Let me get my page marked. I
moved my mark. 1 John 2, we will look at verses
15 through 17. Let me read these three verses, and
then we'll look at these after I pray. Verse 15, verse John
2, love not the world neither the things that are in the world
if any man love 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 pride of life is not of the father
but is of the world and the world passeth away or the world is
passing away and the lust thereof But he that doeth the will of
God abideth forever. Let's pray. Our Father, thank
you for this day. Thank you for this gathering.
We pray that you meet with us, that you bless us with your presence,
that you'd enable us to worship you in spirit and in truth. Enable
me to rightly divide the word of truth. Our Father, we look
to Thee for all things, but most of all, we thank You for the
Lord Jesus Christ and what we have in Him. In Him, we are complete. You've given us everything that
we need to stand in Your presence in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
we thank You for it. And all our temporal blessings,
Father, we thank You. You've given us everything we
have, and we give thanks. Help us. Help us this morning
to worship. Help us to listen. Lord, instruct
and teach us by thy spirit. And what we ask for ourselves
here, we pray for all thy people throughout this world. In Christ's
name we pray, amen. John says, love not the world. Now first, before I get into
this, let me say a few things about what John is not saying.
what he's not saying. First of all, he's not saying
that we do not love sinners, that we do not love other people.
We do have a love for all men. We do have a love for them. They
are our brothers and sisters in Adam, if they're not our brothers
and sisters in Christ. You know, I have four sisters
and two brothers. I have one brother that I know
believes the gospel. I'm confident of it. He gives
good evidence of it. The others are not. And I have
a desire. I have a desire, and I pray for
them all the time, that the Lord would show them mercy. But I
want to have that same desire for people that I don't know,
for someone that's living down the street here that I don't
know. I want to be able to have the same desire to pray for others
out here in this community that are lost, just like I pray for
my brothers and sisters that I have in the flesh. So John
is not saying that we don't love other men, other people. It's
not of this congregation. We do. And then John is not saying
that we cannot enjoy the things that God has given us in this
life. You know, the scripture says that God has given us all
things to enjoy. What I have, what you have, God's
given it to you to enjoy. Look over in Ecclesiastes chapter
3. In Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Let me get there. In verse 13. In verse 13, Ecclesiastes 3,
and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good
of all his labor. It's the gift of God. It's a
gift of God. Now look in Ecclesiastes chapter
5. Ecclesiastes chapter 5, look
in verse 19. Every man also to whom God hath given riches
and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to
take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor, this is the gift
of God." It's a gift of God for us to be able to enjoy the fruit
of our labor. There's nothing wrong with enjoying
what God has given you. So I want you to understand that
John's not saying that we can't enjoy these things. Worldliness,
and this is what he's talking about, loving the world and worldliness,
is an attitude. It's an attitude. A house, whether
it be a big house or a small house, is not of the world. It's
something we need to live in. Transportation. I need transportation. You know, I'd rather ride a good
horse than an old horse that might not like it there. I would. I would rather drive a good vehicle
that's dependable than one that might not get me there. That's
not worldliness. There are things in this world
that we need, and God has provided them for us, and we are to enjoy
them. The point is here, is John is
saying, don't set your heart, your affection. Now, you know
what you love. I know what I love. You know
what has your heart. I know what has my heart. And
he's saying here, don't set your heart on these things. Don't
give yourself, your life to these things. You're sold out to getting
them. He says, don't do that. All right,
now let's look at it. John says in the previous verses,
he said, I have written unto you little children, And I have
written unto you, young men, and I've written unto you, fathers,
because your sins are forgiven, and that you, young men, you've
overcome the world, and you, fathers, you know God." He said,
I've written to you, and I'm writing to you. And here's a
further instruction, John further instructs them, and he says,
not to love the world. Do not be like demons. I don't
know if you know who Demas was in the scripture, but Demas was
with Paul, he followed Paul, and Paul even recommended Demas
at one time. And then he says, Demas hath
forsaken me, having loved this present world. We don't want to be like Lot's
wife. When she went out with her husband and she looked back,
Her heart was inside him. That's why God turned her to
a pillar of salt. Her heart was inside him. Her
body was going out, but her heart was back there. And God turned her to a pillar
of salt. So John says here, Love not the world. Do not set your
heart on this ungodly world. This system of moral evil An
intellectual falsehood ruled by Satan who's called the God
of this world. Don't set your heart on these
things, your affection on these things. Love not the principles
of this world. That's what he's saying. Don't
love the principles by which this world operates. Me first. That's it. I'm telling you the
world operates me first. If it feels good, do it. Isn't that the day we live in?
If it feels good, do it. If it tastes good, eat it. If
it looks good, if you can't buy it, charge it. Isn't that the
principle we operate under? Do unto others before they do
it unto you. That's the principle of the world.
It's not do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
but before they do it to you. That's the principles of this
world. To love the world is to be overly attached to it. It's just like sewn to it. It's to crave its approval. It's
to crave the approval of your peers. What does it matter what
my peers think of me? What does God think of me? What
is my relationship to Christ? That's what matters. That's what
matters. It's to seek these things first
above God. That's what it is. We are told
in the scriptures, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
And here's a promise, and God has never broken a promise. And
these things shall be added unto you. And I do believe our Heavenly
Father is the wisest to give us what's needed, don't you?
You and I don't know what we need, really. We don't. I know
what I want. Like a kid, you know, they want
candy. That's what we want. We want to, even as a believer,
we still get attracted to these things. And that's why we have
to be in the word of God, and that's why we come together like
this, to continually be reminded and instructed not to love the
world. Not to love it. Why not love
the world? Well, first of all, God said
so. You know, I really don't need to go any further than that,
do I? I mean, that settles it right there, really. God said
don't do it. But here's some other reasons.
Because the world, the ungodly world, the unbelieving world,
is enmity with God. At war. If somebody's at enmity
with you, they are at war with you. James 4.4 says this, Ye
adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with God? It hates God. I am not going
to love somebody, I mean, attach myself to somebody, run around
somebody, be a friend to somebody, if they hate my wife, my children,
my parents, and they hate everything about me. I'm not going to seek
their approval. We're not going to run around
together, except to agree how can they walk together. In other
words, if you agree with the world, if you're in friendship
with the world, is what John's saying, if you're in friendship
with the world, you have to be in agreement with them. You have
to be. Whosoever, therefore, will be
a friend of the world, He says, is an enemy of God. That's just
plain and simple, isn't it? It's just plain and simple. And
then, the world is darkness. The world is darkness. God is
light. The whole world, it says, lies in wickedness. As I get
older, I see the wickedness of this world. I see the wickedness
of this life. I see the subtle. I'm not talking
about just people out there committing murder and you know that. I see
the subtle wickedness of it. It's subtle. Satan is subtle.
He's subtle. And wickedness comes in many
forms. There is probably more wickedness going on right now
in the pulpits in this community than there is in any bar around
here. The whole world lies in wickedness. Every part of this world is wicked. Outside of Christ. Outside of
Christ. It says in 1 John 5, 19, And
we know, we know, this is one of John's themes, we know, we
know that we are God. And the whole world lies in wickedness. It's not my opinion. I'm not
giving you my opinion about this world. This is God's testimony
concerning this world. He said it's wicked. And then
no man can serve two masters. Love not the world because no
man can serve two masters. Our Lord said in Matthew 6 24,
no man can serve two masters For either he will hate the one
and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise
the other. You cannot, you cannot serve
God and man. Our Lord said that. That's his
Sermon on the Mount. You cannot serve God And ma'am,
there's an old Chinese proverb that says, he that chases two
hares catches neither. You can't, you chase two rabbits
at the same time, you're not going to catch either one. And there's no way that a person
can serve the world and serve God. We live in this world, but
we are not of this world. Our Lord said that in John 17.
You are not of the world. He's chosen us out of this world. We're born of God. We have a
new nature, and we're not a part of this world no more. We are
pilgrims on a journey. Vicki said to me, this has been
a few weeks ago, She goes, you reckon we'll ever settle down?
Moving down here, you know. She said, you reckon we'll ever
settle down? I said, we're just pilgrims. I said, that's all
we are. I said, we're just pilgrims on
a journey. I said, in a little while, our journey will be over. In a little while. I wish we
could grab a hold of that. I wish, I wish to God I could
really grab a hold of the fact that I literally am nothing but
a soldier. And everything that I experience
is just part of the journey home. Whatever you're going through
is just part of the journey home. That's what it is. And we're
just pilgrims, that's all we are. You know, Abraham looked
for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God." I want that attitude. I want
to live. I want to live with that attitude.
It's the way I want to live. No man can serve two masters.
And then, love not this world because it's cursed. It's doomed. Would you buy a house that's
condemned. Now you might buy it for the
property or something, tear it down. But you're not going to buy a house
that tomorrow is scheduled to be burned up. Would you do that? 2 Peter, look over at 2 Peter chapter
3. 2 Peter chapter 3. I tell you,
the Word of God helps us to keep focused, doesn't it? Three, look
at verse 12. Well, look at verse, well, let
me, I got verse 12 I wanna read, but I wanna, let's go back to
verse 10. But the day of the Lord will
come as a thief in the night, into which the heavens shall
pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with
fervent heat. The earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned up, seeing then that all these
things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to
be in all holy conversation in your life and godliness looking
for what are you looking for really what are you looking what
am i looking for looking for and hasting unto
the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens being on
fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat. Nevertheless, we according to
his promise look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth
righteousness. That's what we're looking for.
That's what we're looking for. We're not looking for a mansion
here on this earth. We're looking for him to come.
We're looking for this to be dissolved. Now people think You're
a nutcase when you talk like this. But this is what the Word
of God says. And this is what's going to happen.
So don't set your love on the things that God's going to burn
up. He's going to burn it up. And then he says, love neither
of the things that are in the world. It's attractions. Why
do you think we have amusement parks? It just, you know, you
take the kids there and you have fun, and we do. We took our grandkids
and kids. But the world is attractions. It draws you in. It's pleasures. It's wealth. It's riches. Now scripture says this, riches
have wings and fly away. The day you may be rich, And I've seen this happen, that
tomorrow you could be flat broke. Don't put your trust in riches. I had a man tell me that claimed
to believe the gospel. He said, if I didn't have quite
a bit of money in the bank, and he had several hundred thousand
in the bank. He said, John, if I didn't have
that in the bank, I don't know what I'd do. He said, I'd be
so nervous. He said, I don't know what I'd do. The best thing
that could ever happen to that man is go broke. Find out whether
he believes God or not. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Give me what I need today. That
daily bread includes my needs. If it's a job or whatever it
is, that's my daily bread, my needs. And it's good. Thank God if he enables you to
live like that. Christ did. Christ depended on
his heavenly father to feed him and take care of him every day. Every day. And he says in verse 15, if any
man loved the world, if he's just, if this world is what you
love and you know what that is, you're just drawn to it. You
just, you live for it. You live for it. The love of
the Father is not in that man. He's not, I don't care how religious
he is, it matters not what he professes. If that which I love
is this world, and that's the world system, this principle,
the way it operates. You know, Satan is called the
God of this world. So if I love this world, who
is my God? Satan. With a little g. With a little g. It's evident
if a man loves the world, the love of God is not a shed abroad
in his heart. It's just evident. Nothing that
is of the world is of the Father. Nothing. Evil is not of the Father. Sin is not of the Father. Don't
ask me to explain where did sin come from. I don't know. I know how it came into the world.
I know how you and I became sinners. Spurgeon said I'd be more concerned
about getting it out of the house than how it got in the house. But I do know this. I know this. Sin, I know this from the scriptures,
is not of God. Evil is not of God. I know that. Now we are given a description
of the world, of the world, of this sin of the world. For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, The inordinate desires of the
flesh, the wicked desires and cravings of the flesh, the carnal
sensual desires of the flesh, the unchaste thoughts of the
flesh, that's of the world. That's not of God. That's not
of God. And the lust of the eyes, The
Apostle speaks of lusting after those things that the eyes see. It's like Eve. All this goes
back to the garden, doesn't it? It all goes back to the garden. This is the sin of covetousness. And covetousness, the Word of
God says, is idolatry. Covetousness is to worship something
other than God. It's to worship something or
someone other than God. It's to crave after, desire something
that you don't have. That's not yours. And you want
it. And you'll do whatever it takes
to get it. That's the lust of the eyes.
And the pride of life. Whatever promotes pride and arrogance. It's written in the scriptures.
And this explains it the best. And this is the pride of life.
They love the uppermost rooms at feast and the chief seats
in the synagogues and greetings. They love to be in the markets
and to be called of men, rabbi, rabbi, teacher, teacher. They're
like, that's me. How can you believe, the Lord
said, how can you believe which receive honor one from another
and seek not the honor that cometh from God only? Bright of light,
arrogance, arrogance, wanting recognition. And he says this, and you can
be sure of this, This, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father. It's not of
the Father, but it's of the world. What do all the advertisements
on TV are geared to? I mean, they may be showing a
laundry detergent and they make it look sexual. They know where
the mind is. They know how to work on human
nature. You look at most of the commercials. So much of the commercial
has very little to do with the product as much as it does with
your nature. Really. And they just work on
it. And I feel so sorry for our kids when they're growing up
now, they didn't, you know, the older folks and really older
folks and get on back there to great-grandpa and great-great,
they didn't, they weren't exposed to all this that we're exposed
to now. We're just flooded with it now.
Flooded with it. But that's not of the Father. The Father is not trying to sell
you a product. You can be sure of that. And the world, here's
another reason not to love the world. In verse 17, and the world
passes away, it's passing away. This world, like us, is growing
old. You know, as every second passes
by, we just got older. And we're getting older. And
this world, this earth, and this world's the same way. Turn over
to Hebrews chapter one. Hebrews chapter 1, look in verse
10 through 12. And thou, Lord, in the beginning
hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the
works of thy hands. They shall perish. But thou remainest,
and they all shall wax old as doth a garment. And as a vesture
shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed. But thou
art the same, and thy ears shall not fill. But this world, this
earth, everything, it's like a vent, it's just growing old.
And it's marked. I don't know when it's gonna
be, but there is a time that it's over. And he says, don't
set your heart, your affection on these things. The scripture
teaches us in Colossians chapter three, set your affection, your
mind, your heart on things above where Christ sits at God's right
hand. Put your affection there and do what the Lord gives you
to do today, tomorrow, and until he comes. And Solomon said, and
whatever he gives you to do, whatever he gives me to do, do
it with all your might. Do it with all your might. Wherever
he's put you. Whatever he's given you to do.
Do it with all your might. You and I represent the Father. We're His servants. We're not
servants of men. We're not men pleasers. We work
as unto the Lord. He says this world's passing
away and the lust thereof. All sin in a little while will
be gone and there will not ever be a trace of sin. Ever walked out into the woods
or in a building and you find a snake skin or a shaggy skin
and that skin's laying there? You won't find that. Not even
a trace. Not even a trace of sin. It's
gone. But now he that doeth the will
of God abided forever. Those are the ones who will abide
forever. Those who trust Jesus Christ are the ones doing the
will of God. They said over in John, what
must we do that we might do the works of God? Tell us what to
do that we might do the works of God. And he said, this is
the work of God that you believe on him. whom he has sent." That's
the word, and that's the will of God. Those who walk in love are doing
the will of God. That person is governed by the
love of God shed abroad in his heart, his or her heart. You
are doing the will of God. And those who do the will of
God walk by faith. The just shall live by faith. The just don't live by worry.
They don't live by anxiousness. They do not live by their works. They live by trusting Christ. By trusting the Lord Jesus Christ.
And those who do the will of God are those who are born of
God. You are his children. Wish that dawned on us. I mean
really sink in. We are the children of God. Here's the lesson. Do not love
the world. Do not give your heart to this
world. We are to live in this world, yet not abuse it. You know, use it, but don't abuse
it. You know the reason I don't litter? It's not because, it's
not because I'm gonna get fined if I get caught. I don't litter
because this is my father's world. It's his. And I'm not gonna trash
it up. I'm not gonna throw junk out
the window because this is my father's world. He said to Adam
when he put him in the garden, he said, what did he tell him
to do? Dress it and keep it. Take care of it. Stewards, stewards. And then we are to walk by faith
and love to God and one another till he comes, till he comes. All right.