Love the sinner and hate the sin!

Topics:

I. Do not love the world!

* The system of this fallen world is to be rejected!

1. Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." Therefore Pilate said to Him, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:36, 37).

2. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17).
3. You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God (James 4:4).

II. Do love the people!

* The people of this fallen world are to be loved!

1. "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:14-18).
2. "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them" (John 17:25, 26).

#2 Advent sermon by Pastor Rod Akins, December 10^th, 2023

Life group flow and discussion questions

"Love the sinner and hate the sin!"

An important Guideline of Life Groups: Modeling God's love needs to be practiced at home, in your Life Group, in the community and in our church family. How can you inspire a greater imitation of God's love in one another?

Getting Started:

1. Understanding that Satan is "the ruler of this world" (John 12:31, "the god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4), the one "who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9) and we know that "the whole world lies in the power of the evil one" (1 John 5:19) does that make it clear why we are NOT to love the world?
2. What is meant by "etymological fallacy" of word studies? How is the Greek word "Cosmos" (world) used in different contexts of Scripture?

Discussing Truths:

1. Why is it important that we "love the sinner and hate the sin"?
2. How does Jesus coming as our Savior illustrate loving sinners and hating sin?
3. How did Satan use the "lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2:16) in his temptation with Eve (Genesis 3:1-7) and in his temptation with Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)?
4. Which of those three avenues of temptation do you struggle with the most? Do you have an accountability partner to help you walk in victory?
5. What is the most precious part of the familiar verse John 3:16 to you?
6. How can we model the love that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit display to one another in the Godhead?

Now What? Application:

1. During this Advent season, many people struggle with guilt, shame and feeling unloved and unworthy. How will you love your OIKOS people with grace and truth?
2. Each person has the choice to 1. Waste their life, 2. Spend their life of 3. Invest their life. What will you do to invest your life for the glory of God?