Caution - this sermon contains
material not suitable for children.
Love Not the World
“Love not the world, nor the
things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in
him” (1 John 2:15)
There was a sad article in the newspaper some years ago,
about a boy who ended his own life. The note he had written revealed the reason
why - he was depressed about the cancellation of the first “Battlestar
Galatica” television series, and he died rather than live without his
favorite show. There have been other tragic instances of that sort, but I
believe the strangest and most terrible so far was seen in a “Long
Beach Press Telegram” article dated January 15, 2007.
The article was entitled “Kids
Hang Selves, Mimicking Saddam,” on page A11 of the “Press
Telegram.” Here’s the article: “The boys’ deaths –
scattered in the United States, in Yemen, in Turkey and elsewhere in seemingly
isolated horror – had one thing in common: They hanged themselves after watching
televised images of Saddam Hussein’s execution. Officials and relatives say the
children appeared to be mimicking the former dictator’s Dec. 30 hanging, shown
both on a sanitized Iraqi government tape and explicit clandestine videos that
popped up on Web sites and some TV channels… experts are… concerned about the
images of the deposed Iraqi leader dropping through the gallows floor and his
body swinging at the end of a rope. The experts say such graphic images can
severely affect youngsters who do not yet understand the consequences of death
and violence.”
Here’s some obvious inferences we can draw from these
tragic deaths:
Trust in the Lord. His presence in you will change
who you are, and others will see the difference and want Him, too. Your
conversion may save your loved ones in ways you did not expect.
Bring your children to the Lord. When they are
tempted to harm themselves or others, the Spirit and love of God that is in
them will work against the angry thoughts and depression that is the cause
of great harm.
Consider and pray about what you are watching, and
realize that what you see has a profound influence on who you are and how
you effect others.
No matter how much they complain about it, DO
monitor what your children watch, and prayerfully and firmly (but also
gently) STOP them, to the best of your ability, from being exposed to
graphic violence.
There are certain common denominators in the deaths
reported in that article, and one of them is a graphic reminder that all people,
not only children, tend to copy others to a very great extent. Look around you
and note that most people are wearing the same kind of shoes. This year it’s
tennis shoes, but next year it might be wooden clogs, if some popular movie star
or athlete decides to wear them. If you haven’t seen what’s popular at the
moment, your children will probably tell you about it and demand those shoes for
themselves. We wear precisely the kinds of clothing our neighbors, fellow
workers, fellow students, and especially the “stars” of television and movies
are wearing at the time. We listen to certain types of music, but be honest -
most want what the “in-crowd” is listening to. We think we buy cars and other
devices based on our likes and dislikes; but the truth is, we are also swayed by
what we feel is “in” at the moment.
Tattoos are a good example. Just a few years ago, older
men who had tattoos from a time when they were young, were often embarrassed by
the marks on their bodies and wished they could get rid of them. I spent some
time recently with someone at a Christian Men’s Retreat. When I met him
previously, he had an extensive spider web on his face from a decision made in
his youth. The tattoo was now gone! A Christian plastic surgeon from his church
had seen the disfiguring marks on him and volunteered to remove them – for free.
The spider web had been an attempt to copy, even exceed the tattoos of other
young men he knew. Initially, he felt good about it; then he tired of them, but
could do nothing about it. God helped him by sending that plastic surgeon.
We understand that we copy others, but the article
quoted from the “Long Beach Press Telegram”
suggests very strongly that imitative behavior is deeper than we knew. How many
of us have smoked cigarettes because we thought it was the “in” thing to do? How
many lives have been lost to some kind of drugs or the over use of alcohol,
ingested by those who wished to be "respected" by others? How many marks on our
bodies and souls will we find we dislike at some time in the future?
And how much is in your life right now; not because you
like it, but because you want to think well of yourself and impress someone
else? John the Apostle, who, in the power and love of the Holy Spirit, wrote
today’s Scripture, knew about the intense pull of the customs, styles and ways
of this world. He was aware that we tend to follow literally to the death,
attitudes and actions that actually will destroy us. Incredibly, some even strap
bombs to themselves to be appreciated by their peers!
John said in today's Verse, “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 John 2:15). By that, he meant just
what he said. If your energy is spent on appearance, status and acquiring
earthly things, you should consider that Your love for God the Father is less
than it should be. God is like a great magnetic field, pulling you to Himself.
The world is also magnetic in its attraction for you. We are all pulled and we
cannot resist – we will go in one direction or the other.
John said, “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” (1 John 2:16). Since you are
pulled strongly in two directions; you should know that Scripture provides the
answer. It says, “The world is passing away, and the lust
of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17).
Give in to the attraction, the magnetism of God, and you will LIVE! Everything
else is just shifting sand – it is, as they say, “here
today, gone tomorrow.” TRUST in the Lord. Your decision will affect who
you are – “forever.”
Father, we feel pulled by this world – too much. And
like the man who no longer liked his tattoos, but could not do anything about
them, we have been marked by sin and are helpless. Jesus is the Surgeon who will
restore us. Heal me now, Lord, that I may be clean in Your sight – forever.
Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
