Tonight, in First Wednesday (for those of you who don't know, this is the first Wednesday of every month, where the middle and high school students and leaders meet; we play games and then hear the gospel!), Brett preached on Daniel 5. Now, when you hear Daniel, you automatically think of the Lions' Den, right? Well, that's the chapter right after the one we learned from tonight. The account right before it is a bit scarier and a lot sadder - it doesn't have a "happy ending", after all. It's the account of Belshazzar; how he gives a great feast and in the midst of it, decides to profane God's holy vessels from the tabernacle; how God's finger writes a message on the wall that shakes Belshazzar to his core, but more out of fear for himself than fear of God; and how Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall for him, telling him how his reign is at an end, how the Medes and the Persians will take over his kingdom, and how he has been found wanting in God's judgment. Can you imagine being told that?
Okay, but so what does all of that have to do with us? God's hand isn't exactly visibly writing messages on our walls...but He does have a message for you. (Note: when I say that, please don't think that I presume to speak for God. I most certainly do not. His Word will follow and my humble thoughts are all that are here. I pray that my words are Spirit-led, but I don't want any confusion here on this.)
TO THE BELIEVER: I have a few words for you. What this account in Scripture holds for us is an encouragement and a warning. The warning is this: don't become complacent in your belief. Don't assume that because you were raised in a Christian home, or because you go to church, etc., that you're square with God. After all, Belshazzar's father, Nebuchadnezzar also experienced God firsthand (Daniel 4). As a result, he ended up praising Him and turning to Him at the end of his life. Belshazzar clearly did not, as demonstrated in his actions in Daniel 5. His father's faith didn't save him. Also, don't presume upon God's grace just because you have been saved. Yes, our sins have been forgiven; but, Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Which leads to my encouragement: Daniel didn't sit idly by when an opportunity presented itself to stand up for God. He didn't hesitate, hoping someone else would raise their hand and take his place. And when he did speak up, he didn't tiptoe around the truth, either. He was bold and blunt with Belshazzar. He didn't let Belshazzar hide behind a bunch of lies to obscure his sin. He didn't bow down to the kings of this world, because he was about the business of serving the one true King. We should do the same. We look to men like Daniel as heroes of the faith, but too often, we use that as an excuse to not act, pretending as though we could never measure up to men like this. Why not? There is no difference between us! Daniel was a sinner, but saved through his faithfulness to God in expectation of the cross; the only difference for us is that we are on this side of the cross and have an even more clear picture and even less excuse. And so I have a Word for you: "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5) There is no escape from your calling and your obedience to Christ. What a blessing!
TO THE "UNSURE": I have a few words for you. I tell you, there is no doubt that there is a God. If you're "unsure" about whether or not He is real and alive, it's because your conscience is struggling with your sin to tell you that He is there, and you'd better not ignore Him. No matter how you strive to pretend he isn't there, there is no escape from the God of this universe. He is everywhere. Not only that, but He is in control of it all, including the next breath of air you take into your lungs. That's right, you breathe only because of His grace, because He wills it. If you're unsure, it's probably because somewhere along the line you've heard the truth, but you grapple with it because you're not quite ready to submit to His will and die to yourself. The truth is, you're already dead. You can only be made alive in Christ. The Bible tells us this truth: "For what can be known about God is made plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:18-21) Oh dear friend, do not let that happen to you! Look around you in awe of creation, but don't confuse creation with the Creator! Bend your knee to Him now and experience His grace and mercy. Don't be found wanting as Belshazzar was. You cannot hide from the truth of His existence. And I have a Word for you: "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:18-20)
TO THE APATHETIC AND UNBELIEVERS: Woe to you. I pity you - not because I am any better than you and looking down on you from some high horse, but because I once was in the same miry pit as you. I know how it feels to revel in sin, thinking that you are apart from God, choosing to believe that there is no God, and loving life such as it is. Enjoy it while it lasts, because if you don't turn from your sin, there is an eternal condemnation, Hell, waiting for you, and it is a very real place. My prayer for you is that God will take your heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh before He decides to remove you from this world altogether. His Word tells us that "the fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 53:1). Don't be a fool. If you read the above message to those on the fence, you know that God has made Himself plainly visible through creation by His grace - He didn't have to do even that. You can't run from Him, you can't ignore Him and you can't hide your sin from Him. You can't shut Him up or out - others have tried. You can't stop the spread of His gospel - it grows every time it is censored. You can't defeat His church - it perseveres through all persecution. You can't even kill Him - He's already died and been resurrected. What will you do? I hope and pray that your answer is, "Repent and believe." No other response makes sense. If you think you're exempt, you're not. "None is righteous, no, not one: no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3: 10-12, 23). You are not the only sinless one in all of humanity - that distinction has already been claimed by the Son of Man. Turn away from your foolish sins and the vanities of this world and turn to the only One who can save you. There is no escape from your predicament without Christ. And so I have a Word for you as well: "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person would dare even to die - but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God." (Romans 5:6-9)
Here is the simple Truth, with a capital "T". We are all sinners. Sin is anything that does not conform to the standards of God, and since none of us can keep God's commandments perfectly, we are all sinners. Because God is holy, out sin separates us from God. Therefore, we are all in a place of desolation. We are born sinners. We can't work our way out of it. All of our good works are as filthy rags before Him. There is not one iota of anything in us that can fix our situation. But, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live the life that we can't. Christ was born of a virgin, fully God and fully man. This God-man was tempted and tried just as we are, yet remained without sin. Because of this, He was the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) He accomplished this through His death on a cross. After being beaten, stripped of His clothing, mocked, whipped, crowned with a crown of thorns, and dragging His own instrument of torture up a hillside, He was crucified - nails driven through His hands and feet, and a spear put into His side to verify His death. All this He suffered for my sins, and yours too, if you will believe on Him. He was buried in a borrowed tomb, sealed away behind a great boulder. Yet, on the third day, He rose, conquering over sin and death. The grave couldn't hold Him! Hallelujah! He was seen by a multitude of witnesses, and then ascended back into heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for those He calls His own. And praise God, one day He is coming again to gather together those who are His, and we will see Him face-to-face! Friends, I want this to be as joyous for you as it is for me. This is Good News!
I would invite you, if you have questions, or if you are unsure about your salvation, to talk to someone who knows Christ. Don't wait another day, because you don't know when His grace will be removed from you.
Lord, I love you! I am breathless with the wonder of Your grace to me. I am overwhelmed and drawn to my knees when I think that You died for me, while I was yet stuck in my sin, loving it and hating You. I don't deserve to know Your name, Lord, let alone to be loved by You! I ask Your forgiveness for times that the wonder of Your gospel has grown cold in my heart and not stirred me to speak of You when it should. I pray that You would embolden and strengthen me for the work You would have me do in Your name. I pray that You give me the words to say, the opportunities to say them, and the courage to not back down in the face of adversity. I pray that You will do a mighty work in the hearts of my family and friends that are not saved, Lord. Save them; make them Your own. Allow them to see the beauty of being a bondservant to You. In Your name I pray, amen.
Okay, but so what does all of that have to do with us? God's hand isn't exactly visibly writing messages on our walls...but He does have a message for you. (Note: when I say that, please don't think that I presume to speak for God. I most certainly do not. His Word will follow and my humble thoughts are all that are here. I pray that my words are Spirit-led, but I don't want any confusion here on this.)
TO THE BELIEVER: I have a few words for you. What this account in Scripture holds for us is an encouragement and a warning. The warning is this: don't become complacent in your belief. Don't assume that because you were raised in a Christian home, or because you go to church, etc., that you're square with God. After all, Belshazzar's father, Nebuchadnezzar also experienced God firsthand (Daniel 4). As a result, he ended up praising Him and turning to Him at the end of his life. Belshazzar clearly did not, as demonstrated in his actions in Daniel 5. His father's faith didn't save him. Also, don't presume upon God's grace just because you have been saved. Yes, our sins have been forgiven; but, Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Which leads to my encouragement: Daniel didn't sit idly by when an opportunity presented itself to stand up for God. He didn't hesitate, hoping someone else would raise their hand and take his place. And when he did speak up, he didn't tiptoe around the truth, either. He was bold and blunt with Belshazzar. He didn't let Belshazzar hide behind a bunch of lies to obscure his sin. He didn't bow down to the kings of this world, because he was about the business of serving the one true King. We should do the same. We look to men like Daniel as heroes of the faith, but too often, we use that as an excuse to not act, pretending as though we could never measure up to men like this. Why not? There is no difference between us! Daniel was a sinner, but saved through his faithfulness to God in expectation of the cross; the only difference for us is that we are on this side of the cross and have an even more clear picture and even less excuse. And so I have a Word for you: "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5) There is no escape from your calling and your obedience to Christ. What a blessing!
TO THE "UNSURE": I have a few words for you. I tell you, there is no doubt that there is a God. If you're "unsure" about whether or not He is real and alive, it's because your conscience is struggling with your sin to tell you that He is there, and you'd better not ignore Him. No matter how you strive to pretend he isn't there, there is no escape from the God of this universe. He is everywhere. Not only that, but He is in control of it all, including the next breath of air you take into your lungs. That's right, you breathe only because of His grace, because He wills it. If you're unsure, it's probably because somewhere along the line you've heard the truth, but you grapple with it because you're not quite ready to submit to His will and die to yourself. The truth is, you're already dead. You can only be made alive in Christ. The Bible tells us this truth: "For what can be known about God is made plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:18-21) Oh dear friend, do not let that happen to you! Look around you in awe of creation, but don't confuse creation with the Creator! Bend your knee to Him now and experience His grace and mercy. Don't be found wanting as Belshazzar was. You cannot hide from the truth of His existence. And I have a Word for you: "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:18-20)
TO THE APATHETIC AND UNBELIEVERS: Woe to you. I pity you - not because I am any better than you and looking down on you from some high horse, but because I once was in the same miry pit as you. I know how it feels to revel in sin, thinking that you are apart from God, choosing to believe that there is no God, and loving life such as it is. Enjoy it while it lasts, because if you don't turn from your sin, there is an eternal condemnation, Hell, waiting for you, and it is a very real place. My prayer for you is that God will take your heart of stone and make it a heart of flesh before He decides to remove you from this world altogether. His Word tells us that "the fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 53:1). Don't be a fool. If you read the above message to those on the fence, you know that God has made Himself plainly visible through creation by His grace - He didn't have to do even that. You can't run from Him, you can't ignore Him and you can't hide your sin from Him. You can't shut Him up or out - others have tried. You can't stop the spread of His gospel - it grows every time it is censored. You can't defeat His church - it perseveres through all persecution. You can't even kill Him - He's already died and been resurrected. What will you do? I hope and pray that your answer is, "Repent and believe." No other response makes sense. If you think you're exempt, you're not. "None is righteous, no, not one: no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3: 10-12, 23). You are not the only sinless one in all of humanity - that distinction has already been claimed by the Son of Man. Turn away from your foolish sins and the vanities of this world and turn to the only One who can save you. There is no escape from your predicament without Christ. And so I have a Word for you as well: "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person would dare even to die - but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God." (Romans 5:6-9)
Here is the simple Truth, with a capital "T". We are all sinners. Sin is anything that does not conform to the standards of God, and since none of us can keep God's commandments perfectly, we are all sinners. Because God is holy, out sin separates us from God. Therefore, we are all in a place of desolation. We are born sinners. We can't work our way out of it. All of our good works are as filthy rags before Him. There is not one iota of anything in us that can fix our situation. But, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live the life that we can't. Christ was born of a virgin, fully God and fully man. This God-man was tempted and tried just as we are, yet remained without sin. Because of this, He was the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) He accomplished this through His death on a cross. After being beaten, stripped of His clothing, mocked, whipped, crowned with a crown of thorns, and dragging His own instrument of torture up a hillside, He was crucified - nails driven through His hands and feet, and a spear put into His side to verify His death. All this He suffered for my sins, and yours too, if you will believe on Him. He was buried in a borrowed tomb, sealed away behind a great boulder. Yet, on the third day, He rose, conquering over sin and death. The grave couldn't hold Him! Hallelujah! He was seen by a multitude of witnesses, and then ascended back into heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father to make intercession for those He calls His own. And praise God, one day He is coming again to gather together those who are His, and we will see Him face-to-face! Friends, I want this to be as joyous for you as it is for me. This is Good News!
I would invite you, if you have questions, or if you are unsure about your salvation, to talk to someone who knows Christ. Don't wait another day, because you don't know when His grace will be removed from you.
Lord, I love you! I am breathless with the wonder of Your grace to me. I am overwhelmed and drawn to my knees when I think that You died for me, while I was yet stuck in my sin, loving it and hating You. I don't deserve to know Your name, Lord, let alone to be loved by You! I ask Your forgiveness for times that the wonder of Your gospel has grown cold in my heart and not stirred me to speak of You when it should. I pray that You would embolden and strengthen me for the work You would have me do in Your name. I pray that You give me the words to say, the opportunities to say them, and the courage to not back down in the face of adversity. I pray that You will do a mighty work in the hearts of my family and friends that are not saved, Lord. Save them; make them Your own. Allow them to see the beauty of being a bondservant to You. In Your name I pray, amen.
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