Jesus Christ Crucified...

Preached at Glen Aros Christian Fellowship, Scotland on
Sunday 12th March 2006


I hope to leave you with 3 words to take home today. These 3 words will occupy you throughout the rest of your life.

• Jesus
• Christ
• Crucified

Let’s look at Daniel chapter 4

Daniel 4:4-5.

‘I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.’

What a great thing to have ‘…rest in my house…’ even a ‘…flourishing palace…’ and oh how quickly it can turn to fear. Nebuchadnezzar became ‘…afraid…’ and ‘…troubled…’

Why was this?

He saw a dream.

The thoughts and the visions of his head began to trouble him. He became afraid and lost his rest.

In his trouble he calls upon a man called Daniel. ‘…in him is the Spirit of the Holy God…’

He tells Daniel his dream.

V8

‘But at last Daniel came before me (his name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy God), and I told the dream before him…’


V24 +25

‘…this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king…’

‘…They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.’


Some things never change. You can rely on them to turn up. They will come up in your life, and in mine. ‘…You need to know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men. You need to know it.

Now you are getting a bit personal Daniel, after all this is the King Nebuchadnezzar. He’s a despot, don’t you know! Do you value your head, Daniel?

Psalm 46:10

‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’

A world leader called Nebuchadnezzar had to humble himself before God, how much more do you.

V26

‘…your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules…’

You are not going to miss out on anything, your kingdom is assured to you. Your ministry is on hold for you.

Your kingdom is going to be ok, but first and foremost, of vital importance, you will have to know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men!

2 Corinthians 8:5

‘…they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God…’

Here Paul is using the Macedonian churches as an example of giving gifts to the work of the ministry.

He says of them they first of all gave themselves to God, and then to the work of the ministry.

All of us aspire to the work of the ministry, and that is something God says is good. But he also says that we must wait on our ministry. Let it develop under the hand of God and he will bring it about.

• King David – ‘Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!’
• King David – ‘Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.’
• Zephaniah - ‘Therefore wait for Me," says the LORD, "Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms, To pour on them My indignation, All my fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured With the fire of My jealousy.’
• Isaiah - ‘those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.’
• The author of Hebrews – ‘For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.’


Nebuchadnezzar had to be humbled before he could do the work. The world wants to do the work first then deal with humility later. It never does.

Let’s go back to Daniel chapter 4 and v 27

We find him giving advice to the King.

V27

‘Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.’

Daniel loves Nebuchadnezzar, and he loves God, and he has to declare a message from God, to Nebuchadnezzar a very strong message. Look at the way Daniel tries to give him some advice, to soften the blow.

• Break off your sins by being righteous…
• Break off your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor…


Sorry Daniel won’t work. Its putting works first. They won’t get Nebuchadnezzar anywhere.

Paul was right when he commended the Macedonian churches for first of all giving themselves to the Lord. Once you have given yourself to Jesus, then you are ready to do the works of Jesus.

Otherwise it’s Salvation by works, no matter how fancy it is, and the Devil has an ability to make some fancy works in this day and age. Give yourself to the Lord………….Nebuchadnezzar,

Praise God that every one here knows that Ephesians 2:9 say’s that it is ‘…not of works, lest anyone should boast…’

Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is ‘… by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.’

What God requires in Nebuchadnezzar is only possible as he receives the gift, of God.

Ezekiel reminds us of that gift.

Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Sorry Daniel you cannot help. Just give God’s message and step aside! And see God do his marvellous works.

What does God’s record of events tell us?

V28

‘All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.’

Let’s read from V29-33

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 honour of my majesty?"
31 While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
32 And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."
33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

Hear he is a year later walking in his house, that house which was at rest. That house which was flourishing and he opens his mouth, and what is in his heart comes flying out.

"Is not this great Babylon, which I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honour of my majesty?"

King David cried out to the Lord in Ps 141:3

‘Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.’

How wise!

If it’s in your heart it will come out.

It may take a year or two, but it will come out.

I talk a lot.

So my friends tell me, but let me tell you I cry out to the Lord Jesus daily to be the guard over my mouth and to keep a watch over the doors of lips.

Matthew reminds us that ‘…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks…’

Mt 12:34

And Luke states the same thing.

‘A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Lu 6:45

Ok then let’s just keep quiet then! Don’t speak!

Sorry that won’t work. Even a fool can be thought wise if he keeps his mouth shut. You would still remain a fool, and no one would know, God has chosen the foolishness of preaching, so open your mouth and let your new heart speak.

You have a responsibility to open your mouth and bring fourth the good treasure out of your heart.

Nebuchadnezzar was among those whom Job refers to in 24:13

‘…They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.’

Nebuchadnezzar you need to know that you are not the light, you only carry it in your heart.

V33 indicates that Nebuchadnezzar will eat grass with the oxen.

Strange I thought… But wait see if you can get this…

Job 40:15 tells us to look at behemoth…

‘Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox.’

God says that He made you and I in the same way that He made behemoth!

Job goes on to tell of leviathan that is similar to behemoth.

Job 41:34 tells us that he is the king over all the children of pride…

‘He beholds every high thing; He is king over all the children of pride.’

Nebuchadnezzar is being sent out into the grass fields to eat grass because that is what leviathan and behemoth eats and he is the king over all the sons of pride.

Suddenly he finds himself ruled over by another king. Behemoth can represent the Devil, who was cast out of heaven because of his pride.

In a moment life changed for Nebuchadnezzar….


But…

Listen to what is coming out of his mouth now.

34 And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honoured Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, "What have you done?"
36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and splendour returned to me. My counsellors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

Look at the transformation of Nebuchadnezzar. God has given him a new heart, and put a new Spirit within him, Hallelujah!


V36 + V37

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honour and splendour returned to me. My counsellors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me.
37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

What a transformation! What a work of the living God!

• For the glory of my kingdom
• My reason returned to me
• My counsellors and my nobles resorted to me
• I was restored to my kingdom
• Excellent majesty was added to me

It is now of a truth a kingdom which Nebuchadnezzar rules over, because he ‘..Knows that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men.

Let’s finish in the New Testament.

2 Corinthians 10:17

But "he who glories, let him glory in the LORD."

V18

For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Jesus opens our eyes through Paul when he continues to say in 1 Corinthians 2:2-5

‘And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God’

Paul was determined to not know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Like the Macedonian churches, Paul gave himself to the lord, and then to the ministry of the body.

I leave you with the three words Paul was determined to know among his people.

Jesus

Christ

Crucified