WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.919 Turn in your Bibles now to Daniel chapter two. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:05.839 By the way, good morning, church. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:08.400 Great to see you all here today. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.720 Daniel chapter two is where we are going to be this morning. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:24.879 Now, we've all seen uh countless examples, I think, of people basking in the glory of their accomplishments, right? 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:26.800 We've we've definitely witnessed that. 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:46.640 I mean, maybe it's the you know the football player uh celebrating the touchdown by you know soaking in the adoration of you know the 50,000 screaming and adoring uh fans and making an absolute spectacle of themselves through that celebration. 00:00:46.799 --> 00:01:07.760 Perhaps uh you've seen the actor on the red carpet, you know, smiling and and waving as as you know people snap photos and you know hurl you know compliments at them and clamor for their attention and try to get that you know exclusive interview. 00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:11.760 But of course, it's not just them, right? 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:19.359 Of course, lowly commoners like you and I, uh we're in it for the glory as well, let's be honest. 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:20.079 We really are. 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:24.959 We we too love to have our ego stroked, right? 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:30.719 We love it when when people say nice things about us, uh, people flatter us. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:38.159 We we love to experience success in so many different ways, right? 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:47.120 It's you know it might be the the rush that you get when you're at work and you know just crush that sales pitch, right? 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:55.120 And everyone's you know giving you kudos about that, and maybe you beat out some other people and you know you're feeling you know you're feeling pretty good about yourself. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:02:20.639 You know, or or maybe for us it's just you know simply the the number of likes on an Instagram post, and and and somehow we just feel we see feel so validated by that and we feel ourselves kind of kind of puff up, or or it's the you know, it's the stick taps that you might receive in in men's hockey for ripping it bar down, and you're kind of like, you know, still got it, right? 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:23.439 And you just love the the props that your friends give you. 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:29.360 Listen, the point, okay, the point of all of this is that we love glory. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:30.240 Right? 00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:31.280 We love it. 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:37.680 We are we are absolutely addicted to it, and we we want it bad. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:46.319 Which, of course, presents uh a rather significant problem for us if we're Christians, right? 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:47.120 It really does. 00:02:47.360 --> 00:03:03.360 Because once our eyes are opened to the to the pride, to the sin that we have in our hearts, and we we embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and as and as King and as sovereign ruler over absolutely all the created order, okay. 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:10.639 Once we do that, we begin to realize, all right, that life is actually about his glory, right? 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:16.400 It's about his fame, it's about his exaltation, uh, not our own. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:17.680 Okay, not at all. 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:21.599 Okay, so therein lies the battle for you and I. 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:22.159 Right? 00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:32.800 We all have this sinful flesh, this sin nature within us that that selfishly clamors for our own glory. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:34.159 We we want it. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:39.280 We were we're like that desperate two-year-old screaming to their mother to give me, gimme, gimme. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:39.840 Right? 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:41.360 We're like that inside. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:50.159 But at the same time, as believers, we also have this the Spirit of God who now resides inside of us, who convicts us of that, right? 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:56.960 Who motivates us and and enables us to actually give the glory back to God. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:02.560 Okay, so at the end of the day, all of us are in it for the glory. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:03.039 Right? 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:03.599 We really are. 00:04:03.759 --> 00:04:06.080 The only question really is whose? 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:07.120 Right? 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:13.520 If we want to hold fast to Christ, that's what this series is about, that's what we've been talking about over the last couple of weeks. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:24.319 And you know, if we want to continue to grow intimacy, uh intimacy with him and all of that, the only the only true answer here, the only the only legitimate response is to be in it for his. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:24.800 Right? 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.519 To be in it for his glory alone. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:37.439 Now, Daniel, I love this guy, he was he was a uh a man, a young man who demonstrated this very well throughout his life. 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:42.639 And so we're gonna see an example, a great example of that today in the scriptures. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:48.959 We're gonna read this in just a second, but first of all, uh, why don't you join me as we pray and give these things to the Lord? 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:50.560 God, we thank you for today. 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:53.920 Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to be together as your church, Lord. 00:04:54.079 --> 00:05:05.680 Uh Lord, we know that uh in Isaiah 42, uh you say, you make it very clear, I am the Lord, that is my name, my glory I give to no other. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:15.040 And Lord, as we see that, as as we recognize that, Lord, we also recognize that we very much uh don't want to give you glory deep down. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.759 Lord, deep down we want what we want. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:21.279 We want to be on the throne. 00:05:21.519 --> 00:05:25.839 We want to have our ego stroked, we want praise from people. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:29.600 And Lord, we understand as believers that that's a problem. 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:35.920 And so, God, I pray that today you would show us that that you are so worthy of glory, Lord. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.839 I pray that that would be our desire to give it to you, Lord. 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:50.560 Everything that is accomplished through us, everything that we accomplish in this life, Lord, I pray that we would see that it is you enabling and empowering and working through us, Lord, as we see in the life of Daniel. 00:05:51.360 --> 00:06:00.079 Father, we thank you for uh this great text, this passage that models something really well for us, Lord. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.720 And I pray that you would tune our hearts to this. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:11.759 Lord, I pray that uh moment by moment we would be learning to be uh followers of Jesus who give glory to you, Lord. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:14.480 You're the one who deserves it, that's where it belongs. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:17.920 And so, Lord, help us, we pray in Christ's name. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:18.879 Amen. 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:19.759 Amen. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:20.160 All right. 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:25.600 Well, we are uh we're parachuting really today into the middle of a story. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:33.279 And so I want to kind of bring you up to speed a little bit here and kind of let you know what's going on in Daniel uh chapter one. 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:48.480 We're gonna look at chapter two, a few verses in there, but in Daniel chapter one, it really starts off uh with uh King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invading Judah, invading the you know, the city of Jerusalem and overthrowing it. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:57.439 All right, he he he wins the battle, he wins the victory, and what he does is he takes a bunch of people uh captive and brings them back to Babylon. 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:06.000 And so one of those people is this young man uh named Daniel and uh three of his friends that we'll see here uh in a moment. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:15.920 And so Daniel and his friends, uh they are brought into the king's court and they are uh they go through a period of really training. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:29.040 They're they're they're taught for three years, they're taught the ways of Babylon, and and and and as Daniel and his friends were going this uh through this, um the the king's people recognize that hey, these guys are these guys are pretty good. 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:34.319 These guys are very wise, they're they're sharp, and Daniel himself actually rose to the very the the top. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:49.279 He was the cream of the crop of all of this, over all of the magicians, over all of Babylon's wise men, over all of it, he uh begins to prove himself and show himself to be a very faithful servant in this way, faithful servant of God. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:55.920 Okay, well, at some point here, and this is into chapter two now, uh King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream. 00:07:56.079 --> 00:08:01.040 All right, and in this dream, in this dream, it troubles him, and and he's not sure what it's about. 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:09.680 And so he gathers his magicians and the wise men around him, and he said, I I've got I've had this troubling dream, and I don't know, I don't know what it means. 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:19.040 And so the the wise men, they say, All right, King, why don't you tell us what the dream is and then we'll interpret it for you. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:22.959 And King Nebuchadnezzar, though, he kind of sees through it a little bit. 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:36.000 He recognizes that maybe these guys are just gonna tell him uh what uh he wants to hear, all right, and then he recognizes that that maybe they're stalling here to kind of come up with a plausible explanation for this dream. 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:44.799 And he uh says there, he says, No, not only do I want to hear the interpretation of this dream, but I'm actually not even gonna tell you what the dream was. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:49.840 You're gonna have to tell me what my dream was so that I know that you're legit. 00:08:50.240 --> 00:09:02.720 Okay, and he says, and if you don't, and actually says here, if you don't make to known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:03.360 Right? 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:04.879 Seems reasonable. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:05.519 Right? 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:07.440 Nebuchadnezzar, great guy. 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:11.440 All right, and so of course, the magicians, they're like, What? 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:14.000 Like that, that that's that's crazy. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:23.120 Like no man, no person could ever possibly tell you what it was you dreamed before before you tell uh told us. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:24.159 This is impossible. 00:09:24.320 --> 00:09:42.320 And Nebuchadnezzar, though, in his anger and his fury, he orders these wise men and these magicians to be destroyed, it says, which of course has implications for David, or sorry, for Daniel and his friends who are included uh in that group. 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:48.879 All right, so obviously Daniel is in a uh serious jam here, right? 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:49.759 He really is. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:55.360 And so what he does is he goes to his friends, okay, and they decide we're gonna seek the Lord together. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:59.360 They hold fast to him, they hold on to their God. 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:07.759 And as God moves and as God works through this situation, as we're gonna see here, Daniel, he just gives all the glory to God. 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:14.399 He's he's not gonna take it for himself, he's gonna point it all back to him, which really leads us to the first thing here. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:16.960 Two points this morning, if you're a note taker. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:17.679 Here it is. 00:10:17.840 --> 00:10:21.120 I'm in it for the glory, God's glory. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:26.639 So I will bless him for how he extends mercy when I'm mystified. 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:32.480 We're gonna take a look at this here, uh, starting in verse 17 of chapter two. 00:10:32.799 --> 00:10:37.360 And understand here as we pick it up that Daniel has just found out from Ariok. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:42.480 Now, Ariok is the captain of the king's guard, so one of the king's right-hand men type thing. 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:45.919 He's just found out uh that that Nebuchadnezzar's on the war path. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:49.200 He's just ordered all these wise men in Babylon to be put to death. 00:10:49.279 --> 00:11:02.080 And so Daniel immediately requests a face-to-face with Nebuchadnezzar so that he can explain, catch this, so that he can explain both what the dream is and then what it means. 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:12.320 Which, if you think about it, is absolutely wild that Daniel would go ahead and say this because at this point, when he requests the meeting, he doesn't yet know. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:13.200 Right? 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:15.519 He hasn't even prayed to the Lord yet. 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:25.840 It's just it's such a desperate situation, and this order has been has been issued to carry out the execution of these of these wise men and musicians that that Daniel's just like, you know what? 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:30.399 Let me get face to face with Nebuchadnezzar, and I'm gonna tell him what the dream is and what it means. 00:11:30.639 --> 00:11:30.879 Right? 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:32.799 Which I think that you might think that's kind of foolish. 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:33.200 It's not. 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:40.399 It just shows the extreme and amazing mega faith that Daniel had in the Lord to come through for him. 00:11:40.639 --> 00:11:40.879 Right? 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:41.679 Pretty amazing. 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:43.519 So look at verse 17 then. 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:53.200 It says, Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishel, and Azariah his companions. 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:54.399 Okay, well, who are those guys? 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:59.679 Well, they are the guys that we commonly know as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, right? 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:07.279 These are the guys that if you go into uh chapter three, you see they were the three guys that end up going into the fiery furnace, if you remember that story, right? 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:10.320 And Jesus shows up in the furnace and spares them. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:14.480 So those those are kind of the four characters here, with Daniel kind of the lead. 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:34.399 Okay, so he makes the matter known to these guys, his companions, and told them, it says, to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:38.720 Now, I really like the use of that word uh mystery there. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:39.440 You see it? 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:39.919 Right? 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:42.559 It just literally means secret. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:43.120 Right? 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:44.240 That's what it means. 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:52.720 And and then so the content of Nebuchadnezzar's dream itself, and of course the interpretation, was a total mystery to everybody. 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:53.200 Right? 00:12:53.279 --> 00:12:53.519 Right? 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:59.440 Nobody knew who what it was all about, including again, Daniel at this point, right? 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:04.480 It was a secret that the Lord knew that he had not yet revealed. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:13.840 And so it says there that they rightly seek mercy from the God of heaven about all of this, and God graciously extends that mercy. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:15.919 Pick it up in verse 19. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:22.480 He says, Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:22.960 Right? 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:30.960 So God comes through in a dream or in a vision in the evening and says, and he says, Here's what the dream uh was, and here's what it means. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:38.879 And we're, I mean, we're at this point, we're not even told, you know, what the dream is or or the interpretation, but but Daniel definitely knows it. 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:50.799 And if you want, you can actually read later on this week, starting in in verse uh 31, uh, when when Daniel gets in front of Nebuchadnezzar, he he kind of lays out what the dream was and and what it all means and all that. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:52.799 We're actually not even gonna get to all of that today. 00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:57.120 But can you just imagine the relief in that moment for Daniel? 00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:57.759 Right? 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:03.279 Can you imagine just like the swell of confidence in his God about that? 00:14:03.440 --> 00:14:03.679 Right? 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:07.039 He's like, man, Lord, you are you are amazing, right? 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:09.360 But now watch what happens next there. 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:14.480 It says, then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 00:14:14.960 --> 00:14:15.279 Right? 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:17.919 I I think there's something significant in that. 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:21.600 Because I think if it was me, I'd be thinking, okay, I got my answer. 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:23.360 I gotta go straight to Nebuchadnezzar. 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:28.240 But like I like, there are people getting killed here, people's arms are being ripped off, right? 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:29.759 Houses are being crushed. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:31.679 I better go put a stop to all of this. 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:34.480 But that's not exactly what Daniel does first. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:38.320 He takes a moment here to bless, right? 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:41.360 To bless the God of heaven. 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:42.159 I love that. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:43.600 He doesn't overlook that. 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:47.279 Now you might be like, well, what is what is blessing God really look like here? 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:49.679 Well, we see it there starting in verse 20. 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:54.879 And this is Daniel, keep in mind, glorifying God for the answer that came. 00:14:55.039 --> 00:15:04.639 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:08.159 He changes times and seasons. 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:11.840 He removes kings and sets up kings. 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:13.919 Can we just hit the pause button here for a second? 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:19.759 I love that last little part because it's I think it's so kind of speaks to today. 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:20.159 Right? 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:26.559 When we consider our own country and our and the owner, our own election that just happened six days ago, to just think about this. 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:30.000 He he removes kings and he sets up kings. 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:30.480 Right? 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:35.039 God is sovereign over all of that, and Daniel absolutely knows that. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:40.159 I mean, he has been he has been stolen away from his hometown, his home city. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:48.320 He has been brought to Babylon and he's been violated in that way, and yet he understands that God is in control of absolutely all of this. 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:49.360 Okay, keep going. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:55.679 It says that he gives, this is God, he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:59.440 They're those who understand that God is God. 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:00.159 Right? 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.279 And then it says he reveals deep and hidden things, right? 00:16:03.360 --> 00:16:04.879 He just did that for Daniel. 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:09.279 He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:16.000 To you, O God of my fathers, I give, look at this, highlight this, thanks and praise. 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:17.519 I give thanks and praise. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:23.840 Two very specific examples, two different ways that we bless the Lord. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:24.480 Right? 00:16:24.639 --> 00:16:25.120 Keep going. 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:32.639 For you have given me wisdom and might, and have made known to me what we have asked of you. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:37.039 For you have made known to us the king's matter. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:51.519 All right, so when we give thanks, as it says there, when we give thanks to the Lord for coming through for us, when when we praise him for the ways that he, you know, extends mercy to us in those times, you know what it's like, right, in life? 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:55.360 When in those times where you're just you're so desperate, we're like, I don't know what to do. 00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:56.399 We talked about that a lot last week. 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:59.200 I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on you, and there's that desperation there. 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:01.440 God, God, show me your mercy. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:06.799 And and I'm in a situation that's just there's just so mystifying, right? 00:17:06.880 --> 00:17:08.240 That that was Daniel's situation. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:13.279 This whole thing was was absolutely a mystery, and I I don't know how to move forward here. 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:21.359 Listen, when we when we bless God in these ways, it brings him glory, right? 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:24.960 Something that Daniel was very eager to do. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:30.319 He he didn't he didn't skip over that to go talk to Nebuchadnezzar. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:37.279 I think it's really important that we kind of mime down on that here for just a second. 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:47.519 Because if we're if we're honest, I I think we can all admit how easily we fail to bless the Lord when he extends mercy to us. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:48.079 Right? 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:56.559 We we've all probably got a you know a pretty spotty track record when it comes to glorifying God after God's come through in a big way. 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:57.119 Right? 00:17:57.279 --> 00:18:02.960 Where you know, far too often we we fail to bless him when the moment presents itself. 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:03.519 Right? 00:18:03.599 --> 00:18:09.119 And maybe we we just kind of overlook it or or or we forget to. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:13.519 And when that's the case, I mean I'm right there, right? 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:21.359 And when that's the case, I think what that reveals there is that inside of us we we don't really have a strong enough desire to glorify him. 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:26.079 Yeah, I think most of the time, we often we just want answers to those mysteries. 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:28.480 Lord, would you just give me the answer? 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:40.559 And when we get those, we we we just kind of move on and move forward without kind of pausing there to to bless him and thank him and and and give him the glory for for coming through. 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:41.200 Right? 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:59.759 So as you kind of think about yourself here this morning, do you, would you say that you have a strong enough desire within you to bless, to to glorify his name, to give him thanks when he answers prayer, to praise him, to to worship and exalt the king of kings. 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:03.440 Do you do that when he extends mercy to you? 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:15.359 If not, if we're not doing it consistently, I I really believe that that kind of says two main things about where our hearts are at. 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:17.039 I think it does. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:22.880 I I think first of all, it reveals that somewhere deep down we don't think highly enough of him. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:24.079 Right? 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:24.720 We don't. 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:34.799 I think often we see God as some kind of genie who who exists to grant us wishes, right? 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:43.440 Some kind of genie who exists to give us answers, and then and then once we've had that, we've gotten that from him back into the lamp you go. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:46.400 Right, clearly I just watched the Aladdin movie. 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:51.039 Okay, but this is this is the God of heaven that we're talking about here, right? 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:57.440 This is him, and and and and and he doesn't exist to to serve us. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:58.319 Right? 00:19:58.400 --> 00:20:00.240 God's it God's God's not a genie. 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:06.240 He's not he's not a a butler that exists at your beck and call, right? 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:08.480 We exist to serve him. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:09.680 Right? 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:21.359 And the and the fact that that the God of heaven will will show such mercy to to lowly creatures such as you and I is shocking. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:22.319 Right? 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:24.559 It's it's it's absolutely wild. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:36.720 When we think highly of God and we see him as high and and mighty and amazing, we'll we'll want to give him glory. 00:20:37.279 --> 00:20:37.519 Right? 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:38.799 We will do that. 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:42.640 We would not want to waste opportunities to do so. 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:45.759 We'll be much more quick to do it. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:21:00.240 Now, the second thing I think that's revealed about our hearts when we lack a desire to bless and and glorify him and thank him and praise him and all of that is that we we simply think too highly of ourselves. 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:00.880 Right? 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:01.200 We do. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:04.160 We think too highly of ourselves, we're in it for our glory. 00:21:04.559 --> 00:21:10.960 You know, we're deep down when we're praying for mercy, God help me, shower me with that. 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:13.440 Deep down we think we deserve it. 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:15.359 I deserve help, right? 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:25.039 I deserve God's mercy, and so when He finally extends it to us, somewhere deep inside our souls, we're thinking, God, about time. 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:28.079 Like, what took you so long, man? 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:33.279 Like, I've been down here asking, I mean, this is really the least you could do is kind of you know throw me a bone here. 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:37.519 Why have you been so stingy for so long up until this very moment? 00:21:38.640 --> 00:21:38.960 Right? 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:42.880 It's not that we would probably say that, maybe we would. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:47.920 But is you find that sometimes swirling in your mind and in your soul, in your heart? 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:49.759 That kind of attitude. 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:59.759 And we have that attitude, and when we when we've got that, we we tend to move on, having you know, obtained the mercy that that God has has given us without actually blessing him. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:10.880 In return, without thanking him for it, without praising his name, without being humble, that a God so great would give us the time of day without without giving him glory. 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:11.359 Right? 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:12.720 He deserves it. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:18.000 If we haven't given it to him, what does that say? 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:22.400 Well, it's really saying that we're keeping it for ourselves. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:27.039 But obviously, that's not what we're supposed to do. 00:22:27.519 --> 00:22:29.359 Okay, so keep all of this in mind here. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:32.880 This is all building as we move on to the second thing here. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:33.599 Here it is. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:36.880 I'm in it for the glory, God's glory. 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:42.880 So I will deflect the credit away from myself to the one who's worthy. 00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:46.559 Take a look now at verse 24. 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:56.400 It says, Therefore, Daniel went in to Ariok, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:00.000 So again, remember, Ariok here, he is the captain of the king's guard. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:05.279 He's the one who's been given the charge and the order to go and wipe out the magicians and all of that. 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:13.039 And so he, it goes on, Daniel that is, went and said thus to him, Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. 00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:18.319 Bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation. 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:36.079 Then Ariok brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him, look at this, I have found, okay, just notice there how eager Ariok is to take the credit here and to steal the glory, right? 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.039 He's like, I uh I've figured out the king's problem here. 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:46.720 I have found, it says, among the exiles from Judah, a man who will make known to the king the interpretation. 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:50.000 First of all, did he find Daniel? 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:51.039 No. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:53.279 Daniel came forward. 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.000 But thanks for coming out, Ariok, right? 00:23:56.559 --> 00:23:57.119 Not all. 00:23:57.200 --> 00:23:58.240 He's claiming it. 00:23:58.480 --> 00:23:59.440 Okay, keep going though. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:09.440 It says, Daniel answered the king and said, now again, notice the contrast here between Ariok's attitude and his posturing and all of that, his glory hogging, right? 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:13.119 And how Daniel just deflects credit away from himself and back onto the Lord. 00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:13.519 Take a look. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:24.640 It says, and Daniel says, No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:25.680 He's like, it's impossible. 00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:26.480 No one knows this. 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:28.079 No one's got enough insight. 00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:29.279 But look at this. 00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:31.920 But, you need to highlight that. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:44.079 Okay, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:49.039 Your dream and the visions of your head as you lie and lay in bed are these. 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:55.279 To you, O king, as you lay in bed, come thoughts of what would be after this. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:02.799 Alright, so Nebuchadnezzar's dreams have something to do with what transpires in the future. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:05.599 He's having dreams about the future. 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:07.039 Okay, keep going. 00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:14.240 He says, and he, okay, that's God, he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:17.119 Okay, notice how Daniel, he's not taking credit at all here. 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:19.200 He's not like, man, I'm amazing. 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:21.200 I hope this earns me a raise. 00:25:21.359 --> 00:25:23.759 No, he's just pointing it all back to the Lord. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:33.759 He says, But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have, more than all the living. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:36.319 Okay, again, he's deflecting glory to God alone. 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:44.799 Okay, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. 00:25:46.079 --> 00:26:02.640 Now I think it's again clear there, that the text is just so abundantly clear, that deflecting the glory away from ourselves and back to God, okay, the only one who is truly worthy of glory, right? 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:03.920 That's the move. 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:12.400 I think that is just the obvious takeaway here for all of us as we read and study this scripture. 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:12.880 Right? 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:15.599 Again, Ariok, he wanted it for himself. 00:26:15.759 --> 00:26:17.599 He wanted to look like the big man. 00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:18.960 But Daniel, not so. 00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:20.240 He wanted God to get it all. 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:21.680 Now listen, listen. 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:26.720 It would be very easy for us as we think about, you know, what is my takeaway? 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:29.599 What is my, you know, what is my move here? 00:26:29.759 --> 00:26:38.400 It would be very easy for you and I to think that, you know what, I should just, I should just behave more like Daniel next time. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:39.680 Right? 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:47.839 Next time, when the situation presents itself, I'm gonna try and say the right thing. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:48.400 Right? 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:52.000 I'm gonna try and act like like he did. 00:26:52.480 --> 00:27:05.359 Okay, but we have to understand that when it comes to giving God glory here, it's about far more than any kind of external behavior tweak here and there. 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:10.640 Okay, back to what I mentioned at the very beginning here this morning, right? 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:15.279 We've we've all seen that that football player, right? 00:27:15.519 --> 00:27:27.039 You know, and they they score the touchdown, they run into the end zone, and and so many of them, it seems, do the immediate, you know, point up to heaven. 00:27:27.279 --> 00:27:27.599 Right? 00:27:27.759 --> 00:27:32.960 And and that's supposed to suggest like, thank you, God, or or or glory to God. 00:27:33.039 --> 00:27:40.240 And and while I I have no doubt that some absolutely mean it, you gotta wonder sometimes, right? 00:27:40.400 --> 00:27:47.200 Or we've all seen the you know, the the actor at the Oscars, you know, receive the golden statue. 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:50.640 And and how do they start their thank you speech? 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:53.599 I just wanna thank God, right? 00:27:53.839 --> 00:28:17.279 But I think when it comes to, you know, some of these actors and and some of these athletes and all of that, you know, we we maybe see you know some insight into their life and we kind of see what they're all about, and and we and we you know we have you know at least some serious doubts whether or not they actually love God and are really truly in it for his glory at all. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:18.240 Right? 00:28:18.319 --> 00:28:20.000 You you you've wondered that. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:22.319 You've seen it, you've thought that. 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:23.920 Now, why do I mention this? 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:25.920 Am I trying to be hard on athletes and actors? 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:27.519 No, no, that's not the point. 00:28:27.759 --> 00:28:33.519 I say this because it's just so easy to look like we're giving God glory. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:38.319 It's easy to appear like we've like we're nailing it. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:39.119 Right? 00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:44.559 We Christians become such masters of learning the lingo. 00:28:45.039 --> 00:28:45.359 Right? 00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:49.599 Such masters of knowing the right words to say. 00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:50.640 Right? 00:28:50.799 --> 00:28:52.160 Praise the Lord. 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:53.759 Glory to God. 00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:57.839 You know, we we can we can say it, but it and sometimes it can be legit. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:00.000 I'm not saying we shouldn't, we shouldn't say that. 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:01.920 I'm saying when we say it, we should mean it. 00:29:02.160 --> 00:29:06.400 Because sometimes it can be such such a show, right? 00:29:06.480 --> 00:29:16.720 And it's so easy for you and I to fake it and and and not none of that really be from our hearts, none of that really being genuine and and real at all. 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:27.039 We're saying that we're giving God the glory, but but inside our hearts are still like loving the adoration and the and the success and the accomplishments completely. 00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:42.559 See, the problem is that because of sin's impact in our hearts, you and I don't deflect credit away from self and to the one who is worthy instinctively or naturally at all. 00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:44.559 We don't do that. 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:49.440 In fact, on our own, you and I, apart from God, we can't do it. 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:53.119 We can't glorify God, not truly. 00:29:54.640 --> 00:30:01.920 And it's because we you know we we don't want to, or or or so we just don't. 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:08.559 Or optically, again, we we kind of do, but again, it's more of a show than anything. 00:30:08.799 --> 00:30:13.519 And as we think about this, you start to think about your own your own life and how many times you've done that. 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:15.119 I think about that in my life as well. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:18.640 I'm kind of left thinking, like, man, we're we're so messed up. 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:19.279 Right? 00:30:19.359 --> 00:30:25.119 We we can't we can't get that that right, which signals to us what? 00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:27.920 Well, that we need grace. 00:30:28.880 --> 00:30:30.480 That's what it tells us. 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:45.119 I I think there's there's there are people sitting here today, I don't know who you are, but you're you're trying to behave your way into heaven. 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:50.640 You're you're you're trying to make this an issue of like your moral effort. 00:30:50.720 --> 00:31:03.279 And if I would just behave well enough and and tweak some external behaviors here and there and and and say the right things, then then maybe God will be impressed and and and maybe he'll let me in. 00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:06.079 But do you find that that's such an exhausting endeavor? 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:11.680 And according to the scriptures, it's it's such a it's such a useless pursuit, it's it's so dead. 00:31:11.920 --> 00:31:14.799 And the Bible makes it very clear that we need Christ. 00:31:15.119 --> 00:31:20.799 We need Christ to be able to know him, we need Christ to be able to truly glorify him. 00:31:21.839 --> 00:31:30.319 And so the move on your part is not to just again try and try and change some outward actions and and try and just be a better person. 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:34.319 You can't, not really, not deep down, not in your heart, right? 00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:36.480 You you're you're flawed, I'm flawed. 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:38.880 We're again, we're so messed up. 00:31:39.279 --> 00:31:40.799 We need Jesus. 00:31:41.200 --> 00:31:50.079 And so if you're thinking, man, I want to I want to deflect glory to God more this week, and you know, I I I want to bless him. 00:31:50.880 --> 00:31:55.920 But if you don't know him, you can't do any of that. 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:12.960 And if you're feeling helpless about that, I would say that's actually a really good thing, at least momentarily it is, because you realize that you're lost, and you realize that you are unable and that you need outside help. 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:18.960 And the good news of the gospel throughout the scriptures is that God is our help, right? 00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:22.720 And he gave us Jesus Christ, he gave us his son. 00:32:23.519 --> 00:32:30.720 That was him coming to earth and and and and living a righteous life that you and I could not live. 00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:35.599 He he died on the cross as punishment for your sins. 00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:38.319 He didn't he didn't deserve to be there, but you and I did. 00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:44.960 But Jesus stepped in when we couldn't fix what was wrong with us, and he became the fix. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:47.200 He became the solution. 00:32:47.680 --> 00:33:10.240 And the scriptures say that if you would just admit that and admit how how how far fall short you fall of God's glory, and if you would trust that Jesus accomplished everything for you on the cross, everything needed for you to know God, to have your sins forgiven, to be redeemed, if you would trust in that, you would be saved. 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:14.640 And I want to challenge you and encourage you to do that here today. 00:33:14.799 --> 00:33:16.000 Do it right now. 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:21.119 Talk to somebody before you leave and ask one of us, what does it mean to know Christ? 00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:23.200