Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of the June 26th sermon (Daniel 9:1,2):
1. One writer said the following about Daniel 9: “This is another one of those remarkable chapters in Scripture. Dr. Philip Newell evaluates it, ‘The greatest chapter in the book and one of the greatest chapters of the entire Bible.’ The double theme is prayer and prophecy. If one were to choose the ten greatest chapters of the Bible on the subject of prayer, this chapter would be included on any list. If the ten most important chapters on prophecy were chosen, this chapter would be included on any list.” (J. Vernon McGee)
2. Daniel was a student of Scripture. While studying the prophecy of Jeremiah he came to understand that the exile of the people of Israel would last 70 years. This meant that the termination of the exile (and thus God’s discipline upon His people) was at hand. This prompts Daniel to pray.
3. Prayer and the reading/study of Scripture should go together. Too often we separate them into two separate things. We read the word and then pray our list. Or we read and study Scripture for teaching or Bible study but don’t see its connection to prayer. A lot of teaching on prayer encourages that kind of division. But what if before praying our list we prayed the Scripture? We could read and mark our Bible using our Bible reading schedule, and then pray back to God what He is teaching us. Or another way to do that is to pray our “Season of Life.” For example: if we are going through a time of trial we could read Job or Psalms and pray what we learn back to God; or if a time of restlessness, we could read Ecclesiastes and pray back to God what we learn there; or if we are wondering what service we should be involved in, we could read the Gospel of Mark (where Jesus is portrayed as the Servant in action) and pray back to God the things we see there; or if we must make an important decision we could read and pray back the Proverbs (especially chapter 16) or Romans 12:1,2. Whatever our Season, we search Scripture and pray it back to God.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Storm Before the Calm
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Recap of the sermon from June 19, 2011 (Daniel 8:1-27)
1. Daniel 8 records another of Daniel’s visions concerning kingdoms, kings, and events future to the time in which Daniel is living. The vision occurred in 551 B.C. but foresaw events which wouldn’t occur ‘til hundreds of years later.
2. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the six evidences for the reliability of the Bible (the others being: Unity and consistency; Archaeology; Canonicity; Transmission of the text; and Self-testimony).
3. Hank Hannegraf in Defense of the Faith writes: “The Bible records predictions of events that could not be known or predicted by chance or common sense.” “Careful research affirms the predictive accuracy of the Bible. For example, the book of Daniel (written before 530 B.C.) accurately predicts the progression of kingdoms from Babylon through the Medo-persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and then the Roman Empire, culminating in the persecution and suffering of the Jews under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, his desecration of the temple, his untimely death, and freedom for the Jews under Judas Maccabeus (165 B.C.).” “It is statistically preposterous that any or all of the Bible’s specific, detailed prophecies could have been fulfilled through chance, good guessing, or deliberate deceit.” “Clearly, statistical probability concerning biblical prophecy is a powerful indicator of the trustworthiness of Scripture.”
4. Daniel 8 concerns the coming Medo-Persian regime which would conquer Babylon, which would then by conquered by Alexander the Great and the Greeks. Alexander would die young and his kingdom would be divided into four parts. Out of one of the four would come a wicked leader, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who would mercilessly persecute the Jews, desecrate the Temple with pigs’ blood and an idol of Zeus, and prevent the practice of Judaism. He would be cut off by God. Once again, as in the personal section of the book in chapters one through six, God’s people are delivered out of life threatening situations.
Recap of the sermon from June 19, 2011 (Daniel 8:1-27)
1. Daniel 8 records another of Daniel’s visions concerning kingdoms, kings, and events future to the time in which Daniel is living. The vision occurred in 551 B.C. but foresaw events which wouldn’t occur ‘til hundreds of years later.
2. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the six evidences for the reliability of the Bible (the others being: Unity and consistency; Archaeology; Canonicity; Transmission of the text; and Self-testimony).
3. Hank Hannegraf in Defense of the Faith writes: “The Bible records predictions of events that could not be known or predicted by chance or common sense.” “Careful research affirms the predictive accuracy of the Bible. For example, the book of Daniel (written before 530 B.C.) accurately predicts the progression of kingdoms from Babylon through the Medo-persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and then the Roman Empire, culminating in the persecution and suffering of the Jews under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, his desecration of the temple, his untimely death, and freedom for the Jews under Judas Maccabeus (165 B.C.).” “It is statistically preposterous that any or all of the Bible’s specific, detailed prophecies could have been fulfilled through chance, good guessing, or deliberate deceit.” “Clearly, statistical probability concerning biblical prophecy is a powerful indicator of the trustworthiness of Scripture.”
4. Daniel 8 concerns the coming Medo-Persian regime which would conquer Babylon, which would then by conquered by Alexander the Great and the Greeks. Alexander would die young and his kingdom would be divided into four parts. Out of one of the four would come a wicked leader, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who would mercilessly persecute the Jews, desecrate the Temple with pigs’ blood and an idol of Zeus, and prevent the practice of Judaism. He would be cut off by God. Once again, as in the personal section of the book in chapters one through six, God’s people are delivered out of life threatening situations.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Everything Is Under Control
Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of 6/12/11 (Daniel 7:1-28)
1. Chapter seven begins the second division of the book of Daniel. Chapters one through six were personal in nature recounting the tests of faith endured by Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Chapters seven through twelve are prophetic concerned with dreams and visions pertaining to God’s people Israel and their future persecution and triumph through Messiah.
2. As in Chapter two, four world empires are predicted which would subjugate Israel: Babylon, the lion with wings (head of gold of Dan. 2); Medo-Persia, the bear (arms and chest of silver of Dan. 2); Greece, the leopard (belly and thighs of bronze of Dan. 2); and Rome, the ten-horned beast (the legs and feet of iron and iron and clay mixed of Dan. 2). “There has never been a world empire since. Napoleon tried it; he failed. The Kaiser tried it; he failed. So did Hitler, but in vain” (Halley’s Bible Handbook). In chapter two these kingdoms are seen as shiny metal, a human point of view, but in chapter seven, they are seen as ravenous, selfish, destructive, vicious beasts.
3. These four kingdoms would be conquered by a fifth, the Millennial Kingdom of God after which His eternal kingdom would commence.
4. After the vision of the beasts in 7:1-8, God grants Daniel a reprieve from the terror of the beast, as God gives him a vision of heaven and of God’s ultimate control over the events of earth. Often we as Christians are too focused on the events of earth (political, economic, etc.). We must look to heaven to get perspective. We need to be reminded that there is a God in Heaven Who is sovereign, eternal, and in control of the events of men and nations. Without God’s perspective we will inevitably fight the wrong battles personally, politically, and spiritually.
5. Three questions for us from Daniel 7: are we focused on Heaven or on earth; are we more concerned with protecting our investments or investing in God’s program (Mt. 28:19,20); are we willing to endure in faith for God’s sake even when it seems we are losing (Habakkuk 3) knowing that He is faith to His promises (2 Tim. 1:12)?
Recap of 6/12/11 (Daniel 7:1-28)
1. Chapter seven begins the second division of the book of Daniel. Chapters one through six were personal in nature recounting the tests of faith endured by Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Chapters seven through twelve are prophetic concerned with dreams and visions pertaining to God’s people Israel and their future persecution and triumph through Messiah.
2. As in Chapter two, four world empires are predicted which would subjugate Israel: Babylon, the lion with wings (head of gold of Dan. 2); Medo-Persia, the bear (arms and chest of silver of Dan. 2); Greece, the leopard (belly and thighs of bronze of Dan. 2); and Rome, the ten-horned beast (the legs and feet of iron and iron and clay mixed of Dan. 2). “There has never been a world empire since. Napoleon tried it; he failed. The Kaiser tried it; he failed. So did Hitler, but in vain” (Halley’s Bible Handbook). In chapter two these kingdoms are seen as shiny metal, a human point of view, but in chapter seven, they are seen as ravenous, selfish, destructive, vicious beasts.
3. These four kingdoms would be conquered by a fifth, the Millennial Kingdom of God after which His eternal kingdom would commence.
4. After the vision of the beasts in 7:1-8, God grants Daniel a reprieve from the terror of the beast, as God gives him a vision of heaven and of God’s ultimate control over the events of earth. Often we as Christians are too focused on the events of earth (political, economic, etc.). We must look to heaven to get perspective. We need to be reminded that there is a God in Heaven Who is sovereign, eternal, and in control of the events of men and nations. Without God’s perspective we will inevitably fight the wrong battles personally, politically, and spiritually.
5. Three questions for us from Daniel 7: are we focused on Heaven or on earth; are we more concerned with protecting our investments or investing in God’s program (Mt. 28:19,20); are we willing to endure in faith for God’s sake even when it seems we are losing (Habakkuk 3) knowing that He is faith to His promises (2 Tim. 1:12)?
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
The Lion Tamer
Click here to download the sermon.
Recap of the sermon from June 5, 2011 (Daniel 6:1-28)
1. Daniel 6 teaches us that when it is as bad as it can get, it’s not too bad for God to handle.
2. After God delivers Daniel from the mouths of the lions, Darius issues a proclamation with four emphases:
-Daniel’s God is a living God (in contrast to the dead idols of the pagans)
-God’s rule is indestructible and eternal (in contrast to human kingdoms which are temporal)
-God delivers His people strengthening their faith in Him. “…He intervenes in people’s affairs and delivers those who trust Him” (J. Dwight Pentecost).
-“God miraculously delivers His people, with wonders in heaven and on earth” (Gleason Archer, Jr.). “He works by miraculous power to perform His will’ (J. Dwight Pentecost)
3. Daniel 6 is:
-a call to live by faith, to live a committed life whatever the cost
-a call to trust in the power of God
-a call to live without fear, with courage
-a call to recognize we are in a vicious spiritual warfare
Recap of the sermon from June 5, 2011 (Daniel 6:1-28)
1. Daniel 6 teaches us that when it is as bad as it can get, it’s not too bad for God to handle.
2. After God delivers Daniel from the mouths of the lions, Darius issues a proclamation with four emphases:
-Daniel’s God is a living God (in contrast to the dead idols of the pagans)
-God’s rule is indestructible and eternal (in contrast to human kingdoms which are temporal)
-God delivers His people strengthening their faith in Him. “…He intervenes in people’s affairs and delivers those who trust Him” (J. Dwight Pentecost).
-“God miraculously delivers His people, with wonders in heaven and on earth” (Gleason Archer, Jr.). “He works by miraculous power to perform His will’ (J. Dwight Pentecost)
3. Daniel 6 is:
-a call to live by faith, to live a committed life whatever the cost
-a call to trust in the power of God
-a call to live without fear, with courage
-a call to recognize we are in a vicious spiritual warfare
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