Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Revelation chapter 18 as we look at a call, a plead from God to His people. It is a call to come out of the seduction of this world, the seduction of what this world has to offer and seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And folks, please understand if this was easy, if the pull was not that strong, God would not have to plead with His people to come out of her!
As you read through Revelation chapter 18 you will see that it is dealing with the destruction of commercial Babylon. And as you read through what this city was like and what it offered people, it seems to parallel a place called Vanity in John Bunyan’s classic: Pilgrim’s Progress. We will pick up in Pilgrim’s Progress as Evangelist is speaking to Christian and Faithful, the main characters in this book. As you will see, this will help set the stage for our study this morning. We are told:
For now, as you see, you are almost out of this wilderness. You will soon come into a town, where you will be sorely tired by enemies of the truth, who will strive hard to put you to death, and one of you may seal his testimony with his blood. But be faithful unto death, and Christ will give you a crown of life. If one of you shall die there, although his death will be cruel and his pain great, yet he will be more fortunate than the other, because he will arrive in the Celestial City much sooner, and he will escape the trials that the other must endure in the rest of the way. But when you have come to the town and shall see fulfilled what I have here related, then remember your friend, and the Lord Jesus, and deport yourselves like men, and commit the keeping of your souls to God in well doing, “as unto a faithful Creator.”
Then I saw in my dream that they had left the wilderness and entered a town where there was a fair that continued all year long. Evangelist was no longer with them. The name of the town was Vanity, and the fair was Vanity Fair. The people of the town were vain, caring for nothing but money, pleasure, and fame. The town was very old, and the fair had been going for many, many years.
Almost five thousand years ago, pilgrims, on their way to the Celestial City, went through this town. Finally Beelzebub, Apollyon, and Legion, with their laborers, set up this fair to provide every kind of entertainment for travelers and to sell all types of merchandise all year long. And still, at this fair is sold such merchandise as fine houses, lands, stocks and bonds, false security, gay clothing, jewelry, expensive cosmetics, gold and sliver, antiques, pearls, precious stones, fame, fortunes, reputations, virtue, honor, popularity, positions, phony titles, counterfeit degrees, contests, chances, games, votes, elections, government offices, personal influences, padded reports, propaganda, falsehoods, fictitious news, deceptions, artificial personalities, schemes, tricks, comics, beauty queens, sex appeal, prostitutes, human lives, and souls of men.
Moreover, at this fair at all times are gambling, juggling, cheating, defrauding, embezzling, lying, stealing, swindling, rogues, knaves, libertines, carnivals, festivities, drinking, revelries, connivings, fools, thugs, lewd women, murders, adulteries, and all kinds of immoralities. The broad road that leads to destruction which brings the fair much trade lies through the town.
And in this town of Vanity are taverns, night clubs, roadhouses, seductive shows, popular casinos, culture societies, fashionable churches, synthetic Christians, sectarian denominational segregation, professional pastors (using mass psychology, setting themselves up as lords over God’s heritage, ruling their congregations for “filthy lucre,” beating and fleecing their flocks instead of feeding them or setting them a good example). There are also famous pseudoscientists, charlatan physicians, dishonorable crafty lawyers, unscrupulous politicians, clandestine bookmakers, racketeers - impostors of all kinds.
But, if anyone going to the Celestial city would miss this town of Vanity, he must of necessity go out of the world. The Prince of Peace, when here on earth, went through this town to His own country; and this same Beelzebub was then – as now- lord of the fair. He tried to sell the Prince many of his vanities. He even offered to make him manager of the fair. Because the Prince was such an influential person, Beelzebub led Him from section to section and showed Him all the various nations of the world and promised to make Him ruler over all, if He would but cheapen himself and buy some of his vanities. But the Price did not care for any of the merchandise, and He left the town without spending a penny for any of Beelzebub’s goods.
Now, as soon as Christian and Faithful entered the fair they created a sensation, not only in their fair but throughout the town.
First, their dress was so different from the people of the place that everyone gazed at them. Some said they were cranks; some called them outlandish; others said they were there to create trouble.
Second, their speech was different. Few could understand what they said, for naturally they spoke the language of Canaan, while those who kept the fair were men of this world. From one end of the fair to the other, they seemed like barbarians.
Third, these pilgrims showed no interest in their goods, and this worried the people of the fair the most. Christian and Faithful did not even care to see them, and when they were asked to buy they would stop up their ears and say, “Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity,” looking upward as if they belonged to another country.
- John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress In Today’s English
(Retold by James H. Thomas), pp. 88-91
What a powerful lesson to help keep us from being drawn into the lusts of this world, the lusts this world has for us, the lusts this world is dangling before us to reach out and touch. As you were listening to these things, it is speaking of the Vanity Fair’s that are all around us today, and thus let us be wise. You see, Christian and Faithful were not conformed to the ways of the world but transformed by the power of God. Not only was their appearance or countenance different than that of the world, but so was their speech, the way they spoke. And instead of looking steadfastly on the things of this world, longing after them, they turned from them and looked heavenward. With that as our background, let’s begin reading in Revelation chapter 18, starting in verse 1 and see what the Lord has for us this morning.
In this portion of Scripture, towards the end of the Tribulation Period, we see commercial Babylon come crashing to the ground. Yes, in the eye’s of man it was strong, it was powerful, it satisfied every fleshly desire you can imagine. And yet, in 1 hour God destroyed what many placed their hope in. And the people of the world who have become intoxicated in her luxuries she has to offer them, now they have nothing!
Now you can read on your own in verses 11-16 of Revelation chapter 18 all she had to offer, it parallels what John Bunyan wrote regarding Vanity Fair. In this section you will see John listing some 28 items of luxury for man to partake of and that is exactly what man does. As you look at these items think of them as being found in a department store and you will see that what John spoke of here in Revelation chapter 18 is on a much grander scale, but the department stores of today in America you can find these things!
In verse 12 we find gold, silver, precious stones, pearls. Let’s call this the fine jewelry department, which is located on the first floor of the department store. We also see in verse 12 all kinds of linen, purple, silk and scarlet. Now we have moved into the designer clothes section of the department store, which is located on the second floor. Again in verse 12 we find every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron and marble. This is the home furnishings department, which is located on the third floor.
As we move into verse 13 we find cinnamon, incense, fragrant oil, frankincense. Here ladies, and I guess men also, we have the cosmetic department, which is located on the fourth floor of our department store. Taking the elevator to the fifth floor of our department store, we find once again in verse 13 wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep. You know how it is, shopping all day, I call it “Hell” but then there is that break and we go to the food court, and that is what we see here on the fifth floor. Also in verse 13 we find horses and chariots. Thus, here on the sixth floor we have the automotive department, you can get your set of wheels, and we may hear, “How many horses do you want under the hood?”
And lastly, again in verse 13, not on the seventh floor, but down in the dark basement, we see being sold the bodies and souls of men. Let’s call this the adult bookstore that is there to destroy your life, but the want overcomes the desirer to do what is right and people’s souls are destroyed, sold for nothing!
Now, as you look at this list please understand that none of these items listed are necessities, but they are all luxuries. You might say that this commercial Babylon specializes in materialism gone mad! Of this commercial empire, John Phillips tells us:
What a catalog of opulence [luxury]! What a vivid picture of a great, commercial city, trafficking in every luxury the heart could desire. This is the world’s great Vanity Fair. It offers articles of adornment and display, beautiful things to grace the mansions of the world’s millionaires. It deals in exotic spices and perfumes, in delicacies for the table, in provisions for banquets, in slaves, and in the souls of men. And Babylon imported all these things. . . . Babylon’s demand for this world’s goods was insatiable; ever it clamored for more and more!
- John Phillips, Exploring Revelation, p. 225
And as much as man saw this as a glorious institution that seemed to satisfy their wants, although it never did, they still needed more and more, God sees it as ugly, destructive, deadly. In fact, as we read here in Revelation 18:8, “Therefore her plagues will come in one day — death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.” God will judge her and bring her down in 1 hour!
Thus, our heavenly Father loves us so much that He warns us, believers to “ . . . Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4. But that is not the only place the Lord calls us to flee from these things, to come out of this commercial Babylon you might say before you become intoxicated with her wares, her merchandise that she is tempting you with.
In Isaiah 52:11 we are told, “Depart! Depart! Go out from there, Touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, Be clean, You who bear the vessels of the LORD.” In Jeremiah 50:8 we are warned to, “Move from the midst of Babylon, Go out of the land of the Chaldeans; And be like the rams before the flocks.” Also in Jeremiah 51:45 we are told, “My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the LORD.” In the New Testament Paul tells us in II Corinthians 6:17-18, “ . . . ‘I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.’ I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.” And in Ephesians 5:11 Paul warns us by saying, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
Now I do realize that this is tough for some of you because the things of this world are pulling you in, they are competing for your time with the Lord, with your relationship with Him, and it is a battle for you. If you are struggling here or if you ever do, maybe this will help put things into perspective for you. Charles Spurgeon wrote:
If I had a brother who had been murdered, what would you think of me if I . . . daily consorted with the assassin who drove the dagger into my brother’s heart; surely I too must be an accomplice in the crime. Sin murdered Christ; will you be a friend to it? Sin pierced the heart of the Incarnate God; can you love it?
- C. H. Spurgeon
Doesn’t that put things into perspective for you? It does for me! You see, once I understand what sin cost my Jesus, how can I continue down that path? How can I allow it to draw me in? How can I be a friend to that which is at enmity with God? We can’t, we shouldn’t, we must flee these things that are raging war against our souls! We must come out!
With the remainder of our time this morning I would like to focus on what the author of this book wrote in his epistle, I John. We are going to be looking at I John 2:15-17, a section that deals with the idea of loving the world and why that is something we should not do, what are the consequences if we do. Let’s read through these verses and then I will expound on them. We are told starting in verse 15 of I John chapter 2, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” I John 2:15-17.
In these three verses I see four points that emerge from this section. First of all THE ADMONITION FROM GOD, then THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT LISTENING, and then John speaks of THE WORLDS FOCUS, and lastly, THE CHOICE WE HAVE. So let’s look at these four points and see what we can glean from them to help us grow in the Lord.
1.
THE ADMONITION FROM GOD - Do not love the world
or the things in the world – I John 2:15a
The Greek word for “world” that John uses here is KOSMOS and in the context it is written it is speaking of something that is hostile to God. Specifically John is speaking of the philosophies and mentality of the world system. This is what we are wrestling against, the things of this world that are drawing us away from God. Folks, the pull is strong. The mass media, the world system is trying to conform us into the image they want and if you doubt that just take a close look at how people dress, the songs they are singing, their speech, what they watch on television and-so-on.
When I was in grade school we would take field trips to the Zoo, which was always fun for the kids, I don’t know how much fun it was for the teachers. But for 50 cents, if my memory is correct, you could get this plastic mold of an elephant or some other animal. Thus, as you put in the money, the machine would start up and these two molds would come together and then the plastic would go into these molds. After a time the two molds would pull apart and then another arm would push out the animal you bought. Whatever the shape of the mold, that is the image you would get.
The world does the same thing. It has a mold that it is trying to conform us to and over time it pushes us out as an image of this world and the enemy is doing a good job. It is as Spurgeon tells us. He wrote:
The course of rebellion against God may be very gradual, but it increases in rapidity as you progress in it; and if you begin to run down the hill, the ever-increasing impetus will send you down faster and faster to destruction. You Christians ought to watch against the beginning of worldly conformity. I do believe that the growth of worldliness is like strife, which is as the letting out of water. Once you begin, there is no knowing where you will stop. I sometimes get this question put to me, concerning certain worldly amusements, “May I do so-and-so?” I am very sorry whenever anyone asks me that question, because it shows that there is something wrong, or it would not be raised at all. If a person’s conscience lets him say, “Well, I can go to A,” he will very soon go on to B, C, D, E, and through all the letters of the alphabet . . . When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not mater to him as long as he catches his fish, what bait he uses. Beware of the beginning of evil, for many, who bade fair to go right, have turned aside and perished amongst the dark mountains in the wide field of sin.
- C. H. Spurgeon
Paul tells us what to do in Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The Amplified Bible puts these verses like this, “I APPEAL to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”
You see, the Word of God illuminated by the Spirit of God in our lives, which then transforms our minds to the mind of Christ; His character, His nature flowing through us. Thus, THE ADMONITION FROM GOD - Do not love the world or the things in the world! Why? John tells us and that is the next point.
2.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT LISTENING - If anyone loves
the world, the love of the Father is not in him – I John
2:15b
Folks, agree with this or not, this is the reality of loving the world system; the love of the Father is not in you! You see, the world system is at enmity with God and it is competing for your attention and you can’t server two masters, you will either hate one and love the other or visa versa, you can’t do both!
In James 4:4 we are told, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” And the Amplified Bible puts it like this, “You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world's friend is being God's enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.”
You see, as you go after the things of this world, submit to its desires, you are moving away from God. You can’t have that intimate fellowship with the world and with God because they are in opposition to each other. Thus, THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT LISTENING - If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in you!
3.
THE WORLDS FOCUS - For all that is in the world
— the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride
of life - is not of the Father but is of the world – I John
2:16
John tells us that Satan and His world system uses three devices to trap Christians and folks, He hasn’t changed since he caused Adam and Eve to sin. He still uses these three devices to bring us down. Let me show you want I mean.
In Genesis 3:6 you can read of Eve and how she saw that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was good for food (the lust of the flesh), pleasant to the eyes (the lust of the eyes), and it would make one wise (the pride of life). Then, in the New Testament, in Matthew chapter 4, we read that Satan tried to tempt Jesus by telling Him to turn the stones into bread so that He can eat (the lust of the flesh), He told Jesus to take a look at all the kingdoms of the world and they could be His if He listened to Satan (the lust of the eyes), and to prove Himself to the people by jumping from a pinnacle (the pride of life). You see, he hasn’t changed his devices, thus, we should not fall prey to them!
Let’s look at these three devices that he uses on us to bring us down so we can be aware of his scheming and not fall prey to them.
A. THE LUST OF THE FLESH
The Greek word John uses for “lust” is EPITHUMIA, (ep-ee-thoo-mee’-ah) and it speaks of a craving or a passionate desire. Now that can be good or bad depending on the context of the sentence. Here, obviously, this is not good, it is used negatively because the Greek word for “flesh” is SARX and it speaks of carnality, the depraved nature of man that is governing his life: his reason, his will, his emotions!
How do we know if something is right or wrong? By God’s Word opened up to us by His Spirit. Here the person is given over to satisfying his fleshly desires with no concern about anything else. Think of people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, pornography, sexual sin, and-so-on. All these are appealing to the flesh and they are done to satisfy the fleshly appetite! The lust of the flesh!
B. THE LUST OF THE EYES
This is just what it says it is, seeking to have all that you see. Job tells us, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?” Job 31:3. You see, he purposed in his heart that he would not look upon a woman lustfully, he took at stand with his eyes and refused to look, or take a second look! David said in Psalm 101:3, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” Don’t put things in front of your eyes that are going to cause you to lust after them, be wise!
Here again John is speaking of a person who has been given over to carnality. Look at the catalogs that are mailed out today, they are appealing to the lust of the eyes with the idea once you see something, you will want to buy it! That is not of God, but of the world that is in opposition to God, there is no control here. And again we see that today where people can’t stop buying things, the lust of the eyes!
C. THE PRIDE OF LIFE
This has the idea of boasting or bragging to impress someone. We boast as if we have the power to do these things apart from God enabling us. You see, what this does is it takes God out of the picture even though the Bible tells us that He is the giver and the sustainer of life, that it is only because of Him that we live and breath and move! There is no room for the pride of life if we say we love God and are walking in the light as He is in the light!
Dave Roper sums things up for us as he says,
The Bible defines worldliness by centering morality where we intuitively know it should be. Worldliness is the lust of the flesh (a passion for sensual satisfaction), the lust of the eyes (an inordinate desire for the finer things in life), and the pride of life (self-satisfaction in who we are, what we have, and what we have done). Worldliness, then, is a preoccupation with ease and affluence. It elevates creature comfort to the point of idolatry; large salaries and comfortable life-styles become necessities of life.
Worldliness is reading magazines about people who live hedonistic lives and spend too much money on themselves and wanting to be like them. But more importantly, worldliness is simply pride and selfishness in disguises. It’s being resentful when someone snubs us or patronizes us or shows off. It means smarting under every slight, challenging every word spoken against us, cringing when another is preferred before us. Worldliness is harboring grudges, nursing grievance, and wallowing in self-pity. These are the ways in which we are most like the world.
- Dave Roper, The Strength of a Man, p. 68
Now, in saying all this, how do we counter the lust of the flesh? Paul admonishes us in I Corinthians 9:27 by saying, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” What about the lust of our eyes, how do we counter that? Do what David said in Psalm 101:3, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.” And in Psalm 119:37 David said, “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way.” And lastly, how do we counter the pride of life? We need to do what Jesus did as Paul tells us in Philippians 2:7-8, “but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” You see, He humbled Himself and made Himself of no reputation and God lifted Him up! Thus, this focus of the world is in direct opposition to what God desires of you, but, as we will see, we have a choice to make. Thus, THE WORLDS FOCUS - For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world!
4.
THE CHOICE WE HAVE - And the world is passing away,
and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever
– I John 2:17
Many would challenge this statement that this world is passing away. They are very confident in this world system that it will just continue on, that it is permanent! Of this John MacArthur tells us:
A century ago most people believed that history was progressing inexorably toward a man-made utopia. The Industrial Revolution, the march of scientific discovery, and the increasing pace of social reform seemed to augur [foretell] nothing but brighter days ahead. Today, however, two world wars; innumerable regional, civil, and national wars; countless acts of terrorism and senseless violence; and the nearly complete collapse of moral values make such rosy optimism seem quaintly naïve.
The Bible teaches that things will be wonderfully better, but only after they become unimaginably worse. There is only one solution for the world’s problems: the return of its true King, the Lord Jesus Christ, to establish absolute monarchy and unilateral authority in His earthly kingdom. Only under His rule will there be peace instead of war, justice instead of inequity, and righteousness instead of wickedness.
- John MacArthur
You see, this world is coming to an end no matter what anyone says. God said that this is going to happen and thus, it will come to pass. This is not the issue. The real issue is the choice you make, are you for the Lord or against Him? You see, if you are not for Him then you are against Him! And if you are against Him then you are still dead in your trespasses and sins, if He is not your Lord and Savior, you are still lost in sin!
Let me put it like this for you. God has given to us abundant life, eternal life and Satan gives us the things of this world that will be destroyed, they won’t last, they are not eternal! The thing is, where will you put your investment in, the things of this world, which are passing away, or the things of God, which are eternal? You see, it is pure folly to invest in this world that is in opposition to God and won’t last! But, if you do the will of God you will dwell with Him forever. It truly is a no brainier and yet, so many give into that which is temporary instead of that which is eternal. Learn the lesson! You put your time, your attention, your resources in the things of God and you will gain eternal rewards! I like what is on D. L. Moody’s tombstone, it really says it all: “He who does the will of God abides forever.”
It is as C. S. Lewis wrote:
When the author walks onto the stage, the play is over. God is going to invade, all right; but what is the good of saying you are on His side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else comes crashing in? This time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature. It will be too late then to choose your side. That will not be the time for choosing; It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not. Now, today, this moment is our chance to choose the right side.
- C. S. Lewis
This world is a city we might call Vanity and it has a continual fair that is going on to draw you away from the true and living God. May we be like Christian and Faithful in John Bunyan’s book, Pilgrim’s Progress, because folks, we do live in this world but we are not to be of this world, we are not to be part of its system. Remember what we read as we opened up this morning:
Now, as soon as Christian and Faithful entered the fair they created a sensation, not only in their fair but throughout the town.
First, their dress was so different from the people of the place that everyone gazed at them. Some said they were cranks; some called them outlandish; others said they were there to create trouble.
Second, their speech was different. Few could understand what they said, for naturally they spoke the language of Canaan, while those who kept the fair were men of this world. From one end of the fair to the other, they seemed like barbarians.
Third, these pilgrims showed no interest in their goods, and this worried the people of the fair the most. Christian and Faithful did not even care to see them, and when they were asked to buy they would stop up their ears and say, “Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity,” looking upward as if they belonged to another country.
- John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress In Today’s English
(Retold by James H. Thomas), pp. 91
Thus, THE CHOICE WE HAVE - And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever!
Folks, lets face it, believers and unbelievers inhabit two opposing worlds. Christians are in Christ’s kingdom, which is characterized by righteousness, light, and eternal life. Unbelievers are in Satan’s kingdom, characterized by lawlessness, darkness, and spiritual death. The saved and the unsaved have different affections, beliefs, principles, motives, goals, attitudes, and hopes. In short, they view life from opposing perspectives and thus, God calls for us to come out from her!
As I close this morning, remember THE ADMONITION FROM GOD - Do not love the world or the things in the world! THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT LISTENING - If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in you! THE WORLDS FOCUS - For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world! THE CHOICE WE HAVE - And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever! May we learn the lessons God is showing us this morning, knowing that His return is drawing near and His kingdom will be established. As the Lord said,
“ . . . Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4.