From His Heart

Larry Nobles: Today on From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Schreve, learn what you shouldn't love. It's forbidden.

Dr. Jeff Schreve: The test of worldliness. What is your heart longing for today? Are you longing for the things of God? Do you desire to please the Lord? You don't do it perfectly. I don't do it perfectly. But listen, when I sin, I feel it, and I don't want to sin. I want to please God. I want to live my life not my will, but yours be done. I want God to use me. I want to hear from the Lord at the end of my life, well done my good and faithful servant. You are faithful in a few things.

I'm going to put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.

Larry Nobles: As believers in Christ, we're not supposed to love the world. Now, we can get confused about that because the world can mean several different things in scripture. So, we're going to talk today about why it's forbidden for a Christian to love the world. This is From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Schreve. Thank you for joining us today for part two of the message Forbidden Love. It's from Pastor Jeff's series This Is War Overcoming the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. This brand new six message series is our gift of thanks to you for your support to From His Heart this month of any amount.

Just go to fromhishart.org for details. Now though, open your Bible to the book of 1 John. Here again is Pastor Jeff Schreve.

Dr. Jeff Schreve: We're going to talk today about why it's forbidden for a Christian to love the world. And we're going to talk about what it is, what the world does, and how the world can be overcome. So, first discovery. What is the world? Well, the world is the humanistic system that is against God that says I don't care what you want, God. I don't care about your word, your will, and your ways. I want to do what I want to do. That is how the world comes across. It opposes God, and it is against God, and God is against the world.

And the ruler of this world is not a surprise. The ruler of this God opposing system is Satan. It says in 1 John chapter 5 verse 19, we know that we are of God, and the whole world, the whole cosmos lies in the power of the evil one. It is literally cradled in the lap of the evil one. The devil is calling the shots in the world. He's kind of running the show in the world. And he uses it to steal and kill and destroy. Now, a Christian is somebody, a true Christian, somebody who has been saved out of this world.

Jesus said in John 15 verse 19 to his disciples, if you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this, the world hates you. So, what is the world? It's the humanistic system that opposes God, that lies in the lap of the evil one. No wonder the scripture says don't love that world. Don't love that system. Well, second discovery. The world is not only a humanistic system, but it's also an evil system that tempts us to sin.

So, the devil uses the world. For all that is in the world, the Bible says the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world. Now, the devil is called the tempter. And how does he tempt? He tempts in those three areas. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life. And that's what the devil uses to try and derail your train, to try and derail my train as a believer. So, the first lure, the devil tempts us with the desire of our flesh, the lust of the flesh.

Now, when the Bible talks about the lust of the flesh, it's talking about the sensual things, things related to the physical senses. And the lust of the flesh, it kind of appeals to that base nature, animalistic tendencies. Sleep, food, sex. The second lure in the tackle box, the lust of the eyes, the desire of the eyes. Now, that's a little more refined as a temptation goes. Cuz that's not just the base nature, your your animalistic tendencies. That has to do with materialism. That has to do with goods and things and houses and lands and cars and boats and and you want more and more and more.

That's geared on greed. Hebrews 13 let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have, literally not desiring more and more and more. The devil tempts with the desire of our eyes. And then thirdly, he tempts us with the desire to be exalted, the boastful pride of life. That is the voice of the braggart and this thing that wells up within us that wants to impress people, wants people to notice us, wants people to say ooh, they want us they want to ooh and ah over you and you have this desire for that.

And the devil has that lure in his tackle box. He throws that out there. If he can't get you with the lust of the eyes, he can't get you with the lust of the flesh, then he'll try the boastful pride of life. That's all that's in the world. Every sin falls into one of those three categories. That's all that the devil has to work with. And when he comes at you and he comes at me or his minions come at you and come at me, they're going to come. It's either going to be a temptation, the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes or the boastful pride of life.

That's the world's evil system. It tempts us to sin. And discovery number three, the world not only is it a humanistic system against God, not only is an evil system that tempts us to sin, but it's a doom system that can be overcome. You don't have to be succumbed by the world. You don't have to let the world squeeze you into its mold, and neither do I. So, how do you possibly overcome the world? And the devil who tempts us in those things that really seem to appeal to us. How do you overcome? Well, you overcome the world by feasting on God's love, by feasting on his love.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. Verse 15, if anyone loves the world, guess what? The love of the Father is not in him. The way you overcome the world is by marinating yourself in the love of God. Everything starts with the love of God. We love because he first loved us. And the only way that we can please God, greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself. Well, where are you going to get that love?

We love because he first loved us. And when we understand how much he loves us, then we're able to love him back and then we're able to love everybody else. Everything breaks down in the Christian life when you do not receive the love of God. 1 John 3 verse 1, see how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God. And such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us because it did not know him. This world system doesn't know us. They don't recognize us as twice born men.

They just say those people are weird. And we need to see how great a love the Father has for us that he would that he would send his son, that Jesus would die on the cross for me and rise again from the dead for me. He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? You feast on God's love. You marinate on God's love. You you let your mind just meditate on the fact that God loves me. As my friend Guy Doud used to say grew up a a fat kid and made got made fun of as a kid and and his family was from the other side of the tracks and he hated himself as as a kid growing up.

And he said, you know, when I heard the gospel and I heard that Jesus loves me and gave himself for me, that Jesus loved me, fat, slob, me. I was blown away. I received Christ as my savior and Lord. As the song says, I'm loved by the king. And it makes my heart want to sing. Can you believe that the king of kings and Lord of lords loves me? Wow. You marinate in his love. Now, years ago I heard an illustration and it had to do with the love of God and the love for the world.

And it goes like this. In most of our cars, we have something that tells us if our oil is low. You know, an oil pressure gauge or an oil light that will come on. Hey, when when you start to fill yourself loving the world, timeout here. The oil light comes on that says, hey buddy, you don't have any spiritual oil in your spiritual crankcase. You have lost the love of the Father. You have left the God that you've loved. So, you need to get back to him and feast on his love. You overcome the world by feasting on God's love.

Secondly, you overcome the world by doing God's will. But he who does the will of God abides forever. Now, when you're right with God, then you are living your life through the prayer of Jesus, not my will, Father, but yours be done. And you want to do his will and you want to shine, you want to share, you want to walk in the light as he himself is in the light. You don't want to live a hypocritical life. You know, he says in 1 John chapter 1, God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.

Hey, if we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, guess what? You lie and the truth is not in you. You're not walking in the truth. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, God's son, cleanses us from all sin. You overcome the world by doing God's will. And thirdly, you overcome the world by walking in faith. We walk by faith. Hey, the Christian life is all about grace and faith. How do you become a Christian?

For by grace you've been saved through faith. And that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God, not as a result of works lest anyone should boast. So, that's how I come to Christ. I turn from sin and I put my faith and I put my puny little hand of faith in God's great big hand of grace and he saves me by grace through faith. How do you walk with God as a Christian? By grace through faith. It's by grace through faith the whole way. Colossians chapter 2 verse 6 as you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord by grace through faith, so walk in him by grace through faith.

That's how you do it. It's grace and faith the whole way. And so it says in 1 John chapter 5 verses 4 and 5, for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the son of God? Your faith, we used to sing that song faith is the victory that overcomes the world. And so feasting on the love of God, doing the Lord's will and walking by faith and not by sight, that's how you overcome the world.

Now, in closing, you know, I was really wrestling with this because you ask yourself the question, well, you know, 1 John was written to expose those who claimed to be Christians and weren't. And then it was written to give assurance to those who truly were Christians. It says in chapter 5 verse 12, he who has the son has the life. He who does not have the son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God in order that you may know, k n o w, that you have eternal life.

And we have tests in 1 John to see if you're really in the faith. And so if you walk in the darkness, he says, hey, you you got to wonder if you're really in the faith. Chapter 2 verse 4, the one who says I have come to know him does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. And so you look at a person's life. If there's no shine, there's probably no holy spirit there. Well, the other test that he gives is the test that we just read. Your heart.

Is your heart in love with the Lord or is it in love with the world? Because if your heart is in love with the world, hey, guess what? You probably have never been saved. Now, we have a guy in scripture named Lot. Lot was the one who fell into the lust of the eyes. Lot was Abraham's nephew. Genesis 13, they're having a problem. The the cowboys of Abraham and the cowboys of Lot because they have lots of flocks and herds. And Abraham said this isn't good. We're living among the heathen and we're fighting uh and we're brothers.

So, let we need to separate. You go left, I'll go right. You go north, I'll go south. Lot, you just choose for yourself where you want to go. And Lot lifted up his eyes and looked to the east. And he saw the plain of the Jordan that it was well watered everywhere. And he pitched his tent toward Sodom. And it says in Genesis 13 that the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. He fell prey to the lust of the eyes and he knew, hey, this is great pasture land and I'm going to have uh flocks and herds and money and and all the the wonderful things that money can buy if I just go east.

And he did. He so after all, I'd never live in Sodom cuz Sodom's a wicked place. So, I'm just going to pitch my tent toward Sodom. But it wasn't long before he was living in Sodom. And Sodom was a horrible place. And as we read about Lot, the Bible says in 2 Peter calls him a righteous man who he says who uh that righteous man while living among them, the Sodomites, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds. Now, Lot did love the Lord, but the lust of the world, the lust of the eyes got in there and wrecked and ruined his life.

He lost his family. He lost his wealth. He lost everything. The chapter closes in Genesis 19 on Lot as he is there with his two daughters. He's impregnated his two daughters as they got him drunk. And he's going to have sons by his daughters through an incestuous relationship. He lost everything. It was just a disaster. His life's a disaster. Now, he's a Christian, but he fell prey to the lust of the eyes. And then you have another guy in scripture. And his name was Demas. And the Bible is very interesting about Demas. It mentions him three times in the New Testament.

Philemon chapter 1 verses 23 and 24. Paul says Epaphras, my fellow prisoner to Christ Jesus in Christ Jesus, greets you as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers. Boy, Demas is a fellow worker with me. Colossians 4 14, Luke the beloved physician sends you his greetings and also Demas. Demas was there with Paul. He was there with the big guys that the Lord was using in such a great way. And the last letter Paul writes, 2 Timothy, the last chapter, chapter 4. He's about ready to get his head cut off. And he says to Timothy, make every effort to come to me soon for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.

That word deserted means to leave in the lurch. It means to abandon somebody when they need your help. Demas loved this present world. Why did he desert Paul at Paul's hour of need? Because he had never been saved. He was around it. He was experiencing ministry, but he never loved the Lord. He loved this present world. And when push came to shove, he chose the world over the Lord. Listen, I know in churches we have lots of people that are like Lot. They've been saved, but they're living for the things of this world. They're succumbing to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life.

They're not fighting against that. And then we have others that say, well, I'm okay because I think I made a decision when I was a kid and I've been baptized and I'm around it and I come to Sunday school and I come to church a lot of times and I put some money in the plate. But listen, if you've never had a change in your heart because it's all about heart. If the Lord's never come in and you've never given your heart to Jesus Christ, you're Demas. And when you die, you're not going to experience the glories of heaven.

You're going to hear the Lord say to you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. I never knew you. You have to decide where you stand. See the last blank in your outline says this, the test of worldliness. What is your heart longing for today? Are you longing for the things of God? Do you desire to please the Lord? You don't do it perfectly. I don't do it perfectly. But listen, when I sin, I feel it and I don't want to sin. I want to please God. I want to live my life not my will, but yours be done.

I want God to use me. I want to hear from the Lord at the end of my life, well done my good and faithful servant. You are faithful in a few things. I'm going to put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master. And you know, when we talk about the prosperity gospel that's preached so much on television and on the radio, what is the prosperity gospel? It's all about the lust of the eyes. It's all about listen, you come to Jesus and he will give you all these things you want.

You come to Jesus. And you know what you're going to find? All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. You're going to find that you're in the Lord's army and Paul says suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. You're you're you're going to find hatred from the world because Jesus said if the world hates you, guess what? It hates you because it hated me before it hated you. And it hates you because you're not of this world. I have brought you out of this world, called you out of this world, sent you back to this world to be a witness in this world.

And just as I called out the world, he said to his brothers, the world can't hate you, but it hates me. Why? Because I testify against it that it 's deeds are evil. And as we really shine and we really share, the world is going to hate us. And the Lord Jesus Christ is going to be so proud of us. We need to stand up for the truth. Stephen preached in Acts chapter 7. And they got so mad at him at his sermon. The chief priests and the religious leaders, they covered their ears. They couldn't hear it anymore.

They were nashing their teeth at him and they rushed upon him and they stoned him to death. And Stephen before he died said, I see the son of man standing at the right hand of God. The Lord Jesus Christ gave that man a standing ovation for his faithfulness. That's the way I want to live.

Larry Nobles: If you've just realized that you've been so focused on the desires of the flesh, perhaps you've also realized that you need to repent and turn to God afresh today. Maybe you need to just pray and sincerely cry out to God saying, God, here is my life. Help me to be the Christian you want me to be, that you created me to be. Or maybe you know that you've never been saved. You've never asked Jesus to come into your life. Would you like to have victory in your life rather than defeat? Then the Bible says repent of your sins and surrender your life to Jesus.

And Jesus alone. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the Father except through me. And to find out more about how to make your life anew with a personal relationship with Jesus, go to fromhishart.org, click the y Jesus link. There you're going to find some free materials to help you get started in your new Christian journey with benefits for now and eternity. Again, go to fromhishart.org, click the y Jesus link. As we've said this month, we're airing Pastor Jeff's new six message series This Is War Overcoming the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

And this series is our gift of thanks to you for your support of any amount to help us reach the world. Will you join us this month to also help others listening to stand strong in this battle we call life? Many are battling temptation and fear and addiction and shame without even realizing what's happening. But through the faithful support of friends like you, From His Heart is equipping them to fight and win these battles with the truth of God's word. To make your gift and also receive the six message series This Is War Overcoming the World, the Flesh, and the Devil as our gift to you, call 866 40 Bible, 866 40 Bible, or go to fromhishart.org.

Request the series on USB flash drive, CDs, DVDs, or immediate MP3 download. Thank you so much for joining us in this war against the devil. We also hope that when you visit our website each day, you'll go to the Real Hope minute from Pastor Jeff. Sign up for the weekly Real Hope email encouragement letter that you'll get every Friday morning in your inbox and download an MP3 of any broadcast you may have missed and so much more at fromhishart.org. As you move through your day, we hope today's closing scripture sinks in and resides deeply into your heart.

It's found in Isaiah chapter 41 verse 10. When God urges us to fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Thank you for being with us today. I'm Larry Nobles inviting you to join us tomorrow for the beginning of the third lesson in Pastor Jeff's six lesson series This Is War Overcoming the World, the Flesh, and the Devil. Tune in for the lesson The Battle Within. That's tomorrow when we'll open up God's word and share real truth, real love, and real hope from his heart.

From His Heart is the listener supported broadcast ministry of Dr. Jeff Schreve speaking the truth and love to a lost and a hurting world. Remember that no matter what, God loves you and he has a wonderful plan for your life. Find out about that. Go to fromhishart.org.