OceanSide church of Christ
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THIS PRESENT WORLD
Titus
2:11-12
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
There’s a saying that
states: “Everybody wants to go to
heaven, but nobody wants to die.”
1.
This saying emphasizes
how important this present world is to human beings.
2.
This present world is
all we know. All we have is
here.
B.
The term “present
world” is found four times in the New Testament. There is much that we can learn from a
study of these four passages of Scripture.
I.
THIS PRESENT WORLD IS EVIL IN NATURE (Gal.
1:4).
Who gave
himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world,
according to the will of God and our Father.
A.
The word “evil” (4290)
has several meanings.
1.
Hurtful: bringing toils, annoyances,
hardships
2.
In a physical sense,
diseased or blind
3.
In an ethical sense,
evil, wicked, bad
B.
This present evil
world is:
1.
A place over which
Satan is god:
a.
Satan is referred to as “the god of this world” (II Cor.
4:3-4).
But if our
gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto
them.
b.
In another place,
Satan is said to be “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph.
2:2).
2.
A place that is
pervaded by sin, immorality, and corruption (I John 5:19).
And we
know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in
wickedness.
3.
A place whose
inhabitants are spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1).
And you
hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.
4.
A place where men live
for themselves and do what is right in their own eyes (I Pet.
4:2-3)
That he no
longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to
the will of God. For the time past
of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we
walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and
abominable idolatries.
a.
Peter speaks of two time periods in our lives.
1)
The rest of our time in the flesh
2)
The time past of our life
b.
In the time past, we lived in the lust of the flesh to the lust of man
and wrought the will of the Gentiles (See Romans 1:18-32).
II.
THIS WORLD IMPLIES A WORLD TO COME (Luke 18:30)
Who shall
not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life
ever lasting.
A.
There are many
differences that could be enumerated about the two worlds.
B.
One stands out in this
verse.
1.
This present world is
temporary.
a.
I John 2:17
And the
world passeth away, and the lust thereof…
b.
II Peter
3:10
But the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens
shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent
heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned
up.
2.
The world to come, on
the other hand, involves everlasting life.
It will last forever and ever and ever. It is, as the old song says, “A
land of fadeless day.”
III. THIS
WORLD CAN BE LOVED TOO MUCH (II Tim. 4:10)
For Demas
hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto
Thessalonica…
A.
In two other places in
the New Testament, Demas is referred to as Paul’s “fellow laborer” (Col. 4:14;
Phile. 24).
B.
There are two senses
in which Demas could have loved this present world.
1.
He loved living in
this present world. He was not
willing to give his life for the cause of Christ.
2.
He loved the evil, the
sin, the immorality, and the wickedness of this world.
C.
Due to the context, I
believe that he was guilty of the first.
1.
Paul was in
prison. He knew that execution
loomed in the near future (II Tim.4:6).
For I am
now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at
hand.
2.
If Demas continued to
associate with Paul, he, too, might face the same end. Thus, he forsook the apostle and his
friend, having loved this present world.
3.
This type of behavior
is sinful in nature (Matt. 10:39).
He that
findeth his life shall lose it: and
he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
D.
If Demas did love the
sin of this world and returned to it, he was in serious
jeopardy.
1.
I John
2:15
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.
2.
In fact, Peter says
that his state would be worse when he returned to the world than it was before
he knew the way of righteousness (II Pet. 2:20-22).
For if
after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome,
the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to
have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn
from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened to them according to
the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was
washed to her wallowing in the mire.
E.
Loving this world too
much is a dangerous thing. Our
conversation is supposed to be in heaven (Phil. 3:20).
For our
conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
IV. THE KEY IS
TO LEARN “HOW” TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD (Tit. 2:11-12)
For the
grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly, in this present world.
A.
Christians are people
who are in the world, but they are not of the world.
1.
We cannot remove
ourselves from the people and affairs of this life.
2.
But, we must live
differently than the world lives.
B.
It is the grace of God
that teaches us how to live.
1.
This grace involves
the Word of God (Ps. 119:105).
Thy word
is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
2.
In Acts 20:32, Paul
refers to the Word as “the word of his grace.”
C.
Our lives must be
lived by doing two things:
1.
Denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts
2.
Living soberly,
righteously, and godly
CONCLUSION
A.
Our present world will
either end in death, or, at the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ.
B.
This world is all we
have to determine our eternal destiny.
1.
II Corinthians
5:10
For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive
the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good
or bad.
2.
Revelation
20:12
And I saw
the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is
the book of life: and the dead were
judged out of those things which were written in the
books.
THIS PRESENT
WORLD
Titus
2:11-12
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
There’s a saying that states:
“Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to
die.”
1.
This saying emphasizes
how important this present world is to human beings.
2.
This present world is
all we know. All we have is
here.
B.
The term “present world” is found four times in the New Testament. There is much that we can learn from a
study of these four passages of Scripture.
I.
THIS PRESENT WORLD IS EVIL IN NATURE (Gal.
1:4).
A.
The word “evil” (4290) has several meanings.
1.
Hurtful: bringing toils,
annoyances, hardships
2.
In a physical sense, diseased or blind
3.
In an ethical sense, evil, wicked, bad
B.
This present evil world is:
1.
A place over which Satan is god:
a.
Satan is referred to as “the god of this world” (II Cor.
4:3-4).
b.
Satan is also said to be “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph.
2:2).
2.
A place that is pervaded by sin, immorality, and corruption (I John
5:19).
3.
A place whose inhabitants are spiritually dead (Eph.
2:1).
4.
A place where men live for themselves (I Pet.
4:2-3)
a.
Peter speaks of two time periods in our lives.
1)
The rest of our time in the flesh
2)
The time past of our life
b.
In the time past, we lived in the lust of the flesh to the lust of man
and wrought the will of the Gentiles (See Romans 1:18-32).
II.
THIS WORLD IMPLIES A WORLD TO COME (Luke 18:30)
A.
There are many differences that could be enumerated about the two
worlds.
B.
One stands out in this verse.
1.
This present world is temporary (I John 2:17; II Pet.
3:10).
2.
The world to come, on the other hand, involves everlasting life. It will last forever and ever and ever.
It is, as the old song says, “A land of fadeless day.”
III.
THIS WORLD CAN BE LOVED TOO MUCH (II Tim. 4:10)
A.
In two other places in the NT, Demas is called Paul’s “fellow laborer”
(Col. 4:14; Phile. 24).
B.
There are two senses in which Demas could have loved this present
world.
1.
He loved living in
this present world. He was not
willing to give his life for the Christ.
2.
He loved the evil, the
sin, the immorality, and the wickedness of this world.
C.
Due to the context, I believe that he was guilty of the
first.
1.
Paul was in prison. He knew
that execution loomed in the near future (II Tim.4:6).
2.
If Demas continued to associate with Paul, he, too, might face the same
end. Thus, he forsook the apostle
and his friend, having loved this present world.
3.
This type of behavior
is sinful in nature (Matt. 10:39).
D.
If Demas did love the sin of this world and returned to it, he was in
serious jeopardy.
1.
I John 2:15
2.
In fact, Peter says that his state would be worse when he returned to the
world than it was before he knew the way of righteousness (II Pet.
2:20-22).
E.
Loving this world too much is a dangerous thing. Our conversation is supposed to be in
heaven (Phil. 3:20).
IV. THE
KEY IS TO LEARN “HOW” TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD (Tit.
2:11-12)
A.
Christians are people who are in the world, but they are not of the
world.
1.
We cannot remove ourselves from the people and affairs of this
life.
2.
But, we must live differently than the world lives.
a.
It is the grace of God that teaches us how to live.
1)
This grace involves the Word of God (Ps. 119:105).
2)
In Acts 20:32, Paul refers to the Word as “the word of his
grace.”
b.
Our lives must be lived by doing two things:
1)
Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts
2)
Living soberly, righteously, and godly
CONCLUSION
A.
Our present world will either end in death, or, at the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ.
B.
This world is all we have to determine our eternal destiny (II Cor. 5:10;
Rev. 20:12).
THIS PRESENT
WORLD
Titus
2:11-12
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
There’s a saying that states:
“Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to
________.”
1.
This saying emphasizes how _____________ this present world is to human
beings.
2.
This present world is all we know.
All we have is here.
B.
The term “present world” is found _________ times in the New
Testament. There is much that we
can learn from a study of these four passages of
Scripture.
I.
THIS PRESENT WORLD IS EVIL IN NATURE (Gal.
1:4).
A.
The word “evil” (4290) has several meanings.
1.
___________________:
bringing toils, annoyances, hardships
2.
In a physical sense, ____________ or blind
3.
In an ethical sense, ____________, wicked, bad
B.
This present evil world is:
1.
A place over which ________________ is god:
a.
Satan is referred to as “the god of this world” (II Cor.
4:3-4).
b.
Satan is also said to be “the __________ of the power of the air” (Eph.
2:2).
2.
A place that is pervaded by _________, immorality, and corruption (I John
5:19).
3.
A place whose inhabitants are spiritually _____________ (Eph.
2:1).
4.
A place where men live for ________________ (I Pet.
4:2-3)
a.
Peter speaks of two time periods in our lives.
1)
The rest of our time in the flesh
2)
The time past of our life
b.
In the time past, we lived in the lust of the flesh to the lust of
________ and wrought the will of the ________________ (See Romans
1:18-32).
II.
THIS WORLD IMPLIES A WORLD TO _______________ (Luke
18:30)
A.
There are many differences that could be enumerated about the two
worlds.
B.
One stands out in this verse.
1.
This present world is _________________ (I John 2:17; II Pet.
3:10).
2.
The world to come, on the other hand, involves everlasting life. It will last forever and ever and ever.
It is, as the old song says, “A land of _______________
day.”
III.
THIS WORLD CAN BE _________________ TOO MUCH (II Tim.
4:10)
A.
In two other places in the NT, Demas is called Paul’s “fellow
___________” (Col. 4:14; Phile. 24).
B.
There are two senses in which Demas could have loved this present
world.
1.
He loved living in this present world. He was not willing to give his life for
the Christ.
2.
He loved the evil, the sin, the immorality, and the wickedness of this
world.
C.
Due to the context, I believe that he was guilty of the
____________.
1.
Paul was in prison. He knew
that execution loomed in the near future (II Tim.4:6).
2.
If Demas continued to associate with Paul, he, too, might face the same
end. Thus, he forsook the apostle
and his friend, having loved this present world.
3.
This type of behavior is sinful in nature (Matt.
10:39).
D.
If Demas did love the sin of this world and returned to it, he was in
serious jeopardy.
1.
I John 2:15
2.
In fact, Peter says that his state would be _________________ when he
returned to the world than it was before he knew the way of righteousness (II
Pet. 2:20-22).
E.
Loving this world too much is a dangerous thing. Our conversation is supposed to be in
________________ (Phil. 3:20).
IV. THE
KEY IS TO LEARN “____________” TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD (Tit.
2:11-12)
A.
Christians are people who are in the world, but they are not ______ the
world.
1.
We cannot remove ourselves from the people and affairs of this
life.
2.
But, we must live __________________ than the world
lives.
B.
It is the grace of God that teaches us how to live.
1.
In Acts 20:32, Paul refers to the Word as “the word of his
grace.”
2.
This grace involves the Word of God (Ps. 119:105).
C.
Our lives must be lived by doing two things:
1.
_________________ ungodliness and worldly lusts
2.
Living soberly, righteously, and _________________
CONCLUSION
A.
Our present world will either end in death, or, at the Second Coming of
Jesus Christ.
B.
This world is all we have to determine our eternal _______________ (II
Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:12).