Rise and fall

Well good morning church it's good seeing you here at first baptist church my name's cody I'm the pastor here if you are new welcome to our church it's good to see you we are all about loving God loving each other and loving our community and world amen and I want to share with you guys a couple of things we got our salt and light sunday that's coming up in a couple of weeks if you want to get one of those t-shirts it's salt and light and different things like that we are bulk ordering them to keep the prices low it's ten dollars per shirt you can order those you need to talk to deborah you know by like tomorrow morning at 9 00 a.m okay because we're gonna really just try to get that all done that sunday that's august 14th remember that we will be having an early service that day at 7 30 in the morning we're going to have breakfast out here in the old fellowship hall and then we're going to be having our service in here at 8 a.m and then at 9 00 we're going to be breaking out to go to different work sites where we are actually being the hands and feet of Christ the salt of the world the light of to the earth taking care of different things whether it's work projects street cleanups writing letters to congressmen writing letters and prayer support to missionaries and church planters there's really something for everyone if you're not able-bodied there's something for you if you've got small children there's something for them to do and really we want this to be a wonderful experience of being salt and light so that we as a church family would rediscover the joy of serving our Lord and Savior amen now this upcoming saturday we've got our men's prayer breakfast and work projects to carry on breakfast so we'd love

For you to bring something to share and then we've got different things that need to be tackled in order to get our church ready for national night out national night out we are going to be providing school supplies for 312 children yeah that's a huge praise amen we're going to be giving out the shoes for we care and we're going to be pre-packing those backpacks for the for the we care children as well as we're going to be partnering with lots of local non-profits and first responders who are going to be out here on the north side of our parking lot we've got a lot of different volunteer roles that need to be filled so if you're okay kind of standing there and watching kids play joust on the you know the big inflatable joust where they knock each other out you know we need people that are willing just kind of stand there and make sure someone doesn't get seriously hurt you know if you're you're willing to come and set up and help get the parking lot ready we could use your help and there's actually a table that's set out here that where you can get some more information about some of those different things now we do have our children's ministry vision meeting that's after church today it's a potluck carry-in so if you forgot it you know go grab something and bring it because we're gonna be meeting here and you'll have a little bit of time to go and do that and so hope that you'll be here we're excited to hear from nicholas about what the Lord is calling him to do especially regarding our wednesday night wednesday night ministry and so really excited about that if you care show up be there it's gonna be a great time now before we get started I wanna do something a little different because

I want to I want us to take a moment and one of the things that the Lord has been doing in my life is showing me his goodness whether it's you know just being able to enjoy time with my family whether it's you know eating a good meal I don't know why but he's just yeah I just find myself reciting that verse it says taste and see that the Lord is good and so I'm just reminding myself of God's goodness what I want to do is maybe challenge you before we enter into our worship time what is something an attribute of God that he has been showing to you recently just open it up to the service for you guys what is something that God is showing you an attribute of God that you're just thankful for his all presence that's a good one his faithfulness his goodness his peace his patience he's always with us anyone else his fatherhood he's a good father amen he's our helper he is our helper our ever-present help in our time of need and as we enter into this time of worship what I want you to do is I want you to bow your heads and close your eyes and I want you to remind yourself of those good characteristics of God just bow your heads and close your eyes and remind yourself of that maybe you're here today and you need to be reminded of a good characteristic of God it might be his sovereignty it might be the joy that he gives it might be the protection that he

Offers take a moment and tell the Lord God I need you to show this part of yourself to me for many of us we might feel a little stretched then or worn out maybe you didn't get the news that you wanted to this week ask the Lord to help you to find peace even in the midst of the season that he has you in and so Lord we ask that you remind us that you are with us God we ask that you would remind us that you are the bringer of peace that you are our good father Lord we pray that you would remind us of your presence here in this place even now as your people are gathered together Lord we know that it's glorifying to you and we ask that you would help us to worship we also know that it's only by your intervention by the grace that you offer through the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we can enter the throne room boldly to proclaim your praises God we pray that you would help us to proclaim your praises this morning together in Jesus name we pray amen please stand with me and join me as we sing [Music] blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful where streams of abundance flow bless it be your name bless it be your name when I'm found in the desert place though I walk through the wilderness blessed be your name [Music] every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise when the darkness closes in Lord still I will say blessed be the name of the Lord blessed

Be your name blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be your glorious name bless it be your name when the sun shining down on me when the world's all as it should be blessed [Music] blessed be your name on the road marked with suffering though there's pain in me of her name [Music] every blessing you pour out I'll turn back to praise when the darkness closes in Lord still I will say blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be your name blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be your glorious name you give and take away my heart will choose to say Lord blessed be your name oh you give and take away you give and take away and my heart will choose to save Lord blessed be your name blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be your name blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be your glorious name blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be your name blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be your glorious name let's continue to bless his name this morning as we sing of his great and mighty works [Music] come behold the wondrous mystery in the dawning of the king he the theme of heaven's praises robed in frail humanity in our longing in our darkness

Now the light of life has come look to Christ too condescended took on flesh to ransom us [Music] come behold the wondrous mystery he the perfect son of man in his living in his suffering never trace nor stain of sin see the true land better come to save the hellbound man Christ the great and the sure fulfillment of the law in him we stand [Music] come behold the Christ the Lord upon the street in the stead of ruined sinners hangs the lamb in victory see the price of our redemption father's plan unfold bringing many sons to glory grace unmeasured love untold [Music] [Applause] come behold the wondrous mystery slain by death the God of life but no grave good air restraint how unwavering our Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he comes what about taste of deliverance how unwavering our hope Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he comes what a poor taste of deliverance how

Unwavering our hope Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he comes [Music] [Applause] [Music] as we continue to worship this morning it doesn't bother me whether you choose to stand or sit or kneel and pray I just want us to continue to worship together I'd like to read to you out of this passage from first corinthians and it's the apostle Paul speaking to the corinthians about his calling and the way that God has used his life and I want you to pay attention to the humility of the words that he's given even as one who met Jesus face to face in a powerful moment these these humble words about who's really in charge and in control it says now I would remind you brothers of the Gospel I preached to you and which you received and in which you stand and by which you are being saved if you hold fast to the word I preached to you unless you believed in vain for I delivered to you as a first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures and that he appeared to cephas then to the twelve then he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time most of whom are still alive though some have fallen asleep then he appeared to James then to all the apostles and last of all as to one untimely born he appeared also to me for I and the least of the apostles unworthy to be called an apostle because I persecuted the church of God but by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace toward me was not in vain

On the contrary I worked harder than any of them though it was not I but the grace of God that is in me [Music] what gift of grace is Jesus my Redeemer there is no more for heaven now to give he is my joy my righteousness and freedom my steadfast love my deep and boundless peace to this high hold my hope is only Jesus for my life is holy bound to his oh how strange and divine I can sing all is mine yet not I but through Christ in me [Music] the night is dark but I am not forsaken for by my side the Savior he will stay I labor on in weakness and rejoicing or in my need his power is displayed to this high hold my shepherd will defend me through the deepest valley he will lead o the night has been one and I shall overcome yet not I but through Christ in me [Music] price it has been paid for Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon and he was raised to overthrow the grave to this high hold my sin has been defeated [Music] Jesus now and ever is my brief oh the chains are released I can sing I am free yet not I but through Christ in me with every breath I long to follow Jesus

For he has said that he will bring me home and day by day I know he will renew me until I stand with joy before the throne to this high hold my hope is only Jesus all the glory ever more to him when the race is complete still my lips shall repeat yet not I but through Christ in me to this I hold to this high hold hope is only Jesus all the glory evermore to him when the race is complete still my lips shall repeat yet not I but through Christ in me when the race is complete still mileage shall repeat yet not I but through Christ in me yet not I but through in me [Music] [Applause] as morning dawns and day awakes to you I bring my need o gracious God my source of strength in you I live and breathe each hour is yours thy wisdom plant each deed empowered by sovereign hands renew my spirit help me stand be glorified today [Music] as day unfolds I seek your will in all of life's demons and though the tempter tries me still I cling to your comments [Music] display the matchless worth of Christ make me a living sacrifice be glorified today

Has some his way to darkest night your spirit still is here and though my strength fades like a light new mercies will appear I rest in you abide with me until our trials and suffering gives ways to find all victory be glorified today I rest in you abide with me until our trials and suffering give away to find all victory be glorified today [Music] Lord we ask that you would help us to glorify you today even now as we are here to worship God we pray that you'd help us to continue in worship as we hear your word preached and God that we would go out from here bearing your light into this dark and dying world God let our every action be glorifying to you and speak to who you are because we are new creations if we abide in you it's in Jesus name we pray amen well if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me into Daniel chapter four we're in this short series called rise and fall there it is and today we're going to be talking at talking about four steps for evangelism steps for evangelism now when we think about evangelism evangelism is one of my favorite things to do what I found is that folks are pretty open to having spiritual conversations anyone ever been surprised at how receptive people are just to talk

About spiritual things you know like you're anxious for a while you build up the courage and then everything goes pretty smoothly you know I'm always shocked at how receptive friends and neighbors and people even knowing that I'm a pastor which people go with kind of their guards up when they find out that I'm a pastor hey cameron congratulations on your engagement by the way you're welcome but what I found is that one of the biggest hurdles in evangelism is the fact that a lot of believers what they would rather do is they would allow for their actions to speak the Gospel for them you know it's like I'm going to be a nice Christian and I'm going to do good things and I'm going to go to church and I'm going to do this and I'm going to do that and I hope that people just get a sense that there's something different about me but might I challenge that a little bit to say that God he has sovereignly decreed that the only way that anyone will ever be saved is through the preaching of the Gospel that's his means by which people will become Christians it's only when we take time to share with folks the truth of God's word that we will ever be able to see folks get saved it's a great place to say amen but your neighbor does need your good works I do want to say that the german reformer martin luther he said God doesn't need your good works but your neighbor does it's true today we're going to be looking at evangelism we're going to look at conversion we're going to talk about the rise and

The fall and the rise of nebuchadnezzar and we're going to be looking at it through the lens of Daniel chapter 4 verses 19 through the end of the chapter and if you would stand with me in honor of God's word as we read this passage Scripture says this then Daniel whose name was beltashazar was dismayed for a while and his thoughts alarmed him the king answered and said belta shazar let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you about to shazar that's Daniel answered and said my Lord may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies the tree you saw which grew and became strong so that its top reached to heaven and it was visible to the end of the whole earth whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant and in which was food for all under which beasts of the field found shade and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived it is you o king who have grown and become strong your greatness has grown and reaches to the to heaven and your dominion to the ends of the earth and because the king saw a watcher a holy one coming down from heaven and saying chop down the tree and destroy it but leave the stump of its roots in the earth bound with a band of iron and bronze and the tender grass of the field and let him be wet with dew with the dew of heaven let his portion be with the beast of the field till seven periods of time pass over him this is the interpretation o king it is a decree of the most high which has come upon my Lord the king that you shall be driven from among men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field you shall be made to eat grass like an ox you shall be wet with the dew of heaven and seven periods of time shall pass

Over you till you know that the most high rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and as it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that heaven rules therefore o king let my counsel be acceptable to you break off your sins by practicing righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed that there may be perhaps a lengthening of your prosperity and all this came upon nebuchadnezzar at the end of 12 of at the end of 12 months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of babylon and the king answered and said is not this great babylon which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence for the glory of my majesty and while the words were still in the king's mouth there fell a voice from heaven o king nebuchadnezzar to you it is spoken the kingdom has departed from you and you shall be driven from among men and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field and you shall be made to eat grass like an ox and seven periods of time shall pass over you until you note the most high rules and the kingdom of men gives and gives it to whom he will immediately the word was fulfilled against nebuchadnezzar he was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagle's feathers and his nails were like bird's claws at the end of the days I nebuchadnezzar lifted my eyes to heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever for his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation

All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say to him what have you done at the same time my reason returned to me and for the glory of my kingdom my majesty and splendor returned to me my counselors and my Lord sought me and I was established in my kingdom and still more greatness was added to me now I nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the king of heaven for all his works are right and his ways are just and those who walk in pride he is able to humble and so God we do thank you for that testimony and Lord you've given each and every single person that is in here that knows you a story of redemption and Lord as we learn about nebuchadnezzar's story of redemption may we also see your work in our lives let us never grow tired of declaring your goodness your kingship your authority God because you are God and you desire to have a relationship with men so help us Lord to go with your eyes to a world that desperately needs to hear the Gospel we love you Lord in Jesus name amen you know it can be seated well for years Daniel he has faithfully served the king of babylon for years he has built this testimony and he's probably had multiple opportunities over the years to share the truth of who God is the God of covenants the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the God who gave his law on mount sinai the God who will be establishing a new covenant as is told by Ezekiel and he's had plenty of opportunities this is an evangelistic opportunity that Daniel is given and as believers we

Get opportunities all the time to share the Gospel with folks that we come in contact with and many times we just don't realize it do we like we're going about our busy lives we've got responsibilities we got things that we got to do so we kind of got these these blinders on where we're just going through our lives before we know it another day has passed another day has passed another day's past and it's been months or dare say years or according to a lot of research 30 of Christians have never shared their faith with people here we're going to look at four actions to rightly share the Gospel the first action is concern you must be concerned with the state of your lost friends and neighbors well I want you if you have a copy of God's word or even that little book of Daniel that we gave out at the beginning of the series circle these words alarmed and dismayed this is the feeling that you might have when a loved one is sick or maybe a friend passes and they don't know Christ and you go to their funeral that is the feeling of being dismayed alarmed and in fact concern for the souls of those apart from the Gospel is a fuel for the motor of evangelism do you believe do you know that people that don't know Jesus will spend an eternity apart from God's love and joy and peace in a terrible place called hell like do we actually believe that God is holy and he is also full of wrath towards evil do we actually believe that charles spurgeon he said if sinners are to be damned at least let them leap to hell over our

Dead bodies and if they perish let them perish with our arms wrapped around their knees imploring them to stay if hell must be filled let it be filled with the teeth of our exertions and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for Daniel he is concerned for his lost friend he is concerned for his king and he doesn't Mark the lost person as an enemy but as someone created in the image of God who desperately need salvation the second action that I want you to notice here is love is interesting because excuse me it can be either a noun or a verb it's a noun if someone gives you the feeling of love like that's that's a noun if you have affection for someone that is a verb and so Daniel he responds to this dream my Lord may the dream be for those who hate you and it's interpretation for your enemies in other words nebuchadnezzar I don't want this to happen to you and why is that because of love none of us want loved ones loved friends to suffer and yet apart from Christ they will do you love that person enough to share the Gospel with them to get uncomfortable because it is the most loving thing that someone can do just like it was the most loving thing that someone did for you and it shouldn't take long to develop a love for lost people because on every page of Scripture we see the name of Christ and there was no one who loved sinners more in fact he died to redeem mankind

That whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and how can we if all of Scripture is pointing to Christ and that is what he did how can we read Scripture without a heart for the lost we're called to share the Gospel each and every single one of us just wonder if we'd take the time to listen to that call imagine for a moment if you would when I was in high school I got to go to rodan's garden you guys ever heard of rodan he's a sculptor he sculpted the thinker you guys y'all know that guy okay I got to see that on top it this the coolest I sh I should have thought about this just hit me the coolest sculpture in rodan's garden is called the gates of hell and on it there's 400 and some odd individual faces with three thinkers all perfectly symmetrical contemplating their their humanity their their destination and I wonder if for a moment we were to actually stand outside the gates of hell what might we hear what might be the agonized torment that we would hear I think that it would be a lot like what Jesus told us about in Luke chapter 16 verses 27 and 28 this is the rich man torment he says then I beg you father to send him to my father's house for I have five brothers so that he may warn them lest they also come into this place of torment this is the only time in Scripture where we get any idea of what people think

In hell aside from like agonized and torment we see a concern for the lost warn the living warn the living warn those tell people do what you can to warn them of the coming wrath and Daniel here he knows that this is bad for nebuchadnezzar the tree according to Daniel's interpretation it is you it's nebuchadnezzar and so Daniel continues to elaborate to elaborate on interpreting the dreaming in verses 24 and 25 he shares with nebuchadnezzar the truth this is the third action to rightly share the Gospel is to share the truth look at the bad things that Daniel had to share because of his great love and concern for nebuchadnezzar verses 24 and 25 it is a decree of the most high God which has come upon my Lord the king you shall be driven from among men and your dwelling shall be with the beast of the field just circle those you shall shalls you shall be made to eat grass like an ox you shall be wet with the dew of heaven and seven periods of time shall pass over you till you know that the most high rules the kingdoms amen and gives it to whom he will this is what is going to happen to nebuchadnezzar and Daniel he gracefully shares what will happen if nebuchadnezzar continues going down this path and it's interesting that this is a part of God's decreed will for nebuchadnezzar God's decreed will is what will take place part of God's decreed will is that he will return to this earth to rule and to win reign one day and we look forward to his authority amen this is different than his declared will theologians they call this distinction the secret will the revealed will of God they get this from Deuteronomy 29 which says that the secret things belong to the Lord our God but the things that

Are revealed belong to us and to our children forever that we may do the words of the law the decreed will of God is different from the declared will of God not there's a contradiction they're just different in their content the declared will of God is God's desire for humanity okay Matthew chapter 6 verses 10 Jesus prayed your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven what part of God's will or is Jesus teaching us to pray for there he is teaching for us he for his laws his commands his instruction his word to be fully obeyed here on earth in James 4 15 it gives us an idea to the secret will of God if the Lord wills it we will live and do this or that he's given instruction on there on how we are to pray if the Lord wills well what is the Lord's will there it's obviously not in reference to his commands and his well instruction his laws his words he's talking about the decreed will of God what indeed will happen and so we see that there is a difference between the decreed will of God and the declared will of God and it is indeed a mystery a big mystery that never contradicts itself so we have to ask the question what are we responsible for doing according to God's word in regards to evangelism we are responsible for declaring the truth of the Gospel in love with concern for the lost and what is the lost person's responsibility to respond to the call of the Gospel in fact Daniel he puts a much finer point on it in verse 27 therefore o king let my counsel be acceptable to you break off your sins by practicing righteousness in your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed that

There may perhaps be a lengthening to your prosperity and this is the fourth action for rightly sharing the Gospel call people to repentance calling them to repentance break off your sins by practicing righteousness in other words change how you're living your life but as we learned a couple of weeks ago you know you can you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig it doesn't matter what a changed life is like if there's no heart change people can be moral people can be good or nice but what has happened in the heart is what's the big deal and it's out of the overflow of a changed heart by receiving the Gospel and being born again to a new and living hope and out of that comes the good works that's the difference and when our hearts are taken from darkness to light from death to life from being a child of God from being an enemy of God to being a child of God it affects what we say how we live what we do what our priority where our priorities are how we give it affects everything and so Daniel he advises nebuchadnezzar to break off his iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed because remember he could have said nebuchadnezzar why don't you make 10 000 sacrifices like nebuchadnezzar he could have done that he's the king he owns probably thousands and thousands and thousands hundreds of thousands of bulls but it's not our sacrifices that God is looking for remember that the sacrifice that pleased him was the sacrifice of his son like you and I we can't do enough for God we can't so you know what we do is we serve God because we love God it's a joyful love psalm 51 verses 16 17

It says for you will not delight in sacrifice or I would give it you will not be pleased with a burnt offering the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and contrite heart oh God these you will not despise so we learned that's what the Lord is looking for he's looking for people with he wants her you want your heart he wants you he wants you to live for him and he wants you to live recklessly for him and he's told he has told us clearly in Micah chapter 6 verse 8 he has told you oh man what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God there are so many nice Christians in this world and it's an abstract sense of nicety where it's not giving offense in this abstract sense of love but love sometimes means giving offense if you've got a loved one that's battling addiction and you've got to sit down with them because of your love for them and you need to intervene that's love it gives offense sometimes but nice Christianity that seeks to love without sharing any truth will always lead people away from Christ not to him and what people hope to accomplish by being nice will ultimately lead to people's demises because people they don't just need nice they need Christ above everything else now I don't want you walking out here said pastor said I can be mean Christians should be nice but that's not the end of it people won't be saved by your niceness they'll be saved by Christ

And we have to share them and let's look at how nebuchadnezzar responds here because a full year goes by before this judgment is executed and that's a long time for someone to really walk the line and many people they can profess Christ and they can say I'm saved and they look like they're doing great for a year but the evidence of Christ is a life change born again none of us can be unborn we've been born likewise as Christians once we've been born again we can't be reborn again reborn again reborn again and reborn we're born again to a living hope that's eternal and sure in nebuchadnezzar what happens is that what's revealed to him in this dream is fulfilled in a moment of pride God hates pride God is opposed to pride when nebuchadnezzar stands on the roof of his palace and is filled with pride at what his hands have built isn't this a great kingdom that's when judgment comes and we see this judgment happen in three ways firstly through his frailty through his frailty in verse one it says the kingdom has departed from you and just like that God took away his blessings and he can take away those blessings from you and I in a moment because we don't deserve any of the gifts that God has given to us not one you see just as we come to the realization that everything that we have and do is from God we must come to that realization so whether you know some folks there pull you up themselves up by their bootstraps and you know they're hard workers able-bodied God can take that away he can take away that able body

Your mind it might be sharp God he can take that away in a moment where your mind is no longer sharp and the things that you thought were your own were actually gifts from God because we are truly frail creatures we are creaturely in college my sophomore year for like two months I was just getting hurt left and right you know I got like a separated shoulder got a concussion playing soccer you know I twisted my ankle real bad tore a couple of ligaments playing basketball it was just I was just a sight for like two months and you don't realize how frail your body is until there's something wrong with it and then you're down for the count look at look at the second thing is a judgment of loss nebuchadnezzar he is driven from men he is chased away he's lost his kingdom he's lost the favor of those around him and there is a significant difference between the natural losses of life in the judgment of God many times when Christians suffer loss what we like to try to do is we like to spiritualize things I like to you know think well you know this must be some sign of judgment it could be that we just live in a lost world in a fallen world like there may not be some super spiritual thing that God has for you in the midst of the journey that you're in it might just be that the world has fallen and Christ is redeeming it that might be the lesson but sometimes God is executing something it might be a sin I don't claim to speak on behalf of God in those situations so during those seasons we must come to

The Lord in an attitude of repentance seeking the Lord asking the Lord God are you trying to teach me something here or perhaps not maybe you just want me to draw close to you the third thing third thing that we notice here is insanity see he was driven from among men he ate grass like an ox his body was wet with dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as his eagle feathers and his nails were like bird's claws it's gross now but this is really interesting because this is a this is a psychological disorder called philanthropy it's where someone thinks that they're an ox or a cow or something like that it's a documented thing it's very rare psychiatrists they've analyzed this they've analyzed testimonies of like a prince back in the 1500s he believed that and when he would have moments of clarity he actually struggled greatly with depression but when he would come out of these seasons that were where he felt like he was an ox or a cow he would actually tell his friends I just wish that you would take me to the butcher and end it's a sick thing and God he deals with mental diseases in much the same way that he deals with physical ones we deal with these things because we live in a fallen world a war you wonder what the problem of evil is you wonder why bad things happen it's because we live in a fallen world bad things happen because sin are sin that's just what happens but thank the Lord that we do have a living hope and eternal hope in Christ Jesus that all those bad things will be made right

Especially as Christians go and proclaim the Gospel what's fascinating is that while a person believes that they're a cow one things they'll do they'll strip down they'll get nude they'll go to a field they'll live in it they'll eat grass they'll moo and a couple of the other symptoms is rapid hair growth and fingernail growth during this season it's a fascinating thing but God he gets people's attention in different ways doesn't he God he uses situations and circumstances to wake us up out of our stupor it might be unemployment it might be a sickness it could be a wandering child it could be a host of all sorts of different things that God uses to draw you and I to himself but God he uses the valleys to help people to seek him and to see him for who he is and God he has a good purpose in the midst of this judgment toward nebuchadnezzar look at what Daniel said in verse 25 till you know that the most high rule is the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will that's why God is doing this that nebuchadnezzar might understand that God is the one that rules and reigns and now this he experiences this time for seven periods of time some people have looked at that to be years or moon cycles or months or what have you no one knows exactly but we do know that the number seven in Scripture often times is a number used to describe completeness and so whatever the length of time was we know that was long enough for God to accomplish his plan in humbling nebuchadnezzar and after that designated period nebuchadnezzar comes to his senses a lot like the prodigal son does while he's

Eating the pods that were meant for the pigs he comes to his senses my reason returned to me and I blessed the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever this is write this down nebuchadnezzar's conversion and what a conversion is it is because God's kingdom is not like his own nebuchadnezzar he lost his kingdom in a moment but God's king dominion is an everlasting dominion in his kingdom endures from generation to generation and this is important for Christians to remember that God rules and God reigns with all authority and all sovereignty even right now so when we look at the world we should not be pessimistic we should be the most optimistic people because God is the one that's in control and even when things look pretty bleak you know what we do is we remind ourselves of the Gospel and when we remind ourselves of the goodness of God we remind ourselves of his authority in this world we also remind ourselves of our duty to go and tell people about the Gospel and to do so with love and concern for the lost and he does according to his will among the host of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth and none can stay his hand or say to him what have you done there is not one of us who can chastise the Lord and go I just disagree with that God none of us can but God loves it when we come to him with our questions even when you're in the midst of suffering and hurt and shame and guilt and difficulty even when you're in the midst of that you can go to God personally you can go God why is this happening what is your purpose in this I'm having trouble seeing it God can you show that to me and he will help you draw near to him if we look at this and we go well poor

Nebuchadnezzar God took away his mind he was out in the field for seven years mooing like a cow he had long scary fingernails and long hair that's you know if that's what you take away from this and you've missed the point completely because God humiliated nebuchadnezzar so that nebuchadnezzar would turn to the Lord that's the whole point of it and it's precisely because of God's judgment that this man was saved and we must never ever despise the Lord's correction on us in romans chapter 9 verses 14 through 21 it says what shall we say then is there injustice on God's part by no means for he says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I'll have compassion on whom I have so then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God who has mercy for the Scripture says to Pharaoh for this purpose I raised you up that I might show my power in you that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth so then he has mercy on whomever he wills and he hardens whomever he wills you will say to me then why does he still find fault for who can resist his will but who are you oh man to answer back to God what does molded say to its mulder why have you made me like this has the potter know right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use why did God harden Pharaoh's heart and you know through judgment and destruction but caused madness and judgment on nebuchadnezzar for his salvation simply put it was the will of the Lord and it's a wonderful mystery and just as

The Lord allowed job to have nearly everything taken from him and God restored to him the blessings that he once enjoyed God did the same thing with nebuchadnezzar here and he receives his reason he receives his majesty back he receives the splendor his counselor his lords he receives even more greatness but that isn't the end because look at verse 37 and this is the crescendo of chapter four now I nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the king of heaven for all his works are right and his ways are just and those who walk in pride he is able to humble that's his testimony and it's a good testimony nebuchadnezzar he's come a long way from talking about well Daniel's God or shadrach and meshach and abednego's God now I praise and extol and honor the king of heaven and just as the saints of old were justified justified by faith alone in God nebuchadnezzar is justified by faith in the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob what good would this judgment have done if Daniel hadn't warned him what if Daniel kept the truth about God to himself for all those years just flying under the radar not drawing too much attention nebuchadnezzar he could have chalked this up to maybe the stresses of leading an empire or maybe his you know counselors would come in and said hey man your soul is sick and you know we're just gonna have to make some sacrifices to you know marduk or someone you know and everything will be good but Daniel because he was faithful to share the truth of God's word and he was able to share the light of God to his king who needed to hear about the coming judgment because of his great love and concern for his God that's what caused

Nebuchadnezzar to come to him and so let's bring this home for us and then we're gonna wrap it all up what is your main motivator for sharing the Gospel what is your main motivator for sharing the Gospel if I might be so bold to assume that for much of us it's out of concern for the lost which is a great thing we have to have concern for the lost we must do that we must have that we must we must do good works for them that's that's why we do things like national night out that's why we do things like our children's ministries that's why we do things like our you know we care that's why we do things like that and what we've talked about everything totally true but could I propose that there's one thing greater than that and what I mean is that my love your love for your neighbor is going to be imperfect like oftentimes our opinion of people changes based upon our interactions one bad interaction and you're just like I don't like that person anymore may I push a little bit and say that feeling of love and concern that we might have for our neighbor isn't complete we need to have something more sure which is to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts all of our soul all of our mind all of our strength and that out of our love for the Lord we will also love those who are created in his image that are separated from him

And because of the great concern that we might have for those who are created in the image of God who are separated but from their creator by their sin that might be the missing ingredient for much of us for many of us in the motor of sharing the Gospel those people that don't believe the Gospel they're they're separated from their creator and so out of the love for the Lord let us bear the image of God to others that they might see the need for his light that shines brightly through us so that we might save some from hell and so let us love God supremely and that the overflow of that would impact the world with the Gospel with genuine love for others head hand heart head I want you to know that a true concern and love for the lost will lead to sharing hard truths and calling them to repentance people don't just need niceness okay they need Biblical Christianity and I want you to do this I want you to share how God has restored you with someone this week nebuchadnezzar he shared a story with his kingdom because he was the king he could but what about you people they need to see the difference in you but they also need to know why there's a difference in you in heart I want you to believe that God's judgment is meant to lead us to repentance just as nebuchadnezzar's judgment led him to the Lord God's judgment is intended to draw us closer to him if y'all would stand with me let's close our service in prayer and so God we do thank you for your word we thank you for how you do call us all to mission work

God you've called every person in here that knows you that loves you to be a minister to be a missionary to bear your light to be the salt of the earth that people might come around us and taste and see the Lord is good that we might be able to push them to Christ God let us do so with a sense of urgency that today is the day of salvation and Lord I pray that if there's anyone here that doesn't know you that today would be that day if there's anyone here that they're ready to take that step of joining our church that they would do that today that there's someone that needs to be baptized and Lord that today would be that day that they say I just need to do it let's do help us Lord to walk in obedience to you [Music] as we sing together may you be glorified in Jesus name amen I'd invite you to join me to sing now again come behold the wondrous mystery as we proclaim it to ourselves to other believers in this room and even as we go from here and proclaim it to the world around us come behold the wondrous mystery in the dawning of the king he the theme of heaven's praises robed in frail humanity in our longing in our darkness now the light of life has come look to Christ too condescended took on flesh to ransom us [Music] come behold the wondrous mystery he the perfect son of man

In his living in his suffering never trace nor stain of sin see the true and better atom come to save the hell bound man Christ the great and sure fulfillment of the law in him we stand [Music] come behold the wondrous mystery Christ the Lord upon the tree in the stead of ruined sinners hangs the lamb in victory see the price of our redemption father's plan unfold bringing many sons to glory grace and measured love untold [Music] and come behold the wondrous mystery slain by death the God of life but no grave could restrain him praise the Lord is alive what a foretaste of deliverance how unwavering our hope Christ in power resurrected as we will be when he comes amen praise the Lord dan you can go ahead and grab that I won't be but a second two things y'all can have a seat real quick once you'll be able to see her this is my sister gwen wright you come on up here she said that I want to join this church and she's been through the new members class he's given a good testimony of faith and instruction Lord and she's in chris williams class right yeah and so she said you know this is where I want my church family to be and so if y'all would

Receive her into fellowship here would y'all say amen any opposed all right great they like you all right yeah praise the Lord for that go ahead and have a seat yeah y'all come up and give her a hug at the end of service and don't forget that we have our children's ministry potluck if you need to go grab something go grab something come right back we'll have some time and let's see here one last thing we do have Mary jackson she passed away earlier this week and her funeral is gonna be right up the road at hedges scott tomorrow morning I believe it's at 9 30 is when the visitation starts right I think that's when the service starts service is at 10 30 right so visitation's at 9 30. So I just want you guys to know about that so thank you so much thank you for being here today if you don't know me my name is dan we're I'm one of the dickens here at church and I'd like to pray for us before we go God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and our God thank you for the way you love us and care for each one of us thank you Lord for Jesus you sent for us to go to the cross in our place and because of us or there are a number of folks that aren't able to be with us today in our church family that are sick and ill or have some difficulty we just lift you up Lord to them and us to each other that we might recognize your presence in our lives all day long every day in what you want to do with us thank you Lord for loving us so much and we ask this in the precious name of

Jesus amen