Who Do you Love? – How can you tell?
When you love the world, you believe the lies of the world…
Believeing that feeding your physical desires will bring life
Believing that feeding your visible desires will bring life
Believing that feeding your prideful desires will bring life
When you love the Lord, you believe the truth of the word…
Believing that following the Spirit leads to life
Intro
Who do you love?
That is a question that has been being asked long before Bo Diddley wrote a song with that title and long before George Thorogood made it a staple on FM radio in the late 70’s.
Answering the question, “Who do you love” is something we have had to come to terms with in our lives from the very beginning.
There are 2 problems that hinder us from properly answering that question and living in the joy of true love that leads to real living.
First, we mis-define love as an emotion and a feeling.
Second, we believe lies that will seem right in our own eyes, but only continue to lead us down a path of destruction in life.
This morning we are continuing our Genuine Faith series through 1 John and we are going to look to see what God’s word tells us about who we should and should not love and describes for us what those loves will look like and lead to in our lives.
So, turn with me this morning to 1 John 2:15-17.
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As you do, I want to remind you of where we were last week.
Last week we read about the encouragement that John was giving to different maturity segments of the church. He knew that life is difficult sometimes and wanted to point out a few things to the people of the church that they should be encouraged about.
Now John tells us about who to love and not to love.
Let’s read
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1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Pray
As we start to look at this verse, we need to remember that John is writing to
encourage the church and to
refute some things that the false teachers were claiming.
If we recall from a few weeks ago, he was refuting some of the lies that the false teachers were putting forth as truth regarding not sinning and not worrying about things that John and that Apostles were teaching were sin.
Now it appears that John is refuting some of the lies they were teaching in how to truly live and enjoy life and it appears these false teachers may have been telling the church to not only not worry about sin, but to pursue the things that the world says will truly bring life.
Transition
Now it is important for us to understand what John is talking about when he says “world.”
In the Bible the word, “world” is used in several different ways.
The different meanings of “World”
World = Creation
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It can be used to describe God’s creation.
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
World = People
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It can also be used to describe people
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
World = World System
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Or it can also mean a world system like in our text today in 1 John 2.
In that case, it is talking about the principles and things that are taught in the world that are said to be the way to real living and life.
So when John says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world” He is not talking about not loving people, He is talking about not falling in love with the world system and teachings that lie to us about the way to live and truly find life.
Transition
So, I don’t believe any of us here would say that we are in love with the world, but is that true or is it just a lie we are trying to convince ourselves of?
Who do we really love and how can we tell?
Do we love the world or do we love God because John tells us those things cannot co-exist.
Well, John talks about some of the things that come from the teachings of the world system that we should be checking against our own life to test the truthfulness of what we say we believe.
Because,
When you love the world, you believe the lies of the world…
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Sometimes without even recognizing it completely.
Listen to what John says again in these verses.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world-…
Right here John is going to give us 3 things that come
from the worlds teaching and
from the sin in us
that work together to get us to believe and follow lies about where we find real life and real living.
He says in 1 John 2:16
For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world.
Ok, what are the lies that the world says will bring life?
Well, when you believe the lies of the world, you will be
Believeing that feeding your physical desires will bring life
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1 John 2:16a
For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man
Some versions translate this “the lust of the flesh.”
This is the physical things that we desire to please us in our bodies.
Things like food and drink and sex and drugs, etc.
The world says if you just pursue what will bring you physical pleasure, you will really experience life and you will be happy.
The world’s teaching would say there is never any reason to sacrifice, to do without, to not pursue physical pleasure, to not satisfy your physical cravings, because physical pleasure is what we need for a good life.
God says that is not true. That is a lie.
Transition
We will talk about what does lead to life in a moment, but let’s continue on and see what other lies the world is trying to get us to believe.
The next thing that John mentions after the cravings of sinful man is the lust of his eyes (1 John 2:16b)
When you believe the lies of the world, you will be
Believing that feeding your visible desires will bring life
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What does this mean and how is this different than the cravings of sinful man?
Often times we show our love by the things we provide for those we love. I believe that this is saying that to truly find fulfillment in life and love to yourself, You need to be
buying and living for the finer things in life.
Whatever pleases your eye, get that and your life will be good.
You need that new car.
It is great that you have a house, but you won’t be happy until you have a bigger house.
You need those $150 pair of jeans.
You need that beautiful new dress you saw in the window.
You need the finer things in life, you need to look good.
Madison Avenue markets us based upon the premise that life will be better and will only be better if you have what you see in their ads.
Because that is the way to real life and real living!
That is what the world says. God says it’s a lie.
Transition
The last thing that John says is that will be going on in your life when you are loving the world and believing the lied of the world is that you will be
Believing that feeding your prideful desires will bring life
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1 John 2:16c
16 For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does…
Having and doing stuff is nice, but if people don’t know what you have and do, it isn’t near as good.
Prestige and Power and Fame are highly sought after because they will bring exaltation to a person.
It amazes me that so many will listen to what entertainment figures have to say about really anything – politics, living life, religion – anything.
Why? Why do they listen to them?
People listen to them simply because they are famous and they exalt their opinion and themselves.
Transition
Now God says that life, true life, is not found in
Feeding your physical, visual or prideful desires.
Maybe you are saying to yourself, “I know that God says that, but I don’t really believe it. How can you be happy if you don’t have the pleasures offered in this life?
I am not saying and I don’t believe the Bible says that you can’t enjoy things in this life. I am saying, however that when you pursue those desires as the goal of your life, you will find it empty and meaningless.
In fact there was a man in the Bible who tested this. He pursued his desires to the highest levels and found them just as I said, Meaningless
The author of Ecclesiastes was Solomon, A king who was beyond rich. Listen to what he says in
Ecclesiastes 2:1, 3-11
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2:1 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good."… 3 I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.
4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well-the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my work,
and this was the reward for all my labor.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
Meaningless
Believing the lies of this world lead us to a life of meaninglessness.
Do not love the world and the lies it teaches.
Realize what John writes in 1 John 2:17
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
In Contrast to loving the world and believing lies, John tells us
When you love the Lord, you believe the truth of the word…
Believing that following the Spirit leads to life
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1 John 2:17b – the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Listen to what Paul writes in
Romans 8:5, 11
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires… 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
When we live to do God’s will, to please the Spirit, God gives us real and eternal life.
Jesus came so we could truly live fully and eternally.
In John 10:10 Jesus says - I have come to give life and to give it to the full
Transition
So what does this mean in real life?
What does following the Spirit look like in real life?
Sometimes it may mean sacrificing something that will bring temporary, short term pleasure for eternal, long term enjoyment of life.
Moses chose to skip short term pleasure
Hebrews 11:24-26
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By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 25He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. 26He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.
Moses chose to sacrifice short term pleasure that sin would bring because he was looking to his eternity.
But not only does forgoing short term momentary pleasure bring blessing in the long term, but often when we forgo momentary and fleeting pleasures of sin, we will also save ourselves from the hardship that those choices often bring.
DUI
For example, maybe you think it is fun to get drunk, until you are in an accident or are arrested for DUI.
Destruction caused by affair
Perhaps you think it will be great to be with a woman other than your wife or man other than you husband. It may be enjoyable in the moment, but the destruction to your family, the havoc to your marriage, the long term effects of those decisions, for those short term moments of pleasure, I will guarantee will be regretted for a very long time.
Transition
Now maybe as you hear this, you are thinking that anything that brings pleasure in this world must be bad and avoided at all costs. We must be miserable to be happy!
No.
We need to remember the whole council of Scripture.
The Lord has told us in His word through Paul in
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1 Timothy 4:4-5
4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
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1 Timothy 6:17
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Loving God and not the world does not mean that we do not enjoy the things God has created and blessed us with.
The problem is, is that we pursue the things that God has given us as the thing that will truly provide our fulfillment OUTSIDE of a relationship with the Lord.
That is the lie of this world and of Satan.
Instead, the Lord tells us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (the things you need) will be given to you as well.
(Matthew 6:33)
When we pursue a close relationship with the Lord, following Him and abiding in Him, He will provide for you, He will give you peace, and He will give you joy!
This doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer at times. We will.
This doesn’t mean that we will have everything that we want. We Won’t, thankfully.
This doesn’t mean that we won’t face temptation. We will.
There will even be times that legitimate desires will seek to control us.
Eating, times of rest, sexual relations in the bounds of marriage.
Those are all proper things, but not as things we live for, but only as blessings of our relationship with the Lord.
Transition
So the question becomes, how do you not let even things that are proper and blessings and gifts distract us and draw us away from the one who has provided and blessed us and given them to us?
How can we truly follow the Spirit and love God
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instead of being drawn away and loving the world believing its lies and falling for its temptations?
The first thing we need to do is
We pray to God
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Jesus says in
Matthew 26:41 - "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Through prayer we are going to we are going to be able to discern what we should do and to avoid temptation.
Also when we are praying we are drawing close to God and relying on His grace and power recognizing that in ourselves, we are weak.
Just like Paul says in
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2 Corinthians 12:8 - For when I am weak, then I am strong.
When he says that, he says he had just gotten down pleading with the Lord and the Lord was responding back to him. Paul was praying and being strengthened by God’s grace.
So, you need to be a person of prayer if you are going to be able to follow God and enjoy life through troubling circumstances.
Transition
Another thing we need to do is
We love our neighbor
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How do we love our neighbor?
We love through action and sacrifice.
We love with the things that God has given us, our resources and not just our words.
Just like the Good Samaritan. He spent his time, his money, and his effort to help out one who was in need.
As we use and give resources to others, we become less attached to them and we get to see the Lord work in our own lives by providing for our needs.
When we value our money so much that we are unwilling to help or sacrifice for God’s kingdom or for His people, we can subtly be lead down the path of seeking to feed our visible desires and be drawn away from God.
Jesus tells us in
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Matthew 6:24 - 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
We need to love our neighbor by being willing to sacrifice for their good, especially in sacrificing to see the gospel go forth so others can have their eternities changed!
Finally, if we are going to overcome the temptation to feed our prideful desires,
We Exalt the Lord
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Jesus said when tempted by Satan in Matthew 4:10 to 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"
How do we worship the Lord?
Romans 12:1
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says to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Give yourself to God in all you do.
Sing to Him
Live for Him
Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17
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And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Whatever we do we need to do it unto the Lord.
Are you doing that?
Are you working at your job as unto the Lord?
Are you being a spouse as unto the Lord?
Are you raising your kids as unto the Lord?
Are you serving in the church as unto the Lord?
Or are you loving the world and pursuing earthly pleasures and just seeking to love and exalt yourself in the things you do?
Conclusion
At the beginning of the message I asked ‘Who do you Love?’
As we went through the message, do you see your life as one that is feeding your physical, visible and prideful desires, or one that is Loving the Lord by following the Spirit’s leading?
We are going to close in prayer.
If you have seen your life as one of loving the world and not the Lord, then turn to the Lord and receive Him as your Savior, but believing in and receiving Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us in Romans 10:9 that
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If you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
If you are a believer and struggling with truly acting on your love for the Lord and you have noticed that the lies of the world have crept into your life,
that you are believing that feeding physical desires, or visible desires or even your prideful desires, then repent and seek the Lord’s forgiveness and takes steps to pray to God, to love your neighbor with sacrificial acts, and to exalt the Lord truly worshiping Him and let your love for the Lord be evident in your life so you can truly live the life that God gives both now and for eternity.
Let’s Pray.
