyes is different because lust of the flesh is internal.

It's.

That fleshly desire that's inherent in us and the choices that we make but lust of the eyes is different. Uh, it's it's external, isn't it? It's the things that we see uh and. And focus on whether it's tv movies billboards.

Anything that draws our eye into that thinking that could lead us astray. I think it's true that The song that you learn as a little kid is accurate accurate. Be careful little eyes what you see. It's true, isn't it?

There are many things that we all probably wish we could unsee.

Because.

They draw us away from the lord himself. I like how matthew puts it. He says the eye of the the eye is the lamp of the body. The eye is the lamp of the body so that in your eye if your eye is clear Your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is bad your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness? It's the lamp of the body. That's amazing to me. We have examples in scripture of what those lustful actions of the eye when acted upon.

It just creates destruction. If if it's used in the wrong way, and we see that in joshua chapter 7 with achan. He saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from shinar and 200 shekels of silver. And a bar of gold 50 shekels in weight.

He says then I coveted them and took them and behold. They are concealed in the earth inside my tent. He had to pay the price for those actions because he saw something. He coveted it he took it and it was Sinful and here's what happened.

And all israel stoned him with stones. Not just him. They burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. Did this just happen to him?

No.

Says that They took him His sons his daughters his oxen his donkeys his sheep his tent and all that belonged to him. And they burned him. All right, not just that they also uh Created a headstone or a created great heap of stones that stand to this day and yahweh turned from his burning anger.

So they created a monument said don't ever do what achan did. Lust of the eyes. Can lead to destructive behaviors? We saw it with david. When kings went out to war. What did david do. He's walking on the Top of his building He sees a beautiful woman.

He sends people to go get her. He has relations with her. She becomes pregnant. And you know the story beyond that.

Those eyes.

Create a desire within people and when acted upon in that negative fashion can lead to destruction and sin.

And.

It's the same Thing all the time if we do that. Solomon with all his wealth said this Ecclesiastes 2 10 all that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness for my heart was glad because of my labor.

And this was my reward for all my labor. Now. I point that verse out simply for this. We have to have restraint. We can't just allow our eyes.

To.

Take in everything that we want because as we know. Uh from solomon and the examples that everything that he took in was not healthy and it was not good. The last thing is the boastful pride of life. In that chapter or verse 16 there.

How does the boastful pride of life draw someone into the ways of the world? How does the boastful pride of life draw someone into the ways of the world. How does it do that.

Yeah.

Right exactly when you want to get approval from people in the world. It's it's a way of being drawn into that system because you're glorifying yourself. Instead of glorifying the lord. Is that accurate?

Yeah, absolutely. What else how are other ways that people can be drawn in? Right people have their own self-righteousness. They just can't hear. Is that. Yeah, that's true.

What else?

How else are we drawn in by the boastful pride of life? I think yeah. Right, right we see all these things out there that show beautiful people and you know beautiful clothes and we have to have all those things and it is a sense of pride and.

Definitely for that. It's true. Yeah, I think it's. Boastful pride I think just draws people into the ways of the world because it's it feeds the flesh. It really does it feeds our desire. For self for look at me look at who I am and look at what I can do.

Seeks the praise of men like like kieran said. It is self who is in the spotlight. That's the problem. When self is in the spotlight, it's kind of like the stars on the red carpet. You have them all the spotlights are on them.

They're the ones that are getting all the accolades. They are the center of attention. That kind of attention can be addicting. It's like a drug. I think they they want to have that. And that constantly must be taken to obtain that high that they have.

So so it is that the star seeks fame. They want that it is an appetite that they they have. There are selfish and there are selfless. Selfish leads one to boast. Selfish is the epitome of pride like satan wanting to be like god.

But.

Honestly. The selfless life leads to the selfless person leads to life and it leads to more reliance on the lord. And that's where we want to be. John, mccarthur states that pride motivates all other sin.

Like the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh because it elevates self above everyone else. And I think that's that's true because We have a a workspace system in in society. We want to boast in the things that we have said and done.

But if you look at ephesians 2 8 and 9 About salvation where it says. For by grace you have been saved through faith in this not of yourselves. Salvation not of yourselves. And it says beyond that. So that no one can boast.

We we can't be wanting that workspace and we take all the accolades because. What's the point of christ dying on the cross if we can boast in our own actions and our own work to do it? I think we'd rather be over in second corinthians 10 17 where it says.

But he who boasts let him boast in the lord. That's where our boasting needs to be and what he has done on the cross and for us for salvation. Verse 17 and the world is passing away and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of god abides forever.

Knowing that the world is passing away. What should our response be?

How do we live?

What should our response be? With an eternal perspective looking to eternity and a future.

Yeah.

What else?

Amen to that. Yeah, the world should look at us. Our desires should be Much different it should be focused on the lord and what he's about. Yeah, I like that.

What else?

Desire should be for the lost. We should have a focus that you know looks at at them and They need the lord. It's hard to have Compassion on our our leaders of the day, but I truly don't want them to go to hell.

I really honestly wish that they would be saved and turned from their ways. And that's where we should be focused as well. If you turn over to colossians chapter 3 i'll close with this. Colossians chapter 3 if you turn over there real quick.

Colossians 3. Verse 1. Therefore if you have been raised up with christ Keep seeking the things above. Where christ is seated at the right hand of god. Verse 2. Set your mind on things above not on things of the earth.

You catch that? Our minds our thoughts. Our attitudes our affections must be focused on the things from above our minds. So what goes in? Definitely impacts us. Um what we read what we listen to. Everything that we focus on should be something hopefully that edifies us.

I know we all read a lot of different things that are online and those are not necessarily positive at all times, but If we keep a proper perspective on who the lord is and what he's about and keep our minds sharp in that area.

I think that's what we're talking about here.

Verse three.

For you died and your life has been hidden with christ in god. How did you die? How did you die?

Self.

Crucified with christ. That's how we die, isn't it? We we die to ourselves when. We become a christian when we repent of our sins when we turn from our ways. And we follow after christ that that's how we die to our fleshly desires.

In this world, but what did you die to? Die to self died to lust of the flesh. Lust of the eyes. We died to the boastful pride of life. Those are the things that we should be dying to. Um getting rid of those All the former things that we took pleasure in doing.

You ever noticed that after you got saved sin became not as fun. All those things you thought oh, this is wonderful. And then you come back and you two weeks later after you're saved and you do something you're like, yeah, it's not fun anymore.

Yes, sir. How does repentance fit into faith alone and christ alone? Well in order to be saved you obviously have to believe in the lord jesus christ, but you're repenting from your sins. And following after him and as a result of that then you have these Attributes that we're talking about where you're dying to self.

Because you can't die to yourself without christ because of sin that with is within us. So after that obviously salvation we focus on the fruit of the spirit love self-control. Peace joy kindness. That's what we focus on after salvation galatians 6 14.

Boast in the cross. Right not boast in the the things the world sees that we should have or You know, I think that's true. We see that a lot. We don't want the world's accolades. Our hope is in a better future.

Heaven isn't a place on earth despite what belinda carlisle might think. You know, it's something that is future verse 4 in galatians when christ who is our life is Manifested then you also will be manifested with him in glory.

This is our hope isn't it? This is why we Are so passionate about serving the lord. He is the reason we put so much energy into following him when we can be manifested with him when he comes back. We're going to be with him.

That's an amazing Idea that we're going to be there with him. We must be constantly reminded of that to check our sin at the door. Verse 5. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality.

Impurity passion evil desire and greed which is idolatry. On account of these things the wrath of god is coming upon the sons of disobedience. Consider the members of our bodies is dead to these things.

These lusts these passions that draw us away from the lord. We're to not even consider them Alive in any way dead to these things for those here that don't believe though It it's the wrath of god is coming.

And we can't ever lose sight of that. Anyone that follows after their own fleshly desires is not saved. Could possibly be yeah, absolutely could be someone that is You know disbelieves and is not repentant of their sins and become a christian could be considered a son of disobedience for sure.

Our minds must be so focused on our lord that the sin that is in us Is set aside that it doesn't dominate us in any way that it doesn't lead us into the ways of the world. Because with without salvation as I mentioned the wrath of god is coming.

Those that practice these sins to those who are drawn into the world by their own lust of the flesh drawn by the eyes Into a world of darkness and those who puff themselves up will one day be called to account for the rebellion that they have against god.

It's not too late As we talked earlier for you to consider the gospel christ cares for you. To come to him and reject your sin repent fall on your knees and say you're the lord. The hope of heaven is so much brighter than the darkness.

That is in this world in the world system any thoughts.

Yeah Yeah.

Sure.

Yeah, I mean that's the friction that we face is that we can still be impacted by fleshly desires even though we're saved. I mean like you said paul. Uh said he did the things that he really wants to do he doesn't do and the things that he.

I can't remember the whole verse but.

Yeah Yeah.

The greatest assault that satan has does appeal to us in all three levels body soul and spirit. I mean you can see that everywhere cornell. That's that's really good. I I think that's that that hits home.

We need to kill sin. We need to be actively Uh destroying it in every facet of our lives. It's it's a conscious effort. Thank you for that. Anything else let's pray father. You alone are worthy to be praised.