Sermon – “God of gods and Lord or kings”

“This is the dream. Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. 37 You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; 38 and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold. 39 But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. 41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. 45 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” 46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. 47 The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.” 48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

29 At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”

12 For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak. 13 Consume them in wrath, consume them, That they may not be; And let them know that God rules in Jacob To the ends of the earth.

9 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

This morning a message. Is titled god of gods and. Lord of kings. I did not specify oma. When i sent my information but. That’s god of little gods. Little g gods and lord of. Little k.. King. It’s because our god that’s fun. It’s a title i know. But this saying. He is the god of gods. He is the one to one true god and he is a lord over. Kings. The kings of the earth. This morning on be speaking from daniel daniel is kind of like the book of revelations in the old testament. It is a lot of stuff that’s going to be revealed has revealed the danger that will happen in the latter days. Some things came to fruition. Just some years after daniel’s time. And you know think of daniel. You know you think of all the. The great men and women of the bible. Faithful men and women the bible. And daniel was definitely. Among one of the most faithful. Now you think. Well. You look at moses. Moses with a wonderful man a god faithful man a god. But he got angry and struck the rock you know he made a few mistakes. Abraham. He kind of. Maybe didn’t tell whole truth about his wife didn’t it. I bet she whenever he got sarah back i bet she’d give him what for. Whenever he she was taking that. To the king of that nation they were going through. So he kind of lied. Still was a faithful man of god. But you know when you study daniel. You will not find one flaw in daniel’s. Life. He was fierce and his faith in the face of all lion’s den. He was fierce. He did not waver in his faith a decree went out that you could not pray to any other god. But he was faithful to go and open his wind in face through some and pray. Faith where you will not find a more faithful man and by the day and. Love god and serve god faithfully. The matter his situation in life. Carried off in captivity. He remained faithful to god. When you read the book of daniel you’re going to. You’ll find about five main characters. Daniel. His three friends sat direct me shakin abednego. Now he can as are the king. Going to talk a lot this morning about never can as or. If you’ve read danger how many years read the book of daniel just. Out everybody ok. If you’ve read the book of daniel. You’ll remember that. King nebuchadnezzar. Had a dream. God gave him a dream. And in this dream he dreamed of a great statue. And i have a picture of course in the dream the statue was a little different. Never can never had a dream and in his dream the statue. Which was about ninety feet in height. They believe. Had a golden head. Its chest and arms were silver. Its belly in the guys were. Bronze. And its legs and feet were. Iron and mixed up with iron and clay. So that we can as or. This dream that he had it wasn’t just a ordinary pleasant dream. It troubled him in speared. It was one of those dreams that wakes you up and you can’t go back to sleep you’re like. You’ve got to know what this dream means what’s this all about. So he called all the magicians the sorcerers and the wise men and the chaldeans. To come. But when they came he said. You need to tell me the dream and the interpretation and they said ok. You tell us the dream and we’ll give you the interpretation. He says no. You tell me the dream. And the interpretation. They said that’s not the way it’s done nuking for that’s the way it’s done today. You tell me the dream or you die. They could not telling the dream i mean there’s no way. So he gave an order that all of the. Chaldeans and the wise men the sorcerers the magician they should all be killed put to death. So when daniel hears about this. He says. What’s this all about. So he requested to be taken before the king. And he says. Give me a little time to seek my god. To seek the god of heaven. To see if he will reveal the dream. And we know that god did reveal the dream. To daniel. And he goes and tells the king the dream. About the statue with the gold head in the silver and bronze and iron and clay. Revealed the dream and the secret door and the interpretation of it. That’s where i pick up today. Daniel chapter two verses thirty six. Through forty nine. So daniel revealed the dream he said this is the dream. Now we will tell. The interpretation of it before the king. You a king or a king of kings. For god the god of heaven. Has given you a kingdom. Power. Strength and glory. And where ever the children of men dwell. Or the beasts of the fields or the birds the heaven. He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are this head of gold. But after you shall rise another kingdom inferior to yours. Then another a third kingdom of bronze which would shall rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom. Shall be as strong as arm in as much as aren’t breaks in pieces and shatters everything. And iron. And like our crushes that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. Were as you saw the feet and toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of arm. The kingdom shall be divided. Yet the strength of the iron shall be in it. Just as you saw. Saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron a part if clay. So shall the kingdom be. The kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. So that kingdom the kingdom representing the toes the feet and toes. Were ten kingdoms. And they were strong. But they were fragile. And that there was. Distrust they didn’t trust one another they had the strength of their unity but yet there was an trust. They did not trust that the other would do what would be right. So as you saw the iron mix with ceramic clay. They will mental with the seeds of men but they will not adhere to one another because of this distrust just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings the god of heaven will set up a kingdom. Which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people. It shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand forever. We know what cain and he’s talking about there don’t weigh in as much as you saw that the stone was cut out the mountain without hands and that it broke in pieces the iron the bronze the clay the silver and the gold. The great god has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain and its interpretation is true or it is sure. Then king nebuchadnezzar. Fell on his face prostate before dead. Prostrate before daniel. And commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him. The king answered daniel and said. Truly your god is the god of gods. The lord of kings. What does the lord lord as one that rules over. So he rules over the kings of the earth and to reveal or of secrets that you could reveal the secret. Then the. King promoted daniel and gave him many gifts. Many great gifts. And he made him ruler over the whole province of babylon. And a chief administrator over all the wise men of babylon. Also daniel. Petition to king. And he set sad direct me shakin abednego over the affairs of the province of babylon. But daniel sat in the gate of the king. Meaning that he sat in the court. Of the king krule. Need a breather. That was a lot to read. Now he can as or families face. Why. Because he knew. Daniel spoke the truth. He was in. All that daniel was reviewing had revealed to him the dream. And interpretation. He knew it had to be true. Never can as or. Is credited as a genius. And builder of the great city of babylon. Have a second picture. Of the seventy years. That babylon. Ruled that the city of babylon was a great city and super power in the earth. That we can as a rich. Rain forty five. Of those seventy years. They can as in his army. Broke the power of the gyptian. Rule in the battle of karma karma. Car commish a mind i said that right. Proving to be one of the mightiest monarchs of all time. Here’s some amazing facts. About that great city of babylon. The city was built in a square. It major fourteen miles. On every side. It was surrounded by brick wall. So if you can do math i don’t tell you that that wall was fifty six miles long. The wall was three hundred feet high. It extended thirty five feet below the ground. It was twenty five feet thick. There were two hundred fifty. Towers. Within that wall. Watch towers they could watch for the enemy. Those towers were four hundred fifty feet tall. There was a wide and very deep moat that encircled the entire city. The river euphrates. Flowed great through the middle of the city. The hanging gardens that never can as are designed were considered one of the wonders of the ancient world. Water was raised from the river behind draw like pumps to water the garden. Some people might think well you know how pani. Greenhouses. Or a new thing. Well never you can hazard it. I don’t know how he made hydraulic pumps but he came up with a hydraulic pump. That would pump water of to his gardens. The streets were paved with three foot square stones. Slabs of stone. The tower. Ziggurat. And fifty three temples including the great temple. Murdoch were within the city. So he allowed the worship of many gods. One of his faults. Now he can as of palos was considered to be the most magnificent building. Ever wrecked it on earth. So never can as or was without a doubt one of the great rulers of the world i didn’t say godly ruler. But he was a great ruler of the world. In his day. He acquired great wealth. Great power. Chapter two reveals that. He says you a king or a king of kings. He ruled over many other kings many other nations. For the god of heaven has given you a kingdom. God has given you power strength in glory. And wherever the children of men dwell. Or the beasts of the field of the birds of the heavens. He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You are this head of gold. Danial tails and he can as are. You wonder why god would allow such power to given to a man especially since he ruled over god’s chosen people. And it for a time. Israel. But we know that it is because sometimes god’s people had to be disciplined. And he would use. Gentile rulers to war over his people to bring them back to him. You know there’s been many throughout history. That have had to desire to rule the world or at least a big portion of it. Caesar augustus. Will divest roman empire for a time. You’ve all heard of alexander the great. He set out to conquer the world. He was known for his brutality. In his legendary military tactics. Alexander was probably one of the best if not the best military commander of all time. He was definitely one of the most successful. Conquering much of the world at the time and sometimes make entire cities to surrender. Surrender to him without. Drawn the sword out without having to kill one person and have entire cities surrendered to him. Why because this meant brutal meant. His brutal tactics were known all over the world. He was a people that fraid of him. They would surrender entire cities. Because they knew he was coming. So they would surrender before he even had to kill anybody. Even today we have some national leaders who are flexing their muscles around the world. You’ve all heard of. Korea’s kim jong un. Flexing his muscles. So in the world that he has nuclear arms. Trying to establish himself as a world power. You’ve seen all that. Russia’s been doing in the past year or maybe. Couple years. Trying to reestablish themselves as a world power. So what the today’s. Leaders and leaders. Before us what do they have in common with a beacon as are their prideful. Their prideful they’re filled with pride. They’re full of it. Full of pride an arrogance. One way that you can as or so does pride was the fact that. Daniel interpreted this dream for him. You know in the dream you had the gold the bronze the are in the clay. But whenever you can as are built that great image as you seen. He built the whole thing of gold didn’t he defs fide god. He was trying to defy god. He was trying to say. Mocking them is too powerful to fall. My power is too great to fail is what he was saying when he built that image of all go. He says i’m too strong. He revealed his pride again in daniel chapter four. God gave him a second dream. And in his dream there was a great tree. That tree could be seen by all the world. Its leaves were beautiful. He said it reaches to the heavens and the beast would do well under it. The birds of the air would neston it. The fruit was plentiful and the tree. Speaking of the great wealth. Then in a group. In a dream the great tree was chopped down. And the only thing that was left was a stump. Daniel revealed that never can as or again. That he was this tree that his kingdom would be taken from him to be taken from him for seven years. And dan you urged to king. Turn from your way. Turn from your sins. Turn from your pride. That these things may not come upon you is what daniel pleaded with him. And god gave him a whole year to repent. Twelve months after daniel interpreted this dream. But he refused to repent. Instead he gloated about his greatness. Because of his pride in daniel chapter four. At the end of this year. Versus twenty nine and thirty says and at the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of babylon. The king spoke saying. Is not this great babylon that. I have built for a rural dwelling. By a mob of mighty power. And for the honor of my magic city manners a lot of eyes in my eyes in their written or. I have bill. You know there were so many times a god had shown no beacon as or. That he was the true god that he is the one who allowed him to be king. He gave him this power. And there was a couple times it seems that he understood it. When daniel interpreted the first dream old ned said truly your god is the god of gods. The lord of kings. Then after shadrach meshach and abednego been thrown into the fire furnace. That had no power over them. Old ned said blessitt be the god of sad drag me shakin the bed in ago. Who sent his angel. To guard them from the king’s hand. For there is no god that can deliver like this. So he had that head knowledge. But it still hadn’t sunk in the here. He thought that he was just their god. He didn’t make god his god. He had no room in his heart for god. Because it was so full of pride. He still thought i have built all these things. I have done it. Look what i have done. Corrie ten boom. Used to tell this fictional story about a proud woodpecker who was tapping away. One day when a dead tree. And all the sudden the sky grew. Unexpectedly black and thunder began to roll. Undaunted by the storm. He kept right on working. Suddenly a bowler lightning struck that old trees splintering it into thousands of pieces. Startled but unhurt. The holly. Woodpecker flew off screeching to his feathered friends. Hey everyone. Look what i did. Look what i did. The old woodpecker reminds me of people with think more highly of themselves and they ought to use or they’re so busy bragging about their achievements and their greatness. That they fail to recognize that god is a source of all their abilities. He is the source. He is our strength. He is the giver of all of our blessings. These people are suffering from spiritual delusion and grander. Without the lord no one amounts to anything. In our own strength we cannot please god. Psalms fifty nine twelve thirteen says. For the sinner there mouth in the words. Of the lips. Let them even be taken in their pride. And for the cursing in line which they. Which they speak. Consume them and wrath consume them that they may not be. And let them know that god rules in jacob. To the ends of the earth. God rules to the ends of the earth. He is. The lord of kings. God had the break nebby can as a pride. God drove him from among men. In his dwelling place was among the beasts of the field. The dew laden home every morning. His hair grew a groove. Like feathers like the feathers of a bird. He a grass like the oxen for seven years. Listen. The fact that nebby can never was a genius unable to build this great city. This great said. City of babylon. Is not the reason that god drove him from among men. There’s nothing wrong with having a great ability to build things. That’s not the issue. You’re called to be creative. Were we not created in the image of god who created everything. God did. So if we’re created in the image of god. It’s kind of like it’s in our d.n.a. make up. To be creative and build things. His genius in abilities was not the issue. You know man has created some fascinating things. Some amazing things. I mean look at some of the homes that. Many of the zine to build in women women design homes to build them. Look at the great. Buildings of new york in all these towers and. Look at some of the bridges and just look at some of the amazing things that man has created and build. And we’ve got to have something to work with god you don’t want to create something without anything. But there’s nothing wrong with these things. So long as we do not worship the things that we build or create. So i don’t say look what i have done. But look what god has given me. Look what god has blessed me with. Look what god has done. What would i have done. That’s were never can never fail miserably. He built the image of gold and commanded everyone to bow down to it. Remember that story was said directly shucking to bendigo. That’s how they wound up in the furnace. He built this image. Because he knew the danger said you are the set of gold. He made the entire image of gold. And he demanded it everybody warship that image so they were interred worshipping. Film. Instead of the one true god. Now he can has or was in a way. Masterful when allowed that in that he allowed. All these captives to bring their false gods. And their idols with them. Why. Because it kept the people happy. Think about that for a moment. It kept them happy they were easier to control. Give them a little bit of what they want you can control the people. You can take that think about today and run with. Given what they want you can control them give them a little bit. Dangle. Free stuff in front of them. You can control. His defeat in captivity of the nation of israel though. Prove to be is demise. Because our god is a jealous god. He will not stand for one who tries to worship him along with many other gods. Deuteronomy five nine says. You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For i am the lord your god for either lord your god am a jealous god. He is not to be worshipped. Among many gods. Now he can as are says in verse thirty four of daniel four after he had spent seven years. Out amongst the beast. Grazing among the grass. With the grass. Says at the end of the time. I never can as are lifted my eyes to heaven. And my understanding returned to me. And i bless the most high in praise and honored him who lives forever for his dominion is an everlasting to mannion. And his kingdom is from generation to generation. That he can as are found they came to his senses. And acknowledge god to be the true god. The most high god. The one who gives all things became answered daniel. And said truly your god is the god of gods. And the lord of kings. You know when i think about. In his interpretation of the dream. You think of the stone that was cut out you know out of the mountain without hands. That stone is none other than jesus. None other than jesus in matthew twenty one verse forty four. This is extra. But not going to be up there. Whoever falls on this stone. Will be broken. But will move never this. Whomever it falls. It will grind him to pass out or. What did his interpretation say about the stone issue now and crushes it. It will be made like chaff. And blown away. What does it say here in matthew. Whenever we fall in the stone. You think of a. Think of a huge stone. Whenever we went to alaska. Some years back when we was going up this mountain. The the. Tour guide was telling us about them making this train rail. Up the side of this mountain. And he said. Whenever they were building it. There was a mass of stone i can’t remember how many tons he said. Probably as big as the whole back end of this church here. Well. It rolled in it landed on two guys. Crushed them. Did they never even attempted to move the stone to find them. So when that stone falls on one. It will kill them. But if you had that same stone as big as this church. You fell in the stone. It might break you. But it won’t crush you. But that’s what it is with jesus. We have to follow on him. Allow him to break us. Allow him to break that pride or whatever else we may have in us that is keeping a separated from him. Whatever we have in us. To keep us from saying god you are the god of gods. That you are the lord of kings that you are the mighty ruler. Whatever we have in here keeping us from saying that if we fall on the stone. It will remove that from us. But if that stone has to fall on us and crush us. Will be destroyed. God was merciful to now he can as he had allowed him to fall on that stone fine. It was removed for a while his kingdom. But it was restored. When he came to his senses a good knowledge of god. We need to pray that our nation. Would return to god. Acknowledge that he is the king of. Lords. The god of gods. That we repent and turn from our sinfulness. The stone which the builders rejected. Has become the chief cornerstone. And his kingdom will never and never be destroyed. We need to be part of that kingdom. Amen.