WEBVTT 00:00:09.740 --> 00:00:13.320 Hello and welcome to the Kalamazoo church of Christ podcast. 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:14.839 Thank you so much for listening. 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:16.199 We're startup church. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:23.460 We just planted in September, 2020 and at the Kalamazoo church, we believe that Christianity is done best when it is done together. 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:32.299 And so if you live in the Kalamazoo area, we would love to connect, be it coming to a Sunday service, one of our small groups, or even just grabbing coffee with a member to learn more. 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:36.439 You can visit kalamazoo.church in order to do that. 00:00:36.920 --> 00:00:40.380 We pray that you are inspired by what you hear today. 00:00:42.590 --> 00:00:45.270 I'm just going to situate myself here real quick. 00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:53.799 I literally like shaved this morning. 00:00:54.060 --> 00:00:54.979 I was going to do it yesterday. 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:58.179 And then my razor was like dead. 00:00:58.280 --> 00:00:59.039 The battery was dead. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:04.340 And I'm like, oh man, now I got to get up three minutes earlier so that I can hit it. 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:05.079 Anyways. 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:05.420 All right. 00:01:05.420 --> 00:01:06.739 We can turn over to Daniel six. 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:12.000 I'm just kind of giving like a forewarning here. 00:01:12.060 --> 00:01:16.280 I'm going to be pretty much using the ESV today for the Bible that I'm using. 00:01:16.379 --> 00:01:21.159 There's a couple words and phrases that I really, really, where's my coffee? 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:22.260 There it is. 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.620 There's a couple of phrases that I really, really liked out of the ESV and so I'm going to stick with that. 00:01:26.620 --> 00:01:33.579 If you're having trouble following along, I'm going to have the main scriptures that I'm going to be using up on the screen. 00:01:33.700 --> 00:01:35.299 And you can also use your phone if you need to. 00:01:35.879 --> 00:01:39.260 But I'm going to read Daniel six and I'm going to pretty much read the whole story. 00:01:39.379 --> 00:01:43.840 I'm going to skip a couple of verses that are kind of redundant for purposes of what we're doing. 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:45.560 But we're going to jump right in here. 00:01:46.379 --> 00:02:02.579 It says, starting Daniel six, verse one, it pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps to be throughout the whole kingdom and over them three high officials of whom Daniel was one to whom these satraps should give account so that the king might suffer no loss. 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:11.280 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him and the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:17.860 Verse six, then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, O King Darius, live forever. 00:02:17.860 --> 00:02:34.520 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days except to you, O King, shall be cast into the den of lions. 00:02:35.560 --> 00:02:45.060 Verse ten, then Daniel knew that when Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open towards Jerusalem. 00:02:45.060 --> 00:02:51.479 He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his god as he had done previously. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:56.960 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his god. 00:02:57.500 --> 00:03:08.240 Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah pays no attention to you, O King, or the injunction you have signed but makes his petition three times a day. 00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:18.759 Fourteen, then the king when he had heard these words was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel and he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 00:03:19.400 --> 00:03:29.960 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, no, O King, that it is a law of the Medes and the Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:34.639 Then the king commanded and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:39.500 The king declared to Daniel, may your god whom you serve continually deliver you. 00:03:40.300 --> 00:03:44.879 Nineteen, then at break of day the king rose and went in haste to the den of lions. 00:03:45.340 --> 00:03:49.120 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. 00:03:49.500 --> 00:03:57.879 The king declared to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living god, has your god whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions? 00:03:59.080 --> 00:04:01.639 Then Daniel said to the king, O King, live forever. 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:09.159 My god sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth and they have not harmed me because I was found blameless before him. 00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:12.879 And also before you, O King, I have done no harm. 00:04:13.419 --> 00:04:17.699 Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. 00:04:18.180 --> 00:04:23.980 So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his god. 00:04:24.920 --> 00:04:30.560 Twenty-five, then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth. 00:04:31.060 --> 00:04:32.459 Peace be multiplied to you. 00:04:32.459 --> 00:04:43.120 I make a decree that in all my royal dominion, people are to tremble in fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever. 00:04:43.579 --> 00:04:45.399 His kingdom shall never be destroyed. 00:04:46.360 --> 00:04:47.800 Daniel chapter six. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:50.800 I'm going to say a prayer for service real quick. 00:04:51.540 --> 00:04:55.879 Father, thank you so much for the opportunity to worship you, Father. 00:04:55.899 --> 00:05:01.160 Thank you for your word, which is perfect, God, and how it instructs us in how to live our life, Lord. 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:10.839 Thank you for those who came before us that really showed us how to act faithfully, Lord, that we can pull faith from those brothers and sisters who came before us, God. 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:13.959 Be with the service, be with me as I preach your word, Lord. 00:05:14.040 --> 00:05:18.019 Help me to preach your word boldly and with courage, Lord, and accurately. 00:05:18.379 --> 00:05:19.600 I pray this in Jesus' holy name. 00:05:19.899 --> 00:05:20.079 Amen. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:20.560 Amen. 00:05:23.850 --> 00:05:26.170 All right, before we jump in, I want to play a game. 00:05:30.370 --> 00:05:37.269 I went online and I looked up, like, the most iconic movie quotes of all time, okay, and I chose five of them. 00:05:38.129 --> 00:05:44.269 And I want, if you've ever heard this movie quote before, just raise your hand, okay? 00:05:45.930 --> 00:05:47.470 May the force be with you. 00:05:48.310 --> 00:05:49.730 Okay, most of us, most, most. 00:05:50.430 --> 00:05:52.550 Now keep your hand raised, keep your hand raised. 00:05:52.949 --> 00:05:55.110 I want to just do an experiment here. 00:05:55.110 --> 00:05:59.129 If you've seen this movie, stand up. 00:05:59.689 --> 00:06:05.769 I want to see what the difference between, but if you've heard the quote, keep your, okay, so there's a little bit of a difference here. 00:06:06.670 --> 00:06:08.069 There's a little bit of a difference here. 00:06:08.149 --> 00:06:08.790 That's interesting. 00:06:09.230 --> 00:06:09.889 That's interesting. 00:06:09.990 --> 00:06:10.850 Okay, you can sit down. 00:06:12.769 --> 00:06:14.389 All right, I have a couple more here. 00:06:14.430 --> 00:06:16.610 I looked up five, so next one. 00:06:17.769 --> 00:06:19.730 There's no place like home, Wizard of Oz. 00:06:19.730 --> 00:06:24.649 If you've seen the movie, stand up, but if you've just heard the quote, raise your hand. 00:06:25.870 --> 00:06:27.889 Okay, so there's a little bit of a difference here. 00:06:28.129 --> 00:06:38.879 Jaron bought his TV last week for the first time, so, all right, all right, here's one. 00:06:38.939 --> 00:06:39.680 This one's going to be tough. 00:06:39.819 --> 00:06:40.000 I bet. 00:06:40.220 --> 00:06:42.079 Okay, this next one I think is going to be a little bit different. 00:06:43.639 --> 00:06:44.399 It's alive. 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:45.860 It's alive, Frankenstein. 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:50.959 If you've seen the movie, stand up, but if you've heard the quote, raise your hand. 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:55.500 Okay, I see that one's a little bit different. 00:06:57.899 --> 00:06:59.680 All right, you can have a seat. 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:01.180 Two more, two more. 00:07:02.860 --> 00:07:04.579 I'll be back, the Terminator. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:06.540 There we go. 00:07:07.620 --> 00:07:08.579 There we go. 00:07:09.180 --> 00:07:12.680 But even see, even Terminator, there's people who have never seen that movie. 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:15.680 But you've heard the quote before, right? 00:07:17.240 --> 00:07:18.899 Yeah, but you've heard the quote before. 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:19.480 That's interesting. 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:22.560 All right, last one, last one, last one. 00:07:24.139 --> 00:07:24.939 Here's Johnny. 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:28.240 Okay, see? 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:34.620 All right, all right, you guys can have a seat. 00:07:35.199 --> 00:07:35.980 You guys can have a seat. 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:42.480 No, no, I've seen all those movies, too, so, like, don't. 00:07:43.180 --> 00:07:46.540 I specifically chose movies that I've seen so that I wasn't a hypocrite. 00:07:46.980 --> 00:08:00.819 So we're looking at the Book of Daniel, and if you'll indulge me just for a couple seconds here, I kind of feel like the Book of Daniel, specifically this story, Daniel and the Lion's Den, it can sort of fall into a similar category as some of these movie quotes, right? 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:05.000 Like we've heard them, you know, oh, yeah, Daniel and the Lion's Den, oh, yeah, Wizard of Oz. 00:08:05.040 --> 00:08:14.379 I've heard of that before, but not as many people have actually gone to the source and, like, read the story from the Bible, you know what I'm saying? 00:08:14.939 --> 00:08:21.360 I can say something like, there's no place like home, and everybody knows that that's from Wizard of Oz. 00:08:21.699 --> 00:08:23.180 Everybody knows that's from Wizard of Oz. 00:08:23.259 --> 00:08:46.659 But if you've never sat down and watched Dorothy run away from home and then, like, get hit by a tornado and then land in, like, a place she didn't know, get chased by a witch, and then, like, watched her last hope of getting home float away, then you're not going to fully understand the emotion of what's going on behind the quote. 00:08:46.659 --> 00:08:47.460 You might know the quote. 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:56.559 You might even know the plot of the story, but you're not going to fully understand how she's feeling when she's, like, there's no place like home, there's no place like home. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:01.279 I think in a similar way, yeah, did you see that? 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:02.940 I was, like, my feet were too far apart. 00:09:05.059 --> 00:09:11.360 I think in a similar way, right, the story of Daniel, if we can pull it out of the Bible, which many people have done, right? 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:17.720 Most of us were exposed originally to the story in something like, you know, maybe a painting, Renaissance painting. 00:09:19.659 --> 00:09:22.120 Maybe something like this, you know. 00:09:23.080 --> 00:09:27.139 Or for me personally, that, VeggieTales. 00:09:27.440 --> 00:09:28.919 There we go, there we go. 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:33.139 And these are great stories, don't get me wrong. 00:09:33.240 --> 00:09:34.240 I love VeggieTales. 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:44.600 And, you know, you pull the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den out of the Bible, and you get something like, don't be afraid, you know, and, like, trust in God and he'll save you and stuff like that. 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:46.019 And those are great. 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:47.580 That's awesome, right? 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:48.399 Those are great. 00:09:48.740 --> 00:09:50.379 That's a great moral to pull. 00:09:50.740 --> 00:09:52.360 And I don't want to take away from that. 00:09:53.460 --> 00:10:00.659 But if you pull the story of Daniel out of the context of the whole Bible, I think there's some things that you might be missing in this story, right? 00:10:00.820 --> 00:10:08.580 And so one of the main goals that we're doing, looking at the book of Daniel, is we're trying to grow in our prayer life. 00:10:09.379 --> 00:10:12.460 Jaron asked me a couple weeks ago, he's like, hey, can you preach on Daniel 6? 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:16.580 And I was like, oh, yeah, that's, like, his really awesome prayer, right? 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.100 And then I'm like, oh, it's Daniel in the Lion's Den. 00:10:19.580 --> 00:10:19.940 Okay. 00:10:21.080 --> 00:10:30.580 And I read through the story quite a few times, and I sat and I prayed about it, and I'm like, okay, there's really only two verses in this whole chapter that have anything to do with prayer. 00:10:30.940 --> 00:10:32.019 And it's verses 10 and 11. 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:33.200 I'm going to read them one more time. 00:10:34.200 --> 00:10:41.799 It says, when Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had his windows in his upper chamber open towards Jerusalem. 00:10:42.700 --> 00:10:48.100 He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he had done previously. 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:53.580 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:58.480 And that's pretty much what this story has to say about, specifically about prayer. 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:03.700 And so what I want to do today is I want to take a step back. 00:11:03.740 --> 00:11:05.460 I'm not going to do, like, a three-point lesson. 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:08.820 Instead, I want to paint a picture for us. 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:13.899 I want to try to put us in the mindset of Daniel in this story. 00:11:14.019 --> 00:11:14.840 What was he thinking? 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:15.820 What was he feeling? 00:11:15.940 --> 00:11:18.360 What was Daniel praying about? 00:11:20.610 --> 00:11:36.049 And the goal that I really want us to pull from today, like if there's one thing that I want us to pull, it's that, well, okay, this is the question I'm trying to answer, and I want to, the goal I want us to reach is that we can pray honestly to God about real problems. 00:11:36.789 --> 00:11:40.169 And, like, the route to get there is praying through the Psalms. 00:11:40.690 --> 00:11:43.610 That's, like, the main thing that I want us to pull from today. 00:11:45.490 --> 00:11:59.350 And so to get us into the life of Daniel, I want to do a brief tour through the Old Testament, through, like, key passages in the Old Testament to kind of get a history of the people of Israel. 00:11:59.669 --> 00:12:02.950 I'm going to try to go through this pretty quickly because there's other stuff I want to talk about. 00:12:02.950 --> 00:12:06.389 But we're going to turn over to Genesis chapter 13 for a second. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:16.159 It says in verse 14, the Lord said to Abram, yeah, okay. 00:12:16.620 --> 00:12:18.379 I don't know why I have 16 there. 00:12:18.820 --> 00:12:31.059 Okay, the Lord said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward, eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 00:12:31.399 --> 00:12:37.419 I will make your offspring of the dust of the earth so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 00:12:38.139 --> 00:12:41.840 Arise and walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you. 00:12:42.539 --> 00:12:45.480 What this is right here is the promise of the promised land. 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:48.279 Many people have heard of the promised land, right? 00:12:48.320 --> 00:12:51.139 And that's what God is giving to Abraham right now. 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:57.620 The only reason the people of Israel existed is because of this promise that God made to Abraham right here. 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:05.100 Their identity, their security in many ways, their entire way of life is tied into what God says right here. 00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:17.600 And a few chapters after this, we get the covenant of circumcision, right, which is a very physical reminder for Daniel and the Jewish people to this promise. 00:13:17.740 --> 00:13:18.500 It connects them. 00:13:19.059 --> 00:13:20.879 How do I know I'm one of God's people? 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:27.580 Because I'm reminded of it every single day from this very physical thing that attaches me to this. 00:13:27.580 --> 00:13:30.980 This is not some abstract history lesson for Daniel. 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:32.440 This is real life. 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:39.840 This is his great-great-grandfather that God made this promise to for Daniel's sake and for the people of Daniel. 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:42.799 Okay, keep going here. 00:13:44.950 --> 00:13:46.029 I lost my spot. 00:13:46.129 --> 00:13:51.730 Okay, so what happens is Abraham has quite a few descendants, right, and they end up as slaves in Egypt. 00:13:52.149 --> 00:14:04.309 And they're there for like 400 years, and God sends this guy named Moses, and Moses comes, pulls them out, the Ten Plagues, the Ten Commandments, Mount Sinai, and then they end up wandering in the desert for 40 years. 00:14:04.669 --> 00:14:13.629 And they spend those 40 years learning how can we be God's people, how can we follow the laws that God has given us, and, like, what separates us from the rest of the world. 00:14:13.710 --> 00:14:18.629 And then Moses, they're, like, maybe weeks out, maybe even days out from taking the Promised Land. 00:14:18.730 --> 00:14:21.710 They're right on the Jordan River, and he has this long speech. 00:14:22.169 --> 00:14:23.590 And he's pleading with them. 00:14:23.590 --> 00:14:25.870 He's, like, remember where you came from. 00:14:26.210 --> 00:14:27.730 Remember who God is. 00:14:27.850 --> 00:14:29.490 Remember what God did for you. 00:14:29.870 --> 00:14:31.549 And if you do, you're going to be blessed. 00:14:31.649 --> 00:14:33.230 God's going to do great things for you. 00:14:33.470 --> 00:14:46.450 But if you don't, if you don't follow God's law, then this is what happens, starting in verse, sorry, verse 28, starting in verse 36. 00:14:53.970 --> 00:15:03.149 And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, and you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the Lord will lead you away. 00:15:03.409 --> 00:15:05.509 So we're developing this picture, right? 00:15:05.649 --> 00:15:08.250 God made this promise to Abraham. 00:15:09.049 --> 00:15:11.950 And then it's, like, hey, if you follow, good things are going to happen. 00:15:12.090 --> 00:15:14.110 If you don't, bad things are going to happen. 00:15:14.169 --> 00:15:15.250 You're going to lose the land. 00:15:15.389 --> 00:15:16.649 You're going to lose this Promised Land. 00:15:17.629 --> 00:15:21.509 A couple hundred years later, we turn over to 1 Kings 8. 00:15:22.669 --> 00:15:24.730 The Israelites, they take the Promised Land. 00:15:24.850 --> 00:15:26.850 They're there for a while, and they have a couple kings, right? 00:15:26.870 --> 00:15:29.730 And one of the kings is named Solomon, and he builds this large temple. 00:15:30.629 --> 00:15:36.389 And he, at the, it looks like the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the big grand opening, and he makes this prayer to God. 00:15:36.429 --> 00:15:39.509 And he sort of picks up where Moses leaves off. 00:15:41.649 --> 00:16:08.330 And he says, If they repent, in verse 48, If they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you. 00:16:09.269 --> 00:16:18.429 So, again, King Solomon, he's like, hey, like, when they're taken away, if that happens, please, like, and they pray, they repent, bring them back home. 00:16:18.429 --> 00:16:21.309 Let them regain this land that you promised to them. 00:16:21.850 --> 00:16:25.149 Okay, so turn over to 2 Kings, chapter 25. 00:16:25.269 --> 00:16:27.330 This is the last one that I want to look at. 00:16:28.590 --> 00:16:30.070 Starting in verse 1. 00:16:32.799 --> 00:17:18.960 It says, It says, It says, That's the temple. 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:42.259 It says, And that is where the book of Daniel starts. 00:17:43.819 --> 00:17:47.420 This group of people that was carried into exile, that's who Daniel was. 00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:49.079 This is about a 14-year-old young man. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:55.859 And I want to challenge you for one second, just try to put yourself in that situation. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:01.200 You've been hearing your whole life, you've grown up, hearing that you are God's people. 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:08.079 You are reminded of it daily, and you are told, like, God promised this land to our ancestor. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:23.819 And then one day, you're chained up, forced to march across the desert, and serve a king who just slaughtered a bunch of your people, starved you for about a year, gives you a new name, worshiping a different God. 00:18:24.579 --> 00:18:25.960 Put yourself in that situation. 00:18:26.180 --> 00:18:27.059 What are you praying for? 00:18:29.210 --> 00:18:30.250 What are you praying for? 00:18:35.410 --> 00:18:49.890 And now, you're about 70, and you're serving yet another king, 50 years later, decades later, who is, again, threatening to kill people for not worshiping him. 00:18:50.609 --> 00:18:57.029 Another group of friends, group of peers, who are just kind of the same group as you, they're trying to get you killed. 00:18:59.210 --> 00:19:08.630 Another government that's oppressing your people and murdering them for not worshiping, for worshiping Yahweh. 00:19:10.130 --> 00:19:11.329 What are you praying for? 00:19:11.569 --> 00:19:12.650 What's going through your head? 00:19:14.579 --> 00:19:19.299 I'm convinced that this is not some prayer to go home. 00:19:19.420 --> 00:19:20.799 Like, God, please bring us home. 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:25.160 I think Daniel really recognizes that the world is broken. 00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:34.680 He's seeing firsthand how cruel and how evil the world can be and how those with authority, those with power, treat those who are under them. 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:44.579 And the one group of people, the one group of people that was supposed to be different, that was supposed to put God on display, his brothers and sisters, his family, failed. 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:55.660 And now, because of their failure, Daniel is sitting in a land that is not his own, serving some king about to die. 00:19:56.319 --> 00:19:58.380 He doesn't know that he's going to get delivered from the lions. 00:19:58.519 --> 00:20:00.000 He's willing to die for this. 00:20:02.339 --> 00:20:03.599 What are you praying for? 00:20:06.049 --> 00:20:16.069 Daniel, well, the book of Psalms is pretty well documented to be a prayer book that was probably compiled during this time period. 00:20:16.230 --> 00:20:20.029 While the Israelites, they were in exile, they're in Babylon and they're in Persia. 00:20:20.029 --> 00:20:26.750 And I always thought, how convenient would it be if there was a Psalm written specifically reflecting this time? 00:20:27.549 --> 00:20:36.869 And lo and behold, if you turn to Psalm 137, you'll find a prayer that was written specifically about the march from Jerusalem to Babylon. 00:20:37.569 --> 00:20:39.609 And I want us to turn over there. 00:20:41.250 --> 00:20:43.690 I'm going to give a little bit of a warning. 00:20:44.450 --> 00:20:46.650 It gets a little violent at the end of this prayer, though. 00:20:47.730 --> 00:20:50.170 Starting in verse one, I'm going to read the whole thing. 00:21:18.210 --> 00:21:26.329 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites, the day of Jerusalem, how they said, lay it bare, lay it bare down to its foundation. 00:21:40.789 --> 00:21:52.769 What I want to point out here, and what I really want to focus on, is how honest this prayer is to God. 00:21:54.349 --> 00:22:03.130 Right now, if you're someone who identifies yourself as a Christian, just like Daniel, we are exiles in a world that is not our own. 00:22:04.369 --> 00:22:16.509 We're living in a violent world, a world filled with corruption, where people with power oppress, and oppress those who are below them. 00:22:17.690 --> 00:22:26.490 Kings exalt themselves, and authority is used to force people into conformity to the patterns of this world. 00:22:27.670 --> 00:22:37.430 Just the other day, I went in my car, turned on the radio, and the first story that came on was a story that this woman was saying about how she had gotten raped. 00:22:38.410 --> 00:22:40.069 That's the world that we live in today. 00:22:41.569 --> 00:22:51.730 I think, deep down, we read this psalm, and we can kind of, it resonates with us a little bit, if we're honest with ourselves. 00:22:52.150 --> 00:22:53.630 Maybe it's just me. 00:22:54.089 --> 00:22:54.569 I don't know. 00:22:55.150 --> 00:22:59.349 But I know, my knee-jerk reaction, I hear terrible news. 00:22:59.450 --> 00:23:03.609 I turn on the radio, listen to the news, and I hear about some school shooting. 00:23:06.190 --> 00:23:09.109 Another kid just got molested, and I get angry. 00:23:09.369 --> 00:23:10.329 I get frustrated. 00:23:12.130 --> 00:23:17.190 Before I was a Christian, I would unashamedly say, that person deserves a chair. 00:23:17.930 --> 00:23:19.210 That person should get shot. 00:23:20.450 --> 00:23:22.309 And I would feel no guilt about that. 00:23:22.410 --> 00:23:25.650 But now, maybe you can resonate with this a little bit. 00:23:25.710 --> 00:23:31.650 It's like you're a Christian, and it's like, your knee-jerk reaction, you feel guilty about that a little bit. 00:23:31.769 --> 00:23:34.190 Am I the only one that's like, oh, that's terrible. 00:23:34.690 --> 00:23:35.569 Something should happen. 00:23:35.630 --> 00:23:39.950 And it's like, well, our ways aren't his ways. 00:23:40.329 --> 00:23:42.430 God works for the good of those who love him. 00:23:42.430 --> 00:23:48.029 And it's like, we don't address how we actually feel about a situation. 00:23:48.069 --> 00:23:52.849 We try to cover it up with like churchy words, churchy ways of thinking. 00:23:53.309 --> 00:24:04.210 And what ends up happening, is we get stuck in this sort of limbo of like, pretending that bad things aren't happening, even though we see it every single day. 00:24:06.440 --> 00:24:19.720 Right now, right now, in Europe, there's a war going on, because some dude feels like it's okay to have thousands of people killed, because he wants to make his own name great. 00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:22.799 What do we do with that? 00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:28.200 As a Christian, if you're someone that identifies yourself as a Christian, what do you do with that? 00:24:29.539 --> 00:24:36.660 Apparently, God, the Bible, our infallible word of God, gives us a place to pray that. 00:24:38.279 --> 00:24:41.440 To pray God dashed their little ones against the rocks. 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:44.779 Apparently, God's word gives us a place to do that. 00:24:45.420 --> 00:24:47.799 So, okay. 00:24:48.900 --> 00:24:53.039 How do we, how do we reconcile some of this stuff then, right? 00:24:54.140 --> 00:24:58.099 Daniel apparently is risking to, is like willing to die to pray. 00:24:58.599 --> 00:25:04.200 And if the world is so bleak, if everything is so terrible, why is he willing to die? 00:25:04.460 --> 00:25:05.420 What's going on? 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:06.279 What's going on here? 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:14.160 What I really love about Daniel 6, verse 10, is that it says that he's praying and giving thanks. 00:25:14.859 --> 00:25:21.240 And I really don't think it's a coincidence that the very next psalm, Psalm 138, is a psalm of thanksgiving to the Lord. 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:23.299 And I want to turn over there right now. 00:25:24.119 --> 00:25:25.880 I'm going to read, I'm going to read the whole thing. 00:25:26.220 --> 00:25:27.059 Starting in verse 1. 00:25:28.420 --> 00:26:10.640 It says, Above all things, your name and your word. 00:26:20.819 --> 00:26:24.930 So, you know what Daniel never did? 00:26:26.450 --> 00:26:29.609 You know what the authors of Psalm 137 never did? 00:26:30.349 --> 00:26:33.509 Is they actually never dashed the infant children of Babylon against rocks. 00:26:33.650 --> 00:26:34.410 They never did that. 00:26:35.289 --> 00:26:37.509 They did not resort to violence. 00:26:37.789 --> 00:26:39.190 They didn't get angry and frustrated. 00:26:39.369 --> 00:26:41.390 They didn't start revolutions, right? 00:26:41.390 --> 00:26:45.170 They weren't going around wearing, like, let's go Brandon shirts. 00:26:45.529 --> 00:26:49.529 Or writing ACAB all over the town, right? 00:26:50.369 --> 00:26:51.250 They prayed. 00:26:51.910 --> 00:26:53.069 They called out to God. 00:26:53.109 --> 00:26:55.410 There's some deep and dark frustrations to God. 00:26:56.450 --> 00:26:58.309 And then they moved to Psalm 138. 00:27:01.579 --> 00:27:06.799 They are praising God and thanking God for who he is and the power that he has over this world. 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:12.940 And what I love is it says, All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. 00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:22.920 So, the very people that in Psalm 137 that they're praying for evil to befall, it seems like they're also praying for those people to worship and praise God. 00:27:25.410 --> 00:27:29.170 And we see this time and time again in Daniel's life, right? 00:27:30.809 --> 00:27:37.210 Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, they're both people who are ordering the death of the Jews or people who are worshiping other gods. 00:27:37.470 --> 00:27:46.250 And by the end of the story, they're praising God and they're honoring God and they're writing these decrees saying everybody ought to worship the God of Daniel. 00:27:48.789 --> 00:27:51.569 And so there's a little bit of tension here, right? 00:27:51.569 --> 00:27:53.470 How do we reconcile this? 00:27:54.829 --> 00:28:05.210 If you're someone, again, someone who identifies yourself as a Christian, somehow we have to recognize that there's evil in the world, right? 00:28:05.210 --> 00:28:12.349 We have to recognize that there's truly terrible things and that people do these truly terrible things. 00:28:13.069 --> 00:28:16.609 And we have to also somehow desire for the salvation of these people. 00:28:19.299 --> 00:28:24.700 And it seems like what the Bible is saying that the way to do that is through prayer. 00:28:27.450 --> 00:28:29.690 And that's kind of easy to do sometimes, right? 00:28:29.750 --> 00:28:32.089 Like, oh, I have a buddy, he drinks too much. 00:28:32.130 --> 00:28:34.430 Maybe he even did something terrible, like had an affair or something. 00:28:34.509 --> 00:28:36.789 It's like, ah, he's my friend and I want him to come to Christ. 00:28:37.109 --> 00:28:39.029 I want him to get it. 00:28:39.490 --> 00:28:41.210 But what about the guy I was talking about before? 00:28:41.269 --> 00:28:42.150 What about the school shooter? 00:28:42.910 --> 00:28:45.589 What about the child molester, right? 00:28:45.589 --> 00:28:47.309 How do we get there? 00:28:48.809 --> 00:29:04.140 The truly scandalous, the really, truly scandalous thing about Christianity is that we have to, it's easy to be like, I want that person to get punished. 00:29:04.339 --> 00:29:05.839 I want that person to get executed. 00:29:05.980 --> 00:29:07.700 I want that person to get what's coming to them. 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:12.700 But we have to look at those people, the school shooters, and be like, I hope God forgives them. 00:29:13.619 --> 00:29:15.940 I hope God brings them to salvation. 00:29:19.349 --> 00:29:21.390 And how do we genuinely do that? 00:29:21.509 --> 00:29:24.029 Well, I think it's through prayer, right? 00:29:24.450 --> 00:29:27.609 And so here's the, through honest, through honest prayer. 00:29:28.089 --> 00:29:29.450 That's the key, honest prayer. 00:29:29.650 --> 00:29:30.950 And so here's what I want us to do. 00:29:31.349 --> 00:29:33.150 I'm going to issue a challenge for the week. 00:29:34.569 --> 00:29:45.509 Go home, close the door, turn the lights off if you need to, get on your knees, and I want you to really, really think, who am I withholding salvation from? 00:29:46.170 --> 00:29:49.109 Who is the person that I feel like God should not forgive? 00:29:49.589 --> 00:29:50.990 And really think about that. 00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:56.960 And then pray through Psalm 137. 00:29:57.400 --> 00:29:58.059 And that's okay. 00:29:58.240 --> 00:30:00.819 Think about it and just let yourself feel. 00:30:02.640 --> 00:30:10.700 Sit there for a little bit, a minute or two, a couple minutes, and then move on to Psalm 138 and pray for their salvation. 00:30:11.339 --> 00:30:15.539 Thank God for his power and pray for the salvation of that person. 00:30:16.660 --> 00:30:24.779 I can only speak for myself, but I know for a fact that there have been some prayers that I've called to God that are true. 00:30:24.839 --> 00:30:27.059 I would not say them in front of all of you. 00:30:28.220 --> 00:30:42.900 But what's incredible is in my own life, I can at least say this, that when I go to God with those dark, dark frustrations and I ask God to do some probably terrible things, God shows me how to love those people that I pray for. 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:49.960 I want to close as we draw near to communion to talking about Jesus. 00:30:52.440 --> 00:30:56.599 In Jesus' moment of deep anguish, he's hanging on a cross. 00:30:56.759 --> 00:30:57.500 He's been beaten. 00:30:57.900 --> 00:31:00.259 He's been abused, spit on, insulted. 00:31:01.019 --> 00:31:02.079 He turns to... 00:31:02.079 --> 00:31:03.279 Okay, there's the challenge. 00:31:03.700 --> 00:31:05.339 He turns to Psalm 22. 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.859 And he says, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 00:31:09.859 --> 00:31:14.200 Why are you so far from saving me from the words of my groaning? 00:31:14.460 --> 00:31:21.319 Oh my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 00:31:23.230 --> 00:31:27.950 And then the Psalm moves to in verse 22, I will tell of your name to my brothers. 00:31:28.349 --> 00:31:30.910 In the midst of the congregation, I will praise you. 00:31:32.130 --> 00:31:34.710 You who fear the Lord, praise him. 00:31:34.950 --> 00:31:37.789 All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him. 00:31:37.789 --> 00:31:40.529 And stand in awe of him. 00:31:40.890 --> 00:31:42.289 All you offspring of Israel. 00:31:43.890 --> 00:31:56.769 As we move into communion, here I want to meditate on Jesus, whose torture, whose crucifixion was so terrible that he feels forsaken by God. 00:31:57.710 --> 00:32:04.049 And through his prayer and petition, he's able to say, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 00:32:05.210 --> 00:32:11.970 And now we get to stand before God, justified and forgiven because of him. 00:32:13.269 --> 00:32:14.650 I'm going to say a prayer for communion. 00:32:15.950 --> 00:32:19.849 Father, thank you so much for your word and for the opportunity. 00:32:20.309 --> 00:32:25.910 God, I'm so grateful that you're big enough to hear our emotions, Lord. 00:32:26.029 --> 00:32:38.390 You're big enough to hear what we, just our dark frustrations, God, and you love us enough, you love all your people enough, all of your children, to show us how to reconcile and love each other, Lord, how to forgive each other, Father. 00:32:39.250 --> 00:32:50.990 Thank you for Jesus, who is the ultimate example of forgiveness, who we can look to and see how powerful your love and forgiveness is daily, Father. 00:32:51.109 --> 00:32:58.049 Thank you for his perfect sacrifice, Lord, that we get to come to you forgiven because of that, Lord. 00:32:58.089 --> 00:32:59.509 I pray this in Jesus' holy name. 00:33:06.049 --> 00:33:10.609 Thank you so much for listening to the Kalamazoo Church of Christ podcast. 00:33:10.990 --> 00:33:14.289 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:33:14.529 --> 00:33:21.910 Please go to kalamazoo.church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:33:22.009 --> 00:33:24.529 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week.