The Unveiling

Today on the summit with Jeannie Greer read the book of Revelation with all the dragons and the beast of the imagine it is this delusional fantasy world is actually the most accurate depiction of the world that you ever read. It is seeing the world was spiritualize it is the world is God sees it. This is the unveiling.

This is the unmasking. This is point out the curtains that you see things as they really are. The Bible teaching ministry at Proctor theologian Jeannie Greer. I'm your host Molly minutes go out of the land and guess that if there's one book of the Bible that's generated more curiosity and debate any other.

It's the book of Revelation something and eating while others find it terrifying and most of us to some degree or another. Pretty confusing.

Lots of weird mind pictures crazy beasts unusual storylines. It's got it all. So today Pastor JD is going to help us wrap our minds around the main point of this prophetic book entitled today's message. The unveiling part of her overview of the Bible called the whole story. Grab your Bible turn toward the back and let's join Pastor JD would this weekend might you take it out ready for this to the book of Revelation.

Revelation you are excited about this from your side of the should be a Christian tradition. I grew up and talked a lot about begin times. It was one of our favorite fees. We had our annual prophecy conferences are in time.

These are rapture wargames and so one of the results was that I grew up obsessed with and frankly a little terrified of the rapture.

If for any reason Jesus comes back and all this people to hear for any reason I could not find my parents around the house. I knew it was because they had been rapture not been left by not run the house on mom mom's fever closable in the legal policy is to be with Jesus. I have this recurring dream when I was in elementary school but Jesus would come back out when industry through what I've Jesus will come back and see all the people bought the medium in the air.

I would start to rise up to meet him and I get about the top of my house not brought back down the Bureau because I was all the faith that I had jobs terrified of not all, why say she had a similar experience growing up.

And so one night early in our marriage. We were drift off sleep lying in bed. There she starts talking about the rapture and so as quietly as I could. I slipped out of bed and lay there on the floor beside a satellite for 5 inches I JD Judy.

She starts snack in the place beside me and I'm just my way of helping her stay ready and then be a when I was a high school boy came out that got instant popularity.

It was called 88 reasons why Jesus, back in 1988, born in 1988.

Some of you that were around then might remember that ball is actually really compelling as you said, you can't know the day or the hour. Did Jesus will come back. But this guy said you could know the three day span to be September 12-14, 1988 I went to a Christian school, and so that was required reading and I remember my soccer coach that was all down the bleachers after practice and say well I'm pretty convinced the guys were to sit here for about an hour wait and see what happened terrifying to be 1/10 grader and I have is less easily to me as a JD. If it happens. What you make sure that all the equipment gets put back in the locker room. You may or may not have had experiences like that, but I know for a fact, some of you still have some Y2K foods up in a closet somewhere I will be honest with you I am glad we are not obsessed like that at this church, but sometimes to be honest I think we are fallen into an opposite and perhaps even more pernicious error not is we rarely think or talk about the end of time at all to many of us it seems like something only crazy people or religious zealots whatever they could talk much about, but consider this licit the second coming of Christ is the most talked about doctrine in the Bible is the most talked about doctrine, the Bible. The Bible talks about the first coming of Christ, a measly 129 times we got a whole holiday for that when we give each of the presence.

It talks about the second coming of Christ.

329 times, nearly half as many times for everyone. Prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ first coming.

There are at least eight to talk about his second coming. So you tell me which one is more important.

You tell me which one is more worthy of our focus which brings us to the book of Revelation, the book of Revelation is a book about the end times. The book about the second coming of Christ. Now be honest, hereby raise raise your hand you we think about the book of Revelation you find the book intriguing but confusing, exciting, but frankly a little scary. Once you raise your hand, is certainly easy to get lost in it. All that talk about raptures and bowls of judgment beasts involve profits or gigantic woman who is called the mother of all prostitutes, the four Horsemen poison locust human eating dragons number 666 and whatever that's about.

And so, yes, there is a lot to be confused by but fear not, some a church, your pastor is a trade professional. I went to seminary where I mastered divinity which I've always thought was a little presumptuous of the title.

I mastered God when I was in seminary. What is at me at any any rate, I am now certified to take you safely in and out of this book, ensuring that no one gets left behind. Okay scenario that was free was sometimes even I get confused as to what all the symbols point to the big picture point is crystal clear and we get into it right here in chapter once have got to Bible Revelation chapter 1 verse one. Here's how John the apostle John wrote the gospel of John. By the way, opens the book. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show his servants of things that must soon take place in here we encounter our first mystery, she Revelation is a word that means unveiling pulling back by Clement the curtain to show something in the question that we ask is what is it that is being unveiled.

What is the revelation of EC is a revelation of Jesus Christ, or is it a revelation by Jesus Christ other things that must soon take place usually could read that it away is a revelation of Jesus or a revelation from Jesus the way that it is written in Greek is ambiguous so you don't know immediately. The answer is both the revelation of Jesus and a revelation from Jesus of the things that must soon take place. That is the central thing for you to keep in mind as you read the book of Revelation. The one of Revelation is not to give you a specific timeline of events or or help you identify various historical figures at various of the beast.

The point is to pull back the curtain of history so that you can see the powers at work behind the politics on her.

You see people read the book of Revelation with all the dragons in the beast of the imagine it is delusional fantasy world is actually the most accurate depiction of the world that you will ever read.

It is seeing the world with spiritual lives. It is the world is God sees it is the powers of the politics of the world that are in fact an illusion. This is the unveiling.

This is the unmasking. This is pulling back the curtain. So you see things as they really are on PC listen the church at this point the church is what history is not doing particularly well all the apostles have been martyred except for John written 95 A.D. and John has been exiled as they remain living apostle to the Isle of Patmos where he is imprisoned in a day.

Christians are being hunted down like dogs and fed to the lions in part because they were wrongly blamed for the burning of Rome and other problems throughout the Roman Empire, Roman and Jewish leaders have made it illegal almost everywhere to be a Christian movement is still growing, but it seems like the bad guys are definitely wedding into Jesus appears to John the apostle in this dark little cave. She bent out Patmos a bit in the cave where they think John got the Revelation is a depressing place. Suddenly you you filled with the presence of Jesus in Jesus gives John a revelation of how God sees the world and a forecast of what God plans to do in the world I would tell you.

You and I need to see this vision just as badly as John and his church needed to see it because maybe were not going to the tribulation yet, but we wrestle with the same questions were over. We feel overwhelmed by disease or discouragement or dysfunctional people and so this is the unveiling. This is see in the world. The way that God sees it is a scene where it's headed, showing you what God is doing and it two things I want to focus on to that in the first is the unveiling of our world. Jesus pulls back the curtain on the politics that are going on and then were going go to the unveiling of Jesus himself. The unveiling of a world that's in Revelation 17 don't you leave Revelation 1 flyer in Revelation 17 will spend a few minutes a member to come back to Revelation 1 will see the unveiling of Jesus himself.

Revelation chapter 17. The unveiling of our world. One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls seven bowls are a series of judgments guys pouring out of your one of them came to me and said, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters.

With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries. Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness.

There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and at seven heads and 10 horns.

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.

She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery Babylon the great, the mother of all prostitutes you looking for biblical names for your kids go girl not suggest that when his mother of all prostitutes, and of the abominations of the earth. Verse six that I saw the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her I was greatly astonished this woman this prostitute represents all the enemies of God. All those who do not belong to Jesus you notice for Sue that her customers are keying from every kingdom and their inhabitants all over the earth were not talking about one people or one culture was almost all cultures and all people. Hers is a universal kingdom. You see there's essentially only two kingdoms of the world there is hers, and there is Jesus's kingdom. You belong either to one or the other you things you notice about her for taking notes. You may want to jot down first. She's a prostitute she's a prostitute that's not because she's all about sex. It's because sin at its core. Listen, this is spiritual adultery and its course and is not bad deed sin at its core is giving to something else.

What you should give the guy we were created to love and worship God to serve God is the center of our lives to find our fulfillment. Our security and our greatest delight in him. The primary sin of the human race was possible explained to the book of Romans that we put ourselves in the place that God was supposed to be. We worshiped and served ourselves rather than the creator rather than buying our hope in our satisfaction in our delight in him rather be submitted to him.

We submitted to ourselves and we know there's things in us and she is a prostitute represents the distracted or diverted love and human race second to call Babylon. She is call Babylon. Babylon is the name of the city a long history in the Bible and it symbolizes man's rebellion against God, we first encounter Babylon in Genesis 11 where it is called Babel there the human race unites to build a tower in rebellion to God, the human race was attempting to demonstrate its glorious power and its potential what he could do independent of God. This is what we can do this is our accomplishments is what we want. The essence of the spirit of Babylon is I will do what I wanted to, rather than what God wants me to do. I'll be the point. I'll accomplish and I'll do it in my strength. I'll be the center third. She's really attractive now.

You may not see sleep issues that attractive because she sitting on a beach that is not typically how a guy envisions a high girl by John uses several images to convey that she's really attractive earth forces arrayed in purple and scarlet adorned with gold and jewels and pearls. She entices people all over the world. Even John himself. Verse six is awestruck by her living with her.

Verse two is intoxicating for a while because she promises so much blessing all sin.

Sin is enjoyable for a season and anybody that tells you differently is lying to you storm and want to know you better say yes then I following you wait right right it's fine.

Sin is fun for us easily just ends in a place that you don't want to be you want to be. She's really attractive for missing may come as a surprise to you.

She is super religious. She is super religious one of her companions. You'll find out as the false prophet and what in verse three we read later. False religion, false religion engages in a lot of activity for God, but illicitly does so without ever putting God back in the simple place he belongs in our civilian existing hard to get your mind around every false religion in the world really really busy for God without putting God back in the right place and are just two examples of first every false religion in the world. Every single one teaches you, you can save yourself if you're good enough. You work hard and not given of money you pray enough. Bingo lycée the list that each religion provides is different but the message is basically the same work hard enough say this enough. Pray this enough, go here. Be good love people, you can earn heaven or nirvana or whatever see what that does is it makes managing Savior, which means that working to get all the glory for our salvation and were in a negotiating position with God.I did this so you owe me that the gospel teaches exactly the opposite. The gospel teaches, we could do nothing to save ourselves. So God had to do it all for us and all we can do is receive it as a gift and he's the one that gets the glory for that also means that we owe him everything in our loving gratefulness for his salvation that he gave us by grace makes is willing to give him everything in our lives to what religion does. It makes you very busy, but it keeps yourself as your own Savior so that you are still the primary hero in your life. There's a second example of her religion. The message on that we hear.

Unfortunately, often in churches all over America. The message that you can get God back in your life without ever surrendering yourself fully to God I told you before it's embodied in a bumper sticker I see a lot of people were lucky we used to have in their car. God is my copilot by that they mean highly God give me guidance and companionship and you can give me suggestions about where to go. I need to know how to avoid this, and how to stay out of this jam a woman car breaks down needed to fix it.

What I told you is of God is your copilot someone is in the wrong seat because when you come to God you will come to him to get help and where you're going to like you come to him and you say it's your car and I stole it. So here the keys back to your car number. Get a vaccine utility were going chocolate run anyways had broken down by it is a finally different way of coming to God and so the false prophet better than the woman. The prostitute loves religion that keeps man at the center for she has successfully seduced a lot of God's people is on the next average operating verse four.

He had this morning. Then I heard another voice from heaven say, her mind, people you will not share her sense so you will not receive any of her plagues. It is possible to be one of God's people and still be swept up in her enchantments back. I would say it is more than just possible I would say it is what is happening to the majority of us is why I say that studies show that our lifestyles as professing Christians look just like those of the world around us. We are just as sexually immoral inside the church to be more outside the church.

We are just as self-centered as the world we are just as materialistic.

Our spending patterns are strikingly similar to those of the world around us. Only 6% of Bible believing American Christians 56%.

Not here in the summer church were 18% of stock which is like three times as much, that still means 4/5 of you have never learned to obey God in that area of your life in parenting the priorities of Christian parents for their kids look virtually identical to those of non-Christian beers for their kids so we car our kids all over town the same way that non-Christian parents do teach our kids to be good of the same things. The world says that to be good at exporting get in the right college and the effects are evident.

60 to 80% of our kids are really Christianity behind once they get 18 years old. You see when you live with the values of this woman. You bring upon yourselves the plagues of this woman you robbed yourselves of God's blessing and we rob ourselves of spiritual power to Seattle say this is an important question for you and your family are you more saved by Babylon or the Bible is the center of your life.

Number six. She hates Jesus this prostitute.

Verse nine BC sitting on his describes having seven heads, which John says symbolizes seven mountains in seven games now scholar sadist converting the seven Roman emperors were seven empires that have come and gone her art to come before Jesus comes back what they have in common is that they're all drunk with the blood of God's people, because this woman has always hated Jesus and his people was in summer church. You need to get your mind around this in every generation true followers of Jesus have been hated and will be hated by the predominant world system under the control of this prostitute. Some of the empires have been religious empires relate some of them even happening.

Christian attached to yet they have persecuted followers of Jesus. True followers of Jesus were preaching that salvation was a free gift of God's grace, and not something you can earn by religious zeal, but nobody could boast. They have hated the followers of Jesus were saying that religion is not all about earthly power and control, but following Jesus. Instead, need emptying yourself and become a servant of all. They hated them they killed the true followers of Jesus in nonreligious empires, the prosecutors hated and persecuted the people of God say that Jesus is in charge and that he is the Lord, and he makes the rules about morality.

But you don't look within and find out what's true for you what's right for you and what sexual preferences you have you looked above the Lord of history and determine what he says about the things I see you right here in the search. I'd say that most of the people in common each week. Think of themselves as religious men, and what God is a part of their lives have been love the music may like the uplifting feeling the good with the music and I love the message. Most of the time America learn the Bible know what think about how to have God as a part of their lives. And I'll say something like this and let you know God's word says that sex is reserved for marriage. So the fact that you live and whether sleeping with your boyfriend, girlfriend or fiancé before you're married, is sin and not put you out of fellowship with God. Also an assortment people man to go home and they write nasty emails because you want to be religious, like a prostitute as religious you want to have it your way with God's blessing those you love the prostitute does you want to be their own Lord those you want to glorify themselves with their own saviors who want to depend on himself have always hated those who say that Jesus is the only lording to be our only Savior. Jesus said in John 16 to church only discouragement I hate you. Don't be discouraged when they lie about you and when they mistreat you. That's what they did to me and what that's what they're going to do to my people in every generation, summer church. Don't be surprised when they misrepresent your intelligence when they construe your convictions. When them align your motives lacing them from Roman history, church history that might blow your mind. The early church had two reputations in the first century reputation, one that the rotation for being cannibals methodically Christmas candles and what in the world because they always talk about eating the body and blood of Jesus answer that got twisted into a lie within the church services.

The eight people. The second reputation they had was for being atheists on what you atheist because Christians taught that God was a spirit he was not worship in temples made with human hands. They twisted that to say they want to tear down all the social fabric and establishment of the empire, not neither of those things are true, but that's what they did what they twisted because they hated them they weren't sure my points is of the same thing. God. My point is not of the church that have any problems or that everything to get set about us is not true. Unfortunately, we do have a lot of problems and we need to humbly reprint we address those, but I'm trying to get you to see that the prostitute's hatred of us goes far beyond our problems. The prostitute's hatred of us is a hatred of Jesus. And so if you're thinking that one day we good enough that everybody can speak well of us one day will be good enough. As seen in the New York Times and two articles praising us that illusion and it's never good having this message has been dealing in masking of the world.

Jesus pulled back the curtain for ice and tomorrow will journey back to the beginning of the book of Revelation for the unveiling of Jesus today's program from pastor Jenny Greer is part of our Summit life teaching series called the whole story showing us how every page of the Bible tells the story of the gospel were coming to the end of this series next week. Back to help you continue to know the Bible better this month were offering a customs Summit life Bible is our thanks for your support Jenny in the Bible were offering we customize it by adding a few pages at the front with the Bible reading plan. What makes this reading plan helpful or unique to give the idea that we had behind the plan is. That's that six days a week curating that a man we both are seven days in a week… Say that like most of us you have that day, six days this essay that's that's a little lesson for chapters a day. That's very doable.

I will say that that's that's an 8 to 10 minutes usually kind of chunk of time I me of all the minute you have in the day 8 to 10 minutes to hear directly from God.

I will say that that is about as good of an investment you can make it right. This will help you maintain a good clip. Through the Bible in a way that's giving you the overall arc of the Bible and it will will will move you along the way that when you get to the end. I'm reading lesson for chapters a day with one day a week that you can miss. You will get to the end of that and you will say I have read the Bible. I stand the argument and then you can see your life and God more clearly. I think it's a great resource natural for years even after being a PhD in theology and faster sometimes reading to the Bible and I have loved resources like this.

And so it's it's a delight for us to be able to provide want to our listeners.

You're welcome to request defendant Mike Bible and I think we need Denny to date his ministry takes friendly estimates and it might more people can hear gospel centered Bible radio and doing their mission today. Suggested donation is $25 more in touch. Remember My Bible 550 28 520 or you can give online.com Molly minutes inviting you to join us next time. Revelation turn here on Sunday night 19