Unmasking Babylon: Come Out to Our King

Jun 22, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Warning Lights in Life’s Darkness

A father stands in a Zambian night, waving arms before hidden copper ingots. God’s warnings often come through ordinary voices and circumstances, not neon signs. Like headlights revealing danger, Scripture illuminates destructive patterns we rationalize as harmless. Spiritual blindness makes us dismiss alerts about greed, exploitation, or compromise until we crash into consequences. True safety comes through heeding God’s alerts before wheels hit rubble. [36:46]

“Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.”
(Revelation 18:4, ESV)

Reflection: Where has God placed “warning lights” in your life recently—a conviction, a friend’s counsel, a Scripture—that you’ve been tempted to ignore? What makes this specific alert hard to heed?

Day 2: Seeing Beyond the Glittering Cup

The golden chalice overflows with jewels, not wine—a facade hiding blood. Babylon’s allure masks exploitation. Every culture has systems promising fulfillment through wealth, pleasure, or power while exploiting the vulnerable. Like lifting a garden rock to expose insects, God’s word reveals the rot beneath society’s “normal” excesses. True sight asks: Who pays for my comfort? What suffering fuels my habits? [46:28]

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” (Revelation 17:4–5, ESV)

Reflection: Name one socially acceptable practice or purchase in your life that, if examined closely, might connect to someone else’s exploitation. How will you investigate this?

Day 3: The Lamb’s Triumph Over Entrenched Evil

Seven-headed beasts and global empires bow to a scarred Lamb. Human power structures—even those persecuting believers—are temporary props in Christ’s cosmic victory. The Lamb’s triumph isn’t future theory but present reality, dismantling oppression through ordinary people choosing mercy over manipulation. When injustice seems invincible, we march behind a King who turned execution tools into salvation’s symbol. [51:08]

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful. (Revelation 17:14, ESV)

Reflection: What “impossible” situation—global or personal—needs you to trust the Lamb’s victory more than political solutions? How does this shift your prayers?

Day 4: Too Easily Pleased by Mud Pies

We trade ocean holidays for gutter puddles, mistaking shopping carts for satisfaction. Babylon’s trinkets—approval, luxury, control—are mud pies compared to the feast of knowing God. Like children clutching dirt, we fear releasing lesser loves to receive greater joy. Yet every counterfeit craving whispers, “God isn’t enough.” The path out begins by admitting our small appetites for Him. [01:02:16]

My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jeremiah 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: What “mud pie” have you been clutching this week? What specific step could help you taste the living water instead?

Day 5: Daily Exodus from the Empire of Self

Babylon’s final stronghold isn’t a city but our mirror. The call to “come out” is hourly—resisting gossip that builds influence, overspending to numb pain, or scrolling to avoid prayer. Kingdom living means seeing every interaction as embassy work: representing Christ’s governance through integrity, generosity, and inconvenient love. True exodus happens when ordinary choices become worship. [01:10:40]

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33, ESV)

Reflection: What mundane decision today (schedule, conversation, purchase) can become your “embassy act” for Christ’s kingdom? How will you approach it differently?

Sermon Summary

Headlights on a dark road stand as God’s own posture in Revelation 17 and 18. God turns the beams toward danger and waves creation down, not to shame but to save. Revelation itself pulls back the cover so the church can see what is really going on underneath the glitter. John, carried in the Spirit, sees a woman on a scarlet beast, drunk on the blood of the saints, jeweled and golden yet foul within. Babylon the Great names the image, not just an ancient empire but any anti‑God system that seduces rulers and peoples into spiritual adultery. The beast’s seven heads and blasphemous names declare complete and brazen opposition to God. Satan stands behind it all, not as myth but as personal malice, twisting God’s good gifts into chains that addict and destroy. Things are not what they seem.

Babylon’s lure promises luxury, power, and pleasure, yet the underside crawls with exploitation, injustice, greed, and violence. The image of a garden rock lifted and creepy things scurrying is the point. The text insists the real war is not against flesh and blood but against the powers fueling persecution and harm. Yet a promise breaks in. The Lamb will triumph because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Babylon will fall. Satan will be removed. The kingdom Jesus already inaugurated will come in full, with no exploitation, no abuse, no addiction. God’s holiness and love guarantee it. Every hidden wrong that breaks a human heart first broke the Father’s.

God then issues a warning and a call. Justice will reach those who share Babylon’s sins. But God’s direct word to the church is, Come out of her, my people. First century believers faced the pressure to compromise for safety and success. So do believers now, where seduction often outpaces persecution. Daryl Johnson’s seven marks of Babylon fit the present hour: leaving God out, sensuality, injustice, worship of products, violence, deception, idolatry. At root sits distrust that God is enough, so counterfeit comforts are grasped and then they master the heart.

The Lamb’s call to come out is a call to come to God. Desire must be reordered, not by guilt or grit but by a greater love. As believers behold the Lord in worship, his presence becomes the treasure and Babylon’s sparkle dims. Kingdom living then takes shape as mercy, justice, generosity, and sacrificial care. Each day poses the choice. Remain in Babylon for the self, or live for the King who warns in love and leads into freedom.

Key Takeaways

1. Babylon dazzles while hiding rot Babylon wears gold and offers a cup, but the cup is full of filth and the jewels sit on blood. The image exposes a system that feeds on people while selling glamour. God’s unveiling asks the church to look under the rock and see what scurries. Things are not what they seem. [39:10]
2. The Lamb will end injustice Revelation does not leave evil entrenched; it names its end. The Lamb who was slain returns as King of kings to topple Babylon and remove the beast. God’s holiness and love ensure that every tear and every injustice matter and will be answered. [51:08]
3. Seduction outpaces persecution today Pressure to fit in and prosper often tempts believers more than threats do. The heart gets pulled by products, pleasure, and approval, and compromise starts to look reasonable. The text names that drift and calls it spiritual adultery. [56:07]
4. Hear and obey, Come out God’s direct command is pastoral and urgent. Leaving Babylon is not merely abstaining from bad things but refusing false trusts and shared guilt. The call aims at freedom, not condemnation, and it lands on the church first. [55:10]
5. Desire changes by beholding God Effort alone cannot outmuscle Babylon’s appeal. Love must be surpassed by a greater love, and worship reorders the heart until God becomes the treasure. As communion with him deepens, Babylon’s shine dulls and kingdom values grow bright. [65:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:57] - Copper on the road: a warning
[38:07] - Revelation pulls back the cover
[40:24] - John sees Babylon unveiled
[42:33] - Babylon as Rome and beyond
[44:28] - Satan’s counterfeit of God’s gifts
[48:32] - The real war behind hatred
[50:14] - Promise: Babylon will fall
[51:08] - The Lamb triumphs as King
[55:10] - Command: Come out of her
[56:07] - Seduction, not persecution
[57:45] - Marks of Babylon today
[65:16] - Reordering loves in worship
[70:20] - Daily choice: Babylon or the King
[71:18] - Reflect, respond, and pray

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Revelation 17:14 (ESV)
“They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”

Revelation 18:4 (ESV)
“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.’”

Observation questions

In Revelation 17, the woman (Babylon) is described as sitting on a scarlet beast with blasphemous names. What does this imagery reveal about the nature of anti-God systems?
What specific actions does God command believers to take in Revelation 18:4, and why?
The sermon mentions seven marks of Babylon today, including injustice, idolatry, and deception. What examples of these marks were highlighted in the sermon? [57:45]
How does the sermon describe the relationship between Satan and the allure of Babylon? [44:28]

Interpretation questions

Why might God use the metaphor of a prostitute to describe Babylon in Revelation 17? What does this reveal about how spiritual compromise affects our relationship with Him?
The Lamb’s victory in Revelation 17:14 is described as certain. How does this promise address the feeling of powerlessness believers might have when facing entrenched evil?
The sermon argues that “seduction often outpaces persecution” for modern believers. How does this shift in tactics make compromise with Babylon more subtle or dangerous? [56:07]
What does it mean to “reorder our loves” instead of relying on guilt or willpower to resist Babylon? [01:05:16]

Application questions

Where in your daily life (work, relationships, habits, or priorities) do you sense pressure to compromise with values that conflict with God’s kingdom? How might this mirror the “marks of Babylon” like injustice or idolatry? [57:45]
The call to “come out of Babylon” includes rejecting “false trusts” (e.g., relying on wealth, status, or comfort). What practical step could you take this week to actively trust God in an area where you’ve been grasping for control?
The sermon suggests that worship reorders our desires. What specific spiritual practice (e.g., prayer, Scripture meditation, serving others) could help you fix your eyes on God’s worth instead of Babylon’s “sparkle”? [01:05:16]
Reflect on a time when a worldly pursuit (e.g., materialism, approval, or success) left you unsatisfied. How does this experience point to the truth that only God fulfills our deepest needs?
The Lamb’s triumph means injustice will not last. How could you actively participate in God’s kingdom work this month—even in a small way—to bring mercy or justice to a broken situation?
What “counterfeit comfort” (shopping, distractions, etc.) do you turn to when stressed or discouraged? How might you replace that habit with intentional dependence on God’s presence? [01:00:55]

Sermon Clips

53s

#ReorderYourLoves

“then, how do you and I deal with the Babylon in our lives when it is so powerful, when it entices us so much? Well, not guilt, that's not gonna do it, not just simple human determination to pull up our socks and stop going after that thing. I am not going shopping. You know what is really ultimately going to get us to want to leave Babylon is to reorder our loves. By spending time with our God, as we did this morning in singing worship, focusing on him.”

41s

#OnlyGodSatisfies

“The truth is even if we got everything this world has to give us, every car, every home, every bit of money, everything, it would not satisfy us because it can't. It can't. We were created to only be satisfied by God. We have this God shaped heart inside of us that we put things in it, and it just can't suffice no matter how much we try. You know, in his book, The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis said, it would seem that our lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak.”

53s

#HeartForJustice

“How does it make you feel when you are opening your news on a morning or in your, I don't know, Instagram or wherever you get your information, and you read something about the injustice of this world? Perhaps about the huge numbers of people who are basically exploited in low paid work and the endless cycle of exploitation, so for the fast fashion industry, or millions trapped in modern day slavery to feed the sex industry, the number of people who can't even put food on their table while some people grow obscenely wealthy, does it make your heart cry?”

57s

#DailyChooseKing

“In the end, for each one of us, it actually comes down to a daily choice. Will I stay in Babylon and live for myself, or will I come out of Babylon and live for my king? Will I keep going down the path of deception, harm, and pain, and be part of the problem? Will I come out, find true freedom and true joy, and live for my king and be part of his kingdom work on earth? What will you choose? God is calling you today. This is a message for us. Will you heed his call and come out of Babylon and fully to your savior?”

43s

#SeductionByTheWorld

“This is for us who do know him. You know, sadly, as believers, we are just as tempted by Babylon as anyone else. We are not immune to the siren call of this world. I actually recently heard a quote that said, today, the greatest challenge facing North American believers is not persecution from the world, but it's seduction by the world. We are drawn to the things of this world like moths to a flame and Satan moths to a flame, and Satan knows it.”

51s

#JusticeIsGodsHeart

“There is a warning for everyone, anyone who has participated in these anti god systems of abuse and exploitation. He's saying, be aware. These systems are not harmless. I do see what's going on, and there will be punishment for those who participate in harm and hurt. We want that, don't we? Deep, deep in our souls, we want justice. Do you know why? Because we are made in the image of our God, and he is a just and holy God. And we simply don't want people to get away with harming and hurting other people, do we?”

60s

#LoveCallsUsHome

“And so he calls us out of Babylon because he loves us. This is not an angry call of our god filled with condemnation. This is a call filled with loving, concern, and longing for what is best for us. Like my sweet earthly father standing in the road in the dark desperately trying to get people not to keep going down that road or they're gonna get smashed into a car and smashed their car smashed up and they're gonna get hurt, our beautiful heavenly father calls to us and says, he's warning us, it's not what it seems, it's not safe, it will harm you, come out of it.”

47s

#KingdomWithoutHarm

“he is going to bring his kingdom in fully. His kingdom is here already where we see the goodness and the love of our Lord, but he's gonna bring it fully, where we see his righteous kingdom come where there will be no exploitation, no addiction, no harm. Nobody is gonna be abused or hurt anymore. And this is God's promise, and he will do this because God is love and God is holy. And what happens to us and what happens to his people matter. His love and his holiness means he will not, he cannot turn a blind eye to abuse and harm.”

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Unmasking Babylon: Come Out to Our King

Devotional

Day 1: The Warning Lights in Life’s Darkness

Day 2: Seeing Beyond the Glittering Cup

Day 3: The Lamb’s Triumph Over Entrenched Evil

Day 4: Too Easily Pleased by Mud Pies

Day 5: Daily Exodus from the Empire of Self

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Unmasking Babylon: Come Out to Our King

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