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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: For more resources to help you in your walk with Christ,

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Speaker 2: please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. Today we're

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Speaker 2: going to continue our look at the Book of Revelation,

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Speaker 2: and today we're going to be in chapter eighteen of Revelation.

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Speaker 2: So if you take your bibles and turn there with me,

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Speaker 2: we're going to be obviously visiting a variety of verses

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Speaker 2: as we spend time studying this. But what I'm going

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Speaker 2: to do for starters, I'm just going to read from

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Speaker 2: verse one all the way to the end of the chapter.

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Speaker 2: So I'm going to read the entire chapter and then

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Speaker 2: we're going to revisit some of the key verses along

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Speaker 2: the way in just a moment. So if you want

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Speaker 2: to follow along with me, again, we're in Revelation eighteen,

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Speaker 2: and we'll be picking up at verse one, and in

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Speaker 2: this passage of scripture, we're going to be talking about

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Speaker 2: the fall of Babylon and the victory of Christ. So again,

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Speaker 2: Revelation eighteen, starting with verse one, this is what it states.

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Speaker 2: After this, I saw another angel coming down from heaven,

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Speaker 2: having great authority, and the earth was made bright with

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Speaker 2: his glory, and he called out with a mighty voice fallen.

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Speaker 1: Fallen is Babylon the Great.

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Speaker 2: She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt

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Speaker 2: for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird,

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Speaker 2: a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all

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Speaker 2: nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her

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Speaker 2: sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed

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Speaker 2: immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have

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Speaker 2: grown rich from the power of her luxurious living. Then

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Speaker 2: I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her,

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Speaker 2: my people, lest you take part in her sins. Lest

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Speaker 2: you share in her plagues. For her sins are heaped

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Speaker 2: high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay

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Speaker 2: her back as she herself has paid back others, and

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Speaker 2: repay her double for her deeds. Mix a double portion

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Speaker 2: for her in the cup she mixed. She glorified herself

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Speaker 2: and lived in luxury. So I give her a like

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Speaker 2: measure of torment and mourning. Since in her heart, she says,

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Speaker 2: I said, as a queen, I am no widow, and

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Speaker 2: mourning I shall never see. For this reason, her plagues

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Speaker 2: will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine,

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Speaker 2: and she will be burned up with fire. For mighty

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Speaker 2: is the Lord God who has judged her, And the

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Speaker 2: kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived

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Speaker 2: in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her.

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Speaker 1: When they see the.

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Speaker 2: Smoke of her burning, they will stand far off in

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Speaker 2: fear of her torment and say, alas alas, you, great city, you,

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Speaker 2: mighty city, Babylon. For in a single hour your judgment

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Speaker 2: has come. And the merchants of the earth weep and

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Speaker 2: mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore.

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Speaker 2: Cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk,

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Speaker 2: scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of

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Speaker 2: articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze,

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Speaker 2: iron and marble, cinnamon, spice in myrrh, frankinsense, wine, oil,

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Speaker 2: fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots and slaves,

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Speaker 2: that is, human souls. The fruit for which your soul

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Speaker 2: longed has gone from you, and all your delicacies and

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Speaker 2: your splendors are lost to you, never to be found again.

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Speaker 1: The merchants.

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Speaker 2: Of these wares who gained wealth from her, will stand

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Speaker 2: far off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning.

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Speaker 2: Aloud alas alas for the great city that was clothed

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Speaker 2: in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold,

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Speaker 2: with jewels, and with pearls. For in a single hour,

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Speaker 2: all this wealth has been laid waste. And all ship

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Speaker 2: masters and seafaring men, sailors, and all those whose trade

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Speaker 2: is on the sea, stood far off and cried out

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Speaker 2: as they saw the smoke of her burning. What city

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Speaker 2: was like the great city? And they threw dust on

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Speaker 2: their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, alas

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Speaker 2: alas for the great city where all who had ships

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Speaker 2: at sea grew rich by her wealth.

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Speaker 1: For in a single hour she has been laid waste.

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Speaker 2: Rejoice over her, oh Heaven, and you saints and apostles

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Speaker 2: and prophets, for God has given judgment for you against her.

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Speaker 2: Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a

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Speaker 2: great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, so

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Speaker 2: will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence

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Speaker 2: and will be found no more. And the sound of

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Speaker 2: harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters will be

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Speaker 2: heard in you no more. And a craftsman of any

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Speaker 2: craft and will be found in you no more. And

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Speaker 2: the sound of the mill will be heard in you

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Speaker 2: no more. And the light of a lamp will shine

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Speaker 2: in you no more. And the voice of bridegroom and

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Speaker 2: bride will be heard in you no more. For your

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Speaker 2: merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all

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Speaker 2: nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was

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Speaker 2: found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of

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Speaker 2: all who have been slain on earth. Let's pray, Father,

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Speaker 2: there's so much to take in as we look at

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Speaker 2: a portion of scripture like this, so many details, all

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Speaker 2: related to the concepts that ultimately fallen is Babylon. That

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Speaker 2: this is what you have prophesied, revealing to us a

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Speaker 2: future day when these things will be fulfilled. Father, we

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Speaker 2: know that there are many things that we wonder as

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Speaker 2: we look at a portion of scripture like this. Christians

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Speaker 2: throughout the centuries have looked at this portion of your

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Speaker 2: word and wondered about some of the things that we're

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Speaker 2: reading here. So Lord, we pray that as we look

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Speaker 2: at this portion of Scripture, that you would give us

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Speaker 2: wisdom and clarity and insight. We pray that you'd help

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Speaker 2: us to understand what we're reading here, and that we

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Speaker 2: would grow in our walk with you as a result. Father,

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Speaker 2: we're grateful for this time. We're grateful for your love,

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Speaker 2: and we're grateful for the blessing that it is to

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Speaker 2: be able to.

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Speaker 1: Study your word together.

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Speaker 2: We pray that you'd fill us with your spirit as

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Speaker 2: we do so, and we pray this all in Jesus name.

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Speaker 1: Amen.

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Speaker 2: So I find it fascinating just in general to observe

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Speaker 2: the events that take place really all throughout the world

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Speaker 2: in any given week. And I think, as we well know,

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Speaker 2: the economies of various nations. When you look at this

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Speaker 2: world and how it operates and how it's set up,

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Speaker 2: the economies of various nations on this planet at present

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Speaker 2: are frequently interconnected. It's all interconnected. And much of the

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Speaker 2: news this particular week, this is one of the things

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Speaker 2: I thought was particularly interesting. The news this week seem

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Speaker 2: to be focused on that interconnection. So a lot of

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Speaker 2: news this week talking about the economies of the world

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Speaker 2: and the ways in which they work together. Now, why

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Speaker 2: did that catch my eye? Well, a variety.

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Speaker 1: Of reasons lead to it being something that I noticed.

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Speaker 2: But it also caught my eye because I knew I

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Speaker 2: was going to be teaching on Revelation eighteen this week,

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Speaker 2: and this passage has a lot to say about interconnected

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Speaker 2: economies and how deeply nations profit from one another. One

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Speaker 2: nation doing one thing has an impact on another nation

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Speaker 2: doing something else. And when you look here at Revelation eighteen,

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Speaker 2: and I chose to read it all in one group

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Speaker 2: because it has just a connected line of thought from

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Speaker 2: start to finish. But when you look at what it's

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Speaker 2: saying here in Revelation eighteen, it basically is giving us

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Speaker 2: one of the dramatic, most dramatic scenes in all of

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Speaker 2: the Book of Revelation.

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Speaker 1: It talks about Babylon.

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Speaker 2: And when it's speaking of Babylon, we talked about this

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Speaker 2: multiple weeks ago.

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Speaker 1: You're talking here about this great world.

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Speaker 2: System that has exalted itself against God, and we're told

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Speaker 2: here that that world system is suddenly destroyed, that a

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Speaker 2: day is coming when that world system will be suddenly destroyed.

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Speaker 1: We're told here that its.

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Speaker 2: Wealth collapses, its influence disappears. We're told that its power

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Speaker 2: evaporates in a single hour. See that multiple times here

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Speaker 2: in Revelation eighteen. It's power evaporates in a single hour,

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Speaker 2: which is kind of amazing when you look at it,

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Speaker 2: you know, just by virtue of all the ways it's

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Speaker 2: power and splendor and describing we're told it goes away

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Speaker 2: in just a moment.

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Speaker 1: It's taken away in just a moment.

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Speaker 2: We're told, the kings of the earth more and the

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Speaker 2: merchants sweep, the nations stand shocked, and they're just so

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Speaker 2: surprised at the speed of its downfall. And then when

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Speaker 2: you get to the end of the chapter, and we'll

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Speaker 2: revisit this in a few minutes, but when you get

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Speaker 2: to the end of the chapter and the world is grieving,

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Speaker 2: you see Heaven rejoicing. So even before we pick apart

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Speaker 2: some of the details here, let me state this this chapter.

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Speaker 2: If you had to categorize this chapter, if you wanted

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Speaker 2: to look at a long chapter and summarize it in

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Speaker 2: a simple statement, this chapter reminds us that every kingdom

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Speaker 2: that is built in rebellion against God will eventually fall.

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Speaker 2: You want to summarize everything we just read, you could

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Speaker 2: summarize it that way. Every kingdom that's built in rebellion

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Speaker 2: against God will eventually fall. So that means human doesn't

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Speaker 2: last forever. Corrupt systems don't last forever. Earthly wealth isn't

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Speaker 2: something we should treat like it's eternal. Political power isn't ultimate.

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Speaker 2: Only Christ's kingdom is ultimately going to remain.

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Speaker 1: So here in.

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Speaker 2: Revelation eighteen, as we're looking at this, it's describing this

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Speaker 2: future destruction of the Antichrist's worldwide political, economic, and religious

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Speaker 2: system during the Tribulation period, shortly before the visible return

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Speaker 2: of Jesus Christ to this earth. And like I mentioned

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Speaker 2: just a moment ago, Babylon here represents the culmination of

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Speaker 2: human rebellion against God, empowered by Satan, centered in luxury

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Speaker 2: and immorality and idolatry and deception. And even though you

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Speaker 2: would look at this and you'd say most of this

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Speaker 2: chapter is devoted to that destruction, and you'd say that

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Speaker 2: that looks rather dark in many respects, but notice that

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Speaker 2: the Gospel still shines brightly in the midst of this,

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Speaker 2: because Christ is revealed as the true king whose kingdom

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Speaker 2: can never be shaken. So even in the midst of

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Speaker 2: the destruction of worldly systems, one of the things that

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Speaker 2: scripture makes very clear to us, and we're going to

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Speaker 2: get to see this on full display in the coming

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Speaker 2: chapters as we work our way to the end of

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Speaker 2: the Book of Revelation. In coming weeks, you'll see Christ's

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Speaker 2: kingdom can't be shaken. Christ's kingdom will ultimately prevail. But

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Speaker 2: coming back to the beginning of this chapter, Revelation eighteen

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Speaker 2: begins with an angel descending from heaven. This angel has

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Speaker 2: great authority, and a verse two we read this fallen.

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Speaker 2: Fallen is Babylon the Great fall and fallen is Babylon

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Speaker 2: the Great. By the way, this language here that we

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Speaker 2: see in Revelation eighteen, it reminds us of other portions

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Speaker 2: of scripture from the Old Testament. You've probably noticed as

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Speaker 2: we've been working our way through the Book of Revelation

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Speaker 2: that it keeps pulling back themes, pulling back ideas that

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Speaker 2: were explained to us by the Old Testament prophets, and

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Speaker 2: even in some of the other Old Testament narratives. But

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Speaker 2: we see language like this elsewhere in scripture. We see

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Speaker 2: this in the Book of Isaiah. We also see in

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Speaker 2: the Book of Jeremiah. Look at where what it says

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Speaker 2: in Isaiah twenty one nine, it says, fall and fall

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Speaker 2: in his Babylon. Then you look at Jeremiah fifty one

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Speaker 2: thirty seven, it says Babylon shall become.

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Speaker 1: A heap of ruins.

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Speaker 2: Now, going back to the background of this, let's talk

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Speaker 2: about what it says related to Babylon in the Old Testament,

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Speaker 2: Because in the Old Testament, Babylon was both a literal empire,

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Speaker 2: so an actual physical literal empire, but it was also

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Speaker 2: a symbol.

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Speaker 1: Of rebellion against God. It was both.

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Speaker 2: It's referenced is both in scripture. It was the empire

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Speaker 2: that destroyed Jerusalem, it was the empire that carried God's

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Speaker 2: people into exile under Nebeconezer. But Babylon's spirit, that spirit

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Speaker 2: of rebellion that existed long before King Nebeconezer ever reigned,

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Speaker 2: and its roots stretched back to Genesis chapter eleven, where

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Speaker 2: we read about the Tower of Babel and what took

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Speaker 2: place at the Tower of Babyl. Well, at the Tower

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Speaker 2: of Babel. Yeah, if humanity united in prideful defiance against

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Speaker 2: the Lord, and if you had to summarize human history,

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Speaker 2: wouldn't you say that that's one way that we could

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Speaker 2: summarize what's taken place over the course of the millennia,

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Speaker 2: human pride uniting in rebellion and defiance against the Lord.

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Speaker 2: But if you go back to Genesis eleven, you see

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Speaker 2: in the first book of the Bible you have people

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Speaker 2: wanting to make a name for themselves instead of glorifying God.

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Speaker 2: That's the big struggle that all humanity wrestles with in

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Speaker 2: every generation. There is nothing new under the sun. You

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Speaker 2: have people seeking unity with one another without submission to God.

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Speaker 2: They wanted everybody to come under the same mindset and

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Speaker 2: same purpose outside of submitting their hearts to the Lord.

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Speaker 2: They craved power, they craved prestige, they craved making a

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Speaker 2: name for themselves apart from a life submitted to God.

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Speaker 2: And that rebellious spirit carries out throughout history, and here

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Speaker 2: in Revelation eighteen, as we're looking at these details, you

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Speaker 2: basically see it reaching its climax and then being.

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Speaker 1: Dealt with decisively.

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Speaker 2: In Revelation eighteen, now again, Babylon represents a world system

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Speaker 2: that celebrated things like sin and immorality. It worships wealth,

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Speaker 2: It persecutes believers, we're told here, and it rejects Christ.

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Speaker 2: And during that future tribulation period that we've been speaking about,

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Speaker 2: as we've been looking at these chapters, that seven year

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Speaker 2: period of time when this earth experienced tribulation and judgment.

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Speaker 2: Yet future this is a system, this system represented by

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Speaker 2: Babylon that'll dominate the earth under the leadership of the

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Speaker 2: one that scripture refers to as the Antichrist. But when

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Speaker 2: you look at a portion of scripture like this, you

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Speaker 2: have God announcing its fall before it even happens.

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Speaker 1: Well, why is he doing that.

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Speaker 2: We're showing us ahead of time that his judgment is

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Speaker 2: absolutely certain, and he doesn't put up with these things forever.

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Speaker 1: He's patient for a time.

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Speaker 2: He's giving people opportunity to repent, He's giving people opportunity

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Speaker 2: to come to him.

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Speaker 1: But eventually this is going to be dealt with.

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Speaker 2: But from a human standpoint, imagine looking at this, and

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Speaker 2: you know, you could say this as you look at

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Speaker 2: any world power from a human standpoint. You would look

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Speaker 2: at powerful nations throughout history and you would say they

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Speaker 2: seem unstoppable. They look unstoppable, you know, especially nations that

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Speaker 2: throughout history, and it's just so fascinating when you study

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Speaker 2: history and you look at nations rising and nations falling.

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Speaker 2: There's always a dominant world power, and for a season

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Speaker 2: they have power, they have prestige, and then it goes away,

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Speaker 2: and for a season somebody else takes the power, and

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Speaker 2: then it goes away. And so Babylon appears unstoppable from

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Speaker 2: a human perspective. The way it's described in this portion

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Speaker 2: of scripture, we're told that it possesses influence and riches

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Speaker 2: military strength.

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Speaker 1: Worldwide admiration.

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Speaker 2: All the other nations seem to admire this system, this mindset,

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Speaker 2: this nation, and yet one declaration from Heaven seals its fate.

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Speaker 2: And that's a principle that even as we're looking at

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Speaker 2: these things. And I know that when you look at

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Speaker 2: prophetic portions of scripture, sometimes it's easy to look at

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Speaker 2: these things and say, all right, what does this have

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Speaker 2: to do with me? Why is God even revealing this

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Speaker 2: to me in the here and now? And I think

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Speaker 2: a lot of times portions of scripture like this people

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Speaker 2: just skip it because they think I will never understand

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Speaker 2: this this side of heaven. Now, I understand that there's

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Speaker 2: certain things in scripture that are purposely mysterious for a

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Speaker 2: period of time.

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Speaker 1: Until they get fulfilled.

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Speaker 2: But the Lord wouldn't have told us about this ahead

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Speaker 2: of time if he didn't want us to know about

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Speaker 2: it ahead of time, and if there weren't things we

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Speaker 2: could learn from it ahead of time. And so you

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Speaker 2: look at this and you think, all right, like you

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Speaker 2: have this nation, you have this world influence that appears

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Speaker 2: unstoppable from a human perspective.

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Speaker 1: It has influence, it has riches, it.

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Speaker 2: Has worldwide admiration, and then Heaven says done with it.

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Speaker 2: So what's the principle we're supposed to take from this? Well,

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Speaker 2: I think many people look at the moral decay of

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Speaker 2: our present world and wonder if evil is winning. I

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Speaker 2: know that throughout the course of my adult life, I

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Speaker 2: have watched various things change in this world that I

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Speaker 2: never would have thought would change, and certain things there's

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Speaker 2: like an ebb and flow to it. There's certain things

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Speaker 2: that you're like, I can't believe that that's like something

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Speaker 2: that we normalize in this generation. And so sometimes it's

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Speaker 2: easy to look at the moral decay in this world

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Speaker 2: and you think, I guess Evil's just winning. Do you

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Speaker 2: ever have a moment like that or you just kind

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Speaker 2: of resign yourself to it and you're like, I'm glad

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Speaker 2: Christ is coming back someday because it looks like evil

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Speaker 2: is just completely winning in this world system. You look

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Speaker 2: at corruption and it feels like it's so strong.

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Speaker 1: You look at.

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Speaker 2: Ungodliness and you realize people celebrate ungodliness. It's like there's

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Speaker 2: no shame with it anymore. You see biblical truth increasingly rejected.

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Speaker 2: Things that used to be cultural norms just being rejected,

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Speaker 2: things that were based on biblical truth, And you're like,

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Speaker 2: why why did we once accept that as a culture

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Speaker 2: and now we reject that. I guess sometimes believers in

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Speaker 2: the midst of all that can feel outnumbered, maybe a

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Speaker 2: bit discouraged.

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Speaker 1: Maybe you felt like that.

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Speaker 2: I've certainly felt like that at different seasons throughout the

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Speaker 2: course of time. And then you look at Revelation eighteen

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Speaker 2: and it reminds us, and it's a good reminder for

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Speaker 2: us that evil's victories are temporary. In a moment, they

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Speaker 2: look victorious, but they don't last forever. Because Jesus Christ

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Speaker 2: is still reigning. Nothing that's happening in this world surprises him.

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Speaker 2: And by the way, it helps me to know that

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Speaker 2: nothing that ever happens in my life surprises him. The

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Speaker 2: things that surprise me. I've had plenty of surprises. Nothing

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Speaker 2: that has ever surprised me has ever surprised him. Nothing

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Speaker 2: happening in this world surprises him. Kingdoms of this earth

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Speaker 2: they rise and they fall. But when you think about it,

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Speaker 2: it's ultimately under his sovereign authority. The only reason that

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Speaker 2: you know, I mean, just think about just think about

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Speaker 2: the ways in which the Lord speaks to kings. You know,

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Speaker 2: you would have no authority unless it had been entrusted

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Speaker 2: to you. You would have no authority unless it had

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Speaker 2: been entrusted to you. The kingdoms of this earth they

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Speaker 2: rise and fall under God's sovereign authority.

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Speaker 1: Do you ever read through the Psalms.

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Speaker 2: It's beautiful to read through the Psalms, obviously longest book

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Speaker 2: of the Bible. And when you get to Psalm two,

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Speaker 2: very early, it says something says he who sits in

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Speaker 2: the heavens laughs, the Lord holds them in derision. Now,

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Speaker 2: what's that portion of scripture talking about but talking about

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Speaker 2: this idea of the kingdoms of this world mocking God.

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Speaker 2: And what we discover when you look at the Psalms,

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Speaker 2: when you look at what Revelation eighteen tells us as well,

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Speaker 2: the rebellion of mankind never actually threatens the throne of God.

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Speaker 1: The Lord looks at that.

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Speaker 2: It's people as we puff our chests toward him, And

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Speaker 2: the Lord looks at that, and he says, you understand,

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Speaker 2: you understand, like, just how minuscule your power is compared

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Speaker 2: to the God of all create He who sits in

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Speaker 2: the heaven laughs. The Lord holds them in derision, those

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Speaker 2: who mock the authority of God. So you have Psalm

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Speaker 2: I painting that picture, and you have Revelation eighteen telling

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Speaker 2: us this is how it's going to culminate. But there's

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Speaker 2: a key verse in this chapter, in Revelation eighteen that

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Speaker 2: I want to highlight something that's very applicable to us

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Speaker 2: right now, but it also is highly relevant to the

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Speaker 2: people who will live during the time when these things

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Speaker 2: are ultimately fulfilled. But in Revelation eighteen four, there's a

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Speaker 2: statement here that says, come out of her, my people,

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Speaker 2: lest you take part in her sins. Come out of her,

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Speaker 2: my people, lest you take part in her sins. Did

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Speaker 2: you notice that when I was reading through the chapter,

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Speaker 2: did that stand out to you? It's a portion of

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Speaker 2: scripture that stands out to me in this particular passage

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Speaker 2: that I want to highlight because it's both a literal

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Speaker 2: warning for believers living during the Tribulation period, but it's

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Speaker 2: also a timeless spiritual principle for believers living in every

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Speaker 2: period of time. God's people are called to live differently

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Speaker 2: from this world. This world lives a particular way. Hey,

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Speaker 2: this world adopts a particular mindset. We are not called

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Speaker 2: to adopt that mindset. Now, I will say this right

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Speaker 2: at the outset. This doesn't mean.

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Speaker 1: Isolation from unbelievers.

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Speaker 2: We know looking at Jesus example, Jesus eight with sinners,

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Speaker 2: he ministered among people who were broken and dealing with

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Speaker 2: all sorts of difficulties because at least for a season,

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Speaker 2: they had bought into the mindset of this world. Believers

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Speaker 2: are not supposed to stop associating with.

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Speaker 1: People who don't know Jesus.

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Speaker 2: We are sent as ambassadors in this world to people

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Speaker 2: who don't know Jesus, so that they would ultimately come

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Speaker 2: to know Jesus. But in the midst of that scripture

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Speaker 2: also cautions us. It says, you know, we're sent out

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Speaker 2: as missionaries, we're sent out as ambassadors, but we are

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Speaker 2: never supposed to adopt the values and priorities and the

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Speaker 2: sins of the surrounding culture. We're supposed to live as

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Speaker 2: called out ones in the midst of a culture that

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Speaker 2: doesn't always encourage that. And then you look at Revelation

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Speaker 2: eighteen and you realize that this world system that will

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Speaker 2: be in place at the time of the tribulation Babylon,

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Speaker 2: it seduces people through luxury, through immorality, through pride, through greed,

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Speaker 2: through self indulgence.

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Speaker 1: These are things that seduce people.

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Speaker 2: And by the way, when I look at the low

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Speaker 2: points of my life, they fall into those categories where

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Speaker 2: I allowed my mind or my life to be seduced

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Speaker 2: by those very categories. And when you look at your

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Speaker 2: low points, it's the same thing. Satan knows what tempts us.

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Speaker 2: Satan knows what we're at times interested in buying into.

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Speaker 1: And then you look at Revelation eighteen and.

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Speaker 2: It repeatedly emphasizes that these are things that are used

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Speaker 2: to seduce people, and.

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Speaker 1: Many people buy into it.

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Speaker 2: It also talks about materialism, It also talks about excess.

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Speaker 2: When you look at verse three, it talks about the

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Speaker 2: merchants becoming rich through Babylon's luxurious living and the world

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Speaker 2: system operates that same way today. You know, when you

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Speaker 2: look at what people are tempted to buy into, our

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Speaker 2: culture is constantly telling us that your fulfillment, that you

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Speaker 2: will not experience fullfilm in this world unless you possess

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Speaker 2: certain things, or unless you have status, or maybe buy

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Speaker 2: into certain entertainment or certain comforts or certain forms of

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Speaker 2: self expression. I think success in this world is often

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Speaker 2: measured by wealth. It's often measured by influence instead of

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Speaker 2: holiness and obedience. There are some people in this world

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Speaker 2: who will trade their soul just for a moment of

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Speaker 2: influence in our information age. And I've seen people do

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Speaker 2: that in real time. And you look at what Scripture says.

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Speaker 2: Scripture says, you know what, success in life is not

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Speaker 2: measured by wealth. It's not measured by influence. It's measured

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Speaker 2: by holiness and obedience. When you look at what the

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Speaker 2: Lord tells us, he says, I've called you out, not

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Speaker 2: so that you would continue to live like everyone in

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Speaker 2: this world lives, not so that you would continue to

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Speaker 2: buy into the mindset that people don't realize is destroying them.

435
00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:54,119
Speaker 2: The Lord says, I've opened your eyes so that you

436
00:22:54,119 --> 00:22:56,560
Speaker 2: would see where life can ultimately be found and that

437
00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,639
Speaker 2: life is ultimately found in Jesus Christ. I love what

438
00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,120
Speaker 2: the apot uscle John says elsewhere. So you know, when

439
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:04,280
Speaker 2: you look at the Book of Revelation, you're looking at

440
00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,720
Speaker 2: apocalyptic literature, you're looking at prophetic literature. But it's very

441
00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:10,320
Speaker 2: interesting when you realize that the apostle John, who wrote

442
00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:14,560
Speaker 2: this down under the Holy Spirit's inspiration, also wrote four other.

443
00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:15,720
Speaker 1: Books in the New Testament.

444
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,120
Speaker 2: He wrote the Gospel of John, so that reads as

445
00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:20,760
Speaker 2: a narrative, and then he wrote the Letters of First, second,

446
00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,360
Speaker 2: and Third John. And it's interesting when you look at

447
00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:25,280
Speaker 2: some of the other things that he's written, because at

448
00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,000
Speaker 2: the Book of Revelation, you know, a lot of times

449
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,240
Speaker 2: people are intimidated to read this and we think, all right,

450
00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:31,800
Speaker 2: what am I supposed to see here? What am I

451
00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,800
Speaker 2: supposed to know? Is this even practical? And then you

452
00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:36,959
Speaker 2: combine it with what he's written elsewhere, and look at

453
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,080
Speaker 2: what he wrote in the Book of First John in

454
00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,399
Speaker 2: that letter in First John chapter two, look at the

455
00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,000
Speaker 2: council he gives us here he says, do not love

456
00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:47,240
Speaker 2: the world or the things in the world. Do not

457
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,439
Speaker 2: love the world or the things in the world. What

458
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,920
Speaker 2: he's saying is, don't buy into the system that prophetically

459
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:57,680
Speaker 2: gets spoken of in Revelation eighteen. Don't buy into it.

460
00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:00,320
Speaker 2: You're going to be tempted to buy into it. I'm

461
00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,600
Speaker 2: tempted to buy into it. Sometimes it's sneaky too. Sometimes

462
00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,800
Speaker 2: I don't even realize where its influence is creeping into

463
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,800
Speaker 2: my mind or creeping into my life. And then we're

464
00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:12,760
Speaker 2: confronted by portion of scripture like this verse John two fifteen.

465
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:16,400
Speaker 2: Do not love the world or the things in the world. Now,

466
00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,240
Speaker 2: that doesn't mean you can't enjoy God's blessings. By all means,

467
00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:22,280
Speaker 2: enjoy God's blessings. But what it does mean is this,

468
00:24:22,760 --> 00:24:27,720
Speaker 2: don't allow worldly priorities to capture your heart. Don't let

469
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,479
Speaker 2: temporary things that have no eternal value capture your heart.

470
00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,400
Speaker 2: I think Babylon's greatest danger here is we talk about

471
00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,280
Speaker 2: Babylon being this world system, this mindset in rebellion against God.

472
00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:43,800
Speaker 2: I think Babylon's greatest danger is subtle compromise. It's like subtle, right.

473
00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:46,199
Speaker 2: I think most believers don't wake up one morning and

474
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,119
Speaker 2: decide to rebel against God. I don't think it typically

475
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:50,960
Speaker 2: works that way. I don't think if you ever find

476
00:24:50,960 --> 00:24:53,160
Speaker 2: yourself in rebellion against God. I don't think you wake

477
00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:54,400
Speaker 2: up one day and be like, you know what, today,

478
00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:56,760
Speaker 2: it'd be a great day. It's sunny in seventy five.

479
00:24:56,800 --> 00:25:00,280
Speaker 2: Maybe I'm gonna rebel against God today. Doesn't work that way,

480
00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:05,119
Speaker 2: I think instead, it works like this compromise slowly creeps

481
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,560
Speaker 2: into your heart and mind. It's like one little compromise here,

482
00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,000
Speaker 2: and it goes from feeling strange at first and then

483
00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:16,040
Speaker 2: feeling normalized. And that's just part of our life, compromise

484
00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,640
Speaker 2: creeping in a little bit at a time. I think

485
00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,320
Speaker 2: a person gradually adopts the thinking of this world. It

486
00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:25,000
Speaker 2: doesn't typically happen all in a day. We become comfortable

487
00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:29,480
Speaker 2: with sin. We begin prioritizing temporary things over eternal things.

488
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,240
Speaker 2: And that's why chapter like Revelation eighteen, even though it's

489
00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,840
Speaker 2: got some mystery to it, it's also very personal. It's

490
00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,119
Speaker 2: also very applicable because every believer has to start asking

491
00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:42,280
Speaker 2: ourselves honest questions, things like what influences are shaping my

492
00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:43,240
Speaker 2: thinking most?

493
00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:45,600
Speaker 1: What makes me like?

494
00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,120
Speaker 2: What's influencing the way I'm thinking? What am I allowing

495
00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,920
Speaker 2: into my mind that influences the way that I'm thinking.

496
00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:53,200
Speaker 1: What captures my affection?

497
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:56,600
Speaker 2: It's another question we could be asking, what is capturing

498
00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:01,840
Speaker 2: my affection? Or how about this one? And answer this personally.

499
00:26:02,320 --> 00:26:04,520
Speaker 2: Don't just let it be about other people. Answer it

500
00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,840
Speaker 2: related to yourself. What defines success?

501
00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:09,359
Speaker 1: In my mind?

502
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,439
Speaker 2: When you look back over your life, or you look

503
00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,840
Speaker 2: at your life right now at present, how are you

504
00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:19,200
Speaker 2: defining success? Can you be content in obeying Jesus Christ

505
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,080
Speaker 2: and growing in the holiness that's prompted by the spirit

506
00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:24,399
Speaker 2: of God living within you? Or do you need some

507
00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:29,120
Speaker 2: worldly title or possession or influence or prestige or something

508
00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:33,280
Speaker 2: else for you to actually feel successful? What defines success

509
00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:37,360
Speaker 2: is following Christ enough? Or do you need this world's accolades?

510
00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:40,360
Speaker 2: Maybe another way we could phrase that question is am

511
00:26:40,400 --> 00:26:43,480
Speaker 2: I building my life around Christ? Or am I building

512
00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:46,800
Speaker 2: my life around the temporary values of Babylon Like it's

513
00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:50,120
Speaker 2: described here in Revelation eighteen. Most people in this world

514
00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:54,600
Speaker 2: are building their entire lives around the temporary values spoken

515
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,919
Speaker 2: about here in Revelation eighteen. But don't forget what Jesus

516
00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,479
Speaker 2: told us in Matthew six. In Matthew six 't twenty one,

517
00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:04,160
Speaker 2: what do you say for where your treasure is there,

518
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,920
Speaker 2: your heart will be also. Where your treasure is there,

519
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:11,600
Speaker 2: your heart will be also. So what you treasure, that's

520
00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:13,880
Speaker 2: where your affections are going to be. What you treasure,

521
00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,160
Speaker 2: that's what you're going to chase. After what you treasure,

522
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,920
Speaker 2: you will also idolize. You will worship what you treasure.

523
00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:24,320
Speaker 2: For where your treasure is there, your heart will be also.

524
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,919
Speaker 2: Now one of the features, coming back to Revelation eighteen,

525
00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,320
Speaker 2: One of the features of Revelation eighteen that probably catches

526
00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:36,320
Speaker 2: attention of most readers is the long list of merchandise

527
00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,600
Speaker 2: and luxury goods that this chapter references. You notice that list.

528
00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:44,480
Speaker 2: It's talking about things like gold and silver and jewels

529
00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,960
Speaker 2: and fine linen, and it also talks about spices. And

530
00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:52,040
Speaker 2: I drive my wife nuts with this. She loves cooking.

531
00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:54,240
Speaker 2: It is wasted on me.

532
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:55,960
Speaker 1: I feel bad.

533
00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:58,280
Speaker 2: I feel bad about it sometimes because she's so good

534
00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:01,240
Speaker 2: at it, and I can fast to her at one point.

535
00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:04,760
Speaker 2: All right, this isn't aside, but it's worth noting here

536
00:28:04,760 --> 00:28:08,000
Speaker 2: as it's talking about spices in this world. So in

537
00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:10,480
Speaker 2: the past ten weeks, three of our kids have gotten married.

538
00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:14,360
Speaker 2: That's normal, right, Yeah, we celebrate our daughter's wedding yesterday.

539
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,840
Speaker 2: That's normal. Three kids in ten weeks. Who doesn't do that, right?

540
00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,600
Speaker 2: And you know, so like cooking and stuff like that,

541
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,359
Speaker 2: that's something that people have talked about, all right, who's

542
00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:26,199
Speaker 2: going to cook? Who's gonna do all this sort of stuff?

543
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,919
Speaker 2: And uh, I am so grateful. My wife knows that.

544
00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:34,560
Speaker 2: I'm so grateful for the fact that she like prepares

545
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,240
Speaker 2: hot meals for me and cooks for me. And she

546
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:39,440
Speaker 2: has noticed that even if I don't like something, I

547
00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:41,760
Speaker 2: usually don't even say it because I'm just grateful that

548
00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:45,160
Speaker 2: for her thoughtfulness. And then she asked me once a

549
00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,200
Speaker 2: very specific detail that if I said something different, it

550
00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,320
Speaker 2: would be a lie. So I'm like, why did I

551
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:52,040
Speaker 2: just wish that she hadn't asked me. She's like, what

552
00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:53,640
Speaker 2: do you think of that? And I was like, I'm

553
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:58,480
Speaker 2: so grateful that you would cook for me. I'm so grateful.

554
00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:04,120
Speaker 2: And she's like, specifically that thing I just made and

555
00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,120
Speaker 2: you would all love it, everybody would love it. I

556
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:08,960
Speaker 2: don't remember what it was. I just remember one.

557
00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:12,479
Speaker 1: Of the spices that was in it, and she's like,

558
00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:13,200
Speaker 1: what do you think.

559
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:19,160
Speaker 2: I was like, well, I love you, and I love

560
00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,400
Speaker 2: the fact that you would do this for me, but.

561
00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:24,440
Speaker 1: I don't really like that spice.

562
00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,600
Speaker 2: If I'm honest with you, I love everything else about it,

563
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:28,320
Speaker 2: I just don't like that spice. And she's like, but

564
00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,440
Speaker 2: that's what makes the whole meal. And I was like,

565
00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:32,680
Speaker 2: I know, I know. And she's like, well, what spices

566
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:34,760
Speaker 2: do you like? And I said, all right, I'm just

567
00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,360
Speaker 2: gonna be honest with you. I only like three, maybe

568
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,479
Speaker 2: four spices, and she's like what. I was like, I

569
00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:50,000
Speaker 2: like salt, I like pepper, I even like garlic, and

570
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:52,680
Speaker 2: if butter could be counted as a spice, I like butter.

571
00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:56,160
Speaker 1: Here ends the list. That's it.

572
00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,160
Speaker 2: And she's like, I have been cooking for you for

573
00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:01,400
Speaker 2: decades and you have never said a word about this.

574
00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:03,360
Speaker 1: I was like, I am grateful for you. I love you.

575
00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:06,840
Speaker 1: Everything you do is great. And she's like wow wow.

576
00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:09,200
Speaker 2: And so when I read this long list of it's

577
00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:13,000
Speaker 2: amazing that we're still married. Right, It's like, like her

578
00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:15,000
Speaker 2: cooking gets wasted on me. That's why she has to

579
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,000
Speaker 2: cook for different church things so she can put the

580
00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:18,040
Speaker 2: spices in it that.

581
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:19,479
Speaker 1: She actually wants to put in it.

582
00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:21,959
Speaker 2: But then you look at this, it's like the wealth

583
00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,320
Speaker 2: of this world I'm like, the spicest part that one's

584
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,680
Speaker 2: lost on me. I'm like, don't care about that one, right,

585
00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:28,760
Speaker 2: So I can tell you I don't think I'm tempted

586
00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,360
Speaker 2: by that one, although if you include salt and pepper

587
00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,920
Speaker 2: and garlic and maybe count butter as a spice, then

588
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:39,160
Speaker 2: I can see how that would be tempting. But gold,

589
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:44,280
Speaker 2: silver jewels, fine linen, spices, wine, animals, chariots, expensive cargo.

590
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:47,480
Speaker 2: All these things are mentioned here in this context. And

591
00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:52,840
Speaker 2: so the world system that's referenced here prosperous, impressive, and

592
00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,200
Speaker 2: then suddenly everything collapses in an instant. Multiple times, it

593
00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:00,680
Speaker 2: references how quickly it happens three times. In fact, if

594
00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:02,400
Speaker 2: you look into the chapter, if you look at verse ten,

595
00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,760
Speaker 2: verse seventeen, verse nineteen, three times this chapter emphasizes that

596
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:11,160
Speaker 2: Babylon has destroyed in a single hour, meaning think about

597
00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:14,160
Speaker 2: this consequentially for how people's mindsets tend to be wired.

598
00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:19,080
Speaker 2: The wealth people trusted disappears instantly, the things of this

599
00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:22,840
Speaker 2: world that people trust disappears instantly. I have to say

600
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,320
Speaker 2: that reminds me of the warning that Jesus gave us

601
00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:26,440
Speaker 2: in Luke chapter twelve.

602
00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:28,440
Speaker 1: There he's talking about.

603
00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:31,080
Speaker 2: The rich fool who stores up earthly treasure, but wasn't

604
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:35,360
Speaker 2: rich toward God. And that man assumed that his prosperity

605
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:37,800
Speaker 2: would guarantee his security, and that it would that it

606
00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:40,320
Speaker 2: would last and last and last. And what did the

607
00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:44,240
Speaker 2: Lord say? You look at Luke twelve twenty fool. He says,

608
00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,320
Speaker 2: this night, your soul is required of you. This night

609
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:51,560
Speaker 2: you're gonna stand before your creator. And you thought your

610
00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:53,800
Speaker 2: earthly prosperity was going to save the day for you,

611
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:55,640
Speaker 2: and it doesn't work that way. It'll be taken from

612
00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:57,720
Speaker 2: you in an instant. So here we're told a world

613
00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:00,840
Speaker 2: system is going to lose its wealth in an instant.

614
00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:04,760
Speaker 2: But that's how the human life works as well. If

615
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:06,960
Speaker 2: you're counting on things of this world to be your

616
00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,920
Speaker 2: safety and security, understand it goes away in an instant.

617
00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:12,960
Speaker 2: Jesus said, this night, your soul is required of you

618
00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:17,360
Speaker 2: this night. Human wealth has always been fragile. You know,

619
00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,040
Speaker 2: the stock market can crash. You've been around long enough

620
00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:23,040
Speaker 2: and you have you know, retirement funds or anything like that.

621
00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:25,480
Speaker 1: If you invest in the stock market, you know it

622
00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:27,600
Speaker 1: goes up and it goes down.

623
00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:30,120
Speaker 2: I was watching my four oh one K this week.

624
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,480
Speaker 2: Some had some really good days this week until Friday came,

625
00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,920
Speaker 2: and then I went right back down and I was like, oh, well,

626
00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:41,520
Speaker 2: maybe next week. But the truth is, economies can collapse.

627
00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:43,440
Speaker 2: So if my hope or your hope is ultimately in

628
00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:49,120
Speaker 2: our investments, it goes away. Possessions can disappear, health can fail.

629
00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,440
Speaker 2: Entire civilizations can crumble in a very short period of time.

630
00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,720
Speaker 2: By the way, if you've ever read the Book of Ecclesiastes,

631
00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:57,840
Speaker 2: what does Ecclesiastes.

632
00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:57,720
Speaker 1: Remind us of?

633
00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:01,240
Speaker 2: Over and over again? It repeatedly reminds us that earthly

634
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:06,600
Speaker 2: riches are temporary and they are unable to satisfy the soul.

635
00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,600
Speaker 2: And yet people still chase wealth as if it can

636
00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:13,719
Speaker 2: provide lasting peace. People leave their families, people ignore the

637
00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,760
Speaker 2: Lord to chase wealth as if it can provide lasting peace,

638
00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:17,320
Speaker 2: and it can't.

639
00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:19,440
Speaker 1: But also, let's take a moment to notice the.

640
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:23,560
Speaker 2: Particular detail the Revelation eighteen highlights for us. It shows

641
00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:27,880
Speaker 2: us that the merchants mourn because they mourn at Babylon's destruction,

642
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,200
Speaker 2: not because they loved righteousness or they're sad about the people,

643
00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:34,400
Speaker 2: but because they lost prophet. Because of it, they're sad

644
00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:36,080
Speaker 2: that they won't be able to trade the same way

645
00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:39,040
Speaker 2: that they were able to trade, meaning their grief is

646
00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,880
Speaker 2: actually a selfish form of grief when they see this

647
00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,400
Speaker 2: world system collapse. And you know what that reveals to us?

648
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:48,040
Speaker 2: Probably a variety of things, but one of the things

649
00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:52,640
Speaker 2: that reveals is the emptiness of materialism. When wealth becomes

650
00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:58,640
Speaker 2: a person's god, financial loss feels like personal devastation because

651
00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:01,880
Speaker 2: their identity is attached to earth, earthly things. And I

652
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:06,800
Speaker 2: can promise you this, Jesus offers something infinitely better than

653
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:11,160
Speaker 2: what this world can offer you. Jesus offers something infinitely better.

654
00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:18,040
Speaker 2: Christ gives us an inheritance that doesn't fade and doesn't perish.

655
00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:20,120
Speaker 2: I love what we're told in First Peter, Chapter one,

656
00:34:20,200 --> 00:34:23,320
Speaker 2: verse four, because it describes our inheritance this way. It says,

657
00:34:23,719 --> 00:34:29,440
Speaker 2: it's an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept

658
00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:33,319
Speaker 2: in heaven for you, Kept in heaven for you.

659
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:34,480
Speaker 1: Now, that's a beautiful thing.

660
00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:36,839
Speaker 2: I don't know if you've ever had an awkward experience

661
00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:39,880
Speaker 2: of having your you know, your checking account hacked. Do

662
00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:41,960
Speaker 2: you ever have that happen? It's had it happen to

663
00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,239
Speaker 2: me two times in my adult life where you wake

664
00:34:44,320 --> 00:34:45,600
Speaker 2: up in the morning and you're like, all right, let

665
00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:49,040
Speaker 2: me check the balance. You check the balance, it's like, congratulations,

666
00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:52,279
Speaker 2: the balance is zero. You're like, I know that I

667
00:34:52,320 --> 00:34:54,640
Speaker 2: had money to pay my bills in that account yesterday.

668
00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:57,080
Speaker 2: And then you contact the bank and you're like, what happened.

669
00:34:57,080 --> 00:34:59,080
Speaker 2: They're like, oh, it looks like your account got hacked. Well,

670
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,799
Speaker 2: we could get that square to for you soon ish,

671
00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:04,520
Speaker 2: you know, in a few days that should be back.

672
00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:06,840
Speaker 2: It's like, oh, great, well, I just I hope we

673
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,560
Speaker 2: have something in the pantry because I can buy no

674
00:35:09,719 --> 00:35:13,960
Speaker 2: more things right account hacked. And then you look at

675
00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:16,839
Speaker 2: this inheritance in heaven that's described one Peter one four.

676
00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:22,120
Speaker 2: Kept in heaven for you, kept for you, reserve for you,

677
00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:26,120
Speaker 2: not something that gets taken away, not something that can

678
00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:33,680
Speaker 2: be lost, imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven for you.

679
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:37,400
Speaker 2: That's the kind of inheritance Jesus promises those who are

680
00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:39,840
Speaker 2: united to him by faith. That's what he has in

681
00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:43,359
Speaker 2: store for you. Worldly systems go away, worldly wealth goes away.

682
00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:45,879
Speaker 2: Don't base your sense of security or identity on any

683
00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:48,080
Speaker 2: of those things. Stock markets go up and go down.

684
00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:51,480
Speaker 2: And here in Revelation eighteen, we see judgment upon this.

685
00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:54,640
Speaker 2: Babylon's riches vanish in an hour, but the riches of

686
00:35:54,719 --> 00:35:58,919
Speaker 2: Christ endure forever. But something else I want to highlight

687
00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:01,440
Speaker 2: while we're still in this chap or is this Revelation

688
00:36:01,520 --> 00:36:06,120
Speaker 2: eighteen also reveals the seriousness of God's justice and judgment.

689
00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:09,040
Speaker 2: Look what it says in verse five. Verse five tells

690
00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,879
Speaker 2: us for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and

691
00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:16,320
Speaker 2: God has remembered her iniquities. So what's the Lord revealing

692
00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:20,440
Speaker 2: to us? He's revealing that nothing escapes his notice. The world,

693
00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,680
Speaker 2: I think this world often mocks the idea of God's judgment.

694
00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:26,680
Speaker 2: Many people assume God doesn't care about sin, or that

695
00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:31,520
Speaker 2: he won't act against it. But Scripture consistently teaches that

696
00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:36,640
Speaker 2: God is patient, but he's not indifferent. He's been patient

697
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,319
Speaker 2: with me in my life, and I'm grateful that he

698
00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:42,000
Speaker 2: has been because his kindness led me to repentance. He's

699
00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,640
Speaker 2: been patient with you in your life. And what's he doing.

700
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:46,400
Speaker 2: He's showing you kindness.

701
00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,680
Speaker 1: With the goal of it leading to repentance. But nothing

702
00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:50,960
Speaker 1: escapes his notice.

703
00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,080
Speaker 2: Verse five again says for her sins or heaped high

704
00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:59,200
Speaker 2: as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. You know

705
00:36:59,239 --> 00:37:01,120
Speaker 2: what this kind of when you look at a chapter

706
00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:02,759
Speaker 2: like this, there's a variety of things that I think

707
00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:04,400
Speaker 2: we can take from this, But I have to say

708
00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:06,800
Speaker 2: a few things that it reveals is that, first of all,

709
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:08,520
Speaker 2: this unbelieving world.

710
00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:09,800
Speaker 1: Desperately needs the Gospel.

711
00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,680
Speaker 2: This unbelieving world desperately needs to know where true hope

712
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:16,520
Speaker 2: can be found. It's been anchoring its hope, and all

713
00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,120
Speaker 2: of us have spent time living in that false way

714
00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:23,400
Speaker 2: of thinking. This world's been anchoring its hope in things

715
00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:28,960
Speaker 2: that go away. This unbelieving world desperately needs the Gospel.

716
00:37:29,400 --> 00:37:32,399
Speaker 2: I love what we're told in Romans chapter five, verse nine.

717
00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:34,839
Speaker 2: It says, since therefore we have now been justified by

718
00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:37,640
Speaker 2: His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him

719
00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,880
Speaker 2: from the wrath of God. Well, what's Revelation eighteen revealing.

720
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:45,879
Speaker 2: It's revealing the wrath of God against sin. And at

721
00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:48,000
Speaker 2: one point we were under that wrath, and that's all

722
00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:50,960
Speaker 2: we had to look forward to. And now we've been

723
00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:53,359
Speaker 2: told that in Christ, we've been given an inheritance that

724
00:37:53,400 --> 00:37:56,680
Speaker 2: doesn't fade, can't be corrupted, won't be taken away kept

725
00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,920
Speaker 2: in heaven for you. If you trust in Jesus Christ,

726
00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:03,600
Speaker 2: you are rescued from the wrath of God. You have

727
00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,000
Speaker 2: been saved from the wrath of God. We use that

728
00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:08,680
Speaker 2: phrase saved. Were talking about somebody being saved. It's like

729
00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:11,360
Speaker 2: saved from what. Well, one of the things that scriptures

730
00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:13,239
Speaker 2: talking about is the fact that you're saved from having

731
00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:15,760
Speaker 2: to experience the wrath of God. Well, why are you

732
00:38:15,760 --> 00:38:17,600
Speaker 2: you saved from the wrath of God? Or how are

733
00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:21,200
Speaker 2: you saved from the wrath of God? You're saved this way. Jesus, God,

734
00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:24,320
Speaker 2: the Son took the wrath of the Father upon himself

735
00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:26,959
Speaker 2: so that you don't have to go into eternity under

736
00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:30,279
Speaker 2: that same wrath. He took that wrath upon himself at

737
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,719
Speaker 2: the cross. He took it for you, so you didn't

738
00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:35,680
Speaker 2: have to take it because you couldn't take it. He

739
00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:38,680
Speaker 2: took it for you. We're saved from that wrath, were

740
00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:40,920
Speaker 2: united to him. Something else that I think that we

741
00:38:40,960 --> 00:38:42,920
Speaker 2: should take in a personal way from a portion of

742
00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:46,560
Speaker 2: scripture like this is that believers can trust God's justice

743
00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:49,520
Speaker 2: even when evil seems unchecked for a period of time,

744
00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:51,400
Speaker 2: Because I know that when I look at culture.

745
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:53,080
Speaker 1: At times, I look at it and I think, boy.

746
00:38:52,880 --> 00:38:55,840
Speaker 2: The lord's letting people get away with stuff for a

747
00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:58,120
Speaker 2: period of time. When's he going to deal with this? Well,

748
00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,160
Speaker 2: the day's coming when he's going to deal with it.

749
00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:02,280
Speaker 2: And God keeps perfect records.

750
00:39:03,440 --> 00:39:04,280
Speaker 1: And here's the deal.

751
00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:09,120
Speaker 2: Either you stand before him with your record forgiven and

752
00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:13,680
Speaker 2: applied to Christ, or you stand before him with your

753
00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:17,560
Speaker 2: record still applying to you. I don't want my record

754
00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:20,480
Speaker 2: applying to me, the record of every time I've rebelled

755
00:39:20,480 --> 00:39:23,960
Speaker 2: against him. I'm grateful that Christ serves as my advocate,

756
00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,279
Speaker 2: that he defends me before the Father, that I will

757
00:39:28,280 --> 00:39:31,480
Speaker 2: stand before the Father not in my sin, because Jesus

758
00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:35,080
Speaker 2: took my sin upon himself. I will stand before him justified.

759
00:39:35,120 --> 00:39:36,840
Speaker 2: You know what it means to be standing before the

760
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:41,120
Speaker 2: Father justified? It means that the Father looks at you

761
00:39:42,120 --> 00:39:44,880
Speaker 2: and he declares you righteous. And why does he declare

762
00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:48,400
Speaker 2: you righteous? Because the righteousness of Christ was placed into

763
00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:53,440
Speaker 2: your account when your sin was placed into Christ's account.

764
00:39:54,880 --> 00:39:56,480
Speaker 2: And the Father looks at you and he says, I

765
00:39:56,520 --> 00:40:00,319
Speaker 2: declare you righteous. You are justified in my sins. You

766
00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:02,960
Speaker 2: are adopted into my family, you are united to me

767
00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:07,000
Speaker 2: for all eternity. God keeps perfect records. Either the record

768
00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:09,279
Speaker 2: of our sin gets applied to Christ, or we go

769
00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:12,320
Speaker 2: into eternity with that record still applying to us. Don't

770
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:14,800
Speaker 2: go into eternity with that record still applying to you.

771
00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:19,080
Speaker 2: Accept the justification that Jesus wants to offer you, and

772
00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:22,400
Speaker 2: it's only received as you trust in Him. Because no

773
00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:26,879
Speaker 2: act of evil is really forgotten, No injustice escapes God's sight.

774
00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:33,120
Speaker 2: Every unrepentant sin will ultimately face judgment. But God's revealing

775
00:40:33,160 --> 00:40:35,799
Speaker 2: this all to us ahead of time so that we

776
00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:37,600
Speaker 2: could experience pardon.

777
00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:41,000
Speaker 1: Not punishment. Now.

778
00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,280
Speaker 2: One of the surprising elements in Revelation eighteen that happens

779
00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:48,799
Speaker 2: toward the end is Heaven's response to all of this destruction,

780
00:40:49,080 --> 00:40:50,200
Speaker 2: Babylon's destruction.

781
00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:51,440
Speaker 1: Heaven responds to it.

782
00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:56,439
Speaker 2: Look what it says in verse twenty, Rejoice over her, Oh, Heaven,

783
00:40:57,719 --> 00:41:02,400
Speaker 2: rejoice over her. Why would Heaven rejoice as this world system,

784
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:05,919
Speaker 2: this mindset of rebellion against God is destroyed? Why would

785
00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:10,880
Speaker 2: Heaven rejoice? Well, it's rejoicing because evil is finally removed.

786
00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:15,560
Speaker 2: The fall of Babylon means oppression is ending, deception is ending,

787
00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:21,240
Speaker 2: corruption is ending. Persecution is ending the rebellious world system

788
00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:24,720
Speaker 2: that made so much of itself and exalted itself against

789
00:41:24,800 --> 00:41:28,440
Speaker 2: God as being destroyed forever, and Heaven rejoices over this.

790
00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:31,960
Speaker 2: By the way, as we prepare for the coming chapters,

791
00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:35,680
Speaker 2: as we get into chapter nineteen and twenty, this is

792
00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:38,400
Speaker 2: preparing the way for the visible reign of Jesus Christ.

793
00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:42,439
Speaker 2: It's described in the next chapter. It's preparing the way

794
00:41:42,480 --> 00:41:47,960
Speaker 2: for the kingdom of Jesus that follows. You have Revelation

795
00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:51,080
Speaker 2: eighteen occurring near the end of that seven year tribulation period,

796
00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:55,880
Speaker 2: and soon afterward, Jesus physically returns to this earth, and

797
00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:59,800
Speaker 2: he defeats the nations gathered against him and establishes his kingdom.

798
00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:02,640
Speaker 2: And that future kingdom is our hope. We get to

799
00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:05,160
Speaker 2: be part of that. I love what Hebrews twelve twenty

800
00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:08,080
Speaker 2: eight reminds us. Let us be grateful for receiving a

801
00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:11,800
Speaker 2: kingdom that cannot be shaken, the Kingdom of Christ.

802
00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:13,160
Speaker 1: So here's the thing.

803
00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:16,600
Speaker 2: Don't build your life on a dying kingdom. Build your

804
00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:21,000
Speaker 2: life in Christ with the strength that Christ supplies. Revelation

805
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:23,200
Speaker 2: eighteen is actually forcing us.

806
00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:24,000
Speaker 1: To make a choice.

807
00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:27,360
Speaker 2: Will we build our lives around Babylon, or will we

808
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,640
Speaker 2: build our lives around Jesus Christ. Because one kingdom's temporary,

809
00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:33,840
Speaker 2: the other is eternal. One system is driven by pride

810
00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:35,839
Speaker 2: and greed and rebellion, and the other is ruled by

811
00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:40,239
Speaker 2: righteousness and grace and truth. One ends in judgment, the

812
00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:43,799
Speaker 2: other ends in everlasting joy. And so the danger for

813
00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:46,040
Speaker 2: believers today is you and I are reading this passage

814
00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:48,400
Speaker 2: of Scripture today. The danger for us today is that

815
00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:52,799
Speaker 2: subtle spiritual drift, because it's possible to know Christ and

816
00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:56,239
Speaker 2: yet still become overly attached to the priorities of this world.

817
00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:57,560
Speaker 1: And I've seen it many times.

818
00:42:58,280 --> 00:43:00,800
Speaker 2: I think we can become distracted by temp raiary pursuits,

819
00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:02,920
Speaker 2: and we could start losing sight of eternity, and we

820
00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:05,480
Speaker 2: could forget the reason why a portion of Scripture like

821
00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:07,840
Speaker 2: this was actually revealed to us in the first place.

822
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:10,360
Speaker 2: And so you have a chapter like this lovingly warning

823
00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:13,000
Speaker 2: us not to anchor our hearts to things that are

824
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:17,000
Speaker 2: passing away. Don't build your identity on wealth, don't place

825
00:43:17,040 --> 00:43:20,760
Speaker 2: your hope in cultural approval. Don't assume the earthly comfort

826
00:43:21,200 --> 00:43:27,200
Speaker 2: equals spiritual success. Don't allow Babylon's values to shape your thinking.

827
00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:28,440
Speaker 1: Instead do this.

828
00:43:28,960 --> 00:43:31,759
Speaker 2: Fix your eyes on Jesus Christ. I love what we're

829
00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:34,799
Speaker 2: told in Colossans three two. Set your minds on things

830
00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:39,160
Speaker 2: that are above, not on things that are on earth.

831
00:43:39,760 --> 00:43:43,040
Speaker 2: Set your minds on things that are above. Christ is

832
00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:47,560
Speaker 2: coming again. The rebellious systems of this world will not

833
00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:54,320
Speaker 2: last forever. One day, every counterfeit kingdom will fall, and Jesus.

834
00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:55,400
Speaker 1: Alone will be exalted.

835
00:43:56,239 --> 00:43:58,600
Speaker 2: And for those who trust in Jesus Christ, that day

836
00:43:58,680 --> 00:44:01,560
Speaker 2: is not going to bring feet. That day is going

837
00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:06,000
Speaker 2: to bring joy, because everyone who belongs to him will

838
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:10,600
Speaker 2: reign with him forever. And that's his desire for you

839
00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:16,360
Speaker 2: and for me. Set your mind on things that are above.

840
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:21,040
Speaker 2: Set your mind ultimately on Christ, who satisfies the deepest

841
00:44:21,080 --> 00:44:26,440
Speaker 2: longings of our souls. Let's pray, Lord, thank you so

842
00:44:26,520 --> 00:44:29,360
Speaker 2: much for your word and for the privilege that it

843
00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:30,759
Speaker 2: is to be able to look at a portion of

844
00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:34,760
Speaker 2: scripture like this together today, knowing that you're revealing things

845
00:44:34,800 --> 00:44:39,399
Speaker 2: to us that, naturally speaking, we wouldn't know these things,

846
00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:44,040
Speaker 2: we wouldn't understand them, we wouldn't value them. You're teaching

847
00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:47,319
Speaker 2: us through this example. As you reveal future things to us,

848
00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:52,239
Speaker 2: you're teaching us what were to value.

849
00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:53,640
Speaker 1: You show us what this world.

850
00:44:53,560 --> 00:44:57,680
Speaker 2: Values and how it's going away, and then you remind us,

851
00:44:57,719 --> 00:45:00,480
Speaker 2: as we look at the totality of your word, to

852
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:06,399
Speaker 2: value things that have eternal consequence. Father, through your son,

853
00:45:06,480 --> 00:45:11,880
Speaker 2: you've revealed to us that we shouldn't ultimately love the

854
00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:14,840
Speaker 2: things of this world or treasure the things of this world.

855
00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:18,960
Speaker 2: Where our treasure is, that's where our heart is going

856
00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:21,920
Speaker 2: to be. We will idolize things that are not of you,

857
00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:25,759
Speaker 2: and so, Father, it's not our desire to idolize the

858
00:45:25,800 --> 00:45:27,920
Speaker 2: things of this world. Father, we have seen so many

859
00:45:27,960 --> 00:45:32,040
Speaker 2: people get caught up in the seductions of this world,

860
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:37,200
Speaker 2: destroying their just the their day to day life, destroying

861
00:45:37,239 --> 00:45:41,120
Speaker 2: their reputations, destroying their families, going in a direction that

862
00:45:41,200 --> 00:45:46,760
Speaker 2: promised them so much, and then discovering.

863
00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:47,680
Speaker 1: That it was all a lie.

864
00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,560
Speaker 2: The things of this world can never satisfy the deeper

865
00:45:51,600 --> 00:45:54,960
Speaker 2: longings of the soul. So, Father, I pray that you

866
00:45:54,960 --> 00:45:57,200
Speaker 2: would help us to be men and women after your

867
00:45:57,239 --> 00:46:00,960
Speaker 2: own heart, who recognize that our souls will be satisfied

868
00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:02,480
Speaker 2: with anything less than your.

869
00:46:02,360 --> 00:46:03,520
Speaker 1: Son, Jesus Christ.

870
00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:07,080
Speaker 2: And Father, we're grateful for the fact that through your son,

871
00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:13,000
Speaker 2: the wrath that we were destined to experience. The wrath

872
00:46:13,040 --> 00:46:18,960
Speaker 2: that we certainly deserved was placed upon him. And instead

873
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:21,960
Speaker 2: of being objects of your wrath at that moment, the

874
00:46:22,000 --> 00:46:26,680
Speaker 2: moment we trust in your son, we become objects of

875
00:46:26,719 --> 00:46:31,600
Speaker 2: your mercy. We are completely pardoned for every sinful act,

876
00:46:31,719 --> 00:46:35,160
Speaker 2: or attitude, or sinful aspect of our nature that we

877
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:36,520
Speaker 2: were carrying around with us.

878
00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:38,239
Speaker 1: We submitted all to you, Lord.

879
00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:41,480
Speaker 2: And instead of defining our lives as being successful if

880
00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:44,080
Speaker 2: we somehow have the wealth of this world or the

881
00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:47,799
Speaker 2: influence that many people in this world craves, we realize

882
00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:51,279
Speaker 2: that a successful life is a life of obedience. Successful

883
00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:54,200
Speaker 2: life is a life of genuine faith that produces genuine

884
00:46:54,239 --> 00:46:59,279
Speaker 2: obedience and results in genuine holiness. As your spirit transforms us,

885
00:46:59,280 --> 00:47:02,839
Speaker 2: he transformed our mind. As he transforms our mind, our

886
00:47:02,880 --> 00:47:08,600
Speaker 2: living comes into a chord with your heart. And so Father,

887
00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:10,160
Speaker 2: thank you for doing that for us.

888
00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:10,479
Speaker 1: Lord.

889
00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:12,399
Speaker 2: We know that we struggle with all sorts of things,

890
00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:14,359
Speaker 2: but we also know that if we come before you,

891
00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:16,879
Speaker 2: that if we confess these things, you will help us

892
00:47:16,920 --> 00:47:20,480
Speaker 2: to give up our love for this world, and that

893
00:47:20,560 --> 00:47:24,759
Speaker 2: love will be placed upon your son. We will love

894
00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:27,800
Speaker 2: your son. We will care for the things that matter

895
00:47:27,920 --> 00:47:30,279
Speaker 2: to you, that you've expressed to us through your son.

896
00:47:30,360 --> 00:47:33,799
Speaker 2: You tell us in your word, Lord, that if we

897
00:47:33,880 --> 00:47:38,319
Speaker 2: love your son, will even keep his commandments. And Lord,

898
00:47:38,360 --> 00:47:40,279
Speaker 2: I know just by looking at my own life that

899
00:47:40,520 --> 00:47:42,960
Speaker 2: by my own nature, I know that I don't.

900
00:47:42,760 --> 00:47:45,080
Speaker 1: Have the capacity to do that. I need your help

901
00:47:45,120 --> 00:47:45,400
Speaker 1: with that.

902
00:47:46,120 --> 00:47:48,279
Speaker 2: And so Father, I'm grateful for the fact that you

903
00:47:48,360 --> 00:47:52,240
Speaker 2: have transformed me, that you are helping me to conform

904
00:47:52,360 --> 00:47:55,680
Speaker 2: in mind and in action to what you've revealed in

905
00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:58,320
Speaker 2: your word. But I also know it's a lifelong process.

906
00:47:58,880 --> 00:48:01,319
Speaker 2: I know that ten years from now that my walk

907
00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:03,520
Speaker 2: with you has the potential to be much deeper than

908
00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:06,240
Speaker 2: it is now. But I'm grateful Lord that my walk

909
00:48:06,239 --> 00:48:09,160
Speaker 2: with you is much deeper now than it was years ago.

910
00:48:09,400 --> 00:48:11,480
Speaker 2: So Lord, thank you for allowing me to observe this

911
00:48:11,600 --> 00:48:13,920
Speaker 2: process that you're bringing me through throughout the course of

912
00:48:13,920 --> 00:48:16,040
Speaker 2: my life. And I pray that you would do the

913
00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:18,239
Speaker 2: same for each of us, that each day that we

914
00:48:18,280 --> 00:48:21,600
Speaker 2: would take another step forward and another step forward as

915
00:48:21,640 --> 00:48:25,640
Speaker 2: we submit ourselves over to your lordship. Father, we're grateful

916
00:48:25,680 --> 00:48:27,840
Speaker 2: for the fact that you show us patience, You do

917
00:48:27,920 --> 00:48:32,680
Speaker 2: not give up on us, You welcome us into your presence.

918
00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:36,040
Speaker 1: You delight in our growth. You produce our growth.

919
00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:38,080
Speaker 2: So Lord, I pray that you would help us to

920
00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:41,400
Speaker 2: trust you in the midst of all things. I'm grateful,

921
00:48:41,440 --> 00:48:44,400
Speaker 2: Father that you are present with us. Now Again, Fathers,

922
00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:48,160
Speaker 2: we approach this new week with this chapter of your

923
00:48:48,200 --> 00:48:49,000
Speaker 2: Word fresh.

924
00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:49,480
Speaker 1: In our minds.

925
00:48:50,120 --> 00:48:52,359
Speaker 2: I pray that we would say, Lord, I don't want

926
00:48:52,400 --> 00:48:55,000
Speaker 2: to buy you into the mindset or systems of this world.

927
00:48:55,640 --> 00:48:59,239
Speaker 2: I want to submit myself ultimately over to you and

928
00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:03,360
Speaker 2: to value you value. So Father, thank you for facilitating

929
00:49:03,360 --> 00:49:06,760
Speaker 2: that within us. We're grateful for your love. We're grateful

930
00:49:06,800 --> 00:49:09,200
Speaker 2: for your presence in our lives, and we commit ourselves

931
00:49:09,280 --> 00:49:12,080
Speaker 2: to you now, praying this all in Jesus' name.

932
00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:13,560
Speaker 1: Amen.