03
May '20
But There Is a God in Heaven
03
May '20
Nebuchadnezzar was so troubled he couldn’t sleep. His problem wasn’t just a weird or scary dream. The king feared losing what he had gained and still desired. Those fears about security and safety highlighted his struggle with ultimate issues: “Who am I? How did I get here? Why am I here? Where am I going? What does it matter?”
Nebuchadnezzar was so troubled he couldn’t think clearly. Since the wise men of the realm couldn’t explain his dream before they interpreted it, he commanded that they all be executed. In stepped Daniel. He got involved, along with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Their involvement was characterized by tact, prayer, practicality, thanksgiving, purposefulness, and humility. As Daniel stood before Nebuchadnezzar, this ruthless government leader asked him, “Are you able to tell me the dream I had and its interpretation?” (2:24b)
Not Me. But God
Every eye in the room was fixed on Daniel. A lot depended on what he was about to say and do. Time seems to stand still in meaningful moments like this, and the senses seem to be sharpened. Not only were all eyes focused on Daniel, but every ear was straining to hear exactly what he would say. What they heard was, “No. There is not a wise man, astrologer, magician, or soothsayer who can show the king what he desires.”
No doubt there were audible gasps in the room at that moment. Arioch the Captain of the Guard may have looked stunned and betrayed. I imagine Nebuchadnezzar’s eyes were instantly enflamed with fury. Perhaps not a few wise men sighed and hung their heads. All of this would have transpired in mere seconds, you understand, because there was not a wise man, astrologer, magician, or soothsayer who can show the king what he desires. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has let King Nebuchadnezzar know what will happen in the last days.” (vv. 27-28)
You’ve heard it said before, but it’s a truth worth repeating, with men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible. That’s not restricted to interpreting dreams.
This morning (and next Sunday) we will have an 11am drive-in service, and it will also be live-streamed. Please join us!
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02
May '20
Saturday with Spurgeon
02
May '20
THE BIBLE’S SUPREME PLACE
“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” Ps. 119:165
Yes, a true love for the great Book will bring us great peace from the great God, and be a great protection to us. Let us live constantly in the society of the law of the Lord, and it will breed in our hearts a restfulness such as nothing else can. The Holy Spirit acts as a Comforter through the Word, and sheds abroad those benign influences which calm the tempests of the soul.
Nothing is a stumblingblock to the man who has the Word of God dwelling in him richly. He takes up his daily cross and it becomes a delight. For the fiery trial he is prepared, and counts it not strange, so as to be utterly cast down by it. He is neither stumbled by prosperity, as so many are, nor crushed by adversity, as others have been; for he lives beyond the changing circumstances of external life. When his Lord puts before him some great mystery of the faith which makes others cry, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” the believer accepts it without question; for his intellectual difficulties are overcome by his reverent awe of the law of the Lord, which is to him the supreme authority to which he joyfully bows. Lord, work in us this love, this peace, this rest, this day.
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01
May '20
Where Are You Looking?
01
May '20
Psalm 141:8, “But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.”
Frightened children look for their parents, because they trust mommy and daddy to shield them from danger. When it comes to the circumstances of this life look to God the Father, not to the raging waves and winds of today. Look to God the Father above all others because He is worthy of your trust. He will not fail you. Quoting Spurgeon yet again: “To be destitute in circumstances is bad, but to be destitute in soul is far worse; to be left of friends is a calamity, but to be left of God would be destruction. The comfort is that God hath said, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”
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30
Apr '20
Walk with the Lord and Never Walk Alone
30
Apr '20
Psalm 48:14, “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”
God may be trusted because God always keeps His promises. God has promised to never leave or forsake His people (Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). Those who walk with the Lord never walk alone. Trust Christ and He will be your guide not only in the pilgrimage through this world but into the world yet to come. Commenting on this verse C.H. Spurgeon wrote, “Farewell, fear. Come hither, gratitude and faith, and sing right joyously.” That kind of confidence is available to all who will trust the Lord to walk with them throughout this life and right into eternity. The Lord Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Whoever trusts Him, though he die, yet shall he live. Have you trusted Jesus?
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29
Apr '20
Being Involved
29
Apr '20
The king couldn’t sleep. Dark dreams had filled his head of late. This man who led the most glorious empire in the world discovered that power, wealth, pleasure, or achievement were not enough to guarantee a good night’s rest. Since Nebuchadnezzar could not sleep, he had the wise men roused from their bed chambers. He demanded that they not only interpret his dream, but he first wanted the dream solvers to tell him what the dream was. In essence, Nebuchadnezzar didn’t just want his dream explained. He wanted himself to be explained. The king was terrifyingly troubled because he was unwilling to deal with the ultimate issues of life: “Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? What does it matter?”
In steps Daniel at this point of the drama. He was one of the wise men in the realm, along with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They were all to be executed. We know from 1:17-20 that these four men were highly favored by the king, but evidently that wasn’t enough to save them from his wrath. Nebuchadnezzar seemed to struggle with fits of rage, and this wouldn’t be the last time.
Daniel’s involvement highlights character qualities that we would do well to emulate. We also must bear in mind as we highlight the six characteristics evident in Daniel 2:13-30, that they were all exhibited while Daniel was literally under the gun (the sword, in his case). The king’s agitation had created adversity for Daniel and his cohorts. Albert Einstein said, “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” Kentucky’s own James Lane Allen wrote, “Circumstances do not determine a man, they reveal him.” Daniel’s character was certainly revealed during this time of adversity.
Livestream at 7pm
Tonight at 7pm we will livestream our mid-week Bible study of this life-or-death situation for Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. We shouldn’t forget that this wasn’t their first exposure to bad times. It wouldn’t be their last. Let’s also be reminded that while it’s normal to think we’ve never had it “this bad” before, that just isn’t true. Life is not easy. Life is not safe. Thankfully, our ultimate reward is not to be found in this life. Still, while here we should be involved. Daniel provides a solid template to follow.
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28
Apr '20
Doubt Your Doubts and Trust God
28
Apr '20
James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
In the classic Pilgrim’s Progress author John Bunyan allegorizes such a person as “Mister Facing Both Ways.” Trying to face both ways simultaneously only leads to ruin. A double-minded person is one with a divided allegiance. Loyalty cannot be divided if it is to be worth anything. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all out heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30). Obedience to that command always brings blessing, but obedience to that command is impossible if one is double-minded. Doubt your doubts and trust God with a single-minded focus and whole-hearted intensity. That is the only way to have sure footing in an unstable world.
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27
Apr '20
God’s Glory, Human Dignity
27
Apr '20
Psalm 8:4-5, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.”
This verse asks the fundamental question of our existence. Mankind’s answer has it all backwards, because we more often than not think big thoughts about ourselves and small thoughts about God. But God is mindful of us! He is not watching us from a distance, but is personally involved. We do not exist by our own power or as the result of cosmic chance. The equation “nothing + chance + time = us” IS FALSE. Everything that exists has been created by God, and mankind is God’s special creation. Man is created with dignity, being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). Man is also marked by tragedy, being marred by sin (Genesis 3:1-7). But God has given man an opportunity to be reconciled to Him! There is only One way, and His name is Jesus. That One way is available to all men and women (1 John 4:9-10). Trust Him today!
Find the time to read all of Psalm 8. That will only take a minute. So, go ahead and spend five. Then you will declare with David, “O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!”
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26
Apr '20
Ultimate Issues
26
Apr '20
God is in control. That has always been true. That is true now. That truth will always be.
Last Sunday we walked through Daniel 1. That chapter is a full-on display of God’s sovereign power in and through His servants and world events. God gave Jehoiakim the king of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar. The same goes for the Temple vessels. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were Babylonian captives because God allowed their captivity. Just as He did the destruction of Judah. God brought Daniel into favor with his Babylonian overseers (1:9), and God gave these four men knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom (1:17-20). God was in control. The sovereign Lord was working out His purposes through these nations and individuals. He ruled and over-ruled in all these situations, and that truth becomes all the more evident as the sensational events of Daniel two unfold.
Chapter Two Outlined
Daniel two is a long chapter, with forty-nine verses. A good outline for them goes like this:
- The King becomes troubled.
- Daniel gets involved.
- The dream is deduced.
- The King gets religion.
- The wise men are delivered.
- Daniel and the boys get promoted.
That’s an outlined summary of Daniel two’s forty-nine verses. Now don’t lose heart this morning and think you’re in for a long sermon. My plan is to stick with what we should learn from Nebuchadnezzar’s troubled disposition. Lord willing, we will handle the others in the future. This morning, Daniel 2:1-13 will be our text, and from those thirteen verses we will seek to understand why the king was so troubled. I believe we’ll learn that we are not so unlike Nebuchadnezzar.
Ultimate Issues
Sure, there are differences. He lived 2700 years ago, was a warrior-king, and a Babylonian. We share none of those characteristics, but we are human. The ultimate issues and questions about our lives today in Kentucky are the same he faced then in Babylon. The Answer is also the same. We hope you will join us this morning.
The service begins at 11am, and today we will have a drive-in service. You will sit in your car and listen over the radio as we transmit the message. We also will do our best to livestream the service.
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25
Apr '20
Saturday with Spurgeon
25
Apr '20
PRESERVED TO WORKS END
“The Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome” Acts 23:11
Are you a witness for the Lord, and are you just now in danger? Then remember that you are immortal till your work is done. If the Lord has more witness for you to bear, you will live to bear it. Who is he that can break the vessel which the Lord intends again to use?
If there is no more work for you to do for your Master, it cannot distress you that He is about to take you home, and put you where you will be beyond the reach of adversaries. Your witness-bearing for Jesus is your chief concern, and you cannot be stopped in it till it is finished: therefore be at peace. Cruel slander, wicked misrepresentation, desertion of friends, betrayal by the most trusted one, and whatever else may come, cannot hinder the Lord’s purpose concerning you. The Lord stands by you in the night of your sorrow, and He says, “Thou must yet bear witness for me.” Be calm, be filled with joy in the Lord.
If you do not need this promise just now, you may very soon. Treasure it up. Remember also to pray for missionaries, and all persecuted ones, that the Lord would preserve them even to the completion of their life work.
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24
Apr '20
Refuge
24
Apr '20
Nahum 1:7, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.”
The prophet Jonah had preached the urgent need of repentance in Nineveh. Revival broke out. The people and the city were saved. But a new generation returned to old patterns. The prophet Nahum was sent to proclaim God’s righteous judgment against this new generation of Ninevites who had rebelled against God. While God is angry at and will judge sin, He is also a good God who cares for His people. That had already been proven to this city, and is reiterated in today’s verse. Nahum preached here what Paul would later (Romans 11:22) “behold therefore the goodness and severity of God.” God is love and His love is a holy love. While He is a refuge for those who trust Him, there is no refuge for those who do not.
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