Series: Revelation: The Best is Yet to Come
Title: “How to See The Future”
Scripture: Revelation 18 (Commentary helps listed at the end)
Introduction: Makes me think of how quickly things can change in a nation. Afghanistan fell to the Taliban this week in 1 day. We know that the foundations of the existing government were weak already so while it fell suddenly, they were vulnerable as soon as our troops left.
Our nation (America) is sliding towards destruction too. And while this slide may be gradual, the crash will also likely to be sudden. Perhaps revival will delay or prevent this. Are you praying for revival in our land?
What will get us through the great tribulation as the church? We’ll have to figure out how to work together to live for Christ with the daily threat of dying for Christ.
What will get us through is this truth:
Bottom line: “The future is bright even though the day is dark.”
Our need: Eyes to see that these dark days as a blip on the timeline of eternity and live accordingly; a drop in the ocean of time.
Quote: “Today, the greatest challenge facing (evangelical, Bible-believing) American (Christians) is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world.” —CJ Mahaney, pastor
Quote: “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who goes on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased.” -CS Lewis, Weight of Glory, pp. 25-26
Last week in Revelation 17 we saw how evil turned on evil when the Beast destroyed the Whore.
In Revelation 18 we will see more of the downfall of Babylon and how those seduced by her are drug down with her into destruction. Are you in that crowd? God calls you out today! (V. 4)
Context:
We have seen:
Jesus and his churches (1-3)
The throne and judgments of God (6-16)
The whore, the King, and his bride (17-22)
Outline:
I. God judges the whore. (1-8)
II. The world laments over the whore. (9-19)
III. The angels sing of the doom of the whore. (20-24)
Conclusion:
Reminders of Afghanistan. Christians there are dying today for their unwillingness to be seduced by Babylon. They are the martyrs spoken of in Revelation.
Question: Would you be willing to die for what you believe in?
Where do you see yourself right now?
Living in light of today?
Living in light of eternity?
Where do you want to see yourself?
What’s keeping you from repenting and believing that the way of Jesus is the way to go?
Repent of your sins today. Trust and follow the Lord Jesus Christ who knows the way, the truth and the life.
Pray
Notes:
Rome was considered Babylon (code to the Church in John’s day) and he was prophesying it’s destruction around AD 95. In AD 410, after a long slide into destruction, Alaric, with his northern hordes of Goths, pillaged Rome and laid it waste in one week.
John wrote Rev 17-18 to (Bruce Metzger):
Stimulate faithfulness in first century persecuted Christians
To remind them of their ultimate victory in Christ no matter what
It’s a warning to believers . Babylon is allegorical of the idolatry that any nation commits when it elevates
Material abundance
Military prowess
Technological sophistication
Imperial grandeur, and
Racial pride over the Creator.
This seems familiar to me as an American citizen.
Revelation concerns the character and timeliness of God’s judgment not only on people but also nations…and all authorities, corporations, institutions, bureaucracies, denominations and even churches. -Bruce Metzger
Questions: Are we drawn to the spiritual “Red light districts” of our world? Or are we drawn to the kingdom of God?
Other Illustrations:
dad joke/Funny: “Everybody is talking about the apocalypse like there’s no tomorrow…”
“Keep your eyes on the clouds and the crowds.” —Greg Stier
Live in light of his imminent return.
“Jesus didn’t give the Church the book of Revelation so we’d build ourselves bigger bomb shelters, but so we’d would build longer dinner tables” - @RayOrtlund
Other thoughts wrt joy and circumstances and Jane / Nightbirdie
“Sow a thought, you reap an action;
Sow an action, you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, you reap a character;
sow a character, you reap a destiny.”
-E. Stanley Jones
Main commentary help:
Exalting Jesus in Revelation by Daniel Akin
Revelation by Jim Hamilton
Revelation by Paige Patterson, New American Commentary series
Breaking the Code by Bruce Metzger
2020 Sermons by Matt Chandler
ESV Global Study Bible
Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel
Bible Knowledge Commentary
The Outline Bible, Wilmington
Discipleship on the Edge, Darrell W. Johnson