Seduced By A World That Can’t Produce
Sermon Notes
Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Revelation. It’s a series about finding peace in our world of chaos, and the text we’re studying today is about being seduced by the world. It's about being seduced by things in this world that we think will give us lasting pleasure in life. For examples some people are seduced into thinking lasting pleasure can be found in things like a relationship, having a spouse, having a different spouse, having a different president...Some people are seduced into thinking lasting pleasure can be found in having a successful career, having a new career, having more money so you can retire young from your career, and live a luxurious lifestyle with lots of vacations...Some people are seduced into thinking lasting pleasure can be found in consumerism, in buying new things like a new house, new car, new clothes, new technology, new things just because they’re new...The reality is both skeptics and believers are sometimes seduced by things in this world, and so what are those things for you?...What are some of the things you’ve been pursuing in life, that you think will give you lasting pleasure in life?...Today’s text is about being seduced by things in this world that we think will give us lasting pleasure in life, but it never does. It might give us pleasure in the moment, but it’s a pleasure that never lasts. So let’s turn to Revelation 17 and get into it. You’ll find Revelation in the back of the bible, it’s the very last book of the bible. We’ll be in Revelation ch 17:1-18, and the title of the message is Seduced By A World That Can’t Produce. The big idea of the message is don’t be seduced, by a world that can’t produce...Don’t be seduced, by a world that promises lasting pleasures it can’t produce...
Here’s your context. The book of revelation is about the 2nd coming of Jesus, and what will happen at the end of history when he returns. We divided this entire book into four major sections based on the four major visions Jesus gives to John the author. We’ve already studied the 1st major vision of Jesus and The Churches, and the 2nd major vision of Jesus and the Cosmos. Well today brings us to the 3rd major vision which is of Jesus Conquering. In ch’s 17-21 we’ll see things shift to focusing more on the return of Jesus. It focuses more on Jesus returning not as a sacrificial lamb, but as a powerful lion, a conquering King who will defeat sin and evil forever. Now in ch’s 15-16 we learned about the 7 last plagues that’ll come at the end of history, and some scholars believe the events in ch’s 17-18 will take place during these last plagues. But the truth is we don’t know when these events will take place, we just know the intent of these chapters is to give us a glimpse of the human heart. It’s a glimpse of humanity being seduced, by a world that can’t produce. As we study this text we’ll learn about: 1st the seduction of the world, 2nd the destruction of kingdoms, 3rd the conquering power of a King. It’s seduction, destruction, and conquering. Let’s check it out.
Revelation 17:1-18 states, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me: ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the notorious prostitute, who is seated on many waters. 2 The kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and those who live on the earth became drunk on the wine of her sexual immorality.’” If all that sounds confusing, welcome to the club called apocalyptic literature. It’s a literary style that uses a lot of symbolisms, and scholars don’t always agree on the meaning of these symbolisms. So my goal isn’t to break down every symbolism, it’s to explain a few symbolisms and then focus on the primary things the text is teaching. Now most scholars agree that the notorious prostitute in vs 1-2, is a symbolic description of governments and organizations in the world that are luring people away from the Lord. Vs 15 tells us that the many waters is a symbolic description of the many people who will be seduced by these governments and organizations. Vs. 15, “The waters you saw where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages.” We then learn in vs 2 these many people will become drunk on her sexual immorality, which scholars agree isn’t a literal sexual immorality. It’s a spiritual infidelity where many people will cheat on the Lord, by thinking they can find greater pleasure in other things instead of the Lord. They’ll become intoxicated by the seductive pleasures of the world, and they’ll pursue those things instead of the Lord.
Vs. 3, “Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit, to a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.” The scarlet beast is the Antichrist which we learned in previous chapters, and the implication here is that the Antichrist is supporting all this. He’s supporting the woman seducing the world with whatever pleasures the world has to offer, to try to lure people away from the Lord.
Vs. 4, “The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, jewels, and pearls. She had a golden cup in her hand filled with everything detestable and with the impurities of her prostitution. 5 On her forehead was written a name, a mystery: Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Detestable Things of the Earth. 6 Then I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.” Notice the text says the woman is seducing people with everything detestable. She’s seducing people with the detestable things of the earth, which is the first major thing we’re learning in this text. We’re learning about the seduction of the world. We’re learning about the seduction of the world, and how the Antichrist will use many things in the world to try to lure people away from the Lord. The woman’s luxurious clothing is a symbolic description of the seductive attraction to finding pleasure in prosperity and the various luxuries of this world. Vs 6 reveals the seductive attraction people have to finding pleasure in power, which in John’s era was the powerful Roman Empire that was persecuting many Christians. The point is there’s a heavy lust for pleasure and power, a heavy lust of the eyes for just about anything the world has to offer, including sinful detestable things like the text states. John actually mentions this lust of the eyes in 1st John 2:16-17, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride in one’s possessions—isn’t from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” Notice he says the things we’re trying find pleasure in are passing away, unless those pleasures are aligned with the Lord. But the problem is we’re far too easily seduced into thinking there’s something in this world that can fill the joy void in our hearts more than God, but none of it ever does. It might provide us with some pleasure and joy in the moment, but eventually that pleasure and joy fades leaving us being seduced by something else all over again. Ch 17 is exposing where this seduction is coming from so we’ll stop being lured away from the Lord, and we’ll start turning to the Lord. So we’ll stop being seduced into thinking we can find lasting pleasure in the world, and we’ll start finding lasting pleasure in the Lord. So we’ll stop being seduced, by a world that can’t produce.
Vs. 7, “Then the angel said to me, ‘Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and the beast, with the seven heads and the ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up from the abyss and go to destruction. Those who live on the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast that was, and is not, and is to come. 9 This calls for a mind that has wisdom.” The beast that was, is not, and is to come, is a reference to something we already learned in ch 13. It’s a reference to the Antichrist’s false impression of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. He’s the one who was, is not, and is to come. The seven heads and ten horns is a symbolic description of his intelligence, power, and leadership over other evil kingdoms in the world. It could also be a reference to 7 kingdoms in direct opposition of God’s people like the Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Roman kingdoms. The 7th kingdom being the Antichrist’s final global kingdom at the end of history. Either way the focus of this text is about to shift to the destruction of the Antichrist, and all the kingdoms of this world.
Vs. 9 continues, “The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings: 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. 11 The beast that was and is not, is itself an eighth king, but it belongs to the seven and is going to destruction. 12 The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.’” Notice the focus shifts to the destruction of the Antichrist and the kingdoms of this world. It’s the second major thing we’re learning in this text. We’ve learned about the seduction of the world, but now we’re learning about the destruction of kingdoms. It’s the destruction of the Antichrist and the kingdoms of this world. The word destruction is used in vs 8 and 11. In vs 10 it says the Antichrist will only be in power for a little while. Then in vs 12 it says the kings aligned with the Antichrist will only have power for one hour. The implication is their seduction and power in this world isn’t going to last forever, it has an expiration date, and it’ll end with the destruction of their kingdoms. The Babylonian Kingdom, the Roman Kingdom, every king and kingdom past, present, and future eventually comes to an end. Even this great American Kingdom we’re living in will eventually come to an end, because there’s only one kingdom that never ends and it’s the eternal Kingdom of Jesus! In the words of John Piper, “Jesus kingdom stands above America and every nation. While they are shaken and their foundations shift, Christ’s kingdom remains immovable...One day America and all its presidents will be a footnote in history, but the kingdom of Jesus will never end.” The seductive world and all its kingdoms won’t last forever. Destruction is coming for the Antichrist and every kingdom of this world, so don’t be seduced by a world that can’t produce.
Vs. 14, “‘These will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.’ 15 The angel also said to me, ‘The waters you saw where the prostitute was seated, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. 16 The ten horns you saw and the beast, will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, devour her flesh, and burn her up with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his plan by having one purpose and to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman you saw is the great city that has royal power over the kings of the earth.’” This is the third major thing we’re learning about this text. We’ve learned about the seduction of the world, the destruction of kingdoms, and now we’re learning about the conquering power of a King. It’s the conquering power of King Jesus! Vs. 14 says the Lamb Jesus Christ will conquer them. He’ll conquer the Antichrist and all his evil kingdom alliances. It’s a hopeful anticipation for the second coming of Jesus, and a future glimpse of what will happen in the final battle at Armageddon that we discussed last week. The Antichrist and his evil kingdom alliances will try to attack Jesus in one final battle, but it’s really no battle at all for Jesus. He’ll easily conquer them, because he's the real Lord of lords and King of kings. In vs 17 it says God will use the Antichrist and these evil kingdom alliances to carry out his plan. It’s a reminder that King Jesus is so powerful, he’s able to take the evil actions of his enemies and use it in ways that’ll eventually fulfill his eternal plans. It’s what Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “You planned evil against me, but God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.” It’s what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:28, “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God...” These are all promises the Lord gives to anyone who puts their faith and trust in him! It’s the assurance that no matter how bad and miserable things get in our lives, he has a greater plan that’ll turn out good and pleasurable for those who love him. No matter how bad and miserable things get in our world, he has a greater plan that’ll make things eternally good and pleasurable in our world when King Jesus returns again.
I think this is such a hopeful text to remember as we enter the 2024 election season, because sometimes we’re seduced into thinking the savior of our American Kingdom is decided in a ballot box. In fact I wrote an article to help guide our church on How to remain faithful to Jesus when voting, and we’ll post it on our social media outlets this week. It isn’t an article about who to vote for, it’s about how to remain faithful to Jesus when voting, so we aren’t seduced by a political world that can’t produce. Ch 17 teaches us to remember that our savior isn’t a president or a product of our seductive world. It teaches us to remember that no matter how bad and miserable things get in our lives, in the political future of our country, or our world, Jesus is our eternal savior who’s coming back to make things eternally good and pleasurable again. We need to remember he’s the greater King with the greater Kingdom, so don’t be seduced by a world that can’t produce.
The big idea of the message is don’t be seduced, by a world that can’t produce...Don’t be seduced, by a world that promises lasting pleasures it can’t produce...The world can certainly provide us with some temporary pleasures, which is why it seduces us into thinking it can fill the joy void in our hearts. But time will always prove those pleasures are only temporary, and that they can’t ever fully satisfy the joy void in our hearts. In the words of C. S. Lewis, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum, because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
City Awakening what the world offers us is mud pies in the slum in comparison to Jesus, and the infinity pool of pleasures he offers us in heaven with him. Jesus came not so we’d find temporary pleasures in mud pies, but so we’d find lasting pleasures in him. In his first coming he came to give up his life by dying for our sins on the cross, so we can have an abundantly joyful life in heaven with him. But in his second coming he’ll come to destroy every evil and sinful thing in our seductive world forever, so it’ll never pull us away from him and the abundantly joyful life he promised us ever again. Ch 17 teaches us Jesus is the only true Lord of lords and King of kings, who has an eternal kingdom with eternal pleasures. So don’t be seduced by a world that can’t produce. Don’t play with the mud pies, when there’s infinite pleasures with the Savior...
Communion is a great reminder that we can enjoy infinite pleasures with Jesus. It’s a reminder that Jesus died on the cross for our sins so we can enjoy infinite pleasures in heaven, but also daily pleasures as we walk in our daily relationship with him. If you don’t believe Jesus died for your sins on the cross, then please refrain from taking communion so you don’t go through the motions of this. Instead use this time to reflect on the message, and consider accepting the abundant life Jesus offered you by asking Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life today. For those of you who put your faith in Jesus we have three stations set up, and in a few minutes I’ll invite you to come forward to whatever station is closest to you. If you have a gluten allergy, the table in the back is serving gluten free bread. When you come forward we’ll give you a piece of bread as a symbol of the body of Christ broken for your sins, and you’ll dip it in the cup of juice as a symbol of the blood of Christ shed for your sins. After that you can eat, drink, and head back to your seat to pray before we close in worship. So at this time let’s have those who are serving Communion start heading to your stations, as we prepare to remember the good news of Jesus.
On the night Jesus was betrayed he took some bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it saying “This is my body which is to be broken for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you eat it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done for you.” When supper ended he took the cup, blessed it, and gave thanks for it saying “This is a symbol of my blood which is to be shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do so in remembrance of me, in remembrance of who I am and what I’ve done.” Respond to this good news by coming to receive and remember. Receive his grace for your life, and remember to find your greatest pleasures in him. Come as you feel led.