Loving The World – Walking In Power with Nate Ortiz

Everyone, my name is Nate Ortiz and this is Walking in Power.

And I just want to share a message with you at a first John chapter 2 starting in verse

15.

It talks about loving the world.

We live at these times where we love comfort.

We love being comfortable.

We love our things that we can depend on.

We just love convenience.

And sometimes when we love this convenience or we love comfort, we typically give up control

of certain aspects.

So when we get that click list from the store, we're not picking up the product, the

fruit or anything like that.

We just rely on someone else to do it.

So we lose a little bit of control there.

Maybe there's other aspects where we lose a little bit of control.

But in this world, we have to learn to resist comfort in ways that's not healthy to

us in our development with God.

And we come to our faith.

We have to realize that God did not call us to comfort.

God did not call us just to be someone who just is looking to get through life with minimal

interaction with people.

But God has called us to live this life, to bring change, to bring hope, to bring love,

to bring life to people.

But we can't do that if we are continually just trying to be what the world wants us to

be or just trying to conform to the image of the world or just love the things of the

world.

And we turn ourselves to understand that what God's word lays out for us is life.

And we're not just going to know God just because we go to church or we heard a great

sermon on a podcast or in person or online.

But when we read God's word, line upon line, chapter on chapter, book upon book, that's

when God really begins to expand himself in our lives.

And we begin to see things.

And through His Spirit, we see certain things highlighted to us that bring us this element

of just understanding Him in a greater way than we have before.

So whether you've been new to the Lord, you've served the Lord for a long time, take time

to read His word.

Not just rush through it, but to really take it in.

Because when you fall in love with His word, you fall in love with God.

And the things of this world about talking about, they grow strangely to Him, the things

that used to pull you in, don't pull you in like they used to.

The things that used to excite you, maybe don't excite you anymore because you've really

found something that is more life giving in God.

Think about it like this.

Sometimes in our lives, we have these things, these buckets that we hold and we pour everything

in it that we feel like this is going to hold everything that I need.

But there's that hole in the bucket.

And it's just not really going to fulfill.

We find ourselves always having to fill it up, fill it up, fill it up, and never really

having this level of contentment or happiness.

And we could talk about happiness and what it all means.

But I heard this quote one time, which is great, but says, happiness is not what you have,

but you enjoy.

And so when you learn, just enjoy what you have in this life and I feel like you need

greater or bigger or better, we say, God, whether it's much or whether it's little, I'm content

because you're with me.

And I love that you are blessing me even when it feels, even life is overwhelming, you are

still for me and you are still here with me.

And so in first John chapter three of verse 15, it says, 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.

So we can talk about loving God, but if we really put the things in the world before

him is the love really there.

And think about it, if you're in a relationship and someone else always puts you second to these

different things in their lives, you're not really going to feel value, you're not really

going to feel like you are really loved, you're always going to feel like you're in that

second place.

And the same thing with God, if we always put the world before God or what the world wants

from us or what we feel like is comfortable to us or pleasing to our flesh, we're not really

going to be in the place to hear from God.

So in the book of verse 16, it says, 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 it's lust, but the one who does the will of God lives

forever.

So here's some thoughts I want you to think about.

What is the will of God?

You will understand the will of God for your life when you are able to really pull back

from things.

Sometimes we lean into things and we aren't able to really hear what God wants to speak

to us.

When you are looking for the will of God, pull back, ask God.

Say, God, what do you have for my life?

What do you want me to do?

And he'll show you the path.

And sometimes it doesn't come in a week, it doesn't come in a moment, it doesn't come

in a month.

But it's because it's just to ask that question and God begins to show you the ways.

Or God begins to bring people to your life and it sparks something inside of you and saying,

yeah, this is it.

I feel like I'm supposed to do this or I'm called to this.

You want to be open to how God wants to use your life, how God wants to speak to you.

So keep in mind that when you are in that place of saying, I want to do the will of God,

pull back on things.

Don't let yourself be crowded out.

The second thing I say is, do, talk to someone.

When you say, what's the will of God for my life?

Be with someone who can mentor you, encourage you, speak life for you.

Maybe look at some things that you feel like they can look at your life and really say,

it's seen like this is a passion for yours.

It seems you really come alive when you talk about this.

Maybe God's asking you to do something in that capacity, serving at a local food shelter,

serving in your church, creating a nonprofit and doing something who knows.

But get someone who can speak life into you and also pull some of those things out for

you.

And that's the last thing about the will of God is pray into it.

So you pull back, you get a mentor, but then pray into those things that you feel like

God is giving to you.

Don't just fall into what the world would have for you, but say, God, what is your will for my life?

Help me not to love anything else more than you, and you will see God begin to just

give the strength that you need, not that the path is always easy, but God will give the

strength that you need for it.

So I just want to just encourage you with that today, that don't fall into comfort,

don't fall into this loving things that's wrong, but ask God, what is the will that you

have for me?

And I tell you, that is the best place to be.

It may be challenging, it may be hard, but that's the place that I believe you will find

the most fulfillment in this life.

Hey, be blessed.

I'll see you next time.

I'm walking in power.