The Thread of Life – Part 19 (There’s a God and you are Him)

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The Thread of Life – 31 Stories that point to Jesus

Part 19

Welcome to Jesus Church: Here and Online

• Anyone here believe the Bible is the foundation for our lives

Ps. 119:11 (NIV)

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Ps. 119:105 (NIV)

Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path.

• The words of God our a rock that we build our foundation on
  • And when we fully trust in God’s Word…
  • We have the promise that we are thoroughly equipped

1 Tim. 3:16-17 (NIV)

All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, SO THAT the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for EVERY good work.

• If you have God’s word as the foundation for your understanding
  • You have a promise that you will be ready to succeed
  • No matter what this world throws at you
• There is nothing else in this world that can live up to that promise
  • Self-help books can’t promise you that
  • Youtube tutorials can’t promise you that
  • Motivational speakers can’t promise you that

TAG: If u make the scriptures ur rock – You will have everything u need

That’s why we are going through the entire Bible

Last week we got into the Book of Daniel – Fascinating book

• And while this book has it all (prophecy, history, drama, miracles)
  • The main point of Daniel is: How do u live/thrive in a world
  • Where you have to live a counter-culture life
  • And what’s our motivation not to give in to pressures around us
• Daniels motivations come from a Dream King Nebuchadnezzar has
  • Where all the kingdoms of history are displayed in a statue
  • And there is a distinct end to each kingdom
  • But one day the Kingdom of God will be establish
    • And it will be a kingdom that has no end
• Daniels motivation 2 not give up… is the Kingdom of God is coming
  • As Daniel had to decide to live for God in a world against God
  • So do we – We live in a world that continually rejects God
  • And our motivation to not give up… Kingdom of God is coming

In fact when Jesus instructed us on how to pray

• First/most important thing to request and remind ourselves of
  • “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as is in heaven”
  • And it shouldn’t be surprise that Jesus is always quoting Daniel
  • Jesus is constantly referring back to this dream… this kingdom
• Why… because he is the fulfillment of that dream
  • Our hope is in Jesus and in the kingdom that he establishes
  • When we lose sight of that – hope shifts… as does our worship

Tag: Last week was Ch. 3… This week is Ch. 4 – Continue on theme

[PRAY]

Story

Heard of a teacher asking students if they had religious objects at home

• First kids raised his hand
  • We have a picture of a woman with a halo and baby on the wall
  • Every day my mom kneels in front of it and prays
• Second kid raises her hand
  • We have a Golden statue of a man seated with a big smile
  • My parents burn incense before it every day
• Third kid raised their hand
  • In the bathroom we have a little platform w/ numbers on it
  • My mom thinks its her God…
    • The teacher asked why do you think its her God
    • B/C every day my mom stands on it & says “Oh my God”

We’ve talked about the main thing pulling God’s people away from him

• Are worshiping things other than the ONE TRUE GOD (Idolatry)
  • Idolatry is anything/anyone you put in 1st place in your life
  • We tend to read about idols and dismiss it as irrelevant
  • But reality is that its never been more prevalent in our culture
• We don’t sacrifice animals at an altar
  • But there are all kinds of God substitutes…
  • Things we look to save us and we put our hope in
  • Money… Power… Success… Food… Relationship… Success
• Here’s the point – The base foundation of all of these is “ME”
  • That I can be in control in the place of God
  • And if my life is a boardroom…
  • God can be part of my committee
    • But I’m the chairman of the board

The problem is God doesn’t do committees

• In fact if God’s on a committee – 1^st action is fire everyone else
  • God will not share that space
  • And God deals very seriously when something is in his place
  • When we look to a person/thing 2 do what God wants to do

There’s a book called “The 3 Christ’s of Yipsolantie”

• Psych case study done in Yipsolantie, Michigan
  • Follows 3 patients w/ a mental disorder of illusions of grandeur
  • Not uncommon… but all 3 thought they were God in flesh
• This doctor had to try and help these 3: Leon, Clyde and Joseph
  • Show them what was real… there’s a God – they aren’t him
    • And one of his most successful strategies
    • Make them take a couple years sharing life together
    • Eat together… learn together… therapy together
  • Hope was that they would together realize how crazy they were
    • Didn’t work… just really confusing
    • In therapy 1 says “I was sent here by God to save world”
    • Next guy would say… “No I didn’t”
• They were tagged crazy b/c they thought they were center of it all
  • But if that’s true… most of our culture today is crazy
    • Because we live the same way
    • Everything revolves around us

And we see how life falls apart in the story of King Nebuchadnezzar

• And he’s human just like you and me… but he falls for the trap
  • To trust/hope in himself over the God of the universe
  • Which is something that is a temptation for all of us
  • We have to be in control…we have to be in charge
    • And in that we put ourselves in the place of God

King Nebuchadnezzar thinks he is God

Again: Context is Israel has been conquered and they are in exile

• Babylon takes the brightest of Israel and brings them to the king
  • That’s where we first meet Daniel
  • He has been sent to serve the king at age 15/16
• And this king is graphic example of what life looks like
  • When you put yourself on the throne instead of God

During this time there was a Prophet named Ezekiel

• Ezekiel Paints picture of what it looks like to replace God

Ez. 28:2 (NIV)

“…In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god. But you are a mere mortal and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.”

• And this message is what the kings learn… and we’re reminded of
  • That there is a God and you aren’t him
  • That seems obvious… but its not (think how we live/act/spend)
  • And it’s a lesson our culture needs to hear
    • B/C our world is becoming continually more self-centered

There’s a test that’s given out 4 years: Narcissistic Personality Inventory

• Psychologists say there’s been a huge increase in scores recently
  • Here is how test works: People are given questions
  • They have to say if they agree or disagree (Scale 1 to 5)
    • “If I ruled the world, it would be better”
    • “I think I’m a special person”
    • “I can live how I want and no one can tell me different”
    • “I can be anything I want to be if I really work at it”
• There’s this growing mentality… its all about me
  • Professor: Problem is we tell kids they are special all the time
    • But not about their shared responsibility to others
    • And if u live in a world where ur special but it ends there
    • It creates narcissistic world views
• Talk of preschool curriculum singing to tune of Fraira shaka
  • “I am special, I am special, Look at me, Look at me”
  • And you could see how that can become an issue

Reading about Nebuchadnezzar… that was probably his favorite song

• He needed everyone to know how special he was and remind him
  • What’s interesting is Babylon is actually modern day Iraq
  • The famous dictator of Iraq – Sadam Husain
    • Sadam’s nickname was “Successor to Nebuchadnezzar”
• And that should tell us something about this king… not a good guy
  • Jer. 37 – King captures king of Judah and family
    • Has kings children killed in front of him
    • Puck out eyes so last thing he sees is death of family
  • Another king he ends up roasts over a fire
    • This is an evil man

And this might make us uncomfortable…. But this King writes Daniel 4

• Now understanding how to read & wrap ur brain around the Bible
  • Which we took multiple weeks in January to go through
  • That should make that reality a little easier to digest
  • But still… this is a man who did terrible things

Dan. 4:1-3 (NIV)

King Nebuchadnezzar, To the nations and peoples of every language, who live in all the earth: May you prosper greatly! It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.

• Somehow… something happened to turn him into a worship leader
  • Like Howard Stern/Anderson Cooper calling nation 2 repent
  • There has got to be a pretty crazy story behind this
  • And the King tells how he learns: There is a God… he’s not him

Dan. 4:4-5 (NIV)

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me.

• King has a dream about this huge beautiful tree with tons of fruit
  • It’s a shelter for animals
  • It’s a home for birds

Dan. 4:13-16 (NIV)

“In the visions I saw while lying in bed, I looked, and there before me was a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven. He called in a loud voice: ‘Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. “‘Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.

• Message: Until he figures out who God is… this is what will happen
  • Nebuchadnezzar knows this is more than just a dream
  • Calls in interpreters but no one can explain it
• So they call in Daniel who hears the dream… and it affects him
  • And the king tells him its fine – No clue its about him
  • V.22 – You’re the tree about to be cut down

Dan. 4:25 (NIV)

You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.

• What Daniel warns Nebuchadnezzar…
  • There’s a God and you aren’t him – King just brushes it off

Want to ask a few questions of Kings life

Our answers might help us see if we have more King Neb than we think

1. What’s my motivation?

• Nebuchadnezzar’s entire life was motivated by his own glory
  • He puts up statue & made everyone bow down to it (his power)
    • Desperate to impress on of his wives
    • Created Hanging gardens of Babylon (7 wonders)
    • He worked so hard to create things for his own glory
• Our question… Why do we do what we do
  • Many of us do all this for our own glory
  • To impress people… to be seen a certain way
  • So much of our lives are built around raising our own glory

2. What’s the source of strength and success?

• King gave all the credit of his success to himself

Dan 4:30 (NIV)

he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

• When we pursue greatness thru self empowerment & self credit
  • We have officially become our own god
  • Def. of idolatry – taking glory that belongs to God
• We blame God for what doesn’t go well, take credit for what does
  • Friend was in parking lot and when he opened car door
    • Wind hits & car door slams into new truck next to him
  • They exchanged info and my friend called his insurance
    • Said “Oh that’s not ur fault… it’s called an act of God
    • So it’s God’s fault? Ya totally
  • As long as it’s in reference to bad… lets bring God into the story
    • But if its good… that’s all me
    • Look at everything that I’ve done
    • King Neb was all about his own glory/accomplishments

Habakkuk 1:11 (Explains other people like this)

Then they sweep past like the wind and go on – guilty people, whose own strength is their god.”

• They look to their own strength to be their source of power
  • It says they appear for a moment… but it never lasts
  • Why… b/c we do have strength – But it isn’t sustainable
  • Sure you can be successful… but you will burn out/self destruct

3. What’s the purpose of your life

• See over and over as a warning: with Solomon… Nebuchadnezzar
  • Their pursuit in life (greatest good) is happiness & satisfaction
    • Why else do u need a 630k sqft palace
    • You just keep trying to find satisfaction
    • Why did Solomon have 600 wives… looking for happiness
  • That’s what happens when u pursue happiness as your god
    • As Americans we believe… right is a pursuit of happiness
    • Great irony is… faster you chase it, the faster it runs away
      • Always hungry and never satisfied
• There was a story on a 26 year old named Katie Kane
  • Had medical disorder – Never felt full (like hunger pains hungry)
    • Might sound awesome… but it was deadly
    • 300 lbs at 20 years old – Prater Willie syndrome
    • You can actually eat yourself to death
• And I think spiritually… this is a disorder we see in all of us
  • Where we can eat and eat and eat… but never satisfied
  • We are trying to find fulfillment… and so we keep eating
    • And its deadly
    • And that is King Nebuchadnezzar story

Daniel tells the king he’s gonna live life like an animal

And Daniel could have made something else up

• Imagine courage of Daniel to tell the truth… might be last words
  • I would make something up like… there’s this football team
    • And they’re 3-0 – Somehow beat this sheep team w/ horns
    • But God is gonna cut them down and leave a stump
• But look at Daniel – He tells him what he needs to do

Dan. 4:27 (NIV)

Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.

• King blows it off… not a surprise
  • B/C the “God of me” never believes the rules apply to me
  • Always whispering that “you’re different… you’re special”
    • Maybe consequences for others… but ur too good

Dan. 4:33-34 (NIV)

Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

• Sanity restored didn’t mean he went back to believing he was God
  • It meant He saw there is one God and He isn’t it
  • Purpose is now to tell world of God’s greatness
  • Motivation goes from living for self to living for God

But it took a lot… (Question) What’s it going to take for you

• To realize you don’t need to be in driver seat… and you should be
  • To realize there is one God and you aren’t him
  • But you do need him
• We were down in Mexico… we into one of their federal prisons
  • Did a church service in prison… no guards… no bariers
    • But man they could worship
  • Remember talking to one guy who was telling me his story
    • Said: I tried it my way and it didn’t work
    • Wish it didn’t take this 2 show there’s a better way
  • You might build the kingdom for awhile, but the time will come
    • There will be a day that you will see
    • “Every knee will bow and tongue confess”