Sunday Sermons

So often our mailboxes get clogged and bogged with more junk mail than meaningful messages from those closest to us. In those rare moments, when an actual letter personally addressed to us arrives, it stands out and immediately gets our attention. The recipients of Peter’s letter surely felt the same way. In both the opening and closing verses of the letter, Peter communicates an important message that—because of all his successes and failures— carries even more weight and significance. His message comes from one who knows what he is talking about. We would certainly be wise to listen and to take heed of his exhortations.

Do you know what the longest chapter in the Bible is? Psalm 119. Located at nearly the dead-center of your Bible is the song that sings the greatness of God’s word as a means of grace to us as his people. Just as Psalm 119 is at the center of your Bible, God’s word needs to be at the center of our lives. When our attention is rightly focused on God and his word, our lives will experience God’s greatest blessing. Surprisingly, it comes from obedience.

What motivates you to worship God? There are many great reasons we might give—such as, “The Bible tells me that I should,” or “Because of all the blessings in my life.” Both of these are certainly valid reasons for our worship. But what motivates David? What are the reasons he gives for why he will extol (or praise) his “God and King”? Just as those who came before him recognized, it is the character of the LORD that prompts us to praise. When we witness his character on display through his wondrous works, we can’t help but to see why he is worthy of praise. May this testimony continue forward through us.

Where do you turn when you are in need of refuge? David makes clear where he turns: “In the LORD I take refuge.” While we all want this to be our answer, when the hard times come, we are easily distracted—whether by friends or those closest to us. Instead of finding safety in God, we opt instead to preserve our lives by our own means. This psalm gives us a clear view of where the LORD sits and how he will deal with both the righteous and the wicked. The question we must all answer: Is the LORD squarely seated on the throne in our lives?

“God bless you!” We often say this to someone going through a difficult time or after a sneeze, but what do we mean by it? What does God’s blessing look like? And what happens when his blessing goes out? Here we read that the LORD’s blessing is given to Israel to bring this same blessing to all the nations on the earth. In other words, God blessed Israel with the expressed purpose of displaying his good ways and his powerful salvation to the ends of the earth—through the ones he has blessed. In Christ, we have graciously received this same blessing. And just as God desired to see his blessing to go forth through Israel, we are called to extend his blessing by making Christ known to all the nations on earth.

As we conclude Daniel, we must consider where we have traveled. After God’s judgment upon Jerusalem, many were dragged to Babylon and forced into a new culture and lifestyle. Despite everything thrown at Daniel and his Hebrew friends, the LORD remained faithful, strengthening their resolve to honor him no matter who was in power. Though Daniel faced many trials, God communicated through him that such hardship would continue until the end, when the LORD will complete his redeeming work on the earth. As readers, we are left with the question, “How long shall it be?” Regardless of how much longer, we are called to live lives of steadfast faith, trusting in Christ’s finished work on our behalf, until he returns.

“How relevant is the Bible to me?” Reading Daniel 11, one might be tempted to think that the Bible is NOT AT ALL relevant! How can we possibly find something applicable to our lives as we read about the rise and fall of kingdoms the “North” and the”South”? Despite their efforts to thwart God’s redemptive purposes for his people, these kingdoms are long gone. Yet God’s kingdom remains. No matter the opposition that is posed against the kingdom of God, the people that know their God will stand firm. Despite countless temptations to just be like everyone else, God’s true people have remained steadfast.

Let us strive to be likewise, recognizing the pitfalls that still exist for us today.

Sometimes the most frightening thing is that which you cannot see. This is true for the child fearfully lying inside the dark bedroom or the swimmer exploring the open ocean waters. Daniel is once again given a word and vision from the LORD, though this time it comes from an angel, but one described as “a man clothed in linen…” This messenger isn’t specifically identified, yet we are told that he will give Daniel a vision of a great conflict that would soon face God’s people. Despite being given such a terrifying glimpse behind the veil, Daniel does not seem to lose his resolve to trust the LORD. How do you think he was able to remain faithful despite all the hardship he faced in his life? How can we grow to have such faith?

“How much longer will the exile last?” This was likely a question Daniel asked himself as he read Jeremiah’s words once again. Given the two visions already shown to him, Daniel needed to make sense of God’s complete control over all things and the hardship still facing God’s people. How do you respond when confronted by God’s word? Daniel turns to the LORD in a prayer of repentance—not just for his sake, but for the sake of Israel. As God’s people who wonder what is happening in this world, let us follow Daniel’s pattern and rightly devote ourselves to God and trust that all things are in his hand.

Think about everything Daniel has faced. From being dragged out of his homeland at a young age to be indoctrinated in Babylonian culture to being thrown to the lions. Through many transitions of kings and empires, Daniel experienced so much hardship, all the while growing into a most trusted leader. Time and again, God proved himself faithful to Daniel, just as he would be faithful to all his exiled people. Yet this still didn’t prepare Daniel for the vision he was given in chapter eight. The hardship that God’s people would face would not end with the exile. There was more to come. Yet God will remain faithful and would redeem his people after his appointed time. Will we trust the same, holding fast to him alone?