Love Not the World

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, May 30, 2010

1 John 2:15-17: “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. 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. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

It all began as a friendly, Sunday afternoon conversation over the back fence. My neighbor and I were discussing what each one of us had been up to lately. He told me about his work. And I, of course, told him about my work as a minister with this church. We tossed our words and thoughts back and forth for a few more minutes, and then my neighbor – I will call him ‘Chris’ - made this interesting statement: he said, “Well, you know, I’m not really religious at all. I don’t pray, or go to church, or anything like that…”

I have a question for you, as we begin our look at this powerful and actually, rather painful passage from the letter of John. In light of what the Holy Spirit led the apostle John to write here, what would you say to my neighbor in response to his claim about religion? How would you reply to my friend, Chris?

Sixty years or more before John wrote these words, the beloved apostle – as he is called – heard Someone else say something very similar to what he wrote here. Listen in, if you would, to these ‘red letter words’ that John heard: “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.” (Matthew 6:24)

By the way, fourteen hundred or so years before Jesus said what He said there in Matthew chapter six; the Lord God directed Moses to write something very similar in what we call the Ten Commandments and the Old Testament law. Check out Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me,” and Deuteronomy 6:5: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” Isn’t it interesting and amazing, the unity of theme and thought found in this Book? Writers separated by hundreds of years declare the same truths. Why? Because ultimately their Source for those truths is one and the same Source [the Lord]!

1 John 2:15-17. As I said a moment ago, this is a powerful, if not painful passage; a passage that really does speak to my friend Christ, and that speaks to us, too. But, what is its message? How are we to understand and apply it’s truth? Well, notice, first of all, how the text begins: it begins with a command, a negative command, or what we might call a prohibition. “Do not love the world or the things in the world…”

Literally, in the language of the apostle John, the apostle’s message to Christian, first of all, is “STOP loving the world. No more of this whole-hearted investment of yourself in the things of this world…”

“Now, John… why would you make such a statement? What’s gotten into you that you would make a demand on us like that?”

Well, before we hear what the Spirit of God says to us through John’s words, allow me to remind you of what we have already observed. Number one, Jesus makes the same demand: you’ve got to choose! Serve God, or serve mammon – this world and it’s things, but you can’t serve both! Secondly, through Moses God said the same thing! “You shall have,” that’s command language, by the way. “You shall have no other gods before me… in addition to Me, alongside Me!” In fact, the implication from that command is what? “You shall have ME! I am your God, your Master, your Possessor, your King!”

So, the first thing we need to realize about the apostle John’s words here – his authoritarian-sounding demand here – is that originally this is not his requirement, his command or demand - but the command and requirement of God and of Christ. We claim to belong to them, to be their people. Here is what they expect of us! Right here in the Bible!

But, listen. Notice then how John builds on that words Jesus, words of the Lord God through Moses foundation, with the following reasons or rationales for this command: “Do not love the world, or the things that are in the world…” Why?

Reason number one: because those in whom love of this world is present, the love of the Father is absent! “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

I was meditating on the significance of that statement as I was putting the finishing touches on this sermon, when it hit me: those in whom the love of the world is present, the love of the Father is absent! Notice the apostle John does not say, “The love of God is not in them,” or even, “The love of the Creator is not in them…” Those two statements make the One who knows us best, and loves us most seem more distant, more detached, more out of touch! But, listen, that’s not what the Holy Spirit declares to us through the Apostle’s pen, is it? I mean, if my Maker is detached and disconnected from me, why shouldn’t I be the same from Him? You understand the thinking there, don’t you? But, listen! That’s not what this Book says! Rather, it says, “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” You know whom I thought of when that truth hit home? The prodigal son, Luke 15:25-32. Oh, but listen, not the son, the one we normally refer to as the prodigal, who left home and his father to waste his inheritance on wild living, no! This verse in 1 John 2 made me remember the second prodigal son; the older brother, the son who DIDN’T leave home, at least not physically, but whose heart hadn’t been one with his father for years!

“Love not the world, nor the things in the world…” Why not, John? Here’s why: if anyone loves the world, if that’s where their treasure is, where their HEART is, then guess what? They are the ones who are disconnected, detached and distant! “The love of the Father is not in them.”

There’s a second reason that the apostle John gives for his command, his demand, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.” It’s the one that we find in verse 16 of our text. Take a look at what it says:

1 John 2:16 – “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.”

A few years ago, back when I was in high school, someone gave me a T-shirt with a Christian message on the front of it. It was a spin-off to a brand of shampoo sold back in those days called “Earthborn”. The message on the shirt went like this: “I’m earth-born, but heaven-bound. John 3:16.” You know something? That brief statement is an excellent motto for every Christian to live by! “I’m earth-born, but heaven-bound.” The problem is, when we begin to sink our roots into what moths and rust corrupts, when we begin to set our hearts on what thieves can break through and steal – guess what? We’re re-writing the motto! Instead of “Earth-born, but heaven-bound,” when we begin to love what is worldly, not heavenly – and long for what is sensual and not spiritual – our life’s motto is no longer, “Earth-born, but heaven-bound,” but “Earth-born and earth-bound.” Yes, earth bound! “Christian?” “Christian?” Is that what we call ourselves? Then listen, according to Philippians 3:17-21, our citizenship is up there, in heaven; and this old body, diseased, dying, decaying, it will be remade to spend eternity up there with our Savior Who is coming to take us there! If, we are earth-born, but heaven-bound. If we are!

There’s an old saying that I saw realized once again, when I went to the hospital Friday night to meet with and grieve with Lewis D.’s family. The old saying goes like this: “Death is the great equalizer.”

In explaining the third reason John gives as to why Christians are to STOP loving the world and the things in the world, I can’t help but think about the facts of life, and the fact, the unavoidable fact of death! Why shouldn’t I sink my roots down deep into THIS world? Why shouldn’t I pursue the American Idol thing or the Texas Lottery thing or the keep up with the Jones thing? Why shouldn’t I? “The world is passing away and the lust of it…” Everything that has anything to do with THIS world is temporary and fading. And, if somehow like the rich man in that parable Jesus told in Luke 16:19-31, we think that in this world we’re going to get ahead, listen, my friends, DEATH is the great equalizer! It took the poor man Lazarus AND the rich man, and all his wealth – out! It took both of them out!

In the world of the Wall Street crowd, if you’re investing in things you can taste, touch or see, one of these days it will all be gone! Because of the great equalizer! Oh, but listen, as we prepare to close out this study, note that John offers us one more rationale, a forth reason why loving the world and its things is the wrong way to go. It, too, is attached to the idea of death equalizing everything out. Read verse 17 with me one more time:

1 John 2:17 – “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

As I looked upon Lewis’s lifeless body, as I said, I was reminded of the truth of that old maxim, “Death is the great equalizer.” You know something? Old maxims tell us a lot, but they don’t tell us the whole story! However this Book, God’s Word, does!

Because Lewis D. – like his family reminded me the other night – was a Psalm one man, a man in whose delight was in the law of the Lord, and who meditated on this Book day and night, for Lewis death is not the whole story! Rather, because Lewis loved God, laid up treasure in heaven, guess what? 1 John 2:17 – Here’s the end, or perhaps I should say the rest of the Lewis’ story:

“The world is passing away, and the lust of it. But, because Lewis D. sought to do the will of God, Lewis D. lives forever – forever!”

“I don’t pray, I don’t go to church. I’m not really religious - at all.” That’s what my friend Chris said – what would you say to him?

Well, Chris - everybody loves something, everybody serves and worships something! You have chosen to love and serve and worship things – what you can see and taste and touch, and what death, the great equalizer, can take all away! But by God’s sovereign grace, I have chosen to love Some-one. Someone whose existence I can’t prove scientifically, but whose fingerprints are all over my life, and, if you’ll admit it, are all over your life, too! You have chosen to pursue what the rich man pursued. I have chosen to seek what the poor man Lazarus sought. One of these days, death will come knocking on both of our doors. My Father, promises a place for me with Him forever. But, for you, Chris, there is no such promise…

1 John 2:15-17: “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. 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. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”