What Are You Living For?

River Valley Church • Pastor Rob Ketterling •

Summary

Pastor Rob Ketterling continues the series on 1 John, building on the previous week's message about confession and forgiveness. He begins by reminding the congregation that believers have an advocate in Jesus Christ and that He is the propitiation for our sins - satisfying God's righteous wrath through His sacrificial death. The focus of this message is 1 John 2:15-17, which warns believers not to love the world or the things in the world, explaining that "world" refers to the spiritual system that exalts self, rejects God, and resists His kingdom. Pastor Rob explains that the "world" is not God's creation or people, but rather a pattern of life organized around wrong principles and values that oppose God. He emphasizes that believers cannot walk with God and run with the world simultaneously - these systems are incompatible. The danger is particularly acute when Christians are not being persecuted, as there's a temptation to want to fit in and be accepted by the world's system. He encourages believers to stand firm in their convictions rather than compromise to gain acceptance from a system that fundamentally opposes Christ. The sermon identifies three specific areas of worldly temptation from 1 John 2:16: the desires of the flesh (worldly ambitions, selfish aims, gluttony, luxury, lust), the desires of the eyes (the coveting gaze that makes us think we need what we see), and the pride of life (bragging and lying about possessions and accomplishments). Pastor Rob traces these same three temptations back to Genesis 3 with Eve's temptation. He concludes by pointing to the solution: abiding in Jesus daily through God's word, prayer, and awareness of His presence. The world is passing away, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Key Takeaways

  • You can't walk with God and run with the world
  • If you love the world system, the love of the Father is not in you
  • The world system hates Jesus - you can't compromise enough to be accepted by it
  • Stand firm in your convictions - they won't love you if you abandon Jesus
  • The world uses three temptations: desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and pride of life
  • Guard your eyes - the algorithm knows what will pull you away from God
  • The world is passing away, but whoever does God's will abides forever
  • You can't survive on stored up faith - abide in Jesus daily
  • When you abide daily, the world system loses its grip and the kingdom takes control
  • Don't compromise to get into the cool kids club - stand out for Jesus

Outline

Review and Context (1 John 2:1-2)

  • Continuing the series on 1 John after last week's message on 1 John 1:9
  • Jesus is our advocate (paracletos) - someone called alongside to defend us
  • Jesus is our propitiation - satisfied God's righteous wrath against sin
  • Moral and ethical obligation to live differently as Christians
  • We're not very good at it, but not an excuse to stop trying

Don't Love the World (1 John 2:15)

  • Understanding what 'world' means in this context
  • Not God's creation or people, but a spiritual system opposing God
  • A pattern of life that exalts self, rejects God, resists His kingdom
  • Word 'world' used 186 times in NT, John uses it 50% of the time
  • Society organized around wrong principles and values

Biblical Warnings About the World System

  • Paul: Don't be conformed to the world, be transformed (Romans 12:2)
  • Paul: Christ delivered us from this present evil age
  • Paul: Demas loved this present world and departed
  • James: Friendship with the world is enmity with God
  • James: Keep yourself unspotted by the world
  • Jesus: You're not of this world just as I'm not
  • Two kingdoms: God's kingdom vs. the world's system

The Temptation to Fit In

  • When not being persecuted, Christians tempted to compromise
  • America is antagonized but not persecuted
  • Young people: stand firm, don't compromise convictions
  • The world system hates Jesus and those who follow Him
  • Example from Love is Blind show - some compromised, some stood firm
  • Business owners and parents: be godly, not cool

Three Areas of Worldly Temptation (1 John 2:16)

  • Desires of the flesh: worldly ambitions, selfish aims, materialism, gluttony, luxury, lust
  • Desires of the eyes: the coveting gaze, triggered by environment, comparison, advertising
  • Social media (Instagram) feeds the desire for what we see
  • Pride of life: bragging about possessions and accomplishments, even lying
  • Same three temptations in Genesis 3:6 with Eve

Six Marks of Real Separation from the World (J.C. Ryle)

  • A new way of thinking - seeing things through God's eyes
  • A new set of desires - craving holiness over fame and pleasure
  • A new standard for decisions - God's will over world's opinion
  • A distinctive lifestyle - shaped by a different kingdom
  • Growing discomfort with sin - grieving over compromise
  • Deep loyalty to Jesus - He defines you more than the world

The Solution: Abide in Jesus (1 John 2:17, 28)

  • The world is passing away, but God's kingdom abides forever
  • Can't survive on stored up faith - need daily relationship
  • Like gathering manna every day in the wilderness
  • Daily in God's word, daily in prayer, daily aware of His presence
  • Abiding breaks the grip of the world system
  • What you do for God lasts forever

Scripture References

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 2:1-2
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
1 John 2:28
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
James 4:4
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Joshua 24:15
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.