Now, if you'll turn with me to
John chapter 15, I'm going to bring you a two-part
message this morning. The first part
of it is going to be in our Sunday school lesson, and the second
part of it will be in the worship service. But I feel led of God
to do this and then close out our study in John chapter 15. I want to talk to you in the
Sunday school lesson this morning all the way through on this one
thing, the world. The world. I cannot express to you how important
it is for you to attend these things that we do here and hear
these things that I teach and then go home. Go home and take
these things and look them up I encourage you to do it. Go
home and prove these things. Go home and prove them. Call
on God. Ask God for understanding. I encourage you to do it. I encourage
you to get something. I was talking to William the
other day and I was giving some references in our study on Wednesday
night to something and he went over there and he got involved
reading one of the reference texts that I had and missed what
I said. And I told him, I said, that's
why I encourage you to get a notepad. I know you're not stenographers,
and you don't have to take down every last word that I say. But
if you spot something over here in one of these references, jot
it down, then go back. I want you to hear what I'm saying.
And then we'll deal with this other thing later on when you
get home. Then go check that thing out.
But try to listen to what I'm saying, because I'm building
up to something in our lessons. And that's what I want to do
this morning. And I'm going to change things
up just a little bit. But here in John 15, verse 19,
he said, If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you're not of the
world, but I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you. Five times in this single verse
of Scripture, He uses this word, this phrase, the world. The world. What is the world of which he
speaks? What's he talking about? It must
be critical because he says it five times. He makes this the
basis of what he's about to tell them. Apart from understanding
what this world is to which he refers, the rest of it's not
going to make any sense. The world, the world, what is
this world? Is he talking about the environment? Is he talking about the elements
that surround this place by which we look on there and we say,
well, this is the world? And we look from those spaceships
that they put up there and look at those pictures down there,
here's the world. Well, yes, in one sense, in one sense, but
that's not what he's talking about here. What's he talking about, the
world? Is he talking about the invisible spirits that dwell
here? Is that what he's talking about
when he says the world? Is he talking about the Gentile
nations? Sometimes when he talks about
the Gentile nations, he talks about the world. That's where
all the misunderstanding comes from. in John 3.16 where he said,
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
He's talking about the world of Gentiles, that which was referred
to as the world by the Jews. They were forbidden to take their
things into fellowship with the world. He's talking about those
Gentile nations. Is that what he's talking about
here? He says this over in 1 John 2. He said, Love not the world,
neither the things of the world. If any man loved the world, the
love of the Father is not in him." What's he talking about
when he speaks of us being not of the world, but chosen out
of the world? Well, I'm going to give you three
things that I believe describe and define what the Lord here
calls the world. The world is all those who dwell
in the earth. and who abide in this immediate
realm and live and move and will be held accountable of God for
their life. Be held accountable by the living
God for what they say and for what they think and for what
they feel and for what they do. That's the world to which he's
referring. They're described in Romans chapter
9 as vessels of honor and dishonor. Some are endured, he said, suffered
to exist, occupy space in the earth to show his wrath and make
his power known. Fitted for destruction is how
he describes them, not fit for anything else. And some are vessels
of mercy, made out of the same clay, made by the same potter,
made in the same hand, John. But they're vessels of mercy,
and their end is to make known the riches of God's glory on
the vessels of mercy which he aforeprepared unto glory. There's three things that I need
to know about all those responsible creatures, and I'm saying that
whether we're talking about angels, fallen angels, they abide here. They make up what he calls the
world. or whether he's talking about men, principalities and
powers, all those who are ruined, all
those who are depraved, who occupy space in this realm. Every creature,
here's the first thing, every creature which is shut up to
the realm of this world are fallen and depraved. There's none good. Can you get a hold of that? All
the principalities and powers, all the people, all the sons
of Adam, everyone who occupies this realm is fallen and depraved. All of them. Every last one of
them. That's hard to get a hold of,
isn't it? Because we have people we like and people we don't like.
We have people we have confidence in and some that we don't. We
have people here that we feel are good people, and we've got
people here that we feel are bad people. And it's hard for
us to grasp the concept that all are depraved, all of them,
all of them. Every creature in this realm
he calls this world is altogether evil, altogether. Isaiah tells
us something about the fall of Lucifer in chapter 14 of his
prophecy, and I'll get back to him in just a minute, but he has for now his abode in this
earth. That's where he's at. You remember
when the Lord asked him, he said, what are you doing? Back in the
book of Job, what did he tell him? I'd walk into and throw
in the earth. That's where he lives. That's
where he abides. Both he and his angels occupy the same realm
as we do. And all men, every son of Adam
that resides here, whose roots go back to Adam, are fallen and
depraved. I want you to listen. These are
not just words. This is the Word of God. This
is the testimony of God. Now, you may throw it on the
ground and go home. You may do that. But I'm telling
you, this is the testimony of God. This is not my idea. This
is Romans chapter 5, verse 12. By one man. Ain't that what that
says? Sin entered into the world, and
death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned. Now, if you go home and read
this chapter, this fifth chapter of Romans,
you go home and read it, very clear as to the fact of sin and
its consequences through the progenitor of this world, the
one through whom this line of succession has come. I am talking
about our Father Adam. Over in I Corinthians chapter
15, Paul says this, as in Adam, all die. All die. He is the origin of all who descend
from Him, and He determines their character and nature. He tells
us that in this chapter. I'm going to read all these verses,
but I'm going to read the part that pertains to what I'm saying
out of each one of these verses. He said, by the offense of one,
many be dead. Judgment was by one to condemnation. By one man's offense, death reigned. By one man's disobedience, many
were made sinners. Spiritually, morally, and legally,
Adam and all his race is dead. Legally, we're all condemned
in Adam, and that condemnation is manifested by our nature.
By one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin,
and so death passed upon all men. Where's the evidence? All
of sin. No getting out of it, is there?
Morally, we're all dead. David said the good man's perished
from the earth. He perished from the earth. They
are none good. And spiritually we are all dead,
refusing to receive any and all the good news of the Gospel.
All these things appearing as foolishness, being contrary to
our own wisdom and reason. We won't have any of it. It doesn't
cost us anything. Free grace. Free grace. Think of it. God stands with
the gift in His hands. already accomplished, already
done, finished. We won't have it. Man has to
be a sinner to do that. He has to be a sinner. We're all dead spiritually. The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.
For they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned." Listen to this, I
Corinthians 1.21. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world, that's what we're talking about, the world
by wisdom do not go. You mean I can just, but what
about these churches? But what about these seminaries? What about these denominations?
What about all these people out here? You mean they know not
God? Ain't that what they said? In
the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. Please
God, through the foolishness of preaching, to save them that
believe. And the world to which our Lord
refers is a world full of ignorance and pride and fallen wisdom. In spite of their boastful claims,
they know nothing of God. In 1 Corinthians 15 and verses
47 through 50, Paul tells us something of what we are in Adam. He said, that first man, verse
47, is of the earth, earthy. He is earthy. As is the earthy,
such are they also who are earthy, verse 48. Verse 49, we all bear
the image of the earthy. All of us. What's the conclusion? Flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God. Not going to happen. Not going to happen. There must
be an intervention. There must be a change somewhere
to break this curse. This world is under the curse
of sin. That's the first thing you have
to know when we talk about the world. I'm talking about an entire
world under the curse. It's cursed. It's not blessed.
It's cursed. It's cursed. It's under the curse of sin.
And it is at this very moment under the wrath of God. Isn't
that what he says? He that believeth not the wrath
of God abideth on him. And the second thing I need to
know about this world, that it's under the power of Satan. He
does what he will in this world. Now you think about that. Look
with me for just a moment over here at Ephesians chapter 2.
This chapter begins on the first point that I told you. You hath
equipped them who were dead in trespasses and sins. That's where
we were at. That's where this whole world
is at until there be an intervention of God. You hath equipped them who were
dead in trespasses and sins. Verse 2, wherein in time past
you walked according to the course of this world. The dictates,
your nature designs what you, you do what you do because of
who you are. We need to get that straight
in our head. We do what we do because of what we are. What
we are does not determine. You know, what we do does not
determine what we are. What we are determines what we
do. We walk according, he said, according to the course of this
world. But watch how he quickly follows
that up. According to the prince of the powers of the air. According. The spirit that now worketh in
the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our
conversation in time past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of our flesh and of the mind, and were by nature
the children of wrath. even as others. Because man is
depraved and ignorant and corrupt by nature, he's easily influenced
by Satan and drawn away by whatever Satan is pleased to set before
him. It's not always religion. It can be your family. That's right, it can be your
family. I've seen people just absolutely so eat up with their
family that they ignore the things of God. It can be your family. It can be your job. I've seen
people so devoted to that job and so set on whatever it is,
whatever goal it is that's in their heart on that job that
they absolutely throw the things of God in the dirt over a job. And I can go on and on. It could
be your wife. It could be your children. It could be your job.
It could be anything. It doesn't necessarily have to
be religion. Satan, this world is a place
of depravity and a place ruled over by Satan and his angels.
In Luke chapter 4, Satan takes the Lord Jesus Christ up into
a high mountain, and there he tempts him, and he shows him
all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the
devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the
glory of them. For that is delivered unto me,
and to whomsoever I give it." You didn't know he was that powerful,
did you? He does according to his will in this world. Among unregenerate men, he has
his way. He has his way. And he can convince
you that it's not his way. He'll have you over here in the
bar, and then He'll get you to make a profession of faith, and
now you're over here and you belong to the church, and He'll
have you convinced that you're saved. You're still doing His
will. You're still on the same road.
Just another road merged in with it. That's right. The Pharisees were convinced.
I'm telling you, they were convinced they were saved. They weren't
saved. He said, you are of your father
the devil. Ain't that what he told them?
That's exactly what he told them. Ruled over by Satan and his angels. In Ephesians chapter 6 verse
12, Paul said, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, now watch it, against
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places. And then listen to how Paul speaks
to young Timothy. He said, a servant of the Lord
must not strive. He doesn't argue. He's gentle.
He's gentle unto all men. He's apt to teach. He's patient
in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. If God,
peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth. Now listen. Verse 26, 2 Timothy
2, 26. and that they may recover themselves
out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him
at his will." That's the world. The world. We know first that this world
is every son of Adam fallen and condemned in his nature and character.
How do I know that? By experience? No. I know that
by the testimony of God. There's depravity still in me
that I don't even see. It's awakened every day. I become
acquainted with another area of it that I wasn't acquainted
with. Things that I think are clean,
gone. Boy, just like that, right up to the surface. Right up to
the surface. Depravity. The whole world. And this world is held captive
by the God of this world and His evil accomplices. fallen,
corrupt angels, demon spirits, rulers of the darkness. And then
the third thing we need to know, and perhaps the hardest of all
to perceive, is that this world is influenced and kept in darkness
by what's described in the scriptures as Antichrist religion. Antichrist. What is Antichrist? Antichrist is anything that's
antichrist. Anything. I don't care what it
is. Any system of religion, any one
man, any preacher, any church, any group of churches, any denomination
that makes salvation to be dependent on or determined by the will,
the works and worth of men, as opposed to the will and works
and worth of Christ alone, is an antichrist. It's Antichrist. It doesn't matter how much good
they appear to do. It doesn't matter how many shelters
they provide or how many soup kitchens they work in or how
much clothing they donate or how much orphanages they support,
how many of these things that they are involved in. There's
a lot of good done by religious men and women, a lot of good. Social programs. Issues to protest. Schools they build. Programs
they start. They're all just bait in the
rat poison. That's right. You see, it wasn't
the flower of the doctrine of the Jews that God warned them
about. It was the leaven. You get a
whole bowl full of flour. You ladies make bread, you know
what I'm talking about. You get a whole bowl full of flour. Just
a little bit of leaven. Leaven the whole lump, don't
it? It's just bait and the rat poison.
That's all it is. It doesn't take a whole lot to
put you in that place where you're anti-Christ. Don't take a lot.
Paul said this to the Galatian church, he said, you so much
as be circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. Ain't that
what he said? It doesn't matter if the church
is conservative or liberal, mainline or some isolated cult, Baptist,
Methodist, Pentecostal or Catholic, it doesn't make any difference.
Any church, any doctrine, any religious system that sets up
man as the centerpiece of religion is an Antichrist. That's the
world. The world is Antichrist. The
world hated Christ. How do I know that? Because he
came into the world. The world nailed him on a tree.
The world spit in his face. The world is Antichrist. Antichrist. Any man or woman that teaches
that God's will can be altered or effectually hindered by man
is an Antichrist. Any man or preacher or priest
that teaches that the merit and efficacy of Christ's Atonement
rest upon man's will is an Antichrist. Any system of religion that teaches
that the work of the Holy Spirit can be defeated by the will of
man is Antichrist. Any so-called church that teaches
that God's sovereign grace toward chosen sinners can fail in any
way is Antichrist. Any teacher or doctrine, any
gospel that turns you to something other than Christ alone is Antichrist. Any man who believes and tries
to convince others that the love of God in any way can be in vain
is Antichrist. Any denomination or single church
that preaches a Christ that redeems but cannot save, calls but cannot
convert is Antichrist. You see what I'm saying? That's
hard to get hold of, isn't it? Antichrist. Any man who preaches
a Christ who wills to save but in the end cannot because of
something a man did or did not do is Antichrist. Any man who preaches any kind
of salvation that compromises the perfections of God is antichrist. This world is filled with the
doctrine of Babylon. The great whore sits on the beast
and her house on every corner, on every corner. When our Lord
talked about the world, They could not get over the concept
that these Jewish leaders and rabbis and these doctors of the
law and this council of the Sanhedrin and the priesthood, they could
not get over the fact they wanted to give them some benefit. They wanted to give them some
place in the kingdom of God. And our Lord likens them unto
the world. He said, You have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you out of the world. The world of Antichrist,
I've set you out of it, set you apart from it. This world's filled
with the doctrine of Babylon. The preacher over in Proverbs,
he warns his children. She dresses, he said, in the
attire of a harlot. That's how she dresses. She's subtle at heart. She's
loud and stubborn. She's without in the streets
and lies wait on every corner. She'll grab you and kiss you. That's what he told his children.
Talk about peace. She'll make you to believe she
came looking for you. I've been looking for you all
night. I bet you have. I bet you have. And then she'll
lure you into her house, and her bed be decked with coverings
of tapestry, hand-carved post, shrouded in fine linen, the whole
house filled with perfume. And it says he goeth after her
straightway as an ox to the slaughter, as a fool to the stocks. And he goes like a bird into
the snare, not knowing that it's his life. It's his life. Her house, he said, is the way
to hell going down to the chambers of death. This world is the place
in which we live, and the world is those who live here. And the
world is in us by nature, and Satan and his demons rule the
roost. Yes, they do. They rule the roost. You can stand on your soapbox
and jump up and down and yell and cry and preach and do all
you want to do. But apart from an intervention
of God, they're going to go right on doing what they've always
done. This world. This world. You have not chosen me. You could. You wouldn't. And you never will. But he said, I chose you. I chose
you. But you will not. He said, I
know you. I know you. That's what he told
those Pharisees. I know you. I don't need anybody
to tell me what's in man. Huh? Isn't that what he told
them? I don't need you to tell me what you are. They was telling
him all about what they was and what they did and what they thought.
I don't need you to tell me what's in man. I know you, that you
will not come unto me that you might have life. I know you.
You have not chosen me, but I've chosen you out of the world. God bless the lesson to your
heart.