August 04, 2024
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The Shepherd's Voice Podcast
Do Not Love The World
During your Bible, we're gonna start in the book of 1st John, but most of our passage is gonna be in the book of Genesis chapter 13. First part of our message, we're gonna be going through a lot of scripture. So most of it will be on the overhead and I'll read it to you. So I just don't want you to get lost going back and forth. We're gonna start in 1st John chapter two. And as you're turning there, I don't know if you guys remember, but in 2020, they had the reopening of Lego world. And it was really a big deal. People lined up for blocks. So what are you, what washes up on the shores of very small beaches? Microwaves. Microwaves. Amen. This morning, I wanna talk about not loving the world. 1st John chapter two, verse 15. The Bible tells us 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. Do not love the world. The church today, and I'm talking about the church in general. Again, the church isn't this building. It's the body of believers. The church today has become worldly to the point that it's often hard to tell between the two. We've heard the phrase separation of church and state, right? Well, I believe what we need to hear more of is separation of the world from the church, amen? The church has been negatively influenced by the world. Now, as we read here in 1st John chapter two, do not love the world. That word world is the Greek word cosmos. Cosmos means systematic order. So when the Bible tells us do not love the world, do not love the cosmos, it's not talking about this planet, amen? We all know in the book of Genesis that God made this planet. God made the earth and said it was what? Good. So we know He's not talking about the planet. Every beautiful sunset, every beautiful flower and waterfall, they are all the handy work of Almighty God. Indeed, this planet is good. When the Bible tells us do not love the world, do not love the cosmos, it's also not talking about its people. Amen? The Bible is very clear about God's love for people. We all know the great John 3.16, amen? For God so loved the world, for God so loved the people of the world that He gave His only begotten Son, amen? The whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God so loved the people of the world. So when God says do not love the world, He's not talking about the planet or its people. What God is saying is do not love the cosmos, do not love its systematic order, do not love its world system. We are not to love this world's system. Why? Because it's controlled by Satan and it's an ungodly system. For example, we speak of the world of sports or the world of finance. It's not speaking of people or a place, are we? When we use those phrases. It's speaking about a system, a cosmos. Ladies, this one's for you. Before you take one step out the door, you sit in front of the mirror or your vanity for hours doing what? What are you doing? (laughing) Charlie grew up an Italian family, didn't you? Oh, amen. You know why Italian men grow mustaches? So they can look like their moms. Oh, that's terrible. Debbie told me that one. Anyhow, you're putting on your makeup, your cosmetics. Amen, cosmetics comes from that same root word cosmos. It literally means you're putting your face in order. Right ladies? When you're putting your makeup on, you're putting your face in order. It's the same idea. God is warning us here that this world has a system. It has an order that the born again believer is not to love, period. We are to come out from it and be separate from it. That is what God's direction is for us, amen? So there are a few things we need to know about this world system. First and foremost, it has a prince, amen? John 1231. Jesus is now is the judgment of this world. Now the ruler or prince of this world will be cast out. John 1430. Jesus said, I will no longer talk much with you for the ruler, the prince of this world is coming and he has nothing in me. According to your translation, it might say ruler, it might say prince, but those words are used interchangeably. And we're all familiar with Ephesians 612. It says, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities. I want you to think about that word against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. That word principalities comes from that same word. It means a system that has a prince, a system that has a ruler over it. Satan has many demons. He has many fallen angels that do his bidding. He has an organizational network of worldly wickedness and he is its prince. He is its ruler. So this world has a prince. This world also has a philosophy. Satan has created an alluring network of deceitful ideas and values that are contrary to the word of God. 1 Corinthians 3 19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, he catches the wise in their own craftiness. That verse tells us two important things. Number one, that this world has its own wisdom. That's talking about its own philosophy, its own way of thinking. And secondly, God scoffs at it. God scoffs at this world's wisdom. 1 Corinthians chapter seven, verse 31. And those who use this world as not misusing it, for the form of this world is passing away. That word form means its fashion, its way of thinking. We see it being indoctrinated into our children in grade school. We see it being brainwashed into our youth in institutions and on social media. It appears innocent on the surface, but its philosophy is after the prince of this world, Satan himself. So this world has a prince. This world has a philosophy. And this world also has a purpose. Satan, through his worldly philosophy, reveals his purpose, his calculated plan. And that is simply hostility and hatred towards God, godly things, and the people of God, plain and simple. It's just utter disdain towards Christ and Christianity, John seven, seven. Jesus said, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify of it, that its works are evil." John 14, 17. Jesus said, "The spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you." This is why the unsaved are so easily deceived. Amen, we need to understand that. They're unable to see the spiritual things of God. This is a spiritual book, amen? And if we wanna understand it, we have to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open our spiritual eyes and ears to understand it, amen? It's a spiritual book and we need spiritual wisdom to understand it. John 15. Let's skip it down to verses 18 and 19. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own, yet because you were not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." A born-again believer will not be popular with this world, amen? We cannot be a friend of Jesus and a friend of this world at the same time. It's either one or the other. James 4-4, listen to what James says. At all errors and adultresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy with God. That's pretty plain languages, isn't it? Amen? This world system has a purpose and it is to deceive and turn every heart against holy and righteous God. Amen? Satan revealed his plan right in the Garden of Eden. When he tried to paint God in Eve's eyes as an unloving God, a God who's not nice, a God who withholds, and he deceived Eve into eating that forbidden fruit. And he has the same purpose today with us, and it's to turn our hearts against a holy, righteous and loving God. Lastly, this world has also, it has a prince, it has a philosophy, it has a purpose, and it also has a people. Amen? A people. Look at Luke. 16. Skip down to verse eight. Jesus said for the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. Again, as believers, we are in the world, but we are not of the world. We've been twice born into a new heavenly home. Amen? The world is still once born. We've been twice born. We've been born again into the family of God. Separation from this world and separation unto Jesus Christ is the duty of every child of God. Amen? Every born-again believer. Romans 12, too. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. So bottom line, as a child of God, we ought to be in conflict with this world. Amen? Not in collusion with it, but we need to be in collision with it. Amen? Our ideas, our beliefs will be contrary to those of this world. We need to understand that this world, this same world that crucified Christ, will be after us when we stand up for Him and for what is right according to the word of God. Amen? We need to understand that. Now, I want us to shift into our main piece of scripture in our message today. Genesis chapter 13, if you'll turn your Bibles there, we'll start at verse one. Then Abram went up from Egypt. He and his wife and all that he had and lot with him to the south. Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver and in gold. And he went on his journey from the south as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar, which he had made there at first, and their Abram called on the name of the Lord. Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents. Now, the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together. And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's livestock and the herdsmen of Lot's livestock, the Canaanites and the parasites then dwell in the land. So Abram said to Lot, "Please let there be no strife between you and me, "and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, "for we are brethren. "Is not the whole land before you? "Please separate from me. "If you take the left, "then I will go to the right. "Or if you go to the right, "then I will go to the left." Verse 10, "And Lot lifted his eyes "and saw all the plain of Jordan, "that it was well watered everywhere, "that is before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, "like the garden of the Lord, "like the land of Egypt as you go towards Zorar. "Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, "and Lot journeyed east, "and they separated from each other. "Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, "and Lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, "and he pitched his tent even as far as Sodom. "But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked "and sinful against the Lord." The Bible, we need to understand as we're reading here and some of us are familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot and Abram. But we need to understand that the Bible calls Lot a righteous man. That means that Lot loved God. However, we also need to understand he tried to be a friend to the world, didn't he? And this gets him into big trouble. You see, after this turf war between Lot and Abram, wise uncle Abraham steps up and he tells Lot, "Look, you choose where you want to live. "Wherever you choose, I'll go in the opposite direction "so that we can have peace in our family." So Lot chooses to what? Pitch his tent towards where? Towards Sodom. Amen. First thing I want us to understand, I want us to pick up here is that this world has its charm. The place that Lot chose was beautiful. It was absolutely charming, but it was also a lorry. But as the Bible tells us, Sodom was a haven for all that is an abomination to holy and righteous God. Sodom had one very prominent sin against God. And that was the sin of homosexuality. And we need to understand that homosexuality is contrary to God and his word. Leviticus chapter 18. Verse 22, God says, "You shall not lie with a male, "as with a woman. "It is an abomination." We need to understand, irregardless of how we feel about this topic, irregardless of who we know that is caught up in its lifestyle, holy God is the one who has set the standard for what is right and what is wrong, amen? That is the only standard that we have to go by. Now, on the other side, we also have to be careful not to treat the sin of homosexuality different from any other sin that you and I are guilty of. Amen? The Bible makes it very clear that we're all what? We are all sinners, amen? Every single one of us, we are all sinners. I've heard Christians say through the years that, look, I want an invite or, or I want and welcome a homosexual into our church. Listen, that's not being Christ-like, amen? Jesus ate with sinners, plain and simple. First and foremost, we're not the judge of anybody, amen? Judgment is reserved for God and God alone, period. Secondly, let me tell you something, there is no better place for anybody, regardless of their past, regardless of what sins they're guilty of, than the house of God, amen? There is no better place for anybody than this church house, period. And as pastor, I can tell you that anyone is welcome to come into this church and hear the word of God, amen? Period. Now, with that being said, I'm also not gonna water down the word of God. I'm not gonna candy coat the word of God. God called me to preach the whole counsel of God, amen? I'm not gonna pick and choose which subjects I'm gonna preach. I'm gonna preach what God puts on my heart. And therefore, that's where we are today. Look at Romans chapter one. A lot of people say, well, that passage in Leviticus, that's the Old Testament, doesn't apply today. Well, let's go into the New Testament. Romans chapter one, verse 24. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worship and serve the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever, amen? For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use of their bodies for what is against nature. Likewise, also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one for another, men with men committing what is shameful and receiving them to themselves, the penalty of their error, which was due. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind to do those things which are not fitting. Being filled with all unrighteous, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceitful, evil mindedness, they are whispers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventor of evil things, disobedient to parents, undeserving, are undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful, who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them. We need to understand that these verses are a parallel to verse 13 in the book of Genesis chapter 13 that we open with. And this is exactly where we find lots. In the land of Sodom with all of its beauty, its charm, and its worldly allure, we need to understand that Sodom was Satan's masterpiece. It had the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Now this is important for us to understand because that same allure, that blinded lot, is the same allure, the same temptations that try to pull us in today. Amen? This world has its alluring charm, no matter if you're saved or unsaved. Remember, lots was a righteous man the Bible calls him. He was a man of God. Second thing I want us to see, not only does this world have its charm, but this world also has its controlling power. Remember what we read in Romans 12 too, that we are not to be conformed to this world. If we're not careful, if we're not mindful, this world will subtly grab hold of us and conform us into its sinful image, just as it did last. One small compromise will lead to another, and then to another, and then to another. Let me outline the steps, those compromises that lot made that allowed him to be controlled by this world. The first step is direction. To go back to Genesis 13, our original text. Just skip down to verse 12. "Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, "and lot dwelt in the cities of the plain, "and he pitched his tent as far as Sodom." You see, Lot was moving in the direction of Sodom. He was moving in the direction of the ungodly. We have to be careful not to let our guard down and allow this world to attract us in the wrong direction. Lot's direction was what? Down, down, down towards Sodom, amen? Secondly, second step is decision. Verse 12, skip to, go to Genesis chapter 14 real quick. Just flip over one chapter, Genesis 14 and verse 12. And Genesis 14 says, "They also took Lot, "Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, "and his goods and departed." Now, there's a quick little phrase in the middle there that said, who dwelt in Sodom. First, Lot was moving in the direction of Sodom. Remember, it said he pitched his tent towards Sodom. Now we've read in the very next chapter that he's actually living in Sodom. He's made that decision to live in Sodom. He kept making small compromise that allowed him to inch closer and closer to Sodom. And before long he was living right in its midst. He was living right in that city. This is exactly how we slipped into living in sin. It starts with that innocent step in the wrong direction followed by a bad decision, amen? Third step is deception, deception. You have one more here. Genesis 19, verse one. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he arose to meet them and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground. Now I want you to notice in that verse that Lot was now sitting in the gate of Sodom. We need to understand in Bible times the gate was the city's courthouse, so to speak. It was reserved for only the leaders of the city. Because of his constant exposure to sin, Lot became desensitized to it. What once he saw is sinful, what once he saw is unacceptable, now turned into, well, that's not so bad. It's just a different lifestyle. We hear that a lot, don't we? He went from outside looking in to now a citizen of the city of Sodom elevated to a position as a VIP as a city leader sitting in its gates. Lot went in the wrong direction, Lot made a bad decision and now he finds himself deceived. Remember, Lot was godly, he was a righteous man, but he gave Satan room to deceive him. Step four is destruction. I'm talking about his testimony, amen? Lot destroyed his testimony as a believer. Once in Sodom, Lot let his guard down and he compromised. This allowed him to become desensitized to sin. He then allows his family to settle in among that sinful society. They actually become part of the community and even refers to the men of Sodom as brothers, as brethren. He's compromised so much that Sodom has moved into him, amen? Third point I want us to see is that this world has its corruption. Staying in chapter 19. We see the two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting at the gate when Lot saw them, he arose to meet them and he bowed himself to this face toward the ground, verse two. And he said, "Here now, my lords, please turn into your servant's house and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you may rise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the open square." But Lot insisted strongly, so they turned into him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread and they ate. Now before they lay down, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter surrounded the house and they called to Lot and they said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally." We understand what that's talking about. They wanted to have sexual relations with these two angels, verse six. So Lot went out to them through the doorway and shut the door behind him. And he said, "Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly. See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Please let me bring them out to you and you may do to them as you wish. Only do nothing to these men since this is a reason that they have come under the shadow of my roof." It's pretty sad, isn't it? I can't even imagine. Here God sends two angels into Sodom to warn Lot that judgment is about to fall upon this sinful city. What we need to understand is that God has always, always given us warning that judgment is coming. Amen? What did he do in the days of Noah? He called upon Noah to preach and to warn the people for 120 years before he sent a flood waters of judgment, amen? Also, for the past 2,000 years, God has been calling pastors to stand in the pulpits to warn people to receive Christ as their Savior. That impending judgment is on its way, amen? And here Lot has drifted so far from his Savior's side that he offers up his own daughters to the world. As a father, I can't imagine falling to that point. These angels tell Lot that they have come to destroy Sodom. They were there to tell him to get out that God's judgment is coming. I don't know about you, but if two angels showed up at my house in the middle of the night telling me that God's judgment is coming, I'm scooping up my family on the spot and we're leaving that same night, amen? But not Lot. Look at verse 15. "When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying arise, take your wife and your daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city." Look at verse 16. "And while he lingered, the men, the angels took hold of his hand, his wife's hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city." Lot lingered. The angels had to literally drag him out of Sodom. So the question is why in the world would Lot linger? Simply put, he had grown to love Sodom, and it became hard for him to leave. It's a lore, amen? Sodom had gotten into Lot. This world crept into his life, then into his heart, amen? It had a stranglehold upon him, and we need to understand the full extent of the danger because it wasn't just on him. Look at verse 17. So it came to pass when they had brought them outside, that the angels said, "Escape for your life. Do not look behind you, nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains unless you be destroyed." Skip down to verse 26. But Lot's wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. Not only did Lot's bad decision affect him, but it also affected his entire family, more so than just what we read here. You see, if we keep reading at the end of chapter 19, the Bible tells us that his daughters get him drunk so that they could sleep with their own father. Sin destroyed Lot's entire family. Not just his wife, but also his daughters. And that's exactly how sin always ends with lives destroyed by corruption, amen? And I want to end on this point. The world will pay a great cost. What was the cost that Sodom paid for its sin? Look at verse 24 and 25. Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of the heavens. So he overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities and what grew on the ground. They paid the full wrath and judgment of Holy God. And just as God sent those two angels to warn of the coming judgment, I stand before you today doing the same thing. God's judgment is coming and coming soon. Luke chapter 17. Skipping down to verse 28. Listen to what Jesus said. He said likewise as it was also in the days of Lot. They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built. But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Jesus is telling us to say just as sin had become commonplace, just as sin had become acceptable in Lot's day in Sodom, the same will happen in the last days. What's happening right before our very eyes? Every imaginable sin has now become acceptable to this world. Amen? Look at all the church houses. The majority of church house, you have more empty pews than you have filled pews. Why? Because of the allure of this world. Second Peter chapter two, verse six. Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly and delivered righteous Lot who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked. Jude seven. As Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. God tells the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. We need to understand that God doesn't candycoat sin, amen? God records every despicable sin in his word. And he gives us the account of Sodom and Gomorrah as an example, as a warning for all of us, amen? Lot loved the world and it cost him dearly. Number one, it cost him his fellowship with God, amen? He moved further away from God, the closer he moved to Sodom. If you go back and read through the chapters of the account of Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, you're going to notice something. As Lot moved towards Sodom, God no longer spoke to Lot did he? He then spoke to Abraham only. We only see conversations between God and Abraham no longer between God and Lot. Why? Because God or because Lot moved away from God. Lot chose the world and it cost him his fellowship with God. Secondly, it cost him his family. His wife turned to a pillar of Sod and his daughters get him drunk to sleep with him. He lost his entire family. Now when we read these passages closely, it indicates that his family rejected God and that means they're suffering in hell today because of Lot's decisions, amen? A Christian who is living, a Christian who is accepting ungodly lifestyle is more of a stumbling block to their family than the world is. Do we understand that? A Christian who was living or accepting ungodly lifestyle is more of a danger, a stumbling block to his family than the world is. Our families see our hypocrisy. The unchurched in our family, if they continue to see hypocrisy, they say, you know what, if that's being a Christian, I don't want to be part of it. If your parents, if you found yourself drifted away into that simple place for the sake of your family, get away from those things. Get away from the things of this world and get into the Word of God, amen? Don't make the same devastating mistake of traveling the path of Lot. Give your heart to God, not to the world. [BLANK_AUDIO]