1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Amen. 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:58,000 We want to welcome you to worship this morning at College Park. Just a couple of quick announcements as we get started. There are bulletins with sermon outlines in the middle of them. If you want to follow along with the sermon or with our order of worship this morning. 3 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:11,000 There are also communion elements on that table as well. If you would like to participate with us as we celebrate the good news of the gospel and are nourished by the sacrifice of Jesus. 4 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:24,000 So this morning, we've been moving through the book of Daniel, and we come to Daniel chapter 9, which probably most of us are familiar with that because of the last verses, this prophecy of the 70 weeks. 5 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:38,000 But the reality of Daniel chapter 9 is that the majority of it is a prayer from Daniel, a prayer of confession. And what's remarkable about Daniel chapter 9 is that it begins with confession. 6 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:52,000 As Daniel confesses his sins and the sins of his nation, it moves from confession to comfort and then to the confidence that we have in God's sovereignty over all things. 7 00:01:52,000 --> 00:02:01,000 And so, sometimes we find ourselves in seasons of waiting, and we need to be reminded this morning that our hope rests in the truth. 8 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:07,000 As it's written in Lamentations, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases." 9 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:15,000 And so, what we're going to do this morning as we worship is we're going to lift our eyes to the God whose mercies are new every morning. 10 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:21,000 And before we do that, we're going to go to him in prayer, and then we will read some Scripture and sing together. 11 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:32,000 Father God, I thank you that your mercies truly are new every morning, and that your faithfulness is truly great. 12 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:40,000 So, teach us this morning as we come to worship to confess our brokenness honestly. 13 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:50,000 May we rest in your steadfast love. May you help us to live with confidence in the fact that you rule over all things. 14 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:57,000 We ask and we pray that you will be honored as we sing and as we read your word, as we gather together around the table, 15 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:04,000 as we are assured of your goodness through our word, as we fellowship with one another, as we pray together. 16 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:11,000 May all things that we do glorify you. It's in your son's name we pray. Amen. 17 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:19,000 If you would be standing, we're going to read from Lamentations chapter 3 together, and then we're going to sing "10,000 Reasons." 18 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:30,000 So if you would, read with me. "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. 19 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:46,000 His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul. There is a blessing to him." 20 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,000 We're going to start by singing "10,000 Reasons." 21 00:03:49,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul. Worship his holy name. 22 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:26,000 Sing like never before, O my soul. I'll worship your holy name. 23 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:42,000 The sun comes up. It's a new day dawning. It's time to sing your song. 24 00:04:42,000 --> 00:05:00,000 Again, whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me. Let me be singing when the evening dawns. 25 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:11,000 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O my soul. 26 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:16,000 Worship His holy name. 27 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:24,000 Sing like never before. O my soul. 28 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:29,000 I'll worship Your holy name. 29 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:57,000 You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger. Your name is great, and Your heart is kind. For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing. 30 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:20,000 Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find. Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul. Worship His holy name. 31 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:35,000 Sin like never before, O my soul, I'll worship Your holy name. 32 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:49,000 And on that day when my strength is failing, the end draws me, and my time has come. 33 00:06:49,000 --> 00:07:10,000 Still my soul will sing Your praise unending. Ten thousand years and then forevermore. 34 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:18,000 Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul. 35 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:36,000 Worship His holy name. Sing like never before, O my soul. I'll worship Your holy name. 36 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:47,000 Bless the Lord, O my soul, O my soul. Worship His holy name. 37 00:07:47,000 --> 00:08:16,000 Sing like never before, O my soul. I'll worship Your holy name. Yes, I will worship Your holy name. Lord, I'll worship Your holy name. 38 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:37,000 Lord, I'll worship Your holy name. Let's pray. Let's pray. Let's pray. Let's pray. Let's pray. 39 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:56,000 Remember those walls that we called sin and shame? They were like prisons that we couldn't escape. But He came, and He died, and He rose. Those walls are rubble now. 40 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:19,000 Remember those giants we called death and grave? They were like mountains that stood in our way. But He came, and He died, and He rose. Those giants are dead now. 41 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:44,000 This is our God. This is who He is. He loves us. This is our God. This is what He does. He saves us. He bore the cross, beat the grave, let heaven and earth proclaim. This is our God, King Jesus. 42 00:09:44,000 --> 00:10:12,000 That fear that took our breath away. Faith so weak that we could barely pray. But He heard every word, every whisper. Now those altars in the wilderness tell the story of His faithfulness. 43 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Never once did He fail, and He never will. This is our God. This is who He is. He loves us. This is our God. This is what He does. He saves us. He bore the cross, beat the grave. Let heaven and earth proclaim. 44 00:10:40,000 --> 00:11:08,000 This is our God, King Jesus. This is our God. This is who He is. He loves us. This is our God. This is what He does. He saves us. He bore the cross, beat the grave. Let heaven and earth proclaim. This is our God, King Jesus. 45 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:19,000 He bore the cross, beat the grave. Let heaven and earth proclaim. This is our God, King Jesus. 46 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:40,000 Amen. 47 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:10,000 Amen. 48 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:40,000 Amen. 49 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:25,000 When we think of biblical confession, it is not simply just the acknowledgement of our sin. It begins with an acknowledgement, first of all, of who God is. 50 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:36,000 In Daniel, in the ninth chapter, Daniel begins his prayer, not by listing his failures, but by proclaiming that God is great and awesome and faithful. 51 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:44,000 In fact, here's how Daniel prays as he begins to confess. He doesn't begin by confessing sin, but he begins by confessing God's greatness. 52 00:43:44,000 --> 00:43:58,000 "I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments." 53 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:13,000 And so as we come before him this morning in this portion of our service, we want to do both kinds of confession, both confessing God's greatness, as Daniel does, and confessing our sin, which Daniel does next. 54 00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:21,000 "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him." 55 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:30,000 And as we do those things, as we look to God's greatness and we see our brokenness, we are assured of this. 56 00:44:30,000 --> 00:44:36,000 And I'll ask you, just as we read earlier, to read this together with me. Let's go ahead and read from 1 John 1:9. 57 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:48,000 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 58 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:58,000 This is the word of the Lord. In Christ, our guilt is removed. Our hearts are renewed. Our confidence is restored. 59 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:05,000 And so we want to sing as we lead into our time around the table of God's unfailing faithfulness. 60 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:09,000 And what we're going to do is we're going to sing a song that's familiar, I think, to most of us. 61 00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:15,000 "I Set My Hope on Jesus." And as we sing it, you'll see there's sort of an outline that runs through it. 62 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:22,000 It's going to begin with the trials of life. And in the second part, the middle of the song, it moves into a war with sin. 63 00:45:22,000 --> 00:45:32,000 And it ends with this call from outside to trust in other things. And through it all is this refrain, "I Set My Hope on Jesus." 64 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:40,000 And so as we come in confession of God's greatness and in confession of our sin and in assurance of forgiveness, 65 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:46,000 we want to set our hope on Jesus. And then following this, we will move into our time of communion. 66 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:48,000 So let's sing together. 67 00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:39,980 When the questions come and doubts remain, I set my hope on Jesus. For the deepest wounds the time won't heal. There's a joy that runs still deeper. There's a truth that's more than all I feel. I set my hope on Jesus. 68 00:46:39,980 --> 00:47:09,960 I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. Who set his heart upon me first? I set my hope on Jesus. 69 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:39,940 I set my hope on Jesus. When I feel the fight and sink within, I set my hope on Jesus. Though the shame would drown me in its sea, and I dread the wave of justice. 70 00:47:39,940 --> 00:48:09,920 I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My God, my only trust. You set His heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. 71 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:39,900 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 vain rewards, I set my hope on Jesus. 72 00:48:39,900 --> 00:49:09,880 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. I set my hope on Jesus. 73 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:39,860 I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. My rock, my only trust. I set his heart upon me first. I set my hope on Jesus. 74 00:49:39,860 --> 00:49:42,860 I set my hope on Jesus. I set my hope on Jesus. 75 00:49:42,860 --> 00:49:46,860 I set my hope on Jesus. 76 00:49:46,860 --> 00:50:09,840 And as we come to the table, we do so in clear acknowledgement that we are sinners. 77 00:50:09,840 --> 00:50:39,820 Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 1 says this, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of, among whom you once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of the flesh. 78 00:50:39,820 --> 00:51:09,800 And when we hold this bread and we hold this cup, one of the things that we are doing is we are admitting that sin is real, and that the price of that sin is life and blood, and that we have no hope apart from the mercy of God." And so we come to this table declaring that we are broken by sin, but we also declare that God is faithful. 79 00:51:09,800 --> 00:51:39,780 But God, being rich in mercy and because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved. True confession of both God's greatness and our brokenness isn't meant to lead us into shame, but rather out of shame, into the light of 80 00:51:39,780 --> 00:52:09,760 God's truth and leads us to grace. And God has answered our cry. You see, we look back on the finished work of Christ, and we hear these words that we are loved, but God being rich in mercy because of the great love with which He loved us. You see, the cross is a declaration 81 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:39,740 that we are greatly loved. And so we come confessing. We come taking comfort in the salvation that we have in Christ. And we know that Jesus' body was broken for us, and His blood was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. And as we eat and drink, we are reminded that the price for our sins has been paid in full, and we cannot be separated 82 00:52:39,740 --> 00:53:09,720 from the love of God. And it is well with my soul. Philip Bliss says this, "My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part but the whole, has been nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul." 83 00:53:09,720 --> 00:53:23,720 And seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show us the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 84 00:53:23,720 --> 00:53:39,700 We come with confession, we come finding comfort, and we come with confidence. The same Lord who redeemed us will return. The same hands that were pierced now hold all of history. 85 00:53:39,700 --> 00:53:48,700 And even when things feel uncertain, this bread in this cup reminds us that our God reigns. 86 00:53:48,700 --> 00:54:00,700 And so not only do we have confidence, we proclaim that confidence. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 87 00:54:00,700 --> 00:54:09,680 If you would pray with me. Father, we are so thankful that you meet our sin with grace. 88 00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:19,680 We thank you for the truth of knowing that in Christ our sins are forgiven, that your love is unchanging. 89 00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:27,680 And we thank you for the confidence that we have, that history and our lives are held secure within our hands. 90 00:54:27,680 --> 00:54:33,680 And as we partake of this bread and this cup, remind us again that we are greatly loved. 91 00:54:33,680 --> 00:54:39,660 I ask that you bless this bread and this cup. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 92 00:54:39,660 --> 00:54:46,660 If you would, take the bread with me that directs us to the body of Christ given for us. 93 00:54:46,660 --> 00:54:50,660 And let's remember Jesus together as we partake of the bread. 94 00:54:50,660 --> 00:55:00,660 This cup, Jesus says, is the new covenant in His blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins. 95 00:55:00,660 --> 00:55:07,660 So let's drink together in gratitude for His grace. 96 00:55:07,660 --> 00:55:19,660 Because of Christ's sacrifice, we leave this table not in guilt, but filled with grace, not afraid, but in faith. 97 00:55:19,660 --> 00:55:26,660 That in Christ He is our comfort, He is our confidence, and He is our coming King. 98 00:55:26,660 --> 00:55:29,660 We're going to be in Daniel chapter 9 this morning. 99 00:55:29,660 --> 00:55:35,660 If you'd like to follow along in your Bible or there are handouts in the bulletin. 100 00:55:35,660 --> 00:55:37,660 Let's see if we can make this work. 101 00:55:37,660 --> 00:55:42,660 I'm going to go ahead and pray, and then we will just dive right into it. 102 00:55:42,660 --> 00:55:46,660 Father in heaven, be with us this morning. 103 00:55:46,660 --> 00:55:49,660 Help us to see your goodness and your grace. 104 00:55:49,660 --> 00:55:52,660 May you encourage our weary and often struggling hearts. 105 00:55:52,660 --> 00:55:54,660 May you humble our pride. 106 00:55:54,660 --> 00:56:00,660 May you direct us to your sovereign rule in all things. 107 00:56:00,660 --> 00:56:10,660 As empires rise and empires fall, remind us that your kingdom is not only unshaken, but it advances. 108 00:56:10,660 --> 00:56:14,660 And that you have the final say in all things. 109 00:56:14,660 --> 00:56:16,660 So encourage your people. 110 00:56:16,660 --> 00:56:19,660 Give us courage for what lies ahead. 111 00:56:19,660 --> 00:56:21,660 Give us strength. 112 00:56:21,660 --> 00:56:25,660 And most of all, remind us of your mercy and grace. 113 00:56:25,660 --> 00:56:30,660 May you open our hearts to hear and understand and respond to the gospel. 114 00:56:30,660 --> 00:56:34,660 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 115 00:56:34,660 --> 00:56:39,660 I don't know about you, but waiting does not often come easy to me. 116 00:56:39,660 --> 00:56:49,660 So yesterday, a friend and I were going into D.C. to watch a play about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien at the Bible Museum. 117 00:56:49,660 --> 00:56:55,660 And so when he originally texted me and said, "Hey, here's our schedule. It was a group text with our wives." 118 00:56:55,660 --> 00:57:02,660 He's like, "Hey, we've got to be there at 2, so we need to be on the Metro at like 1:15, so we can leave the church at like 12:15." 119 00:57:02,660 --> 00:57:12,660 And his wife just responds, and if you've had a wife in a text message respond like this, you know it's just "okay," but with like spelled out like "okay." 120 00:57:12,660 --> 00:57:18,660 And we knew immediately something had messed up. And he's like, "You guys need to be there at least an hour early." 121 00:57:18,660 --> 00:57:29,660 Okay, so we ended up leaving at 11 o'clock. Things did not quite go according to plan, and at 1:45, we're still sitting on the Metro. 122 00:57:29,660 --> 00:57:36,660 We've got like another 20 minutes to be at the play that starts at 2, and of course we can't tell anybody that they were right, right? 123 00:57:36,660 --> 00:57:41,660 But we're sitting there, and we're like, "Well, what are we going to do? Like, we'll get off. We've got 500 yards. We can run. 124 00:57:41,660 --> 00:57:46,660 Neither of us are runners, but in an emergency, right, we can make it." 125 00:57:48,660 --> 00:57:57,660 The Metro, because you're just farther away, right? You've just got to sit, and your whole time is at the mercy of someone else. 126 00:57:57,660 --> 00:58:04,660 It's not a very good feeling, right? What am I doing? What am I supposed to be doing? How can I fix this? How can I make it better? 127 00:58:04,660 --> 00:58:12,660 How can we get there faster? Here's the reality. Most of us are not great in those moments where we are stuck waiting. 128 00:58:12,660 --> 00:58:17,660 And biblically, there's not a lot of people who are great in those moments of waiting, right? 129 00:58:17,660 --> 00:58:21,660 Abraham and Sarah, as they wait for God's promise, don't do very well. 130 00:58:21,660 --> 00:58:34,660 Saul, as he waits for Samuel at the sacrifice. We can move through Scripture and see that God's people oftentimes struggle, just as we do, with those moments where we wait. 131 00:58:34,660 --> 00:58:46,660 There's a moment in Exodus chapter 14 where God's people are stuck. In front of them is the Red Sea. Behind them is Pharaoh's army. Surrounding them is the wilderness. 132 00:58:46,660 --> 00:58:54,660 In that moment, they're stuck, and there's nowhere else to go. And do you know what Moses tells God's people in that moment? 133 00:58:54,660 --> 00:59:11,660 He says to them this, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord." He goes on to say, "He will work, and you will never see the descriptions behind you again." 134 00:59:11,660 --> 00:59:15,660 This is not an easy thing. If we are in this situation, what are we going to want to do? 135 00:59:15,660 --> 00:59:21,660 We're going to want to try to manufacture a way forward. Like, bring up the pontoon bridge. 136 00:59:21,660 --> 00:59:27,660 Let's go across this body of water. Let's figure out a way around. Let's head into the wilderness. 137 00:59:27,660 --> 00:59:33,660 Maybe we can run. Maybe we can hide. Let's turn around and let's fight for our lives, our backs against the wall. 138 00:59:33,660 --> 00:59:44,660 There's nothing fiercer than a people defending their family. And God doesn't send them forward. He doesn't send them backward. 139 00:59:44,660 --> 00:59:53,660 He doesn't send them to the left or to the right. The message is this, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord." 140 00:59:53,660 --> 01:00:02,660 And notice that the waiting that God's people are in, in this moment, as their enemies come, as their way is blocked, as the wilderness surrounds them, 141 01:00:02,660 --> 01:00:13,660 that what is happening, it's not passive. They're not waiting on a metro for the right stop. They're not waiting at an airport for their flight. But it is active. 142 01:00:13,660 --> 01:00:24,660 Fear not. Confront your fear with the truth of who God is. Stand firm, right? Don't run, don't hide, don't cower, but stand firm. 143 01:00:24,660 --> 01:00:34,660 And then look and see with your eyes the salvation of the Lord, right? There is a picture here of faithfully standing firm in the power of God. 144 01:00:34,660 --> 01:00:42,660 This is not an inactive waiting. And this is where we find Daniel this morning in Daniel chapter 9. 145 01:00:42,660 --> 01:00:49,660 Daniel, at this point in his life, he's been in captivity for 70 years. 146 01:00:49,660 --> 01:00:59,660 He's got to be in his 80s, depending on when he went. He's somewhere between his early 80s and his late 80s. 147 01:00:59,660 --> 01:01:08,660 He's faithfully stood, and he has faithfully seen the salvation of the Lord time after time, and he has to be tired. 148 01:01:08,660 --> 01:01:13,660 What I find as I get older, and I'm not that old yet, I don't think, 149 01:01:13,660 --> 01:01:18,660 is that there's a lot of times where I'm just like, "I want to go home." 150 01:01:18,660 --> 01:01:22,660 Like, we're out doing something, it's like, "You know what? I just want to go home." 151 01:01:22,660 --> 01:01:25,660 Like, "I don't want to be here. I want to go home." 152 01:01:25,660 --> 01:01:30,660 And I think as we get older, that feeling gets deeper within us. 153 01:01:30,660 --> 01:01:36,660 And here is Daniel. He hasn't seen his home since he's a teenager. 154 01:01:36,660 --> 01:01:41,660 He's far from the people of God and the city of God. 155 01:01:41,660 --> 01:01:43,660 And he's far from home. 156 01:01:43,660 --> 01:01:47,660 I want you to see what Daniel is doing during the period of his life. 157 01:01:47,660 --> 01:01:54,660 You don't have to go deep into the book of Daniel to know that this book is almost over. 158 01:01:54,660 --> 01:01:59,660 And so what is Daniel doing as he's in his 80s, as he has stood firm, 159 01:01:59,660 --> 01:02:02,660 as he has seen the salvation of the Lord time and time again? 160 01:02:02,660 --> 01:02:04,660 What is he doing? Take a look. 161 01:02:04,660 --> 01:02:14,660 In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, by descent Amid, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans in the first year of his reign, 162 01:02:14,660 --> 01:02:21,660 I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, 163 01:02:21,660 --> 01:02:26,660 must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely 70 years. 164 01:02:26,660 --> 01:02:33,660 Then I turned my face, the Lord God seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting, 165 01:02:33,660 --> 01:02:43,660 and sackcloth and ashes. The first thing that Daniel does as he waits is he opens up the word of God and he dives deeply into it. 166 01:02:43,660 --> 01:02:52,660 He's not just reading through the prophet Jeremiah as a way to check off his daily chapters on his Bible reading list. 167 01:02:52,660 --> 01:03:02,660 He is diving deep and seeking to understand what Jeremiah says. And specifically, in Jeremiah chapter 25 168 01:03:02,660 --> 01:03:10,660 and in Jeremiah chapter 25, you're going to find the words that Daniel is referring to. 169 01:03:10,660 --> 01:03:17,660 What's interesting is later on in verse 8, Daniel is going to talk about the guilt of three groups: kings, princes, and fathers. 170 01:03:17,660 --> 01:03:26,660 And what's interesting is in Jeremiah chapter 44, the sinful behavior of the people takes place with a complete knowledge 171 01:03:26,660 --> 01:03:31,660 and also the approval of three very similar groups. So Daniel isn't just sort of picking 172 01:03:31,660 --> 01:03:38,660 out a couple verses here and a couple verses there, but it seems as if, woven through the prayer that comes, 173 01:03:38,660 --> 01:03:44,660 and including in this little background that Daniel gives us, that he has not just simply read this, 174 01:03:44,660 --> 01:03:49,660 he has studied the Word of God deeply. The second thing that Daniel's doing is this: 175 01:03:49,660 --> 01:03:58,660 "I turn my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by prayer." Not just the general sense of "Thank you for this day, 176 01:03:58,660 --> 01:04:05,660 help us to have a good day," but in specifics, like what we just did, where we talked about the hurts and the joys 177 01:04:05,660 --> 01:04:11,660 and the sorrows and the struggles of life in a specific way, and then specifically prayed for them. 178 01:04:11,660 --> 01:04:18,660 Daniel is doing exactly that as he waits. And he's not just dealing with specific requests, 179 01:04:18,660 --> 01:04:25,660 but he's taking the Word of God and applying it to his heart in his prayers as he prays. 180 01:04:25,660 --> 01:04:29,660 And if you consider Daniel's faithfulness throughout this book, and you might say, 181 01:04:29,660 --> 01:04:36,660 "How is Daniel able to be so faithful as a young man in a foreign land, as he faces the impossible task 182 01:04:36,660 --> 01:04:44,660 of interpreting a dream that he doesn't even know, as he stands before the king with bad news, 183 01:04:44,660 --> 01:04:53,660 as he prays in defiance of the decree? How is he able to be faithful in a hostile land so far from home?" 184 01:04:53,660 --> 01:05:01,660 And the answer is simply this: Daniel's roots go down deep. You see, what we see in Daniel's public life, 185 01:05:01,660 --> 01:05:07,660 his courage, his wisdom, his faith, is the fruit of what is happening in his private life. 186 01:05:07,660 --> 01:05:14,660 And what you see Daniel doing is he is not led by his heart, but he is leading his heart through Scripture. 187 01:05:14,660 --> 01:05:21,660 And he leads his heart to both the greatness and goodness of God. And the same is true for us. Our public faith 188 01:05:21,660 --> 01:05:29,660 will never rise higher than our private walk with God. And one of the reasons I think this chapter is so 189 01:05:29,660 --> 01:05:36,660 important for God's people is because we are now led into this wonderful picture of how it is to wait for the Lord. 190 01:05:36,660 --> 01:05:42,660 Here he is, far from home, in a foreign land, surrounded by people who are frequently hostile to him. 191 01:05:42,660 --> 01:05:49,660 How do we live in that moment? Because it sounds a lot like our world. Here we are, far from home, 192 01:05:49,660 --> 01:05:57,660 sometimes feeling like we are strangers and aliens in a world that is so frequently seeming hostile. 193 01:05:57,660 --> 01:06:10,660 How do we wait for the Lord? Here's Daniel. He's reading and praying and worshiping, and he's been waiting now for 70 years. 194 01:06:10,660 --> 01:06:17,660 There's another reason this chapter is so important. It not only shows us that Daniel prays, but it shows us how he prays. 195 01:06:17,660 --> 01:06:28,660 It shows us what anchors his prayer, that he knows God's character, that he trusts Him, and he lives his life in God. 196 01:06:28,660 --> 01:06:36,660 His prayer, what we'll see, is going to begin with confession. It's going to lead into comfort from God and confidence in God. 197 01:06:36,660 --> 01:06:45,660 You and I struggle in our waiting. It's the simple reality of life. Maybe your struggle this morning is with your sins. 198 01:06:45,660 --> 01:06:54,660 And you go, "Can God forgive? My sins are great. My brokenness runs deep." 199 01:06:54,660 --> 01:07:00,660 But maybe we wonder where God is in the midst of captivity, far from home. 200 01:07:00,660 --> 01:07:07,660 Maybe we look at the world and we go, "Is God's plan still even on track?" 201 01:07:07,660 --> 01:07:14,660 Maybe you just feel stuck. Let's take a look at Daniel's prayer. 202 01:07:14,660 --> 01:07:24,660 This is a surprising prayer because it is a prayer of confession that seems to come from a guy who doesn't have much to confess. 203 01:07:24,660 --> 01:07:34,660 He's done, really, as we've seen, not a lot but good. Every chapter is, "Daniel's good. Daniel's good. Daniel's good. Daniel is faithful. Daniel prays when you're not supposed to." 204 01:07:34,660 --> 01:07:39,660 And we'll get there in just a few moments, but before I do, I want to talk a little bit about confession. 205 01:07:39,660 --> 01:07:46,660 And I want to direct you just very quickly to three kinds of confession that we see in this prayer. 206 01:07:46,660 --> 01:07:50,660 And I want you to understand, first of all, that confession is a declaration. 207 01:07:50,660 --> 01:07:56,660 The heart of this word has to do with casting or throwing. 208 01:07:56,660 --> 01:08:03,660 And in some cases, in a confession of praise, it's lifting your hands in worship of God. 209 01:08:03,660 --> 01:08:11,660 But it can also be pictured in the midst of trial as wringing your hands in anguish and sorrow before God. 210 01:08:11,660 --> 01:08:16,660 And confession is not just a feeling, and it's not just an acknowledgement. 211 01:08:16,660 --> 01:08:23,660 Biblical confession is this: it's a declaration of truth, but also a commitment to live in this truth. 212 01:08:23,660 --> 01:08:31,660 It's not just simply saying, for example, that this is sin, but it's saying that this is sin, and I will no longer walk in it. 213 01:08:31,660 --> 01:08:40,660 It's not just saying that God is great, but it's saying, "God is great, and I will live my life following Him." 214 01:08:40,660 --> 01:08:49,660 You see, when we confess that Jesus is Lord, we're not just acknowledging that fact, we're seeking to order our life around that fact. 215 01:08:49,660 --> 01:08:54,660 When we confess our sin, we're not just acknowledging a list of failures we're seeking to leave behind, 216 01:08:54,660 --> 01:08:58,660 but we're throwing ourselves on the mercy of God. 217 01:08:58,660 --> 01:09:04,660 Three kinds of confession in Daniel's prayer. First of all, there is the confession of God's character. 218 01:09:04,660 --> 01:09:12,660 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, "O Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps the covenant, 219 01:09:12,660 --> 01:09:17,660 and steadfast love with those who love Him, and keep His commandments." 220 01:09:17,660 --> 01:09:22,660 And as you move through this prayer, you'll see that righteousness belongs to God. 221 01:09:22,660 --> 01:09:33,660 Mercy and forgiveness belong to God. And woven throughout almost every line of this prayer is a confession of God's righteousness, 222 01:09:33,660 --> 01:09:40,660 His goodness, and His care for His people. And what Daniel is saying is, "I seek God for who He is, 223 01:09:40,660 --> 01:09:46,660 and I don't seek to try to change it, or explain it away, or twist it, or manipulate Him, 224 01:09:46,660 --> 01:09:54,660 but rather I cling to who God is in His greatness." And from this confession of greatness we come 225 01:09:54,660 --> 01:10:02,660 to the confession of sinful brokenness. "We have sinned, and done wrong, and acted wickedly, and rebelled, 226 01:10:02,660 --> 01:10:06,660 and turned aside from Your commandments and rules. We have not listened to Your servants, the prophets, 227 01:10:06,660 --> 01:10:12,660 who spoke in Your name to our kings, and our princes, and our fathers, and all the people of the land." 228 01:10:12,660 --> 01:10:16,660 This is a theme that's also woven through the chapter. And in fact, what Daniel will do next, 229 01:10:16,660 --> 01:10:22,660 in the verses that follow, we'll just see an example of it in verse 7, but he's going to take God's goodness 230 01:10:22,660 --> 01:10:28,660 and faithfulness, contrast it to the brokenness of sin, back to God's goodness and faithfulness, 231 01:10:28,660 --> 01:10:36,660 contrast it with the brokenness of sin. Let me just show you in verse 7. "To you, O Lord," 232 01:10:36,660 --> 01:10:48,660 I'm sorry, he will say, "To you, O Lord, belong righteousness, but to us open shame." And he will 233 01:10:48,660 --> 01:10:58,660 continue this pattern in the next several verses, "To you, O God, belong, but to us are sin." God is as great, 234 01:10:58,660 --> 01:11:02,660 we are confessed as broken. I want you to think about this for a moment, because what's our reaction 235 01:11:02,660 --> 01:11:10,660 to sin? You see, in our confession of sin, I think this prayer should grab our hearts, because our tendency so often 236 01:11:10,660 --> 01:11:18,660 is to minimize our sin, but to magnify the sin of others. Mine's not a big deal, but theirs sure is. 237 01:11:18,660 --> 01:11:28,660 How many times, when we get in trouble, do we immediately say, "Well, what about this person?" Or, "At least I didn't do that." 238 01:11:28,660 --> 01:11:36,660 Frequently, we accuse others, while at the same time making excuses for our sin. We justify it, we deflect it, we compare it, 239 01:11:36,660 --> 01:11:43,660 and we're like, "Thank you, God, that I'm not like other men," while at the same time living in the same way. 240 01:11:43,660 --> 01:11:49,660 Daniel doesn't do any of those things. He doesn't try to justify it. He doesn't accuse others. He doesn't deflect it. 241 01:11:49,660 --> 01:11:55,660 He doesn't compare. Think about how he could have prayed, "Lord, they've sinned, but I've remained faithful." 242 01:11:55,660 --> 01:12:02,660 He could have pointed to his obedience under the decades of Babylonian rule, compared himself to the idolatry 243 01:12:02,660 --> 01:12:07,660 of the nations that surrounded him, even comparing himself to his own people, but he doesn't do that. 244 01:12:07,660 --> 01:12:15,660 He places himself in the midst of his people, and his prayer is filled with language that is together, 245 01:12:15,660 --> 01:12:24,660 language of we and us. Verse 5, "We have sinned and done wrong." Verse 7, "To us, 246 01:12:24,660 --> 01:12:33,660 O Lord, belong open shame." Verse 10, "We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord." Verse 11, "All Israel has 247 01:12:33,660 --> 01:12:40,660 transgressed your law." Daniel stands before God not as an exception, but as one of his people, 248 01:12:40,660 --> 01:12:47,660 broken, humbled, and dependent upon mercy. We'll get there in a minute, but it points toward another 249 01:12:47,660 --> 01:12:55,660 one who comes and stands in the midst of his people and takes the weight of their sin upon 250 01:12:55,660 --> 01:13:02,660 his shoulders, right? True confession doesn't compare. It identifies. It doesn't minimize. 251 01:13:02,660 --> 01:13:11,660 It agrees with the guilty verdict. It doesn't bargain, but it surrenders. There's more to confession. 252 01:13:11,660 --> 01:13:19,660 One more confession we see here. We see God's greatness, we see our sin, but there is a confession of helplessness. 253 01:13:19,660 --> 01:13:23,660 Maybe another way of saying this is that we can't do it. Listen in verse 18. 254 01:13:23,660 --> 01:13:31,660 "Oh my God, incline your ear in here, open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name, 255 01:13:31,660 --> 01:13:39,660 for we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy." 256 01:13:39,660 --> 01:13:44,660 Daniel here confesses their inability to do what needs to be done. 257 01:13:44,660 --> 01:13:47,660 "We are not righteous, but you are." 258 01:13:47,660 --> 01:13:51,660 One of my favorite prayers in all of the Old Testament. 259 01:13:51,660 --> 01:13:55,660 King Jehoshaphat is surrounded, 2 Chronicles 20. 260 01:13:55,660 --> 01:14:02,660 Surrounded by an army that is stronger, bigger, and meaner than anything that he can muster. 261 01:14:02,660 --> 01:14:06,660 And do you know what he does? 262 01:14:06,660 --> 01:14:10,660 He goes and he stands before God, and he prays this. 263 01:14:10,660 --> 01:14:16,660 "Oh God, will you not execute judgment on them, for we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us." 264 01:14:16,660 --> 01:14:20,660 Now here's the part that should grab our hearts. 265 01:14:20,660 --> 01:14:25,660 "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you." 266 01:14:25,660 --> 01:14:35,660 I can't tell you how much I have prayed that last part of the prayer through ministry, through this week. 267 01:14:35,660 --> 01:14:39,660 "We don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you." 268 01:14:39,660 --> 01:14:43,660 It's about God's greatness, our brokenness, and running to him for help. 269 01:14:43,660 --> 01:14:45,660 That's exactly what Daniel confesses. 270 01:14:45,660 --> 01:14:48,660 "We're not righteous, but we will run to the one who is." 271 01:14:48,660 --> 01:14:51,660 And so the question is, where are you running? 272 01:14:51,660 --> 01:14:53,660 Are you running the wrong way? 273 01:14:53,660 --> 01:14:58,660 Are you running toward your strength and your goodness and your assumed righteousness? 274 01:14:58,660 --> 01:15:00,660 Or are you running toward God? 275 01:15:00,660 --> 01:15:04,660 Now some of you, you may not be running away, 276 01:15:04,660 --> 01:15:07,660 and you may be going in the right kind of direction, 277 01:15:07,660 --> 01:15:10,660 but you're taking the road through the hills and the thorns, 278 01:15:10,660 --> 01:15:13,660 and across the rivers and through the muddy plains. 279 01:15:13,660 --> 01:15:16,660 And one of the things that Daniel chapter 9 does for us 280 01:15:16,660 --> 01:15:19,660 is that it calls us to see God's greatness, 281 01:15:19,660 --> 01:15:22,660 to truly acknowledge our sinful brokenness, 282 01:15:22,660 --> 01:15:29,660 and to throw our lives upon his goodness. 283 01:15:29,660 --> 01:15:39,660 And so what we find now is that Daniel, in the midst of this, 284 01:15:39,660 --> 01:15:42,660 something radically changes. 285 01:15:42,660 --> 01:15:47,660 And I will say this: the doorway to comfort always begins with humility. 286 01:15:47,660 --> 01:15:51,660 Daniel's prayer doesn't end with despair, but with dependence. 287 01:15:51,660 --> 01:15:53,660 He has nothing to offer God but honesty. 288 01:15:53,660 --> 01:15:56,660 And so God responds to him. 289 01:15:56,660 --> 01:16:00,660 And in the middle of our brokenness, just hear these words. 290 01:16:00,660 --> 01:16:02,660 It began in verse 20. 291 01:16:02,660 --> 01:16:06,660 While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of the people of Israel, 292 01:16:06,660 --> 01:16:12,660 presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of God while I was speaking in prayer. 293 01:16:12,660 --> 01:16:16,660 So I don't know if you've gotten this, but Daniel's praying. 294 01:16:16,660 --> 01:16:18,660 He's making sure we understand that. 295 01:16:18,660 --> 01:16:21,660 The man Gabriel, remember we met him last week, 296 01:16:21,660 --> 01:16:28,660 whom I had seen in a vision at the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 297 01:16:28,660 --> 01:16:32,660 Here's what Gabriel does. 298 01:16:32,660 --> 01:16:36,660 He made me understand, speaking with me and saying, 299 01:16:36,660 --> 01:16:40,660 "Oh, Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. 300 01:16:40,660 --> 01:16:44,660 At the beginning of your pleas for mercy, a word went out, 301 01:16:44,660 --> 01:16:49,660 and I have come to tell it to you." 302 01:16:49,660 --> 01:16:55,660 Listen to what he says, "For you are greatly loved. 303 01:16:55,660 --> 01:16:59,660 Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision." 304 01:16:59,660 --> 01:17:01,660 Daniel has been rooted in the Word of God. 305 01:17:01,660 --> 01:17:03,660 He's been pouring out his heart in prayer. 306 01:17:03,660 --> 01:17:05,660 He's been looking to God's greatness and goodness. 307 01:17:05,660 --> 01:17:07,660 He's been confessing his sin. 308 01:17:07,660 --> 01:17:10,660 And look at what happens before he's even done praying. 309 01:17:10,660 --> 01:17:15,660 As he starts praying, God sends an answer to him. 310 01:17:15,660 --> 01:17:21,660 And the message is this. It's not a list. 311 01:17:21,660 --> 01:17:23,660 Here, Daniel, let me give you a checklist. 312 01:17:23,660 --> 01:17:26,660 Here's some tips on how to do better and be better. 313 01:17:26,660 --> 01:17:32,660 The message begins like this. Four words: "You are greatly loved." 314 01:17:32,660 --> 01:17:36,660 Daniel comes in in brokenness and in sackcloth and ashes, 315 01:17:36,660 --> 01:17:38,660 fasting, pouring out his sin before God. 316 01:17:38,660 --> 01:17:44,660 And the message from God begins like this: "You are greatly loved." 317 01:17:44,660 --> 01:17:49,660 Even when we are far from where we think God's mercy dwells, 318 01:17:49,660 --> 01:17:57,660 his love reaches even into Babylon and into the empire that is now the Medes and the Persians. 319 01:17:57,660 --> 01:18:05,660 The same God who exposes our sin in his mercy now assures us of his grace. 320 01:18:05,660 --> 01:18:12,660 You see, distance, delay, and desolation cannot drown out the love of God. 321 01:18:12,660 --> 01:18:18,660 This love is personal. You. This love is great. We use love in a lot of ways. 322 01:18:18,660 --> 01:18:21,660 I love pizza. Love my dog. Love my wife. 323 01:18:21,660 --> 01:18:27,660 Hopefully I don't mean the same thing when I say that I love those things. 324 01:18:27,660 --> 01:18:37,660 The love here is not small and it is not weak. And notice this love is at work. 325 01:18:37,660 --> 01:18:42,660 At the very beginning of the pleas for mercy. Jesus tells us something really similar. 326 01:18:42,660 --> 01:18:50,660 Luke chapter 15, it's a story that is encountering those who think that they are good and have trusted in themselves. 327 01:18:50,660 --> 01:18:58,660 That's how the chapter begins. Tells the story of a lost coin and a lost sheep and then a lost son. 328 01:18:58,660 --> 01:19:06,660 And if we remember that parable of the lost son, which is there are two sons, and they're both lost and they're both broken. 329 01:19:06,660 --> 01:19:14,660 But the younger one who's made a wreck of his life, he's turned his back on his father's values and his father's goodness and his father's God. 330 01:19:14,660 --> 01:19:25,660 And he has taken what he has wanted from his father and went off and just spent his life in absolute filth morally and ultimately physically with the pigs. 331 01:19:25,660 --> 01:19:33,660 Do you remember what happens at the very end of that? The son is walking home and he's trying to come out of a way to ask his father that maybe he could be a servant. 332 01:19:33,660 --> 01:19:43,660 And do you remember how it ends? The father looking out and seeing his son a long way off, ran to him and wraps him up in a hug. 333 01:19:43,660 --> 01:19:52,660 Here's Daniel going, "We're broken. We're sinful. We haven't listened. Here is all of our brokenness and all of our sin." 334 01:19:52,660 --> 01:19:59,660 And what do you have? As he began speaking, the answer comes, and the answer is this: "You are greatly loved." 335 01:19:59,660 --> 01:20:13,660 You see, we've moved from confession to comfort, and now I want to direct us to the fact that there is confidence in the fact that God's plan will not fail. 336 01:20:13,660 --> 01:20:18,660 Daniel has confessed his sin, he's received comfort, but God doesn't stop there. 337 01:20:18,660 --> 01:20:25,660 Let me just give you a glimpse of the 70 weeks that are decreed about your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, 338 01:20:25,660 --> 01:20:37,660 to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet to anoint a most holy place. 339 01:20:37,660 --> 01:20:49,660 Through Gabriel, Daniel is given a vision that isn't just like two weeks, three weeks ahead of him, but this reaches centuries into the future. 340 01:20:49,660 --> 01:20:57,660 The heart of the message of Daniel's 70 weeks, this vision that God gives him, is one of God's power and His perfect timing. 341 01:20:57,660 --> 01:21:03,660 And there is so much we can say about this, and we can spend so much time doing that. 342 01:21:03,660 --> 01:21:13,660 But I want to direct you this morning, rather than unpacking every detail, I want you to direct you to how God, through this prophecy, answers Daniel's prayer. 343 01:21:13,660 --> 01:21:23,660 In verses 18 and 19, Daniel says, "Incline your ear in here, open your eyes, and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. 344 01:21:23,660 --> 01:21:29,660 For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 345 01:21:29,660 --> 01:21:39,660 O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name." 346 01:21:39,660 --> 01:21:48,660 How does God answer that prayer? Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, 347 01:21:48,660 --> 01:21:59,660 to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and profit, and to anoint a most holy place. 348 01:21:59,660 --> 01:22:08,660 Daniel prays for forgiveness and an end to sin, and he's thinking about Jerusalem and about the temple and God's holy hill 349 01:22:08,660 --> 01:22:17,660 and God's people, and God says, "I'm going to do something better than that." I'm going to put an end to sin. 350 01:22:17,660 --> 01:22:25,660 I'm going to atone for iniquity, and I am going to bring in an everlasting righteousness. 351 01:22:25,660 --> 01:22:31,660 You've prayed for restoration. Let me show you that not on a Jerusalem scale, 352 01:22:31,660 --> 01:22:37,660 but in the scale of a good news, of great joy, that will be for all people. 353 01:22:37,660 --> 01:22:47,660 Every line of the prophecy that follows points forward to a day when a true sacrifice would be offered once for all. 354 01:22:47,660 --> 01:22:53,660 What Daniel sees in the gospel, we can see fulfilled in the light of the gospel. 355 01:22:53,660 --> 01:22:59,660 We don't have time to deal with every detail, every wondrous and powerful and specific detail of this, 356 01:22:59,660 --> 01:23:06,660 but the God who rules over empires is the God who rules over your redemption. 357 01:23:06,660 --> 01:23:12,660 So our confidence rests in God's plan, not our understanding of it. 358 01:23:12,660 --> 01:23:18,660 Our hope is not in avoiding desolation, but in God's promise to end it. 359 01:23:18,660 --> 01:23:26,660 Our call is to live faithfully between the promise and the fulfillment. 360 01:23:26,660 --> 01:23:30,660 You see, Christ has made atonement. Righteousness has been secured. 361 01:23:30,660 --> 01:23:35,660 And we wait for the full consummation of the kingdom, and we live in confidence 362 01:23:35,660 --> 01:23:43,660 because the same hand that gives Daniel this vision still holds us now. 363 01:23:43,660 --> 01:23:47,660 And as Daniel's prayer ends, he doesn't yet see the rebelling of the Jerusalem. 364 01:23:47,660 --> 01:23:53,660 He doesn't see the end to exile yet, or the restoration of the temple, or the fulfillment of these promises and visions, 365 01:23:53,660 --> 01:23:59,660 but he sees something that's greater, the faithfulness of God who rules history. 366 01:23:59,660 --> 01:24:02,660 And so here's the question for you. What are you doing? 367 01:24:02,660 --> 01:24:07,660 This is a question that kind of depends on how you're asking it. 368 01:24:07,660 --> 01:24:15,660 This is a question that this week I have asked two dogs, several horses, a rabbit, and my children, right? 369 01:24:15,660 --> 01:24:21,660 It's a question, I go, "What are you doing, right? I'm filling up a water trough for a thirsty horse." 370 01:24:21,660 --> 01:24:24,660 And they walk over and pull the hose right out of it, right? 371 01:24:24,660 --> 01:24:29,660 The dogs look at the trash and go, "Look, it's a gourmet meal, and we've made it ourselves. 372 01:24:29,660 --> 01:24:34,660 Welcome to my unboxing. Today we're going to unbox this bag of trash." 373 01:24:34,660 --> 01:24:37,660 And I look at them and I go, "What are you doing?" 374 01:24:37,660 --> 01:24:43,660 There's an answer, a way to ask this question that's kind of like, "I don't think that's a good idea." 375 01:24:43,660 --> 01:24:46,660 Or maybe sometimes we're like, "What do you think you're doing?" 376 01:24:46,660 --> 01:24:53,660 I always knew I was in trouble when I heard this, "What do you think that you are doing?" 377 01:24:53,660 --> 01:24:57,660 Maybe that's what your heart needs to hear this morning. 378 01:24:57,660 --> 01:25:03,660 Maybe from me. Maybe you need to look at yourself and go, "What do you think I'm doing?" 379 01:25:03,660 --> 01:25:05,660 What do you think you're doing, self? 380 01:25:05,660 --> 01:25:10,660 Are you running in your own strength, living in your own sins, seeking your own righteousness and your own good works, 381 01:25:10,660 --> 01:25:13,660 finding comfort in your own plans? 382 01:25:13,660 --> 01:25:19,660 Maybe you need to look at your heart and go, "What are you doing?" 383 01:25:19,660 --> 01:25:25,660 Maybe it's time to turn around and run to the One who forgives and who loves, 384 01:25:25,660 --> 01:25:30,660 and He holds all things, including your life, in His hands. 385 01:25:30,660 --> 01:25:34,660 So there's one way of asking this question that's a call to repentance, right? 386 01:25:34,660 --> 01:25:38,660 Stop doing that, basically. What are you doing means maybe don't do that. 387 01:25:38,660 --> 01:25:42,660 Now there's another way of asking this question, "What are you doing?" 388 01:25:42,660 --> 01:25:45,660 that seeks to be involved in this. 389 01:25:45,660 --> 01:25:52,660 And so Rachel got back this morning after spending a very long night away. 390 01:25:52,660 --> 01:25:57,660 She was making some breakfast sandwiches, and because she is full of love and grace, 391 01:25:57,660 --> 01:26:02,660 she brings me a breakfast sandwich. I sit there, and Ranger comes over and goes, "Hey buddy, what you doing?" 392 01:26:02,660 --> 01:26:08,660 Right? And it's not a question of judgment, but it's a question of I'd really like to be involved 393 01:26:08,660 --> 01:26:12,660 in this sandwich situation that you have growing on here, right? 394 01:26:12,660 --> 01:26:17,660 And maybe you have had this with kids or grandkids, where you're in the middle of something, and they come up and they go, "What are you doing?" 395 01:26:17,660 --> 01:26:21,660 And they're not asking you in judgment, but they're saying, "Hey, I'd love to be a part." 396 01:26:21,660 --> 01:26:27,660 You're not a part of fixing this, or painting this, or doing whatever it is you're doing. 397 01:26:27,660 --> 01:26:33,660 There's a way of asking this question, "What are you doing?" that expresses to us, "I want to be part of that." 398 01:26:33,660 --> 01:26:39,660 And so maybe what needs to happen in your life this morning is you need to look to God and go, "What are you doing? 399 01:26:39,660 --> 01:26:46,660 I want to be part of that. I want to share that breakfast sandwich with the same enthusiasm that Ranger does." 400 01:26:46,660 --> 01:26:56,660 Here's Daniel, far from home, in exile, surrounded by false religion, and he has suffered. Let me show you what God is doing. 401 01:26:56,660 --> 01:27:08,660 While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at first, came to me in a swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. 402 01:27:08,660 --> 01:27:12,660 A sacrifice in the temple that occurred in the morning and in the evening. 403 01:27:12,660 --> 01:27:25,660 When Daniel prays against the rules, he'll pray both three times a day, the morning sacrifice in the midday and at the evening sacrifice. 404 01:27:25,660 --> 01:27:30,660 Here's the crazy thing: there has not been an evening sacrifice in the temple for decades. 405 01:27:30,660 --> 01:27:40,660 The temple is in ruins, the altar is gone, Daniel is hundreds of miles away, but yet it's mentioned here specifically that this happens at the time of the evening sacrifice. 406 01:27:40,660 --> 01:27:49,660 You see, Daniel is still praying decades later in that same rhythm of faithfulness and forgiveness and of atonement. 407 01:27:49,660 --> 01:27:59,660 Even in exile, he remembers the time when the lamb will be brought to the altar and sacrificed for the people. 408 01:27:59,660 --> 01:28:08,660 Though far from Jerusalem, Daniel's heart is still turning toward the mercy seat. This is not new for Daniel. 409 01:28:08,660 --> 01:28:14,660 Back in chapter 6, he opens his windows and three times a day turns his heart toward Jerusalem. 410 01:28:14,660 --> 01:28:22,660 Now, even in his old age, the same pattern holds. His life revolves around God's providence, promises of mercy. 411 01:28:22,660 --> 01:28:29,660 And Daniel can't offer a sacrifice, but he prays to the one who knows that forgiveness only comes through sacrifice. 412 01:28:29,660 --> 01:28:36,660 God is at work. Not just at the picture of this sacrifice in the temple. 413 01:28:36,660 --> 01:28:43,660 That's the promise that we just saw. Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, 414 01:28:43,660 --> 01:28:49,660 to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness. 415 01:28:49,660 --> 01:28:57,660 God is about to provide a sacrifice that ends sin and brings everlasting righteousness. 416 01:28:57,660 --> 01:29:05,660 It won't be long before there is a decree issued to rebel Jerusalem, and these weeks and these years begin to pass. 417 01:29:05,660 --> 01:29:10,660 And you come to this place. 418 01:29:10,660 --> 01:29:16,660 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 419 01:29:16,660 --> 01:29:20,660 Do you know when the evening sacrifice was offered in the temple? 420 01:29:20,660 --> 01:29:23,660 It was at the ninth hour. 421 01:29:23,660 --> 01:29:27,660 And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, 422 01:29:27,660 --> 01:29:30,660 "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani," which means, 423 01:29:30,660 --> 01:29:34,660 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" 424 01:29:34,660 --> 01:29:38,660 A few verses later, Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last, 425 01:29:38,660 --> 01:29:41,660 and the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 426 01:29:41,660 --> 01:29:45,660 And when the centurion stood facing him, he saw in the way he breathed his last, 427 01:29:45,660 --> 01:29:48,660 and he said, "Truly, this man is the Son of God." 428 01:29:48,660 --> 01:29:54,660 At the time of the evening sacrifice, the one who comes, 429 01:29:54,660 --> 01:29:59,660 he doesn't just repent on behalf of his people like Daniel does, 430 01:29:59,660 --> 01:30:03,660 but he takes their place and he dies for their sins. 431 01:30:03,660 --> 01:30:07,660 Putting an end to sin and bringing in an everlasting righteousness. 432 01:30:07,660 --> 01:30:09,660 Like, he's our hope. 433 01:30:09,660 --> 01:30:13,660 He's the one we confess as Lord. He's the one who comforts us. 434 01:30:13,660 --> 01:30:17,660 And it's in him we find confidence. 435 01:30:17,660 --> 01:30:25,660 Father, forgive us for where we have chased after worthless things. 436 01:30:25,660 --> 01:30:29,660 Encourage us with your grace and your goodness. 437 01:30:29,660 --> 01:30:37,660 Remind us that in all the weeks and in all the years and in all the nations that your plan holds fast. 438 01:30:37,660 --> 01:30:43,660 And direct us toward your Son. It's in his name we pray. Amen. 439 01:30:43,660 --> 01:30:49,660 So wherever we find ourselves this morning, which is from a lot of different places and a lot of different situations, 440 01:30:49,660 --> 01:30:53,660 the call for us to turn our eyes to where our salvation is found. 441 01:30:53,660 --> 01:30:59,660 So we're going to stand and we're going to sing "Turn Our Eyes." So let's go ahead and be standing. 442 01:31:23,660 --> 01:31:53,640 Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely. 443 01:31:53,660 --> 01:32:23,640 In the light of His glory and grace. Turn your eyes to the hillside. Where justice and mercy embrace. There the Son of God gives. 444 01:32:23,660 --> 01:32:53,640 He will save His life for us. And our measureless death was erased. Jesus, to You we lift our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our Christ. We adore You. Behold You. Our Savior and Savior. 445 01:32:53,660 --> 01:33:00,660 Be your ever true. Oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to You. 446 01:33:00,660 --> 01:33:23,640 Turn your eyes to the morning. And see Christ the Lord. 447 01:33:23,660 --> 01:33:42,660 Turn your eyes away. What a glorious dawn. Fear of death is gone. For we carry His life in our veins. 448 01:33:42,660 --> 01:34:11,660 Jesus, to You we lift our rise. Jesus, our glory and our prize. We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true. Oh, Jesus, we turn our eyes to You. 449 01:34:12,660 --> 01:34:41,660 Turn your eyes to the heavens. Our King will return for His own. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will shout. All glory to Jesus, Lord. 450 01:34:42,660 --> 01:35:11,660 Jesus, to You, You lift our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our prize. We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true. Oh, Jesus, we turn our eyes to You. 451 01:35:12,660 --> 01:35:41,660 Jesus, to You we lift our eyes. Jesus, our glory and our prize. We adore You, behold You, our Savior ever true. Oh, Jesus, we turn our eyes to You. 452 01:35:41,660 --> 01:35:56,660 Oh, Jesus, we turn our eyes to You. 453 01:35:56,660 --> 01:36:10,660 We are thankful that you are here with us this morning. We'll be back Wednesday night at 6 p.m. next Sunday. In addition to continuing on in Daniel, we will be one of our monthly 454 01:36:10,660 --> 01:36:18,660 children's churches. We have it on the 2nd and the 4th Sunday of each month. Also upcoming, I tried to get an in-between 455 01:36:18,660 --> 01:36:25,660 children's church and not too close to Thanksgiving. On the 16th, we're going to have a fellowship meal after our service. 456 01:36:25,660 --> 01:36:31,660 Kind of a time specifically devoted to encouragement and thankfulness. We want to share a meal together. The church is going to 457 01:36:31,660 --> 01:36:39,660 provide the main course. You're welcome to bring a side dish to share. We'll have a sign-up sheet up next Sunday. 458 01:36:39,660 --> 01:36:47,660 On the table in the back. And so that's what's happening over the next several Sundays. I want to go ahead and pray. 459 01:36:47,660 --> 01:36:55,660 And then we're going to read a Scripture, and we'll sing the doxology. Father in heaven, we thank you for your goodness and your grace. 460 01:36:55,660 --> 01:37:00,660 We thank you so much for your people. Thank you that you have loved us, that you have brought us together. 461 01:37:00,660 --> 01:37:08,660 And may you go with us, strengthening us for the work that you would have us to do. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 462 01:37:08,660 --> 01:37:28,660 Paul writes this in 2 Thessalonians 2:16, "Now may the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and our God and Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, may He comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word." 463 01:37:28,660 --> 01:37:56,660 So, church, as you go, it is my prayer that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, the one who has loved us with an everlasting love, may He fill your heart with a comfort that does not fade, a hope that endures in every season. May His grace steady your hands for every good work. May His truth guard your words and guard you as you walk until the day that His kingdom is fully revealed. 464 01:37:56,660 --> 01:38:03,660 So we go in peace, resting in His steadfast love and His sovereign grace. Amen. 465 01:38:26,660 --> 01:38:33,660 Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 466 01:38:56,660 --> 01:38:58,660 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 467 01:39:26,660 --> 01:39:28,660 Father, Son, Holy Ghost. 468 01:39:56,660 --> 01:40:26,640 Father, Son, Holy Ghost.