We all worship something. Humanity was created to worship. Even the atheist can’t help but worship in his own way. What or who ends up receiving worship reveals a lot about a person’s worldview, values, and affections. We either worship God and become progressively conformed to His likeness (Rom 8:29), or we worship the world, its objects and passions (including ourselves) and become conformed to its sinful likeness (Rom 1:21-25). With this in mind, it’s not difficult to see how those in Revelation 13 come to the point of unashamedly worshiping both the Dragon and the Beast (v4). Their godless, depraved minds had been shaped and nurtured by a lifestyle of rebellious idolatry. Opportunity had been given to respond with repentance and rightful worship to God during the tribulation, but when the god of this world raised up and empowered his anti-christ, the world population readily embraced him. Whether this was out of fear and awe of his power, out of hatred toward God for previous judgments, or out of desperate hope of establishing some kind of peace and world order, the text does not explicitly say. What we can observe is how the world leaders relinquish their authority and every unbeliever bows their knees immediately after the Beast’s blasphemous declaration of words against God and his declaration of war against God’s people (v7-8). The extent to which people are willing to go in expressing their opposition toward God points back to their pattern and object of worship. Our current affections are markers for a future outcome. What or who we worship carries with it eternal consequences. May we recognize the serious effects of our worship and how it forms our hearts and ultimately places us on a path that either leads to destruction or to restoration. Fix your eyes on God this week and allow His glory to overwhelm you as He transforms you into His image from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). —Pastor Nate
Sunday at Liberty
9AM: 1 John–Introduction
10AM: Pastor Rory Martin–Beast & Persecution, 1–Revelation 13:1-18 (sermon notes)
11:45AM: Potluck
12:30PM: Church Family Meeting
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