The Writing Is on the Wall, Part 2

Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer. Nobody who survives those divine skills not even want no one to understand no one who seeks God will have turned aside altogether. They have become worthless. No one does good, not even one for all have said all fall short of the glory of God.

I'm your host Molly, but abets the phrase the writing is on the wall usually means that something bad is about to happen. Your fate has been sealed about that phrase actually comes from Daniel chapter 5, King Belshazzar is hosting a party when suddenly a mysterious floating hand, appears and begins to carve a message into the plaster on the wall. Talk about terrifying. It begins etching three mysterious words into the wall and then just disappears. The three words were numbered, weighed and divided and they brought in to help interpret what these words can mean. Let's dive back into our study and Daniel as pastor Jeannie answers the question is, God still in charge writing on the wall for all parties face of the failure lies but now we see in the walls almost minimum eight days numbered chuckle even weighed in the balance and found efficient parts of your kingdom has therefore been taken from you and divided.

The Bible says that this will ultimately be God's verdict on all of us not just for Belshazzar to leave you when explain as they know interprets the message explains the nature Belshazzar said. First, he recounts what God had taught Belshazzar's grandfather Nebuchadnezzar how God humbled them by making them go insane for seven years in the grass of the cow doesn't signal some story was a blast. Which message about the end of that seven years. He looks toward heaven, and acknowledges that heaven rules but then Daniel says, verse 22 Belshazzar you you have not humbled your heart. You knew all this you know your grandfather.

You know he went through this you will your heart instead you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens.

The vessels from God's house and stole all these vessels from the Jewish Temple that were used in worship. Those they were brought to you and you and your nobles are wives and concubines drank wine from him praise the gods made out of silver and gold, which do not see or hear or understand you have not glorify the God who holds your life residence and controls the whole course of your life. Daniel charges Belshazzar as I see the two primary things to think that I would say what's this are the essence of all set. First he says Belshazzar you will not worship God is God, not giving God glory not credited God with all your power and success. When you took a victory lap. It was your hands in the air say look at me a little what I did. You did not give God glory for all your success. You have not lived your life in response to God. God has not held first place in your heart instead you worship idols because you thought you could control idols and you have live to please yourself� You live Belshazzar as if you were God and didn't belong to a God first thing second. He says you took the vessels God set apart for his purposes.

You use them for yours now. Specifically, Daniel identifies the temple artifacts the Belshazzar is now partying with knives and plates and candlesticks goblets that but that that had been consecrated to the worship of God.

The Belshazzar values of risk is drunk in his drunken bum frat party, but in calling this out.

What's this Daniel is giving us a glimpse into the nature of all sin registered direct exam sin consists of taking what God has set apart for his purposes, and commandeering them using them for our own sentence sin consists of taking what God is set apart for his purposes, and using them, commandeering them for our own limit us give you a few examples where we might see this in our society today. I will start with an easy one with your talents, your gifts and your talents were given to you by God to glorify God and to serve him with which means that the first thing you want to ask about your talents in your life is God. What purpose did you give me these four and how can I serve you and your kingdom with these.

It means that if you do not do that even if you are a person who is in charge all the time. You know all the Bible verses. You keep all the 10 Commandments are a good person you never break any of the walls you are stealing from God by not taking your talents and send God what is your purpose for these and how to use these for the purposes for which given to me. Jesus told a story about three servants who were given different units of money by their master to the one on the master just 56 $5000. 20 of $3000 and want to give $1000 leaves and goes a long journey and tell them I want you to invest this for me and multiply.

So the guy when he comes back, the guy with $5000 says turned into $10,000. Jesus, the master says well done good and faithful servant is exactly what I want when I 3000 turns it into 6000 master says well done good and faithful servant.

You get to the one who had the 1000 he's actually. He was so afraid of losing it.

Betty you want to take a chance of this route is buried.

The master said okay what you have for many diggs back up this money gives him back out thousand dollars. Just like he received was always struck me, made me shudder in my core is the master's response to that servant is you wicked servant every benefit. I think what what wicked thing that had he done it might take the money and go out, you know, been written to get prostitutes or partiers you gamble with it and desolate.

What wicked taken back $1000 what wicked thing that he done see what Jesus was saying is, evidently, there is more than one way to be wicked you can be wicked by breaking all the 10 Commandments, adultery stealing, murder will call that be wicked by sins of omission, but you can also be wicked by failing to leverage your talents. For the purposes of God. If the first is a sin of commission the second one is a sin of omission, but that sink in for a minute. You can keep all the commandments you can come to church all the time. You can hide your money and still be thought of by Jesus as wicked because you commandeered the talents that God gave you for his purposes, and you use them for your own newer model church member, you never did anything wrong.

You never break any laws but God simply sees you as wicked because you didn't offer your talents back put a blank check to God is a God what you want to do with these. Why did you give me this. I don't serve your kingdom, your purposes with these we often say here at the summit 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 us are supposed to be good to the commandments come to church and type see that we always say this, the calling to leverage your life, your talents for the great commission was included in the call to follow Jesus. Matthew 419 Jesus said, follow me and I will make you a fisherman, which means when you accepted Jesus, you accepted the call to leverage what he gave you for his purposes, so we say.

The question is not if you recall, the question I was wearing out all followers of Jesus, all of us are supposed to lay down our talents.

Whatever God gave us before you say what you want me to do with these entered not doing that is stealing from your master taking a consecrated thing you're using for your own ends like Belshazzar did you hear 2nd Pl., Scripture says we still consecrated vessels from God with your resources specifically. The prophet Malachi said it this way.

Malachi 310 Will a man rob God. Yet you say God says to Malachi get you sick. Probably robs you, God's answer by not giving the tides to make, says the Lord of all that God gave to you. He says Old Testament beyond June. I would give at least the first 10% back to God. He'd consecrated up for himself and to not do that God considers stealing misappropriation just like Belshazzar did with the Temple vessels you are misusing a consecrated thing to give you 1 More Way that we do this sexual sin, sexual sin, to use someone else for sexual gratification outside the ways that God has prescribed God considers stealing, misusing a consecrated thing. I know that because the word of the apostle Paul uses in first Thessalonians 46 to describe sexual sin is a bank account into defrauding pieces do not defraud one another sexually see the body as a sacred thing is made in the image of God for the tip for the believer. It is the temple of the Lord, and he made sex as something to be given and experienced within the safety of the context of a lifelong covenant between two people. And when you use somebody else for sexual what when you take that relationship. Take that that reality that beautiful thing out of that covenant relationship and you use someone else for your sexual pleasure you were taking a precious thing and using it for your own gratification and God considers that very serious.

No less serious than than what Belshazzar is doing it writer of Hebrews says it this way marriage is honorable in all, and the bed is undefiled. God celebrated but those who engage in sexual immorality.

God will judge when you look at pornography you are defrauding that girl or guy of her did Nick got her dignity you are using what God intended and set apart to be holy and sacred. You are using it as an object of personal pleasure, and that serious money was a more serious what Belshazzar is doing Belshazzar here.

Of course they cannot see into an even greater degree because concubines of course for sex slaves. So now he is taking this precious holy thing by force without even the consent of the person is having sex with sexual abuse is one of the most damaging things if not the most damaging thanks ever due to somebody you're taking something that God considers holy and precious by force and using it for your own pleasure.

Belshazzar story gives you a warning of how seriously God takes Jarvis's three exams are to be many, many more to the apostle Paul said that in whatever we do wish you all the glory of God is why we exist in anything that we do that is not first and foremost done as an act of worship to him is stealing because everything should be done to the glory of God and did not use every part of her body and not use her talents for God's purposes and for his glory is to steal the consecrated thing in this use it for our pleasure just like Belshazzar see there's two things, failing to worship God is God and serve him above all things are never to commandeering God's consecrated things for your own purposes is something we agreed that we are all guilty of ministry things describe the majority of my life. So that's why would say that handwriting on the wall is for all of us men.

They minute. Our days are numbered. It is appointed unto you once to Diane to meet title.

We have been weighted on the balance, and we've been found deficient. How can any of us hope to survive the divine judge of how do we think of good works on our side.

The bad works we have been weighed on the divine. What if we wage your life on the divine skills this morning with just those two things I put out there that you love and serve God above all things that your life as he always had the first place in your heart you always abate him more than anything else. You use your time and your resources and your talents that God gave you for his glory and for his purposes. You use them for yours is the answer to those questions is not an emphatic and unqualified. Guess then the judgment of that last word is for you. Also, parson, your kingdom, your life will be taken from you.

What is Scripture's verdict on all of us what is in the book of Romans, Paul declares there is none righteous, no not one. There's nobody who survives those divine skills, not even one. There's no one who understands, no one who seeks God for all have turned aside altogether. They have become worthless.

No one does good, not even one for all have sinned and all fall short of the glory of God. The wages of sin is death. This is the writing on the wall for all of us number for the finger of God has appeared to this generation finger of God is appear to this generation of your sickness and identity that's cool everything but severed hand that appears in carved the divine message of the plaster wall refers a single far-fetched second even relevant to me. I mean if I was a keg party and I saw floating handcart a message for me.

I'm pretty sure that it had to do this or you need to see the bigger point of the story.

There is some divine imagery at work here that you need to pick up on. She just was not the first time that the finger of God had appear to Scripture percent Exodus 819 Egyptian magicians in Pharaoh's court had managed to mimic the first duplex Abraham. The first one is ivory Moses comes in is that this erotic there's downturns in the snake legions of this electric rod that they could make it look like they had that power to the bed in Exodus 8 Moses raises the stakes missed on the Thursday staff in the dust and dust.

It turns in the gnats and flies in from their gnats and flies over the face of the land. Egyptian mission, which is just about what we can do that may create an optical illusion where looks like a staffer did was make it one thing, but this creating gnats out of dust that something on an entirely different level. So they tell Pharaoh privately Exodus 890 like a of this is the finger of God. This is the finger of God we can do this second place.

You see the 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 was Moses like there's no part of Moses in these commands is not my opinions. I didn't God and tell me what the right idea he did it himself is finger etched into these tablets. So here's what that means. Elizabeth the finger of God indicates a power that only God has or direct communication from God himself. With no human messenger to filter it, which makes Jesus's claim to be the finger of God. Very significant.

Jesus did miracles and nobody else could do heal the blind walked in the lottery, raise the dead rates himself from the dead and so� 1120 he said that these miracles prove that the finger of God was at work among them. He claimed that to hear his voice was to hear the voice of God directly not translated to a prophet but if you see me Thomas you seen the father if you've heard me Thomas.

You heard the father in Romans 12, the apostle Paul says that God through Christ engraved God's law into the plaster of our hearts. Just like the hand in Daniel five wrote God's word in the plaster of Belshazzar's palace by the spirit God brings changes into our lives that only he can make my point is in the person of Jesus, the finger of God has appeared to this generation.

The appeared to CPE was verified the prophecy and miracles and most of all, his resurrection, and these show you that God is speaking to this generation. Just like this mysterious and was communicating the Belshazzar in Jesus we are given a message that was just as serious as what Belshazzar received his question. You listen are you going to listen.

Belshazzar stood and did not listen and that very night he died.

Listen we offer conclusion. For those of you are not yet Christians, those of you who are not yet fully surrendered followers of Jesus Christ offer you a conclusion to draw conclusion from this passage.

For those of you are already fully surrendered Christians. For those of you who are not yet fully surrendered Christians many many days are numbered. Belshazzar had a rare gift. He was told today that he was going to die and you may not know that day, but your death is just a certain this is. It is appointed unto you, says the Lord is appointed day on the schedule is appointed unto you once to die. After that immediately judgment. It's as sure as anything is ever been true in your life you will stand before God to give an account, tackle the measure you confound efficient all of us weighed on the divine scales of God's justice, the fish, Charles Spurgeon concluded his message on this passage. This way, listen, I would have every man for himself and these divine scales. The scales are true to a hair trigger one grain of sand will tip them one side of the scale. I'll just put one command, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy mind with all my soul, with all thy strength is that one command. And I would invite any man who flatters himself that he has no need of mercy. No need of washing in the blood of Jesus Christ.

No need of atonement to think he is good enough for she is good enough to get to heaven on the road. I would invite him or her to put himself into the scales and see whether he measures up to just vest one command one command your little guy you don't know yours or mine which you and not one of us is going to say yes.

I keep that command enough Spurgeon continued all my friends if we did, but way ourselves against the very first commandment of the law. We would have to acknowledge yourself as hopelessly guilty, but then as we begin to drop and the weight of the other commandments until a whole sacred 10 are there. There is not under a man under the scope of heaven who has anything left to say but must confess that he is woefully short of the mark for all have sinned and all fallen short of the glory of God it all together become unprofitable all turned aside and gone her own weight. The wages of sin is death. If you mark iniquities who could stand in one day you and I really could give an account with absolutely holy and perfect God for every unkind thing every stray thought every dishonest action that we ever taken your days are numbered and you have been waived in the balance and found fish to recent well and on what got judgment like this to seek to see how he is reaching out to you in mercy, so she did Belshazzar help me is build your life with warning after warning he doesn't want you to perish.

He wants you to repent and come back to him seeing Jesus's words here, in his words and seen as worth the finger of God pointing at you see the core Jesus message was that you can never be good enough to get to heaven you can never be righteous enough to tip the scales in our favor to what Jesus offered to you what substitution he offered to take divine judgment in your place. He did not come to coach you and how to be a better person.

He came to pay. Take your place under divine judgment because you couldn't be a good enough person he live the life that you were supposed to live a perfect life and then he died the death that you were condemned to die in your place, paying the price for your sin, and so when you receive him onto your side of the scales. God puts the righteousness of Christ and on the other side. He takes away every bit of condemnation that came from your sin, because he paid for it on the cross that there's nothing left on that side of the scale. That means that if you're in Christ on it comes to the scales of God's justice. You're no longer deficient owner know you are eternally sufficient, because nothing in all of eternity could ever tip the scales of justice against you, because on your side, the eternally weighty righteousness of Christ.

That's the conclusion that's the conclusion. For those of you are not yet Christians that was available to consider something in here for believers to Dana wrote this book for Israelites were discouraged in Babylon is easy to get discouraged in Babylon.

It is everywhere you look.

Babylonian's are in charge and their party and we see them get away with all kinds of blasphemy and injustice and cruelty they send with impunity. Those Israelites and dangles they were saying as God forgotten us, you and me in our namesake.

Judgment 2000 years and she is here.

Is he gone forever. There were Israelites there. Daniel five, who, like Daniel and lived their whole lives under captivity, and many were wondering if God still in charge is Godzilla charts is he even remember us. This chapter is a resounding yes to that question. The days of wickedness are numbered in the true King the true king soon will return and when that king returns he will restore justice and take us home soon to the promised land. We can spend eternity with him.

Our hope is in that date. Our hope is in that king and that hope gives us strength to not only survive as exiles but to shine as exiles and are very dark and hostile Babylon who can stop the Lord our God is a lion. Our God is a lion, he is victorious, who can stop the Lord Almighty, nobody, nobody, not you, not Nebuchadnezzar, not Babylon.

Not today, not tomorrow, not cancer, not Joe Biden not Donald Trump not Kim John whatever his name is North Korea. Nobody stops the Lord. This chapter tells you friends beloved believers yes forgot those words describe you right now today serve as both a cautionary tale as well as an invitation to a better way. You're listening to Pastor Jeannie Greer on Senate life. We are in a preneed teaching series titled the book of Daniel shining in Babylon to hear this message again or to catch up on previous messages in this study.

Visit us online. Jeannie Greer.com while you're on the website will also see our featured monthly resource. This meant that the Bible study work but titled the same as our teaching series Daniel shining our newest Bible study. We need any suggested amount of $35 or more, 33 528-663-3520 when you visit us here.com I'm only inviting you to join us again Thursday arrived at the most famous story in the book of Daniel, the lion to join the stairs. We continue our study here on Senate life Jeannie