1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:06,960 Did anybody talk about money in your original moment? 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,720 No one talked about money. Oh, you must all be at such 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:17,480 financial peace in your life. Or maybe it's just like, no, no, 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,920 no, I don't want to go there. You know, these are two words 5 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,000 that do seem strange to put together. 6 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:28,760 Financial peace, Dave Ramsey perhaps is the one who's made it 7 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:32,759 most famous for the last 25 years, putting those two words 8 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:37,200 together and trying to help the church and help lots of average, 9 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:42,320 normal people find a way to really see those two words go 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,080 together. But we've added a third for this 11 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,920 series, Financial Peace and Purpose. 12 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:52,920 And that's because as believers and in centering in on the 13 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:55,560 church, our Sunday morning sermon isn't really about just 14 00:00:55,560 --> 00:01:00,280 giving you skills. We want you to get skills, and 15 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,480 there's lots of great help for getting skills in regard to 16 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:09,600 money, but we also want you to be able to connect your sense of 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,920 purpose to how you think about your finances, how you think 18 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:15,640 about money. And that's really, really 19 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,400 important. So this week I took my van in 20 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,560 for a reality check, actually for a brake check, and the 21 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:28,120 reality was I needed complete new set of brakes on all four 22 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:29,960 tires. Wow. 23 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:36,400 It was a big bill, but I was so grateful for their expertise at 24 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,000 being able to do that. Most of us never get someone 25 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:44,120 else looking at our finances with that kind of clarity. 26 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:48,520 Some of you will someday you'll pay somebody to do that and you 27 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,000 hope and you wonder, are they actually being true about it? 28 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,720 But here are four things that are just always true about 29 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:58,880 thinking about money and your finances. 30 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,000 And that is, are we able to advance? 31 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:15,700 Dunk, dunk, dunk. 32 00:02:16,740 --> 00:02:21,860 You're on the last one. There's not another sermons 33 00:02:21,860 --> 00:02:28,780 done. There we go. 34 00:02:29,100 --> 00:02:31,460 So this is always going to be true about your money. 35 00:02:31,460 --> 00:02:33,900 You're going to earn some. It's going to come in from 36 00:02:33,900 --> 00:02:36,660 somewhere, right? You're earning money or you're 37 00:02:36,660 --> 00:02:40,040 being given money. You're also spending money. 38 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,520 How many of you like to spend? There's a few of you. 39 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,240 You like to spend. You're going to be saving money. 40 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,000 How many of you are savers? You love to save? 41 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:57,000 There's a few of you and there's others of you who you're really 42 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,960 not sure because you're like, I'm not earning any money. 43 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,440 So I don't know anything yet about spending or saving or even 44 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,200 giving. Do you know about giving? 45 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,600 How many of you love to give? There's a few of you. 46 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,640 So these are the things that are always true about money. 47 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,080 You're earning it, spending it, saving it, or giving it. 48 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,640 And you really should take a look every month that what's 49 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:29,240 coming in. You could turn this into a 50 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:33,680 little worksheet of your earning, of your spending, of 51 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:37,400 your saving, and of your giving. You can really look at that. 52 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,160 And there are innumerable skills to learn under each one of 53 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:44,720 those, right? And for some of us, there's 54 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,840 still mysteries yet because we're not earning. 55 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,480 But there's also another set of four questions that are really 56 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:56,280 important for really processing money in our lives. 57 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,760 And that is, what are our values, our goals, our dreams, 58 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,760 and who is shaping all of the above? 59 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,800 And so at some point, you have to really tune into what are the 60 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:14,960 values that I feel about money and that organize my behaviors 61 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,560 in regards to money. Where did that come from? 62 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,840 And what you may find is that over and in different periods of 63 00:04:22,840 --> 00:04:26,560 your life, depending on your responsibilities, your values 64 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:32,480 will shift as they should. Your values should shift during 65 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:38,520 that time and then your goals are what you want to achieve and 66 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,240 how it relates to money. Sorry y'all, 67 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:58,840 who is shaping all of the above? This is a mystery question. 68 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,600 Who is shaping all of the above? You can go forward. 69 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:30,360 Do you know Jesus managed money? He even appointed a manager of 70 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:37,360 money among his disciples. Jesus earned money. 71 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,880 He was a Carpenter. He was the carpenter's son. 72 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,880 And so he, he knows very dearly and closely that this matters in 73 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:53,800 our lives. But Jesus also got pushed around 74 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:59,840 in regards to money and power. And This is why the question of 75 00:05:59,840 --> 00:06:07,920 who matters so much about who is shaping our values, our beliefs, 76 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,000 our expectations, our dreams about money. 77 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:20,320 And Jesus would have seen all around him the contrasting 78 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:27,240 teachings about money and power as it related to Israel and as 79 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:32,000 it related to Rome. Israel had experienced 80 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:39,040 throughout their history those who wanted to change or exploit 81 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:45,240 their access to money and human resources, and one of the 82 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:50,120 greatest powers that had swept into their lives was called 83 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,160 Babylon. Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar 84 00:06:54,520 --> 00:07:00,720 had swept into Israel and carted them off into exile, exploiting 85 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:05,080 their human potential. You can read about that in the 86 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:09,880 Old Testament. But Babylon became a city and a 87 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:14,120 metaphor really of the the power of empire. 88 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:20,760 Jesus knew about it. In Jesus's day, it wasn't 89 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:27,920 Babylon, it was Rome. Rome was the great power that 90 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:32,840 was exploiting human potential, power and money. 91 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:38,680 And he grew up experiencing that and the dynamics of politics as 92 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:43,160 it played out in Israel. So he's aware of it. 93 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:48,000 In fact, if you read through all the way to the end of the Bible, 94 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:54,520 you're going to find that Babylon and Rome become a symbol 95 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,920 for Christians encountering empire. 96 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:07,440 Who really wants to shape your understanding of money? 97 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:15,800 Babylon does, Rome does, and you're going to find that in the 98 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,520 Bible we're going to read in Romans chapter 18. 99 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:24,080 One of the extraordinary pictures are not Romans 18, 100 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:31,520 Revelation at 18 of God drawing back the curtain on the 101 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:36,679 situation of Christians experiencing Babylon, of 102 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:42,400 Christians experiencing Rome. So what does when we read this, 103 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:49,800 Babylon is Rome, OK, Now, how many of you get nervous when you 104 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,840 read Revelation? How many of you have avoided 105 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:59,120 reading it because you're like, I don't get it, I don't get it. 106 00:08:59,920 --> 00:09:02,720 So we're going to read through this chapter and into chapter 107 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,960 19, and I want you to just think of it as a drama, OK? 108 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:12,200 It's like the curtain has opened and you're being able to look in 109 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:16,640 on a great drama that's playing out on a stage in front of you. 110 00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:19,840 And then what you're going to discover is that you actually 111 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:27,360 are also on that stage. OK, so John has written to seven 112 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:32,000 churches. And in chapter 18, he says this. 113 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:36,600 After this I saw another Angel coming down from heaven. 114 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,960 He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by a 115 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,720 splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted, 116 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,440 Fallen. Fallen is Babylon the Great. 117 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:54,400 She has become a dwelling for demons and a hot for every 118 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:59,360 impure spirit, a hot for every unclean bird, a hot for every 119 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:04,360 unclean and detestable animal, For all the nations have drunk 120 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,760 the madding wine of her adulteries. 121 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,840 The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the 122 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:15,800 merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries. 123 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,560 Just a reminder, who is Babylon? Rome. 124 00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:26,720 Then I heard another voice from heaven say, Come out of her, my 125 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:31,760 people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you 126 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:34,160 will not receive any of her plagues. 127 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:39,160 For her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered 128 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:44,480 her crimes give her as much torment and grief as the glory 129 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:52,080 and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, I sit 130 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:56,880 enthroned as queen. I am not a widow, I will never 131 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:01,720 mourn. Therefore, one day her plagues 132 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:06,240 will overtake her death, mourning and famine. 133 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:12,080 She will be consumed by fire. For mighty is the Lord God who 134 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,680 judges her. When the kings of the earth, who 135 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:19,800 committed adultery with her and shared her luxury, see the smoke 136 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:23,160 of a burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 137 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,560 Terrified at her torment, they will stand off and cry. 138 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:35,600 Whoa, whoa, to you great city, you mighty city of Babylon. 139 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:44,760 In one hour your doom has come. The merchants of the earth will 140 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:49,160 weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes 141 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,920 anymore. Cargoes of gold, silver, 142 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:56,400 precious stones and pearls, fine linen, purple silk and scarlet 143 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:59,400 cloth. Every sort of citron wood and 144 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:04,200 articles of every kind of ivory. Costly wood, bronze, iron, and 145 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:08,480 marble. Cargoes of cinnamon and spice, 146 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:16,520 incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine, of olive oil, of fine 147 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:23,640 flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and carriages, and 148 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:34,440 human beings sold as slaves. They will say the fruit you've 149 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:38,880 longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor 150 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:41,480 have vanished, never to be recovered. 151 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,560 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth 152 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:48,000 from her will stand off terrified at her torment. 153 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:52,560 They will weep and mourn and cry out woe. 154 00:12:53,400 --> 00:13:00,440 Woe to you great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and 155 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:04,160 scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and 156 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:10,720 pearls. In one hour such great wealth 157 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:19,280 has been brought to ruin. Kings, merchants and now sea 158 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:25,080 captains, every sea captain and all who travel by ship, The 159 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:28,760 sailors and all who earn their living from the sea will stand 160 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,320 far off. And when they see the smoke of 161 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:35,200 her burning, they will exclaim, Was there ever such a great 162 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,680 city? They will throw dust on their 163 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:40,960 heads and with weeping and mourning cry out. 164 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:47,400 Whoa, how does it go? Whoa to you great city, where 165 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:53,360 all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth. 166 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:59,840 In one hour she has been brought to ruin. 167 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:08,760 Rejoice, rejoice you heavens, rejoice you people of God, 168 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:14,920 rejoice, apostles and prophets, for God has judged her with the 169 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:21,120 judgement she imposed on you. Then a mighty Angel picked up a 170 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:26,280 boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the 171 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:30,160 sea, and said, with such violence the great city of 172 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:33,720 Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 173 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:38,360 The music of harpist and musicians, pipers and trumpets 174 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:41,720 will never be heard in you again. 175 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:48,040 No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. 176 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:53,880 The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 177 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:58,560 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. 178 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,680 The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you 179 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,520 again. The merchants were the world's 180 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:13,520 important people. By your magic spell all the 181 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:18,080 nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of 182 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:22,760 prophets and of God's holy people of all who have been 183 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:28,240 slaughtered on earth. After this I heard what sounded 184 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,120 like the roar of a great multitude in heaven, shouting. 185 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:38,400 Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and 186 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,280 just are His judgments. He has condemned the great 187 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:44,600 prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. 188 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:47,840 He has avenged on her the blood of His servants. 189 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:53,360 And again they shouted. The smoke from her goes up 190 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,920 forever and ever. The 24 elders and the four 191 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:00,520 living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who was seated 192 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:09,040 on the throne, and they cried. Then a voice came from the 193 00:16:09,040 --> 00:16:14,480 throne saying, Praise our God, all you, his servants, you who 194 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:19,920 fear Him, both great and small. Then I heard what sounded like a 195 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:23,520 great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and the loud 196 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:29,680 peals of Thunder, shouting For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 197 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,480 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory, for the wedding 198 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:37,440 of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 199 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:41,720 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear. 200 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:47,480 Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy 201 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:51,400 people. Then the Angel said to me, Write 202 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:55,560 this, blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of 203 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,840 the Lamb. And he added, these are the true 204 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:03,440 words of God. At this I fell to his feet to 205 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,359 worship him. But he said, don't do that. 206 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,640 I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and 207 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,960 sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. 208 00:17:14,319 --> 00:17:18,720 Worship God, for it is the spirit of prophecy who bears 209 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:24,319 testimony to Jesus. So here's a little 3 clues for 210 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:26,800 reading Revelation. When you go and you do it this 211 00:17:26,800 --> 00:17:29,000 week, you're like, OK, we just read a lot. 212 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:33,240 I'm going to read it again. This was written to churches 213 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,520 that had to discern how to follow Jesus in the empire. 214 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:40,200 John had been exiled to the island of Patmos because his 215 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:44,280 message of the gospel of Jesus and the way it was changing 216 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,920 people and relationships was seen as a threat by those in 217 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:49,760 Rome. And they said, well, we won't 218 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,520 kill him. We'll just send him to an island 219 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,680 and he will be in exile. So John is now writing to those 220 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:03,000 churches to help them discern how can I live in the power of 221 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,080 empire, in the shadow of the empire. 222 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:11,880 So readers today have the curtain raised on a great drama. 223 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:13,840 That's the second thing that'll always help you. 224 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:17,880 If you're like, I'm a reader today about this and I'm 225 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,080 actually seeing a drama unfold in front of me. 226 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,240 That's what the word revelation means. 227 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,480 It's like the curtain has opened. 228 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:29,920 This is the apocalypse, the opening, the revealing, the 229 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:32,720 unveiling. It's like sitting at a theater 230 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:39,960 and seeing the curtain open and the curtain opens and the play 231 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,680 begins. That's how we should read 232 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:48,200 Revelation, to say we're seeing a great drama in which we have a 233 00:18:48,200 --> 00:18:51,480 part to play. And that's the third thing that 234 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:54,920 as followers of Jesus, we gain hope and insight for life in 235 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,680 Babylon. So Babylon did not end with 236 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:00,440 Rome. Rome and Babylon became a trope 237 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:05,480 for every experience of the people of God facing the powers 238 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:11,480 of empire, and we face them every day in differing degrees. 239 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:20,640 Scott McKnight has summarized what are some of the sort of 240 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:24,480 powers of Babylon. And it's cast under this idea 241 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:29,240 that Babylon itself is casting a spell. 242 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:34,120 Did you notice that in Revelation 1823 it says your 243 00:19:34,120 --> 00:19:37,200 merchants were the world's important people? 244 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:42,320 By your magic spell, all the nations were led astray. 245 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:49,480 Babylon actually cast a spell and draws people in to its power 246 00:19:49,480 --> 00:19:52,600 in its ways. In its extreme. 247 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:57,880 There are 7 big ideas about how Babylon operates. 248 00:19:57,960 --> 00:19:59,880 Going to go through them really quickly here. 249 00:19:59,880 --> 00:20:03,120 Just want you to get it and I want you to think of all the 250 00:20:03,120 --> 00:20:10,480 great powers in the world. What are the great national 251 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:18,320 powers in the world and are they actually also demonstrating 252 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,080 these characteristics of Babylon One? 253 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:26,360 They are anti God. For the Jew and Gentile in Rome, 254 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:34,320 this was really an issue because Rome treated the Jew and the Jew 255 00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:36,760 and Christian as if they were atheists. 256 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,760 They said of the Christians, You're an atheist because they 257 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:48,880 rejected all the other gods that Rome supported and ultimately 258 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,160 Rome would support its emperor as a God. 259 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,160 Our emperor shall be God. Even in the age of Jesus, 260 00:20:57,160 --> 00:21:00,520 Augustus claimed to be the Son of God. 261 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:07,480 They required a certain amount of worship, adulation of 262 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:13,080 themselves and it ran from the family all the way up to the 263 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:19,280 family of the emperor. Not only they are they anti God, 264 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:26,280 but they're also pro stuff. They're pro opulence. 265 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:32,480 Like, like we got to build it out and have a show so that the 266 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:38,840 normal people realize they are nothing in regard to us. 267 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:44,640 See how we can spend, see how we can create a table. 268 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:55,680 See our big ballrooms. Not only that, they're 269 00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:00,640 murderous. If you consider the history of 270 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:04,760 Rome, you have to also consider the history of murder, how they 271 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:11,960 sought to inspire terror through taking people's lives. 272 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,360 Thousands of people were crucified, not just Jesus. 273 00:22:17,360 --> 00:22:23,680 Outside of Jerusalem, Rome used the cross as a means of showing 274 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:28,960 their power over others. The writer here in Revelation 275 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:32,840 says that the woman, Babylon Rome was drunk on the blood of 276 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,320 God's holy people, the blood of those who bore the testimony of 277 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:40,840 Jesus. Babylon has always found the 278 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:48,160 people of God to be a threat. And then Babylon's also image 279 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,800 conscious. They are always building 280 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,840 platforms in which you can adore them and which you can be 281 00:22:55,840 --> 00:23:10,750 astonished by their great lives. Not only that, Babylon is 282 00:23:10,750 --> 00:23:16,910 militaristic. Babylon always seeks to 283 00:23:16,910 --> 00:23:23,590 accumulate power through its militaries, through building 284 00:23:23,590 --> 00:23:29,240 military might and taking the lives of others, to always 285 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:38,640 exploit humans relentlessly. Rome sought to subjugate the 286 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:44,560 cross with Constantine in drawing together the power of 287 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:50,000 the military and the cross, and we've suffered with it ever 288 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:54,760 since. And then they're exploitive 289 00:23:54,840 --> 00:24:00,760 economically. Rome, AKA Babylon, sought to 290 00:24:00,760 --> 00:24:06,240 bring all the wealth to them. Why do we say all roads lead to 291 00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:09,840 Rome? Why did they want such great 292 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:17,760 roads to facilitate trade? And we could say, oh, I love 293 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:22,120 those roads. I hate potholes and and it is an 294 00:24:22,120 --> 00:24:24,360 extraordinary feat of engineering. 295 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,680 But behind it was this desire and urge to exploit others. 296 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,240 And then finally we come to these last two ideas. 297 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:42,080 There's just arrogance. Rome bathes in arrogance. 298 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,280 They had a parade of self adulation. 299 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:49,960 If you needed one word to summarize it all it would be 300 00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:55,440 domination. Domination unto death is the way 301 00:24:55,440 --> 00:25:02,440 of the dragon and Rome. Babylon sits on the dragon. 302 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:09,040 Just to show this complete movement in the life and history 303 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:13,400 of Rome, there was an emperor who changed the emperor's name 304 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:22,360 from from Emperor to Dominus. I will dominate, and you will 305 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:27,760 call me Dominus, the dominator. And so he changed the system of 306 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:33,720 the empire to 1 of domination, and he was very plain about it. 307 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:36,440 Now here's the situation for the church. 308 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:44,080 The churches were infiltrated by the values of Babylon and we 309 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:48,520 find it in our own lives that we too are also infiltrated today 310 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,280 by Babylon. And the way we think about money 311 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:56,120 is very influenced by Babylon. Just look at your Instagram. 312 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:06,400 Just look at your TikTok, always nudging you, always turning you 313 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:08,920 into the product. Anybody pay for Instagram? 314 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:13,360 What? Pay for it? 315 00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:16,400 If you're not paying for it, you are the product. 316 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:25,680 You're always being nudged towards a certain way of 317 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:33,360 thinking and acting. Accepting like the frog in the 318 00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:37,400 kettle, losing your life before you know it. 319 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:40,520 So here's the strange thing about Babylon is that Babylon 320 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,920 hollows out and takes away our life. 321 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:49,800 And so God says to Bab to his people, come out. 322 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:55,360 Did you notice that he said come out of her my people, that you 323 00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:58,600 will not share in her sins, that you will not share in her 324 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,840 plagues, that you will not share in her judgement? 325 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,400 Come out. This is a very old phrase drawn 326 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:08,080 from the Old Testament that we were to come out. 327 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:13,000 It was re emphasized by Paul when he wrote come out. 328 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,920 It was emphasized by Jesus. The tension of it. 329 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:24,480 Remember tension, that we are in the world, but not of it, he 330 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:26,880 says. I'm not going to literally take 331 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:34,360 you out of this world, but you will sanctify yourself as I 332 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:37,760 sanctify myself. You will be in the world, but 333 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,320 not of it. So come out of Babylon. 334 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:44,320 But then where am I going? If I come out of Babylon? 335 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,240 What are my options? Here are your options. 336 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:58,360 Come to the Lamb. The Lamb says, come to me, all 337 00:27:58,360 --> 00:28:01,600 you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 338 00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:05,800 See, if you are living in Babylon, you will find you're 339 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:09,800 getting really tired. If you're living in Babylon, 340 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:12,440 you'll find that you have no financial peace. 341 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,800 If you're living in Babylon, you'll find that your purpose is 342 00:28:16,800 --> 00:28:20,560 actually being diffused and lost. 343 00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:27,160 And so live in this world, not in the life and way of Babylon, 344 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,560 but in the life and way of the lamb. 345 00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:34,200 The lamb is inviting you to a wedding supper and a wedding 346 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:35,960 supper. There's there's an abundance, 347 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:39,080 there's plenty. And he's saying there's a seat 348 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:44,280 here for all of you at my table. Come to the wedding lamb, the 349 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:45,880 wedding of the lamb and the church. 350 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:51,680 And then finally, Revelation says you are being invited to 351 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:56,720 the New Jerusalem, a new city, a new way of living. 352 00:28:57,440 --> 00:28:59,560 Augustine called it the city of God. 353 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:02,840 You're invited to a different way. 354 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:08,280 So who is shaping your financial peace? 355 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:19,160 You don't know that you need to come out of anything until you 356 00:29:19,160 --> 00:29:24,480 begin to realize who has come into you and how you are not at 357 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:29,360 ease with it. Maybe some of the unease that 358 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:34,320 you are experiencing in finances and in your life is because your 359 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:39,080 purpose is being shaped more by Babylon than by the Lamb. 360 00:29:46,020 --> 00:29:49,980 This is sort of hard, isn't it? It's a different way of thinking 361 00:29:49,980 --> 00:29:55,400 about our money and our financial peace, but the 362 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,400 invitation is to worship differently and to raise a 363 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:01,440 Hallelujah and live for the Lamb. 364 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,000 We read those all together. Hallelujah. 365 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,040 I can't imagine. Have you ever been standing in 366 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:12,280 front of a waterfall and that waterfall just goes and goes. 367 00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:18,080 It doesn't stop it just it's just going. 368 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:22,840 And he's saying that the sound of the praise of God's people 369 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,120 being raised up in acknowledgement of what God had 370 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:32,320 done and that God was doing was just like a waterfall that just 371 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:37,280 kept going and going and going. So realign yourselves and live 372 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,440 for the Lamb. Here are four ways you can do 373 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:45,240 it. One, discern the seduction. 374 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:51,320 Realize when you're being sucked into the ways of Babylon and go, 375 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,920 oh, that's got more to do with Babylon than it has to do with 376 00:30:55,000 --> 00:31:00,240 Jesus. The way I'm thinking about my 377 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:03,840 money here, the way I'm acting without money, the way I have 378 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:09,000 been enslaved in debt, has more to do with Babylon than it has 379 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:13,520 to do with Jesus. And so I want to discern this is 380 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:18,080 what's happened to me. Then also understand that there 381 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:21,600 is suffering that comes. Sometimes our temptation is to 382 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:26,400 look around the world and see where people have have less or 383 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,200 people have poverty. And our immediate move is to say 384 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:34,200 it's their fault. And we fail to see that Babylon 385 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:39,560 has actually contributed to their suffering and that there 386 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:44,920 may be a way out, there may be a different way, but that 387 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:50,360 sometimes we do worry about today. 388 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:56,560 And we can't even worry about the future because we're so 389 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:58,800 worried about what are we going to eat today. 390 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:03,520 There are people who find themselves in that situation, 391 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,840 and we must understand their suffering. 392 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:09,680 The third thing that you can do is get dressed. 393 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:14,240 Get dressed in the fine linen that God wants to give you. 394 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:18,280 The righteous acts. I mean, they're getting dressed 395 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:23,240 as God's people. It appears in Babylon that so 396 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:27,040 that if you find yourself in Babylon, you can still get 397 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:31,880 dressed with good deeds, with good and true works. 398 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:36,000 In fact, the word righteous here is actually the word related to 399 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:41,360 justice. Do justice, walk humbly with 400 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:47,840 your God, love mercy, do justice, righteousness. 401 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:52,960 Do good things. And if you find that your values 402 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:58,660 about money are not letting you do good things, it's time to re 403 00:32:58,660 --> 00:33:03,600 evaluate. If you find that your allegiance 404 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:11,240 to earning money means that you keep compromising good honesty 405 00:33:11,440 --> 00:33:15,960 and integrity, then you may need a change. 406 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:20,880 If you find that your workplace has actually become toxic and 407 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:25,920 that toxic culture is shaping you, then maybe it's time to 408 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:34,960 really step up and put on the fine linen of good deeds, of 409 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:40,200 just actions. Some of you may find that you 410 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:48,520 are going to have to give up Gangnam Style, that conspicuous 411 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:52,640 consumption is not going to be the way you live your life. 412 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:58,960 And so you find I, I actually need to give that up. 413 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,040 I need to step back from that. But that doesn't mean that in 414 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,040 Christ you have to reject beauty, that you have to reject 415 00:34:06,760 --> 00:34:10,400 excellence, that you have to reject quality. 416 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:19,920 It just means that you also live simpler and then finally hold to 417 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:24,639 the testimony of Jesus. That's what he says of the 418 00:34:24,639 --> 00:34:28,360 people who've survived this is that they have held to the 419 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:31,400 testimony of Jesus. That this is the job of the 420 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:36,040 angels and it's the job of those brothers and sisters in Christ 421 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,480 is to constantly hold to the testimony of Jesus. 422 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:43,600 In fact, when it was shown that the people of Jesus could defeat 423 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:50,480 Satan himself, it was asked how? By the blood of the Lamb, by the 424 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:53,159 word of their testimony, and that they did not love their 425 00:34:53,159 --> 00:34:54,920 lives so much to shrink from death. 426 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:59,920 We sang that earlier, didn't we? This is how we overcome. 427 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:07,480 This is how we overcome when we hold to the testimony of Jesus. 428 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:12,920 Now you may think this is the strangest money sermon I've ever 429 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,480 heard. Right on. 430 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:22,720 It was meant to be. It was meant to be because money 431 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:31,720 always resides inside a system. Most of us don't feel the pain 432 00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:35,600 of breaking a $20 bill. Do you know, I used to hold $20 433 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:40,400 bills and cash in my pocket and I'd be like, I hate breaking a 434 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:44,320 20 so much that I'm just not going to buy lunch today. 435 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,800 But you know, that feels different when all you have to 436 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,880 do is sort of wave that phone up in front of it. 437 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:57,320 No pain. Oh, you've been sucked into a 438 00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:59,840 system. This is a system. 439 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:03,360 It's an unseen system that's at work. 440 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:08,640 And it's beautiful, but there's also terrible agony in it as 441 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:12,880 well. Someone described this as a four 442 00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:15,840 inch by two inch walking slot machine. 443 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:23,080 We know that people can start businesses from this. 444 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:27,000 You don't have to wait even for a computer. 445 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:32,480 You can start a business here. But we also have to recognize 446 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:35,440 that with every technological advancement, there are those who 447 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:42,440 would exploit it either for Babylon or leverage it for the 448 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:47,720 Kingdom of God. So you got to decide, are you 449 00:36:47,720 --> 00:36:53,720 dressed up in fine linen gifted to you by the Lamb of God? 450 00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,880 And that's why we come to the table, because it reminds us of 451 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:01,280 the wedding supper of the Lamb. So I'm going to invite you all 452 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:06,200 to stand from this weirdest money sermon you've ever heard, 453 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:13,200 and I'm going to ask you to realign your commitment to the 454 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:19,120 Lamb of God, to the ways of God who laid down his life at the 455 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:37,660 table. When we come to the table, we 456 00:37:37,660 --> 00:37:43,180 remember that Jesus himself lived within a system and died 457 00:37:43,180 --> 00:37:48,720 within that system. That he transformed the very 458 00:37:48,720 --> 00:37:53,040 implements of cruelty into that system, into the most beautiful 459 00:37:53,120 --> 00:38:00,760 picture of his grace. That He turned the cross into 460 00:38:00,760 --> 00:38:08,840 something majestic, but he did it with his body, with his 461 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:17,800 blood, with his life, as he absorbed there all the sin of 462 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:28,400 the world and Babylon, so that great and small might be able to 463 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:34,040 rejoice in front of him. And so as we come to the table 464 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:39,480 today, I invite you to say, have I, Have I really come to Jesus, 465 00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:43,640 the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sin of the world? 466 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:49,960 Am I willing to come out of Babylon every day and live as 467 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:52,600 this? I'm a citizen of the Kingdom of 468 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:58,320 God. Am I willing to count the cost? 469 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,000 That's really difficult because it doesn't seem like God gives 470 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:03,960 us the courage until we've stepped out. 471 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,600 But if we realign our commitments, then we'll find 472 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:15,760 that we develop courage from Him when we experience the 473 00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:19,280 difficulties, even in regards to money. 474 00:39:22,280 --> 00:39:25,120 Heavenly Father, you see us standing before you, and we pray 475 00:39:25,120 --> 00:39:28,120 that you would meet to us and that you would let this word 476 00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:32,560 settle deep into our lives, that we would consider again the 477 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:36,600 great drama that we are in that sometimes we live oblivious to. 478 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:42,040 But we need to see so that Jesus may be recognized as Lord.