Jesus Wins!
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Several years ago Disney launched their streaming platform called Disney Plus and many families immediately subscribed and brought in the nostalgia of shows and movies from our childhood right to our living rooms! Over time, Disney began to launch original content, encouraging people to purchase the new platform. After a year or so, one of those programs was Wanda Vision, both characters from the Marvel Universe. If you watched, you know that the series is set in a small town called Westview, New Jersey and it appears like it’s a 1950s sitcom of sorts. Everything is old and black and white. Humorous. But as the show continues, the setting changes. You move into the 1980s. Things are in color. The styles change. Eventually, you’re basically caught up to modernity and it’s revealed that everything you’ve seen is all a lie. That what you see is a construct but not reality. There is something deeper, something more going on than what you can see.
While it might not always seem this way, this is how things are in our world today. We see things on the surface. We see wars, leaders, nations, and people… but as Abraham Kuyper once shared, “If the curtain were pulled back, and the spiritual world behind it came into view, it would expose a struggle so intense that the fiercest battle ever fought on earth would seem like a mere game… because that is where the real conflict is waged.” We are in a world that is at war! Not only from a physical standpoint as we see nations fight against nations and people battle people. We are in a world that is at war spiritually. Good against evil. Light against darkness. That is where the true battle is being fought today - and oftentimes, we can’t see it, but we know it’s there.
This morning as we wrap up this short series in Daniel, we’re going to be in Daniel 10. As we look at this dream of sorts that Daniel has, we’ll see the curtain be pulled back just a glimpse. We’ll get a view of this cosmic conflict. The true war that is being waged all around us. Good versus evil. Heaven versus hell. As we look at this, my prayer is not that we’re led to panic… but to praise our God for His goodness, His power, and the victory that HE has already won and the victory that we are promised in the days to come. Let’s read this incredible chapter together
1 In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks.
3 I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over.
4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris,
5 I looked up, and there was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist.
6 His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and feet like the gleam of polished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.
7 Only I, Daniel, saw the vision. The men who were with me did not see it, but a great terror fell on them, and they ran and hid.
8 I was left alone, looking at this great vision. No strength was left in me; my face grew deathly pale, and I was powerless.
9 I heard the words he said, and when I heard them I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground.
10 Suddenly, a hand touched me and set me shaking on my hands and knees.
11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God. Understand the words that I’m saying to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.” After he said this to me, I stood trembling.
12 “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia.
14 Now I have come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the last days, for the vision refers to those days.”
15 While he was saying these words to me, I turned my face toward the ground and was speechless.
16 Suddenly one with human likeness touched my lips. I opened my mouth and said to the one standing in front of me, “My lord, because of the vision, anguish overwhelms me and I am powerless.
17 How can someone like me, your servant, speak with someone like you, my lord? Now I have no strength, and there is no breath in me.”
18 Then the one with a human appearance touched me again and strengthened me.
19 He said, “Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!” As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
20 He said, “Do you know why I’ve come to you? I must return at once to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I leave, the prince of Greece will come.
21 However, I will tell you what is recorded in the book of truth. (No one has the courage to support me against those princes except Michael, your prince.
1 In the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to strengthen and protect him.)
Friends, we have a God who is in control. Let’s pray
As we participate in this cosmic conflict, we
Turn Around and Look Up (1-9)
Turn Around and Look Up (1-9)
Through this entire book, we see that Daniel’s focus in good and difficult times is the Lord. He faced lots of problems in Babylon. He suffered. He was betrayed. He was thrown into the lion’s den. And in the second half of this book, Daniel receives several visions that fill him with terror and concern. But again and again, Daniel shows us how we should respond to difficult times as believers, we look to the Lord. We turn from our problems and look up to our Provider! Here in Daniel 10 we’re several years after the events of the Lion’s Den in Daniel 6 and Daniel has a vision and we’re told in this summary verse of sorts that what follows is true. Today, aren’t you thankful that God’s message, God’s Word is always true? Sometimes we hear things that aren’t true. We hear gossip. Rumors, things that sound appetizing, but are rarely true. We also at times hear exciting news that eventually leads us to get our hopes up. We know that this is how life goes. Friends disappoint. People discourage. Yet, God’s Word delivers us. God doesn’t disappoint. God doesn’t abandon. God doesn’t gossip. God’s Word is true and we’re told that Daniel understood the message. See, the more that you and I humble ourselves, understand what God has done for us, then the more that we begin to understand how desperately we need God’s Word.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and rescued me from all my fears.
Have you experienced this before, friend? The Lord answers and rescues. He saves and sustains. We seek God and His Kingdom. We worship Him for who He is and for what He has done! And whenever we do this we might expect everything to be good because we’re doing what we should - we’re seeking the Lord, we’re standing on His Word, but oftentimes we see the opposite. Daniel is distraught for 3 weeks. He mourns. He doesn’t eat the meat or drink any wine, he also didn’t put any oil on his body, remember he’s in his 80s by this point. This man of prayer was facing a big time problem - he was depressed and discouraged… but why?
Daniel 10 says that this is the 3rd year of the reign of King Cyrus. Look with me at Ezra 1:1-2
1 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah, the Lord roused the spirit of King Cyrus to issue a proclamation throughout his entire kingdom and to put it in writing:
2 This is what King Cyrus of Persia says: “The Lord, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and has appointed me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah.
King Cyrus released the Jews to be able to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple! So, just a few years before the events of Daniel 10, Daniel’s friends returned home. But he’s still upset. Why? Several possibilities.
Daniel didn’t go home to Jerusalem
Only a few Jews returned to Jerusalem
The Temple project met immediate opposition in the region
Regardless of the exact reason, we see the result… Daniel is grieving. He is sad. His heart breaks. Where do you turn whenever your heart breaks? There is a temptation to turn within. Last year Pope Francis made this statement, “People are fundamentally good. We are all fundamentally good. Yes, there are some rogues and sinners, but the heart itself is good.” This is the view of many in our world. We are good. Our hearts are good. We don’t need help, and we definitely don’t need saving. Y’all are Bible scholars, you know Scripture disagrees!
9 The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?
This isn’t a slip up of words - we all make those, your pastor included! This isn’t a minor point of disagreement… This is a disagreement with God’s Word! We read in Scripture that God is worthy of worship - we are not. Whenever Daniel was distraught, he didn’t look within… look at verse 5, Daniel looked up. Whenever you’re in a difficult situation, friend, look up! What do you see whenever you look up. Daniel see’s a man dressed in linen. Who could this be? Look at Revelation 1:12-16
12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.
14 The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame.
15 His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters.
16 He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.
Who is this person in Revelation 1? Jesus Christ. Many scholars believe that the person in Daniel 10 is none other than Jesus Christ. Only Daniel see’s this vision - similar to Paul on the Road to Damascus as only he saw Christ while his counterparts didn’t see Jesus. Today, whenever we face difficulty, look up. Guess who is there? Jesus. Daniel looks up and he sees the power and the holiness of God. The text says that he was powerless, became pale, and the ground became his pillow as he fell asleep. It was as if his legs were knocked from underneath him. Whenever you see the glory of Jesus, you are forced to recognize that there is something different about Him. Philippians 2 reminds us that one day every knee will bow before Jesus. Can I let you in on some good news today? You don’t have to wait until that day to start bowing and worshiping, though. You can start today. Through faith in Jesus, you don’t stand before God dressed in your own righteousness, you stand dressed in Jesus’. Daniel 10 pulls the veil back just a smidge so that we can see the realm of spiritual warfare that is invisible to the naked eye.
We remember the victory He has won whenever we look up.
Trust the Battle to the Lord (10-14)
Trust the Battle to the Lord (10-14)
Daniel looks up and he falls asleep, but then a hand touches him and wakes him up. Have you ever been woken up from a deep sleep? Like you’re OUT, and someone wakes you up? Whenever Lindsey and I were in high school, we went on a high school mission trip each year to places like Dallas, Louisville, Chicago and whenever we’d go we’d often stay in dorms. Every now and then, us students would mess with one of our young leaders who happened to be sleeping and they’d awaken to a surprise, or two. We know that we have to be careful where we fall asleep! Daniel falls asleep and he wakes up, we have to ask ourselves this question: Is this messenger in verse 10 the same as the one from verse 5? Maybe you think that it doesn’t matter… but follow here. The first messenger aligns with the description of Jesus in Revelation 1. Many say that first messenger is Jesus. But after his nap, this next messenger says that he required the help of Michael to defeat the Prince of Persia. Let’s think about this for about 2 seconds: Does Jesus need Michael’s help? No! He is God! So, either this is a different messenger, or the first messenger isn’t Jesus. Like most things in Daniel, we could focus for 30 minutes on the messenger, but instead lets focus on his message because it centers on prayer. Do you believe that prayer is powerful?
Prayer is powerful because the One we pray to has all power!
Spurgeon was once asked why his ministry was successful. We know that success in ministry looks like a lot of different things. That could mean a thriving congregation that is multiplying and bursting at the seams. It could look like a small congregation that is healthy and growing leaps and bounds spiritually. It could look like 1,000 baptisms, or it could look like 1. Success in God’s eyes is faithfulness to His Word… and God blesses that faithfulness in His time. Spurgeon was asked this question regarding his thriving seminary, incredible orphanage ministry, and exploding congregation. Why are things successful? His answer: My people pray for me. There is a war taking place not only physically but also spiritually in our world, and study after study says that the enemy loves to throw darts at pastors and their families. Some of those darts hit, and they hurt. But, providentially, I believe that many of those darts miss because of the faithfulness and prayerfulness of God’s people and God uses those things to deflect and diffuse attacks - and for that, I want to thank this church for your prayers, your words, and your faithfulness because the Lord has used that to strengthen my spirit and encourage my family in what has been the darkest season we’ve walked in ministry.
We all go through difficult seasons and need to be encouraged. Daniel was no different. Our text tells us that he was downcast and unable to stand. Have you been there before? Daniel’s life had been marked by things that could easily lead even the strongest of people to be discouraged. His hometown was captured. He was taken to another country. Many of his friends had abandoned the faith. He was betrayed and thrown to a den of lions to be killed. Now, he is on his last leg and has these visions that show more suffering coming the way of his people. It’s like one thing after another after another and if you’ve been in a season like that, you know that the cry of your heart is “How long O Lord?” Where can I find relief? Where can I find hope? God encourages Daniel in our text. Look at verse 11, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God.” Daniel - you are deeply and dearly loved by God. This strengthens and encourages Daniel. Have you ever reflected on that truth? That you are known, seen, loved, and treasured by the God of the universe? Paul Washer once said, “I have given God countless reasons not to love me, but none of them has been strong enough to change His mind.” We are broken people living in a broken world, but in the midst of it all we trust the battle to the Lord who chooses to love, save, and sustain us. Even in a storm, we can stand because of our Father’s love for us.
Daniel humbled himself and prayed and we see that this messenger came as a result of Daniel’s prayer. Daniel had been praying for 3 weeks here and he is encouraged that God not only heard, but sent an answer with this messenger that was sent to help Daniel and to encourage God’s people. How would you and I pray differently if we knew that God not only heard them but answered them? I’ve heard many say that they don’t pray or they don’t worship because it’s a waste of time. It doesn’t accomplish anything. If you really want to feel better or solve the problem, you’ve got to do it yourself. Absolutely, we are commanded to take action and to be people who do things - but prayer and worship are not things that represent a waste of time. We see that God often uses the prayers of His people to bring about answers and to act on behalf of His people. Whenever we worship our God, both during this corporate gathering and whenever we worship Him privately in our homes and wherever we find ourselves at, we trust the battle to the Lord. We humbly recognize that there are things in this life that are above our pay grade. Problems that we cannot solve. Hearts that we cannot change. Situations that we cannot undo. But there is a God who is sovereign and has all-power. A God who hears our prayers. A God who has no rival. A God who delivers His people from certain death and destruction. We trust the battle to the Lord with humility as we realize our limitations and God’s limitless power!
Consider what the messenger says - he was sent by God but was opposed by the Prince of Persia for 21 days. How long had Daniel been mourning and praying? 3 weeks, or 21 days! Do you see what’s going on here? Spiritual warfare. Not only was Daniel facing human enemies during his tenure in Babylon and now Persia, but there were spiritual forces at work here that opposed not only the Kingdom of God but the people of God. We see a very real glimpse of what takes place even to this day - there are unseen wars taking place right now as Angels are fighting Demons. That isn’t to frighten us as believers, our hope and home is secured in Christ - the crusher of their leader’s head… but we see here that things aren’t just as they appear on the news station. Behind politics, alliances, nations, and leaders are powers that cannot be seen. We know that God is the one who gives power and disposes of the powerful when their time is complete, but we also see that there is a spiritual component to these battles. Look at what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians to his beloved friends
18 So we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.
How did Satan hinder Paul? Likely with a prolonged sickness - something we also see show up in the book of Job as Satan had the ability to inflict Job with painful boils
7 So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
This isn’t comforting, is it? It’s not comforting to see here in verse 13 of Daniel 10 that there was a Prince of Persia - not a physical prince, but a spiritual prince - who opposed God’s angel. Who would do this? A demon. In Baptist life we often fall on the extreme of not understanding or talking as often about these supernatural realities, I have friends who are more charismatic than I am who fall on the opposite extreme of supernatural realities and we poke at one another as Baptists don’t talk about this enough and Pentecostals can be accused of thinking there is an angel on every tree and a demon under every rock! Regardless of our tendency to fall into an extreme, we do see that these beings are real and they are at war throughout history. Here we see the angel Michael show up
Michael only shows up 5x in the Bible - 3x in Daniel, 1x in Jude, and also in Revelation 12
7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought,
8 but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.
9 So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.
17 So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.
Satan has always opposed not only God, but also God’s people. Understand, there is a battle taking place and in a battle you have a winner and a loser. This dragon is ferocious and his army is fearsome to many… but he is fighting a losing battle because Christ has won the ultimate victory for His people. We’re at war but as we trust in the Lord, stand on His Word, and speak of His greatness, we know that there is hope. As Mitchell Chase shares, “No spiritual opposition can succeed against God’s perfect plan.” Do you believe this?
Why do we trust in God during times of spiritual warfare?
Because He Loves His people
Because He Hears His People
Because He Fights For His People
As Spurgeon once shared, “Affliction is the identification mark of God’s people.” In this life we face opponents both seen and unseen… we will be opposed and afflicted and we will suffer. But we can trust in the Lord even in difficult times because He loves, hears, and fights for us.
Take Comfort in God’s Word (15-11:1)
Take Comfort in God’s Word (15-11:1)
Finally we see that Daniel is touched on the lips by this messenger and everything begins to change. He is not only able to stand but now he is able to speak. As difficult as things are here, there is hope. There is purpose. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Worship is warfare, and there are times in which we find ourselves on rock bottom. Anyone been there? Rock bottom isn’t fun. It’s dark. It looks impossible to get out of. It’s like being in a cave. Have you ever been in Cave Spring on the Current River? That water is frigid… but man are the acoustics cool or what!? Remember this, when you find yourself in a cave, the acoustics are good for worship. When you don’t know where to turn or what to do, it’s always appropriate to worship because Jesus is always worthy and we are always needy.
Before the holiness of God, only the humble can stand
Daniel says: I am weak. I am speechless. I can’t even take a breath! I am completely and utterly inadequate… Church, there is nothing in us that merits forgiveness and favor from God. But we can take comfort as Daniel does in the PEACE that is given to us from God not due to merit but due to mercy. We can take comfort in God’s Word!
Peace and Power are purposeful lifelines in times of battle and this is what Daniel discovers. He was strengthened. He knew what was to come. These spiritual forces of darkness would continue to oppose God’s power and God’s people, but Daniel knew God’s Word. In fact, this messenger says “the book of truth” - do you believe in this book? Do you believe that this is God’s Word? This Word is truth. It is God-breathed. It is inspired and authoritative and sufficient. I see so many who pick and choose. I’ll believe and live out this part of Scripture because it goes along with society or what I think is right or what I’ve always seen done. But I won’t do the same with this part because I’ve never seen it done this way. That’s not the way that I’d do it. That’s not what is popular in our world today. So many pick and choose, but God’s Word is the Word of truth. We must take comfort in God’s Word. We must stand on God’s Word. Consider the parable Jesus gave of the 2 men who built their houses on 2 different foundations.
24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
So many want to be wise but they build their foundation on something other than God’s Word - it’s tradition, society, popularity. Y’all, you know me well enough by now to know this: We will build our foundation on God’s Word, regardless of the popularity… because only that foundation will last. Everything else will be shaken. Those who abandon the clear teaching of Scripture on controversial issues such as marriage, sexuality, who can be a pastor, and other issues that many churches and Christians are facing, do so at their own peril. We take comfort in God’s Word. We stand on God’s Word. Because we know that there is no safer place to be than in the center of God’s will. We worship our God and one way we do this is by trusting in God’s Word. As we do this, though, we will be opposed. We will be opposed by a godless world. We will be opposed by spiritual forces that are evil. We might even be opposed by people who claim to follow Jesus, but who don’t truly stand on Scripture. What is our response when we’re in the midst of the battle? We humbly worship our God.
Consider the reality of spiritual warfare in the life of Jesus. Jesus came into the world and whenever He did, He went to war with these powers. He was opposed by Satan and stood strongly. He healed the sick. He freed those demonically possessed. This culminates throughout His ministry to the cross - and how does Jesus win this cosmic war? Not by killing… but by dying! This is what Jesus calls His followers to as well in Luke 9:23 as He says that if you are to be His disciple, you must deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow Christ. We die to self. We crucify our sin and we follow our Christ.
Our victory is secured, but the battle rages on.
In World War 2 there was a great day called D-Day in which the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy and defeated the German forces. This marked the beginning of the end of World War 2 in Europe as Germany suffered a defeat that they couldn’t come back from - fighting a battle on both sides. But the war wasn’t over after D-Day… more battles would be fought. More lives would be lost. More time would be spent. But eventually V-Day arrived! Today we live in this period in between D-Day and V-Day. The ultimate victory has been won… but the battle still rages on. This is the already but the not yet. Christ has saved us from the penalty of sin but not yet saved us from the presence of sin.
So, how do we live in the in between?
We Wear God’s Armor
Ephesians 6 contains our instructions! We don’t fight passively, but we purposely put on God’s Armor and depend on Jesus as we stand on His Word and follow His Spirit
We Win Souls
Soul winning is not a context because it isn’t something that we ourselves can even do in the first place! You can’t save someone. You aren’t that powerful. But we do realize that we’re in a world that is at war and there are 2 sides - those who are for God and those who are against Him. Evangelism is war as we are commissioned to go out into this broken world and share the Gospel message of Jesus Christ that frees us from bondage to sin and death. We are either devoted to Christ or to anything other than Christ - it is black and white. We worship Jesus and share the Gospel knowing full and well that this is the method by which God chooses to save souls from the kingdom of darkness and transfer them into His eternal kingdom of life and light!
We Walk By Faith
Things are not as they might seem! God wins. We know how the story ends. We trust in our Jesus and we walk each step of the way by faith in Him!
Everyone worships something - who is receiving your worship today?
