Citizens Of Which Kingdom?

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Revelation 18:1-5 (KJV) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. [2] And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. [3] For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. [4] And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. [5] For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Last week we spoke of Babylon as the false religious system that the world chases after. In this week’s message we see Babylon as mammon, money and power. Babylon will fall because Babylon is evil.

Babylon is the habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird!

I’m probably going to make someone mad tonight.
So get ready. You see …
You cannot compromise with Babylon.
You are either a Child of God doing His will,
Or you are a citizen of Babylon doing the devil’s will.
It is Babylon that justifies the mark of the Beast.
It is Babylon – both religious and wealthy – that lives for self.

Choose Which Kingdom You Will Be In

Revelation 18:4-5 (KJV) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. [5] For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

Babylon will be judged. Babylon will be plagued. God tells His people – the saints that are on the earth during this Great Tribulation – Come out of her, My people, that you be not partakers of her sins and that you do not receive her plagues. God’s Children do not belong in the darkness with the sinner. We are to be His Light. Throughout the Scripture God has a people, and He calls them OUT.

We are to come out of the darkness and into the light.
Sin should stay in the closet, But righteousness in the light!

Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). It was to Noah God said:

Genesis 6:13-14 (KJV) …. The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. [14] Make thee an ark …

Noah, come out from among them. Do not do evil with the world. Obey Me. Follow My Word. Destruction is coming. The world will die. You – a recepient of Grace – are to live for Me and Me alone.

Abraham found Grace in the eyes of the Lord. The Scripture declares:

Romans 4:20-22 (KJV) {Abraham} staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; [21] And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. [22] And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

How did God call Abraham? What did God say?

Genesis 12:1-2 (KJV) …. Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: [2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

When does the blessing come? When you get OUT Abraham. You do not belong among the heathen Babylonian nation. Leave your unbelieving country. Leave your unbelieving kindred. Leave your unbelieving father and his household. Put God first, and you will be blessed!

What did God say to Pharaoh concerning His People?

Exodus 8:1 (KJV) … Let my people go, that they may serve me.

and to Israel He demanded come out of Egypt. God’s people do not need to worship in Egyptian Temples nor bond with unbelieving people. Come out from among them. Come out!

Throughout Scripture God calls a people to Himself by Grace and Grace alone. But saved by Grace we are then of His Kingdom. We are not to be bound to the evil and the evil ways of this world, but are to live for Him. You say “But Preacher, this is Old Testament, but not the New Testament”. Well let me give you God’s New Testament Word. He has said:

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? [15] And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? [16] And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, [18] And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

You say you are saved by faith in Christ.
THEN LIVE FOR CHRIST.
Do not live hidden in the darkness. The only time you can hide a candle in the darkness is WHEN IT IS UNLIT. Live for God. Live for Christ.

1 Peter 1:13-16 (KJV) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; [14] As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: [15] But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; [16] Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Live for God. Love Christ. Obey His Word.

Babylon Lives For Herself – We Live For Christ

Revelation 18:7 (KJV) How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

The mark of the citizen of Babylon is SELF GLORY. Babylon lives for herself. She will be overthrown by God, but she does not process this. She is ME centered.

Babylon lives deliciously (στρηνιάω strēniaō), in a wanton or luxurious way. The world is her oyster, and she is it’s god. Her words are “I sit as a Queen … I am the Queen of Heaven, and God is my Husband, my Doting Husband”. The citizen of Babylon has no time for God. You read the obituary of that citizen. God was not glorified in their lives, and now God is not glorified in their deaths. They love their pets. They were great mothers and grandmothers. They never met a stranger. And yet, there is no mention of God or giving glory to Him. She thinks she shall see no sorrow.

Many years ago I went to visit an aging lady who had left her home to go and live in a rather upscale assisted living home. It was beautiful. I had been out to this woman’s home before – I and my wife – and she lived in a gorgeous home. She had a very expensive framed picture of her and her family that hung on the wall. It looked like there was 500 people in the picture, and not a bum in the lot. They all looked like movie stars! She had children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren and even one great-great-great grandchild! I stood at her kitchen window one day, a window which looked out on a wide valley. I told her “You’ve got a beautiful view here! How much of this is your property?” She replied “If you can see it, it’s mine. She own thousands of acres of land. She had money in the bank. When I went to visit her in the assisted living facility – again, a beautiful fancy place, she looked at me and asked:

Brother David, Why Does God Hate Me?

God hate you? God doesn’t hate you. If you life was a life hated by God, I wish He’s hate me a little! Holy cow! But you see, this woman, though professing Christ, had not learned to live by faith in Him. She thought bad times would never come her way. She thought she’d live thousands of years with no aches or pains.

Beloved, if we are Christ’s then we live to glorify God.

We do not live feeding ourselves incessantly, but by loving the Lord Who saved us. We live for HIS GLORY. Jesus taught us to begin our prayers with …

Matthew 6:9 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

“Hallowed be Thy Name! GLORY to Thy Name!” We magnify our God. Jesus taught us to end our prayers with:

Matthew 6:13 (KJV) …. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

To God be the glory! To God be the glory! Babylon glorifies herself. Her citizens glorify themselves. But God says glorify ME and ME alone. This is the way that citizens of the Kingdom live. As Solomon said:

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

When you live for God then God lives in you. But when you turn from God and live selfishly you end up eventually like Babylon … Abandoned and judged of God.

Babylon’s Judgment Is To Die Alone

Babylon and the citizen of Babylon lived for themselves. God’s judgment on Babylon is not only it’s destruction, but that it die ALONE. What a horrible thing this is to die alone! Babylon has been in business since the Tower of Babel. It is an ancient evil. It has run the world. It was a great and lasting city. And yet rejecting God and His Word it lost everything. It;s demise was quick when God judged her:

Revelation 18:18-19 (KJV) {the citizens of Babylon} cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! [19] And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

The phrase “one hour” is not literal, but emphasizes how quickly Babylon was stripped of her power. As God judged Babylon those who used her for gain abandoned her to her fate. Politicians turned away from Babylon:

Revelation 18:9-10 (KJV) And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, [10] Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

As Babylon is judged all those who “lived deliciously with her” have abandoned her. The KINGS that enjoyed Babylon leave her to her fate. They stand afar off for fear of her torment. She is abandoned by the political world.

Revelation 18:11 (KJV) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

Revelation 18:15 (KJV) The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

The MERCHANTS that grew rich from Babylon – the commercial and capitalistic moguls – they will stand afar off for fear of her torment. They will abandon Babylon because they do not want to be under judgment as she is.

And those who assisted the merchants in using Babylon:

Revelation 18:17 (KJV) For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every SHIPMASTER, and all the company in ships, and SAILORS, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

They ran away from Babylon. God is judging this Babylon. Babylon must fall! And as Babylon falls there is no rejoicing in the world … but there is rejoicing in Heaven.

Revelation 18:20-21 (KJV) Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. [21] And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

Evil comes in with a bang, but goes out with a whimper. I love the picture of the millstone we see in this text. It reminds me of what Jesus said:

Matthew 18:3-7 (KJV) And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. [4] Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. [5] And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. [6] But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. [7] Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!

Babylon afflicted the children of God. It killed Christ’s children. It persecuted us, God’s little children. And Jesus shall avenge us. We do not need to avenge ourselves, but to trust in Him. He will do as He says.

Babylon will fall. Babylon will fall. But Christ will triumph forever more!