Leaning into the Great Mercy of God
Longing for a Savior • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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New series?
New series?
We are considering a new series in the Fall. We’re being inspired by a church that we are familiar with in Southern California… they are calling it “Conversations that we don’t have around the dinner table”… taking 12 to 16 weeks to discuss the topics of sexuality, politics, and money.
Here’s where I think the blessing can be in this:
We’re entering into an election cycle. This tears families apart and stresses relationships. I would love for us to learn and know how to apply a biblical ethic and perspective. It’s not one you will find on Fox News, OAN, CNN, MSNBC, or many of our social media platforms… yes even Facebook, we won’t find it on Facebook ;) (TikTok, the Gram, etc)
The church landscape looks pretty alarming. (Chart)
The proportion of those who are religiously unaffiliated has risen to 27% from 16% in 2006.
Reasons for switching religious tradition or denomination vary, but a majority of those who changed (56%) say they stopped believing in the religion’s teachings. Another 30% indicate they were turned off by the religion’s negative teachings about or treatment of LGBTQ people, 29% say their family was never that religious growing up, 27% say they were disillusioned by scandals involving leaders in their former religion, 18% point to a traumatic event in their lives, and 17% say their church became too focused on politics.
Slightly less than half of churchgoers (48%) agree with the statement “I would prefer to attend a church that does not discuss gender and sexuality issues.” More than half of white Catholics (59%), Hispanic Catholics (53%), and white mainline/non-evangelical Protestants (52%) agree with this statement, as do 47% of other Christians, 45% of white evangelical Protestants, 37% of Black Protestants, and 33% of Hispanic Protestants.
From the Reuters Article: ““Religion has typically been seen as something that would protect somebody from thoughts of suicide or trying to kill themselves, and in our study our evidence suggests that may not be the case for everyone, particularly for those we refer to as sexual minority people,” said one of the study authors, John Blosnich of the Injury Control Research Center at West Virginia University in Morgantown.”
I personally believe Jesus is at work in this community of people. I think we have a cultural moment here. I am here for it. I don’t fully understand it, I don’t completely get it, I don’t identify in that group, but over the last few years I’ve befriended folks and been apart of lives of those who are seeking Jesus and find some resonance in this group.
Money: On average the personal consumer debt continues to rise. The Bible encourages us not to be a slave to money or things, but see them as tools for the Kingdom of God. To be stewards of the grace that we have recieved and using them for Kingdom purposes. Money is something where guilt can easily be induced because our heart is moved to use it for opportunities (helping families, furthering gospel proclamation efforts, meeting needs, etc.) we can’t do it because of the overwhelming debt we’re in and we can’t be as generous to others as God has been to us.
ME
ME
CoVid-19… great development, but hard truth
Main Point: God will correct, instruct, and restore us with love, shaping us into the people he intends us to be.
US
US
What do we do when circumstances change on us? Think through examples in your own life when you were (are) walking that life of faith (not by sight, but by faith) and then things turn for the less ideal. What does that mean, what do we do?
It is very possible to think that God is against us. That somehow we have fallen out of favor with God.
How do we maintain faithfulness to God above all else?
I see over and over that often times the thing is not the thing. We can’t help but obsess on the thing, but God’s work is deeper and more far reaching. But what He’s after, He uses circumstance us to form that in us.
Main Point: God will correct, instruct, and restore us with love, shaping us into the people he intends us to be.
GOD
GOD
God has something to say about this
In Daniel 9 we see a beautiful prayer of lament, confession, and Daniel seeking restoration on behalf of his people before God.
If you haven’t been with us since we started this series, we find the people of God in exile, punishment for their disobedience and being told they are going into exile for 70 years.
They were a people in a foreign land, exile, and we’ve been finding hope as we understand that as followers of Jesus, born again by the Spirit of God, our citizenship has moved from here to heaven. We are longing to also be brought back, to be brought to where Jesus is… for our home is with him.
We are going to spend most of our time in Daniel 9 this morning though I will give us a quick overview of Daniel 8 for those that would find it helpful.
If you have your Bibles or on your devices turn to the end of Daniel 8 and we’ll be reading excerpts from Daniel 8 and Daniel 9. If you are able/willing, would you stand with me as I read God’s word this morning.
Daniel 8:1, 15-16, 26-7; 9:1-23.
Daniel 8:1 “In the third year of King Belshazzar’s reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier.”
Daniel 8:15-16 “While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man. I heard a human voice calling from the middle of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.””
Daniel 8:26-27 “The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true. Now you are to seal up the vision because it refers to many days in the future.” I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was greatly disturbed by the vision and could not understand it.”
Daniel 9:1-23
In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was made king over the Chaldean kingdom—2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the LORD to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be seventy. 3 So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed:
Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands—5 we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land.
7 Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel—those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where you have banished them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward you. 8 LORD, public shame belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. 9 Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the LORD our God by following his instructions that he set before us through his servants the prophets.
11 All Israel has broken your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. The promised curse written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against him. 12 He has carried out his words that he spoke against us and against our rulers, by bringing on us a disaster that is so great that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done under all of heaven. 13 Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to your truth. 14 So the LORD kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in all he has done. But we have not obeyed him.
15 Now, Lord our God—who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and made your name renowned as it is this day—we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, may your anger and wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us.
17 Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of your servant. Make your face shine on your desolate sanctuary for the Lord’s sake. 18 Listen closely, my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for your own sake, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name.
20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning the holy mountain of my God—21 while I was praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the first vision, reached me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me this explanation: “Daniel, I’ve come now to give you understanding. 23 At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured by God., So consider the message and understand the vision:
Christian Standard Bible (Da 9:1–23). (2020). Holman Bible Publishers.
This is the word of the Lord. Let us pray… please be seated.
Quickly what we find in chapter 8 is the battle between the ram and the goat. The goat wins and from the goat comes this one horn (remember think power, king, authority) that blasphemes God and persecutes those who love God. It says (vs.12) it was successful in what it did.
We then have a conversation in the heavens if you will, saying, “how long is this going to last” where another responds a little over 6 years.
Then Gabriel (the angel) shows up and explains to Daniel what is going on (vs.16). He then proceeds to break down the vision. The Medo-Persian empire will rise but it will fall to the Greeks.
Daniel understands this but it is still troubled by it… he’s sick for days, eventually he gets up and returns to his duties.
Three theological realities present themselves in the interaction between Daniel and Gabriel:
First, arrogant, wicked rulers will arise who oppose God and his heavenly armies, and they will persecute his people.
Second, God will ultimately triumph over such rulers, bringing them to their deserved end.
Third, God knows the future and sometimes reveals small portions of this knowledge, embedding enduring principles in ancient history. These are for us to know and in despair we reflect on these ways that God did remember and honor His word.
Pierce, R. W. (2015). Daniel (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; p. 143). Baker Books.
We fast forward from Belshazzar’s reign to King Darius (Medes/Persians).
Daniel is doing the math, reading Jeremiah’s scroll, going… “70 years is just about up”… what’s going on Lord.
Daniel is interceding on behalf of his people, that is what we read… I want to highlight just a couple verses to pause on Daniel giving us a beautiful glimpse into the heart of his God, our God…
“ ‘Compassion is our only hope, the compassion of you, the Master, our God, since in our rebellion we’ve forfeited our rights.
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 9
9 Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him
Christian Standard Bible Chapter 9
Listen closely, my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion
So listen, God, to this determined prayer of your servant. Have mercy on your ruined Sanctuary. Act out of who you are, not out of what we are
He remembers these things because he’s reflecting and harkening back to their time in Egypt. He wasn’t there, but he knows the stories, he is feeling what it is that they were feeling in Egypt. Exiled, hurting, longing for their home.
What is highlighted here is:
1. God’s righteousness and our sin. The righteous, covenant-keeping God demands righteous living from his people. God calls his people to holiness because he is holy. God is not a “get out of hell free card”… but desires us totally. We must commit ourselves to real discipleship, to be engaged followers of Jesus. We begin with an honest examination of our lives, asking how much have I become accustomed to tolerating my own sinful behavior under the excuse of being “just human.” God is our standard, period. Not anyone else. We only do this by depending on the power of God’s Spirit, but remind them that they also must remain faithful.
2. Consequences of persistent sin. When God’s people make choices that are against his revealed will, they often pay a price for those bad decisions. This does not mean that all sufferings or failures are the result of sinful behavior. On the contrary, innocent people sometimes suffer with the wicked. But we examine our behavior in the light of God’s Word, rather than in relation to bad experiences. Having done that, we should also take a second look at our personal choices when life is challenging. When facing difficulties, to be sensitive to the Spirit’s guidance, while comparing their lives to Scripture’s teaching about living in obedience to God’s revealed word.
3. Mercy for his name’s sake. God’s mercy and forgiveness are always available to those who sincerely repent of, and turn away from, sinful behavior. However, in the end, Daniel’s priestly prayer does not bring the complete restoration of Judah from exile. This is because the larger remnant at this time is not repentant. And will continue to struggle.
Pierce, R. W. (2015). Daniel (M. L. Strauss & J. H. Walton, Eds.; p. 156). Baker Books.
Lastly… the end of Daniel 9 which we didn’t read tells of a time of 490 years (70x7 or 70 Weeks) where they will still be under foreign authority and rule.
In this we are told when Messiah comes, 69x7’s … which there has been some great work done on that it is possible that Daniel took this, taught this to those under his authority, they passed it on, and it is the Magi from the East that come to worship the “Anointed One”.
But they will don’t experience true deliverance.
We don’t experience true deliverance apart from Jesus. We are oppressed, we are controlled by sin, by others, by our own wants and desires that can be destructive and hurtful, leaving us isolated and alone.
Bitterness is one of those things that can keep us in bondage. Jesus would engage… Jesus in Matthew 18 addresses forgiving one another… and the necessity of forgiveness. He explains what should happen if someone wrong you… then the apostle Peter pipes up and says, Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and i forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to seven times, but seventy times seven.”
If you read the Bible any length of time, it’s these little phrases that stick out and make you want to pay attention.
God spoke to Daniel in wanting to deliver them out of oppression and bondage, making atonement of sin, setting all things right.
Jesus tells Peter using the same phrase, the amount of forgiveness that needs to be extended.
Forgiveness is no longer treating people in light of the wrong, but wanting God’s best for them. It’s turning them over to the Lord. It doesn’t mean putting yourself back in harms way… but it means letting go of the offense understanding that Jesus has forgiven us of the offenses we’ve committed against Him… he says, “Do the same”… that’s why He leads us to pray, forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Forgiveness is our freedom, not anyone else’s.
Main Point: God will correct, instruct, and restore us with love, shaping us into the people he intends us to be.
YOU
YOU
So when you’re not led of God and you are controlling your life as you see fit, it doesn’t take a lot of creativity to see how it can go off the rails. If you, or a loved one, are playing God in your life… there is beautiful opportunity in loving kindness to remember or know the good news of who God is (share the gospel), what happens when we repent, ask God for forgiveness, and allow Him to lead and direct our lives.
If you have been trusting Jesus, reading God’s word, listening and being obedient to the leading of the Spirit, and things are difficult and hard circumstances arise… look for the deliverance of the Lord. Trust. Pray. Lean on community (christian community who will encourage you and sit with you, those who are safe people to walk with and pray with).
WE
WE
What would happen as we step out in faith in obedience to what God is calling us to. Not only individually but corporately.
We can listen and be obedient to the leading of the Spirit or own wisdom
We can listen and be obedient to the word of God or the wisdom of our own culture/time
We can listen and be obedient to the law of love and grace or to revenge and self-righteousness
What happens when we keep our eyes on Jesus is that meet us. When we seek to follow Him faithfully, He guides our steps into good paths for His names sake.
Through all of what Daniel (and his three friends went through), God was there.
Through all of what we go through, looking unto Jesus (the hard, difficult, and at times painful), Jesus remains faithful.
The end of the COVid story where we had a deficit and didn’t know what to do… God has seen fit to let us know about a tax break we were able to file for. We’ve submitted the paper work and are looking to receive over $110,000 plus interest.
The call is hold fast, the call is to lean in, the call is to be about the Master’s work until He comes.
We are in a way, in exile, awaiting our home. Difficult things do and will happen.
But when our “cup” gets shook, and we see what comes out, let it be said of us (by walking in the Spirit) that we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we are looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
It is then, though Satan would ask for us, to sift us… by the Grace of God, our faith will remain… that’s what I want to see for us… that we will experience the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.