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. 00:00:32.520 --> 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. 00:01:00.200 --> 00:01:00.560 Amen. 00:01:01.479 --> 00:01:05.000 Um, thank you, uh, thank you so much, Ruth, for sharing your heart. 00:01:05.239 --> 00:01:09.540 Uh, you, you do, you have a really, uh, when I was, I was sitting with the men, you just have a way with words. 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:18.900 I really appreciate, uh, you personifying or talking about like this freedom and how people are searching for it or this love of self that people are, that we do love ourselves. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:39.140 And so I, I just, I thank you so much for that, for bringing us to the cross and considering Jesus's life and the opportunity for freedom, I should say at this time, uh, you can give contribution online it's kalamazoo.church slash give, or, uh, after the service, there's a box as well that you can contribute there, a few other announcements, then we're going to get into the lesson. 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:46.299 Um, one is the, uh, this upcoming Tuesday is, uh, an open prayer time at the sunnets. 00:01:46.340 --> 00:01:46.819 Do I have that? 00:01:46.920 --> 00:01:47.099 Correct. 00:01:47.140 --> 00:01:47.780 At what time? 00:01:47.900 --> 00:01:48.260 I forgot. 00:01:50.629 --> 00:01:51.030 Six. 00:01:51.170 --> 00:01:51.510 Great. 00:01:51.670 --> 00:01:54.530 Uh, so 6 PM at Paul and Lorraine's to nets. 00:01:54.590 --> 00:01:57.829 If you're interested, just talk to them, they'll, they'll get you the address. 00:01:58.469 --> 00:02:05.469 Uh, the next day is we're not going to have a organized house church, nor are we going to have a midweek service, but it's going to be a family dinner. 00:02:05.469 --> 00:02:14.810 And so what that means is it's just an opportunity for you to invite somebody, uh, to your home or invite yourself to somebody else's home to get to know them a little bit better. 00:02:15.469 --> 00:02:20.490 Uh, the, then this, uh, this, this next Sunday, we're worshiping right back here. 00:02:20.550 --> 00:02:24.330 And then on the 11th, there's going to be a midweek service at 7 PM. 00:02:24.569 --> 00:02:35.509 And then I also want to let you guys know that, uh, the 15th, you guys already have your calendars marked for it, but the 15th is going to be at our third anniversary service celebration. 00:02:35.770 --> 00:02:37.669 Um, we're excited about that. 00:02:37.669 --> 00:02:40.050 It's going to be at gold meadow farms. 00:02:40.189 --> 00:02:46.069 And so we have, uh, the capacity is I think 96 or maybe it's right under a hundred. 00:02:46.289 --> 00:02:48.849 And so we have room for guests is what I would say. 00:02:48.849 --> 00:02:57.509 So feel free to invite people and then just let Bianca know, uh, who is going to come by the Wednesday of the 11th, basically. 00:02:57.509 --> 00:03:03.969 So at that midweek service, uh, if it's afterwards, that's still okay, but just let, let, let her know so we can know how many to expect. 00:03:03.969 --> 00:03:08.289 And we can let gold meadows know how, uh, how many donuts, um, yeah, as a reminder. 00:03:08.409 --> 00:03:11.710 So it comes with donuts, apple cider, free entry into the farm. 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:15.490 And, uh, and then it also comes with, uh, a communion as well. 00:03:15.590 --> 00:03:16.949 So, um, there you go. 00:03:17.169 --> 00:03:19.650 Uh, you got, you guys can open up to Daniel nine. 00:03:19.710 --> 00:03:20.430 We'll be there in a minute. 00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:38.539 You know, we, we've been going through, uh, we've been going through the book of Daniel and what we set out to do is we set out to identify how we can grow in our life, uh, in connection to God, specifically in the avenue of prayer though. 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:44.599 And we said in Daniel two, that the, we have to go to God first in times of stress and struggle. 00:03:44.939 --> 00:03:47.639 And he's because he's the only one who fulfills us. 00:03:47.699 --> 00:03:51.580 There's other places where we can go that leave us unfulfilled. 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:55.900 And you guys have experienced it and I've experienced it maybe even well-intentioned good meaning. 00:03:55.939 --> 00:04:00.139 I'm going to read this, this, this book, the self-help book, and I'm going to learn this way. 00:04:00.159 --> 00:04:03.120 And yet you leave, you're like, I kind of knew all that stuff. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:04.280 They didn't teach me an awful lot. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.099 Going to God is the only way to do that. 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:19.060 Uh, prayer is also the, the means by which we can grow in our contentment and appreciation for what God is doing and is able to do despite our circumstances. 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:25.819 Uh, and then Josh talked about prayer, communicating our heart and our need for God. 00:04:25.899 --> 00:04:32.480 Uh, and at times prayer is, is what is going to have to happen to humble us or we can become truly humble through prayer. 00:04:33.480 --> 00:04:45.300 Then Alec, uh, last Sunday, he talked about the, the importance of going to God with our darkest feelings and thoughts and, and not, and, and really allowing him to shine on them and through them. 00:04:45.339 --> 00:04:48.139 And the challenge was to read Psalm 137. 00:04:48.300 --> 00:04:59.800 Uh, and, and then to just consider who do I feel like I'm holding back from, and then read Psalm 138 as a way to really realize how God feels about these people. 00:05:00.180 --> 00:05:02.800 Um, and it's much healthier than pretending these feelings aren't there. 00:05:03.259 --> 00:05:05.899 So today we're looking at Daniel nine. 00:05:06.019 --> 00:05:08.279 You can see, this is the Bible project thing here. 00:05:08.720 --> 00:05:11.000 Uh, Daniel nine is what we're digging into. 00:05:11.259 --> 00:05:15.220 I want to say, so from Daniel seven and eight, what happened? 00:05:15.339 --> 00:05:18.439 What does it, was the Bible not being, you know, why aren't we looking at it? 00:05:18.660 --> 00:05:25.860 Basically it's a couple of visions that Daniel has and these visions, uh, Daniel eight, he has this vision of four beasts. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.639 That's a little bit explained. 00:05:27.800 --> 00:05:29.620 Some of it's not Daniel eight. 00:05:29.620 --> 00:05:42.819 He has a vision that is explained actually in, in relatively good depth in Daniel eight at the end of the vision, uh, Daniel actually says, or at the end of Daniel eight, he just says, I was appalled at the vision. 00:05:43.259 --> 00:05:44.480 It was beyond understanding. 00:05:44.939 --> 00:05:57.079 And what I would say is it's pretty indicting on the Christian community or any Christian community that seeks to say, we know exactly what Daniel seven and Daniel eight mean in depth because of the numerology and all of this stuff. 00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:03.899 And this is what it's communicating about because Daniel himself who received the vision was one who said it was beyond understanding. 00:06:04.420 --> 00:06:11.680 Uh, you know, Daniel, I, I, I'm making a comment on this because I believe that, uh, it's about right. 00:06:11.740 --> 00:06:12.439 They're a little bit late. 00:06:12.500 --> 00:06:14.500 Usually it's about 10, usually about 10 39. 00:06:14.860 --> 00:06:16.500 Uh, they're, they're a little late here. 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:29.180 Uh, uh, so, so what, what I'll say is that often, uh, these, the book of Daniel is used as a way to predict the end times. 00:06:29.319 --> 00:06:31.360 When is Jesus going to come back? 00:06:31.420 --> 00:06:36.740 It's used actually, uh, to have some really poor doctrine or some bad reading of scripture. 00:06:37.079 --> 00:06:40.680 What I would challenge us with, and, and this is, this is for you. 00:06:40.779 --> 00:06:42.180 There's more that we can talk about. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:58.019 We're not going to dig into this, but I just feel like it's necessary for me to give a little bit of a caveat is when we read the Bible, we understand that, uh, that the Bible is written for us in terms of the morals, the teachings, what we can learn, it's written for us, but it's not just written for us. 00:06:58.160 --> 00:06:58.259 Right. 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:05.300 And I, I would, I would, I think what I've seen is there's, there's an ego centrism that, that some of us can fall into. 00:07:05.379 --> 00:07:16.139 Not, maybe not us, or maybe just the greater Christian community is who I'm speaking to, which is to say the Bible is written for me in the 21st century as a fill in the blank, whatever categories you give yourself. 00:07:16.279 --> 00:07:19.259 And so it must make sense that it means this. 00:07:19.259 --> 00:07:22.939 Uh, what I would say is that that's true in regards to moral direction. 00:07:23.060 --> 00:07:35.100 The Bible is clear on a lot of that stuff, but, but, uh, to read the teachings in revelation, Daniel, even some of the words of Jesus without giving consideration to the view and perspectives that the people in that day would have read it. 00:07:35.160 --> 00:07:37.600 And the people who came before us would have read it. 00:07:37.620 --> 00:07:40.060 And the people who are going to come after us would read it. 00:07:40.279 --> 00:07:43.100 I think we can quickly get mixed up in unsound doctrine. 00:07:43.480 --> 00:07:47.839 Um, and so there's, there's more we can talk about. 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:52.899 There's some, there's some, uh, there's some pretty, uh, some pretty great websites that you guys can, can look at some of this stuff. 00:07:53.259 --> 00:07:54.000 Talk to me afterwards. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:57.699 If it's important to you, if you feel like that's that, what are you talking about? 00:07:57.879 --> 00:07:59.139 Just leave it, just leave it. 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:00.259 That's not, it's not a big deal. 00:08:01.399 --> 00:08:04.480 Uh, we're, we're going to look at the prayer that, that happens in Daniel though. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:07.920 Uh, there's, there's a couple of components of this prayer. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:11.819 The first part is that this prayer, Daniel praise is invest. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.860 He invests himself and it's clear that he invests himself in other people. 00:08:14.860 --> 00:08:19.240 And then the second part is, is there's a great humility in prayer. 00:08:19.240 --> 00:08:22.100 Uh, and for you and I, what's the importance of it? 00:08:22.139 --> 00:08:27.000 Well, I think the importance in general in Daniel nine is that it can really challenge us how to pray. 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:32.139 And I think it's going to challenge even the way that we pray because it, it shapes our view of God. 00:08:32.139 --> 00:08:38.759 Even, um, well, we'll pick up here, pick up in kind of the middle of verse four. 00:08:38.798 --> 00:08:45.779 It says, Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments. 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:47.879 We have sinned and done wrong. 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:50.960 We have been wicked and have rebelled. 00:08:51.080 --> 00:08:53.720 We have turned away from your commands and laws. 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:55.639 We have not listened to your servants. 00:08:55.820 --> 00:09:02.559 The prophets who spoken your name to our Kings, our princes and our ancestors and to all the people of the land. 00:09:02.820 --> 00:09:07.720 Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame. 00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:17.659 The people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:24.960 We in our Kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 00:09:25.559 --> 00:09:27.679 The Lord, our God is merciful and forgiving. 00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:34.960 Even though we have rebelled against him, we have not obeyed the Lord, our God, or kept the laws he gave us through his servants, the prophets. 00:09:35.539 --> 00:09:40.519 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:42.600 We can pause here. 00:09:43.960 --> 00:09:47.240 You know, Daniel here, he's saying, this is a confession, really. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:48.440 He's saying we've messed up. 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:51.299 We've, we've, we've turned our back on you. 00:09:51.480 --> 00:09:53.080 But you know, what is incredible? 00:09:53.080 --> 00:10:02.740 If you read there, there's a bunch written in Daniel, in the book of Daniel, uh, there's, there's no record of him sinning, uh, and you might say, well, that's the, it's the Bible. 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:09.539 There's not, no, there's, there's a lot of records of righteous men, spiritual, spiritual women falling into sin though. 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:09.779 Right? 00:10:09.779 --> 00:10:13.139 You, you think about the life of David and his life was so powerful. 00:10:13.139 --> 00:10:17.200 And yet the Bible's clear about the sin, uh, in, in his life. 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:23.259 And you look at the apostles and you say, wow, those guys are incredible men in the faith. 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:26.519 And yet it talks about Peter denying Jesus. 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:31.720 It talks about Paul, uh, crucify really standing by with the death of Christians. 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:40.559 And so, but Daniel there's, there's no, there's no record of him, uh, committing sin, of course he, of course he's sinful, but, but stick with me here. 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:44.340 I think it's, it's pretty incredible that he understood he wasn't sinless. 00:10:44.919 --> 00:10:46.580 And, but the Bible doesn't say anything. 00:10:46.580 --> 00:10:49.080 And yet he just decided, I maybe I'm more righteous. 00:10:49.080 --> 00:10:51.259 We, we, we are challenged by his righteousness. 00:10:51.580 --> 00:11:01.080 And yet he understand, he understood according to, if we are one community, then, then what they do affects me way more than I'd like to admit. 00:11:01.539 --> 00:11:12.399 Uh, he, Daniel has this, this strong awareness that the actions of the people around him in his community have a deep impact on his faith and vice versa. 00:11:12.980 --> 00:11:20.379 Uh, he he's, he's not carrying the load with this is not as codependency where I'm carrying the load of the responsibility for somebody else's sin. 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:31.159 But he is saying, you know, I, we, as a group we've sinned, actually nobody's all it says in verse 11, he, he numbers himself among all Israel when he says all Israel has transgressed your law. 00:11:35.669 --> 00:11:38.309 I think, I think what is this communicating to us though? 00:11:38.309 --> 00:11:39.110 What are we pulling from it? 00:11:39.210 --> 00:11:52.169 Well, Daniel understood something that I want to challenge us with because when we say, oh, we get together, one of the big cells, I bet when you first started coming to church is, wow, these guys, they really care about each other. 00:11:52.269 --> 00:11:53.470 They asked me how I'm doing. 00:11:53.590 --> 00:11:55.669 It feels like they actually care about us. 00:11:55.690 --> 00:11:58.649 And then you get to know, and you're like, oh, they do actually care. 00:11:58.669 --> 00:11:59.370 And I care too. 00:11:59.470 --> 00:12:01.529 And it's, and that's amazing. 00:12:01.529 --> 00:12:13.769 I would challenge us though, that the reason for that, it can't be, oh, it just makes me feel good or it makes us feel good or no, the reason for that is because our faith is, is really dependent on each other. 00:12:15.789 --> 00:12:20.250 We are committed to one another because we're more dependent on each other than we realize. 00:12:20.590 --> 00:12:30.250 There, there's an understanding that if I am doing poorly spiritually, that my, my sin, how I feel about God, it actually affects, affects you guys. 00:12:30.690 --> 00:12:32.769 And, but, but for you, the same is true. 00:12:32.850 --> 00:12:36.190 There is nobody who can say, no, I I'm apart from this group. 00:12:36.330 --> 00:12:37.909 What they do doesn't affect me. 00:12:37.929 --> 00:12:44.350 And this is why when we, we challenged, we're looking for a church that follows the Bible and not just on Sunday, but every day of the week. 00:12:44.370 --> 00:12:48.169 And I, I tell people I'm not trying to sell my, my church. 00:12:48.190 --> 00:12:50.610 That's not, that's not my job or my responsibility. 00:12:51.570 --> 00:12:54.570 You, you got to follow a group of people that, that loves God. 00:12:54.590 --> 00:12:59.110 That's that's following the Bible that fails, but, but attempts to keep going. 00:12:59.110 --> 00:13:01.149 Uh, that's what you should be looking for. 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:05.990 And what I've seen is that's not often the case, uh, with groups who meet on Sundays. 00:13:08.659 --> 00:13:11.000 There's a, uh, there's a concept. 00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:13.799 I, this is where I, I'm sorry. 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:16.759 My, my business, uh, mind kind of moves here a little bit. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:21.279 And so if it doesn't make sense again, sincere apologies, I'll try to do a good job of explaining it. 00:13:21.299 --> 00:13:26.840 There there's two, there's two organizations or there's two frameworks, uh, that people operate with in business. 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:30.919 And one it's, it's the, the weak link versus strong link framework. 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:48.960 And so a weak link, uh, framework would be to say that my responsibility is to improve the weakest component of whatever I do, and that's going to help the bottom line, that's going to help the organization more than just growing the strongest component. 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:56.440 Uh, and a strong link framework is to say that it doesn't, the weak doesn't matter as much as just getting better at what I'm really good at. 00:13:56.440 --> 00:14:09.379 And you can, you can understand this in soccer is that basically that this, they did studies or whatever, and they identified that if you can improve the weakest player on, on the, on the pitch, uh, it's called a pitch, right? 00:14:09.460 --> 00:14:12.139 On soccer pitch or field. 00:14:12.259 --> 00:14:12.860 That's very good. 00:14:13.179 --> 00:14:16.460 Uh, yeah, I'm a cultured man. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:26.600 Uh, if you improve, if you improve the weakest player, just 50%, uh, or rather if the weakest player is just 50% as good as the strongest, you can do really well, right? 00:14:26.659 --> 00:14:36.580 You make seven great passes, everything's moving, but if the, the, one of the players kicks in and it goes off their leg, or it's not a great pass, the seven that came previous don't matter that much. 00:14:36.940 --> 00:14:39.580 Um, that's an example of a weak link. 00:14:39.820 --> 00:14:50.740 Um, if you gave somebody like, if we, again, if you gave somebody or people who know what they're doing and you said, here's$50 billion, go ahead and make airport travel the best possible. 00:14:50.740 --> 00:14:53.080 They're not going to go to the best airports. 00:14:53.080 --> 00:14:58.080 They're going to go to the worst ones actually, and improve the worst ones just a little bit. 00:14:58.159 --> 00:14:59.240 There's no point in improving. 00:14:59.500 --> 00:15:01.279 I'm told Denver has an awesome airport. 00:15:01.399 --> 00:15:02.039 I have no idea. 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:04.019 There's no point in improving that airport. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:08.899 You want to go to JFK or to Newark or somewhere over there, because that's where the bottlenecks are. 00:15:09.019 --> 00:15:13.799 And, and that's, that's understanding things to be a weak link organization. 00:15:14.100 --> 00:15:21.659 Strong link says strong link says that if you improve your best player, um, then, then you're going to win at a higher rate. 00:15:21.659 --> 00:15:23.480 And this, we see it in basketball all the time. 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:24.259 It's kind of a known thing. 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.519 If you have the, the best player on the court, you always have a chance to win. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:32.139 Um, and I, and actually organizations have done this. 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:37.840 They've decided I, the, the weaker, I, we just need two stars and then everyone else can be not very good. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:41.700 But if we have two really good players, we're going to win a championship or at least we have a chance. 00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:42.740 Um, okay. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:44.879 Weak link, strong link. 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:45.759 Let's make it sense. 00:15:45.820 --> 00:15:52.009 I wonder if we think this way, relationally though, I betcha. 00:15:52.009 --> 00:15:52.450 I betcha. 00:15:52.490 --> 00:16:02.870 If you'd look at yourself, you, you might fit in one of these two camps relationally, as far as are you weak link and weak link would say, I want to interact with as many people as possible. 00:16:02.870 --> 00:16:06.590 I just want to make sure I'm going to be the mayor of the Kalamazoo church. 00:16:06.610 --> 00:16:10.669 And, and in the best possible way, I want to make sure that I, Hey, how are you? 00:16:10.710 --> 00:16:11.549 It's good to see you. 00:16:11.610 --> 00:16:12.210 How's your, okay. 00:16:13.570 --> 00:16:16.970 And, or, or maybe you'd say, I don't need actually that many friends. 00:16:16.990 --> 00:16:18.389 I got, I just need like two. 00:16:18.750 --> 00:16:20.870 Uh, I'm going to just talk with those guys. 00:16:20.870 --> 00:16:22.490 I good to see you. 00:16:22.570 --> 00:16:24.269 I'm not sure what your last name is. 00:16:24.389 --> 00:16:26.370 And, and you, you might, you might head out. 00:16:29.149 --> 00:16:44.190 I think, I think if we take either of these to any extreme, what ends up happening is you think about a church that is just weak link that says, I just want to make sure I kind of know everybody and I have, I know their name and I can smile at them. 00:16:44.590 --> 00:16:45.590 That church is shallow. 00:16:45.629 --> 00:16:49.590 Isn't it the church that church that again, you, you look at, you're like, that's, that's great. 00:16:49.649 --> 00:16:50.289 That's exciting. 00:16:50.289 --> 00:16:56.549 And then you go deeper in and you're like, wait, none of you guys know each other very well, and none of you guys know each other's sin. 00:16:56.649 --> 00:17:01.649 You think about Daniel was able to, he was able to pray for other people's sin. 00:17:01.990 --> 00:17:02.090 Right. 00:17:02.529 --> 00:17:09.450 Do you know your brother and sister's sin enough to pray for them about their sin for their, for their sin? 00:17:11.880 --> 00:17:15.118 And what is, what does it look like to have this strong? 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:22.858 We have strong connections, but not, not really that, that, that, uh, with a lot of people, you, you, you develop clicks. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.039 And what happens is honestly, churches get weird. 00:17:25.259 --> 00:17:26.920 Uh, they get weird and they, they divide. 00:17:27.078 --> 00:17:28.640 Those are that that's what occurs. 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:33.880 And so for us though, or for you, I want you to take a moment to consider which do you tend more towards? 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:36.920 Do I tend more towards the weak link or the strong link? 00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:40.400 Uh, the reality is you can look at the life of Daniel and he was both right. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:46.019 He had three close friends, extremely close friends, and yet he knew the sin of his, of his people to interact with them. 00:17:51.470 --> 00:17:58.470 Second, second thing that we see here in this prayer, we're going to keep reading is, is that there's, there's deep humility inside of here. 00:17:58.509 --> 00:18:10.069 It says, therefore the curses, this is still at the end of verse 11, it says, therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the law of Moses, the servant of God have been poured out on us because we have sinned against you. 00:18:10.990 --> 00:18:19.069 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster under the whole heaven. 00:18:19.329 --> 00:18:21.509 Nothing has ever been done. 00:18:21.509 --> 00:18:27.630 Like what has been done to Jerusalem, just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us yet. 00:18:27.650 --> 00:18:32.809 We have not sought the favor of the Lord, our God, by turning from our sin and given attention to your truth. 00:18:33.150 --> 00:18:37.069 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us for the Lord. 00:18:37.069 --> 00:18:39.970 Our God is righteous in everything he does yet. 00:18:40.009 --> 00:18:41.269 We have not obeyed him. 00:18:42.089 --> 00:18:51.730 Now, Lord, our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned. 00:18:51.849 --> 00:18:52.809 We have done wrong. 00:18:54.069 --> 00:19:11.549 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill, our sin, and the iniquity of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us. 00:19:13.049 --> 00:19:18.109 Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant for your sake. 00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:20.579 Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 00:19:21.670 --> 00:19:23.309 Give ear our God in here. 00:19:23.569 --> 00:19:26.630 Open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your name. 00:19:27.369 --> 00:19:28.309 We do not make great. 00:19:28.549 --> 00:19:29.109 We do not, sorry. 00:19:29.190 --> 00:19:41.220 We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy, Lord, listen, Lord, forgive Lord here and act. 00:19:42.529 --> 00:19:47.869 For your sake, my God do not delay because your city and your people bear your name. 00:19:51.529 --> 00:20:05.390 There are, there are three major components that you might see if you, if you look at anybody who is praying in this way, and if you, we look in the life of Daniel, we see there's three big components in praying and humility. 00:20:05.690 --> 00:20:08.589 One is you have to identify who God is. 00:20:08.829 --> 00:20:12.069 Uh, what are the characteristics he gives to God? 00:20:12.069 --> 00:20:14.670 He says, you are the fulfiller of promises. 00:20:15.309 --> 00:20:17.250 He says, you speak truth. 00:20:18.029 --> 00:20:21.990 He says, you're faithful to your people and promises. 00:20:22.690 --> 00:20:23.789 Uh, you're mighty. 00:20:23.930 --> 00:20:24.690 You are righteous. 00:20:24.789 --> 00:20:25.670 You are merciful. 00:20:25.950 --> 00:20:36.529 And in our prayer, if we are going to understand what true humility is, and we have to be able to give identifications to God outside of this list, rhetorical question, what would you give to God? 00:20:36.769 --> 00:20:39.630 What, what identifiers would you give to God? 00:20:39.710 --> 00:20:41.490 What ways would you use to describe him? 00:20:44.089 --> 00:20:46.569 We have to be able to identify ourselves as well, though, right? 00:20:46.650 --> 00:20:48.289 In verse 11, it says we've sinned. 00:20:48.829 --> 00:20:51.990 We haven't sought God's favor by turning from our sin. 00:20:52.210 --> 00:20:53.829 We have not obeyed the truth. 00:20:54.569 --> 00:20:57.869 Uh, all of us are, are among the transgressors. 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:06.680 And then there's this call, uh, to God to act, hear our prayers. 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:08.579 Look on us with favor in verse 19. 00:21:08.599 --> 00:21:16.099 It says it so well, it says, Lord, listen, Lord, forgive Lord act and don't act because we're doing anything good. 00:21:16.099 --> 00:21:18.140 Because we bear your name. 00:21:21.890 --> 00:21:33.769 How are we going to go about being people who, who pray like this, who pray in humility, who are able to identify God, identify self, and then still call God to act, sit with me the only way is if you really believe God is your father. 00:21:37.430 --> 00:21:47.789 If you, you, you understand the relationship that you had with, uh, that you have with your parents, uh, this, this relationship is extremely profound. 00:21:47.849 --> 00:22:04.309 You know, I, I think if, uh, if you are a parent in this room and if you, if you're basically, if I treated you, how your child treats you, if your child's under the age of five or when they were five, uh, you, you wouldn't be my friend and you might call the cops on me, right? 00:22:04.410 --> 00:22:06.630 What, what is this person's problem? 00:22:06.789 --> 00:22:08.769 Why is he yelling at me? 00:22:08.789 --> 00:22:10.049 I told him, give me a moment. 00:22:10.289 --> 00:22:12.529 And yet he's asking for water. 00:22:13.049 --> 00:22:15.210 I said, I've got something going on. 00:22:15.490 --> 00:22:16.950 And yet he's asking for water. 00:22:17.049 --> 00:22:18.309 I'm using the bathroom. 00:22:18.430 --> 00:22:22.069 And yet he's walking in on the, on me when I'm using the bathroom. 00:22:22.069 --> 00:22:24.150 What is, what is this person's problem? 00:22:24.250 --> 00:22:25.910 You would, you would call the cops. 00:22:26.349 --> 00:22:31.920 Uh, Matt Madison's Madison's a year and a half. 00:22:32.380 --> 00:22:37.819 And, uh, and, and there's nobody who, uh, who, who treats me as poorly as sir. 00:22:38.700 --> 00:22:39.759 Uh, we love her. 00:22:39.799 --> 00:22:41.960 I mean, like there's nothing you guys get it though. 00:22:41.980 --> 00:22:47.440 If you have a child, like wakes up and there's, everything's going well, and then she'll look at me. 00:22:47.980 --> 00:22:51.400 And so the, the sign for, for milk is like this. 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:55.059 Um, but she looks at me with a fist and she just says, no. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:59.880 And, and we're like, okay, settle down here, Madison, you have to say please. 00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:01.420 And she, it took her a while now. 00:23:01.519 --> 00:23:03.319 She'll get it, but never on the first time. 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:04.940 Madison say, please. 00:23:05.740 --> 00:23:06.119 No. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:11.019 And she's, and again, if, if you were to do that to me, I wouldn't be your friend. 00:23:13.140 --> 00:23:14.019 What do I mean though? 00:23:14.019 --> 00:23:27.559 But, but if you, if in order for us to truly connect to God in this way, we, we have to be those who understand him to be our father, it is, it is audacious. 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:29.240 The things that we ask of God, isn't it? 00:23:29.660 --> 00:23:31.200 It is, it is incredible. 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:35.900 The entitlement that we can walk with as we, as we enter his throne. 00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:45.900 And as we just share what's going on in our minds, there's, there's no other religion that, that calls us to pray in the way that the Bible calls us to pray. 00:23:46.519 --> 00:23:54.319 You to, to communicate, uh, to communicate it to any other group of people, it would be, they'd feel embarrassed. 00:23:54.460 --> 00:23:58.180 They'd look down on you actually, if they knew how, how you prayed to God. 00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:03.440 But you know, who doesn't look down on you is God because he's your father. 00:24:04.319 --> 00:24:10.380 Uh, so, so what would happen then if we were just to take one of these components and remove them? 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:14.880 Well, let's say we, we understand, uh, that we identify who God is. 00:24:15.900 --> 00:24:19.440 We know who we are and we just say, God, you're amazing. 00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:20.059 You're awesome. 00:24:20.519 --> 00:24:21.700 I'm not God. 00:24:22.599 --> 00:24:23.079 Amen. 00:24:23.819 --> 00:24:23.980 What? 00:24:25.079 --> 00:24:28.519 That communicates an, an intense lack of faith, right? 00:24:29.319 --> 00:24:30.680 You're not calling on God to act. 00:24:30.759 --> 00:24:37.599 You're, you are considering yourself way more highly than you ought because of your lowly demeanor, you're not willing to give God his praise. 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:43.980 Uh, there's a lack of boldness in, uh, in, in, in somebody who, who is praying in this way. 00:24:45.539 --> 00:24:47.359 You say, well, what would happen then? 00:24:47.819 --> 00:24:52.940 If we, uh, we, we just, we don't understand how, how to identify ourselves as we pray. 00:24:53.059 --> 00:24:55.339 We, we pray and we, we give God glory. 00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:56.259 He's amazing. 00:24:56.500 --> 00:24:57.740 God, so do this. 00:24:57.759 --> 00:24:58.660 Well, what, what do we do? 00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:00.700 We end up arrogant and entitled. 00:25:00.700 --> 00:25:01.200 Don't we? 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:03.160 We don't, I'm not in touch with my sin. 00:25:03.180 --> 00:25:04.880 And so I, I'm pretty good. 00:25:04.980 --> 00:25:06.140 Everybody else has messed up. 00:25:06.140 --> 00:25:08.359 I'm the one that's, that's doing good God. 00:25:08.420 --> 00:25:09.839 So just act on my behalf. 00:25:09.900 --> 00:25:12.180 And again, our faith in God then is lacking. 00:25:12.259 --> 00:25:14.140 We don't see us as we truly are. 00:25:14.859 --> 00:25:21.759 Then what would happen if, if we identify ourselves and, but we don't identify God, we, God, I'm a sinner. 00:25:21.859 --> 00:25:22.599 I am messed up. 00:25:22.759 --> 00:25:23.539 Just work. 00:25:23.559 --> 00:25:24.299 And I'll follow you. 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:30.470 God, we, we convince ourselves that God doesn't truly care about us. 00:25:30.690 --> 00:25:32.289 There's no deep connection. 00:25:32.289 --> 00:25:37.009 This is to be somebody who is a King, but not our father. 00:25:37.009 --> 00:25:40.190 We would say, if you don't answer us, it's on us. 00:25:40.549 --> 00:25:41.990 Not, it's not, it's not on you. 00:25:42.609 --> 00:25:44.829 Uh, there's, there's a distance that's created. 00:25:44.829 --> 00:25:54.309 If we are going to, if we pray this way, the only way that it works is if, is if all of the components are used together. 00:25:54.349 --> 00:25:54.750 Right. 00:25:55.109 --> 00:26:01.210 Because Daniel calls God to act according to what, because he says act on our behalf because we bear your name. 00:26:01.849 --> 00:26:04.069 That's, that's something that is so powerful. 00:26:04.089 --> 00:26:05.450 It's something that we ought to pray as well. 00:26:05.450 --> 00:26:09.390 If you identify yourself as being a Christian, then consider praying. 00:26:09.549 --> 00:26:09.990 I got it. 00:26:10.049 --> 00:26:13.309 Not because I did anything good, but because I bear your name. 00:26:13.430 --> 00:26:18.990 And you know what that means though, is that means that when you have a really good day, let's say I wake up, I read my Bible. 00:26:19.089 --> 00:26:20.029 I'm nice to my spouse. 00:26:20.289 --> 00:26:23.730 My kids, man, they're, they're having a bad day, but I'm loving my kids. 00:26:23.789 --> 00:26:24.470 I'm giving to them. 00:26:24.730 --> 00:26:27.329 I have this Bible study with this great guy. 00:26:27.430 --> 00:26:30.250 And we're man, I have this discipling time maybe. 00:26:30.349 --> 00:26:41.450 And, and somebody share something with me and I'm, I'm eating it up and I'm doing so well at the end of the day, when I pray, God act on my behalf, act on this Bible study, act doesn't change my character. 00:26:42.250 --> 00:26:44.789 I, I shouldn't pray because I'm doing all these things. 00:26:44.789 --> 00:26:45.210 I should pray. 00:26:45.289 --> 00:26:48.490 Well, because I bear your name, because that doesn't change. 00:26:48.509 --> 00:27:13.490 But think about then that if that's true, then that also means that when you are doing really bad, when you haven't read your Bible for a week, when, when there's just a lack of connection to God, when you, you feel like there's a little bit there's this low grade tension in your home with your children or with your spouse or with your roommates, and there's just a little bit, there's, you just, you can't put your finger on it and to, uh, to dig into it and say, are we okay? 00:27:13.890 --> 00:27:15.809 Would, would it feels overwhelming? 00:27:15.970 --> 00:27:17.690 You've had such a bad day. 00:27:17.750 --> 00:27:21.269 Maybe you've had a bad week, maybe a month, maybe you've had a bad year. 00:27:21.789 --> 00:27:29.029 Uh, you know, what doesn't change is that, that, that you still bear God's name or you have that opportunity to. 00:27:29.789 --> 00:27:34.269 He still views you as a child and he views you that way as his child. 00:27:34.309 --> 00:27:37.829 And he views you that way, not because it's cute, but because that is who you are. 00:27:41.109 --> 00:27:49.069 If, if we are going to become people who are transformed by prayer, certainly prayer, it's, it's powerful. 00:27:49.230 --> 00:27:49.869 You, you read it. 00:27:49.990 --> 00:27:55.650 And there's times when prayer actually, it moves the heart of God to, to change what he organized to do somehow. 00:27:55.789 --> 00:27:56.710 I don't understand it. 00:27:57.269 --> 00:28:03.910 Many, many other times, uh, there's times when we pray and it just changes our heart, doesn't it? 00:28:04.029 --> 00:28:06.769 We, we just realized that we just need God. 00:28:07.150 --> 00:28:14.430 Uh, what I, what I want us to do right now is I'm going to read this prayer and I'm going to read it relatively slowly. 00:28:14.569 --> 00:28:30.269 I want to challenge you, uh, to, as we, as we pray it to consider in your life, consider the relationships in your life, consider that the challenge, go ahead and figure out somebody else's sin, not to look down on them, but to actually pray for, for them to, to change their sin. 00:28:30.430 --> 00:28:32.130 But then you've got to know somebody like that. 00:28:32.150 --> 00:28:36.730 Uh, and then consider how you and yourself can pray in humility. 00:28:36.730 --> 00:28:37.109 Amen. 00:28:37.710 --> 00:28:39.910 We're going to pray and then we'll be dismissed. 00:28:40.029 --> 00:29:04.720 Uh, and, um, and then you can pick up your children, Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, Kalamazoo church has sinned and done wrong. 00:29:06.819 --> 00:29:10.180 We have been wicked and have rebelled. 00:29:12.579 --> 00:29:16.059 We have turned away from your commands and laws. 00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:35.079 We have not listened to your servants and the prophets who spoke your name to our Kings, our princes, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land, Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame. 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:53.099 The people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you, we and our Kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we've sinned against you. 00:29:54.339 --> 00:29:57.160 The Lord, our God is merciful and forgiving. 00:29:57.160 --> 00:30:12.349 Even though we have rebelled against him, we have not obeyed the Lord, our God, or kept the laws he gave us through his servants, the prophets, all Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey there. 00:30:12.690 --> 00:30:22.970 Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the law of Moses, the servant of God have been poured out on us because we have sinned against you. 00:30:24.009 --> 00:30:29.970 You have fulfilled the word spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. 00:30:30.549 --> 00:30:38.369 Under the whole heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem, just as it is written in the law of Moses, all the disasters come on us. 00:30:38.410 --> 00:30:45.130 Yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord, our God, by turning our sin, turning from our sin and giving attention to your truth. 00:30:46.230 --> 00:30:52.490 The Lord did not hesitate to bring disaster on us for the Lord, our God is righteous in everything he does, yet we have not obeyed him. 00:30:54.569 --> 00:30:55.450 Feel the energy pick up. 00:30:55.450 --> 00:31:24.009 Now, Lord, our God who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong, Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill, our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all around us. 00:31:25.049 --> 00:31:29.369 Now, Lord, hear the prayers and petitions of your servants. 00:31:30.710 --> 00:31:34.490 For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 00:31:35.309 --> 00:31:42.029 Give ear, our God, and hear, open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your name. 00:31:42.490 --> 00:31:49.130 We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 00:31:50.589 --> 00:32:03.309 Lord, listen, Lord, forgive, Lord, hear and act for your sake, my God, do not delay because your city and your people bear your name. 00:32:04.009 --> 00:32:06.309 And the church said, amen. 00:32:07.730 --> 00:32:10.109 Family, let's let's live a life of prayer. 00:32:10.210 --> 00:32:11.430 Let's live a life devoted to God. 00:32:11.750 --> 00:32:13.329 Have an awesome Sunday. 00:32:13.589 --> 00:32:14.950 We will see you guys next week. 00:32:15.250 --> 00:32:19.109 Thank you so much for listening to the calendar. 00:32:19.109 --> 00:32:20.710 Church of Christ podcast. 00:32:21.049 --> 00:32:24.369 If you're in the Kalamazoo area, we'd love to get connected. 00:32:24.609 --> 00:32:32.009 Please go to Kalamazoo dot church and fill in your information to come to a Sunday service or any other event that we have going on. 00:32:32.150 --> 00:32:34.630 In any case, you'll be hearing from us next week. 00:32:47.390 --> 00:32:48.970 So busy saving souls.