"BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD"
Rom. 12:2
Intro.
A. Are we conforming ourselves to this world? Are we weighed
down by the things of the world? Are we guilty of
worldliness?
1. Some would respond with a powerful, "No."
2. Others would answer, "I don't think so" or, "I hope not."
3. Some might ask, "What do you mean by worldliness?
B. In this lesson, let's look at several passages which refer to
worldliness.
1. Our purpose is that we might overcome the world and be
more pleasing to God.
C. All our main verses (main headings below) will be on charts.
I. I John 2:15-17
A. All sinful things of the world fall under these three
categories.
1. The lust (desire) of the flesh.
a. God has given certain desires that are good within
themselves.
(1) For food -- is good and natural, but gluttony
is sinful. Prov. 23:20-21
(2) For drink -- is good and natural, but
drunkenness is sinful. Prov. 23:29-32
(3) For sleep -- but it too can be abused. Prov.
6:10-11
(4) For sexual pleasure -- it too has it lawful
place. 1 Cor. 7:2
(a) This one verse alone condemns the
modern homosexual and lesbian
marriages.
2. The lust of the eye -- wanting things the eye can see.
a. Many believe that happiness is found in things
money can buy.
b. The "buy now, pay later" advertising gets millions to
buy things beyond their means.
c. Rom. 13:8 -- Some are good at explaining away this
passage.
3. The pride of life -- wanting to impress people, to be
noticed, admired by others.
a. Many put in endless hours at obtaining college
degrees? Why?
b. Many strive to succeed in the business world. They
put every waking moment into their business. Why?
c. The pride of life keeps people from serving God as it
did in Jesus' time. John 5:44
II. Luke 8:14
A. As the thorns choke the good plant, there are things which
choke our spiritual lives.
1. Anxiety about physical needs is indicative of little faith.
Matt. 6:30-33
a. Instead of worry, our lives should be characterized
by prayer and interest in spiritual things. Phil. 4:6-8
2. The riches of this life choke the spiritual lives of many.
a. Many have deceived themselves into thinking they
are serving the right master when they are not.
Ezek. 33:31
(1) We can easily become a slaves to making
money. We wants to get ahead. We want
some of the "better" things in life. We pursue
the "American dream."
(2) Without noticing it, we become covetous and
idolaters. Col. 3:5
(3) Greed is very destructive in the end. 1 Tim.
6:9-10
3. Many are choked by the pleasures of this life. (This
brings us to our next chart of verses).
III. 2 Tim. 2:4; 1 Tim. 5:6; Heb. 11:25; 2 Tim. 4:10
A. There are pleasures that are wrong because God had declared
them to be wrong.
1. Example: 1 Pet. 4:3-4 -- Licentiousness and lust are at
the top of the list here.
2. MTV and R-rated moves, and even many P.G. moves are
unfit to watch because they are licentious.
a. Would you allow your child to go around the
neighborhood eating food out of garbage cans?
b. Would you bring garbage cans into you home to eat
from? There is garbage coming into our homes that
are more deadly.
(1) They come to look upon sinful activities as
the normal way of life.
B. There are pleasures of life that are not sinful in and of
themselves.
1. Paul said Demas has forsaken me.
a. I doubt that Demas was involved in immorality or
drunkenness.
b. Rather he loved the things in this present world that
were not wrong in and of themselves.
2. Many are too busy to pray, study, visit the sick, to be
involved in home classes, to come to all the services.
a. Some member's religion is reduce to no more than
attending the services, and some can't even do that.
b. When we get so involved in the things of this world
that we don't have time to live the Christian life, we
are loving this world too much.
c. Our next set of verses (chart) shows what loving the
world does.
IV. James 4:4; Phil. 3:19; Luke 21:34
A. The love of the world places us in hostility to God.
1. Those who love the world will reap destruction with the
world. 1 John 2:17
B. Their end is definite; it is destruction.
1. We reap what we sow. Gal. 6:7-8
2. If we are traveling the pathway of worldliness, we are in
the way of eternal destruction.
C. Our minds can be burdened with evil things -- carousing, and
drunkenness." Luke 21:34
1. Carousing -- "the giddiness and headache resulting from
excessive wine-bibbing" (Vine) Synonym "drinking
parties" 1 Pet. 4:3 also translated as "banqueting and
feasting."
D. Also, our minds can be weighed down with the simple cares
of this life, so much so that it will cause us to be rejected
when the Lord comes. Luke 21:34-36
1. Let us not set our minds on earthly things. This is the
key to the problem of worldliness.
V. Col. 3:2; 1 Pet. 1:13; Rom. 8:5
A. We have control over our minds. We determine what we
think about, good or evil.
1. Let us choose to occupy our minds with spiritual things.
Phil. 4:8
a. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Col.
3:16
2. Let us declare war on needless, worldly thoughts. 2 Cor.
10:4-5
B. Let us take inventory. Do we have our minds too much on
worldly things?
1. What is our minds on most of the time? Our jobs?
School work? Housework? A hobby? A relational
activity?
a. Or worse, do we have bitter thoughts toward
someone? Heb. 12:15
b. Are our minds continually on evil things? Gen. 6:5;
Eccl. 9:3
c. Or, are our thoughts where they ought to be -- on
spiritual things?
2. This is a private matter between us and God.
a. Let us occupy our minds with things above.
b. Let us fill our minds with things which pertain to
eternal life. Prov. 4:23
C. This spiritual mind set is the key to overcoming worldliness.
Rom. 12:2
Concl.
A. Are we guilty of worldliness? Have we been conformed to
the world rather than being transformed?
B. Through faith, we can overcome the world. 1 John 5:4
1. Christ gave Himself us from this present evil world. Gal.
1:4
2. Through God's promises we become partakers of His
nature and escape the corruption that in the world. 2
Pet. 1:4
3. God forbid that we should be entangled again in the
pollutions of the world. 2 Pet. 2:20
C. Notice that 2 Pet. 2:20 shows us how to escape the pollutions
of the world--"through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ."
1. Through knowledge, we learn how to escape initially,
and how to continue to escape the pollutions of the
world.
2. If you are not a child of God, have learned what to do to
escape the pollutions of the world?
a. If you have, why not obey the gospel today?
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