Running To Win 15 Minute Version

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and proclaimer of our faith.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Why any creature would think he can defeat his creator is beyond imagination. But then there's the twisted mind of the Antichrist. His aim to do as much damage as possible before being cast into the lake of fire. Today final thoughts about the man of sin from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to win with Dr. Irwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Irwin Lutzer is in a series on seven signs of Christ's return. We're in the book of Revelation studying sign number three, the rise of a world dictator.

Today we'll read the last chapter in the saga of the beast. Let me give you stage number four in his career. He will maintain economic controls, economic controls. Notice we're just continuing to read at verse 16. He also forced everyone small and great, rich and poor, free and slave to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. Oh boy, is verse 18 ever uh true? This calls for wisdom.

If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it's man's number. His number is 666. Of course, you know, there's been a lot of speculation as to how Antichrist will control the world and control economics, because if you control economics, you control the world. Hitler personally was terribly exasperated that he could not control people more than he could. He was bothered by the fact that there were people even within his empire who are not bowing to him and who are not following his orders and and there was really nothing he could do, because the people personally and privately in their hearts, you see, were able to stand against him even if they didn't do so publicly.

And this bothered him to think when you are a control freak, when you are so demonized, it troubles you to know that there are subjects within your realm who are not under your authority. Technology today is in place that has never happened before in history, where it would be possible to control people economically. And if you control them economically, you control their fate, at least in this world. Now what happened to those who do not submit? What about those who say, no, I would rather not to buy anything if it means allegiance to the beast?

Look at chapter 14 verse nine of the book of Revelation. A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or the hand, he too will drink of the wine of God 's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the lamb, and the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image or anyone who receives the mark of his name.

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. Wow. So what's going to happen is those who follow the beast may win in this life, but they most assuredly are going to lose in the life to come. He will maintain strict economic controls. Number five, and I think this is the best part, he will end in the lake of fire. Take your Bible and you're already in the book of Revelation. Turn just a few more pages to chapter 19. Chapter 19 Jesus Christ comes to earth.

We'll be reading the first part of the chapter when we talk about his return in another message. But notice in verse 19, this is how it all ends. Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. The beast was captured and with him the false prophet that had performed the miraculous signs in his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

The rest of them were killed with a sword that came out of the mouth of the rider of the horse and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. It's a terrible, ugly scene. But notice now you're in chapter 19. Look at chapter 20 verse 10. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. But what I'd like to do now is to make some summary lessons that we can apply and recognize in our own lives based on what we've said.

Number one, the first lesson is a lesson on submission. My dear friend, if there's anything that Antichrist teaches us, no matter what view we may hold of him, if there's anything that is clear is this, that no will pitted against God is able to stand. Nobody who takes on God will ever win. Notice where the beast and the false prophet and the devil end up. And I need to remind you of that. I talked to a person one time who was so angry at God because of suffering that he and his family and his relatives had endured that he says if there is a God and if I have to stand before him and if I will be judged by him, I will spit in his face, he said.

You know, there are three different responses that we can have to God and his mysterious ways in the world. One is atheism. It's a terrible response. Atheism creates far more problems than it ever solves and no one is really an atheist. It is impossible to hold that point of view rationally. So atheism is one possibility. The other is anger. You can say if that's the way God is, I want nothing to do with him, because look at the way in which he's running his world. I don't like what God is doing in my life. There's a third response and that is awe.

To say, oh Lord, in light of the fact that you are so great, in light of the fact that I am so small and you are God and I am simply a created being, oh Father, I yield to you in every area of my life that you bring to my attention, because I recognize that my will standing against you will never succeed and that your way is best. What a lesson. What a lesson there is to teach us. The first one is the lesson of submission. Let me give you a second lesson. The second lesson is the power of the economy, the power of the economy.

Notice how the Antichrist controls his subjects. They have to take his name. And by the way, we do not know what 666 represents. There have been all kinds of suggestions. Maybe it just means the number of a man, one less than seven, which is the perfect number. But what does seem to be clear is that the mark of the beast has to be taken on the hand or the forehead. If you want to go to Dominick's and buy a loaf of bread, you will not be able to do it unless you take the mark of the beast, which is symbolic of the fact that you are on his team and you are worshiping him.

That's the way it's going to be set up. Now my dear friend, I want you to know something, that once you begin to tangle with the economy, you have people who are going to be obedient. A few years ago there was a presidential candidate whose slogan was it's the economy stupid. Now that is bad statesmanship, but it is excellent politics. It is always always the economy. Whether it's a law-breaking president in America or whether it is the rise of Antichrist in Europe, it will always be the economy. I want to tell you today that whenever people are hungry, they will always act as if their souls are of less importance than their bodies.

They will take care of their bodies. They will say, I will live. And if I need to compromise and if I need to worship the beast in order to live, I shall do so. You know, it's very easy for us to be critical of the church in Nazi Germany. After doing some studying on the topic, I have concluded I'm not sure that we would do any better. Because you see, we too want to live. We too want to have our Christianity, but we too want to hang on to that which is very dear to us and sometimes we're willing to compromise because of it.

You know, there are students in our universities and colleges today who love Jesus Christ, but who will not witness in any way, shape or form, because they don't want to rock the boat. They want to make sure that they get their degree. And then there are nurses who, Christian nurses who perhaps participate in abortions, because they say to themselves, if I do not, why indeed I may lose my job. And so you have compromises being made in the workplace, compromises being made at every level of society on the part of Christians, because we say to ourselves, I need to compromise in order to get to where I'm going.

Now I just have to ask you this question as I ask myself, if we are so easily willing to compromise when our lives are not at stake, would we really have taken the side of righteousness when our lives were at stake and the possibility of being thrown into a concentration camp was a real live possibility? That's an important question to ask. There were people who gave their lives for Jesus Christ saying, there is something more important than living and that is following the Lord Jesus Christ. So there's a lesson about submission. There's a lesson about the economy.

There's also a lesson about preparedness, preparedness. Now we don't know when Jesus Christ is going to return. We don't know when he's going to return. Uh we cannot be in any way dogmatic as to how God is going to exactly wrap up history. There's always been those dangers of making predictions that have not come true. And we try to avoid that. But at the same time the Bible is very clear that in an hour when we think not the son of man is going to come. In the 25th chapter of the book of Matthew Jesus tells an interesting story that actually relates to the time of Christ's coming, but it has application to us today.

He says that the nation of Israel is like 10 virgins. And he says five of them had oil in their lamps and the other five did not. And so the rumor was that the bridegroom was coming and those who did not have oil said to themselves, would you give us some oil so that we can be ready for the bridegroom? And the five who were wise said, no, we can't give you any of our oil. You have to go where it is sold so that you will be ready. While they were on their way the scripture says to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.

The virgins who were ready went in to him, into the banquet, and the door was shut. Later the others also came saying, sir, sir, they said, open the door for us. But he replied, I tell you the truth, I do not know you. And Jesus said, therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day nor the hour. And even if Christ doesn't come in our lifetime, we are accountable to him for all we do for every day that we live. So either way, when he comes, we need to be ready, because in an hour when you don't think so, he will come.

Two questions, are we ready for his coming? Secondly, are we faithful in anticipating that day? Well my friend, this is Pastor Lutzer and I want to ask that question again, are we faithful? Faithful in running the race all the way to the end. I'm holding in my hands a book entitled Failure, the Back Door to Success. I wrote this book because there are many people who are in despair. They look back and they ask themselves, is there still hope for me? One of the chapters is entitled, When Is It Too Late to Begin? Is there still hope even though you may be old, you may have failed multiple times?

But actually in the midst of our failure and hopelessness there is grace. I believe that this book is going to be of great encouragement to you and I really do believe that once you read it, you'll want to pass it along to someone else. Failure, the Back Door to Success. Irwin Lutzer concluding The Rise of a World Dictator. The third sign in his series Seven Signs of Christ's Return. Next time we confront sign number four, The Rise of One World Religion. It was Corey Ten Boom who said, there is no pit that is so deep that God is not deeper still.

Failure is like a pit. And Pastor Lutzer has written a book he calls Failure, The Back Door to Success. This life-changing book will be sent as our gift. When you give a gift of any amount to support running to win, just call us at 1800 215 5001. That's 1800 215 5001. Online go to offer rtw.com. That's offer rtw.com. Or write to us at Running to Win, Moody Church, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614. Ask about Failure, The Back Door to Success. Running to Win comes to you as a ministry of the Moody Church.