1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,500 Kyle Lounsbury: Today I wanna share a message with us from the Book of Daniel. 2 00:00:03,550 --> 00:00:03,910 All right? 3 00:00:03,910 --> 00:00:06,230 So you can start turning your Bibles to the Book of Daniel. 4 00:00:06,239 --> 00:00:09,590 We're gonna be in chapter five, and the title of today's lesson 5 00:00:09,779 --> 00:00:15,080 is called "Weighed: What Will You Do With What You've Been Given? 6 00:00:16,626 --> 00:00:19,806 In Daniel chapter five is where we're gonna pick up, and a little 7 00:00:19,806 --> 00:00:23,856 context and background to Daniel for those who maybe need a refresher. 8 00:00:24,316 --> 00:00:30,666 Uh, Daniel was taken into captivity in Babylon under the King Nebuchadnezzar. 9 00:00:30,816 --> 00:00:31,966 Anybody ever hear of that name? 10 00:00:31,976 --> 00:00:32,896 It's a funny name, right? 11 00:00:32,986 --> 00:00:33,796 Nebuchadnezzar. 12 00:00:34,996 --> 00:00:39,066 And he was tested many times in this Babylonian empire, 13 00:00:39,076 --> 00:00:41,146 in this Babylonian culture. 14 00:00:41,826 --> 00:00:44,666 He was tested, uh, in his convictions. 15 00:00:44,986 --> 00:00:48,736 And one of the things I love about Daniel more than anything is he did not 16 00:00:48,746 --> 00:00:55,096 allow the culture of Babylon to impact or influence or change his convictions. 17 00:00:55,096 --> 00:00:55,555 Amen. 18 00:00:56,356 --> 00:00:59,246 You know, we're gonna talk a little bit about that concept today, but 19 00:00:59,246 --> 00:01:03,336 we, I believe we live in a modern Babylon in some way, shape, or form. 20 00:01:03,836 --> 00:01:07,275 That there's a spiritual battle taking place, a spiritual war happening 21 00:01:07,275 --> 00:01:11,946 here in America, here in this modern world that we're in, and we must 22 00:01:11,946 --> 00:01:14,506 not compromise our convictions. 23 00:01:15,696 --> 00:01:15,736 Amen. 24 00:01:15,786 --> 00:01:20,155 But God showed Daniel favor, and he actually gave Daniel this ability 25 00:01:20,365 --> 00:01:22,076 to be able to interpret dreams. 26 00:01:22,245 --> 00:01:26,346 And so King Nebuchadnezzar on, on several accounts had Daniel interpret 27 00:01:26,346 --> 00:01:29,896 dreams for him, and then other kings inter- he interpreted for them. 28 00:01:30,065 --> 00:01:33,685 And today we're gonna pick up in Daniel chapter five where he comes 29 00:01:33,685 --> 00:01:37,725 on the scene and interprets a dream, a dream for King Belshazzar. 30 00:01:37,735 --> 00:01:40,626 Let's look at Daniel 5:1. 31 00:01:41,466 --> 00:01:46,656 It says, "King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his 32 00:01:46,656 --> 00:01:48,945 nobles and drank wine with them. 33 00:01:49,476 --> 00:01:53,416 While Bel- Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring 34 00:01:53,435 --> 00:01:58,865 in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken 35 00:01:58,876 --> 00:02:03,786 from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and 36 00:02:03,786 --> 00:02:05,745 his concubines might drink from them. 37 00:02:07,166 --> 00:02:10,295 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple 38 00:02:10,295 --> 00:02:13,276 of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and 39 00:02:13,276 --> 00:02:14,825 his concubines drank from them. 40 00:02:15,145 --> 00:02:20,085 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of 41 00:02:20,095 --> 00:02:23,295 bronze, iron, wood and stone." 42 00:02:24,275 --> 00:02:25,446 I'm gonna stop here for a moment. 43 00:02:26,236 --> 00:02:28,246 So let's set the scene, let's set the stage. 44 00:02:28,516 --> 00:02:30,786 King Belshazzar says, "I'm gonna throw a great banquet. 45 00:02:30,885 --> 00:02:33,015 Over a thousand people are gonna come." 46 00:02:34,805 --> 00:02:36,905 Take a moment and just look around this room for a minute. 47 00:02:37,286 --> 00:02:38,586 This isn't even 1,000. 48 00:02:38,586 --> 00:02:42,675 Hopefully one day we'll have 1,000 in here, but 1,000 people at this 49 00:02:42,676 --> 00:02:46,746 great banquet, and he's saying, "I am the king of this empire. 50 00:02:46,986 --> 00:02:48,116 We're gonna have a feast. 51 00:02:48,126 --> 00:02:49,185 We're gonna drink wine. 52 00:02:49,195 --> 00:02:50,545 We're gonna have a good time." 53 00:02:51,126 --> 00:02:52,945 And what does he end up doing in the midst of that? 54 00:02:52,956 --> 00:02:54,285 He says, "You know what? 55 00:02:55,426 --> 00:02:58,425 When we took over Jerusalem, I remember these gold goblets 56 00:02:59,536 --> 00:03:01,366 that were set aside for God. 57 00:03:02,215 --> 00:03:03,095 Let's bring those in. 58 00:03:03,115 --> 00:03:04,216 Let's drink wine from those. 59 00:03:04,225 --> 00:03:05,336 Let's celebrate with those. 60 00:03:05,346 --> 00:03:06,976 Let's, let's use those-" 61 00:03:09,052 --> 00:03:12,562 And he takes sacred objects that were set apart for God, 62 00:03:13,412 --> 00:03:16,072 and he uses them for himself. 63 00:03:16,772 --> 00:03:21,672 He uses them for his own pleasure, his own joy. 64 00:03:22,712 --> 00:03:28,212 And he not only uses it for himself and loses the self-control to leave them 65 00:03:28,212 --> 00:03:32,372 sacred, I believe he's openly mocking God 66 00:03:34,514 --> 00:03:38,974 It says in verse four, they drank the wine and they praised the 67 00:03:38,974 --> 00:03:42,684 gods, the lowercase G gods of what? 68 00:03:43,284 --> 00:03:47,584 Gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone 69 00:03:50,226 --> 00:03:53,166 You know, when I read that, the first question that popped in my head 70 00:03:53,166 --> 00:03:56,886 is, what gods do we praise today? 71 00:03:58,416 --> 00:03:59,076 The first thing I… 72 00:03:59,356 --> 00:04:02,516 Man, in my life, what gods am I praising today? 73 00:04:02,526 --> 00:04:02,706 Right. 74 00:04:03,216 --> 00:04:07,376 What are the gods that I allow to take my energy and my time and my 75 00:04:07,376 --> 00:04:09,616 focus, and I pour into these things? 76 00:04:10,186 --> 00:04:13,326 What are the idols that I am distracted with? 77 00:04:13,326 --> 00:04:14,926 Maybe it's money for some of us. 78 00:04:15,676 --> 00:04:18,274 Just this pursuit of I need to grow my finances. 79 00:04:18,276 --> 00:04:19,786 I wanna make more money. 80 00:04:20,276 --> 00:04:23,116 If I c- if I can just make enough, then I'll be secure. 81 00:04:24,456 --> 00:04:26,066 Maybe for some of us, it's comfort. 82 00:04:26,866 --> 00:04:27,866 Oh, man, comfort. 83 00:04:27,876 --> 00:04:28,956 Look where we live. 84 00:04:28,996 --> 00:04:31,936 We were at the marriage class last night, by the way, which was phenomenal. 85 00:04:31,956 --> 00:04:33,266 Thank you, guys, for putting that on. 86 00:04:33,616 --> 00:04:36,526 And we were talking with the Webbers, and we were, like, sharing how we were out 87 00:04:36,526 --> 00:04:40,486 in the Midwest, and it was hot, humid, and then the next day it was raining, 88 00:04:40,556 --> 00:04:43,856 and then the next day it was hailing, and then it was beautiful the next day. 89 00:04:43,856 --> 00:04:46,515 It was like, man, it is uncomfortable in the Midwest 90 00:04:49,404 --> 00:04:51,454 We live in beautiful weather, right? 91 00:04:51,514 --> 00:04:52,804 We are comfortable here 92 00:04:55,378 --> 00:05:00,088 And I think we allow that comfort to seep into our faith. 93 00:05:00,328 --> 00:05:03,718 We allow that comfort to go, "Hey, I don't want following Jesus 94 00:05:03,758 --> 00:05:05,828 to disrupt my life too much." 95 00:05:11,154 --> 00:05:11,340 Maybe for some of us it's desires. 96 00:05:11,340 --> 00:05:15,434 Just a desire for, for, I- your, you know, to, to pursue a certain identity 97 00:05:15,434 --> 00:05:17,074 or, or desire to grow in your career. 98 00:05:17,074 --> 00:05:20,684 Whatever desire you have, I think sometimes if we feel it deeply, it 99 00:05:20,684 --> 00:05:25,704 must define what is true for us, and we allow that desire to be a god. 100 00:05:26,344 --> 00:05:30,144 And lastly, I think a very relevant one, especially for the youth, is your image. 101 00:05:30,724 --> 00:05:33,364 I think our image of, what do I look like? 102 00:05:33,484 --> 00:05:34,354 How do I sound? 103 00:05:34,364 --> 00:05:35,194 How do I talk? 104 00:05:35,204 --> 00:05:36,324 What do I drive? 105 00:05:36,364 --> 00:05:37,584 How big's my house? 106 00:05:37,894 --> 00:05:38,674 You guys with me? 107 00:05:39,044 --> 00:05:42,954 These are gods I think we c- can sometimes allow to have too much influence over 108 00:05:42,954 --> 00:05:45,344 our lives, and we praise these gods. 109 00:05:45,374 --> 00:05:51,094 Belshazzar's gods were gold and silver and iron, and I believe power and influence. 110 00:05:52,263 --> 00:05:54,114 And ours maybe have different names. 111 00:05:54,804 --> 00:05:59,244 Maybe we're not literally praising gold and silver, but our gods, I 112 00:05:59,244 --> 00:06:04,454 believe they are the same in the sense that they offer similar promises. 113 00:06:05,173 --> 00:06:10,974 The same promise that Belshazzar's g- gods offer, our gods offer as well. 114 00:06:11,534 --> 00:06:12,664 I'll give you security. 115 00:06:12,784 --> 00:06:13,823 I'll give you identity. 116 00:06:14,003 --> 00:06:14,893 I'll give you pleasure. 117 00:06:14,894 --> 00:06:16,363 I'll give you significance. 118 00:06:16,374 --> 00:06:16,394 Yeah. 119 00:06:17,473 --> 00:06:22,713 And we allow these small gods to take so much of our attention, 120 00:06:22,933 --> 00:06:24,374 and we begin to fixate on them. 121 00:06:24,384 --> 00:06:24,404 Yeah. 122 00:06:25,244 --> 00:06:28,753 We worship them with our schedules, with our finances, emotional energy. 123 00:06:28,753 --> 00:06:33,203 Whatever it is, we put way too much into these things, and we're 124 00:06:33,204 --> 00:06:36,332 not focused and fixated on Jesus. 125 00:06:36,543 --> 00:06:41,054 And these things, let's just be honest, they end up leaving us not 126 00:06:41,054 --> 00:06:43,814 as fulfilled and actually exhausted. 127 00:06:44,594 --> 00:06:50,584 When we pursue things that aren't fulfilling, we leave feeling exhausted. 128 00:06:51,693 --> 00:06:54,474 You know, I wanna share, earlier this year, I'm a huge Rams fan, I 129 00:06:54,474 --> 00:06:55,913 got to go to a game with my dad. 130 00:06:56,713 --> 00:06:59,724 And, uh, we went to Sunday night football against the Tampa Bay 131 00:06:59,724 --> 00:07:02,383 Buccaneers, and we destroyed 'em. 132 00:07:02,384 --> 00:07:03,033 It was awesome. 133 00:07:03,043 --> 00:07:04,333 Sorry if there's any Bucs fans. 134 00:07:04,613 --> 00:07:05,504 Destroyed 'em. 135 00:07:05,943 --> 00:07:09,494 Uh, I believe that was sort of the, the moment where people were like, "Okay, 136 00:07:09,573 --> 00:07:11,494 Stafford's probably gonna win the MVP. 137 00:07:11,853 --> 00:07:13,873 This is probably one of the teams to reckon with." 138 00:07:14,804 --> 00:07:18,134 And you know what's funny about that night, uh, I didn't know when I bought 139 00:07:18,134 --> 00:07:22,594 the tickets, but after I got the tickets, it was Aaron Donald bobblehead night. 140 00:07:23,343 --> 00:07:24,573 And I love Aaron Donald. 141 00:07:24,574 --> 00:07:27,534 He's one of the, if not the greatest, one of the greatest 142 00:07:27,544 --> 00:07:29,124 defensive players of all time. 143 00:07:29,404 --> 00:07:32,253 Uh, and he might be actually coming back, which is really exciting. 144 00:07:32,683 --> 00:07:34,873 Uh, but he's retired now, and they had this honoring. 145 00:07:34,873 --> 00:07:38,283 They were doing a bobblehead night, and the first 50,000, 146 00:07:38,283 --> 00:07:40,423 uh, fans got a bobblehead. 147 00:07:41,183 --> 00:07:43,034 And so I'm doing the numbers in my head like, "Okay, how 148 00:07:43,034 --> 00:07:44,323 many seats are in that stadium? 149 00:07:44,643 --> 00:07:45,524 Am I gonna get a bobblehead? 150 00:07:45,554 --> 00:07:46,663 What time do I need to get there? 151 00:07:46,843 --> 00:07:48,623 I wanna get that Aaron Donald bobblehead." 152 00:07:48,634 --> 00:07:49,324 You guys with me? 153 00:07:49,332 --> 00:07:49,353 Yeah. 154 00:07:50,824 --> 00:07:55,513 And so I was with my dad and my mom and my cousin, and if you've ever 155 00:07:55,513 --> 00:07:59,254 tried to get anywhere on time with a couple of women, it's not- Ooh. 156 00:07:59,914 --> 00:08:01,444 It's not easy, okay? 157 00:08:03,098 --> 00:08:03,638 Okay? 158 00:08:04,098 --> 00:08:05,158 I'm just keeping it real. 159 00:08:05,358 --> 00:08:12,238 Just keeping it real my mom was moving a little too slow for my liking i had 160 00:08:12,238 --> 00:08:13,668 to get that bobblehead, all right? 161 00:08:15,888 --> 00:08:20,648 And so we're, we're getting ready, and we go and we park, and my mom's like, just 162 00:08:20,658 --> 00:08:22,378 does not care about the bobblehead, right? 163 00:08:22,388 --> 00:08:24,888 She just could care less about an Aaron Donald bobblehead. 164 00:08:24,898 --> 00:08:28,918 So she's just, "Wow, look at the stadium," and, "Wow, look at all the people." 165 00:08:29,248 --> 00:08:31,008 I'm like, "Mom, you're moving too slow for me. 166 00:08:31,008 --> 00:08:31,718 We gotta go. 167 00:08:31,718 --> 00:08:32,768 I gotta get that bobblehead. 168 00:08:33,357 --> 00:08:34,087 I want it. 169 00:08:34,967 --> 00:08:36,318 You're gonna ruin the night." 170 00:08:37,988 --> 00:08:43,448 Now, looking back, I must confess, I was not exactly, uh, displaying the fruits of 171 00:08:43,457 --> 00:08:45,078 the spirit that we've been talking about. 172 00:08:45,508 --> 00:08:48,118 And, and next week we're gonna talk about self-control, and that was 173 00:08:48,118 --> 00:08:49,598 definitely a struggle in that moment. 174 00:08:50,327 --> 00:08:55,217 But the good news is we got there in time, uh, and, uh, we got my bobblehead. 175 00:08:55,248 --> 00:08:56,618 It was a picture like this. 176 00:08:56,638 --> 00:08:58,608 Uh, he's saying, "Ring me." 177 00:08:58,608 --> 00:09:01,418 This was in the Super Bowl a few years ago, and the bobblehead shows him … I 178 00:09:01,428 --> 00:09:02,718 actually brought the bobblehead. 179 00:09:02,718 --> 00:09:03,318 It's in the back. 180 00:09:03,538 --> 00:09:05,538 So if you guys want me to go ra- run and grab it, I will. 181 00:09:06,068 --> 00:09:07,068 Uh, I forgot it, though. 182 00:09:07,088 --> 00:09:07,788 You want me to go get it? 183 00:09:07,818 --> 00:09:08,938 Okay, I'll go get it real quick. 184 00:09:09,028 --> 00:09:09,488 I'll go get it. 185 00:09:19,020 --> 00:09:19,690 Here it is. 186 00:09:20,220 --> 00:09:20,730 All right? 187 00:09:21,580 --> 00:09:25,980 So, and it's got a little, a little goat here that says, "GOAT." 188 00:09:25,990 --> 00:09:26,730 He's the GOAT. 189 00:09:27,470 --> 00:09:28,830 And so I got my bobblehead. 190 00:09:29,030 --> 00:09:34,530 I'm, I was so proud, I was so excited, so happy, and, uh, mission was accomplished. 191 00:09:35,310 --> 00:09:38,280 You know, so we got it, we went up to our seats, and as you saw, uh, 192 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,170 in the photo there, if we go back there, you see we're, we're up pretty 193 00:09:41,170 --> 00:09:42,700 high in those seats there, right? 194 00:09:43,190 --> 00:09:45,450 We were, we were up in the 500 section. 195 00:09:45,450 --> 00:09:47,490 But in SoFi Stadium, it's a good stadium. 196 00:09:47,530 --> 00:09:51,399 Every seat, you can pretty much see, uh, the game and the big screen there. 197 00:09:51,399 --> 00:09:52,810 So we were, we were fired up. 198 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:58,760 But later in the game, about maybe halfway through, my cousin remembered 199 00:09:59,110 --> 00:10:05,130 that her mom's boss actually has a floor-level suite at SoFi Stadium. 200 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:10,050 And she was like, "Hey, I wonder if my mom could, like, text her boss 201 00:10:10,059 --> 00:10:11,780 and maybe we could go check it out." 202 00:10:11,790 --> 00:10:14,700 I was like, "Why didn't you think of this sooner?" 203 00:10:16,510 --> 00:10:17,810 Again, self-control. 204 00:10:18,110 --> 00:10:18,850 I was struggling. 205 00:10:19,830 --> 00:10:20,900 Well, she makes the call. 206 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:22,510 The boss says, "Yeah, we got plenty of room. 207 00:10:22,510 --> 00:10:25,080 Some of the, the, the employees didn't actually come tonight, 208 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:25,899 so we got plenty of seats. 209 00:10:25,949 --> 00:10:28,650 Come on down, sit with us, enjoy the game." 210 00:10:29,549 --> 00:10:32,170 So I'm like, wow, I get to go down to a floor-level suite. 211 00:10:32,170 --> 00:10:36,390 So we end up going down, we walk in there, and, uh, and we end up seeing 212 00:10:36,390 --> 00:10:39,299 the field and I'm like, wow, I was just, like, looking on top of the field. 213 00:10:39,330 --> 00:10:41,610 Now I'm, like, looking at the field. 214 00:10:41,610 --> 00:10:43,140 I'm like, this is amazing. 215 00:10:43,909 --> 00:10:47,109 And we're there, we're sitting, and there's a big commotion 216 00:10:47,110 --> 00:10:49,820 going on to the right of us in the suite right next door to us. 217 00:10:49,820 --> 00:10:53,120 And we go to our seats and I sit down, I'm like, wow, I can't believe I'm here. 218 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:53,800 I'm looking at the game. 219 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:55,090 And then I look to my right. 220 00:10:56,009 --> 00:11:01,140 I look to my right and I see a big commotion, and there's TV 221 00:11:01,140 --> 00:11:03,040 cameras, there's tons of people. 222 00:11:03,210 --> 00:11:07,799 There's these big guys that are my height but 200 pounds heavier than me and strong. 223 00:11:08,100 --> 00:11:09,690 And I'm like, what is going on? 224 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:11,859 The commotion starts to clear a little bit. 225 00:11:13,030 --> 00:11:19,170 And then I look, and sitting about five to six feet away from me is Aaron Donald. 226 00:11:21,458 --> 00:11:24,688 He's sitting right there, five to six feet, and I happen to be 227 00:11:24,688 --> 00:11:26,528 wearing my Aaron Donald jersey. 228 00:11:26,818 --> 00:11:30,348 I look at him, I go, "Can you sign my jersey?" 229 00:11:32,338 --> 00:11:34,258 Like, I mouthed it 'cause I didn't wanna talk, right? 230 00:11:34,258 --> 00:11:35,588 I didn't wanna, like, startle him. 231 00:11:35,588 --> 00:11:37,238 He goes, "Yeah, I will." 232 00:11:37,248 --> 00:11:37,268 Wow. 233 00:11:38,148 --> 00:11:40,958 And he ended up signing my jersey that night 234 00:11:43,090 --> 00:11:44,100 It was awesome. 235 00:11:44,100 --> 00:11:45,040 Great memory. 236 00:11:46,260 --> 00:11:48,520 That's him right there after the game signing it. 237 00:11:50,030 --> 00:11:55,530 You know, I spent the beginning of that night afraid I would miss a bobblehead 238 00:11:59,794 --> 00:12:03,164 But by the end of the night, I met the man that the bobblehead represented. 239 00:12:04,724 --> 00:12:08,614 I think sometimes in our faith, brothers and sisters, I 240 00:12:08,614 --> 00:12:10,084 think we can do that with God. 241 00:12:10,924 --> 00:12:13,254 We get so fixated on this. 242 00:12:13,574 --> 00:12:15,354 If I just get a little more money, if I just get a little 243 00:12:15,354 --> 00:12:16,454 more comfort, if I just… 244 00:12:16,684 --> 00:12:18,064 I want the bobblehead, right? 245 00:12:18,854 --> 00:12:22,114 And God's going, "Dude, I'm right here. 246 00:12:22,464 --> 00:12:23,724 I'm ready to meet with you. 247 00:12:23,774 --> 00:12:26,364 I wanna give you so much more." 248 00:12:27,464 --> 00:12:31,114 You know, OC Church, I, I really want us to develop a conviction to go, 249 00:12:31,424 --> 00:12:32,844 we're not gonna be fixated on this. 250 00:12:32,844 --> 00:12:34,294 This is what the world's focused on. 251 00:12:35,304 --> 00:12:38,504 But can we be focused on God himself? 252 00:12:38,724 --> 00:12:41,254 We don't need to worship the gods of gold and silver and 253 00:12:41,274 --> 00:12:42,464 bronze and things of this earth. 254 00:12:42,763 --> 00:12:44,454 Let's fix our eyes on Jesus. 255 00:12:44,454 --> 00:12:44,904 Amen? 256 00:12:44,904 --> 00:12:46,173 Amen. 257 00:12:46,173 --> 00:12:50,314 Let's not focus on the bobblehead when God wants to offer us so much more. 258 00:12:50,833 --> 00:12:53,244 Let's continue on in our story here in Daniel. 259 00:12:53,284 --> 00:12:58,244 Verse five, "Suddenly the fingers of a ha- human hand appeared and 260 00:12:58,244 --> 00:13:00,604 wrote on the plaster of the wall." 261 00:13:00,754 --> 00:13:01,794 Let me just stop for a second. 262 00:13:02,274 --> 00:13:02,924 What? 263 00:13:04,504 --> 00:13:06,344 So, okay, so great banquet. 264 00:13:06,354 --> 00:13:09,114 They're hanging out, they're drinking wine, having food, 265 00:13:09,114 --> 00:13:11,083 got the goblets, and then bam! 266 00:13:12,922 --> 00:13:16,972 A hand is on the wall, writing on the wall. 267 00:13:17,972 --> 00:13:19,152 Oh my goodness. 268 00:13:19,712 --> 00:13:21,862 The king watched the hand as it wrote. 269 00:13:21,882 --> 00:13:25,392 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became 270 00:13:25,392 --> 00:13:27,062 weak and his knees were knocking. 271 00:13:27,312 --> 00:13:30,622 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. 272 00:13:30,882 --> 00:13:34,182 Then he said to them, then he said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whoever 273 00:13:34,182 --> 00:13:38,142 reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple 274 00:13:38,142 --> 00:13:41,582 and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the 275 00:13:41,582 --> 00:13:44,222 third highest ruler in the kingdom." 276 00:13:45,332 --> 00:13:49,122 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or 277 00:13:49,122 --> 00:13:53,552 tell the king what it meant, so King Belshazzar became even more terrified, 278 00:13:53,722 --> 00:13:56,582 and his face grew even more pale. 279 00:13:56,702 --> 00:13:59,152 His nobles were baffled. 280 00:14:00,112 --> 00:14:05,802 So this hand appears, and the king is probably scared out of his living mind. 281 00:14:06,022 --> 00:14:08,042 He's probably going, "Oh my gosh. 282 00:14:08,552 --> 00:14:12,502 I was so caught up in this moment, so caught up worshiping the, these foreign 283 00:14:12,502 --> 00:14:15,602 gods, and then God himself appears." 284 00:14:16,412 --> 00:14:20,962 One moment he's the most powerful man in the room, the next moment he's the 285 00:14:20,962 --> 00:14:26,332 most terrified, and everything that he was trusting in became useless. 286 00:14:26,791 --> 00:14:28,522 His wealth didn't matter. 287 00:14:29,102 --> 00:14:31,242 His title of king couldn't help him. 288 00:14:31,901 --> 00:14:38,192 His comfort, his, the people he ruled, his gods that he worshiped could not help him. 289 00:14:39,702 --> 00:14:43,112 And the God, the one true God, interrupted him in that moment 290 00:14:43,532 --> 00:14:45,141 and showed him who he was. 291 00:14:45,821 --> 00:14:50,372 You know, brothers and sisters, God interrupts our illusion of control. 292 00:14:50,372 --> 00:14:50,412 That's right. 293 00:14:51,581 --> 00:14:52,472 He interrupts it. 294 00:14:53,001 --> 00:14:53,772 There should be an S there. 295 00:14:53,782 --> 00:14:54,612 Sorry for the typo. 296 00:14:54,931 --> 00:14:58,472 God interrupts our illusion of control. 297 00:14:58,472 --> 00:15:00,142 We think we're in control. 298 00:15:00,401 --> 00:15:01,872 We think we've got it all together. 299 00:15:01,872 --> 00:15:05,742 We think our life's good, and then God goes, "I'm gonna show you who I am. 300 00:15:07,162 --> 00:15:09,081 I am actually in control." 301 00:15:09,092 --> 00:15:09,122 Right. 302 00:15:09,541 --> 00:15:12,291 "I am actually the one true God." 303 00:15:12,302 --> 00:15:12,322 Yeah. 304 00:15:13,242 --> 00:15:14,461 Your money can't save you. 305 00:15:14,461 --> 00:15:17,102 Your image can't truly tell you who you are. 306 00:15:17,541 --> 00:15:20,601 Your pleasure cannot give lasting meaning. 307 00:15:21,121 --> 00:15:24,292 Every false god eventually fails. 308 00:15:26,556 --> 00:15:28,556 And I just wanna give a charge this morning. 309 00:15:28,556 --> 00:15:33,786 If you have not yet made the choice to make Jesus Lord of your life, if 310 00:15:33,786 --> 00:15:39,276 you've not yet surrendered the gods of this wor- this world, and you've 311 00:15:39,276 --> 00:15:42,286 not yet repented of your sin and been baptized, I wanna encourage you, 312 00:15:42,316 --> 00:15:44,766 implore you, and beg you, surrender. 313 00:15:45,906 --> 00:15:49,066 Surrender to Jesus before you're out of time, before the 314 00:15:49,066 --> 00:15:50,746 writing on the wall appears. 315 00:15:51,116 --> 00:15:56,446 Destroy the false gods in your life and give your heart to Jesus completely 316 00:15:58,928 --> 00:16:00,628 I know many of you in here have done that. 317 00:16:01,488 --> 00:16:03,398 I know many of you have made that choice. 318 00:16:03,748 --> 00:16:04,918 Let's not lose sight of that. 319 00:16:05,108 --> 00:16:07,638 Let's stay focused and let's finish the race. 320 00:16:08,088 --> 00:16:09,458 Let's continue in verse 18. 321 00:16:09,468 --> 00:16:10,458 We're gonna jump ahead here. 322 00:16:10,638 --> 00:16:11,948 Daniel jumps on the scene. 323 00:16:12,208 --> 00:16:17,088 Daniel then explains and interprets what this writing on the wall means. 324 00:16:17,428 --> 00:16:21,218 Verse 18, "Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father 325 00:16:21,218 --> 00:16:25,988 Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 326 00:16:26,958 --> 00:16:30,398 Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of 327 00:16:30,408 --> 00:16:33,187 every language dreaded and feared him. 328 00:16:34,408 --> 00:16:36,678 Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death. 329 00:16:36,878 --> 00:16:38,497 Those he wanted to spare, he spared. 330 00:16:38,498 --> 00:16:40,518 Those he wanted to promote, he promoted. 331 00:16:40,648 --> 00:16:43,218 And those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 332 00:16:44,568 --> 00:16:49,858 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was 333 00:16:49,858 --> 00:16:53,547 deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 334 00:16:54,058 --> 00:16:57,388 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal. 335 00:16:57,478 --> 00:17:00,588 He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox. 336 00:17:01,078 --> 00:17:05,497 And his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged 337 00:17:05,498 --> 00:17:11,028 that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth, and 338 00:17:11,028 --> 00:17:14,758 sets over them anyone he wishes." 339 00:17:15,608 --> 00:17:21,268 So Daniel starts to explain this, this story. 340 00:17:21,767 --> 00:17:27,396 He's telling King Belshazzar, who some historians, uh, you know, it says his son. 341 00:17:27,397 --> 00:17:29,168 It's not necessarily his direct son. 342 00:17:29,168 --> 00:17:32,048 It could be either a, a great distant grandfather or, in that 343 00:17:32,048 --> 00:17:36,528 time, what, what father meant was he was the successor to the king. 344 00:17:36,977 --> 00:17:40,878 And he knew exactly what Daniel was sharing. 345 00:17:42,118 --> 00:17:45,428 All this story of King Nebuchadnezzar and the power he had and what was 346 00:17:45,447 --> 00:17:48,257 going on and what was taking place, King Belshazzar already knew. 347 00:17:48,587 --> 00:17:50,178 He knew very well and clear. 348 00:17:50,178 --> 00:17:54,628 He was fully aware of what had happened previously 349 00:17:56,690 --> 00:17:59,270 But pride consumed Belshazzar. 350 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:03,890 His pride, his arrogance, his ego consumed him. 351 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:08,520 And even though he knew all this, he still decided to throw 352 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:10,860 this banquet and defile God. 353 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:19,760 And in verse 22 it says, "But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled 354 00:18:19,810 --> 00:18:23,110 yourself, though you knew all this." 355 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,470 You know, when I was reading this, brothers and sisters, and as I was 356 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:29,870 studying this out, I got so emotional. 357 00:18:30,850 --> 00:18:37,800 I started weeping as I read this because I truly felt like that phrase, 358 00:18:37,810 --> 00:18:44,060 "Though you knew all this," was so sobering to me, so humbling to me. 359 00:18:45,020 --> 00:18:47,970 And I wanna speak for a moment to the younger generation in here, and when 360 00:18:47,970 --> 00:18:51,159 I mean younger, I don't just mean the campus or the teens, I mean my peers, 361 00:18:52,190 --> 00:18:56,130 the young marrieds, the singles, those who have been a part of this church 362 00:18:56,150 --> 00:19:01,400 but are not necessarily from years and years of being a faithful saint, 363 00:19:02,099 --> 00:19:03,560 and I wanna speak to you this morning. 364 00:19:04,590 --> 00:19:07,070 You see, Belshazzar did not lack information. 365 00:19:07,900 --> 00:19:08,910 He knew what happened. 366 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:10,620 He knew the story. 367 00:19:10,620 --> 00:19:11,749 He knew what God had done. 368 00:19:11,819 --> 00:19:13,979 He inherited knowledge. 369 00:19:15,309 --> 00:19:17,989 But he did not inherit conviction 370 00:19:20,338 --> 00:19:22,698 That should sober us, and here's why. 371 00:19:23,488 --> 00:19:27,938 It's possible for the next generation to know our history, to know what 372 00:19:27,938 --> 00:19:32,328 happened, to know how we've got here without knowing our true God 373 00:19:38,354 --> 00:19:40,254 See, we can know what happened back in the day. 374 00:19:40,254 --> 00:19:41,744 We can know how our movement was started. 375 00:19:41,744 --> 00:19:43,274 We can know how people became Christian. 376 00:19:43,274 --> 00:19:44,774 We can know how much was sacrificed. 377 00:19:44,774 --> 00:19:50,124 We can know how much was given to build this church, yet not believe it ourselves. 378 00:19:50,704 --> 00:19:55,014 To not have that same conviction- Right … ourselves. 379 00:19:55,754 --> 00:19:59,854 We must develop a conviction of our own, brothers and sisters. 380 00:20:00,104 --> 00:20:03,984 Youth, young people, we need this to continue to build this church. 381 00:20:04,354 --> 00:20:08,264 We cannot continue to just rest on the laurels of years before. 382 00:20:08,434 --> 00:20:11,914 We have to step into a new era and go, "This is our church, 383 00:20:11,934 --> 00:20:13,284 and we have the conviction. 384 00:20:13,944 --> 00:20:15,373 And we're gonna lead it forward." 385 00:20:16,294 --> 00:20:20,434 We're gonna have the conviction that Jesus is Lord of my life. 386 00:20:21,644 --> 00:20:21,714 That's right. 387 00:20:21,714 --> 00:20:26,733 Not just when I feel close to God, not just when obedience is convenient, not 388 00:20:26,733 --> 00:20:32,244 just when I agree with him, but Jesus is Lord when I feel like it and when I don't. 389 00:20:32,254 --> 00:20:32,284 Right. 390 00:20:33,294 --> 00:20:35,754 A conviction that goes, "I'm gonna seek first the kingdom. 391 00:20:35,983 --> 00:20:36,784 I'm gonna build it. 392 00:20:36,784 --> 00:20:37,454 I'm gonna serve it. 393 00:20:37,454 --> 00:20:39,943 I'm gonna give my best to God's kingdom." 394 00:20:40,434 --> 00:20:40,474 Amen. 395 00:20:40,614 --> 00:20:44,373 Not whatever's leftover from my time or energy or finances. 396 00:20:45,074 --> 00:20:47,174 My schedule, it belongs to God. 397 00:20:47,634 --> 00:20:47,704 Right. 398 00:20:48,244 --> 00:20:49,883 My gifts, they belong to God. 399 00:20:49,884 --> 00:20:51,964 My energy, it belongs to him. 400 00:20:51,973 --> 00:20:52,003 Right. 401 00:20:52,763 --> 00:20:55,124 My life is available to him 402 00:20:57,402 --> 00:20:58,842 I will give sacrificially. 403 00:20:59,382 --> 00:21:00,682 We've talked about this a lot. 404 00:21:01,252 --> 00:21:04,112 There's studies going around that says, and not just in our church, 405 00:21:04,722 --> 00:21:09,752 people who are 40, 35 to 40 years old and younger do not have the same 406 00:21:09,752 --> 00:21:11,302 conviction to give sacrificially. 407 00:21:11,662 --> 00:21:14,872 It is just proven in the data, it's proven in the facts, and 408 00:21:14,872 --> 00:21:16,852 we have lost that conviction. 409 00:21:17,472 --> 00:21:20,922 Not just whatever happens to be left over in my pocket when the basket 410 00:21:20,922 --> 00:21:24,242 comes through, but a conviction to go, "God's given me everything. 411 00:21:24,972 --> 00:21:27,712 I wanna do whatever I can to give back to Him." 412 00:21:28,122 --> 00:21:28,262 That's right. 413 00:21:29,272 --> 00:21:33,132 And lastly, a conviction that goes, I was bought at a price. 414 00:21:33,672 --> 00:21:36,452 I've been c- I've been called to be an ambassador for Jesus. 415 00:21:36,472 --> 00:21:38,302 I'm gonna seek and save the lost. 416 00:21:38,442 --> 00:21:40,022 I'm gonna study the Bible with people. 417 00:21:40,132 --> 00:21:43,532 I'm gonna share the good news of how Jesus saved me, and I'm gonna 418 00:21:43,532 --> 00:21:48,802 go into my communities and say, "How can I show you the love of Jesus- 419 00:21:48,811 --> 00:21:54,712 Amen … and make disciples, and help people fall in love with Jesus again?" 420 00:21:54,722 --> 00:21:54,742 Yeah. 421 00:21:56,212 --> 00:21:58,062 We must develop a conviction of our own. 422 00:21:58,112 --> 00:21:58,582 Amen? 423 00:21:59,061 --> 00:22:03,172 And I wanna give a challenge this, this, for this week to the younger generation. 424 00:22:03,182 --> 00:22:03,812 You guys ready? 425 00:22:04,352 --> 00:22:05,231 Here's the challenge. 426 00:22:05,972 --> 00:22:12,552 Reach out this week to one older disciple in this congregation and ask them about 427 00:22:12,552 --> 00:22:14,402 a deep conviction they've developed. 428 00:22:15,072 --> 00:22:18,512 What's a deep conviction you've developed that I need to work on in my life? 429 00:22:18,512 --> 00:22:21,871 What's something I can imitate from your faith? 430 00:22:23,362 --> 00:22:23,992 Can we do that? 431 00:22:24,112 --> 00:22:24,132 Yeah. 432 00:22:25,172 --> 00:22:25,262 Amen, brother. 433 00:22:25,532 --> 00:22:29,490 Okay Now older disciples, can I share something to you? 434 00:22:30,570 --> 00:22:30,610 Amen. 435 00:22:31,130 --> 00:22:32,480 We need a few things from you. 436 00:22:32,900 --> 00:22:33,620 We really do. 437 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:37,310 We need you to understand the world that this generation's living in. 438 00:22:37,950 --> 00:22:40,510 We need you to understand the Babylon that's taking place. 439 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:43,360 Every generation has its Babylon. 440 00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:45,650 When you were coming up, your Babylon may have looked different 441 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:47,380 than what this Babylon looks like. 442 00:22:47,390 --> 00:22:48,050 You guys with me? 443 00:22:48,060 --> 00:22:48,080 Yeah. 444 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:53,010 This generation's being formed by messages like this: consumerism 445 00:22:53,070 --> 00:22:55,150 tells you life's about you. 446 00:22:56,750 --> 00:23:00,240 They're, they're living in, in a social media age where it says life 447 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,810 is about your image, how you look. 448 00:23:03,649 --> 00:23:08,250 And so they develop people-pleasing in their character n- naturally. 449 00:23:08,789 --> 00:23:11,789 And lastly, I think something that maybe we haven't talked about quite, 450 00:23:12,090 --> 00:23:16,320 um, enough, and I think we will more, is this idea of post-modernism. 451 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,020 Have you guys ever heard of that? 452 00:23:18,460 --> 00:23:24,769 What post-modern- modernism is, is a way of thinking that is skeptical of universal 453 00:23:24,769 --> 00:23:30,519 truth and questions whether anyone can understand reality completely objectively. 454 00:23:31,490 --> 00:23:33,140 I believe it's an attack on truth. 455 00:23:33,900 --> 00:23:35,580 Truth is personal. 456 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,580 What matters is what is true for me. 457 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:44,739 It emphasizes that our understanding of truth is often shaped by 458 00:23:44,740 --> 00:23:49,490 culture, language, personal experience, and power structures. 459 00:23:50,579 --> 00:23:56,340 So does scripture get to challenge my convictions, or do my feelings get to 460 00:23:56,340 --> 00:23:58,440 challenge the validity of the scripture? 461 00:24:00,409 --> 00:24:01,909 That's what we're living in now. 462 00:24:02,419 --> 00:24:05,529 That's the culture these young people are dealing with. 463 00:24:06,189 --> 00:24:10,120 Our culture, it's become suspicious of anyone claiming 464 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:11,710 to possess a universal truth. 465 00:24:13,140 --> 00:24:16,980 Christianity agrees that human beings are limited and biased, right? 466 00:24:17,379 --> 00:24:18,350 We don't know everything. 467 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:23,320 But it argues that truth ultimately comes from God 468 00:24:25,370 --> 00:24:27,760 Rather than being constructed by us. 469 00:24:27,770 --> 00:24:27,800 Right. 470 00:24:28,410 --> 00:24:30,320 Truth is not constructed by us. 471 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:30,760 That's right. 472 00:24:31,170 --> 00:24:34,850 We must hold to the truth that God is just. 473 00:24:34,860 --> 00:24:34,880 Yeah. 474 00:24:34,910 --> 00:24:36,500 God is righteous. 475 00:24:36,530 --> 00:24:38,370 God is holy 476 00:24:40,562 --> 00:24:45,982 But I believe, I believe beneath all this, be- beneath the consumerism, 477 00:24:45,982 --> 00:24:50,362 the image, this new way of thinking, is one simple thing. 478 00:24:51,292 --> 00:24:53,462 It's who gets to be God. 479 00:24:55,022 --> 00:24:55,792 That's all it is. 480 00:24:56,162 --> 00:24:57,292 Who gets to be God? 481 00:24:57,522 --> 00:25:01,742 Is it our feelings, our desires, our politics, our traditions? 482 00:25:02,462 --> 00:25:06,242 See, the culture says express yourself, but what does God say? 483 00:25:06,252 --> 00:25:07,842 He says, "Deny yourself." 484 00:25:07,852 --> 00:25:07,872 Yeah. 485 00:25:09,672 --> 00:25:13,742 Culture says, "Follow your heart, your desires, your 486 00:25:13,742 --> 00:25:15,282 wants," but what does Jesus say? 487 00:25:15,602 --> 00:25:17,072 "Follow me." 488 00:25:17,862 --> 00:25:17,952 Right. 489 00:25:18,441 --> 00:25:22,162 Culture says to protect whatever is comfortable to you, and if anything 490 00:25:22,162 --> 00:25:24,802 interferes with that, reject it. 491 00:25:25,622 --> 00:25:26,582 But what does Jesus say? 492 00:25:26,851 --> 00:25:29,032 "Take up your cross daily." 493 00:25:30,351 --> 00:25:33,531 This is not rocket science, but this is the attack that's 494 00:25:33,552 --> 00:25:35,522 being placed on our youth. 495 00:25:36,182 --> 00:25:40,142 And what we need from you is we need the, the faithful saints in this 496 00:25:40,142 --> 00:25:43,772 congregation to go, "We're gonna stand in the gap, and we are going 497 00:25:43,772 --> 00:25:45,542 to raise up the next generation. 498 00:25:45,732 --> 00:25:47,632 We're gonna teach them these convictions. 499 00:25:47,802 --> 00:25:53,042 We're gonna help them who, who need the help that is in, in desperate need." 500 00:25:53,151 --> 00:25:57,972 We're gonna go, "How can I step in there and show them what's true?" 501 00:25:57,982 --> 00:25:58,002 Yeah. 502 00:25:59,041 --> 00:26:02,051 And show them, "Hey, I've seen trends come and go. 503 00:26:02,321 --> 00:26:04,632 I've seen culture shift and change. 504 00:26:04,852 --> 00:26:06,151 I've been through battles. 505 00:26:06,172 --> 00:26:09,662 I've been through tough things, but Jesus is still Lord." 506 00:26:10,282 --> 00:26:10,312 Right. 507 00:26:10,321 --> 00:26:13,481 Jesus is still Lord, and He will never change. 508 00:26:13,501 --> 00:26:13,961 Amen? 509 00:26:16,112 --> 00:26:19,172 And also, one other thing, older generation, we need a little tough love. 510 00:26:19,742 --> 00:26:22,132 So we're gonna give you the pass, okay, Rusty? 511 00:26:22,412 --> 00:26:23,932 We need a little tough love. 512 00:26:25,672 --> 00:26:28,082 Don't water down the convictions that are biblical. 513 00:26:28,092 --> 00:26:28,122 Right. 514 00:26:29,402 --> 00:26:30,692 Let's not water things down. 515 00:26:30,692 --> 00:26:33,502 Don't water the convictions that have been instilled in you that are good 516 00:26:33,502 --> 00:26:36,922 and righteous, and I know maybe they were abused in the past, and maybe they 517 00:26:36,922 --> 00:26:39,602 were not used in, in, in the right way. 518 00:26:40,092 --> 00:26:42,252 But if they're Bible, do not change them. 519 00:26:42,262 --> 00:26:42,292 Right. 520 00:26:43,142 --> 00:26:46,092 If they are from God, let's hold to them and let's pass that on. 521 00:26:46,102 --> 00:26:46,492 Amen? 522 00:26:47,142 --> 00:26:47,182 Amen. 523 00:26:47,332 --> 00:26:51,992 So my challenge to you guys, begin to connect just with one younger disciple. 524 00:26:52,912 --> 00:26:56,592 Set up a coffee with them, go on a prayer walk with them, and just listen to them. 525 00:26:56,662 --> 00:26:57,502 "Hey, what are you going through? 526 00:26:57,932 --> 00:26:59,041 What are the things you're learning? 527 00:26:59,042 --> 00:27:02,001 What are the things that are challenging for your faith, and 528 00:27:02,001 --> 00:27:04,002 how can I be a resource for you?" 529 00:27:04,002 --> 00:27:04,412 Amen? 530 00:27:04,412 --> 00:27:05,352 Amen. 531 00:27:05,352 --> 00:27:05,652 Amen. 532 00:27:05,652 --> 00:27:06,961 Let's get back to the story here. 533 00:27:07,222 --> 00:27:08,132 Verse 23. 534 00:27:09,432 --> 00:27:12,542 It says, "But you did not honor the God who holds in His hand 535 00:27:12,542 --> 00:27:14,361 your life and all your ways." 536 00:27:15,162 --> 00:27:17,401 Wow, we don't want that to be said of us, right? 537 00:27:18,231 --> 00:27:23,191 The deeper problem, we want God's blessings without God's lordship, 538 00:27:23,491 --> 00:27:24,492 and we've talked about that. 539 00:27:24,972 --> 00:27:27,792 But verse 24 is where this all, I believe, culminates. 540 00:27:28,001 --> 00:27:32,311 He says, "Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription." 541 00:27:33,052 --> 00:27:39,001 This is the inscription that was written: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin." 542 00:27:39,001 --> 00:27:40,382 Here is what these words mean. 543 00:27:41,582 --> 00:27:46,642 Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 544 00:27:47,161 --> 00:27:51,671 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 545 00:27:52,341 --> 00:27:58,501 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. 546 00:27:59,262 --> 00:28:01,191 Daniel finally interprets the dream. 547 00:28:01,421 --> 00:28:04,911 He tells him what it means, and this is a tough truth, I'm sure, 548 00:28:05,142 --> 00:28:06,391 for King Belshazzar to hear. 549 00:28:07,372 --> 00:28:11,211 And he says something there, "You have been weighed on the scales 550 00:28:11,642 --> 00:28:13,631 and have been found wanting." 551 00:28:14,222 --> 00:28:16,611 God says, "I have weighed your life. 552 00:28:17,421 --> 00:28:21,892 I've weighed what you did with what I gave you, and you came up short." 553 00:28:24,210 --> 00:28:28,890 Brilliant tactics overcame the Babylonian Empire. 554 00:28:30,620 --> 00:28:31,290 It was Persia. 555 00:28:32,030 --> 00:28:35,250 Yet it still, I believe, fell from within. 556 00:28:35,850 --> 00:28:38,940 The armies of the Medes and the Persians could only conqu- conquer Belshazzar 557 00:28:40,340 --> 00:28:45,040 and his kingdom use from within. 558 00:28:46,670 --> 00:28:49,170 And so as we think about this concept, you've been weighed 559 00:28:49,180 --> 00:28:51,120 on the scales and found wanting 560 00:28:53,626 --> 00:28:55,626 I think it leads to a question for us this morning 561 00:28:59,740 --> 00:29:00,690 What if God weighed you? 562 00:29:03,482 --> 00:29:07,042 What if God weighed the OC Church on this scale? 563 00:29:09,340 --> 00:29:10,220 How would we be found? 564 00:29:14,106 --> 00:29:15,156 Good worship are, are 565 00:29:18,098 --> 00:29:19,318 The, the speakers and… 566 00:29:19,618 --> 00:29:20,068 No, no, no. 567 00:29:21,328 --> 00:29:23,588 What did you do with what God gave you? 568 00:29:26,108 --> 00:29:26,888 What did you do? 569 00:29:27,108 --> 00:29:31,148 How did you steward the, the blessings he 570 00:29:34,170 --> 00:29:35,690 come up short on the scale. 571 00:29:37,250 --> 00:29:38,730 Now ultimately, I wanna be clear 572 00:29:42,194 --> 00:29:44,034 Bought with the blood of Christ. 573 00:29:44,194 --> 00:29:45,334 But that's not what I'm talking about 574 00:29:48,466 --> 00:29:52,866 Have you been a good steward of what God's blessed you with? 575 00:29:54,186 --> 00:29:55,256 Faithful with much. 576 00:29:55,266 --> 00:29:55,296 Right. 577 00:29:56,706 --> 00:29:58,216 He says, "I gave you the gospel. 578 00:29:58,616 --> 00:29:59,616 I gave you a community. 579 00:29:59,616 --> 00:30:00,706 I gave you a church building. 580 00:30:00,706 --> 00:30:03,266 I gave you homes in a beautiful area. 581 00:30:03,606 --> 00:30:04,816 What did you do with them?" 582 00:30:05,686 --> 00:30:10,476 If you were weighed on the scales, OC Church, would you be found wanting? 583 00:30:12,774 --> 00:30:14,974 I don't think any of us wanna be found wanting, right? 584 00:30:17,082 --> 00:30:19,532 Or would you be found content? 585 00:30:20,382 --> 00:30:24,072 Content with Christ, content in your walk with Him, content with what 586 00:30:24,072 --> 00:30:28,202 He's blessed you with, content even in the midst of the tough challenges 587 00:30:30,642 --> 00:30:33,282 You know, this is the land of consumerism, which we've talked about. 588 00:30:34,172 --> 00:30:37,422 And I w- it's, it's all about I want more, I need more, I need to get more. 589 00:30:39,302 --> 00:30:41,562 But are we gonna be different from the place we live in? 590 00:30:44,082 --> 00:30:44,972 Than Orange County? 591 00:30:44,982 --> 00:30:45,002 Yeah. 592 00:30:46,102 --> 00:30:49,002 Are we gonna be a light to Orange County? 593 00:30:49,092 --> 00:30:50,322 Can we be a light? 594 00:30:50,562 --> 00:30:51,772 Can we be different? 595 00:30:52,092 --> 00:30:52,112 Yeah. 596 00:30:52,292 --> 00:30:54,802 Our lives content with Christ. 597 00:30:54,812 --> 00:30:54,842 Yes. 598 00:30:56,292 --> 00:30:59,582 You know, as we close out, I want us to consider 599 00:31:01,874 --> 00:31:03,134 If God is enough for you. 600 00:31:03,614 --> 00:31:06,694 And I believe the scripture that really ties this together in 601 00:31:06,694 --> 00:31:11,504 the New Testament that really is awesome is in 2 Corinthians 12:9. 602 00:31:11,504 --> 00:31:17,164 It says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you. 603 00:31:17,714 --> 00:31:18,544 It's enough. 604 00:31:20,114 --> 00:31:22,954 For my power is made perfect in weakness.' 605 00:31:23,204 --> 00:31:28,494 Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so 606 00:31:28,494 --> 00:31:32,344 that Christ's power may rest on me." 607 00:31:33,784 --> 00:31:34,704 God is enough. 608 00:31:35,343 --> 00:31:37,794 His grace is sufficient, amen? 609 00:31:38,504 --> 00:31:41,414 Let's trust and rest in God's grace. 610 00:31:41,954 --> 00:31:45,214 And as we turn our heart and our, and our, and our minds right now to the 611 00:31:45,214 --> 00:31:48,714 cross, and as we get prepared to take communion, I've asked one of our campus 612 00:31:48,714 --> 00:31:52,024 sisters, Mia Milliken, to share a little bit of what the cross has meant for her. 613 00:31:52,024 --> 00:31:55,034 So let's give a round of applause for Mia as she comes up to share 614 00:31:59,394 --> 00:32:00,034 Speaker 3: Hi, guys. 615 00:32:00,484 --> 00:32:04,314 Um, as he said, my name's Mia, and I'm a part of the campus ministry. 616 00:32:04,724 --> 00:32:08,974 Um, and I have the amazing opportunity to share for communion today. 617 00:32:09,274 --> 00:32:14,034 Um, so I wanted to start off with a little question for you guys to ponder on while 618 00:32:14,034 --> 00:32:19,564 I'm sharing, and that question is what voice is louder than the voice of Jesus, 619 00:32:19,754 --> 00:32:21,994 and what voice is louder than the cross? 620 00:32:23,474 --> 00:32:29,394 So for me, um, the voices of insecurity, fear, anxiety are 621 00:32:29,394 --> 00:32:35,034 oftentimes more tempting to believe in rather than the truth of Jesus, 622 00:32:35,394 --> 00:32:38,404 rather than, um, the way of the cross. 623 00:32:38,884 --> 00:32:43,384 So in those moments, those feelings, they feel so real. 624 00:32:43,534 --> 00:32:47,424 Um, and so they're tempting to believe in rather than the 625 00:32:47,474 --> 00:32:49,684 actual truth that Jesus tells me. 626 00:32:50,304 --> 00:32:53,264 Um, this is a challenge that I face throughout my day-to-day life. 627 00:32:53,704 --> 00:32:58,444 Minor inconveniences, comments, and even the smallest of concerns are 628 00:32:58,444 --> 00:33:02,844 gateways for the enemy to work, and I'm sure many of us can relate to this. 629 00:33:03,943 --> 00:33:06,834 So this actually showed up in my life pretty recently. 630 00:33:07,224 --> 00:33:13,594 Um, and as many of you guys know, I did-- I-- 'cause I keep talking about it. 631 00:33:13,804 --> 00:33:17,954 Um, I went to Greece, a little vacation, um, with my family, and 632 00:33:18,224 --> 00:33:21,994 genuinely one of the best trips I've ever been on in my life. 633 00:33:22,024 --> 00:33:24,623 Um, so pretty, so beautiful. 634 00:33:25,094 --> 00:33:33,993 Um, and yet while I was in one of the most desirable vacation spots, um, it 635 00:33:33,993 --> 00:33:39,504 was-- there were moments where my mind was distracted and not focused on what was 636 00:33:39,504 --> 00:33:44,903 right in front of me, um, and the beauty that was placed right in front of my eyes. 637 00:33:45,853 --> 00:33:52,074 And this-- throughout this trip, I was being consumed by insecurities 638 00:33:52,124 --> 00:33:54,364 and to be a bit vulnerable too. 639 00:33:55,224 --> 00:33:59,334 Physical insecurities is something that I've always struggled with, and 640 00:33:59,343 --> 00:34:03,574 on this trip, all of these lies and all of these negative thoughts were really 641 00:34:03,574 --> 00:34:06,203 consuming my mind and taking over. 642 00:34:06,593 --> 00:34:12,253 And it's just funny how we can have something so perfect, so 643 00:34:12,324 --> 00:34:14,753 amazing right in front of our eyes. 644 00:34:14,853 --> 00:34:14,973 Mm. 645 00:34:15,074 --> 00:34:20,694 But if our mind is so consumed on the wrong thing, we can completely miss it 646 00:34:21,004 --> 00:34:23,114 and miss what is right in front of us. 647 00:34:23,233 --> 00:34:27,344 And I really do think that our relationship with Jesus can be like this. 648 00:34:28,364 --> 00:34:36,993 Um, we have something so perfect and so amazing, which is Jesus, which is 649 00:34:36,994 --> 00:34:42,273 the sacrifice that He made on that cross, um, in dying that brutal death. 650 00:34:43,024 --> 00:34:49,684 But we can be so consumed by the world, by our own thoughts, by everything 651 00:34:49,684 --> 00:34:56,143 going on around us, that we miss that perfect gift, which is Jesus. 652 00:34:57,024 --> 00:35:03,984 And I think we can, we can just really lose sight, um, by what people think, 653 00:35:04,194 --> 00:35:08,674 by, for me, these insecurities, um, being consumed by whether it's your 654 00:35:08,674 --> 00:35:12,834 job or whatever, you fill in the blank. 655 00:35:13,024 --> 00:35:19,434 But But Romans 6, 6 through 7 says, "For we know that our old self was crucified 656 00:35:19,434 --> 00:35:24,344 with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should 657 00:35:24,344 --> 00:35:29,674 no longer be slaves to sin because anyone who has died has been set free from sin." 658 00:35:30,334 --> 00:35:35,884 So we are no- So the switch that I had to make, especially during my 659 00:35:36,244 --> 00:35:42,574 vacation, um, was truly understanding the gift that Jesus gave us and 660 00:35:42,584 --> 00:35:47,134 truly understanding the cross and the sacrifice that he made for us. 661 00:35:47,624 --> 00:35:52,564 And so I just want to ask you guys, what area of your life are you giving 662 00:35:52,564 --> 00:35:56,304 more power and authority than the power and authority found in Jesus 663 00:35:56,304 --> 00:35:58,464 Christ and what he did on the cross? 664 00:35:58,894 --> 00:36:02,794 We are free in Christ because of his sacrifice, so I encourage you to 665 00:36:02,794 --> 00:36:07,244 reflect and see the areas of your life that are louder than Christ's love 666 00:36:07,294 --> 00:36:11,694 and bring them up against the freedom, strength, and power found in the cross. 667 00:36:12,274 --> 00:36:14,223 So let's not fall into consumerism 668 00:36:17,770 --> 00:36:19,210 Fully content with the cross 669 00:36:21,882 --> 00:36:28,172 Of what Jesus did, and I pray that we can all be fully rooted in that 670 00:36:28,172 --> 00:36:31,762 truth- Mm-hmm … that when any of these thoughts or any of these lies 671 00:36:31,772 --> 00:36:36,752 from the enemy come up, that we can combat that and they fully ricochet off 672 00:36:39,866 --> 00:36:41,356 Um, so thank you 673 00:36:43,256 --> 00:36:43,816 Kyle Lounsbury: And amen. 674 00:36:45,226 --> 00:36:45,416 Good job. 675 00:36:45,416 --> 00:36:48,546 All right, let's say a prayer for communion. 676 00:36:48,856 --> 00:36:52,056 Father, thank you so much for this morning, this time, as we reflect 677 00:36:52,056 --> 00:36:56,026 on the cross and reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus, that we would 678 00:36:56,026 --> 00:36:58,176 humble ourselves before that reality. 679 00:36:58,776 --> 00:37:03,026 Lord, I pray that no matter where we're at, wherever, uh, however we came in 680 00:37:03,026 --> 00:37:07,956 this morning, that we would just put everything at the foot of the cross, that 681 00:37:07,956 --> 00:37:13,266 we would be men and women that live for your glory, not for the, the false gods 682 00:37:13,266 --> 00:37:16,416 of this world, and that we can be men and women that when we're weighed on the 683 00:37:16,426 --> 00:37:21,546 scales, we will not be found wanting, that we will be found content with you. 684 00:37:21,556 --> 00:37:22,216 We love you. 685 00:37:22,456 --> 00:37:23,106 We thank you. 686 00:37:23,116 --> 00:37:23,806 In Jesus' name.