Focus

REVELATION 17 v 1-18

Do we sometimes sell our selves short because of distractions?

• This image of the great prostitute represent the evil super power of the world often referred to as Babylon. In John's day it represents the Roman Empire because they were the super power in the world. 
• They had many gods and the blood of Christian martyrs on their hands. They were trying to seduce the bride of Christ.
• Some of the characteristics of a prostitute are reflected in the evil nations of the world, some these are - seductiveness of the government system using immoral ways to gain its own pleasure, prosperity and advantage. 
• The prostitute is out to lure away the bride of Christ from Jesus our groom. The great prostitute didn't die when the Roman Empire did; the spirit of it lives on in whatever makes us sell ourselves short for God.
• There are many things which the spirit of the prostitute will appear in to distract us and lure us away. I think they fall into two different categories: the cages which hold us back and the temptation of something sweeter.
• THE CAGES - these can be anything which holds us back. This is because the devil doesn't want us to go on the adventure with God. Here are some cages...
• Guilt - Peter was stopped by the cage of guilt after he denied Jesus, but Jesus restores him. (Matthew 26 v 69-75 and John 21 v 15-25)
• Failure - Paul could have been easily stopped and slowed down by failure, in one day he was ship wrecked and bitten by a snake. (acts 28 v 1-10)
• Assumptions - Abraham put a limit on what God could do. (Genesis 15 v 1-6)
• There are just three cages there are several others which hold us back from the adventure with God.
• THE TEMPTATIONS - these are the old school temptation technique the devil and the spirit of the prostitute use.
• Genesis 3 v 1-5 - "¹ Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 ² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, ³ but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

 ⁴ “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. ⁵ “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”"

• The devil uses this technique from day one by seducing us and tempting us away from the life God has for us. 
• We end up selling ourselves short sometimes because are tempted and/or held back.
• But there is the simple and yet great hope that God takes us as we are. 
• Let’s keep our eyes fixed upon God and give it our all no matter what.
• What are you focusing on?
• Focus is key to break the out of the cage or break a bad habit of a life time.
• Will you break out of the cage?
• Will you break a bad habit of a life time?
• All so we can live our lives to the full for God.