WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.520 Turn with me in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 5. If you're looking in the Pew Bible, that is page 00:00:05.520 --> 00:00:17.039 742. In spite of present appearances, God is still on the throne. That's the main message of 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:21.120 the book of Daniel, which we've been looking at this fall. And this morning in chapter 5, 00:00:21.179 --> 00:00:25.600 we'll see that that message contains for us both a word of warning and a word of hope. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:29.520 But let's read together Daniel chapter 5. 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:43.060 Here we go. King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of 00:00:43.060 --> 00:00:48.920 the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:54.000 that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:58.579 his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden 00:00:58.579 --> 00:01:04.560 vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem. And the king and his 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:10.299 lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold 00:01:10.299 --> 00:01:18.640 and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:25.000 and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the 00:01:25.000 --> 00:01:32.120 hand as it wrote. Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him. His limbs gave way, 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:36.140 and his knees knocked together. The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, 00:01:36.299 --> 00:01:41.840 and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, whoever reads this writing and shows me 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:47.579 its interpretation shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck, and shall be the 00:01:47.579 --> 00:01:52.920 third ruler in the kingdom. Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:58.819 or make known to the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:04.239 changed, and his lords were perplexed. The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:08.300 into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, O king, live forever. Let not your thoughts alarm you 00:02:08.300 --> 00:02:15.379 or your color change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your 00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:20.539 father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:26.740 And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father, the king, made him chief of the magicians, 00:02:27.099 --> 00:02:32.560 enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:37.719 to interpret dreams and explain riddles and solve problems were found in this Daniel, 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:44.659 whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. 00:02:45.659 --> 00:02:50.340 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, You are that Daniel, 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:58.060 one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king, my father, brought from Judah. I have heard of you, 00:02:58.699 --> 00:03:03.680 that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:08.039 found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:13.439 and made known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:20.599 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:25.879 and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:32.079 around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then Daniel answered and said before the 00:03:32.079 --> 00:03:37.939 king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:40.859 writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 00:03:40.859 --> 00:03:49.060 O king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar, your father, kingship and greatness and glory 00:03:49.060 --> 00:03:55.219 and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled 00:03:55.219 --> 00:04:00.560 and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive. Whom he would, 00:04:00.620 --> 00:04:05.460 he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up, 00:04:05.460 --> 00:04:11.800 and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:16.280 And his glory was taken away from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, 00:04:16.280 --> 00:04:21.300 and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. 00:04:22.060 --> 00:04:27.319 He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until he knew that the 00:04:27.319 --> 00:04:33.000 most high God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you, his son, 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:40.480 Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this. But you have lifted up yourself 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:47.160 against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his house have been brought in before you. And you 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:52.100 and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them, and you have praised the gods 00:04:52.100 --> 00:05:00.019 of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know. But the God in 00:05:00.019 --> 00:05:07.620 whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. Then from his presence, 00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:13.479 the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed, and this is the writing that was inscribed, 00:05:14.019 --> 00:05:22.740 Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parson. This is the interpretation of the matter. Mene, God has numbered the days of 00:05:22.740 --> 00:05:28.460 your kingdom and brought it to an end. Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. 00:05:28.920 --> 00:05:37.100 Perez, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Then Belshazzar gave the command 00:05:37.100 --> 00:05:41.060 that Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was 00:05:41.060 --> 00:05:48.360 made about him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean 00:05:48.360 --> 00:06:01.160 king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about 62 years old. April 11 of 1912, 00:06:01.980 --> 00:06:09.379 the HMS Titanic departed from England, headed on its first transatlantic voyage toward New York. 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:16.800 At the time, it was the largest ship afloat, 882 feet long, with the most luxurious accommodations 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:23.139 and the most advanced safety features, carrying 2,200 passengers and crew, including some of the 00:06:23.139 --> 00:06:28.600 wealthiest people in the whole world at the time. But only three days after it departed, 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:34.379 it hit an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic, and less than three hours later, 00:06:35.300 --> 00:06:40.180 it sank to the bottom of the ocean, and most of the people on board drowned. 00:06:40.180 --> 00:06:47.620 Over a hundred years later, the Titanic disaster continues to loom large in people's minds and in 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:54.139 popular imagination, a ship that was the pinnacle of greatness, seeming invincibility, 00:06:55.060 --> 00:07:02.340 whose first voyage ended in disaster and death. This morning, our story begins with a king 00:07:02.340 --> 00:07:10.040 proclaiming his greatness, and seemingly invincible, of the most powerful empire in the world at the 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:19.760 time. And yet that very night, he was dethroned and killed. I want us to walk through this story 00:07:19.760 --> 00:07:25.160 together, and then I want to look at the word of warning it gives to us in the word of hope 00:07:25.160 --> 00:07:31.200 that we can find here. So, let's walk through this story together. Our passage begins with King 00:07:31.200 --> 00:07:35.100 Belshazzar throwing a feast. And you might wonder, if you've been reading the book of Daniel, 00:07:35.100 --> 00:07:42.340 who is Belshazzar, and why is he throwing a feast? The first four chapters of Daniel have been focused 00:07:42.340 --> 00:07:48.040 on King Nebuchadnezzar. Now, to help you keep some of these names and dates straight, and to see 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:51.120 some of the bigger picture of the book of Daniel, you can look in the middle of your bulletin. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.960 I've noted some of the structure of Daniel. We went over that a few weeks ago, so I won't go 00:07:55.960 --> 00:07:59.720 through that. But at the bottom, there is a couple key dates that relate to this story. 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:06.420 But Nebuchadnezzar was the greatest of the Babylonian kings. He was the first one who 00:08:06.420 --> 00:08:14.040 had presided over a united and expanding and stable Babylonian empire. He ruled for 43 years. 00:08:15.680 --> 00:08:21.560 He was a successful military leader, and he made the capital city of Babylon into a center of 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:29.700 science and education, of art and architecture. He was also the one who had besieged Jerusalem, 00:08:29.720 --> 00:08:37.300 and taken to Babylon, some of the vessels of the temple in Jerusalem, and some of the young 00:08:37.300 --> 00:08:43.240 people of Israel, handsome, wise, and competent, including Daniel and his three friends. 00:08:44.139 --> 00:08:49.660 But now the narrative has skipped a couple of decades, and we find ourselves in 539 B.C., 00:08:49.660 --> 00:08:55.120 66 years after Daniel and his friends had been taken to Babylon. Now, technically, the king at the 00:08:55.120 --> 00:09:01.519 time was a man named Nabonidus. But Nabonidus had left the capital city and lived elsewhere for 10 years 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:08.820 of his reign, and his son, Belshazzar, was living in Babylon, and Nabonidus had basically entrusted 00:09:08.820 --> 00:09:17.039 authority to his son to rule in his place while he was absent. And that's probably why when Belshazzar 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:22.639 offers Daniel a place in his kingdom, he says, I'll make you the third ruler under Belshazzar and under 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:29.460 his father, his father, Nabonidus. But in many ways, Belshazzar looked up not so much to his father, 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:35.000 Nabonidus, but to Nebuchadnezzar, his predecessor. And if you notice, several times in this chapter, 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:45.019 Belshazzar and others refer to Nebuchadnezzar as his father, and Belshazzar his son. Verse 2, 11, 13, 18, 22. 00:09:45.019 --> 00:09:50.259 Now, Nebuchadnezzar wasn't literally Belshazzar's father, but in Belshazzar's mind, 00:09:50.259 --> 00:09:59.539 Nebuchadnezzar was the big daddy of the Babylonian empire. And he was looking up to him and modeling 00:09:59.539 --> 00:10:06.100 himself after him and following in the train of his greatness, sort of trying to stand on 00:10:06.100 --> 00:10:15.539 Nebuchadnezzar's shoulders and be even a bit greater than him. But the reality was, in 539 B.C., 00:10:15.539 --> 00:10:21.620 Belshazzar's kingdom was nowhere near as great as Nebuchadnezzar's. By 539 B.C., the Persian army, 00:10:21.719 --> 00:10:26.099 led by Cyrus, had invaded the country, conquered several cities. They were approaching the capital 00:10:26.099 --> 00:10:31.879 city of Babylon. At the end of this chapter, we learn that that very night, Belshazzar would be 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:37.839 killed, and the Babylonian empire would come to an end, and the Medes and Persians would take over the 00:10:37.840 --> 00:10:45.280 kingdom. So, Belshazzar is literally throwing this huge party while his enemies are standing outside 00:10:45.280 --> 00:10:51.460 the gates of his city. There's other ancient documents that shed light on this scenario. 00:10:52.180 --> 00:10:56.980 They don't all agree on the details. Some say Babylon was under siege. Some say it was taken 00:10:56.980 --> 00:11:02.980 without a battle. But two ancient historians, Herodotus and Xenophon, specifically mentioned 00:11:02.980 --> 00:11:07.100 that the Persians entered Babylon while the Babylonians were singing and dancing at night. 00:11:08.659 --> 00:11:15.340 Now, you might wonder, why would King Belshazzar throw a party for a thousand of his lords? I mean, 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:22.460 this was a big party when invading armies were right outside his doors. Maybe he was naively confident, 00:11:23.639 --> 00:11:30.320 like the makers of the Titanic, sure that his city was indestructible. After all, 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:36.740 it was surrounded by walls that were 85 feet thick and 40 feet tall. You could ride a chariot on top 00:11:36.740 --> 00:11:46.460 of the walls. Or maybe he was cynical and realistic. We might die tomorrow, so we might as well party 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:51.900 tonight. Dance the night away, drink plenty of wine, and forget about our troubles for at least 00:11:51.900 --> 00:11:58.560 a few hours. Either way, in the middle of the party, Belshazzar takes the sacred vessels 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:07.179 that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from the temple in Jerusalem and starts passing them out as drinking 00:12:07.179 --> 00:12:13.419 cups, ordinary drinking cups. Now, by this time, Belshazzar was probably under the influence, 00:12:14.299 --> 00:12:20.299 but this is more than Belshazzar just being drunk and stupid. He didn't just run out of red cups and 00:12:20.299 --> 00:12:27.759 decide to use golden ones instead. At some level, Belshazzar knew what he was doing. He was intentionally 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:36.159 flaunting his dominance over the people of Judah and Jerusalem by taking their most sacred vessels 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:45.799 devoted to their God and using them to toast the gods of Babylon. Belshazzar was saying, 00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:52.179 Nebuchadnezzar took these vessels out of the temple, but, you know, he just kept them in the temple. He sort 00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:59.019 of respected them. I'm here to show they're nothing special at all. It would be sort of like taking an 00:12:59.019 --> 00:13:07.659 American flag and laying it in front of the door to be used as a doormat for people to wipe their feet 00:13:07.659 --> 00:13:16.219 on when they come into the building. Or sort of like taking a wooden sculpture piece from the Yale Art 00:13:16.220 --> 00:13:22.120 Gallery, chopping it into pieces, building a bonfire, and saying, Let's roast some marshmallows. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:27.779 It was an act of deliberate defiance and dishonor. 00:13:30.379 --> 00:13:35.720 But then in verse 5, in the middle of the revelry, the king sees a hand writing on the wall, 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:43.560 and suddenly he goes from being the life of the party to the subject of an emergency 911 call. 00:13:43.559 --> 00:13:50.759 He can't stand up straight anymore. He can't even control his most basic bodily functions. He 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:56.899 screams for help. His wise men can't help him. He becomes even more alarmed. But then, 00:13:57.319 --> 00:14:04.039 in the midst of all the chaos, verse 10, a wise woman appears. Now, this is probably the queen mother, 00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:08.919 not the queen, because in verse 2 and 3, the king's wives are already there. 00:14:08.919 --> 00:14:15.360 So, the footnote is probably a better translation. It's either Belshazzar's mother or Nebuchadnezzar's 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:21.979 widow. But either way, she reminds Belshazzar about Daniel. She says, Your father, Nebuchadnezzar, 00:14:22.519 --> 00:14:30.439 the one you look up to, honored this man greatly because he was full of wisdom and understanding. 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:39.200 He's the best wise men of them all. Call him. Belshazzar calls in Daniel. He doesn't really 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:44.020 have any other options at this point. But notice his attitude toward Daniel in 13 through 16. 00:14:45.900 --> 00:14:54.220 You are that Daniel. One of the exiles from Judah. Ah, you're one of those people whose flag I just 00:14:54.220 --> 00:15:01.879 wiped my feet on. You should count it a privilege that you're here at all. I have heard of you, 00:15:01.940 --> 00:15:08.700 he says, in verse 14 and verse 16. Now, evidently, Belshazzar knew about Daniel, 00:15:09.620 --> 00:15:14.680 but either he had forgotten him. After all, by this time, Daniel would have been 80 years old, 00:15:15.500 --> 00:15:22.040 perhaps in semi-retirement. Or perhaps Belshazzar deliberately ignored Daniel because he didn't 00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:28.500 like the kinds of things that Daniel would say. But now he has no other option. So, he says, 00:15:28.579 --> 00:15:34.240 Okay, I'll give you a chance. If you can read and interpret this writing, you'll be third in my 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:43.740 kingdom. Well, Daniel began not by reading the writing, but by talking about Belshazzar's hero, 00:15:43.740 --> 00:15:52.799 King Nebuchadnezzar. And he reminded him not only of Nebuchadnezzar's greatness that Belshazzar 00:15:52.799 --> 00:16:02.340 wanted to emulate, but also of his pride and his fall. God brought Nebuchadnezzar down until he 00:16:02.340 --> 00:16:06.120 humbled himself and recognized who is really the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:15.240 And then verse 22 to 23, Daniel turns and looks right at Belshazzar and speaks directly to him. 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:27.639 Notice the verbs in these sentences. You have not humbled your heart. You knew. You weren't ignorant. 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:38.539 You have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. Drunk wine from his vessels, praised lifeless 00:16:38.539 --> 00:16:45.240 gods, and you have not honored the God who holds your very life in his hand. 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:53.240 Daniel spoke to Belshazzar emphasizing his responsibility and culpability. 00:16:53.240 --> 00:17:01.340 Even though he claimed to look up to Nebuchadnezzar and stand on his shoulders, he didn't learn from 00:17:01.340 --> 00:17:07.380 Nebuchadnezzar's example. And he went far beyond Nebuchadnezzar in provoking God's judgment. 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:15.220 He embraced the foolishness of idolatry, praising gods made of the same stuff as the cups from which 00:17:15.220 --> 00:17:23.220 he drank, and dishonoring the God who held his very life together and gave him everything he 00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:29.420 had. Do you notice how bold and confident Daniel is in speaking to this King? 00:17:32.839 --> 00:17:37.539 On the one hand, when you get to 80 years old, perhaps you stop caring about what everybody else 00:17:37.539 --> 00:17:47.759 thinks. Not totally a bad thing. But this wasn't just crotchety old Daniel telling it like he saw it, 00:17:47.759 --> 00:17:55.720 having nothing left to lose. Daniel spoke the truth with boldness and confidence in every season of 00:17:55.720 --> 00:18:00.359 his life, no matter who he was speaking to, no matter what was on the line. 00:18:04.740 --> 00:18:08.279 Then in verse 24 to 28, Daniel goes on to read and interpret the writing, 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:16.619 Mene, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parson. Now, ancient Aramaic, which is what they spoke in Babylon, 00:18:17.839 --> 00:18:24.440 was written, like ancient Hebrew, without vowel pointings and sometimes without spaces in between 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:28.559 words. So, when you read ancient Aramaic and Hebrew writings, sometimes it takes a little 00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:31.759 deciphering to figure out what they mean. 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:41.519 Many scholars have pointed out that these words, Mene, Tekel, Parson, sound like three units of weight, 00:18:42.460 --> 00:18:49.480 a mina, a shekel, and a half. The word parson or perez means half. It would be a little bit like saying 00:18:49.480 --> 00:19:01.500 a pound, an ounce, a half, from greatest to smallest. But Daniel focuses on the fact that these words, 00:19:01.500 --> 00:19:13.259 also sound like three verbs, numbered, weighed, divided. Your days are numbered. You've been weighed 00:19:13.259 --> 00:19:25.059 and found wanting. Your kingdom will be divided. It's a message of divine judgment on Belshazzar's pride. 00:19:25.059 --> 00:19:38.419 Verse 29, Belshazzar responds. It's an interesting response. He responds by promoting Daniel and honoring 00:19:38.419 --> 00:19:47.139 him as the messenger, but he never acknowledges God, the subject of Daniel's message. 00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:54.640 Verse 30, that very night, not only Belshazzar's kingdom, but also his life was taken away, 00:19:55.740 --> 00:19:59.020 never to be restored. That's the story. 00:20:01.840 --> 00:20:07.640 As I said, I think there's a word of warning and a word of hope. So, let's look at those in turn. 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:16.560 First, the word of warning. We're meant to see chapter 5 in contrast to chapter 4. If you look 00:20:16.560 --> 00:20:23.240 at the outline of Daniel, you can see some of the parallels. They both focus on proud pagan rulers. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:33.560 Nebuchadnezzar is humbled and eventually restored. Belshazzar exalts himself and is finally brought down. 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:38.179 In the New Testament, Jesus Christ said, 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:44.279 everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. 00:20:45.940 --> 00:20:49.519 And so, chapter 4, which we looked at two weeks ago, emphasizes God's mercy 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:57.279 and the opportunity for repentance and restoration. Chapter 5 emphasizes God's righteous judgment 00:20:57.279 --> 00:21:01.839 that those who do not humble themselves before God will one day be brought down. 00:21:03.559 --> 00:21:07.039 And so, we need to consider the word of warning that this chapter gives us. 00:21:09.099 --> 00:21:15.399 We need to ask ourselves, does the description of Belshazzar in this chapter fit me? 00:21:17.879 --> 00:21:25.480 He was in charge. He was capable, but he was condescending and overconfident. 00:21:25.480 --> 00:21:31.059 He knew some truths about God, but he did not honor God. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:37.880 Perhaps you know something about God. Maybe you were taught the Bible as a child. 00:21:38.720 --> 00:21:42.759 Maybe you've seen God make a difference in people's lives who are close to you. Maybe 00:21:42.759 --> 00:21:49.740 you've always had a deep sense that God exists, that He's there. Maybe God has intervened in your life, 00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:57.579 maybe dramatically, periodically. But are you honoring God for who He is? 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:07.940 Daniel describes Him as the Most High God, the God who, unlike the idol, sees and hears and knows, 00:22:08.779 --> 00:22:13.759 the one in whose hand is our very breath and all our ways. 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:20.119 Are you living as if you are ultimately accountable to no one but yourself? 00:22:22.740 --> 00:22:28.059 Maybe you grew up with faith in God, but over time you've gradually distanced yourself 00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:30.519 from the faith that you once had. 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:33.779 Let me ask why. 00:22:35.420 --> 00:22:40.460 Were there overwhelming intellectual doubts which you have thoroughly researched and not found good answers? 00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:48.700 Or is there perhaps also a part of you that wants to live the way you want to live, 00:22:48.980 --> 00:22:51.779 and you don't want God to get in the way too much? 00:22:53.640 --> 00:22:58.819 Back in 1937, the British intellectual Aldous Huxley wrote this. 00:23:00.220 --> 00:23:00.579 He said, 00:23:00.660 --> 00:23:03.299 Most ignorance is willful ignorance. 00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:06.360 We don't know because we don't want to know. 00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:11.159 I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning. 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:14.579 Consequently, I assumed that it had none, 00:23:14.659 --> 00:23:17.879 and then was able to find satisfying reasons for this assumption. 00:23:18.019 --> 00:23:20.339 The philosopher who finds no meaning in the world 00:23:20.339 --> 00:23:24.679 is not concerned exclusively with a problem in pure metaphysics. 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:28.919 He is also concerned to prove that there is no valid reason 00:23:28.919 --> 00:23:32.219 why he personally should not do as he wants to do. 00:23:32.220 --> 00:23:35.940 For myself and many of my friends, 00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:41.120 the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation 00:23:41.120 --> 00:23:47.200 from a certain system of morality which interfered with our sexual freedom. 00:23:49.559 --> 00:23:53.700 Now, Huxley was more honest and more self-aware than most of us are. 00:23:53.700 --> 00:23:57.600 But he knew that what we love and desire, 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:02.380 whether it's sex or money or power or comfort, 00:24:03.380 --> 00:24:05.840 shapes our perceptions of reality. 00:24:05.980 --> 00:24:09.380 What we love and desire shapes how we see the world and how we interpret it. 00:24:11.140 --> 00:24:13.819 And he also saw that sometimes our loves and desires 00:24:13.819 --> 00:24:17.600 can be deeply self-promoting and self-justifying. 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:24.980 Now, maybe you don't go quite as far as Huxley denying that the world has any meaning at all. 00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:31.259 Later, he wrote that quote later on when he was re-examining that assumption. 00:24:32.419 --> 00:24:34.059 Maybe you still identify as a Christian. 00:24:37.559 --> 00:24:40.939 But have you, like Belshazzar, taken God's holy things 00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:44.120 that he has created for his own glory 00:24:44.120 --> 00:24:51.080 and use them for your own self-indulgent, self-glorifying purposes. 00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:56.519 Now, in the Old Testament, the temple in Jerusalem and its vessels 00:24:56.519 --> 00:24:59.700 were set apart as holy to the Lord. 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:05.000 In the New Testament, there's no physical temple. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.599 Jesus is now the temple, 00:25:10.119 --> 00:25:14.160 and Jesus' vessels are holy to the Lord. 00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:17.799 The New Testament says our bodies individually 00:25:17.799 --> 00:25:20.880 and the body of the church corporately 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:23.559 are now the temple of the Holy Spirit 00:25:23.559 --> 00:25:26.339 set apart for the worship of God. 00:25:28.579 --> 00:25:30.140 And God builds us up. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:32.079 He builds up his temple, his people, 00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:33.819 through his holy word. 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:37.079 Breathed out by God. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:41.019 Useful to equip us for every good work. 00:25:43.099 --> 00:25:45.480 So let me ask, how do you treat God's word, 00:25:46.579 --> 00:25:47.019 the Scriptures? 00:25:48.500 --> 00:25:50.200 Do you treat them with reverence? 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:55.680 Or are you willing to play fast and loose with them? 00:25:57.319 --> 00:25:58.740 You know, in the 19th century, 00:25:58.740 --> 00:26:02.380 some critical scholars read this story about Belshazzar, 00:26:02.380 --> 00:26:05.320 and they dismissed it as purely a fiction. 00:26:07.160 --> 00:26:08.800 Surely, Belshazzar never existed 00:26:08.800 --> 00:26:12.380 because we have no other documents outside the book of Daniel 00:26:12.380 --> 00:26:13.260 that refer to him. 00:26:14.860 --> 00:26:18.040 But today, we have the Cyrus Cylinder, 00:26:18.380 --> 00:26:19.480 the Babylonian Chronicle, 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:22.380 Herodotus, Xenophon, and cuneiform texts 00:26:22.380 --> 00:26:24.620 that either refer to him by name 00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:27.599 or affirm some details of this story. 00:26:29.979 --> 00:26:31.799 Only in hindsight can we see 00:26:31.799 --> 00:26:33.219 the arrogance 00:26:33.219 --> 00:26:36.299 of scholars who confidently declared 00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:37.679 that Belshazzar never existed 00:26:37.679 --> 00:26:40.139 based simply on the lack of evidence 00:26:40.139 --> 00:26:42.399 available to them at the time. 00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:48.160 But 100 years from now, 00:26:48.580 --> 00:26:51.700 how many confident pronouncements 00:26:51.700 --> 00:26:53.860 of contemporary scholars, 00:26:54.560 --> 00:26:55.920 including biblical scholars, 00:26:56.800 --> 00:26:59.240 may seem arrogant, outdated, 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:01.880 or based on arguments from silence 00:27:01.880 --> 00:27:03.220 that are no longer valid? 00:27:04.280 --> 00:27:05.640 Now, let me freely acknowledge, 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:07.220 if you study the Bible academically, 00:27:07.220 --> 00:27:09.140 there are plenty of tricky questions, 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:12.160 including many related to the book of Daniel. 00:27:13.340 --> 00:27:14.800 And faithful Christian scholars 00:27:14.800 --> 00:27:16.140 should honestly acknowledge 00:27:16.140 --> 00:27:17.519 unresolved difficulties. 00:27:18.540 --> 00:27:20.620 We should wrestle with the literary genre 00:27:20.620 --> 00:27:22.100 and its implications. 00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:24.800 We should examine the Near Eastern parallels 00:27:24.800 --> 00:27:26.380 that we have access to. 00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:28.400 We should consider how it all fits together. 00:27:30.420 --> 00:27:31.680 But in the end, 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:34.540 we're called to stand under God's Word 00:27:34.540 --> 00:27:35.180 in humility 00:27:35.180 --> 00:27:38.360 and not over it in judgment. 00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:41.759 Beware the arrogance 00:27:41.759 --> 00:27:44.699 that infects much biblical scholarship. 00:27:45.799 --> 00:27:47.399 It can infect you too 00:27:47.399 --> 00:27:49.639 in more ways than you realize. 00:27:51.399 --> 00:27:52.419 Now, maybe you're not 00:27:52.419 --> 00:27:53.539 an academic Bible scholar. 00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:55.759 You have no interest in 00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:57.479 reading commentaries 00:27:57.479 --> 00:27:58.740 about the history of the ancient world. 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:00.959 But how do you respond to God's Word 00:28:00.959 --> 00:28:02.379 when you hear it read 00:28:02.379 --> 00:28:04.379 and preached each Sunday? 00:28:04.380 --> 00:28:07.700 You know, after he heard Daniel's speech, 00:28:07.820 --> 00:28:09.840 Belshazzar honored Daniel. 00:28:11.400 --> 00:28:13.260 But he never responded to God. 00:28:15.240 --> 00:28:16.640 It's like coming up to the preacher 00:28:16.640 --> 00:28:17.920 after the service and saying, 00:28:18.180 --> 00:28:19.340 that was a great sermon. 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:21.980 I've really enjoyed listening to it. 00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:23.820 Man, you have great illustrations, 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:25.240 even a couple cool jokes. 00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:27.540 You kept me awake the whole time. 00:28:27.539 --> 00:28:31.779 But having no intention 00:28:31.779 --> 00:28:34.799 to actually respond to God's Word 00:28:34.799 --> 00:28:37.159 with trust and obedience. 00:28:38.839 --> 00:28:39.920 Now, if you want to tell me 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:40.720 that you liked the sermon 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:41.579 or I kept you awake, 00:28:41.639 --> 00:28:42.259 that's fine. 00:28:44.899 --> 00:28:46.759 But you know what truly encourages 00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:49.079 a preacher 00:28:49.079 --> 00:28:52.819 who loves God's Word 00:28:52.819 --> 00:28:56.240 is when someone says, 00:28:56.679 --> 00:28:59.179 God was dealing with me this morning 00:28:59.179 --> 00:29:01.079 through your message. 00:29:02.200 --> 00:29:03.839 I responded to Jesus 00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:06.579 as I was looking into His Word. 00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:07.939 The Holy Spirit 00:29:07.939 --> 00:29:09.700 brought the message home to my heart. 00:29:11.619 --> 00:29:13.319 When the preacher fades into the background 00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:15.980 and Jesus takes center stage. 00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:19.980 Perhaps for some of you, 00:29:20.059 --> 00:29:21.819 God may be using Belshazzar's example 00:29:21.819 --> 00:29:23.659 to warn you in your pride, 00:29:24.279 --> 00:29:26.759 to expose your condescending 00:29:26.759 --> 00:29:28.299 and overconfident attitude. 00:29:30.319 --> 00:29:31.179 Like Belshazzar, 00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:32.740 you may have a high position of authority. 00:29:34.639 --> 00:29:36.899 You may feel secure in your fortress, 00:29:37.519 --> 00:29:39.220 no matter how many enemies 00:29:39.220 --> 00:29:40.439 are camped outside your door. 00:29:41.939 --> 00:29:43.639 You might be able to throw a great party 00:29:43.639 --> 00:29:44.759 and be the life of it too. 00:29:46.379 --> 00:29:47.359 But be warned, 00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:50.319 if you do not humble yourself 00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:53.059 before the God who made you 00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:55.200 and who holds His life, 00:29:55.379 --> 00:29:56.559 your life in His hand, 00:29:57.259 --> 00:30:00.079 God can and will bring you down. 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:03.000 And He can do it fast 00:30:03.000 --> 00:30:05.399 in one night. 00:30:07.659 --> 00:30:09.980 If the description of Belshazzar fits you, 00:30:10.839 --> 00:30:11.819 repent today. 00:30:13.259 --> 00:30:15.460 Humble yourself before King Jesus. 00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:18.960 Weep over your arrogant pride 00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:21.579 before the day of judgment comes 00:30:21.579 --> 00:30:23.579 and it will be too late to change. 00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:27.519 Perhaps by God's grace, 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:28.720 the description of Belshazzar 00:30:28.720 --> 00:30:30.420 doesn't completely fit you. 00:30:31.299 --> 00:30:33.200 But there's still a warning for all of us 00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:34.480 because we are all vulnerable 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:38.700 to fall into the trap of pride. 00:30:38.700 --> 00:30:42.059 That's the warning 00:30:42.059 --> 00:30:45.420 to humble ourselves before the Lord. 00:30:46.620 --> 00:30:48.100 But there's also a word of hope 00:30:48.100 --> 00:30:51.580 that's just as strong in this passage. 00:30:53.440 --> 00:30:54.799 The word of hope is this. 00:30:55.940 --> 00:30:57.799 When God's name is defamed 00:30:57.799 --> 00:31:01.100 and when God's messengers are dishonored, 00:31:01.960 --> 00:31:03.759 God shows up. 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:04.440 God's name is defamed 00:31:04.440 --> 00:31:05.160 unexpectedly, 00:31:06.039 --> 00:31:06.660 powerfully, 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:08.619 and in ways that even His enemies 00:31:08.619 --> 00:31:10.640 cannot deny or ignore. 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:13.440 You see, this story happened 00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:15.379 nearly 70 years 00:31:15.379 --> 00:31:16.400 after God's people 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:17.900 had been sent into exile. 00:31:19.359 --> 00:31:20.500 And for Daniel 00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:22.599 and whoever was left with him, 00:31:22.799 --> 00:31:24.920 it might have felt like all was lost 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:27.119 and things could only get worse. 00:31:27.819 --> 00:31:29.000 Jerusalem was destroyed. 00:31:29.879 --> 00:31:31.160 The temple was no longer. 00:31:32.299 --> 00:31:33.700 No Israelite king anymore. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:34.980 The present and future leaders 00:31:34.980 --> 00:31:35.700 of God's people 00:31:35.700 --> 00:31:37.660 had been deported and retrained 00:31:37.660 --> 00:31:38.740 and pressured to conform 00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:40.180 to the pagan culture of Babylon. 00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:43.019 And now Belshazzar goes one step further, 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:45.700 blatantly mocking the one true God 00:31:45.700 --> 00:31:47.900 by using His holy things 00:31:47.900 --> 00:31:49.599 as common drinking cups 00:31:49.599 --> 00:31:51.279 at a drunken party. 00:31:51.980 --> 00:31:54.619 How much worse can it get? 00:31:55.559 --> 00:31:56.859 But when all seems lost 00:31:56.859 --> 00:31:59.619 and when the darkness seems to triumph, 00:32:00.579 --> 00:32:02.579 that's when God shows up. 00:32:02.579 --> 00:32:04.679 For His people 00:32:04.679 --> 00:32:07.399 in undeniably powerful ways. 00:32:07.919 --> 00:32:09.839 You see, the end of Belshazzar's rule 00:32:09.839 --> 00:32:12.740 meant the end of the Babylonian Empire 00:32:12.740 --> 00:32:14.659 and the beginning of a new kingdom, 00:32:14.839 --> 00:32:16.639 the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. 00:32:18.039 --> 00:32:19.439 And soon after that, 00:32:19.559 --> 00:32:21.220 in this very same year, 00:32:22.960 --> 00:32:24.960 the Persian king Cyrus 00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:26.099 would issue a decree 00:32:26.099 --> 00:32:28.799 that the Jews could go home again 00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:32.139 and start rebuilding their city of Jerusalem 00:32:32.139 --> 00:32:33.819 and rebuilding their temple 00:32:33.819 --> 00:32:35.500 to worship God. 00:32:36.139 --> 00:32:37.579 Hope for the future 00:32:37.579 --> 00:32:40.700 of Judah and Jerusalem 00:32:40.700 --> 00:32:41.680 and of God's people 00:32:41.680 --> 00:32:42.960 was just around the corner 00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:45.500 even when it seemed like all was lost 00:32:45.500 --> 00:32:46.919 and things could only get worse. 00:32:47.879 --> 00:32:49.779 And yet what we see here in this chapter 00:32:49.779 --> 00:32:52.460 is that God has preserved His people 00:32:52.460 --> 00:32:54.019 from the beginning of the exile 00:32:54.019 --> 00:32:56.619 all the way to the end. 00:32:58.240 --> 00:32:59.480 Daniel was taken to Babylon 00:32:59.480 --> 00:33:01.740 at the beginning of the exile, 00:33:01.879 --> 00:33:02.920 605 B.C., 00:33:02.920 --> 00:33:04.500 and he was still there 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:07.579 in 539 at the end. 00:33:09.119 --> 00:33:10.480 He had been sidelined. 00:33:10.579 --> 00:33:11.539 He had been slighted. 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:13.839 He had been threatened and persecuted. 00:33:14.019 --> 00:33:15.319 He was now an old man, 00:33:15.319 --> 00:33:17.440 but still he stood bold 00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:18.839 and confident in the Lord. 00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:20.740 He had outlasted Nebuchadnezzar 00:33:20.740 --> 00:33:22.980 and the three or four kings 00:33:22.980 --> 00:33:24.220 that came in between Nebuchadnezzar 00:33:24.220 --> 00:33:24.920 and Belshazzar, 00:33:25.059 --> 00:33:27.039 and he would outlast Belshazzar. 00:33:29.019 --> 00:33:29.980 And throughout history, 00:33:30.279 --> 00:33:32.539 God has sustained His people 00:33:32.539 --> 00:33:34.640 through seasons of exile, 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:35.940 through seasons of persecution, 00:33:36.579 --> 00:33:38.279 through seasons of social isolation 00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:40.579 and marginalization. 00:33:42.039 --> 00:33:44.099 Kingdoms and empires have risen and fallen, 00:33:44.259 --> 00:33:45.140 but the people of God 00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:47.160 have outlasted them all. 00:33:48.160 --> 00:33:49.000 In the ancient world, 00:33:49.079 --> 00:33:49.900 the Christian church 00:33:49.900 --> 00:33:52.540 endured 300 years of persecution 00:33:52.540 --> 00:33:54.000 and marginalization 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:55.400 in the ancient Roman Empire, 00:33:56.300 --> 00:33:58.600 but as Tertullian said, 00:33:58.660 --> 00:33:59.600 the blood of the martyrs 00:33:59.600 --> 00:34:00.920 became the seed 00:34:00.920 --> 00:34:02.540 of the growing church. 00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:04.259 In the Middle Ages, 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:06.820 when Christianity became confused 00:34:06.820 --> 00:34:08.460 with the imperial ambitions 00:34:08.460 --> 00:34:10.200 of Western European rulers, 00:34:11.260 --> 00:34:12.800 and many church officials 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:13.380 were corrupted 00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:15.039 by the love of money and power, 00:34:16.039 --> 00:34:17.700 God preserved a faithful remnant, 00:34:17.699 --> 00:34:21.419 both inside and outside the official church, 00:34:21.419 --> 00:34:23.500 through people like Francis of Assisi 00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:24.980 and Peter Waldo 00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:26.460 and Thomas Akempis 00:34:26.460 --> 00:34:27.799 and their followers. 00:34:28.699 --> 00:34:29.559 In the modern world, 00:34:29.639 --> 00:34:30.519 the church has faced 00:34:30.519 --> 00:34:33.599 all kinds of seemingly insurmountable challenges. 00:34:34.099 --> 00:34:36.399 Dictators like Stalin in Russia 00:34:36.399 --> 00:34:37.819 or Mao in China 00:34:37.819 --> 00:34:39.739 who vowed to stamp out the church 00:34:39.739 --> 00:34:41.359 once and for all. 00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:43.380 But it didn't work. 00:34:44.460 --> 00:34:47.079 When the Soviet Union fell in 1992, 00:34:48.079 --> 00:34:51.079 for the first time in 70 years, 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:52.900 the church bells rang 00:34:52.900 --> 00:34:55.240 in Moscow in Red Square 00:34:55.240 --> 00:34:58.680 and large banners proclaimed, 00:34:59.039 --> 00:35:00.980 Christ is risen. 00:35:02.500 --> 00:35:03.380 And today in China, 00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:04.820 millions of Christian believers 00:35:04.820 --> 00:35:06.599 meet in both registered 00:35:06.599 --> 00:35:07.860 and unregistered churches. 00:35:07.860 --> 00:35:10.920 In the Western world, 00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:12.620 culture despisers have predicted 00:35:12.620 --> 00:35:14.000 that among educated people, 00:35:14.539 --> 00:35:15.880 secularization is inevitable 00:35:15.880 --> 00:35:17.500 and traditional Christianity 00:35:17.500 --> 00:35:18.420 is on the way out. 00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:20.000 But it's not true. 00:35:20.820 --> 00:35:22.160 Even at a place like Yale, 00:35:22.260 --> 00:35:23.280 there are many more Christians 00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:24.720 than there were 30 years ago. 00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:26.500 You can talk to anyone 00:35:26.500 --> 00:35:27.780 who was around back then. 00:35:28.460 --> 00:35:29.320 There weren't many of us. 00:35:30.780 --> 00:35:31.660 And in the moments 00:35:31.660 --> 00:35:32.840 when all has seemed darkest, 00:35:33.680 --> 00:35:35.940 like last year in Charleston, South Carolina, 00:35:35.940 --> 00:35:38.200 when nine people were murdered 00:35:38.200 --> 00:35:40.460 at the Mother Emanuel Church 00:35:40.460 --> 00:35:42.200 by a visitor whom they had welcomed 00:35:42.200 --> 00:35:44.039 into their Wednesday evening Bible study, 00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:46.880 the light of Christ has continued to shine. 00:35:48.079 --> 00:35:50.039 When the grieving members of that church 00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:55.260 spoke to the defendant in court 00:35:55.260 --> 00:35:57.639 and calling him to repent 00:35:57.639 --> 00:35:59.659 and offering him forgiveness 00:35:59.659 --> 00:36:01.639 through Christ, 00:36:02.519 --> 00:36:04.240 and their words were televised nationally, 00:36:04.239 --> 00:36:06.979 and when the outcry after that event 00:36:06.979 --> 00:36:08.299 led to the Confederate flag 00:36:08.299 --> 00:36:10.419 being taken down once and for all 00:36:10.419 --> 00:36:11.519 from the state capitol. 00:36:12.719 --> 00:36:15.039 Some people say the Christian church in America 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:17.500 is headed into a season of exile 00:36:17.500 --> 00:36:20.439 when we'll be increasingly isolated 00:36:20.439 --> 00:36:22.339 and socially marginalized 00:36:22.339 --> 00:36:23.579 and pressured to conform 00:36:23.579 --> 00:36:25.119 to an ungodly world. 00:36:25.500 --> 00:36:26.619 This may be true. 00:36:28.019 --> 00:36:29.579 In fact, it's already been true 00:36:29.579 --> 00:36:31.039 for many Christians in this country. 00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:33.440 That's been the experience 00:36:33.440 --> 00:36:35.380 of many African American 00:36:35.380 --> 00:36:36.559 and Native American 00:36:36.559 --> 00:36:38.960 and immigrant believers in Jesus 00:36:38.960 --> 00:36:40.779 already. 00:36:42.279 --> 00:36:43.860 Maybe right now you're facing 00:36:43.860 --> 00:36:44.980 a personal situation 00:36:44.980 --> 00:36:46.900 where you feel alone 00:36:46.900 --> 00:36:48.519 and isolated 00:36:48.519 --> 00:36:49.880 and marginalized 00:36:49.880 --> 00:36:52.159 and under pressure to conform. 00:36:53.099 --> 00:36:54.099 But brothers and sisters, 00:36:54.239 --> 00:36:55.840 remember this above all. 00:36:56.460 --> 00:36:58.659 There was a day 2,000 years ago 00:36:58.659 --> 00:37:01.639 when God's name was defamed 00:37:01.639 --> 00:37:03.039 and dishonored 00:37:03.039 --> 00:37:04.579 and trampled upon. 00:37:05.799 --> 00:37:07.639 When not only a messenger of God 00:37:07.639 --> 00:37:08.799 but his very own son, 00:37:10.199 --> 00:37:11.000 Jesus the Messiah, 00:37:11.099 --> 00:37:12.119 was condemned to die, 00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:15.139 beaten and mocked 00:37:15.139 --> 00:37:16.819 and strung up on a cross. 00:37:17.699 --> 00:37:18.659 And on that day, 00:37:18.719 --> 00:37:19.619 the powers of darkness 00:37:19.619 --> 00:37:21.440 seemed to triumph once and for all. 00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:23.960 But on the third day, 00:37:24.759 --> 00:37:26.179 on Sunday morning, 00:37:26.179 --> 00:37:27.719 God showed up unexpectedly 00:37:27.719 --> 00:37:28.599 and powerfully 00:37:28.599 --> 00:37:29.919 in ways that even his enemies 00:37:29.919 --> 00:37:30.779 could not ignore. 00:37:31.059 --> 00:37:33.159 He raised Jesus from the dead, 00:37:33.839 --> 00:37:35.419 never to die again. 00:37:36.379 --> 00:37:37.799 The grave could not hold him. 00:37:37.899 --> 00:37:38.980 Death could not keep him. 00:37:39.059 --> 00:37:41.679 He was and is alive forevermore. 00:37:42.460 --> 00:37:44.059 And that very first Easter Sunday, 00:37:44.159 --> 00:37:45.119 yes, you can say amen. 00:37:46.379 --> 00:37:48.000 And that first Easter Sunday, 00:37:48.119 --> 00:37:49.179 Jesus came alongside 00:37:49.179 --> 00:37:50.659 two of his followers 00:37:50.659 --> 00:37:51.759 who were walking on the road 00:37:51.759 --> 00:37:52.440 to Emmaus, 00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:54.460 lamenting their disappointment 00:37:54.460 --> 00:37:56.240 and their lack of hope. 00:37:57.360 --> 00:37:58.280 We had hoped 00:37:58.280 --> 00:38:00.300 that he was the one 00:38:00.300 --> 00:38:02.280 who would redeem Israel, 00:38:02.420 --> 00:38:03.039 they said. 00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:04.940 We had hoped, 00:38:05.940 --> 00:38:06.980 but we hope no more. 00:38:08.119 --> 00:38:09.019 And on the road, 00:38:09.099 --> 00:38:10.059 Jesus opened the Scriptures 00:38:10.059 --> 00:38:10.760 to them, 00:38:10.860 --> 00:38:11.579 and their hearts 00:38:11.579 --> 00:38:12.679 were strangely warmed. 00:38:13.139 --> 00:38:13.960 And in the house, 00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:15.119 he broke bread with them, 00:38:15.260 --> 00:38:16.440 and their eyes 00:38:16.440 --> 00:38:17.320 were suddenly opened, 00:38:17.380 --> 00:38:17.840 and they knew 00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:19.159 that he was alive again, 00:38:19.159 --> 00:38:21.440 and he would be with them 00:38:21.440 --> 00:38:23.819 that day and forevermore. 00:38:24.359 --> 00:38:25.319 This is the Jesus 00:38:25.319 --> 00:38:26.539 who rekindles hope 00:38:26.539 --> 00:38:27.799 in the midst 00:38:27.799 --> 00:38:29.559 of seemingly hopeless circumstances. 00:38:30.039 --> 00:38:30.779 This is the Jesus 00:38:30.779 --> 00:38:31.159 who said, 00:38:31.359 --> 00:38:32.500 I will build my church, 00:38:32.500 --> 00:38:33.759 and the gates of hell 00:38:33.759 --> 00:38:35.839 will not stand against it. 00:38:35.879 --> 00:38:36.719 So brothers and sisters 00:38:36.719 --> 00:38:37.179 in Christ, 00:38:37.299 --> 00:38:38.299 stand firm. 00:38:39.879 --> 00:38:40.799 Remain faithful. 00:38:40.980 --> 00:38:41.799 Weather the storm 00:38:41.799 --> 00:38:43.099 because we're not alone, 00:38:43.239 --> 00:38:43.960 and the storm 00:38:43.960 --> 00:38:44.980 won't last forever. 00:38:45.420 --> 00:38:46.719 Whatever your storm is, 00:38:46.819 --> 00:38:47.460 fix your eyes 00:38:47.460 --> 00:38:48.199 on King Jesus. 00:38:48.199 --> 00:38:50.159 who will endure 00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:51.319 and outlast 00:38:51.319 --> 00:38:52.319 all the kingdoms 00:38:52.319 --> 00:38:53.159 of this world, 00:38:53.359 --> 00:38:54.480 and who will reign 00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:55.839 forever and ever. 00:38:57.179 --> 00:38:58.639 In spite of present appearances, 00:38:59.739 --> 00:39:00.980 God is still 00:39:00.980 --> 00:39:02.000 on his throne. 00:39:03.139 --> 00:39:03.919 So be strong, 00:39:04.439 --> 00:39:05.359 and take heart, 00:39:06.079 --> 00:39:06.980 and wait for the Lord. 00:39:07.699 --> 00:39:08.279 Let's pray. 00:39:08.279 --> 00:39:08.339 Amen. 00:39:18.199 --> 00:39:21.739 Our Father in heaven, 00:39:21.799 --> 00:39:22.539 we give you thanks 00:39:22.539 --> 00:39:26.199 that you rule 00:39:26.199 --> 00:39:28.219 over this world. 00:39:29.679 --> 00:39:30.619 This world 00:39:30.619 --> 00:39:31.739 which you have created, 00:39:33.159 --> 00:39:34.279 this world 00:39:34.279 --> 00:39:35.579 which you have not abandoned 00:39:35.579 --> 00:39:38.119 in its sin 00:39:38.119 --> 00:39:39.359 and fallenness, 00:39:40.119 --> 00:39:41.980 this world 00:39:41.980 --> 00:39:42.839 which you have come 00:39:42.839 --> 00:39:43.480 in your Son 00:39:43.480 --> 00:39:46.079 to redeem 00:39:46.079 --> 00:39:48.019 and reclaim 00:39:48.019 --> 00:39:49.460 for your very own. 00:39:52.139 --> 00:39:53.639 We pray that we 00:39:53.639 --> 00:39:57.820 would humble ourselves 00:39:57.820 --> 00:39:58.440 before you 00:39:58.440 --> 00:40:01.059 and be loyal to you alone. 00:40:03.380 --> 00:40:04.559 We pray that you would 00:40:04.559 --> 00:40:05.219 give us hope 00:40:05.219 --> 00:40:07.780 in you, 00:40:07.780 --> 00:40:10.340 that we might 00:40:10.340 --> 00:40:11.160 wait upon you 00:40:11.160 --> 00:40:12.840 and look to you 00:40:12.840 --> 00:40:15.760 and know that you 00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:16.340 will be faithful 00:40:16.340 --> 00:40:17.240 just as you have been 00:40:17.240 --> 00:40:17.920 in the past. 00:40:21.120 --> 00:40:21.980 We pray these things 00:40:21.980 --> 00:40:22.640 in Jesus' name. 00:40:23.640 --> 00:40:23.920 Amen. 00:40:25.860 --> 00:40:26.720 Well, the music team 00:40:26.720 --> 00:40:27.540 is going to come forward 00:40:27.540 --> 00:40:29.120 at this point 00:40:29.119 --> 00:40:31.299 as we prepare to sing 00:40:31.299 --> 00:40:32.359 our last song, 00:40:32.460 --> 00:40:34.380 our song proclaiming 00:40:34.380 --> 00:40:34.759 that Jesus 00:40:34.759 --> 00:40:35.940 shall reign 00:40:35.940 --> 00:40:37.880 throughout all the earth. 00:40:38.179 --> 00:40:38.920 So let's stand 00:40:38.920 --> 00:40:39.880 as we prepare to sing 00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:40.900 and praise 00:40:40.900 --> 00:40:42.239 our risen King. 00:40:42.239 --> 00:40:42.319 Amen.