Worldliness

[0:00] I'm preaching this by request. Someone asked me to preach on the subject of worldliness. So here it is, 1 John 2, verses 15-17 says, We're talking about the world. It's the anti-God system. It's opposed to God.

[0:41] And the world is a danger to the soul. And we are called to watch out for that, that sort of sticky web that is the world, the love of the world, the thinking of the world, the cares of the world, the money of the world, the pleasures of the world that so often get in the way of God and his work in our life.

[0:59] The spirit of the world. It's against God. And the Word of God warns us against that in 1 Corinthians 2, verse 12. It says, Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

[1:18] So what is the world? The world system is such that it sets itself against God. It is the enemy of God. Now some would define certain things as worldliness.

[1:29] Some Christians and churches consider some quite strange things really, that even men wearing ties is something worldly. Men wearing wedding rings. Men who are clean-shaven are worldly.

[1:41] Of course I'm so spiritual. All manner of sports are worldly. Particular kinds of music. Flying a flag is worldly. Singing a national anthem.

[1:52] To the Amish, electricity. Even that is worldly. Or motor cars. There's a church in the US, I just read lately, they reckon buttons are worldly.

[2:03] Now they don't think we should have buttons. We should have hooks and eyes that join our shirts together. Not buttons. They're very worldly. Some consider any kind of musical instrument in a church meeting, it's worldly.

[2:18] Shouldn't happen. Now the list can go on and on and on. But really in the Bible it's not so much to focus on things such as that. So how can we recognise worldliness?

[2:30] What is it? How can we avoid it? In Romans 12 verse 2 it tells us that it's more about this heavenly mindset. This thinking of God.

[2:41] Worldliness is a life without that. A life without that heavenly mindset. Where we give little or no thought to God, the things of God. We're not to be friended. Not to.

[2:52] We're not to be conformed to it. Romans 12 verse 2 it says, And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Really it's a spiritual issue.

[3:05] That's the point. It's spiritual. Now that's not to say some things are apparently worldly and we ought to abstain. Not denying that. And we've got to come to our own conviction.

[3:17] God helping us to see, actually that's doubtful. I'm going to steer away from that. I'm going to avoid that. But it's more about the spiritual mindset.

[3:27] The thinking, the heavenly thinking that we should have. Some people seem all caught up in thinking of this world's things. Such that they're consumed to that. Consumed by that to the neglect of their spiritual life.

[3:41] They neglect their soul. Because they're so worried about this world. They neglect the world to come. Friends, that's an issue, isn't it? To neglect the world to come. And when you think the worldly crowd, you could put it like this.

[3:54] They think more of earth than of heaven. More of time than of eternity. More of the body than the soul. More of pleasing man than pleasing God.

[4:06] Well, it's a spiritual thing. And that's the real issue. It's our motives. It's our actions. Our attitudes. It's our values. It's our conduct.

[4:17] What's obsessing us? It's shaping us. It's moulding us. Is it the world? Then we are worldly. And a worldly Christian is a useless Christian.

[4:30] Of no value to the world. And no good to God. It's been said some folk have too much religion to be happy in the world. And too much of the world to be happy in their religion.

[4:43] Weldiness. It happens when we get too attached to the things of this world. This passing world. And as God's people, we've been cleansed. The cleansing of the blood.

[4:54] The cleansing of the heart. We've been made clean. Purified. Such that we're not contaminated by the world. In James 1.27 it says to be not spotted by the world.

[5:06] We don't have these spots all over us. You know, ladies, if you're preparing for a wedding, you want that dress to be without spot, don't you? I saw some picture of some woman and this big splash of mud went over a wedding dress.

[5:22] Just at the wrong time. You know, we don't want the spoiling, the spotting of the world upon us. And we've been set free. We've got a glorious liberty, freedom in Christ.

[5:33] But we are aliens here. You know, some people, they look at Christians like, you are aliens. Like, you're outer space creatures. You're from another planet. It's like you're so different.

[5:43] Because we have here no continuing city. This isn't where we belong. But the world to come. That's where we're going. And we know that already in the year and now.

[5:55] And we've all made a choice like Moses. It says of him that by faith Moses, when he was come to years, he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

[6:06] You know the story how he was, the time of the Pharaoh, they were killing the children. Moses was put in the bulrushes and the princess of Egypt took him for a son, for herself.

[6:22] And when he came to years, he refused to be called her son, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.

[6:41] Moses would rather say, I'm with God's people and suffer than to take the riches of Egypt. We are not to love the world, but to hate it, to oppose it.

[6:55] There should be a holy hatred. We are to hate evil, it says, in Romans 12, verse 9. And as John writes here, there's these three things you could say, the things of the world.

[7:06] We ought not to love them either. What are they? The lust of the flesh, that desire, that carnality of the flesh, the longings of the sinful nature, the lust of the eyes, wanting everything the eye can see.

[7:19] I want it, I want it. You know, I've got to be better than the Joneses. I've got to have more, more, newer, newer, better, better, covetousness. When the flesh uses its senses to gratify itself, then there's the pride of life, pridefulness, arrogance, conceit, this pride, this self-sufficiency.

[7:42] These are things that we ought not to love. Worldliness. Worldliness. It's an attitude of the mind and heart.

[7:53] When someone gets so bewitched by the things around, to gratify of the sinful lusts, and it's a giving over to that instead of giving over to God.

[8:05] Worldliness, you could say, it's a spiritual adultery. No. What are we to be faithful to the living God? How great, Lord. Worldliness is a spiritual adultery.

[8:17] It's kind of two-timing, isn't it? It's friendship with the world. To be worldly is to lose fellowship with God. In James 4, verse 4, he says, ye adulterers and adulteresses.

[8:30] No, ye're not the friendship of the world. It's amnesty. It's hatred. It's hostility towards God. Whosoever there will be a friend of the world. It's the enemy of God.

[8:41] Friends, the world is seductive. What's our attention, our devotion? And we're constantly getting these messages to be attracted to it.

[8:53] The world, the worldliness, it entices our eyes. It lures us. It distracts us away from looking for that better country to some poor substitute.

[9:05] Instead of looking for that place of heaven, the city whose builder and maker is God, we settle for this world and the pleasures of it. The world tells us of the pleasures.

[9:17] The Word tells us of the pleasures of this world. People obsess with the trinkets, with seeking pleasures. Some are clearly worldly.

[9:27] It's not saying all the places of the world are sinful, but certainly some are clearly so. So what does the Bible say of worldly or fleshly things we ought to steer wide of?

[9:41] In 1 Peter 4, we've got some here. The lusts, that craving, the desires of the flesh, forbidden things.

[9:55] The excess of wine, drunkenness. Revelings or revelries. This kind of wildness. Of banquetings, of wild parties.

[10:05] That's the world stuff, isn't it? Isn't that clear? Dare to be different. Now, can a Christian go to a party? Of course. Of course we can. It doesn't mean we have to partake of that which is doubtful.

[10:20] You can get a non-alcoholic drink. You don't have to be like those who are not sober. Because we are meant to be sober. Sober.

[10:33] Dare to be different. Pleasing the world is often contrary to pleasing God. So how then? How do we personally decide what is worldly? It's about your conscience.

[10:43] It's about your heart right with God. And your account with God. Ask yourself, can I do this to the glory of God? Can I? Does it hinder my love for God?

[10:56] If it's doubtful, don't. Get rid of it. The Bible defines worldliness as a love of the world. Really, it's a love of the self, isn't it?

[11:06] It's catering for our own flesh. What pleases me? Me, myself and I. It's what entertains me. It's me. It's my stuff. It's what I want.

[11:19] What makes me feel good. That's the judge of everything some would think, isn't it? What makes me feel good? Then that must be right. How can it be wrong when it feels so right?

[11:31] Like the song goes. Without thought of the glory of God. Friends, it's a poor substitute, isn't it? It's adultery. It's seduction. Don't.

[11:42] The question is who? Who will we please? The world would focus us on the here and now, as if that's all there is, rather than treasures in heaven.

[11:55] The world says, play now and pay later. And as God's people, we don't follow the world and its standards of right and wrong. We've got a higher standard. Rather, we would ask, what do the scriptures say?

[12:15] May we take care not to be swallowed up and absorbed in the business of the world, such that it's just everything we want. We're called to love not the world.

[12:28] Love it not. So, how can we tell if we are worldly? Here's how someone put it. Anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste of Bible study, that cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult, is wrong for me.

[12:46] And I must, as a Christian, turn away from it. This simple rule may help you find a safe path for your feet along life's road. Does it dim your vision of Christ?

[12:59] Does it take away your taste for the Bible? Does it cramp your prayer life? It's wrong. Believe it. Another important question is, how do we spend our time?

[13:13] How do we spend it? Do we waste it? Or do we invest it? Consider how much time have we all got? We've all got the same amount. Do we spend it in useful things?

[13:28] Consider how much time we spend in working, in pleasing ourselves. How many hours on entertainment? How many hours in prayer? In studying? In helping others?

[13:39] In wholesome family things? We've all got the same amount. 168 hours a week. And if we reckon, say, 56 hours spent asleep, give or take.

[13:51] 40 hours of work. 28 hours of meals. 21 hours at home with our family. It's only at least 23 hours after that. How much of our time do we give to our Lord?

[14:05] In service? In love? In action? What time and energy do we invest in souls? Eternity? Will we be like Daniel?

[14:18] Daniel was committed. He was a busy man. But he found time for communion with God, even though it cost him dearly. Be like Daniel. Matthew 6, verse 20.

[14:29] It says, Lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, when neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through or steal.

[14:42] You know, it seems like every time I go to the wardrobe, there's a moth comes out. Have you found that? And I've got these jumpers and they've got holes in them. I think, just can't, nothing lasts down here, does it?

[15:00] The treasures in heaven, you don't have to worry about moths. You don't have to worry about thieves breaking through and stealing. You don't have to lock, there's no locks up there. I'm looking forward to that.

[15:10] I'm always losing my keys. Or needing to get keys cut. You won't have to worry about keys up there, amen? Those treasures in heaven are forever, and thieves are not going to break through. There's going to be no rust, no moths, no thieves.

[15:22] Now, rather, let's choose rather to be rich in soul, to prosper our soul than spending overtime on temporal and eternal things.

[15:33] Because we need to work, provide for our family, make a living. But we're not obsessed with that. What about the amusements and recreations that are connected with sin?

[15:47] Leave them off. Let God speak to you about that which is doubtful. Rather, use your time for fellowship, for Bible study, for prayer.

[16:01] So we're thinking about how we spend our time. Also consider who. Who do you spend your time with? You've got brothers and sisters here. Who do you spend time with?

[16:14] Who do you spend time with? It can affect our thinking, our way of philosophy, our tastes of things.

[16:25] Worldliness shows in the company you keep. Is it worldly, ungodly, unbelieving, friends? There's people here you can make friends with that are like you.

[16:37] Seekers after God. Who do you spend time with? That's an important question, isn't it? Because you learn their way of thinking. You copy their philosophy. Be careful with friendships.

[16:48] And close relationships with worldly people. The Bible says this. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.

[17:00] But a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Don't choose the company of the worldly. Don't choose for friends. The people who do not care for their souls.

[17:11] Or the Bible. Or God. Or holiness. Now that's not to state. Say we shut them out. But we want to be the influence on them. Not the other way around.

[17:23] God calls us to have a right heart. Pray for wisdom and judgment. Sound judgment. Ask God to renew your mind.

[17:33] Your heart. Your thinking. For God to dwell in your heart. He makes you holy. Where your treasure is there. Will your heart be also. Make your heart be in heaven.

[17:44] On heavenly things. Friends, when you get saved. God changes. Your life. Changes your affections. He changes your love. Our heart is no longer like it was.

[17:56] He gives us a new heart. A heart for God. Not the things of the world. We lose the appetite for some things. For the company.

[18:07] The conversation. The amusements. The activities we once loved. They don't have the same appeal anymore. Something changes. We become a new man. New creation.

[18:18] Let go of those lusts that war against the soul. It says. And rather seek after biblical values. And godly things. The word warns us against the cares of the world.

[18:32] In other words, the troubles. The worry state over the world. And the things of the world. We can be full of care. We can be anxious. And bothered by the cares of the world.

[18:44] And our Lord likens that to like thorns. That choke the good plans. Things can choke our spiritual life. We want to avoid that. And I was looking.

[18:58] I know someone tells me. I'm always telling them about my garden here. I should have brought in. There's this little. This little weed. Well it was little. And now it's like this big. Have you seen those?

[19:08] Those are the little creepers. And they grow. And they get more and more seed pods on them. And that's what the cares of this world are like. Isn't it? Just leave it.

[19:21] And before long. That little weed becomes a big one. Thorns can choke us. Friends. The word tells us. Set our affection on things above. Not on things on the earth.

[19:34] And we see the Bible. Our Lord tells us. The choking of the cares and riches and pleasures of this world. This life. He says rather set your affection. On things above.

[19:46] So ask yourself. Where is your love? Our Lord says love not the world. Love it not. So what is our relationship to the world?

[20:00] We're meant to be different. It says Matthew 5.14. Ye are the light of the world. That's what we're meant to be. A city that is set on a hill.

[20:13] Cannot be here. Billy Sunday used to make fun of the term worldly Christian. Worldly Christian. He said this. Why to talk about a worldly Christian.

[20:24] Makes as much sense as about talking about a heavenly devil. If we claim to know Jesus as our saviour.

[20:35] It will impact our lifestyle. The world is crucified to us. And we are crucified to it. Galatians 6.14. Says in 2 Peter 2.

[20:46] That we have escaped from the world. From the pollutions of the world. Through the knowledge of the Lord and saviour. Jesus Christ. But then it says of some.

[20:57] They're entangled again. They're in. And overcome. We have escaped from the world. Don't go getting entangled back in it. Amen. Don't be ashamed to confess Christ.

[21:09] Now we've heard some recent testimonies. At our Thursday meetings. At Sunday of late. Of people who got saved. And then they got entangled again. But they got out of it.

[21:20] They got back on the victory side. And that's not saying. Friends. It's a journey for all of us. And we all can have our. Backslidings. We ought not.

[21:32] But. It's life. Isn't it? It can happen. Remember you've been. You've been made an escapee. From this world. Don't get entangled back in it.

[21:44] And. Don't be ashamed to confess. Your Lord. It's almost the hardest thing to do. Is to confess Christ in a. Workplace. In. In a.

[21:55] Social setting. Don't be afraid to do it. Stand up. Stand up to your family.

[22:06] I've had occasion to have some. Earnest words with family members. That are not in. Not in a good place spiritually. I would rather.

[22:18] Be straightforward. With them. Than to have missed it. Amen. I know others feel the same. Loved ones. Think. They're not right with God. Or it would appear so.

[22:29] We want to challenge them. Urge them. Get right with God. How much time have we got? Stand up. Reject a love of worldly ways.

[22:42] Deny yourself. It talks much of that. Doesn't it? Do not be ashamed. As it were. To let men see. Who. You are. Whose.

[22:53] You are. And who you serve. It's going to take some courage for you. To do that. And of course it's wisdom. How you put it over. But it's. Courage.

[23:03] God given courage. One thing's for sure. About our relationship. With the world. If you're a born again Christian. One thing's for sure.

[23:14] This world is going to hate you. It's going to hate you. Don't be afraid. Don't be surprised. As our Lord tells us. In John 15. If you are of the world.

[23:24] The world would love his own. But because you are not. Of the world. But I've chosen you. Out of the world. Therefore the world. Hateth you. As a Christian.

[23:35] You're going to be hated. I know someone was telling me lately. Of some. Animosity. Because they were willing. To tell of the Saviour. Don't be surprised. That's normal.

[23:47] It's been said. The world's smiles. Are more dangerous. Than its frowns. The world's smiling at you. Maybe there's something wrong. Better to stand with God. And everyone hate you.

[23:59] Than to stand with the crowd. And grow cold towards God. Amen. Don't do that. We need a biblical concept. Of separation. To break off the connection.

[24:10] With the world. We see that in 2 Corinthians 6. Don't be unequally yoked. It says. Together with unbelievers. What fellowship of righteousness. With unrighteousness.

[24:20] And what fellowship hath light. With darkness. Their contrary. Wherefore come out. It says. From among them. And be ye separate. Sayeth the Lord.

[24:31] Touch not. The unclean thing. Come out. Be separate. Don't be entangled. Don't be conformed. Don't even. Touch.

[24:41] The world passes away. And the lust thereof. Don't cling to that. Think of where it's going.

[24:53] This world is headed for everlasting destruction. Our Lord says. He's given himself for us. To deliver us from. This presence. Evil world. Galatians 1.

[25:03] So what is our relationship to the world? Friends. We are dead. To the world. Heard about that Thursday. And Peter mentioned it. We are dead.

[25:13] With Christ. It says. Dead with Christ. To the rudiments of the world. That's how we relate to the world. We're dead to it. God wants us to die.

[25:25] He wants you to die. He wants you to die. To decide. To deny the world. Teaching us. Grace teaches us. As it says. Denying ungodliness. And worldly lust. We should live rather soberly.

[25:37] Righteously and godly. In this present world. As far as worldly lust. God says this. Deny it. Say no. If it's not living soberly.

[25:51] Deny it. If it's not living righteously. Deny it. If it's not living godly. Deny it. God wants us to. Be set free.

[26:02] He wants to deliver us. From this present evil world. From materialism. The fleshliness. The being consumed. Being controlled. By the spirit of worldliness. Now almost every character in the bible.

[26:15] Is known for something. Either some deed of glory and honour. Or some. Of shame and dishonour. And one man is called Demas. He was a man.

[26:28] Who cooled off. He got cool. He got cool. He was a cool dude. And he got cold. He was cool. The world would have said Demas is a cool bard.

[26:40] A cool man. But Demas was a man. He got cool. And he got cold. He turned back. He compromised. Paul says of him. Demas has forsaken me.

[26:51] Having loved this present world. Some people cool off. In their spiritual fervour and zeal. It grows dim and cold. Fizzles out. They fizzle out in their love for God.

[27:06] Their zeal for God. They grow worldly. Friends don't do it. Don't be a Demas. They drop out. They backslide. Bit by bit. One preacher.

[27:20] Said. There was a time he got a question. About certain worldly amusements. And someone said to the preacher. May I do so and so. And he says this.

[27:31] I'm very sorry. Whenever anyone asks me that question. Because it shows that there is. Something wrong. Or it would not be raised at all. If a person's conscience.

[27:45] Let's him say. Well I can go to A. He will very soon go to B. Then C. D. E. And through the alphabet. Some people love the things of this fallen world.

[27:58] More than they love the things of the Lord. Friends if you're thinking. Is it. Right for me to do. Blah blah. Then maybe it's God. God. Saying.

[28:09] There's something. You need to give over to me. Now Spurgeon said this. If I had a brother. Who'd been murdered. What would you think of me.

[28:20] If I consorted with his assassin. The one who drove the dagger. Into my brother's heart. Surely I would be an accomplice. To his crime. Sin. Murdered Christ. Will you be a friend to it.

[28:31] Sin pierced the heart. Of the incarnate God. Can you love it. Sin pierced the heart. Sin pierced the heart. We don't want to be. Consorting. With the world.

[28:43] Friends. It's the enemy of God. If we are. If we were at war. And we are. We wouldn't want to consort with the enemy.

[28:53] Would we? We wouldn't want to have a bar of it. Worldliness makes someone an enemy of God. Guard yourself. It's a trap. And Satan. If he can't catch you with a big sin.

[29:04] He'll try a little one. There's a fight going on. That's what it is. It's with our passions. And desires. That are at war within us. There's a fight. Raging. We are in the world.

[29:15] But not of it. Friends. The good news is. We can know a victory. That overcomes the world. You that are a God fearing man or woman.

[29:27] You can have victory. He promises it. 1 John 5.4 it says. For whatsoever. Is born of God.

[29:38] Overcometh the world. And this is the victory. That overcomes the world. Even. Our faith. Are you overcoming the world? Or are you overcome by it?

[29:50] Yes. Where's your loyalty? Friends. I urge you. Not by way of condemnation.

[30:00] But. I trust the spirit of God. Convicting. That. Where are we? In our relationship with him. Is it faithfulness?

[30:13] To him? Who are the worldly? They are friends of the world. God. The Lord says. No man can serve two masters.

[30:25] It's one or the other. Step over the line. Abraham. As you could reflect. As it tells of him in Genesis 18. And correlates with James 2 verse 23.

[30:39] Abraham was called a friend of God. By contrast. Lot. In. Genesis 19. Or James 4 verse 4.

[30:51] Was a friend of the world. Are we going to be an Abraham or a Lot? And mind you. Lot was still called just. God had mercy on him. Ultimately.

[31:02] Grace was shown to Lot. He was saved. But he. Was worldly. In effect. He was worldly. He pitched his tent towards Sodom.

[31:13] And before long. He moved in. As a permanent resident. Friends. Be an Abraham. Amen. A friend of God. Not a friend of the world.

[31:23] Who are you going to be? Now every man must judge for himself. And use his liberty. There's many questions. Many things. We could all be reflecting on. What is worldly to me?

[31:38] Worldliness. It's not really though. So much a matter of things. Of doing this. Or not doing that. We can all have our mental lists. What we think is right. And wrong.

[31:49] In the Christian life. What is worldly. Or spiritual. It boils down to the attitude. Of the heart. The Lord looks at the heart. And the motives. And it says there.

[32:02] Friends. That he is sending us. He is sending us. Into the world. This is an important point. Go to this verse here.

[32:14] John 17. And this is the Lord's prayer. Really. The Lord's prayer for us. For his disciples. Including us. And one truth about the world.

[32:26] Is that he sends you. Into the world. He says this. As he prays. To the Father. John 17. 14. I have given them my word.

[32:37] And the world hath hated them. Because they are not of the world. Even as I am not. Of the world. I pray not. That thou shouldest take them. Out of the world.

[32:49] But. That thou shouldest keep them. From the evil. They are not of the world. Even as I am not. Of the world. Sanctify them. Through thy truth. Thy word is true.

[33:01] As they were sent me. Into the world. Even so have I. Also sent them. Into the world. He's sending us. Into the world. Friends. Not to be worldly. But to reach the world.

[33:13] Someone has put it like this. We're living in the midst. Of a people who are dying. For what we have. Who are hungry of soul. They're putting bullets. Through their heads.

[33:23] Jumping off bridges. Turning on the gas. To kill themselves. Living in misery. Year after year. And they don't live. 10,000 miles away.

[33:33] They live two blocks. Down the street. Two houses away. Right next door. To us. Behind us. All around us. And we don't see. The need for sacrifice.

[33:44] We become deaf. To the cries. That surround us. We become indifferent. To all hands. That reach out. From every side. We've taken the place. Of the Pharisee. And the Levite.

[33:55] In that parable. Of the Good Samaritan. Who each passed by. On the other side. Of the road. When they saw. The wounded traveller. Lest they become defiled. Themselves.

[34:06] By helping him. It's a danger. We get so concerned. About being defiled. With worldliness. That we lose touch. With the world. Friends. I know the sun. That go into some dark places.

[34:18] I know. I've heard of some. Of our number. Going to some very. Seedy places. To take the gospel there. It's a challenge. Isn't it?

[34:31] We aren't saying. We adopt the world's standards. Or the world's values. To be an influence on them. Because if we become like the world. We lose all our power.

[34:41] To influence them. But we must not think like the world. Our attitudes. Our values. Are different. But we're meant to reach the world. Friends. That's what we're meant to do. Brothers and sisters.

[34:52] Brothers and sisters. It's not that we take on the anti-God culture of our world. It's not like we have to make the church like a nightclub. To make it some kind of attraction. To the world.

[35:04] We don't take pleasure in worldly ways of thinking and acting. But we want to reach. Out. Make a decision.

[35:16] Friends. As we think. Janelle. Make it personal. It's been said. The most decided Christian. Is the happiest. Be decided.

[35:27] No one ever said at the end of their life. That they've been too holy. Or lived too near to God. There'll be no regret of that. Never be ashamed for standing for God.

[35:39] Even if it means standing alone. And we can occupy our minds with so many things. Will it be spiritual things? With the word? Can we declare war on worldly thoughts?

[35:51] Can we determine to obey the will of God? Worldliness. It's a preoccupation with the things of this world. That's not to say. We've got to get a career. Study. A job.

[36:02] Make a life. But we know that. All of this world. It will not last. We don't need the values and mindset of this world.

[36:13] To make a life. We can be discerning. About biblical. True. The answer to our problem of worldliness is. It isn't just being determined.

[36:24] Not to be worldly. Rather. Choose to live godly. We could think. We could obsess about. I should do this. I shouldn't do that. Because that's worldly.

[36:37] Rather. I'm going to choose to live godly. And if that's your choice. The other things will drop off you. Choose to live godly. We need to look at.

[36:49] Our fellowship with God. What's hindering it? There was an old time Scottish preacher. Who had a sermon called. The expulsive power of a new affection.

[37:01] So quite a grand title. Isn't it? The expulsive power of a new affection. In other words. He said. That increased affection for God. Will expel from our hearts.

[37:12] All of our affections. For the things of this world. The more we love him. The less we'll love the world. Amen. The more we love the word. The less we'll love the world.

[37:23] The more we love our Lord. The less we'll love the things of the world. The things of the world are temporary. They're fleeting. They have no lasting value. Friends.

[37:35] We're on the edge of eternity. I know there's a couple of our number visited a man. He's got brain cancer. His time is very short.

[37:47] Could be just ours. The things of this world are temporary. Let's not get too tied up with them. John issued a warning. He says. And the world passeth away.

[37:59] And the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God. Abideth forever. Let's have an eternal mind. Solomon. Had everything.

[38:11] Physically speaking. But he said it was no profit. In Ecclesiastes 2. He called it vanity. It was just emptiness. He had it all. But at the end.

[38:22] All of that was nothing. The world will offer you pleasure. Power. Fulfillment of the lust of the flesh. But one day these things will all come to an end.

[38:33] The Bible says we cannot serve two masters. It's one or the other. Either we obey God. Do what is right. Do what is godly. Or we do what the world does.

[38:45] Those who seek the pleasures in this world are honouring themselves. Not God. Moses. He chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Friends. They're seasonal.

[38:56] There's a season. It's short. It's a small moment. Don't enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Rather. Seek the treasures.

[39:08] Of God. The precious. Knowledge of God. We've been talking about the sin.

[39:19] Of worldliness. Let's be alert to that. And rather seek after the will of God. There's eternal blessing there. Amen. Friends, I urge you today. And really this is a sermon to Christians.

[39:32] Exhorting you to holiness of war. If you've yet to trust the Lord. Trust him now. Know his saving. We've heard about the cross today. We've heard about the precious blood of Jesus shed.

[39:45] Of his eternal life gift. Receive it. Trust him now. Know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Call on his name. Say, Jesus, I love you. I trust you.

[39:57] I believe in you. And your work of the cross for my sin. I receive your forgiveness. Your everlasting life. And let's walk in that, saints.

[40:10] This world passes away. But we who are saved have eternal. Eternal truth. Eternal treasures. Let's pray.

[40:22] Lord, we thank you for each one. As we commit our lives. Lord, let us be a decisive Christian. A decided Christian. Because they are the happiest. Lord, let us decide.

[40:35] To trust you. To decide to follow you. To love you. To love not the world. And the things that are in the world. Yet to reach the world. You're helping us too.

[40:47] That we can make an impact on this world. Because we are in it. But we are not of it. Lord, bless each heart. Each home. In Jesus' name. Amen.