Sermon Tone Analysis

Do Not What?

In today’s passage John uses some pretty strong words as he writes to us about the world.

In today’s passage John uses some pretty strong words as he writes to us about the world.

1 John 2:15-17

NIV

There is an old West African proverb which says, "The man who tries to walk two roads will split his pants."

Do not love the world or anything in the world.

If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

There is an old West African proverb which says, "The man who tries to walk two roads will split his pants."

That’s the way it is with those who try to live for the Lord and the pleasures of this world at the same time.

They are trying to walk two roads, which can only lead to disaster in the end.

Adrian Rogers is credited with saying, the ways of this world will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you’re willing to pay.

Before we dig into this passage we need to look at the meaning of some words John uses.

There is an old West African proverb which says, "The man who tries to walk two roads will split his pants."

Let’s begin today by looking at the meaning of two Greek words John uses.

Before we dig into this passage we need to look at the meaning of some words John uses.

Before we dig into this passage we need to look at the meaning of some words John uses.

Love – the Greek word John uses here is AG-GU-PAW-O and its definition is; “To like or love something on the basis of a high regard for its value or importance — to love to, to like to, to take pleasure in.”

That’s the way it is with those who try to live for the Lord and the pleasures of this world at the same time.

They are trying to walk two roads, which can only lead to disaster in the end.

It’s the same Greek word used in

Adrian Rogers is credited with saying, the ways of this world will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you’re willing to pay.

World — the Greek word is KOS-MOS and points to “The ways, beliefs, morals, and systems of the people of the world who are in conflict and rebellion against God, His ways, and His people.”

It’s the same Greek word John uses in

It’s the same Greek word John uses in

This is what Paul is writing about in

Here in Paul is speaking about the sphere dominated by evil, sinfulness, and ignorance of God and His ways; understood as the absence of light

If you remember John wrote abut the light and darkness in .

What John writes to us here fits perfectly with the old saying, “Love the sinner, but hate the sin” and with God’s command and expectation for us to become more Christ-like daily as we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ as the person of the Holy Spirit transformed us by the renewing of our minds.

What John writes to us here fits perfectly with the old saying, “Love the sinner, but hate the sin” and with God’s command and expectation for us to become more Christ-like daily as we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ as the person of the Holy Spirit transformed us by the renewing of our minds.

You see, as we grow and mature daily in our faith, in our relationship with Jesus Christ we should find that we are more and more repulsed, nauseated, and sickened by the ways, beliefs, morals, and systems of the people of the world who are in conflict and rebellion against God.

We should also realize that our love for the people themselves and our concern for their salvation is growing.

Why should these two changes happen in us?

Because as we grow and mature in our relationship with Christ and as the person of the Holy Spirit transforms our minds we should begin loving the non-churched and unsaved in the same way Jesus does and likewise we should find ourselves developing the same attitudes as Jesus in regards to the darkness of this world.

This truth leads right into John second sentence in verse 15.

Let’s switch John’s statement in to a question.

How can anyone who claims to love the Father continue to live in and love the dark, evil, sinful ways, beliefs, morals, and systems of a world that is in conflict and rebellion with the God they are claiming to love and follow?

And furthermore, how can our love and concern for those Jesus Christ died for not grow.

Because our God is just, righteous, and holy:

He will not let those who claim to be His have their cake — choosing the light of heaven -- and eat it too — continuing to live in the darkness of the world .

He will not put up with those who claim to be His people worshiping and serving two masters.

And, I do not believe He will tolerate, for long, those who cheepen His Son’s work on the cross by refusing to share it with the unsaved in the world all because they are rejecting the Holy Spirit’s attempts to make them more Christ-like by grow in them Christ’s love and attitude toward those still living in darkness.

In 1952 a probation officer in New York City tried to find an organization that would assist in the adoption of a twelve-year-old boy.

Although the child had a religious background, none of the major denominations would assist in his adoption.

Said the officer later, “His case had been reported to me because he had been truant.

I tried for a year to find an agency that would care for this needy youngster.

Neither Catholic, Protestant, nor Jewish institutions would take him because he came from a denomination they did not recognize.

I could do nothing constructive for him.”

If the principles of Christian love had prevailed in the Bronx in 1952, perhaps a good home could have been found for that young, mixed-up lad.

In fact, providing a better environment in which to grow up might have changed history.

For, you see, the boy was Lee Harvey Oswald: The man who assassinated John F. Kennedy.

You see, it is imperative that we understand what John is telling us.

If we are true sons and daughters of God, struggling daily to grow in our faith and relationship with Jesus Christ by allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us by the renewing of our minds, then our love and care for those outside the kingdom of God will be growing and our love for the dark, evil, sinful ways, beliefs, morals, and systems used by the people in the world, still under the control of Satan will be fading away.

I think it’s fitting to say that this concept is both amazing and a little scary.

If the principles of Christian love had prevailed in the Bronx in 1952, perhaps a good home could have been found for that young, mixed-up lad.

In fact, providing a better environment in which to grow up might have changed history.

For, you see, the boy was Lee Harvey Oswald: The man who assassinated John F. Kennedy

I think it’s fitting to say that this concept is both amazing and a little scary.

If the principles of Christian love had prevailed in the Bronx in 1952, perhaps a good home could have been found for that young, mixed-up lad.

In fact, providing a better environment in which to grow up might have changed history.

For, you see, the boy was Lee Harvey Oswald: The man who assassinated John F. Kennedy

If the principles of Christian love had prevailed in the Bronx in 1952, perhaps a good home could have been found for that young, mixed-up lad.

In fact, providing a better environment in which to grow up might have changed history.

For, you see, the boy was Lee Harvey Oswald: The man who assassinated John F. Kennedy

I think it’s fitting to say that this concept is both amazing and a little scary.

John continues by defining worldliness.

I think it’s fitting to say that this concept is both amazing and a little scary.

What exactly is worldliness?

Worldliness is the lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction), the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things of life), and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done).

Worldliness, then, is a preoccupation with ease and affluence.

It elevates creature comfort to the point of idolatry-- large salaries and comfortable life-styles become necessities of life.

Worldliness is reading magazines about people who live hedonistic lives and spend too much money on themselves and wanting to be like them.

But more importantly, worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguises.

It’s being resentful when someone snubs us or patronizes us or shows off.

It means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, cringing when another is preferred before us.

Worldliness is harboring grudges, nursing grievance, and wallowing in self-pity.

These are the ways in which we are most like the world.

James speaks of worldliness in terms of friendship in

James 4:4

James uses the same Greek word for world as John does KOS-MOS.

John tells us this worldliness comes not from the Father, but, rather, from the world, the KOS-MOS.

God’s wants His people to live the live of a victor who has the power to overcome this world and conqueror evil.

He wants His people to live abundant lives free from bondage and sin.

And, by cutting the chains that allowed Satan to hold us in bondage in the darkness of this world and by severing the sinful nature that held us in bondage to sin He has made this overcoming, conquering, abundant lifestyle possible.

Through the work of Jesus Christ upon the cross God has made it possible for those who choose to live for Him to live lives free of bondage and sin.

But, far too often, many who claim to be children of God, because of their own choices, cannot find God’s abundant life and the freedom it should bring.

Instead, they find themselves living lives of defeat, void of victory, unable to overcome even the smallest of things, all because they refuse to let go of the world and let God.

Moody said that some people are trying to live by faith as though they are paddling hard in a row boat, while all along their tie-down is still fastened securely to the dock.

He declared, "They are tied to this world.

Cut the cord!

Set yourself free from the clogging weight of earthly things, and you will soon go on."