DANIEL 4:33-37 IT IS CRAZY TO IGNORE GOD2022 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Daniel 4:33-37 It Is Crazy To Ignore God

As we look at Daniel Chapter 4 this morning. We're looking at a pretty famous account where King Nebuchadnezzar. The king of Babylon, the king of the world. At this time, Babylon Babylon was the World Empire conquered the known World Nebuchadnezzar under his leadership, the Empire Rose. To greatness and all of the major nations have been conquered pretty much the known world is under the rule and authority of Babylon and King Nebuchadnezzar is the supreme. Him ruler for that he sits at the top and as the Supreme Ruler. He is unchallenged in regards to authority in all of his Kingdom. And yet here in Chapter 4, we see King Nebuchadnezzar go crazy. King Nebuchadnezzar goes crazy, and so I've titled The message it is crazy. To ignore God and this morning. I want you to know it is crazy. If you are running from avoiding or ignoring what the Lord has for you and is saying to you. You need to understand that is crazy. I think it was Einstein Whose. Credited with that famous saying insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. And that is absolutely true as you apply this. To the idea of ignoring? What God says ignoring? What God has called us to or declared to us, the things that God has spoken it's crazy. To think that. We can ignore God and move on with our life, and have our way, and do what we want to. Do it doesn't work. It's crazy to think that we can escape. God 's authority or to think that we don't have to submit to God or that. We don't have to follow God 's plan for our life, it's crazy. To ignore God? Here, the Lord in Daniel Chapter 4 gives Nebuchadnezzar a chance to escape the judgment that he's about to experience the craziness that he will encounter. He he has an opportunity to escape that God warned him with a dream and that's how we see the chapter begin as Nebuchadnezzar is. Telling the story of this dream that he? Plus Daniel Chapter 4, is a very interesting chapter because it's written by King Nebuchadnezzar. After all, of these events unfold and are completed, he writes. This down and sends it out to the entire empire. All of the nations all of the people under his authority. The Lord uses this to announce himself. And to let everybody else know it's crazy to ignore God and so he has this dream of a giant tree that is so large it covers over everything but then it is chopped down. And only a stump is left in the ground. And he can't figure out what the dream means he calls in his magicians and soothsayers and all his wise men and. They're not able to tell him what the dream is until he brings in Daniel. And Daniel explains the dream under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In verse 24 Daniel says this is what the dream means your majesty. And what the most highest declared will happen to. My Lord The King. You will be driven from human society and you will live in the fields with the wild animals. You will eat grass like a cow and you will be drenched with the dew of Heaven 7 periods of time will pass while you live this way until you learn that the most high rules over the kingdoms of the world. And gives them to anyone he chooses. But the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your Kingdom back again. When you have learned that heaven rules. That Daniel says to key Nebuchadnezzar in verse 27 key Nebuchadnezzar. Please accept my advice. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past and be merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper. God gives Nebuchadnezzar a troubling dream. He knows it's not just a you know he had some weird Chinese food the night before. Kind of dream, he he knows it's not just a random dream, he knows it's significant. It's really stood out to him and so he's seeking for insight for meaning. For significance to this dream. The Lord gave him this dream to give him a chance to listen to what Daniel said to stop the sin to break away from the wickedness and to listen to the Lord and start to do what's right. But it tells us that 12 months later. Nebuchadnezzar, perhaps he did listen to Daniel for a time. Maybe he kind of took it under advisement and did his, you know, utmost to try to put a stop to the sin without fully submitting to God. But 12 months later, it tells us he's looking out over the city of Babylon and it was huge and beautiful, and it was his work. And he claims it as his work. He takes the credit for it, and he glories in it. And that is when the voice from heaven speaks again and says all of this will now be happening to you. You're going to experience the meaning of this dream and go crazy for seven years or seven times. Daniel pleaded with him to stop sinning, to do what's right to repent. To stop sinning and do what's right, that's Called repentance to turn and do the opposite of what you were doing before break from your wicked past. Notice he doesn't call Nebuchadnezzar do phase out his wicked pass right? Just slowly. Over time, King Nebuchadnezzar just try to do a little bit less evil, you know today than you did yesterday, and just kind of phase out your wickedness. Now he says break from your wicked pass, just break off those behaviors that are in opposition. To God, and our affront to God break those off, stop those and be merciful, and do what is right. This is what God was saying to King Nebuchadnezzar, but he ignored the dream, the interpretation, the pleading of Daniel, and so he finds himself in the midst of insanity. As a result. This morning I would ask you to. Consider what is God saying to you. What has God been speaking to you? What is it that he has been highlighting for you of late? And perhaps he has been using some dreams in your life that is not the only way that God speaks and not every dream is, of course from the Lord. But sometimes God allows. Those things that happen in our minds overnight. To be part of his voice and his word to us. And usually like Nebuchadnezzar. You know it's not just a random dream, but there is something that is. You understand it's placed there. By the Lord. What has God? Been saying to you in your dreams. What has God been saying to you in your devotional life in your time, in the word of God, as you have been seeking him and reading? Sometimes paying a lot of attention, sometimes paying little attention. But those verses have stood out. Those verses that God has highlighted, and there's perhaps been this repetition of some ideas and thoughts and themes that God has been speaking to you from your time with him in the word. Or maybe it's been some themes and things that have been resonating with you in times of worship. Maybe music on the radio, or we're singing together here in the church that that there's been some things that you know. The Lord is just really brought to your attention and and calling you to consider. Or maybe it's godly friends and family in your life that have been bringing forth some encouragement, some exhortations, and and things that the Lord has been speaking to you through the people that he's placed in your life. God speaks to us abundantly and through a multitude of means. What has he been saying? To you and as you. Reflect on that and try to sort through and sift through those things that God might be speaking to you. Let me remind you that it is crazy to ignore God, whatever it is that God is speaking to you. Those are things that God is revealing and speaking and highlighting and and and bringing to your attention for a reason. And it's not wise to try to put those aside to try to ignore those to try to turn a blind eye to those. In fact it's crazy. And like Nebuchadnezzar you will go crazy if you try to run from and ignore and avoid what it is that God has. Said, and so we're going to look at four points here in Kenya. Desert testimony some things to help us to understand why we must not ignore God, but instead listen to what he is speaking to us. Here's point, #1 found in verse 34 he is the most high God. This is why it's crazy. To ignore God because he is the one who is the most high. Verse 34 says after this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the most high. And honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his Kingdom is eternal. Nebuchadnezzar here refers to God as the most high. The one who is the highest above the highest. Sometimes we use the phrase King of Kings and Lord of Lords, right? This is that same idea. There are those who are high in the sense that they have authority. But there is one who stands above all other authorities. Now this is interesting considering King Nebuchadnezzar. Because at this time King Nebuchadnezzar is at the pinnacle of his power and authority. Again, he runs the Babylonian Empire. And the Babylonian Empire has conquered Assyria, the previous empire of the day conquered. Judah conquered Egypt, conquered Tyre, conquered Moab, conquered all of the other nations around the the Babylonian Babylonian Empire ruled the world. And Key Nebuchadnezzar ruled the empire. But the Babylonian Empire was also unique. It wasn't just that he was king over the world power. The Babylonian Empire was interesting in that it had a structure that allowed the king to have more power than other nations to come. In Daniel Chapter two, we kind of explore this a little bit in the vision of the statue that God gives to King Nebuchadnezzar. And you might remember that head is made of gold and then the the chest and arms are made of silver and and the metals devalue as it goes down and it speaks of the authorities and powers of the kingdoms that would come and how they would be lesser and lesser kingdoms and the kings of those kingdoms would have less and less. Power Daniel Chapter 2 when Daniel is explaining that dream. To King Nebuchadnezzar, he says that was the dream. Now we will tell the king what it means. Your Majesty you are the greatest of kings. The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power, strength and honor. He has made you ruler over all the inhabited world, and has put you even the wild animals and birds under your control. You are the head of gold. King Nebuchadnezzar was not just the king of the most powerful Kingdom over the world power. Sure, but he had the most power of the kings in. The kingdoms that would come. Daniel Chapter 6 yesterday's reading as we're working our way through. The Bible in. Three years you see that Darius was forced by the law that had been made. He was tricked into making he was forced to throw Daniel into the lion's den, and if you're reading along with us, you saw over and over and over again. Like it's it's reiterated King Darius. You don't have the authority or power. But to change the law once you've set it in motion and so you have to follow through and throw Daniel into the lion's den. Even though you don't want to. That was what he was forced to do because the structure of the Middle Persian Empire was different than the structure. Of the Babylonian empire. Nebuchadnezzar didn't have those kinds of restriction restrictions if he wanted to change his mind. And changed the law he could. But under the Persian Empire, the next one. No there was. There was a structure in place that prevented that from taking place, and so Nebuchadnezzar was this head of gold. The Kingdom of Babylon was powerful, and Nebuchadnezzar was the king. He was the ruler of the world. But now he refers. To God the true and living God as the most high. Prior to this event, Nebuchadnezzar would consider himself to be the most high. Because he was the one who had all power and all authority. Even in the vision that God reveals to him in Daniel Chapter 2 and the interpretation God God tells him that. He has great sovereignty and power and strength and honor over the earth that God has given to him. But now he recognizes. There's someone higher than him. The most high. There's someone with more authority with more power. And the Lord wants everyone to know that he has this position. Verse 17 here in in Daniel Chapter 4 tells us this has been decreed by the messengers. It is commanded by the Holy Ones so that everyone may know that the most high rules over the kingdoms. Of this world. He gives them to anyone he chooses even to the lowliest of people. God is sovereign over all. There is no authority higher than him. There is no power greater than him. There is no one who is higher than God. And that's why it's important to consider. What is God saying to you? Because whatever God is saying to you, it supersedes anything that anybody else could ever say to you. I don't know if it's as true as it used to be. It was often well known and spoken regularly that the President of the United States that was the most powerful position. In the world. If the President gives you a direct command. It's not. A greater command. It's not from a higher position. Than the direct commands that God gives to you. If there's a new ruler that takes over the whole world. Their commands do not stand higher than. What God has declared on what God has said, what is God saying to you, your boss, your parents, your family, your friends or neighbors, your coworkers? Their words are lower than God's words. And when you understand what God is saying to you, you need to understand. It comes from the highest authority from the most high. There is no disputing. There is no. Disregarding, there is no way to get around the fact that God. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the creator of the heavens and the Earth, your creator and the sustainer of your life. When he is speaking to you, you need to listen and respond according to what he is saying. It's crazy to ignore what God is saying to you when he is the one who holds your breath in his very hand. So what is God saying to you? And perhaps like King Nebuchadnezzar, there is a call to repentance that you are resisting and avoiding because it's painful. It's difficult. You don't want to let go. But it's crazy to ignore God and persist in that disobedience and rebellion against God, 'cause he's the most high. He is the greatest of authority. Or what God might be saying to you is, don't worry. I'm just throwing out some examples here. Hopefully you have some specific things that God is speaking to your heart right now, but. But maybe what the Lord has been saying to you is don't worry. There's a lot to be anxious about in this world, and in this life. But maybe God has been reminding you that you are not to do that. Matthew Chapter 6 Jesus tells us. Don't worry about these things. What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers. But your Heavenly Father already knows all your needs. The most high, the one who has greatest authority, the ones whose word stands above all in the universe and all of creation. He knows about your needs. So Jesus says, don't worry, it's crazy to ignore God and worry when he's told you not to worry. That's crazy. You're just wasting your energy and your breath and stressing yourself out for no reason. Don't worry about these things, Jesus says. These kinds of things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers that makes sense. They have reason to worry. They don't have the most high on their side looking out for them, promising to provide for all of their needs. But but you don't have that condition, you you're different. You are a child of God as a. Believer in Jesus Christ. Don't worry. Don't ignore God and keep on worrying. Even when he's told you not to worry. Trust him, seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. Pastor Warren Wiersbe says an understanding of God's sovereignty. Brings the believer assurance, strength, comfort and the kind of surrender that produces faith. And freedom. This is what God provides for us when we stop ignoring him. When we realize that he is the most high and accept that. Oh, there's great assurance and strength and comfort. There's so much peace. And freedom that comes from knowing that he is the most high. Don't be crazy and ignore God. Take heed to what he says. He reigns above all others. Well also here in verse 34 we get point #2 and that is his rule is everlasting. He reigns. On high he is the most high and his rule is everlasting. Looking at verse 34 again, it says after this time had passed I, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to heaven, my sanity returned, and I praised and worshipped the most high. And honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting and his Kingdom is eternal. Here King Nebuchadnezzar goes on to talk about God and the duration of God and his Kingdom really three times, he says it three different ways, but they all kind of essentially mean the same thing. He lives forever. His rule is everlasting. His Kingdom is eternal. Here's why it's crazy to ignore God. Because God will never have a successor. It's not that that instruction or that word that God is speaking to you, that thing that God's been trying to bring to your attention and calling you to respond to. It's not that that is going to expire. Well, if I wait long enough, you know that that command and that instruction is just kind of kind of diminished. It's gonna feed. It's going to expire and so I don't need to. Or I can resist that or refuse to respond to that and just kind of wait it out. But that's crazy. That's not going to happen. You can't wait out the time for another ruler. Because God, the most high lives. But it's not just that he lives forever. It's not that you know, after four years, then there's another God who takes the position and is the most high, and so he lives forever. But he's not always on the throne. No, his rule is everlasting. And it's not that you can just wait for his Kingdom to to diminish, because his Kingdom is eternal, so he lives forever. He's on the throne forever, and his Kingdom is eternal. You you can't out wait. There's no escaping by waiting by duration of time. What God is speaking. To you. You might remember back in 2016 there was a bit of a rush. To figure out how to move to Canada. Fox.com reports on this. The Canadian website for Migration actually crashed in this time. So many people were looking up. We don't like the authority that's coming in, so we got to figure out how can we escape this authority and we'll come back. Maybe in four years, you know after that term is done but but there was this rush to. Try to get out of. The realm of authority of the one who had been elected or was about to be elected, and there was a great. Fear of that. That's not an approach that works when it comes to God. You can't cross a border. You can't. Wait out the term. He lives forever. His rule is everlasting and his Kingdom is eternal. In Matthew Chapter 2, when Jesus was still just a baby. The wise men had come and visited. Jesus had worshipped him. It tells us in Matthew 213, after the wise men were gone, an Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, flee to Egypt with a child in his. The Angel said. Stay there until I tell you to return because Herod is going to search. For the child to kill him. So that night Joseph left for Egypt with the child, and Mary his mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death. Thus fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the Prophet. I called my son out of Egypt. We remember, of course, that account of Herod killing all of the newborns in Bethlehem two years old and younger. The way that. Jesus was not affected by that was the Lord spoke through an Angel and said get out of here go to Egypt. For a time. Until I tell you to come back and it, and it ended up being when Herod died. When the authority that was seeking to kill Jesus died, then it was safe to come back. And so they. Did that. They waited out for the time. So that command expired because the king expired. And so it was safe to come back because Herod was not there trying to put Jesus to death any longer. It worked in this circumstance. Because they were dealing with Herod, a human ruler. With limited authority and a limited time span. But that doesn't work when it comes to God. His rule. Is everlasting. You can try to push it down the road a little bit and say OK, well, I'll wait six months and see I'll wait a couple weeks or maybe a couple years down the road. His word is not going to change. What he is speaking to you. You might as well face it. You can't escape it. You can't outwait him. His rule is everlasting. And even generations later, his word is still true. This is clearly demonstrated through the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. The grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar. His name is Belshazzar. And a record of his life. A piece of his life is found in Daniel Chapter 5. It's this guy that experienced the famous handwriting on the. Wall as they were feasting and celebrating and partying, and then the hand came out of nowhere, appeared, and began to write on the wall. Some words that nobody could understand until they brought Daniel in to bring the interpretation very similar pattern as what we saw. In the life of Nebuchadnezzar. And as Daniel provides. The interpretation he refers back. To the events in Chapter 4. And he rebukes Belshazzar for not learning the lesson. That key Nebuchadnezzar had to learn King Nebuchadnezzar was filled with pride, and it was his arrogance that God was addressing here, and he is calling Nebuchadnezzar to humility through the events here in Chapter 4. But Belshazzar did not learn the lesson. And did not humble himself before God. And so Daniel Chapter 5 verse 20 Daniel addressing King Belshazzar says, when his heart and his mind were puffed up with arrogance. Again, referring back to Nebuchadnezzar, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal. He lived among the wild donkeys. He grasped, like a cow. He was drenched with the dew of heaven until he learned that the most high God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone who desires to rule over them. And he says you are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this. Yet you have not humbled yourself. Belsazar is acting crazy. He knew everything that happened in Nebuchadnezzar. He knew what God said he knew. The reality of God, the power of God, the authority of God. He read and heard his Grandpa Nebuchadnezzar tell the story. Of what happened? And this letter that was sent out to all of the land, he he heard it first hand. But he ignored. What God had said and what God had taught. His grandfather King Nebuchadnezzar. And instead he behaved. With pride he behaved arrogantly. Lifted up himself and glorified himself. Against God. Positioning himself against God. In his pride in arrogance. It was two generations later, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, but The word of God had not changed. God's word against pride and arrogance. Had not been modified or diminished. It was still the same, and so when Belshazzar. Behaved that way. God said you're crazy if you think I'm gonna let you get away with that and hand Pierce out of nowhere writes on the wall and says your days are numbered. In fact very this very night your Kingdom comes to an end and you'll be put to death. God's rule is everlasting. And So what is God saying to you listen? It's not gonna change tomorrow. If you resist it today or ignore it today, or bury your head in the sand for a little bit when you come back up for air, you need the Lord again. You're calling out to God for the next crisis that your life hits. It's not going to be something different. The instruction and command that God is giving to you right now is not going to expire. It's crazy to try to outwait God to not do what he's calling you to right now. Whether that's a repentance in regards to some thin or practice or habit or behavior or attitude in your life, or whether that's a step of faith and and maybe God is calling you to do something to launch out to, to work in some regard in his Kingdom. But steps of faith are always challenging and stressful and difficult for us to trust, God shouldn't be a challenge, but it often is. And so we resist and we withhold. And we I don't know we him, and we haul, and we try to hope that the Lord would send somebody else. What is God been? Speaking to you in your dreams. What has he been highlighting for you in his word? As you've been reading through what? What themes and and topics has the Lord been bringing to mind over and over and over again through your conversations with godly friends through your, you know, listening to teachings or on the radio or times of worship and music. What is it that God has been stirring up and prompting? Listen, his rule is everlasting. And so those things that he's speaking to you. Are not just. The things. For a moment. The things that he's speaking to you are things. That as you respond. You will benefit from for all of eternity. It's crazy to ignore God. Listen to what God is saying and respond. It's still the same thing that he's speaking to you and calling. You too. Moving on to verse 35, we get point #3. He does as he pleases. This is why it's. Crazy to ignore God. Because God is going to accomplish his purposes. He's going to do what he wants to do. He does as he pleases. Verse 35 says all the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. If he does or sorry he does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth, no one can stop him or say to him. What do you mean by doing these things? Nebuchadnezzar says all the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. This is at the end of his insanity. After he's come back to his senses. But before that he would not have said this. He would have said all the people of the Earth are nothing compared. To me, Nebuchadnezzar would have said. But now he recognizes. It's God who holds that place. Nobody compares to God. Nobody is as strong as God. Nobody is as wise as God. Nobody is as intelligent as God. Nobody is as compassionate as God. Nobody is as merciful as God. Nobody is as gracious as God. Nobody says just and righteous as God. All of the people of the earth take them. Individually or combine. Them all together, there is no comparison. God stands above. Them all. In character and in strength. He goes on to say that God does what he pleases and and it doesn't matter if the context is heaven or earth. Even the angels of heaven. Are no match and no comparison to God because God is the creator, everyone else. Is created part of his creation. There is no comparison, and so he does as he pleases among the angels of heaven. And among the people of Earth. There is no person. There is no family. There is no community. There is no state or nation or world empire. That can fight against. What God wants. And succeed. That can keep God from doing as he pleases. Nobody no nation, no power, no authority, single person or any number of collections of people gathered together in unity. They cannot thwart. The plans of God, the purposes of God. He does as he pleases. So Nebuchadnezzar goes on to say no one can stop him. God is uncontested. He is the uncontested ruler of the world. He has all power and all authority. There is no contest. No one can stop him. There is no strength or no power, no authority, no strategy, no technique. Nothing can stop God from accomplishing what he pleases. No one can say what do you mean by doing these things. Can you say that I dare you try it right now? Can you say it? What do you mean by doing these things? Try to just say. The words go ahead. Say it all out. What do you mean by doing these things? I can't hear you. What do you mean by doing these things? What do you mean by doing these things? Of course we can say those words. And we can direct them at God. But Nebuchadnezzar's point here is not that we can't put those exact combinations. Of words together. His point is God doesn't give account of himself to anyone. He doesn't have to answer to any of us. And we can ask God, what do you mean by doing these things? But he is not obligated to answer us. Even a little bit. He can do what he wants and he doesn't have to tell us why. He doesn't have to tell us when he doesn't have to tell us. What the big picture? Is or what the plan is? He doesn't have to tell us anything. 'cause he reigns on high. And he does. As he pleases. So it's crazy to ignore God. Because God. Is going to do as he pleases. And and if we ignore God and find ourselves in opposition to God, we are going to be fighting against. You've heard about the immovable force. No, the oh man, there's suddenly the word. Slipped out of my mind. Immovable object and. Something force. Someone gonna tell me later and it'll? Be like I knew that why? Didn't I see it OK? But anyways, but we're not immovable. We're not all powerful. God is so you know, we're like this little puny human trying to fight against God to prevent God from doing what he pleases. Like that's crazy to think that we can resist God and be successful. That we can avoid God or run from God or or escape what God? Is wanting to do. He does as he. Saul of Tarsus. Discovered this. On the road to Damascus. When the Lord appeared to. Him knocked him off his donkey. And as the Lord was speaking to him. He challenged him, saying salt, you've been fighting against me now. Paul, in telling his testimony to King Agrippa in acts Chapter 26, relates it this way. He says about noon, Your Majesty, as I was on the road, a light from heaven, brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. We all fell down and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will. So why are you persecuting me? God says to Salif Tarsis. We know him leader as the apostle Paul. God says why? Why are you fighting against me? It's useless to fight against my will. Let that settle in your mind it in your heart. It is useless to fight against the will of God. He does as he pleases. More literally. When God says it's useless for you to fight against my will. It's the idea of kicking against the goads. And it's a. Freeze that comes from dealing with oxen. When you're harnessing up in oxen to team of oxen to plow the field there, there would be these goads that would be in place. These kind of sharp points that would. If the oxen was trying to resist, they would kick against it. They would try to get away from the masters will and not plow the direction that the master was plowing it. And so there would be this kicking, but but the the goat was sharpened so that as the oxen was kicking it, it would be painful and it would learn I shouldn't do that. That hurts. I shouldn't resist the master's will. I should submit to and surrender to the Masters will. And God takes this illustration, applies it to solid tarsus, and he says Saul. You're kicking hard, but you're finding that it's painful. And so it's useless to fight against my will. Why are you kicking against the goats? Are you trying? To get away from. What I'm calling you too. He's saying, Saul, you know. I've been calling you to repentance for some time. You know I've been calling you to come to serve me and be part of my work and not persecuting me and my work. As you have been, and you've been fighting it, and you've been finding yourself miserable and in pain. Because I am God and I do as I please and it's useless for you. It's painful for you to fight against my will. That's why it's crazy. To ignore God. What does God been saying to you? You can try to fight it. You can try to resist it and God does give us free will and so we do try to fight. Then we try to resist. We try to escape. But we find that it's painful. It's useless to fight against. The plans and purposes of God. And So what is it that God has been speaking to you in your dreams, in your devotional times in your times of fellowship and conversation with godly friends and family? What is it that God has been speaking to you in those times of worship? You need to understand that fighting against it, resisting it, ignoring it, running from it. None of those things will. Have an end result of you being happy and fulfilled and really enjoying life. Ignoring God. Will always result. In misery and difficult. Difficult times difficult emotions, difficult experiences. Because God's going to. Accomplish his purposes, he does. Does as he pleases. Well, finally the 4th point. We're going to look at verse 36. Here's point #4. His word is fulfilled. God's word. Is fulfilled and that's why it's crazy. To ignore God, verse 36 says when my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and Kingdom. My advisors and nobles sought me out, and I was restored as head of my Kingdom with even greater honor than before. Here, as Nebuchadnezzar recounts, what took place? When he came to his senses. He looked up to heaven, and he submitted himself to God. His sanity returned. He went crazy for a bit and he behaved as a wild animal and he was out there in the open. He wouldn't come inside and lay down the dew of heaven fell on him as he was. Out in the field. He wasn't taking care of himself as her hair grew crazy, his nails grew crazy. He was out there eating grass like an ox and. He literally lost his mind. And when he finally. Submitted to God. His sanity returned. And when that happened. All of these things unfolded that God said would take place. He says when my sanity returned to me, so did my honor and glory and Kingdom. He was the king of the world who went crazy. And acted like an animal out in the field. Now you're one of the King's officials. And he shows up the next day. He says, hey, I'm back to normal. You should trust me again and put me back in the highest place of all authority of any king that has ever walked the face of the Earth. And you're like, no way, no I, we can't trust that. What if you go crazy again tomorrow? It seems unlikely. That he would be given his position back. That's just one reason, and that's probably not even the most likely scenario that would happen. The most likely thing that would happen according to what we see in history and their normal culture and customs. Was that king would be slaughtered. And someone else would seize the opportunity and seize the authority in the throne and take the power, not reserve it for Nebuchadnezzar. When he gets back and comes with senses, you know we'll just kind of hold on to it. No, no, that was not the normal thing for the day to remember. The normal thing. For the day when the next king would come. Onto the throne when he would take over. He would destroy. He would kill the previous King's family and any connections to them just to try to prevent any kind of challenge. To the throne. They were ruthless. It was not normal or typical for a king to be humbled. In such a way. To come back and find. Their throne preserved for them. But remember the vision that God gave. In this dream. In Daniel Chapter 4, verse 26, as Daniel is interpreting the dream, he says the stump and roots of the tree were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your Kingdom back again. When you have learned that heaven rules. God spoke it in advance. And then after those seven times were passed. And he finally submits to God. He learned that heaven rules his sanity returned and his Kingdom was restored exactly the way that God said it would take place. God's word is. Even to a greater degree at the end of verse 36, it says with greater honor than before. It's not just that it was preserved and he got to be on the throne, although you know is a little bit diminished, but that's understandable 'cause he went crazy and lived like the. Animal for time. No, no, he got back to his throne. And now, because he was in the position of submission to God. And honoring God. The Lord bestowed upon him even greater honor and glory than he had before. God's word is fulfilled and God is glorified through Nebuchadnezzar in this situation. All of the things that God said about him. Were fulfilled. All of the craziness that he experienced. God told him in advance and his word was fulfilled. All of the the restoration that God said in advance that was fulfilled as well. That's true of all of God's word. It will always be fulfilled. It will always accomplish that for which God had set it forth to do. What is God saying to you? What has he been speaking to? You in his word. In those conversations and those times of worship, those themes, those dreams, what? What is it that God has been saying to you? Understand that his word is fulfilled. Don't don't be crazy and ignore what God is saying. Because with or without you, he is going to accomplish his plans and purposes. And when when he decides to act? Often times. It's going to happen fast. He was very patient with King Nebuchadnezzar when he had the dream. It was 12 months later that the dream was fulfilled while God gave him time and opportunity to repent and escape. The judgment that he was warned about. But then. After 12 months. When he's taking credit. And enjoying what he would think of the glory that he had in all that he had built in Babylon. It tells us why he was still speaking those words. Unfolded upon him, and the word of God was fulfilled in a moment instantly. And sometimes I would say many times that's the way that God works. He's very patient and he waits for us. He gives us opportunity to respond to his word. To get in line with him and and. Be part of what he is calling us too, but. Then it comes a point. When he begins to act. It comes swiftly. But either way, his word. Will be fulfilled Pastor. When waves B puts it this way, God is longsuffering with sinners. But when the time comes for him to act, there is no delay. The words were still on Nebuchadnezzar's lips when everything began. To change. And he lost his mind. And for seven years he behaved as an animal. Exactly what God said. And when he finally submitted to God. His sanity was restored exactly as God said. Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way. It's crazy to ignore God. Don't do it. Don't be crazy. God is the most high. He rules any reigns over all else, and his rule is everlasting. You're not going to outwait him. You're not going to, you know. Go beyond his term. He is the 1st and the last. He does as he pleases and his word is fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar finishes up in verse 37, saying now I, Nebuchadnezzar. Praise and glorify and honor the king of heaven. All his acts are just in true and he is able to humble the proud. Now we can, as this conclusion is alright, I've changed my behavior, I've repented instead of honoring myself, I praise, glorify and honor the king of heaven instead of ignoring God and his warnings and his instruction and his word. I praise him I. Honor him, I glorify him. I listen to what he says because I've learned the hard way. He's able to humble the proud. I was the proud. And God knew how to humble me. And I was the highest of height of authority as far as mankind was concerned, but that. Was no match for God. He is able to humble the proud and so instead of ignoring instead of running instead of resisting. He says I'm praising God and glorifying God and honoring God. I'll finish up with this. Plead from the Lord in Psalm chapter 32. The Lord says I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule. That needs a. Bit and bridle to keep it under control. Listen, God saying, I'm guiding you. I'm working in your. Life to show you the best pathways. And so I'm speaking to you in dreams, and I'm revealing myself to you in the word, and I'm speaking to you through your godly friends and family who are providing you counsel. And inside I'm bringing back these themes and topics and ideas in the times of worship and in the music that you're listening to. I'm speaking to you abundantly. And all of these things to show you. What's best for your life? Don't be like a senseless horse or mule. Don't go crazy and live out in the field eating grass for seven years. Don't, don't be in a place where you are forced. With bit and bridle. So to submit to God. Listen to what God is saying. Don't ignore it. Don't resist it. Don't run from it. It's a fruitless endeavor. It's crazy to ignore God. Instead, hear what he's saying. And respond with your whole heart. What I pray for each of us. And Lord, with great confidence. What I can say? For sure. You are speaking to each one of us. And you have good intentions. You know the best pathways. You know what's? Good and right for each one of us. And Lord, you are seeking to reveal yourself the steps that we need to take the ways that we need to walk. I pray Lord, that you would. Help us. To listen to your voice. To not resist like a stubborn animal. But Lord, recognizing you who you are. How great you are your authority over all creation and your authority in our lives. Your love for us proven at the cross. Lord help us. To receive what you see. And to put it into action. To take those steps. To find ourselves on that best pathway that you've established for us. But I pray. That you would give us boldness and courage by your spirit. That we would trust you. And respond as you speak. I pray this in Jesus name.