PARTY DESTINATION OR PARTY DEVASTATION

November 26, 2014

PARTY DESTINATION OR PARTY DEVASTATION

Revelation 18:11–19

Johnny Hawkins

Central Truth

God created everything for His glory. When it stops being glorifying to Him, it is worthless.

And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,
"Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in a single hour she has been laid waste."
(Revelation 18:19)

11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.^{1

18:13
Or and slaves, and human lives}

14 “The fruit for which your soul longed
    has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
    are lost to you,
    never to be found again!”

15 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,

16 “Alas, alas, for the great city
    that was clothed in fine linen,
    in purple and scarlet,
    adorned with gold,
    with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”

And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,

“What city was like the great city?”

19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,

“Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in a single hour she has been laid waste.

Footnotes

[1] 18:13 Or and slaves, and human lives

I was a product of the '80s. If you were into pop culture, Swatches and Nike were the wares, Michael Jackson was King of Pop, and Bruce was Boss. If you were into country, it was Ropers, Stetsons, and two-stepping to Amarillo By Morning. MTV actually played videos in those days, and I watched faithfully, playing some mean air drums to Van Halen's Jump.

These were my "Before Christ" days, so I filled my mind and desires with all the ideas of what and where the culture said life was. As a matter of fact, if you watched MTV during Spring Break, it screamed that Fort Lauderdale was the place to be -- awesome party scenes, girls, gnarly cars, the top bands playing beachside, and apparently no authority around or rules to follow! Anything fun goes, from when you roll out of bed to the wee morning hours. That was a top priority as I looked forward to college -- MTV Spring Break at Fort Lauderdale!

When I read these verses in Revelation, Babylon represents my ideas of Fort Lauderdale in those days. Everyone was having their fun, and there were no consequences. What my immature high school mind didn't understand was that one week of "fun" for many had often caused a lifetime of regret. John explains that the people who once enjoyed the splendor of Babylon and all her luxurious offerings were now lamenting because she didn't have anything to offer. Her beauty was gone, and she was used up.

God's Word is clear that He is jealous for us (Exodus 20:5), and we are created for Him (Isaiah 43:21), not for a cheap imitation or a fleeting life. We are created for eternity with Him through Christ. 1 John 5:13 says, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life."

Well, you may want to know . . . I made it to Fort Lauderdale! It was twenty years and five kids later, and it was a quiet, restful summer week. As I sit in my office typing this, I can look at a picture of my wife and me on a beautiful Fort Lauderdale beach that our God made and that reflects the glory of His creation and remember a great week of no regrets.

1. Look up Exodus 20:5 and compare it with Galatians 5:20. How is God's jealousy different than ours?

2. Take a look at Revelation 4:11. What does this verse tell us about why we were created?

3. What cheap imitation of God are you holding on to for your security? (For example, work, title, house, car, boyfriend/girlfriend, money, etc.)

4. Spend some time with God today and ask Him to reveal anything in your life that is fleeting and that won't last in eternity. What things did He reveal that you can share with your community group?