Download Rejecting the Fantasy - Created for His Glory

Session 8
Rejecting the
Fantasy
A Man Without God
. . . is like an automobile
without an engine.
A Man Without an “Engine”
The result is a profound
emptiness and meaninglessness in
every man apart from Christ.
Ephesians 4:18
Having the understanding
darkened, being alienated
from the life of God through
the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of
their heart.
The Path to Emptiness
Darkness in the understanding
Ignorance in the intellect
Hardness in the will & emotions
Disconnection from God
Emptiness in the whole being
The Downward Path
Ephesians 5:3-17
God’s Attitude Toward
the World
The worldly Christian is
separating himself from God’s
ways and God’s plans.
The Scriptures speak much
about the pull and debilitating
influence of this “world.”
I Corinthians 2:12
Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the
spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that
are freely given to us of God.
Galatians 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.
Galatians 6:14
But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
the world is crucified unto me,
and I unto the world.
II Timothy 4:10
For Demas hath forsaken me,
having loved this present
world.
Titus 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 [sensibly],
righteously, and godly, in this
present world.
James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled
before God and the Father is
this, To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and
to keep himself unspotted from
the world.
James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses,
know ye not that the friendship
of the world is enmity with
God? whosoever therefore will
be a friend of the world is the
enemy of God.
I John 2:15-16
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.
I John 2:15-16, (cont.)
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.
I John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world: and this
is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.
The Effect of the World
on the Heart
The great fantasy of
worldliness is that a man can
live his life independent of
God.
Habits of the Heart
A common approach among
Christians [is to] worry that the
content of popular culture will
encourage certain behavior
(e.g., disrespect to parents,
drug abuse, sexual promiscuity,
proclivity to violence, etc.).
Habits of the Heart (cont.)
While these are obviously legitimate concerns, what should
attract more attention is the
effect of consistent exposure to
popular culture, whether or
not the content is objectionable, on the development of
internal dispositions.
Habits of the Heart (cont.)
The habits of the mind, heart,
and soul—in short the qualities
of character—that are
encouraged or discouraged by
the aesthetic dynamics of our
cultural activities are at least as
important to Christian
reflection.
Two World-Views
Matthew 7:24-27
Foolish and wise men
These two worldviews
promote opposing habits
of the heart
The Effect of the World
on the Heart
The twin disciplines of a wise
heart are “hear” and “do.”
The twin culprits in a foolish
heart are “desire” and
“indulge.”
James 1:14-15
The Desire-Oriented
Life of a Fool
The worldling is easily
distracted.
He is driven to have
something new.
He is also easily moved
by what is now.
Have it NOW: No Wait
Express Lanes
Instant Relief
Easy Money
Fast Food
Instant Credit
Casual Sex
The Desire-Oriented
Life of a Fool
The worldling is easily
lured.
He has no objective,
abiding principles.
This relativism is the
most dangerous part.
“But I like it!”
Which being interpreted
means, “I take pleasure in it.”
Ruled by pleasure not by
principle
Philippians 4:8
Whatsoever
things . . .
are true
are honest
are just
are pure
are lovely
are of good
report
are
virtuous
are praiseworthy
The Desire-Oriented
Life of a Fool
They are left without
principles and must live
entirely by sensation and
emotion.
The Indulgent-Oriented
Life of a Fool
He is defiant to the created
order in nature.
The worldling is defiant to
the commanded order in
God’s Word.
The Indulgent-Oriented
Life of a Fool
The result of the foolishness of
the world is death.
Everything dies when removed
from the light of God.
Acknowledgments
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