1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,800 Oh man, who is grateful for that this morning. Thank you, thank you very much. 2 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:13,700 This could either be really good or really bad, so I'm weepy already. Oh kids, 3 00:00:13,700 --> 00:00:31,780 yeah kids through fifth grade. Go with Miss Angie I believe. Yeah so this could 4 00:00:31,780 --> 00:00:35,500 go really good or really bad. I'm already weepy this morning from that and so 5 00:00:35,500 --> 00:00:40,460 we'll see if I can get through what God has for us today but I'm excited to be 6 00:00:40,460 --> 00:00:45,540 here with you. I am so grateful for the songs that the Lord put on Joe's heart 7 00:00:45,540 --> 00:00:52,460 coming into today. We have been going through the book of Daniel which is 8 00:00:52,460 --> 00:00:56,180 just there's so many ways. It's just such a fun book like there's just so many 9 00:00:56,180 --> 00:01:00,700 fun things in it that declare the glory of God and His power and so I've been 10 00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:04,980 enjoying going through it. Thankful for the job that Jared and Andy have done 11 00:01:04,980 --> 00:01:08,540 and last week as we've been looking I've been looking at two different kingdoms 12 00:01:08,540 --> 00:01:13,180 the kingdom of the world versus the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Babylon 13 00:01:13,180 --> 00:01:18,940 and last week we were in Daniel chapter 3 which is the story of Shadrach, Meshach 14 00:01:18,940 --> 00:01:24,540 and Abednego and then the fiery furnace right and Andy just did a great job 15 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:29,820 sharing with us how as followers of Jesus in trials we choose to still worship 16 00:01:29,820 --> 00:01:35,900 God and then secondly as followers of Jesus we don't go through anything alone 17 00:01:35,900 --> 00:01:40,740 that Jesus is with us in the midst of those things. I was really grateful for 18 00:01:40,740 --> 00:01:44,940 that it was really helpful for me. This week we're gonna step into Daniel's 19 00:01:44,940 --> 00:01:49,900 chapter 4 and 5 which if we were gonna actually read the whole thing which 20 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:53,260 maybe it would actually be better I don't know but if I were to read the whole 21 00:01:53,260 --> 00:01:56,940 thing we'd read it and we'd go home because it's quite a bit there but I'm 22 00:01:56,940 --> 00:02:00,020 gonna kind of do a lot of summarizing and bring some things to the forefront 23 00:02:00,020 --> 00:02:04,340 through it that hopefully will encourage your hearts this morning but I think 24 00:02:04,340 --> 00:02:09,260 that what we're gonna learn in Daniel chapter 4 and 5 actually gives the 25 00:02:09,260 --> 00:02:12,940 foundation or a lot of foundational elements to what Andy talked about 26 00:02:12,940 --> 00:02:17,780 yesterday or not yesterday last week if you were here with us and my hope is 27 00:02:17,780 --> 00:02:23,660 that today as we listen and as we look at Daniel 4 and 5 that you are gonna see 28 00:02:23,660 --> 00:02:29,380 that God is always in control no matter what your circumstances are or no 29 00:02:29,380 --> 00:02:35,620 matter what the circumstances in the world are God is always in control I 30 00:02:35,620 --> 00:02:41,980 don't watch the news very much for some of you who do I'm sorry 31 00:02:41,980 --> 00:02:47,860 encourage you to shut it off a little bit more probably but it is easy to watch 32 00:02:47,860 --> 00:02:53,060 the news and read the news look at social media and find out that we are 33 00:02:53,060 --> 00:02:59,020 living in turbulent times less brown who was an Ohio State representative so we 34 00:02:59,020 --> 00:03:03,340 are living in very challenging times pressured in the workplace and stressed 35 00:03:03,340 --> 00:03:08,180 out at our homes people are trying to make sense of their lives not only that 36 00:03:08,180 --> 00:03:11,620 you can look and you can see that right now our government has not been able to 37 00:03:11,620 --> 00:03:16,460 come together and create a budget that's gonna stick and so we keep passing 38 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:20,300 resolution after resolution to keep spending money without a budget that's 39 00:03:20,300 --> 00:03:25,380 a little nerve-wracking we have the Israeli Palestinian conflict and 40 00:03:25,380 --> 00:03:30,060 different world leaders weighing into that and if somebody makes a wrong move 41 00:03:30,060 --> 00:03:35,060 what could be the outcome Russia and Ukraine still going on inflation is 42 00:03:35,060 --> 00:03:39,340 going up so the way that our the way that we live is changing because just 43 00:03:39,340 --> 00:03:43,180 everything's more expensive so the choices we would make before are not 44 00:03:43,180 --> 00:03:46,860 necessarily choices we can continue to make and they affect plans that maybe 45 00:03:46,860 --> 00:03:51,860 we had in place not only that we're finding that our children and even as 46 00:03:51,860 --> 00:03:57,460 adults are becoming more and more depressed and anxious leading states 47 00:03:57,460 --> 00:04:02,180 like Florida to say hey let's ban social media until kids are 16 like let's 48 00:04:02,180 --> 00:04:05,900 bring more and more into that there's something happening here which actually 49 00:04:05,900 --> 00:04:09,140 let's praise the Lord for Florida they're actually willing to say hey there's 50 00:04:09,140 --> 00:04:14,380 maybe a problem here we should do something about but all of this can 51 00:04:14,380 --> 00:04:18,860 begin to create turbulence and not only that we're in an election year praise 52 00:04:18,860 --> 00:04:27,540 Jesus right it's all getting started and sure I'm getting there we will we'll 53 00:04:27,540 --> 00:04:32,060 get there but think about it we have a couple candidates that are up for office 54 00:04:32,060 --> 00:04:35,140 that I don't know if there's a ton of people that are actually super excited 55 00:04:35,140 --> 00:04:38,780 about if they're really honest about it we're kind of like what's going on and 56 00:04:38,780 --> 00:04:46,540 but all of that can make things feel down chaotic overwhelming and then you 57 00:04:46,540 --> 00:04:49,900 just have the stuff in your everyday normal life right we haven't even talked 58 00:04:49,900 --> 00:04:55,020 about that yet but those things have become very very difficult and so as we 59 00:04:55,020 --> 00:04:59,620 talk through Daniel 4 and 5 my prayer today is that your hearts will be 60 00:04:59,620 --> 00:05:07,780 refreshed and that you will gain a new strength seeing that God is in control 61 00:05:10,180 --> 00:05:15,460 for those of us who follow Jesus we know that Jesus came and that in Zuck and 62 00:05:15,460 --> 00:05:21,060 Luke when Zachariah is prophesying or he's praying blessings over Jesus he 63 00:05:21,060 --> 00:05:27,420 says that Jesus came to show us the way of peace and I think that as we look at 64 00:05:27,420 --> 00:05:33,620 the two points that Andy brought up last week that we worship God in the trials 65 00:05:33,620 --> 00:05:37,260 and then we're never alone that one of the biggest first steps that we need to 66 00:05:37,260 --> 00:05:43,180 be able to understand in order to really be able to receive this is that God is 67 00:05:43,180 --> 00:05:50,380 in control that when things all around us don't seem like he's in control he is 68 00:05:50,380 --> 00:05:54,500 because you know I know that there's circumstances that are going on in this 69 00:05:54,500 --> 00:06:01,020 room right now that when you look at him in your life you're like where's God I 70 00:06:01,020 --> 00:06:06,060 don't know if he's showing up I can sing those songs I'm like man I believe 71 00:06:06,060 --> 00:06:11,660 that it's up here but man when it comes down to living it day to day the stress 72 00:06:11,660 --> 00:06:16,700 the anxiety the struggles the battles become really difficult but I think we 73 00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:22,340 see here in Daniel 4 and 5 that God is in control it's easy to read this and 74 00:06:22,340 --> 00:06:26,860 not realize that really there is an epic battle that is going on in the book of 75 00:06:26,860 --> 00:06:30,660 Daniel there's an epic battle that's going on this is not just some stories 76 00:06:30,660 --> 00:06:35,380 and some things that are happening like it is massive it's so massive that later 77 00:06:35,380 --> 00:06:40,880 in the book when Daniel is praying it says that an angel was coming and that 78 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:47,020 one that demons and others opposed this angel from coming to Daniel for 21 days 79 00:06:47,020 --> 00:06:52,580 21 days like there's not small things happening here like I think sometimes we 80 00:06:52,580 --> 00:06:58,220 don't realize the scale of what is happening in Daniel see because God's 81 00:06:58,220 --> 00:07:02,380 glory is being challenged really whether or not God is sovereign is being 82 00:07:02,380 --> 00:07:07,060 challenged and it's being answered in the book of Daniel think about it this was 83 00:07:07,060 --> 00:07:11,620 a day and age that if you had two nations and one nation beat another nation 84 00:07:11,620 --> 00:07:17,660 what was automatically assumed my God is bigger than your God it wasn't my dad's 85 00:07:17,660 --> 00:07:21,260 bigger than your dad no it was my God is bigger than your God my gods are more 86 00:07:21,260 --> 00:07:25,860 powerful than your gods my God showed up in your state home and slept today and 87 00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:30,740 there was really this kind of thing that went on between nations and so you have 88 00:07:30,740 --> 00:07:34,380 this at the beginning of it near the beginning of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign 89 00:07:34,380 --> 00:07:38,500 he goes and he takes over Israel right and so people are looking around and 90 00:07:38,500 --> 00:07:42,900 saying hey Hebrews you talk about the fact that your God is so strong he's so 91 00:07:42,900 --> 00:07:49,100 big you only need one God but you know what you got whipped you got whipped and 92 00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:54,820 you got taken into captivity and not only that they left only the poor and 93 00:07:54,820 --> 00:07:57,820 the weakest back in your homeland and they took all the best away and they're 94 00:07:57,820 --> 00:08:01,540 gonna turn them into Babylonians right so this is the kind of thing that's 95 00:08:01,540 --> 00:08:07,180 going on here as we look at the book of Daniel and so we see all these really 96 00:08:07,180 --> 00:08:12,940 amazing stories of God's power and how God shows up in big ways and today I 97 00:08:12,940 --> 00:08:18,700 think we see in Daniel 4 and 5 where all of this comes in culmination and so as 98 00:08:18,700 --> 00:08:22,980 we look at this I've already talked a little bit about the background that in 99 00:08:22,980 --> 00:08:28,620 Ezekiel 21 24 it says therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says because you 100 00:08:28,620 --> 00:08:33,380 people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion revealing your 101 00:08:33,380 --> 00:08:37,260 sins and all that you do because you have done this you will be taken captive 102 00:08:37,260 --> 00:08:41,260 and so God says hey Israel you're my people you're not listening you're 103 00:08:41,260 --> 00:08:45,380 living rebellion and so what it's time for you to go to captivity and that's 104 00:08:45,380 --> 00:08:50,460 what is the stage of this and then there's actually a prophecy in Ezekiel 21 105 00:08:50,460 --> 00:08:54,860 that says that Babylon the king of Babylon is gonna come and take you and 106 00:08:54,860 --> 00:09:00,340 that's what we see being fulfilled here and what's interesting is King Nebuchadnezzar 107 00:09:00,340 --> 00:09:06,020 who reigned for 43 years over the Babylonian Empire is looked at as one of 108 00:09:06,020 --> 00:09:12,460 the greatest kings of that empire of all time he he created the hanging gardens 109 00:09:12,460 --> 00:09:18,620 of Babylon one of the seven wonders of the world he he was the one who led and 110 00:09:18,620 --> 00:09:24,300 defeated Egypt he was he was the man like if you were to look at a world 111 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:28,940 leader he'd be the guy you'd be looking to emulate now he did a lot of awful 112 00:09:28,940 --> 00:09:33,420 things too because that's what Kings did but from a leadership standpoint he was 113 00:09:33,420 --> 00:09:38,780 the man even so much Andy shared this with me last week that and it was 114 00:09:38,780 --> 00:09:44,620 interesting to look at Saddam Hussein he put King Nebuchadnezzar is like his 115 00:09:44,620 --> 00:09:49,300 idol like he was the guy that I want to be like if I could create an empire it 116 00:09:49,300 --> 00:09:54,660 would be after King Nebuchadnezzar so much so that he built a replica of Babylon 117 00:09:54,660 --> 00:09:59,660 back in the day of King Nebuchadnezzar and he also created a coin that had 118 00:09:59,660 --> 00:10:05,100 both the head of King Nebuchadnezzar and Saddam Hussein on it because he he 119 00:10:05,100 --> 00:10:09,620 idolized this king he was he wasn't a joke that he wasn't some little king he 120 00:10:09,620 --> 00:10:15,940 was ruler of the known world and so as we come into this passage we see this king 121 00:10:15,940 --> 00:10:20,380 who has done all these great things and we see a tale of two kings in which God 122 00:10:20,380 --> 00:10:24,660 is going to declare his sovereignty and his control over everything and then I 123 00:10:24,660 --> 00:10:28,360 want to share three things that I think we could take away personally as we look 124 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:33,340 at this so first let's look at these two kings so the first king is King Nebuchadnezzar 125 00:10:33,340 --> 00:10:37,260 if you haven't turned to Daniel four and five go ahead and do that bring it up on 126 00:10:37,260 --> 00:10:42,060 your phone I don't have all the passages up there today but you can kind of 127 00:10:42,060 --> 00:10:47,540 follow along so as I said he reigned for 43 years he's the one who brought 128 00:10:47,540 --> 00:10:53,700 Daniel into captivity originally he's the one who built the 90-foot statue of 129 00:10:53,700 --> 00:11:00,420 gold that the people worshiped and then he saw God's glory in it so I want you to 130 00:11:00,420 --> 00:11:05,740 not lose sight of the fact that as we consider the events of these two passages 131 00:11:05,740 --> 00:11:11,900 that this is over about I think probably about 30 years okay so when you look at 132 00:11:11,900 --> 00:11:15,540 when Daniel first goes into captivity till now it's about 30 years so this 133 00:11:15,540 --> 00:11:20,100 isn't like hey they prayed and they were faithful for a week and God delivered or 134 00:11:20,100 --> 00:11:23,780 God did great things it was like there was a lot of downtime in between that 135 00:11:23,780 --> 00:11:28,660 these guys were living and doing life that would have been the mundane it would 136 00:11:28,660 --> 00:11:31,700 have been what we live in and a lot of times between the moments that we see 137 00:11:31,700 --> 00:11:35,300 God do great things and so let's remember that there was quite a bit of 138 00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:40,580 length of time and so as we come into Daniel chapter four I'm gonna read the 139 00:11:40,580 --> 00:11:44,900 first couple verses here I think it's interesting that Daniel four I think is 140 00:11:44,900 --> 00:11:48,980 probably one of the longest I would guess probably one of the longest passages 141 00:11:48,980 --> 00:11:56,140 that is actually almost a transcription of King Nebuchadnezzar's words so as I 142 00:11:56,140 --> 00:11:59,460 read that I was like oh wow these are actually this is what King Nebuchadnezzar 143 00:11:59,460 --> 00:12:04,900 wrote is a decree for all the people it says in verse one King Nebuchadnezzar to 144 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:09,180 all peoples nations and languages that dwell in all the earth peace be 145 00:12:09,180 --> 00:12:13,940 multiplied to you it has seemed good to me to show you the signs and wonders 146 00:12:13,940 --> 00:12:20,340 that the most high God has done for me how great are his signs how mighty his 147 00:12:20,340 --> 00:12:25,820 wonders his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and his dominion endures from 148 00:12:25,820 --> 00:12:32,460 generation to generation so you have a pagan king who opens this by declaring 149 00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:38,380 how great God is who openly is saying that he is the one true God that he is 150 00:12:38,380 --> 00:12:44,220 sovereign and he is the one who has dominion so what is it that led to that 151 00:12:44,220 --> 00:12:49,300 well that's what we're gonna see here in King and Daniel chapter four so 152 00:12:49,300 --> 00:12:54,460 Nebuchadnezzar says he's at ease in his house he was prospering in my palace and 153 00:12:54,460 --> 00:13:00,100 all of a sudden he saw a dream that made him afraid and of course what does he do 154 00:13:00,100 --> 00:13:03,500 he reaches out to all of his wise people and all of his magicians and all the 155 00:13:03,500 --> 00:13:07,100 people who should be able to give him insight and say hey tell me what my dream 156 00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:10,540 means and of course we come back to the same story that we've heard a couple 157 00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:14,060 times now that they couldn't figure it out they were clueless as to what it 158 00:13:14,060 --> 00:13:20,180 meant and so in the midst of that Nebuchadnezzar is reminded of Daniel or 159 00:13:20,180 --> 00:13:26,980 Belchelszar and that he is one who serves holy gods and the spirit of the 160 00:13:26,980 --> 00:13:32,500 holy gods are in him and so he calls Belchelszar to him but this time he 161 00:13:32,500 --> 00:13:36,500 actually tells Daniel this dream he actually tells him the vision he doesn't 162 00:13:36,500 --> 00:13:40,460 actually expect Daniel to come up with it he just outright tells him and he 163 00:13:40,460 --> 00:13:44,020 tells him this story this vision of how there's this big tree and it's 164 00:13:44,020 --> 00:13:48,820 prospering and all these people are being fed fed by and cared for by this 165 00:13:48,820 --> 00:13:55,420 tree and all these amazing things are happening and then all the sudden this 166 00:13:55,420 --> 00:14:00,260 watcher this holy watcher comes into the story and says tear down the tree cut it 167 00:14:00,260 --> 00:14:08,340 down and everything kind of scatters and falls apart and so in verse 16 it says 168 00:14:08,340 --> 00:14:12,980 let his mind be changed from a man's and let a beast mind be given to him and 169 00:14:12,980 --> 00:14:17,820 let seven periods of time pass over him the sentences by the decree of the 170 00:14:17,820 --> 00:14:22,900 watchers the decision by the word of the holy ones to the end that the living 171 00:14:22,900 --> 00:14:28,620 may know that the most high rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he 172 00:14:28,620 --> 00:14:34,540 will and sets over it the lowliest of men and this was the purpose of the vision 173 00:14:34,540 --> 00:14:38,980 this was the purpose of the dream was so that everybody would come to know how 174 00:14:38,980 --> 00:14:43,860 great God is that God is in control and that God is the one who makes rulers and 175 00:14:43,860 --> 00:14:50,380 leaders be the ones who are leading in ruling and so he tells Daniel tell me 176 00:14:50,380 --> 00:14:55,380 the interpretation of this I found it really interesting in verse 19 it says 177 00:14:55,380 --> 00:15:02,860 then Daniel's whose name was belt to sir Czar was dismayed for a while and his 178 00:15:02,860 --> 00:15:08,340 thoughts alarmed him I was like why is that why would Daniel see this and be 179 00:15:08,340 --> 00:15:15,620 alarmed why would he not be glad that the king who brought them into captivity 180 00:15:15,620 --> 00:15:21,740 is about ready to get his own a taste of his own medicine you know what it is I 181 00:15:21,740 --> 00:15:27,860 think Daniel came to really appreciate Nebuchadnezzar he may have been evil he 182 00:15:27,860 --> 00:15:31,340 may have done a lot of mean things to people but there must have been something 183 00:15:31,340 --> 00:15:35,780 about him that was a good and wise leader there must have been something 184 00:15:35,780 --> 00:15:42,420 about him that over the time of 30 years he'd come to say man I I like this guy 185 00:15:42,420 --> 00:15:47,060 I don't I'm a little bit dismayed because what he goes on to tell is that 186 00:15:47,060 --> 00:15:51,140 this vision is basically a vision that what's gonna happen is that Neb king 187 00:15:51,140 --> 00:15:55,980 Nebuchadnezzar is going to be humbled that what is going on in this vision is 188 00:15:55,980 --> 00:15:59,340 actually a fact that the king Nebuchadnezzar is gonna be humbled and 189 00:15:59,340 --> 00:16:04,820 what's interesting is that king Nebuchadnezzar actually says Daniel it's 190 00:16:04,820 --> 00:16:09,660 okay tell me the vision of the tell me that interpretation it's okay don't be 191 00:16:09,660 --> 00:16:15,020 dismayed it's to me it's like this is different side of this king and I think 192 00:16:15,020 --> 00:16:19,700 it actually is the reason that things come out the way they do for king Nebuchadnezzar 193 00:16:19,700 --> 00:16:26,580 in verse 22 as Daniel is telling it he says it is you okay who have grown and 194 00:16:26,580 --> 00:16:30,780 become strong your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens and your 195 00:16:30,780 --> 00:16:34,700 dominion to the ends of the earth and so when it talks about this tree is 196 00:16:34,700 --> 00:16:39,020 growing up its leaves its branches are spreading and blessing people it's 197 00:16:39,020 --> 00:16:45,140 referring to him and then what it says is that he goes down to say that the 198 00:16:45,140 --> 00:16:50,420 interpretation is a decree of the Most High God that these watchers that came 199 00:16:50,420 --> 00:16:54,340 down that these people that came down and did action were it was a decree from 200 00:16:54,340 --> 00:17:00,220 the Most High and it's come upon the Lord the King that you shall be driven out 201 00:17:00,220 --> 00:17:04,220 among men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field you shall be 202 00:17:04,220 --> 00:17:08,220 made to eat grass like an ox and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven and 203 00:17:08,220 --> 00:17:14,540 seven periods of time shall pass over you till you know what that the Most High 204 00:17:14,540 --> 00:17:23,340 rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and so this is a vision and 205 00:17:23,340 --> 00:17:26,900 interpretation that's gonna happen to King Nebuchadnezzar because he does not 206 00:17:26,900 --> 00:17:31,340 understand that God is in control essentially and he thinks that he is the 207 00:17:31,340 --> 00:17:36,140 one who is in control so Daniel gets done and he says therefore oh king in verse 208 00:17:36,140 --> 00:17:41,420 27 let my counsel be acceptable to you and what does he do it's almost like 209 00:17:41,420 --> 00:17:46,140 he's pleading with the king break off your sins by practicing righteousness in 210 00:17:46,140 --> 00:17:51,420 your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed and there may be perhaps a 211 00:17:51,420 --> 00:17:56,700 lengthening of your prosperity Daniel's giving him counsel there he's saying 212 00:17:56,700 --> 00:18:00,820 King Nebuchadnezzar humble yourself stop thinking that you're the man stop 213 00:18:00,820 --> 00:18:05,140 thinking you're the one in control and it sounds like he maybe does for the next 214 00:18:05,140 --> 00:18:10,940 12 months because in verse 28 all this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar at the 215 00:18:10,940 --> 00:18:15,380 end of 12 months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon 216 00:18:15,380 --> 00:18:20,940 she was up there he's looking over his thing which I gotta tell you if I was 217 00:18:20,940 --> 00:18:25,540 King Nebuchadnezzar I'd have a hard time not being really prideful I just I mean 218 00:18:25,540 --> 00:18:29,060 come on like you're the ruler of the known world you've been ruling this for 219 00:18:29,060 --> 00:18:33,260 30 years like we have presidents get prideful after the first day in office 220 00:18:33,260 --> 00:18:37,940 like he'd been doing this for 30 years ruling nobody could take him down 221 00:18:37,940 --> 00:18:42,940 nobody could defeat him and he was building beautiful things if he had 222 00:18:42,940 --> 00:18:48,740 reason to be prideful I I think he did from a human perspective right maybe 223 00:18:48,740 --> 00:18:52,580 not like looking from God's perspective but from his perspective and so what 224 00:18:52,580 --> 00:18:56,100 does he do he gets up on the rooftop and he looks out all bad things seem to 225 00:18:56,100 --> 00:19:00,060 happen on rooftops just stay off I'm telling you like David and Bathsheba 226 00:19:00,060 --> 00:19:03,740 like if he just stayed off the rooftop we'd be okay if Nebuchadnezzar'd stayed 227 00:19:03,740 --> 00:19:08,500 off the rooftop he would have been okay but he didn't and it says and the king 228 00:19:08,500 --> 00:19:13,780 answered and said is not this great Babylon which I have built by my mighty 229 00:19:13,780 --> 00:19:22,460 power as a royal residence and for the glory of what my majesty my majesty and 230 00:19:22,460 --> 00:19:27,980 while the words were still on the king's mouth a voice came down and said oh 231 00:19:27,980 --> 00:19:34,220 King Nebuchadnezzar to you it is spoken the kingdom has departed from you and 232 00:19:34,220 --> 00:19:39,140 what happens he drops to his knees hands and knees I think I have a photo of 233 00:19:39,140 --> 00:19:44,940 some artwork of that and he begins to be like a beast of the fields from 234 00:19:44,940 --> 00:19:49,980 anywhere from four to seven years is the amount of time that it went on he 235 00:19:49,980 --> 00:19:56,500 drops down he loses all sanity he thinks he literally thinks he's a cow who's 236 00:19:56,500 --> 00:20:01,340 grazing in the field he's wandering out in the fields the pasture and what's 237 00:20:01,340 --> 00:20:08,020 interesting is when you look in history between the period of 582 BC and 575 BC 238 00:20:08,020 --> 00:20:13,500 the political records of what Nebuchadnezzar did are extremely silent 239 00:20:13,500 --> 00:20:18,220 there's not much of anything that he did during that period of time of course 240 00:20:18,220 --> 00:20:21,700 they didn't write well he was out on hiatus being crazy that probably wouldn't 241 00:20:21,700 --> 00:20:26,860 look good in the records right but he he's the one who then writes about this 242 00:20:26,860 --> 00:20:31,700 and we see that he falls into this place and so he is in he is being 243 00:20:31,700 --> 00:20:37,580 humiliated he is being torn down he is seeing that he is no longer in control 244 00:20:37,580 --> 00:20:42,660 and it says at the end of the days I never can as her lifted my eyes to heaven 245 00:20:42,660 --> 00:20:48,100 and my reason returned and I bless the most high and praise and honored him who 246 00:20:48,100 --> 00:20:53,660 lives forever think about how prideful he must have been like all he had to do is 247 00:20:53,660 --> 00:21:00,500 finally lift his eyes to heaven and recognize that God was God it took him 248 00:21:00,500 --> 00:21:04,820 four to seven years to do that like man he was wandering in a field not knowing 249 00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:08,700 who he was and what was going on until finally something clicked and maybe it 250 00:21:08,700 --> 00:21:11,740 was just God knew that it was gonna take that long for him to finally learn the 251 00:21:11,740 --> 00:21:17,500 lesson but I give you this encouragement if you think you struggle with pride 252 00:21:17,500 --> 00:21:24,980 which you do it's gonna be a battle like it's not gonna just disappear after a 253 00:21:24,980 --> 00:21:28,540 prayer and a simple like okay Lord I'm getting rid of my pride like it's gonna 254 00:21:28,540 --> 00:21:32,540 be a battle it's gonna be a warfare it's gonna be a struggle and we see that in 255 00:21:32,540 --> 00:21:36,460 Nebuchadnezzar here so he lifts his eye to heaven he lifts his eyes up to heaven 256 00:21:36,460 --> 00:21:41,460 God restores him and he says I bless the Lord most high and praise and honored 257 00:21:41,460 --> 00:21:46,860 him lives forever at the same time that all this happened my reason returned to 258 00:21:46,860 --> 00:21:52,460 me and for the glory of my kingdom my majesty and splendor returned to me my 259 00:21:52,460 --> 00:21:57,540 counselors and my Lord sought me and I was established in my kingdom and still 260 00:21:57,540 --> 00:22:02,220 more greatness was added to me like God didn't just restore him God did bless him 261 00:22:02,220 --> 00:22:08,580 like God gave him even more he empowered him even more now I Nebuchadnezzar 262 00:22:08,580 --> 00:22:14,540 praise and extol and honor the King of heaven for all his works in right and 263 00:22:14,540 --> 00:22:25,340 his ways are just and those who walk in pride he is able to humble see he comes 264 00:22:25,340 --> 00:22:30,540 to recognize that God is the God most high I know sometimes in my life it is 265 00:22:30,540 --> 00:22:36,180 easy to get caught in the day-to-day it's easy to get caught in my little eye 266 00:22:36,180 --> 00:22:39,500 world and think that everything is falling apart which it may feel like 267 00:22:39,500 --> 00:22:44,620 it is it may really feel like it is honestly but sometimes I have to stop 268 00:22:44,620 --> 00:22:49,260 and I need the Lord to lift my eyes up to heaven and remember that he is in 269 00:22:49,260 --> 00:22:55,620 control that he is God that he is reigning that he is in control of all 270 00:22:55,620 --> 00:23:02,020 the things that are going on but we see that God lifts the humble and what's 271 00:23:02,020 --> 00:23:06,820 really cool is King Nebuchadnezzar took and wrote this whole degree for the 272 00:23:06,820 --> 00:23:11,500 people of Babylon to know it wasn't like he just learned this lesson personally 273 00:23:11,500 --> 00:23:15,380 and like went on and like hey I got my kingdom back we're all good no he went 274 00:23:15,380 --> 00:23:19,380 back and he wrote this long thing saying this is what happened to me this is 275 00:23:19,380 --> 00:23:26,740 what God did he declared the power and the majesty of God so we see God stepping 276 00:23:26,740 --> 00:23:31,460 in and showing that he is King and that he is sovereign well then we have King 277 00:23:31,460 --> 00:23:38,100 number two and he's in Daniel chapter 5 he didn't turn out so well his name is 278 00:23:38,100 --> 00:23:44,660 King Belchazar and he reigned for about 13 years what's interesting is his 279 00:23:44,660 --> 00:23:47,780 character really seems a whole lot different than King Nebuchadnezzar in 280 00:23:47,780 --> 00:23:53,260 the fact that he actually helped play part in a coup that took over the Empire 281 00:23:53,260 --> 00:23:57,420 and so that's a little bit about who he was but he reigned for about 13 years 282 00:23:57,420 --> 00:24:04,020 and he essentially at the beginning of chapter 5 he's throwing a party he liked 283 00:24:04,020 --> 00:24:09,220 to have parties clearly he was a frat boy he made a great feast for a thousand of 284 00:24:09,220 --> 00:24:15,420 his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand Belchazar when he tasted the 285 00:24:15,420 --> 00:24:19,620 wine command commanded that the king that the vessels of God gold and silver 286 00:24:19,620 --> 00:24:24,180 that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be 287 00:24:24,180 --> 00:24:28,620 brought that the king and the Lord his lords his wives and his concubines might 288 00:24:28,620 --> 00:24:33,580 drink from them then they brought in the gold vessels that they had been taken 289 00:24:33,580 --> 00:24:38,180 out of the temple the house of God in Jerusalem and the king and his lords his 290 00:24:38,180 --> 00:24:42,540 wives and his concubines drank from them they drank wine and praised the gods of 291 00:24:42,540 --> 00:24:48,580 gold and silver bronze iron wood and stone so essentially he is desecrating 292 00:24:48,580 --> 00:24:54,860 the things of God he is making a mockery of God and he's saying look at us we 293 00:24:54,860 --> 00:24:58,940 took you over and I'm gonna take your holy things that are be treated with 294 00:24:58,940 --> 00:25:03,300 care and reverence and I'm gonna just desecrate them by me and my partying 295 00:25:03,300 --> 00:25:08,500 wives and lords and concubines drinking out of them what's interesting is if you 296 00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:15,820 look at King Nebuchadnezzar this would have been 43 or more years after King 297 00:25:15,820 --> 00:25:21,100 Nebuchadnezzar took over Jerusalem we also know that King Nebuchadnezzar built 298 00:25:21,100 --> 00:25:26,380 a gold statue right a 90 foot tall one that took a lot of gold but is what is 299 00:25:26,380 --> 00:25:33,380 one thing that he clearly didn't touch he didn't touch God's utensils like there 300 00:25:33,380 --> 00:25:37,380 was some reverence and awe there that was in King Nebuchadnezzar that just 301 00:25:37,380 --> 00:25:41,500 said I don't know if I really believe in this God but I'm not gonna touch his 302 00:25:41,500 --> 00:25:45,380 stuff like I'm gonna leave it alone we're gonna we're gonna put it away we're not 303 00:25:45,380 --> 00:25:51,420 gonna touch it but Palshazar had the gall the audacity the lack of respect and 304 00:25:51,420 --> 00:25:59,220 reverence and awe and he just desecrated them so what happens immediately the 305 00:25:59,220 --> 00:26:02,980 fingers of a human hand wouldn't have been cool if I had a finger all of a 306 00:26:02,980 --> 00:26:06,980 sudden show up on there that would have been awesome I don't immediately the 307 00:26:06,980 --> 00:26:10,540 fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the 308 00:26:10,540 --> 00:26:15,340 King's Palace opposite the lampstand and the King's King saw the hand as it wrote 309 00:26:15,340 --> 00:26:21,060 then the King's color changed and his thoughts alarmed him his limbs gave way 310 00:26:21,060 --> 00:26:27,100 and his knees knocked together I think I'd be pretty freaked out too if all 311 00:26:27,100 --> 00:26:29,700 of a sudden a hand started writing on the wall and the handwriting was left 312 00:26:29,700 --> 00:26:35,860 behind and I don't I mean I would have I understand why he's scared I understand 313 00:26:35,860 --> 00:26:41,460 why he gets upset well what's he do he does what it seems like all these 314 00:26:41,460 --> 00:26:45,140 Kings do he just says okay let me throw out a big reward for anyone that can 315 00:26:45,140 --> 00:26:48,860 come and interpret this and so all the the magicians and the wise men come and 316 00:26:48,860 --> 00:26:54,780 of course they can't again interpret it they're not able to and so the Queen all 317 00:26:54,780 --> 00:26:59,620 the sudden remembers Daniel and says hey there was this guy who's got the holy 318 00:26:59,620 --> 00:27:03,700 gods in him and he should be able to interpret this for you so what does 319 00:27:03,700 --> 00:27:09,100 Belchazar do he calls Daniel and brings him before him what's really interesting 320 00:27:09,100 --> 00:27:15,300 to me about Daniel in this moment is that he like oh let me find I lost my 321 00:27:15,300 --> 00:27:19,340 place he calls a man then Daniel was brought in before the King the King 322 00:27:19,340 --> 00:27:25,620 answered and said to Daniel you are that Daniel one of the exiles of Judah whom 323 00:27:25,620 --> 00:27:29,820 the King my father brought from Judah I have heard of you that the Spirit of the 324 00:27:29,820 --> 00:27:33,780 gods is in you and that light and understanding and excellence wisdom are 325 00:27:33,780 --> 00:27:37,780 found in you now the wise men and chanters have been brought in before to 326 00:27:37,780 --> 00:27:41,460 read this writing and make known to me the interpretation but they could not 327 00:27:41,460 --> 00:27:45,180 show the interpretation of the matter but I have heard that you can give the 328 00:27:45,180 --> 00:27:50,540 interpretation so then down in verse 17 then Daniel answered and said before the 329 00:27:50,540 --> 00:27:55,900 King let your gifts before yourself and give your rewards to another 330 00:27:55,900 --> 00:28:01,300 nevertheless I will read the writing to the King and make known to him the 331 00:28:01,300 --> 00:28:05,020 interpretation when I read that I was like I think Daniel is a little annoyed 332 00:28:05,020 --> 00:28:09,660 with this guy rightfully so right like he knows that he desecrated the things of 333 00:28:09,660 --> 00:28:13,580 his God I don't think he's very happy with him and so he takes and he reads 334 00:28:13,580 --> 00:28:17,820 down through this what's interesting is that Daniel actually takes time to teach 335 00:28:17,820 --> 00:28:24,060 Belchazar as he's interpreting it so verse 20 or no let me start with verse 19 336 00:28:24,060 --> 00:28:27,620 and because of the greatness that he gave him referring to King Nebuchadnezzar 337 00:28:27,620 --> 00:28:32,940 all people's nations and languages trembled and feared before him whom he 338 00:28:32,940 --> 00:28:37,820 would kill he killed and whom he would he kept alive whom he would he raised up 339 00:28:37,820 --> 00:28:42,740 and whom he would he humbled but when his heart was lifted up and his spirit 340 00:28:42,740 --> 00:28:47,740 was hardened so that he dealt proudly he was brought down from his kingly 341 00:28:47,740 --> 00:28:52,660 throne and his glory was taken from him and so he goes back with Belchazar and 342 00:28:52,660 --> 00:28:56,660 says hey remember Nebuchadnezzar remember him remember what happened he was 343 00:28:56,660 --> 00:29:00,420 driven from among the children of mankind and his mind was made like that of a 344 00:29:00,420 --> 00:29:05,380 beast and then he goes down he fed grass his body was wet with the dew of 345 00:29:05,380 --> 00:29:10,140 heavens until he knew that the most high God rules the kingdom of mankind and 346 00:29:10,140 --> 00:29:18,380 set over at whom he will and you his son Belchazar have not humbled your heart 347 00:29:18,380 --> 00:29:23,620 though you knew all of this but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of 348 00:29:23,620 --> 00:29:27,340 heaven and the vessels of this house would have been brought in before you 349 00:29:27,340 --> 00:29:33,740 and you've desecrated these you have to know that if these guys were in line to 350 00:29:33,740 --> 00:29:38,140 become king or to become rulers they were given the history of the land they 351 00:29:38,140 --> 00:29:42,020 were taught the things before that they needed to know it wasn't like they just 352 00:29:42,020 --> 00:29:45,420 were left out in the nursery and just hung out until they were old enough to 353 00:29:45,420 --> 00:29:49,940 become king no they were trained they were prepared they were equipped to be 354 00:29:49,940 --> 00:29:53,860 able to take on this kind of role and Belchazar would have been given all of 355 00:29:53,860 --> 00:30:00,020 this and yet he did not humble himself instead he went and he desecrated the 356 00:30:00,020 --> 00:30:04,300 things of God instead he went ahead and did the things and he was not willing to 357 00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:10,420 honor God so then from his presence in verse 24 the hand was sent and the 358 00:30:10,420 --> 00:30:14,700 writing was inscribed and this is the writing that was inscribed many many 359 00:30:14,700 --> 00:30:21,940 tickle tickle parson this is the interpretation of it God has numbered 360 00:30:21,940 --> 00:30:28,260 your days of your kingdom and brought it to an end tickle you have been weighed 361 00:30:28,260 --> 00:30:35,700 in the balance and found wanting Perez your kingdom is divided and given to the 362 00:30:35,700 --> 00:30:42,260 meats and the Persians what's interesting is then Belchazar's response you 363 00:30:42,260 --> 00:30:45,780 would think he'd continue to be quaking right you think his knees would continue 364 00:30:45,780 --> 00:30:50,060 to be knocking right you get that kind of message delivered to you and it says 365 00:30:50,060 --> 00:30:54,340 no he just went on gave the command and Daniel was clothed in purple a chain of 366 00:30:54,340 --> 00:30:57,900 gold and put around his neck and the proclamation was made about him that he 367 00:30:57,900 --> 00:31:00,940 should be the third ruler in the kingdom so he just goes and he does this we don't 368 00:31:00,940 --> 00:31:05,740 see any other action from him and that well it didn't last long for Daniel I 369 00:31:05,740 --> 00:31:10,500 guess because that very night Belchazar was killed the caldians come in and they 370 00:31:10,500 --> 00:31:14,860 take his life and they take over and this is when Darius come takes over and 371 00:31:14,860 --> 00:31:20,860 so we look at his life and we see him in contrast to his now never can as or 372 00:31:20,860 --> 00:31:25,700 wasn't his father it's like the term father there is more like my predecessor 373 00:31:25,700 --> 00:31:30,740 okay so there's this idea that he is just the predecessor before him so never 374 00:31:30,740 --> 00:31:34,580 can as or lived this life where he humbled himself like never can as or had 375 00:31:34,580 --> 00:31:37,820 multiple opportunities where he was humbled right like we see those 376 00:31:37,820 --> 00:31:42,020 opportunities when Daniel interprets the dream all the sudden in King Nebuchadnezzar 377 00:31:42,020 --> 00:31:47,700 says God most high right all of a sudden the the fiery furnace happens and 378 00:31:47,700 --> 00:31:51,220 what's he say those three guys are worshiping the right God right like 379 00:31:51,220 --> 00:31:57,020 every time this happens he humbles himself and then Belchazar is given all 380 00:31:57,020 --> 00:32:03,420 the knowledge and he doesn't interpret him he doesn't humble himself instead he 381 00:32:03,420 --> 00:32:08,980 continues to walk in his pride and his arrogance and what happens God tears down 382 00:32:08,980 --> 00:32:14,060 the kingdom and he gives it to another the Meads and the Persians so we have 383 00:32:14,060 --> 00:32:17,460 this epic battle where all of a sudden the Israelites are defeated they're 384 00:32:17,460 --> 00:32:22,220 carried off into captivity and people are thinking wow Nebuchadnezzar and his 385 00:32:22,220 --> 00:32:27,100 gods they're the most powerful they're the strong ones and what happens God 386 00:32:27,100 --> 00:32:35,060 Jehovah Yahweh just slips in and makes the king of Babylon first into a beast 387 00:32:35,060 --> 00:32:40,580 of the wild fields for four to seven years and then what does he do the next 388 00:32:40,580 --> 00:32:47,100 king comes along who is arrogant and is prideful and God just slips in writes on 389 00:32:47,100 --> 00:32:53,940 the wall and disappears talk about a magic act talk about power talk about the 390 00:32:53,940 --> 00:33:00,740 fact that God could not be stopped by the most pop most powerful probably army 391 00:33:00,740 --> 00:33:06,100 in the world that he just slipped in and did what he needed to do he declared 392 00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:11,660 himself ruler he just cleared himself sovereign he declared that he is the God 393 00:33:11,660 --> 00:33:18,420 above every God that he is the king and I think King Nebuchadnezzar said it 394 00:33:18,420 --> 00:33:24,020 best how great are his signs how mighty his wonders his kingdom is a 395 00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:29,100 everlasting kingdom and his dominion endures from generation to generation 396 00:33:29,100 --> 00:33:34,260 God is always in control no matter what is going on in your circumstances and 397 00:33:34,260 --> 00:33:40,500 no matter what is going on in the world God has not lost control his glory will 398 00:33:40,500 --> 00:33:47,100 be preserved and he will show himself powerful and he did it publicly think 399 00:33:47,100 --> 00:33:51,300 about it with King Belgezar there was a thousand lords there like he made a very 400 00:33:51,300 --> 00:33:56,060 loud statement that would have gotten out to everybody with King Nebuchadnezzar 401 00:33:56,060 --> 00:33:59,260 it was just as loud he would have disappeared for a while and then he came 402 00:33:59,260 --> 00:34:03,540 and made this public pronouncement and so it was done in a way that everyone 403 00:34:03,540 --> 00:34:09,540 made it known see this is these are some verses about the God we serve Jeremiah 404 00:34:09,540 --> 00:34:15,780 32 17 ah sovereign Lord you have made the heavens and the earth by your great 405 00:34:15,780 --> 00:34:23,940 power in our stretched arm nothing is too hard for you Jeremiah 32 17 Colossians 406 00:34:23,940 --> 00:34:29,380 116 for in him all things were created things in heaven and on earth visible and 407 00:34:29,380 --> 00:34:34,020 invisible whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities all things have 408 00:34:34,020 --> 00:34:40,500 been created through him and for him and then this is one of my favorite smack 409 00:34:40,500 --> 00:34:50,500 talk verses Psalm 115 3 our God is in heaven and he does whatever he pleases 410 00:34:50,500 --> 00:34:56,900 no one slows him down no one stops him no one gets in his way unless he allows 411 00:34:56,900 --> 00:35:03,060 him and so through this we see this epic battle happens where God declares his 412 00:35:03,060 --> 00:35:06,940 glory but there's also some personal heart level things I think that we can 413 00:35:06,940 --> 00:35:10,940 learn here King Nebuchadnezzar got it he humbled himself he declared glory to 414 00:35:10,940 --> 00:35:16,420 God King Belchers are did not and he died his pride destroyed him and so what 415 00:35:16,420 --> 00:35:20,300 are some of the lessons we can learn about God and us through this well the 416 00:35:20,300 --> 00:35:25,580 first one I think that's really practical is that God opposes the prideful 417 00:35:25,580 --> 00:35:30,660 I it's interesting Tim Keller shares this in a message about pride he says you 418 00:35:30,660 --> 00:35:34,140 know one thing that no one's ever come and done is come and sat in my office and 419 00:35:34,140 --> 00:35:38,780 said man I'm really struggling with pride today so in all of yours is 420 00:35:38,780 --> 00:35:42,580 ministry that's not the thing anyone ever comes and says is their problem it's 421 00:35:42,580 --> 00:35:47,140 always something different see pride is insidious pride gets in there when we 422 00:35:47,140 --> 00:35:52,420 don't even realize that pride is behind what we're doing it takes great insight 423 00:35:52,420 --> 00:35:56,740 and the spirit revealing it to us or friends and family members who are good 424 00:35:56,740 --> 00:36:00,620 at saying man you're being really prideful right now to help us get 425 00:36:00,620 --> 00:36:05,260 through those things I can even remember times when I thought I was humble 426 00:36:05,260 --> 00:36:12,540 lol I wrote that I don't know why I said it doesn't translate but then I did this 427 00:36:12,540 --> 00:36:16,340 questionnaire and I sat down I was like oh man like even the areas I think I'm 428 00:36:16,340 --> 00:36:20,260 being humble that's actually a prideful move like I'm trying to get people to 429 00:36:20,260 --> 00:36:24,620 think I'm humble I know that's confusing but sometimes we do that like 430 00:36:24,620 --> 00:36:29,580 sometimes we put on this humble face oh whoa is me I'm so awful I'm so bad but 431 00:36:29,580 --> 00:36:34,860 really it's our pride trying to get in there and keep us going trying to 432 00:36:34,860 --> 00:36:40,100 manipulate the other per people the people across from us see God opposes 433 00:36:40,100 --> 00:36:45,900 the prideful in verse 20 chapter 5 verse 20 it says but when his heart was 434 00:36:45,900 --> 00:36:50,420 lifted and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly he was brought 435 00:36:50,420 --> 00:36:56,580 down from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him I learned this 436 00:36:56,580 --> 00:37:00,460 week that really a good question to determine how prideful we are is are 437 00:37:00,460 --> 00:37:05,820 you stiff necked you're like okay that's not really a great question no really it 438 00:37:05,820 --> 00:37:12,460 is um think about it to bow means we lower our neck when you get in 439 00:37:12,460 --> 00:37:17,580 confrontational situations or you get in difficult situations how easily do you 440 00:37:17,580 --> 00:37:24,220 bow your head how easily does your head go down in surrender how easily are you 441 00:37:24,220 --> 00:37:30,100 willing just to put your head down and not try to justify yourself I'm really 442 00:37:30,100 --> 00:37:35,220 good at justifying myself I'm really good at justifying my actions and making it 443 00:37:35,220 --> 00:37:42,580 sound like oh I was in the right there well humility and a not stiff neck a 444 00:37:42,580 --> 00:37:47,540 soft neck is easy to easily quick down and say you know what I don't have to 445 00:37:47,540 --> 00:37:52,140 defend myself I don't have to be the one to put my name forward I don't have to be 446 00:37:52,140 --> 00:37:57,860 the one to do this I'm willing just to receive we learned that best from Jesus 447 00:37:57,860 --> 00:38:03,180 when he was reviled when he was slapped when he was kicked what did he do he's 448 00:38:03,180 --> 00:38:08,780 kept his head down and he knew that God was in control he knew that God was at 449 00:38:08,780 --> 00:38:15,340 work CS Lewis or what do we do I guess what do we do when we find that we're 450 00:38:15,340 --> 00:38:18,180 prideful what's the best way to do what's the best thing to do so we don't 451 00:38:18,180 --> 00:38:22,060 get destroyed I wish that I had like four or five steps to give you that would 452 00:38:22,060 --> 00:38:26,980 just fix it all I don't but CS Lewis I think says it best when he says the 453 00:38:26,980 --> 00:38:31,900 first step to overcoming pride is just to admit that you're a prideful person 454 00:38:31,900 --> 00:38:38,220 it's to bow the knee and say okay God I am prideful do the work that you need to 455 00:38:38,220 --> 00:38:43,540 do in me to bring humility into my life and help me see it and let me tell you 456 00:38:43,540 --> 00:38:50,620 he'll answer that prayer he will answer that prayer and it's not fun it's not 457 00:38:50,620 --> 00:38:55,540 fun at all because it's painful when we get humbled it's painful when our pride 458 00:38:55,540 --> 00:38:59,660 wants to rise up and defend ourselves and we know that in humility what I 459 00:38:59,660 --> 00:39:05,540 need to do in this moment is just sit and listen and receive so just admit it 460 00:39:05,540 --> 00:39:09,020 and pray and spend some time with the Lord the second thing I think we learned 461 00:39:09,020 --> 00:39:14,300 from this is that God is a rewarder of the humble we saw at the end of four 462 00:39:14,300 --> 00:39:18,180 that Nebuchadnezzar humbles himself right and he he looks up to heaven and 463 00:39:18,180 --> 00:39:21,540 he clad declares the glory of God and he says no it's not me who's made this 464 00:39:21,540 --> 00:39:25,780 kingdom it's God who's made this kingdom and what happens God restores 465 00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:34,180 everything to him and more God blesses Nebuchadnezzar God lifts him up and I 466 00:39:34,180 --> 00:39:37,700 think it's interesting I want to this this is a thought that's been I've heard 467 00:39:37,700 --> 00:39:40,460 recently and it's really starting to kind of wrestle in my mind and think 468 00:39:40,460 --> 00:39:48,780 through it God really doesn't mind people being honored he's not so like 469 00:39:48,780 --> 00:39:52,780 nobody should ever get any glory no one should ever get recognized for the 470 00:39:52,780 --> 00:40:00,060 things they've done no God is okay with you receiving you did a great job he's 471 00:40:00,060 --> 00:40:05,180 okay with you hearing man you've done an amazing job being a part of building 472 00:40:05,180 --> 00:40:09,820 this ministry building this business building this thing but what's 473 00:40:09,820 --> 00:40:15,460 interesting is that we need to be quick to be the ones to recognize well I had a 474 00:40:15,460 --> 00:40:21,980 really big helping hand God God blessed God moved God worked but he lets 475 00:40:21,980 --> 00:40:26,900 Nebuchadnezzar receive get his glory back he doesn't stop him from getting it so I 476 00:40:26,900 --> 00:40:30,700 think sometimes we confuse the two we think well I can't receive any glory 477 00:40:30,700 --> 00:40:37,220 from humans I can't hear anything about doing good no God is okay with that but 478 00:40:37,220 --> 00:40:42,420 we can't forget whose hand it was that put us there in the first place we can't 479 00:40:42,420 --> 00:40:47,500 forget whose hand it was that helped us all along the way and who gifted us and 480 00:40:47,500 --> 00:40:53,620 who made us and gave us the ability to do it so God is a rewarder of the humble 481 00:40:53,620 --> 00:41:00,020 I think the thing sometimes I have to remember about that is that do I really 482 00:41:00,020 --> 00:41:08,140 believe that God's gonna care for me if I walk humbly do I believe that God still 483 00:41:08,140 --> 00:41:14,140 sees me do I believe that he's gonna take care of me and he's gonna take care 484 00:41:14,140 --> 00:41:19,220 of whatever the situation is because I'll tell you what there's an awful lot of 485 00:41:19,220 --> 00:41:22,860 situations that I step into that I don't think you're going a certain way and I 486 00:41:22,860 --> 00:41:26,900 think I got to be the one to fix it if I don't step up and I don't speak up and 487 00:41:26,900 --> 00:41:32,020 I don't do something about it it's not gonna get fixed now do I believe that 488 00:41:32,020 --> 00:41:38,540 God is good and God is sovereign and God is powerful and that God will fix things 489 00:41:38,540 --> 00:41:47,740 and take care of things the final thing that I wanted us that I think comes out 490 00:41:47,740 --> 00:41:53,100 of this is that God is never out of your life that God is never out of control and 491 00:41:53,100 --> 00:41:59,180 that God is never out of your life take your fears your anxieties your struggles 492 00:41:59,180 --> 00:42:11,340 and take them to him now let me tell you this I have for a number of weeks now in 493 00:42:11,340 --> 00:42:20,060 just certain situations been battling a lot of anxiety and fear a lot so I know 494 00:42:20,060 --> 00:42:24,860 enough to say that just hearing this message hearing that God is sovereign 495 00:42:24,860 --> 00:42:32,140 isn't enough to just take that away it does it's not a magic pill it's not a 496 00:42:32,140 --> 00:42:38,500 hey everything's fine and happy today but it's a continually way of stepping 497 00:42:38,500 --> 00:42:44,260 back into the Lord see I mentioned in when Zechariah and Luke says that Jesus 498 00:42:44,260 --> 00:42:49,780 will come and show us the way of peace what I notice about that is it's a way 499 00:42:49,780 --> 00:42:54,540 of peace it's not he's just gonna give us peace he's gonna show us the way to 500 00:42:54,540 --> 00:43:01,140 peace well the way to peace depending on how prideful we are it's a really long 501 00:43:01,140 --> 00:43:08,580 road for nebuchadnezzar it was four to seven years of learning that God is in 502 00:43:08,580 --> 00:43:14,540 control and so when you hear this message this is not just a I don't want 503 00:43:14,540 --> 00:43:17,620 you to receive this is oh my goodness I just need to believe more that God is in 504 00:43:17,620 --> 00:43:23,020 control no it's a it's a process it's a way it's a stepping into it because here's 505 00:43:23,020 --> 00:43:27,460 the other guarantee we don't have that whatever the difficult situation you are 506 00:43:27,460 --> 00:43:31,740 in right now whatever it is you may be facing there's no guarantee that it's 507 00:43:31,740 --> 00:43:41,940 just gonna be fixed and it's gonna turn out okay and Andy did a really good job 508 00:43:41,940 --> 00:43:46,300 last week at talking about that Shadrach Meshach and Bendego could have been 509 00:43:46,300 --> 00:43:51,340 lit up in the fire like they could it was a really like it was a 50-50 shot like 510 00:43:51,340 --> 00:43:56,380 they didn't know if God was gonna show up but God did and we don't always know 511 00:43:56,380 --> 00:44:03,660 that in our situations but here's what we know God is good and God is in control 512 00:44:03,660 --> 00:44:09,060 and God is taking those circumstances and those difficulties and he is gonna 513 00:44:09,060 --> 00:44:12,500 work those for his glory and for your good and he's gonna figure those things 514 00:44:12,500 --> 00:44:16,940 out and he's got a handle on it so what does that mean in the midst of the 515 00:44:16,940 --> 00:44:20,180 difficulty what does that mean in the midst of the trial and the hard thing 516 00:44:20,180 --> 00:44:26,420 and the stuff that you're facing well one don't forget that he's in control keep 517 00:44:26,420 --> 00:44:30,020 being reminded of that have friends in your life that are reminding you of that 518 00:44:30,020 --> 00:44:35,660 two I'd encourage you to go back to verses like these that I shared in 519 00:44:35,660 --> 00:44:42,780 Colossians 1 6 Jeremiah 32 17 ah sovereign Lord you have made the heavens 520 00:44:42,780 --> 00:44:47,180 and the earth by your great power and our stretched arms nothing is too hard 521 00:44:47,180 --> 00:44:52,820 for you take and meditate on those verses let them wash over you sit in the 522 00:44:52,820 --> 00:44:58,100 presence of God and say God teach me God take away whatever the difficulty is 523 00:44:58,100 --> 00:45:02,940 what is the blocking of me receiving your peace receiving the stuff that you 524 00:45:02,940 --> 00:45:10,700 want to do in my life we need to remind ourselves often that God is good God is 525 00:45:10,700 --> 00:45:16,100 never out of control and we can trust his kingdom to come just as Yahweh was 526 00:45:16,100 --> 00:45:19,980 still in control when Babylon was took over in Israel he is still in control 527 00:45:19,980 --> 00:45:23,580 today he knows what's gonna happen with the election he knows what's gonna 528 00:45:23,580 --> 00:45:27,180 happen in Israel and Palestine he knows what's gonna happen in Russian Ukraine 529 00:45:27,180 --> 00:45:30,860 he is intimately probably involved in some of the things that are going on 530 00:45:30,860 --> 00:45:35,480 there and moving and working so that his kingdom can be established and his will 531 00:45:35,480 --> 00:45:42,620 will come but here's what I love about the book of Daniel in Daniel 4 and 5 we 532 00:45:42,620 --> 00:45:47,820 see God operating on the epic ruler of the world level right like we see him 533 00:45:47,820 --> 00:45:55,300 up to here but in Daniel 1 and Daniel 3 we see God working in the here in the 534 00:45:55,300 --> 00:46:03,140 heart with the person with the individual we serve a God who is big 535 00:46:03,140 --> 00:46:11,260 enough to control the entire world and yet small enough to hold you in his arms 536 00:46:11,260 --> 00:46:16,780 and to know you by name and to walk with you through the hardship and the 537 00:46:16,780 --> 00:46:26,100 difficulty that you're facing constantly seek to surrender to him and to walk 538 00:46:26,100 --> 00:46:32,500 humbly before him Matthew 23 6 says whoever exalts him will be humbled 539 00:46:32,500 --> 00:46:38,420 whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be 540 00:46:38,420 --> 00:46:44,740 exalted God is trustworthy take comfort in knowing you walk with the one who 541 00:46:44,740 --> 00:46:49,820 knows you by name I'm gonna pray Joe is gonna come and lead us in a couple songs 542 00:46:49,820 --> 00:46:55,260 again as we close if you need prayer I'll be in the back Jared'll be in the 543 00:46:55,260 --> 00:47:00,580 back and Holly but come have prayer because you know what it's not about 544 00:47:00,580 --> 00:47:05,860 just getting it fixed it's about taking comfort and taking another step forward 545 00:47:05,860 --> 00:47:11,420 in the power in the name of Christ let me pray Lord I thank you for this amazing 546 00:47:11,420 --> 00:47:16,900 passage of scripture father I pray that we would know that you are God that you 547 00:47:16,900 --> 00:47:21,020 are sovereign Lord and we would take comfort in that I pray that we would 548 00:47:21,020 --> 00:47:26,620 seek to walk walk humbly and the situations were in that we would be able 549 00:47:26,620 --> 00:47:31,860 to rest in your arms Lord and allow you to be God and allow you to work and we 550 00:47:31,860 --> 00:47:36,300 take time to listen listen for when you say to step forward and when you say to 551 00:47:36,300 --> 00:47:41,020 hold and we know that you want to walk intimately with you Lord and may we 552 00:47:41,020 --> 00:47:46,260 believe it in our heart of hearts in your name I pray