The Making of a Testimony

or

A Party Animal is Saved

Daniel 4

July 3, 2005

Background:

A. Some things can only be learned by experience.

a. Obedience

b. Humility

c. Salvation

B. God is forming/teaching the bride of Christ to be a fit bride for His Son… and it is for a life that is better than the wedding.

a. The personal forming experience is very unique to each one of us. (Heb. 12:5-6) Some are being blessed and others being tested and others being disciplined but it is all very personal and very unique and can’t be judged from the outside and rarely judged this side of heaven.

b. Neb. looked very together, at peace with himself and unreachable. (example of the harbor: a boatman in his yacht and a landscaper with his weed whacker)

C.  The Context

a. Neb. first met Daniel as a young Jew who was outstanding among all the governmental trainees.

b. Next… Neb had a dream and no one could tell him the meaning until Daniel showed up. Then Neb. believes God is there but doesn’t commit himself to God. READ 2:46 -49. Next Neb. rebels against God and makes an image entirely of all gold and requires everyone to worship it. After that listen to what he says. (READ 3:28-29) Still Neb. won’t surrender Himself to God.

c. Daniel apparently had some affection for the king and was probably praying for him. Read chapter 4 yourself and see what you think about that (4:19)

d. 1 – “Eat or get Beat”; 2 – Pay or Pray; 3 – bow or burn; 4 – humility or senility

I. The Method of God

A. God is there and He speaks to us

1. God prefers to speak in gentler ways (Ps. 32:8-9 – “with my eye”)

a. God spoke to Neb. through a quality life/a committed life (chapter 1)

b. God spoke to Neb. through a disturbing dream (chapter 2)

c. God spoke to Neb. through a dramatic miracle (chapter 3)

d. God spoke to Neb. through a personal dream and trouble (chapter 4)

2. God has no requirement to speak even once (Gen. 6:3)

3. How many different ways has God spoken to you?

B. God uses people.

1. How did you come to Christ?

2. 1858 A Sunday school teacher Mr. Kimble led a shoe sales to Christ: DL Moody. He in turn in 1877 turned on an English preacher who led Wm. Chapman to Christ. He went to work at the YMCA and hired an ex-pro baseball player: Billy Sunday. He preached in Charlotte, NC and it went so well they brought in Mordicai Ham who preached another week and he led Billy Graham to Christ.

3. Neb. is disturbed by the dream. His own counselors can’t help him. “Do I call Daniel or not?” I know what he is going to say and my life hasn’t been lining up with his God… exactly.

a. Call your worldly advisors and want kind of advice do you get? Call a Christian and it is entirely different.

C. God resists the proud

1. God was not impressed with what impressed men (This Great Babylon)

2. Pride goes before a fall certainly could be said to be one of the messages of this chapter.

3. Neb. became a real “party animal”

4.You don’t ever want to be in a place where God resists you.

II. The Message of God

A. God works in all things for our good (4:3 “for me”)

a. You may not see it, but Romans 8:28 is still in your Bible.

B. God’s dominion is everlasting (4:3-4)

1. Not limited like man’s (a meta message of chapters 2-4)

2. God’s kingdom come, my kingdom go

3. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8)

4. Man is frail and dependent and as nothing to God (4:35)

C. God often waits until our resources are exhausted (Dan 4:8)

1. “But at last Daniel came before me... in him is the Spirit of the Holy God.”

2. No secret troubles you – Daniel you’ve got this peace and insight I want

D. God will accomplish His will even if He waits

1. see 4:29 – God waited a year for Neb. to repent. Daniel had called on Neb to repent so that he would have mercy (4:2)

III. Some Observations

A. God rules even when we don’t see it

B. Don’t be fooled by the false peace of possession and position

C. God is able to humble even the most prideful

Jer. 9:23-24 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich [man] glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD

D. You testimony is unique and needed

a. What is it that God has done for you? Tell it.

b. Example: Our prayer for a divine appointment and the
Bible study question “Do you remember a time when you showed someone mercy?” The Seattle story…

Communion: On common ground

                        “Go forth and proclaim it meal”

1Cr 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come.