DATE: 6-11-23
SERIES: 1 John
SERMON: Do Not Love This
TEXT: 1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)
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As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time or are joining us at our North Main Campus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.
I’m going to do something a bit different this morning. I’m going to ask that everyone open up a Bible to First John chapter two. Physical or digital — I don’t care — but this morning’s text is so weighty — so heavy — so convicting — so “counter to everything we want to believe” — that I want all of us to see these words in our hands.
So please grab a Bible and open it up to First John chapter two. And — after you find First John chapter two — make a mental note to be ready to find Second Timothy chapter four as we’ll be turning there as well.
And — while you’re finding both of these texts — let me quickly remind you why we’re studying First John. Our reason — is the same as our author — the apostle John — who wrote this letter so that those who believe in God can know that they have eternal life.
That’s what we read in First John chapter five — verse thirteen — which states, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. - 1 John 5:13 (ESV)
This letter isn’t meant to make Christians doubt their faith — it’s not written to make true believers confused — in fact — it’s written for the opposite reason: True believers will know that they have eternal life by reading this letter.
Pretenders — on the other hand — will begin to doubt, will be confused, and will wonder why John’s message seems so different from what they believe. But followers of Jesus will have their confidence increased because of the words in this letter.
And my hope is that this letter — if you’re a Christian — will reassure you that your faith is real, your beliefs are genuine, and that your life has been transformed by the gospel — while also challenging those who’ve not been transformed by the gospel, but are simply going through religious activities without a renewed heart.
And I fear that our text for today is going to be far more challenging and authoritative than many of us will be willing to submit too. For — as I look at the state of Christianity in our country — I see this text’s command often not being obeyed while its warning goes ignored.
What command and what warning? Well here are the words found in First John chapter two — beginning in verse 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 desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:15-17 (ESV)
Now — to set up our other passage — from Second Timothy — I want you to picture in your mind a man who worked in ministry for many, many years. He’s a close friend of Paul. This individual has been in the company of people whose names jump off the pages of the Bible. Men like Timothy and Epaphras — Luke and Mark. This man’s name is recorded as being part of great things that were done for God in the first few decades after Jesus ascended to Heaven. He’s personally mentioned by Paul three times in the Bible — obviously making him an important individual. And his name is Demas.
Yet Demas is a real life example of the warning found in our verses of First John. For though Demas worked in a ministry context with some of the greatest preachers, church planters, and missionaries that this world has seen — although he had a front row seat to our Bible being written — it’s Paul’s words in the last letter he would write —that leave us with a disheartening view of Demas.
In Second Timothy chapter four Paul writes, Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. - 2 Timothy 4:9-10a (ESV)
Johns says, “Don’t love the world” and Paul tells us that Demas deserted him because he loved the world. How could Demas do this? How could he abandon the faith after being a partner with Paul in ministry — how could Demas desert Paul in the end?
As one author put it, “What a tragedy! A life wasted. A testimony ruined. The gospel maligned. For Demas…not only deserted Paul and the saints — he deserted his Savior.” (C.J. Mahaney, Worldliness) What a horrifyingly true statement about Demas.
The Greek word Paul uses for “deserted me” means “to completely forsake or to utterly abandon” — which implies that Demas left Paul at the moment when he was in serious need. Again — how could Demas do this? He saw countless miracles. He saw churches being planted. He saw thousands upon thousands of people come to faith. He’s suffered persecution. He’s traveled with Paul. He’s experienced the New Testament pages in real life. How could he possibly abandon Paul — and the faith — in the end?
Paul tells us how: Demas loved the world. Demas was the third kind of soil that Jesus spoke of in his parable found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke chapter 8. Satan didn’t snatch the gospel away from him — the first soil. Persecution didn’t cause him to fall away — the second soil. No, Demas was the third soil — the seed sown among the thorns. He heard the Word — he saw it in action —but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things entered in and choked the word, and it proved unfruitful (Mark 4:19 ESV) in the end for Demas.
And this should frighten us. If someone who was a close friend of Paul — who’d seen the pages of the New Testament in living color — who even endured physical persecution for the gospel — if he could abandon the faith — then maybe we shouldn’t be quick to dismiss this test of our faith: Do I love the world?
Paul doesn’t hint that he — or anyone else — suspected that Demas was in love with the world. Everything seemed to indicate that he was a true believer — he pretended well — but his love for the world eventually lured his heart from God — leading him to abandon the faith. And — if this can happen to Demas — we’d be naive — at best — to think that it cannot — or is not — happening to us.
That’s why our text in First John is so hard to hear — these verses are confrontational to our American cultural Christianity. For John — inspired by God — writes words that are mostly ignored by our generation of American Christians. For John has clearly told us: Do not love the world. And that’s not a suggestion — it’s a command.
Now — for the rest of our time together — I want us to unpack what John means. What does he mean when he uses the word love? What does he mean by the world? And — after we’ve answered these two questions — we’ll make this very personal by asking: How can I know if I’ve abandoned the faith by loving the world?
So…our first question: What is love?
First, a biblical definition of love begins with God. We see this in our letter when John writes, Anyone who does not love does not know God, (why?) because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he (did what? He…) loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:8-10 (ESV)
God is love and what Jesus accomplished — in his life, death, and resurrection — is applied to Christians — not because we first loved God — but because God first loved us. It’s God’s love for us — not our love for God — that initiates our relationship. And we see this truth throughout the Bible.
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 (ESV)
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. - 1 John 3:1a (ESV)
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. - 1 John 3:16 (ESV)
Love begins with God — because God is love.
Additionally, love is others oriented. Biblical love isn’t self-love — which is often the way love is described in our culture — biblical love is others oriented. It’s sacrificial. It’s costly.
We see this when John writes, 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. - 1 John 2:15 (ESV)
This is a negative example of our love being others oriented. But there are many positive examples of love being others oriented throughout Scripture.
In the verses we just read on God’s love — we see that, God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8 (ESV)
God’s love is others oriented.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 (ESV)
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. - 1 John 3:1a (ESV)
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. - 1 John 3:16 (ESV)
We’re to imitate God’s other oriented love — including our love for him and each other.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. - Matthew 22:37-39 (ESV)
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. - Romans 13:8 (ESV)
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. - 1 John 3:11 (ESV)
And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. - 1 John 3:23 (ESV)
Biblical love is others oriented. For good or for bad — love that’s healthy or unhealthy — love that honors or dishonors God — regardless — love is outwardly focused — it’s others oriented. And to love someone or something means to value them — to esteem them — to have concern for, to be faithful towards, and to delight in them. As someone has said, “Love is a supreme affection and — as a supreme affection — love allows no rivals.” (John MacArthur) Which means, we either love the world or we love God.
Which leads us to our next question: What does John mean by “the world” — because — if we’re not supposed to love the world — we better know what John means by the word world.
You’ll find the word “world” six times in our three verses — so John’s making a point here — and — there’s only one command in our verses — only one thing for us to do — or not do: Do not love the world.
So what exactly is the world? The word “world” can mean creation. The mountains and rivers — animals and plants — but that’s not what John means here — the Bible does speak of the love we’re to have for God’s creation. The word “world” can also mean people — but John’s already commanded us to love people — so that must not be what he’s meaning by the word “world”.
That leaves us with only one other meaning John has when he uses the word “world” — where the word “world” means the “values, beliefs, and moral system that is in rebellion against God.” So the “world” — in our verses — is the fallen and sinful system of values, beliefs, and morals that are under the power of Satan.
Let’s look at this more closely — what does our text tell us about the world? First, we see that the world is in opposition to God. John writes, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of (who is not in him? The love of…) the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life — is not from the Father but is from the world. - 1 John 2:15-16 (ESV)
And this makes sense when we realize that the world is under the power of Satan. Obviously — Satan is against God — so the world — the values, beliefs, and morals of the world — are under Satan’s influence and are also in opposition to God.
And John gives us some aspects of the world that are trying to influence, entice, and tempt us to abandon our faith just like Demas. Where — if we take our eyes off of eternity — these things will stir our affections — they’ll become what we value and live for even though we know they’re temporary — and we’ll be tempted to find greater delight in them than in God. What are these aspects of the world?
First, there’s the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes — mentioned in verse sixteen. This is where we take good things — made by God — and make them into ultimate things that we worship. It’s the life focused on the here and now instead of on eternal life. This gives birth to gluttony and lust — this is why many of us are selfish with our possessions or complacent in our comfort. It’s to ignore the needs of others because our wants and desires are more important. It’s exactly what the world values, believes, and lives for — it’s why self-love reigns supreme in our culture.
And the heart behind all of this is a forgetfulness of, a blindness to, and a disregard of the commandments of God. This is why you can hear a sermon or read your Bible and not be changed. You may be convicted — but you remain unchanged because you’re in love with the world. Did you know that conviction — without obedience — means nothing good spiritually speaking?
Second, there’s the pride of life — what’s that? The Greek word — translated as “life” — is a word that can mean possessions. You’re proud about what you’ve accomplished, what you own, and what you can spend your money on — doesn’t this sound like the culture we live in?
Now — the problem — is that we’re all virtually blind to this in our own lives. It’s easy to spot this in others — but it’s terribly difficult to see this in our own hearts. Meaning it’s easy to see the pride of life in the celebrity with gold plated toilets that heat up so their bottom never has to suffer a cold seat — but it’s difficult to see how the pride of life plays out in our own lives. But it’s there — it’s deceiving our hearts as our eyes chase after more temporary trinkets of this world.
This is the part of our heart where we’re proud of our livelihood, proud of our lifestyle, proud of our position at work, proud of our social standing, or any other status symbol that the world tells us is important. Our beauty, the clothes we wear, the music we listen to, the fact that we’ve seen the latest movie as soon as it hits the theater or have read the latest best seller, or made our annual trip to the beach or Disney World, or that we’ve upscaled our home or car or whatever it may be. It’s pride in our independence as we’re able to keep up with the American dream and show others that we have value because of our stuff. It’s what causes us to be devastated when others are doing better than us. But please hear this: pride, prestige, power, and position count for nothing in the kingdom of God.
Why? Because this type of life is the third soil that Jesus warned about. We live in a country that’s figured out how to mass produce third soil types of people. We’re willing to follow Jesus as long as he doesn’t mess with our possessions or position or prestige or power.
“Jesus, I’ll follow you as long as you don’t ask me to give up my home, or my vacation, or my position at work, or my cable, or internet, or eating out, or whatever it is that makes us prideful or comfortable about our life.”
Like Demas, the Word of God is being snatched away from people’s hearts in our country as but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things (Mark 4:19 ESV) choke the Word out making it unfruitful in many lives.
Rare — indeed — is the American Christian who’s producing the promised thirty, sixty, or hundred times gospel harvest that Jesus describes. Instead — and dangerously so — far too many of us are banking our eternities on an easy believism — a mental agreement to a religion with no ongoing life transformation to prove that we really believe. You may be doing all kinds of religious activities, but — ask yourself: Is the gospel producing fruit in my life? Am I making disciples — game nights, having people over for dinner, potlucks and such are great — but that’s not discipleship — discipleship is telling someone to follow you as you follow Christ — to imitate your walk with Jesus. Showing someone else what it means to obey Jesus’ commandments — what it means to die to yourself daily so you live for Christ and love others selflessly.
We can’t live as if we’re immune to Jesus’ warning. For he said, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ - Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)
Is this warning for Christians in America? Is it not possible that some — listening to me right now — will hear these words from Jesus? Does this not concern your soul? Does it not humble you and stir in you a desire to know that you are secure in your faith?
Some people will do things for God that we can only imagine — prophesying and casting out demons — and yet they will hear “I never knew you” from Jesus. What does this mean for people in our country — who check the box for Christianity when filling out a form — but live a life that’s anything but obedient to Christ’s commands?
Yet there’s one final thing to know about the world: The world is passing away. In verse seventeen John writes, And the world is passing away along with its desires. - 1 John 2:17a (ESV)
This world — and all of its desires — is coming to an end — it will cease to exist. Not the physical world — the mountains and rivers, plants and animals — not that world — not the people — everyone will live for eternity somewhere — what will one day cease to exist is the evil, rebellious system of values, beliefs, and morals that are in opposition to God.
And — dear Christian — if we know this — why would we buy into this world? Why would we buy into its desires — its dreams — its hopes — its passions? Why would we buy into all of it if we know it's passing away?
It’s like we’re dying of thirst — yet we keep drinking from the glass of salt water the world’s offering to us. It does nothing to quench your thirst — in fact — drinking the water just makes you more thirsty. Yet we keep going back to the pitcher and pouring another big glass of salt water because we don’t realize that there’s eternal, life giving, soul satisfying, fresh water available for us to freely drink from.
Which leads us to our final question.
What is your destiny? John tells us that — based on what we love — we can know our destiny. And there are two possibilities.
The first is the destiny that’s passing away. The destiny that’s passing away is the future of those who are in love with this world. For if you love this world — you cannot love the Father — if you align yourself with this world — you’re not aligned with the Father. And this world is passing away — so why live for something that’s guaranteed not to last?
This choice — of what you’re living for — is your responsibility. Whose are you — are you the world’s or are you God’s? This is a test of your faith — a test you can pass — giving your confidence and certainty that you are God’s.
The second is the destiny that abides forever. The destiny that abides — or lives — forever is the destiny of those who love the Father. This is what John tells us at the end of verse seventeen when he writes, Whoever does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:17b (ESV)
Whoever — so this is open to all of us — whoever does the will of God — which — he’s graciously revealed to us in his Word — right — God hasn’t said “go figure out my will on your own” — no — he’s a loving Father who’s given us everything we need to obey him. He’s given us hope, and joy, and life, and love, and grace, and forgiveness, and mercy, his Word, his Son, and his Spirit all so we can obey him. And — the promise is this: whoever does the will of God — will live forever.
And these two destinies reveal to us — regardless if you’re a Christian or not — that “the path of the Word and the path of the world do not run parallel” (Vance Harmer) — they run in opposite directions. And there’s no mistaking which direction you’re headed in. Take a moment and honestly ask, “Which direction is my life currently headed in — what is my destiny?” Not the direction you were headed in yesterday or a week or a year or a decade ago. “Right now — today — where is my life headed? Who am I following — Jesus or Satan — God’s Word or the commentary of the world?”
John gives us these tests so we can examine our hearts to see if we’re in love with the world or in love with God. And why do we to keep testing ourselves? Because no one goes from Demas the disciple to Demas the deserter overnight. Before desertion of the faith comes drift from the faith. A weakening — a conforming to the world rather than conforming to God’s Word. And this drift is something all of us must fight against. And this fight is won with the weapons of God’s Word, prayer, and God’s people.
God’s Word — be in this book. Know this book. Love this book. Memorize this book. Read it to your kids because they’re being bombarded with the commentary of the world. The apostle Paul wrote, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. - Romans 12:2 (ESV)
Prayer — power is found in prayer. Humility is found in prayer. Dependence upon God is found in prayer. Endurance is found in prayer. Things to repent of are discovered in prayer. The strength to fight against worldly desires is found in prayer.
Finally, God’s people. You desperately need other Christians in your life who have the freedom to challenge you to love Jesus more than you love this world. All of us — myself included — are too deceived by our own awesomeness to see clearly how weak our love for God really is and where the attractions of the world have stolen our affections. As the author of Hebrews writes, And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. - Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
And as someone has said, “If you find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of God, any table better than the Lord’s table, any person better than Christ, any indulgence better than the hope of heaven — take alarm!” (Thomas Guthrie)
No one goes from disciple to deserter overnight. Do not love the world is the command — yet — and this is glorious news — even our not loving the world is a gift that Jesus has given to us. What do I mean?
When Jesus came into our world — Satan tempted him to love it. In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, we read of Satan tempting Jesus three times. But do you know what he tempted Jesus with? The world and the things of this world.
“Use your power, Jesus, to turn these stones into bread. Display your prestige by commanding angels to rescue you from death. Gain the pride of life by receiving power over all of the kingdoms of the world from me.” These were the temptations Satan put before Christ.
Power, prestige, and the pride of life. The very things that — if we’re honest — we love. Yet these are the very things that Christ rejected because of his love for his Father and his love for us. And until you see and experience the love that Christ has for you — in denying himself of the very things we so often chase after — you won’t have any confidence in knowing that you’re not in love with the world — you’ll have no confidence in knowing that you have eternal life.
Because the only escape from loving the world is loving Jesus. He really is what’s most important. He really is the Savior who rescues people from wasting their lives by loving things that are passing away. Jesus is the Risen Savior who gives his people the Holy Spirit so that — when they hear his Word — they obey — because they’re empowered with strength from on high.
And Jesus is a Beautiful Risen Savior. And when you turn your eyes to him and see his beauty, and glory, and kindness, and goodness, and forgiveness, and mercy, and his incomparable value — just like the hymn says — when you “turn your eyes upon Jesus, the things of this world will grow strangely dim.” And the things of this world will lose their power on your affections. And the prestige of being a child of God will have far greater value than the prestige found in this world. And the pride of possessions will grow faint in your heart as your pride in the cross of Christ grows in your spirit. And — as you fix your eyes upon Jesus — instead of deserting your Savior for the world — you’ll abandon your love of the world as you drink from the water that is the eternal love of your Savior. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, we simply can’t do this on our own — for we’re utterly dependent upon you. God may our hearts prove to be the good soil that bears a gospel harvest thirty, sixty, even a hundred times more than was planted in us. May our hearts and affections be stirred most today by your love, your Son, and your gospel.
Holy Spirit, reveal to us our blindspots — areas in our lives where we’re enticed to love the world. Help us to be faithful to the end — so our stories end not like Demas the deserter — but like Christ our faithful to the end Lord — who loved you and us instead of the things of this world. May our eyes be fixed firmly on him — the author and perfecter of our faith. The One through whom we receive power and strength to fight temptation. The One who’s working out all things for our good. The One who not only has saved us — but is finishing the good work he’s begun in us. In his name we pray. Amen.
May you go with your eyes fixed on Jesus — loving him and not the things of this world. Amen.
God loves you. I love you. You are sent.
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