Engaging the World: Balancing Faith and Desire
Summary
In today's sermon, I explored the tension between being in the world and not of the world, a concept that is often misunderstood and misapplied within Christian circles. The central theme revolved around the idea that everything worth having requires something worth losing, and this applies profoundly to our walk with Jesus. The relationship we have with Jesus is indeed worth having, and it requires us to lose our desires and ambitions that conflict with His will.
I began by discussing the upcoming celebration of Easter at our church and the significance of baptism as a public declaration of faith. I emphasized the importance of believer's baptism, which symbolizes our death to sin and new life in Christ.
Delving into the text of 1 John 2:15-17, I addressed the challenging command not to love the world or the things in it. To understand this, we looked at what Jesus says about being in the world and loving the world. In John 1, we see that Jesus, the Word made flesh, dwelt among us and enjoyed His creation. He turned water into wine, ate with sinners, and appreciated the beauty of the world He created.
In John 3, we read that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. The world here refers to humanity, made in God's image, which we are called to love. However, in John 17, Jesus speaks of the world as the broken systems and powers that are against Him. We are sent into this world but are not of it, meaning we engage with it without conforming to its brokenness.
John's letter to the Ephesian church was not a call to isolation but an encouragement to engage with the world while being cautious of the desires that lead us away from God. The desires of the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life are what John warns against—desiring anything more than we should.
In conclusion, I challenged the congregation to consider what they might be desiring more than they should and to reflect on their engagement with the world. Are we being the light of Jesus in dark places? Are we walking the way of Jesus by trusting, becoming, and doing as He did?
Key Takeaways:
- The tension between enjoying God's creation and not loving the world is a delicate balance that requires discernment and self-reflection. We must enjoy the world as a gift from God without allowing it to become an idol or a source of temptation that draws us away from Him. [29:19]
- Being sent into the world is not a call to assimilate into its broken systems but an invitation to be agents of change, reflecting the love and truth of Jesus. We must engage with the world in a way that honors God and points others to the hope found in Christ. [38:03]
- The concept of not loving the world is not about rejecting everything in it but about prioritizing our relationship with God above all else. We must guard our hearts against desires that can easily become unhealthy obsessions, distracting us from our primary purpose of glorifying God. [43:20]
- Our presence in the world as Christians is not accidental; it is intentional. We are placed in various spheres of influence to be the salt and light, to share the gospel, and to demonstrate the transformative power of a life surrendered to Jesus. [54:04]
- The call to follow Jesus is a call to sacrifice. It requires us to lay down our own desires and ambitions in pursuit of a greater treasure—abiding forever with Jesus. This eternal perspective should shape our daily decisions and interactions with the world around us. [57:27]
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 1 John 2:15-17
2. John 1:14
3. John 3:16-18
#### Observation Questions
1. What does 1 John 2:15-17 say about loving the world and the things in it?
2. How does John 1:14 describe Jesus' relationship with the world He created?
3. According to John 3:16-18, what is the significance of God's love for the world?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. In 1 John 2:15-17, what are the "desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life," and why are they problematic for believers? [42:08]
2. How does Jesus' enjoyment of His creation, as described in John 1:14, inform our understanding of how we should interact with the world? [29:56]
3. What does John 3:16-18 reveal about the nature of God's love for humanity, and how should this shape our love for others? [33:49]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there any desires or ambitions that you might be prioritizing over your relationship with God? How can you realign your priorities this week? [43:20]
2. Jesus enjoyed the world He created, but He did not let it become an idol. How can you enjoy the good things in your life without letting them distract you from your walk with Jesus? [29:56]
3. Consider your engagement with the world. Are you actively being the light of Jesus in dark places, or are you conforming to the broken systems around you? What specific steps can you take to be an agent of change in your community? [38:03]
4. The sermon mentioned the importance of being in the world but not of it. How can you balance engaging with the world while maintaining your distinctiveness as a follower of Christ? [37:27]
5. Think about a specific area in your life where you might be desiring something more than you should. How can you address this desire in a way that honors God? [43:20]
6. Reflect on the idea that our presence in the world is intentional. Identify one sphere of influence you are part of and discuss how you can be more intentional about sharing the gospel and demonstrating the transformative power of a life surrendered to Jesus. [54:04]
7. The call to follow Jesus is a call to sacrifice. What is one specific desire or ambition you need to lay down this week in pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus? [57:27]
Devotional
Day 1: Discerning Worldly Engagement
The delicate balance of enjoying creation without idolatry is a spiritual art. It requires a deep understanding of the difference between appreciating the world as God's gift and allowing it to dominate one's life. Believers are called to enjoy the beauty and blessings of the world, recognizing them as expressions of God's love and creativity. However, this enjoyment must not turn into attachment that leads to sin or distracts from one's relationship with God. The world offers many good things, but they are transient and should not be the ultimate source of satisfaction or identity. Instead, they should point to the Creator, fostering gratitude and worship rather than becoming objects of worship themselves. This balance is not about self-deprivation but about proper alignment of one's desires with God's will, ensuring that love for the Creator surpasses love for the creation. [29:19]
James 1:17 - "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."
Reflection: How can you practice gratitude for God's creation today without allowing it to overshadow your devotion to the Creator?
Day 2: Agents of Change, Not Conformity
Being sent into the world is an invitation to influence it positively, not to be influenced negatively by it. Christians are called to be agents of change, embodying the love and truth of Jesus in every interaction. This means engaging with society's structures and systems while maintaining a distinct identity rooted in Christ. It's about being a transformative presence, offering an alternative to the brokenness that pervades the world. This engagement is not passive; it requires active participation in the world's affairs, but with a perspective and purpose that are counter-cultural. It's about shining light in darkness and adding flavor to what is bland, demonstrating the hope and change that come from following Jesus. [38:03]
1 Peter 2:11-12 - "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation."
Reflection: In what ways can you be a positive influence in a specific area of your community this week?
Day 3: Prioritizing Relationship with God
The command not to love the world is about prioritizing one's relationship with God above all else. It's a call to examine one's heart and to guard against desires that can become unhealthy obsessions. These desires, when left unchecked, can lead to idolatry, where the created things take precedence over the Creator. The focus should be on fostering a deep and abiding relationship with God, where His will and His ways are the guiding principles of life. This relationship is the lens through which all other loves and desires are viewed and evaluated. It's about ensuring that the heart's affections are rightly ordered, with God at the center, influencing every aspect of life. [43:20]
Colossians 3:1-2 - "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."
Reflection: What is one desire or ambition you need to surrender to prioritize your relationship with God?
Day 4: Intentional Presence in the World
Christians are not in the world by accident; their presence is intentional and purposeful. Believers are strategically placed in various spheres of influence to be salt and light, sharing the gospel and demonstrating the transformative power of a life surrendered to Jesus. This means that every believer has a role to play in God's redemptive plan, using their unique gifts and opportunities to make a difference. It's about being aware of the divine appointments and conversations that God orchestrates, being ready to offer hope and truth to those who are searching. The Christian's presence in the world is a reflection of God's love and a testament to the life-changing power of the gospel. [54:04]
Matthew 5:13-14 - "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."
Reflection: How can you intentionally be salt and light in a specific context of your daily life today?
Day 5: The Call to Sacrificial Following
Following Jesus is a call to sacrifice, requiring the laying down of personal desires and ambitions for something greater—eternal communion with Him. This sacrificial following is about recognizing the transient nature of earthly treasures and seeking the enduring riches found in Christ. It's a journey of trust, where one's own plans and dreams are surrendered in favor of God's perfect plan. This surrender is not a one-time event but a daily practice, where decisions and interactions are shaped by an eternal perspective. The call to follow Jesus is a call to a life of faith, where the ultimate treasure is not found in this world but in the promise of abiding forever with the Savior. [57:27]
Hebrews 12:1-2 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to embrace sacrificial following, and what practical step can you take to do so today?
Quotes
1) "Everything that is worth having requires something worth losing. For those of you that are here physically today, you said going to church is worth having... it requires me to lose maybe a half hour sleep so I can get up and I can come to church... if a relationship with Jesus is worth having, then what is worth losing?" [23:15]
2) "John hits this head-on in the text today because he says these words... 'Do not love the world or the things in the world. If you love the world, if the love of the world is in you, then the love of the father is not in you.' And this is like hard words, do not love the world." [25:40]
3) "We are sent into the world but we are not of the world... by being sent into it we are becoming like Jesus... sent into the Brokenness, sent into the world that is actively against him and he says look you are sent into the world but... don't get confused you are not of the world." [37:27]
4) "John defines what the world is that he's talking about in the text... 'For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life.'... Do not desire anything more than you should... often times one of the ways that sin creeps into our life... is things that are good that God wants us to enjoy that then we desire more than we should." [42:08]
5) "Walking the way, a relationship with Jesus is worth having. What's worth losing is our desires and our Ambitions when we desire more than we should... 'And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.' Do you know what's worth having? Abiding forever with Jesus." [56:52]
6) "We are a church in the city and we are a church for the city but we cannot be for the city... unless we're in it. So we need to be in it so that we can be for it as Jesus is for us." [58:31]
7) "Jesus enjoyed the world that he created... Jesus enjoys his creation. What does this mean for us? This means that we should enjoy the world that God created for us... we should enjoy Fine Food... enjoy good art... enjoy the things that God created for us... we should enjoy the material world and he made it for us to Steed and to enjoy with him." [32:06]
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