WEBVTT 00:00:00.840 --> 00:00:04.160 Good morning, everyone. It's delightful to be 00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:05.519 with you this morning. If we haven't met, my 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:08.240 name is Scott. Last time I was here, I would 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:10.580 begin by saying I'm from Vic Park, Presbyterian. 00:00:11.240 --> 00:00:14.259 But you guys took Mark from Bull Creek, and so 00:00:14.259 --> 00:00:17.140 a hole was emptied up there. So I've moved from 00:00:17.140 --> 00:00:19.339 Vic Park to Bull Creek. So to some degree, it's 00:00:19.339 --> 00:00:24.660 like, thank you. My life has changed because 00:00:24.660 --> 00:00:27.140 of what you guys have done. So it's great that 00:00:27.140 --> 00:00:31.739 we can all... be connected and serve. Yeah, it'd 00:00:31.739 --> 00:00:34.100 be great for you to have the passage of One John 00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:37.259 open this morning. And yeah, it was a great delight 00:00:37.259 --> 00:00:39.060 to hear that you guys are going through One John 00:00:39.060 --> 00:00:41.000 because it is a book that I've spent a lot of 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.179 time in. And so it's great to kind of, yeah, 00:00:44.780 --> 00:00:48.280 see and be in God's Word and delight in that 00:00:48.280 --> 00:00:53.079 together. As we begin, let me paint a picture 00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:57.939 for you. You know, it's a normal day, you get 00:00:57.939 --> 00:01:00.479 a phone call, you kind of don't recognise the 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:03.060 number, and so you kind of go, oh, maybe it's 00:01:03.060 --> 00:01:05.420 that relative from the East or that friend. So 00:01:05.420 --> 00:01:09.599 you pick it up, it's not them. It's not your 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:11.159 friend, it's someone from a company that you 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:14.659 recognise the name of, and they say, oh, there's 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:17.799 this problem with your system, or maybe this 00:01:17.799 --> 00:01:21.180 thing, we just need some details from you. Maybe 00:01:21.180 --> 00:01:24.799 there's even something in for you. It's not them. 00:01:25.069 --> 00:01:30.069 No, no, that's a scam. Or here, another one for 00:01:30.069 --> 00:01:33.510 you. You get an email. There's a great deal opening 00:01:33.510 --> 00:01:36.250 up. There's a business just about to start booming, 00:01:36.329 --> 00:01:42.170 and this is your chance to buy in. No, no, that's 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:46.269 another scam. Or you're online, and a friend 00:01:46.269 --> 00:01:49.310 request comes from someone on Facebook. Pretty 00:01:49.310 --> 00:01:51.819 attractive. They want to start a relationship 00:01:51.819 --> 00:01:55.040 with you. They seem to like all of the really 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:58.719 specific things that you like. And they're really 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:01.719 keen to get to know you and see you. They're 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:03.480 in a different part of the country, so they need 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:06.280 plane tickets. And can you help them pay for 00:02:06.280 --> 00:02:12.939 that? No, no, that's another scam. Here's a scary 00:02:12.939 --> 00:02:15.840 statistic for you. In Australia just this year 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:21.689 so far, $147 million... have been lost in Australia 00:02:21.689 --> 00:02:26.229 to scams. There are evil people out there using 00:02:26.229 --> 00:02:29.909 the internet to contact and coerce, confuse and 00:02:29.909 --> 00:02:32.289 steal money from people who just thought that 00:02:32.289 --> 00:02:38.009 maybe this was their break. Devastating. Millions 00:02:38.009 --> 00:02:43.710 of dollars going somewhere. What was offered 00:02:43.710 --> 00:02:49.090 up ended up being empty. It was a trap. It was 00:02:49.090 --> 00:02:53.090 a temptation that ended up being treacherous. 00:02:55.150 --> 00:02:56.849 But here's another scam for you that's running 00:02:56.849 --> 00:03:00.930 out through the entire world. It captures billions 00:03:00.930 --> 00:03:04.669 of people every year and tempts everyone to join 00:03:04.669 --> 00:03:09.909 in. And that's the scam of the world, of sin, 00:03:10.069 --> 00:03:13.590 which sets itself against God and His Word. And 00:03:13.590 --> 00:03:17.389 it is tricky and deceptive. It says to those 00:03:17.389 --> 00:03:20.889 that know God, actually, you can know God and 00:03:20.889 --> 00:03:24.969 do what you want. You can know God and enjoy 00:03:24.969 --> 00:03:28.810 sin. It calls out to those that love God, like, 00:03:28.889 --> 00:03:31.870 you know, come here, come taste and see, like, 00:03:32.069 --> 00:03:38.689 how bad could it be? It's a scam. And it deceives 00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:44.250 the world. And John here in our letter says, 00:03:44.370 --> 00:03:50.370 you know, be aware. Don't give in. It's kind 00:03:50.370 --> 00:03:54.349 of a big theme in 1 John is Christians as they 00:03:54.349 --> 00:03:56.889 live in a world of sin. How are they going to 00:03:56.889 --> 00:03:59.810 fight it? John doesn't want you to be deceived. 00:03:59.849 --> 00:04:01.969 He's written, just in the previous section, to 00:04:01.969 --> 00:04:05.090 fathers and sons, right? Telling them, know who 00:04:05.090 --> 00:04:07.129 you are, because who you are affects what you 00:04:07.129 --> 00:04:10.729 should do. And John is kind of like the older, 00:04:10.969 --> 00:04:13.509 wiser man in the family. Comes to his flock, 00:04:13.590 --> 00:04:16.199 to his... church family, kind of gently puts 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:19.899 his arm around them and says, like, know that 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:25.160 it's a scam. Don't give in. And as you've gone 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:27.319 through One John, have you noticed his methodology? 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:32.079 He's teaching you through repetition. You get 00:04:32.079 --> 00:04:33.360 to another section, you kind of go, oh, this 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:38.860 sounds familiar. Didn't we not just do this? 00:04:47.189 --> 00:04:48.810 Here's a picture for that. I don't know if you've 00:04:48.810 --> 00:04:51.410 been to a shop that sells Lego recently. There's 00:04:51.410 --> 00:04:53.569 kind of two kinds. There's the one where there's 00:04:53.569 --> 00:04:56.110 just all the boxes and that's kind of, that's 00:04:56.110 --> 00:04:58.170 all right. There's still Lego there. The other 00:04:58.170 --> 00:04:59.850 kind is the one that kind of really wants to 00:04:59.850 --> 00:05:03.209 put on display that they are building Lego. There's 00:05:03.209 --> 00:05:05.509 the kind of, I've got a picture from my mum recently. 00:05:05.810 --> 00:05:08.769 It's her standing next to a life -size Darth 00:05:08.769 --> 00:05:11.569 Vader from Star Wars, completely made out of 00:05:11.569 --> 00:05:15.500 Lego. It was just like, that's pretty cool. But 00:05:15.500 --> 00:05:17.680 another funny one that I saw recently at a shop 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:22.939 was kind of a meter high statue of just a big 00:05:22.939 --> 00:05:26.000 blue Lego block. Like it was just like this one 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:29.180 big brick made out of what I imagine was thousands 00:05:29.180 --> 00:05:31.920 and thousands of kind of smaller bricks all put 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:36.420 together. And I think that's what Juan John is 00:05:36.420 --> 00:05:39.060 right. Like he's got the same argument time and 00:05:39.060 --> 00:05:41.000 time again. Look at the Christian and the world. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.000 Look at the Christian and sin. And it's kind 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.449 of All these bricks together till you get the 00:05:45.449 --> 00:05:48.290 one big picture about how the Christian should 00:05:48.290 --> 00:05:53.189 live in this world and respond to sin. All those 00:05:53.189 --> 00:05:55.990 blocks together get us to see in good detail 00:05:55.990 --> 00:05:59.790 each scenario. And today we're looking at the 00:05:59.790 --> 00:06:04.970 Christian as he lives in the world. He's already 00:06:04.970 --> 00:06:07.149 pushed back against a whole lot of other wrong 00:06:07.149 --> 00:06:09.769 teachings though. He's pushed back against that 00:06:09.769 --> 00:06:12.009 the Christians don't need to think about sin. 00:06:12.609 --> 00:06:14.569 They don't need to care. He's pushed back against 00:06:14.569 --> 00:06:17.129 it. They said, no. He's pushed back against the 00:06:17.129 --> 00:06:18.569 lies that Christians can think that they can 00:06:18.569 --> 00:06:20.370 get to the point where they don't sin anymore. 00:06:20.589 --> 00:06:26.250 He said, no, that's not right. And also that 00:06:26.250 --> 00:06:28.769 they can be completely free from sin or have 00:06:28.769 --> 00:06:31.649 sin nature. He said, no, those aren't correct 00:06:31.649 --> 00:06:35.129 views. Again, again, those are just the blocks 00:06:35.129 --> 00:06:38.269 that get put together as we see how the Christian 00:06:38.269 --> 00:06:43.500 should live in this world. And here's one more 00:06:43.500 --> 00:06:46.220 block for you, the Christian in the world. We've 00:06:46.220 --> 00:06:49.759 got three verses today, 1 John chapter 2 verses 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:52.959 15 through to 17. So three verses, we've got 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.540 three points. They're in your outline. It's the 00:06:56.540 --> 00:07:00.660 love of the world, the desires of the world, 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:03.959 and then we'll finish with eternal satisfaction. 00:07:06.420 --> 00:07:09.800 Alright, so let's begin verse 15, the scam of 00:07:09.800 --> 00:07:12.670 the world. See that verse 15, like, do not love 00:07:12.670 --> 00:07:15.050 the world or the things in the world. If anyone 00:07:15.050 --> 00:07:18.209 loves the world, the love of the Father is not 00:07:18.209 --> 00:07:22.230 in him. John begins as a command, but as I said 00:07:22.230 --> 00:07:25.069 before, John is the older man with his arms around 00:07:25.069 --> 00:07:27.290 you, kind of with his family saying, come, like, 00:07:27.569 --> 00:07:29.850 let's think about this clearly. I'm warning you 00:07:29.850 --> 00:07:31.990 about the things that I've seen and experienced 00:07:31.990 --> 00:07:35.569 in my wisdom. Hear and see these potential dangers. 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:39.100 You know, he's talked to children and fathers 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:41.199 and said, like, you know, I'm speaking to you, 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:45.939 you know who you are, and so hear them. He speaks 00:07:45.939 --> 00:07:49.160 to them as their shepherd. And he warns them 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:52.480 about their heart. You know, do not love the 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:55.339 world. This is about their love. This isn't about 00:07:55.339 --> 00:07:57.199 John just saying kind of like, oh, you know, 00:07:57.480 --> 00:08:00.980 back in my day, or the world isn't like it used 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:04.139 to be. And this isn't John saying that you can 00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:07.980 hate people right. What John is particularly 00:08:07.980 --> 00:08:11.720 on about here is what has captured your heart. 00:08:14.339 --> 00:08:17.959 What's motivating you, what pulls you, what you 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:21.079 truly desire, kind of at your deepest core. If 00:08:21.079 --> 00:08:23.680 you're an onionist, we've peeled back layer after 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:26.800 layer and we look at the core. What is in there? 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:28.959 If you were a car, we've lifted up the hood, 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:30.779 we've looked at the engine, we're seeing what's 00:08:30.779 --> 00:08:34.340 fuelling that engine. If you were a plant... 00:08:34.399 --> 00:08:37.419 that draws life from its roots, where are those 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:45.279 roots sunk in? And John says, is that the world? 00:08:48.139 --> 00:08:50.720 And by world here, I think John doesn't mean 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:55.399 what he means in John 3, 16. We've had that there. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:57.620 It is a very, very helpful passage for us, because 00:08:57.620 --> 00:08:59.460 it is saying a lot of the same thing. But there, 00:08:59.779 --> 00:09:02.379 the world is the people, particularly, that God 00:09:02.379 --> 00:09:07.450 has come to save. Here, though, the world is 00:09:07.450 --> 00:09:10.269 the place that God has saved people from. Kind 00:09:10.269 --> 00:09:13.889 of the sin, the place that tempts, that blinds, 00:09:13.950 --> 00:09:18.470 that enslaves people. Here, don't love the world 00:09:18.470 --> 00:09:22.370 is don't love sin and sinfulness. All that tempts 00:09:22.370 --> 00:09:26.129 you in this world, that's in opposition to God. 00:09:29.269 --> 00:09:32.909 John is calling the church. and saying, as he 00:09:32.909 --> 00:09:35.590 says again and again and again, if Jesus has 00:09:35.590 --> 00:09:39.169 saved you, if He saved you from the world, if 00:09:39.169 --> 00:09:41.850 He's taking you out of the darkness, if He's 00:09:41.850 --> 00:09:43.929 taking you out of your shame and your sin and 00:09:43.929 --> 00:09:48.370 your failings, run from them, don't run back 00:09:48.370 --> 00:09:55.129 to them. A vivid picture of this, I think, is 00:09:55.129 --> 00:09:59.789 from Sodom and Gomorrah. The city that is truly 00:09:59.789 --> 00:10:04.259 at the depths of vileness and debauchery. You 00:10:04.259 --> 00:10:06.299 know, two angels come to the city and they're 00:10:06.299 --> 00:10:08.379 intercepted by Lot, kind of at the gate, and 00:10:08.379 --> 00:10:12.299 he takes them into his care. But as night falls, 00:10:12.519 --> 00:10:16.159 the men of the city kind of come barging in and 00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:21.799 attempt to rape them. The angels blind the men 00:10:21.799 --> 00:10:23.580 and basically grab Lot and his family and say, 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:25.580 like, it's time to go. This city's going to be 00:10:25.580 --> 00:10:29.100 destroyed and you must flee. And they do. You 00:10:29.100 --> 00:10:32.039 know, Lot and his wife and his children, they 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:36.879 flee to the hills. But there's the painful part 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:42.019 of the story where Lot's wife turned back. She 00:10:42.019 --> 00:10:46.120 looked back. And she became a pillar of salt. 00:10:47.139 --> 00:10:50.059 She was in the arms of salvation leaving the 00:10:50.059 --> 00:10:55.889 city, but her heart was back there. It's like 00:10:55.889 --> 00:10:58.990 a worldly form of repentance, kind of Christians 00:10:58.990 --> 00:11:01.850 rush in sorrow and sadness turn from our sin, 00:11:02.389 --> 00:11:06.009 but she in sadness turned back to the city of 00:11:06.009 --> 00:11:11.809 sin. That's where her heart was. And in the Bible, 00:11:11.909 --> 00:11:15.330 God is never satisfied with just the presence 00:11:15.330 --> 00:11:21.620 of His people. He wants their hearts. And actually 00:11:21.620 --> 00:11:24.659 loving the world, having it be your desire, your 00:11:24.659 --> 00:11:28.340 goal is a sign of separation from Him rather 00:11:28.340 --> 00:11:32.200 than salvation. Do you see that in verse, in 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:35.480 the second part of verse 15? If anyone loves 00:11:35.480 --> 00:11:39.899 the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:46.019 And here the love of the Father, as we kind of 00:11:46.019 --> 00:11:48.639 saw a few weeks back in verse 5, is the love 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:53.529 that we have for our Father. You can't love the 00:11:53.529 --> 00:11:58.929 world and God. But the world says that you can, 00:11:59.110 --> 00:12:02.330 right? But let me paint this picture for you. 00:12:03.029 --> 00:12:05.970 It's a beautiful wedding day. The sun is shining. 00:12:06.190 --> 00:12:08.429 The flowers are kind of in full bloom. You chose 00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:11.950 the perfect day. The bride and the groom are 00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:16.009 there. It's time for their vows. And the bride 00:12:16.009 --> 00:12:19.919 is beautiful. Dress up hair. Just... Perfect 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:22.899 makeup, you know, on point. Everyone's like, 00:12:22.980 --> 00:12:25.639 wow. And the groom, everyone's like, oh, you 00:12:25.639 --> 00:12:29.679 did a good job. But it's a beautiful picture. 00:12:30.340 --> 00:12:32.879 And they're there, and they make deep promises 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:36.279 to each other, don't they? You know, it's, I 00:12:36.279 --> 00:12:41.279 will love only you. You have my heart. And like, 00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:45.259 in that moment, as they exchange vows, it's beautiful. 00:12:47.820 --> 00:12:51.299 And we know that there's a deep, deep problem 00:12:51.299 --> 00:12:54.519 if they share that love that they should have 00:12:54.519 --> 00:13:00.820 for one another with any other. That's adultery. 00:13:01.740 --> 00:13:04.980 It's betrayal. It's devastating because it gets 00:13:04.980 --> 00:13:09.299 to the core of who people are. And it's so destructive. 00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:16.100 And God wants us to give our hearts to Him. If 00:13:16.100 --> 00:13:18.419 the world has your heart, if it has the core 00:13:18.419 --> 00:13:21.059 of your being, every time there's a temptation, 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:24.440 every time you face sin, you will follow your 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:28.399 heart and your life will be painted by that. 00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:30.899 Your life won't be distinct from the world, it 00:13:30.899 --> 00:13:35.039 will be directed by it. And John here says, there's 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:39.840 a warning, it's a command, turn back, don't be 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:44.049 deceived. Jesus' own words along these lines 00:13:44.049 --> 00:13:53.929 are you cannot love God and money. Let's look 00:13:53.929 --> 00:13:55.610 at the other side of this and this is kind of 00:13:55.610 --> 00:13:58.029 what I want us to see what the passage is not 00:13:58.029 --> 00:14:01.570 saying though. In kind of the time that I've 00:14:01.570 --> 00:14:03.570 had doing ministry I've caught up with a number 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:07.370 of guys and I would often take them to one John. 00:14:08.490 --> 00:14:13.080 Love one John because John says hard things, 00:14:13.259 --> 00:14:20.379 really clearly. But what is verse 15 saying? 00:14:21.299 --> 00:14:25.279 If you're struggling with sin, what does it say 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:27.620 to the one that is struggling with sin? The one 00:14:27.620 --> 00:14:30.820 who has an indwelling sin, one that they're trying 00:14:30.820 --> 00:14:34.539 to kill, but they're constantly failing, they're 00:14:34.539 --> 00:14:37.980 constantly returning to it, but they like, they 00:14:37.980 --> 00:14:42.870 hate it. Are they, as John puts it here, are 00:14:42.870 --> 00:14:47.850 they without God's love in them? I don't think 00:14:47.850 --> 00:14:50.450 that's what John is saying here. Because for 00:14:50.450 --> 00:14:52.629 many of these guys who have caught up with them, 00:14:53.710 --> 00:14:56.409 they do live in a world of sin, they are tempted 00:14:56.409 --> 00:15:01.409 by sin, they do fail. But like John is clear, 00:15:02.450 --> 00:15:05.720 we do have an advocate. We do have a Redeemer. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:07.460 That's what we saw in the first eight verses 00:15:07.460 --> 00:15:09.779 of this chapter. We have someone who cleanses 00:15:09.779 --> 00:15:12.679 us from all sin if we would come and repent. 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:17.759 If we come hating our sin that we've fallen into, 00:15:17.799 --> 00:15:20.480 that we were tempted by, that did capture our 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.039 hearts, turn from it, come and lamenting in our 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.460 weakness and our failing. And I would say to 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:28.700 all of these guys, the fact that you repent, 00:15:28.860 --> 00:15:30.620 the fact that you're constantly turning from 00:15:30.620 --> 00:15:34.120 your sin is not a sign of godlessness. but is 00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:38.700 a sign of God working in you, a sign of God's 00:15:38.700 --> 00:15:41.519 love in them, His Spirit working, shaping them, 00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:44.139 making them more like Christ, though they live 00:15:44.139 --> 00:15:49.580 in a world that's constantly drawing them. And 00:15:49.580 --> 00:15:53.019 John, sort of here, always wants to point us 00:15:53.019 --> 00:15:56.580 back to the cross, points us back to God's love 00:15:56.580 --> 00:15:59.779 and mercy and forgiveness, and see what was paid 00:15:59.779 --> 00:16:02.419 there and know that we can come back to our Father. 00:16:03.690 --> 00:16:06.610 that Jesus comes to us in our weakness and failing 00:16:06.610 --> 00:16:10.070 and he knows that he, John says that he will 00:16:10.070 --> 00:16:16.730 meet us there and draw us in. Like when our hearts 00:16:16.730 --> 00:16:22.029 are wavering, Jesus' is not. His heart doesn't 00:16:22.029 --> 00:16:27.529 waver for us. He loves us so deeply. We can turn 00:16:27.529 --> 00:16:31.169 and run to him, seek mercy and strength in the 00:16:31.169 --> 00:16:37.690 one that we do love. But don't give in to the 00:16:37.690 --> 00:16:41.830 scam. Don't think that there's no need to repent. 00:16:43.169 --> 00:16:46.029 Our passage is clear that you can't see sin as 00:16:46.029 --> 00:16:48.789 safe. You can't see porn as palatable, gossip 00:16:48.789 --> 00:16:53.370 and greed as good, lying as laughable. You can't 00:16:53.370 --> 00:16:58.009 love them and God. The warning here screams out 00:16:58.009 --> 00:17:02.049 at the same time as God's mercy rings out. For 00:17:02.049 --> 00:17:04.849 those that have chosen to stop fighting, You 00:17:04.849 --> 00:17:08.950 need to turn back. You can't live with it. You 00:17:08.950 --> 00:17:13.009 can't love it. And John says, don't be scammed. 00:17:14.230 --> 00:17:18.690 You can't do it. It's a poison, and it affects 00:17:18.690 --> 00:17:25.230 all of you and your desires. Come to our second 00:17:25.230 --> 00:17:26.710 point, because John's going to draw some really 00:17:26.710 --> 00:17:28.849 specifics then. He's talked about this love of 00:17:28.849 --> 00:17:31.589 the world, but what does that look like? Well, 00:17:31.589 --> 00:17:36.180 let's see that in verse 16. trusting desires. 00:17:37.680 --> 00:17:40.059 Verse 16, For all that is in the world, the desires 00:17:40.059 --> 00:17:42.680 of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:46.420 pride of life, is not from the Father, but is 00:17:46.420 --> 00:17:51.180 from the world. And it kind of draws us in. Is 00:17:51.180 --> 00:17:55.740 what the world offers us good? Are they from 00:17:55.740 --> 00:18:00.799 God or are they not? Think about our world. Our 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:03.140 world wants you to kind of give in to every desire 00:18:03.140 --> 00:18:06.319 that you have. Has that led to a more stable 00:18:06.319 --> 00:18:10.920 society? Is justice flourishing? Do families 00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:15.119 thrive? Are the weakest and meekest cared for? 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:20.420 Is our world moving towards God and what God 00:18:20.420 --> 00:18:26.380 commands or a way? John calls us not to be scammed. 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:29.220 It's not simply think that our desires, because 00:18:29.220 --> 00:18:31.740 our bodies came from God, are kind of authentic 00:18:31.740 --> 00:18:34.700 and godly, but to see that actually our bodies 00:18:34.700 --> 00:18:38.299 and our desires reflect the world that they spring 00:18:38.299 --> 00:18:43.079 from. I was never really a big fan of mushrooms, 00:18:43.380 --> 00:18:45.500 but like the mushroom trial has kind of really 00:18:45.500 --> 00:18:50.500 increased my suspicion of mushrooms. And part 00:18:50.500 --> 00:18:51.900 of that is, I think because that's where they 00:18:51.900 --> 00:18:54.970 grow, like where do they grow? Mushrooms grow 00:18:54.970 --> 00:19:01.130 in like the deepest darkest dankest kind of You 00:19:01.130 --> 00:19:04.630 know and so I should be suspicious that's where 00:19:04.630 --> 00:19:10.309 they kind of grow and We too should be suspicious 00:19:10.309 --> 00:19:15.569 of our desires as we live in this world So many 00:19:15.569 --> 00:19:18.190 of our desires do not spring from a godly heart, 00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:22.269 but from the fact that we live in a godless world 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:31.779 But the three things John is going to say, and 00:19:31.779 --> 00:19:33.259 it's worth saying that I think the words that 00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:37.680 John chooses are perfect words. But because we 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:40.099 kind of have grown up in a kind of post -Christian 00:19:40.099 --> 00:19:42.759 country, the words that John says, I don't know 00:19:42.759 --> 00:19:45.099 that we necessarily jump to the right conclusions 00:19:45.099 --> 00:19:48.980 as to what they mean. What does he say? He says, 00:19:49.240 --> 00:19:51.420 the desires of the flesh, the desires of the 00:19:51.420 --> 00:19:53.299 eyes and the pride of life. I think for the first 00:19:53.299 --> 00:19:54.819 two, the desires of the flesh and the desires 00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:57.779 of the eyes, our minds jump and kind of like 00:19:57.779 --> 00:20:00.400 really limit what we think John's talking about. 00:20:00.500 --> 00:20:03.220 We kind of think, oh, John's just like talking 00:20:03.220 --> 00:20:06.960 about, you know, like sex. But I don't think 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:09.180 that's the focus of what John's talking about. 00:20:09.259 --> 00:20:13.319 I think it's included. But in our minds, because 00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:16.720 we live in post -Christian Australia, we limit 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:20.420 it. I think John's talking in broad terms. Because 00:20:20.420 --> 00:20:23.720 I think flesh here is referring to our mortal 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:27.960 bodies. I have a body that's made out of flesh, 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:32.460 and so do you. We are fleshly beings. We have 00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:37.900 bodies, and our bodies are fallen. Because of 00:20:37.900 --> 00:20:40.549 Adam's sin... We live in a world full of sin 00:20:40.549 --> 00:20:44.250 and our bodies are affected by that. Our desires 00:20:44.250 --> 00:20:48.410 are twisted. Not only are we moved towards sin, 00:20:48.450 --> 00:20:51.109 we live in a world of sin and that tempts us, 00:20:51.109 --> 00:20:54.710 it tempts us in our weakness. And John here is 00:20:54.710 --> 00:20:59.109 saying, don't be deceived by those desires. Don't 00:20:59.109 --> 00:21:02.410 give in to sexual temptation. the desires for 00:21:02.410 --> 00:21:05.529 all sorts of pleasures, to kind of hit that high, 00:21:05.609 --> 00:21:08.710 to follow the chemical trail of happiness that 00:21:08.710 --> 00:21:13.690 our body says is good. That is from the world 00:21:13.690 --> 00:21:17.630 and not from God. Same with the desires of the 00:21:17.630 --> 00:21:21.650 eyes. The drive to look outside of yourself at 00:21:21.650 --> 00:21:26.740 what others have. To envy, to covet. to lust 00:21:26.740 --> 00:21:29.059 that is kind of the desire to see more than what 00:21:29.059 --> 00:21:33.359 we should and to see the things that we shouldn't. 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:36.440 Like yes it's true that God made beauty but our 00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:38.819 eyes kind of take the fact that there is beauty 00:21:38.819 --> 00:21:41.559 out there as kind of like a license to do whatever 00:21:41.559 --> 00:21:46.660 it wants. And that's not from God, that's from 00:21:46.660 --> 00:21:56.289 our sinful nature. And that's to be not satisfied 00:21:56.289 --> 00:22:00.609 with what God has provided us with, but to compare 00:22:00.609 --> 00:22:05.009 to desire and to sin. John states that that's 00:22:05.009 --> 00:22:07.549 the pattern of the world, and that's not from 00:22:07.549 --> 00:22:11.349 our loving Heavenly Father. And then thirdly, 00:22:11.410 --> 00:22:14.369 the pride of life. If the first was the body 00:22:14.369 --> 00:22:17.029 and the second was to look outside, this third 00:22:17.029 --> 00:22:21.289 one is to look inward. to look at ourselves and 00:22:21.289 --> 00:22:24.750 see all that we have done and attribute it to 00:22:24.750 --> 00:22:29.410 me. Pride is like rightly the chief of all sins 00:22:29.410 --> 00:22:33.410 because it is idolatry of myself. As we worship 00:22:33.410 --> 00:22:36.809 ourselves and say how good is everything that 00:22:36.809 --> 00:22:40.930 I have done. Take King Nebuchadnezzar standing 00:22:40.930 --> 00:22:44.109 at the heights of Babylon and this was his phrase 00:22:44.109 --> 00:22:47.630 before he gets turned into a wild animal. Is 00:22:47.630 --> 00:22:51.529 this not the great Babylon I have built as the 00:22:51.529 --> 00:22:54.849 royal residence, by my mighty power and for the 00:22:54.849 --> 00:22:59.529 glory of my majesty? A kind of a false lifting 00:22:59.529 --> 00:23:04.430 up of oneself as all -important, as the chief 00:23:04.430 --> 00:23:07.349 and ruler of our lives, that it's me that did 00:23:07.349 --> 00:23:11.410 it, not at all a thought for the God who made 00:23:11.410 --> 00:23:13.910 us and sustains us and gives us each breath. 00:23:17.779 --> 00:23:21.660 Devoid of God, thinking that it's all for our 00:23:21.660 --> 00:23:26.319 glory and not His. But why has John done this? 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:29.079 Why has he shown us these things, these three 00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:31.420 particular temptations? Why has he kind of fleshed 00:23:31.420 --> 00:23:35.839 out these fleshly things? Well, verse 16 is explaining 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:38.599 verse 15. The kind of the love of the world is 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:45.960 seen here in all of its potential. And John takes 00:23:45.960 --> 00:23:48.799 us here because those things are what the world 00:23:48.799 --> 00:23:53.980 says will give you true satisfaction. Does not 00:23:53.980 --> 00:23:58.420 the world say, come, do this, give in to this, 00:23:58.539 --> 00:24:01.940 have you seen this? Or once you've achieved this 00:24:01.940 --> 00:24:05.059 then all your longings, your heart will be filled, 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:08.200 that relationship will fill you completely, that 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.319 hole in your chest, just come over here, do that, 00:24:11.720 --> 00:24:17.130 then you will finally feel full. The world says, 00:24:17.569 --> 00:24:21.569 keep going, dig deeper, try more, sleep around 00:24:21.569 --> 00:24:24.789 more, push more, achieve more, make your kids 00:24:24.789 --> 00:24:30.089 do more if you can't. And those are real temptations. 00:24:30.789 --> 00:24:35.509 And to be fair, they do appear shiny, but they 00:24:35.509 --> 00:24:39.170 never satisfy. John is here saying, look, it's 00:24:39.170 --> 00:24:43.819 a scam. They'll keep on taking. until it has 00:24:43.819 --> 00:24:46.240 your heart and all of you. You can't have a little 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:49.559 bit of that and love God. Give that up and come 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:56.880 to the one who does satisfy. Jim Carey, the kind 00:24:56.880 --> 00:25:00.680 of strange actor, seems to have become a Christian. 00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:06.500 Back in 2020, he was quoted as saying this, I 00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:08.960 think everyone should get rich and famous and 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:12.380 do everything they ever dreamed of. So they can 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:17.519 see that it's not the answer. Jim the actor, 00:25:18.579 --> 00:25:21.500 John the apostle point us to the same thing. 00:25:22.299 --> 00:25:25.900 The answer is not in the world. The world truly 00:25:25.900 --> 00:25:29.259 offers no satisfaction and don't give in to its 00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:33.740 lies. And then in our third verse I think John 00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:38.519 takes us and shows us where we can find true 00:25:38.519 --> 00:25:43.480 satisfaction. So point three, eternal satisfaction. 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:46.460 Where there are competing loves, we often turn 00:25:46.460 --> 00:25:50.400 to the one that we love the most. And so I think 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:53.119 John takes us by the hand and points us to where 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:55.220 actually both the love of the world and the love 00:25:55.220 --> 00:26:00.539 of God lead. He shows us that one of them is 00:26:00.539 --> 00:26:04.380 empty and in the end actually offers you nothing. 00:26:05.660 --> 00:26:10.240 The other is eternal and truly satisfying. See 00:26:10.240 --> 00:26:14.299 that in verse 17. And the world is passing away 00:26:14.299 --> 00:26:17.539 along with its desires, but whoever does the 00:26:17.539 --> 00:26:22.799 will of God abides forever. It's kind of like, 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:24.680 look at the extended warranty on what the world 00:26:24.680 --> 00:26:29.619 is offering. Does it last? No. But again, this 00:26:29.619 --> 00:26:31.700 isn't new. John hasn't brought this out from 00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:34.259 nowhere. He's already tackled this in part in 00:26:34.259 --> 00:26:36.849 verse 8. He's already pointed out that actually 00:26:36.849 --> 00:26:39.809 the darkness of the world is fading because the 00:26:39.809 --> 00:26:44.650 light of the world is already shining. For all 00:26:44.650 --> 00:26:48.630 that the world promises you and offers you, it 00:26:48.630 --> 00:26:53.630 doesn't last. The world and its opposition to 00:26:53.630 --> 00:26:57.630 godly living won't last. I think we kind of get 00:26:57.630 --> 00:27:01.549 a glimpse of that now because our feelings fade, 00:27:01.609 --> 00:27:05.869 our desires fade. When you do give in to sin, 00:27:06.730 --> 00:27:09.410 that promised pleasure that offered you so quickly 00:27:09.410 --> 00:27:13.430 fades. It was meant to last and it's gone. And 00:27:13.430 --> 00:27:16.650 it's replaced with guilt because it's just all 00:27:16.650 --> 00:27:21.269 so fleeting. Like Solomon in Ecclesiastes talks 00:27:21.269 --> 00:27:23.549 about seeking all that the world has to offer. 00:27:23.589 --> 00:27:27.049 He's tried it all, but it's all meaningless. 00:27:27.890 --> 00:27:30.190 It's like a breath of vapor and it's just gone. 00:27:31.490 --> 00:27:33.900 And if that's your goal, If that's where your 00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:36.960 heart is pulling you, if that's where your treasures 00:27:36.960 --> 00:27:42.859 are, then you will follow it. Jesus talking about 00:27:42.859 --> 00:27:45.759 wealth in Matthew chapter 6 says, do not lay 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:48.539 up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth 00:27:48.539 --> 00:27:50.220 and rust destroy and where thieves break and 00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:52.880 steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in 00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:55.500 heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys 00:27:55.500 --> 00:27:58.240 and where thieves do not break and steal, for 00:27:58.240 --> 00:28:01.740 where your treasure is, there your heart will 00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:07.259 be also. It's not that life is meaningless though, 00:28:07.299 --> 00:28:11.039 right? Like there is true satisfaction. Our passage 00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:15.200 points us to saying that lasts eternally. Kind 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:17.740 of the second half there. Whoever does the will 00:28:17.740 --> 00:28:26.839 of God abides forever. This true satisfaction 00:28:26.839 --> 00:28:31.099 and lasting satisfaction. That the things that 00:28:31.099 --> 00:28:34.900 will be remembered, the things that will be treasured, 00:28:34.990 --> 00:28:38.329 are not the things done now for your own pleasure. 00:28:39.529 --> 00:28:41.730 No matter how good that holiday was, no matter 00:28:41.730 --> 00:28:45.269 how shiny your car is, no matter how prestigious 00:28:45.269 --> 00:28:48.569 that award is, or the greatness of your name, 00:28:49.569 --> 00:28:53.809 they fade. And kind of, again, John, as the older 00:28:53.809 --> 00:28:57.690 man, kind of points us to our Heavenly Father 00:28:57.690 --> 00:29:02.569 and says, like, listening to Him, resting on 00:29:02.569 --> 00:29:06.170 Him. like seeking Him and the gifts that He gives 00:29:06.170 --> 00:29:12.470 us, like there, there is true satisfaction, things 00:29:12.470 --> 00:29:18.990 that last, things that won't fade. We have a 00:29:18.990 --> 00:29:21.569 loving Heavenly Father that loves to give good 00:29:21.569 --> 00:29:25.609 gifts to His children, that are so much better 00:29:25.609 --> 00:29:30.109 than anything that the world can offer. God gives 00:29:30.109 --> 00:29:34.849 Himself to you. The language there of abiding 00:29:34.849 --> 00:29:38.150 always takes my mind to one of the deepest intimacy 00:29:38.150 --> 00:29:42.730 and embrace. God doesn't hold us at arm's length. 00:29:42.990 --> 00:29:45.170 No, no, God delights in us coming to Him and 00:29:45.170 --> 00:29:48.470 seeking Him. He loves us loving Him, seeking 00:29:48.470 --> 00:29:52.049 all of Him, and He delights to give you all that 00:29:52.049 --> 00:29:57.269 you need. I don't give in to the fake, shiny 00:29:57.269 --> 00:30:01.609 imitations of this world. with all their temptations 00:30:01.609 --> 00:30:07.150 because they will never satisfy you. The temptations 00:30:07.150 --> 00:30:09.670 and pleasures of this world, they do look bright 00:30:09.670 --> 00:30:13.609 and shiny. It looks like that's what we need, 00:30:13.829 --> 00:30:17.509 but John reminds us, no, no, Jesus is all that 00:30:17.509 --> 00:30:23.670 you need. Maybe you've been buying into that 00:30:23.670 --> 00:30:27.490 scam. Maybe your heart's been set on this world 00:30:27.490 --> 00:30:30.509 or you've been slowly moving towards it and returning 00:30:30.509 --> 00:30:35.309 from your father. God calls you today to come 00:30:35.309 --> 00:30:38.230 and be satisfied, to be overwhelmed with his 00:30:38.230 --> 00:30:42.589 riches, to give up all the fakes for the eternal. 00:30:44.990 --> 00:30:47.529 John, he's the loving under shepherd of Jesus, 00:30:47.609 --> 00:30:51.720 the great shepherd, says, come back. Come back 00:30:51.720 --> 00:30:56.680 set your heart here in your father's arms Remember 00:30:56.680 --> 00:31:00.759 all that he has done for you and see what he 00:31:00.759 --> 00:31:09.960 truly offers But truly satisfies Like to end 00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:12.640 with we've sung some great songs this morning 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:14.779 I think which basically have said my path like 00:31:14.779 --> 00:31:18.519 my sermon for you. You've already sung it but 00:31:18.519 --> 00:31:24.599 let me Do one more. This is come thou fount of 00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:28.880 every blessing. Where Jesus is all that we need 00:31:28.880 --> 00:31:30.759 and we need to come and pray and ask for his 00:31:30.759 --> 00:31:33.900 strength because we do live in a world that constantly 00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:39.339 tempts us. And we need his help to keep our heart 00:31:39.339 --> 00:31:44.039 in his arms. I'm gonna sing, I'm not gonna sing 00:31:44.039 --> 00:31:46.779 for you. I'm gonna read the first and last one. 00:31:46.799 --> 00:32:05.539 If I sing it I'll cry. And then the last verse. 00:32:17.660 --> 00:32:22.579 take and seal it seal it for thy courts above 00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:30.059 the world tempts us don't give in let's run to 00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:42.240 our father now in prayer father we come to you 00:32:42.240 --> 00:32:47.140 in our weakness Lord, we are in a world that 00:32:47.140 --> 00:32:51.380 tempts us each day, that shows us shiny things, 00:32:51.880 --> 00:32:57.539 that says, offers us all that we need. Lord, 00:32:57.619 --> 00:33:02.019 please help us not to give in. Lord, seal our 00:33:02.019 --> 00:33:06.779 hearts. We give them to You. We need Your strength 00:33:06.779 --> 00:33:12.440 each day by Your Spirit. Lord, remind us of what 00:33:12.440 --> 00:33:16.319 You have done on the cross for us. that you have 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:21.559 secured us for eternity, to be with you in heaven 00:33:21.559 --> 00:33:27.079 with all that we'll ever need for eternity, Lord, 00:33:28.019 --> 00:33:34.119 in joy unspeakable. Lord, as we walk this world 00:33:34.119 --> 00:33:41.119 now, Lord, give us eyes for heaven. We can't 00:33:41.119 --> 00:33:42.980 do it by our own strength, Lord, so we ask for 00:33:42.980 --> 00:33:46.750 yours. And I'm your son. Amen.