As the World Turns – Part 3

Message Date: February 27, 2022
Bible

Review:

  • 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • If God loves the world and sent His son to save it, then what is worldliness and why are we warned about it?
  • 15 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. 16 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. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. ‭‭I John‬ ‭2:15-17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • LAW OF NONCONTRADICTION: two contradictory statements cannot both be true at the same time, in the same sense.
  • In John 3:16 the people are in view–Jesus died for people. God loves people who are born into a fallen world.  Sin is bondage.
    • The World: (Greek) “kosmos;” the present condition of human affairs, in alienation from and opposition to God.
  • Worldliness is a love of this fallen world’s system, which is under the control of Satan,  the “god of the fallen world.”
  • Sinning people aren’t the enemy. They’re in bondage.
    • You can’t save people from quicksand by jumping into it with them–but you also can’t be salt and be separate.
  • 14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NKJV‬‬
    • Don’t join them in worshipping things other than God.
    • It means to be different, not separate.
The rabbinical yoke
  • 33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame. ‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭15:33-34‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
    • Shame = entropy
      • The root idea is that your respect for yourself has allowed a lower quality of God’s design.
      • entropy: [ˈentrəpē] NOUN
        • (In physics

) a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system’s thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of disorder or randomness in the system.
”the second law of thermodynamics says that entropy always increases with time”
        • Lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder.
 “a marketplace where entropy reigns supreme”
        • synonyms:
 disorder, disarray
        • (In information theory) a logarithmic measure of the rate of transfer of information in a particular message or language
  • All that is in the World:

    • Sensuality (lust of the flesh): a fondness for or indulgence in sensual pleasures outside of God’s ordained fulfillment of those desires
      • God’s way of the best way.
      • God gave us desires and healthy ways to fulfill them. Satan perverts the desire.
  • At any given time the enemy is lying to you about your identity, God’s intentions for you, and the consequences of sin.
    • Sin is fun for a season.  But it costs you in the end.
    • We tell people isn’t fun like Adam told Eve not to touch the fruit.
  • 19-21 It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on. This isn’t the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God’s kingdom. ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:19-21‬ ‭MSG‬‬
    • Inheritance: future/active/ indicative.
    • Kingdom: rule /reign
    • God’s Word is true; His way is the best way
    • Submit: retire, withdraw, hence to yield.
  • Satan always attacks this idea.
    • In the Garden:
      • 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3:6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
        • Eve was tempted when she saw that the tree was good for food. God had given her  all the other trees in the garden for her food. She did not need the forbidden one. Everything God had created was GOOD.
        • Satan deceived her into believing that God was withholding something from her; that since it was a good tree, it would do her no harm if she ate it.
    • The temptation of Jesus:
      • 1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
      • 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
        • We see it again (“if you are the son of God”): Identity, God’s intentions, consequences.
        • Satan made it seem like Jesus should use His power to turn stones into bread to save His life. Jesus’ anointing was to minister to others, not His own needs.
        • Jesus used the Word to overcome.
        • He trusted His father, and angels were sent to minister to him.  God was faithful.
          • God’s ways are always superior
  • Why did Jesus need to be tempted?
    • 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4:14-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
  • 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV