Christian Living

M07000

TITLE: THE WORLD CHRISTIAN VS THE WORLDLY CHRISTIAN

OUTLINE:

I. THE CONTRAST

II. THE CAUSES FOR WORLDLY CHRISTIANS

III. THE CAUSES FOR WORLD CHRISTIANS

IV. CONCLUSION

K.J. I John 2:15-17 15. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17. And the world passeth away, and the lust of it; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

NASB 15. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 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. 17. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."

If all Christians lived by these words Christianity would be revolutionized! The world would be set on its ear. Think of it -- EVERY Christian living according to these words!

I once asked a church group to recall to mind someone in their past that was totally sold out to God. After the services several were talking and mentioned that the same couple had come to their minds. They had left a proper testimony!

A few years ago we were privileged to meet and get to know a young couple that were in their thirties. He was a man that I would class as a "World Christian.” Let me share a little about this man.

The term "World Christian" is relatively new and has the idea that a person is committed to living for the Lord and reaching the world.

He was in Sunday school, church, evening service and Wed. evening prayer meeting every week. He was a part of the missions committee and the prime mover on that committee, leading it into a number of very worthwhile projects. He was a member of the church board - probably the prime conscience of the board. He started and spearheaded a visitation program that added several families to the church in the first few months. He was involved in a Saturday morning Bible study and prayer group. He was one of the main encouragers in the congregation. He was head usher. He and his wife were always helping others in many different ways. She was in the choir and active in the church even though she worked full time. He worked in one of the state prisons and was constantly under pressure from the world system yet he never submitted to it. They were very involved in giving. He was probably THE KEY MAN in his local church.

A true "WORLD CHRISTIAN!”

I'd like to share some thoughts from a book called WANTED: WORLD CHRISTIANS by J. Herbert Kane. (Chapter 7 P. 137ff)

"As a child of the kingdom the believer then becomes a World Christian. By calling he belongs to a universal fellowship - the Christian church. By conviction he proclaims a universal message - the Christian gospel. By commitment he owes his allegiance to a universal king - Jesus Christ. By vocation, he is a part of a universal movement - the Christian mission.

"Not all believers, however, live up to their high calling as World Christians."

What does a World Christian hold true?

1. "A World Christian is one who acknowledges the universal fatherhood of God." Mankind comes from one source and that is God Himself. He provided ALL of mankind salvation! Not just a select few.

2. "A World Christian is one who confesses the universal lordship of Christ." Not that we as individuals make Him Lord of our lives but that we recognize that He is Lord by decree of Almighty God. He is Lord of our lives! We only have to chose to live like it.

3. "The World Christian is one who recognizes the cosmopolitan composition of the church." The church today as it was in the apostolic times is a group of people from all walks of life. We are rich and poor. We are educated and self-taught. We are healthy and sickly. We are to be made up of all peoples!

4. "A World Christian is one who recognizes the absolute priority of world missions." Not tomorrow but today! John E. Skoglund mentions in his TO THE WHOLE CREATION: THE CHURCH IS MISSION p. 94, "Church and mission are one, and cannot in any way be broken apart. To break them apart is to make both cripples....It [mission] is the mark of the church."

5. "A World Christian is one who recognizes the universal scope of the Christian mission." It is the world not just the USA!

6. "A World Christian is one who recognizes his own personal responsibility for world missions." He is by nature sold out to do all that he or she can to help the world mission effort.

Now for a moment let me describe an example of what I mean by a "Worldly Christian."

He may or may not be at SS and church and maybe somewhat regular at Sun. evening but not usually at prayer meeting. He is tied up in the church softball league. (Never misses a game or practice or some similar activity) He is not involved enough to be on any church committees. He is not influential or enough of a spiritual leader to be placed on the board. He never goes on visitation. He very seldom does anything for the church---doesn't show up on workday. He very seldom associates with the church people. He seldom gives more than a token offering - enough to make himself feel comfortable. He is a man that is too tied up in what HE is doing in his own life to really get involved in the church.

I am using "HE" for our discussion for simplicity. This applies equally well to both genders! I'm an equal opportunity teacher!

NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LET'S CONTINUE.

I. THE CONTRAST

Let us take a moment to consider the two terms that we have in our title. THESE ARE THE EXTREME ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM!

WORLD CHRISTIAN = A believer that is in the world but that is not of the world. He is a believer that believes the Word of God to be God's personal letter to him concerning his entire life including each and every facet of that life.

WORLDLY CHRISTIAN = A believer that is in the world and that is of the world. He is a believer that believes the Word of God to be God's personal letter to the missionaries and pastors of the world and a few real workhorses of the church.

Let's take some time to contrast these two classes of believers.

1. WORLD CHRISTIANS view the great commission as incumbent upon each and every believer that has been washed in the blood of the lamb.

Matt. 28:19-20 "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. Amen."

They are concerned with missions! They are CONCERNED ABOUT THE 2-3 BILLION LOST PEOPLE THAT HAVE NEVER HEARD THE GOSPEL!

WORLDLY CHRISTIANS - You see, there we are, the missionaries are to go out into the world and evangelize. We are to invite the people into the church and the preacher is to win them to the Lord!

NO! WE, YOU AND I, all are to be evangelizing where we are and bring those that we win into the church for training in the Word.

This text tells each one of us that we are to be evangelizing AND discipling those that we win to the Lord.

THIS TEXT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MISSIONARIES OR PASTORS! IT HAS TO DO WITH EVERY BORN AGAIN BELIEVER!

2. WORLD CHRISTIANS view giving as a pleasure, a ministry, and a service to their King.

In her 80's - can't give much - picks up bottles and cans to sell to send a few dollars to the missionaries.

WORLDLY CHRISTIANS view their giving as a duty, a payment on what they owe, or maybe their part in spreading the Gospel.

While on deputation, a pastor asked me for a list of needs in the financial area. I asked why. He told me, "Stan these people feel guilty about the missions effort. If they see your needs they can give to you and then they won't have to go. They are doing something for missions that way."

3. WORLD CHRISTIANS are usually as involved in their local church as they can be. They are part of the planning and the outreach of the church into the community and into the world.

WORLDLY CHRISTIANS on the other hand are usually content to allow others to do the work of the church. They like to sit back and evaluate the labors of others. The evaluation quite often is in the negative.

4. WORLD CHRISTIANS are often the ones that are entertaining the missionaries that come through to speak.

Helping the missionaries in any way they can.

WORLDLY CHRISTIANS will normally not feel comfortable being in that close an association with a missionary.

We know a number of churches where the pastor is the only one that will take in missionaries. We know of one church where one couple always ends up with the missionary. They do not mind it, indeed they enjoy their ministry very much - the sad part is the families that are missing out on getting to know the Lord's workers.

5. WORLD CHRISTIANS are normally a praying people. They are involved in the prayer life of the church. They often are praying at home for the world and it's lost millions.

We met a man whose mother devotes her entire evening one evening a month to praying for missions. No television, no nothing - just praying for missions.

WORLDLY CHRISTIANS are normally praying people as well, however their requests are normally centered around their own needs and seldom get around to the world or the lost. Normally their prayer life gets more serious as their self-sufficiency fails!

II. THE CAUSES FOR WORLDLY CHRISTIANS

1. Lack of knowledge.

a. Not in the Word on their own. How can they hope to learn of their life with the Lord unless they are reading His instruction manual.

I recently heard a pastor mention the hours he spent trying to put together his children's swing set. Finally in total frustration he went to the instruction booklet to see how it was done.

Many people are wondering how in the world to get their lives together, yet they have never opened the instruction manual!

b. Not in the Word in the Church.

1.) Poor preaching.

Some of the preaching we've been subjected to in recent years is a total disgrace to the Lord that the men pretend to serve.

The Lord's word is so precious and some of his servants are just plain perverting it today!

2.) Poor listening.

I, being involved in Christian Education, am often interested in how people are reacting to sermons or lessons that I am presenting or sitting in on.

I often observe the congregation and consider the things that they are doing. I've observed people, trimming finger nails, sleeping, doing softball stats, staring out the window, staring at the ceiling, playing with their children, talking to their wife or the person sitting next to them, etc. Very little serious listening is going on in our churches today!

We have spoken several times in a church in WY. where everyone in the congregation is there to listen and to hear!

What a joy to minister to a LISTENING CONGREGATION!

2. Lack of interest.

The spiritual life is variable between spiritual and fleshly things and interests. The spiritual person will naturally follow and seek Godly aims, goals and achievements. The fleshly person will naturally follow and seek worldly aims, goals and achievements.

If a person is operating in the flesh he will not be interested in spiritual things. He may be in church, but he may be completely tuned out. He may be in the Word, but he may be completely tuned out.

3. Lack of spiritual discernment. This comes from lacking the Holy Spirits work in the life.

a. The Spirit can't work if self is in control! b. The person may only be a professor and not really a Christian. Application of I John 2:15-17 might well run along these lines.

If you submit to fleshly desires and allow them to run on their own, you may wind up in many many types of problems.

If you submit to buying all your eye sees and desires you will become as many Americans -- SERVING MATERIALISM. Indeed, just the desire of things that you see that you can't afford can be in this area of lust of the eye.

If you are proud of who or what you are then how can God use you? If you are that tied up in yourself you will have no time for God! Indeed, God may find that he has no time for you!

Is it not easy to see where a worldly Christian is?

THE NEXT QUESTION OBVIOUSLY IS WHAT ARE

III. THE CAUSES FOR WORLD CHRISTIANS

1. Lack of attachment to the desires of the flesh - not that the desires aren't there but that the believer has those desires under proper control. He controls his desires; his desires do not control him.

2. Lack of attachment to the things of the world. Not that they own nothing, but that nothing owns them. PONDER THAT ONE THIS WEEK!

We have for the first time in our marriage of 30+ years settled into a situation that is what most would call permanent.

We have always been in progress - temporary in college - temporary at pastoring a new church - getting ready for the mission field - etc. We are faced with a confrontation between our "pilgrim" - "passin through" attitude which is Scriptural, and the settling into a permanent spot attitude, which can easily become worldly.

WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD!

My it would be so easy to go out looking for things to go along with "permanence.” (Nice furniture, Nice drapes etc.)

Hebrews 11 shows Abraham as a "pilgrim" - one that is "passin through this life."

Vs. 13 "These all [speaking of Noah, Sarah and Abraham] died in faith, not having received the promises but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Vs. 16 adds to their concept of this life and adds a very neat comment from their Lord! "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly; wherefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city." Abraham had material gain and possessions, but that gain and those possessions did not possess him!

This may not be true of believers today.

"Protestants Are Earning More But Giving Less

Although Protestant churchgoers are earning more money, they are giving less of it to their churches. This is the conclusion of a recent nationwide study of 31 denominations.

"Giving declined by 8.5% from 1968 to 1985, while disposable income increased by 31%. The average percentage of the disposable income given to the church dropped from 3.05% to 2.79% during that time period. One researcher commented that 'people are placing a higher value on their life-styles than on their church." (From ANAM Newsletter/ May-Aug. 1988. ANAM is a group of fundamental missionary sending agencies.)

3. Lack of attachment to their way of life. A world Christian MUST NOT BE PROUD OF HIS WAY OF LIFE. Enjoying that way of life is okay. Increasing that way of life is okay. Continuing that way of life is okay. HOWEVER! Becoming proud of who and what they are - as we used to say in the Navy - NEGATORY!

NOW! If you control your fleshly desires AND If you control your eye's desires AND If you control your life's ambitions or desires THEN WHAT? Logically speaking you are going to be: 1. Morally correct. 2. A pilgrim in this life - looking for the next life. 3. Open to God moving and changing in your way of life.

And if these are true you are going to be: 1. A good witness. 2. Open to going without all those things that the ads say you have to have to be happy. 3. Willing to give up your present way of life for what God leads you to do. In other words - you'll be well on your way to being a World Christian.

RESULT

God may leave you right where you are to be a good world Christian concerned for the millions of lost souls in the world and doing all you can to reach them for Christ in your local church.

Then again He may lead you to leave all that you have and lead you to go into the world to preach the Gospel.

The difference between the "world" and the "worldly" Christian here is that the world Christian will without second thought walk out on his present life and walk into the life that God has prepared for him.

The worldly Christian will never move out of his way of life even for God. His only hope is to become a "WORLD CHRISTIAN!"

IV. CONCLUSION

1. If you are a world Christian

a. Beware the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life!

This trilogy is Satan's mainstay in his bag of tricks!

Are these not the areas where he tempted even our Lord Jesus Christ? Luke 4:1-13 contains the account. Temptation # 1 was hunger - the lust of the flesh (1-4) Temptation # 2 was the kingdoms of the world - the lust of the eye (5-8) Temptation # 3 was His control of the angelic host - the pride of life (9-13)

DON'T BE PROUD! THAT IS PRIDE OF LIFE!

b. Concentrate on continuing on in your state as a world Christian! As a pastor we once knew used to put it, "KEEPING ON KEEPING ON!"

2. If you are a Worldly Christian

a. You had better do business with God soon! I would suggest today!

b. You had better make changes in your way of life! You had better control from this point forth your lust, your desires, and your pride of life!

God does not seem to allow for this type of person in His plan. He is very emphatic through John in verse 15 where he says, "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." The immediate context is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.

If you are having problems in any of these areas, you have not the love of the Father!

3. If you are riding the fence you are not a world Christian nor are you a worldly Christian.

You are a fence riding Christian. You are what John mentions in Revelation three, "lukewarm.” YOU'RE IN A MUDDLE!

If you're a world Christian you are in a minority. If you're a fence riding Christian you are in a muddle. If you are a worldly Christian you are in a mess.

YOU, diagnose yourself - not me - not your neighbor - not your church leaders - but yourself. Are you a mess, a muddle or a minority?

You have today been confronted with some knowledge - you now have the responsibility to honestly evaluate your life and come to conclusions and needed changes! Then you are responsible to act on those conclusions and commit yourself before God to make those changes in your life.

If you are tied up in immorality, or in materialism or in yourself you need to do business with God before go further in your life! When I speak of immorality I do not mean necessarily wrong sexual relations though that may be the case, but if you are involved in viewing the wrong type of movies, videos or magazines or reading improper books you may well be feeding your lust of the flesh.

While on deputation we spent the night in the home of some people that were from outward appearances "Good people!” The next morning we found out that they were the leading pornography dealers in the area. They had big pornographic video parties in their home.

The lust of the flesh can enter into other areas as well. Any desire of your body that you allow to control you is a lust of the flesh which is out of control.

The closing thought of our text in this study is the thought that you need to consider well. "And the world passeth away, and the lust of it; but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever."

He that doeth the will of God is one that controls the lust of the flesh. He that doeth the will of God is one that controls the lust of the eye. He that doeth the will of God is one that is not proud of his way of life!

The hymn writer penned the following words: "When we've been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we first begun." (Amazing Grace vs 6.)

If we as believers really believe this concept why are we so tied up in the world. Our life here is brief - as a vapor, as James 4:14 describes it - we will be here only a moment in relation to eternity ---- so why are we so tied to this life and how little it offers when compared to eternity with it's rewards and glories?

TODAY! Are you a world Christian? TODAY! Are you a fence riding Christian? TODAY! Are you a worldly Christian?

TODAY IS THE DAY THAT GOD HAS CONFRONTED YOU! ARE YOU GOING TO ACT UPON YOUR NEW KNOWLEDGE OR LEAVE IT WHERE IT LIES AND CONTINUE ON?

I TRUST IF YOU ARE A WORLD CHRISTIAN YOU WILL RECOMMIT YOURSELF TO WHAT YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING!

I TRUST IF YOU ARE A WORLDLY CHRISTIAN THAT YOU WILL TAKE TIME RIGHT NOW TO DO BUSINESS WITH GOD!

John finishes his book of I John with a very appropriate phrase that I would like for you to consider. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

Indeed, is not idolatry what we have been talking about in this study? The idol of self-indulgence, the idol of me and the idol of way of life. Indeed, I believe John knew exactly where our hearts tend to roam!

Let's take a few moments before we close to spend time before the Lord in prayer about our present lives. Let's bow our hearts in prayer.

I will close in a few moments and we will be dismissed. If there is anyone that wants to talk to me or one of the church leaders feel free to seek one of us out and tell us that you would like to talk.