"Is Your World Spinning?"
"Knowing Our Enemy" series - Part 2 of 7
Text: 1 John 2:15-17 & Selected
Cross Creek Community Church
July 2, 2000
God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Up to Date!
1 John 2:15-17 "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For 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. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
The February 26, 1974 edition of Insight told the story of Major William Martin, a British subject who is buried near Huelvo on the southern coast of Spain. Martin never knew the great contribution he made to the Allied success in the Second World War, especially in Sicily, because he died of pneumonia in the foggy dampness of England before he ever saw the battle front. The Allies had invaded North Africa. The next logical step was Sicily.
Knowing the Germans calculated this, the Allies determined to outfox them. One dark night, an Allied submarine came to the surface just off the coast of Spain and put Martin’s body out to sea in a rubber raft with an oar. In his pocket were secret documents indicating the Allied forces would strike next in Greece and Sardinia.
Major Martin’s body washed ashore, and Axis intelligence operatives soon found him, thinking he had crashed at sea. They passed the secret documents through Axis hands all the way to Hitler’s headquarters. So while Allied forces moved toward Sicily, thousands and thousands of German troops moved on to Greece and Sardinia--where the battle wasn’t.
Satan works with more cunning than even the Allied plan, getting us to fight many temptations in places where the real battle isn’t. Often, temptations hurt us most where we least expect them.
„h Our military has a division called "intelligence" ¡V main emphasis is on getting to know their enemy.
„h How can we fight if we don’t know anything about our enemy.- get to know their secrets.
„h Troop strength, types of weapons they use, their leaders, their positions, their strategies, Their strengths, their weaknesses, Their allies, their enemies, Their defenses, Their tactics, etc.
Eph. 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
2Co. 10:3-4 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
„h We are engaged in a battle ¡V an all out war. - "Knowing our Enemy" Part 2 of our Bible series.
„h This morning we will look at one of our enemies - the ’world’
The Bible refers to "world" three different ways:
1. The PHYSICAL world ¡V planet earth. Ps. 90:2
Psalm 90:2 "Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
„h A spinning mass of matter hurling through space at incredible speeds. Galaxy spins 490,000 mph
„h A cursed, yet a beautiful planet called earth which God created.
2. All MANKIND, who God created and loves. John 3:16
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."
„h Human beings created in the image of God, who fell into sin, for whom Christ died.
3. An ORGANIZED system hostile to God. James 4:4 (This will be our focus this morning).
„h The world looks exciting and attractive.
„h The world is always appealing, always calling us to greater experiences.
„h The lure is strong, really gets a grip on us.
„h The world wants your undivided attention.
„h The clamor is always saying look at me, try me, buy me, watch me, experience me, taste me, wear me, taste me, drive me, fly me, etc.
„h The world wants you! With your full attention.
„h The world produces a desire for more.
„h The world says try more, buy this then you need to buy that ¡V we desire more and more.
„h No end to ’things’ we can do, or where we can go, or buy, or eat, or see ¡Kmore & more.
„h The world never gives lasting joy.
„h The world cannot satisfy our deepest needs and longings
„h Most miserable people on earth are the rich and famous. Why? Money will not produce joy.
„h Situation ethics / no absolutes / amoral / subjective truth / no future accountability which produces false notions & concepts ¡V Evolution, abortion, homosexuality, infidelity, etc., which are all becoming widely accepted in the world system and sadly in the "Christian community".
„h The world always crowds God out.
„h Loving God or the world ¡V mutually exclusive, either one or the other, never both at the same time.
„h Friendship with the world is enemy with God. James 4:4
James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
’enemy’ ¡V foe, actively hostile, adversary
The leader of this world system is SATAN, the "prince of this world". Luke 4:5-8 & John 12:31
Luke 4:5-8 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours." 8Jesus answered, "It is written: ’Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’"
John 12:31 Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
„h Remember last weeks message ¡V Satan rebelled in heaven and was cast to earth and is now the ruler of this world.
„h We need to know our enemy, the world system is one of our enemies.
Beware of the World’s Seductiveness
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."
Christians are pressured and tempted by these three things:
Greek word "epithumia" translated with 3 different words - Cravings, lust, and desire. (Vs 16&17)
1. Cravings of the FLESH. Gal. 5:17
Galatians 5:17 "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."
„h Unlawful desires which we try to satisfy in ungodly ways. Our fallen sinful fleshly nature of man.
„h "Flesh" describes our human nature as corrupted by sin ¡V illicit bodily appetites.
„h All those desires & appetites which is centered in man’s physical nature, and carried out in spite of God’s will and desire.
2. Lust of the EYES. Prov. 27:20
Proverbs 27:20 "Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are the eyes of man."
„h Unlawful cravings, desires for that which entices our eyes. Anything which appeals to the eyes.
„h Your eyes have an appetite! Ever hear the expression "feast your eyes on this"?
„h Through the eyes often our thoughts are formed. What we see often determines what we think.
„h Christians must be diligent to guard what you see ¡V eye gate to the heart of man.
A recent Harris Poll, revealed that the average America watches television 19 hours a week, 1000 hours per year. A child from birth through high School will watch 18,000 hours of TV or 2 full years of their lives! That’s a lot of television. Who controls the messages of the TV programs, the magazines, movies, books, the Internet, and music of this world’s system? For the most part the unsaved world sytem headed by Satan.
„h Ungodly entertainment, materialism, make the best impression, pomp, flashy, appearance over substance
Lust of the Eyes:
Pastor Chuck Swindoll tells the humorous story of the guy who fell in love with an opera singer. He hardly knew her, since his only view of the singer was through binoculars-from the third balcony. But he was convinced he could live "happily ever after" married to a voice like that. He scarcely noticed she was considerably older than he. Nor did he care that she walked with a limp. Her mezzo-soprano voice would take them through whatever might come. After a whirlwind romance and a hurry-up ceremony, they were off for their honeymoon together.
She began to prepare for their first night together. As he watched, his chin dropped to his chest. She plucked out her glass eye and plopped it into a container on the nightstand. She pulled off her wig, ripped off her false eyelashes, yanked out her dentures, unstrapped her artificial leg, and smiled at him as she slipped off her glasses that hid her hearing aid. Stunned and horrified, he gasped, "For goodness sake, woman, sing, sing, SING!" (Chuck Swindoll, Strike the Original Match).
The story is funny, but the point is serious. What we see isn’t always what we get. The lust of the eyes can fool us, and easily draw our focus from God.
3. Boastings of LIFE. Luke 12:19
Luke 12:19 "And I’ll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."
Mohammed Ali was perhaps the greatest boxer ever and He knew it. He would prance around espousing that, "He was the greatest." Humility was never his strong suit. One day, back in his prime, he was on an airplane and the plane got into some turbulence. The pilot told the passengers of the turbulence and suggested that everyone should buckle their seatbelts. Everybody complied but Ali. The flight attendant went over to Ali and said, "Champ, the pilot has said we all ought to buckle our seatbelts." Ali said, "Superman don’t need no seatbelt." Without missing a beat she replied, "Superman don’t need no airplane either."
„h If we aren’t very careful, the pride of life will get us. Boasting, proud, lifted up, smug.
„h Bragging, wrong ambitions, loving and desiring honor & applause ¡V obsessions with your status or importance.
„h It causes us to think we’re stronger than we truly are. It tempts us to live our lives independent of God.
„h It makes us believe that we can trust our accomplishments, our talents, our education, our possessions to satisfy the deepest longings of our heart.
„h Focus on ourselves brings confusion BUT on God bring eternal benefits.
„h We may ’look’ externally good, how’s your inside heart? The world wants us to focus on ourselves.
Further Study: Compare these three avenues of temptation with that of Christ in Luke 4:1-13 and with Eve in Gen. 3:1-7.
Realizing Our Victory over the World
1 John 5:4-5 "for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
„h When our lives begins to get all cluttered up.
„h Our focus on our Lord begins to get fuzzy.
„h When our priorities become out of balance.
„h REALIZE ¡V You can have victory through Christ!
James 4:4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
LIFE IS MADE UP OF CHOICES WE MAKE ¡V MAKE THE RIGHT ONES.
1. Be Born Again ¡V John 3:3
„h It all starts here ¡V a beginning point in your life.
„h God loves us and sent His only Son, Jesus to pay for my sins.
„h We need to be born again ¡V born from above ¡V born by the Spirit of God. ¡V FAITH alone.
John 3:3 "In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
Romans 10:13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
2. Be fully committed to Christ ¡V Mt. 6:33
„h Commitment to Christ by being born again.
„h Commitment to obedience to Him ¡V The Word, Prayer, Tithing, Fellowship
„h 100% commitment, not 50/50. Not half in and half out of the world.
„h The world competes for your love ¡V either one or the other. - commitment
The greatest achievements in life are usually accomplished by people who have a singular desire of commitment that becomes the ruling passion of all they do. For example, when Bob Feller was a child, he loved to throw a ball. By the age of 5 he spent hours every day pitching through a hole in the barn wall. At 10 his father bought him all the necessary equipment and provided him with a playing field on the family farm. At 13 he pitched for a local team and averaged 20 strikeouts a game. At 17 he began playing for the Cleveland Indians. As a major leaguer he had 6 seasons as a 20 game winner, 3 no-hit games, 11 1-hitters, 266 wins, and he set a record of 348 strikeouts in 1 season. He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bob Feller had one desire -- baseball!
What if our greatest desire was to serve God? God wants total commitment ¡V 100%
Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
„h Commitment must be Complete/ consistent/ life long ¡V willing to be an example.
„h Give what you have to God and watch your entire life change!
3. Be going forth out into the World ¡V Mark 16:15
„h Obedience ¡V as we obey we grow more mature spiritually.
„h This is applying what we know. James says, "Be doers of the Word, not hearers only" James 2:17
„h Not withdrawing into isolation or being afraid to go into the world (on a mission),
„h Paul said, "I have become all things to all men, so that by all possible means to win them" 1Co. 9:22
Mark 16:15 "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation."
2Co. 10:3 & John 17:14 "though we are in this world we are not of this world"
„h Not of this world yet living in this world. (Pilgrims, sojourners, aliens, strangers)
1 Peter 2:9-11 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
4. Be the Light & Salt of the World ¡V Mt. 5:13-14
„h Making an impact in individual lives
„h Making an impact in your own ’little’ world.
Matthew 5:13-14 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."
„h The world, our enemy, this danger will exist no matter what level of spiritual maturity you are at.
„h We’re on a mission ¡V not looking back- but seeing the "unseen"!
„h The world and its system will all be dissolved.
„h Do you want to live forever? Do God’s will.
1John 2:17 "The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
Don’t allow the world, to crowd God out of your life. Walk victoriously in Christ.
„h KNOW YOUR ENEMY. Sin, the world system, next week our internal conflicts.
„h Doing God’s will and living forever.
Lets Pray
