Joe Mueller: And take your Bible, go to 1 John.

1 John, if you would, in chapter number 2.

It's great to be back here at the TGYS Always exciting to see some faces from years gone by And some of you watching, some of you have been coming a long time And so you started coming, you were in 7th grade and you're here now And I don't know, I guess we could have some of you that are in college now That came in 7th grade to TGYS, I don't know But certainly is great This year is a special year for me at

TGYS because I now have one of my children who is one of y'all, okay, and on the Marine team, okay.

Now, that doesn't mean I'm biased at all, but she is on the Marine team, and that's pretty exciting for me, and so we've been looking forward to this time.

He was everything that a young nation could want in a leader.

He was bold, brilliant, fearless under fire.

And when the War of Independence broke out, he threw himself into the fight with an unmatched zeal.

At Fort Ticonderoga, he helped seize the British stronghold and its cannons, stoking the fire of the American cause.

On Lake Champlain, he built a ragtag fleet and faced a far superior enemy, stalling an invasion that might have crushed the revolution in its infancy.

At Saratoga, he rode into battle with reckless abandon, rallying the troops when the lines began to falter.

Though his leg was shattered in the fighting, his daring leadership helped turn the tide of that battle, delivering one of the most important American victories in the entire war.

No doubt, no doubt his name would become legendary, remembered alongside men like Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin, you know, the greats of this young nation.

Yeah, but it was not to be so.

Congress celebrated the victory, yes, but others received the credit.

Feeling that his sacrifice was forgotten and desiring wealth and recognition, his loyalty shifted.

He switched sides, though he did not switch his uniform.

Through a series of secret letters and meetings, he offered to deliver West Point, the fort that was now under his command, into the hands of the British, betraying the very ideals for which he had one time risked his life to defend.

Though the plan was discovered, he did indeed become a legend.

Oh yes, oh yes, he was someone who was never to be forgotten, as the name Benedict Arnold became forever synonymous with treachery.

Every time I rehearse the details of Benedict Arnold, I'm just always stunned.

I mean, what an incredible turn of events.

I mean, here's a guy who literally had everything going in so many ways.

I mean, he was a brilliant leader for the cause of freedom.

And yet he turned and became a betrayer, a traitor.

But that story of betrayal is not an isolated incident.

We could give many other accounts from history that follow a very similar plot.

If we went just into the pages of scripture, I think of the story of a man named Ahithophel.

Ahithophel, you know Ahithophel.

He was a counselor to David, a wise man committed to David and the kingdom.

But there came a day when this cabinet member, this close advisor of King David turned on him when Absalom came to take over.

And Ahithophel became a traitor to David.

We think of another man.

Well, we know him well.

We know his name, Judas.

We don't actually know a whole lot about Judas Iscariot, beyond the fact that he was one of Jesus' disciples.

I mean, he was part of that inner close group.

He was close with Jesus.

And yet today, we call traitors a Judas.

How can it be?

Do you ever ask yourself that question in any of these situations?

How could they do that when they had everything going for them?

What were they thinking?

And while there's a variety of contributing factors that could be considered in each of these accounts and every other, they all have a common root at the core.

And that root is much closer to your own heart today than you might want to admit.

hope you were encouraged last night by the message brother bosler preached about the fact that you were saved to win you were created to conquer boy if you can grab a hold of that truth that'll change your entire perspective on life what what an awesome awesome truth god intends for us to be conquerors but this morning i want you to see something here from 1 John chapter number two that is absolutely critical if you're going to live as a conqueror.

I hope that's what you want to be this morning.

I hope you want to live out that reality.

But here, I want to see what I believe may be the number one issue that will keep you from conquering.

The number one issue that will keep you from actually living out the reality that we heard preached last night.

You're familiar with these verses.

I want to begin reading in chapter number two in verse number 12.

It says here, I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one.

conquerors.

And notice the next words.

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.

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.

And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

I want us to see the simple truth this morning that love for this world will keep you from conquering.

Love for this world will keep you from conquering.

Let's pray together.

Lord, would you help us in these moments?

Lord, we come to you with a need, or I don't know the needs of every heart, but I do know that we all have this same need today, that we need you to open our eyes.

We need you to make truth clear to us today.

Oh, would you confront us today where we need that confrontation and encourage us where we need encouragement today.

Oh Lord, use your word now to do what you alone can do.

We look to you in Jesus name amen I want you to think first of all with me if you're taking notes point number one is an unforeseen problem the unforeseen problem we read through verses 12 through 14 there and it's an interesting sequence we have written there I write to you and he says little children or fathers or young men right?

And that's a helpful reality for us to see.

And we come to this command or this admonition given in verse number 15 that we're so familiar with.

You've heard it preached many times, no doubt, love not the world.

And it's critical, boy, love for this world would keep you from conquering.

Okay, so we need to understand that truth.

But I want you to understand the context in which that admonition is being given.

I want you to just think for a moment about who it is that John was speaking to as he gave this idea, love not the world, because it's really easy for us, as we look at this command of love not the world, we think, oh, that's talking about people who are like this.

Or that's talking about the guy who's the rebel, you know, who's running from God, and the guy who's listening to rock music and has tattoos, and he's messing around with his girlfriend.

Like that's talking about those kinds of people.

Yeah.

Those are world lovers.

They're all just wrapped up in this.

Or maybe you think, man, that's talking about the one who's a compromiser, right?

And a boy, they, uh, they just use a kind of music that maybe isn't as, isn't as godly or, or they have a, you know, they, their, their church maybe is kind of more loosey goosey about things and not as, you know, strict on standards.

And we can think about all the, that's, those are the worldly people that's worldliness.

But do you understand who it is that He says this too.

Do you understand who it is that he's seeking to address here?

Because it makes a huge difference in our application and our understanding of what he's trying to get at in this moment.

Notice how he describes them.

He calls them little children, fathers, young men, endearing terms, family terms.

These are people who are children of God.

And they're at varying stages, right, of spiritual age, perhaps, or spiritual maturity.

Different stages on their journey.

But it says here, there are those who their sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

Boy, they're saved by the grace of God.

They're forgiven.

Praise God for the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

They're forgiven.

There are people, it says here two times that they have known him that is from the beginning.

It says, again, it says that they have known him, known the Father.

They have an ongoing experiential relationship with God.

That's that term.

No, it's an experiential reality.

It's in the present.

This is someone who they have an ongoing relationship with the God of the universe.

They have experienced his reality in their life.

It's not just that they've learned facts about God.

No, they actually have come to know him in a sense.

That they actually have experienced him for themselves.

Look at the last phrase.

This one particularly catches my attention of verse number 14.

It says, I write to you young men, young people like we have here today, because you are strong.

That has the idea that you're strong, you have strength, you have energy.

But we've got energy in this room.

And some of the adults are sitting back there saying, man, I'm tired just watching them do a cheering contest.

Right?

You've got energy.

You have strength.

And strength that you give to the service of the Lord.

Well, praise God.

It says, I write to you because you're strong.

Because it says, and the word of God abideth in you.

You've allowed the word of God to sink into your life, abide, to dwell, to live there.

You've let it become a part of your thought processes, of who you are.

That's an awesome reality we're seeing here.

And he says here, twice he says, and you have overcome the wicked one.

These are young people who are walking in victory.

They're overcomers.

They're living in triumph.

Boy, they're winners, conquerors.

Boy, that's a pretty great description, isn't it?

I mean, any pastor, any youth pastor would be thrilled at that.

He could describe his youth group in that way, right?

And I feel like in so many ways, that describes so many of you that are here today as part of the generation.

Right?

You're people.

You have a desire to do what's right.

Many of you, you've taken some good steps, some steps of faith to obey God, to see God use you, maybe to deal with sin in your life in the past.

You've taken some of those steps.

You've experienced perhaps the reality of God and a cleansing that he can give as you take that step, as you get right.

You've experienced God perhaps speaking to you in a real tangible way through the word of God.

You've experienced God.

It's not just that, well, God is a theory out there.

No, no, you've actually, you've got a track record of, you've known God.

What an awesome thing.

I don't take that lightly.

I'm excited when I see a group of young people like you who I know.

You say, we want to do what God wants us to do.

That's awesome.

But I want you to realize that it is to this group of young people that John is giving this warning today.

It is to this group that John, he's concerned about the danger of becoming a world lover.

Could it be, could it be that no matter how far you might advance on your Christian journey, you still need to be wary of loving this world?

Could it be, in fact, that it is when you are strong and victorious and you've experienced much of God that you are most susceptible to the trap of becoming a world lover?

Could it be?

I mean, hey, we're strong.

We know the word of God.

We've experienced God.

No, no, surely we're not the ones that are in danger of becoming world lovers.

And he says, no, you are.

You're the one who you're on the precipice.

It's right there.

It's one step away for you who have all of this great track record to now become a world lover.

You know, it's often in the wake of a great victory that we're most susceptible to pride and self-sufficiency.

We take that step.

We see God use us.

Praise God, that was awesome.

Man, I've got this thing now.

We can look through the pages of Scripture, and we can sure see men of God in those scriptural or accounts who they see an incredible Mount Carmel moment and then turn around and whoosh.

There's a moment of great weakness, susceptibility to the lies of the wicked one.

I just want to remind you this morning that your track record will not keep you from loving this world.

Your past victory does not guarantee future victory.

Even your present victory does not make you immune to misplaced affection.

Yes, you are a conqueror.

You absolutely are.

So beware of becoming a world lover.

That's not usually what we think.

We wouldn't look and say, oh, this is the problem we need to face.

No, no, it is.

So today I want to look at this reality of, listen, there's nothing that will kill your ability to live as a conqueror as quickly as the love of this world.

So having seen that, listen, this is a problem that we have to face.

You and me in this room, people who want to serve God.

We've got to confront this reality that is in our own hearts, the propensity to become a world lover.

I want you to see now number two, the unceasing pull, the unceasing pull of this world.

Look at verse 15 again.

He says, 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.

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.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof.

But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

Notice what this admonition begins.

It begins with a simple word, love.

Love not the world.

I want you to see first of all here as we think about this unceasing this ongoing pull of the world Brother Bosler spoke a little bit about last night the agenda of this world but listen, this world seeks to steal your affection we think of the word love and I say the word love and hopefully that grosses out most of you to think of that word you know, a few of the college students are thinking about that word we think of a kind

of this oh love it's a feeling that we have no no that's not what love is here real love is not a feeling that goes up and down okay those those things are nice uh but but it comes and goes real love is a steady choice of devotion of commitment and the world is vying for that commitment in your life.

The world is doing all it can to steal that affection.

And so this admonition about worldliness is not so much about the things that you do and the standards that you have or don't have as much as it is a confrontation about the object of your affection.

What is it?

Or maybe better said, who is it that you love?

Who has your heart today?

It's not a matter of externals.

This is a question that gets down to the core of who you are.

And you have an enemy today who is seeking to gain your affection because he knows that the affection of your heart determines the direction of your life.

And so you could have the most conservative standards in the world when it comes to clothing and movies and music and so much more, and you could still be caught in this trap of being a world lover because worldliness is first and foremost a heart issue.

It's a matter of what is it that has your affection today.

Listen, the enemy is not all wrapped up and consumed with trying to get you to sin.

That's not what he's focused on primarily.

Oh, he's all about you doing that, but he is focused on getting your affection.

because he knows if he can win there, if he can get your heart, then he will win everywhere.

If he can get you to pursue after other things, then you will not be pursuing after God.

And so he's constructed an elaborate system that is consumed with the agenda of drawing your affection away from God.

The Bible calls this system, with this agenda, calls it the world.

And the devil, it says, is the prince of this world in John 14, verse 30.

You say, okay, so what exactly is the world then?

Well, it's not talking about the physical earth.

It's not even talking about the people that walk on this planet.

We're actually supposed to love the people that walk on this planet.

God so loved the world that he gave, right?

It's not talking about those things.

It is talking about the system of ideas, of values, of pressures that are organized by the wicked one to oppose God and his work.

I think maybe the best word to use to describe it is culture.

The culture in which we live, perhaps even more specifically, pop culture.

What's popular in and amongst us and our peers in this world today?

What is the going thing?

That culture is pursuing your affection.

It's desiring your loyalty.

And we as children of God fall for it hook, line, and sinker all the time.

We jump right on the bandwagon and go with it.

I'm amazed at how quickly and easily we implement and imbibe and consume and promote and pursue things that are by design meant to grab your loyalty.

when we're supposed to be loyal to Jesus Christ, when he's supposed to have our affection.

Perhaps the most helpful definition of this world that we're talking about that I've ever heard was what I read John Wesley said when he said that anything that cools my affection for Christ is the world.

Can I say that again?

Anything that cools my affection for Christ is the world.

Well, that broadens the sphere a little bit, doesn't it, from what we usually think of as worldly things?

What is it in your life that just tones down your love for Jesus?

What is it in your life that kind of just puts the reins, pulls back on those reins a little bit of your fervency of pursuing after God?

What is it that your heart desires to seek after more than seeking after God?

Can I tell you, that's what he's talking about here, love not the world.

That's what our culture is designed to do.

Everything around us is screaming at you constantly.

It's throwing things at you all the time to try to get you to give your affection there instead of giving your affection to Jesus Christ.

And as much as we don't want to be so, love for our fallen culture, with all of its trappings, with everything that comes along with it, love for that culture and love for God are completely antithetical.

They cannot coexist.

That's what he says.

I didn't say that.

He did.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

You cannot love this world and love God at the same time.

It won't work.

And yet we try to grab on to little pieces of it that we feel like, well, this part isn't sinful, so this is okay.

Think of the words of James chapter 4, verse number 4, where James says, The 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.

Enemy.

That's what the world is.

The world is not our friend.

The world is not neutral.

It's not benign.

It is at enmity with God.

And if that is true, then we must actively guard against its influence in our life.

And yes, we even need to actively oppose its advance.

And I listen sometimes to believers as they make their arguments why this particular aspect of culture isn't sinful, whether it's this particular specific movie or this hairstyle or this fashion thing or this musical genre or this apparel, whatever it is.

And they make the argument, well, this isn't sinful because this, da, da, da.

And while we can have that discussion, I believe there's a much greater, deeper issue and question that has a far greater consequence.

And that's the question of, listen, why does it even matter to you?

Why do you want that?

Why do you care?

Why are you letting that grab your affection and hold on to you?

Why do you want what the godless people want?

Why do you feel like, oh yeah, that's nice.

Why do we want that?

Because our hearts' affection has been drawn to the world.

Some of you live a life that is just wrapped up in the things of this world.

I'm not saying they're necessarily things that are objectively sinful even, though I'd be naive to think that there are not some here who are tolerating things in your life that you know are not to be in the life of a child of God.

But there's things that you have and that you've intertwined your life with, whether it be games of fashion and fads or dreams, goals and priorities, that the enemy has crafted with a specific agenda of deadening your desire for God, but you still cling to it.

Even though you know, yeah, this kind of makes me not as fervent for the Lord.

That's the world.

And it's stealing your affection.

And my burden this morning is not so much to preach against all the things that we usually call worldly.

Though it's not wrong to do so.

my heart this morning is to get to the real heart of the matter of why do you even want those things?

And it's because your affection has been drawn away.

You love this world.

Or grieves me as I watch people who I know have received much truth, who've experienced the presence of God, who've taken key steps of faith, who've overcome obstacles by the grace of God, and then watch as they begin to embrace more and more aspects of the practical things of pop culture.

Hairstyle changes, vernacular changes, gestures they use change, priorities change.

They still dogmatically affirm that they love Jesus, they're committed to the scriptures, but they're taking all their cues for life in practical areas from pop culture.

And I just have to sit back and say, what's going on?

This pop culture that's in defiance of God, and we're taking cues?

We're getting indications this is what I should do from there?

Why?

Because whether we realize it or not, it's so easy to fall into the trap of a shifting affection and our heart begins to cling to this world.

How does the world do this?

The world seeks to steal your affection Sees well the world seeks to appeal to your pride and selfishness It's interesting to me as I was meditating on this passage of scripture It says you love not the world Neither the things that are in the world Dogmatically with Christians we should not love the world Amen He doesn't just leave it at that.

He says, or the things that are in the world.

Now, before I assume and just start throwing out those things in the world, because I could do that, the text actually tells us what those things in the world are.

And in so doing, it helps us to understand how the culture, what is it that our culture is targeting as it seeks to gain and hold your affection?

You see it here, verse number 16, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.

If we had just in a nutshell put these things, what is it that culture is targeting?

What is it that they go after to gain our affection?

I would say this, it is the inherent pride and selfishness of your flesh.

One commentator said this I thought was so fascinating, that worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguise.

I want to show you this.

We get specific here, all right?

What is this?

What is the world?

How does it carry out this agenda?

How does it attack our selfishness?

All right, the lust of the flesh.

That's the desire to do or experience.

That looking for the next thrill, the next rush of dopamine, the novelty of something new, it's what makes us afraid of missing out on something.

Because all the cultures all the time saying, hey, listen, you've got to experience this.

You've got to jump on this.

You've got to do this.

And it's all about getting in the desire to do, to experience what everyone else is experiencing.

The lust of the eyes, the desire to have.

Always wanting more.

Another dollar.

The latest tech.

The newest gaming system.

Another comfort here.

Another pleasure there.

That's what advertising, commercials, and social media, they're all seeking to latch onto, our innate selfish desire to have.

And boy, don't think that you're immune to that.

We've got to realize this is part of the cultures.

It's the enemies through culture, his work trying to grab your affection.

Saying, hey, you've got to have this.

Won't be happy unless you have this.

Or boy, you're going to miss out if you don't have this.

And the pride of life.

That's the desire to be.

To have achievement, position, popularity, status, influence.

Boy, we've got a whole generation of people on YouTube and social media who are influencers.

They're nobodies who decided they want to try to be something.

And you and I, boy, there's something about us that we want to be too.

We want to have some sort of status.

And so the enemy, boy, he's organized this culture to target those areas of our life to say, Listen, just live selfishly.

Just live selfishly.

Just try to be something.

Yeah, try to exalt.

Just let a little bit of pride.

And without even realizing it, our selfishness is being catered to constantly, and we're falling for it.

And it draws away our hearts to this world instead of our God.

The world seeks to steal your affection.

The world seeks to appeal to your pride and selfishness.

The world seeks to entice you to live for the temporary.

This is a big deal.

Look at verse 17.

It says, And the world passeth away.

The world passeth away, and the lust thereof, the desires, everything that it promises, everything that it offers.

And the world right now, our culture is enticing you to live for this moment, for right now, and forget eternity.

Forget the future.

Everything about our culture says, listen, there's nothing more important than your pleasure, than your comfort in this life, in this moment.

Live for that.

Even sometimes, good things, man, work hard and be successful so that you can do whatever you want to do.

it's still catering to our selfishness and it's all about this moment listen, this is what's important the life you're living right now what people think and what you have and what you're doing what you are in this moment that's what, it's a lie this world has an expiration date that's what the text says The world passeth away Literally, it is passing away already It's already on its way out The train's headed out of the station Nothing that is screaming at you right now

Will really matter in eternity Nothing will It won't matter if the Brewers beat the Cubs And the NLDS though I hope they don't.

It won't matter what kind of car you drove.

It won't matter that you had a certain kind of shoes.

It won't matter that everyone liked you and thought you were funny.

It won't matter that you beat that next level.

It won't matter that you made your life a little more comfortable for another day.

None of that matters.

It's all gonna go up in smoke.

It's not eternal.

but we live for it we pour our energy into it we saturate our life with these things that will pass away but you don't have to live for that what does the end of verse 17 say the world passeth away in the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever you can live a life for that which is eternal for that which will never pass away, young person.

But not if you give this world your affection.

Because this world is all about the temporary.

In 2 Timothy chapter 4, we find the account of a man who we read very little of in the New Testament, just three places, and this is the final, where it says there that Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.

Now that word present world is actually a little different than what's in our text.

It's a broader word that is focused on the reality of this here and now moment.

And here's a man who walked away from service to the Lord Jesus Christ, walked away from commitment to the Apostle Paul in his moment of need because he was concerned about being comfortable right now.

That's what the world screams at you.

Listen, if you're all about, as we heard last night, If you're all about being comfortable, you will not live as a conqueror.

Notice now the unwavering priority.

And we're going to finish up.

Here's the question today.

Are you a world lover or are you a God lover?

We want to be both if we're really honest.

But we can't be.

It is one or the other.

If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

All that is in the world is not of the Father, but is of the world.

It's one or the other, friend.

And the fact that we wrestle with that question so much, Even as I prepared this message, the Lord confronted some areas in my life and said, here, you have been a world lover.

And I had to face the fact that, you know what, I am a world lover.

And the fact that we love the world reveals we don't actually love God.

I could not help but think of what we find in Revelation chapter number 2 there at the church at Ephesus, where we have really a wonderful description of a church that's standing strong, doing the right things, very similar to what we see described here of these believers in 1 John.

But then he turns the corner and the Lord Jesus Christ says, Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.

He confronted them and said, listen, you don't actually love me.

You say you do.

You might even act like you do, but you don't.

I no longer hold that place of priority.

There's no loyal love to me anymore.

And you already told them to do in that moment.

He said, remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen and repent.

Repent.

Not of the fact that they were looking at junk.

Not of the fact that they were listening to bad music.

Not of the fact that they had gone off the deep end in stuff that they were indulging.

No, no.

He says, repent of the fact that your heart has been drawn away from me.

How do we keep from becoming a world lover, from living as a world lover?

If love for this world will keep us from conquering, then how do we avoid this trap?

We have to make love for Jesus Christ an unwavering priority in our life.

Love God intentionally.

Here he's given the command and says, listen, don't love the world.

Make a choice.

I'm leading you to a decision don't love this world don't let it draw you away it's a choice right before you I'm just saying this morning young people you will not maintain and grow in your love for God by accident it doesn't happen automatically you grow in your love for Jesus as you make intentional choices to pursue after Jesus I have grown in my love for my wife as I have taken intentional choices to pursue after her.

It's how love, how affection, how commitment and devotion works.

You make those choices.

Listen, if your love for Jesus isn't influencing what consumes your thoughts, if it's not changing how you live your day, then you're probably not really loving Jesus.

I'm not saying you're not saved I'm just saying there's a whole lot of saved people Who don't live in love with Jesus They live in love with this world And that's why we don't see a lot of conquering happening Love God intentionally Set your affection on Jesus Actively pursue Him Make Him the desire of your heart Say no to the world that's screaming at you Cut off those pursuits that are drawing your heart away from Christ.

Embrace a life that boldly proclaims, Take the world.

I don't need it.

Give me Jesus.

I came across a poem written by a young lady entitled The Young Christian.

I cannot give it up, this little world I know.

the innocent delights of youth, the things I cherish show.

It is true I love my Lord and long to do his will, but oh, I may enjoy the world and be a Christian still.

I love the hour of prayer and love the hymns of praise and love the blessed word which tells of God's redeeming grace, but I'm human still.

And while I'm here on earth, God surely will not grudge the hours I spend in harmless mirth.

These things belong to you.

They are its natural right.

My dress, my pastimes, my friends, the merry and the bright.

My Father's heart is kind.

He will not count it ill if my small corner of the world should please and hold me still.

And yet, outside the camp, it was there the Savior died.

It was the world that cast him forth and saw him crucified.

Can I take part with those who nailed him to the tree?

and where his name is never praised, is that the place for me?

Nay, world, I turn away, though thou seem fair and good, that friendly, outstretched hand of thine is stained with Jesus' blood.

If in thy least device I stoop to take apart, all unawares thine influence steals God's presence from my heart.

I miss my Savior's smile whene'er I walk thy ways.

Thy laughter drowns the Spirit's voice and chokes the springs of praise.

Whene'er I turn aside to join thee for an hour, the face of Christ grows blurred and dim, and prayer has lost its power.

Farewell.

Henceforth my place is with the Lamb who died, my Sovereign, since I have thy love.

What want I more beside?

Blessed thou, thou art now my free and loving choice, in whom though now I see him not believing, I rejoice.

Shame on me that I sought another joy than this, or dreamt a soul at peace with thee could crave for earthly bliss.

These vain and worthless things, I lay them all aside.

Thy goodness fills my longing soul, and I am satisfied.

Young person, would you be willing to make that kind of commitment?

That kind of heart?

I just want Jesus.

I'm going to love him with all that I have.

Love God intentionally.

Pursue God's will exclusively.

He that doeth the will of God abideth forever.

I'll just say this.

There's an inextricable link between loving the Father and doing the will of the Father.

They go hand in hand.

And the second flows from the first.

Don't get that backwards, young person.

So often we serve and we do without loving.

And 1 Corinthians 13 tells us it's worthless.

But when we truly love someone, when our heart is consumed and we want what they want, and our heart is knit with theirs and we're pursuing after them, our heart begins to say, I want what you want, and so I'm going to do what you want.

Oh, listen, friend, love for this world will keep you from conquering.

But when you live passionately in love with the one who loves you, You will be unstoppable more than a conqueror.

Let's bow our heads to pray.