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Message by Pastor Dr Ng Swee Ming, on Sunday 24 Jun 2012. Scripture ref 1 John 2:15-17
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“The Christians & The World” 1 John 2:15-17
Ps Dr Ng Swee Ming
This is an ordinary glass
water jar.
Question :
HOW DO YOU GET THE AIR OUT OF THIS WATER JAR ?
The Christian &
the World
1 John 2:15-17
Series on 1 John Last Sunday .... Different Generations :
“Forgiven” Generation “Overcoming” Generation “Knowing” Generation
Satan have two main weapons :
1. Accusation 2. Temptation through Lies Testing – ‘God is Bad’ Tempting – ‘Sin is Better’
1 John 2:15-17 (NKJV)
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:15
v15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
Love – Gk : ‘AGAPE’ World – Gk : ‘kosmos’ • Cosmonauts • Cosmopolitan • Cosmetics ??
• Storge – affection • Phileo – friendship • Eros – romantic • AGAPE – UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
The “WORLD”
1 John 2:15
DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD or the things in
the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
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.
So – is there a contradiction ?? Should I love the world or not ?
The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15
The word “World” has 3 possible meanings..... a. John 1:9
The true light that gives light to every man was coming into THE WORLD..... Acts 17:24 "The God who made THE WORLD and everything in it...”
World here refers to the created universe with planets, sun, moon & stars but with special ref to planet EARTH.
The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15
b. 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” here refers to mankind or humanity and not the entire planet.
Jesus died to save humanity – people and not the animals, plants, nature etc.
The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15
Consider John 1:10
He was in THE WORLD,
and though THE WORLD was made through him,
THE WORLD did not
recognize him.
The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15 c. 1 John 2:15
Do not love THE WORLD or the things
in THE WORLD. If anyone loves THE WORLD, the love of the Father is not in him.
“World” here refers to a ‘system’ that is at work controlling the world at present,
aligned with satan against God
The “WORLD” 1 John 2:15
1 John 5:19 “... that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”
John 12:31 “ the prince of this world...”
Eph 2:2 “the ruler of the kingdom of the air,...”
This is the WORLD that John is referring to....
“GOD” or “THE WORLD” 1 John 2:15 is very clear : Either or .... Jesus himself said in Matt 6:24 (NKJV)
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
James 4:4 “... friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
The Christian in the world
the Ways of the World
or Worldliness...
‘Anything that keeps me from enjoying
God's love
and wanting to do God's will.’
The “WAYs” 1 John 2:16
NIV 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.
NKJV For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.
The “WAYs” 1 John 2:16
Definition of ‘lust’
Excessive craving for the pleasures of the body.
Desire for something or someone that is not yours.
A desire to possess, to own, to consume without caring about the needs / feelings of others or the will of God.
Need not always be ‘physical’
Unholy
Trinity :
I, Me &
Myself
The “WAYs” 1 John 2:16
a. Lust of the flesh: ‘Feel’ Good
b. Lust of the eyes: ‘Look’ Good
c. Pride of Life: ‘Think’ Good
satan’s “WAYs” have not changed since...
1 Jn 2:16
• Lust of the Flesh
• Lust of the Eyes
• Pride of Life
Gen 3:1-6
• “... good for food...”
• “...pleasing to the eye...”
• “desirable for gaining wisdom”
1 Jn 2:16
• Lust of
the Flesh
• Lust of
the Eyes
• Pride of
Life
Luke 4:1-12 • “tell this stone to
become bread.” • “showed him all
the kingdoms of the world... ”
• “throw yourself down from here...”
satan’s “WAYs” have not changed since...
The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh
• The physical part ...
• “Excessive Cravings for the pleasures of the body...”
• Anything that will make us “Feel Good”
even if it is
–Against God’s Standards
–Hurt other people
–Hurt ourselves
The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh • Sexual sins eg: Adultery Fornication Pornography
• Addictions eg: Alcohol Smoking Drugs Shopping Games ? Eg INTERNET
? Eg GOLF
The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh
• Materialistic
–What we buy
–Where we buy
–Latest, best, newest
• Hoarding...
• Gluttony...
The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh
• Even in church settings
– Need for “Feel Good” sermons ....
NB: There is a place & occasion to encourage and comfort ...
The “WAYs” a. The lust of the flesh the small voice within telling us ...
It’s OK no one will know ...
Only once, no harm done, just once...
Everyone is doing it, it’s OK
Something that feels so good, cannot be wrong ...
Do not worry, God understands, He will forgive...
The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes • Need to “LOOK GOOD”
“mesti ada gaya” Preoccupation with status, reputation, social
position, academic level, image, glamour -- sometimes subtle sometimes not.
Concern over appearances
Keep up with the ‘Jones’
Need to flaunt your success
• COVETOUSNESS
– “Thou shall not covert”
• 1st published 1951
• 300 pages
• 12,000+ products
• 55 different editions
• 27 Languages
• 35 countries
• 197 million copies/year
The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes
• If ‘others’ have it – I must also
• If only ....
• Affect all ages, both sexes ...
• All social class
• All educational classes
even the ‘blind’...
The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes
• Can be “Inter-related”
eg King David 2 Sam 11
Jesus’ teaching Matt 5:27
Consider Job 31:1
"I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”
The “WAYs” : b. The lust of the eyes In Church settings
• Need to guard against this...
• What values are we teaching our children...
The “WAYs” : c. The pride of life • Need to not only Feel Good, Look Good
but others must THINK GOOD of me
• Craving for honour and compliments
• The need to be acknowledged
• To have a Position of importance ...
• Fear of ‘losing face’
• Tendency more in the ‘older people’
The “WAYs” :
c. The pride of life
• NIV “the boasting of what he has and does”
• NET “the arrogance produced by material possessions.”
• The person who thinks he has enough wealth and property ...
to protect himself and insure his security
frankly hard to see the need for God...
The “WAYs” : c. The pride of life
• Happens even in the Church ...
Position & Power ...
Admit a wrong ...
Decision making ...
• Parable of Pharisee &
Tax Collector Lk 18
The “WAYs” : c. The pride of life
“Hi, Let me show you something several of your neighbours said
you couldn't afford..."
The “WILLs” : 1 Jn 2:17 1 John 2:17
The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
God’s Will must be done.
Rom 12:1-2...
“... his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
The “WILLs” : 1 Jn 2:17
Man’s Will - James 1:22-25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does.
The “WORK”
“Knowing the TRUTH do not change lives
It is TRUTH APPLIED that changes lives.”
TEMPTED BY SIN
WANT TO SIN YIELD 2 SIN
2 STEPS ARE OURS TO MAKE
Fle
e
Re
sist
Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17...
“to be in the world and yet not of the world ...”
The “WORK”
a. 1 Cor 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
Therefore HONOR GOD WITH YOUR BODY.
The Question :
How Then Do You Get The Air Out Of
This Water Jar ?
The Answer :
By Filling It With Water.
Question : How Do You SIN Out Of Your Life?
Answer :By Filling Your Life With The HOLY SPIRIT
The “WORK”
The “WORK”
b. Matt 6:8b “... your Father knows what you WANT before you ask him.”
Is that how your Bible read ?
Jesus asked in Matt 16:26
“What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
NEED
The “WORK”
c. 1 Peter 5:5b
.... "God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."
“Actually the pains are just God’s way of keeping you humble”
The “WORK” 1 Tim 6:6... 6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can
take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be
content with that. 9 People who want to get rich fall into temptation
and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
The “WORK” 1 Tim 6:6...cont
11 But you, man of God,
flee from all this,
and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
“God owes us NOTHING Yet gives us EVERYTHING”
CONTENTMENT IS A CHOICE
