WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:07.700 I'm going to invite you to Revelation chapter 17 is where we're going to be together today in Revelation chapter 17, as 00:00:07.700 --> 00:00:14.720 we are to the point in Revelation where we're getting close to the transition from all the all the 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:16.800 scary things to all the happy things. 00:00:16.820 --> 00:00:16.940 Okay. 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:20.200 That's we're in the middle of that now. 00:00:20.200 --> 00:00:20.400 Okay? 00:00:20.400 --> 00:00:25.470 We're that transition is going to take place, and you're going to see the culmination of all things in Jesus, which is wonderful. 00:00:26.400 --> 00:00:33.420 But here we're reminded in Revelation chapter 17 of a, of a very important idea for all of us in terms of our relationship with the 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:40.700 Lord, knowing we walk in a broken world, and that is, it's good for our hearts to stop and be reminded that 00:00:40.700 --> 00:00:43.400 everything God created is good. 00:00:44.620 --> 00:00:50.980 But we have this tendency of taking the good things that God created them, and we make idols out of them themselves. 00:00:51.860 --> 00:00:59.640 And we forget that the good things that God has made were intended to point us back to him, and we make the things of this earth as 00:00:59.640 --> 00:01:05.660 the ultimate purpose rather than God Himself, and in so doing, it leads to a life of brokenness. 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:08.550 Because what we ultimately do is we take the good things God created. 00:01:09.160 --> 00:01:13.920 We make them as idols, as if they are the end rather than a means to the end. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:21.560 And we worship and serve creature rather than our creator, and in doing so, in creating idols of the things of this world, we 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:24.420 look to those things to give us worth, value and meaning. 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:29.420 And what we ultimately find in that is they never truly satisfy because you were made for more. 00:01:30.520 --> 00:01:37.680 And if we're not careful, the world introduces those things to us as if they're in and of themselves, as if more 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:44.760 more wealth, more money, more popularity, more beauty, whatever will make you find the value for which 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:45.660 you were intended. 00:01:45.740 --> 00:01:52.780 But what we discover is all those things fade and pass away, but you're left trying to figure out then what gives 00:01:52.780 --> 00:01:53.840 you ultimate worth? 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:55.260 What gives you ultimate meaning? 00:01:55.500 --> 00:02:02.500 Value as a human being and so looking to those things leads us to this path of brokenness in 00:02:02.500 --> 00:02:04.380 a place of emptiness. 00:02:04.400 --> 00:02:11.420 In fact, I mean, you could go through celebrities in our own culture and see time and time again people talking about reaching the pinnacle of what 00:02:11.420 --> 00:02:15.760 they thought would satisfy them, only to find out they were empty. 00:02:16.580 --> 00:02:23.640 In fact, there's a writer by the name of Jack Higgins who wrote a famous book called The Eagle Has Landed, and they asked him in his later 00:02:23.640 --> 00:02:30.730 years, they said, what's something you wish someone had taught you in your earlier years that you didn't want to find out later in life, or you wish you hadn't waited till later in life to discover? 00:02:31.880 --> 00:02:33.100 And he said, like this. 00:02:33.160 --> 00:02:38.270 I wish someone told me early on that when I got to the top of the mountain, there was nothing there. 00:02:39.440 --> 00:02:46.540 And it carries that idea of those pursuits in life that he thinks will satisfy, ultimately to discover that he 00:02:46.540 --> 00:02:48.020 was made for something different. 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:56.560 And if we're not careful as Christians, as followers of Jesus, we can take the idea of 00:02:56.560 --> 00:03:03.290 the world and substitute it for our own faith and not even realize that we're doing it and so deceive ourselves. 00:03:04.120 --> 00:03:09.520 And what I mean by that is, there are a lot of different things that can bring us to a place of worship. 00:03:09.740 --> 00:03:12.360 And, you being here this morning, I'm very thankful that you're here. 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:13.920 So I'm so glad that you're here. 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:22.320 Sometimes, though, the thing that drives us to come to a gathering of worship is not ultimately 00:03:22.320 --> 00:03:23.720 what should matter. 00:03:23.800 --> 00:03:24.960 I need to be careful with that. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:25.360 But let me. 00:03:25.420 --> 00:03:25.910 Let me explain. 00:03:27.100 --> 00:03:31.440 Sometimes we recognize that there's some brokenness in our life and we want it to be fixed. 00:03:31.740 --> 00:03:32.580 We want it to be different. 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:37.880 And so not knowing what else to do, we'll turn to the Lord, which is a wonderful thing, right? 00:03:38.220 --> 00:03:44.540 But we'll kind of treat it like this, that the greater thing that I want is the problem that I'm thinking about. 00:03:45.220 --> 00:03:52.280 And once, once the Lord shows me how to solve that problem, I'll kind of forsake the Lord, because what I'm more interested in is just fixing things 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:55.760 for my own comfort, rather than seeing God as the prize himself. 00:03:56.540 --> 00:03:56.980 And so. 00:03:57.060 --> 00:04:04.440 So let me just say, if you come in and you're thinking today like, man, I've got some problems in my marriage or this relationship or at work or financial or whatever, 00:04:04.440 --> 00:04:08.120 whatever you might be struggling with, and you're seeking the Lord in that. 00:04:08.160 --> 00:04:08.820 That's wonderful. 00:04:08.860 --> 00:04:09.960 I think that's great. 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:13.880 But I don't want us to miss the fact that the prize isn't getting that solved. 00:04:13.880 --> 00:04:20.959 The prize has got himself, and it's not until we're willing to surrender to him in that we're we truly are able to 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:24.810 put things into perspective of how God leads us through it. 00:04:25.340 --> 00:04:32.340 And so Revelation chapter seven is teaching us that lesson today, that the world wants to offer you a message of false hope by making idols out 00:04:32.340 --> 00:04:36.610 of things God never intended, because he alone is the great prize of life. 00:04:37.140 --> 00:04:39.780 And when we're willing to surrender to him, we discover that. 00:04:39.820 --> 00:04:47.340 But it's not until we see the deception of the message of the world that we can we can move away from this in order to find 00:04:47.340 --> 00:04:49.040 God as that true prize. 00:04:49.080 --> 00:04:53.220 And so Revelation chapter seven, three steps to Navigate a World of false hope. 00:04:53.280 --> 00:04:54.320 Let me give you point number one. 00:04:55.100 --> 00:04:55.810 Number one is this. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:03.480 Recognize deception and pursue godly understanding that we would just recognize the deception and 00:05:03.480 --> 00:05:05.180 then pursue godly understanding. 00:05:05.300 --> 00:05:12.360 Really, what we're giving ourselves to do is give ourselves permission to think biblically to look at truth, 00:05:13.140 --> 00:05:20.160 to understand what God has for us and the willingness to pursue that right 00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:22.160 and to know what God desires for our life. 00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:29.280 In Revelation chapter seven, verse one, it starts off like this 17 one the then one of the seven angels who had 00:05:29.280 --> 00:05:31.660 the seven bowls came and said to me, this. 00:05:31.720 --> 00:05:32.730 So this is John writing. 00:05:33.200 --> 00:05:40.360 He's saying, one of the angels came and said to me, come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who was seated on many 00:05:40.360 --> 00:05:41.180 waters. 00:05:41.860 --> 00:05:49.020 Verse two, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality 00:05:49.020 --> 00:05:52.820 the dwellers of the earth have become drunk. 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:57.040 Sometimes I get to the end of Bible verses and I'm like, wow, that's in the Bible, right? 00:05:57.260 --> 00:06:04.800 That's definitely that's definitely these two verses right here we are talking about this great prostitute and sexual immorality and the 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:06.680 people of the earth drunk upon it. 00:06:06.760 --> 00:06:10.220 And how do you extrapolate spiritual meaning from this? 00:06:10.220 --> 00:06:10.360 Right. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:12.580 This is this is what we get to navigate today. 00:06:13.320 --> 00:06:20.340 But looking at this passage, I want you to see the first thing that John is given the opportunity on, and that is the invitation to follow after the 00:06:20.340 --> 00:06:20.480 Lord. 00:06:22.400 --> 00:06:23.160 John, come. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:28.060 And the world system is deceptive. 00:06:28.060 --> 00:06:33.660 In fact, when you read Revelation of reminded us there's these two kingdoms that are presented. 00:06:33.660 --> 00:06:40.680 There is this false worldly Babylonian kingdom that will that will ultimately lead to your demise if you pursue it and 00:06:40.680 --> 00:06:42.960 has an expiration date. 00:06:43.100 --> 00:06:45.590 But then there's God's kingdom that endures forever. 00:06:45.860 --> 00:06:53.100 And this presentation of Revelation is to help us recognize that in Jesus you have victory and is asking the question, what do you follow and 00:06:53.100 --> 00:06:54.290 what do you want to belong to? 00:06:55.400 --> 00:07:02.860 And so there's this invitation for John to come and join the Lord and in discovering this path. 00:07:02.860 --> 00:07:10.170 But just as John is saying, this angel has asked this of him or gave him, give him this call in his life. 00:07:10.380 --> 00:07:11.760 And so it is with all of us. 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:16.210 The application can be made that God has given you this invitation. 00:07:16.540 --> 00:07:17.990 And are you willing to go? 00:07:19.700 --> 00:07:26.760 If what you believe isn't true, and if what you are pursuing isn't going to bring the fulfillment for which you were designed, do you want 00:07:26.760 --> 00:07:27.320 to know? 00:07:28.960 --> 00:07:34.720 I mean, do you want to follow after the path that the Lord has created you to pursue him on? 00:07:35.960 --> 00:07:41.920 And so John is starting with this, that God has given him this invitation to participate in this. 00:07:41.940 --> 00:07:49.640 And then and then in verse two, he's reminding us as while he's been invited, the rest of the world might be following something entirely different. 00:07:49.840 --> 00:07:52.680 It's saying in verse two, the kings of the earth have pursued this. 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.660 Everybody's doing this, John. 00:07:56.460 --> 00:07:57.880 But is this really what you want? 00:07:59.420 --> 00:08:00.030 Come and see. 00:08:01.420 --> 00:08:04.340 I want you to understand where this deception lies. 00:08:06.140 --> 00:08:13.120 The thought that people have bought into, where they're finding their worth, and the things of this world, rather than the things of God that they're seeing. 00:08:13.340 --> 00:08:14.620 God has the prize. 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:16.860 Come, come, John, and see this deception. 00:08:17.220 --> 00:08:23.420 And so then he goes on, and in verse three, he takes this deeper look into this vision that the angels invited him on. 00:08:23.420 --> 00:08:27.520 And it says, and he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness. 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:35.900 And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns, 00:08:36.240 --> 00:08:43.620 and the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations 00:08:43.620 --> 00:08:50.960 and the impurities of her sexual immorality, and on her forehead was written a name of mystery Babylon, the great mother 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:53.540 of prostitutes, of Earth's abominations. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:56.110 That's not a good tattoo to get, in case you're wondering. 00:08:56.280 --> 00:09:01.500 And then verse six, and I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. 00:09:02.720 --> 00:09:05.960 You know, I've tried to encourage us in this. 00:09:05.960 --> 00:09:13.320 In fact, I mentioned this at the very first lesson we did in Revelation together when we started this book, that there is a way to interpret Revelation 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:15.240 that is important, right? 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:22.420 And there's there is an actual just literal approach to Revelation, or there's a literary approach to Revelation. 00:09:22.420 --> 00:09:23.120 Right. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:30.460 And there are some people that when they try to read Revelation, they try to take everything literal and of which if you happen 00:09:30.460 --> 00:09:37.460 to ever go outside and see the great whore of Babylon floating on the back of a dragon, you know that the time is 00:09:37.460 --> 00:09:37.860 near. 00:09:37.940 --> 00:09:38.180 Okay. 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:41.480 So there is the there is the literal sense that you could take this. 00:09:41.760 --> 00:09:46.440 And if you do see this, that's If you need a panic button ever in your life, push it in. 00:09:46.460 --> 00:09:51.500 Okay, but then there's the literary sense to recognize Revelation as apocalyptic. 00:09:52.460 --> 00:09:56.380 And apocalyptic literature is not a genre that we're familiar with today. 00:09:56.820 --> 00:10:01.320 That's not something where you're like, let's go to Barnes and Noble and pick up the most recent apocalyptic book, right? 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:04.740 That's just not the typical genre of literature you see people purchasing. 00:10:04.890 --> 00:10:05.240 So. 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:12.440 So when it comes to reading this literature, it's important to remember that what John is doing is taking images throughout Scripture, 00:10:12.660 --> 00:10:19.680 this Jewish Hebrew pool of imagery on what these what these ideas represent to help us 00:10:19.680 --> 00:10:25.990 understand what the enemy desires to do in our life through this thought of deception. 00:10:26.520 --> 00:10:28.900 And he paints it through this picture of women. 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:30.220 Now, I want you to know women. 00:10:30.920 --> 00:10:34.840 I do not agree that this is a great picture of just ladies in general. 00:10:34.840 --> 00:10:35.220 Okay? 00:10:35.280 --> 00:10:37.240 This is not saying every woman is like this. 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:38.440 That would be terrible, right? 00:10:38.440 --> 00:10:45.540 In fact, when you read, when you read throughout the Bible, you'll find that women are often pictured, for example in Proverbs chapter seven. 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:53.480 There's the Lady of Folly, where if you read the Book of Proverbs, it's a teacher teaching a young man on how to live wisely 00:10:53.480 --> 00:10:54.370 in this world. 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:57.550 And in chapter seven, he talks about a woman of folly. 00:10:57.680 --> 00:11:09.100 And he says, if you pursue this woman that's trying to lure you, it 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:09.220 will lead to your destruction. 00:11:09.220 --> 00:11:09.220 Revelation chapter seven starting or excuse me, Proverbs chapter seven, starting in verse six, starts to tell about the woman of folly. 00:11:09.220 --> 00:11:16.260 But then when you look in Proverbs chapter eight, it declares about the Lady of Wisdom and how important it is to seek after this 00:11:16.260 --> 00:11:17.320 woman of wisdom. 00:11:18.100 --> 00:11:19.140 And it's this imagery. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:26.640 Again, it's not a literal woman, but this imagery of what we pursue with our heart and how important it is what you, your 00:11:26.640 --> 00:11:31.240 direction determines your destination and what your heart is ultimately longing for. 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:33.430 Will determine the kind of person you become. 00:11:34.300 --> 00:11:37.010 And so what does your heart long for and what are you buying into? 00:11:38.220 --> 00:11:45.220 And so, more than just men or women seeing us as genders specifically, if you if you take this passage and just 00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:47.080 extrapolate meaning for all of us. 00:11:47.100 --> 00:11:54.100 I think what he's saying in this passage is that men, God has made us as incredible people to reflect his glory 00:11:54.100 --> 00:11:54.990 in this world. 00:11:55.980 --> 00:11:59.800 But when our hearts aren't given over to him, what it ultimately produces is destruction. 00:11:59.800 --> 00:12:04.000 It leads to our demise and the destruction of those around us. 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:08.460 And this is what we're seeing with the idea of this lady being presented here. 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:13.300 She's riding on the back of the of this beast is what it ultimately produces. 00:12:13.300 --> 00:12:20.580 You'll notice that when it describes her in verse four, the way that she is arrayed and brought into the systems of this world, 00:12:20.640 --> 00:12:25.340 it describes her in purple and scarlet, which is symbols of wealth. 00:12:25.340 --> 00:12:29.990 During this first century, anyone that would wear this was often seen as royalty. 00:12:31.180 --> 00:12:37.100 And more than that, she has this gold and jewelry, which is which is given the admiration of the world. 00:12:37.100 --> 00:12:41.600 People are looking at this and then they see this incredible cop. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:45.590 But then when you look at the cop, you see it's this cop of utter abomination. 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:52.490 How she's been given over and over again to this system that's bringing about destruction. 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:57.460 So on the outside, the appearance looks magnificent and people would marvel. 00:12:58.200 --> 00:13:03.100 But when you look at the contents of the cup, you see the abomination that exists there. 00:13:03.100 --> 00:13:10.240 And so this woman, she is presenting this message, these images 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:14.060 that are given to her, is this really this seductive message? 00:13:14.120 --> 00:13:21.300 She is a woman teaching a belief, a theology, ultimately really a religion that if you give yourself to 00:13:21.300 --> 00:13:22.870 this, then you can be happy. 00:13:23.640 --> 00:13:24.530 So look what I have. 00:13:24.660 --> 00:13:25.560 Don't you want this? 00:13:25.560 --> 00:13:30.660 And they're alluring through this temptation, she's propagating the system of belief. 00:13:30.660 --> 00:13:33.430 You should just embrace this and then you'll be satisfied. 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:41.300 And so in this system of belief, she also has power, and that power that's pushing it forward is demonstrated through 00:13:41.300 --> 00:13:42.170 this beast. 00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:46.560 It goes on to describes what this beast represents in verse. 00:13:46.780 --> 00:13:47.540 Verse nine. 00:13:47.560 --> 00:13:49.800 Second half of verse nine all the way to verse 13. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:56.980 But you see, this beast has seven heads and ten horns, and it's representing this idea of political power. 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:04.220 And so you're seeing not only this lure of temptation and this false message of hope, this religious idea that's contrary to 00:14:04.220 --> 00:14:06.810 the Lord, a system of idolatry. 00:14:07.900 --> 00:14:13.350 But you're also seeing it forced into the culture through this means of power and influence. 00:14:14.780 --> 00:14:16.530 And so there's this invitation to participate. 00:14:16.860 --> 00:14:24.260 But then you see on this woman in verse five, this thought that's written across her head, Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes of 00:14:24.260 --> 00:14:25.330 the earth's abomination. 00:14:25.560 --> 00:14:32.600 And this idea of Babylon is important to understand, because in the Old Testament, Babylon was an actual people group that 00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.350 conquered Israel and brought them into slavery. 00:14:35.840 --> 00:14:39.210 But Babylon became more than just a specific people group. 00:14:39.700 --> 00:14:46.760 Babylon came to represent the dominant forces on the earth that were destroying God's people and luring others 00:14:46.760 --> 00:14:47.700 into temptation. 00:14:48.700 --> 00:14:55.030 In fact, if you were to read the book or the letter that Peter wrote, Peter would often refer to Rome as Babylon. 00:14:55.040 --> 00:15:01.320 And in fact, it became common to refer to the world power of that day with the idea of being Babylon. 00:15:01.500 --> 00:15:07.480 Because if you were to directly write against that world power of the day, it could lead to your demise, your destruction. 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:14.700 And so for Peter to talk about Rome, rather than mention Rome specifically, he would mention the idea of Babylon as a representation of Rome. 00:15:15.600 --> 00:15:20.160 But this thought of Babylon became more than just a specific people group. 00:15:20.160 --> 00:15:26.430 It came to personify this world system, that there is a way that the world thinks. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:30.150 And if you join in that it leads to your destruction. 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:38.740 And you see the hardness of the people's hearts here in verse six that there they're given over to the system so much and have bought into the 00:15:38.740 --> 00:15:46.180 belief that their happiness can be found here, that anyone that might say something contrary to that message, they see as an enemy and 00:15:46.180 --> 00:15:47.780 desire to destroy them. 00:15:49.020 --> 00:15:51.380 Now, this can happen literally in our lives. 00:15:51.380 --> 00:15:58.380 We can pursue things this way to the destruction of others, where we think to ourselves, you're keeping me from 00:15:58.380 --> 00:15:59.250 my happiness. 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:02.870 And so therefore, to get what I want, I got, I have to remove you. 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:08.020 And some people will do it to the extreme of literally taking someone else's life. 00:16:09.580 --> 00:16:16.700 But as people, anytime we pursue the false idols of this world, we're always diminishing the beauty of other 00:16:16.700 --> 00:16:17.440 human beings. 00:16:17.480 --> 00:16:24.620 We start to buy into the lie that I need this in order to make me happy, and I can use you in order to get what I want, because this 00:16:24.620 --> 00:16:26.070 is what will satisfy me. 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:31.130 And so we make an idol out of things to serve ourselves to the harm of others. 00:16:32.260 --> 00:16:39.220 And John is helping the people to recognize what this abomination is ultimately leading to. 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:46.370 So, number one, if we're going to follow the Lord from this system of false hope, we've got to be willing to recognize deception. 00:16:48.140 --> 00:16:49.240 Are you willing to go on this journey? 00:16:49.400 --> 00:16:50.060 Come with me. 00:16:50.060 --> 00:16:57.440 God says, are you willing for God to open your eyes to see the beauty of who he is, 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:01.120 rather than the broken things of this world that will not fulfill? 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:08.619 And so the point number two, in so doing, we would acknowledge our weaknesses or acknowledge your 00:17:08.619 --> 00:17:09.359 weakness. 00:17:10.339 --> 00:17:15.520 The thought related that the encouraging thought related to that then, is to stay rooted in biblical community. 00:17:16.760 --> 00:17:18.180 We want to recognize our deception. 00:17:18.260 --> 00:17:19.800 We want to acknowledge your weakness. 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:23.180 And by really learning to stay rooted in biblical community. 00:17:24.599 --> 00:17:28.520 You see John being encouraged in this way. 00:17:28.520 --> 00:17:30.660 It's one thing to know the truth. 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:33.380 But God calls us more to know it. 00:17:34.220 --> 00:17:35.760 He wants us to walk in it. 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:37.180 To walk in him. 00:17:37.220 --> 00:17:41.800 Because the Bible says in John 14 six, he is the way, the truth, and the life. 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:49.880 So it's more than just this intellectual exercise of knowing Scripture this morning, but saying, God, how can my mind and 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:51.300 my heart really align? 00:17:51.300 --> 00:17:57.380 How can I truly begin to embrace what I've understood in giving this my life to you? 00:17:57.380 --> 00:17:57.560 And. 00:17:57.760 --> 00:18:04.840 And in verse six, John says this when I saw her, I marveled greatly. 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:07.820 But the angel said to me, why do you marvel? 00:18:08.820 --> 00:18:13.440 I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast, with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:20.400 The beast that you saw was and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. 00:18:21.460 --> 00:18:28.780 And the dwellers on the earth, whose name have not been written in the Book of life from the foundation of the world, will marvel to see the beast, because 00:18:28.780 --> 00:18:32.000 it was and is not and is to come. 00:18:32.060 --> 00:18:35.960 We'll talk about the was and is not and is to come in just a moment. 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:38.560 But I but I want you to see where John is in the story. 00:18:39.720 --> 00:18:46.800 I mean, for John, it's being revealed to him who this woman is and what she wants to produce and who this beast is and what this beast 00:18:46.800 --> 00:18:47.920 wants to produce. 00:18:48.820 --> 00:18:54.300 And even knowing that John is still tempted by this woman. 00:18:55.380 --> 00:18:57.640 I mean, that's the idea here in verse six. 00:18:57.720 --> 00:18:59.310 Do you think of who John is? 00:18:59.460 --> 00:19:03.670 He's the one who, at the Last Supper leaned back onto Jesus. 00:19:04.320 --> 00:19:09.120 He's the one that's referred to as really Jesus's favorite in the Gospels, the beloved. 00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:12.340 That's the way John wrote about himself in his in the Gospel of John. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:15.620 And yet even John is being tempted here. 00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:20.260 When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 00:19:21.320 --> 00:19:28.560 And it's the angel in this story who steps in this messenger who steps in and questions John in that moment, and it just reminds 00:19:28.560 --> 00:19:36.020 me of how important community is for all of us, because all of us have this place 00:19:36.020 --> 00:19:39.320 of temptation that the enemy can use to lure into our lives. 00:19:39.700 --> 00:19:45.480 But we need godly community around us to encourage us to continue to pursue the Lord. 00:19:46.460 --> 00:19:52.740 And as isolated individuals, it's easy to get wayward and discouraged and lose our focus on Christ. 00:19:52.840 --> 00:19:54.440 But in community it becomes important. 00:19:54.620 --> 00:20:01.700 This is why it's so significant in community to just stand up and identify who you are in Jesus and say 00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:05.380 this like my heart, I want to belong to Christ. 00:20:05.380 --> 00:20:06.890 I want to live for him. 00:20:07.560 --> 00:20:14.940 And the idea of that as God's people is this thought of repentance in Scripture where we turn from the way of the world 00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:17.590 and we say this, I want to follow Jesus. 00:20:17.780 --> 00:20:24.920 I want to make my life about following Christ, to surround ourselves with people who care enough about us to speak into our life 00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:32.260 if we start to lose sight, the way it works in our life is we become masters at 00:20:32.260 --> 00:20:35.660 justification through compromise. 00:20:36.620 --> 00:20:38.870 Where in our lives we'll have a temptation. 00:20:39.860 --> 00:20:42.740 And before you know it, that temptation, temptation itself isn't wrong. 00:20:42.740 --> 00:20:43.900 We're tempted all day long. 00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:46.370 You turn on the TV every five seconds, you'll see a commercial. 00:20:47.530 --> 00:20:48.720 And that's just temptation. 00:20:48.720 --> 00:20:50.060 Temptation itself isn't bad. 00:20:50.960 --> 00:20:54.410 But then suddenly temptation can grab Ahold of us and it becomes this want. 00:20:55.540 --> 00:21:00.770 And this want suddenly goes from a want to a need where you think, I have to have this in order to be happy. 00:21:01.880 --> 00:21:05.720 And then when you have this want, you start to justify the things you do. 00:21:06.840 --> 00:21:13.880 Well, I you know, I know what God says, but man, but in this one situation and it's 00:21:13.880 --> 00:21:18.580 an exception because, well, God knows and we can kind of justify where we are. 00:21:18.760 --> 00:21:26.100 And before long we start following a different path because we're pursuing a different Lord of our life, which ultimately really is our self because 00:21:26.100 --> 00:21:28.130 we've established an idol. 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:29.900 I mean, the way it works is like this. 00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:33.840 If you if you think about the idea of the prostitute. 00:21:33.840 --> 00:21:37.620 And the kings of the earth giving themselves over to him, if we just started with that. 00:21:37.660 --> 00:21:39.560 When God created you, he made you. 00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:46.580 He made you holistically for the purpose of completely surrendering to him in every aspect that you are as a human being, right? 00:21:46.580 --> 00:21:47.040 Body. 00:21:47.040 --> 00:21:47.440 Soul. 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:47.840 Mind. 00:21:47.860 --> 00:21:48.760 Spirit. 00:21:49.180 --> 00:21:52.320 Given over to the Lord to honor him with your life. 00:21:52.380 --> 00:21:57.660 And but we have this tendency sometimes of breaking off those different components and surrendering to something else. 00:21:57.660 --> 00:22:03.020 So if we just started with the body, my body is a temple of the Lord that belongs to him. 00:22:03.900 --> 00:22:06.820 But sometimes we can justify any behavior that we do with that. 00:22:06.840 --> 00:22:11.220 We can say things like, well, my body belongs to the Lord, but I'm, I'm lonely. 00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:13.820 And so therefore God knows I'm lonely because I'm lonely. 00:22:13.820 --> 00:22:18.410 I have needs and so, well, it's okay if I just do a little look at a little pornography. 00:22:19.820 --> 00:22:22.180 And so we can we can justify those behaviors or. 00:22:22.420 --> 00:22:29.500 Or maybe we could say things like, well, God brought us together and we really care about each other and we're going to get married one day, so we'll just act like 00:22:29.500 --> 00:22:29.990 it now. 00:22:32.220 --> 00:22:34.940 But God created your bodies for him. 00:22:34.980 --> 00:22:41.380 And if you want to live the kind of life that God wants to bless, then all of our life needs to be surrendered to him. 00:22:42.080 --> 00:22:49.220 Or maybe if I didn't just talk about physically, maybe we talk about emotionally, relationally. 00:22:49.360 --> 00:22:52.380 If God calls me to be gracious and patient with others. 00:22:53.140 --> 00:22:59.060 But then there's that time where someone does something that I don't like and, well, they need to learn not to double cross me. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:07.120 And so in so doing, I feel that I'm completely justified to react because of the way they acted, because they excuse my behavior. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:10.800 And so therefore I can do whatever I want because don't you know what they did. 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:16.230 And so we have this way of justifying what we do, where we're tempted. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:17.740 And it becomes a need. 00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:25.040 That need becomes a want and that want gets us to justify the way we behave, the things that we do, 00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:32.700 as if it excuses the fact that my life is created for the Lord. 00:23:33.980 --> 00:23:41.020 Now, let me just step back from this for a minute, because I know sometimes when we start thinking about areas of our life 00:23:41.020 --> 00:23:48.460 that are given over to the beast rather than to God, we can start to feel a certain way because we recognize 00:23:48.460 --> 00:23:55.540 I have messed up and I have not done what the Lord would desire of me in the steps that 00:23:55.540 --> 00:23:57.980 I have taken are not pleasing to him. 00:23:58.560 --> 00:24:00.600 And truthfully, God hasn't been my prize. 00:24:01.660 --> 00:24:02.600 Something else has. 00:24:03.560 --> 00:24:04.340 And so what do we do? 00:24:05.420 --> 00:24:07.110 And what we do in that moment becomes important. 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:14.540 Because what we don't want to happen is for me to kind of end that message right there for us and us to get up in guilt and 00:24:14.540 --> 00:24:16.740 shame and just walk out. 00:24:18.320 --> 00:24:22.460 Sometimes we have this tendency where we know we've messed up, or we will do one of two things. 00:24:22.560 --> 00:24:22.900 We will. 00:24:23.580 --> 00:24:28.540 We will respond in pride, or we will respond in despair. 00:24:28.570 --> 00:24:32.020 Despair in a lot of ways, oftentimes will play itself out in fear. 00:24:32.140 --> 00:24:34.470 So we'll often we'll respond in one of two ways. 00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:37.980 We'll respond in pride or we'll respond in fear. 00:24:39.100 --> 00:24:43.260 And the idea of responding in pride is to say this I know I've messed up, and so I want to prove God different. 00:24:43.600 --> 00:24:44.430 You know, I'm going to try harder. 00:24:44.820 --> 00:24:45.540 I'm going to do better. 00:24:45.880 --> 00:24:48.960 And so we try to build ourselves up and we start to buy into that. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:50.180 Like, I can do it. 00:24:50.180 --> 00:24:52.160 I can impress God, I can show God. 00:24:52.180 --> 00:24:57.760 And so when I've messed up, we just try to outperform ourselves from the situation that we may have created. 00:25:00.120 --> 00:25:02.360 The other is we can fear. 00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:10.740 One of the ways that fear can play out is, maybe in following Jesus, maybe 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:15.710 people around you have put pressure on you because, well, you've shown interest in pursuing Jesus. 00:25:16.660 --> 00:25:20.680 And maybe you're here this morning and you think, friends and family aren't happy that you're here today. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:26.050 And so they've put pressure on you that you're here, but they don't really want you to be here. 00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.500 And so then you're left with a question, what am I going to trust? 00:25:30.560 --> 00:25:35.100 Am I going to trust that Jesus is enough to meet me in the situation I'm in, or I'm going to? 00:25:35.220 --> 00:25:36.400 Am I going to follow after fear? 00:25:37.580 --> 00:25:39.180 Am I going to listen to what they say? 00:25:39.180 --> 00:25:40.300 I'm going to let them dictate it. 00:25:40.340 --> 00:25:43.700 I mean, anytime we're wrestling with the idea of fear. 00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:46.340 What we're wrestling with is the sufficiency of Christ in our life. 00:25:47.100 --> 00:25:52.080 And can I tell you, anytime we're wrestling with pride, we're wrestling with the sufficiency of Christ in our life. 00:25:53.300 --> 00:25:55.120 It's the same issue. 00:25:55.120 --> 00:25:56.730 It's just different sides of the coin. 00:25:57.620 --> 00:26:00.860 And at the center of either side of that coin is me. 00:26:01.580 --> 00:26:04.540 Because the focus on both of those things is me. 00:26:05.540 --> 00:26:13.060 When I'm despairing, when I'm walking in fear, I'm doubting the sufficiency of God, and I'm looking at myself to be sufficient and 00:26:13.060 --> 00:26:14.880 I'm feeling like I'm lacking. 00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:17.400 Can God really love me? 00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:19.140 Can God really forgive me? 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:21.340 Can God really be enough of me? 00:26:21.860 --> 00:26:23.180 That is a whole lot of you. 00:26:24.560 --> 00:26:25.350 Same thing with pride. 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:27.230 I've messed up. 00:26:27.360 --> 00:26:28.580 I've done something wrong. 00:26:28.600 --> 00:26:30.160 I've made a stupid mistake. 00:26:30.420 --> 00:26:31.180 But don't worry. 00:26:31.400 --> 00:26:34.520 I'm going to impress you now and again. 00:26:35.320 --> 00:26:36.600 That's a whole lot of me. 00:26:38.840 --> 00:26:44.390 Can I can I tell you the biblical antidote of all of that is to die to self? 00:26:45.660 --> 00:26:48.880 I mean, that's what the apostle Paul told us in Galatians chapter two, verse 20. 00:26:49.620 --> 00:26:51.160 I am crucified with Christ. 00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:54.400 Nevertheless, it's not I who live, but Christ who lives within me. 00:26:55.100 --> 00:26:59.800 And the life that I live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 00:27:01.400 --> 00:27:06.660 It's the identity of the believer that the antidote to the enemy is not try harder. 00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:07.270 It's not despair. 00:27:07.540 --> 00:27:08.730 It's not walk in fear. 00:27:09.260 --> 00:27:14.760 It's surrender yourself to the greatness of a God that can stop looking at you and start looking at him? 00:27:15.800 --> 00:27:17.240 It's humility and trust. 00:27:18.020 --> 00:27:18.610 That's the answer. 00:27:19.060 --> 00:27:24.330 And in fact, in Proverbs, the Bible tells us I'm going to find it in here in my notes. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:32.280 Proverbs chapter 29, verse 25, the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts 00:27:32.280 --> 00:27:34.580 in the Lord is safe. 00:27:35.880 --> 00:27:39.080 And what it's communicating to us is Jesus is enough. 00:27:39.080 --> 00:27:46.080 But until we see him as that ultimate prize, we'll never discover the freedom that we were intended to find in 00:27:46.080 --> 00:27:46.640 Christ. 00:27:46.820 --> 00:27:53.840 We'll read about stories of the beast, and if we're not lured by it in pride to make idols, we'll walk in it in fear, because we're 00:27:53.840 --> 00:27:55.510 worried about what other people will think. 00:27:56.720 --> 00:28:03.800 And in either case, the answer is to look beyond yourself at the greatness of who God is and to realize as people, we all 00:28:03.800 --> 00:28:04.880 have weakness. 00:28:05.180 --> 00:28:06.260 That's point number two. 00:28:06.260 --> 00:28:07.300 I should probably get back to that. 00:28:07.360 --> 00:28:08.940 We all have weakness, right? 00:28:09.940 --> 00:28:17.140 And so I need godly community to continue to remind me of the significance of Jesus so that I can put things into perspective, because the 00:28:17.140 --> 00:28:22.880 things that God made in this world are certainly good, but they're not an end of themselves. 00:28:24.940 --> 00:28:28.130 They're intended to point to a greater hope, the giver of all good things. 00:28:30.520 --> 00:28:34.120 And so recognize deception, right? 00:28:34.120 --> 00:28:36.600 Acknowledge your weakness. 00:28:37.840 --> 00:28:44.860 And it says here in this verse, verse eight, it told us, it told us this phrase twice, but at the very end of this verse, because it was and is 00:28:44.860 --> 00:28:48.140 not and is to come, and it carries this idea. 00:28:48.140 --> 00:28:49.540 I think there's a couple of things happening here. 00:28:49.680 --> 00:28:54.390 One is in the first century there was a leader named Nero. 00:28:54.720 --> 00:28:55.420 He was emperor. 00:28:55.540 --> 00:28:56.890 He was a persecutor of Christians. 00:28:57.460 --> 00:29:00.300 He was a terrible individual to he was a terrible individual in general. 00:29:00.520 --> 00:29:01.560 Killed his own mom at one point. 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:06.590 But he was also terrible, especially to Christians persecuting them. 00:29:06.940 --> 00:29:09.590 And he there was a moment in history he died. 00:29:09.860 --> 00:29:10.100 He. 00:29:10.120 --> 00:29:17.140 And when he died, there came this legend out of Nero, his story that people began to say, well, maybe he didn't die, and maybe he's actually 00:29:17.140 --> 00:29:20.000 going to come back, or maybe he's going to be resurrected and returned. 00:29:20.020 --> 00:29:24.610 There was this legend that developed over Nero, and people were worried that he was going to return. 00:29:24.740 --> 00:29:29.000 But even if Nero himself didn't return, the people knew that one like Nero would. 00:29:30.260 --> 00:29:37.260 And so for us, there's this understanding of, look, just because you think you've mastered something in your life doesn't 00:29:37.260 --> 00:29:39.160 mean that temptation won't return. 00:29:40.280 --> 00:29:46.800 That we are susceptible as people to always be lured by this dragon and woman who rides it. 00:29:46.860 --> 00:29:47.560 What she represents. 00:29:48.780 --> 00:29:51.710 And so community becomes essential for us and all of that. 00:29:51.780 --> 00:29:58.840 So that point number three, we can do this, choose wisdom and live for what 00:29:58.840 --> 00:29:59.440 lasts. 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:07.430 Choose wisdom and live for what lasts. 00:30:09.580 --> 00:30:16.680 You know, in a spiritual sense when you get to the top of the mountain, I really want there to be something there 00:30:16.680 --> 00:30:17.580 for all of us. 00:30:18.880 --> 00:30:20.880 But it's certainly not going to be the things of this world. 00:30:22.340 --> 00:30:26.260 And the things that will count for eternity are the things that belong to the Lord. 00:30:27.100 --> 00:30:29.930 That's one of the most beautiful things I think about doing ministry here in Utah. 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:32.910 And we get to build the first freeze. 00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:34.140 Well, we didn't build it from scratch. 00:30:34.660 --> 00:30:42.160 We got to have the first freestanding church in Lehi from a biblical Bible teaching church and 00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:43.280 biblical Christianity. 00:30:44.220 --> 00:30:46.460 I think what an important place to be. 00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:54.500 What an important opportunity to be a part of this and to participate in a way that we get to leave a legacy 00:30:54.500 --> 00:30:56.080 that endures us. 00:30:56.880 --> 00:30:57.590 And that's incredible. 00:30:58.460 --> 00:31:01.720 Lives can be transformed for eternity long after we're gone. 00:31:02.680 --> 00:31:09.880 If God's people would just remain faithful and for us, it's this idea of choosing wisdom. 00:31:09.880 --> 00:31:11.540 And John says it like this. 00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:14.740 This calls for a mind with wisdom. 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:20.850 The idea of wisdom for us, we got to understand, ultimately comes from the Lord. 00:31:21.660 --> 00:31:24.460 Jesus himself is the wisdom that we seek. 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:32.880 And in fact, in first Corinthians chapter one, verse 30, it says, Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God, 00:31:33.080 --> 00:31:35.620 righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 00:31:37.060 --> 00:31:43.140 So he's saying, look, if you want to find wisdom, look to Jesus, because he's your righteousness, your sanctification, your redemption. 00:31:43.900 --> 00:31:50.890 He's what puts you in the place of righteousness before God on the right path, being set apart for the Lord, being redeemed from the brokenness of life. 00:31:51.080 --> 00:31:52.010 It's Christ alone. 00:31:52.060 --> 00:31:54.560 Who is that place of wisdom for all of us? 00:31:54.560 --> 00:31:56.280 He is that prize. 00:31:57.320 --> 00:31:58.690 And so John is reminding this. 00:31:58.980 --> 00:32:02.920 This calls for a mind of wisdom, knowing that there's deception in this world. 00:32:03.480 --> 00:32:10.680 And wisdom is more than just simply knowing what's true, but learning how to appropriately live it out in a broken world. 00:32:11.380 --> 00:32:16.780 James one five says, if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives it to us liberally. 00:32:17.880 --> 00:32:24.740 You know, I think what's important to understand with James one five is some people have a misunderstanding of what James is saying. 00:32:24.820 --> 00:32:30.740 Some people think that when you read James one five, James is telling the Christians, if you don't know what's true, pray and ask God what's true. 00:32:31.120 --> 00:32:34.100 The problem with that is James never uses the word truth. 00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:35.640 He says wisdom. 00:32:36.280 --> 00:32:37.300 If any of you lack wisdom. 00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:41.240 If you read the book of James, you find out that Christians in that story are being persecuted. 00:32:42.740 --> 00:32:45.200 And they're not arguing over what's true. 00:32:45.300 --> 00:32:46.860 They already know what's true. 00:32:47.540 --> 00:32:54.560 What they're asking is, God, how do we take the truth you've given us and learn how to apply it in the life around us, because things right now seem 00:32:54.560 --> 00:32:55.000 hard. 00:32:56.000 --> 00:32:59.040 And so they're saying, if you lack wisdom, ask God. 00:32:59.040 --> 00:32:59.940 Seek God. 00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:06.400 God's desire is to impart his wisdom to you so that you can learn to honor him in anything that you're doing in life. 00:33:07.380 --> 00:33:11.520 And this is what we're reminded of in Revelation chapter 17, verse verse nine. 00:33:11.520 --> 00:33:18.780 This calls for a mind of wisdom, not just truth, but truth being 00:33:18.780 --> 00:33:19.720 lived out. 00:33:19.800 --> 00:33:21.180 Proverbs 910 says it like this. 00:33:21.180 --> 00:33:23.560 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 00:33:24.280 --> 00:33:31.480 It's not being afraid of God, but really having this true reverence of who God is, understanding the weight of his glory, 00:33:31.640 --> 00:33:34.580 his worth, his value over and above anything else. 00:33:34.580 --> 00:33:36.300 Matthew seven verse 24. 00:33:36.300 --> 00:33:43.540 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who builds his house on the rocks. 00:33:45.060 --> 00:33:52.200 He goes on and explains to us in verse 9 to 13, we're not going to have time to read this, but the images that he talks 00:33:52.200 --> 00:34:00.340 about, what they all represent, so that in verse 14 he goes on and says this, they will make war on the lamb, and 00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:04.260 look at this, and the lamb will conquer them. 00:34:05.820 --> 00:34:13.020 For he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen 00:34:13.020 --> 00:34:14.179 and faithful. 00:34:16.500 --> 00:34:23.920 He's reminding us that even when things get hard, don't forget who has the ultimate victory. 00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:28.520 Don't lose sight from where true wisdom comes. 00:34:28.600 --> 00:34:30.500 In fact, this isn't on your screen. 00:34:30.679 --> 00:34:37.699 But if you were to read further in Revelation verse 15, he goes on and says, and the angel said to me, the waters that you saw where the prostitute is seated 00:34:37.699 --> 00:34:40.889 are peoples and multitudes, and nations and languages. 00:34:41.239 --> 00:34:44.600 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. 00:34:45.260 --> 00:34:50.760 They will make her desolate and naked and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire. 00:34:51.060 --> 00:34:58.100 And verse 17, For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind, and handing over their royal power 00:34:58.100 --> 00:35:01.010 to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 00:35:02.240 --> 00:35:04.480 Let me just say these last couple of verses here. 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:06.480 Verse 16 and 17 is saying this. 00:35:07.100 --> 00:35:13.400 Verse 16 is saying, as this beast has built this system and people have given themselves over to it, eventually they all turn on themselves. 00:35:14.140 --> 00:35:15.980 They turn on one another and devour one another. 00:35:16.660 --> 00:35:19.330 Because the way that system is set up is just self-made pleasure. 00:35:20.660 --> 00:35:24.820 And when you realize the things you've been pursuing for your own glory aren't satisfied, you. 00:35:25.140 --> 00:35:26.210 You turn and blame others. 00:35:27.080 --> 00:35:32.320 Everyone's just living in their emotion and they're pointing the finger at each other as to who's to blame. 00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:33.840 And they just destroy each other. 00:35:33.900 --> 00:35:36.180 That's the demise of that world system. 00:35:36.180 --> 00:35:40.630 Living for your self-made glory and making idols out of things in this world God never intended. 00:35:42.020 --> 00:35:49.120 But then it reminds you in verse 17, For God has put into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and 00:35:49.120 --> 00:35:51.100 handing over their royal power to the beast. 00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:59.980 What it's reminding us of here, in the end, is the sovereignty of God in all things that he is in control, even 00:35:59.980 --> 00:36:07.470 when the world may not feel like it, that he is in control, and he will use his authority to produce the end that he desires. 00:36:08.640 --> 00:36:15.760 So that when we come to a moment where we might be fearful and think about trusting in that fear, we turn to 00:36:15.760 --> 00:36:22.800 the one who is the true wisdom, who will bring about the desired ending that he seeks to accomplish. 00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:25.340 As we'll see here at the end of Revelation, when we get to it. 00:36:26.740 --> 00:36:31.560 But learning to praise God is the source for all of us. 00:36:31.620 --> 00:36:37.430 And if I close with this idea, this is an image of the great philosopher Socrates. 00:36:38.340 --> 00:36:45.550 And there's a story of Socrates, where a young man came to him once and said, Socrates, I want you to teach me your wisdom. 00:36:46.240 --> 00:36:52.240 And immediately, without responding, Socrates started to walk out of the city, and the young man began to follow him. 00:36:52.240 --> 00:36:59.380 And Socrates went to the countryside, and off to the side of the to the seashore, and this young man continued to follow him 00:36:59.380 --> 00:37:00.840 without saying a word and without stopping. 00:37:01.220 --> 00:37:08.220 Socrates just continued into the water, and finally, when he got about waist deep, he finally stopped, and he turned back to the young man who was still with him and 00:37:08.220 --> 00:37:09.360 said, now what do you want? 00:37:09.820 --> 00:37:12.420 And the young man said, I want wisdom, give me wisdom. 00:37:13.180 --> 00:37:18.500 And so Socrates grabbed the young man, and he just threw him underwater, and he held him under for about 15 seconds. 00:37:18.660 --> 00:37:21.530 And finally he let the young man up and he said, okay, what do you want? 00:37:21.900 --> 00:37:23.760 And the young man said, I want wisdom. 00:37:23.960 --> 00:37:31.040 And Socrates grabs the young man again, and he throws him under the water, and he holds him there for about 30s and he lets him back up and he says, tell me again, what 00:37:31.040 --> 00:37:31.810 is it you want? 00:37:32.080 --> 00:37:35.050 And the young man says, give me wisdom, Socrates, I want wisdom. 00:37:35.140 --> 00:37:39.840 And finally Socrates took him, and he threw him under the water, and he held him under the water for over a minute. 00:37:39.840 --> 00:37:41.240 So that young man started to panic. 00:37:41.540 --> 00:37:44.470 And finally Socrates let him up and he said, okay, what do you want? 00:37:44.740 --> 00:37:47.560 And the young man said, air, I just need air. 00:37:48.300 --> 00:37:55.100 And Socrates looked at him and said, when you long for wisdom, the way you long for that air. 00:37:55.800 --> 00:37:56.960 You'll find the wisdom you seek. 00:37:58.540 --> 00:38:07.080 And guys, can I tell you in a in a more biblical sense, when you see Jesus as that true prize, you'll 00:38:07.080 --> 00:38:10.780 discover the path, the life that you need in him. 00:38:12.600 --> 00:38:19.620 The things of this world are good, but they are never intended to take the place of God, but rather 00:38:19.620 --> 00:38:22.160 to be viewed in light of the greatness of who he is. 00:38:23.380 --> 00:38:30.780 And it's not until we're willing to pull back the blinders of our own eyes and deception, to acknowledge our weakness and 00:38:30.780 --> 00:38:37.320 giving over to those things, and truly seek the wisdom that is only from the Lord that we're able to discover it. 00:38:37.500 --> 00:38:41.180 But when we're willing, we get to walk in the newness of life.