Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction - The power struggle in Eden

Who here struggles with insecurity?

Who struggles with pride?

The need for Power and Glory are obvious idols, but that doesn’t mean we wont address them.

From the very beginning of time, this temptation would loom in the hearts of Women and Men.

In fact, when our first parents sinned and went against God’s command, they were rebelling against the constraints that God had graciously placed on their freedom.

They wanted to become like God.

To have no one control them.

They sought to have their own power and glory.

And in their attempt to attain new levels of power and glory, they were made low, dragging you and I, and in fact, all of creation, down into depravity with them.

The need for Power and Glory are obvious idols, but that doesn’t mean we wont address them.

– all humans struggle with a sense of being dependent and powerless

– all humans struggle with a sense of being dependent and powerless

From the very beginning of time, this temptation has loomed in the hearts of Women and Men.

In fact, when our first parents, Adam and Eve sinned and went against God’s command, they were rebelling against the constraints that God had graciously placed on their freedom.

- don’t eat from that tree.

All humans struggle with a sense of being dependent and powerless - we don’t like it.

They wanted to become like God.

To have no one control them.

They sought to have their own power and glory.

And in their attempt to attain new levels of power and glory, they were made low, dragging you and I, and in fact, all of creation, down into depravity with them.

Rather than accept the fact that we’re not in charge and are dependence on God, we desperately seek ways to assure ourselves that we still have power over our own lives.

But this is an illusion.

We’re still insecure, and we’re still prideful.

“they go back to the beginning of the world, to our alienation from God, and to our frantic efforts to compensate for our feelings of cosmic nakedness and powerlessness.

The only way to deal with all these things is to heal our relationship with God.” Page 107

THE GOSPEL GAIN: Faith in the sovereignty of God is the death of insecurity and pride.

THE GOSPEL GAIN: Faith in the sovereignty of God is the death of insecurity and pride.

Introduction

Definition of God’s SOVEREIGNTY - God’s right and power to do whatever He pleases with everyone and anything at any time ()

3 Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY

PRAY PRAY PRAY PRAY

- Intro

The manifestations of power idols

Insecurities

Patriotic Idolatry - Nazi Germany - They claimed love of country and people.

But somehow as they pursued this thing called “love of country” their patriotism became demonic and destructive.

In the end, Nazism accomplished the very opposite of what it was trying to achieve - cosmic shame rather than national honor.

Political Idolatry - because of our insecurity and feeling of powerlessness we can feel Safe and secure when “our Woman” or “our Man” is in office, then everything will be alright.

And the inverse is true, we panic and become extremely fearful when their man or woman occupies the power seat.

Another sign of idolatry in our politics is that our opponents aren’t considered to be mistaken, but to be evil.

Regardless of which party wins, there’s always people on the other side of the isle who threaten to leave the country.

I saw it with President Obama and I saw it with President Trump.

When we lose sight of the fact that there’s a serious problem with our world, and that sin is the reason it is fallen, we can look to political messiah’s to “make it right” when, truthfully, only God can.

This is how politics becomes an idol.

Philosophical Idolatry - we call this ideologies - a set of ideas about a subject.

An example of a recent ideology that failed is Communism.

The pendulum then swings to free market-economy as the “only right way to see things.”

But it’s not that simple.

Highly progressive tax-structures can produce a type of injustice where people who have worked hard go unrewarded and are penalized with high taxes.

However, a society with low taxes and few benefits, produces a different kind of injustice where the children of families who can’t afford good health care and elite education have vastly fewer opportunities then those more fortunate.

Ideologues can not admit that there is always significant negative side-effects to ANY political program.

They can not grant that the other side might have some good ideas too.

All of the power idols that we have go back to the beginning of the world, to our alienation from God, and to our frantic efforts to compensate for our feelings of cosmic nakedness and powerlessness.

The only way to deal with all these things is to heal our relationship with God.”

It’s a good thing the Bible gives us a dramatic example of just such a healing.

It’s s story about a man who’s need for power drove him to become the single most powerful person in the world.

“they go back to the beginning of the world, to our alienation from God, and to our frantic efforts to compensate for our feelings of cosmic nakedness and powerlessness.

The only way to deal with all these things is to heal our relationship with God.”

The insecure King –

Turn to with me please.

Why was Neb so troubled by this dream?

Summarize - The king was going to kill all the wisemen but Daniel came to the rescue

SO again, why was Neb so troubled by this dream?

I believe it shook him so thoroughly because it touched on a deep insecurity of his.

Does this mean my empire will fail?

Will someone betray me?

The humble servant

- Daniel refused to take credit for what he was about to do.

- Daniel refused to take credit for what he was about to do.

The prophetic dream

– Daniel Reveals the dream

The statue represented the kingdoms of the earth.

It appeared as a giant idol, representing the idolization of human power and achievement.

It was human civilization - commerce and culture, rule and power, all exercised by man beings to glorify themselves.

But what smashed this giant idol?

It was a stone.

In contrast to the rest of the materials in the statue, this stone was “cut out, not by human hands.” it was from God.

Even though this stone was far less valuable than any of the precious materials in the statue, it was ultimately the most powerful component.

It was as Daniel says in V44 God’s kingdom that would someday be set up on the earth.

This was JESUS.

I believe it shook him so thoroughly because it touched on a deep insecurity of his.

Does this mean my empire will fail?

Will someone betray me?

Many people with a great drive to power are very fearful and anxious.

Fear and power go hand in hand.

Those in power know they are the object of jealousy and stand in the cross hairs of their competition.