{"id":18389,"date":"2017-03-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-05T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/daniel-014-the-school-of-hard-knocks\/"},"modified":"2017-03-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-03-05T06:00:00","slug":"daniel-014-the-school-of-hard-knocks","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/daniel-014-the-school-of-hard-knocks\/","title":{"rendered":"Daniel 014: The School of Hard Knocks"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[72],"series_event":[467],"sermon_service_type":[472],"speaker":[6],"class_list":["post-18389","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-daniel","series_event-daniel","sermon_service_type-main-service","speaker-dr-andy-woods","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"Daniel 014: The School of Hard Knocks","sermon_date":"20170305","sermon_month":"3","sermon_year":"2017","sermon_notes":4439,"sermon_slides":4440,"sermon_mp3":4442,"sermon_id":"3517927510","series_or_event":467,"service_type":[472],"speaker":6,"books_of_the_bible":72,"chapter_and_verse":"4:34-37","sermon_transcript":"Andy Woods\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SUGAR LAND BIBLE CHURCH \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Lesson 14, The School of Hard Knocks, Daniel<\/a> 4:34-37, March 5 2017\n\nGood evening everybody.\u00a0 If we could take our Bibles and open them to the book of Daniel, chapter 4 and verse 34, trying to finish the chapter this morning. \u00a0The title of our message this morning is The School of Hard Knocks.\u00a0 I want to thank Gabe Morris for filling in last week; I trust you\u2019re enjoying his ongoing presentations of a very important issue, replacement theology.\u00a0 And as you\u2019re turning to Daniel 4 I want to talk about something you\u2019re never supposed to talk about in church; I want to talk about money.\u00a0 Everybody is saying oh no, we know what\u2019s coming!\u00a0 You might be pleasantly surprised.\u00a0 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, \u201cEach one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.\u201d\n\nThe basic ministry philosophy of this church is really not to make money the centerpiece.\u00a0 The reason for that is so many ministries talk about how much money they need.\u00a0 You kind of get the impression that the ministry is no longer a ministry that ministers to people, the ministry is people are there for the ministry, not the other way around.\u00a0 So we simply teach the Word of God, we don\u2019t even pass a collection plate in this church and we just trust the work of the Holy Spirit to touch God\u2019s people\u2019s hearts and they give as they\u2019ve been blessed.\n\nSo let me tell you what happened at Sugar Land Bible Church in the year 2016.\u00a0 We started with a deficit of $90,000 due to capital expenses, which would include the parking lot, playground, roof repair.\u00a0 Beyond that we had our normal operating expenses; beyond that in August I was laid off from my job at the College of Biblical Studies so this church picked me up full time.\u00a0 After that we increased Casey Cunningham\u2019s part-time status, part-time to full time.\u00a0 And then we brought on yet another staff member, Dr.\u00a0 Jim McGowan who is a full time associate pastor.\u00a0 And when you make moves like this you kind of have to step out in faith, like Lord You\u2019d better come through for us or we\u2019re in a lot of trouble\u2026\n\nAnd I just want to report to you, and if didn\u2019t say anything about it you would never know about this because it\u2019s in-house discussion amongst the elders and I said this is so great I just want the people to know what God is doing through them.\u00a0 Through 2016, with all of the changes and deficits and increase in staff every single financial need was met with a $4,000 surplus even above and beyond.\u00a0 [Clapping]\u00a0 And we did all this without even going into reserve income, everything was paid for.\u00a0 And the reason I wanted to tell you about this is because this is how the Lord used you; this is an actual example because you may come to this church saying how is the Lord going to use me?\u00a0 The Lord used this congregation mightily in the year 2016.\u00a0 And we trust the Lord He even wants to do more and money is not the issue but the reality is, we can do more (ministry wise) depending on how the Lord touches your hearts.\n\nWe don\u2019t give as Christians to get blessed; we give as Christians because we\u2019re blessed.\u00a0 We\u2019re not Baptists so we don\u2019t teach tithing (we teach tithing is found in the Old Testament Law), we teach the principles of grace giving.\u00a0 And so you just give as you\u2019ve been blessed by the Lord and we just trust the Lord to meet the needs of this church.\u00a0 And so I want to thank you and I want to praise God for how the Lord used you in 2016.\u00a0 So let\u2019s give an applause to the Lord,\u00a0 [clapping] and His work through His own people.\u00a0 And that\u2019s my speech on money.\u00a0 That was pretty painless, wasn\u2019t it?\u00a0 That was good news.\n\nLet\u2019s take our Bibles and go to the Book of Daniel, chapter 4, looking this morning at verses 34-37.\u00a0 It\u2019s talking about the school of hard knocks.\u00a0 Of course, as you know Daniel is a very special prophet of God.\u00a0 He was raised up by the Lord to explain a very difficult period of time that the nation of Israel was going through at the time of captivity, a time when they would be trampled down by various Gentile powers.\u00a0 And God wants His people to understand that through this dark and difficult time God is still very much in control.\n\nChapter 1, as we have studied, basically gives you the groundwork for the entire book.\u00a0 And then we move into chapters 2-7 and as I\u2019ve tried to explain these are chiastically structured.\u00a0 In other words, the information in chapter 2 is repeated in chapter 7; the information in chapter 3 is sort of restated in chapter 6; the information in chapter 4 you\u2019ll see that same theme in chapter 5. It\u2019s an interesting literary device called a chiasm.\n\nChapter 2, of course, was the revelation that Nebuchadnezzar received and Daniel interpreted concerning the specific nations that would trample down Israel during the times of the Gentiles, this difficult period that Israel was now in.\u00a0 Chapter 3 I like to call God\u2019s rescue operation where the angel of the Lord showed up at a time of greatest need in the lives of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and supernaturally rescued those three Hebrew youths.\u00a0 And then we moved into chapter 4 where God is specifically dealing with a Gentile pagan king.\u00a0 All the way through the background of chapters 1-4 you have to keep your eyes on this man, Nebuchadnezzar.\u00a0 Although he is a God-hater, although he is a Gentile, he is a soul for whom Christ died and God has been strategically at work in this man\u2019s life.\u00a0 And I believe that there\u2019s evidence, as I\u2019ll show you today, that this man ultimately came to saving faith in Yahweh.\u00a0 I believe that when we get to heaven we will see Nebuchadnezzar there as well because that\u2019s the nature of God; God loves people.\n\nAnd you might be here today thinking to yourself I\u2019m far away from God, and look at what I\u2019ve done in my life and look at all of this sin and look at all my rebellion against God and the reality of the situation is the same truth for Nebuchadnezzar is the same truth for you\u2014God loves you!\u00a0 God wants fellowship with you!\u00a0 God wants a relationship with you!\u00a0 Christ\u2019s death and resurrection that we celebrated this morning is for you as an individual.\u00a0 God desires that all people be saved and come to a knowledge of saving faith.\n\nDaniel, around this time, when he records the events of chapter 4, is probably in his late\u00a0 40\u2019s, early 50\u2019s; he is no longer a teenager.\u00a0 And here is sort of an outline of chapter 4 that we\u2019ve worked through.\u00a0 Verses 1-3 is an introduction and that\u2019s where we learned that Nebuchadnezzar himself wrote this chapter.\u00a0 It was the form of a proclamation and Daniel apparently was so impressed with this proclamation that he included it in his own book, the Book of Daniel, chapter 4.\u00a0 Nebuchad\u00adnezzar in this chapter describes a dream of a beautiful tree being chopped down and he sees a man in this dream being change, his mind was changed to that of a beast or an animal for seven years.\n\nAnd of course none of the \u201cwise men\u201d (I put that in quotation marks) in Babylon could interpret this dream and so consequently Nebuchadnezzar called upon the time and tested Daniel to interpret this dream, Daniel being given prophetic insights and gifts and understandings of how to interpret visions.\u00a0 And what Daniel reveals to Nebuchadnezzar is this tree being cut down is Nebuchadnezzar himself, and how Nebuchadnezzar is going to be changed into an insane person, a mind of a beast will be given to Nebuchad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00adnezzar for seven years.\u00a0 But at the end of those seven years Nebuchadnezzar is going to be restored to his position of authority over Babylon. And when God said something is going to happen, it\u2019s just a matter of time before it takes place, and that\u2019s where we have verses 28-37, really verse 33, where twelve months later, one year later all of these things happened to Nebuchadnezzar.\n\nWe saw last time we were together Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s insanity, verses 28-33.\u00a0 And as our chapter is winding down and concluding this morning insanity leads to humility in Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s life.\u00a0 He looks back on the divine hand of God in his life and he begins to exhibit a\u2026 shall we say change of attitude.\u00a0 And these were the things that Nebuchadnezzar learned through this incredible ordeal or trial that he went through.\n\nSo let\u2019s look at verses 34-37 today and learn about Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s humility.\u00a0 We have his humiliation described in verses 34-35 and then what follows is his restoration and that\u2019s described in verses 36 and 37.\u00a0 But notice if you will verse 34 of Daniel 4.\u00a0 It says, \u201cBy the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever;\u201d isn\u2019t it interesting that a person\u2019s reason returns to them when they turn back towards God?\u00a0 \u00a0We have been hoodwinked today into believing that the path to enlightenment is to cut yourself off from God, to cut yourself off from the moorings of the Bible and from Jesus Christ and His church.\u00a0 And we have all of our youth today sitting in classrooms where professors are telling them to discard what their parents told them if they want true enlightenment.\u00a0 And in reality the opposite is true; a person\u2019s mind only works correctly when that person is in right relationship with God.\n\nProverbs 1:7 says, \u201cThe fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.\u201d\u00a0 Knowledge begins as a person deposits themselves in the presence of the Lord and says to the Lord not my will be done in my life but Thy will be done.\u00a0 And it is astonishing how God begins to clear up confusion in a person\u2019s mind when they take that initial step towards God.\u00a0 But woe to the person who distances themselves from God.\u00a0 Psalm 14:1 says, \u201cThe fool has said in his heart there is no\u201d what? \u201cthere is not God.\u201d\n\nRomans 1:18-23 is a description of what happens to the mind when a person makes a decision to reject the revelation of God in creation.\u00a0 Romans 1:18 says, \u201cFor the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteous\u00adness, [19] because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. [20] For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. \u00a0[21] For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile\u201d where? \u201cin their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22] Professing to be wise, they became\u201d what? \u201cfools,\u201d Nebuchadnezzar became a fool, someone that was insane for a number of\u00a0 years because he decided to reject the revelation of God in his life and it\u2019s not just true with Nebuchadnezzar, it\u2019s true for the whole human race.\n\nYou know, Solomon, perhaps the wisest man that\u2019s ever lived other than Christ Himself, writes this in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 9 and verse 3, \u201cFurthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives.\u201d\u00a0 I look back on my own life and I look at the times that I made the most foolish decisions and those were times when I was furthest away from God.\u00a0 Do you want insight?\u00a0 Do you want acumen? Do you want understanding?\u00a0 Then get back with God; get in close proximity to God and you will see, your mind will become reasonable in a relationship with God.\n\nAnd this, of course, is the whole problem with the current trajectory of the United States of America.\u00a0 I\u2019ve used this chart many times, but you\u2019ll notice that that\u2019s a record of SAT scores and you\u2019ll notice that dark line when they begin to plummet?\u00a0 That\u2019s the year 1963.\u00a0 And you say well, what happened in 1963?\u00a0 Did the water get poisoned?\u00a0 Did\u00a0 a meteor hit the earth?\u00a0 That was the year the Supreme Court in its infinite wisdom (I say that sarcastically of course) threw out Bible reading and prayer out of the schools.\u00a0 If you want to come to the public school with an open Bible you are no longer welcome; teachers aren\u2019t welcome to teach from it.\u00a0 And you\u2019ll notice that what has happened since then is a decline in the reasonableness and understanding of the youth; it just took a huge fall and plummeted aggressively at that time.\u00a0 This is what Nebuchadnezzar experienced; he experienced insanity, he lived like an animal.\n\nAnd isn\u2019t it interesting today that the young people, what do we say about them?\u00a0 They\u2019re acting like animals. Well, what do we teach them?\u00a0 We teach them they are animals, don\u2019t we?\u00a0 Because after all, they emerged over billions of\u00a0 years from the goo to the zoo to you in what Darwin calls the theory of evolution; the idea that they are a special creation of God is removed from their minds.\u00a0 And then we\u2019re so shocked when they act like animals.\u00a0 Well why wouldn\u2019t they act like animals when we teach them that they are animals.\u00a0 Nebuchadnezzar acted and behaved like an animal because he was removed from God Himself.\u00a0 Reason came back to him when he turned towards God.\u00a0 You\u2019ll notice the order here, \u201cI got smart\u201d in other words, reason returned to me when I first \u201craised my eyes towards heaven.\u201d\u00a0 Are there things in your life that aren\u2019t working out?\u00a0 Is your life like a puzzle that can\u2019t be put together?\u00a0 It may be the problem is you need to turn your \u201ceyes towards heaven\u201d and watch the Lord begin to enlighten and illuminate.\n\nWhat did Nebuchadnezzar learn?\u00a0 You\u2019ll notice in the second half of verse 34 and verse 35 he begins to describe what I call very good theology.\u00a0 He talks here about the sovereignty of God, how God is in control.\u00a0 He says, \u201c\u2018For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures<\/em> from generation to generation.\u201d [35] All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among<\/em> the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, \u2018What have You done?\u2019\u201d\n\nWhat did Nebuchadnezzar \u00a0learn?\u00a0 He learned that he wasn\u2019t God.\u00a0 I know two things about the Bible: number 1, there is a God, and number 2, I\u2019m not God.\u00a0 God is the one that\u2019s in control.\u00a0 God is the one that\u2019s in charge.\u00a0 Nebuchadnezzar should have known this because of what Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar back in chapter 2, verses 37-38 where Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar,\u00a0 \u201cYou, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, \u2026 [38] He has given them<\/em> into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In other words Nebuchadnezzar, you are in the position that you\u2019re in because God put you there.\u00a0 You had very little to do with it; it was the sovereign hand of God that put you there.\u00a0 But how Nebuchadnezzar forgot that lesson in chapter 4, for he began to take credit for the great Neo-Babylonian Empire, the empire which existed over the known earth at this time.\u00a0 It says \u201cthe king reflected and said, \u2018Is this not Babylon the great which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?\u2019\u201d\n\nAnd Nebuchadnezzar began to act and behave in such a way that he felt that he was God, he was in charge.\u00a0 In fact, you might remember that when he threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego into the fiery furnace he says at the end of verse 15 of chapter 3, \u201cwhat god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?\u201d\u00a0 I\u2019m the boss, I\u2019m in charge.\u00a0 In fact, Nebuchadnezzar was so bold in his arrogance that he took these Hebrew\u00a0 youths and renamed them in Daniel 1:6-7, indicating that Nebuchadnezzar thought he had authority over these youths.\u00a0 [Daniel 1:6-7, \u201cNow among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. [7] Then the commander of the officials assigned new<\/em> names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name<\/em> Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach and to Azariah Abed-nego.\u201d]\n\nAnd Nebuchadnezzar did not experience a change of thinking until he himself went through the school of hard knocks.\u00a0 Suffering is one of the greatest tools and it\u2019s one of the greatest devices that God has at his disposal to awaken us to the fact that we are not in control like we so frequently think we are.\u00a0 The book of Jonah, chapter 2, verse 7 says this of Jonah: \u201cWhile I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple.\u201d\u00a0 You remember the story of Jonah: God told Jonah to preach to Nineveh in Assyria, which is in the east\u2014Jonah got on a boat and went west to Tarshish, which is modern day Spain.\u00a0 You could not get more directly out of the will of God than what Jonah did there.\u00a0 And Jonah, had God not intervened, interrupted his life, probably would have lived and died in rebellion against God.\u00a0 And we know the story of Jonah, how God got Jonah\u2019s attention by having him swallowed into a giant fish, an ordeal that was so intense I believe that Jonah almost died through that experience, some even argue that he did die.\u00a0 [Jonah 2:10, \u201cThen the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up onto the dry land.\u201d\u00a0 Jonah 3:1,] \u201cAnd he was vomited out onto dry land, and the Word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time,\u201d and now you see a more compliant prophet.\n\nYou take, for example, the Apostle Paul, who at one time was not Paul, he was Saul, not advocating Christianity, murdering Christians, and how the Lord appeared to him in a vision that was so strong that it literally knocked Paul off his horse and he went from Saul to Paul, from the great opponent of Christianity to its greatest friend and it\u2019s greatest advocate.\u00a0 I doubt that would have happened in Saul, who became Paul, had he not gone through a severe ordeal or a trial.\n\nAnd one of the things that we do when we go through trials and we have a tendency to get angry at God when in reality we ought to be asking in response, Lord, You put me in this ditch, in this valley, You\u2019re obviously trying to teach me something.\u00a0 These things are not happening by accident in my life; what are\u00a0 You trying to teach me?\u00a0 In other words, rather than trying to figure your way out of a problem, rather than becoming resentful of God for introducing the problem in your life maybe we should deposit ourselves before the Lord and say Lord, I\u2019m teachable.\u00a0 I don\u2019t understand why this happened or what it\u2019s about but there\u2019s obviously a teachable moment in here for me. Let me tell you something about suffering: suffering for the Christian always has a purpose in it.\u00a0 We don\u2019t believe in random pain, random suffering, accidental events.\u00a0 We believe that God strategically introduces suffering into the life of the Christian for purposes of education.\n\nPaul suffered from \u201ca thorn in the flesh.\u201d\u00a0 He pleaded three times that it be removed from him but the answer was no because there was something that Paul had to learn through that thorn in the flesh.\u00a0 He writes in 2 Corinthians 12:7, \u201cBecause of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me-- to keep me from exalting myself!\u201d\u00a0 These things, Paul says, happened for a reason; God was teaching me things through this affliction that He could teach me no other way.\n\nThe book of James, chapter 1, verses 2-4 begins to reveal the great purpose behind trials and difficulties in the life of the believer.\u00a0 It says, \u201cConsider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, [3] knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. [4] And let endurance have its<\/em> perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.\u201d\u00a0 James says \u201cknowing\u201d that these things have happened for a reason, for the testing of our faith.\n\nAnd I believe this, that trials will last as long as it takes for us to learn the lesson that God has for us.\u00a0 You\u2019ll notice in Daniel 4, verse 32, it says, \u201c\u2026seven periods of time will pass over you\u201d now watch this, \u201cuntil\u201d \u2026 \u201cuntil\u201d, in other words, there was a limit put on Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s ordeal, \u201cuntil you\u201d what? \u201cuntil you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.\u2019\u201d\u00a0 The trial is going to last until you recognize something.\u00a0 And we\u2019re always saying Lord, get me out of this and the Lord is saying to us maybe you should be teachable in the midst of it, because there\u2019s something God has for us in terms of educating us.\u00a0 And this is what Nebuchadnezzar was going through, this is a description (verses 34-35) of his humiliation.\n\nNow we move from verse 35 into verses 36 and 37 and here we learn of Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s restoration, notice if you will, Daniel 4:36, it says:\u00a0 \u201cAt that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; \u2026 surpassing greatness was added to me.\u201d\u00a0 After this season or ordeal had run its course what did God do with Nebuchadnezzar?\u00a0 He didn\u2019t demote him, he actually restored him and not only did He restore him to his place of authority, he actually gave him surpassing greatness.\u00a0 He gave him greatness that he had never encountered before prior to becoming an animal or an insane person for seven years.\n\nAnd actually, it\u2019s interesting that his own counselors began coming to him and asking his opinion on things?\u00a0 It\u2019s this the same guy that was crawling around in the yard a few months ago?\u00a0 And yet the restoration was so complete that even the counsellors and the so-called wise men of Babylon began approaching Nebuchadnezzar to help them figure out issues and problems\u2014the complete and total restoration of Nebuchadnezzar.\u00a0 This is the meaning of this tree that was chopped down.\u00a0 But then back in verse 15 we learn, \u201cYet leave the stump with its roots in the ground, but with a band of iron and bronze around it in the new grass of the field.\u201d\u00a0 The stump was never to be uprooted, speaking of the day when God would actually take Nebuchadnezzar and restore him to his place of glory and honor after this ordeal had been accomplished.\u00a0 Not only was he restored, he was given (it says there in verse 36) \u201csurpassing greatness,\u201d he received greatness beyond which he had experienced ever before.\n\nWhat do we see in a passage like this?\u00a0 We see the discipline of God.\u00a0 We see the judgment of God.\u00a0 We see the justice of God.\u00a0 But what do we also see here?\u00a0 The grace of God.\u00a0\u00a0 Paul, in the book of Ephesians, chapter 3, verses 18 and 19 prays that the Ephesians would grasp what?\u00a0 \u201cthe love of God for the saints.\u201d\u00a0 Paul prays this in Ephesians 3:18, \u201cmay be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.\u201d\u00a0 What is he praying for, for these Ephesian Christians and all the saints?\u00a0 To understand the full ramifications, the full dimensions, the full depth of the grace of God.\n\nYou know, it\u2019s easy to look at the Bible and see God\u2019s judgment but do you see God\u2019s grace?\u00a0 Do you see the fact that God\u2019s grace is bottomless!\u00a0 God\u2019s grace is eternal!\u00a0 And you run into so many people who say I don\u2019t think God could ever use my life because of my past; these are people that simply do not understand the depth and the grace and the riches of God.\u00a0 \u201cLook at what I\u2019ve done with my life,\u201d they say.\u00a0 Look at what Nebuchadnezzar did with his life.\u00a0 Look at what he became for seven years, and look at the complete and total restoration of this man, to such a degree that a man who was once insane is being sought out for counseling from other people.\n\nTake for example Matthew, the tax collector.\u00a0 Who was a tax collector in the first century world?\u00a0 Number 1, you were a traitor in your Jewish race because you were working for Rome, an occupier.\u00a0 And number 2, you were considered a thief because a tax collector could extract from the people money for Rome and anything else he wanted for himself.\u00a0 And so a tax collector in the first century world in the land of Israel is looked at as someone who is a low of the low, the scum of the earth, sort of like how we today would look at drug abusers, drug pushers, prostitutes, pornographers, abortionists, etc.\u00a0 That\u2019s what a tax collector was like in the first century world and look at what the Lord did for this man, Matthew?\u00a0 He forgave him.\u00a0 The whole chapter of Matthew 9 is about the unmerited forgiveness that came into the life of this man, Matthew.\u00a0 And look at who the Lord chose to write the opening book of the New Testament featuring the majesty of Jesus Christ?\u00a0 He chose Matthew to do it despite Matthew\u2019s background\u2026 the riches and the depth and the unlimited dimensions of the grace of God.\n\nWho would have ever thought that this man, Paul, would write thirteen New Testament letters, and go on three missionary journeys, and take the gospel all the way to Rome and to do more for the cause of Christ, other than Jesus Himself, than any human instrument that has ever lived.\u00a0 Who would have thought that the Lord would use Paul in this way, considering the fact that Paul was the one shedding the blood of Christians, in Acts 8 and other places.\n\nOne of the things you can never run out of in your life is the unlimited grace of God. \u00a0You should not disqualify yourself from service to God because of something that\u2019s happened in your past.\u00a0 That is the devil\u2019s tool to keep you neutralized; the Lord wants you to understand His grace and His love towards the saints, the height, the width, the length, the depth, Paul says I just pray that your eyes would be opened and you could see this.\u00a0 And we sure see this in Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s life, his restoration.\u00a0 That would be enough, but then he\u2019s restored even more, a surpassing restoration.\u00a0 And his mind. which was once insane, is now being used in a counseling role as people are seeking Him out.\u00a0 The Lord\u2019s going to do that for you if you let Him.\u00a0 The Lord\u2019s going to do that for all of us if we don\u2019t disqualify ourselves on the grounds that we don\u2019t understand the grace of God.\n\nYou\u2019ll look there at verse 37, the closing verse in the chapter, it says, \u201cNow I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.\u201d\u00a0 What happened to this man, Nebuchadnezzar, that took credit for Babylon back in Daniel 4:30?\u00a0 [Daniel 4:30, \u201cThe king reflected and said, \u2018Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?\u201d\u2019]\u00a0 He became one of the greatest glorifiers of God, perhaps in all of human history.\u00a0 Look at the words that he chooses here: praise, exalt, honor!\u00a0 He discovered through all of this the purpose of his life.\n\nHave you ever asked yourself this question?\u00a0 Lord, why am I here?\u00a0 What is the signifi\u00adcance, what is the purpose of my life?\u00a0 I\u2019ll sum it up to you very simply: the purpose of your life is to glorify God.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you exist.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you were born.\u00a0 That\u2019s why you were conceived.\u00a0 God had in mind a purpose for your life that He would somehow use us all in different ways, somehow radiate glory to God in a special way, in a unique way.\u00a0 How He uses me may be different than how He uses you and how He uses the person sitting next to you.\u00a0 But everything must be subsumed under the overarching purpose of life, which is to glorify God.\u00a0 That\u2019s how God wants to work in your life strategically.\n\nPaul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:31, \u201cWhether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of\u201d who? \u201cGod.\u201d\u00a0 You know, a lot of times we put ourselves under rules, should I see this movie, should I not see this movie.\u00a0 Should I go to this church or should I go to that church?\u00a0 Should I have this conversation or should I have that conversation?\u00a0 Should I work at this business establishment over here or this one over there.\u00a0 The fact of the matter is the Bible is not going to give you a bunch of rules.\u00a0 It\u2019s going to simply ask you a basic question: is your decision glorifying God, because that will inform \u00a0you concerning the choices that you\u2019re making.\u00a0 If your ultimate purpose is to glorify God you just ask yourself a very simple question: in all of life\u2019s journeys-- is what I\u2019m doing here glorifying to God or not?\u00a0 And I think the church of Jesus Christ would be a different place if we all ask ourselves that same question every single day of our lives.\n\nI love how the Westminster Confession puts this.\u00a0 It\u2019s set up as a set of questions and answers and it says this: Question 1, what is the chief end of man?\u00a0 In other words, when you cut through all the minutia and try to figure out why does humanity exist what\u2019s man\u2019s purpose?\u00a0 And the Westminster Confession so simply puts it this way: \u201cMan\u2019s chief end,\u201d in other words his ultimate purpose is \u201cto glorify God and enjoy Him forever.\u201d\u00a0 Why do you exist?\u00a0 Why do I exist?\u00a0 \u201cto glorify God and enjoy Him forever.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 And if that\u2019s what God wants to do then that\u2019s starts to control how I think and the choices that I make.\n\nFor example, David got upset with Goliath. \u00a0Did you know that?\u00a0 You read about that in the Bible.\u00a0 1 Samuel 17:26, David, as you know from the Bible, won a great victory over Goliath.\u00a0 But if you ask yourself why is it that David made a decision to go out to war and to actually fight with Goliath. \u00a01 Samuel 17:26 says this: \u2018Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, \u2018What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?\u2019\u201d\n\nDavid, very young in his life said this uncircumcised Philistine, Goliath, is an encumbrance to the glory of God.\u00a0 He is subtracting, he is detracting from the glory of God, and I, as one of God\u2019s people, I\u2019m going to do something about it.\u00a0 David understood that his purpose was to attract glory to God.\u00a0 Maybe you\u2019re facing a big decision, should I do this ministry, should I not do this ministry?\u00a0 Should I talk to this person or not talk to this person, and we\u2019re always looking for God to give us some kind of extra instructions.\u00a0 The reality is you ask yourself is this going \u00a0to glorify God?\u00a0 Is this going to fulfill my doxological purpose or not?\u00a0 This is what Nebuchad\u00adnezzar began to understand.\u00a0 And what you have to understand is that God has been faithfully working in Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s life for four chapters to get him to this specific point.\n\nNebuchadnezzar speaks some truth back in Daniel chapter 2 and verse 47, he calls God a revealer of mysteries.\u00a0 [Daniel 2:47, \u201cThe king answered Daniel and said, Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.\u2019\u201d]\u00a0 He speaks some truth in Daniel 3:28-29 where he praises God for rescuing these three Hebrew youths.\u00a0\u00a0 [Daniel 3:28-29, \u201cNebuchadnezzar responded and said, \u2018Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king\u2019s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. [29] Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.\u2019\u201d]\n\nAnd finally, God has got Nebuchadnezzar to a point where he begins to understand his purpose in life is to glorify God.\u00a0 And I want you to see that this was not an easy journey that this man was on; this took multiple decades.\u00a0 And I bring this up because so many times we think of ourselves as a failure when the Lord opens the door for evangelism and we don\u2019t have an immediate conversion.\u00a0 What did I do wrong?\u00a0 What did I say wrong?\u00a0 The fact of the matter is God many times is not working with people instantaneously and immediately; it\u2019s seed planting.\n\n1 Corinthians 3:6 says, \u201cI planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.\u201d\u00a0 Paul says I did my thing, Apollos did his thing and God used the efforts of both men to produce a harvest.\u00a0 Maybe your harvest or your contribution to the harvest is just to plant a seed.\u00a0 Even on the plane ride back from the State of Washington last week I had the opportunity to get into a conversation, I saw the man crossing himself as the plane took off and the Holy Spirit told me that\u2019s your clue, and so I just asked him a basic question.\u00a0 I said oh, are you Catholic?\u00a0 And that opened up a whole spiritual conversation which went on for about two hours.\u00a0 Now in the course of that two hour conversation I did not have an immediate conversion of an individual but I\u2019ll tell you this much, I got the gospel in.\u00a0 How much he grasped, how much he understood I really don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I have a tendency to think from the human response that not a lot was\u00a0 comprehended but I made an effort. \u00a0And then leaving that situation\u00a0 you sort of look at yourself and you say well, what did I do wrong?\u00a0 What could I have said differently?\u00a0 And the Lord impressed upon my heart you did everything right; all I called you to do was to plant the seed in this man\u2019s life.\u00a0 And now what I want you to do is I want you to start praying for him, that God is going to bring others into his life to water this seed.\u00a0 And who knows what the Lord will do with that effort, human effort on my part, because I took a step out and saw a soul in need and shared something from the Word of God with him.\n\nMaybe God is God is calling you to do that same thing.\u00a0 Maybe there\u2019s someone in your life and the Lord is encouraging you, just plant the seed, get the gospel in, speak truth.\u00a0 Yeah, he may ridicule you, call you a member of the flat earth society, but so what?\u00a0 If he receives that seed and doesn\u2019t go into an eternal hell isn\u2019t it worth it to have a little bit of temporary rejection?\u00a0 And I think a lot of times with our witnessing we\u2019re more concerned about ourselves than we are about people. We\u2019re more concerned about their reaction to us rather than being concerned that this is a soul for whom Christ died and if they die in this state they will go into a Christ-less eternity.\u00a0 Maybe we ought to think about that rather than how our feelings might be hurt in some minor way if this person rejects our message.\n\nGod has been working with Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s heart over these chapters and He\u2019s gotten him to a point where he understands his doxological purpose.\u00a0 I have very little doubt in my mind that Nebuchadnezzar is saved at this point.\u00a0 It\u2019s difficult for me to understand how Nebuchadnezzar could be describing God with the titles that he uses and the names that he uses and the theological sophistication that he has if he did not come into a saving relationship.\u00a0 The praise and the titles to me are a giveaway that God worked in this man so strategically that Yahweh became not just something on a page academically but personal to him.\u00a0 And that\u2019s what Christianity is all about, isn\u2019t it?\u00a0 It\u2019s not about just learning some objective truth; it\u2019s about a personal walk,\u00a0 personal relationship with God, a God who personally reveals Himself to the lowest of the low, the lowest of sinners.\n\nLook at how Nebuchadnezzar describes God here, he calls Him \u201cJust\u201d and \u201cTrue.\u201d\u00a0 He says, \u201call his works are true and all his ways are just,\u201d that reminds me an awful lot of how Jesus is described when He comes back to planet earth.\u00a0 In Revelation 19:11 it says, \u201cI saw heaven opened and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.\u201d\u00a0 What is God at the end of the day?\u00a0 He is \u201cTrue\u201d and He is \u201cJust.\u201d\u00a0 That\u2019s why we, as His people must be true and just in our dealings or else we misrepresent God.\n\nJohn 14:6, \u201cJesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth,\u201d not a truth, \u201cthe truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.\u201d\u00a0 Let me ask you a question: are you a person of truth in your dealings with other people?\u00a0 If you\u2019re not then you\u2019re misrepresenting the God whom you claim to serve. \u00a0Proverbs 11:1 says, \u201cA false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.\u201d\u00a0 Are you dealing, in your business relationships with integrity and truth or have you subscribed to the idea of the minor lie, or the white lie?\n\nMatthew 5:33-37 puts it this way: \u201cAgain, you have heard that the ancients were told, \u2018YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.\u2019 [34] But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, [35] or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. \u00a0[36] Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. [37] But let your statement be, \u2018Yes, yes\u2019 or<\/em> \u2018No, no\u2019; anything beyond these is of evil.\u201d\n\nJesus is confronting the deceptive practices of first century Jews who would say I swear I\u2019ll do this by what?\u00a0 By Jerusalem itself; by the throne of David itself, by heaven itself.\u00a0 It\u2019s like someone who says I swear on my mother\u2019s grave I\u2019ll do this.\u00a0 And Jesus is saying that our words should be so true, they should be so credible, they should be so trustworthy that we don\u2019t have to swear by something greater than ourselves, like \u201cmy mother\u2019s grave,\u201d to get people to believe us.\u00a0 What comes out of our mouth ought to be accurate; it ought to be true.\u00a0 We ought to be people of dependability, reliability; if we are anything below that we are misrepresenting the God that we claim we serve because His ways, all His ways are just and true.\n\nAnd let me tell you something else; there\u2019s coming upon this earth a kingdom of God, that\u2019s the \u201cstone cut without human hands\u201d that Daniel saw, a kingdom of God which will be manifested on the earth and in that kingdom there will be complete and accurate truth and righteousness and justice.\u00a0 Isaiah 2:4 says, \u201cAnd He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 And as we become people of truth and justice and righteousness today we are simply preparing our lives and our minds for the type of kingdom authority that we will wield one day.\n\nAnd notice what else Nebuchadnezzar says here, \u201cHe\u201d that is God, \u201cis able to humble those who walk in pride.\u201d\u00a0 [Daniel 4:37b]\u00a0 Would you not say that that\u2019s a dominant theme of the Bible?\u00a0 If someone is lifted up in pride God knows how to deflate the ego; He typically does it through human suffering.\u00a0 We see that in the fall of Satan.\u00a0 We see that in Uzziah who was turned into a leper for the rest of his life because of a prideful action in 2 Chronicles 26.\u00a0 We see God dealing aggressively with Herod Agrippa, who was struck dead by an angel of the Lord and his body was consumed with worms.\u00a0 We see God even dealing with His own people this way.\n\nGod knew what Paul would become in terms of egotism if his revelations were not counterbalanced with suffering and so God knew how to provide the right combination in Paul\u2019s life, revelation but enough suffering so the revelations wouldn\u2019t go to his head and he wouldn\u2019t become egotistical and he wouldn\u2019t think that somehow he was doing God a favor.\u00a0 You know, a lot of us God has so blessed us we get this idea that well God, You\u2019re sure lucky to have me and how did You get along for all these eons of eternity before I came along?\u00a0 And we forget that God could speak if He wanted to through a rock.\u00a0 That\u2019s why Jesus said even the stones cry out.\u00a0 Don\u2019t get too lofty of yourself, God even through spoke through a donkey in the book of Numbers.\n\nBut sometimes we need a wake up call, a reminder, because God is able to abase those who walk in pride.\u00a0 1 Peter 5:5 puts it this way: \u201cYou younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.\u201d\u00a0 Do you want to be in opposition to God?\u00a0 The be arrogant, like Nebuchadnezzar was?\u00a0 Do you want the grace of God?\u00a0 Then walk in humility and dependence upon God.\n\nWhat would, this entire chapter, what would it teach the exiles?\u00a0 It would teach them that yes, they are being trampled down by various Gentile powers but guess what?\u00a0 God has not lost control of this universe.\u00a0 He just took the greatest pagan power of that day, this man Nebuchadnezzar, and he humbled himself for seven years.\u00a0 These powers that are trampling you down, be encouraged, they are just petty putty, play-dough if you will, in the hands of an all-powerful God.\u00a0 Maybe at your work place you\u2019re in conflict with somebody that\u2019s in authority over you, they\u2019re treating you unfairly.\u00a0 God wants you to remember that that person is over you because God put them there and God can remove them in a second. \u00a0Don\u2019t get this idea that somehow because you\u2019re going through struggles that God has lost control of this universe.\u00a0 Everything is within His sovereign control!\u00a0 This is the theology that Nebuchadnezzar is teaching.\n\nNow watch this very carefully; if God can restore a Gentile pagan king to his throne after seven years then how much more is He going to restore the covenant people of the nation of Israel?\u00a0 The Jews being torn out of their land would think God has forgotten His promises.\u00a0 Wait a minute now, God just took a man and turned him into an insane person for seven years and brought him back to his own thrown.\u00a0 What do you think He\u2019s going to do for you, the covenant people who have the covenants of God?\u00a0 And what a reminder this would be to them.\n\nAnd God\u2019s dealings with Nebuchadnezzar therefore become a prototype, if you will, a prefigure\u00adment if you will, for His dealings with the nation of Israel.\u00a0 What just happened here in chapter 4? Nebuchadnezzar was a man of pride and he went through a tribulation for seven years and through that time of seven year tribulation he came to his senses and he was restored back to his original position of glory.\n\nThat becomes a blueprint for the nation of Israel because you see, what we\u2019re going to be getting to eventually, assuming the Lord doesn\u2019t come\u00a0 back first, is Daniel 9 where we\u2019re going to be getting information about Daniel 9:27, the seventieth week of the seventy weeks prophecy which is going to outline a seven year tribulation.\u00a0 In fact, John, in the book of Revelation is adding detail to that seven year period of time.\u00a0 It\u2019s a time period not for the church; it\u2019s a time period for the nation of Israel and through that seven year tribulation period, the exact same time of Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s sufferings, Israel will come to her senses, recognize that their Messiah is none other than Jesus Christ and she will be restored to her full promises and covenantal glory.\u00a0 So Israel, God has not lost sight of you; He has not lost sight of His people.\u00a0 He has not forgotten His promises, He is in the business of restoration after a period of seven years.\n\nPerhaps you\u2019re here today and you have never trusted Christ personally.\u00a0 You say this is all interesting information, I want to know about the God that made me; I want to walk in fellowship with Him.\u00a0 And this why at this church we like to conclude all of our services with an invitation to come to know Christ.\u00a0 It\u2019s not enough simply to know about Christ, you have to come to know Him personally and the only way to come to know Him personally is to fulfill the condition that He has given.\u00a0 That condition is faith alone.\u00a0 Faith is another way of saying reliance, it\u2019s another way of saying dependence upon, it\u2019s another way of saying confidence in.\n\nIn other words, as the Holy Spirit places a person under conviction they reach a point in their life where they say you know what, I\u2019m going to trust in God\u2019s promises, I\u2019m going to trust in the promises of the gospel.\u00a0 The gospel is what we partook of this morning, in remembrance of it; we made reference to the death of Jesus Christ for our sins.\u00a0 We made reference to His resurrection from the grave to show His conquest over death and the grave.\n\nJesus is the real deal; He is who He claimed He is and He leaves humanity with a basic requirement that\u2019s necessary to enter into a relationship with Him and that\u2019s to trust in Him.\u00a0 You\u2019re no longer trusting in self, you\u2019re no longer trusting in your religiosity, you\u2019re not longer trusting in your good deeds but you\u2019re trusting in what Jesus Christ has done for you period.\u00a0 You\u2019re no longer even trusting in the words of man.\u00a0 You\u2019re trusting in the revelation of Jesus Christ and what He has done for you.\u00a0 Your confidence shifts away from other things directly into the promises of Christ who has promised I\u2019ll never leave you nor forsake you.\u00a0 He promised to give you eternal life; He promised you spiritual birth.\u00a0 He promised you the hope of heaven and glory one day.\u00a0 All of it is yours for the taking, it\u2019s just a matter of fulfilling the condition which is faith alone.\n\nNo doubt the Holy Spirit is placing some of you under conviction and you can respond right now the best you know how in the quietness of your own heart; it\u2019s a matter of privacy between you and the Lord.\u00a0 It\u2019s not necessary for you to raise a hand, it\u2019s not necessary for you to fill out a card.\u00a0 It\u2019s not necessary for you to obligate yourself to join a church.\u00a0 It\u2019s not necessary for you to put money in the offering.\u00a0 The only thing that\u2019s necessary is a heart that responds to the promises of Jesus Christ by trusting Him and Him alone.\u00a0 It\u2019s something you can do right now even as I am speaking, in the privacy of your own mind, thoughts and heart as you\u2019re before the Lord this morning.\u00a0 If it\u2019s something you have done or are not doing then on the authority of the Word of God you\u2019ve altered your eternal destiny.\u00a0 If it\u2019s something you want more information on I\u2019m available after the service to talk. Shall we pray.\n\nFather, we\u2019re grateful for this ancient record of this man, Nebuchadnezzar, that you loved enough to annoy and interfere with his life. \u00a0We\u2019re so grateful for Your grace and we\u2019re grateful, as we learn more next week, moving into chapter 5, how You chose once again to reveal Yourself to yet another Gentile king, a man named Belshazzar.\u00a0 We thank You, Lord, for the insight that we\u2019re gleaning from these chapters as we depend upon the Holy Spirit for illumination and guidance.\u00a0 We ask all these things in Jesus\u2019 name, and God\u2019s people said\u2026 Amen.","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t