Let's take our Bibles and turn to the
18th chapter of Revelation. Revelation 18. Let's have a word of prayer. Our Father, we thank You for
another day, and Lord, for the privilege to be able to call
upon Your holy name. We ask You this morning, help
us. Lord, we desperately need You. Teach us by Your Spirit. Comfort
us by Your Word. We ask for Christ's sake, The Lord's people in the 18th chapter of Revelation
concerning Babylon the Great, false religion, are told in verse 4, Come out of her. That is a command that is given
by God's Spirit in power and is only heard in truth and in
grace when God is pleased to speak. In verse 5, the reason that the
Lord has commanded His people to come out is because God has
been pleased eternally to not show wrath to His people. Verse 5 says, For her sins have
reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Almighty God, before the foundation
of the world, purposed that He would not look upon His people
in wrath. He has never looked upon His
people in wrath. Never. The verse of Scripture
that men quote to say that at one time God's people were under
wrath is in Ephesians 2. And you had the quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins, children of wrath, even as others. But the Scripture in Ephesians
2 is actually describing the attitude of the unbeliever before
God. They have an attitude of wrath
toward God. They are children of wrath. They
are wrathful children. Not under the wrath of God. Because
Almighty God, before the foundation of the world, purposed that He
would show mercy. And the Lord never changes. In
verse 6, the Scripture says, concerning Babylon, reward her
even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according
to her works in the cup which she hath filled, filled to her
double." Every time you see the word double, remember this, it
means the total amount, the total portion. It doesn't mean twice
as much. Almighty God does not give twice
as much as is deserved. He gives exactly. what is deserved. Whatsoever man sows, that is
what he is going to reap. Render unto those that labor
in the Word a double portion, an adequate what is due. So the Scripture sets forth that
Almighty God has been merciful to His people, has called them
out of darkness because He will not show wrath unto His people. Now, beginning in verse 7 this
morning, we find, why shall judgment come to the wicked? You know that it will. You know
that God is just. Why? What has the unbeliever
done that is absolutely deserving of the justice and the judgment
and the wrath of Almighty God? Number one, in verse seven, it
says, How much she hath glorified herself. Almighty God, in Psalm 22, 23,
turn there, Psalm 22, 23. She glorified herself. Psalm
22, 23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise
Him. All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify
Him, and fear Him, all the seed of Israel." You that fear the Lord, you that
reverence Him, this morning if you have a reverence of Almighty
God, a respect, A respect for Him. David says,
praise Him. I've said this before, how often
men have gotten the attitude when they praise the Lord. It's
almost like there's a position that you assume. It's always
appearing to be holy or sanctimonious. It's close your eyes. Raise your
hands. Move back and forth. Mumble something. Praising the Lord. The word praise,
boast in Him. Boast in the Lord. You that reverence
the Lord, boast in Him. The Lord is worthy. The Lord
has shown mercy. The Lord has shown compassion.
Boast in Him. All you the seed of Jacob. All
you that need Him. All that you that desire Him. Glorify Him. Make His Word, His
will, and His thoughts to excel above you. Fear Him. That's what He said
again. It started off by saying, Fear the Lord. That one means
reverence. Praise Him, all ye see of Jacob. Glorify Him, and
fear Him." He said it again. Different word. Seek His hospitality. That's what that word means.
Second fear. Different word. Seek to dwell with Him. Abide with Him. Where He is,
I want to be there. Where He is, I want to be in
company with. It is a great joy. It is a blessed
privilege to be where He is. I thought, where is He? David said, Our God's in the
heavens. That's true. But I'll tell you
this, where two or three are gathered together in my name,
I'm in the midst of you. And the blessed privilege that
we have this morning is I'm convinced two or three are gathered together
in His name. Surely they are. And knowing that He's here in
the midst makes it very different. It's not just a meeting. The
Lord's here. If you're convinced that Almighty
God is here, boast in Him. Glorify Him. The reason that Babylon the Great, the great
harlot, the reason that Almighty God was going to judge her, the
Scripture says she glorified herself. She spoke well of herself. She boasted in herself. She praised
herself. And all false religion does that. Everything that a man has to
say concerning his salvation comes right back to him. And
it does not have one ounce of honor for Almighty God. She glorified herself back in
Revelation 18. Secondly, she lived deliciously. That's an unusual word. deliciously,
luxuriously is what the word means. She thought that she had
need of absolutely nothing. There was a rich man, a man named
Lazarus, and the rich man lived luxuriously. And he died and
he went to hell. The Scripture says in Psalm 70,
verse 5, I am poor. and needy. Make haste unto me,
O God. Thou art my help and my deliverer. O Lord, make no tarrying." I was sitting just a moment ago
as I was contemplating getting ready to stand up and preach,
and I'm just bearing my heart with you right now. I'm like
right on the edge. Just a thought of the reality
of what was getting ready to take place. The people of God
would soon assemble here. And I have been commanded, comfort
My people. Comfort ye, comfort ye My people,
saith the Lord. How? Tell them their warfare
is finished. Tell them that Almighty God has
put away their guilt. Tell them that God Almighty has
given them a new heart that does not glorify itself, that sets
before Him the honor that is due Him. And then even with that
thought, I still found myself anxious. Anxious on the edge,
Carl. That's the only way I know how
to say it. And even at this moment, right now, I just feel my heart
beating here, thinking of the seriousness. Richard Baxter said, I preach
as a dying man to dying men. Life is but a vapor, fleeting. I'm going to leave this world. Stand before God Almighty. Glenn
and I were talking about this yesterday. Every time I hear,
my mom tells me about someone passes from this life, first
thing I think, what did that man, what did that
woman think of Christ? What did they think of Him? This
woman, the Scripture says, she glorified herself and she lived
luxuriously, thinking in herself that she didn't have any need.
She had no need. Matthew 5, verse 3, Blessed are
the poor in spirit. Theirs is the kingdom of God. I need Him. I don't know any
other way to say it. If salvation is not of grace,
if salvation has got anything to do with any effort or thought
or ability on my part. The Lord must save me apart from
me or I'm lost. Turn with me to Matthew 15.21. I need him. Matthew 15.21. Matthew 15, verse 21, Then Jesus
went thence, and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast and
cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son
of David! My daughter is grievously vexed
with the devil. And he answered her not a word.
And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away, for
she crieth. after us? And he answered and
said, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. And he answered and said, It
is not meat. It is not fit to take the children's bread and
cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord, yet
the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. And Jesus answered and said unto
her, O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou
wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. This woman came to the Lord and
sought Him, asked after Him, helped Him. It appeared as though
that He had nothing for her. What was she going to do? Like
when the Lord asked Peter and the other disciples, will you
go away also? Peter said, to whom are we going
to go? Where are we going? Are we going to go to the false
god that is trying to help somebody? Are we going to go to that which
promises eternal life as long as I am able to exercise my ability
and my will My baptism or my tongues or something, where are
we going to go? Where will you go? Where will
I go? What are we going to do? She
says that she's glorified herself. I live deliciously. I don't have any need whatsoever. So much torment and sorrow give
her. For she said in her heart, back
in Revelation 18, chapter 7, she said in her heart, You know,
as a man thinketh in his heart, so is, that's what Proverbs 23,
7 says. Do you know what I need? I need
a new heart, a new spirit to behold Him, cast myself upon
Him, to cry after Him. Ezekiel 36, 26, A new heart also
will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you. She said
in her heart, Revelation 18, 7, I sit a queen. She said in her heart, I don't
have any problem whatsoever not being royalty. I sit a queen. I'm the wife. I'm worthy to be
worshiped. I'm worthy to be honored because
she saw herself as God. I sit a queen. I'm no widow.
That's what she said. My husband's alive because she's her own husband
too. She's her own God. No widow. I can bear children. Life is found in me. I'm not
in a state of mourning. I'm not a widow. A man or woman loses their spouse. Lost. Scripture says part of
themselves. I am not a widow. I don't mourn. Blessed are they that mourn.
Blessed are they that see their need of Almighty God. They shall be comforted. I sit a queen, I am no widow,
and I shall see no sorrow. Boy, now there is a boast. Man
by nature is absolutely But the reason for his blindness is he's
dead. You cannot convince a dead man
of anything. He's dead. The Scripture sets
forth that man, left to himself, will come before God Almighty,
convinced. We've done many mighty works
in your name. We've prophesied in your name.
He said, I never knew you. I never knew you. A man or a
woman will leave this world, but for the grace of God, they'll
leave this world and they will absolutely stand before God convinced
until they hear Him say, Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity.
I never knew you. They'll be convinced in their
heart that they're right. Do you know that man by nature,
everybody, everybody, everybody believes they're right? Everybody. The difference is the grace of
God, that God would give a man a new heart, new understanding. I'm not a widow. I have no problem. Therefore, verse 8, Revelation
18, 8, Therefore shall her plagues come in one day. You know, I've thought about
this, the Lord's second return. When is the Lord going to return?
Do you know what the Lord said? In a day that you think not. Surely it's not going to be today.
I'm sure. I heard of a man that said that
we ought to preach as if the Lord died yesterday, He rose
today, and He's coming back tomorrow. in a day that you think not.
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day." Death, spiritual
death. Eternal separation from Almighty
God is going to be her lot. And mourning. She said, I'm not
going to mourn. The Lord said, you will. She thought she'd see no suffering, famine, I have got all I need. What does a man need? Exactly
what he is convinced that he needs. If a man or a woman is
convinced that all they need they can supply, then they have
no fear, no reverence for Almighty God. She will be utterly burned
with fire, for strong is the Lord who judges her. while Babylon glorified herself. This is what you that believe
say. Bless the Lord, O my soul. You know, it's just even quoting
this Scripture is a breath of fresh air. It's just a believer
says, I believe that. Not as I ought. Not as I will,
not as I desire, but I do. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and
all that is within me. Bless His holy name. While Babylon
the Great lives deliciously, luxuriously, and having need
in her mind of nothing, the regenerated saint cries as Peter, when he
began to sink, when he saw the water. And he says, Lord, help
me. Help me today. Lord, help me. Help me as I stand here and preach. Help me. You say, Lord, help
me here. She said, I sit as a queen. But I know this, the Scripture
says, while she glorified herself, In her mind, she sits as royalty. But you that believe, you know,
according to the grace and the mercy of Almighty God, you're
seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Now? Now. How is that? Well, we know in
part and we see in part. And I'll tell you where He is.
There we are. She said, I'm no widow. I'll tell you this, Paul says, I know whom I believe. I'm persuaded. Song of Solomon
sets him forth as my husband. He's the bridegroom. She says,
I'll see no sorrow. But I'll tell you this, while
she glorifies herself, she's in a false boasting. In closing,
turn to Psalm 86. Psalm 86. Psalm 86.11. She boasted. She boasted of her
ability. She boasted of her royalty. She boasted of her husband. She boasted of no sorrow. This
is what David says. Psalm 8611, Teach me thy way,
O Lord. I will walk in thy truth. Unite
my heart to fear thy name. I will praise thee, O Lord my
God, with all my heart. I will glorify thy name forevermore,
for great is thy mercy toward me, and thou hast delivered my
soul from the lowest hell. May Almighty God be pleased this
morning. to comfort His people, to call
out those that He has everlastingly loved, to settle our hearts this
morning, to think afresh, Lord, You have been merciful to me.
You have dealt with me. You have been good to me. Help
me this day, for Christ's sake. Amen.