Babylon will fall

Prayer for teens heading to Lake Ann

Parable of the rich fool

Cities are a symbol of security

Rome was a icon of power

Babel was a city of security and heresy

A city of self-sufficiency

Brought down not by super natural means primarily but

Don’t build your life on self-sufficiency. Build it on Christ.

1. The Judgment of Babylon’s Self-Sufficiency

Her corruption by demons

Her normalizing of things that need to be separated from

sexual pleasure deviancy

religious power corruption

material luxury decadence

Genesis 11:6 ESV

6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

Logistics (pics)

My home is my castle

2. The Call to Separate to Avoid Her Plagues

2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1 ESV

14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

If you don’t pursue glory, luxury, and self-sufficiency, you’ll be punished.

The demand for glory and luxury

The difference between being responsible to care for others vs. demanding glory/luxury

It is more blessed to give than to receive

3. The Mourning of Babylon’s Promises

They stand far off

The angel mourns the beauty and life destroyed even while proclaiming the judgment

4. The Rejoicing over God’s Vengeance

The awesome power of God who repays with the pit they dug themselves

The awesome power of God who ends the conflict between rich and poor, powerful and slaves

The awesome power of God who chooses a people who do good in the midst of such evil

The righteous deeds of the saints

2 Corinthians 9:7–10 ESV

7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

What do you live for? Where do you put your trust to provide for you? Is your sufficiency in Christ or are you trying to be self-sufficient?

Matthew 7:21–27 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Questions for Community Group

Where do you see the offer of self-sufficiency already operating in today’s world?

Where do you mourn over the beauty, joy, and peace being destroyed?

How do you make choices to be sufficient in God rather than self?

What do you look forward to about God setting things right?