1 00:00:07,950 --> 00:00:10,790 Mercy awaits us. God is a God of mercy. 2 00:00:10,790 --> 00:00:14,430 Let's open our Bibles to Daniel chapter 4 as we continue our 3 00:00:14,430 --> 00:00:20,510 series on how to live as believers in a fallen world. 4 00:00:20,510 --> 00:00:24,790 Daniel chapter 4, one of the great passages in the Bible. 5 00:00:24,790 --> 00:00:31,760 One of my favourite chapters, the prophet Micah says, you 6 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,720 know, often we go, well, what is God's will for my life? 7 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:37,160 And let me tell you, it's pretty. 8 00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:39,120 It's pretty simple. It's in the Bible. 9 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:41,520 You don't have to go searching for it. 10 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,640 It's actually in black and white. 11 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:47,040 It's in the word of God, in the book of Micah, it says he has 12 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,680 shown your man what is good. This is what you have to do. 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:58,680 What does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love 14 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:03,440 mercy and to walk humbly with your God? 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:05,680 There you are. That's God's will for your life. 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:07,520 You don't have to go looking for it anymore. 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:12,120 It's there. But there's something that 18 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,320 happens to all of us at different times, particularly us 19 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:17,240 in Australia. We're very proud people. 20 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:20,040 We say that. Well, yeah, we're strange. 21 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:23,320 We're proud. But there's pride and there's 22 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:28,480 pride and there's pride. The book of Samuel, Samuel the 23 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:34,040 prophet said, speaking on behalf of the Lord, You will save the 24 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,800 humble people, but your eyes are on the haughty. 25 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:45,280 God watches the proud people, He resists proud people that you 26 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,520 may bring them down. That's God's job. 27 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:55,280 God hunts down proud people. And Ecclesiastes 7 verse 8, King 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,400 Solomon said the end of thing is better than its beginning. 29 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:03,040 The patient and spirit is better than the proud and spirit. 30 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:06,040 We live in a world that empowers you. 31 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,120 Come on, go out and get it. You know, do this, you know, put 32 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,360 yourself ahead, you know, and all this sort of stuff and you 33 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,000 know, say who you are and, you know, be positive and all that. 34 00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:22,880 And it has infiltrated the church because the Bible is 35 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,920 completely against that sort of way of life where it says we're 36 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:31,840 to be humble, we're to be looking after one another, We're 37 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:37,160 to put ourselves up down and put others in before us. 38 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,240 How many times in Scripture do we read of God humbling someone 39 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,320 who has allowed themselves to become puffed up with their own 40 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,680 importance, their own self worth? 41 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:52,040 We can think of Samson thinking of going into the book of Judges 42 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,040 after Daniel. Don't know yet, but we think of 43 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,960 Samson and Judges chapter 16. You know the story of Samson, 44 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:03,480 the mighty man, the mighty judge that God raised up powerful guy 45 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,080 and he fell for this lady Delilah and she was nothing. 46 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,000 He was a womaniser. The problem with Samson was with 47 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:15,400 was women. And anyway, you know, after all 48 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,120 the times he told her about this is where the strength of my hair 49 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:21,120 goes and where it comes from. And then finally he did tell the 50 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,880 truth in my hair. And eventually she cut his hair 51 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:28,120 and then she said, as previous times, Samson, Samson, the 52 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,640 Philistines are upon you. And so he awoke from his sleep 53 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:34,120 and it's one of the saddest verses in the Bible. 54 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,600 Judges chapter 16, verse 20. And Samson said to himself, 55 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,080 well, I'll go out as before, as other times I'll shake myself 56 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:44,840 free. But he did not know that the 57 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,120 Lord had departed from him. Imagine waking up. 58 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:55,480 God's gone. Then of course there's Peter. 59 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:57,840 We love Peter because we're all like Peter. 60 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:07,560 Matthew 2635, Peter said to Jesus even and I even if I have 61 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:17,120 to die with you, I'll never deny you Jesus Peter, you will three 62 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:22,160 times. As a matter of fact, one of the 63 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:27,000 greatest things that God must break, and I know because I have 64 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:33,320 it in the Australian culture before God can truly use us in 65 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:38,640 his Kingdom is our massive pride because we say how you going? 66 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,680 No worries, I'm good. We've seen it even in our 67 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,440 advertising. Remember the guys bogged and two 68 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,960 guys and other utes come up and he's in the bog. 69 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:52,920 And you, you need help, mate? No, just parking. 70 00:04:54,280 --> 00:04:55,480 Just parking. No, I'm good. 71 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,360 That's us. That's classic ass. 72 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,840 I do that be broken down on the side of the road. 73 00:05:01,840 --> 00:05:04,120 No spanners, no spares. You you got? 74 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:05,680 Yeah, I'm good, mate. Now she's right. 75 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,360 I'm too proud to ask for someone to help me. 76 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,480 We so often refuse help when we need it. 77 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:20,480 Now I'm going to sort it. We would rather struggle than 78 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,600 accept that we need assistance. Yeah, I did it myself. 79 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,480 Proverbs Chapter 11 verse 2 says when pride comes, then comes 80 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:33,280 shame. But with the humble is wisdom. 81 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,320 Proverbs 1618. Pride goes before destruction 82 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,200 and a haughty spirit before a fall. 83 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,160 Peter would say later in his letter. 84 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:48,040 One Peter 5 verse 5. Likewise, you younger people, 85 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:51,120 submit yourself to your elders. Yes, all of you. 86 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:55,960 Be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility. 87 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:01,880 Be a humble person. God resists the proud but gives 88 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,640 grace to the humble. In other words, it's God. 89 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,040 When you're a proud person, you're going to all do things my 90 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,400 way. You flail your arms, I'm going 91 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:14,960 to do this. I'm going to do lead my family. 92 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:16,600 I'm going to be this and be that. 93 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:21,840 And God's put his hand upon your head and you'll, you ain't going 94 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:23,520 anywhere. I'm against you. 95 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:28,080 God's against you when you're proud. 96 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,320 I want to ask you a question and we'll get into Daniel. 97 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,760 Who holds the reins in your life this morning? 98 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,000 What do you mean reins? Reins, You know, horses, Who's 99 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,280 steering the ship? Who's got his hand on the the 100 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:47,360 till, the till of the rudder? When push comes to shove, who's 101 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:52,120 the king in your Kingdom? When it happens, who's the king 102 00:06:52,120 --> 00:06:55,240 in your Kingdom? In other words, are you the 103 00:06:55,240 --> 00:07:01,320 decision maker in your life, that of your family, are you the 104 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,600 one that is confident in yourself that you have all 105 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,360 things covered? Don't worry, I'll sort it out. 106 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:13,080 Or have you come to a place of reckoning, a place in your life, 107 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:19,080 usually after we have a great fall, A place in your life that 108 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,320 you don't trust yourself anymore. 109 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:23,640 You know why? Because you've hurt your wife, 110 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:27,480 you've hurt your kids, you've hurt your finances, you've hurt 111 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,680 yourself. And you go, I don't want to do 112 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:34,760 that again. You come to realise you don't 113 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:40,960 have all the answers, that you now realise you are flawed, that 114 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,480 you just don't know what to do most of the time. 115 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:48,040 And you now lean on God for every matter, every turn, every 116 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,920 battle. How to be a father, how to be a 117 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:54,000 mother. You know that as a husband you 118 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:58,000 need help. As a wife you aren't superwoman 119 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,080 and you've waved the flag of surrender. 120 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:05,880 Finally, as you know I'm involved with the AFL, have been 121 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:12,080 for 25 plus years now and I like researching AFL. 122 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:16,560 It's they say the games got faster now and a physicist has 123 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:22,640 calculated that when 100K AFL footballer running at full speed 124 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,560 collides with another 100K footballer travelling at full 125 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:34,520 speed, the resultant kinetic energy is enough to move 29,359 126 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:41,400 kilos, 3 metres. Think of that we would call that 127 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:45,960 physical impact. That would be a hit with a blow 128 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:51,120 approaching 1000 GS. That is 1000 times the force of 129 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:53,880 gravity. If you compare that with an 130 00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:58,440 astronaut who when they take off experience approximately 10, 10 131 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:05,880 GSA pilot normally blacks out at about 20 GS, then AFL football 132 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,920 is quite violent. That's a physical impact. 133 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:11,920 But what about a spiritual impact? 134 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:16,760 What happens when a force greater than any of these 135 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:20,560 collides with your life? That is your soul, who you 136 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:24,000 really are. We would call this truly deep 137 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,600 impact. This is exactly what one man 138 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:31,840 experienced and he tells his story here, a Gentile king. 139 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:37,640 He gives his personal testimony of how God hid him with such 140 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:42,840 force that he was knocked from the Kingdom of humanity of 141 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:49,280 mankind into the animal Kingdom. Why would God do such a thing to 142 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:53,080 a man? Well, let's hear from the man 143 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:56,120 himself, King Nebuchadnezzar tell you in his own words. 144 00:09:56,640 --> 00:09:59,520 Verses one to three, we'll see words of wonderment. 145 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:07,040 Verses 4 to 28 we'll hear words of warning, and verses 29 to 31 146 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:12,600 we'll hear words of woe. And then verses 34 to 37 we'll 147 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:17,040 hear words of a worshipper. So verse one of Daniel 4 148 00:10:17,040 --> 00:10:21,440 Nebuchadnezzar the king to all peoples, nations, and languages 149 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:25,400 that dwell in all the earth. Peace be multiplied to you. 150 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,960 I thought it good to declare you the signs and wonders that the 151 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:34,680 Most high God has worked for me. He's going to name 4 things. 152 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,240 Four point sermon here in this very first few verses. 153 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,280 How great are his signs, the God of Israel? 154 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:46,800 How mighty are his wonders too? His Kingdom. 155 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:50,160 He's going to say His Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom. 156 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:56,000 He's in the prophecy now, and his dominion .4 is from 157 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,200 generation to generation. In other words, it doesn't 158 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:03,360 matter who comes and who goes. God, it is going to rule over 159 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:08,200 every coming generation. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted all 160 00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:11,560 the world to know what God had done to his soul. 161 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,600 It was his testimony he was a new convert. 162 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:19,720 He became a great witness to both the Jews who were held in 163 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:25,080 captivity in Babylon and to the rest of the Gentile world. 164 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:28,520 He was the most powerful dictator man in the world. 165 00:11:28,880 --> 00:11:33,200 He was the king of Babylon. It has been said that if you are 166 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:38,120 no witness, it is doubtful that you have experienced the 167 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,840 conversation. In other words, if your family, 168 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,640 your friends, your people, in your sporting team, in your 169 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,120 class, if no one knows that you're a Christian, it is very 170 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,720 doubtful if you really have been given your life to Christ. 171 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,320 In in the book of Acts chapter one, verse 8, Jesus said these 172 00:11:55,320 --> 00:12:01,480 things to the church. But you shall receive power when 173 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,840 the Holy Spirit has come upon you. 174 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,920 Why? So I can do hand stands and run 175 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:08,840 around the church and act stupid. 176 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:16,040 No, that you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea, 177 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,640 Samaria, and until the end of the earth. 178 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:22,240 In other words, you can tell everyone wherever you go about 179 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,400 who Jesus Christ is and what he's done to your life and how 180 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:29,400 he's changed you. That's why the Holy Spirit was 181 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,120 given to you. Nebuchadnezzar wanted everyone 182 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:33,480 to know what had happened to him. 183 00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:37,560 This is true of every person who truly gets saved. 184 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:41,840 You have to tell people you want to tell people. 185 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,880 Helen and I, we got saved on a Tuesday and we that coming 186 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:51,120 weekend before we went to church on Sunday, we went out Saturday 187 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:56,000 and visited all our family and we told every one of them, all 188 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,800 my brothers, all Helen's side of the family as well. 189 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,640 Guess what's happened? We received Christ, We became 190 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,440 born again on Tuesday evening. We want to tell you it's the 191 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:06,280 greatest thing that ever happened to us. 192 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:10,000 You know what they said? That's nice, good for you. 193 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,560 It's good that you got yourself involved in something. 194 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,920 But we had to tell them. No one told us to. 195 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,480 We just, we're off. Guess what? 196 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:26,560 And we told everyone, you've got to tell everyone, like the woman 197 00:13:26,560 --> 00:13:29,720 at the well, when Jesus spoke to her and he changed her life 198 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:32,480 there and then she ran into town to everybody. 199 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:34,200 You got to come and listen to this guy. 200 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:39,240 He's the Messiah. You see, that's what a Christian 201 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,320 does. When they become born again, 202 00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,800 they have to tell everyone, you can't not say I'm not a 203 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:47,080 Christian. You have to tell them, you know, 204 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:48,520 I'm a believer. You know, I believe in God. 205 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:50,680 Did I tell you that I'm a Christian? 206 00:13:52,200 --> 00:14:00,040 There are no secret Christians. Whoop. 207 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:01,560 Someone might see me going to church. 208 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:03,000 Turn the other way. Wait for a bit. 209 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:04,320 They've gone now. I'll go. 210 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:12,280 What of your salvation? Do you have a witness to tell of 211 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,160 the wonder of what God has done in your life? 212 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:15,880 Every believer does. You know why? 213 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:19,560 Because he saved you. A Wretch like me. 214 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,200 He saved you. He's changed you. 215 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,680 You're no longer going to die and go to hell. 216 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,520 Now you are born again. You have life, you have hope. 217 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:31,960 You know what's going to happen. You can read the Bible, you can 218 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,040 understand it. God speaks to you. 219 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:36,560 Almighty God who created heaven and earth. 220 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:39,160 We had a little baby I saw this morning. 221 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:41,640 You want to know about miracles? Just going to have a look at 222 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,760 that little baby. A little baby Mariah. 223 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:49,800 God created that child. There was no child and now there 224 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:53,760 is a child. God is the giver, creator of 225 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,080 life. And you know what Jesus says? 226 00:14:56,080 --> 00:15:02,120 I have come to give you life. Not church, not religion, but 227 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,560 life more abundantly. If you come in here and sit here 228 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,280 like it's a funeral, then you got the wrong deal, 229 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:17,680 Nebuchadnezzar said. Peace be multiplied. 230 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:22,200 He said, hey everybody listen up and he's going to tell them. 231 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:25,840 I, I not a great story about himself. 232 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:27,560 You matter of fact, you kind of like something. 233 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,760 Well, don't tell everyone what happened to me that I was insane 234 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,600 for a period of time. No, that's hush, hush. 235 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,160 He recognised that there were many in the Empire who are not 236 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:40,760 at peace with God and he longed in his heart that they might 237 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:42,360 have peace, which he experienced. 238 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:47,240 So we see the words of warning. Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my 239 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:52,480 house and flourishing. I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in 240 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,040 my house and flourishing. Now I want to stop there. 241 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,160 Guess what? That word flourishing. 242 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:01,520 And I only learnt that this time in my study of Daniel means to 243 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:06,960 be green. It's when you describe a plant 244 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:12,080 and it's and it's flourishing with lots of extra green leaves. 245 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:18,480 Very interesting. It means be green like growth, 246 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:23,240 green leaves on a tree. And flourishing in my palace I 247 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,240 saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my 248 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,600 bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 249 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,720 Therefore I issued A decree to bring in all the wise men of 250 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:34,840 Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the 251 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,480 interpretation of the dream. Then the magicians, that 252 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:42,120 actually is the word scholars, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, 253 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:46,920 the soothsayers came in, told them the dream, but they did not 254 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:48,760 make known to me its interpretation. 255 00:16:48,760 --> 00:16:50,760 But at last Daniel came before me. 256 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,520 His name is Beltashazzar. Notice he calls him the Hebrew 257 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:56,800 name. This time first Daniel, 258 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:00,640 according to the name of my God, and him is the spirit of the 259 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:03,280 holy God. I told the dream before him, 260 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,520 saying Beltashazzar, king of the chief of the magicians, because 261 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:09,880 I know that the spirit of the Holy God is in you. 262 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:14,359 No secret troubles you. You explain to me the visions of 263 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,720 my dream that I've seen and it's interpretation. 264 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,319 These were the visions of my head while on my bed. 265 00:17:20,319 --> 00:17:23,839 I was looking and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and 266 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:27,359 it's height was great. The tree grew, became strong, 267 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:29,120 it's height reached to the heavens. 268 00:17:29,120 --> 00:17:31,160 It could be seen to the ends of all the earth. 269 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,560 Man, it was known by everybody. It's leaves were lovely, it's 270 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:38,240 fruit abundant in it was food for all. 271 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,200 The beasts of the field found shade under it, the birds of the 272 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,280 heavens dwelt in its branches and all flesh was fled, fed from 273 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:48,160 it. Notice Nebuchadnezzar was at 274 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,120 rest. He was flourishing, he was 275 00:17:52,120 --> 00:17:54,640 green, his life was lush with growth. 276 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,160 He was doing well, in other words. 277 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:01,800 But it was a false rest. This is where Australia sits at 278 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:07,200 the moment. Our nation sits at a false rest. 279 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:10,000 We've just signed all these agreements. 280 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,680 We got mining going to kick off again. 281 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:16,000 We got, you know, submarines going to be built with this 282 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,360 millions and billions of dollars sign here and works going to go. 283 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:25,320 And you know what? We've lost God with a we, we 284 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,920 have, you know, a young kid can leave school and go to work on 285 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,960 the mines and end up earning hundreds of thousands of dollars 286 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:43,440 and have great wealth, but we have the highest suicide rate in 287 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:47,400 young men in Western society. Why is that? 288 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:54,400 Nebuchadnezzar was at risk. A false risk, a deceitful risk, 289 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:58,480 one that like the rich farmer Jesus told the story of who 290 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,440 said, man, I'm, I'm doing well, man. 291 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,640 What crops are good? I'm going to build bigger barns. 292 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:06,160 And that night an Angel came to him and said, no, you're fool. 293 00:19:06,640 --> 00:19:08,280 You're living without God tonight. 294 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,240 Your soul is required. And he died. 295 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,360 He'd taken no thought for his soul, the farmer, his future, 296 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:19,200 his eternal destiny. Nemukanezar had defeated all his 297 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,360 known enemies. No more nations to conquer. 298 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,720 Walking on the roof, his palace, he thought, man, I am the man. 299 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:28,640 If he had braces, he would have been flicking them around. 300 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:33,480 You know, he was proud, arrogant, completely full of 301 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:38,520 himself, a a self made man. Don't we say that man? 302 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,480 That guy's a self made man. Good on you. 303 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:46,640 So God sent him a dream to arouse him from his false 304 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,160 security because God loves this man. 305 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:53,240 Nebuchadnezzar had many previous powerful encounters with God. 306 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,160 Daniel and his three friends. He'd seen how how wonderful they 307 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,560 had come and appeared even though they hadn't eaten all the 308 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:02,760 food that he they were supposed to eat. 309 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,840 Daniel had told the king his dream and his interpretation. 310 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,320 Remember, he had that first dream. 311 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:15,280 Daniel revealed it to him, astounding the king personally 312 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,760 after he built the golden image and witnessed the miracle in the 313 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,280 fiery furnace of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 314 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:27,800 Staying alive in the furnace. And he had seen another person, 315 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:32,600 a fourth form in the fire, a person like under the Son of 316 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,320 God. So he was not ignorant of the 317 00:20:35,320 --> 00:20:38,520 miracles of God. Yet here was the king with all 318 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,560 his power, all his possessions, but he was in poverty. 319 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:47,000 He was frightened. Poverty of his soul, just like 320 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,800 the Church of Laodicea. That's the modern church today 321 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:53,160 in many places. Jesus said of the modern church, 322 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:57,880 Revelation 317 You say you're rich, you've become wealthy, you 323 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,520 have need of nothing. Jesus is outside of that church, 324 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,880 the Church of Laodicea, knocking on the door, telling people to 325 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,160 come out and meet him, and you do not know. 326 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,360 He said to that church that you are wretched, miserable, poor, 327 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:17,120 blind and naked, Frightened, Nebuchadnezzar turned to the 328 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:19,440 wrong source again. He asked for the wise men, 329 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,800 didn't help the wise men filed as before. 330 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:28,600 Psalm 118 verse 8 says it is better to trust in the Lord than 331 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:34,280 to put confidence in man. Psalm 11 says blessed is the man 332 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:36,480 who walks not on the counsel of the ungodly. 333 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:40,320 Who do you seek counsel from? I hope you get it from the Lord. 334 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:45,320 You know the Bible says he is the wonderful counsellor and ask 335 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:50,120 me, I don't have a clue. I still can't work out what 336 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:52,880 colour to paint the fence. I've no idea. 337 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:54,720 People say, well, I need to come for counselling. 338 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,680 Well, all I'll do is go. What are you telling me about? 339 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:02,360 I we find that here. Let's see what it says to do 340 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:08,240 about that. But Daniel came. 341 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:12,720 They say he calls him Daniel. Nevu Caneza shares his dream to 342 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:14,880 Daniel in the hope of relief. What does it mean? 343 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,200 The key character or element in this dream? 344 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:20,960 I have a dream. It's about a tree. 345 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:25,040 A tree? Yeah, the tree that's cut down. 346 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:33,560 Daniel verse 13. I saw in the visions of my head 347 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:37,520 upon my bed, and behold, A watcher that's an Angel, a holy 348 00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:39,760 one, came down from heaven. As he's telling the dream. 349 00:22:40,120 --> 00:22:44,240 He cried aloud and said thus cut down the tree, cut off. 350 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,440 Now notice this and he's talking about a tree. 351 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:54,560 But notice how they change from the neuter pronoun goes to the 352 00:22:54,560 --> 00:23:00,280 personal pronoun. Cut off his branches, shake off 353 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:05,320 his leaves, scatter his fruit, let the beast get away from 354 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:08,160 under it, and the fowls from his branches. 355 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,720 The Angel, the Watcher is sent and seen and heard by the king. 356 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:17,520 Nebuchadnezzar is fearful. Verse 15. 357 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,000 Nevertheless leave the stump so after the tree is cut down in 358 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,600 the dream, so the stump is left roots in the earth still there. 359 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:30,800 Bind it with a band of iron and bronze in the tender grass of 360 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:32,480 the field. Let it be wet with the jewel of 361 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:35,560 heaven. Let him notice, Speaking of the 362 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:40,080 tree, graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. 363 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,640 Let his heart be changed from that of a man. 364 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:51,040 Let him be given the heart of a beast, Let 7 times Passover him 365 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:57,360 seven years. The band of iron stop the stump 366 00:23:57,360 --> 00:24:00,920 from rotting, stop it from being removed. 367 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,040 And it's a symbol that Nebuchadnezzar is going to be 368 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:10,120 bound for a period by insanity. The tree was not to be 369 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:12,800 completely uprooted and destroyed because it will be 370 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:15,800 revived. The stomp and the roots were to 371 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:19,160 be left in the earth. There is hope, a prospect of 372 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:23,480 hope for the man. Restoration is available, Mercy 373 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:26,320 is available. There is hope and a future for 374 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:28,640 all. For seven years he would have a 375 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:31,760 derangement, living as an animal, as a beast. 376 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:35,960 But during that period of time, God would accomplish his work in 377 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,200 the heart of the man and then return his sanity. 378 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:41,960 So what's the reason for the dream? 379 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:47,880 It tells us in verse 17 to teach a much needed lesson. 380 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:53,840 This matter is by the decree of the watches and the demand by 381 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:56,120 the word of the holy ones. Why? 382 00:24:56,560 --> 00:25:01,560 To the intent that the living may know that the Most High 383 00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:08,240 rules in the Kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will, 384 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:11,680 and sets up over it the basis of men. 385 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:16,040 In other words, God rules everything. 386 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:21,480 Nebuchadnezzar was to learn. There is one ultimate ruler. 387 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,920 It's God. That this ruler is greater than 388 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:29,040 all men, and that this ruler is more powerful than all men. 389 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:33,720 And in his hands rest the dividing and disposing of all 390 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:37,280 humanity. As you and I watch the political 391 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:41,880 scene, we see Albanese, we see Trump, we see Putin, we see 392 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:47,240 Starmer in the UK, we, we see all these different governments 393 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,040 around the world. You know what God's doing? 394 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:52,720 He's putting all the pieces where he wants them. 395 00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:55,040 People vote. But God's going like this 396 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,280 because his plan, and we've been through it in Revelation. 397 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:03,000 It's, it's coming to pass. And what's the centrepiece? 398 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:09,720 Israel, Israel, the church has a task at the moment where to 399 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,880 witness. And then when the church is 400 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,480 taken out the plan, the clock ticks back, which we'll get to 401 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:20,360 later in Daniel Chapter 9. And Israel will become again as 402 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:24,520 it is the real focus again of the world, anti semitism, I'm 403 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:26,600 afraid. And I'm sad to say it's just 404 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,200 going to grow worse and worse and worse. 405 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:34,280 Israel, we see a piece and I sent it out of my devotions this 406 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,400 week. I pray you get our devotions 407 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:41,160 both past Israel's and mine. Points 19 and 20 of the Trump 408 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:45,920 plan, not made by Trump's government, actually by two 409 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:49,640 billionaires, did the planning with the government of Israel. 410 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:56,520 And points 19 and 20 say that there will be a unification of 411 00:26:56,560 --> 00:27:04,400 all faiths, that there will be a tolerance and that Palestine 412 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:07,440 will eventually be recognised. Palestinian. 413 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:19,000 There will be a 2 state set up. Just read the Bible this piece 414 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,800 at the moment it's only for a moment. 415 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:29,160 James chapter 4 verse 6 it says, but God gives more grace where 416 00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,320 he says God resists the prayer, but gives grace to the humble. 417 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:35,640 Peter says, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand 418 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,720 of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 419 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:42,760 Napoleon Bonaparte at the battle of Waterloo. 420 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,480 On the morning of the great battle, the little general stood 421 00:27:46,480 --> 00:27:50,200 gazing upon the field of battle, and he described to his 422 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,640 commanding officer his strategy for the day. 423 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:57,160 For that great campaign he said, We will put the inventory here, 424 00:27:57,160 --> 00:28:00,280 the cavalry there, and the artillery here, and at the end 425 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,520 of the day England will be at the feet of France. 426 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:04,880 Wellington will be the prisoner of Napoleon. 427 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,400 After a pause, the commanding officer with him said, But we 428 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:12,440 must not forget that man proposes, but God disposes. 429 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:18,800 Napoleon responded Understand Sir, that Napoleon proposes and 430 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:23,480 Napoleon disposes. Victor Hugo the historian went 431 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:27,680 on to ride of the situation. And from that moment that 432 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,640 Napoleon said that Waterloo was lost because God sent driving 433 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:37,960 rain and hail so that the troops of Napoleon could not manoeuvre 434 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,560 as they had planned on the night of the battle. 435 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,800 And it was Napoleon who ended up prisoner of Wellington and 436 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:50,000 France was lost to the feet of England In verse 18, this dream 437 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:51,760 I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. 438 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,200 Now you Belteschezzer, declare the interpretation. 439 00:28:55,200 --> 00:29:00,560 Tell me about it, because I know the wise men aren't able, but 440 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:02,680 you're able, for the spirit of the holy God is in you. 441 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,680 Verse 19, Daniel, whose name was Belshazzar was astonished for 442 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:08,480 one hour because he knows the dream. 443 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:12,480 He goes, ah, yeah. And his thoughts troubling. 444 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:18,080 He said, I wish this dream, If you read through, I wish this 445 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:21,320 dream was about your enemies, O King, and not about you. 446 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:25,720 And Daniel pleads with the king to change. 447 00:29:26,080 --> 00:29:30,200 It's a warning from God, O King, you kind of change. 448 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,280 Here was the impact #1 Daniel spoke the truth. 449 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,360 And love the most powerful person in the world. 450 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:41,960 It was a warning from God. Have you ever been warned by 451 00:29:41,960 --> 00:29:42,760 God? I have. 452 00:29:45,120 --> 00:29:49,960 Listen carefully. Daniel shared the truth with a 453 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:52,520 man he served and loved, Nebuchadnezzar. 454 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:53,920 He didn't go, oh, I can't tell you. 455 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:57,880 You know, as a brother and a sister in Christ, there are 456 00:29:57,880 --> 00:30:02,560 times where you'll need to share truth to say what you're 457 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:04,520 planning. You know, I know you're planning 458 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,040 to do this or this is how you're living. 459 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,840 You can't do that. You don't say, you know, you 460 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,040 shouldn't be doing that. You should know better. 461 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:17,520 God gives us warnings. People don't care how much you 462 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:21,120 know until they know how much you care. 463 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,480 Daniel cared about the king, and he said, king, I wish it was 464 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:29,080 about your enemies, but hey, I got to tell you this is a 465 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:35,200 warning. Verse 21 Daniel was fearless, 466 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:41,040 whose leaves were fair, and the fruit, the tree thereof, and in 467 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:43,120 it was meat for all under the peace of the field. 468 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:46,120 Verse 22 Hear what he says, King. 469 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,920 You imagine him saying this. You're the tree. 470 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:57,560 Then when Nathan said to David, you're the man, King, you're the 471 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:01,520 tree. You're grown, you've become 472 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:05,880 strong, your greatness has grown, it's reached into heaven. 473 00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:09,280 Your dominion covers the earth. Babylon is a powerful empire. 474 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:13,720 Wherefore, O King, let my counsel be acceptable. 475 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,880 Notice what he says he says. He says it with love with it. 476 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:21,400 Break off the sins. Hey, God knows you're in trouble 477 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,480 and he's trying to warn you. Break off your sins by 478 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,720 righteousness, your iniquities, by showing mercy to the poor. 479 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:37,920 And if it be a lengthening of your tranquilly that the Kingdom 480 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,560 listen. Daniel's words rolled off 481 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:42,160 Nebuchadnezzar with little impact. 482 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:46,280 So it appears one year later, verse 28, look what happened, 483 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:52,360 Daniel 4 verse 28, one year later, all this came upon King 484 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,240 Nebuchadnezzar at the end of the 12 months. 485 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,520 He was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 486 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,080 The king spoke saying, look what he's doing. 487 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:05,080 Is this not great Babylon? I am the greatest that I've 488 00:32:05,080 --> 00:32:10,040 built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honour 489 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:17,320 of my majesty. Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar thought 490 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:19,440 that Daniel was wrong and that God had forgotten. 491 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,800 If God is, if God speaks to you, it stays. 492 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:26,680 It's not like, oh, it doesn't matter anymore. 493 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:28,440 When God speaks to you, you better. 494 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,160 Nothing's going to change in your life until you sort out 495 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,440 what God has told you to do in that time. 496 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:37,200 You can pray for everything else, but he's saying nothing. 497 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:40,240 You're back here, nothing, nothing more until this gets 498 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:47,880 sorted. The city with 11 mile long outer 499 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:49,880 walls. So thick was the wall that you 500 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:52,800 can ride 2 Chariots abreast around it. 501 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,680 Proverbs 29. One says he that being often 502 00:32:56,680 --> 00:33:02,080 reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that 503 00:33:02,080 --> 00:33:07,640 without remedy. The warning, beware how you and 504 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:11,480 I treat the patience and long suffering of God. 505 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:15,480 Well, if God lets you sin and continue to sin, it's not God. 506 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:17,120 God. Oh, that's OK, don't worry about 507 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:19,400 it. No, it's bad. 508 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:26,360 Verse 28. All this came upon King 509 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,640 Nebuchadnezzar at the end of 12 months. 510 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:34,040 And while the word was in his mouth, verse 31, a voice fell 511 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:37,720 from heaven like that King Nebuchadnezzar to you would have 512 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,160 spoken. The Kingdom has departed from 513 00:33:40,240 --> 00:33:44,600 it's gone now then, and they shall drive you from men. 514 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:47,440 Your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, they shall 515 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:53,120 make you eat grass like oxen, and 7 * 7 years shall Passover 516 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:57,560 you what there. But there's an end part until 517 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:03,360 you know that the Most High God rules in the Kingdom of men, men 518 00:34:03,600 --> 00:34:07,160 and gives it to whomever He chooses. 519 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:12,560 Verse 33 The very hour the word was fulfilled concerning 520 00:34:12,560 --> 00:34:16,159 Nebuchadnezzar, he was driven from men and ate grass like 521 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:18,679 oxen. His body was wet with the jewel 522 00:34:18,679 --> 00:34:21,920 of heaven till his hair had grown like eagle's feathers and 523 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:26,000 his nails like bird's claws. If you look and examine how long 524 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:29,159 a duration it takes for the hair and your fingernails to grow 525 00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:35,239 like that, it is 7 years. While the word was in the King's 526 00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:36,960 mouth, there fell a voice from heaven. 527 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:41,880 The king is departed from you. The judgement of God fell 528 00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,520 instantly. God shall not be mocked. 529 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,159 As soon as the voice stopped speaking, the king became 530 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:52,159 irrational. It's called in the dictionary. 531 00:34:52,159 --> 00:34:54,360 You can look it up. Lycanthropy today. 532 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:59,960 A psychiatric syndrome. It's when a person believes they 533 00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:02,840 have been transformed into an animal. 534 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,880 Nebuchadnezzar thought and lived as though he was an oxen. 535 00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:12,840 It's said that in that seven years they kept him within the 536 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:15,840 walls of the Palestine, but in the fields where he ate and 537 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:19,360 grazed, and that it was Daniel who cared for him over those 538 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:22,560 seven years. And Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach 539 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:27,520 and Nabinagar ran the Kingdom of Babylon all this time so that no 540 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,680 one knew what was happening to the king to guard him. 541 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:36,520 In one minute he went from wearing the royal robes of 542 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:40,360 monarch to crawling on all fours and eating grass. 543 00:35:40,480 --> 00:35:44,440 So 7 long years rolled over Nebuchadnezzar's life. 544 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:49,080 Seven years of judgement, but there was to be an end. 545 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:51,520 And that's the good thing. You know, God doesn't just 546 00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,200 discipline you and nail you and that's it. 547 00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:55,680 That's it. Look at the prodigal that came 548 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:58,840 home. The dad didn't say, well, no, 549 00:35:58,840 --> 00:36:00,320 no, come on, I don't want to see you. 550 00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:03,920 That was the problem with David. Remember with Absalom, when 551 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:06,200 Absalom wanted to see David, they said, I don't want to see 552 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,200 you. And just Absalom's rebellion 553 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,800 grew more and more and more. David was not a good father. 554 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:19,080 When sin entered the heart of this man, his gaze was diverted 555 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:21,520 from heaven, from looking up to earth. 556 00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:26,880 Now in Isaiah chapter 4522, a great verse, you should know it. 557 00:36:28,200 --> 00:36:31,720 It's the very verse that a young Charles hadn't Spurgeon between 558 00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:35,520 the age of 17 and 18 heard in a little church with about 18 559 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:41,400 people and the preacher said, Isaiah 4522, look to me and be 560 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,920 saved all you ends of the earth, for I am God. 561 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:47,640 There is no other and he pointed to young Spurgeon. 562 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:51,120 He said can you look, Can you look? 563 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:53,560 You can look, look to God be saved. 564 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,400 This morning, young man Spurgeon was saved on the spot. 565 00:36:56,400 --> 00:36:59,800 That's all you have to do is look. 566 00:37:01,760 --> 00:37:05,280 But then came words of worship, the evidence of a change. 567 00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:08,560 Pride was gone and the most High now surrounded his praise. 568 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:13,200 Look at verse 34. Now at the end of the time, I, 569 00:37:13,200 --> 00:37:18,040 Nebuchadnezzar noticed, lifted my eyes to heaven, no longer 570 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:22,160 looking down on the grass, and my understanding returned to me. 571 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:25,600 And I bless the most high and praise and honour of him who 572 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:28,000 lives forever. For his dominion is an 573 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:31,040 everlasting dominion. His Kingdom is from generation 574 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:36,120 to generation. It's interesting that all 575 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:38,000 animals look down to the only man. 576 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:42,200 Humanity looks up. Every Sinner who turns to God 577 00:37:42,200 --> 00:37:45,600 has learned that he who hates and judges sin is ready and 578 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:47,400 willing to receive and save sinners. 579 00:37:47,640 --> 00:37:50,720 You know, if you're a Sinner here today, and I was like you, 580 00:37:50,720 --> 00:37:54,960 a Sinner, I'm a Sinner saved by the grace of God. 581 00:37:55,680 --> 00:37:58,200 But at one time I sat in a church being a Sinner. 582 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:02,520 And Psalm 86, verse 5 says this. For you, that's you. 583 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:07,360 For the Lord, you Lord are good, ready to forgive. 584 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:10,560 God just is waiting, ready to forgive. 585 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,440 He's plenteous in mercy. He offers me. 586 00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:19,480 He's not here to judge you. His judgement for you fell upon 587 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:22,880 His Son on the cross. He's here to give you mercy. 588 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:27,480 He's plenteous in mercy. And to all them that call upon 589 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,600 you, all you have to do is say, Jesus, receive me. 590 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:34,560 Verse 35. Nebuchadnezzar attributes 591 00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:38,920 absolute power and authority to the King of heaven, whose works 592 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:44,000 are true, His ways of judgement. So here he is after these seven 593 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,080 years, confessing to what God has done in dealing with him was 594 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:51,080 right and just. Is that that was terrible what 595 00:38:51,080 --> 00:38:56,800 God did to me? No, and saved him from himself. 596 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:01,880 He also admitted that he'd walked in pride and had been 597 00:39:01,880 --> 00:39:06,360 humbled by this amazing experience testifying of the 598 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:10,920 change that God brings to a man. When you come in a relationship 599 00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:15,240 with God, God changes you. To Corinthians 517, all things 600 00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:17,400 are passed away. Behold, all things become you 601 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:19,600 when you become a creature in Christ. 602 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:25,080 He learnt he was nothing and that God was everything. 603 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:30,040 You know that this morning Nebuchadnezzar, it's believed, 604 00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,640 lived for one more year after this amazing transformation. 605 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:38,600 So what does it mean? This story of this man in 2025 606 00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:43,720 for you and I as believers today, you and I, we also need 607 00:39:43,720 --> 00:39:47,480 to realise that God's patience with us has a limit. 608 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:50,400 Some of you may be testing the limit. 609 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:55,320 You know, kids test the limit when you or I ignore the 610 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:57,800 prompting of the Holy Spirit. And that's when the Holy 611 00:39:57,800 --> 00:40:01,920 Spirit's been telling you the same thing over and over and 612 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:04,760 over and over. You go, well, yeah, I will, I 613 00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:09,240 will. Turning you towards repentance 614 00:40:10,240 --> 00:40:13,480 and whatever sin is plaguing us, our heavenly Father will reach a 615 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:18,000 point when he sees that change will come with only some tough 616 00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:22,600 love, discipline. You know, people go to gaol 617 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:25,320 sometimes. God sends them to gaol. 618 00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:27,800 God allows them to go to gaol because it's there. 619 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:31,280 They wake up. You know, sometimes something 620 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:32,960 will happen to you and God's got to go. 621 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:36,240 I've got to, I've got to shake you out of this because it seems 622 00:40:36,240 --> 00:40:39,280 if I let you go, you're going to continue to live how you are 623 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:41,200 living. There are times when things 624 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,840 happen in our life. We go, man, I, I didn't see this 625 00:40:43,840 --> 00:40:49,040 coming. And it's God going hello, hello. 626 00:40:50,240 --> 00:40:54,080 When hard times come upon us, we should always prayerfully 627 00:40:54,080 --> 00:40:58,280 consider whether it is any change we need to make to the 628 00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:01,080 way we live. What am I? 629 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,840 Is this a message for me? Are you telling me something 630 00:41:03,840 --> 00:41:07,840 about this, whether the origin of our struggle is the 631 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:12,920 discipline, disciplinary hand of God, or just the fact that we're 632 00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:18,440 living in corruptural bodies in a fallen world, Sorrow has its 633 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:21,680 purpose. Storms that come upon our lives. 634 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:26,600 God allows the storms to come. It's always a purpose for the 635 00:41:26,600 --> 00:41:30,400 storm. God came to Nebuchadnezzar at 636 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,680 full speed, man. He knocked him from humanity 637 00:41:33,920 --> 00:41:37,760 into the animal Kingdom. It took seven years to re blow, 638 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:43,000 recover from that blow. But verse 36 says, And notice 639 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:46,800 when Nebuchadnezzar came back, how much better was he? 640 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,400 An excellent majesty was added. In other words, my Kingdom 641 00:41:52,520 --> 00:41:56,360 became greater and my wisdom became greater than before. 642 00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:00,160 That's always the point. When you stick to God's will, it 643 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:05,240 always works out better. Your will doesn't work that way. 644 00:42:07,560 --> 00:42:10,600 And here's the deal. You know you and I would give up 645 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:12,480 on one another. You could give up on someone. 646 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:15,760 You know What's the bother? God's tenacious. 647 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:19,320 He didn't give up on you. He won't let go. 648 00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,760 I want to ask you this morning, have you been living like 649 00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:27,440 Nebuchadnezzar? I just been gone about my 650 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,960 business. Look what how how well I've done 651 00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:34,480 to some of you. This passage and Daniel is a 652 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:38,440 warning. Your pride is redlining. 653 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:45,640 It's dangerous, would Daniel say to you through our text this 654 00:42:45,640 --> 00:42:49,960 morning, hey, you're the tree. You're the tree. 655 00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:55,240 For some of you, God has allowed already for you to be cut down 656 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:00,640 all that you thought you were, all that you had, all that you 657 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:03,720 work for. It's in ashes. 658 00:43:04,560 --> 00:43:06,120 It's gone. You've lost everything. 659 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:09,680 There was a sickness within the tree. 660 00:43:10,160 --> 00:43:14,400 And if it was allowed to fester and spread, everything would 661 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:17,320 fall apart for good. The tree had come down. 662 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:19,880 But remember, don't take the stumps out. 663 00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:21,600 The roots are still on the ground. 664 00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:23,560 There's still hope. There's mercy. 665 00:43:25,240 --> 00:43:27,840 God says he wants to restore you. 666 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:32,600 Mercy awaits you and I. There's always hope. 667 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:36,800 For He loves us, each one of you. 668 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:42,560 To you who are proud, God's going to just stand in front of 669 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:47,600 you and he's gone. You ain't going anywhere until 670 00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:50,600 you change. I'm going to stand and block 671 00:43:50,600 --> 00:43:53,160 you. Block your life, block your way, 672 00:43:53,480 --> 00:43:57,600 block everything you try to do. I'll resist you. 673 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:05,600 His desire is to stop you from walking the path of danger. 674 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:08,920 That's why he's blocking you. How often kids go well. 675 00:44:08,920 --> 00:44:11,920 Why, why, why wouldn't you let me do what all the other kids 676 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:13,040 do? Why can't I do that? 677 00:44:13,040 --> 00:44:14,960 You're going because I want to keep you safe. 678 00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:22,560 I don't want you to get hurt. And to you who have been cut 679 00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:26,760 down, if you were like Nebuchadnezzar is today, today 680 00:44:26,760 --> 00:44:29,960 is the day for you to lift your eyes to the Lord. 681 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,160 Deliverance, blessing, salvation, peace will be yours 682 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:38,840 immediately as you surrender. It's a hard thing to do to 683 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:41,000 surrender. You know. 684 00:44:41,000 --> 00:44:45,560 We stand with their hands lifted up their their praise, but also 685 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:48,520 their surrender. This morning. 686 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:54,120 When you choose to surrender, that means as Jesus said, if you 687 00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:56,280 want to follow me, you deny yourself. 688 00:44:57,040 --> 00:44:59,680 You take up the cross. What does a cross do? 689 00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:07,160 It kills you and follow me. I surrender all. 690 00:45:07,240 --> 00:45:17,480 You know that hymn written 1855 All to Jesus I surrender all to 691 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:23,080 Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him 692 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:26,680 in His presence. Daily live. 693 00:45:27,400 --> 00:45:32,840 I surrender all. I surrender all, all to thee, my 694 00:45:32,840 --> 00:45:37,840 blessed Saviour. I surrender all, all to Jesus. 695 00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:41,280 I surrender humbly at his feet. I about. 696 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:42,800 Sounds like Nebuchadnezzar, doesn't it? 697 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:48,000 Worldly pleasures all forsaken this morning. 698 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:52,280 Mercy awaits us all. There is hope. 699 00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:58,240 God's patience is great, but it's not unending. 700 00:45:59,280 --> 00:46:03,960 As the worship team comes forward, God will save his 701 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:07,800 righteous children from the coming wrath that's about to 702 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:14,000 fall upon their world. Seven years of judgement, The 703 00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:19,440 judgement of God called the great tribulation, and the rest 704 00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:23,600 of humanity will endure 7 years of suffering. 705 00:46:27,720 --> 00:46:33,120 Verse 37 Nebuchadnezzar said Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and 706 00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:39,000 extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are 707 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:44,760 truth, His ways of justice. What he did with me was right 708 00:46:44,760 --> 00:46:49,320 on. And those who walk in pride, he 709 00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:54,240 is able to put down man. I know that mission 710 00:46:54,240 --> 00:46:58,720 accomplished, God sought to humble this mighty king, and the 711 00:46:58,720 --> 00:47:03,160 mighty king was indeed humbled, and I believe many people say 712 00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:08,320 otherwise, saved. God gave the Kingdom back to 713 00:47:08,320 --> 00:47:12,840 Nebuchadnezzar better than it was before, and I hope one day 714 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:19,120 to meet him in glory. King Nebuchadnezzar, if you're 715 00:47:19,120 --> 00:47:23,000 here today, what has God spoken to you about? 716 00:47:24,720 --> 00:47:28,880 You haven't had a dream and you've had the Word, and the 717 00:47:28,880 --> 00:47:32,800 Word sits with you now. Where do you sit? 718 00:47:33,760 --> 00:47:37,880 What is now your action? What is your reaction? 719 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:41,000 God stays the same. He loves you. 720 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:46,360 His mercy is there for you. He's the same yesterday, today, 721 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:49,800 and forever. And whatever He's doing, He's 722 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:53,120 trying to do to benefit and bless you.