“Follow God, Not The World”
1 John 2:15-17
David P. Nolte
The Way of Gladness. Which way is that? Those who know and obey Jesus say, “The Way
of Gladness is God’s way.” Unbelievers would say, “The Way of Gladness is my own way!”
God has a way, the world has a different way.
Now, when you hear the word “World” it might mean one of three things.
# We might be referring to terra firma, the earth.
# We might be thinking of the people, as in “God so loved the world.”
# We might be referring to the anti-God culture and values that are so clearly seen all
around us.
It is the latter to which I will refer this morning. Paul wrote, “Therefore I urge you,
brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what
the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 (NASB).
The Message has verse 2 translated in this way, “Don't become so well-adjusted to your
culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll
be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly
respond to it. .....” Romans 12:2 (MSG).
We cannot go God’s way and the world’s way at the same time – they’re diametrically
opposed. There is the narrow way that leads to life and the broad way that leads to death.
So, to discover and walk in the Way of Gladness, God’s way, we must deal appropriately
with the world’s way, the way of death. Follow God, not the world!
I have opted to use the following text as the basis for the sermon: “Do not love the world
nor the things in the world. If anyone loves 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 boastful
pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and
also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17 (NASB).
What are appropriate responses to the world’s ways?
I. RENOUNCE THE WORLD’S DESIRES:
A. “Do not love the world” John defines the world as
1. Lust of the flesh.
2. Lust of the eyes.
3. Boastful pride of life.
B. Lust means
1. Desiring what we have no right to possess.
2. Covetousness and greed.
3. “Those evil desires which are ready to express themselves in bodily activity.”
Vine's Expository Dictionary.
C. A lust driven person will always choose the way of the world because the way of the
world is the way of lust. At the heart of lust is: SELF:
1. Self-centeredness: “It’s all about Me!”
2. Self-seeking. “I’m keeping my eyes open to what will benefit me.”
3. Self-gratification. “I do what makes me feel good and fulfilled and satisfied.”
4. Self-magnification: the “Big I and the little you!”
5. Self-self-self! “If I am not for me, first and always, who will be?”
D. Jesus said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish
ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (NLT).
1. Where do you need to exercise self-denial?
2. What must you do to dethrone self, abdicating the throne to Jesus?
3. What lust or impure thoughts or worldly desires must you renounce in order to
follow Christ?
4. “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or
destroyed?” Luke 9:25 (NLT).
E. There was a very selfish man who wouldn’t give a dime to help his mother if she
was starving. He could pinch a penny so tightly that Lincoln would groan. His
desire was to get more and to keep what he got! Get and keep! Get and keep! Get
and keep!
One of his neighbors, after praying for the man for 10 years, had the opportunity to
lead him to Christ when he had a heart attack and was hospitalized, near to death.
When he got home, he immediately sought the pastor of the local church and was
baptized. He heard of a needy family and decided to help, so he went to the store
to buy groceries. Satan tried to get him to “go cheap” and buy very few groceries,
but he said, out loud, “Satan, if you don’t shut up, I’ll buy the entire stock for those
folk.” He had abandoned the world’s way of selfish desires to follow God not the
world.
To follow God, renounce the world’s desires and then:
II. RE-EVALUATE THE WORLD’S GOODS:
A. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world.”
B. Let me be clear:
1. the world’s goods are not intrinsically or inherently evil.
a. You can have nice things: houses, cars, boats.
b. You can enjoy a good meal.
c. You can play golf, or bowl, or go to a concert.
2. But there is a slippery slope between using these things properly and making
them most important in your life which is idiolatry.
a. Possess your possessions but resist being possessed by them, which is
slavery.
b. Use things and love God and people, don’t love things and use God or
people which is folly.
C. Think about it and reevaluate the material things and possessions of this world.
1. On the one hand:
a. They are temporary and don’t last long.
b. They cannot provide genuine, lasting joy.
c. They are unable to save us and give us eternal life.
d. They cannot satisfy the deepest longings of our soul.
2. On the other hand,
a. They can run us deeply into debt.
b. They can keep our focus off of God.
c. They can demand a disproportionate amount of time, energy and money.
d. They can separate us from God and from what is most important in life.
D. So, as Paul wrote, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking
the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind
on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your
life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3 (NASB). Fixate on the eternal,
not the temporal!
E. An invalid Christian woman demonstrates that. She was always bright, cheerful,
and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She
lived in a small apartment on the fifth floor of an old, rundown building.
A friend decided to visit her one day and brought along another woman who was
very wealthy. Since there was no elevator, the two ladies began the long climb
upward. When they reached the second floor, the well-to-do woman commented,
"What a dark and filthy place!" Her friend replied, "It's better higher up.” When
they arrived at the third floor, the remark was made, "Things look even worse here."
Again the reply, "It's better higher up."
The two women finally reached the fifth floor, where they found the bedridden
woman. A smile on her face radiated joy. Although the room was clean and flowers
were on the window sill, the wealthy visitor could not get over the stark
surroundings in which this woman lived. She blurted out, "It must be very difficult
for you to be here like this!"
Without a moment's hesitation the shut-in responded, "It's better higher up." She
was not looking at temporal things. She was focused on the eternal. No matter how
appealing the world’s goods may be, or how bad and dismal your sitation on earth,
remember: “It is better higher up!”
The things of earth do not lead us to follow God nor does following God lead to material
things. Therefore let us reevaluate those things and keep them in proper perspective.
And my final point is:
III. REJECT THE WORLD’S PRIDE:
A. “If anyone loves 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 boastful pride of life, is
not from the Father, but is from the world.”
B. Pride always boasts and brags and builds self up:
1. People boast about their giving and serving in the church. I knew a guy who
bought several sugar dispensers for the church. He never missed an opportunity
to point out what a good Christian he was for giving them.
2. People boast about their looks and form. Maria in Westside Story, “I’m so
pretty!”
3. People boast about their abilities.
4. People boast about their possessions.
5. People boast about their education.
6. People boast about their successes.
C. They should read the Bible:
1. “When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.”
Proverbs 11:2 (NASB).
2. “Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.” Proverbs
16:18 (NASB).
3. “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6
(NASB).
4. Therefore, as the Bible says, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.”
1 Corinthians 1:31 (NLT).
5. “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power,
or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this
alone: that they truly know Me and understand that I am the LORD Who
demonstrates unfailing love and Who brings justice and righteousness to the
earth, and that I delight in these things.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT).
D. Pride
1. Keeps us from saying, “I was wrong.” and apologizing.
2. Resists taking responsibility when we foul things up.
3. Tells us that we are superior to others.
4. Causes us to be careless like the boy who was riding his bike with no hands. He
shouted, “Look, Mom! No hands!” just before he smacked into a parked car.
5. Pride causes us to fail to recognize and forsake our sins.
6. Pride causes us to fail to give God the glory!
E. In 1715 King Louis XIV of France died after a reign of 72 years. He had called
himself "the Great," and made the statement, "I am the state!" His funeral was
spectacular. As his body lay in a golden coffin, orders were given that the cathedral
should be very dimly lit with only a special candle set above his coffin, to dramatize
his greatness. At the memorial, thousands waited in hushed silence. Then Bishop
Massilon began to speak; slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said,
"Only God is great."
The world’s ways, goods, and pride have a seductive appeal – but it is like cheese on a trap.
We are attracted, we are enamored we grow careless and we are assassinated by our own
foibles. James said, “each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own
lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it
brings forth death.” James 1:14-15 (NASB).
Many are like the woman I read about this week. She is a school teacher who lost her life
savings in a business scheme that had been elaborately explained by a swindler. When her
investment disappeared and her dream was shattered, she went to the Better Business
Bureau. "Why on earth didn't you come to us first?" the official asked. "Didn't you know
about the Better Business Bureau?" "Oh, yes," said the lady sadly. "I've always known about
you. But I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to do it."
Many times, even though we know where the truth is told, God’s Word, we don't turn there
for fear that it will point out our lusts. Sometimes we don’t want the truth!
But to follow God and His way, we cannot go the world’s; so: love God’s things, not the
world’s; and boast about God, not self.
It comes down to this: we follow the world or we follow Jesus – since they go in opposite
directions, we cannot follow both. Which one will you choose? PRAY / INVITE
