Salt and Light

So [Music] you know oh so all right well good morning good morning church good seeing y'all here my name is cody I'm the pastor here it's good seeing each and every one of you we're all about loving God loving one another loving our community and world amen oh okay all right well that's what we're all about guys so you know we're all about loving God loving each other loving our community and world amen and so one of the things that we want to do as we want to connect with you is you know if you're new here if you are visiting if you're just a weekender and you say pastor can you pray for me about this or whatever we want to pray with you about those things and we also want to have a record of your visit to know how we can pray for you and connect with you there should be a visitor card in the seat in front of you if you could just fill that out drop it in one of these offering plates that's at each one of these entrances that would be huge in us being able to connect with you because it's my honor and my privilege to pray for you as the pastor here now if you didn't get this book that we printed out this week this is our bulletin and there's a lot of stuff in here this week we've got awana that we're starting back up at the end of august praise the Lord amen yeah so nicholas he's gonna be starting that up and of course we need volunteers so if you're interested in discipling children we want you to be a part of that and so

Approved workmen are not ashamed and we want to invite you to make that a reality we'll also be having different Bible studies available for parents and adults and women and men and it's going to be great and so it's going to be a an absolutely awesome time and so there's a bunch of information there also we have the missouri baptist disaster relief training some of you go you know I can't get active regularly in a regular weekly ministry but you could do disaster relief training they have everything from mass feeding and chainsaw stuff to just being able to do mud outs and things like that the southern baptist convention is the second largest humanitarian organization in america second only to the red cross and so if you want to go and be a part of being the handsome feet of Christ hurricane season is coming right up and we can get you prepared for it there is training in holt summit and our local association the lemeen baptist association will actually reimburse you for all of your training okay and so if you're interested in doing that the dates for that are september 9th and the 10th now we've got a whole bunch of things that are coming up including national night out which is this tuesday if you have not registered to get par to become a part of that scan that qr code that's on the back or come and talk to me we need help with someone on snow cones and maybe helping out with some bounce houses otherwise I think everything's ready to go we got every single first responder that every single first responder organization that's going to be there they're all going to be set out there we're going to have a wonderful time we've got some non-profits that'll be out there with booths and we're giving away enough school supplies for about 312 children that night

And it's all because of your generous giving and also the many business sponsors that have chosen to partner with us in this and so the mayor he'll be here at 5 30 he's going to give a proclamation kind of to start us out we'll have some music the potter's wheel will be here doing some bluegrass at starting at about seven o'clock I think and so it's gonna be it's gonna be a great time and something for everyone it's really intended to be a community event and so if that sounds like something that you want to be a part of come out it's going to be a fantastic time drag out your friends drag out your neighbors because most of the time when people connect with first responders it's typically in a negative situation isn't it I mean you might be you might be speeding right or your house might be burning and that would be a very negative situation we want to provide some positive opportunities for you to connect with first responders and so and so do it's gonna be a fantastic time we're super excited about that and also tonight tonight we've of course we still do sunday night services at six pm tonight we're going to have camden has a debate moderator his name is jeremy spring he's right over there and he's moderated several debates and we said can you kind of give us a rundown of like the candidates and what they believe and different things like that he said absolutely I'd be willing to do that for you so tuesday is election day and if you're kind of like I have no idea what people think or believe or anything like that come tonight he's gonna give us a rundown and you know he'll you know be able to field some questions for you as well I think that's just about it please be sure to take one of these and

You know that way it's for your record but before we get into our the worship part of our service I would invite for you to bow your heads close your eyes and prepare your heart for worship this morning maybe you're here and you're just dry spiritually and much like our land needed rain this week maybe you feel parched or spread thin would you ask the Lord to rejuvenate you and refresh you that he would be those calm quiet waters for your soul maybe you're here and you have some heavy heavy burdens and things that would just tug at your heartstrings to distract you from the goodness and the awesomeness of God would you just tell the Lord about those things and give them to him this morning God is worthy of all of our worship in all of our praise maybe you're here and you need to remind yourself of all the things that he's done for you why don't you take a moment and just count those blessings that he's done for you over this past week Lord we come before you today as one body this congregation being the very body of Christ the hands and feet on earth to do the will of you God we ask that you would help us to point our hearts and our minds toward you help us to focus on who you are who you've revealed yourself to be in our lives and in the holy Scriptures Lord help us to throw aside anything that would keep us from worshiping help us to cast

Off all of the distractions and to praise your name in spirit and in truth because that's what you created us to do it's in Jesus precious name we pray amen please stand with me and join me as we sing [Music] you're worthy of my praise [Music] will worship with all of my heart I will praise you with all of my strengths [Music] I will give you all my worship I will give you all my praises [Music] will bow down I will give you serve [Music] will lift up my eyes to your throat [Music] I will trust you [Music] just I will give you all my worship [Music] worship you alone are worthy of my praise I will give you all my worship I will give you all my praises [Music] he is worthy this morning and every day amen can we get that back projector on please so as we're doing that he is worthy by his very nature he is worthy because of simply because of who he is there's nothing he could do to make him more worthy but in his worthiness he sent his son to die on our behalf to bear the punishment that we deserve and to give us give us the opportunity to praise him for it isn't that wonderful that's what we celebrate today that's

What we celebrate every single sunday the Lord's day the death burial and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ [Music] [Applause] [Music] glory to his name there to my heart was the blood of mine [Applause] [Music] where he took me to his name glory to his name there to my heart [Music] I am so glad I have entered there's Jesus [Music] come to this fountain so rich and sweet glory to his name [Music] glory to his name let's sing that chorus one more time and Christian sing glory to his [Music] his name to my heart was amen as we continue to worship today I just want us to really focus on what we're here to do we are created to be worshippers that's our very purpose in life so if you've ever thought what am I supposed to be doing worship's the answer and what we do here we have a whole service dedicated to worship that's in singing it's in greeting one another it's in hearing as our pastor brings us the word of God it's these are all acts of worship that we're commanded to do and the glorious part about sunday morning is we get to do it together amen and so I'm going to challenge us as we continue to sing

To just worship put aside all of those things your preferences your comfort even if even if you're not singing you can be worshipping let's worship in prayer let's worship in encouraging one another let's just worship together [Music] let all the earth [Music] he wraps himself [Music] to hide his voice [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] the lion and the lamb is [Music] great is [Music] my heart will sing how great it again you are a name above all names [Music] how great is [Music] [Applause] is [Music] he is [Music] how great is our God sing with me how great is our God and all we'll see how great [Music] if y'all would go ahead and have a seat we're going to enter into our time of communion communion is one of the things that we get to do together as a congregation if you have not received a communion cup

They're located at each one of the entrances you may get up and receive one at this time the main thing that we put a restriction on it's a Biblical restriction is that you must know the Lord Jesus Christ the Savior in order to participate in communion if there is an area of sin that maybe you have been walking in willful rebellion with the Lord in I would ask that you not partake in communion and by doing so you drink God's judgment upon yourself and I don't want that for but if there is anyone here that would like to take communion you can just raise your hand and nick one of our deacons so we'll bring you bring it over to you but I would invite you right now at this time to contemplate your relationship with the Lord that you would just bow your heads and close your eyes and remember the body and the blood of Christ shed on the cross for you would you do that now [Music] so [Music] God we are so thankful that you did not leave us in our sinful state that from the foundation of the world your plan was to redeem us Lord not to just wipe humanity off of the map and start anew or anything like that but that you wanted to reconcile on our behalf a relationship a right relationship with you Lord we couldn't do it not by keeping your law beating ourselves up not by cleaning ourselves up not by covering ourselves or we were made right by the blood of Christ Lord we do think about your body Lord you were born brought forth of a virgin Lord you were born sinless

And Lord that sinless body and that sinless nature was tested and tried on our behalf's God and you sought fit to lay that body down that would be beaten and bruised that'd be torn thank you for it in Jesus name amen if y'all would open up the bottom of the cup where the bread is in first corinthians chapter 11 verse 23 it says for I received from the Lord but I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said this is my body which is for you do this in remembrance of me take the bread and eat with me Lord we thank you for your body we thank you for your shed blood that was poured out freely for us on the cross God we know that it is by through the shedding of blood that there's forgiveness for sins God and I thank you that we can come to you by the blood of Christ pleading it on the cross thank you for it we thank you for drinking the full cup of the father's wrath for us and not a drop of it remains because you drunk it completely that whosoever turns to you could be saved thank you for it God in Jesus name amen Scripture goes on to say in the same way also he took the cup after supper saying this cup is the new covenant in my blood do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me

Take the cup and drink with me for as often as you eat the bread and drink the cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes Lord we do thank you that you are such a great and marvelous God that you have seen fit to redeem everyone that turns to you by faith God Lord thank you that we are a part of that number if indeed our trust is in you thank you for your mercy thank you for your grace and as we all stand together and sing this song about how great you are may you be glorified in Jesus name amen [Music] so [Music] oh Lord my God [Music] I see the stars I hear the rolling thunder thy power throughout the universe display [Music] [Applause] how great thou art then sings my soul my Savior [Applause] and when I think that God his son not sparing sent him to die I scarce can't take [Music] on that cross my burdens gladly bearing he bled and died to take away my sins soul my Savior [Music] then sings my soul my Savior [Music]

How great amen Lord you are great God let us never forget it let us never stop singing the praises of your greatness great is the Lord and worthy to be praised God help us to worship you as we continue in this worship service as we hear from your word help us to go out of here with your praises on our lips Lord help us as your body to do the work of the Gospel because that's our calling and in that we worship you amen well if you if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me to the book of Daniel chapter five Daniel chapter five this is a historical narrative as we get to this passage we're gonna go through the entirety of chapter 5 this morning really to get a firm grasp of everything that's happening and we're starting a series today it's called salt light it's just all kind of arranged itself this way and so I'm very thankful for that the reason why we're having to go through this entire chapter today is because the book of Daniel it's not intended to be a summary of babylonian history there are huge swaths of time where it just skips over major events and we're going to talk about that today but the book of Daniel is primarily a spiritual book a recollection of what God has done through the prophet Daniel in the history of babylon to the kings and leaders

Of that time and as we'll see after Daniel chapter six it changes from a historical narrative to a book of prophecy and so that'll be an adventure when we get there but we've got to think back to Daniel chapter one how Daniel hananiah michelle and azariah they chose that they said we are not going to defile ourselves with the king's food and wine and different things like that and we think about how the Lord worked even in the midst of that declaring his sovereignty and supremacy even over the diet you know you would expect if you went vegetarian that you'd lose a couple of pounds but these guys they were fuller in flesh which is way to say fatter and better looking for that culture and in Daniel chapter 2 we see how God sent a dream and he allowed Daniel to know that dream even without being told what the dream was to give an interpretation to deliver the wise men of babylon from the hand of nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3 we see shadrach meshach and abednego being delivered from that idol that was set up by nebuchadnezzar and we saw in Daniel chapter four nebuchadnezzar's second dream that coming judgment and him succumbing to a medical condition called philanthropy where someone thinks that they are an ox or cow in chapter 4 ends with nebuchadnezzar saying in verse 37 now I nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the king of heaven and in our community group today it was it was just really cool to talk about how that's the first time that nebuchadnezzar called someone else king you would point that out to us thank

You for that you know and we see that submission to the authority and the kingship of God from nebuchadnezzar for all his works are right and his ways are just and those who walk in pride he is able to humble but there's a big gap between that chapter and this chapter that we're looking at and that's okay we've got to be okay with that it's not supposed to be a recollection a total complete a to z recollection of the babylonian exile but nebuchadnezzar he died in 562 bc and he was succeeded by a guy named evil marduk who was not a good guy he reigned for two years and then nara glessar he reigned for four years and then labashi marduk for two months and then nabanitus he usurped the throne he's known in history as nebuchadnezzar iii and he reigned from 556 to 539 now nebuchadnezzar or nabonitas nabinitis he set up a new royal residence in the south of the province of babylon called taemin it was a big archaeological city and for centuries historians and archaeologists actually criticized the book of Daniel by and they accused it of being false because he said there's no record of a king belshazzar in babylonian history therefore this has all been falsifiable and so progressive Christians they wanted to explain Daniel away but God's word is always always accurate and true you can take what God's word says to the bank every single time and in 1899 there was a guy by the name of robert coldway guess what he discovered the existence of a king belshazzar he didn't rule very long but they also he also discovered in babylon these white

Gypsum or plaster walls in a huge courtyard and this totally validates what historians wrote on october 13th of 539 that the city of taemin fell naboonitis fell and on october 27th the city of babylon fell also to the persian army but before we go to that here's Daniel over 20 years later talking with king belshazzar and for 20 years Daniel he lives in pretty much obscurity he's no longer like a big player in babylonian politics we don't know what happened we know there were several transitions of leadership and that Daniel was maybe forgotten regardless of all of his contributions but he's brought back into the forefront of babylonian politics because he has been faithful to God because he is full of character he has been salt and light in babylon for literally decades at this point and so what we're going to see today is three principles for being salt and light in babylon so I'll ask you if you can stand in honor of God's word to stand as we read Daniel chapter 5 verses 1-31 God's word says this I'll try to read fast but clear king belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand belshazzar when he tasted the wine commanded that the vessels of gold and silver that nebuchadnezzar had his father had taken out of the temple in jerusalem he brought that the kings and his lords his wives and his concubines might drink from them then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out

Of the temple the house of God in jerusalem and the king and his lords his wives and his concubines drank from them they drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver bronze iron wood and stone immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace opposite the lampstand and the king saw the hand as it wrote then the king's color changed and his thoughts alarmed him his limbs gave way his knees knocked together the king called loudly to bring in the enchanters the chaldeans the astrologers that the king declared to the wise men of babylon whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom then all the king's wise men came in but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation then belshazzar was greatly alarmed his color changed and his lords were perplexed the queen because of the words of the kings and his lords came into the banqueting hall the queen declared o king live forever let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change there is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him and king nebuchadnezzar your father your father the king made him chief of the magicians and chanters chaodians and astrologers because an excellent spirit and knowledge and understanding to interpret dreams explain riddles and solve problems were found in this Daniel whom the king named beltashazar now let Daniel be called and he will show you the interpretation then Daniel was brought in before the

King and keep in mind Daniel at this point in time he's probably in the 70s the king answered and said to Daniel you are that Daniel one of the exiles of judah whom the king my father brought from judah I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you in that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you now the wise men the enchanters have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation but they could not show the interpretation of the matter but I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation you shall be clothed with purple have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom then Daniel answered before and said before the king let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another nevertheless I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation o king the most high God gave nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty and because of the greatness that he gave him all peoples nations and languages trembled and feared before him whom he would he killed and him who he in whom he would not he kept alive and whom he would he raised up and whom he would he humbled but when the king was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly he was brought down from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him he was driven from among the children of mankind and his mind was made like that of a beast and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys he was fed grass like an ox his body was wet with the dew of heaven until he knew that the most high God rules the kingdom

Of mankind and sets over at whom he will and you his son belshazzar have not humbled your heart though you knew all this but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven and the vessels of his house you've brought in before you and you and your lords your wives and your concubines have drunk wine from them and you have praised the gods of silver and gold of bronze iron wood and stone which you which do not see or hear or know but the God in whose hand is your breath and whose are all your ways you have not honored then from his presence the hand was sent this writing was inscribed and this is the writing that was inscribed men a mene tekkel and parson this is the interpretation of the matter mene God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end tackle you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting perez your kingdom is divided and given to the medes and persians then bel belshazzar gave the command and Daniel was clothed with purple a chain of gold was put around his neck and a proclamation about was made about him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom that very night belshazzar the chaldean king was killed and darius the means mede received the kingdom being about 62 years old so God we do thank you for your word help us God to rightly apply it and to understand it in our culture in our babylon that we might be shining bright lights for your glory that people will look at us and taste and see that the Lord is good that we might make a visible impact for good in camdenton in missouri and around the globe we love you Lord in Jesus name amen

Well this happens on october 28th 539 according to the ancient historians there's two of them that corroborate this is herodotus and xenophon two excellent articulate greek historians who write all of this down now babylon it was surrounded by two by huge thick walls I got a picture of this is a satellite image of babylon this is a rough reconstruction but they have our the archaeology the chariots were able to drive past each other the walls were so thick just an absolutely massive complex there were two walls on the exterior and belshazzar felt pretty comfortable we can last this siege we're doing okay and according to herodotus it was said that king cyrus actually came to the city of babylon and began sieging it and didn't see any way for folks to take the city until a soldier he said what if we dammed up the euphrates up the up the river from there what if we actually built a dam and clogged it up and we were able to just march in right through that river that goes right through the city and said well it's worth a shot let's try it and it worked and the city of babylon fell without even a fight they surrendered in the in the span of just a few hours early in the morning but belshazzar he had no clue about any of this whatsoever the first principle for being salt and light is that we must honor the name of God if you're taking notes write that down we must honor the name of God now rodney stewart he gives a wonderful summary of the herod's the herod's were a family in the new testament that ruled during the time of

Christ and the apostles and the most famous was probably this guy his name was herod the great he was actually greek and he ruled over the area of israel from 37 bc to 4 bc this is the same herod that Christ was born under and one of his things that he did was he was always persecuting the jewish people the people of God and what happened was probably his most infamous thing that he ever did was he slaughtered all the little babies that were born in bethlehem in order to try to wipe out the Messiah just a few months after that herod was dead and we have to ask ourselves is that the judgment of God when those things kind of happen herod's kingdom was divided and the most famous of his sons that was ruling was herod antipas he ruled over galilee from 4 bc to 39 a.d so this is probably the one that we're most familiar with when we read about herod at the cross this is that the same herod who mocked and scorned and ridiculed Jesus Christ as he was being led away for crucifixion and he also beheaded John the baptist within six months of Christ being crucified herod antipas was dead too was that the judgment of God his nephew herod agrippa he was king of judah from 39 a.d to 44 a.d and he continued persecuting God's people except that he had a whole new problem he had the church they had to deal with too and these so-called Christians and so he captured and killed James the brother of John and a lot of his constituents like that he was like well I'm going to keep on doing this I need to find out the leader of the so-called group and so he captured Peter and he was planning on delivering Peter over to the jewish people to be killed

But Peter he somehow escaped in the middle of the night of course we know the story but from his perspective he just knows that Peter somehow slipped out between two guards even though he was chained to both of them that somehow he slipped out of that cell which was also guarded by two guards that he had to make his way through the complex which there were numerous guards all through that but we know that there were four at the inner gate that would have been stationed there that somehow he got past and he also had to go through the outer gate which was also attended by four other guards and he slipped past those people as well now us we look at that we go that's a miracle that God would allow for Peter to get through all of that but herod he didn't see it that way in fact in acts chapter 12 verse 23 herod he's addressing his role loyal subjects and he's given such a great and vibrant and impassioned speech that his subjects go the voice of a God and not of a man and immediately an angel of the Lord struck down herod agrippa because he did not give God the glory and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last we don't have to ask if that's a judgment of God like we know that's judgment of God right there but in order to be salt and light we must honor the name of God and if we look at belshazzar look at what he's doing here look at his foolishness and tell me if he's honoring God's name write this down belshazzar refused to humble himself before the Lord he had no desire to make himself humble before God you look at what nebuchadnezzar said at the end of chapter

4. All his works are right talking about God and all his ways are just and those who walk in pride he is able to humble nebuchadnezzar was able to learn that tough lesson he had been humbled by the Lord be and because of that encounter he became a believer in the one true God and I want you to think of all that nebuchadnezzar had accomplished all the things that nebuchadnezzar had reason to boast in he pioneered calculus he had so many technological achievements he was an amazing architect he literally constructed one of the wonders of the ancient world he had a lot of reasons probably to boast but he was humbled before the Lord what is belshazzar famous for he put together a potluck that his most famous feat is that he put together a meal and then he gets drunk in front of everyone and this isn't honorable for a king we like to think of like viking kings or english kings getting sloshed at a party that's not the culture that we're talking about here it would be like us watching a president or a prime minister getting publicly emaciated it would be shameful we would be embarrassed it would be we would feel disgraced secondly notice this that the king's heart was wicked and blasphemous leading to God's swift judgment the king's heart was wicked and blasphemous leading to God's swift judgment what the alcohol did sorry bit my tongue what they what the alcohol did was it lowered in what it does it lowered belshazzar's

Inhibitions and it revealed that his heart was a perpetual factory of idols as John calvin once said his heart was full of blasphemy you can hear him hey why don't you bring in those good gold cups from the jewish temple and we can drink it to the gold gods of gold and silver and bronze and iron and wood and this is idolatry this is blasphemy this is a total disregard for the character for the power for the person of God and nebuchadnezzar he never considered doing anything like this in his entire reign it was unthinkable to him but net but belshazzar he doesn't sin against God out of ignorance it wasn't like he didn't know about God's working in shadrach meshach and abednego and their deliverance from the fiery furnace by this point in time it was probably a legend everyone had heard about it wasn't like belshazzar didn't know about nebuchadnezzar's humiliation it was probably a very intentional lesson that nebuchadnezzar passed down to his children belshazzar he didn't sin against God out of ignorance but willfully out of knowledge he knew what he was doing because he also knew the testimony of nebuchadnezzar now in 2nd Samuel chapter 6 it tells us a story of the ark of God being brought out of the city into back into jerusalem and the way that God commanded for the ark to be carried was to use poles okay to line them up and to carry them and what did they set the ark on they set it on a new cart right and one of the oxen there's people they're dancing and they're celebrating here's the ark here's the ark and an

Ox stumbles and the ark of God begins to slide off and so this guy his name azuza he puts up his hands to keep the ark of God from falling onto the ground and as soon as he places a hand on an r on the ark what happens to him he dies instantly in the next passage next verse it says that Daniel he is upset with God for breaking out against dusa all he's trying to do is be helpful all he's trying to do is just keep it from falling on the ground but here's the lesson for us from that passage and I'll tie it into belshazzar the lesson for us is that we are completely in our own nature centers and God in his nature is completely holy and God didn't strike like the dirt it would have been better for it to fall on the dirt because God had made that dirt is not a sinner that dirt is cleaner than we are that's the whole point of the passage is the holiness of God and if ooza was struck down in a in literally a split second by being helpful trying to be helpful how much more should the judgment be against belshazzar who is willfully sinning against God what about us I mean you and I we are if we are in Christ guess what we are we are vessels of God we are in Christ and we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit according to first corinthians chapter 6. What about us

When we willfully sin thirdly the king he was a fool and he offered those who were deaf blind and dumb everything he could even though belshazzar heard the testimony of nebuchadnezzar even though he saw how God had blessed him he still trusted in the false gods of babylon and he defamed the name of the most high God notice that the profaning of God's vessels happened and immediately if you've got a copy of Daniel you need to circle that word immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster wall of the king's palace opposite the lamp stand this is a clear view for everyone to see a detached hand writing on the wall and God he spoke through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 47 verses 10 11 you can look at it on the screen it says you felt this is a prophecy about babylon to babylon you felt secure in your wickedness you said no one sees me meaning that you're hidden you're safe your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray and you said in your heart I am and there is no one besides me but evil shall come upon you which you will not know how to charm away disaster shall fall upon you for which you will not be able to atone and ruin shall come upon you suddenly of which you know nothing and this is what happened suddenly and violently a direct fulfillment of prophecy in on babylon now this is a painting of a guy this is John martin's belshazzar's feast and I like this a little bit more than rembrandt's picture just because it captures a lot more of the details we

Will I don't know if you can see him I've got a little a another slide with a red circle around him it's yeah so that is belshazzar down there now you can't see his face because you know it's so zoomed out here but he is shocked and awed at the words of God that are illuminated over there on the wall and when we think about when we think about belshazzar's feast a lot of folks they think of maybe like a smaller room but you know we know that there were a thousand people at this feast and this room can fit how many people like me 270 280 pretty comfortably we don't have any tables or food in here so imagine just an absolutely massive area and that's what John martin has captured here let's zoom in here on the next slide got that for me yeah so that dark figure that's right there at the table that's that's Daniel and what he's doing is he is sharing with everyone what the words of God say and you see all these people around him they're worried but you notice there in the background I don't know if you can that burning altar to a God holding up a sword you see God's word and the Lord rules and reigns you know like you know there's idolatry and all that kind of stuff that happens you know God he is going to rule in reign he will have his way 110 of the time and even though everyone is freaking out the only person that is calm is Daniel because he has complete and trus like complete and total trust in God and I think that's important for us to think of Daniel in this way as someone who is confident who is engaging with the culture that's around him because that's what you and I are called

To do we're not called to curse the darkness we're called to shine our light it's easier to curse the darkness isn't it get on facebook guilty been there before but what's interesting in this passage is that belshazzar he goes to everyone else for help he goes to the enchanters and the chaldeans and the astrologers they can't help they haven't done anything in the entire book of Daniel I don't know why they kept him around but as sinclair ferguson said in his own spiritual bankruptcy he turned to the bankrupt wisdom of the world and found it to be empty too look at verse eight then all the king's wise men came in but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation the king was a fool he was a fool to think that he could trust in the things of this world in the wisdom and knowledge of this world he was a fool to think that he was secure that he was happy they had everything that he could ever need and little did he know that his soul would be required of him that night it's a lot like the parable that Jesus told in Luke chapter 12 verses 16 through 21 where you have this rich man who produced plentifully and thought to himself what shall I do for I have nowhere to store my crops and he said this and he said I will do this I will tear down my barns and build larger ones and there I will store all my grain and my goods I will say to my soul you have ample goods laid up for many years relax eat drink and be merry but God said to him fool this night your soul is required of you and the things you have prepared whose

Will they be so is the one who lays up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God you have Daniel who fallen from politics he's on the fringes of babylonian society he's not a popular guy the king's not even aware of him even though he was the chief magician of the babylonians and yet he's the only one that's completely calm in the midst of destruction and reminder of what Christ said elsewhere what does a prophet a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul see we are called to honor the name of God the second principle for being salt and light is that we have to heed the wisdom of God we have to heed the wisdom of God thank the Lord for this queen yes queen when Daniel describes her as the queen we know that all of belshazzar's wives are in the party and yet this woman was sensible enough to not be there but she heard this commotion coming you would hear a thousand people screaming and yelling and a hand like you know you would hear those kind of things what we know about this queen is that she wasn't a wife of belshazzar because all his wives were there so who is this queen it's probably the queen mother maybe even nebuchadnezzar's wife so we see a difference between the queen's memory and the king's response she recounts Daniel's life to neb belshazzar and she gives some great wisdom that Daniel has an excellent spirit he has knowledge she has understanding to interpret dreams explains riddles solve problems all these different things she recounts

She says it his name he was named by the king but let Daniel be called and he will show the interpretation and Daniel was brought in how cool is it that the queen doesn't refer to him by the king's given name like even in the midst of that culture trying to take away every part of his identity even the queen late in his life still calls him Daniel a servant of the most high God and she calls him by his hebrew God honoring name you know we you and I we are called to live a wonderful life for the glory of God that's what we're called to do every moment of every day living for the Lord and we must never give others an excuse to deride the name of God contrast this with the king's maligning look at what he does he opens with reminding Daniel of one of the worst events of his life you're one of the exiles of judah aren't you it probably flashes back to being a scared 13 15 year old even brings up his age my whom the king my father brought from judah that was a long time ago you sure you're still useful remember that Daniel he's he's probably in his late 70s and not only not only does he malign them in this way but he also says I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems now if you can read the writing if you can make known to me its interpretation there's still all of this skepticism just soaked in and mixed in there's no honor or respect for Daniel in spite of everything that Daniel had done in his

Life the king is a fool and he does not heed the wisdom of God the third and final principle from this passage on how to be salt and light is that we must handle God's judgment and what do I mean by this well what does the passage say in verses 18 through 21 Daniel he summarizes nebuchadnezzar's life he makes it clear in verses 22 through 23 and you his son belshazzar have not humbled your heart though you knew all this but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven in other words belshazzar knew this testimony of God he knew it because it was a story passed down from generation to generation he knew what God had done and still he chose to profane God's vessels from the temple still he spent time blaspheming and worshipping idols in Daniel he gives a scathing rebuke but the God in whose hand is your breath and whose are all your ways you have not honored like we don't get to add the Lord God to our lives to our pantheon of gods it's not allowed not in Christianity okay we don't get to say well on sundays from nine to noon I'm going to be a great Christian and then I'm gonna live for passion on friday and you know I'll I'll live for money you know nine to five monday through friday you know and I am I'm gonna live for pleasure on this day and you know we don't get to do that do you think that you can be a professing believer and still walk faithfully with the Lord hand in hand with other gods as Christians we must handle God's

Judgment by sharing the truth in love the truth in love Daniel doesn't sugarcoat this judgment he makes it clear that there is a direct correlation between his willful sin and the judgment of God and did you know that there is a coming judgment for each one of us there is the only way to escape the coming judgment is to come to the Lord Jesus Christ he drank the full cup of God's wrath so that we wouldn't have to so that we could have a right relationship with God Christ when he came to earth he lived a perfect sinless life we couldn't do that we couldn't obey the law we can't obey the law is a school master which instructs us how to live what God's desires are it also condemns us because it shows us exactly where our faults are in Christ he fulfilled the law he fulfilled all prophecy of the Messiah and he died a brutal horrific death Christ died and he was dead for three days but praise the Lord on that third day he rose again and now he has power in victory over death and sin and hell and so we come to Christ just like we are and we say God if you're willing make me clean like the leper and God he says I am willing be clean and it's at that moment that he takes that sickness from our like the spiritual leprosy the disease of sin from us and he imputes to us he gives to us his righteousness and his holiness and so when God looks at us now we're no longer objects of wrath when we come to him by faith but we are now sons and daughters of his and you can know that today you can know whether or not you're saved by turning

To Christ Jesus said in John chapter 3 verse 14 and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the son of man be lifted up that whoever believes in him may have eternal life that's why Christ was raised up why he was raised up on that cross and now we can look to him and be saved in Daniel he doesn't mince words with belshazzar in verses 23 and 20 22 and 23 Daniel Daniel uses those words you your and yourself 14 times he makes us deeply personal for the king because our sin our transgression is deeply personal anyone watch my 600 pound life okay all right just a couple of us okay there's there's this doctor on there he cracks me up his name is dr now and he can be rude like we know that he can be rude he can be a jerk there was a patient on there that said doctor I'm starving you know I'm I'm just hungry all the time he said you're not starving you got 600 pounds of food on you that's as bold who's more concerned the person that gets them the food and makes them happy to their grave or the one that maybe can that can speak directly and say this is what's best for you which one is the one that actually loves it's one that speaks directly it doesn't mean that we get to be jerks but it does mean that we do have to be direct I don't think that Daniel was a jerk here to the king that's not part of his character but he is pointing out it's because of your sin it's because of your transgression it's because of your idolatry it's because of your blasphemy it's because you refused to listen to your father and his stories now the hand of Almighty

God he wrote these words for everyone to see but no one could read it no one could interpret it and the second point about handling God's judgment is to share God's word we must share God's word we have to be in God's word we have to be memorizing God's word we have to be putting it in places that we see it aligning ourselves with God's word and Daniel he just stands up he reads God's word he tells what it says men amen tackle and numbered numbered wade divided and belshazzar died that night and just as the fool in Luke 12 was relaxing and storing up even more for his own pleasure belshazzar was boasting in his own security of being the greatest king in the greatest city in the ancient world it's impenetrable no one can get me but God has a way of resisting the proud and giving grace to the humble so what does all this mean for you and I firstly it means that we might be used by God in wonderful ways and he may not use you in notable ways for decades Daniel he lived in the wings of history as an exile of judah for at least 20 years and then the Lord gave him a platform again he was ready to step in secondly it also means that while we wait in the wings we wait in faithfulness we wait for the Lord if Daniel had just assimilated into the culture and you know was eating the food offered to idols and drinking the king's wine and you know doing all that kind of stuff even if he said well you know I'm old I don't really want to fight that battle anymore I've been down that road a dozen times I really don't want to go there we as 21st century Christians could

Probably relate to that but God's plan for you and I is to live for his glory until we take our last breath here on earth that's God's plan head hand heart head I want you to know that being salt and light sometimes means being unpopular example of Christ in the early church should prove that being a friend of God sometimes means being an enemy of the world not as a jerk but as someone that stands and says this is what God's word says so we stand upon God's word so be strong be salt and light I want you to take some opportunity we talked we talked a little bit about the wisdom of God today and I think that you know with august being having 31 days in it would be really prudent for some of us to read the book of proverbs there's one chapter a day just do one day a month throughout this month it's gonna be radically transforming to learn God's wisdom and heart I want you to believe that God he can quickly humble the proud Scripture it says it over and over God results he gives grace to the humble and so let us be watchful over our own hearts for pride because just as belshazzar went from being an assured and comfortable king he can take us from our secure places and he can humble us too so let's be careful not to trust in people or treasures or strong places but let us all trust in the Lord alone and so God we do thank you for this day we thank you that you have called us to be salt and light to our own babylon here in america and God we do pray that for us that we would go out and be ambassadors for the kingdom of God ambassadors for Christ reaching people

Teaching them to observe your commandments just as you've commanded us God Matthew 28 that we would fulfill the great commission we love you and we give you all the glory and all the praise and as we stand together let us worship you loudly that you would receive all the glory in Jesus name amen let's stand and let's worship together what gift of grace is Jesus my Redeemer there is no more for heaven now to give he is my joy righteousness and freedom my steadfast love my deep and boundless peace to this I hold my hope is only Jesus for my life is holy bound to him oh how strange and divine I can sing all these mine yet not I but through Christ in me 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 for in my need his power is displayed to this high hold my shepherd will defend me through the deep valley he will lead oh the night has been one and I shall overcome yet not I but through Christ in me [Music] no fate I dread I know I am forgiven the future sure the price it has been paid for Jesus bled and suffered for my part and he was raised to overthrow the grave to this high hold my sin has been defeated Jesus now and ever is my plea

Oh the chains are released I can sing I am free and not I but through Christ in me [Music] with every breath 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 man I see a lot of new faces out here this is awesome praise God all right before we leave here we're just going to pray and I would like to also just remind everybody that the benevolence fund over here is in this little church it goes to just helping with local needs so if you guys feel led right there in that church is where where you can donate if you don't know me my name is nick I know there's a lot of you that are new so if you need something come find me all right let's pray father we just come to you today Lord and we just ask that father you just continue to guide our hearts Lord allow this message that you sent to through cody today Lord to just to just open up our eyes and to open up our hearts and Lord father we just ask that you just

Give these people the courage to go out and make disciples this week in your son's name we pray amen