Pleasure & Stuff
Gtcotr/ws051904
Key Scripture: John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Jesus overcame the world by overcoming temptation. Matthew 4
Temptation to
Let His cravings control His life
Lust
Prove He really was somebody
Pride
Get without giving
Greed
He overcame because
He was a man of conviction
He was a man of passion
He was a man of discipline
Text: 1 John 4 (NIV)
1 ¶ Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you can recognise the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 ¶ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
The world has it’s own religion and it’s own prophets.
Prophets who are sent to preach a tempting message.
There Are The Three Pillars of The World’s Religion
1 John 2:16 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. (NKJV)
NIV
1 John 2:16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does— comes not from the Father but from the world.
The Message
1 John 2:16 Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.
Three Pillars Of The World System
1. Lust
* I want my way
* I want what sin promises
* Pleasure & Stuff
2. Greed
* I want everything for myself
* I want more
* More Pleasure & Stuff
3. Pride
* I want to appear important
* See who I am
* Winning The Race Of Pleasure & Stuff
* The race of life is all about pleasure & stuff
There is nothing wrong with having pleasure and stuff.
Job 36:11 If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.
Prosperity and pleasures are a part of God’s blessing plan
There is nothing wrong with us having pleasure and stuff, however, there is something wrong with pleasure and stuff having us.
There is something very wrong with being caught up in the worldly pursuit of pleasure and stuff. It can:
* capture a person
* overcome them
* control their life
Three Questions This World’s Religion Will Never Ask
* What are you doing with what you have?
* Why do you want more?
* Who are you trying to impress?
(wait, send no money now - along with this …)
Jesus overcame the world - He lived above the snare
When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we also overcome the world. Sin has no more dominion over us. Romans 6:14
Peter admonished us, saying that after we are saved we must be sober and vigilant so as not to allow the devil to once again overcome us. 1 Peter 5:8-9
Peter further speaks to the Christian about the world’s prophets, some of whom are former converts to Christianity who have gone back to their worldly ways. They use Christianity and Christians to pursue their worldly goals of:
* Pleasure & Stuff
* More Pleasure and More Stuff
* Winning the Race of Pleasure & Stuff
In A Cloaked Attempt To Satisfy Their: Lust - Greed - Pride
Listen to what Peter says about them
2Peter 2
1 ¶ But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them …
2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3 ¶ In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up …
10 ¶ This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority …
14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed …
19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
Once we overcome the world through Christ we must keep from falling into the temptation of the devil and being entangled once again in this world’s snare?
How can we keep lust, greed and pride from getting the best of us and overcoming us once again?
When I look at all of the Christians I have known over the past half century who have lost the fire of God in their life and abandoned the pursuit of God’s pleasure for their own, I see three common threads.
What caused these failures?
I am certain it is nothing different than what happened in the lives of Eve, Cain, Balaam, Korah, Alexander, Ananias & Sapphira, Hymeneals & Philetus
These failed where Paul, Peter, John and many others we know have succeeded.
All succeed who follow the example of Jesus.
If we are going to stay free from the god of this world, the religion of pleasure and stuff, from the snare of this world’s prophets, then we too must follow Jesus’ example.
What must we do?
1. Adopt Firm Convictions Based On The Bible
2. Make Concrete Commitments To Obey & Serve God
3. Discipline Ourselves And Keep Those Commitments
Lust, Greed & Pride call out to the Christian day after day.
With no firm convictions, concrete commitments, and personal discipline, you will be snared!
Let Us Ask Ourselves Right Now:
* What are we doing with what we have?
* Why do we want more?
* Who are we trying to impress?
I trust you are honoring God with what you have.
I hope you want more so you can give more.
I pray the only one you are trying to impress is God.
Let’s take time during this prayer to examine and adjust ourselves.
For further study: 1 John 5:4-5; Revelation 2:7,11,17,26;3:5,12,21 & 21:7
