1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Amen. 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,000 Amen. 3 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:02,000 Amen. 4 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:36,000 He finds its peace in the confidence that God is in control and that He reigns. 5 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:43,000 But this chapter in our Bible is not just sort of an isolated vision that Daniel has. 6 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:47,000 There is a thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation. 7 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:53,000 In Genesis chapter 10, there is a table of nations listing the nations of the earth. 8 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:58,000 And in Revelation, you find the multitude of every tribe, tongue, and nation. 9 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:07,000 And there in Daniel 7, you find the king's dominion extending to all people in all places. 10 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,000 We also hear the echoes of the 110th Psalm. 11 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:17,000 The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool." 12 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,000 Jesus will take the title in Daniel chapter 7, "Son of Man." 13 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:26,000 And He uses it to describe both His glory, His authority, and His return. 14 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:33,000 And when the church is born in Acts chapter 2, Peter preaches from the 110th Psalm 15 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:40,000 to declare that Jesus is the risen Savior, and He now reigns as Lord is Christ. 16 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,000 So this chapter that we're going to find ourselves in this morning 17 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:49,000 isn't just a disconnected vision of beasts coming out of the ocean 18 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:54,000 filled with scary images and things that might be for us hard to understand, 19 00:02:54,000 --> 00:03:00,000 but rather it's a connection and a picture that God is in control in all circumstances 20 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,000 and in all areas of our life. 21 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,000 And so in a world that so often, I think, for us feels unstable, 22 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:12,000 we can stand in the same hope that Daniel had, that our King reigns forever. 23 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:18,000 His kingdom shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall not pass away. 24 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,000 Let's go ahead and pray, and then we'll read Scripture together. 25 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:27,000 God, we know You are sovereign and reign over all things on the earth, 26 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:35,000 and in our world that is so often filled with noise and confusion and fear and opposition, 27 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:41,000 and those who oppose Your kingdom and who persecute Your saints. 28 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:48,000 And as we come, sometimes we are weary and we're tired and we're struggling and we're hurting. 29 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:56,000 Remind us that You are our steady foundation, that Your Son has authority over all things. 30 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:00,000 And so we ask that You would strengthen our hearts with Your truth, 31 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:07,000 that You would unite us together under Your reign to glorify You and to shine Your light into this world. 32 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:14,000 And so we pray in the name of the King who reigns forever, Jesus Christ our Lord. It's in His name we pray. Amen. 33 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:22,000 Let's go ahead and be standing. I'm going to read Daniel 7:13, and then we'll stand and we'll read Daniel verse 14 together. 34 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,000 So this is the first part of Daniel's vision. 35 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:34,000 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, the clouds of heaven. There came one like a Son of Man, and he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him." 36 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:41,000 And so if you would read with me. "And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, 37 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:46,000 that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. 38 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:52,000 His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. 39 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:58,000 And his kingdom, one that shall not be destroyed." This is the word of the Lord. 40 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:06,000 And so as the prophet Daniel, he sees the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven, receiving an everlasting dominion. 41 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:14,000 In the book of Revelation, John sees a similar vision, fulfilled in the Lamb upon the throne. 42 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:20,000 And so our first two songs this morning, we're going to begin with Revelation's song, which is a song of praise in heaven. 43 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:27,000 And then we're going to sing Revelation of Days, sort of as we confess who Jesus is. 44 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:34,000 And so we sort of see two perspectives in the songs we're singing this morning, both the heavenly perspective and the earthly perspective. 45 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,000 So we're going to begin by singing the Revelation song. 46 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:09,000 Let's pray. 47 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:16,000 Let's pray. 48 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:25,000 Let's pray. 49 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:49,000 Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy, holy is He. Sing a new song. Heaven's mercy seat. 50 00:06:49,000 --> 00:07:13,000 Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy, holy is He. Sing a new song to Him who sits on Heaven's mercy seat. 51 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:27,000 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. 52 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:42,000 With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings. You are my everything and I will adore You. 53 00:07:42,000 --> 00:08:11,980 Thank you. 54 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Let your power be to you the only wise king. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. 55 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:47,000 With all creation I sing praise to the King of kings. You are my everything, and I will adore you. 56 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:26,000 Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder, at the mention of your name. Jesus, your name is power, breath and living water, such a marvelous mystery. 57 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:53,000 Holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. With all creation I sing praise to the King of Peace. You are my everything, and I will adore You. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. 58 00:09:53,000 --> 00:10:16,000 Holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. With all creation I sing praise to the King of Peace. You are my everything, and I will adore You. 59 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Holy, holy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy, holy is He. 60 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,000 Amen. 61 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,000 Amen. 62 00:11:53,000 --> 00:12:20,000 For His moment shall remain and ever stay. Oh, the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. 63 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:47,000 Oh, the dread of night. Oh, the world's my soul. Be with me. I am not alone. Oh, His love is sure. And He knows my name. 64 00:12:47,000 --> 00:13:14,000 For my God is the Ancient of Days. Lord of love Him. Lord before Him. All of time in His hand. For His glory shall be made and never saved. 65 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:33,000 For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For my God is the Ancient of Days. 66 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:40,000 For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. 67 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:49,000 For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. 68 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:56,000 For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. 69 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:52,000 For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. 70 00:14:52,000 --> 00:15:16,000 For the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Oh, my God is the Ancient of Days. Thank you. 71 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,000 Thank you. 72 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,000 Thank you. 73 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,000 Thank you. 74 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,000 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 75 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:25,000 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 76 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:55,000 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 77 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:53,000 Thank you. 78 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:29,000 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 79 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:57,000 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 80 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,000 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 81 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,000 Thank you. 82 00:22:52,000 --> 00:23:21,980 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 83 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:51,980 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 84 00:23:52,000 --> 00:24:21,980 For more information, visit www.fema.org. 85 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:50,000 As we have just come before God in prayer, one of the things that we are reminded of as we read through so many of these Old Testament prophets, 86 00:25:50,000 --> 00:26:02,000 is that when we see who God truly is and we see who we truly are, we become much more aware of our weakness, our sinfulness, and our need for God's grace. 87 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:08,000 So in this vision we'll look at in a few minutes, Daniel sees the holiness of the ancient of days. 88 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:18,000 And even though the peace are terrifying, I think Daniel is still troubled and feels small before the glory of God, but in that vision of God's glory, 89 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:24,000 there is also hope because the Son of Man comes and reigns in mercy and truth. 90 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:29,000 And in fact, that word, "Son of Man," that name is Jesus' favorite name for Himself. 91 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:37,000 And in fact, we'll read in just a little bit from the Gospel of Mark that Jesus will put that term that we see in Daniel 7, 92 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:42,000 "Son of Man," together with this verse in Isaiah 53, verse 6. 93 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:53,000 "All we like sheep have gone astray, and we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." 94 00:26:53,000 --> 00:27:03,000 All right, the good news for us as God's people is the same King who reigns over every kingdom is also the Lamb, as we sang earlier, who was slain for us. 95 00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:12,000 And so in him our sins are forgiven, and our hearts are made new. And so we're going to, in this moment, sing. 96 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:27,000 And our purpose in this song, "I Set My Hope," is to both confess our brokenness, to confess our struggles, but also to be assured of where hope anchors our soul. 97 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:34,000 So we're going to sing "I Set My Hope," and then we're going to move into "Christ Our Hope in Life and Death." 98 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:56,000 When this life of trials tests my faith, I set my hope on Jesus. 99 00:27:56,000 --> 00:28:05,000 When the questions come and doubts remain, I set my hope on Jesus. 100 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:15,000 For the deepest wounds the time won't heal. There's a joy that runs still deeper. 101 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:25,000 There's a truth that's more than all I feel. I set my hope on Jesus. 102 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:45,000 I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. Who set his heart upon me first? I set my hope on Jesus. 103 00:28:54,000 --> 00:29:23,000 I set my hope on Jesus. When I feel the fight and sink within, I set my hope on Jesus. Though the shame would draw me in its sea, and I dread the wave of justice. I will cast my hope on Jesus. 104 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:52,000 I will cast my life on Calvary. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My life, my only trust. You set His heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. 105 00:29:52,000 --> 00:30:21,000 I set my hope on Jesus. Though the world call me to leave my Lord, I set my hope on Jesus. Though it offer all its favor, I set my hope on Jesus. 106 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:50,000 Through all its vain rewards, I set my hope on Jesus. Though this heart of mine is prone to stray, give me grace enough to finish. Till I worship on that final day, I set my hope on Jesus. 107 00:30:50,000 --> 00:31:19,000 I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. Who set his heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. 108 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:33,000 Who set his heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. 109 00:31:49,000 --> 00:32:11,000 What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone, Christ alone. What is our only confidence? That our souls to him belong. 110 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:33,000 Who holds our days within his hand? What comes apart from his command? And what will keep us to the end? The love of Christ in which we stand. 111 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:55,000 Oh, sing hallelujah. Our hope stays eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah. Now and ever we confess Christ our hope and love and love. 112 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:29,000 What truth can cause the troubled soul. God is good. God is good. Where is His grace and goodness known? In our great Redeemer's blood. Who holds our faith when fears arise. Who stands above the storm 113 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:57,000 The child who sends the waves that bring us now. Unto the shore of the rock of Christ. Oh, sing hallelujah. Our hope is eternal. Oh, sing hallelujah. Now and then we confess. 114 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:01,000 Christ, I won't be alive again. 115 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:25,000 And if we will pray, what will we sing? Christ, He lives. Christ, He lives. And what reward will heaven bring? Everlasting life within us. 116 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:49,000 There we will rise to meet the Lord. Then sin and death will be destroyed. And we will feast in endless joy. When Christ is ours forevermore. 117 00:34:49,000 --> 00:35:11,000 Let's sing. Hallelujah. Our hope is eternal. Let's sing. Hallelujah. Now that we can face, Christ our hope will ever be. Let's sing. 118 00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:33,000 Let's sing. Hallelujah. Our hope is eternal. Let's sing. Hallelujah. Now that we can face, Christ our hope will ever be. Let's sing. 119 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:41,000 Now that we can face, Christ our hope will ever be. 120 00:35:41,000 --> 00:36:01,000 In Matthew, the 14th chapter, there's a very familiar account from the life of Jesus. He has been ministering with his disciples. He has fed the 5,000. 121 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:09,000 And Jesus has gone up to the mountain to pray, and the disciples have taken the boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. 122 00:36:09,000 --> 00:36:17,000 And as they are traveling across this, a storm rises, and the waves begin to get bigger, and the wind begins to blow. 123 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:28,000 And Mark's account tells us that Jesus sees that they're struggling to make headway, and so he goes down to meet the boat, not on the shore, but by walking across the water. 124 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:37,000 Now, the people in the boat are understandably fearful. Here comes a guy walking on the water. That's not normally something that we see done. 125 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:47,000 And so after Jesus reassures them, Peter, in sort of his very normal, exuberant way, says, "If it's really you, let me come walk on the water to you." 126 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:55,000 And in that, you see Peter's sort of unrelenting trust in the power of Jesus. And so Peter jumps out of the boat, begins to walk on water. 127 00:36:55,000 --> 00:37:05,000 And Matthew chapter 14 says this, "But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and it began to sink, and cried out, 'Lord, save me.'" 128 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:16,000 And so Peter, in his joy at seeing Jesus, and in his remarkable faith in his power, jumps out. But then, like many of us, he begins to do this sort of mental calculation. 129 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:22,000 Yes, I know Jesus is walking on the water. I know he's walked on the water. But these waves are very big. 130 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:27,000 This wind is very strong, and what happens if I can't walk on the water? 131 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:37,000 And in that moment, he takes his eyes, like we do, off Jesus, and fixes them on the storms of life, and begins to sink. 132 00:37:37,000 --> 00:37:49,000 And so Jesus, in this, grabs a hold of Peter's hand, lifts him out of the water, refocuses him on Jesus. 133 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:53,000 And as we come to this table, this is what is necessary for our hearts. 134 00:37:53,000 --> 00:38:02,000 Because many of us have walked through the difficulties, maybe big, maybe small, the frustrations and the storms and the winds and the waves, 135 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:09,000 and we need this moment where Jesus reaches out to us and turns our eyes to him. 136 00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:16,000 What you find is a people who are focused on their Savior. It's remarkable. 137 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:26,000 In Daniel chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, facing the fire, say, "Our God is able to deliver us, but even if he doesn't, we will not bow." 138 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:32,000 Their hope stretched beyond this life and was anchored not in safety, but in God himself. 139 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:41,000 And in Daniel chapter 6, as Daniel faces the lions, his trust doesn't waver, even as his life is threatened. 140 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:45,000 And with windows open, he kneels and he prays to the God who gives life. 141 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:52,000 It's interesting, chronologically, between this comes Daniel chapter 7, where we're going to be this morning. 142 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:57,000 And Daniel sees a picture of sort of what's happening behind the scenes. 143 00:38:57,000 --> 00:39:04,000 Right? Not the fiery furnace. That's happened earlier. The den of lions hasn't happened yet. 144 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:09,000 But Daniel sees beasts and chaos and brokenness. 145 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:14,000 And it's something where fear begins to fill the earth. However, in the midst of 146 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:19,000 that terrifying vision, above it all is a throne that cannot be moved, 147 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,000 and a Son of Man who receives an everlasting kingdom. 148 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:29,000 This same Son of Man is Christ Jesus. And He one day will walk the earth. 149 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:33,000 He faces death. He conquers it. 150 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:38,000 And even though the nations rage, they cannot win. 151 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:43,000 And so this table reminds us of that victory. 152 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:47,000 The bread speaks of His broken body to us. 153 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:53,000 The cup proclaims His blood that is poured out, that brings us life in the new covenant. 154 00:39:53,000 --> 00:40:02,000 And so as we eat and drink, we remember, as we just sang, that in life and death, our hope is in Christ alone. 155 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,000 This is my prayer as we partake of this in just a moment. 156 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:12,000 This moment will fix your eyes on Jesus, that it will strengthen you, encourage you, and nourish you 157 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:16,000 in the truth of who He is and what He has done. Let's pray. 158 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:22,000 Father in heaven, we thank you for the salvation that you have given to us. 159 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:28,000 We thank you that you are in control of all things, whether we understand, 160 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:34,000 whether we can see where it goes ahead of us, we know that you are in control. 161 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:41,000 And so we ask that you would calm our hearts, that you would strengthen our wills 162 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:47,000 by your spirit and through your power to stand for what is right, that you would anchor us 163 00:40:47,000 --> 00:40:53,000 to the rock that is your Son, and that you would fix our eyes on what truly matters. 164 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:58,000 I ask that you bless this bread and this cup. May we proclaim your Son until He comes again. 165 00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:01,000 It's in His name we pray. Amen. 166 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:05,000 If you would partake of the bread with me. 167 00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:10,000 Jesus says, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 168 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:26,000 This cup is the new covenant in Jesus' blood, and He commands us to do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of Him. 169 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:37,000 And so we come so very thankful for God's unshakable mercy and His eternal reign to broken sinners. 170 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:43,000 So we're going to be in Daniel. Let me grab my remote Daniel chapter 7 this morning. 171 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:52,000 We're going to take a look at how God reigns over all things in the midst of this sort of chaotic and hard to understand text. 172 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:58,000 One of the realities that you and I experience is sometimes what is happening in front of us 173 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:07,000 maybe appears to us more vivid and grabs our attention more than the truth of what we know is really happening. 174 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:12,000 And so sometimes we find ourselves in fear and confusion and weariness. 175 00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:17,000 We'll see this is where Daniel finds himself in the midst of this chapter. 176 00:42:17,000 --> 00:42:22,000 And so we want to see how God moves in our hearts. 177 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,000 So let's go ahead and pray, and then we'll dive into his word. 178 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:32,000 Father, be with us as we unpack this text that for us might be difficult to understand. 179 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:40,000 So we ask that you would give us understanding that as we come sometimes tired, 180 00:42:40,000 --> 00:42:45,000 sometimes feeling like we've been pursued or chased through life, 181 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:51,000 maybe fearful or worried or overwhelmed or seemingly living in the midst of chaos, 182 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:55,000 may you calm our hearts with the truth of your word. 183 00:42:55,000 --> 00:42:58,000 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 184 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:05,000 So we have transitioned in Daniel from sort of the outward public part of the book, which is in the first six chapters, 185 00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:11,000 to sort of the inward part of the book where we see what is going on behind the scenes. 186 00:43:11,000 --> 00:43:18,000 And so this morning we're actually going to jump backwards just a little bit into the life of Daniel 187 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:23,000 before the lion's den and see this vision that God has given. 188 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:34,000 And so what we will do is sort of see Daniel as he is stuck in the middle between these beasts on one hand, but also living for God's kingdom. 189 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:41,000 And so while life sometimes seems overwhelming, what we see in Daniel is that God is in control and we are not alone. 190 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:51,000 So we're going to pick it up at the very, very beginning. And this chapter is very much a terrifying reality. 191 00:43:51,000 --> 00:43:58,000 We'll hear later on that Daniel's heart is troubled, and the reality is what we see on this earth can shake us. 192 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:02,000 And Daniel's dream or this vision, it's really more of a nightmare. 193 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:07,000 And what we're going to see as we walk through it in this first section is that it just gets worse. 194 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:14,000 And then it gets worse. And when you think it can't get any more bad, it just gets worse again. 195 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:19,000 And so it begins like this in Daniel chapter 7 and verse 2. 196 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:26,000 Like every good story begins and every story that Snoopy ever writes, "It was a dark and stormy night." 197 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:34,000 And Daniel declared, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea." 198 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:42,000 Now, in ancient times, the sea is a picture of chaos. But notice this is not your ordinary chaos, right? 199 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:54,000 The four winds of heaven, what that means is north, south, east, and west, all directions of the wind coming from every direction are making it even more chaotic. 200 00:44:54,000 --> 00:45:01,000 This is not orderly waves. It's not a good time to take your kite to the beach or to break out the sailboat. 201 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:09,000 What we're talking about is in this storm, a dark and dangerous sea picturing chaos made even more chaotic 202 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:19,000 by coming from every direction, not just chaos, but chaos that surrounds and chaos where there is no escape. 203 00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:26,000 And to add to this dark and stormy night, what we find is that it's filled with monsters. 204 00:45:26,000 --> 00:45:34,000 And four great beasts came up out of the sea different from one another. And so these beasts now add to the chaos. 205 00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:42,000 These are not thinking, logical, trainable animals, but abominations, as we'll see, that are bent on destruction and chaos. 206 00:45:42,000 --> 00:45:48,000 And there are four of them. And in part, what we see is there's not just one kind of monster, right? 207 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:55,000 There are things that you and I are not afraid of. And if we're thinking about monsters, somebody may say, "Well, I'm scared of ghosts." 208 00:45:55,000 --> 00:45:59,000 And we go, "Well, I'm not scared of ghosts." And somebody else says, "Well, I'm scared of zombies." 209 00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:10,000 Well, I'm not scared of zombies, right? There are things that we aren't scared of, but in these four beasts, what we see is there's something that terrifies every single person. 210 00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:19,000 Basically, in these beasts, you're covering all of the nightmares in regard to the chaos of the world that surrounds us. 211 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:26,000 So not only is it a dark and stormy night, not only is it filled with monsters, these are not ordinary monsters. 212 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:34,000 Let's take a look. The first was like a lion but had eagle's wings, and I continued watching until its wings were torn off. 213 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:42,000 It was lifted up from the ground and set on its feet like a man and given a human mind. 214 00:46:42,000 --> 00:46:49,000 And then we go just a little bit further from this picture of power that moves swiftly 215 00:46:49,000 --> 00:46:54,000 and then somehow is transformed through this traumatic moment to this. 216 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:58,000 Suddenly another beast appears, a second one, that looked like a bear, 217 00:46:58,000 --> 00:47:03,000 and it was raised up on one side with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, 218 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:06,000 and it was told, "Get up and feast on flesh." 219 00:47:06,000 --> 00:47:11,000 And so here is a big fat bear, and it's sort of laying on its side, and it has ribs in its mouth. 220 00:47:11,000 --> 00:47:17,000 It's obviously eating, obviously has gorged itself, and my guess is, we aren't told this, 221 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:22,000 my guess is these are not like elk ribs that the bear is chewing on. 222 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:32,000 But then a voice comes to this bear as it gorges itself and goes, "Hey, get up and go eat some more things." 223 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:37,000 Right? It's told to get up and go and to move. 224 00:47:37,000 --> 00:47:42,000 Now the third beast is even more of an abomination, and while I was watching, another beast appears. 225 00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:45,000 It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. 226 00:47:45,000 --> 00:47:50,000 It had four heads, and it was given dominion, so not only does it move fast, 227 00:47:50,000 --> 00:47:54,000 but it can fly, and it has four heads that look in every direction. 228 00:47:54,000 --> 00:47:56,000 Right? You cannot escape. 229 00:47:56,000 --> 00:47:59,000 And then the fourth beast is even more frightening and dreadful. 230 00:47:59,000 --> 00:48:09,000 And the only description we have of this beast are found in the implements of destruction that it uses. 231 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:18,000 And so after this while, I was watching in the night visions, and suddenly a fourth beast appeared. 232 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:27,000 Frightening, dreadful, and incredibly strong. With large iron teeth, it devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. 233 00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:31,000 And it was different from all the beasts before it, and it had ten horns. 234 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:38,000 And while I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. 235 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:46,000 And suddenly in this horn there were eyes, like the eyes of a human, and a mouth that was speaking arrogantly. 236 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:55,000 Later we'll learn about the claws which are made of bronze. And so you have in this nightmarish picture of the fourth beast's strength, 237 00:48:55,000 --> 00:49:02,000 large iron teeth, feet that trample. It breaks, devours, and crushes. And then it has ten horns. 238 00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:10,000 Now, biblically, horns are pictures of power and strength. And notice, right, this is not a unicorn with one horn, right? 239 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:15,000 It's not a cow with two, but it has ten horns. And if you're Daniel, you have to look at this and go, 240 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:23,000 like, that's too many horns. And then in the middle of that, three of these horns get ripped up, another horn grows, 241 00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:30,000 and it begins speaking arrogantly. And so it is a dark and it is a stormy night filled with monsters. 242 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:38,000 And these are not ordinary monsters, but worst of all, these monsters are real. 243 00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:51,000 In verse 17, we find this. These huge beasts, four in number, are four kings that will rise from the earth. 244 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:58,000 And what you find is that these four beasts represent four great kingdoms. 245 00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:05,000 You have Babylon, Medo-Persia, the Greeks, and the Romans. And right for us, we say, well, that's a weird picture. 246 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:09,000 We're using animals or beasts to describe nations. We do it today. 247 00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:15,000 Right? So on our patriotic 4th of July close, what bird do we have on everything? Right? A bald eagle. 248 00:50:15,000 --> 00:50:19,000 We talk about Russia. Well, we have the Russian bear. 249 00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:26,000 So this is not, for us, an unfamiliar thought that these beasts could represent nations. 250 00:50:26,000 --> 00:50:34,000 And we've seen nations already symbolized in chapter 2 by this statue, and now we're going to see them symbolized by these beasts. 251 00:50:34,000 --> 00:50:45,000 And as you dig into it, it begins to make sense that first beast, the lion with the wings, and the wings are torn off, and then its mind is given back, and it begins to stand up and walk on two feet. 252 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:56,000 Very much a picture of what happens with Nebuchadnezzar as he turns into a beast in a field, and as he acknowledges God, God lifts him up and restores him to power. 253 00:50:56,000 --> 00:51:05,000 In the bear, you see the hunger of the Medes and the Persians, but it's the third beast that things begin to get very interesting. 254 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:12,000 The beast with four heads, when Alexander dies in 323, you know how many parts Greece breaks into? 255 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:19,000 It breaks into four kingdoms of the four heads of the beast, and what we'll find is this is not just people guessing, going, 256 00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:24,000 well, this third beast is probably Greece because of this, because in chapter 8, God is going to be, 257 00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:37,000 when Greece breaks up into these kingdoms, it's confirmed. And the fourth beast we see in these first few verses is the terrifying power of Rome. 258 00:51:37,000 --> 00:51:44,000 These are not just some sort of political cartoons making fun of one aspect or another of a nation, right? 259 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:53,000 It is dark. It is stormy. There are monsters. They are terrifying, and they represent Babylon, the Medes, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. 260 00:51:53,000 --> 00:52:05,000 This succession of kingdoms. However, it gets even worse, right? It's not the end of the story for the fourth beast. 261 00:52:05,000 --> 00:52:13,000 Maybe you've watched those infomercial ads where it says, you know, something like, "Well, order today and we'll send you not one, not two, not three, not four." 262 00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:22,000 But 17 French fry makers will include the recipe case, the car battery attachment, and the jet pack add-on. 263 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:34,000 This is sort of what happens with the darkness that we see in the book of Daniel. It's not just dark and stormy, and there's monsters, and the monsters are real, but it's about to get much, much worse. 264 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:49,000 In verse 23 he said, "As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth and trample it down and break it into pieces." 265 00:52:49,000 --> 00:53:01,000 And while in the first section we see the fourth beast symbolizing the Roman Empire, it seems that as this fourth beast gets expounded upon, 266 00:53:01,000 --> 00:53:13,000 it's not just the Roman Empire, but it seems to go beyond. And so some have identified this as continuing to all ungodly governments, 267 00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:28,000 that they all, as they grow out of the evil that we see, elevating themselves and bringing chaos to others. In fact, all ungodly governments that we remember in history 268 00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:39,000 exhibit some of these same characteristics. There are others who see it as also a specific final government. And the question 269 00:53:39,000 --> 00:53:47,000 that people have argued about year after year, century after century, is this just sort of a picture of all ungodly 270 00:53:47,000 --> 00:53:57,000 governments, or is there one sort of great final ungodly government? I think probably the answer is yes. And you have 271 00:53:57,000 --> 00:54:05,000 this picture of brokenness. If it hasn't already gotten bad, it gets a little worse. This destruction 272 00:54:05,000 --> 00:54:12,000 becomes targeted against God's people. And as I look, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over 273 00:54:12,000 --> 00:54:21,000 them. Not only is there chaos and beasts, but they target God's people. And what you find is in 274 00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:28,000 Revelation, chapter 13, there is a passage about a beast that comes out of the ocean with a bunch of horns 275 00:54:28,000 --> 00:54:34,000 and ten heads. And you find this. It was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And 276 00:54:34,000 --> 00:54:41,000 authority was given to it over every tribe and people and language and nation. John will say it like 277 00:54:41,000 --> 00:54:47,000 this, "Children, it is the last hour. As you have heard, the Antichrist is coming. So now many 278 00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:54,000 of the Antichrist have come. Therefore, we know it is the last hour that this picture of evil and chaos 279 00:54:54,000 --> 00:55:03,000 for God's people and this opposition is ongoing." And I think we see in this beast that first pictures 280 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:11,000 Rome, but then pictures ultimately all ungodly governments. And the question is, does it 281 00:55:11,000 --> 00:55:17,000 culminate in one sort of terrible government? Maybe. Jesus does say that today has enough 282 00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:25,000 worries of its own. So I want you to look at this bad news. The stormy darkness, the monsters that grow 283 00:55:25,000 --> 00:55:31,000 increasingly strong and increasingly hostile, and where do we find ourselves? In Daniel chapter 7, 284 00:55:31,000 --> 00:55:37,000 verse 25, hear this, "He shall speak words against the Most High," and this is what I want you to see, 285 00:55:37,000 --> 00:55:45,000 "and he shall wear out the saints of the Most High." It kind of hits close to home 286 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:57,000 to hear that and to feel it. "He shall wear out the saints of the Most High." And maybe we don't feel that all the time, 287 00:55:57,000 --> 00:56:05,000 but there are days where we feel it much more deeply than others. And when we look at the power that is 288 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:13,000 opposed to God in this world filled with chaos and brokenness, right, our hearts are going to struggle. 289 00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:21,000 Our hearts are going to be worn out. They're going to be tired. They're going to be hurting. They're going to be fearful. 290 00:56:21,000 --> 00:56:29,000 And what we need is something that directs our attention in a different way. Just like when we're outside with the puppy 291 00:56:29,000 --> 00:56:34,000 who really wants to go chase the squirrels. I'm not sure if he's trying to play with them 292 00:56:34,000 --> 00:56:41,000 or if he's trying to rid our neighborhood of that menace that is the squirrels that live there. But if we're outside and we're 293 00:56:41,000 --> 00:56:45,000 playing with him, and we look and there's a squirrel running across the backyard where they run. 294 00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:51,000 We grab his attention. We're like, "Ranger! Ranger! Look! Look! Look!" And he's staring at you as the squirrel runs to safety. 295 00:56:51,000 --> 00:56:57,000 It doesn't just work with dogs, but it also, like when little kids are learning to walk and they're toddling around, 296 00:56:57,000 --> 00:57:03,000 and they take that fall, and they're not hurt, but that fall startles them, and the tendency is to cry. 297 00:57:03,000 --> 00:57:09,000 What do we do? We go, "Oh, good job!" And we distract them with our joyful praise of what they've done. 298 00:57:09,000 --> 00:57:15,000 And it doesn't just work when we're little. There are times, maybe you've done this or had this done to you, 299 00:57:15,000 --> 00:57:19,000 where somebody in the midst of a physical struggle goes, "Look at me." 300 00:57:19,000 --> 00:57:26,000 Right? Don't look at what's happening around you. Don't think about the pain or the suffering, but look at me. 301 00:57:26,000 --> 00:57:35,000 And what God does to Daniel in this dark and stormy night, filled with chaos and monsters that get worse and worse and worse 302 00:57:35,000 --> 00:57:45,000 until they become undescribable, except for their power to destroy and to crush and to trample. 303 00:57:45,000 --> 00:57:54,000 God, in the midst of this, lifts Daniel's eyes to see what is happening above it all. 304 00:57:54,000 --> 00:57:58,000 And in the same way as He lifts Daniel's eyes, He is lifting ours. 305 00:57:58,000 --> 00:58:04,000 And so here in the darkness of the storm and in the chaos, we see the heavenly reality. 306 00:58:04,000 --> 00:58:10,000 "As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took a seat. 307 00:58:10,000 --> 00:58:14,000 His clothing was white as snow, the hair of His head was like pure wool. 308 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:19,000 His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels were burning fire. 309 00:58:19,000 --> 00:58:27,000 A stream of fire issued and came out from before Him, and a thousand thousand served Him. 310 00:58:27,000 --> 00:58:33,000 And 10,000 times 10,000 stood before Him, and the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. 311 00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:39,000 And so in the midst of all of the bad news about the beasts, the vision shifts. 312 00:58:39,000 --> 00:58:47,000 And what's remarkable is that as you look at the Ancient of Days, He contrasts these beasts in every way possible. 313 00:58:47,000 --> 00:58:54,000 While the beasts are filled with darkness and chaos, what you see in this picture is order and light. 314 00:58:54,000 --> 00:59:02,000 Right? Things aren't happening in the midst of a storm or the midst of winds from every direction. Right? Seats are laid out intentionally. 315 00:59:02,000 --> 00:59:07,000 There is a throne that is sat upon intentionally. 316 00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:13,000 And while the beasts represent out-of-control desires that lead to destruction. 317 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:21,000 Right? You see in the white hair of the Ancient of Days, both a picture of a holiness and a picture of His eternal nature. 318 00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:31,000 And you see the Ancient of Days firmly in control on His throne, filled with great power and flames. 319 00:59:31,000 --> 00:59:42,000 And it's surrounded by a massive army, and then, not in a chaotic manner, the books are opened. 320 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:57,000 So to contrast the darkness and the storminess, we have order and light and judgment coming from the One who is eternal and who is holy and who sees all things and sits upon His throne. 321 00:59:57,000 --> 01:00:02,000 And then there's another vision. Listen to what Daniel sees next. 322 01:00:02,000 --> 01:00:12,000 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came One like a Son of Man, and He came to the ancient of days and was presented before Him. 323 01:00:12,000 --> 01:00:18,000 And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. 324 01:00:18,000 --> 01:00:26,000 His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His kingdom is one that shall not be destroyed." 325 01:00:26,000 --> 01:00:33,000 Just as the beasts seem to overwhelm by never stopping with bad news, right, here's more good news. 326 01:00:33,000 --> 01:00:40,000 Another character enters the scene, the Son of Man. He comes not from the chaos of the oceans, but from the glory of heaven. 327 01:00:40,000 --> 01:00:47,000 He is glorious, and He is given complete dominion. And while the other kingdoms come one after another, 328 01:00:47,000 --> 01:00:55,000 or are given time limits, in verse 25, a time, times, half a time, right, the kingdom of the Son of Man is an everlasting kingdom 329 01:00:55,000 --> 01:01:03,000 that shall not pass away. And what's remarkable is the authority in these visions. They're not reacting 330 01:01:03,000 --> 01:01:09,000 in sort of an emergency way, being surprised by something. They are in control. They have been in control, 331 01:01:09,000 --> 01:01:15,000 and will be in control, right? This is not an emergency. Somebody quick call 911, right? 332 01:01:15,000 --> 01:01:24,000 While the beasts, in their stormy darkness rage, God is still on the throne, and in holiness, and in righteousness, 333 01:01:24,000 --> 01:01:36,000 is opening His books of judgment, and the Ancient of Days still rules an everlasting kingdom that shall never be destroyed. 334 01:01:36,000 --> 01:01:47,000 And so what now? This is the unseen reality that holds us firm when the world shakes. 335 01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:53,000 And what Daniel now finds himself in, he's sort of stuck. On one hand, he's in the midst of the beast, 336 01:01:53,000 --> 01:02:01,000 and in Daniel's life, right, it's the end of the lion with the wings and the beginning of the air with the ribs. 337 01:02:01,000 --> 01:02:07,000 So on one hand, there is chaos and struggle and hurt. But on the other hand, there is the Ancient of Days 338 01:02:07,000 --> 01:02:15,000 and the Son of Man who rule and judge all things in righteousness and complete opposite to the brokenness we see in the world. 339 01:02:15,000 --> 01:02:22,000 And here is Daniel stretched in between them. But it's not just Daniel, right? 340 01:02:22,000 --> 01:02:35,000 Here we stand, stretched between the chaos and the darkness and the hope of the Ancient of Days and in the Son of Man. 341 01:02:35,000 --> 01:02:40,000 You can actually hear in this chapter Daniel's struggle to be stretched between these two things. 342 01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:49,000 Listen in verse 15, "As for me, Daniel, my spirit within me was anxious, and the visions of my head alarmed me." 343 01:02:49,000 --> 01:02:57,000 This is not Daniel after he's only seen the beast. This is after Daniel has seen the beast in the Ancient of Days. 344 01:02:57,000 --> 01:03:04,000 "I desired the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrified." 345 01:03:04,000 --> 01:03:16,000 Now, at this point Daniel has seen the beast, the Ancient of Days, the descending king, and the Son of Man who reigns over all things. 346 01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:22,000 And he's still struggling with fear. And in verse 28, at the very end of the chapter, "Vision complete." 347 01:03:22,000 --> 01:03:29,000 "As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly alarmed me, my color changed, and I kept the matter in my heart." 348 01:03:29,000 --> 01:03:35,000 There are the beasts, and there is the everlasting kingdom of our God, and Daniel finds himself living in the same place we do, 349 01:03:35,000 --> 01:03:43,000 between the struggle and the brokenness of this world, and the reality that God is decisively on the throne. 350 01:03:43,000 --> 01:03:48,000 We see it here. If you want this chapter in just two verses. 351 01:03:48,000 --> 01:03:53,000 If you want to know what this chapter is all about, it's this: 352 01:03:53,000 --> 01:04:00,000 "These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth, but the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom 353 01:04:00,000 --> 01:04:07,000 and possess the kingdom forever, forever, and ever." 354 01:04:07,000 --> 01:04:12,000 Now these visions, I think, unlike what has happened in the church so often, are not meant to start an argument. 355 01:04:12,000 --> 01:04:19,000 They're not meant to terrify or discourage, but rather that God's people in the midst of the darkness and the chaos 356 01:04:19,000 --> 01:04:28,000 and the ravaging beast will see the greatness and the goodness of God, and that we will be secure in his faithfulness. 357 01:04:28,000 --> 01:04:34,000 And for Daniel, that was certainly true, because this happens before Daniel ever goes to the lion's den. 358 01:04:34,000 --> 01:04:41,000 And so maybe you're a Christian and it feels like you're surrounded by the oceans filled with chaos, with opposition, 359 01:04:41,000 --> 01:04:49,000 and you're struggling with brokenness. There is one on the throne, but more than that, 360 01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:58,000 God the Father, the Ancient of Days, sends God the Son, the Son of Man to come near. 361 01:04:58,000 --> 01:05:05,000 "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, there came one like a Son of Man, 362 01:05:05,000 --> 01:05:10,000 and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him." Do you know who this is? 363 01:05:10,000 --> 01:05:18,000 In the center of it all, between the chaos of the broken world and the holy righteous judgment of the Ancient of Days, 364 01:05:18,000 --> 01:05:25,000 stands the Son of Man. This is Jesus' favorite way to describe himself. 365 01:05:25,000 --> 01:05:30,000 Almost 70 times in Matthew and Mark and Luke, he describes himself as the Son of Man. 366 01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:37,000 Twelve times in the Gospel of John, he calls himself the Son of Man. Let me just show you two. 367 01:05:37,000 --> 01:05:46,000 Here is the words of Jesus, "For even as the Son of Man came not to serve, but to be served, and to give his life as a ransom for many." 368 01:05:46,000 --> 01:05:52,000 And going back just a few verses, they're going to Jerusalem, and Jesus says, 369 01:05:52,000 --> 01:05:56,000 "The Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes. 370 01:05:56,000 --> 01:06:01,000 They will contend him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles, and they will kill him. 371 01:06:01,000 --> 01:06:06,000 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him and kill him, and after three days he will rise." 372 01:06:07,000 --> 01:06:17,000 And here is the Son of Man. Between the broken chaos of the fourth beast and the glorious righteousness of the judgment of heaven, 373 01:06:17,000 --> 01:06:24,000 he takes the place of a broken people facing the judgment that they deserve. 374 01:06:24,000 --> 01:06:35,000 The Son of Man literally stands between and is hung between the chaos and brokenness of this world and the judgment of heaven in our place. 375 01:06:35,000 --> 01:06:41,000 And the result of seeing Jesus in this way is that when we face those trials and this brokenness, 376 01:06:41,000 --> 01:06:47,000 Stephen, as he dies, has a vision of heaven being opened in Acts 7. 377 01:06:47,000 --> 01:06:53,000 And he says, "Behold, I see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 378 01:06:53,000 --> 01:06:58,000 The Son of Man standing to welcome Stephen home. 379 01:06:58,000 --> 01:07:07,000 And John, on the Isle of Patmos, on that Lord's Day, as he is praying in the midst of the lampstands, 380 01:07:07,000 --> 01:07:13,000 he has this vision, "One like a Son of Man," clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash, 381 01:07:13,000 --> 01:07:18,000 and he falls to the ground, both worship and likely in dread. 382 01:07:18,000 --> 01:07:25,000 And if you read Revelation 1, the Son of Man, Jesus, comes over, puts his hand on his shoulder, lifts him up, 383 01:07:25,000 --> 01:07:34,000 and John sees his Savior face to face, right? The beasts threaten, they attack, sometimes they kill, 384 01:07:34,000 --> 01:07:41,000 but there is a Son of Man who saves and he brings us to a kingdom that never ends. 385 01:07:41,000 --> 01:07:48,000 And the call for faithfulness in Daniel chapter 7 means that even sometimes in the midst of fear, 386 01:07:48,000 --> 01:07:58,000 with tears in our eyes, praying that what we feel is taken from us. And it isn't always taken from us, 387 01:07:58,000 --> 01:08:07,000 but we are given the strength to walk through it. In the fiery furnace and in the lion's den, 388 01:08:07,000 --> 01:08:17,000 the picture of hope is not that the trial is completely removed, but that God is with us in the midst of that trial. 389 01:08:17,000 --> 01:08:27,000 That the Son of Man not only stands in our place and takes our judgment, but He stands with us. 390 01:08:27,000 --> 01:08:33,000 And as we see in Acts chapter 7, one day will welcome us home. 391 01:08:33,000 --> 01:08:46,000 Father in heaven, as we look at a world that seems increasingly chaotic and increasingly broken, and increasingly filled with hurt and sin, 392 01:08:46,000 --> 01:08:55,000 and that which seeks to devour the souls of men, may You focus our eyes on You, the Ancient of Days, 393 01:08:55,000 --> 01:09:01,000 who comes in glory and power and strength and might. And may we see the goodness of Your Son who comes, 394 01:09:01,000 --> 01:09:11,000 and first of all stands in our place, and makes a way for us, away from the chaos and through the judgment, 395 01:09:11,000 --> 01:09:18,000 ultimately to have peace and hope in You. It's in His name we pray. Amen. 396 01:09:18,000 --> 01:09:29,000 We're going to stand and sing. One of the remarkable things about these parts of Daniel is how closely they picture parts of Revelation. 397 01:09:29,000 --> 01:09:38,000 And so, just as Daniel sees this vision of the future, and in some parts impacting his current reality, 398 01:09:38,000 --> 01:09:43,000 we look forward to the day when Jesus returns. So let's sing, and then we'll sing on that day. 399 01:10:08,000 --> 01:10:10,000 We'll sing. 400 01:10:38,000 --> 01:10:57,000 We will praise you as we lift our voices one till that day. We will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. 401 01:11:01,000 --> 01:11:24,000 What a blessed home, though now tired and warm. We will spend eternity around our Savior's thorns. Though we grieve our losses, we grieve not in vain. For we know our crown of glory weighs beyond the grave. On that day, we will see our Lord's glory. 402 01:11:24,000 --> 01:11:39,000 On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you as we lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing. On that glory. 403 01:11:39,000 --> 01:11:54,000 We lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing. On that glorious day. 404 01:11:54,000 --> 01:12:09,000 Hallelujah, what a day it will be. For at home with you, my joy is to be. As I'm only to you, my joy is to be. 405 01:12:09,000 --> 01:12:24,000 Hallelujah, what a day it will be. For at home with you, my joy is to be. As I'm only to your arms open wide, I must see you. My Father who is waiting for me. Hallelujah, what a day it will be. 406 01:12:24,000 --> 01:12:36,000 Hallelujah, what a day it will be. For at home with you, my joy is to be. As I'm only to your arms open wide, I must see you. My Father who is waiting for me. Hallelujah, what a day it will be. 407 01:12:36,000 --> 01:13:03,000 Hallelujah, what a day it will be. For at home with you, my joy is to be. As I run into your arms open wide, I will sing. My Father who is waiting for me. My Father who is waiting for me. 408 01:13:03,000 --> 01:13:30,000 My Father who is waiting for me. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you as we lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. And we will keep on singing. 409 01:13:30,000 --> 01:13:57,000 And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. On that day, we will see you shining brighter than the sun. On that day, we will know you as we lift our voices one. Till that day, we will praise you for your never-ending grace. 410 01:13:57,000 --> 01:14:11,000 And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. And we will keep on singing on that glorious day. 411 01:14:24,000 --> 01:14:36,000 Just a couple of quick announcements before we close. It is Soup Sunday, so we'd encourage you to join us downstairs right after the service for a time of food and fellowship. 412 01:14:36,000 --> 01:14:48,000 If you haven't had a chance and you brought soup, there are some little black card things, and there's a chalk pen there if you want to write the name of your soup and put it out so we can see what's what. 413 01:14:48,000 --> 01:15:00,000 We also have some take-home containers. If you want to take home some soup, they're in the kitchen. We'd like to deliver some to a couple folks that we need. 414 01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:08,000 But if there are any leftovers that you don't want to take home, one of the things we would like to try to do today is we might sort of container that up. 415 01:15:08,000 --> 01:15:23,000 And downtown there is what is called the Freege. It's just the Free Fridge. And we thought about taking some of our leftover containers down there with the church name on it and putting them out there for those who need that at the end. 416 01:15:23,000 --> 01:15:30,000 So that's the Soup Sunday announcement. We're here Wednesday night at 6 p.m. for our Wednesday night Bible study. 417 01:15:30,000 --> 01:15:46,000 Just a reminder, you can find usually on Sunday afternoon or Monday afternoon, all of the sermon is on our website as well as the handouts or the devotions that go along with that. 418 01:15:46,000 --> 01:15:54,000 Next Sunday is Children's Church. And so what I'm going to do is we're going to close in prayer. I'm going to go ahead and pray now for the soup. 419 01:15:54,000 --> 01:16:03,000 So as we get stuff ready, we can go ahead and eat together, and then we'll read a Scripture, share with you a blessing, and sing the doxology. 420 01:16:03,000 --> 01:16:11,000 Father in heaven, thank you for how you provide for us. Thank you for how you have saved us. Thank you for the hope that we have. 421 01:16:11,000 --> 01:16:18,000 Thank you for the fellowship we have with your people. So be with us this afternoon or this morning as we gather and share a meal. 422 01:16:18,000 --> 01:16:26,000 May we encourage and strengthen one another. We thank you for your good gifts. It's in your son's name we pray. Amen. 423 01:16:26,000 --> 01:16:37,000 Revelation chapter 1, beginning in verse 5, the second part of verse 5, simply says this: 424 01:16:37,000 --> 01:16:45,000 "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to his God and Father, 425 01:16:45,000 --> 01:16:50,000 for him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 426 01:16:50,000 --> 01:16:54,000 And so as we get ready to go, I want to remind you of this: 427 01:16:54,000 --> 01:17:01,000 that the same Son of Man who Daniel saw in his glory coming with the clouds of heaven is Christ Jesus, 428 01:17:01,000 --> 01:17:07,000 the one who has loved you, who loves you and freed you from his sins, and he does so by his blood. 429 01:17:07,000 --> 01:17:12,000 And so you belong as a Christian to his kingdom. You serve under the ancient of days, 430 01:17:12,000 --> 01:17:16,000 and no power in this world can shake what he has established. 431 01:17:16,000 --> 01:17:21,000 And so we want to go into this week full of hope, living as his people, 432 01:17:21,000 --> 01:17:26,000 confident in his rule, resting in his mercy and his grace, 433 01:17:26,000 --> 01:17:29,000 looking forward to the day when we will see him again. 434 01:17:29,000 --> 01:17:36,000 And as John writes in Revelation, "To him be glory and dominion forever and ever." Amen. 435 01:17:42,000 --> 01:18:07,000 Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 436 01:18:12,000 --> 01:18:17,000 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 437 01:18:42,000 --> 01:18:44,000 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 438 01:19:12,000 --> 01:19:14,000 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 439 01:19:42,000 --> 01:19:44,000 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 440 01:20:42,000 --> 01:20:44,000 Father, Son, and Son. 441 01:21:12,000 --> 01:21:14,000 Father, Son, and Son. 442 01:21:42,000 --> 01:21:44,000 Father, Son, and Son. 443 01:23:12,000 --> 01:23:14,000 Father, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son, Son.