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“Summer of Love” // 1 John 2:15-29

Mary Ellen Ermis June 26, 2022 Devotionals, sermons, 1 John, cityrise, CityRise Missouri City, houston, Justo Robinson, Kirby Follis, Summer of Love,

The following is a manuscript of the sermon presented by Executive Pastor Kirby Follis on Sunday, June 26, 2022 at our CityRise Missouri City campus. It was a bilingual service with congregants from CityRise Missouri City and CityRise Emmanuel.

Good morning, dear brothers and sisters! I am grateful today to have the pleasure of sharing God’s Word. Here with me is my brother Justo Robinson to guarantee the clarity of that Word in Spanish and possibly in English. It is a great blessing for me to share those moments with him and with you.

Buenos días, estimados hermanos y hermanas!  Estoy agradecido hoy a tener el placer de compartir la Palabra de Dios.  Aqui conmigo, está mi hermano Justo Robinson a garantizar la claridad de esa Palabra en espańol y posiblemente in inglés.  Es una gran bendición para mi a compartir esos momentos con el y con ustedes.

Today, we continue in the letter of 1 John, chapter 2, beginning in verse 15.  In today’s verses, we find a word of warning.  We are accustomed to warnings aren’t we?  Roadside signs give us a heads up, labels on food inform us what we are putting into our bodies.  Signs around bodies of water tell us whether it is safe to swim and whether or not there are lifeguards.  Even cigarette packaging tells you what? – that smoking is really bad for you according to the surgeon general.

Unfortunately, we humans habitually disregard posted advisements, throwing all caution to the wind and continuing forward.  This behavior usually has consequences – sometimes tragic ones.  In his epistles, John writes to believers regarding God’s love through encouragement and affirmation.  But, he also writes to issue warnings to them.  Why?  To save them from potential pain and spiritual failure.

John Warns Believers / Juan Advierte a Los Creyentes:

  • Don’t Love the World / No Ames el Mundo
  • Don’t Follow False Teachers / No Sigas a los Falsos Maestros
  • Do Abide in Christ / Permanece in Cristo

I. John warns believers: Don’t love the world / juan advierte a los creyentes: No ames el mundo

Let’s begin with the first in verses 15-17:

1 John 2:15

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.

1 Juan 2:15

15 No améis al mundo, ni las cosas que están en el mundo. Si alguno ama al mundo, el amor del Padre no está en él.

Let’s spend a moment defining what John means by “the world.”  Heralding from the Greek kosmos, typically meaning the “universe” OR “worldly affairs.”  I can tell you what he is NOT saying…he is not saying that it is okay not to love the people of the world.  That would be contrary to God’s purposes for us and His Kingdom.

What John is saying, is to keep apart from any sources of opposition to God as well as anything that tempts us to commit sin.  He is saying, “Don’t live a life that is OPPOSED to the commandments of God.”  In his writing, we can take “worldliness” to mean = disobedience to God’s rule of life.  We must acknowledge that the world systems lie under control of the evil one (1 John 5:19), it lies in darkness (John 1:5) and is under divine judgment (John 9:39) even though God loved it enough to give His Son to save it.  Jesus did not come to redeem the system – He came to redeem the people oppressed by it through sin.  We know this from John 3:16…whoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life.  We also know from reading Revelation 21, that the world will one day be made new by Christ.

This creates a great deal of tension for the believer.  We must be separate from the world while living in it.  We must come out from the darkness and judgment under which it exists while constantly refusing its temptations.  Commentator Howard Marshall writes that John motivation here is to keep Christians from being attracted to such temptations.  To keep us from falling in love with the world.  And before we go further, let me remind you that he is writing this warning to those who are secure in the faith.  He knows that loving the world begins by sticking one toe over the line and goes downhill from there and that all of us might be susceptible to it if we do not heed his caution.

Verse 15 emphatically states, “DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD…”  He is reinforcing his previous teaching that we cannot say we are in the light if we walk in darkness.  WE cannot say that we love the Father AND hate our brother.  It isn’t possible to fully love God while also loving the world.  What does James 4:4 say about this?

James 4:4

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Santiago 4:4

¡Oh almas adúlteras! ¿No sabéis que la amistad del mundo es enemistad contra Dios? Cualquiera, pues, que quiera ser amigo del mundo, se constituye enemigo de Dios.

And then, just to be clear, in verse 16, he breaks down this worldly influence…he spells it out in three categories:

1 John 2:16

For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 

1 Juan 2:15

Porque todo lo que hay en el mundo, los deseos de la carne, los deseos de los ojos, y la vanagloria de la vida, no proviene del Padre, sino del mundo. 

3 Key Problems of Worldliness / 3 Problemas de Mundanería:

  • Desires of the Flesh / Los Deseos de la Carne
  • Desires of the Eyes / Los Deseos de los Ojos
  • Pride of Life / Vanagloria de la Vida

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Gálatas 5:19-21

19 Y manifiestas son las obras de la carne, que son: adulterio, fornicación, inmundicia, lascivia, 20 idolatría, hechicerías, enemistades, pleitos, celos, iras, contiendas, disensiones, herejías, 21 envidias, homicidios, borracheras, orgías, y cosas semejantes a estas; acerca de las cuales os amonesto, como ya os lo he dicho antes, que los que practican tales cosas no heredarán el reino de Dios.

3 Key Problems of Worldliness / 3 Problemas de Mundanería:

  • Desires of the Flesh / Los Deseos de la Carne
  • Desires of the Eyes / Los Deseos de los Ojos
  • Pride of Life / Vanagloria de la Vida

1 Peter 2:11

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.

1 Pedro 2:11

Amados, yo os ruego como a extranjeros y peregrinos, que os abstengáis de los deseos carnales que batallan contra el alma,

3 Key Problems of Worldliness / 3 Problemas de Mundanería:

  • Desires of the Flesh / Los Deseos de la Carne
  • Desires of the Eyes / Los Deseos de los Ojos
  • Pride of Life / Vanagloria de la Vida

Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbios 16:18

Antes del quebrantamiento es la soberbia, Y antes de la caída la altivez de espíritu.

James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Santiago 4:10

Humillaos delante del Señor, y él os exaltará.

1 John 2:17

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 Juan 2:17

Y el mundo pasa, y sus deseos; pero el que hace la voluntad de Dios permanece para siempre.

John Warns Believers / Juan Advierte a Los Creyentes:

  • Don’t Love the World / No Ames el Mundo
  • Don’t Follow False Teachers / No Sigas a los Falsos Maestros
  • Do Abide in Christ / Permanece in Cristo

II. John Warns believers: don’t follow false teachers / juan advierte a Los creyentes: no sigas a los falsos maestros

Let’s read the first two verses…

1 John 2:18-27

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 it is the last hour. 19 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 all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 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. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 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. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. 26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you 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.

1 Juan 2:18-27

Hijitos, ya es el último tiempo; y según vosotros oísteis que el anticristo viene, así ahora han surgido muchos anticristos; por esto conocemos que es el último tiempo. 19 Salieron de nosotros, pero no eran de nosotros; porque si hubiesen sido de nosotros, habrían permanecido con nosotros; pero salieron para que se manifestase que no todos son de nosotros. 20 Pero vosotros tenéis la unción del Santo, y conocéis todas las cosas. 21 No os he escrito como si ignoraseis la verdad, sino porque la conocéis, y porque ninguna mentira procede de la verdad. 22 ¿Quién es el mentiroso, sino el que niega que Jesús es el Cristo? Este es anticristo, el que niega al Padre y al Hijo. 23 Todo aquel que niega al Hijo, tampoco tiene al Padre. El que confiesa al Hijo, tiene también al Padre. 24 Lo que habéis oído desde el principio, permanezca en vosotros. Si lo que habéis oído desde el principio permanece en vosotros, también vosotros permaneceréis en el Hijo y en el Padre. 25 Y esta es la promesa que él nos hizo, la vida eterna. 26 Os he escrito esto sobre los que os engañan. 27 Pero la unción que vosotros recibisteis de él permanece en vosotros, y no tenéis necesidad de que nadie os enseñe; así como la unción misma os enseña todas las cosas, y es verdadera, y no es mentira, según ella os ha enseñado, permaneced en él.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

2 Timothy 4:3-4

Porque vendrá tiempo cuando no sufrirán la sana doctrina, sino que teniendo comezón de oír, se amontonarán maestros conforme a sus propias concupiscencias, y apartarán de la verdad el oído y se volverán a las fábulas.

John Warns Believers / Juan Advierte a Los Creyentes:

  • Don’t Love the World / No Ames el Mundo
  • Don’t Follow False Teachers / No Sigas a los Falsos Maestros
  • Do Abide in Christ / Permanece in Cristo

III. JOHN WARNS BELIEVERS: DO ABIDE IN CHRIST / JUAN ADVIERTE A LOS CREYENTES: PERMANECE IN CRISTO

Let’s continue with vv. 28-29…

1 John 2:28-29

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

1 Juan 2:28-29

28 Y ahora, hijitos, permaneced en él, para que cuando se manifieste, tengamos confianza, para que en su venida no nos alejemos de él avergonzados. 29 Si sabéis que él es justo, sabed también que todo el que hace justicia es nacido de él.

Romans 13:14

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romanos 13:14

sino vestíos del Señor Jesucristo, y no proveáis para los deseos de la carne.