Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Decoding Apocalyptic
Prophecy with James Rafferty.
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Good morning and welcome.
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And we'd like to welcome all
of our friends around the world,
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as well as those of
you here that come locally.
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And some of you have
traveled a while to be here.
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Thank you for joining
us for Anchors Of Truth.
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How many have been blessed by
brother James Rafferty already?
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Okay, a lot of you.
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If we could see the
hands of those at home,
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I have a feeling
there'd be thousands, maybe
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hundreds of thousands.
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And I was talking to
him a little bit before we
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came out here and I asked
him, "How long have you been
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coming back to 3ABN?"
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It's been about 20 years.
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I heard of him before that.
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I heard about
these two young men.
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It seemed like they
were barely 20 years old
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that had a burden for the gospel
and were on fire for Jesus,
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and began to preach all around.
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And then I think it was an ASI
around 1992 or so that we met.
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And they've been coming here,
Ty Gibson and James Rafferty,
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for a long time.
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Today, welcome
to Anchors Of Truth.
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And I was thinking about
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Today, the topic is on Babylon.
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And as Christians,
we're commissioned to go
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tell the world, right?
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We're not suppose to
have a secret society.
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There's all these secret
societies around the world.
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But we don't have a
secret society, do we.
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Jesus says, "Go ye
into all the world.
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Preach the gospel to
every nation, kindred,
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tongue, and people."
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They asked a
government leader some time.
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I forgot who it was,
but I remember hearing this.
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They asked him,
"What do you do?"
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They heard he had this
job that's pretty secretive
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and said, "What do you do?"
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And he said, "Well
to tell you the truth,
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my job is so secretive, I
don't know what I'm doing."
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Hello, somebody get that?
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The job is so
secretive, he doesn't even
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know what he's doing.
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Well that's not the way
it is with Christians, is it.
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Our job, God has said,
"Go ye into all the world."
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The greatest asset that we have
is our own personal testimony
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of what God has done for us.
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So I encourage each
and every one of you today,
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those of you watching at
home from around the world,
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listening by radio...
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I have to say that,
Jay Christian is here.
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So I want to make
sure I put in radio, Jay.
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Radio, internet,
however you're watching 3ABN,
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listening to 3ABN.
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...to develop a
personal relationship
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with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Nothing like it.
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"Great peace have
they which love Thy law,
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and nothing shall offend them."
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And we live in turbulent times.
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But right now, we
can have a great peace
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in the midst of the storm.
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What I'd like to do, I'd
like to say a little prayer.
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We're inviting,
we've already done so here,
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the anointing of the
Holy Spirit upon this program.
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And then we're going
to have Dr. Yvonne Lewis.
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And Dr. Yvonne Lewis is
going to be doing some music.
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But let's bow our
heads together right now.
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Father, we thank You for
another beautiful Sabbath day
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that You've given
us to worship You.
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We thank You for life
and health and strength.
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We thank You for the
opportunity of being here today.
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We invite Your Holy Spirit to be
in our midst, to rule and reign.
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That You would give
brother James Rafferty words of
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wisdom from on high.
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Lord, we thank You for
Light Bearers, for what
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they have been doing.
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Millions and millions
of pamphlets and brochures
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and booklets giving Your gospel
message into all the world,
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and personally traveling around
the world preaching and teaching
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others about You
and Your soon coming.
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We pray for anointing
upon James, upon his ministry,
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upon Ty, upon
their families today;
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protective hedge about
them as they endeavor to take
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this gospel into all the world.
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Thank you for this
Anchors Of Truth series,
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that we can
continually put out good news
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to a lost and dying world.
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These things we ask and
pray in Jesus' name, amen.
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I'd like to
invite Dr. Yvonne Lewis.
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She's going to be singing a
beautiful song, He Still Leads.
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And right after this,
the next voice you'll hear
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will be brother James Rafferty.
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Though trials and
tears have come my way,
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when I have
failed or I have strayed,
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my heart can hope,
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for I believe
that He still leads.
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He leadeth me.
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When daylight
fades and life is dark,
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when night is
long and faith is hard,
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I trust in Him
though I can't see,
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for He still leads.
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He leadeth me.
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He still leads with
hands extending grace.
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He still leads with
mercies new each day.
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Whatever comes
my soul He'll keep,
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for He still leads.
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He leadeth me.
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And when I stand
on Jordan's shore,
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when death is
near and life is over,
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I will not fear
though water is deep,
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for He still leads.
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He leadeth me.
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He still leads with
hands extending grace.
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He still leads with
mercies new each day.
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Whatever comes
my soul He'll keep,
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for He still leads.
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He leadeth me.
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He leadeth me, He leadeth me.
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By His own hands He leadeth me.
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He faithful follower I would be,
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for by His hand He leadeth me.
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By His saving
grace He still leads.
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Know each day whatever comes,
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my soul He'll keep.
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For Jesus leads.
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He leadeth me.
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Oh Jesus leads, He leadeth me.
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Amen.
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Thank you, Yvonne.
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That has been the theme of our
series all through this week.
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Hasn't it?
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He leadeth me.
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Anywhere with
Jesus I can safely go.
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So the whole idea is
that we need to find Jesus.
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And of course, we're
in the book of Revelation.
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So it's vital for us to
find Jesus there because that
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can be a very scary
place without Jesus.
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A lot of us have
gone there without Jesus.
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A lot of people have
gone to the book of Revelation
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without Jesus.
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But we've decided that
we're going to turn around and
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go back to Revelation
chapter 1, find Jesus,
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before we venture
into the rest of the book.
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And that's what we've
been doing night by night.
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We've been looking for
Jesus so that we can identify
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and understand the rest
of the book of Revelation.
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This morning, we're going
to be talking about Babylon.
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And this topic is no
exception to the foundation
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that we've laid, the
principle that we've laid,
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in looking for Jesus first.
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The only way that we
can really identify Babylon
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is if we find Jesus.
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The only way that Babylon
can even be felled in our lives,
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that is, destroyed,
terminated, decimated,
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is when we come in contact
with Jesus Christ, who is
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the everlasting gospel.
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Revelation chapter 14
makes this very, very clear.
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If you want to open your
Bibles there this morning
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to Revelation 14.
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We talked about this
a little bit last night.
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But for those of you
who were playing hooky...
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...we'll review.
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I know you weren't really.
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You were all
watching at home, right?
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Yes, good.
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So you know what we're
going to say right here.
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You know it is, the
point that we're going to make.
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And that is that Revelation 14
gives us an outline of the steps
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that we are to take as we
proclaim the everlasting gospel.
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The outline being this.
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Revelation 14:6, "I saw another
angel fly in the midst of heaven
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having the everlasting
gospel to preach unto them that
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dwell on the earth, and
to every nation, kindred,
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tongue, and people."
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The gospel comes first.
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The gospel comes first.
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Jesus first.
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Now the first angel may
say to the second angel,
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"You go ahead and you go first.
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I'm a gentleman,
I'll let you go first."
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But the second angel
insists, "No, no, no, no, no.
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I cannot go before you.
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Because my announcement
is, 'Babylon is fallen.'
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And there is no way that
Babylon can completely fall
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unless you proclaim the
gospel with a loud voice."
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Babylon is
identified in many ways.
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Probably more ways than
we can even articulate today.
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It is so intricately
involved and intertwined
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in everything we do.
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In fact, Revelation chapter 18
identifies Babylon as this world
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and everything in this world.
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That there is no way
that we could have enough time
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to go through all of
the symbols and facts
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that identify
Babylon in our lives.
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That is why the Word of God
tells us, "Focus on the gospel."
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The more you become familiar
with the gospel of Jesus Christ,
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the more clearly Babylon will
be identified and destroyed.
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Keep your focus on Jesus.
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And you will find Babylon
is not only out there in some
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other denomination or
in some worldly enterprise,
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but Babylon is the very
core center of the human heart.
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And you will find that the
only thing that can help us
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on that level is Jesus.
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Babylon, I think, can
be defined in many ways.
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One of the best
ways that I define it
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is in the original language.
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And that is, confusion.
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That's also taken
from the tower of Babel.
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Confusion concerning the
gospel, the everlasting gospel.
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Confusion concerning religion.
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You see it in the
context of the message itself.
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Babylon is confusion.
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Many times, my
wife and I will get into
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a little bit of confusion.
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She tells me I'm
losing my hearing.
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I think it might be
selective. I don't know.
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But the fact of the matter is,
there are times when she will
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tell me something
and I will not hear her.
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And I will be confused.
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Babylon represents confusion
concerning what we are hearing
00:13:19.67\00:13:24.08
about God and the
gospel, about salvation.
00:13:24.11\00:13:27.42
Notice what it says
here in this context.
00:13:28.53\00:13:30.45
Verse 8, "Another angel followed
saying, 'Babylon is fallen,
00:13:30.48\00:13:33.76
is fallen, that great city,
because she made all nations
00:13:33.79\00:13:36.37
drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication.'"
00:13:36.40\00:13:40.80
Wine in the Bible represents,
well, primarily it represents
00:13:40.83\00:13:44.63
the blood of Jesus Christ.
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"This is the wine of My blood."
00:13:46.38\00:13:47.75
It's the gospel, it's salvation.
00:13:47.78\00:13:49.23
But there's fornication
that's being mingled here.
00:13:49.26\00:13:52.91
Fornicating wine here in
Revelation chapter 14 verse 8.
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Babylon has mingled
salvation with other things.
00:13:56.82\00:14:00.37
And there's
confusion about salvation
00:14:00.53\00:14:02.61
in relation to Babylon
and what it's teaching.
00:14:03.27\00:14:05.48
There's a lot of religious
confusion in the world today.
00:14:05.51\00:14:08.97
And I could stand here all
morning and try to give you
00:14:09.00\00:14:12.45
examples of that
religious confusion,
00:14:12.48\00:14:15.21
but it would not
help us for two reasons.
00:14:15.24\00:14:19.38
One, it would only cause us
to look at those examples as
00:14:19.41\00:14:23.21
Babylon and miss
Babylon in our own hearts.
00:14:23.24\00:14:25.75
Two, it would fall
short of a complete picture.
00:14:25.78\00:14:29.31
Therefore, even
though we're talking about
00:14:30.11\00:14:33.65
Babylon, we're actually talking
about the everlasting gospel.
00:14:34.11\00:14:38.63
Because the only way
we can identify Babylon
00:14:39.44\00:14:41.35
is to lift up Jesus and
lift up the everlasting gospel.
00:14:41.38\00:14:44.48
So really this
morning's meeting is,
00:14:45.08\00:14:47.03
The Everlasting Gospel, part 2.
00:14:47.38\00:14:49.21
Surprise.
00:14:50.28\00:14:51.65
Jesus tells us that this
Babylon is going to fall.
00:14:53.13\00:14:56.33
Now that word "fall"
means, to come to an end.
00:14:56.36\00:14:58.72
This Babylon is going to fall
when the gospel is preached.
00:14:58.93\00:15:01.78
Look in Matthew chapter 24.
00:15:01.81\00:15:03.88
This is one of
those prophetic chapters
00:15:04.18\00:15:07.41
found in the synoptic gospels.
00:15:07.44\00:15:09.18
Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke
21 are all prophetic chapters.
00:15:09.21\00:15:13.55
They all parallel
the book of Revelation
00:15:13.58\00:15:16.06
as well as the book of Daniel.
00:15:16.09\00:15:17.74
Matthew 24, Jesus
talks about all these signs
00:15:18.44\00:15:20.84
that are going to take
place before His return.
00:15:20.87\00:15:22.88
And we are
familiar with a lot of them.
00:15:22.91\00:15:24.60
There's going to be
wars and rumors of wars.
00:15:24.63\00:15:26.36
Yes, there are
wars and rumors of wars.
00:15:26.39\00:15:28.60
There's going to
be earthquakes and
00:15:28.63\00:15:30.00
natural disasters
in different places.
00:15:30.03\00:15:31.40
There's going to be
famine and pestilence.
00:15:31.43\00:15:33.48
We see all of this
taking place today.
00:15:33.51\00:15:35.81
It's been taking
place for many, many years.
00:15:35.84\00:15:37.71
Jesus said it was
going to escalate like a
00:15:37.74\00:15:39.85
woman in birth pangs.
00:15:39.88\00:15:41.25
I know how that is.
00:15:41.28\00:15:42.65
I remember when
my wife gave birth
00:15:42.68\00:15:44.05
to our daughter, specifically.
00:15:44.08\00:15:45.70
Our son was, well, his
labor was about 31 hours.
00:15:47.00\00:15:51.27
He was born first,
he was our firstborn.
00:15:51.30\00:15:53.48
Our daughter, well
we thought it would be
00:15:53.71\00:15:55.67
at least half that time.
00:15:55.70\00:15:57.23
But, well she was born,
from the time my wife started
00:15:57.26\00:16:00.46
having birth pangs
until she was delivered;
00:16:00.49\00:16:02.53
2 hours and about 15 minutes.
00:16:02.56\00:16:04.62
The problem was, we
were about an hour and a half
00:16:04.82\00:16:07.40
from the hospital and it
was January in mid winter.
00:16:07.43\00:16:10.60
And we didn't leave until about
an hour before she was born.
00:16:10.63\00:16:15.30
Because we thought we had time.
00:16:15.89\00:16:17.26
So my wife was in the
back seat having birth pangs.
00:16:17.93\00:16:20.25
And I was driving.
00:16:20.28\00:16:21.92
I was having my
own kind of pangs.
00:16:21.95\00:16:23.88
And those pangs got more
intense and more frequent
00:16:23.91\00:16:26.20
until finally my
wife said, "Pull over.
00:16:26.23\00:16:27.95
I'm having this baby here."
00:16:27.98\00:16:29.44
And I looked around and I
said, "I'm not pulling over.
00:16:29.47\00:16:31.24
We're almost
there, we're almost there.
00:16:31.27\00:16:32.64
We're almost there."
00:16:32.67\00:16:34.04
I was hyperventilating by
the time we got to the hospital.
00:16:34.07\00:16:36.25
My knuckles, my hands were like
this in steering wheel position.
00:16:36.28\00:16:39.58
I pulled them off the
steering wheel and hammered
00:16:39.61\00:16:41.95
on the door of the hospital.
00:16:41.98\00:16:43.35
They wouldn't let me in...
00:16:43.38\00:16:44.75
...until they got a call
identifying who I was and
00:16:44.81\00:16:47.53
who was in the car with me.
00:16:47.56\00:16:48.93
Our daughter was born five
minutes after we got there.
00:16:48.96\00:16:51.32
Birth pangs increase
with intensity and frequency
00:16:52.26\00:16:55.29
until finally
something is delivered.
00:16:55.32\00:16:58.31
In this case, the something
is going to be a uniting of
00:16:58.34\00:17:01.37
all nations to afflict God's
people for God's name sake;
00:17:01.40\00:17:04.57
Matthew 24 and verse 9.
00:17:05.07\00:17:08.67
In that context, when
all the nations hate you
00:17:09.29\00:17:12.58
because you love Jesus,
when all the nations unite
00:17:12.61\00:17:16.05
together to do
something about the calamities,
00:17:16.08\00:17:18.67
the global warming
and the natural disasters
00:17:18.70\00:17:22.17
and the wars and the
famines and the pestilences,
00:17:22.20\00:17:23.71
when all nations comes together
to do something about that,
00:17:23.74\00:17:26.48
and you stick out like a
sore thumb because you know
00:17:26.51\00:17:28.84
the answer isn't in what
we can do but what He can do,
00:17:28.87\00:17:31.31
not what we can solve
but what He can solve,
00:17:32.05\00:17:35.33
that you're
pointing to Jesus rather than
00:17:35.87\00:17:37.57
to people and politics,
00:17:37.60\00:17:39.47
then people aren't
going to like you very much.
00:17:40.15\00:17:41.76
They're going to think
you're against the movements,
00:17:41.79\00:17:43.67
you're against the unity.
00:17:43.70\00:17:45.85
And you're going to be hated.
00:17:47.01\00:17:48.38
In that climate, the
gospel is going to be
00:17:48.55\00:17:51.40
preached as a witness.
00:17:51.43\00:17:53.17
That's what Jesus says
in verse 14 of Matthew 24.
00:17:53.38\00:17:55.75
He says, "And this gospel
of the kingdom will be preached
00:17:55.78\00:17:58.59
to all the world for a
witness unto all nations."
00:17:58.62\00:18:02.73
That word
original; martyr, martyrdom.
00:18:02.76\00:18:05.56
We're not going to
love our lives unto death.
00:18:06.33\00:18:07.90
We talked about that last
night in Revelation 12 verse 11.
00:18:07.93\00:18:11.58
Only God can give
us that kind of love.
00:18:12.42\00:18:14.61
That self-sacrificing love
that was manifested in the heart
00:18:14.64\00:18:18.60
and life of Jesus Christ.
00:18:18.63\00:18:20.00
It comes as we
see God's love for us.
00:18:20.03\00:18:22.19
And it says that then,
verse 14, "the end will come."
00:18:22.22\00:18:27.54
The end of what?
The end of Babylon.
00:18:28.20\00:18:30.18
The end of this world.
00:18:30.38\00:18:31.75
Revelation chapter
18, it's going to fall,
00:18:32.07\00:18:33.97
it's going to
fall, it's going to fall.
00:18:34.00\00:18:35.37
Why? Look in
Revelation chapter 18.
00:18:35.40\00:18:36.77
You're going to see
the very same thing.
00:18:36.80\00:18:38.52
And I want you to think
about what the key element is
00:18:38.55\00:18:41.10
in each one of these
verses that we've looked at.
00:18:41.13\00:18:44.08
Matthew 24,
there's a key point there.
00:18:44.11\00:18:46.53
Revelation 14,
there's a key point there.
00:18:46.56\00:18:48.85
Revelation 18,
there's a key point there.
00:18:48.88\00:18:50.73
Revelation 18
beginning with verse 1.
00:18:50.95\00:18:53.09
Are you with me?
00:18:54.52\00:18:55.89
Trying to keep you
awake this morning.
00:18:56.63\00:18:58.12
I know there's a lot of
flu and sickness going around.
00:18:58.89\00:19:01.00
I know you've been in
bed all week, some of you,
00:19:01.03\00:19:02.94
fighting that sickness and flu.
00:19:03.48\00:19:05.24
But it's time to wake up.
00:19:05.71\00:19:07.23
We're in the Word this morning.
00:19:09.26\00:19:10.94
Praise God for His Word.
00:19:12.04\00:19:13.58
It's powerful.
00:19:13.61\00:19:14.98
It is able to wake us up.
00:19:15.29\00:19:17.34
"After these things I
saw another angel come down
00:19:17.82\00:19:20.79
from heaven, having great power;
and the earth was lightened
00:19:20.82\00:19:25.66
with his glory."
00:19:25.69\00:19:27.06
Whose glory is that?
00:19:27.09\00:19:28.46
It's the glory of God.
00:19:28.86\00:19:30.23
And the glory of God
is the everlasting gospel.
00:19:30.26\00:19:31.79
The gospel is lightening
the earth with the glory of God.
00:19:32.92\00:19:35.80
The gospel is illuminating
the minds and hearts
00:19:35.83\00:19:38.78
of the entire world population.
00:19:38.81\00:19:41.30
That's the same thing we
see taking place in Matthew 24.
00:19:41.33\00:19:44.15
This gospel will go as
a witness to all nations.
00:19:44.18\00:19:46.92
The same thing we see happening
in Revelation chapter 14.
00:19:46.95\00:19:49.95
The everlasting gospel
preached to every nation,
00:19:49.98\00:19:52.34
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:19:52.37\00:19:53.74
In the context of that,
as a consequence of that,
00:19:53.77\00:19:57.43
Babylon falls.
00:19:57.46\00:19:58.83
Notice what it says here in
Revelation chapter 18 verse 4.
00:19:58.94\00:20:01.72
"And I heard another
voice from heaven saying,
00:20:01.75\00:20:03.80
'Come out of her, my people.'"
00:20:03.83\00:20:05.51
Well, I've gone a
little bit too far here.
00:20:06.74\00:20:08.45
Verse 2, "And he cried mightily
with a strong voice saying,
00:20:08.48\00:20:11.08
'Babylon the great
is fallen, is fallen.'"
00:20:11.11\00:20:13.80
Now I like the way that's termed
there in Revelation 18 verse 2.
00:20:14.92\00:20:20.22
It says, "Babylon the..." What?
00:20:20.50\00:20:22.28
"...the great."
00:20:22.90\00:20:24.27
And if you don't know
that, it's time to wake up
00:20:24.33\00:20:26.30
and smell the roses.
00:20:26.33\00:20:27.70
Babylon is great in this sense,
that it is taking a hold of
00:20:27.73\00:20:31.60
and seeking to crush the
life out of every one of us
00:20:31.63\00:20:35.01
individually, and
the church corporately.
00:20:35.41\00:20:37.82
It is a great
insurmountable power
00:20:37.85\00:20:41.59
that inundates our
lives and our hearts.
00:20:42.71\00:20:45.26
But guess what.
00:20:45.82\00:20:47.19
God can bring it down.
00:20:48.00\00:20:49.37
God can bring it down.
00:20:50.01\00:20:52.99
How is He going to do that?
00:20:53.33\00:20:54.70
Well, it's going
to be the gospel.
00:20:54.73\00:20:57.33
And it's going to be
preached, Revelation 14,
00:20:57.93\00:21:00.45
with a loud voice.
00:21:01.60\00:21:03.14
Praise God for the gospel.
00:21:03.48\00:21:04.86
Praise God for Jesus.
00:21:05.23\00:21:06.60
Notice what it says here.
00:21:06.63\00:21:08.00
"I saw another angel fly in
the midst of heaven, having the
00:21:08.03\00:21:10.07
everlasting gospel
to preach unto them...
00:21:10.10\00:21:12.18
...to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people."
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.21
Verse 7, "Saying
with a loud voice..."
00:21:15.51\00:21:18.26
That's what my wife
has to do sometimes.
00:21:18.29\00:21:19.98
I'm just not hearing
well, and so she'll have to
00:21:20.01\00:21:22.12
say it with a loud voice.
00:21:22.15\00:21:24.39
And then I get it. It's clear.
00:21:24.42\00:21:26.91
Loud doesn't mean yelling.
00:21:27.17\00:21:28.54
It just means that it's clear.
00:21:28.57\00:21:29.94
The gospel is clear.
00:21:29.97\00:21:31.34
So what is the
gospel clearly saying to us?
00:21:33.22\00:21:36.86
Well the gospel, in essence,
is a revelation of God's
00:21:37.26\00:21:40.34
unconditional love.
00:21:40.37\00:21:42.54
There are
people, Christian people,
00:21:43.02\00:21:45.41
who are confused about
God's unconditional love.
00:21:46.41\00:21:49.16
They think that God
loves a certain group of us,
00:21:49.92\00:21:53.08
namely believers,
that God has given His life
00:21:53.11\00:21:56.40
for a certain group of
us, namely for those who have
00:21:56.43\00:21:58.36
responded to that, that
God is the Savior of a certain
00:21:58.39\00:22:01.55
group of us, that God has given
faith to a certain group of us.
00:22:01.58\00:22:06.50
But I don't find a
text in the Bible that says,
00:22:07.09\00:22:10.17
"For God so loved Christians
00:22:10.20\00:22:12.94
that He gave His
only begotten Son."
00:22:12.97\00:22:14.65
Or that, "God so
loved Baptists or Adventists
00:22:15.18\00:22:21.03
that He gave His
only begotten Son."
00:22:21.06\00:22:22.72
The verse that I'm thinking of
in John chapter 3 and verse 16
00:22:23.11\00:22:26.60
says, "God so loved the world
00:22:26.63\00:22:29.90
that He gave His
only begotten Son."
00:22:29.93\00:22:31.42
Well there's a clear
declaration of the gospel.
00:22:31.45\00:22:33.68
"God loves the
world so that whosoever
00:22:33.71\00:22:37.02
believes in Him..."
00:22:37.51\00:22:38.88
God has not predestined
certain people to be saved
00:22:39.27\00:22:42.44
and certain people to be lost.
00:22:42.47\00:22:44.07
Which, by the way,
addition to that means,
00:22:44.36\00:22:46.70
in some people's
minds, burn in hell forever.
00:22:46.73\00:22:49.12
God has predestined certain
people to burn in hell forever.
00:22:50.18\00:22:52.38
See, that confusion about
God is going to be decimated
00:22:52.85\00:22:58.03
by the everlasting gospel.
00:22:58.06\00:22:59.49
"God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son."
00:22:59.99\00:23:02.21
The whole world is included
in this unconditional love.
00:23:02.47\00:23:06.07
Jesus Christ...
00:23:06.17\00:23:07.54
Well let's just take a
look at the verses here.
00:23:07.57\00:23:09.42
The next one is found in 1
Timothy chapter 4 verse 10.
00:23:10.26\00:23:17.61
1 Timothy
chapter 4 and verse 10.
00:23:18.80\00:23:21.31
Jesus Christ wants the
world to know about His love
00:23:24.11\00:23:28.39
for every single person.
00:23:28.42\00:23:30.16
Jesus Christ
wants the world to know.
00:23:30.91\00:23:32.85
1 Timothy
chapter 4 and verse 10.
00:23:32.88\00:23:36.05
Are you with me?
00:23:36.15\00:23:37.52
You there?
00:23:37.78\00:23:39.15
I'll give you as
much time as you need.
00:23:39.18\00:23:40.55
No, just kidding.
00:23:40.58\00:23:41.95
"For therefore we both
labour and suffer reproach,
00:23:42.80\00:23:46.24
because we trust
in the living God,
00:23:46.27\00:23:49.85
who is the Saviour of all men,
00:23:51.09\00:23:55.11
and especially of
those that believe."
00:23:55.14\00:23:57.20
There are two
categories there, friends.
00:23:58.91\00:24:00.88
And this has to be in
the context of John 3:16.
00:24:01.35\00:24:04.41
John 3:16
interprets 1 Timothy 4:10.
00:24:04.44\00:24:07.96
God is the Savior of everyone.
00:24:08.23\00:24:10.67
And especially, in an eternal
sense, of those who believe.
00:24:11.02\00:24:13.49
There will be
people who will be lost,
00:24:13.52\00:24:15.14
who will not be saved eternally.
00:24:15.17\00:24:16.54
It's not because
God doesn't love them.
00:24:16.57\00:24:17.94
It's not because
God is not their Savior.
00:24:17.97\00:24:19.34
Are we together this morning?
00:24:21.37\00:24:22.80
The everlasting gospel
dispels predestination.
00:24:22.83\00:24:26.27
Not in a biblical sense,
because God has predestined
00:24:26.30\00:24:28.73
everyone to be saved.
00:24:28.76\00:24:30.13
God is longsuffering
to us, 2 Peter 3:9.
00:24:30.20\00:24:32.65
He doesn't want
anyone to be lost.
00:24:32.68\00:24:34.72
And therefore He
has given, Romans 12:3,
00:24:34.75\00:24:37.97
everyone a measure of faith.
00:24:38.00\00:24:39.48
Everyone.
00:24:40.42\00:24:41.79
Jesus is the author and
He is the finisher of faith.
00:24:42.71\00:24:46.79
And He hasn't left anyone out.
00:24:46.82\00:24:48.89
There isn't a long line
of people coming to Jesus
00:24:48.92\00:24:51.06
and He's doling out faith,
and He's doling out faith.
00:24:51.09\00:24:52.97
And those that get there
first get the most faith.
00:24:53.00\00:24:54.67
And those who are in
the back of the line,
00:24:54.70\00:24:56.07
"I'm sorry, I've
run out of faith."
00:24:56.10\00:24:57.47
No.
00:24:57.88\00:24:59.25
He's the man that took
the loaves and the fishes
00:24:59.72\00:25:02.20
and fed the multitudes.
00:25:02.23\00:25:03.61
And there were
still baskets left over.
00:25:03.64\00:25:06.41
There is plenty for everyone.
00:25:07.35\00:25:09.29
Revelation does not
picture Jesus standing at the
00:25:10.43\00:25:12.37
pearly gate
saying, "143,998. 143,999.
00:25:12.40\00:25:17.55
Quick, quick. Last one, quick.
00:25:17.58\00:25:18.99
You John,
144,000. Okay, that's it.
00:25:19.72\00:25:22.26
That's it. Sorry Angie."
00:25:22.29\00:25:24.00
No, no, no.
00:25:26.29\00:25:27.66
The 144,000 is a
symbolic number of the redeemed.
00:25:28.77\00:25:32.54
It represents
those who are saved.
00:25:32.57\00:25:34.54
If you want to see what
they look like and not hear,
00:25:34.57\00:25:37.44
you need to look at
the great multitude that
00:25:37.47\00:25:39.36
"no man can
number," of every nation,
00:25:39.39\00:25:44.03
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:25:44.06\00:25:45.43
God has in His
Word made it very clear
00:25:47.24\00:25:50.86
that His grace comes to all.
00:25:51.65\00:25:53.32
Look at Titus chapter 2.
00:25:53.35\00:25:55.09
Titus is right after Timothy.
00:25:56.06\00:25:57.43
So if you're in Timothy,
you just throw those pages over,
00:25:57.46\00:26:00.09
just a couple pages over
and you're going to come to
00:26:00.12\00:26:01.91
Titus chapter 2 and verse 11.
00:26:01.94\00:26:03.95
Titus 2 and verse 11.
00:26:05.02\00:26:06.39
"For the grace of
God that brings salvation
00:26:07.55\00:26:11.06
has appeared to..."
00:26:11.09\00:26:12.95
Yeah, not just
to the Christians.
00:26:13.49\00:26:15.32
Not just to the believers.
00:26:15.35\00:26:17.11
It's appeared to all men.
00:26:17.38\00:26:18.84
We are surrounded with
an atmosphere of grace.
00:26:18.87\00:26:21.83
Take a deep breath.
00:26:23.47\00:26:24.84
That helps me to relax actually.
00:26:29.30\00:26:31.07
That breath cost
God everything He has.
00:26:34.11\00:26:38.73
And He gave it as an evidence
of His unconditional love
00:26:39.87\00:26:44.71
for every human being.
00:26:44.96\00:26:47.10
That's what the Bible teaches.
00:26:47.13\00:26:48.50
Look at it. It's
in Acts chapter 17.
00:26:49.20\00:26:51.28
Acts chapter 17.
00:26:51.48\00:26:53.17
Let's move there together.
00:26:53.20\00:26:54.65
We're talking
about Babylon again.
00:26:56.62\00:26:57.99
Babylon is coming down, is
coming down, is coming down
00:26:58.02\00:27:00.53
as the gospel is preached.
00:27:00.56\00:27:02.74
The confusion about God,
the confusion about salvation
00:27:03.38\00:27:06.93
is being decimated.
00:27:07.28\00:27:08.86
God's character
is being uplifted.
00:27:08.89\00:27:10.81
He loves us.
00:27:10.84\00:27:12.24
He doesn't just love
you, He loves all of you.
00:27:12.27\00:27:15.49
Continue out into the world.
00:27:15.79\00:27:17.61
Babylon is a symbol not
only of religious confusion,
00:27:18.30\00:27:21.68
but of the
confusion that's in the world.
00:27:21.71\00:27:23.58
There are people in the
world that have a wrong picture
00:27:23.61\00:27:26.20
of God, and
therefore they refuse to have
00:27:26.23\00:27:28.17
anything to do with religion.
00:27:28.20\00:27:29.75
And God says, "I love them.
00:27:29.78\00:27:31.26
I love those people in
Babylon and that confusion.
00:27:32.14\00:27:34.59
I love them because
the religion they hate
00:27:34.85\00:27:37.74
is the religion I hate.
00:27:37.77\00:27:39.35
The ideas that they
hate of a God that would
00:27:40.42\00:27:43.53
torture people in
fire and brimstone
00:27:43.56\00:27:46.65
for a million, a billion, a
trillion, a googillion years
00:27:46.68\00:27:50.35
is the same picture I hate."
00:27:50.38\00:27:51.88
And there are a lot of
atheists that hate that picture
00:27:52.45\00:27:54.23
and they want nothing
to do with a God like that.
00:27:54.26\00:27:55.75
Well I don't either,
and neither does God.
00:27:55.78\00:27:57.72
So God says, "I've
got people in Babylon.
00:27:58.29\00:28:00.02
I've got people in confusion
and I want them out of it.
00:28:00.05\00:28:02.94
Because they
think the way I think.
00:28:02.97\00:28:05.05
They actually know Me
even though I've been masked
00:28:05.08\00:28:08.27
by this religious
confusion, by this fornication,
00:28:08.30\00:28:11.69
this mixture of truth
and error that Babylon is.
00:28:11.72\00:28:14.89
It is the essence of Babylon."
00:28:14.92\00:28:16.40
God says in Acts chapter
17, beautiful here how Paul is
00:28:17.33\00:28:22.71
preaching to the world in his
time, to Babylon in his time,
00:28:22.74\00:28:26.29
to those who are
confused in his time.
00:28:26.32\00:28:27.77
He says, and I'm going to start
in the context of verse 24,
00:28:28.42\00:28:31.90
"God that made the
world and all things therein,
00:28:32.16\00:28:34.19
seeing that he is
Lord of heaven and earth,
00:28:34.22\00:28:35.97
dwells not in
temples made with hands;
00:28:36.00\00:28:37.89
neither is he
worshipped with men's hands,
00:28:38.61\00:28:40.86
as though he needed anything,
seeing he gives to all..." What?
00:28:40.89\00:28:45.21
"...life, and
breath, and all things."
00:28:45.24\00:28:49.06
Everything that
anyone has is from God.
00:28:49.09\00:28:53.27
"And he has made of one blood
all nations of men," verse 26.
00:28:56.55\00:29:00.54
That's right, we're all related.
00:29:00.57\00:29:02.49
So there goes racism.
00:29:03.37\00:29:04.80
Just went right down the toilet.
00:29:05.88\00:29:07.44
Good place for it to go.
00:29:08.08\00:29:09.45
"He has made of one
blood all nations of men that
00:29:09.93\00:29:12.36
dwell on all the face of
the earth, and has determined
00:29:12.39\00:29:15.61
the times before appointed, and
the bounds of their habitation."
00:29:15.64\00:29:18.36
God know where you live.
00:29:18.84\00:29:20.22
He has every hair on your
head counted and numbered.
00:29:21.14\00:29:27.02
That's not about
hair, that's about care.
00:29:29.02\00:29:31.02
I stopped caring
about the numbers of hairs
00:29:32.22\00:29:34.29
on my head a long time ago.
00:29:34.32\00:29:35.98
I know some of you did too.
00:29:36.58\00:29:37.95
It's like "Okay,
they're in the sink now."
00:29:37.98\00:29:40.70
God knows.
00:29:43.00\00:29:45.35
Not a sparrow
falls, but He knows.
00:29:45.38\00:29:48.56
He knows the
heartache that you're feeling,
00:29:48.59\00:29:50.37
He knows the
struggles you're going through.
00:29:50.40\00:29:52.27
He knows how lonely you feel.
00:29:52.47\00:29:54.43
He knows how
strong your passion is.
00:29:54.46\00:29:58.20
And how overwhelmed you feel
when you're taking that test,
00:29:59.49\00:30:02.92
or when you're
interacting with other people,
00:30:02.95\00:30:06.44
or when you're working, or
when you're struggling with
00:30:06.47\00:30:10.49
those inner thoughts that are
not at harmony with who He is.
00:30:10.85\00:30:14.36
He knows.
00:30:14.60\00:30:15.97
He's with you in that.
00:30:16.43\00:30:18.31
He's not against
you, He doesn't hate you.
00:30:18.34\00:30:20.24
He loves you.
00:30:20.27\00:30:21.64
He empathizes, He sympathizes.
00:30:21.95\00:30:24.09
He is your
friend, not your enemy.
00:30:24.69\00:30:27.18
And like no other
being in the universe,
00:30:28.63\00:30:31.70
He is for you.
00:30:32.02\00:30:34.13
He's got your back.
00:30:34.16\00:30:35.82
And your front.
00:30:35.85\00:30:37.22
And everything around you.
00:30:37.48\00:30:38.85
He surrounds you with life.
00:30:39.38\00:30:41.28
That's why, verse 27,
"that they should seek the Lord,
00:30:42.39\00:30:45.85
if haply they might
feel after him, and find him,
00:30:46.58\00:30:49.02
though he's not far
from every one of us.
00:30:49.05\00:30:50.97
For in him," in him, in
him, "we live, and move,
00:30:51.00\00:30:55.54
and have our being; as certain
also of your own poets have said
00:30:55.57\00:30:59.17
'For we are
also his offspring.'"
00:30:59.20\00:31:00.64
We are in Jesus Christ in
a very real and tangible way.
00:31:00.67\00:31:04.40
The entire world is in Christ.
00:31:04.43\00:31:06.37
Now it's a temporal way.
00:31:07.74\00:31:09.11
It's not an eternal way.
00:31:09.14\00:31:10.51
Not everyone in the
world has decided for Christ.
00:31:10.54\00:31:12.84
But the only way that decision
can be made is if we're in Him.
00:31:13.96\00:31:17.21
In a temporal way, at least.
00:31:18.02\00:31:19.79
We've got to at
least have temporal life.
00:31:20.39\00:31:22.71
You understand what I
mean by temporal life?
00:31:22.74\00:31:24.26
Temporal life; this life.
00:31:24.29\00:31:25.66
This life that's
temporary; temporal life.
00:31:25.69\00:31:27.66
If we're going to
have eternal life,
00:31:28.13\00:31:29.50
we've got to have
temporal life, because this life
00:31:29.53\00:31:31.41
gives us the opportunity,
the opportunity for eternity,
00:31:31.44\00:31:34.92
to make a choice.
00:31:36.43\00:31:37.87
But friends, listen closely.
00:31:38.87\00:31:40.51
This temporal life
cost God everything.
00:31:41.19\00:31:46.50
Everything.
00:31:47.17\00:31:48.59
The cross did not
just give us eternal life.
00:31:48.62\00:31:52.89
It gave us temporary life.
00:31:52.92\00:31:55.50
Without the cross we
wouldn't have temporary life.
00:31:55.53\00:31:58.37
Because all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God,
00:31:59.48\00:32:02.33
and the wages of sin is death.
00:32:02.36\00:32:04.75
And we should have
died a long time ago.
00:32:05.09\00:32:07.82
But Jesus stepped in our place.
00:32:08.53\00:32:10.66
And He took our penalty so
we could have temporal life.
00:32:11.29\00:32:14.94
And God is saying
to us, "You know what?
00:32:14.97\00:32:17.09
I would really love it
if the life you have now
00:32:17.43\00:32:20.42
would never end.
00:32:20.45\00:32:21.82
I'd like to kind of
have you just hang out
00:32:21.85\00:32:23.75
with Me for all eternity."
00:32:23.78\00:32:25.15
"Not me. You don't
like..." "I love you."
00:32:25.18\00:32:26.72
"Yeah, really? You love..."
00:32:26.75\00:32:28.12
"Yes.
00:32:28.15\00:32:29.52
There's a few things
I'd like to see changed.
00:32:29.55\00:32:32.86
But I think you would
too if you see more of Me.
00:32:33.46\00:32:35.75
I think you're going to see
that selfishness isn't the best
00:32:35.78\00:32:39.28
for you or anyone else.
00:32:39.31\00:32:40.76
But I'd like for your
life just to continue on,
00:32:41.53\00:32:43.52
just to continue
on for all eternity."
00:32:43.55\00:32:46.23
Sometimes people say
to me, "Well I don't think
00:32:48.86\00:32:50.60
I want to live for eternity.
00:32:50.63\00:32:52.00
I mean, you know,
life is bad enough
00:32:52.03\00:32:53.76
with just the
threescore and ten.
00:32:53.79\00:32:55.44
Who want to live for eternity?"
00:32:55.47\00:32:57.11
Well think, think, think,
think, think, for a second.
00:32:57.14\00:33:00.03
Not about the trails
you're going through now,
00:33:00.06\00:33:01.85
not about the way
you feel health wise now.
00:33:01.88\00:33:04.59
But think back to a time...
00:33:05.41\00:33:07.27
I don't know when
it was in your life.
00:33:08.02\00:33:10.28
I know when it was in mine.
00:33:10.57\00:33:11.95
It might just have
been a moment of time.
00:33:12.15\00:33:14.88
A few days, weeks.
00:33:14.91\00:33:16.73
It might have been
just an hour or a minute.
00:33:16.76\00:33:19.13
But just think back
to a time in your life
00:33:19.16\00:33:21.37
when you were truly happy.
00:33:21.40\00:33:23.21
All out, no holds barred, happy.
00:33:23.24\00:33:25.43
I mean, you were so happy that
nothing could touch you, happy.
00:33:25.46\00:33:29.51
I mean, you were just
like floating on a cloud.
00:33:29.54\00:33:31.64
It was just like, wow.
00:33:31.67\00:33:33.26
Think about that.
00:33:33.71\00:33:35.08
That time when
you were really happy.
00:33:35.11\00:33:36.95
And imagine what it would
be like to be in that moment
00:33:37.93\00:33:41.29
of time for all eternity.
00:33:41.32\00:33:44.30
To feel that way
for all eternity.
00:33:44.88\00:33:47.21
Because that's
what eternal life is.
00:33:48.47\00:33:52.36
It's joy and peace
and happiness without end.
00:33:52.61\00:33:57.18
It's not just a place.
00:33:57.54\00:33:58.91
It's an experience
that God wants you to have.
00:33:59.13\00:34:01.43
And even though there's
evil and pain and sorrow
00:34:01.46\00:34:03.81
and suffering
and sin in this world
00:34:03.84\00:34:05.36
that interrupts
that experience...
00:34:05.39\00:34:08.38
Perhaps for some of us,
more than we have the experience
00:34:08.41\00:34:11.55
we have interruptions
to that experience.
00:34:11.58\00:34:13.62
As long as we have
that experience even for a
00:34:13.65\00:34:16.51
few moments, we have an earnest,
if you will, a down payment,
00:34:16.54\00:34:20.72
of what God really wants for us,
00:34:20.75\00:34:22.47
of what eternal life
really is going to be all about.
00:34:22.99\00:34:25.18
And so God gives us
this taste unconditionally.
00:34:26.62\00:34:29.27
He wants us to unconditionally
how He feels about us.
00:34:29.30\00:34:32.47
He is the Savior of all.
00:34:32.50\00:34:33.87
Hebrews chapter 2 and
verse 9 says "Jesus Christ
00:34:33.90\00:34:36.16
has tasted death for all."
00:34:36.19\00:34:38.15
Not just for a few, but for all.
00:34:38.25\00:34:39.62
And one of the
reasons why 3ABN is here,
00:34:42.91\00:34:44.72
why this program
even exists, is found in
00:34:45.66\00:34:48.64
John chapter 1 and verse 9.
00:34:48.67\00:34:52.92
We're talking here
about the unconditional
00:34:53.46\00:34:56.09
manifestations of
the everlasting gospel
00:34:56.91\00:34:59.69
that is going to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people
00:35:00.89\00:35:03.18
that dispels the darkness,
that diminished the confusion,
00:35:03.21\00:35:08.76
that decimates
Babylon, that brings it down.
00:35:08.79\00:35:12.35
John chapter 1 and verse 9.
00:35:12.38\00:35:14.13
It's talking about Jesus
Christ, the Word made flesh,
00:35:16.20\00:35:18.66
coming to this world
and dwelling among us.
00:35:18.69\00:35:20.97
And it says in verse 9,
"That was the true Light..."
00:35:21.00\00:35:23.53
Are you there with me?
00:35:23.56\00:35:24.93
And that true light, lightens...
00:35:24.96\00:35:26.85
What does it lighten?
00:35:27.13\00:35:28.50
"...every man," oh every man,
"that comes into the world."
00:35:28.88\00:35:32.91
God gives light to all.
00:35:35.12\00:35:36.87
He gives life to all.
00:35:36.90\00:35:38.51
He gives faith to all.
00:35:38.54\00:35:40.28
He died for all. He
is the Savior of all.
00:35:40.31\00:35:43.38
He loves all.
00:35:44.40\00:35:46.39
Do you see the picture
that is developing here
00:35:48.15\00:35:49.76
in the everlasting gospel?
00:35:49.79\00:35:51.18
It's a powerful picture
when you think about it.
00:35:51.96\00:35:53.91
2 Corinthians chapter 5 tells
us that God reconciled all.
00:35:55.48\00:36:00.24
This is the message
that we're to proclaim.
00:36:02.72\00:36:05.39
This is the everlasting gospel
that will decimate Babylon.
00:36:05.59\00:36:09.63
Babylon is confusion,
not just about the gospel.
00:36:09.66\00:36:12.51
Babylon is also
confusion about prophecy.
00:36:12.54\00:36:16.44
For that understanding, we
need to look in another book.
00:36:16.47\00:36:18.94
The book of Daniel.
00:36:18.97\00:36:20.34
If you want to
open there to Daniel,
00:36:20.37\00:36:21.74
we'll start with chapter 2.
00:36:22.23\00:36:23.93
Daniel is an Old
Testament minor prophet.
00:36:24.54\00:36:26.73
If you go back to the
book of Matthew and then start
00:36:27.53\00:36:31.05
moving backwards,
from Matthew backwards,
00:36:31.08\00:36:33.12
into the Old Testament;
Malachi, Zechariah, Zephaniah,
00:36:33.15\00:36:36.04
you're going to come to
Daniel, the book of Daniel.
00:36:36.07\00:36:37.91
It's right here
between the book of Hosea
00:36:37.94\00:36:41.69
and the book of Ezekiel.
00:36:41.72\00:36:43.09
Daniel chapter 2.
00:36:43.43\00:36:45.06
It's all about a dream.
00:36:45.09\00:36:46.84
It's all about a man
named Nebuchadnezzar.
00:36:46.87\00:36:50.47
Some people call
him, the Nebster.
00:36:50.50\00:36:52.35
Nebuchadnezzar
was a heathen king.
00:36:54.33\00:36:56.83
He was cruel, he was a tyrant.
00:36:57.13\00:36:59.94
I'll give you an example.
00:37:00.88\00:37:02.25
He had a dream, he
couldn't remember it.
00:37:02.28\00:37:03.65
He told all his wise
men, "Tell me the dream."
00:37:03.68\00:37:05.05
They said, "We
can't figure it out."
00:37:05.08\00:37:06.45
And he said,
"Well you're dead then.
00:37:06.48\00:37:07.85
You tell me my
dream or you die."
00:37:07.88\00:37:09.25
I mean, that's got
to be worse than any CEO
00:37:09.64\00:37:11.30
you've ever worked for.
00:37:11.33\00:37:12.70
But God was the one who
gave Nebuchadnezzar the dream.
00:37:16.51\00:37:20.20
In fact, God
brought an evangelist
00:37:20.23\00:37:23.48
into Nebuchadnezzar's life.
00:37:24.77\00:37:26.23
His name was Daniel,
Daniel the evangelist.
00:37:27.33\00:37:29.89
It wasn't an easy
assignment for Daniel.
00:37:30.66\00:37:32.38
He had to go through
some physical modifications.
00:37:32.74\00:37:36.40
Leave his family
forever, not just for six weeks.
00:37:40.07\00:37:43.69
Didn't get to fly
upgrade on United Airlines.
00:37:44.30\00:37:48.36
Actually had to walk to Babylon.
00:37:48.39\00:37:50.35
It was a long way.
00:37:50.38\00:37:51.75
And he was only a teenager.
00:37:51.90\00:37:53.57
So it was hard to
say good-bye. I know.
00:37:53.87\00:37:55.78
When I enrolled my
daughter at 14 into Academy
00:37:55.81\00:38:00.83
this last year, it
lasted about one month.
00:38:00.86\00:38:04.00
And then we pulled her
out and brought her home.
00:38:04.03\00:38:06.04
It was hard to
say good-bye, I know.
00:38:07.87\00:38:09.90
When my son went to Academy
in his senior year, after being
00:38:09.93\00:38:13.14
home for his sophomore
and freshman and junior year,
00:38:13.17\00:38:16.03
it was very hard.
00:38:16.06\00:38:17.62
And he was a senior.
00:38:17.65\00:38:19.02
For Daniel, I don't
know how hard it was.
00:38:21.06\00:38:23.61
All I know was that he
found faith and strength
00:38:23.64\00:38:27.51
and courage in God.
00:38:27.54\00:38:29.08
And he's in Babylon.
00:38:29.28\00:38:30.90
And he's there for a purpose.
00:38:30.93\00:38:32.44
And it's not about him.
00:38:32.47\00:38:33.96
So he refuses all
the luxuries of Babylon
00:38:34.16\00:38:36.14
because he has a mission.
00:38:36.17\00:38:37.54
And that mission that
he purposes in his heart
00:38:37.57\00:38:40.11
is that God's love
will be revealed to this
00:38:40.14\00:38:42.04
heathen king
named Nebuchadnezzar,
00:38:42.07\00:38:43.44
who everyone fears.
00:38:43.47\00:38:45.43
Except for Daniel.
00:38:45.63\00:38:47.00
Because Daniel fears God.
00:38:48.04\00:38:50.13
And when you fear
God, there's no earthly
00:38:50.16\00:38:52.07
fear that you can have.
00:38:52.10\00:38:53.47
And so Daniel is there at
the perfect time and place.
00:38:53.50\00:38:58.08
Nebuchadnezzar has a dream.
00:38:58.62\00:38:59.99
Can't remember it.
00:39:00.88\00:39:02.25
And obviously
doesn't know what it means.
00:39:02.28\00:39:03.92
All the wise men
are going to die.
00:39:04.34\00:39:05.81
And Daniel steps in.
00:39:05.84\00:39:07.21
He says, "Give me some time
and I'll tell you the dream."
00:39:07.24\00:39:09.46
And so Nebuchadnezzar
says, "Oh I'm desperate.
00:39:09.49\00:39:11.38
I'll give you some time."
00:39:11.41\00:39:12.78
Daniel goes into prayer.
00:39:13.92\00:39:16.39
If you want to
understand prophecy,
00:39:16.75\00:39:18.40
you need prayer.
00:39:19.61\00:39:20.98
The more you pray,
the more understanding
00:39:22.70\00:39:24.40
you're going to get.
00:39:24.43\00:39:25.80
It's not reading of the words
and checking out the different
00:39:25.83\00:39:28.19
references and looking at
the different commentaries
00:39:28.22\00:39:30.05
that are going to
figure out the prophecy.
00:39:30.08\00:39:31.45
When you're on your knees
just thinking and praying,
00:39:31.48\00:39:33.95
thinking and praying, and
sometimes just being quiet
00:39:33.98\00:39:36.94
before God, He's
going to tell you.
00:39:36.97\00:39:38.77
He's just going to tell you.
00:39:38.80\00:39:40.17
That's what He did with Daniel.
00:39:40.20\00:39:41.57
Daniel didn't have
any books to look to.
00:39:41.60\00:39:44.05
He didn't have any
scrolls to go check out.
00:39:44.08\00:39:46.10
This dream was non-existent.
00:39:46.13\00:39:48.70
It was not on the records.
00:39:48.73\00:39:50.35
He could only
get it from heaven.
00:39:51.13\00:39:52.75
And that's
exactly what happened.
00:39:52.78\00:39:54.96
He went into
this prayer meeting.
00:39:54.99\00:39:56.36
And when he went in, he
said, "Hey guys, friends.
00:39:56.39\00:39:58.57
We've got to pray, because all
the wise men are being killed.
00:39:58.60\00:40:00.68
And we don't want to be
killed with the wise men."
00:40:00.71\00:40:02.20
That's what he said. He
said, "We need to pray."
00:40:02.80\00:40:05.26
Daniel said, "We
need to pray because
00:40:05.29\00:40:07.29
they're killing the wise men."
00:40:07.32\00:40:08.69
"And we," verse 18, "need
to desire mercies of the God of
00:40:08.72\00:40:12.48
heaven concerning this secret;
that Daniel and his fellows
00:40:12.51\00:40:14.61
should not perish with the rest
of the wise men of Babylon."
00:40:14.64\00:40:16.90
He goes in praying
that he would not perish
00:40:16.93\00:40:19.24
with the rest of the wise men.
00:40:19.27\00:40:20.64
He comes out of that prayer
meeting, not only having a
00:40:20.67\00:40:23.68
better understanding of the
dream, the vision, the prophecy,
00:40:23.71\00:40:26.51
but also having a
higher experience.
00:40:26.54\00:40:28.32
What he said here is, verse 24,
"Therefore Daniel went in unto
00:40:28.35\00:40:33.55
Arioch, whom the king
had ordained to destroy
00:40:33.58\00:40:35.60
the wise men of Babylon.
00:40:35.63\00:40:37.00
He went and said thus
unto him; 'Destroy not
00:40:37.03\00:40:40.81
the wise men of Babylon.'"
00:40:40.84\00:40:43.66
Wow.
00:40:43.69\00:40:45.06
See, this isn't about us.
00:40:46.60\00:40:48.43
This isn't about us
getting knowledge and us
00:40:48.46\00:40:50.33
being able to
prove that we understand,
00:40:50.36\00:40:52.24
therefore we can be saved.
00:40:52.27\00:40:53.74
This is about us and them.
00:40:53.77\00:40:55.43
The other people, the wise men.
00:40:56.17\00:40:57.60
The ones that
don't care about us.
00:40:57.63\00:40:59.00
If the wise men had gotten the
dream, they wouldn't have said,
00:40:59.03\00:41:00.81
"Hey, don't destroy
Daniel and his friends."
00:41:00.84\00:41:02.21
They would have said,
"Get rid of those guys.
00:41:02.24\00:41:03.63
We're smart enough,
we can run the kingdom.
00:41:03.66\00:41:05.87
We don't need those kids."
00:41:06.80\00:41:08.32
But Daniel, when
he connects with God,
00:41:08.81\00:41:10.96
you and I, when we connect
with God, we come out changed.
00:41:10.99\00:41:14.03
We have a different attitude.
00:41:14.35\00:41:15.72
Our attitude is concern for
them, not just concern for us.
00:41:15.75\00:41:19.07
We're going to talk
about that more this afternoon
00:41:21.20\00:41:22.95
when we get into marks
and seals, and why it is that
00:41:22.98\00:41:26.57
we keep the
Sabbath the way that we do.
00:41:26.60\00:41:28.38
Sabbath keeping
is not just about us.
00:41:29.50\00:41:31.49
It's about them.
00:41:31.52\00:41:32.89
But that's another sermon.
00:41:33.73\00:41:35.10
So Daniel comes out with this
heart burden for the wise men,
00:41:35.13\00:41:38.80
as well as for Nebuchadnezzar.
00:41:38.83\00:41:40.20
And he tells
Nebuchadnezzar the dream.
00:41:40.23\00:41:41.78
Nebuchadnezzar was
the first person to attend
00:41:41.81\00:41:44.55
a Daniel seminar.
00:41:44.58\00:41:46.32
He sat on the front seat
00:41:49.50\00:41:51.02
where the angels sit.
00:41:52.80\00:41:54.30
He listened to every word.
00:41:56.48\00:41:58.12
And when the evangelist
Daniel was done, he said,
00:41:58.15\00:42:01.06
"I want to join your church.
00:42:01.09\00:42:03.47
I believe in your God."
00:42:03.50\00:42:05.04
And so he was...
00:42:05.07\00:42:06.44
He got membership immediately.
00:42:07.54\00:42:09.16
"Alright, you're in."
00:42:09.19\00:42:10.56
"You're in."
00:42:10.95\00:42:12.32
There were some
problems that Nebuchadnezzar
00:42:14.26\00:42:15.76
had later on though.
00:42:15.79\00:42:17.16
That happens sometimes.
00:42:17.97\00:42:19.73
The net catches a lot
of fish, a lot of things.
00:42:19.76\00:42:24.12
And he struggled.
00:42:24.71\00:42:26.08
And we could have
given up on Nebuchadnezzar.
00:42:26.11\00:42:27.75
Daniel could have said, "Well,
you know, he wasn't ready.
00:42:27.78\00:42:30.17
There's got to be some
other fish in the sea."
00:42:30.20\00:42:32.85
But he didn't.
00:42:32.88\00:42:34.25
God didn't give
up on Nebuchadnezzar.
00:42:34.28\00:42:35.82
God kept working
with Nebuchadnezzar
00:42:36.03\00:42:37.95
and growing Nebuchadnezzar.
00:42:37.98\00:42:39.35
And Nebuchadnezzar...
00:42:39.38\00:42:41.03
Well, Nebuchadnezzar is
going to be in the kingdom.
00:42:41.86\00:42:45.42
We know that from his
personal testimony in chapter 4.
00:42:46.20\00:42:48.29
But before we get to
chapter 4, we have to
00:42:48.32\00:42:50.59
pass through chapter 3.
00:42:50.62\00:42:51.99
And chapter 3 is
what identifies Babylon
00:42:52.02\00:42:55.07
in relation to Bible prophecy.
00:42:55.10\00:42:56.80
And here's what we
see in Daniel chapter 3.
00:42:56.83\00:42:58.84
We see a man who took
the truth of Bible prophecy,
00:42:58.87\00:43:02.64
this image of gold and
silver and brass and iron,
00:43:02.67\00:43:06.08
and iron mixed with miry clay,
that was going to be crushed by
00:43:06.11\00:43:11.06
a stone out of the
mountain without hands.
00:43:11.45\00:43:13.65
He took that
image and he changed it.
00:43:13.68\00:43:16.16
It was still an image.
00:43:16.19\00:43:17.56
There was still
some truth there.
00:43:17.84\00:43:19.24
But the truth was perverted.
00:43:19.74\00:43:21.35
Nebuchadnezzar was
afraid of that image because
00:43:23.73\00:43:27.81
the head gold represented
Babylon and the silver
00:43:27.84\00:43:30.20
represented another kingdom.
00:43:30.23\00:43:32.35
And he didn't want another...
00:43:32.64\00:43:34.01
He didn't want
to come to an end.
00:43:34.04\00:43:35.41
He didn't want to see his
vision of the world changed.
00:43:35.44\00:43:38.52
He liked the way things
looked from his perspective.
00:43:38.55\00:43:41.29
He was afraid to
trust God for the future.
00:43:41.32\00:43:43.32
There are a lot of
people out there today that are
00:43:43.35\00:43:44.72
afraid to trust
God for the future.
00:43:44.75\00:43:46.12
There are a lot of religions
out there today that are
00:43:46.15\00:43:47.97
afraid to trust
God for the future.
00:43:48.00\00:43:49.57
There are people that believe
they're going to be raptured
00:43:49.60\00:43:51.40
out of here before
everything ends and fails.
00:43:51.43\00:43:53.80
They're afraid to trust
God to bring them through
00:43:53.83\00:43:56.41
this time of
trouble that's coming,
00:43:56.44\00:43:58.37
that's going to be ahead of us.
00:43:58.40\00:44:00.16
But Nebuchadnezzar,
afraid as he was,
00:44:01.08\00:44:03.42
and Nebuchadnezzar, as
much as he apostatized,
00:44:03.45\00:44:06.51
and confused and became a part
of this Babylonian confusion
00:44:06.81\00:44:10.38
of prophecy, Nebuchadnezzar
was saved in the end.
00:44:10.41\00:44:14.16
There's a message here for us.
00:44:14.55\00:44:16.03
There's a message here for us.
00:44:16.50\00:44:18.09
God has people in Babylon.
00:44:18.12\00:44:19.84
These people
are honest at heart.
00:44:21.86\00:44:23.90
They have genuine
fears and genuine concerns
00:44:24.17\00:44:26.71
and genuine
questions about Bible prophecy,
00:44:26.74\00:44:30.35
about what the Bible
teaches, about who God is.
00:44:30.38\00:44:33.19
And God is
looking for Daniels today.
00:44:34.22\00:44:36.23
People who are more
concerned about others than
00:44:37.14\00:44:40.15
they are about themselves.
00:44:40.18\00:44:41.87
People who may be more
concerned about themselves
00:44:41.90\00:44:44.27
than they are about
others, but they're willing to
00:44:44.30\00:44:45.69
connect with God in such a
way that God can change them and
00:44:45.72\00:44:48.90
cause them to be more
concerned about others
00:44:48.93\00:44:50.47
than they are about themselves.
00:44:50.50\00:44:51.98
Any people who are willing to
follow Jesus wherever He goes.
00:44:52.36\00:44:57.50
You don't have to be perfect,
you don't have to have arrived,
00:44:58.68\00:45:00.75
you don't have to be
free from the temptations
00:45:00.78\00:45:03.71
and the weaknesses that
all of us have in the flesh.
00:45:03.74\00:45:06.88
You don't have
to pretend with God.
00:45:06.91\00:45:08.87
Even Jesus said, "God, I
don't want to go to Calvary.
00:45:08.90\00:45:11.64
I don't want to
go to Gethsemane.
00:45:11.67\00:45:13.04
I don't want to bear this cup."
00:45:13.07\00:45:14.44
Even Jesus was honest with God.
00:45:14.47\00:45:16.56
God can deal with that.
00:45:17.30\00:45:18.75
It's when we pretend,
Laodicea, when we pretend that
00:45:19.10\00:45:21.94
everything is okay,
that's when we're in trouble.
00:45:21.97\00:45:24.95
But God can
handle our realities.
00:45:25.72\00:45:28.70
Surely He can.
00:45:28.73\00:45:30.10
He loves us unconditionally.
00:45:30.70\00:45:32.77
And only His love can
change those realities
00:45:33.27\00:45:35.25
into who He is and
what He wants us to be.
00:45:35.28\00:45:39.53
So there are people in Babylon.
00:45:42.47\00:45:44.64
Look at it with me.
00:45:44.67\00:45:46.04
There are people who are
building upon the foundation,
00:45:46.07\00:45:48.39
1 Corinthians
chapter 3 verse 11,
00:45:48.42\00:45:50.27
there are people who are
building upon the foundation
00:45:50.30\00:45:52.73
of Jesus Christ.
00:45:53.41\00:45:54.78
1 Corinthians
chapter 3 verse 11.
00:45:54.81\00:45:56.47
The same way that
Nebuchadnezzar was building.
00:45:56.93\00:45:58.91
They're building wrong stuff.
00:45:58.94\00:46:00.92
He had the foundation but
he build an image all of gold.
00:46:01.43\00:46:03.67
He wanted Babylon to continue.
00:46:03.70\00:46:05.07
He was afraid for the future.
00:46:05.10\00:46:06.47
God got him straightened out.
00:46:06.50\00:46:08.42
Daniel didn't give up on him.
00:46:08.45\00:46:09.82
God didn't give up on him.
00:46:09.85\00:46:11.22
There are people in...
00:46:11.67\00:46:13.04
1 Corinthians chapter 3.
00:46:13.07\00:46:14.44
And I believe that
Paul may be borrowing
00:46:14.47\00:46:15.84
from this statue of Daniel.
00:46:15.87\00:46:17.24
He may be borrowing from
the language of the prophecies
00:46:17.27\00:46:19.04
of Daniel when he talks
in 1 Corinthians chapter 3.
00:46:19.07\00:46:21.32
He says, "For other
foundation," verse 11,
00:46:21.35\00:46:24.09
"can no man lay than that
is laid, which is..." Who?
00:46:24.12\00:46:27.84
Jesus.
00:46:28.04\00:46:29.41
Or we could say,
the everlasting gospel.
00:46:29.44\00:46:31.32
There's no other foundation
but the everlasting gospel.
00:46:32.44\00:46:34.30
Now notice this, verse 12.
00:46:34.33\00:46:36.01
"Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver,
00:46:36.31\00:46:40.00
and precious stones..."
00:46:40.03\00:46:41.57
That's the way the image comes.
00:46:41.83\00:46:44.00
It's gold, it's
silver, it's brass, it's iron.
00:46:44.03\00:46:46.83
It has these different metals.
00:46:46.86\00:46:49.07
Then he goes on to say,
"wood, hay, and stubble.
00:46:51.79\00:46:54.13
Paul here is differentiating
between good and bad material.
00:46:55.03\00:46:58.29
The good material is gold,
silver, and precious stones.
00:46:58.32\00:47:00.33
The bad material is
wood, hay, and stubble.
00:47:00.36\00:47:02.06
We know this because
he's about to identify for us
00:47:02.09\00:47:05.12
what's going to
happen when the fire comes.
00:47:05.15\00:47:07.95
When the fire, when the test
and the trials of life come.
00:47:08.93\00:47:14.21
Verse 13, "Every
man's work is manifest.
00:47:15.32\00:47:18.43
For the day declares it, because
it shall be revealed by fire;
00:47:18.46\00:47:21.94
and the fire shall try every
man's work of what sort it is.
00:47:21.97\00:47:24.66
If any man's work abide
that he has built thereupon,
00:47:24.69\00:47:28.27
he shall receive a reward."
00:47:28.30\00:47:29.75
So if you have
Jesus as the foundation
00:47:30.05\00:47:32.07
and you are
building on that foundation
00:47:32.10\00:47:34.43
gold and silver and precious
stones, if you have the right
00:47:34.46\00:47:37.14
theology and a
right understanding of
00:47:37.17\00:47:38.57
Bible prophecy
and you understand the
00:47:38.60\00:47:40.14
everlasting gospel, praise God.
00:47:40.17\00:47:41.57
That's super, that's fantastic.
00:47:41.60\00:47:45.07
Praise the Lord.
00:47:45.10\00:47:46.47
But don't forget
the other people.
00:47:46.75\00:47:49.32
Because God loves them too.
00:47:49.96\00:47:51.51
And you're not better than them.
00:47:51.94\00:47:53.50
They have a foundation.
00:47:54.52\00:47:56.07
They may be building on
that foundation wood, hay, and
00:47:57.09\00:47:59.17
stubble, but
hold on just a second.
00:47:59.20\00:48:00.95
Notice what it says here.
00:48:00.98\00:48:02.35
"If any man's
work shall be burned,"
00:48:03.37\00:48:05.06
wood, hay, and
stubble, verse 15,
00:48:05.09\00:48:07.05
"he shall suffer loss.
00:48:07.08\00:48:08.64
But he himself shall be saved;
00:48:09.34\00:48:12.78
yet as by fire."
00:48:14.27\00:48:15.64
It's going to be a trial.
00:48:15.67\00:48:17.04
I mean, when the
church is not raptured...
00:48:17.07\00:48:20.02
Be with me now.
00:48:20.43\00:48:21.80
When the church is not raptured,
00:48:21.90\00:48:23.55
and the seven last plagues come,
00:48:24.13\00:48:25.87
and the antichrist is set up,
00:48:26.75\00:48:28.33
and everyone is still here,
00:48:28.63\00:48:30.31
that's going to be a hard
trial for some Christians.
00:48:30.62\00:48:32.84
What are we going to be doing?
00:48:33.40\00:48:34.77
"I told you so."
00:48:35.51\00:48:36.88
I hope not.
00:48:38.67\00:48:40.04
We are going to be
doing whatever it is that
00:48:40.95\00:48:42.68
Jesus would be
doing at that time.
00:48:42.71\00:48:44.58
I mean, look at His life.
00:48:45.14\00:48:46.72
Jesus, when He was on
this earth ministering,
00:48:48.27\00:48:50.92
He went to talk
to the Samaritans.
00:48:50.95\00:48:52.42
Jews wouldn't
touch the Samaritans.
00:48:52.45\00:48:53.96
He went to talk
to the centurion.
00:48:54.43\00:48:56.14
He went to talk
to the Phoenicians.
00:48:56.52\00:48:58.84
He went to talk to the Greeks.
00:48:58.87\00:49:00.48
He talked to everyone;
the publicans, the sinners.
00:49:00.73\00:49:03.02
Jesus even sought
out the Pharisees.
00:49:03.05\00:49:07.67
Sshhh, don't tell anyone that.
00:49:07.70\00:49:09.79
He went
everywhere seeking everyone.
00:49:11.18\00:49:13.57
He didn't limit Himself
to some group or some people.
00:49:14.53\00:49:17.27
Jesus was our
example in all things.
00:49:18.92\00:49:21.26
It's going to be difficult...
00:49:23.32\00:49:24.75
...for them.
00:49:25.29\00:49:26.66
And for us.
00:49:27.23\00:49:28.87
When our little pet
doctrines and our little pet
00:49:29.53\00:49:32.13
understandings of
Scripture don't pan out.
00:49:32.16\00:49:35.90
If we think that there
is not a cherished opinion
00:49:36.59\00:49:40.22
that we're going to have
to give up, we are going to be
00:49:40.25\00:49:42.11
sadly disappointed.
00:49:42.14\00:49:43.62
And when those times happen,
we just need to allow God
00:49:44.02\00:49:47.78
to humble us.
00:49:47.81\00:49:49.93
I mean, look at Daniel.
00:49:50.74\00:49:52.11
Daniel is like this guy
that is just incredible.
00:49:52.14\00:49:54.26
I mean, he's just a man without
fault, He's just blameless.
00:49:54.29\00:49:57.24
He's just writing
out these prophecies;
00:49:57.27\00:49:58.91
boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.
00:49:58.94\00:50:00.92
And all of a sudden, he comes to
one and he says, "You know what?
00:50:01.23\00:50:03.82
I don't get this.
00:50:04.25\00:50:05.62
I just don't understand
it, I just don't get it."
00:50:05.80\00:50:09.17
And God says,
"Well it's okay, Daniel.
00:50:09.62\00:50:10.99
I'll seal that one up.
00:50:11.02\00:50:12.39
That's not for
you to understand."
00:50:12.42\00:50:13.79
"But I want to
understand all of it."
00:50:13.82\00:50:15.19
"Sorry."
00:50:15.22\00:50:16.59
Can you handle that?
00:50:16.62\00:50:17.99
Can we handle that we
don't have all the answers?
00:50:20.21\00:50:21.95
Can we handle that only
God is all wise and all knowing
00:50:21.98\00:50:25.85
and all understanding?
00:50:25.88\00:50:27.28
Can we trust ourselves with Him?
00:50:27.72\00:50:30.02
The message that God has
for us in the fall of Babylon
00:50:34.93\00:50:39.03
is a message of good news.
00:50:39.06\00:50:41.48
Why?
00:50:41.51\00:50:42.88
Because even
though Nebuchadnezzar was
00:50:44.08\00:50:45.67
afraid that his world
was going to come to an end,
00:50:45.70\00:50:47.33
it had to come to an end.
00:50:47.36\00:50:49.18
This world is filled
with greed and selfishness.
00:50:50.44\00:50:55.42
You're reminded of that every
time you fill up your gas tank.
00:50:55.71\00:50:57.84
Wickedness, sex trafficking,
mass murders, political war.
00:50:58.70\00:51:05.22
Political war.
00:51:05.51\00:51:06.97
Exploitation.
00:51:08.25\00:51:09.62
It's got to come to an end.
00:51:10.38\00:51:12.56
God wants to end it all.
00:51:12.59\00:51:14.28
Why do we look at this
world the way that we do?
00:51:14.62\00:51:16.22
Well maybe because we
live in America, I don't know.
00:51:16.25\00:51:17.85
Maybe we're
oblivious to all this stuff.
00:51:18.35\00:51:19.95
I'm so thankful now for
all of the different ways that
00:51:19.98\00:51:23.51
we can communicate
with the rest of the world.
00:51:23.54\00:51:25.26
Take a look out there
and see what's happening.
00:51:25.29\00:51:27.20
You need to see it.
00:51:27.23\00:51:28.60
Because it will make
you sick to your stomach.
00:51:28.63\00:51:31.02
And it will make
you long for an end.
00:51:31.52\00:51:33.92
It will make you long for the
end, for the fall of Babylon.
00:51:33.95\00:51:37.33
Read Revelation chapter 18 and
understand what's taking place
00:51:37.36\00:51:40.25
it the world today,
because it's all right there.
00:51:40.28\00:51:42.76
The slaves and souls of
men being bought and sold.
00:51:42.79\00:51:45.59
It's all right there.
00:51:45.62\00:51:47.02
Someone asked me about
ten years ago, they said,
00:51:47.05\00:51:48.58
"You know, I read
that there's going to be
00:51:48.61\00:51:50.46
slavery in the end of time.
00:51:50.57\00:51:51.94
I don't see how there could
be slavery in the end of time."
00:51:51.97\00:51:53.52
Well now we know how there could
be slavery in the end of time.
00:51:53.55\00:51:55.51
Right in our back yard.
00:51:56.80\00:51:58.27
There's more sex slave traffic
on I-5 than anywhere else.
00:51:58.66\00:52:01.74
That's where I live,
right on the I-5 freeway.
00:52:01.77\00:52:03.76
Between California and Canada.
00:52:03.79\00:52:05.87
It's sickening,
it's heart sickening.
00:52:06.22\00:52:08.38
And when I'm driving that
freeway and I'm thinking about
00:52:09.57\00:52:11.80
what's going on around
me, I just don't even know
00:52:11.83\00:52:15.16
how God handles it.
00:52:15.19\00:52:18.19
God longs for the end to come.
00:52:20.76\00:52:23.42
But it cannot come
until everyone has had an
00:52:23.45\00:52:26.52
opportunity to hear
of His unconditional love
00:52:26.55\00:52:30.61
for them individually.
00:52:30.64\00:52:32.21
And that gospel has got to break
through all of the confusion
00:52:32.95\00:52:35.80
that Babylon is, that Babylon
has brought to this world.
00:52:35.83\00:52:39.05
It's got to help us to
understand what it means
00:52:39.55\00:52:42.10
in that context,
what it means to fear God
00:52:42.13\00:52:47.14
and give glory to Him.
00:52:47.47\00:52:48.84
The hour of His
judgment has come.
00:52:48.92\00:52:50.42
What that means in
the context of good news.
00:52:50.98\00:52:54.40
And that's what
we need to look at
00:52:54.92\00:52:56.31
as we study this
everlasting gospel message.
00:52:57.07\00:52:59.57
It is not a message
that primarily focuses on
00:52:59.82\00:53:02.48
one denomination or one church.
00:53:02.58\00:53:05.19
It is a message that
lifts up the gospel so that
00:53:05.47\00:53:08.17
Babylon can be
discerned and understood
00:53:08.20\00:53:10.96
wherever it lies, wherever
its slimy, dirty, filthy
00:53:10.99\00:53:17.07
remains remain...
00:53:17.10\00:53:19.12
...in the deep
recesses of our own hearts.
00:53:20.09\00:53:22.80
So the gospel can bring
it to light and crush it out.
00:53:22.83\00:53:27.39
Crush out that
slime of selfishness
00:53:27.61\00:53:29.77
and make us new people in Jesus.
00:53:29.80\00:53:31.73
2 Corinthians, just a few
pages over from 1 Corinthians,
00:53:31.94\00:53:36.26
is where we'll
close this morning.
00:53:36.29\00:53:37.79
2 Corinthians chapter 5.
00:53:38.22\00:53:40.92
We're tired, some of us.
00:53:44.95\00:53:46.32
I've been preaching the
gospel for 30 years now.
00:53:46.35\00:53:48.51
I know, I started
when I was 5 years old.
00:53:49.42\00:53:51.15
We're older, we're more worn.
00:53:55.52\00:53:57.07
I'm officially
now a member of AARP.
00:53:57.10\00:54:00.89
Some of you can relate to that.
00:54:02.49\00:54:03.86
Some of you don't have
a clue of what AARP is.
00:54:03.89\00:54:05.84
If you don't, good for you.
00:54:05.87\00:54:07.24
Stay young.
00:54:07.86\00:54:09.23
We get weary.
00:54:12.17\00:54:13.54
Our motivation lags.
00:54:14.40\00:54:16.20
We wonder what's
going to keep us going.
00:54:16.23\00:54:18.09
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians
chapter 5 what kept him going.
00:54:18.73\00:54:22.17
He says in verse 14, "For the
love of Christ constrains us."
00:54:23.06\00:54:28.87
The love of Christ
constrains us, it motivates us.
00:54:29.36\00:54:32.61
It pushes us on.
00:54:32.64\00:54:34.40
There's nothing else,
there's no news or information
00:54:34.76\00:54:37.28
or intellectual understanding
of anything that's going to
00:54:37.31\00:54:40.27
motivate you like
the love of Christ.
00:54:40.30\00:54:42.35
And if your motivation
is lagging, if you feel like
00:54:42.38\00:54:45.15
your losing motivation, you
need to lay everything aside,
00:54:45.18\00:54:48.48
everything that's in
your life, everything that's
00:54:48.51\00:54:49.96
surrounding you, everything,
and you need to go back again
00:54:49.99\00:54:52.71
and just fill yourself
with the love of Jesus Christ.
00:54:52.74\00:54:55.32
Don't listen to
anything, don't watch anything,
00:54:55.35\00:54:57.39
unless it's talking
about the love of Jesus.
00:54:57.42\00:54:59.18
And when you get
filled with that love,
00:54:59.21\00:55:01.38
then you need to just
let God lead you to do this.
00:55:03.44\00:55:06.61
Notice what it says.
00:55:06.64\00:55:08.01
"For the love of
Christ constrains us,
00:55:08.04\00:55:09.41
because we thus
judge," start judging this way,
00:55:09.44\00:55:12.10
"that if one died
for all, then all died."
00:55:12.13\00:55:15.01
That's what the New
King James language says.
00:55:15.04\00:55:16.86
All were dead. All died.
00:55:17.06\00:55:18.43
What does that mean exactly?
00:55:19.31\00:55:20.68
It means that when
Jesus died on the cross,
00:55:20.71\00:55:23.11
He didn't die for Himself.
00:55:23.14\00:55:24.51
Because He was innocent.
00:55:24.54\00:55:25.91
He died for you and for me.
00:55:26.12\00:55:27.98
But He didn't just die for us.
00:55:28.01\00:55:29.38
He's the Savior of all
men, He died for everyone.
00:55:29.41\00:55:31.36
Therefore, He has taken upon
Himself the sins of everyone.
00:55:31.74\00:55:35.17
Therefore, everyone
died in Jesus, objectively.
00:55:35.20\00:55:39.18
So when you look at a person
now, you don't see that person
00:55:39.61\00:55:43.05
in their sinful life, because
Jesus died for those sins.
00:55:43.08\00:55:46.40
You see them in Jesus.
00:55:46.43\00:55:47.92
You see Jesus dying for them.
00:55:47.95\00:55:49.51
This is what it means
in the context, verse 15.
00:55:49.54\00:55:52.35
"And that he died for all,
that they which live should not
00:55:52.38\00:55:54.66
henceforth live for
themselves, but unto him which
00:55:54.69\00:55:57.42
died for them and rose again."
00:55:57.45\00:55:58.82
So now you're not
living for yourself anymore.
00:55:59.08\00:56:00.63
Notice what it says in verse 16.
00:56:00.66\00:56:02.07
"Wherefore henceforth we
know no man after the flesh."
00:56:02.99\00:56:08.78
Now we're going
to stop right there.
00:56:08.81\00:56:10.30
Because I'm going to let you
study the rest of these verses
00:56:11.25\00:56:13.29
on your own.
00:56:14.10\00:56:15.47
But this is the kicker.
00:56:15.76\00:56:17.46
Henceforth, from
now on, we don't know
00:56:17.75\00:56:20.07
anyone after the flesh.
00:56:20.10\00:56:21.47
Now I know you after the flesh
and you know me after the flesh.
00:56:21.50\00:56:23.44
Let's just say.
00:56:23.47\00:56:24.84
I know some of you
better than others.
00:56:25.29\00:56:27.00
My wife knows me
better than any of you,
00:56:28.78\00:56:30.82
after the flesh.
00:56:30.85\00:56:32.22
But she doesn't
know me after the flesh.
00:56:33.03\00:56:35.30
Because everything that
she knows about me that is
00:56:35.33\00:56:37.64
faulty and sinful and
wrong, Jesus died to redeem.
00:56:37.67\00:56:41.89
And so she doesn't see
me after the flesh anymore.
00:56:42.55\00:56:44.80
See, and that's what
he means in verse 17.
00:56:45.26\00:56:47.43
He says, "If any man is in
Christ, he's a new creature."
00:56:47.46\00:56:49.69
He sees things differently.
00:56:49.72\00:56:51.42
He's not just new
in the sense that,
00:56:51.45\00:56:53.00
"Oh, I've been born
again. I'm going to heaven."
00:56:53.03\00:56:54.40
He's new in the sense that he
sees other people differently.
00:56:54.43\00:56:57.03
He has a whole new
way of looking at people.
00:56:57.13\00:56:59.39
He's motivated
by the love of God.
00:56:59.59\00:57:01.24
And that destroys Babylon.
00:57:01.68\00:57:05.27
It's not just a
proclamation, friends.
00:57:05.30\00:57:06.96
It's an experience
that God wants us to have.
00:57:07.24\00:57:09.71
And there's only one way that
we can have this experience,
00:57:10.37\00:57:12.44
today and every day.
00:57:12.62\00:57:13.99
And that is by
asking God to take over.
00:57:14.02\00:57:17.24
Would you like to
have that experience today?
00:57:17.94\00:57:19.76
Let's pray together.
00:57:21.22\00:57:22.59
Father in heaven, we're going to
ask You right now to take over.
00:57:22.62\00:57:25.88
To take our
hearts, we can't give them.
00:57:26.46\00:57:28.17
But they're Your property.
00:57:28.20\00:57:29.57
To save us in
spite of our selves,
00:57:30.86\00:57:32.50
our weak unChrist-like selves.
00:57:32.53\00:57:34.63
To mold us, to fashion
us, to raise us into a pure
00:57:34.66\00:57:37.53
and holy atmosphere.
00:57:37.56\00:57:38.93
Father, You can do it.
00:57:38.96\00:57:41.13