Who Do You Love

Bible Talk Lesson - Who do you Love?

Opening Question:  Have you ever done something… anything just to be part of a group? (Allow group to share)

 

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

I John 2:15-17

 

Question: What does John mean by "world"? (Allow group to share)

1.      The inhabited earth, human beings (John 3:16)

2.      Age or time period with a beginning or an end (Matthew 13:22)

 

Question: What does John mean by "Love"? (Allow group to share)

He is referring to a fondness and affection for an object because of it value, an appetite, a desire, something that you take pleasure in, something that you set your heart upon; what you are emotionally, physically, spiritually invested in; where you get your comfort, hope, and security. We're not talking about things in and of themselves but our attitude toward things. What is the ruling principle, in other words, of your life? What drives you from the deepest part of your heart? Those of you who are familiar with the Lord of the Rings movies remember that dangerous little word when anyone was tempted by the ring? Precious. What do you find precious? What drives us in what direction?

 

To love the world is to seek our life and IDENTITY in the world – to still believe that there's something out there that is going to give us our meaning, purpose, identity and life.

 

Obviously, John isn't speaking of enjoying the earth and the beauty of God's creation. He isn't speaking against music and art that can be enjoyed and reflected upon. In verse 16, he clarifies what he is warning us about: "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life."

 

Question: Why do we lust? (Allow group to share)

A lustful person is usually not convinced that what God is giving is truly enough.

 

The lust of the flesh. What are your appetites? How are you directing them? It's the one small taste that leads to being controlled by this lust, that leads to an idol, making an idol out of it, that leads to even ordinary pleasures being destroyed, that leads to an willingness to betray even my closest friends and family for this idol, whatever it happens to be. And we can go on and on about "misdirected appetites" or "appetites gone wrong" – drugs, alcohol, sex, money, power – you can fill in the blanks yourself. Appetites gone wrong – John is saying you can't live like that and be a Christian. You can't live like that and claim to love the Father. Some people are being controlled by desires, by appetites, by what they see as precious and these things will eventually destroy them. Here's something to think about: What does what you have an appetite for reveal about who you are and what you love?

 

The lust of the eyes. The lust of the eyes, what a persons sees – lusts that are triggered by sight, triggered by what a person sees, the seductive lure of things. We are taken in by what C.S. Lewis called "the sweet poison of the false infinite." It looks so good but it'll kill you. It looks eternal; it looks as though it will last…It will end; it will pass away. Leading to the "needing-things-I-don't-need" syndrome.

            And the saddest manifestation of this lust is our response to the material wellbeing of our closest friends and relatives. What's our first response? "Why them? Why not me?" Typically, often, that is our first response. We can go on and on. Ultimate examples of this we see in the media. Surfing through TV channels and not stopping when we should. Pornography, those lusts, those characteristics of the world that are triggered by sight that are always, always fundamentally deceptive and they can never produce what they offer. And yet we see everywhere people abusing, finding security in them. Again, let me ask you: What does what you look at and how you look at it reveal about who you are and what you love?

 

The pride of life. The pride of life – outward show, outward display as my security. I take my security in my name – what I own, my power, my gifts, my talents and how I look to others. It's a desire to be well thought of by others. Again, this means that some caught up in the Pride of Life are not trusting that they are already empowered and "famous" with God, so they seek these things elsewhere. What does what you find security in reveal about who you are and what you love?

 

So, before we leave tonight, I just want to ask you a few more questions:

What is really important? What do you have an appetite for? What do you desire? What do you look at? How do you look at it? Where do you find your security? Do you love things that are hurting you? Do you have an appetite for things that are destroying you? Do you love the world? "This world is passing away. The one who does the will of God abides forever." If you don't realize that now and learn to get your security from above…you may be literally "Dying to fit in."

 

If you want to learn how to have a secure relationship with God, I invite you to get with the person who invited you tonight and ask them to study the Bible with you.