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Over the past weeks we’ve been working through Revelation. We’re now looking at how Revelation helps us understand and critique particular situations in our age. As a ‘working example’ in this introductory talk, I looked at the issue of abortion.
You can hear the talk here.
Working example: Abortion.
Read Revelation 18:11-13
Babylon/Rome were hailed by the world for what came out of them.
If you were to ask the Monty Python question ‘what has Rome ever done for us?’ you may well come out with a list like Revelation 18:12-13.
They’ve done lots for everyone in the Empire!
But perhaps you might not have given quite the list John does.
Look at the end of v13.
John tells us that they also trade in human souls.
This could refer to slaves, but it seems to be something deeper than that – the fantastic trade of this empire cost lives.
It was built upon the bodies of those who died as it hurtled on.
The materialism and the comfort of the Empire was paramount, and it did not matter if people died to achieve it.
That seems to be what people thought.
When we see this image of Babylon falling in Revelation, do the people rejoice that this consumerism built on death has ended?
No – they weep!
The gods and idols of their material wealth were so dominant that they would literally trample over human lives to achieve it.
I read Revelation 18:11-13 and it makes me uncomfortable.
Why?
Because it looks a lot like our country.
Our society is built on 4 things – consumerism, materialism, hedonism and individualism.
What makes our nation ‘great’ in the eyes of so many around the world is our freedom to shop!
We have access to material wealth on a scale never known before in history.
What we see in Revelation 18 was probably only accessed by the privileged few, even if it was desired by many.
Whereas today we have so much stuff – widescreen plasma TV’s, sports cars, holidays in the sun around the world, leisure facilities, cinema’s, theatres that are accessed by anyone and everyone.
The gods that perhaps everyone wanted to follow in John’s day can be followed with great diligence today.
We have come to expect pleasure, on demand comfort, a life plotted out the way I want it – and we’ve come to expect those as human rights.
But at what cost?
Do we see the dead and the bruised that suffer at the hands of these despicable gods?
I want to show you some of those who have died because of this. Read the rest of this entry »
People naturally talk about forgiveness. Forgiveness is offered by all sorts and to all sorts. But the question in my mind is ‘is forgiveness possible without the cross?’
The Bible is clear that sin has a cost. There must be some sort of payment for sin. In the Bible there is not unconditional forgiveness, in the sense that someone or something must pay for the sin – there is a condition attached to the forgiveness of sin. In the Old Testament it was at the cost of the life of a lamb. In the New Testament it is at the cost of the life of the Lamb.
This means that I am able to forgive someone else for one of two reasons:
1. Their sin has been paid for by Jesus on the cross if they trust him.
2. Their sin will be paid for by judgement falling on them when Jesus returns.
As a result I am able to forgive because I know judgement will fall on that sin in one of these two ways and I do not need to enact any judgement.
But what then of people who don’t know Jesus? Can they forgive? Read the rest of this entry »
