3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare

Satan schemes against you 1 Satan’s Schemes Satan schemes against you He has strategies attuned to you personally. He uses temptation and accusation. Spiritual Warfare

Trials and troubles are tests of our faith; they’re also temptations 2 Trials and Temptations Trials and troubles are tests of our faith; they’re also temptations We either get the crown of life (James 1.12) or death. (v 15) Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare Spiritual warfare is our mortal struggle vs the “reverse trinity” of the world, the flesh and the devil. There’s the enemy against us (the devil and the demonic), the enemy around us (the culture) and the enemy within (the flesh). Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare This is God’s training regimen preparing us to reign with Christ. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. (2 Tim 2.12b) Don’t lose the dream! Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare Theme of 1 John tests to assure believers they’re loved by God as his children (God is love), and have truth to counter false teachings (God is light). You’ll never grow spiritually until you’re confident you’re “in”. One test: our relationship with the culture, Don’t love the world. (v. 15) Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare The test: Do not love the world. “World” doesn’t refer to: … the physical creation – it’s good, we should delight in it Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Gen 1.31) Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare The test: Do not love the world. “World” doesn’t refer to: … people living in the world; God loves them (Jn 3.16), we should too For God so loved the world… Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare The test: Do not love the world. “World” doesn’t refer to: … hating the culture and withdrawing – Jesus didn’t. The Son of Man… feasts and drinks, and you say, 'He's a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!' (Matt 11.19) Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare The test: Do not love the world. “World” doesn’t refer to: … hating government or social structures – they’re God-given The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. ...sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. (Rom 13.4) Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare The test: Do not love the world. We’re to hate the organized systems around us that oppose God and deify humans. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. (1 Jn 5.19) These systems intimidate and seduce us. We must resist their pull. Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare The test: Do not love the world. Jesus prayed, I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world any more than I do. (John 17.15-16) We’re like an oasis, in the desert but not of the desert. This world is a perfectly safe place to be as long as you’re in the Kingdom of God. Dallas Willard Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God Culture offers us satisfaction without God. Is God enough? No, it says. Chinese culture: God is nothing. Canadian culture: God is irrelevant. Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God We’re allured by the [epi] desire of the flesh: natural appetites – hunger, pleasure, sex, etc – that become lusts. They seduce us from dependence on God. Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God We’re allured by the [epi] desire of the flesh: Flesh naturally works by desire. Obsessive desire (epithumia) is the kind of desire that can rule your whole life—translated as lust. . . . Desire is the impulse toward possession or experience of its object. Desire “locks on.” It cares for nothing else but its own satisfaction. Dallas Willard. Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God We’re allured by the desire of the eyes: our longing for something or someone to give security and identity and meaning. We covet it, greedy to acquire it. It includes possessing things (materialism) and possessing someone. Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God We’re allured by the boastful pride of life: the desire to be noticed, to get prestige and attention, to achieve and get the glory, not God. What do you glory in? As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Gal 6.14a) Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God These pursuits become idolatry, loves competing with God. Little children, keep yourself from idols. (1 Jn 5.21) Idolatry is when you love something more than God; depend on something more than God; obey something more than God. It’s when a good thing becomes an ultimate thing… when a good thing becomes a God thing and turns into a bad thing. JD Greear Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God God gives agape love and expects love from us. It’s romance love, exclusive and possessive. Song of Solomon: My lover is mine, and I am his. (2.16) I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine. (6.3) I am my lover’s, and he claims me as his own. (7.10) Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God Jesus claims you as his own. He sacrificed his life to woo and win you. You’re his; he’s yours. The bride says, Such, O women of Jerusalem,  is my lover, my friend. (S of S 5.18) We must say this too, of Jesus. Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God Put first things first. Say, I’ll put God first. Jesus will have my affection. I’ll get my meaning and security and pleasure from him. You can’t get second things by putting them first. You get second things only by putting first things first. CS Lewis Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God Mary did, her sister didn’t. There’s only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Lk 10.42) Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love both the world; it competes with God 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love both the world; it competes with God Love God and do as you will, Augustine’s lifestyle. Love God and do whatever you please, for the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved. Love has freedom, the opposite of religion. Spiritual Warfare

Don’t love the world; it’s fading. 3 The Allure of Culture Don’t love the world; it’s fading. this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. (v 17a) Our health, achievements, relationships, money and possessions, our very life… fading away. Only God is permanent. Only the kingdom of God will last. To love yourself is to make wise choices. Ask God to give you ________ to choose wisely. Spiritual Warfare

We all yield to epi-desires 3 The Allure of Culture The reality We all yield to epi-desires …caught in the grip of lust… [they’ll] sacrifice what is good for themselves and others to get what they want. This overriding drive for gratification is the genuine root of “weakness of will.” Dallas Willard Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare The reality Jesus didn’t yield. He was in the world but not of the world. He was totally dependent on the Father, loving him to the death. And loving us. He alone passed this test. In him we can too. Spiritual Warfare

This is the test. Only you can answer 3 The Allure of Culture The reality What do you love most? Depend on the most? Obey the most? Is God enough? This is the test. Only you can answer Spiritual Warfare

3 The Allure of Culture Spiritual Warfare And you? Aware of the allure of culture? Yielding, or fighting against desires, in Jesus’ power? Putting 1st things first? Loving God and doing as you will? Spiritual Warfare

living in truth and loving what Jesus loved. 3 The Allure of Culture And ROOTS? Imagine an oasis of committed followers of Jesus, in the world, not of the world, supporting each other, living in truth and loving what Jesus loved. Let’s! Spiritual Warfare