The Writing Is on the Wall

Good morning summa church are different campus locations in the tribal and those of you are joining us right now. By: Daniel chapter 5 if you have your Bible this morning that I hope that you brought your Bible will open it up or turn it on to Daniel chapter 5 as you're doing that. How many of you have heard the phrase the writing is on the wall you've heard that phrase. It is a phrase that usually means that something bad is about to happen, that your fate has been sealed that phrase comes from Daniel chapter 5 and most people don't realize that the year the year is 539 BC nearly 70 years have passed since Daniel and his friends said let me set the bed to go in a few others whose names we don't know were brought in chains to Babylon. Daniel is an old man now. He is well over 80 years old. Nebuchadnezzar is dead has been for about 23 years and Belshazzar is her privileged spoiled grandson is now on the throne. Belshazzar is hosting a party Daniel chapter 5 in all outrage in our terms.

100 Tiger we know that by the way, because the Aramaic word that is used for wine in the very first verse first one to describe the party literally means lots of wine. That's what it means in Aramaic.

Lots of tags, and lots of bottles suddenly as they were partying it up mysterious floating hand, appears and begins to carve the message into the plaster on the wall not talk about terrifying freaking even. I mean imagine what that would have been like if you'd been there in that moment, a party at a party and suddenly a severed floating hand, appears and begins to etch three mysterious words into the wall and then it just disappears. The three words were numbered, weighed and divided numbered wave and divided people start screaming and the party descends into chaos. The Babylonian wisemen are summoned, but none of them can tell the king what it means when the elderly claimed Nebuchadnezzar's widow, Belshazzar's grandmother says you know I once knew a man who could interpret messages like this. She tells them about Daniel. Evidently Daniel had long since retired from public life. Or maybe, maybe just been put out to pasture. Either way, they send for Daniel and he comes in he reads the message of the wall and he says many men that that word means numbered and that means that God has number the days of your kingdom. Belshazzar and he's brought it to an end tackle that word means weighed and it means that you have been waiting in the balances, the divine balances in your been found deficient. Unlike his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar had never humbled himself before God parson person. That means divided and that means your kingdom will this very night be divided and given to the Medes and the person's she got very night less than 50 miles away. The Army of the Medes and the Persians have coalesce to mount a joint attack against Babylon and that very night. Babylon will be overthrown and Belshazzar and all the royal family will die. This story is ultimately about how God ultimately brought down the prideful, rebellious, unjust Babylonian Empire, and how he kept his promise to restore his people Israel to the promised land.

But this story also gives us a picture into how God deals with prideful rebellious people in all times and all places. So I want us to look at the story through two different lenses.

The first is what it meant for Babylon. And then secondly, what it means for us to give you four things to that regard.

Here they argued the whole outline of front and one to talk about partying in the face of death.

Number to talk about the failure of our wisemen. The number three were to talk about the writing on the wall for all of us in the number four how the finger of God has appeared to you and to me by the way, if I could just real quick. Share a little historical tidbit before we get started for years and years and years and years and years in religion 101 classes in secular universities all over the nation. They always took this story about Belshazzar as proof that you couldn't really trust the historical details of the Bible because every historian knew every historian knew they said that the last King of Babylon, was a guy named Evan -itis never nice.

It was Nebuchadnezzar sign in fact they said there was no historical proof that anything may Belshazzar never even live the boat you go Bible is not true. Bunch of made up myths, but then not too long ago some archaeologist dug up an inscription in the Iraqi desert right around the place for the Babylonian palace would be in and guess what it revealed that never tinnitus just a couple of years before before this event had moved out into the desert and left his son, Belshazzar in charge as acting King of Babylon. The boom back at you.

The Bible is historically reliable. After all, that is why by the way, in the story Belshazzar offered Daniel as a reward. The third-highest place in the kingdom. Because technically, his dad, number nine. This was still first and he Belshazzar was second. My point here is not to disrespect secular historians or were to imply that most of them are not are not doing very good work just to say that when somebody tells you that history or science proves that the Bible is wrong.

What I found is usually just give it a little bit of time given a little bit of time you'll end up seeing that the apparent contradiction usually clears up and we gain a little more information or a better understanding of what the author was actually trying to say right message a little historical tidbit.

Therefore thinks portage number one let's talk about partying in the face of death. What is unusual about this party is that Nebuchadnezzar, assuming Belshazzar new that the combined armies of the Medes and the Persians were less than 50 miles away. He was very aware that everybody in Babylon knew that and everybody was on edge.

This was not the first time in the city had been attacked. Of course, but this one seemed different because this was a humongous well organized army. So why you and I might ask why in the face of this kind of danger. This imminent threat.

Why is he throwing a party.

We don't know exactly.

Maybe try to put on a brave face. Maybe he's trying to inspire everyone by his courage. Maybe he's trying to drown his own fears and amusement and alcohol. Maybe he is just so arrogant that he thinks Babylon can never fall many of you are are not old enough to remember this but you remember all the wacky ways that people responded to the turning of the millennium. In 1999 number that is you are are young will remember this, but there were all these doomsday theories about Y2K and a computer bug at fusion causing global computer crash that would bring civilization as we knew it to a screeching halt power grids would fail. The food supply chains would break down money would evaporate out of our banks, gas shortages and you know how that goes, people were genuinely worried they were genuinely worried some people responded by stockpiling. I knew a lot of Christians back and look at some of you right now who are not category that about five or six years after Y2K was over I was at the home of one of our our very first church planters and was just saying and open up one of his closets to get something and it was stacked floor to ceiling with nonperishable food items like 5 gallon buckets of Risa Kumar using potted Medes and I got a vague kernels and shots. What is this you cannot become a grin service sheepishly said check is out, and then he took me to every single closet in his house, which were all packed floor to ceiling with nonperishable foods and suggest what on earth is like well remember Y2K is getting a little bit of knowledge and a lot end times prophecy and you end up with $25,000 worth of food supply. There's a lot of people that responded to the fear Y2K by stockpiling others however responded by partying even became a phrase right party like it's 1999.

How many of you were a little disguised okay safe place. Hmmm, if you were a little scared when the clock actually flip that night. Your little dance. This ratio does arousal of arousal of right you were at a party. Anyway, I heard about one guy would want to be bored to his house on New Year's Eve two story when the countdown was at 30 he slid down into the basement. He could hear everybody upstairs countdown 543 21 right as the clock struck midnight he killed all the power in the house. He says people started screaming and freaking out. He said it took at least a minute before somebody went outside and figured out that the rest of the neighborhood still had power. So that was pretty awesome. That's how to do it, Belshazzar, Belshazzar, parties in the face of death is not that uncommon DEA impact the week that he party like it was 539 BC.

Why do people do this. Why is that I am not uncommon human instinct Blaise Pascal that French philosopher, I love the quote a lot said that said it, it's actually the most consistent human reaction to unpleasant thoughts about mortality is to do something to distract themselves and usually it's with amusement uses a couple of analogies. One of them use all the time.

Here's the other one is a life you said is like being in a stagecoach that is barreling toward a cliff and you know the cliff is coming and you can't stop stagecoach or get out of it. But instead of thinking about your coming death and what it means for you. You begin to distract yourself from the thought.

With observations about the beautiful scenery around your you engage in pleasant, constant conversation or witty banter with a fellow passenger sitting dear there with you in the stagecoach is going distract yourself you know it, but you don't think about you plant the question. The Jewish atheist philosopher Ernst Becker says in his book the denial of death, that in the face of our own mortality. Human beings usually turn one of three things to console ourselves. All three which by the way you see your will. Belshazzar verse. He said we tend to boast about our accomplishments as if those accomplishments give us some kind of immortality. We try to tell ourselves and our children that we've done something that is added meaning to human history and our significance. Therefore will last forever. We've really help advance our career field. We left something different in the world that that we have changed we console ourselves that we left a legacy to our children or it's a lot of money to her children.

That's gonna help future generations of our family live well you can see Belshazzar doing that here he brings out all the gold and silver that they conquered from other kingdoms to show that Babylon is special and it done what nobody ever sells nor the kingdom never done. Second, Ernst Becker said he said return romance romance EE we find meaning in the thrills of sex or or or the feeling of being treasured by someone there love you said justifies us and gives us a reason to live. We see them Belshazzar's party. Here we see is filled with all kinds of wives and concubines and sacks. Finally he said, we turn to religion return to religion to show that that never whatever is out there, we would be worthy of it. We usually let religion to console ourselves that were the best of all people and never whatever is next will be counted worthy you see that there Belshazzar and his extravagant hosting of the Babylonian gods Becker, who again was an atheist, said human beings simply cannot live in a full honest awareness of the meaning of death is that even if you are one of those rare people that others still talk about 10 years after you're gone is when they are our son itself our SUV and it's going to burn up and then there will be no trace of any of us that even we even existed. Becker said that when we die will gone then and nothing matters unless it's done for the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of a God who out last time in his rule extends beyond the grave. Steve Jobs, who was Apple's legendary founder and CEO passed away a few years ago was asked on 60 minutes right before he died was asked by the interviewer, whether he believed in God or not, thought for a minute. He said it throughout his life. Sometimes he had. Sometimes he had his about problems diagnosed with cancer. I found myself wanting to believe in severe. Interviewer said what what why that change. He said because it cannot be that when we die, but it all just fades to black all the wisdom that we have accumulated as a race all of our accomplishments.

Somehow, that has to live on. Incidentally, he said that's why he never like to put on all switches on Apple devices is that like the idea of email this to flip a switch and shut something off as explain some of your frustration at Lee's mama how to turn this thing off on the on off button is that was intentionally distant like the idea that you just live in, turn it off. A sort of slowly fade to black print what is sure life, what usually you can't party throughout your life and not think about this question. Are you prepared to die.

It is appointed unto men once to die. See, the only difference between Belshazzar and ours is that he was told the day that he would die.

You and I may not know the exact date of work in the diet might be in my behemoth now might be 10 years from now maybe 70 years from now might be this afternoon we manner the day like he did, but we are just certain of that day's inevitability. It is appointed unto you once to die, only one life to live, assume the Passover what's done for Christ will last. Are you prepared to meet God. And isn't that the only question that actually matter, so maybe it's time to stop distracting yourselves and giving false senses of meaning to yourself and think about the questions that actually matter number two we see not only party in the face of death was seen between the failure of our wisemen. The failure of our wisemen repeated theme of Daniel and the book of Daniel is the failure of babblings wisemen to deliver for the king when the questions really matter now. Obviously, the wisemen contributed something or the Babylonian king would never have kept him around today.

They did something helpful for Babylonian knowledge but consistently in the book of Daniel, when it really matters when there's a really important dream or vision or question consistently. They left the king down and each of those times. Daniel appears and reveals that there is a God in heaven who can do what the wisemen cannot do there comes a point at which the wise men of every age and every culture fail.

It does not mean that they do not have a role, it just means there comes a point with ultimate questions that day they fail us. At best, and lead us astray at worst film ask you to consider who would qualify in our culture as wisemen today.

My first say scientist and let me be very clear, science and scientists are wonderful gifts of God. They are to be revered and celebrated and trusted in their spheres of authority but we see places today were science tells us right for at least four. Science has proven unable to answer questions that we really need answers to. Somebody says to me today and I hear this on a semi regular basis. I only believe in science. Science is all that I mean always want to say really can science tell you what's right and wrong can tell you what your purpose is now as soon as a scientist stopped looking through a microscope and starts philosophizing about the meaning of life they have left science and now they're engaging in superstition or philosophy foundation was pontifications about the unknown science can tell us the what and the how but not the why only the Creator can give us the why only something or someone that is before the material world and beyond the material world and only only a creator that outlasts the material world to give us meaning to science is awesome and it fails us on the ultimate questions of life. I might add to my list of wisemen. Next, I would out our politicians and educators. Again, I think those are very valuable careers and a lot of respect for those you involved in that. But haven't they also proven unable to solve humanity's primary problems has any political philosophy proved able to correct the most basic human impulses toward corruption and greed or abuse of power. The right talks about the importance of family and traditional values and integrity in leadership and then puts up Donald Trump as their champion. The left talks about about ending discrimination but didn't leaked emails from Hollywood elites reveal that racism is as much as much a problem. They are as anywhere the left talks about caring for the poor, then it's revealed that most are not personally involved. Statistically, they give less the poverty relief than their counterparts in the right pastor Brian most of you know best, Brian on our team here just moved here from San Francisco Bay Area and he said you know if you really want to disabuse yourself of the myth that all the thought leaders on the left here about the poor. Just go to San Francisco or most of live and watch how they deal with the home was there. He said the main strategy is to get the homeless vouchers to incentivize them to go be homeless somewhere else on the outskirts of town.

He says you see rows and rows of tents of homeless people who were literally shipped out of town so they can be out of sight out of mind and not mess up the San Francisco young, single and wealthy by missing the point of all that is not the pic on the right or the left, and I know it sounds like I'm doing both norm. I try to say that nobody on the right really cares about morality that nobody in the left cares about the poor, and I'm definitely not trying to say that there's never a wiser choice in politics, you can save your emails okay. My point is simply that our political and educational wisemen have also proven unable to cure on any large-scale problems of the human race at their core in their source, which is in our hearts, so I would say just what would Babylon. These wisemen have a wonderful role in our society. But when it comes to the ultimate questions in our lives, our wisemen from Stephen Hawking to Steven jobs the party leaders on the right or left, have failed us and that means we need a word from God. That's why Daniel by the way, will let Belshazzar pay him to provide interpretation receiver 17 is like a innkeeper gifts and keep your gift to give a reward to somebody else. I'll read the description for the king and make interpretation known to him, free of charge towards us is not my word. I can't sell it to you. It's God's word. Your offering me money, offering money, Belshazzar, as if this message come from me, or belong to me. But that's not how this works. All I can do for you is tell you the truth, friend.

You need a word from God, and I will tell you what you came in here for this morning but that word didn't come from me. I can deliver it to you. I can point you to it but it didn't come for me belongs to him. You'll pay me for it.

It's something that comes straight from his mouth and what you listen to it is between you and him that you and me.

The failure of our wisemen.

By the way, don't forget that the wise men who sold the star in the sky and ultimately came to see the baby Jesus were from this region. Babylon, of course, have long since fallen by the time Jesus was born, but but the traditions and the writings of the wisemen had remained. Isn't it interesting that somehow in their writings and their traditions. These wisemen had been taught to look toward heaven for a clue about how the world would ultimately be saved.

Give me chills who encounters like this when they were taught that ultimate answers about human purpose and destiny for those answers. You had to look toward heaven and so one day God just put a star there and here's your answer in 500 years after this story, a group of them show up to see the baby Jesus and their asking where is the one who is the deliverer of the world that kind of thing happen because of stories like this. Number three we see the writing on the wall for all of us received party in the face of death. We see the failure wisemen number three the writing on the wall for all of us many, many, your days are numbered tackle weighed on the balance in been found deficient parson.

Your kingdom has been taken from you and divided. The Bible says that this will ultimately be God's verdict on all of us explain as Daniel interprets this message, he explains the nature of Belshazzar sent. First, he recounts what God and taught Belshazzar's grandfather Nebuchadnezzar how God had humbled him by making him go insane for seven years in the grass like a cow like that something addresses during this last week's messaging go back and get it and how the end of that seven years. He looked toward heaven and acknowledge that heaven rules and then Daniel said verse 22 but you Belshazzar you you have not humbled your heart even though you knew all this instead you've exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens. The vessels from God's house and brought to you and is you and your nobles, wives and concubines drank wine from him. You praise the gods made of silver and gold, which do not see or hear or understand you have not glorified the God who holds your life.

Read minutes and can you control the whole course of your life. I read that I hear Daniel charging Belshazzar with two primary things to things that I would say are the essence of all of our sin. First he says you will not worship God is God you've not given God glory are not credited God with all your power and success. When you are going to victory.

Lacking important him you raise your own hands you're not lived your life in response to him. He is not held first place in your heart instead you worship idols because you thought you could control them and you live to please yourself, not God.

That's first is the second you took the vessels that God set apart for his purposes, and you use them you commandeered them for yours.

Specifically, they Daniel identifies that the temple artifact.

Belshazzar stole from it were built.

Belshazzar grandfather stole from the Temple in Jerusalem is now using the party knives and played some goblets and candlesticks that had been consecrated to the worship of God that Belshazzar is now using for his drunken brawl but in calling this out. I believe Daniel is giving us a glimpse into the nature of all sin and writes them down. Mike is down sin consists of taking legato set apart for his purposes, and using it for our own thinking now Mr. Maddock is temple artifact. But when you really see how the New Testament talks about single seats, the same exact thing.

Maybe a few examples where we do this in our day start with an easy when your talents, your talents, your gifts and talents were given to you by God to glorify him and serve him and to not ask what purpose in your kingdom.

Did you give me these talents for that would be like stealing from God. Even if you do everything else right go to church three times a week. Jesus told a story about three servants are forgiven different units of money. One was given less than $5000 was given $3000 loan was given $1000 in the master who gave the service that money went away a long trip. Want to have 5000 children and invested it like it was supposed soon hundred 10,001 who had 3000 took it and invested it turned in the 6001 who in 1000 was very afraid of losing it. So instead of investing at like he was supposed to be dug a hole and buried. The master comes back and says okay let's see the money I gave you a suit you did with it. So the guy with 510 showed it to an end and Jesus was for the master was like. That's fantastic exactly what I wanted.

Well done, good maple syrup. Same thing that I got a 300 the six well and good maple syrup guy with one digs up the style pulls it out of the ground, hands and back of thousand dollars. Not a penny less. Not a penny more was always struck me and made me shudder is what Jesus said what the master says to this servant. He says you wicked servant when I read that I have to ask what wicked thing that had he done what wicked thing that he done and he didn't is no evidence he taken the money and bought it on prostitutes or stole whatever gambling when it he took $1000 and gave them back thousand dollars. Yet that master called that action wicked and here's my conclusion. Evidently there is more than one way in the eyes of Jesus to be wicked you can be wicked by breaking all the 10 Commandments, adultery stealing, murder by that would what we would call sins of omission, but you can also be considered wicked in the eyes of Jesus by failing to leverage your talents. For the purposes of God.

If the first is a sin of omission and the second one is a sin of omission. Let that sink in for a minute because you might be sitting here this morning thinking I'm doing pretty well. I don't break any of the 10 Commandments on a regular basis in egregious ways. I'm a pretty regular church attendance. I give faithfully to the church and yet you can still be thought of as wicked because you commandeered the talents and the resources that God gave you for his purposes, and you use them for your own you thought primarily with your talents.

How can bees benefit me what I want to do it than what got a career I want you never did anything wrong. He never broke any laws, but God sees you as wicked simply because you didn't offer there's talents… Like a blank check saying God what you want with these is why we often say here the summa church that one of the biggest myths at work in the church today is that only a few of us are called to ministry the rest of your sister go on about your merry way and just, you know, live it up and mix retirement come to church but that's basically got a call my life not yours. False God has called all believers to leverage their talent to the great commission Jesus and follow me and I'll make your fishermen reason you said to Jesus, you accepted the call to mission.

That's why we say. The question is not if you recall, the question is simply where and how is why we encourage all of our college students in our young professionals in 10 new retirees for the mission of God first and where they choose to pursue their careers or case retirement where they're going to spend the retirement lots of factors going to where you pursue your career.

I understand that we commit money good jobs. We want to live or your family lives. Also, why wouldn't the kingdom of God be the most important of all those factors for the follower of Jesus never said you would you do well the glory of God also do a summer strategic for the mission of God which are our college students and young professionals specifically to consider giving at least the first two years of your postgraduate life to go with with one of our church plants in the US or overseas. The point is all followers of Jesus, which was delayed under counsel for God's sake, what you want to do with these enter and listen to not do that is stealing from your master just like Belshazzar.

Here is a 2nd Pl. in Scripture says reseal consecrated vessels from from God, we do it with our resources Malachi the prophet, the Old Testament says more man love God will man rob God and yet you asked. Malachi said, how have we robbed you by not giving the time to me, says the Lord God means first 10% of all the God gave you you were to get back at least the first 10% and to not do the God considers my words is stealing Rodney just like Belshazzar did. The temple vessels because you are misusing a consecrated thing God said this is what I put a claim on you children used for that. That's the same thing a Belshazzar to give it one more here one more sexual sin to use somebody else for sexual gratification outside of the ways that God has prescribed God considers stealing, misusing a consecrated thing is I know that the word upon the apostle Paul uses in first Thessalonians 4 to describe sexual sin is defrauding defrauding means you stole something you don't defraud one another sexually see the body as a sacred thing is made in the image of God, believers the temple the Lord and not sexual relationship is something that was very precious to God. Said plot to be given to someone in the context of a lifelong covenant of marriage and when instead outside of that company you use somebody else for your sexual pleasure your taking a precious thing of God and using it for your own gratification and God considers that. Serious no less serious than what Belshazzar is doing the writer of Hebrews says marriage is honorable and on the bed is undefiled, but those who engage in sexual immorality. God will judge when you look at the free you are defrauding that girl or guy of her dignity.

Using what God intended to be holy and sacred as an object of your personal pleasure.serious Belshazzar course taken this into an even greater degree concubines for sex slaves.

So now he's taken this precious holy thing by force without even the consent of the person that is having sex with sexual abuse is one of the most damaging things and not be most damaging thing that you could ever do to somebody you're taking something that God considers holy by force and using it for your pleasure Belshazzar story gives you warning just how serious a God takes that Terry got three examples three examples in our day there could be many, many more. Paul says in whatever we do whatever we do wish you all the glory of God. Anything that we do that is not first and foremost done as an act of worship to him is stealing to not use every part of our body, for God's purposes and for his glory is to steal the consecrated things and to misuse them for pleasure just like Belshazzar did. So those two things, failing to worship God is God and serve him above all things, and the number two commandeering God's consecrated things for our purposes. Those are the essence of all sin and something I would say that we are all guilty of so that's why I say this handwriting on the wall is for us also men a minute. Our days are numbered. This been appointed on you and me wants to die tackle. We been weighed on the balance of found efficient.

How would you like this morning we wave these two parts of your life. These two aspects on the divine scales. Have you loved and serve God above all things have you use the time the resources and talents that God gave you for his glory and his purposes you use them for yours is the answer to those questions is not an emphatic and unqualified yes been the judgment of that last word is for you. Also, Parson, your kingdom, your life is good be taken from you what the Scriptures verdict on Allah's in the book of Romans, the apostle Paul declares for there is none righteous, there's nobody who's been weighed and found not deficient, not even one. There's no one who understands is no one to see Scott all turned aside all together they have become worthless. No one does good, not even one will have sent and fallen short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death/say the writings on the wall for all of us.

Which leads me to our last observation number four the finger of God has appeared to this generation the finger of God has appeared in this generation abuse another Seneca jetty school everything but a severed hand that appears because the divine message of the classroom wall versus a little far-fetched second house letting relevant to me coming apostle floating handed a keg party and carve me a message. I'm pretty sure I pay attention to. So that's where you need to see the bigger point of the story because there is some divine imagery at work here that you gotta pick up on.

You see, this wasn't the first time that the finger of God had appeared in Scripture. The first time that finger of God appears as in Exodus 819, when the Egyptian magicians in Pharaoh's court are unable to replicate the miracles that God was doing to Moses for the first couple plagues that Moses did the Egyptian magicians were able to mimic what Moses had done.

Somoza throws his staff on the ground and it becomes a snake while they had a Selectric rod that they can make it look like they have that power cycled the ground. It looked like it turns into a snake. Then in Exodus 8 Moses raises the stakes this time, either as a step in the ground and into the dust of the dustproof stop and turns in the next and from their naps begin the multiplying cover the face of all of Egypt Egyptian magicians, step back and why we can't touch that can duplicate that creating an optical illusion where looks like a staff turns in a snake. That's one thing but this creating NASA and dust that something on an entirely different level and so they take Pharaoh aside and tell him privately.

Exodus 819. This is the finger of God we can do this is firstly same place you see the phrase finger of God is when Moses gives the 10 Commandments Moses tells the people in Exodus 31 that these commandments were literally etched into stone by the finger of God to hear what all that means the finger of God indicates a power that only God has or direct communication from God himself. Without a human messenger to relay it, which makes Jesus's claim to be the big finger of God. Very significant. Is he Jesus did miracles. Nobody else had ever done to heal the blind walked on water, raise the dead raised himself from the dead. So in Luke 1120, he said these miracles prove the finger of God is at work among you. He claimed that the hear his voice was to hear the voice of God directly. If you see me, he told Thomas you seen the father.

If you burn Everone the father in Romans 12, the apostle Paul said that God through Christ engraved God's law on our hearts.

Just like Mohammed Daniel five wrote God's word on the plaster by the Holy Spirit, God brings changes into our lives that only he can make my point is that in the person of Jesus, the finger of God has appeared to this generation.

He appeared us. He was verified the prophecy miracles. Most of all, through his resurrection. These things show you that God is speaking to this generation. Just like the mysterious end carve the message to Belshazzar. In Jesus we are given a message that was just a serious and what is what Belshazzar received.

The question is are you going to listen.

Does the question for Belshazzar is the question for you. We offer a conclusion offer to different conclusions. You're one of those. One is for those of you who are not yet Christians, I have fully surrendered followers of Jesus, give a conclusion to those of you who are the first, for there is you are not yet fully surrendered Christians think message is obvious in many, many tackle Parson, your days are numbered been weighed in the balance and found efficient. Belshazzar got a rare gift. He was told today that he was gonna die, you may not know the day, but your death is just as certain this is. It is appointed unto man once to die. Scripture says after that, the judgment, that day is appointed for you, tackle you put on the divine scales, all of you the best of us really grandmother Teresa, you, me, your mom, your kids, all of us report on the divine scales and found efficient. All of us, in that they are going to come up on the light side of justice Charles Spurgeon concluded his message on this passage this way. Listen, I would have every man put himself into those divine scales.

These scales are true to a hair one grain of sand would tip them on one side of the scale. I put only one commandment. Also love the Lord thy God with all my heart, with all my mind with all the soul of all the straightening and I invite any man, any man who flatters himself that he has no need of mercy.

No need of Washington the blood of Jesus Christ. No need of atonement.

I invite him to put himself into the scales and see whether he measures up just that one command all my friends if we did, but way ourselves against the very first commandment of the law. We would have to acknowledge yourselves as hopelessly guilty you the image here yet, when he hears you seen are good enough to have an anxiety scale. One commandment down there.

Love W Hartsell nine you were suddenly found efficient and Spurgeon said then as we begin to walk in the weight of the other commandments until the whole sacred tenor. There there is not a man under the scope of heaven with anything left to say but must confess that he is woefully short of the mark for all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death. One day we will give an account to an absolutely holy and perfect God for every unkind thing every stray thought every dishonest action that we have ever taken your days are numbered.

You have been weighed in the balance and you have been found efficient say why don't like you got a judgment like this is what you see to see how he is reaching out to you and mercy. The psyche did Belshazzar how you build your life with warning after warning he does not want you to perish.

Once you repent and come back to him see in Jesus's words in his works. The finger of God pointing that you see the core of Jesus's message lesson was that you can never be good enough to get to heaven you can never be righteous enough to tip the scales in your favor.

So when Jesus offered you was substitution.

He offered to take divine judgment in your place.

Jesus did not come like other religious leaders to make you a better person came to take her place under divine judgment, because you, good enough person to live the life you were supposed to live a perfect life winning diving that they were condemned to die, paying the price for your sin, and so when you receive him on your side of the scale, God puts the righteousness of Christ and on the other side.

He takes away every minute condemnation again for your sin. There is nothing left on that side of the scale and that means that if you're in Christ. Christ on the scales of God's judgment on the skills of his justice were no longer deficient nothing and all of eternity could ever tip the scales of justice against you because I know your side is the internally we righteousness of Christ. That's a conclusion okay is you who are not yet Christian.

There's also something in hereto for you who are believers.

She Daniel wrote this book for Israelites who were discouraged in Babylon and is easy to get discouraged in Babylon right there where we look ever lug Babylonians are in charge and Babylonians seem to be get away with all kinds of blasphemy, injustice and cruelty at their parties. They sin with impunity to the Israelites and Daniels. They were like is not forgotten us Christians in our daily essay questions not forgotten us in 2000 years of things. Here is he gone forever. There were Israelites there like Daniel would live their whole lives under captivity committee member start to wonder if God still in charge. Does he remember arising this chapter is a resounding yes to that question of the days of wickedness are numbered. Beloved what they are numbered in the true King single return and when he returns he will restore justice and he will take us home.

The promised land to spend eternity with him. Our hope is in that day. Our hope is in dancing and that hope gives us the strength to not only survive as exiles shine as exiles in a very dark and hostile Babylon. That's the conclusion for us. Once you bow your heads up week. If you would at our campuses in the homes around the triangle as you have first category did not yet given your life to Jesus not yet surrendered, you have been weighed in the balances of found efficient. But the good news of the gospel is a crisis offered his righteousness to use in exchange you given your sin. He was righteousness you will. And right now to surrender to him surrender to him and just receive him as Savior. If you are, you can say something like this, Lord Jesus as your Lord, not me. So I surrender I receive you your offer to save me. Yes, Jesus come into my life and saving.

I believe there's a number of you that just prayed that right now so much with every head bowed never got close system very quietly take out your phone once you text the word ready our EAD live text word readiness 33933, will get in touch to show you what what that means and how to take the next step is.

You pray that in your serious text were ready 33933, as always have room service Dolby prayer teams down from 11 also talking there even better for you as you are believers, some still leave you for a moment, soaking in the good news.

He has not forgotten you and that soon he will return because of that you could shine as an exile in Babylon and point people to the glory of the Lord Jesus, you stay there for a moment, soaking at North, and delete you from