And if you will, turn to 1 John
chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2. We're going to have three short
verses here as our text today. 1 John has an interesting effect
on people. Oftentimes, this passage here will either make somebody
really mad, They're going to get frustrated. They're going
to get upset. But for those that the Lord's
died for, those that He's done a work in their heart, they're
going to be convicted. We'll read there in 1 John 2,
verse 15. 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, and the lust thereof. But he that doeth the
will of God abideth forever." There in verse 1 it says, Love
not the world, neither the things that are in the world. So what
does the word world mean? in the scriptures. I woke up
real early this morning and if you'll permit me, I'm going to
explain this to you real fast and then I promise I'll stick
to my notes afterwards. But in the scriptures, they use
the word world to mean the physical world that we live on. The word world is also used to
mean the people in the world. You and me, our loved ones, people
we know, people we work with, people we don't know. And that
world means our hearts. what's in us, our nature, our
worldly desires, our lust, our eagerness to do things for ourselves,
our self-righteousness. And all three of those intertwine,
don't they? We're in ourselves next to people
that's in their selves on this earth that we're standing on.
But so many times people, they love the world. They love this
creation that we're standing on. And that's not a problem. I enjoy driving down here every
day. I see down those valleys and
the fog laying in halfway. I feel like I'm in Columbia whenever
it's raining a whole bunch down here. But it's beautiful. It's
lovely. I love watching the sun set on the beach down in the
ocean. See that little green flash right
there at the end right before it goes away. That's beautiful.
My Lord made those things. But do I put this creation between
Me and God. Is there something between me
and the Lord that mediates other than Christ? Is there something
I put my affection in, my time in, my care into? Physically,
in this world, a lot of people do that. And that intertwines
with their desires. They forsake the assembly of
the saints. They forsake worship so they can earn more money and
get that house that's higher up the hill so they can see down
that valley further. Ain't that the truth? That's it. They worry
about advancing in this world, getting more property, getting
to go see things, getting to travel. And that's good, though,
for us. We benefit from those things.
The Scriptures tell us that. People devote their lives going
down to Antarctica. And they forsake the assembly
of the saints to do those things. They forsake their brethren,
forsake listening to the Lord. And as Don said... You get a cow patty that's fresh
and try to pick it up, it's going to be messy. But if it sits there
long and it dries, you can pick it up and throw it like a frisbee,
can't you? So I hope this cow patty's dry. People forsake their
brethren, they forsake the worshiping of the saints over the shape
of the world. That's what was 400 years ago and that's what
it is coming today. Nonsense. But they put the world,
the physical world, the creation of the world before worship of
God, for loving Christ, believing on Christ, and loving our brethren.
And then the people in this world, we all love one another here. And we all have family that we
love. We have children. We have wives. We have next-door
neighbors. There are people we like in this
world. And that's good. Live peaceably
with all men. Love your neighbor as yourself.
We care about those people temporally and spiritually. But we have
cares for the people in this world. But do we put those people
before the Lord? Does that interfere with our
worship? Do we put their opinion of us
over our voice to them? their opinion on our candlestick,
does that keep making me hide it? Do I put them, do I exalt
them above the Lord, the people in this world? And then there's
the world that's in our hearts, our desires, my experience, my
thoughts, that I see it in the word of the Lord, that that ain't
how it happens, and I say, I think it's worded a different way,
or you blame it on the translators, blame it on anything you can,
that you don't want to submit to what the Lord says. That's
against the Lord. It's in our hearts, isn't it?
The world, it's in our hearts. Okay. Do we know what the word
world means now? I'll stick to my notes after
this. Alright, by the grace and love of God, shed abroad in our
hearts, God's saints do not love the people of this world. Now
we seek their spiritual wellness. We want to declare the gospel
to people. We care about those people as inside their spirits
and temporally. I don't want to see nobody suffer.
You don't either. But that sense that Christ teaches
us to love our enemies in us, But the people of this world
are never to be rivals or take the place of Christ in our hearts. And the Lord won't let that happen
to His people. That's what Christ meant when He said, If any man
cometh to Me, and hateth not his father, and his mother, and
wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own
life also, he cannot be My disciples. But the grace of God in our hearts,
saints do not love the world as though this is our permanent
home. This creation is our permanent home. We're only passing through.
We're pilgrims. We're sojourners in this land. I'm here temporarily. Apostle
Paul said our conversation, that word means citizenship, our citizenship
is in heaven from when we also look for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body according to the work whereby
he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. I look for
my Redeemer. I don't look for the things of
this world, the people in this world. By the grace and love
of God, God's saints do not love the things of this world. Paul told Timothy, God giveth
us richly all things to enjoy. The Lord has blessed us greatly. I appreciate air conditioning.
I'm thankful for that and I enjoy it. I turn it on. But do I put
that above the Lord? I'm thankful for it, what time
I have it in this season, but I don't place that above Him
or something that I've done. But we remember those things
that we're given are gifts that God has given us to ease the
troubles of this life, to keep us knowing that He will provide
all things for us in this life. That is what our wisdom Christ
our wisdom said through that wise man Solomon, in Ecclesiastes
he said, it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink and
to enjoy the good of all his labor that he taketh under the
sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him for his
portion. 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. Those that the Lord's blessed
Abundantly enjoy it. I Tell you you put everything
the world before the Lord Here's why I'm not going to go to work.
I'm gonna stop working I ain't gonna work Tuesday cuz I gotta
get ready for service Wednesday And I ain't gonna work Wednesday
cuz I need to hear Wednesday night and I ain't gonna work Thursday
cuz I need to process everything from Wednesday night No, that's
just as bad Lord said if they don't if they don't work don't
let him eat. I We have to go out and make a living in this
world, but we don't place those things above. Why? There in Ecclesiastes
5.20 it says, For he shall not much remember the days of his
life, because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. Take a man that knows the Lord,
worked hard his whole life, retires and has it comfortable and has
nice things. He appreciates those things.
He sees the Lord gave him those things. Blesses his family with
him. He's thankful for him. But that's
not his joy. Joy in his heart is what God
gave him. What God gave him in Christ,
the knowledge of Christ. Now it's wonderful to have that
air conditioner, but if the Lord took that away, do I have hope? Of
course I do. I still have Christ. I could
be on a deserted island. I could be in Alaska, on the
equator. It don't make a difference. Christ is the same wherever I'm
at. But God gives us a job, he gives us the fruit of our labor,
and he gives us the power to enjoy them and rejoicing in our
hearts the whole time. God does it so that we're not
overly distressed with troubles in this life, but he makes his
child remember God's our provider. and how God makes His people
have godly enjoyment in things, but we never lose the love of
this world above God who gave them. We don't love the things
of this world above God who gave it to us. And He said, likewise,
so likewise whosoever be of you, he be of you that forsaketh not
all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple. We don't cast those
things in the garbage, but if they're taken away from us, we
don't care, do we? In this passage we're looking at today, the Holy
Spirit declares that it is the love of the Father in the heart
which makes His child cease loving worldliness, the things living
for this world. And He makes us live in godliness,
which is living for Christ and His kingdom, which is the will
of the Father. Worldliness is living for the
world. Godliness is living for God. And the love of the Father
in us is what makes us cast one away and cling to Him. Alright,
now there's three reasons for this, that God's saints no longer
live for this world but for Christ. The first one is the love of
the Father is in us. There in 1 John 2.15 it says,
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in
him. That's the opposite, isn't it? Secondly, the love of the
Father turns us from the world, teaching us what is in it. He
teaches us what this world truly is. There in 1 John 2.16, for
all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of
the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is
of this world. He teaches us that. All these
things around us, I like it nice, I want to get along with everybody,
but it's all vanity. Thirdly, the love of the Father
makes us do His will. That is, believe on Christ, love
Christ, love our brethren. He makes us do that. Verse 17.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that
doeth the will of God, he that believes on Christ, loves his
brethren, he abideth forever. And we know that. That's our
eternal life. Our eternal residence. Alright,
so first we're going to look at the love of the Father. Verse
15. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. Now the first reason a child
of God lives in godliness, lives for God, is because the love
of the Father is in him. The sinner who loves the world
does so because the love of the Father is not in him, but that
child of grace who lives for God does so because the love
of the Father is in him. That's why. Christ said, 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 serve God and mammon. Now Christ's Word together with
our text gives us a fuller understanding. If I love the world, then I do
not have the love of the Father in me. But you're not neutral.
It's not half and half. You can't choose not to take
a stand. It's one or the other. Christ said the man who loves
the world hates God. If we put that first, we hate
God. It's His words. Now every sinner
that God regenerates comes into the world loving the world, and
hating God. That's how we're born. We're
born of Adam. Every sinner born of man in this
world comes into it the same way. That's our nature. Ephesians
2 says, We're in a time past you walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversations in time past in
the lust of the flesh, fulfilling of the desires of the flesh and
of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others. By Adam's transgression, by Adam's
corrupt seed, we came into this world spiritually dead. It was imputed to us in Adam,
it was imparted to us by Adam, and it was enacted in us by us. We acted on it. Therefore we
loved the world, we lived for the world and hated God just
like all the sinners did. But who made us to differ? What
changed? Ephesians 2 there verse 4 says,
but God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith
he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us
together with Christ by grace are you saved. I was dead in this world and
then the Lord God Almighty came into my heart and made me dead
to this world. He did something. Not me, He did it. The difference
was that not something we did, the difference was the grace
of God when He said, But God, for with His great love, wherewith
He loved us, He hath quickened us together with Christ. When
God's child is born from above, the love of God is shed abroad
in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given even unto us,
as Paul wrote to Rome. When God gave us life, the Spirit
made us behold the Father's great love for us in sending His only
begotten Son to lay down His life for us, while we yet hated
Him. He showed us that. Turn over to Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3, we'll get in
verse 3. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish. disobedient,
deceived, serving different lusts and pleasures, living in malice
and envy, hateful and even hating one another. But after that,
the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared
in our hearts. That's where it appeared. Verse
5, not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according
to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost. which He shed on us abundantly
through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace
we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
And beholding how God loved us, beholding how Christ loved us
by laying down His life for us, justifying us from our sins,
making us joint heirs with Him, to God, giving us hope of eternal
life, He made us fall in love with God in Christ. We love the
world. He did something, and now I see
His love for us, for me, for His children. Well, I love Him.
That's how it works, isn't it? If any man loved the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. Now conversely, if any man
loves the Father, the difference is the love of the Father abides
in him. But every believer still has
this flesh. We still live in this flesh. Worldliness is our greatest danger,
so we need constant reminders. We need to be constantly turned. Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, he
hath not the love of the Father in him. We need to be reminded
of that. Have you been born of God? Are you God's child? Do you live in the hope of eternal
glory? Then count this world to be exactly
what it is. It's dead. Set your affections
on things above. Live no longer for the things
dead men live for. Live for Christ by giving yourself
to further the gospel of the grace of God and by giving yourself
to serve the people of God. That's our purpose here. So next is all in the world,
verse 16 back in our text, 1 John 2, 16. 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
love of the Father turns His child from this world and keeps
us turned from this world by teaching us what is in this world. It says first there, all that
is in the world. That's the sum of this whole
world and everything that's in it. Worldliness is defined right
here, and that's not what false religion teaches, is it? 99% of what comes out of most
pulpits in this world is prosperity, healing, all the things of the
world. Do you want you a new car? Do
you need a Bentley? Do you want to get rid of your
cancer? Is your back hurt? All those things. Things here
on this earth. Not spiritual things. Not inward things. Next
it says the lust of the flesh. A carnal man lives for the carnal
form of sensual desires in the flesh. Man lives for the belly. To please himself. For pleasure. False religion appeals this lust
of the flesh by pointing men to earthly things. Touch not. Taste not. Handle not. They give
you something to do, something to lust after. And I say, well,
I did this. I didn't touch that. Gives you something to cling
on to in yourself. And they do it also by enticing men and women
with pleasure and entertainment. They got a laser light show and
fog machines and backup dancers. And I thought that was a joke
until I saw a documentary. That's not. I thought that was
just in the movies. That happens. That's a shame.
What blasphemy. To entertain, to do something. That's bait and switch. The Lord
doesn't bait and switch His people. We declare who Christ is. We
declare man fell in the garden. He was ruined by the fall. He's
ruined since birth. The only hope He has is redemption
in the blood of Christ. And if you see that, the Lord
God Almighty comes in you and gives you life, regenerates you,
and He'll keep you forever. We don't dress it up. But Paul
said in Philippians 3.18, For many walk, of whom I have told
you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies
of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God
is in their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, to mind
earthly things. They're worried about things
on this earth. 2 Timothy 3.1 says, this know also
that in the last days perilous times shall come for men shall
be lovers of their own selves. And in verse 4 it says lovers
of pleasure more than lovers of God having a form of godliness. They look like they're Well,
that's a church. There's a man standing up there
talking to other folks and they sung some songs and they went
through some ceremonies and circumstance. They're having a form of godliness
but denying the power thereof. From such, turn away. Run from
it. If I ain't your cup of tea, go
to somebody that faithfully preaches the Word of God. Thus saith the
Lord. And run from that nonsense. Run
from it. There's a lot of people too in
this world. They have an accurate doctrine. They seem to be born
in truth, but they're not born in spirit. They have all the
right words, but there's no life in them. There's no love. There's no compassion. And so
they replace those things with big choirs and organs taller
than the ceilings and sound machines and makeup artists. They do all
these things. They've got to supplement somehow,
because they're lacking. The Lord comes to His people
in power, in spirit and in truth. It says, they're the lust of
the eyes. It's to be covetous for things that gratify the sight,
but also it is lusting for men to see themselves in a certain
way. They want other people to see
themselves in a certain way. And Christ teaches us to do nothing
to be seen of men, but those that worship self. Those that
don't worship God, they worship the world that's inside of them.
They do all of their works to be seen of men. And He said unto
them, ye are they which justify yourselves before men, but God
knoweth your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among
men is an abomination in the sight of God. That's in Luke
16. Next is a pride of life, pride
of living, it's ambition, honor, popularity, luxury, and false
religion operates for the same principle as the world. Men desire
to sit, it says in Matthew 23, the uppermost rooms at the feast
and the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the market and
to be called of men Rabbi, Rabbi. physically pay for a pew that's
up close. And they put on this whole show
so people can see them when they're down at the farmer's market and
say, oh, I know you, you're Elder so-and-so, and these titles and
pomp and, oh yeah, I heard you did wonderful things. Oh, teacher,
teacher, rabbi, rabbi. Lord gives us what we want. If
you want self-righteousness and you want to approach God on your
own, I'll do it myself." He'll say, all right, go ahead. Best
of luck to you. But if you say, I can't come
to God by myself. I looked at that law he gave
at Sinai. I can't do that. I can't fulfill
it. I'm wretched. I've sinned against
God in my heart. I need a substitute. He'll give
you just what you want. How can they believe which receive
honor, one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from
God only? Religion says worldliness is
eating certain things, dressing a certain way, but Christ said
the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Worldliness is a heart
attitude. The lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life. That's all inside, isn't
it? Ain't got nothing to do with outside. You can do that sitting
by yourself in a corner in your closet. And all this is not of the Father,
but is of the world. All that is in the world, these
lusts and this pride, is the result of the fall. It is the
result of sin and death and Adam. And these are all works of the
devil. Christ said in 1 John 3, He that committeth sin is
of the devil, but the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. Now in the wilderness, Christ
was tempted by Satan, with all these things. He tempted him
with the pride of life, lust of the flesh, but he used the
same subtlety as he did with Eve. Did Satan come to him and
say, you want a cold beer? No, it come to him with the Word
of God, but manipulated. He slightly changed what the
Lord said. That's what he told Eve. And
he questioned the Word. And that's what he did with Christ.
He quoted Scripture to our Master in that garden. And then did
Christ get up and get mad at him? Did He go into logic and
try to explain all these things away? No, like, we're going to
hash this out until you understand. No, every time He said, as it
is written. God quoted His Word. Do I need
to argue? Thus saith the Lord. If you get
mad at me, everything we've looked at here, you can get mad at me
if you want, but you ain't mad at me. That's what the Lord said. But Christ destroyed those accusing
works of the devil for his people on the cross by bearing our sin
and shedding his blood for us. Christ destroyed the works of
the devil and his people by creating an entirely new inward man in
righteousness and true holiness by the Holy Spirit in the new
birth. So those that Christ has perfected are not of this world. It says, I have given them thy
word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of
this world, even as I am not of this world. I pray not that
thou shouldest take them out of the world. He's going to leave
us here. But that thou shouldest keepeth them from the evil. They
are not of this world, even as I am not of this world. We have
to live here. Lord said to them. How am I going to stay away from
evil? How am I going to turn from this world? He prayed for
us. keep them from evil. He'll sustain
it. The only way God's elect are
saved from all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh,
the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is by the grace of God
our Father choosing us in divine election. By the blood of Christ
redeeming us on the cross, by the Holy Spirit making us a new
creation in our hearts. Therefore, after all that happens,
God's saints no longer live our lives ruled by these corrupt
principles. We don't cling to those things
anymore. We are made of the Father and live a life governed by the
power and grace of Christ Jesus our Master. We live for Him,
in Him, through Him, by Him. He that doeth the will of God,
says there in 1 John 2 verse 17, And the world passeth away in
the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth
forever. By the love of the Father given
in our new hearts, God's saints do the will of God by believing
on Christ, by loving Christ, and by loving our brethren. It's
what we saw throughout 1 John. Believe on Christ, love your
brethren. If you go after this life, you may fulfill your lusts. You may accomplish it, but this
world and you will soon pass away. But please hear this. God says,
He that doeth the will of God abideth forever. All these things
are going to pass away. God won't. His people won't. He that believes on Christ and
lives for Him abideth forever. Now you can read it plainly right
here. But what did John say brings
us to that end of keeping the Word of God, of doing His will?
Look up in 1 John 2, verse 5. But whoso keepeth his word in
him verily is the love of God perfected. Hereby know we that
we are in him. If we are kept by him, we know
that we are in him. When the Holy Spirit sheds the
love of God abroad in our hearts, Christ speaks effectually, commanding
in us. This isn't just a statement from
John. When the Lord does a work in somebody, He speaks in the
heart of that sinner and says, Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. He tells us that, and it's effectual. It works. We still live here.
We still work in this world. We still operate in this world.
But all of a sudden it's dead to us. It don't matter as much. I don't want to hear about those
things as much. I want to hear about that one that saved me.
I want to hear about the one that did the work. The cross
speaks in our heart and is effectually commanding. In Matthew 16 it
says, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his
life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it. For what is a man profited if
he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a
man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man shall
come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He
shall reward every man according to his works." What kind of works
is that? Is it my works? No. If that's
all you're standing for, it's a reward you'll get. That'll
be the payment. We're standing in Christ's works. I'll be rewarded
for His works. Turn over Romans chapter 2 real
quick. I'll wrap this up. Romans 2 verse 7. To them who by patient continuance
and well-doing, that's doing the will of the Father, by living
for Him, seeking things above, seek for glory and honor and
immortality, Christ shall freely give what Christ has earned for
you, eternal life. Verse 8, but unto them that are
contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness,
Christ shall give that man what that man earned by his own wicked
works. indignation and wrath. Our Master said in John 8, verily,
verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my saying, he shall never
see death. Therefore, by the power of His
grace and by constraint of His love beholding Christ, His child
believes on Him and begins living for Him rather than living for
this world. He's done that work. We believe Him. Christ spoke
to Moses in this same power that He speaks to His children now.
Moses could have lived for this world as Pharaoh's daughter,
but he had it made, didn't he? Have whatever you want, full
belly, nice house, servants, took care of. But instead, By
faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach
of Christ greater riches than the treasure that is in Egypt,
for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." It's in Hebrews
11. May God be pleased to shed His love abroad in your hearts
and constrain us to believe on His Son and live for Him. I pray
He'll do that to us. Amen. Let's pray together.