Entering By the Narrow Gate, Part 8

Driving home: If there has not been a fundamental, radical detachment from love of the world, John says, the love of the Father is not in us. While there may be some debate as to the precise meaning of the love of the Father being in …

An old writer's description of the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and vain glory of life as 'the world's trinity' that it bows to and worships, illustrating the core idolatry of worldliness.

Lest we be left in the dark as to the things that are in the world, he then gives us a comprehensive description. Verse 16, For all that is in the world, what comprises the world as the world is this, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life is not of the Father but is of the world. As one old writer said, this is the world's trinity. Lust of the flesh and then the lust of the eyes, possessions, and then the vain glory of life, preferment. He said, this is the world's trinity and at that trinity it bows and it worships. The lust of the flesh, what is he referri...

18:33 - 19:57 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The lust of the flesh is in reality listen to this the hunger of the God-like soul deprived of its proper nutriment which is God itself and flying to the body for a substitute compelling it to devour so many more of the …

A commentator's perceptive description of how wholesome bodily appetites become degraded when the soul is not dominated by nobler aims and affections, explaining the root of the lust of the flesh.

It is the devil-like desire to rob God of glory and to heap praise upon oneself. Listen to one commentator's description of this. It is most perceptive. Speaking of the lust of the eyes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life or the vain glory of life he writes The bodily appetites are in themselves absolutely wholesome.

21:51 - 22:21 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to say, 'I will no longer live a life regulated by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,' but rather by the will of God.

The lust of the flesh is described as 'the hunger of the God-like soul deprived of its proper nutriment, which is God itself,' flying to the body for a substitute, making a 'swine's paradise,' illustrating the spiritual emptiness driving worldly indulgence.

Who is he but a brute whose flesh hath soul to suit whose spirit works lest arms and legs want play? He quotes I think it's Shakespeare But in truth when the higher nature is made the slave and minister of the lower animalism is no name for the level of degradation that is reached the animal body seeks only its natural food the lust of the flesh is in reality listen to this the hunger of the God-like soul deprived of its proper nutriment which is God itself and flying to the body for a substitute compelling it to devour so many more of the husks as will satisfy the starving prodigal within and...

23:16 - 24:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Be prepared to say, 'I will no longer live a life regulated by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,' but rather by the will of God.

Mr. Law's description of the vain glory of life as an 'egotistical and atheistical attitude of mind,' where self-security and self-satisfaction are sought, illustrating the prideful nature of this worldly passion.

was manifested in enabling them to accomplish but now the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life what is it? it must be regarded this same commentator says Mr. Law as both the egotistical and the atheistical attitude of mind the same human life the cravings of which in those that are not animated by the love of God and the pursuit of righteousness are the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes has for its least transient satisfaction nothing better than this deluded self-security and empty self-satisfaction against which all the facts of human experience offer in...

26:12 - 27:39 Read in full sermon

The point: If you have not fundamentally settled the issue of divorcing the world, you have not come through the narrow gate, and it's time to face it.

Paul's description of his severe sufferings (beaten, shipwrecked, stoned) as 'light affliction' is used as an example of an eternal perspective that redefines temporal hardships.

to an outward man and inward man and which is more important to Paul is he more concerned with the quickening of grace in his heart or the fact that he's got a few grey hairs showing on his temple and he better run out and get a bottle of Grecian formula that's the issue he said yes the outward man is decaying shows itself in wrinkles and grey hairs but he said that's not my primary sphere of concern the inward man the soul the theatre of communion with Christ the theatre of cultivating conscious knowledge of God the inward man is being renewed day by day and then he says for our light afflict...

35:01 - 36:29 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers; do not enter into voluntary relationships that involve sharing the world's perspectives or pulling in the world's direction.

The concept of a yoke, an instrument for beasts to plow the same furrow for the same master, is used to illustrate the nature of relationships and why believers should not be 'unequally yoked' with unbelievers.

age who does not feel the intimidation of peer pressure but it's peculiarly strong in our youth when we're trying to find our way and wonder if the whole world sees the zit on the end of our nose and whether the New York Times is going to make headline news about it tomorrow morning and in that insecure state trying to find out who we are and we're just convinced we've got the ugliest ears of anybody that ever lived or we've got the craziest shaped nose and why couldn't I have more flesh here and less there and oh how much we want to know we're accepted oh young people listen to me if you're g...

51:06 - 52:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Be ready to be crowded out and ostracized for Christ's sake when peers engage in worldly talk or immoral behavior.

A secular feminist's vilification of modern popular music (MTV, rock, rap) as disgusting and vulgar is used as an example of the extreme degradation of worldly culture, challenging Christian young people who justify it.

the filth the pornography the hatred the blasphemy that comes over modern rock music and rappers so vile that a secular feminist had her book reviewed in the New York Times last Monday vilifying present popular music as being disgusting and vulgar and she's nothing approaching a Christian she's a person of the world who's even ready to vomit out her part of her own world it's become so base and to hear Christian young people justifying it well it's just not the music of your generation you don't like the beat or some other nonsense my friend dear young person here's the issue are you ready to ...

55:31 - 56:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Feel a chill when among church members where nothing is said of Christ, the scriptures, or what God is teaching, as it indicates a worldly spirit.

Martin recounts his burden from his traveling ministry days, staying in homes of church leaders where spiritual conversation never arose, illustrating a lack of genuine repudiation of the world and its ensnaring companionships.

is teaching you through his word and in your experience as a parent or a grandparent as you're struggling with doing the will of God out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks the greatest burden I ever had in those days when I was in the traveling ministry in my relative youth for almost five years was to be kept in the homes of deacons and church leaders and evangelical churches all across various parts of our country and find that in a whole week I couldn't see the conversation come around to spiritual things once at the table what a grievous thing the things most real to my heart n...

64:16 - 65:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Flee to Christ and enter through the narrow gate, divorcing the world in the name of Christ by the power of His cross.

John Stone's comments on James 4:4 are quoted, explaining that choosing friendship with the world constitutes one an enemy of God, and that worldly attractions ultimately fail to satisfy the soul.

by giving you the comments of John Stone on the passage in James we've not had time to turn to it but I've read it morning and evening and I hope the force of just the reading of it will remain with us you adulteresses know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God whosoever would be the friend of the world makes himself the enemy of God listen to John Stone's comments as I bring the message to a conclusion no professing Christian perhaps would say to his own soul I'm minded to be a friend of the wicked world but many allow themselves to drift into a pattern of life which sho...

65:42 - 67:09 Read in full sermon