Sermon Summary

 “1 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Pastor Chris struck a nerve this week as we all saw ourselves in the comfy King more than the sacrificial Servant. In this fourth message on the Unshakeable Kingdom, from the book of Daniel, Chris helps us see the discipline of the Lord that was working in Nebuchadnezzar. God had to take this man, mighty in his own eyes, surrounded by excess, and teach him to learn what is of true value. 

Again, the King has a profound dream, worthy of prophetic interpretation. Daniel’s revelation of the meaning wasn’t just a warning, rather the coming sentence from God to be served by Nebuchadnezzar lest he repent. His sin of pride brought the consequence of humility. But, unlike humiliation, God’s aim is to restore the prideful after their fall, not to kick them while they are down.

Chris reminded us that any person concealing their sin is subject to the same, painful lesson from the Lord. Not unlike the King, a believer harboring sin becomes animal-like in response – aggressive, defensive, selfish, fearful, and protective. Each of us when we sin have a choice a) the road to repentance, beginning with confession or b) the way of rebellion, bringing down the rod of God – divine discipline. 

3 Questions to Ponder for the Entire Series in Daniel 

  1. Who or what is supreme in your life? 
  2. Does your life portray this? 
  3. What spirit are you following?

See: Revelation 17:5, 18:2

7 Truths about the Loyalty Test for God

  1. Whose Kingdom Are You Building? – God’s is experienced as contentment, not 

See: 

“4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.” Daniel 4:4 (ESV)

  • at ease” means at rest, conveying both contentment and security.
  • “Prospering” means ‘flourishing,’ and corresponds to ‘luxuriant,’ which is used to describe luxuriant or flourishing trees.

“As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” Psalm 30:6 (ESV)

See:Daniel 4:5–18

  1. Defiance or Repentance? – Forgiveness means putting the past behind us
  • Can you love someone who has hurt you? 
  • Can you serve someone who mistreated you? 

See:Daniel 4:19–27, Isaiah 1:16–17

“21 Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.” Psalm 73:21-22 (NLT)

“13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. 14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Proverbs 28:13–14 (ESV)

  1. Pride Comes Before the Fall – for those following God’s way, self-centered pride will not stand, it will be conquered by humility 

“…the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power…?” …there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field.” Daniel 4:30-31 (ESV)

See:Daniel 4:30-33

  1. God Opposes the Proud But Gives Grace to the Humble – “A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C.S. Lewis

“6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:6-7 (ESV)

“For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.” Psalm 138:6 (ESV)

“One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.” Proverbs 29:23 (ESV)

See: Proverbs 3:34, Matthew 23:12, 1 Peter 5:5–6

  1. Humility Brings Restoration – What we do with our money reveals our humility or pride 
  1. Whose money is this?
  2. Where did it come from?
  3. What am I supposed to do with this money? 
  4. Who is Lord?

See: Malachi 3:8-11, Matthew 6:20

“7Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.” Proverbs 3:7-10 (ESV)

  1. Overcoming Materialistic Pride – 
  • Giving is the only antidote to Materialism.
  • God prospers you not to raise my standard of living, but to raise your standard of giving.

MY GIVING COVENANT: (“The Treasure Principle,” by Randy Alcorn)

  1. I affirm God’s full ownership of me (1 Corinthians 6:19–20) and everything entrusted to me (Psalm 24:1). 
  2. I will set aside the firstfruits—starting with at least 10 percent—of all I receive, treating it as holy and belonging exclusively to the Lord. 
  3. Out of the remaining treasures God entrusts to me, I will seek to make generous freewill gifts. 
  4. I ask God to teach me to give sacrificially to His purposes, including helping the poor and reaching the lost. 
  5. Recognizing that I cannot take earthly treasures from this world, I determine to lay them up as heavenly treasures—for Christ’s glory and the eternal good of others and myself. 

At the heart of King Nebuchadnezzar’s sinful pride was reliance on his success – focusing on his material wealth. While he gave lip-service to God, the lord of his life was luxury. Calamity and humility afflicted him for seven years, and then he returned to honor God. 

“36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” Daniel 4:36–37 (ESV)

Discussion Questions

  1. From your own reading and experience, what does the Lord’s discipline look like?
  2. What stood out to you as the most remarkable aspect of King Nebuchadnezzar’s fall from pride?
  3. How do you suppose most American Christians view their relationship with money and possessions? 
  4. How might our giving quotient reflect our relationship with God? 

Application Questions

  1. Write down your answers to the following questions from the message, be brutally honest:
    1. Whose money is this?
    2. Where did it come from?
    3. What am I supposed to do with this money?
    4. Who is Lord of my whole life? 
  2. If any of your answers put God second, ask Him to change your attitude and heart toward pride and possessions.