THE WORLD IS AGAINST YOU
1 JOHN 4:1-7
#GreaterIsHe
THE STORY… Little Red Riding Hood (p)
Once upon a time there was a little girl; we’ll call her Little Red Riding Hood, who was heading to her grandmother’s house to make muffins. Little Red and her grandmother both loved fresh baked muffins right out of the oven. It was the plan for Little Red to pick up some extra special supplies for the muffins on her way to grandma’s house. Her grandmother was the expert on blending just the right ingredients to make the perfect muffins. Her grandmother gave her the plan and the places to stop for the best ingredients. Her grandmother also always talked over her path with her from one house to the other. Her grandmother laid out the perfect plan for her whenever they would get together for muffin-making. Little Red was excited and could not wait for fresh muffins. Little Red set out from her house on the pre-planned path to her grandmother’s house. It was not a short walk or a long walk, but a normal walk for a little girl.
As soon as Little Red left her house, a strong wind began to pick up. The wind ushered in some very mean dark clouds. Would rain come? Would wind blow her away down the street? She had just left her house and was considering turning back already. The wind whipped and whirled and whistled. The wind seemed to go right through her red hooded cloak and cut right to her little bones. Little Red Riding Hood continued to walk bravely into the wind. The wind ushered in some very dark clouds, but it also in just a few moments, the wind ushered them away again. The wind went from whipping and whirling and whistling to a steady calm. “I think I will just follow the plan! I will just stay on the path!” she said to herself.
Little Red had not gotten far from her house when she came to a cross street with a berry stand. Mr. Farmer always had the best berries for muffins. Little Red selected fresh blueberries and strawberries, paid Mr. Farmer, and put them in her basket. Her grandmother knew the way to mix berries for perfect muffins every time. Then she had to cross the street. It was not a busy street or a street with no traffic, but a normal street she had to cross.
Standing on the street corner was a Wolf. The Wolf smelled the fresh berries in her basket. “Little girl,” the Wolf called out, “I smell your berries from here! Could I trade you some berries for some of my magnificent walnuts? They are most excellent for baking!” Little Red Riding Hood thought for a moment… they could add nuts to the muffins. There is certainly nothing wrong with adding some nuts… even though it was never in the official plan. She started to go over to the Wolf to trade some of her berries and then remembered her grandmother. Little Red stopped in her tracks and realized she could not sell any of her berries. “I must follow the plan! I must stay on the path!” Little Red called out. She went on.
Little Red turned a corner on her journey and she spotted her neighborhood playground. The swings looked fun. Her friends were sliding down the slides and giggling. They beckoned her to come and play. Oh how she wanted to play! Little Red loved the marry-go-round and how it made her head swim and twirl. She started towards the playground, but as she approached remembered her grandmother. “I must follow the plan! I must stay on the path!” Little Red called out. All of the other children briefly called out and made fun of her for not coming and playing with them. She skipped away and didn’t mind.
Right after the playground she stopped into a corner store and picked up a new bag of bakers flour. The best ingredients were required for grandmother and their muffins! She walked up the aisle and grabbed the bakers flour. This was exactly what she needed! As she moved to the front of the store, she waited for her turn to check out. She was minding her own business when she saw it… the brand new Triple Chocolate Ooey Gooey Super Carmel Doodad Bar. Oh she had waited to try that new candy bar! She knew she had several more things to buy for the most excellent muffins. She could buy less flour and get the candy bar. She could eat the new Triple Chocolate Ooey Gooey Super Carmel Doodad Bar and no one would know. It would make her not want muffins. That would be okay! She turned and walked back to the aisle with the flour. She then remembered the smell of the most perfect muffins as they came from her grandmother’s oven. That was not to be missed! She whispered to herself, “I must follow the plan! I must stay on the path!” She turned quickly and went back to the check out. She bought the right amount of flour and turned up her nose willfully at the new Triple Chocolate Ooey Gooey Super Carmel Doodad Bar.
After the corner store, Little Red was getting closer and closer to her grandmother’s house. Little Red’s legs were getting tired from the walking. She had picked up her pace after almost losing her way with the enterprising Wolf and the playground and being tempted by the candy bar. Now her legs were tired from her quicker pace. Then she saw it… the General Store. The General Store had the best butter for muffins. Her grandmother had told her that. She got to the front of the store and saw a nice wooden bench. It was not a large bench. It was not a small bench. It was a normal bench for sitting. Little Red decided to sit down for a moment. Her feet hurt. She set the basket next to her and closed her eyes for a moment. The moment lasted longer than she realized. All of a sudden she bolted upright from the bench and exclaimed to no one in particular, “I must follow the plan! I must stay on the path!” She grabbed her basket full of berries and flour and rushed into the General Store. After only a moment, she had butter in her basket and went on.
Little Red turned the final corner and her grandmother’s house was in view. Across the street she could see her grandmother’s house with the shutters. She could see the flowers out front. She could see the swing on the porch. And on that porch sat her grandmother! Little Red Riding Hood could barely contain her excitement. She called out and waved! Her grandmother heard the voice of her granddaughter and called out and waved in return.
All of a sudden a long line of cars began to drive past in the street. It was a long procession of cars. This never happens! Her grandmother lives on a quiet street. Little Red could not cross the street. One after another. Car. Truck. Car. Car. Truck. Big truck. One after another. She could not cross the street and was getting flustered. She finally had gotten the ingredients her grandmother wanted and now she could not cross the street to her final destination. The call of the warm perfect muffins made her want to jump out into traffic. Surely they would stop. Surely they would see her in her bright hooded cloak. One car after another just seemed to zoom past. Little Red finally took a deep breath and just waited. After a few minutes, the constant buzz of cars and trucks died down and she was able to cross the street safely.
Little Red ran across the street and reached the house and embraced her grandmother tightly.
“I am so glad you came dear,” Grandmother said. “Did you follow the plan I laid out for you?”
“Yes grandma” Little Red Riding Hood said respectfully.
“I am so glad you made it without incident,” Grandmother said. “Did you stay on the path we discussed?”
“Oh yes grandma. I did not turn to the right or the left. But I have to tell you it was not without incident. It seems like the whole world was against me getting to you. There was wind and a wolf and friends and an ooey gooey bar and the temptation to rest and then traffic!”
“I am glad you found your way and you did give up,” her grandmother responded as they went into the house.
“Oh,” said Little Red with exasperation, “there were so many temptations along the way, but I just had to follow your plan and stay on the path!”
The End.
REFLECTIONS ON THE STORY
At the end of our story this morning, Little Red Riding Hood said she felt like ‘the whole world was against her.’ The weather was against her which is nothing she could even control. She had a wolf offering her a good deal, but would have altered the plan she was given by her grandmother. Little Red had friends who wanted her to join them which would have taken up all her time. She was tempted to spend money on a chocolate bar and eat the whole thing spoiling the plan for muffins. Sudden heavy traffic, also out of her control, brought her frustration and seemed to block her way. The whole world was against her in reaching her goal to make fantastic muffins with her grandmother.
Have you ever felt like that?
Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you?
Have you ever felt like life was stacked against you?
Have you ever felt like life is uphill both ways in a snowstorm?
The better question is… how do we make it through life when we do feel like that?!
WAYS THE WORLD IS AGAINST US
As I was thinking about “the world being against us,” I realized that this can come in many forms just like it did for Little Red Riding Hood in our story.
The world can be against us with things that are out of our control. The weather, for example, is out of our control and can negatively affect our lives. A strong wind can come and bring a tree down on our home or vehicle causing us stress and financial hardship. Heavy rains can bring flooding into our home and ruin all our furniture and walls. Our health, at times, can be out of our control. Joints or organs or certain levels of chemicals just end up in poor condition and our health deteriorates. Some health conditions are genetic and inherited and we just have to deal with them and it is completely out of our hands.
The world can be against us with things that are almost good deals. You have heard the phrase “if it is too good to be true it probably is.” We know that and yet we hear something or are presented with an opportunity and we jump on them. Our world is full of deals and paths that seem good on the outside, but once in the middle of it offers us heartache. Perhaps we are offered a job where the benefits seem to be great, but in the end it is not best for our family or we don’t make any money at it. Perhaps we are tempted to buy the latest car or gadget or clothes because of some kind of “same as cash deal” and then the bill comes and we cannot pay it because of the fine print and interest. We hear about a book which promises personal fulfillment, but in the end we are feeling empty. So many things in our world are almost good deals.
The world can be against us because of the people in our lives. People can be good and kind and helpful, but can also be mean and frustrating and stinkers. Some on purpose. Some on accident. Some because of their personalities. Our lives can be full of stress because of the people around us that we work with. Our job might feel more like labor than a joy because of the person in the office next to us. Our family, who we cannot choose, can be a constant source of tears and anger and hurt. People in their actions, attitudes, and words can make it feel like the world is pressing in on us.
The world can be against us because of temptations and sin. Our world is full of things that are fun, feel good, seem ok, and bring pleasure that in the end are destructive and self-serving and lead us away from God. Temptations can become addictions which destroy our health or family or finances or all three. Temptations can lead us to sin which brings guilt and remorse. Temptations come in all forms and sizes and shapes and smells. Temptations come when we expect them and temptations come when we least expect it. Dealing with our sinful nature is a daily struggle if we are seeking to follow God. It can feel like an uphill battle.
The world can also be against us because of unmet expectations. Most of us probably have a plan in our heads of how life will go. We have a plan of how conversations will play out. We have a picture in our minds how we appear to our family and friends. We have expectations about loving others and being loved in return. Life rarely works out as we expect it. Life is curve balls and rotten fruit when you expect fast pitches and plump freshness. When things are crooked, we get frustrated, stressed, angry, lost, sad, and a whole host of emotions.
Have you ever felt like that?
Have you ever felt like the whole world was against you?
Have you ever felt like life was stacked against you?
Have you ever felt like life is uphill both ways in a snowstorm?
The better question is… how do we make it through life when we do feel like that?!
I was reading in 1 John 4:1-7 this week and I think that I have an answer to that question. We all at times feel like the world is against us. What does the Apostle John have to say to us? As we read, I want you to pay special attention to verse 4.
READ 1 JOHN 4:1-7
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
After John exposes those who are of the antichrist’s spirit, those who deny who Jesus is, he reminds us that we are not like those folks. We are not people who deny Jesus, but rather, we are people who are children of God. We cannot forget that we are Children of God (1 John 3:1). This means we are different from those who are false in their faith or have no faith at all. We are people who confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and as our Savior and we live like it.
VERSE 4
Verse 4 just jumps out at us with Truth in answering how we are to make it through life when it seems stacked against us uphill with no relief.
* “You”
John pretty much emphasizes “you” in this verse to point his finger at us. He is talking straight at us in this verse.
* “dear children, are from God”
I want to overemphasize the point that we are the Children of God. Over and over in the Bible having the identity as God’s children and being part of Him and remaining in Him brings with it such blessings and responsibilities and life!
1 John 3:1 = “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
1 John 3:10-11 = “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 11 This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.”
1 John 5:2 = “This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.”
1 John 5:19-20 = “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true-- even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
* “and have overcome them,”
Here is where the verse gets to providing us answers and encouragement when life is against us. People who are Children of God are overcomers. We are victors. We are the strong. We are the forgiven. We are the blessed. We are more than conquerors. Faith in God and belonging with Jesus Christ means we are the overcomers and the Bible is full of examples of people for whom this is true.
John the Baptist overcame a season of doubt and his death with faithfulness to God’s Word and Will.
Peter overcame constantly shooting off his mouth and denying Jesus to become an Apostle.
Stephen conquered any fear he may have had and preached boldly until his death.
Paul overcame fear, physical beatings, shipwrecks, and starvation to spread the news about Jesus.
Unnamed people overcame through faith blindness, sickness, disease, handicaps, and other obstacles.
* “because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”
Now we get to the crux of the matter. Now, with this phrase, we see why John believed the Christians he was writing to could overcome false teachers. Now we see what their confidence in God was based on. Now we see why John knew they would overcome inferior doctrine or inferior deeds or an inferior destiny. As a Child of God, you have the Holy Spirit present in your life. He is in us. He is holy and mighty and righteous. He is our ever present help in times of trouble. He groans for us when we do not know what to say. The Christian possesses the powerful presence of God through the Holy Spirit. It is His Spirit in us which allows us to overcome and face the day when the world is against us.
APPLICATION
When you feel the whole world is against you, cultivate the presence of the Spirit in prayer.
When you feel the tsunami of stress pressing you, begin with prayers of thanks to God.
When pressed and squeezed and choked, pray with fellow believers for relief and strength.
When you feel like life is stacked against you, read what God has already said in His Word.
When you realize the house always wins, stop and reconnect with God spiritually on purpose to direct you.
When you feel like life is uphill both ways in a snowstorm, get outside yourself and love others in God’s name.
You see, Little Red Riding Hood, in all things abiding faithfully in God is the answer.
CONCLUSION
