It's good to see everybody here tonight.
We've got a smaller crowd and we need to continue to pray that
the crowds will grow as this weekend continues.
Well, you know that there are some journeying to this place.
Let's pray that they have a safe journey if God gives us time.
And we're thankful to have our visitors with us here this
evening. And we want you to know you're
welcome at any time to be with us.
Please, if you have any questions about the message
tonight or the worship, please just ask and we'll try to give
an answer for The hope that lies within us first Peter 3:15, we
are trying to do things that please God here.
We're trying to teach things that are in accordance with his
will and not just have a Social Club.
There are many things in this world that are designed to
support Society, but the church is designed to give glory to God
and we support Society by doing that, but that's not its initial
design. Its design is to glorify God, it
is the beautiful bride of Christ.
Which glue Glory to the one who purchased it by his blood.
And so tonight we're thankful that you're here and we hope
that what we have to say will be helpful to you in.
I, in some way. Let's summarize tonight.
We're going to try to summarize all of our thoughts on change
and tomorrow night. We're planning on teaching a
little something different, come back and be with us tomorrow.
But we're going to wrap up our thoughts that we've been
teaching on in this week and that is been the necessity for
change. We've we've looked intently at
acts 17 verse 30, where they're the Bible says, God is
commanding all men everywhere to repent.
We've looked at that word repentance, which means to
change, it's not a word, repent isn't a word.
We use to mean change in our common language, but repentance
the word god uses to bring about change in our life.
It means a change of Direction on a change of loyalty.
And most of all a very Real change in our behavior and
priorities, we're going to be looking at tonight as well.
It makes a change in our world view on our Outlook, our goals
and those are something that are very important for us to change
in this world. If there was no need for us for
to change, then Jesus command in Acts 17:30 mean is meaningless
and Jesus Christ. Coming was seems to be
meaningless because God wants us to not sin any longer.
Anger, not live, according to the flesh, but live reflecting.
The fact that we were created by a Creator.
Our soul is imitating, is in some ways similar to God.
In John 4, verse 23, and 24. The Bible says, God is spirit
and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and Truth.
Well, that's part of our nature that is similar to God.
God is called in Hebrews, for the Hebrews, excuse me. 12, the
father of spirits, God is the father of our spirits.
And for those who are Christians, he is the father of
which we expect an inheritance and eternal inheritance in
heaven. So, this week, we've been
looking at the changes that it takes in order to become a
Christian. Christian means follower of
Jesus Christ. We've got to change those
aspects of our life. That Christ did not leave us an
example to change. We've looked at passages such as
Ephesians, the fourth chapter right quick, we're just going to
notice these and Ephesians chapter 4, notice it Says in
verse 20, you did not learn Christ in this way, notice
indeed, if you have heard of him and have been taught in him,
just as the truth is, in Jesus that in reference to your former
manner of life. You lay aside the old self,
which is being corrupted in accordance with the lust of
Deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and
put on the new self, which is in the likeness of God, and has
been created in righteousness and Holiness of the truth, So
there's real if you will a description of the change that
must take place, he says we've got to put away the old self and
put on the new self or lay aside The Old Man and live a new life
in Christ Jesus. We've talked about the
difference between the inner and the outer man.
We've talked about the Flesh and the spirit this week as well.
We've talked about we're going to talk more at link tonight
about those things above and things that are of this world.
World as well. This is a change of perspective
and this is something that is an essential.
If you will primary foundational, truth in
Christianity, those who are in Christ, have a different.
Hope we have different priorities based on different
objectives and the Bible tells us that we're supposed to lay
aside, the things that are of this Earth if you'll turn to
Colossians 3:1 right quickly in Colossians 3 verse 1, he's To
newborn Christians and he there makes a conditional statement
and tells us all to reflect on our baptism, if you will.
Now this is interesting. I want to show you that he's
talking about baptism and just a moment but notice what he says
here in Colossians the third chapter verse 1.
Therefore if you've been raised up with Christ now I want you to
look at that phrase. If you've been raised up with
Christ, what's that talking about?
Is it talking about? Someone's just decision to
follow Christ. As a philosophy teacher, is it
talking about somebody who's made a decision to become a
disciple or a learner from? Jesus Christ?
No In this passage whenever he uses the term raised up.
He's talking about baptism, if you will look back at chapter 2
just the previous chapter chapter 2 and verse 12.
Well, let's start reading verse 11.
And in him you were also circumcised with a circumcision
made without hands and the removal of the body of the flesh
by the circumcision of Christ. Having been buried with him in
baptism in which you were also raised up with him through
faith, in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Now this is what he's talking about here.
He says you have to be raised up with him.
That's an important phrase and he talks About.
That's how we get United with him in the likeness of his
death. Romans 6 verse 3, really
starting read verse 1. Through verse 6 of Romans, 6
chapter it, basically teaches the same thing that were United
with Christ in the likeness of his death, burial and
Resurrection in baptism whenever we come and we die to our old
life of sin are immersed in water and raised up to walk in
newness of life. Isn't that wonderful?
That's what's being talked about here and it says this This
person who is trusting in God and baptism, is not trusting
that the water washes away, anything.
You know, that's something interesting about baptism before
we go on the Bible tells us, it's not the element of water
that is Holy in, baptism. There's nothing in the water.
Unlike those beer commercials there's nothing really important
about the water other than it's a it's an element that we are
immersed in so it doesn't have to be holy water that somehow
Water itself is affections and taking away sin.
No, that's not it and it's not even us in baptism, you know,
the Bible doesn't, you know, it's really interesting when
people begin to talk about the Plan of Salvation.
They say now listen, the Bible says salvation in Ephesians,
it's not of Works. Lest any man should boast and
baptism is a work there for baptism is not be essential, but
guess what? The Bible takes pains to tell us
that baptism is not our work. Notice what he Says, right here,
again, verse 12 having been buried with him in baptism in
which you were raised up with him through faith in the working
of God. God does the working in baptism?
It's not man. Whenever a man does his own
believing. The Bible says Jesus said,
unless you believe I am, he you shall die in your sins, in John
6, and he tells us to do our own repenting.
It's our responsibility to repent acts 17:30.
It's our responsibility. Us ability to confess Christ.
Matthew 10:32, whoever shall confess me before men him?
Will I confess before my Father, which is in heaven, but when it
comes to baptism, you have to submit to somebody else.
If baptism is a work, it's somebody else's work and that
and we have to submit. We are most passive in baptism,
but the Bible says, the person doing the work of baptism is God
It says, through faith in the working of God.
God is the one who washes away sin and first, Peter, 3, and
verse 21. The Bible says, the baptism is
not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but an
appeal of a good conscience toward God.
It's not, it's not that out of the water.
It's obeying. God, it's where we meet.
God, God meets us with salvation.
Titus 2:11 says the grace of God, that brings salvation has
appeared unto all men. It's appeared to everybody.
Then why isn't everybody saved? Because not everybody receives
the gift. That's right.
Not nobody can earn to earn it. Nobody can purchase it.
The gift is offered to everyone but everyone has to receive a
gift. A gift on received his not
enjoyed. If I say your birthday, your
birthday car is over at my house Frank and all you have to do is
come get it. You say well, thank you Glenn
and you never come. Get it for a month or two.
I'm going to call you Up and say why haven't you come and picked
up your car? Oh I know it's there.
Thanks very much and I say but you're never going to enjoy it
if you don't come get it. And that's what God says to man.
The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all
men know the doctrine of predestination where God only
elect some people to be saved. And so people will be lost is
not true. Jesus said it's offered all
Jesus. Tasted death for every man, God
loves the whole world. First Timothy to God is not
willing that any should perish but that all should All should
come to repentance. God wants everybody to be saved,
and it's offered to all but not everybody receives the gift.
Well, Glenn, how do I receive the gift?
Ah, how do you receive the gift in your faith?
You repent of your sins. You confess his name before men
and you're baptized for the remission of your sins Acts
2:38. That's how you receive the gift,
you obey the Lord and whenever you obey the Lord a baptism you
are raised up to walk with him. Now let's go back.
If you will to Colossians Colossians chapter 3, And let's
begin. Let's talk about what we do.
I do after we've been raised up with Christ Colossians 3 verse
1. Therefore if you've been raised
up with Christ, like I said that's an illusion of baptism.
Chapter 2 verse 12. He says, keep seeking the things
above where Christ is seated, at the right hand of God, not the
things that are on the earth for you have died and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life is
revealed? Then you also Be revealed with
him in glory. He says here not the things that
are of the earth and it uses the word world.
We're going to notice in first John 2 and just a moment these
are similar are if you will send an M ideas, they're parallel
metaphors. God says if we have been saved,
if we have been baptized, that symbolizes a death to an old
life, and a resurrection, to a life that has a new Direction.
A new objective things that are set above, not the things that
are on the earth, we have another objective, we have
another goal, another Journey. We are heading in a different
direction than people in this world are headed in.
Is all your life's objectives are.
They were Lee goals. Are all the things you want to
accomplish or acquire, or all the things that you want to do
with your life of a worldly nature.
Are they have Worley accolades or worldly Rewards or do we have
the, our life set toward those things that above are we laying
up Treasures in Heaven or Treasures on Earth.
This is a primary change of objective.
For those who are in Christ This is a I marry change those who
are Christians aren't looking for all of their rewards in this
world. In fact God tells us that if we
try to live Godly in Christ Jesus, we will suffer
persecution here. And throughout history, this has
been the case, we live in an unusual time in history, where
Christians have the freedom to speak their mind, where
Christians don't have. We don't have any fear right
here. And right now of our faith,
there are some brother and in foreign lands, Do I'll guarantee
you some of our brethren in the South Philippines are scared for
their life. And I just talked to Doug
Edwards. Not like, who'd got back from
India, he's been over there setting up some Churches and in
eastern India, and some of their preachers.
And some of their members get beat up for confessing Christ to
Hindus. They get beat up.
Now, this isn't just a nice story, it's nice to read about,
it's something that has happened a long time ago.
This happened just in the last few months.
I You to think about that. Do you really have a fear of
when you inviting someone to church?
That somebody's going to say, you're why I'm going to beat you
up for that. And not only that, the laws of
the land are set up, not not to benefit you.
In fact, you can be arrested by the law of the land for trying
to evangelize a Hindu the laws of the land.
You can be put in prison justly for confessing Christ or
carrying a Bible to somebody who you didn't know, didn't want it.
Now, that's what I'm talking about.
We're talking about real persecution really today, but
some people preach, what we call the health and wealth
Christianity, and that is, if you're living right?
Everything should be Rosy. And You have to do is just open
your mailbox and money. Pours out my friends, God told
us that we are not supposed to look to this world for our
reward. He tells us to set up sites and
sets our affections on things above not on things of this
world. So this is a primary shift
because often, where our heart is, where our treasure is, there
will our heart be also where our treasure is so So, we've got to
shift our treasure. From one of an Earthly nature,
to one of a Eternal nature from a temporal to an eternal shift
in priorities. We really must because that is
so key to living a successful Christian life.
Because what happens if you're like the brethren in Africa?
What happens if you're like the brother in India who are not?
Physically blessed, is your god, cursing, you in some way, are
you cursed? Because you're not wealthy.
No, God, never promised us Earthly wealth, he Promised us
Heavenly wealth, he promised us Eternal reward.
Not attempt reward, the Bible takes pains to tell us not to
lay up Treasures on Earth. Where moth?
Where moth not Moss, where moth and can corrupt it.
We're thieves can break in and steal.
But the lay up Treasures in Heaven.
And so the Bible tells us to redirect our Ambitions, our
Ambitions to spiritual Ambitions, please turn to First
John, the second chapter right quick.
I want you to know that this is a real priority of the heart.
Here he tells us and he uses some terms here in 1st John that
are that I think are real practical and telling us how to
make this heart shift. First John uses the word love
often. In fact the word love is used in
first John 26 times. He uses the word love and we
know what the word love carries with it.
The baggage this world has word has with it.
The word love, implies commitment, the word and love
implies emotional attachment. The word love, implies a
willingness to sacrifice for the good of the object love.
In other words, we we want to, we love someone, we want to
sacrifice for their welfare Philippians 2 3 through 5.
That's what the word love entails and God uses the word
here to talk about our priorities.
Notice what he says, well I just want to show you how the word is
used, and my friend, John uses it positively many times.
Throughout the book look at 3:11, the this is the message
which we have heard from the beginning.
That we should love one another. Not as Cain who was the evil one
and see. Brother.
And for what reason did, he slay him?
Because his deeds were evil and his brothers were righteous.
Okay, heated, love. And because of that, in be
gripped in and caused him to kill his brother.
Notice. He says, in verse 13 do not be
surprised Brethren if the world hates you.
Right there, verse 13 verse John chapter 3.
So we know that we have passed out of death and life because we
love the Brethren he who does not love abides in death.
Oh, that love is important here and the Apostle.
It, excuse me, John is making it very, very clear here, that who
we love and how we love our. So, vitally, vitally important,
and how we can't hate anyone, because if we hate, it's
evidence of a lack of fellowship with God, God notice verse 16.
We know love by this, that he lay down his life for us and we
ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren.
Well, this is talking about a real change, isn't it?
Yeah, we've got a love the Brethren and he teaches this
over and over. And again all the way through
this passage, one of the things he says Here toward the end of
this book is that we're not to love in word or in tongue, but
in deed, and in truth. Well, all the way through.
They are Verse 18, excuse me, 3:18 little children, let us not
love with word or with tongue but in deed and in truth verse 7
of chapter 4 brother--and, let us love one.
Another for love is from God. So you see, he knows how to use
this word but then there's a few times in this book that he uses
it negatively that is that we're not supposed to look.
He often says love, I want you to learn how to love.
I Want to Love Like Jesus loved and then he says, oh and I want
to tell Tell you, there's something that I don't want you
to love as well. Notice if you will in 1st, John
Chapter 2, we're going to start reading with verse 15.
Notice what he says right off the bat, do not love the world.
This is something he says. I want you, you know how to
love, and here's something. I don't want you to love.
I don't want you to love the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in
him. Whoa, this is pretty basic it.
Evidently reflects salvation, he tells us this is such a great
priority that if you can't change your heart here, it's an
evidence that you don't know God.
Now that's pretty good. That's pretty impressive.
It's a real test. Notice for all that is in the
world verse 16, the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the
boastful pride of life is not from the father, but is from the
world and the world is passing away and also its lusts, but the
one who does the will of God lives forever.
What all does this mean? What how can I know that?
I don't love the world. I don't want to love the world
after reading that he tells me stuff is specifically, I must
not love the world. World.
In other words, I've got to put this out of my life and make
sure that I love those things that are above love, the proper
things. How can I make sure?
Well, let's study the word world for just a moment tonight.
And see if we can get a real handle on this because this is
so vitally. Vitally important, the word
world is used, basically three ways in the scriptures, the word
world, it's talking about three ideas.
Now, we know how words can be used as Figures of speech.
There are words that are used in our culture that don't don't
survive. If you will a literal definition
of their terminology, I remember back in the 60s, people used to
say, well, that's really cool, you know?
And what we don't do that anymore.
We are kids, whenever we say, oh, that's really cool.
Our kids go, man, that you're showing your age is showing your
age. You know, that's not evening.
And then I remember when listening to my kids and they
said, man, that's really bad, that's really bad.
And what does that mean? And that meant good.
I finally figured that out something bad was good, that's
really bad and then for a little while they use the world that's
real fat. That was good, that was good.
I still use that word that way. But anyway, the whole point is
that what's what we're talking about is that words can have
different meanings in the scriptures.
Well, the word world has that same kind of Thing, the word
world can apply to many many different than the one.
One thing that we all expect is that the word word world
sometimes is used in reference to the cosmos.
And that is in reference to the planets, in reference to the
sphere. The material sphere upon which
we live. Let's, let's look at some of the
passages. Notice the Bible says, in Acts
17 and verse 30 24, Mmm. Excuse me.
Acts 17 verse 24. God it says The God Who made the
world and all things in it since he is, Lord of Heaven and Earth
does not dwell in temples made with hands.
Well, here in this verse the word world and all things in it,
is talking about the literal dirt Planet.
He's talking about this sphere and he says, God made the world
and everything in it. He's talking about created
things and he says, God made this word, although the world.
Now in Romans 1 and verse 20, it's used this way and verse
well contextually in Romans 1 verse 20.
For, since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes.
His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen
being understood through what has been made.
So that they are without excuse here.
He's talking about the created world as well.
And he says this world is just the material world, the dirt,
the planet itself. John is says this, this is,
excuse me in these passages. The Bible is just talking about
the material world that matters You will and notice.
He says, that's something that God made.
And after he looked on all that he had made, he said it was good
but this can't be what John is talking about.
And first, John 2, when he says love, not the world.
It's not, it's not a sin to enjoy this world in this way.
And the book in Acts 17 verse 24, the Bible says, God is Lord
of Heaven and Earth. There's nothing immoral or
inconsistent. With God's creation, and with
his nature, God, appreciated everything that he had made and
called it good. In this world, God doesn't say.
In order for us to live, here we as Christians have got to hate
existing. I want to get that really
playing because the gnostics at the time of Christ taught that
very Doctrine and the book of Colossians was written to refute
it. In other words, he they were
teaching That God is all spirit and world is all evil is all
carnal and they could not coexist.
That's why they denied that, Jesus Christ came in the flesh
because they could not believe that a spirit God would combine
with this world. The world was evil.
Spirit is all good and therefore, we should deny the
flesh. We should all inflict pain on
the Flesh and it somehow it showed spiritual superiority and
Paul speaks. He says the severe treatment of
the body is a false religion. He says it really is.
Is and there's people who still believe that today that you
ought to be a Hermit. You want to deny this flesh, and
deny that God made anything pleasurable.
As one writer said in history, a famous one, by the way, he said
he believed God created everything from the waist up and
the devil everything from the waist down, well that's not God.
Looked at everything he made and said it was good.
So man has taken worldly things and use them to create lust.
Lust is unlawful desire, but the desires that we have in this
world are not inherently evil. God looked on his creation and
said it was good. So don't fall into the Gnostic
trap. Don't fall into that trap of
thinking. This world does not reflect God.
The Bible says it does Romans 1, this world reflects God, Well,
the hating, this world will lead people to commit suicide and and
leads people drink Kool-Aid, Guyana and all kinds of things.
The Bible doesn't say that is the sign of his followers.
Know, there is a form of the love of this world that we're
going to get to in a minute. That the Bible says is wrong,
but God doesn't say, I want you to hate material existence but
there's a second way in the word.
The word world is used in the scriptures and And that is in a
more symbolic sense. It refers to Mankind in general
by naming the planet. In other words, it's metonymy,
he names the planet to expect to be a.
If you will suggest its inhabitants, John 3:16, one of
the verses that everybody knows and scriptures God.
So loved the world. Well, it would be wrong to
return, put that planet, excuse, they got ahead of myself, it
would be wrong to interpret that statement that God loved the
dirt of this world that God loved the dirt only and you
know, people he just kind of tolerates.
There's some people that, that practice, the worship of Nature
and they literally teach the world would be.
Better off all the people were dead off of it that we're one of
the biggest environmental hazards in the history there.
I know some tree huggers guys. It was grew up in Oregon, but
the whole fact of the matter is is that's not what this passage
is teaching when it says God, so loved the world.
It's really not suggesting anything about the planet he's
talking by metonymy about you and I, as inhabitants as
inhabitants of this world, he's naming the planet or the Earth
to suggest the people on the Earth when God so loved the
world that he gave his only begotten son, notice the
scriptures on this if You will in John 1 and verse 10.
The Gospel of John chapter 1 and verse 10.
The Bible says, he was in the world and the world was made
through him and the world did not know him.
Now, 18 seems to suggest that it gives the dirt a suggestion of
intellectual knowledge, or ability to know something.
No, no. We know that the dirt doesn't
have that kind of memory he's talking about people.
He's saying the people didn't know him in that sense.
In John 1 verse 29, go on down. The few verses to verse 29, the
next day he saw, Jesus coming to him and said, Behold the Lamb of
God who takes away the sin All of the world.
I didn't know that the planet could commit a sin.
The Bible says in John, the first chapter that lost proceed
sin and sin. When it is finished, bringeth
forth, death, you mean the planet can lust, no, my friends,
everything in this world obeys God's design except for man
whenever an animal does what it does it's not lusting when a
when a lion kills an antelope it does it's not a moral issue.
You don't find lions with ulcers over worrying about the
antelopes family. You don't find them going.
Oh, my, what have I done? No, they kill because it's God's
design, the everything else in the world.
Every other creation of God does what it does by Design man, is
the one who has guilt where the one who could commit moral and
ethical sin, not this planet, and not even animals in this
plan. Therefore, whenever it's saying
takes away the sins of the world, he's talking about us by
metonymy, he's talking about us, you and I and so he's not
talking about this planet. He's talking about Mankind, in
general notice, there are many other passages.
That we could talk about tonight, but we're not going to
have time to get to all them. Let's get to the what first John
2 is really talking about in first John.
The second chapter whenever he says, love not the world,
neither the things in the world. The word world is used in this
sense of sin. If you have your Bibles, please
open to Galatians chapter 6. And Galatians chapter 6 right
quick. Notice what he says, here in
verse 14, may it never be that? I should boast except in the
cross of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Christ through which the world
has been crucified to me and I to the world.
Now, what's he talking about here?
He wasn't literally talking about this world or house.
Paul Couldn't Write what he wrote.
He would be dead. Whenever he used the word
crucified here and use the word world.
He's talking about choices and decisions and priorities.
And he's saying there's a certain sphere that I have no
life. I have died to that.
I no longer live in and any sins.
This is the type of the world that the Bible tells us not to
love. It is talking about a world of
sin and unrighteousness. It's talking about that, which
is alien to God. It's talking about, Thing that
God didn't create that dirt in it, it's talking about that,
which man, engages in a world or atmosphere, or if you will a
culture of sin, notice some other passages in James.
The first chapter in verse 27, the word is used this way in
James 1. And verse 27.
The Bible says pure and undefiled religion in the sight
of our god, father is this to visit orphans and widows in
their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Now mother's you should not use this passage to tell your
children not to get dirty because that's not what he's
talking about. It is misusing the scriptures to
apply it. So literally he is using here,
the symbol of the world to suggest the sphere of sin and he
says to keep oneself unstained from the world means to keep
oneself out. Of the culture of sin out of
this sphere of sin. So it is in this way that the
world is used here in 1st John Chapter 2, If any man comes to
God he must not love the world of sin.
He's not talking about loving your coffee, he's not talking
about loving a sunset. He's not talking about loving
your beautiful wife or beautiful husband or horse or anything
else so your flowers are your roses Some people say, well,
it's a sin to love anything in this world.
That is not what first John. 2 is saying he's saying, don't you
love sin, Christians have to hate sin.
In fact, the Bible says it in very explicit terms, like that
to love, God is to hate sin and evil and the wicked way that is
the attitude. That is the kind of love.
We're supposed to give up. If you will Romans 12 and verse
9 to a love, God is to abhor evil.
And to love what is good? We've got to abhor evil.
We've got to have an attitude change about evil.
Hmm, let's look at a few other passages in James, 4, and verse
4. Just go over a few verses James
chapter 4 and verse 4, you adulteresses, do you not know
that friendship with the world? There's that word world again.
Friendship, is the world. Is hostility toward God.
Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes
Himself, an enemy of God. Does that mean we're not
supposed to love the environment that we're not supposed to love
other people who are in this world that are of a temporal
nature? Once again, no, that's not what
he's talking about. He's talking about loving sin,
loving unrighteousness, loving wickedness, Desiring wickedness,
wanting wickedness. He says, if you want to be a
friend with the world, that is the sinful world, then you
cannot be. A friend of God, you can't love
God and sin at the same time. You've got to put one of them to
death in your life. Notice in Matthew, the 6th
chapter in verse 24. This concept is put just a
little bit different terminology, Matthew 6, and
verse 24. No, man can serve two masters
for either. He will hate the one and love
the other or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and wealth. Or Mammon is what the King James
says, you can't serve both of these things.
Well, who is your lord? Who is your god?
Who do you try to be friends with?
Here's if I'm going to sum up what I'm trying to say tonight
is there's a lot of people in this world.
Having a loving have a love affair with sin. and they want a
love affair with sin, but they want the benefits of the
Covenant. With God, they want heaven after
all this world is over. They want to be married to God,
but God says, listen in order to remain, married to me, you've
got to be faithful, you've got to say forsaking all others.
I will keep myself only unto him, but we want to carry on a
love affair. After were married to God, we
want to love the world and the things in the world.
We want to sin, we want the pleasure of sin would your wife
tolerate, that would your husband tolerate that well
knowing God doesn't Either he says the church is the bride of
Christ in the Book of Revelation.
And he doesn't want his church to have a love affair with the
world. We've got to break up.
We got a break up, dating the world.
We got to break up our relationship with the world.
You we can't be married to Christ and still carry on a love
affair with the world. We can't do it.
Now if we, if that makes sense to us in this world.
Can't we understand that spiritually?
That makes sense. Spiritually, that makes sense.
That's what the Bible says. You've got to forsake, your love
affair with the world. You got to break up with the
world, in order to have a great relationship with your husband
Christ. He's the one that loves the
church. He died for the church.
Ephesians. 5 tells us Christ. Loved the church so much.
He died for her. He paid a price for her and we
need to be committed and devoted back to him.
So, we've got to get out of loving the world.
No man can serve two masters and my friends.
You can't love the world and love God to sin.
Is this world of Darkness, that we've got to get out of our
hearts. We've got to change our
priorities, we've got to change our love's in Colossians, the
first chapter in verse 13. The Bible says that this way, he
rescued us, from the domain of darkness and transferred us into
the kingdom of his dear son, one, the domain of darkness is
the world of First, John 2. It him is the light, but God is
of the light. And in him, there is no
Darkness. First John 1 and verse 5, we
cannot love both God and sin. So do you love sins?
Is there any sin in your life that you're in love with?
The Bible says, to put it out of our life, we have got to no
longer loved the world. This is that change change of
heart. Change of priorities that we've
been talking about. Let's look at first John 2 very
very quickly and then we'll bring our lesson to a close
tonight. In first John 2, he names, he
names this, these things and context really I believe the
questions answered but let's go first.
John 2 verse 15 and 16 again, look at it really carefully as
we read it together. First, John 2 verse 15, do not
love the world or the things in the world.
If anyone loves the Father, the Excuse me, loves the world.
The love of the father is not in him for all that is in the
world. Now he's going to tell us what's
in this world that we're not supposed to love the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life is
not from the father. Well, he can't be talking about
this planet because it is of the father, but he says sin is not
of the father. This planet is sin is not Sin is
created whenever we choose to satisfy a god-given desire in an
ungodly way. That's what lust is.
It's to satisfy a god-given desire.
In a ungodly way, is not of the father, but is from the world.
Now, we've got to change that. The lust of the flesh is of,
it's talking about the things, the way, the world, satisfies
its desires, We have got to put these things out of our Lives.
Take care of first second Corinthians, 10, verse 5 as we
reviewed last night. The Bible says, we've got to
take every thought captive and bring it to obedience to Christ.
And I've got to hush, I've got two more pages of notes, but I
can't get to them tonight. Hush I do want to get leave you
with one last illustration right quick.
Listen, very carefully, Hernando Cortes whenever he sailed over
here to conquer, if you will America and Mexico and all that
area whenever he landed here, he had 11 ships and 700 men and he
landed at Veracruz in the spring of 1519.
And you know what? He did, whatever he landed
there. He did something that caused a
certain kind of motivation in his men.
He unloaded the ships and he burned them.
He burned, the ships isn't that amazing?
Why would a guy do that? Well, you know, if you're in a
new place and you get into trouble, there's always that
sense. Well well, you know if this gets
too rough, I can just pack up and go home.
I can just load up, leave load up and leave.
But he wanted a kind of commitment out of his men where
they knew there wasn't any going back and he says when we get
back, we're going to have to build ships to go back.
We're not, that's what he wanted, some commitment out of
it. You know what?
I'll tell you what. That, if I was a soldier on that
ship, it would give me some commitment to succeed, wouldn't
it? I wouldn't be one and say, well,
you know, we got two options here.
We can fight these guys, or we can get the ship and leave.
Oh that's right. The ship has been burned.
I guess we only have one option. We got to fight these guys and
we got a win, right? Will Christians.
That's what we've been talking about here tonight.
How many of us want to go to heaven?
But we not broke up with the world yet it's time, we burn
some bridges. It's time, we burn some ships,
it's time. We took stock of our heart and
realized that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1 and verse eight year are not going to live a successful
Victorious, Christian Life. As long as you have two hearts,
as long as you have two Ambitions, two goals.
In two sets of priorities. You may have one set of
priorities. Iot.
That works some of the time and the other side of the, but you
are going to be unsuccessful at both.
You're going to be a miserable Sinner and a miserable
Christian. As long as you have two hearts
in this world. If you want to be successful,
you're going to have to purify your hearts and James 18.
James, excuse me, 48. Tells us purify your hearts you
double-minded. Purify the word purify means
makes single something that was double context, really make
single make of single substance purify your hearts.
In other words, make one out of two, you got to get rid of wine
whenever we come to Christ, we've got to give up our love of
sin. Glenn, I don't love sin, really?
No, you just want to cheat on God, we want the pleasure of
sin. We don't want a relationship, we
want what God has to offer. We want the inheritance.
We want the father's house when we go to heaven, but we want a
little something on the side. We want sin in our life still,
and as long as that happens, James 18 says, we will be
unstable in all our ways. There's a reason why Christians
aren't successful. It's because they not broken up
with the world. He's got a breakup.
Got a breakup. You've got to tell Christ.
I'm going to be faithful to you. I'm going to be committed to
you. I'm going to be respectful of
you. I'm going to honor you.
I will forsake all others and cling only to you.
Because we are the Bride of Jesus Christ so it's time we
burned some chips. It's time we take every thought.
Captive it's time. We set our eyes on things above.
Not the things are on this world and if there's ever going to be
a compromise, my friends with things in this world, we got to
make sure that we remain faithful to God and our call to
follow him in All in every situation.
I hope this has been helpful. Like I said, I didn't get to
everything I wanted to say tonight but be thankful for
that. So tonight, I just want to, I
just want The challenge, all of us in summarizing what we?
This is kind of what we've been talking about all week.
A lot of times we talk about this all week and people go.
Yeah, you have it that's hard and that's difficult.
But tonight we just wanted to really focus that it is
essential that we love not the world.
It's essential that we break up because we won't be successful
if we don't That's why we are unstable is because we've not
purified our heart. Do you want to go to heaven
tonight? Then what in this world is worth
leaving? In your life?
That's in. There is no cynic worth,
exchanging heaven for get rid of desire to sin.
Don't let your heart in be sinners.
Like we talked about last night, don't desire things that are in
this world. Set your heart on things above,
not the things that are on the earth for your life is hidden
with Christ in God. If you'd then be raised up with
Christ set, My mind on things above.
So tonight rearrange your priorities rearrange your life.
If there's any compromise between your job and following
Christ, who's going to suffer. If there's any compromise that
has to be called for what's going to go.
God's got to come first God's got to come first.
So tonight, are you willing to be purifying your heart and your
mind, are you willing to give up forsake?
All others, are you willing to make yourself pure and only for
God tonight? That's It takes 4 before you
answer question. Yes.
And marriage. You have to think about those
things. Don't you Don't you before you
have to say. Now, I've got a file of dating,
I've got to ask myself, do I want to stop dating?
You know. Some girls.
And guys, they don't want to stop dating when they get
married. That's really bad.
But we know when we get married, what we say is your it?
You're the only one. I'm going to be looking to.
This is the only relationship I'm going to have in this world
in marriage whenever it comes to God.
We've got to love him with all of our heart soul, mind and
strength and it's costly. It means forsaking all others
but my friends. Oh, the joy that comes from
having a pure and wonderful relationship with God.
Tonight, you will not have any more one.
A relationship than the one you will have.
If you will give up your love of the world.
There is no sin worth exchanging heaven, for I don't care what's
in, you've got in your life, you might be saying, I'd like to be
a Christian but Glenn, I love this sin too much to give out.
Is it really worth your soul? Is it really worth eternity?
My friends, God loves you, Jesus died for you and he is calling
for you with all the everything that he can God Gave You
evidence that. He loves you.
So he wants you to go to heaven. He wants you to be saved the
grace of God is extended, but you've got to make the choice.
God's not going to force you to marry him.
You've got to say, yes. So in your faith, repent of your
sins tonight forsake. All others confess your name
before men confess his, excuse me, his name before.
Men, Matthew 10:32, and allow yourself to be submerged in
water and have your sins washed away like Paul Acts 22:16 arise,
be baptized and wash away your sins.
Tonight, won't you have your sins washed away Acts 22:16?
Like Paul you can tonight. you can, if you will We thank you
for listening to our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ
at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you
would like any additional information or you would like to
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