Latest / The Daily Word / September 12 – The Passing Pleasure of Sin
Transcript
- Brandon: Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Welcome once again to another episode of the Daily Word Podcast. Case we haven't met, my name is Brandon, and I'm one of the pastors here at our church and so thrilled to have you again. whether you are listening to this on the drive to work or it's first thing in the morning, or maybe you're at the gym or you're finishing your day, it's such a thrill to be able to have you with us as we're taking time every day to simply share something that we're getting from God. hey, today is September the 12th. And today's reading out of the New Testament portion of the Life Journal reading plan is Revelation chapter 17. And I want to read you simply verses one and two and share with you what I caught in today's reading. It says this: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, Come, and I will show you. Here's the the phrase. The judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. I I've said this before about the book of Revelation, that it's great to use different resources and study material. I've said this before on the podcast that I love the Spirit Filled Life Bible. It's my favorite. Study Bible, at least it is right now. And I want to read you from the study portion of this Bible, what it says about Revelation 17:1. It says this the judgment is detailed. Close-up pictures of the events of chapter 16, verse 17 through 21. The great harlot is Babylon, and it is symbolic of the ancient city of Rome, a type of every idolatrous system of Let me read that again. The great harlot is Babylon, the symb symbolic of the ancient city of Rome, which is a type. It is a it's a picture, it's a type of every idolatrous system opposed to Christ. The many waters are the people groups over whom the harlot reigns. So what you will see for a portion of chapter 17, Really, most of chapter 17 is the Bible's account of the great judgment, the great judgment of the great harlot. Again, I just read this from the study portion, but the the harlot here, it is a picture of Babylon, which is symbolic of ancient Rome, which is a type, a symbol, a metaphor, a picture of all the idolatrous systems opposed to Christ. So it's not just The ancient city of Rome. It's not just Babylon, but it represents now every system and structure, every government, every system of this world that is idolatrous at its nature and is opposed to Jesus Christ. And here is the the observation that I made. There will come a day, there will come a day. Where all of those systems will be judged, and all those who have been influenced by, it says in verse two, who have drank of the wine and became drunk of this harlot's way of living, thinking, this system, all those who have drank the Kool-Aid, if you will, they will be judged along with it. And this is a very simple observation. it's not anything that is, you know, su super profound, but the observation is that. There will come a day where the things of this world that right now seem appealing, seem pleasurable, seem gratifying to our flesh, where they will come under the judgment of Jesus Christ, and they and all who have drank of their seduction will be judged. I think about. the book of Hebrews, where it says, they believe it's Hebrews chapter 11, where it says that Moses he chose even all the way back, Old Testament, he chose to suffer with the children of God rather to than than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin. Moses made a choice to endure the suffering of. With the children of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin living in and living according to the ways of Egypt where he was born. I think about the Book of Romans and other New Testament passages where it says that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for the life we live in the flesh. So my observation is that all of This world and all the world it has to offer it will someday all vanish and perish, and it will come under the judgment that it is due and deserving. So, what's my application? My application today is simply this: that I want to live a life that I'm like Moses, I'm I'm realizing this is passing pleasure. But by by the way, that could be anything from a sin that you currently are are bound by. Secret sin that you're hiding in your closet, if you will. Or it could be not just, you know, a singular secret sin, but a whole way of living and thinking. Whatever it might be, I want to at every level say, you know what? Sin is pleasurable. Let's just call it what it is. If sin were not pleasurable, if sin were not enjoyable, if sin was not gratifying to your flesh, you would never do it. But sin is pleasurable. Sin does gratify the flesh. Sin does have a have a sweet taste to it, but that is passing. The pleasure of sin, the gratification, the sweetness of sin, it is a passing, fleeting thing that on the other side only leads to death, destruction, hurt, pain, and like we read about in Revelation, ultimately the judgment of Christ. We serve a God. Who is the righteous judge of the whole earth? And my observation and application is I want to live a life that I reject and resist the passing pleasure of sin, that I don't buy into the idolatrous opposing Christ system, government, way of thinking of our world. No, I'm rejecting the passing pleasures of sin, and I'm choosing to endure. The sufferings of God's people and the suffering of living for Christ, knowing that there will come a day where my reward will be sure and it will be eternal. Life is short, eternity is real. And no matter what suffering we face in this life, we have the reward of all of eternity to look forward to, where we will enjoy the reward of following Christ and giving our life unto him and to him alone. And so my encouragement to you today is let us take that mindset. Let's take The reality that all of sin will one day be judged. Let's take the mindset and go, I'm gonna reject the passing fleeting pleasures of sin and of the ways of this world, and I'm gonna fix my eyes upon Jesus, choosing to follow him, even in the moments where it doesn't feel or seem to be right. Lord Jesus, I pray for myself, but everyone listening. Give us the perspective to see, see, see it for what it is. G give us the endurance that we need to be able to faithfully serve you all the way until the end. Would we reject every passing pleasure and fleeting pleasure of sin and the ways of this world and this world system? And would we be preserved under the perfect plan, purpose, and an eternal destination reward that you have for us in Jesus' name, amen. Hey, today I sure hope this was an encouraging and insightful thought for you. again, help us to keep getting the word out. Like Subscribe, share, invite someone else to be a part of the podcast. And we'll see you tomorrow on another episode of the Daily Word Podcast.