Daniel 5

All right. Well, you didn't like hearing my voice during worship. I've got bad news.

It's going to be a little more my voice followed by a little more of my voice today have Mike and Leah took their annual vacation when I get to disappear for a Sunday. And so you're stuck with me and fortunately for the whole thing over in Daniel 5 today. We've been going through the Book of Daniel for those who may be have. I been plugged in on the small group Seymour trying to do have a new thing for us. At least. I've been here where we're having our small groups and our sermon series go through the same thing. So it's like about Daniel 5 today and next week in small group will be a chance to discuss what was talked about today in more depth in a small a setting. I don't have anyone else has been going with this but it's been really interesting cuz everyone's on the same page and what's going on with you to dig a little deeper than what the sermon says. So today will be in Daniel 5 if you'd like all I want to read Daniel 5 in its entirety ideally and then we will It to I get to a message there. So Daniel 5 verse 1 King belshazzar made a great feast for thousand of his Lords and drink wine in front of the Thousand belshazzar when he tasted the wine command at the vessels of gold in a silver the Nebuchadnezzar his father. I taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought. That the king and his Lord's his wives and concubines my drink from them. I brought in the golden vessels that have been taken out of the temple the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king is lowered his wives and concubines they drink wine and praise the gods of gold and silver bronze iron wood and Stone. Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's Palace opposite the lamp stand on the king saw the hand is it wrote then the Kings color change and it starts alarm him his limbs gave way and his knees knock together the king called loudly to bring in the enchanters the Chaldeans the ascending astrologist the king declared to the wise men of Babylon whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be closed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and she'll be the third ruler in the Kingdom. Turn all the kings wise men came in but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. Then King belshazzar was greatly alarmed and its color change and his Lords were perplexed the queen because of the words of the king and his Lord's came into the banqueting-hall and the queen declare don't live forever, but not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. There was a man in your kingdom in whom is the speaker of the holy God in the days of your father light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him and can't even the condenser your father your father. The king made him chief of The Magicians and Chandler's child and an astrologist because an excellent Spirit knowledge and understanding to interpret dreams explained riddles and solve problems were found in this Daniel from the King named Balthazar. Now that Daniel be called and he will show the interpretation. The Nanny was brought in before the king the king answered and said to Daniel you are that Daniel one of the Exiles of Judah from the King my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the Gods as in you and that lighten understanding an excellent Wismer found in you. The wise man, the enchanters have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. But I've heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation you shall be closed with purple and have a chain of go around your neck and be the third ruler in the Kingdom. Ben Daniel answered and said before the king let your gifts be for yourself and give you rewards to another nevertheless. I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation O King the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty and because of the greatness that he gave him all peoples Nations and language is trembled in fear before him whom he would he killed him. He would he kept alive, but he would he raised up and whom he would he humbled when is heart was lifted up and his Spirit was hardened so that he don't probably he was brought down from his kingly thrown in his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind. His mind was made like that of a beast that is running with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox and his body was wet with the Dew of Heaven until he knew that the most high God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will And you his son belshazzar. I've got humbled your heart that you knew all this but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of Heaven and a vessel of his house have been brought in before you and you and your Lord's you're watching your concubines of drunk wine from them and you have praise the gods of silver and gold LeBrons iron. Wooden Stone, which do not see or hear or know what the god whose hand is your breath and who and who's all are and whose are all your ways. You have not honored. Ben from his presents the hand was sent in this riding with inscribed and this is the writing it was inscribed many men a tackle and Parson. This is the interpretation of the matter. Then I got his number the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end decal. You have been found weighed in the balances and found wanting Paris your kingdom is divided and given to the medes and the Persians when belshazzar gave the command and Daniel was close the purple a chain of gold was put around his neck and a proclamation was made about him that he should be the third ruler in the Kingdom that very night belshazzar the child and King was killed. And Darius the mede receive the kingdom being about 62 years old. That's right. Heavenly Father we thank you for this time. Again. It's great to get in your words great to read these words Lord. And as we study this Lord, I I pray that we will be able to see very clearly the foreshadowing of Jesus Christ how he is going to come and save and how how about how necessary it was in the world or even one king might be able to have their heart turned towards you Lord it and just a short amount of time. We see him to lose our way over and over and over again or we're thankful for your faithfulness for thankful for your grace and we are thankful for your son and your words.

Okay, so this starts off if you remember everything before we ended with Nebuchadnezzar and he spoke of it here, lost. His mind was a beast live like an animal thought he was an animal what have you and towards the end of that God restores him and he Praises God and then here we hit Daniel 5 and King belshazzar in like a minute or so a little bit here. Let's talk about what happened to Nebuchadnezzar. I'm in this is based off some historical, you know documents and things that were found. I think we jumped about 20 years or Daniel for that's where most theologians nail this down based on the lineage of of Babylon. And here's a little bit of a history. So evil. Merodac Nebuchadnezzar son assumed the throne after Nebuchadnezzar and he was there for about a year. Neriglissar who is evil-merodach brother-in-law assassinated evil-merodach and took the throne and he ruled for about 4 years. Then larache Marduk neriglissar son assumed the throne for about a month and then another guy in the family line conspires with some other people. In this case. It was likely belshazzar's family to assassinate larache Marduk and he takes the throne ahold of her about 15 years and then belshazzar in abundance. The son assumes the throne and this might be a little bit confusing because you'll hear the queen calling like your father the King Nebuchadnezzar, but it's more of a colloquial right like our our fathers who who are you know, who came before our fathers, but more sort of it a general lineage play that right. So here's how we got from the end of Daniel for wartime American desert and then boom were here. The reason I want to talk through this is Cuz you can see this isn't he ruled with her car and then passed nice laying in his son was kind. There's a whole bunch of assassinations and conspiracies. Right right after Nebuchadnezzar be sort of politics of kingship take right back over and all this bad behavior and plotting and scheming and so when belshazzar gets there it might be logical in our brain to say what he should remember Nebuchadnezzar's decree. I mean it was he was just turned into a beast and then write Rihanna restored from that is How Could You Forget so quickly what's been 20 years and at least 20 years a lot of really too lousy things happened in 20 years is a long time. That's a long time that's long enough to forget some things that happen to get replaced with the world that's filled with ourselves. Who is a belshazzar and why does it matter he came to power through bad behavior? That's what we see here. He's the king once he's in power though. He keeps up the bad behavior. We start the story we can see he is not doing good things. He's not being a righteous King and and and going back into picking up where Nebuchadnezzar left off. That's not what he's about at all in the longer. He was in power the worst his behavior. Much like a perhaps a spoiled child or some of his completely left unchecked in the world of right and wrong. They just gravitate or whatever they want to do and you can see this here. It's a complete Hedonism this every little thing is heart desires. And so that's where that's where we start in this chapter. We got a guy here that doesn't really have it together certainly based on where we were in the evidence answers time where he ended up really kind of having it together. So as a rock through this and once again, this comes from the book that the state were doing this kind comes from a book called The christ-centered Gospel of Daniel. I'm so we're trying to talk to these headers if they seem a little on-the-nose I got these are his glory. It's because he wants to stall tie end. So these are his glory is our party if you will was more than get together with some pal soap. It doesn't read into this very well. But this party would have been a a absolute whatever you can think of regarding sand Festival celebration of that right? He's they are his wives are there his concubines are there so you can imagine what they were getting up too. And it was anything and everything that was not of God write. These are not just hanging around like watching a game and calling it a day. They are they are going to ring life out of this are going to celebrate everything that they can so much so that we see he specifically sets out to mock God specifically, right? He knows what's going on when he tasted the wine. So King belshazzar makes a great face when he tastes One commands the vessels of gold and silver the Nebuchadnezzar his father taken out of the Temple of Jerusalem be brought specifically that the king in Lourdes is why is it taking miles might be drink from them that they want a drink from these vessels. That's what they're going to do. You know it be fun to drink out of let's get all those holy artifacts. That would be hilarious, right? That's a great idea to have apparently right to ordering that these vessels that were wholly from Jerusalem. Right? So if you connect the dots here Nebuchadnezzar and it's well-known look at a queen mattress in a bit write references Daniel. They know who which God Daniel suhr Nebuchadnezzar extolled that God praise it on high the same God that came that was represented by all these things in Jerusalem the 20 years ago. We have never knez are holding the god in high esteem. And now we've got belshazzar 20 years later trying to Sully everything about that. God directly not just starting ignore. This is an active mockery of God and I think there's a difference that right. We there's tons of folks. I have no idea what's going on in the world around us and what they're doing is very bad Center. He sent it kind of a thing. Okay, but when you know what's going on and you actively engaging send that is antithetical or against that what you know to be true that puts you in a very precarious position, right? You're begging for God to engage.

It in this I believe speaks to intent. I believe that that's important. I think God of course knows our hearts and knows what's going on, but I believe there's a difference between being ignorant of God in some regards for ignorant about God's plan for your life is ignorant of right and wrong. I know they'll be no excuses. I know the Bible tells us, I believe it fully but I believe between Brewers and salvation if you will there is a point when maybe you don't know what you're doing is wrong. I wasn't aware. This was sent in this case. I believe it was evident to this Kingdom while he was doing was sinful. He sought out to do it he what he intended to make known that the things of the past have no impact on him. Right? I know my poor foolish, you know, grandfather Nebuchadnezzar fell for this but not me. I'm a different ruler. I'm immune to that sort of thing. I'm in charge here and I'll show you what I mean by that by bringing in all this stuff and we'll drink wine from it. Because of that, I believe the claim of ignorance isn't going to hold up. I wasn't aware. I wasn't aware that there was actually a holy God artifacts. He absolutely where he calls him out by name bring the stuff from Jerusalem. Let's drink from rights the holy artifacts that held things are over left blinker works. Well held in high esteem. We're going to sell them Absolute. Just let's ruin it, right. Moreover I would say belshazzar as well aware of God's work in this Kingdom. He is he knows what God has done in Babylon. You have to 20 years isn't that long to completely forget and we see us in remembrance is coming in right but it's The reason I think this is important is when we use the word mock, I think of it as an as an action specifically set out to mock. I believe there are people that are sending that are intrinsically mocking God because it stands right but then they're their mindset isn't intended. They aren't intending to macchiato. That's why I got my believe in him. This will make him mad. I'll do this to make you mad in this case. I believe that's exactly what he was about belshazzar's heart was one of I'm going to pull the kingdom away from God's power by showing everybody specifically the I'm higher than God. I bring in the holiest things we've got to this guy that Daniels talking about and I will I'll do right and I'll make a make a mockery of it will pour wine and drink out of that town poor goddess to me. He's a vessel for me by which to get drunk. That's what this means to me. The last we'll hear is God's about to fulfill a prophecy in this is really cool. Let's go back if you if you are taking notes, Isaiah. 47-10 is right on the nose right source of Isaiah writing long before his you felt secure and your wickedness. You said no one sees me your wisdom and your knowledge LED you astray and you said in your heart I am and there was no one besides me, but even so come upon you which you will not know how to charm away disaster shall fall upon you for what you will not be able to atone and ruin shall come upon you suddenly of which, you know, nothing harsh words and note here that it isn't about

The evil Dale command and turn your heart and then you'll be saved. It is evil will come upon you you can't drive it away disaster befall upon you you can atone for it ruin will come upon you and you won't even realize it right. This prophecy is not one of redemption but of Destruction, And you know what kind of stay tuned as we go through this, right? So second section here God confronts our sins and we should tremble when he does. God gets the attention of belshazzar. Obviously we use the phrase today while the writing's on the wall. Right right making it like it's very obvious when it's up in in in writing but here's what we see is the same thing as a hand appears out of nothing and starts to write on the wall right now will be say God confronts our sins generally speaking being confronted by God is not ideal you would much you're you're much better off to repent then to have to deal with confrontation. Now, we should welcome God confronting Us in some regards because he can write a ship that maybe we don't understand when we eat when we pray about things are tough our life. We pray that would that some good will come of it. A lot of time is a good that comes of it is a perspective for us that what I am not in charge, but I knew I do absolutely need to depend on God in my life. I am unable to fix everything. I need to be taking everything that I have the got. However, if I'm not there if I'm starting to get a little puffed up with conceit that I have. Expect God to say well allow me to instruct my child and I may come in a way that I don't necessarily enjoy it. Right but at the end of the day, I might look back at it say but I'm glad God instructed me that I'm glad that I went through what I went through because I Now understand who God is and who I am, and I'm not God. In this case belshazzar is instantly aware and trembles I put trembles in quotes because the literal translation here one little translation is the color changing his thoughts alarm him and his limbs gave way in Disney's not together. Now that that works pretty good for us. I think we could we could probably relate to that lends gave way literally translates to his loins were loosed. So there's a pretty good chance that his limbs giving away as he made a mess of himself, but this isn't just like, oh my gosh, I'm very nervous when they say things like this color change people are noticing his color changes as white as a sheet. He likely evacuated he was panicked right he is there's no sense of composure whatsoever when you think of a king and what they need to represent one of the benefits of most people that stole is maybe, you know, calm Under Pressure not this at all. This is in a fetal position weeping. If everyone probably was very embarrassed by this ride, but if this is not a oh my some things occurred over here and I better pay hey everybody. Let's get some people in and have a look at this. If you have time, he he lost it instantly aware. I believe this isn't the instant awareness that comes when you are convicted by the Holy Spirit God's got a hand moving on the wall at the same time. I think God just lightning bolts in The Villages are at heart and it all becomes clear the terror he feels is because he knew what he was doing. He is an ignorant like I wasn't aware that these were holy things. Oh my God surprised. I can't believe it. But this trembling is collapsing of the limbs. This is fear. This is full understanding of what he has done the god. I was just mocking the things we were doing the bills coming due and yeah, I'm going to trim a little bit tremble as a pantload of tremble if you will.

so now what we see here is is Polly abounding I say because like oh my gosh, this is a nightmare again belshazzar does exactly what Nebuchadnezzar did that was wrong? Let's bring it all these idiots again bring in the sorcerer's and whatever the Wiseguys I put up here, right? They all show up. Bring them in. Let's have them have a look at it. And what are they do and we see what's interesting here is I believe belshazzar panics if he calls in all of his learn individuals once again continuing to ignore God trying to hedge his bets. They can't do anything and then we see here is Another round of panic, right? The Kings wise men came in but they could not read the writing or make known to the king interpretation. Then King belshazzar was greatly alarmed and its color changed and is Lords were perplexed right now. So this is the Lord's being perplexed at what's happening to the king his reaction to this right is color change yet again. So A Whiter Shade of Pale, I guess right. I mean, I don't know what's going on here. Maybe he's throwing up now. He's in his Lords of perplex probably protects like get it together. There's people here. It's a party you have ever seen yourself right as one of your Lord's please. Let's clean the king up here, but it's it's over right he is he is beside himself and and I believe this is the Crux of the confrontation. This is the part where now the King has to face facts. I see the writing on the wall. Oh my gosh, that's super bad. That's God. He's ticked off and if they can interpret it, then it was just a spell they can't interpret it. Oh no now I know this is this is the most I got this is the guy that Nebuchadnezzar was driven mad by the guy that he even when his kingdom was restored said this God is higher than me, right and now I've apparently tipped him off and I'm going to get wider yet. I'm going to protect the Lords of my behavior. And this is I think we're sort of the chips are down, right? I think all of us can probably relate to this feeling and summer. I know I've done this a number of times where I try to do something myself like this has gone wrong. I'll fix it. I'll fix it. I'll fix it. Then. I then I come to the end of my rope. And then I think well, I guess now I'll pray maybe got to do it which is completely backwards, right? But there's a tendency to two. For me at least to try to correct. I'll do it myself. I know how to fix. This is the thermostat. I just take this and then pretty soon that that goes like why didn't I pray first one was in the first thing I did say God guide my hand even in this seemingly meaning of tasks because if it goes wrong could be super tedious and frustrating. I just bring me pieces. I work on that. I tend not to do that. We tend to wait till the chips are down. We tend to wait sometimes until God has forced to confront and even if it's a confrontation we still try to figure out that it's not. Call me to do this. Hey, I'm going to do a mission trip. I'll pray about it. And then I was weighing on your heart and you start playing things like God not now, you know, what's going on? I like today. I got so many things going on. I just don't think this time and it won't go away and it eventually all the things that you were saying or taking your time about start the clock in and out of your life your works now, we're not going to find a job out here somebody and fail to see that what God wants us to do was very clear. We knew it and we spent a lot of time rebelling and Trying to make her own way in trying to fix ourselves right now in this case belshazzar the prophecy for him. It doesn't really end in his favor, but doesn't turn into him in a repenting and calling it a day, but we seem to see the same notion of Confrontation. Only when belshazzar has exhausted all of his option will he truly understand doesn't have to be that way but for belshazzar it was he's done everything now. He's partying it up. He's brought in all his Geniuses and everybody else in his King in the could have possibly interpret this. Nobody can help him. And now he's his and he's in a place where I think God wanted to bring him, which is you must depend on me. God wants belshazzar to realize that only God as meaningful power. You can drink from vessels all you want you can be a king of the biggest, you know Empire and the time and I looked it up in many regards and have lots of people to think you're great. But your power means nothing your dad your powers over your kingdom Falls you get invaded that stuff goes away very very temporal 3 transient the power that lives on this Earth of a belshazzar's rolling around it and he's like a pig in mud. He loves all this that he's got he's above reproach. However God saying you're not I'm God. I have all the power that's meaningful here, right? I would say I say one could consider it a blessing that belshazzar was so helpless and I say that because the times in my life when I felt I really really been convicted by the Holy Spirit and I've really seen God grab hold of me are times when I am so helpless. Now. The reality is you can come to grips with your helplessness without being brought as low as belshazzar's brought right? You can read the word believe it and say, oh my gosh, it's Grace. It's only Grace. It's not me. There's nothing I could ever do to earn this. I am low. I'm not deserving of this. I don't warrant this and if you are there than it was a good place to be a puts gun in his proper place. You can start, you know, turning a relationship and just a lifestyle lifestyle into an Outreach pretty soon. What you've got is you were living the life that God would Willis to live in his word. But if you don't want to do that, then God has obliged apparently to help us understand where we rank in a belshazzar's case that came underneath the the boot, right? If you don't, you know, if we if we if we don't understand who who Who's Got is that we should expect the rod and it would be more than happy to correct Us in that regard in this regard. Yeah, I guess it's a blessing and belshazzar was able to come to grips with who God was very rapidly right in just a short afternoon after a whole bunch of party and God made himself now, I didn't end well, but it doesn't matter how God got to their he got their God will win the day if he wants to be made known and this situation is God then by all means he will do so and I think the lesson here for us as we don't be putting God into a position where confrontation is necessary, right? If we keep our perspectives and check if we understand sometimes the word in and and we lift up God and we keep him prioritize in our life and we put our our lives in our family and our work and all these other very important things. Don't get me wrong, but they need to be under God and if not, then got to be more than than happy sometimes to confront. And right that ship but we may not enjoy that punishment correction often time is a bit of a tedious thing. You people enjoy that however, go back and look at my life. At least the times. I was punished to death. I have an impact right if Little Else understood where I rank with regards to my parents they were in charge.

This is the moment and belshazzar where we see God breaking through he he runs out of his options. And and then we see here the Queen the queen this is probably Queen Mother. So this would have been belshazzar's mom most likely which I think makes this even better. So I found wanting some sense into her kid. So his his color changing his Lords of perplexed the queen because of the words of the King of Swords came in the banqueting hall the queen declared. Hey, Okay, I'll hiking right the proper greeting. But you know, if you remember there was a guy once upon a time that really helped out old Nebuchadnezzar. He had the same kind of a problem that you did and this guy really save the day.

So she talks over to set some of us can relate to this but the calming voice sometimes a parent is is very helpful right in this case. But what a blessing it was that that she came in and remember Daniel right? It's incredible to me that the exact same scenario is playing out a mere twenty years later. And if not for his mom who is closer. Perhaps do the if you're only been 20 years or his mother the queen mother was likely around when this happened Nebuchadnezzar preference experience it firsthand and she's like calm down. What are you doing? Get up clean yourself up. Let's get Daniel and this has happened before this isn't new. You got it. You got a relaxed. Luckily for him. He listens right? You could have rebelled and said no, no all hope is lost. Get her out of here. She doesn't know and I'll never tell Daniel the fact that I think we see this occurring is an indicator of what God is doing in Belle's he's got a hold of him. Now, he has shaken him severely enough that he is. Willing to engage Daniel much as I ever could as it was desperate to hear give me some Billy I'll do it. And so we we see the same thing here in and luckily Daniel is remembered. Thanks to the Queen Mother. This is an interesting interaction here when Daniel comes in right I imagine daddy knows this again. I'm guessing based on the way this reads to be as one like how many kings are we going to go through this with you have got to be kidding me. So the Kings like when he shows up. I heard that you were the spirit of the Gods as in you and none of my men could do this. But I hear if you can do it and I'll close you and purple and your do all this and Daniel's like me to keep the gifts and give that reward to whoever else right. However, I'll tell you what the stinking riding me. Daniel knows who he is an outside saying they call for him Daniels are doing whatever Daniels up to that like you got to come into this is like what is indeed. Well, if you do this, I'll make you rich and Powerful now, that's not why I'm here. I'm not here for that. I'm here because God has given me this gift and I will share it but you can keep the robe and give whatever else you want to give to somebody else cuz I'm really not that interested.

He doesn't brown nose at all. So he's not in here trying to kiss up to the king or get ahead. And the reason I want to make this I want to make this point is I think in our world I know I can relate to this a lot of times. It's tough. If you're in a position of power or or any kind of a leadership position, it's often difficult to understand if somebody means what they say or if they're just trying to get in good graces by oh you look great in that that's a wonderful life and you know, you you're excellent running meetings, and I really like the way you conduct yourself and you think they don't really think that but they know if they say that then they can get into the Inner Circle and it's good for their career, right? We call those. Yes man at my workplace a lot of times right? Then there's always a group of people that follow mucky-muck surrounding whatever they say. That's a great idea. You're smart, right? That's not Daniel.

He is has almost looks like he's annoyed by even having to be here fine. I'll do it. I don't want none of that. I just to hear what it says and then can I get out of here?

And I think in doing this in acting the way that he act he makes it very clear who belshazzar is dealing with and it's not Daniel. Belshazzar thinks he's dealing with Daniel right? I'll give you a robe and I'll give you this and Daniel's like the God. I serve doesn't need a rope. He's God of the universe. He could make that robe as many of them as he wants. This is nonsense. It's not me. It's God was doing this interpretation. Now whether that resonates of belshazzar, I don't know. I think it doesn't some degrees but I think also belches are still going through the motion. I think that because the way that the chapter ends right we do in this case belshazzar wants my belches I want and that is tell me what this means. I just want to know what it means. I'll give you a ring when I want to know what I mean off and I don't want to rub I'm here because God has sent me here and I think those are so like that whatever right? God deals with our sins on Underpants and then appropriate judgment right in this case, but it's game over.

As as he gives him the interpretation, it doesn't it doesn't really go. Well write the words that he speaks are is God's number the days of your kingdom. You've been weighed in the balance and found wanting and your kingdom is divided and given to the medes and the Persians. Did they keep the robe, right?

You knew better and you made bad choices, like I could probably get that on like edstrom mirror like the story of my life. I know better, but I choose poorly I do this a lot. So I can relate to this the difference here is interested only in summer because I find it. It's obvious that he's not repenting as I would but I don't understand why other than God knows right same kind of things transpire Mysteries solved by Dave Daniel. Daniel says, I don't not me. I never comes like your God and then you forgot for a second. Then that God was represented in his life in this case doesn't answer belshazzar. The man of his word Daniels made the third highest in the Kingdom. And then that night belshazzar dies.

So apparently the way this rank works as what was the second highest in the Kingdom couldn't assume the throne or something and it was sure about that but effectively Daniel does get to be in charge for a night. He was the king for a die cuz of the the the transfer of power we see the rise take that off. So his his faithfulness to God was rewarded even if only short-lived I don't think Daniel had any desire to be either the kingdom you made that very clear. He didn't want to be king but we see here is Daniel went to a King that I think didn't care about him or his God at all. You wanted what he wanted. That was fine. Daniel still was faithful faithful. Just calling you had a gift from God.

Most of the God said in there for a good reason and he went did it and so God says, okay.

However, the riots takes the throne right there and soon after the burger. So when we when we see when we see this unfold and we try to take a call to action out of this. It might be tempting. We talked with a small group. It might be tempting to try to find yourself as the heatonist the the the the unsaved unchurched Center or maybe I'm the the the lackeys that he's calling in to help right? And I think a lot of times what we should find out here is that we could find ourselves in nearly all of these characters. There's a part of us that wants to be in charge and control what's happening around us to do things our way. There's a promise the dogs want to serve God wholeheartedly doesn't seek fame or Fortune. Looks like Daniel there's part of us that wants to dress up those that why do they serve God or not is irrelevant to us as long as we maintain our lifestyle our power choices, right? When it comes to a call to action here, you know, these are just some some thoughtful things when we wake up this chapter. Are you spending more time partying then praying that you like me or saying? I haven't already figured at least speaking right are the things that are standing in the way of us in our time with God right? Belshazzar could've been spending that time with party, but he didn't you just chose to do exactly what he wanted to do and not worry about anything else.

I just shared a little bit about me that I struggle with this sometimes when it comes to things that are somewhat menial Big Stuff illnesses deaths in the family. I turn to God right away on those because I know where I am in that rank. I can't resurrect. I can't wave my hand over somebody and guarantee cancer goes away. That's God's it completely out on those tires flat is not the prey to inflate the tire. Down after thought I'll get you do it says pray without ceasing Brian flight that lifted up in prayer. I still need to give me home safely or what have you. Babies experience the grace of God, but forgotten his sacrifice for you. Maybe you are safe. And you know who Jesus Christ is but it's been a minute and doesn't feels real and life got in. The way family struggles have gotten in the way church has gotten in the way. I am so busy here. I don't have time to actually pray or study. I got to do stuff. I got to keep busy. Perhaps you're here just because you desire no got better. Maybe you know, I'm you heard of him, but you're not really sure what that mean. You've heard another church tell you what God is and then sound like what we're talking about in here.

Are you in the right place? If any of those apply to you? I can't tell you how happy I am that you're here today, right? God is mighty to save. Salvation is a mighty work and it can't be accomplished by anybody anybody but God through his son Jesus Christ. I don't care what you've heard on care. I don't care who said it. If somebody told you salvation lies in anything other than Jesus Christ work on the cross. It was a lie, and it can cause you Eternal suffering. It's not worth it. If you're confused by that come talk to me afterwards. I'd love to speak because I think it's super important to understand the things that we see here the works of man. Don't leave the Salvation except for that one man. Jesus Christ not cross. And today is a great day to come to the most high God if you've been kicking the tires on this, I think you just want to make a commitment join a church. Love to have you will go together know they repeat most members here will probably say have a lot to learn. That's exactly the truth. I've got a lot to learn and we do that together for the reason like together. And as a final reminder, I believe it's far better to repent and to be confronted. If anything we see from the story confrontation with God generally does not go in the direction of anybody but got so today is a great day. If you would like to repent if you'd like prayer, if you want to talk or chat. Please come up for a front. I'm going to play some music Bruce going to the way nobody's standing here. But if you want to come up with like a prayer just walk up and hang out by the podium in one of us is going to play with you a little short-staffed today. So it is what it is, but obviously the altars open for prayer and without a I'll pray and then we'll we'll have some time together and during our call to action. Heavenly Father pregnancy Heavenly Father. We are eternally grateful for a time like this to be able to gather up study your word Lord help us to hold it in a very high esteem help us to keep you in your proper place help us to not fall into the Trap. So so many people in the Bible so many leaders in the Bible that struggled with where you should be in their lives and where they fall in that rank Lord help us not to be basically. LED astray by the world of our own brains into doing things our way and not in your way Lord. I'm so thankful for the folks are here today Lord. I pray that if anybody has a decision if they like to make her or I just really like to talk about Lord that they will be blood drawn for words. We have a chance to pray with the Lord. Thank you so much for such a beautiful day and a few times and I pray amen.