If you don't have a Bible, you can turn in your bulletin.
It's printed there for you.
So we've been kind of making, or I've been making my way through 1 John with you guys
in little breaks and chunks from Mark.
But we're coming to the next section, which has some spicy stuff in it.
So let's give our attention to the reading of God's Word.
1 John 2, verses 15 through 27.
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.
For all that is in the world, all the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and
the pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world.
And the world is passing away along with its desires.
But whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Children, it is the last hour.
And as you have heard, that Antichrist is coming.
So now many Antichrists have come.
Therefore, we know that this is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us.
For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.
But they went out, that it might become plain that they are not of us.
But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you have all knowledge.
I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it.
And because no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?
This is the Antichrist.
He who denies the Father and the Son.
No one who denies the Son has the Father.
Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.
If what you heard from the beginning abides in you,
then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that he made to us, eternal life.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you,
but the anointing that you have received from him abides in you.
And you have no need that anyone should teach you,
but as his anointing teaches you about everything,
and is true and is no lie,
just as it has taught you, abide in him.
Let's pray.
Lord, we're thankful this morning for your word.
We pray that you might bless it,
especially the preaching of your word,
and that it would take root in our souls,
and that we might see Christ as more glorious.
We pray these things in Jesus' name.
Amen.
The anticipation of a big championship fight,
a highly touted contender
who comes in with all the brashness and arrogance of a champion,
dressed maybe like Uncle Sam.
He looks at his opponent,
and he mocks him.
Back-to-back titles, dressed to the hilt,
everyone shouting his name, music blasting.
His opponent does not stand a chance at all.
Skinny, scrawny, unproven.
Why is there even a fight after all?
He's going to win.
It's a foregone conclusion.
And then comes the underdog,
and he knocks the champion to the floor.
Never been done before.
Never happened.
Completely taken off guard
because he had underestimated his opponent
because he thought
that there was no chance that he would win.
That's the opening,
or really the culmination of Rocky.
It's not opening.
It opens the series, and it continues on.
You know Rocky,
the story of Rocky Balboa from the south side of Philadelphia.
You know, he works in a meatpacking plant,
and he trains for this big fight
by punching big slabs of meat.
And here is Apollo Creed,
the champion who lets down his guard
and then is taken off his pedestal.
Not by any decision,
because he actually wins the fight,
but his name, his recognition,
all of that comes with a champion,
is taken away from him.
All the support of all the on-watchers
and adoring fans
are now Rocky fans.
That's a similar story
that plays over and over,
no matter if it's history,
politics, and upset victories.
The war in Ukraine.
Whoever thought Ukraine would last this long?
Or, in literature,
think of Cinderella.
Cinderella.
No one would have thought
anyone would fall for Cinderella,
unless they would have
surely sent her to the ball.
Her stepmother and all those
mean, nasty sisters
would have supported her.
But that's even where we get that term,
the Cinderella story.
It's because it's an unlikely outcome.
But whether it's politics,
or history,
or literature,
the underdog,
the Cinderella story,
is something that resonates with us.
But oftentimes,
what happens
is the champion,
or the supposed victor,
who is certainly going to win,
lets down their guard.
That's what's going on in this text
this morning.
John is reminding Christians
that they can't let down their guard,
but they're going to end up,
like Apollo Creed,
knocked to the mat.
John is saying,
don't let down your guard,
because there's something out there.
The world.
Don't let down your guard,
because I'm warning you
about the enemies of Christ.
Those are two kind of things
that influence Christians.
And John is reminding these people,
and us,
that those two things remain
even for us today.
So those are the headings
that we're going to look at this morning.
This idea of the world,
and this warning against
the enemies of Christ.
So,
if you turn your attention
back to God's word,
let's look at verse 15.
Do not love the world,
or the things in this world.
If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father
is not in him.
John's really clear here.
Don't love the world,
or the things that are in the world.
That's a trickier statement,
than at first glance.
Remember,
these instructions are coming on heels
of John repeating,
over and over,
that there's these things,
there's this group of people,
that these Christians
are going to have to endure,
that they're influenced by,
and they have to remember
what God has done for them.
They have to recall to mind,
and live out of that,
that is the gospel,
what Jesus has done for them.
They have to rest in that alone,
because all these things
are going to assault them,
and challenge them.
But John reminds them,
that they're loved,
they're called to abide in him,
they're kept by Jesus.
And on the heels of that,
he's saying,
if you're doing all these things,
you don't love the world,
or the things in it.
In typical John fashion,
he's going to restate this idea.
He says,
those that do love the world,
do not love the Father.
They do not love the things,
that he loves.
In fact,
his love is not in them.
But there's a couple of ways,
in which scripture uses the word,
world.
This is my Father's world,
we sing that song here.
Is that what he's talking about?
What about the famous,
scripture that you hear,
or you see,
at all those sporting events?
For God so loved the world.
Right?
Is it that sense of world?
That he gave his only begotten son.
Remember,
that's the same author,
that's right here,
that penned these words,
telling us not to love the world.
So how can he tell us,
that God loves the world,
that he gave his only son,
but he's telling us,
as Christians,
not to love the world?
Those two don't seem,
to fit together.
It's this.
When John uses the term,
world here,
he means not the created order,
and all the things in it,
including us,
that were created by him,
and that he's called good.
Think about Genesis 1.
He means,
it is this.
Look at verse 16.
For all that is in the world,
the desires of the flesh,
the desires of the eyes,
and the pride of life,
is not from the Father,
but it's from the world.
The desires of the flesh,
the temptations that we all face,
the desires of the eyes,
the things that we want,
that we see,
and we must have.
The pride that we have in possessions,
that's what he's talking about.
Those are all euphemisms.
That's sin.
He's saying,
those things that are in the world,
that are sinful,
whether they're good,
distorted to be evil,
because we place them on the pedestal
of the most important thing in the world,
or whether they're actually bad.
Those things are the world.
It's the same sense in which we often echo Paul
when we say we're called out from this world,
that we're in this world,
but not of it,
or the words of Christ when he reminds us
that he is not of this world.
Yes, he's physically there,
but he is not of this world.
John defines it here for us in verse 16.
And scripture affirms that the world
and the way of godliness
are two separate ideas.
And he's calling us to the way of godliness.
The world and all that's in it
is at odds with the Father.
The irony here is that all of this,
the allure of the world,
is something we struggle with
because we're in the here and now.
And we struggle with it
even though we know that it's fleeting,
even though we know that it's passing.
But why do we do that?
Why do we continuously struggle
when we know that the will of God
abides forever?
That that is made by a God
that is infinite and eternal.
Who doesn't want those things?
And yet we settle for that,
which is far less.
The British writer C.S. Lewis reminds us
when he describes his own struggle
in the weight of glory.
He says,
You and I have a need
of the strongest spell
that can be found
to wake us
from the evil enchantment
of worldliness,
which has been laid upon us
for nearly a hundred years.
Almost our whole education
has been directed
to silencing this shy,
persistent inner voice.
Almost all our modern philosophies
have been devised
to convince us
that the good of man
is to be found on this earth.
This idea
that we have to wake ourselves up
from this,
this slumber,
and this idea
that we have to fight against
finding all of our good
on this earth.
God is infinite, eternal.
That is the thing
of lasting worth and value.
It's not these things
that tempt us
in this world.
There are many things
in this life
that are fleeting.
They're alluring,
promising that they'll
never,
never actually deliver on.
I have a friend like this
that's always tempted.
He's tempted
by something
in his normal
day-to-day
appeal
that this thing,
this action
will actually lead
to his ruin.
He knows
that it's not for his good,
but he does it anyway.
He knows
that it's not for his good
because I remind him
of this.
I remind him
of this
when I discipline him
and give him
a cold bath
outside in the front yard.
My friend
is man's best friend.
His name's Otter.
It's not my pet.
I don't have a pet Otter.
That's really confusing.
I have a dog,
German short hair pointer
named Otter.
And the thing
that he struggles with
more than anything
in this world,
the thing that he's tempted
by
are these fluffy
black and white things.
See,
Otter is from
South Alabama
where
they don't really exist
that often.
He's not had that many
experiences with them
until he came here.
But those tempting,
fun,
black and white things
have this nasty smell.
And even though
he knows at this point
through various interactions
that this will not
turn out for his good,
that playing with that
fluffy black and white animal
is not going to be fun
in the end,
he still does it.
He's done it
on normal days.
He's done it
on Christmas Eve.
He's done it
by himself.
He's done it
with his friends,
his litter mates.
He's done it
with my older dog
who knows now
to avoid those skunks.
But Otter does it
every single time.
He's mesmerized by it.
Even when they warn him.
Even when they warn him
with their teeth.
He's still tempted.
He doesn't learn
from experience.
He doesn't learn
from the wisdom
of his elders.
He doesn't learn
from correction from me.
He doesn't learn
from the effects of it.
Having to get that cold bath
of peroxide and water.
Tomato juice doesn't work.
He doesn't learn.
He keeps going back
again and again.
It's because they're cute.
Yeah.
Yes, they are.
He goes back
and he pays the price
every time.
But we are kind of like
Otter the dog.
We play with the skunk.
We play with the stench
of our own sin.
And we know
that it will not be
for our own good.
We know it from experience.
We know it from the words
that we hear on Sunday.
We know it from God's word.
We know it from others.
But yet,
we return again and again
to something that's empty,
vain, and fleeting.
But why?
Why do we do that?
It's because we're made
of flesh and bone.
We live in this
created world
that we're finite creatures.
We're part of this world.
But we are called
to something more than now.
We're called to resist
those impulses of our flesh.
We can't be deceived
by this world,
by our eyes,
by what we can see,
by our pride,
by our sin,
by our own apathy
to that which is lovely,
to God himself.
There is an Anglican pastor
who wrote this
about this passage.
And it's so fitting.
He said,
the world is the great rock
on which thousands
of young people
are continually
making shipwreck.
Now, I think the qualification
that we would make
is not just young people.
It's all people.
We don't object
to any article
of the Christian faith.
They do not deliberately
choose evil
and openly rebel
against God.
They hope somehow
to get to heaven at last.
And they think it proper
to have some religion.
But they cannot give up
their idol.
They must have the world.
And so running after well
and bidding fair for heaven
while boys and girls
turn aside
when they become men
and women
go down the broad way
which leads to destruction.
We love the world.
We are marked
by worldliness.
But we are called
to seek after things
that are eternal
and to abide
with the Lord forever.
We are called
to delight
in who God is
and what He has done.
That we have to
reorder our priorities
and not see
these good gifts
as ultimate things
and worship them.
But worship Christ.
That's what we are called to.
That's what John
is calling these people to.
And that's a struggle
and we will fail.
But we must remind
one another
to return again
and again
to Christ
and not to the things
in this world.
John reminds us
to stand against the world
but he also
reminds us
through this section
that there's this other thing
going on.
He warns us
to be on our guard
not just against the world
but against the enemies
of Christ.
Let's turn our attention there.
Remember that John
is writing to a people
that he loves.
So in verse 18
when he says
children
it's not like
they're their little child
but children
I love you.
I want the best for you.
I'm going to warn you
of the impending danger.
It's not demeaning at all.
He's reminding them
because he actually
cares for them.
He's reminding them
because something is looming.
It's not simply
a battle of ideas.
It's ideas that
influence their lives
and train wreck
or shipwreck
their faith
against the rock.
It's a battle
of theological ideas
and he's reminding them
these real people
that he loves them.
Now I know
in this first verse
there's something looming
that we want to jump to
and it's that antichrist.
But before we do
we have to remember
we have to look at
all what's going on.
There's also this term
last hours.
What does he mean by that?
If John's writing
in the last hours
and we're still here
was he wrong?
Were those the last hours?
Are these the last hours?
John's talking about
a quality of time
not a quantity of time.
So quickly we move
to quantity
but not quality.
Think about the use
of the term all
in scripture.
all men.
It's really all types
of men
that it's often used.
We should be concerned
though
because
this
can often be
an attack
against scripture.
It's not the last hours
he's talking about
in terms of time
but the quality of time.
These hours are different
or these last days
are different.
How are they different
from before?
Think on the timeline
of scripture.
At one time
God spoke through prophets
and through signs
and types
and shadows
and now he speaks
by his son.
That's what the writer
of Hebrews reminds us.
In these final days
and these last days
that are different
because we have Christ.
That's how they're the last.
So they're different days
by which Christ
now speaks.
It points
to something though
that will have challenges.
In verse 18
he reminds us
that we've heard
that the Antichrist
is coming
so now
many Antichrists
have come.
I have to admit
when looking at this passage
I was tempted
to just be like
hey
I can just preach
another passage
right?
Because this word
comes with all kinds
of baggage
and immediately
in context
we see
we know that term
Antichrist
but then
we're reoriented
because then
it uses it
in the plural
and we have to think
what's going on?
But it gets
our attention
and most often
we think of that term
we think of Paul
or Revelation
this idea
of this man
of lawlessness
a singular figure
who opposes
Christ
and his kingdom
but here
it's plural.
It's very different.
simply put
it's these people
that are against
the cause of Christ
against him
against his kingdom
it's not a singular
individual
in this context
it's all those people
that are against
Jesus.
Now remember
1 John
is a letter
written to a church
written to Christians
to assure them
to remind them
to comfort them
as they faced
all these challenges
and the challenges
were those
that were swirling
around the community
of Christ
whether they have
been part of them
and then had gone
out from them
as we'll see
or they were still
within them
promoting their ideas
all about
confusion
over who Jesus
was
and what he had done
those are those
antichrists
that he's talking about.
Look with me
at verse 19
they went out
from us
but they were not
of us
for they have
been of us
they would have
continued with us
but they went out
that it might become
plain
that they are
not all
of us.
They were part
of the covenant
community
they were part
of the church
and then they left.
John's saying
this is not
simply a clash
of ideas
that happen
in the classroom
this happens
in real life
and these ideas
have real big
effects
ramifications
for real people.
These aren't
just minor
theological
fights
you know
the nerds
have
that really
don't affect us.
These are important
in its life
and death
it's a real
struggle
over error
over truth
and lies
but what are they
struggling over?
If it's that big
of a deal
what are they
struggling over?
Look with me
at verse 20
he reminds them
they've been
anointed
by the Holy
One
that they have
all the knowledge
21
that I write
to you
because you do
know the truth.
It's not as if
you don't know it
there is no lie
in the truth.
He's writing
them
reminding them
they have
everything they need
they don't need
to be swayed
by these new ideas
they need to return
again and again
to the gospel
and that what
is contained
in the message
of their sin
being paid for
by Christ
who's both God
and man
that is true
that is lasting
and there is no
lie in them
if they believe
in that
there's no lie
in that
but there is
one that lies.
John tells us
that these enemies
of Christ
are those
that deny
Jesus
they deny
some aspect
of who he is
or what he's done
we don't know
exactly what it is
but it's probably
about him being
God and man
at the same time
or
him
paying the punishment
for sin
they're confused
but these
Christians
are called
to love him
if you remember
this isn't the first time
we've seen
this clash
of theology
these people
who are denying
who Jesus is
and what he's done
are the same people
back in chapter 1
that said
what?
that they had fellowship
with God
these are the same people
that said
they have no sin
not now
not ever
these are the same people
that said
they're walking in the light
and John says
more
he says
you can't walk
in the light
and then have fellowship
with the darkness
or he goes on
in chapter 2
and says
these are the same people
that said
they walked in that light
they've tasted
and seen
yet they did not know
who Christ
truly was
was it his divinity?
was it the fact
he was God
and man
as we just confessed
this morning?
was it the fact
that his death
had impact
for them
even though
they couldn't see
the effects
of his death
on the cross?
that he reigns
now in heaven
even though
it doesn't look like it
we don't know
what it is
but we'll see
in a couple chapters
what it is
we don't know
at this point
we don't know
exactly what it is
but we know
they have the wrong
view of Christ
and that is essential
for any person
that is saying
they're walking
with Jesus
and I'm putting
their trust
in this
God
man
to not know
who he truly
is
one theologian
has written
that when we
think like this
we're taking
the cross
and we're rounding
off the edges
whether making it
more palatable
or easier
to handle
we're reducing
the sharp lines
that bring about
the effects
in this world
that's what
they're trying
to do
they're trying
to reconcile
this
they're trying
to shape
the message
and by doing
so
they're losing
the cross
in all of it
John's correcting
this
he's saying
it matters
what you think
about Jesus
and little children
I'm going to remind
you of all these
things
so that you
aren't led
astray
because Jesus
matters
remember
he's calling
them to remember
now
tomorrow
is a
day of remembering
it's memorial
day
it's not
something that
we struggle
with in
modern America
remembering
Israel
struggle
with that
and God
did miraculous
things and
brought them
out of the
land
and they
were told
to build
memorials
they were
told
to remember
through days
they were
told to
remember
through
celebrations
and what
do they
do
they forget
now
memorial day
is a
national day
that we're
called
to remind
ourselves
of the
sacrifices
of people
for freedom
in this
country
the ability
that we
have to
have liberty
to have
life
to have
the pursuit
of happiness
and we're
called to be
thankful for
those sacrifices
but more
often than not
it's a day
that we just
cease working
that we celebrate
the start of
summer
we dust off
the pool
noodles
we fire up
the barbecue
and we celebrate
because summer
is here
around the corner
it's a little
tricky in
Colorado
the pool
is not so
warm right
now
we might
see snow
right
but in
this day
we have
this clash
of ideas
maybe even
clash
in our
own
hearts
because
for some
memorial day
is this day
that's the start
of summer
but for some
it's kind of
haunting
it's a
struggle
it's marked
by sadness
marked by
loss
marked
by guilt
and maybe
decisions
that you've
made
or others
have made
that have
been led
to the loss
of Americans
that's hard
that doesn't
look like
the pool
and barbecue
right
but as a
nation
we're called
to remember
this day
but some
of us
were marked
by more
introspection
and lament
and that's
okay
and that's
a good
thing
as a
kid
I was
part of
a family
that was
never
really
patriotic
on memorial
day
which
we'd always
spend it
at the lake
we'd go
like catfishing
and swimming
and enjoy
the day
and it always
struck me
like why did
we do
those things
if it was
a day
for remembering
are we
remembering
and as I
grew as an
adult
I started
to challenge
that
I said
hey
we have
multiple
generations
of people
who've
given
their lives
to this
country
who've
given
all of
them
we have
cousins
that I
don't even
know
because we
live all
around the
world
and I
asked
I can't
remember
if it was
my dad
or granddad
I asked
them
why don't
we do
the things
that other
people do
on memorial
day
why don't
we go
to parades
why don't
we do
you know
go to
cemeteries
which are
all good
things
and I
remember
the response
being
every day
is memorial
day
that our
whole lives
as multiple
generations
of people
that have
served in
the military
are marked
by these
memorials
and that
each day
we were
to live
as honoring
those
who paid
the ultimate
price
whether they're
friends
family members
and that
shaped
each and
every day
I think
that's what
we're called
to in memorial
day
is to remember
those things
and John
in this
section
is calling
them not
just to
remember
and set
it aside
but to
live each
day
moment
by moment
remembering
what Christ
has done
that's what
he's calling
them to
remember
not just
one day
of the year
and then go
on about
your business
but remember
second by
second
what Christ
has done
and even
more than
that
I'm going
to send
you one
that you
might
delight
and abide
in me
so that
it's going
to help
you live
that moment
by moment
in light
of what
Christ
has done
look at
with me
at verse
24
let what
you heard
from the
beginning
abide
in you
if what
you heard
from the
beginning
abides
in you
then you
too
will abide
in the
son
and in
the
father
and this
is the
promise
he made
to us
eternal
life
this is
coming
on the
heels
of
understanding
what
they're
fighting
about
they
claimed
that
they
had
the
father
but
they
didn't
have
the
son
and
John's
reminding
them
that
they're
called
to
abide
in
God
and
abide
in him
because
they're
sending
them
the
Holy
Spirit
he's
sending
them
someone
to help
them
it's
not a
disassociated
remembering
it's
living
moment
by
moment
even
when
he
feels
far
and
distant
living
by
his
help
living
by
what
he
has
done
God
doesn't
say
just
think
real
hard
and
then
you
can
fight
against
the
schemes
of
the
devil
this
world
these
theological
ideas
he
says
no
abide
in
him
live
out
of
him
it's
not
simple
remembering
of
what
Christ
has
done
in
the
past
and
going
on
about
our
day
but
living
each
day
in
light
of
what
he
has
done
it's
not
facts
trapped
in
our
brains
but
he's
given
his
spirit
to
remain
in
us
to
live
with
us
so
we
might
abide
in
the
son
and
the
father
it
moves
past
memorial
and
it
moves
towards
transformation
that
each
day
has
a
component
of
remembering
but
each
day
is
being
renewed
then
we
can
see
the
beauty
of
this
world
and
we're
not
captive
to
it
we
can
see
our
highest
good
not
as
the
things
that
we
can
attain
or
the
things
that
we
want
or
the
things
that
we
don't
have
but
the
ultimate
good
is
Christ
we
see
that
when
we
live
moment
by
moment
abiding
in
him
we
see
that
most
clearly
we're
not
captive
to
our
eyes
we're
not
captive
to
the
desires
of
our
flesh
or
even
big
grand
theological
arguments
we
see
Jesus
as
he
truly
is
and
we're
freed
we're
freed
not
just
from
in
the
sense
of
having
liberty
but
we're
freed
from
the
power
of
sin
and
death
we're
freed
by
Jesus
himself
and
his
actions
on
the
cross
we're
freed
to
serve
him
we're
freed
to
stand
on
our
guard
by
abiding
in
him
John
reminds
us
that
it's
no
new
knowledge
that
we
need
it's
this
old
story
and
these
ideas
they're
going
to
assault
us
even
the
world's
going
to
assault
us
but
we
have
him
and
we
live
in
him
so
Christian
be
on
your
guard
be
on
your
guard
against
the
world
be
on
your
guard
against
these
things
that
the
enemies
of
Christ
espouse
these
new
ideas
that
seek
to
destroy
what
is
true
and
right
and
beautiful
that
seek
to
destroy
what
we
see
from
scripture
of
God
himself
stand
on
guard
that
we
might
remember
that
each
day
our
lives
have
been
changed
by the
glory
of
the
gospel
the
glory
of
Christ
let's
pray
about
those
who
want
anything
to