The Pain We Cause Ourselves

INTRO:

Illustration: Pain

Pain is defined as “a localized or generalized unpleasant bodily sensation or complex of sensations that causes mild to severe physical discomfort and emotional distress.”

A simpler definition is “to make suffer or cause distress to.”

We don’t like pain.

We will often take medicine to lower our pain levels.

Pain is useful.

Truth Statement: We often bring painful experiences on ourselves.

Truth Question: Are we willing to recognize the indicators in our lives and make changes that will lower the pain level in our lives?

What are they going to learn: Today, we are going to look at a passage that seeks to teach us that God will humble those that are prideful. And this includes…us.

PRAY*

Overview of the Story:

Chapter 1 Recap.

Babylon is full of sexual sin, greed, politics, murder, and was known for its low moral value.

Daniel & his 3 friends hold the line in obedience to God’s Word and are in the fire metaphorically.

Chapter 2 Recap.

God has a master plan and is sovereign over all governments. He used Daniel in a capacity to interpret the king’s dreams.

Chapter 3 Recap.

We saw that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And Daniel’s friends are the tough. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are thrown into a furnace, literally into the fire. They chose obedience to God over obedience to their government.

*This brings us to the 4th chapter of Daniel. *

This chapter is a very unique chapter in the Bible.

The only chapter of the Bible that is written by a pagan monarch.

This brings to question: Did he write it? Was he a pagan when he wrote it?

Parts of it are written in 1st person. Others from a witness in 3rd person.

Nebuchadnezzar gives his testimony.

Begins with Nebuchadnezzar describing why he is writing.

To tell everyone about the greatness of God. vv. 1-2. And then he praises God.

v. 3. Dominion means “sovereignty or control.”

When we get saved, we often tell anyone and everyone the amazing thing that happened.

And so, we know without a doubt that something amazing has happened.

Nebuchadnezzar has another dream.

He was at home living a great life.

He has a dream that made him scared. v. 5

Again, he assembles all the magicians & enchanters of Babylon. And again, none of them can interpret the dream.

Neb was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Daniel. v. 8-9

Recognizes Daniel as “distinguished.” He is special.

Like chapter 2, only Daniel could interpret because it was from God.

Holy Spirit allowed Daniel to interpret. 2 Pet. 1:20-21

Bible can’t be interpreted by natural man.

Must be Born, Filled, & Led by the Spirit.

Born again. 2 Cor 5:17 Read Bible with the leading of the H.S.

Neb. Dream. 4:10-18. Please Stand for the Reading of God’s Word.

Tree = King Nebuchadnezzar

Grown & became strong/ Kingdom of wealth / dominion extended to ends of earth.

Tree chopped = Neb would be removed as king

Stump & roots = he would not die but would lose SANITY

Would become like a beast in the field.

After 7 years, he would repent in humility.

God tried to teach Neb for years that God rules over all.

He knows this. 4:2-3

Pride is in his way. James 4:6

Intellectual Pride led him to Intellectual Insanity.

Will your intellect & lack of submission to the Word of God lead you to insanity?

4:30. He Forgot God. 2 Tim 3:7

Hear / Know / Say be led by H.S.

To transform our lives. APPLY.

If not applied, we have a DEAD RELIGION.

Neb is given 1 year to repent. He does not.

Gen 15:13-16. Gives 400 years to repent.

He is faithful & just & gives us time to repent.

When we are doing good, we may think that God is happy with us. However, he may just be being patient w/ us & allowing us time to repent.

Heb. 4:6

Neb became insane & began to act like an animal. He then moved into the wilderness & lived like an animal for 7 years.

It is interesting that there is a 7-year gap in the history of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

After the 7th year, Neb repented of his sins & acknowledged that everything he had was because of God.

God then restored him as king & he continued to prosper.

Key Biblical Principles:

Successful people, even Christians, can become like Nebuchadnezzar. When they experience too much success and too much praise from others, they begin to believe that they have accomplished it all on their own. They do not acknowledge God.

Material prosperity is not always a mark of God’s blessing on one’s life.

Public praise and testimony are the proper responses when God has rescued us or in some other way shown his grace.

Common Human Problem:

We want to give ourselves credit for things that we do, rather than God.

We think that we can do everything on our own & the results are ours alone.

Solution:

If a pagan king like Nebuchadnezzar can praise God publicly, we should certainly be able to do so.

Let’s live in such a way that God will not have to humiliate us in order to bring us to repentance and righteousness.

How important it is to humble ourselves before God does so.

Conclusion:

Pain acts as a warning to us that something is wrong.

Often, when we are in a painful season in our life, when nothing seems to be going right for us, we are being told by God that SOMETHING IS WRONG.

In those moments, we need to look deep inside of us, and ask ourselves, is it time to repent?

Repentance- Change of mind / turn away from Sin & towards God. REPENT NOW NOT LATER. Pro 3:7

Whether we believe or not, everything good comes from God.

James 1:17- Career, family, wealth, power come from God.

Deut 8:17- Saying otherwise is because of PRIDE.

Jesus is God. Gave it up & became human. Was humbled. Died on a cross. Was exalted. Phil 2:10-11

Invitation.

Psalm 19:14

The Pain We Cause Ourselves.