1 00:00:00,713 --> 00:00:03,173 In 1 John 2 2 00:00:03,173 --> 00:00:05,300 there is a very important Scripture 3 00:00:05,300 --> 00:00:07,235 with regard to the believer. 4 00:00:07,235 --> 00:00:08,464 It's in verse 15. 5 00:00:08,464 --> 00:00:10,008 He says, "Do not love the world, 6 00:00:10,008 --> 00:00:11,830 nor the things in the world. 7 00:00:11,830 --> 00:00:13,121 If anyone loves the world, 8 00:00:13,121 --> 00:00:15,807 the love of the Father is not in him. 9 00:00:15,807 --> 00:00:17,153 All that is in the world, 10 00:00:17,153 --> 00:00:19,510 the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes 11 00:00:19,510 --> 00:00:21,097 and the boastful pride of life 12 00:00:21,097 --> 00:00:22,757 is not from the Father, 13 00:00:22,757 --> 00:00:24,688 but is from the world. 14 00:00:24,688 --> 00:00:26,045 The world is passing away, 15 00:00:26,045 --> 00:00:27,338 and also its lusts, 16 00:00:27,338 --> 00:00:29,693 but the one who does the will of God 17 00:00:29,693 --> 00:00:31,641 lives forever." 18 00:00:31,641 --> 00:00:33,993 Now, what does it mean to love the world? 19 00:00:33,993 --> 00:00:36,913 Well, first of all, we need to define what the world is. 20 00:00:36,913 --> 00:00:39,172 The world has to do with 21 00:00:39,172 --> 00:00:44,108 all that stands contrary to the 22 00:00:44,108 --> 00:00:47,662 revealed will of God. 23 00:00:47,662 --> 00:00:50,628 Now, also it says that the world is passing away, 24 00:00:50,628 --> 00:00:52,296 so there is a way in which we can 25 00:00:52,296 --> 00:00:55,335 also add an extra definition, 26 00:00:55,335 --> 00:00:57,432 but we have to be very, very careful. 27 00:00:57,432 --> 00:00:58,505 And that is this, 28 00:00:58,505 --> 00:01:00,411 the world is also something 29 00:01:00,411 --> 00:01:02,184 that is temporal. 30 00:01:02,184 --> 00:01:05,011 So the world is, first of all, 31 00:01:05,011 --> 00:01:07,755 that which is contrary to the will of God, 32 00:01:07,755 --> 00:01:10,894 and secondly, it has the aspect of temporal. 33 00:01:10,894 --> 00:01:14,256 So in order to know what the world is, 34 00:01:14,256 --> 00:01:16,442 we need to study the Scriptures. 35 00:01:16,442 --> 00:01:21,660 And we find those things which God is against. 36 00:01:21,660 --> 00:01:24,874 Those ideas, those attitudes, 37 00:01:24,874 --> 00:01:28,904 those actions, those words, 38 00:01:28,904 --> 00:01:32,127 that are simply opposed to God's Scripture. 39 00:01:32,127 --> 00:01:34,629 That is one aspect of the world. 40 00:01:34,629 --> 00:01:39,509 Now, there are some people who are 41 00:01:39,509 --> 00:01:41,557 very serious about walking with the Lord, 42 00:01:41,557 --> 00:01:43,164 and I praise God for them. 43 00:01:43,164 --> 00:01:45,439 And they look at Scripture and they say, 44 00:01:45,439 --> 00:01:47,611 God is against this, I'm not going to do it. 45 00:01:47,611 --> 00:01:50,070 God's against that, I'm not going to do it. 46 00:01:50,070 --> 00:01:51,723 And that's good. 47 00:01:51,723 --> 00:01:53,895 But then they also get to this aspect 48 00:01:53,895 --> 00:01:56,212 of this thing is passing away, 49 00:01:56,212 --> 00:01:58,989 so it must be worldly. 50 00:01:58,989 --> 00:02:01,450 And that's a little bit dangerous. 51 00:02:01,450 --> 00:02:02,318 Why? 52 00:02:02,318 --> 00:02:04,810 There are many things that are passing away, 53 00:02:04,810 --> 00:02:06,508 that are not necessarily evil. 54 00:02:06,508 --> 00:02:07,875 Let me give you an example. 55 00:02:07,875 --> 00:02:09,760 My body is passing away. 56 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,794 That doesn't make it evil. 57 00:02:11,794 --> 00:02:15,161 The sunset I saw this morning is passing away. 58 00:02:15,161 --> 00:02:17,847 But that doesn't necessarily make it evil. 59 00:02:17,847 --> 00:02:21,283 Even my marriage with my lovely wife 60 00:02:21,283 --> 00:02:22,952 is passing away. 61 00:02:22,952 --> 00:02:25,935 But that doesn't make it outside of 62 00:02:25,935 --> 00:02:29,324 or opposed to the will of God. 63 00:02:29,324 --> 00:02:31,986 It seems like there's always two extremes 64 00:02:31,986 --> 00:02:33,510 in the Christian life. 65 00:02:33,510 --> 00:02:35,379 Do you know what I mean? 66 00:02:35,379 --> 00:02:37,209 Someone who does not take the commands 67 00:02:37,219 --> 00:02:38,204 of God seriously, 68 00:02:38,204 --> 00:02:40,307 and simply just living continuously 69 00:02:40,307 --> 00:02:41,943 like an unbeliever. 70 00:02:41,943 --> 00:02:43,560 And then there's the person who 71 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,757 takes God's commandments seriously. 72 00:02:45,757 --> 00:02:47,904 But becomes monkish, 73 00:02:47,904 --> 00:02:50,606 becomes separated from life. 74 00:02:50,606 --> 00:02:54,826 Becomes separated from many of the things 75 00:02:54,826 --> 00:02:57,339 that are manifestations of God's 76 00:02:57,339 --> 00:03:00,228 common grace in this world. 77 00:03:00,228 --> 00:03:02,033 A holy man isn't someone who 78 00:03:02,033 --> 00:03:03,776 just goes to church. 79 00:03:03,776 --> 00:03:06,912 Isn't someone who just reads his Bible, 80 00:03:06,912 --> 00:03:08,877 or just prays. 81 00:03:08,877 --> 00:03:10,964 A holy man is someone who is 82 00:03:10,964 --> 00:03:14,288 involved actively in relationships; 83 00:03:14,288 --> 00:03:18,006 It's someone that can look at all the grace 84 00:03:18,006 --> 00:03:20,017 that God has given us in this life, 85 00:03:20,017 --> 00:03:22,701 whether it's marriage or children 86 00:03:22,701 --> 00:03:26,175 or friends or even food, 87 00:03:26,175 --> 00:03:28,555 or creation. 88 00:03:28,555 --> 00:03:31,586 So many experiences God has given us 89 00:03:31,586 --> 00:03:33,734 that are manifestations of His grace. 90 00:03:33,734 --> 00:03:36,982 And so many people deny those things. 91 00:03:36,982 --> 00:03:38,208 They're opposed to them; 92 00:03:38,208 --> 00:03:38,980 they hate them, 93 00:03:38,980 --> 00:03:42,841 when actually, they are good gifts of God. 94 00:03:42,841 --> 00:03:46,738 One of the things that I would say is that 95 00:03:46,738 --> 00:03:50,153 if you're just like the unbelieving world, 96 00:03:50,153 --> 00:03:51,378 you're in trouble. 97 00:03:51,378 --> 00:03:52,672 You're worldly. 98 00:03:52,672 --> 00:03:54,265 On the other hand, 99 00:03:54,265 --> 00:03:56,651 if your desire to obey God has 100 00:03:56,651 --> 00:03:59,574 just separated you from almost 101 00:03:59,574 --> 00:04:02,646 everything in life, even the good things, 102 00:04:02,646 --> 00:04:06,313 and is gradually taking more and more 103 00:04:06,313 --> 00:04:08,716 of your joy away, 104 00:04:08,716 --> 00:04:10,854 and making you severe 105 00:04:10,854 --> 00:04:13,154 and loveless and critical, 106 00:04:13,154 --> 00:04:15,620 you've got a problem on the other side. 107 00:04:15,620 --> 00:04:19,368 The Christian is someone who is not 108 00:04:19,368 --> 00:04:22,347 bound by things. 109 00:04:22,347 --> 00:04:24,851 Not even bound by the good things of God. 110 00:04:24,851 --> 00:04:26,590 And yet at the same time, 111 00:04:26,590 --> 00:04:28,372 knows how to enjoy them 112 00:04:28,372 --> 00:04:30,387 and delight in them. 113 00:04:30,387 --> 00:04:32,623 One of the things that I'm so worried about 114 00:04:32,623 --> 00:04:35,878 often because of the way I preach sometimes. 115 00:04:35,878 --> 00:04:38,819 There's a need to point out sin, 116 00:04:38,819 --> 00:04:40,910 but you need to realize that 117 00:04:40,910 --> 00:04:43,067 that which is life is not sin. 118 00:04:43,067 --> 00:04:45,220 There's so much good in this world. 119 00:04:45,220 --> 00:04:47,674 So many things to enjoy. 120 00:04:47,674 --> 00:04:51,667 I'm overwhelmed at the goodness of God. 121 00:04:51,667 --> 00:04:53,502 One time, years and years ago, 122 00:04:53,502 --> 00:04:56,222 someone told me this and I'll never forget it. 123 00:04:56,222 --> 00:04:57,480 They said, "Paul, 124 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,440 God put leaves on trees. 125 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:04,688 He didn't put religious tracts on trees." 126 00:05:04,688 --> 00:05:07,045 And what they were trying to teach me was this, 127 00:05:07,045 --> 00:05:10,862 Paul, just because it doesn't have the title 128 00:05:10,862 --> 00:05:13,387 of being religious or even Christian, 129 00:05:13,387 --> 00:05:16,771 doesn't make it evil. 130 00:05:16,771 --> 00:05:18,252 And I've taken that to heart, 131 00:05:18,252 --> 00:05:20,409 because I see that it's biblical. 132 00:05:20,409 --> 00:05:23,158 I enjoy my friends. 133 00:05:23,158 --> 00:05:25,022 I enjoy even my interactions with 134 00:05:25,022 --> 00:05:26,502 many, many lost people that 135 00:05:26,502 --> 00:05:28,335 I want to win to the Lord. 136 00:05:28,335 --> 00:05:30,047 The times that I've had with them, 137 00:05:30,047 --> 00:05:31,274 the conversations, 138 00:05:31,274 --> 00:05:33,493 even the laughter I've had with them. 139 00:05:33,493 --> 00:05:34,952 I enjoy nature. 140 00:05:34,952 --> 00:05:38,298 I enjoy hiking and kayaking. 141 00:05:38,298 --> 00:05:40,859 I enjoy laughter, 142 00:05:40,859 --> 00:05:43,175 and even though I may get in trouble on this one, 143 00:05:43,175 --> 00:05:45,701 I enjoy grabbing my wife in the kitchen 144 00:05:45,701 --> 00:05:48,112 and doing a dance through the living room 145 00:05:48,112 --> 00:05:50,377 as my children are all applauding 146 00:05:50,377 --> 00:05:51,790 and laughing. 147 00:05:51,790 --> 00:05:53,818 One of the things also if you're a parent, 148 00:05:53,818 --> 00:05:55,318 I want to say this, 149 00:05:55,318 --> 00:05:57,193 you know there are so many evils 150 00:05:57,193 --> 00:05:58,648 out there for our children, 151 00:05:58,648 --> 00:05:59,984 and we have to guard them 152 00:05:59,984 --> 00:06:01,708 from those things, 153 00:06:01,708 --> 00:06:02,991 but here's something else, 154 00:06:02,991 --> 00:06:04,564 you need to replace those things 155 00:06:04,564 --> 00:06:05,993 with something good. 156 00:06:05,993 --> 00:06:09,197 If all you ever do is take away the world 157 00:06:09,197 --> 00:06:10,694 from your children, 158 00:06:10,694 --> 00:06:13,046 but you do not allow them to experience 159 00:06:13,046 --> 00:06:15,609 the good graces that God has given us 160 00:06:15,609 --> 00:06:18,779 throughout this planet, 161 00:06:18,779 --> 00:06:20,640 then you're going to create either 162 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,277 a religious hypocrite, 163 00:06:24,277 --> 00:06:25,718 or someone who will eventually 164 00:06:25,718 --> 00:06:28,029 turn away from the faith, 165 00:06:28,029 --> 00:06:29,983 or someone who is severe and 166 00:06:29,983 --> 00:06:32,184 loveless and legalistic. 167 00:06:32,184 --> 00:06:34,441 And we don't need any of those things. 168 00:06:34,441 --> 00:06:36,834 Godliness is not removing yourself 169 00:06:36,834 --> 00:06:40,749 to live on some 40 acre farm in Kansas 170 00:06:40,749 --> 00:06:42,656 so that the world doesn't touch you. 171 00:06:42,656 --> 00:06:46,180 Godliness is living on this planet, 172 00:06:46,180 --> 00:06:47,700 interacting with Christians 173 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:49,441 and unbelievers. 174 00:06:49,441 --> 00:06:52,012 Seeing all the wonderful things from prayer 175 00:06:52,012 --> 00:06:54,242 to Bible study to fasting 176 00:06:54,242 --> 00:06:56,652 to walking down a country lane, 177 00:06:56,652 --> 00:06:58,762 to poetry. 178 00:06:58,762 --> 00:07:01,828 It's being able to take in all these things, 179 00:07:01,828 --> 00:07:03,254 and to appreciate them 180 00:07:03,254 --> 00:07:04,389 while at the same time 181 00:07:04,389 --> 00:07:06,534 loving the Lord your God with all your heart, 182 00:07:06,534 --> 00:07:07,749 soul, mind, and strength 183 00:07:07,749 --> 00:07:09,562 and seeing that all these good gifts 184 00:07:09,562 --> 00:07:12,019 come from Him.