Matthew C. Mitchell's Blog, page 4

“The King of Heaven” [Matt's Messages]

“The King of Heaven”The King of Kingdoms - The Book of DanielLanse Evangelical Free ChurchFebruary 16, 2025 :: Daniel 4:1-37  
Daniel chapter 4 is about “The King of Heaven.”
The King Who reigns from heaven, above all things. And that is, of course, our Lord God.
In the very last verse of this chapter, verse 37, our God is called “The King of Heaven,” and this is, amazingly, the only time in the Bible that He is given that particular name! If you do a search for “The King of Heaven,” Daniel 4:37 is what comes up in the results.
In chapter 2, He was called “The God of Heaven.” And He is! And here in chapter 4, He’s also called “The Most High God” (6 times!). And he is. But in the very last verse, He is called “The King of Heaven,” and that’s really important because that Who He really is. And that’s what Daniel chapter 4 is all about.
One of the biggest mistakes we could make in reading Daniel chapter 4 is missing that it is about the King of Heaven.
[VIDEO WILL BE EMBEDDED HERE.]
Daniel chapter 4 is not primarily about Daniel. Daniel shows back up in chapter 4. He plays a major role from which we can learn a lot. He’s a great example, once again. Dare to be a Daniel! But Daniel chapter 4 is not about Daniel.
Daniel chapter 4 is not about his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, otherwise known as “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.” They do not show up in chapter 4. In fact, they don’t show up again, by name, in the whole book of Daniel! They had an amazing role to play in chapter 3, standing up to the king and being rescued from the burning furnace (without even smelling of smoke!), but Daniel chapter 4 is not about them.
And Daniel chapter 4 is not about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It would be easy to think that it is. It would be easy to make that mistake. Nebuchadnezzar certainly made that mistake himself! He thinks that everything is about him! And Nebuchadnezzar is one of the central characters of the story in Daniel chapter 4.
In fact, King Nebuchadnezzar actually wrote most of Daniel chapter 4!!! You probably caught that as Keagan read the first five verses? Surprise! The main narrator of this chapter is King Nebuchadnezzar himself!
But he has come to learn that his story is not primarily about him. It’s about the King of Heaven. And we need to keep that front and center as we study it together. Let’s dive in. Daniel chapter 4, verse 1. It comes in the form of a letter or a royal decree.
“King Nebuchadnezzar, To the peoples, nations and men of every language, who live in all the world: May you prosper greatly!”
King Nebuchadnezzar is writing to absolutely everyone. He wants everybody on God’s green earth to hear this message. Last time that Nebuchadnezzar used those words “people, nations, and men of every language,” he was calling them all to bow to his golden statue. 
But now he has another goal. He wants to give his testimony! This is an introduction to telling his story of God’s grace in His life. Look at verse 2.
“It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me. How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation” (vv.2-3).
That will get your attention, won’t it? King Nebuchadnezzar has a story to tell about the King of Heaven. Nebuchadnezzar says that the Most High God has performed great miraculous signs and mighty wonders for him. And I think he’s talking about more than just witnessing the Jews’ escape from the fiery furnace. 
He’s talking about what happened to him in this chapter. And he knows Who did it. It was the King of Heaven.
I have three points this morning to summarize what chapter 4 teaches us, and here’s number one. It’s super-obvious and also so easy to miss:
#1. THE KING OF HEAVEN RULES.
The King of Heaven rules over every human kingdom. And He will rule over every human kingdom forever. See what Nebuchadnezzar says in verse 3?
“His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.” That’s like the point of this whole book! Our God is the King of Kingdoms!         
And Nebuchadnezzar has finally come to see that. He’s been growing in his understanding of Who God is all along, but the penny finally seems to drop here in chapter 4. That’s the story that he is so eager to tell. And it began, once again, with a bad dream. Look at verse 4.
“I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me.”
Now, we don’t know exactly when this dream happened. It’s almost certainly after the events of chapters 1, 2, and 3, but it could be a good long time afterwards.
Nebuchadnezzar presents himself as happy, contented, and prosperous. So it might be towards the end of his long reign as king? He reigned for about 43 years, and he led some amazing building projects and fought a lot of wars.
But here he seems to be sitting back and chilling and just enjoying where he’s at. The wars have died down. Everybody is subjugated. He’s built the hanging gardens of Babylon (one of the seven wonders of the ancient world). He’s built a giant double wall around his rectangular city whose inner wall is 25 feet thick, and the outer wall 11 feet thick. And he’s built another double-wall system east of the Euphrates that is 17 miles long and wide enough at the top that a chariot powered by four horses can run along the top of it and turn around on! We don’t know how tall that was, but the Ishtar Gate was 35 feet tall. If the wall went up to that, you’re looking at a 35 foot wall!
He’s built temples to his gods all over the city. He’s built three giant palaces for himself. His Babylon is 2000 acres of city. 
And I was wrong last week to say that the golden statue was the tallest building on earth. It was tall! Ninety feet tall and covered with gold! But I read this week that there was a seven-story ziggurat, like a stair-step sky-scraper in Babylon that was 288 feet high! Inside the city!
And at the center of all was Nebuchadnezzar just sitting back and loving it.
Everything is going great. He’s on top of the world.
And then he had another nightmare. Verse 5.
“I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in my bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me.”
“What could it mean?! I’m afraid of what it could mean.” The most powerful man in the world was shaking in his boots once again. So, he calls in the “Dream Team.” Verse 6.
“So I commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be brought before me to interpret the dream for me. When the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream, but they could not interpret it for me.” (vv.6-7).
That’s interesting, isn’t it? It’s not that surprising to us. We’ve come to expect the wisdom of Babylon to be underwhelming. And we have to chuckle because of the long list once again: “magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners.” And for all their fancy credentials, they all come up empty.
He even told them the dream this time! But they could not satisfy the king that they knew what the dream meant. Perhaps they said something from their dream interpretation books. But they probably didn’t want to anger him, so whatever they said was vague and hedging their bets. Or maybe they just had nothing. But at the tail end of the parade, in comes Daniel. Verse 8.
“Finally, Daniel came into my presence and I told him the dream. (He is called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.) [He’s special!] I said, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you. Here is my dream; interpret it for me” (vv.8-9). 
Again, we don’t know when this happened. It could have been thirty years or more since chapter 2. Daniel could be a middle-aged guy by now. But Nebuchadnezzar has not forgotten Daniel’s God-given ability to explain a disturbing dream. The King of Heaven is a revealer of mysteries. He knows all things and tell us some of them. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him (2:22). And it’s NOT the spirit of Marduk or Bel that dwells within Daniel. It’s the LORD.
And so Nebuchadnezzar presents his dream. Verse 10.
“These are the visions I saw while lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land. Its height was enormous. The tree grew large and strong and its top touched the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field found shelter, and the birds of the air lived in its branches; from it every creature was fed.”
Wow! Can you see it in your mind's eye? This gorgeous beautiful tree. Majestic. Flourishing. The whole ecosystem dependent upon it. Do you see it? This beautiful enormous tree, but... Verse 13.
“‘In the visions I saw while lying in my bed, I looked, and there before me was a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. [An angel.] He called in a loud voice: 'Cut down the tree and trim off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches. But let the stump and its roots, bound with iron and bronze, remain in the ground, in the grass of the field. ‘
'Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.
‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'
‘This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can interpret it for me. But you can, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you’” (vv.13-19).
“I saw this beautiful tree, and then this angel came said it needed to be cut down. What does it mean?!”
Did you notice that the stump and roots are bound with iron and bronze and remain in the ground? There is some hope there.
And did you notice that the subject changed from the tree to a person in verse 15?
“Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him.” 
What does it mean? I can just imagine Nebuchadnezzar sitting up straight in bed. Hearing the tree fall and the prophetic words “let him be given the mind of an animal” echoing in his ears. 
But did you notice what the point of the dream was? The point was in the dream itself. That part doesn’t need interpreting. Look at verse 17.
“The holy ones declare the verdict so that the living [that’s us!] may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.”
The King of Heaven rules. We’ll see how this dream teaches that to Nebuchadnezzar in a second, but let’s just dwell on the main idea.
The King of Heaven rules.
The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men.
Do you need to hear that this morning?  I know I do. Our God is on the throne, and nothing can shake it. Amen? 
When we read the Book of Daniel, we need to think about the original readers and how they would have heard this story. Especially the Jews who were either living in exile when they experienced this story or were returning from exile when they were reading it soon after. Their lives were at the mercy of these kings, these authorities. Like Nebuchadnezzar.
And they were “uprooted.” Remember that word from the Prophecy of Jeremiah? They were uprooted and unsettled. And they didn’t have that much control or power over their lives.
Nebuchadnezzar seemed to have all the power! But the stories of the Book of Daniel reminded the Jews Who had the real power. Who was the real authority. Who was the real king. The King of Heaven rules.
I think about many people in our area who were shaken this week by the Governor’s proposal to close Rockview and the Boot Camp. Unsettling! That affects so many people right here that we know and love. Remember the King of Heaven rules.
Similarly, I talked with a friend at this conference who pastors a church in Washington, D.C. Lots of civil servants in his congregation. So many affected by the upheaval of the new presidential administration. “Do I still have a job? Does our department still exist? What’s going to happen next?” And they were also directly affected by the plane and helicopter crash a couple of weeks ago.
I prayed Psalm 46 over my friend and his church family. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging” (vv.1-2). Remember the King of Heaven rules.
One of you sent me a text this week, “A lot of the stuff I see in the news feels surreal. Trying to focus on right things.” That’s right! We need to remember that the King of Heaven rules. That doesn’t take away how hard it is to live in unsettling times. It doesn’t make it all better. But it can settle our minds and hearts as we wait for God to work out His wise plan. We have nothing to fear if we belong to King of Heaven.
Now, let’s see how this strange dream leads to that conclusion. There’s a beautiful tree, and it’s slated to be chopped down. By an angel! And the stump remains. And someone is going to be living “with the animals among the plants of the earth” (v.15). What does that mean? That was Nebuchadnezzar’s question for Daniel.
And Daniel was very perplexed about how to answer it. Look at verse 19. Everybody is looking at Daniel, especially the most powerful man on the planet. “What does it mean?” Verse 19.
“Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, ‘Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.’ [The king reassures Daniel!] Belteshazzar answered, ‘My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!” (V.19).
Daniel is so upset, not because he doesn’t know what the dream means, but because he DOES know what the dream means! "How do I handle this one?" Daniel is probably scared that he’s going to die. Just like the last time. Nebuchadnezzar kills people. He tried to kill Daniel’s friends! 
And what Daniel has to tell him is bad news. And even if he doesn’t get killed, there could be all kind of negative ramifications for the kingdom and for the Jewish people. But nothing stops Daniel from doing the right thing! Dare to be a Daniel and speak the truth even if your voice trembles when you do.
“My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!” (v.19).
What a thing to say, isn’t it? I mean Daniel could have gloated here, right? He’s got some bad news to deliver to the king, but he could have celebrated that. I mean this is the king who drug him here to Babylon against his will. This is the king who keeps calling him by this ugly named based on a false god, a demon. This is the king who tried to burn up his friends!
But look how respectful he is! Look how compassionate, even, he is. "My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!" (v.19). That’s a class act! Dare to be a Daniel and speak respectfully even to your enemies in authority over you. Dare to be a Daniel and love your enemies in authority over you, just like Jesus taught us to.
In verse 20, Daniel uses his gift to interpret the dream for Nebuchadnezzar. V.20
“The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the beasts of the field, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds of the air–you, O king, are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth” (vv.10-22).
You saw that coming, didn’t you? Nebuchadnezzar was the head of gold in his first dream (2:38). Nebuchadnezzar is the tall tree in his second dream (4:22). He has grown large and strong. He is the king of kings in this world at this time. And so many people are dependent on him. And just like the statue of the first dream was going fall, so this tree is also going to fall, fall, fall. Look at verse 23.
“‘You, O king, saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, 'Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live like the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.'
‘This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.
The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue” (vv.23-27).
Now we can see why Daniel was so reticent to explain the dream to the king. It meant the king was going down. And going mad. This was a judgment on Nebuchadnezzar. 
And what a gift that was, wasn’t it? God didn’t need to tell Nebuchadnezzar that this was going to happen to him. But here He is warning him through his dream and through Daniel.
Daniel says that Nebuchadnezzar is going to go crazy and for seven times (maybe seven weeks, seven months, or even seven years) “until” (v.25) Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges “that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
Or in the words of verse 26, until Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges “that Heaven rules.”
How’s that for a hashtag? #HeavenRules That’s the point of this whole chapter. He said it in verse 17, then again in verse 25, and then verse 26, and it’s going to keep coming up. The King of Heaven Rules.
And Nebuchadnezzar needs to get it through his thick skull. And so do we.
Why is it hard for Nebuchadnezzar to see this? It’s because he’s on top of everything! Because he is the king of kings. And he doesn’t recognize that this is a gift from God. Point number two this morning:
#2. THE KING OF HEAVEN GIVES.
The King of Heaven rules over all of the human kingdoms, but He also gives kingdom authority to those humans for a time and a season and for various reasons.
Nebuchadnezzar really was the tree! And it really had some majesty and some authority. But that majesty and authority didn’t come from Nebuchadnezzar. It came from the King of Heaven. Look again at verse 25. 
“Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and [what?] gives them to anyone he wishes.” 
And that means that He can take those kingdoms from anyone He wishes, as well. 
We saw this just a few months ago when King Jesus was on trial before Pontius Pilate. Remember that in John chapter 19?
Jesus refused to answer some of Pilate’s questions, and Pilate said, “Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” And “Jesus answered, ‘You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.’” (Jn. 19:10-11).
So God delegates kingdom authority and power to humans. And when He does, we become accountable for what we do with that authority.
What authority have you been given? And how are you stewarding it? How are you using it? Our authority might be over something relatively small. A home? A family? A class? A team at work. Or it might be something larger.  None of us are Nebuchadnezzar here, but we all have, for a time, been given some kingdom authority to exercise.
How are we doing with that? Maybe a make a list of all of the domains where you have sway.
And ask yourself how you are doing at ruling righteously and compassionately in those domains. Or if you are really brave, ask someone else! A Daniel in your life.
Because we will all have to give an account. And Nebuchadnezzar was failing with his! Look at what Daniel had to say to him in verse 27. He gives him earnest counsel.
“Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue” (vv.23-27).
We say that “Nebuchadnezzar built up Babylon,” but it was really his slaves that did. He had thousands of oppressed workers which he treated ruthlessly.               
Daniel is giving him earnest counsel. I’m sure that Nebuchadnezzar didn’t want to hear this. But Daniel was faithful to deliver the message anyway. Dare to be a Daniel and give a gentle, loving rebuke to someone who needs to hear it even if they don’t want to.
“King Nebuchadnezzar, you’ve been given so many people to lead. Are you caring for them or just using them? Is it all about the kingdom that you’ve been entrusted with or just all about you?”
“Rencounce your sins by doing what is right...It may be then your prosperity will continue.” What a gracious gift to hold out that possibility of restoration following repentance. Because, make no mistake, Nebuchadnezzar was going down. Look at verse 28.
“All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?’
The words were still on his lips when a voice came from heaven, ‘This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like cattle. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.’
Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like cattle. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird” (vv.28-33).
Wow! What great stories we have in Daniel, aren’t they?!
In verse 28, the story switches to third person. The king isn’t telling this part of the story. Perhaps because he had gone loco for this part. Daniel tells us a year has gone by since the dream, and probably Nebuchadnezzar has kind of forgotten about it. It’s not scaring him anymore.
And he is so proud! He’s so narcissistic. So boastful.
You see that in verse 30? Three things: He calls the city his royal residence. Like the whole city exists for him. And he’s built it by his mighty power and for his glory and majesty!
He thinks he’s god! He’s taking all of the credit and patting himself on the back.
And, of course, we do the same thing, right? We think everything is about us. “Me, me, me, me.”
Pride shows up in so many ways. Even in our worry, right? Because worry says, “It’s all up to me.”  Which is another way of making everything about me, as well.
Nebuchadnezzar looked out at the greatness of Babylon and thought it was all about him. He didn’t recognize that it was all a gift.
The Bible says, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” (1 Cor. 4:7).
Brothers and sisters, God is God and we are not. It’s not all about us. Our very lives are not about us. They are about the King of Heaven.
And just as the King can give kingdom authority, He can take it away. And that’s what He did to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar thought he was more than a man. So God made him, for a time, less than a man. He made him like an animal. For seven periods of time, perhaps seven whole years, Nebuchadnezzar went insane.
He thought he was a beast. Perhaps an ox. He lived outside in the fields.
In the morning, he was all wet from the dew. He ate grass. His hair grew all long and matted so that he looked like an eagle. He didn’t trim his nails so that his hands began to look like claws.
He refused to humble himself, so the Lord humbled him. The tree fell and fell hard. 
I can’t imagine what that was like. I wonder how the kingdom survived that time. Perhaps his son ruled in his place. Perhaps they hushed it all up. There are no historical records of this this period of his life outside of the Bible, and that’s not surprising. You don’t tend to put the ugly stuff out there on display.
But Nebuchadnezzar did here. Probably with Daniels’ help. In verse 34, he starts up again as the first person narrator of the story. Look at verse 34.
“At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’
At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before.
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble” (vv.34-37).
That’s point number three and last.
#3. THE KING OF HEAVEN HUMBLES.
The King of Heaven humbles the proud. Nebuchadnezzar learned that one firsthand. God may wait a long time. He gave Nebuchadnezzar twelve months. He doesn’t say when it’s going to happen, just that it will. 
The Bible says in more than one place: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (See Jas. 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5, Proverbs 3:34). Opposes! If we will not humble ourselves, God will do it for us. Maybe not as spectacularly as He did for Nebuchadnezzar. But I don’t want to find out.
The obvious application of this point is to humble ourselves. Because God gives grace to the humble. He only opposes those who “walk in pride.” 
How can we humble ourselves? I think that verse 34 gives us one good key. The king says, “I raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored.”
He stopped looking inward and outward and started looking upward. And that was sanity. Pride is insanity. Humility is what is actually sane. 
Humility is not thinking less of yourself. Putting yourself down. It’s thinking about yourself less. (Insight gained from Timothy Keller.) And thinking more about the King of Heaven.
How is sinful pride showing up in your life these days?
For me, I can get to thinking that our various successes as a church are because I’m so great. I would never say that. I don’t sit back in my office and say, “Is this not the great Lanse Free Church I have built by my mighty power?!”
Not out loud. And not when I’m sane. When I’m sane, I know that any victory we celebrate is from the Lord.
How about you? Where is pride showing its ugly face? Perhaps it’s worry. You’ve decided that everything is up to you. That’s pride, too. Take your eyes off yourself and raise them toward heaven.
Perhaps it’s boasting. Thinking your little kingdom, your family, your company, your denomination, your country is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and it is in no small part due to how great you are. Take your eyes off yourself and raise them toward heaven.
Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Humility is the path to greatness.
And you know Who walked that path perfectly?
King Jesus did. He humbled Himself even to dying on the Cross for our sins as as servant, and God raised Him to the highest place (Philippians 2:5-11). And His Kingdom is also tree that is growing, growing, growing so that the birds of the air will come and perch in its branches (like that stone turning into a mountain in chapter 2), it’s growing and growing and growing and will never be cut down (see Matthew 13:31-32)!
“His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:34).
Isn’t it amazing that the Lord restored the kingdom to Nebuchadnezzar when he repented? His kingdom got even better! 
And I think it’s possible, maybe even likely, that this marks the conversion of Nebuchadnezzar to genuine faith in the Lord! I don’t know, but we may actually see this once evil king in heaven. I mean, look at how he talks in verse 37.
“Now, I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven.”
And so should we! Because that’s Whom this story is all about.

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Messages in This Series:

01. The King's Service - Daniel 1:1-21
02. The God of Heaven - Daniel 2:1-49
Bonus Message: "No Matter What" - Daniel 3:1-30 from Family Bible Week 2012
03. The God We Serve - Daniel 3:1-30

“The God We Serve” [Matt's Messages]

“The God We Serve”The King of Kingdoms - The Book of DanielLanse Evangelical Free ChurchFebruary 2, 2025 :: Daniel 3:1-30  
Daniel chapter 3 is about “The God We Serve.”
Last week, we said the same thing about Daniel chapter 2 and that this is obvious but it’s also easy to forget!
Daniel chapter 3 is not about Daniel. Daniel actually, surprisingly, does not appear in this chapter himself! So it’s not about him.
But it’s also not about his friends. Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. I mean, it is kind of about them. They are in the story. They aren’t called Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They are called by the ugly names that their overlord captors have slapped on them.
And Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah say some amazing things in this story and they do some amazing things in this story. And some amazing things happen to them in this story! But the story is not, ultimately, about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
And it’s not about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon–as much as he tries to make the story all about him! King Nebuchadnezzar has conquered Judah and taken these young men hostage and tried to reprogram them into being Babylonians, and King Nebuchadnezzar has had a wild and wonderful dream that we studied last week, and he does crazy things in this story! But this story is not, ultimately, about him.
This story is about God. The God of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God of Judah. The God of the Old Covenant and the God of the New Testament. The God of the Bible. 
The God Who is! The God we are here to worship today. That’s Whom this story is all about. And at every amazing step in the story, we need to keep that in mind. Especially at the very beginning. Chapter 3, verse 1.
Let me ask you a couple questions before we read it. See what we’ve learned so far.
Here’s an easier one. How many chapters in the Book of Daniel? There are twelve. After today, we will be one quarter of the way through the chapters.
Next question. How many languages was this book written in? Two languages. Hebrew and Aramaic.
What language was this chapter written in? It was written in Aramaic, the international language spoken at court during the seventh and sixth century before Christ.
This is one of 6 chapters in the whole Bible written in the language of Aramaic. And many people could read it throughout the ancient world. It’s got an international feel and an international message to it.
Alright, here’s a harder question. According to what we read last week in Daniel chapter 2, who is the king of kings at this time? Yes, that’s a trick question. There are two right answers. The bigger answer is that God is the King of Kings. He is the King of Kingdoms! That’s the name of our series so beautifully rendered in Jeff’s graphic design.
But in chapter 2, Daniel revealed that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was the king of kings in the world at that time.
Do you remember the disturbing dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in chapter 2? And nobody could tell Nebuchadnezzar what was in his dream. And he wouldn’t let anybody tell what his dream meant until they told him what was in it?
And even Daniel couldn’t do it! But the God of Heaven could and did through Daniel.
What was the dream about?
It was about “a large statue–an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance” (Daniel 2:31). And constructed of different materials each of which stood for a successive kingdom to come. And then the statue was knocked down by a hurtling rock hurled by God Himself which becomes the final kingdom, the kingdom of kingdoms. Remember that? We said that we’d come back to it as we go through Daniel.
Anybody remember what metal the head of that statue was made of? It was gold! And the head was the only kingdom that was identified in chapter 2. What or who was the head of gold?
King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of kings at that moment, was the head of gold. And now let’s read chapter 3, verse 1.  
“King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.”
Something tells me that this has something to do with his dream. Do you think?
I think it has gone to his head!
We don’t know exactly when this story took place. It doesn’t have a date stamp on it like chapter 1 and chapter 2 did. It’s clearly after the events of chapter 2, but we don’t know how long after. It could actually be decades. Or it could have been very soon after. 
Either way, King Nebuchadnezzar has gotten it into his head to build a gigantic statue and to cover it with gold. It can’t be pure gold all the way through. There isn’t that much gold in the world! So it’s gold-plated. 
But this is a lot of gold on a giant statue! It’s 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide. That’s really really tall and really really skinny. Perhaps some of the height is a base for the statue to sit on. We don’t know.
If the statue is supposed to look something like a human, it’s going to be really distorted. Tall and skinny. 
But shining! And imposing! And daunting! And dominating!
There are no skyscrapers at this time. This is the tallest man-made object in the world at that time. The Colossus of Rhodes will be taller when it is made a few hundred years later. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world. And this one shines in the sun! 
We don’t know what this statute looked like. It’s going to be used for worship, so we can call it an idol. But we don’t know if it’s standing for Nabu (the god that Nebuchadnezzar is named for) or Marduk also named Bel (the god that Daniel was renamed Belteshazzar after). 
Or maybe this statute looks a lot like a certain king we have heard of?! A king that has been told that he is “the king of kings” and “the head of gold.” I wouldn’t put it past him. This king is a total narcissist.
Maybe he’s built this statue to fight the dream! Maybe he’s saying, “I’m not just the head of gold. I’m gold from top to bottom! And nothing is going to topple me!” I wouldn’t be surprised.
Nebuchadnezzar has it set up outside of town in the plain of Dura. We’re not 100% sure where that was, but it sounds a lot like the plain where a few thousand years before they built the tower of Babel?
And it’s not just a feat of engineering. It’s an object of worship and national unity. Nebuchadnezzar wants to use this statue to bring his kingdom together in unity. And loyalty and allegiance. And so he invites all of his administration to the dedication on “opening night.” Verse 2.
“He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it.
Then the herald loudly proclaimed, ‘This is what you are commanded to do, O peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace” (vv.2-7).
Now there is a lot of repetition in this story, and that’s on purpose. And it’s not just to emphasize the points of the story. 
I think it’s supposed to be funny! I think it’s supposed to be comical. Kind of farcical. There’s a kind of mocking of pomposity in this story. Every time you read it, you have to chuckle, right?
The “satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials...”
The “sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music...”
Everybody who ever read this story chuckled at those parts.
And it would be really funny if it were not so deadly serious. If it were not life and death. But the rule is: you fall down and worship the image of gold or you fall down and be burned to death.
There’s a giant furnace nearby. Maybe for refining the gold that has plated this statue. I read this week that this fire could reach 1000 degrees Celsius.
And King Nebuchadnezzar has a simple rule. When the funny band plays, you worship the statue or be burnt to death. You choose.
And he’s not afraid to burn people to death. A couple of years ago, we read about some false prophets that Nebuchadnezzar had burned to death in Jeremiah chapter 29. He does this sort of thing. He’s the king of kings, and he can kill whom he wants. The threat is real. The pressure is real. And it works! Look at verse 7.
“Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.”
You know, it’s not asking that much. Nebuchadnezzar doesn’t say that you can’t worship your god at home. “Sure! You can have that god, too. And it won’t take that long. Just bow down and worship and then you can go about your business. And it will be good for the nation. It will bring us all together.” Never mind that it’s stilted and pretentious and pompous.
I would imagine that it was very tempting to go along with the crowd on this one even if you were rolling your eyes at how insecure it made the king look, even if you didn’t believe in what the statue represented. Even if you thought it was ridiculous to worship something that somebody had made!
It was easy. Everybody was doing it. “Whatever.” It was meaningless. And if you did not do it, the consequences were dreadful.
So they all did it.
Well, not all of them. Look at verse 8.
“At this time some astrologers [literally Chaldeans] came forward and denounced the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘O king, live forever! [As if.] You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace.
But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon–Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego–who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up” (vv.8-12).
Why are these guys narcing on them?
Well, for one, they emphasize that they are Jews. So there’s probably some antisemitism here. And maybe just some old-fashioned racism and hateful anti-immigrant mentality. “Those guys are not from here. I know we brought them here and gave them their names, but they are just not fitting it. They are different from us. And you can’t trust them, O king! You’ve put them in charge of things, and they aren’t listening.”
Of course, I think they are also jealous. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were promoted over them at the end of chapter 2. 
They (and Daniel) actually saved their bacon in chapter 2 with that prayer meeting and that dream miracle, but the astrologers are not returning the favor. They are turning them in.
It’s interesting to me that the king had to be told that the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had not bowed. I had it in my mind that they might have made a big show of it. Put out a press release. Posted their protest on social media. Stood in the front of the pack and while there’s hundreds of people bowing, they are standing there with their arms crossed.
But they were not making a big show of it. And Daniel wasn’t even there. We don’t know why. Maybe he was away in the king’s service. I’m sure, knowing Daniel, that he would not have bowed either. But he isn’t singled out.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are. They were just quietly disobeying and, all of a sudden, they were in big trouble.
That’s often how persecution comes. You’re trying to mind your own business. You’re trying to live a quiet and godly life and trying to get along with your neighbors and do all the things that your conscience will allow.
Many things you would never choose to do on your own. But you can do them in good conscience while you are living here as a foreigner and an exile in this world.
And then comes a command you cannot do in good conscience.
And you have to obey God rather than man.God rather than the government.God rather than America.God rather than your boss.
God rather than the king.
And you have to choose.
I feel so bad for these three guys! Everything bad keeps happening to them. And now they are in really bad trouble, again. The king is really mad. Look at verse 13.
“Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? [He doesn’t give them a chance to answer. But he does give them a second chance to prove their allegiance.] Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?’ (vv.13-15).
The king’s anger is about as hot as the furnace. He’s almost out of control. He feels mocked. He chose these guys! He said that they were the best in their class. He promoted them. He likes them! And now they are stabbing him in the back. 
You can just feel the rage, can’t you? And at the back of it, the fear? If he can’t control these guys, then can he keep control of his kingdom? He’s losing face. But he gives them a second chance.
“When you hear the national worship anthem, you get on your face and you get your rear end up in the air or you burn!”
“And if you don’t, what god can rescue you from my hand?”
He should know, right? He’s already forgotten what he learned in chapter 2? He’s only remembered the parts that he wanted to about his dream. And he’s forgotten what he’d learned about the God of Heaven.
Have you remembered what this story is about?
Have you remembered WHOM this story is about?
Thankfully, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego knew what this story is about! They knew what story they were living in.
Do you know what story you are living in?
They only speak for three verses in this whole chapter, but what they say is awesome! Look at verse 16.
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up’” (vv.16-18).
Isn’t that awesome?! What remarkable courage!
What remarkable calm. No panic. Just like Daniel last week, these guys are not driven by fear. They are self-possessed, articulate, and clear. 
And they are courteous! They are respectful. I’m amazed at that. I might be tempted to taunt the king. If I’m going to die, I might as well get some shots in as I go. But these guys are model citizens. No apologies. No compromise. But a class act.
And they refuse to bow down.
Why? Well, this is a no-brainer for them. This is the first and second commandments. They are to have no other gods before the LORD and they are not to bow down and worship an idol that has been made.
It’s very simple. There are tricky ones, and there are simple ones, and this one is simple. “We are not allowed to comply.”
The deeper question I have is not WHY did they refuse to bow down but HOW?
How did they find the courage to keep standing?
Because I will often fold when something much less than my life is at stake. I don’t like to be burnt. I don’t play with fire. I wouldn’t naturally do anything that would put me in danger of getting burnt?!
My son is a firefighter. He hikes towards the fire with his chainsaw and his friends to put the fire out.
But he’s covered in protective gear and isn’t choosing to be tossed into it to die! He doesn’t jump into the heart of the fire. He doesn’t get into the furnace.
I have furnace at home. It heats the water around it to 185 degrees. I don't climb into it. These guys were choosing to be thrown into 1000 degrees. That’s 1832 degrees Fahrenheit.
These guys were choosing a fiery death rather than participating in false worship.
How do you get there? Just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy. How did they do this?
Well, they told us in verse 17 and verse 18.
It’s “The God We Serve.” 
They knew their God in such a way that they would not disobey Him in this way.
And I see at least four things they knew about the God we serve that put this steel in their spines. 
#1. THE GOD WE SERVE IS ABLE.
Look again at verse 17.
“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king.”
Now, there is some debate about the best way to translate that verse from the Aramaic, but every way that you do it, it always comes out in the end that God is able to save these three men from the flames.
They’re not actually saying that God will do it for sure. They’re not “naming and claiming” a rescue from the fire. There are no promises that God’s people will always escape death. In fact, aside from Enoch and Elijah and the generation alive when Christ returns, all of God’s people have died or will die. And some by terrible means.
We must recognize that these guys expected to die. That’s what makes it courageous, what they do!
But they also know that their God is powerful enough to save them if in His  infinite wisdom that is what is best. They know that God has given Nebuchadnezzar the power he has. He’s the head of gold because God made him the head of gold. And they know what God has done for their people for generations and generations and generations! They know their Old Testaments.
And not just what God did for their ancestors but for them personally. They know that God did the miracle of the vegetables. They got fat on water and veggies! They know that God did the miracle of the dream. The God of heaven reveals mysteries. He is able to save us.
But they also knew this:
#2. THE GOD WE SERVE IS WORTHY.
Verse 18.
“[T]he God we serve is able to save us...O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
“Our God is worthy of obedience even if he does not save us from your anger.”
He is worthy of our complete trust.He is worthy of our unending worship.He is worthy of our steadfast loyalty.He is worthy of our unswerving allegiance.
He is worthy of our risk.He is worthy of our lives.He is worthy of our deaths.
Do you believe that?
Do you believe both of those? That He is able to save and He is worthy no matter what?
Regardless. Either way. No matter what!
The key to obedience in the face of persecution is not so much being brave. It’s being focused on the worthiness of our God. The braveness comes from that.
Sometimes I worry that if true persecution came for me, I would fold up like a cheap lawn chair.
We have had it so easy in America, as Christians. Especially those of us Christians who are white. We have had it so easy in America, as Christians. And I’m grateful for that! I’m not looking for persecution, but neither were  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It came looking for them. And I want to be ready.
And here’s how to get ready. Fill your heart with Who your God really is. He is able. And He is worthy.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego know it! And they say it. And they act on it. They will not bow down.
So they will be sent into the fire. Verse 19.
“Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace” (vv.19-23).
That’s as terrible as it sounds.
And so glorious! The story could end there, you know? The story could end with the faithful obedience of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. What an example for all of us!
Dare to be a Shadrach!Dare to be a Meshach!Dare to be an Abednego!
It doesn’t sound as good as “Dare to be a Daniel,” but it is the same good advice.
Even if this was the end of the story, it would be a good story because it would tell how worthy the God they served is.
And how sad for those soldiers? They had bowed down, and what they did get for it? They died in the fire anyway.
But that is NOT the end of the story! Look at verse 24.
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, ‘Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’
He said, ‘Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’”
They’re not dead!
They’re walking around in the fire untied and unharmed. Not just from the flames but from the fumes! Unharmed from asphyxiation and carbon monoxide poisoning and whatever other chemicals the fire is putting out.
They aren’t dead.
And they aren’t alone!
The king is like, “Weren’t there 3 of them?
Well, now they’re 4 and it’s not Daniel, its like a divine person in there. An angel or a son of the gods. Something. I don’t know what He is.” But they aren’t alone. Let’s put it this way. 
#3. THE GOD WE SERVE IS PRESENT.
We don’t who know that fourth person is either.
Definitely could be an angel.Could be the angel of the LORD.Might even be God Himself in what we call a "theophany."Or even Jesus Himself in pre-incarnate form, what we call a "Christophany."
We don’t know. It’s a miracle, and it’s a mystery. What we do know is that they were not alone.
This fourth person meant that God was present and sending them and keeping them company! What a miracle! He is more than able.
And Nebuchadnezzar is amazed. Verse 26.
“Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!’ So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them” (vv.26-27).
What a great story! And it’s even greater because it’s true.
What a picture of salvation?!What a picture of resurrection!
They went down into Hell and come back up un-scorched.
And that impressed Nebuchadnezzar.
The king does a total turnaround. Look at verse 28.
“Then Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command [my command!] and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.’ Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.”
Again, he goes too far. Nebuchadnezzar goes overboard with his reaction just like he did in chapter 2.
But he’s getting the point.
He’s getting the answer right to his question from verse 15.
“What god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
It’s the God we serve!
He is able.He is worthy.
They were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any God but this one. 
He is so worthy!
And He is present. And He is (number four and last) active.
#4. THE GOD WE SERVE IS ACTIVE.
He’s alive! He has His fingerprints all over this story. He has been with His people, and He’s doing stuff, often in ways we never expected and never saw coming.
These guys thought, once again, that they were going to die at the hands of the Babylonians. And here they are promoted to an even higher degree! God is active. He’s doing stuff. And they have another chance to live to serve Him.
What is the application of these truths to our lives today? I think it’s pretty obvious:
Dare to be a Shadrach.Dare to be a Meshach.Dare to be an Abednego.
Because you know the God you serve.
This story is about Him. We need to know Him and trust Him and love Him in such a way that when the temptation comes to disown Him and disobey Him, we have the courage to refuse.
Especially when it’s simple. Especially when it’s a no-brainer.
There are times when it’s tricky. Sometimes we don’t realize that we are bowing down to an idol.
But other times, it’s obvious, but it’s not easy to refuse. Everybody is doing it. It’s easy to go along. It doesn’t feel that bad. But we know it is. What feels bad are the consequences. We don’t want to get burnt. It feels so risky. It seems so scary. We’re afraid of what might happen to us. We’ll get burnt.
In those times, we need to know the God we serve.
***
Messages in This Series:

01. The King's Service - Daniel 1:1-2102. The God of Heaven - Daniel 2:1-49Bonus Message: "No Matter What" -Daniel 3:1-30 from Family Bible Week 2012 

“The God of Heaven” [Matt's Messages]

“The God of Heaven”The King of Kingdoms - The Book of DanielLanse Evangelical Free ChurchJanuary 26, 2025 :: Daniel 2:1-49  
Daniel chapter 2 is about “The God of Heaven.”
I know that’s kind of obvious, and yet it’s also quite easy to miss.
It’s easy to think that Daniel chapter 2 is about Daniel. And it is, and we need to dare to be like him. But it’s really not about Daniel.
And it’s easy to think that Daniel chapter 2 is about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. And it is, and we can learn a lot from watching him in this story. But it’s really not about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.
And it’s easy to think that Daniel chapter 2 is about King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and what it means. And it is, and we need to give it our attention today. But it’s not even really about this dream. 
It’s about the God of heaven. He exists, and He is the point of this whole story.
I noticed this as I read it and re-read and re-read it over and over again this week. This name for God jumped out. It’s in verse 18, 19, 37, and 44. And it’s not a name for God that is used a whole lot of other places in the Bible. Especially up to this point in the story. Just a handful of times. And then it shows up around the exile and after the exile: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel chapter 2.
“The God of Heaven.” Or some of your Bibles might say, “The God of the Heavens” (plural). That’s a legitimate translation, too. The God who is up there and above all the heavens. Even above the stars!
That’s Whom this story is all about. And therefore He’s Whom we should focus our attention on the most as we read Daniel chapter 2.
Last week, we jumped feet first into the wild and wonderful Book of Daniel. A daunting book like no other! Six wild and wonderful chapters of dangerous contests in the courts of Babylon and six wild and wonderful chapters of apocalyptic visions of the future. In two ancient languages. Six chapters of Hebrew and six chapters of Aramaic, though not necessarily the six you might expect of each. History, prophecy, and wisdom all in one book. Nothing quite like it!
Last week, we learned how the God of Judah gave the King of Judah to the King of Babylon. Do you remember this? Some of you had to miss it last week because of the weather or because you were “under the weather.” The LORD, the God of Judah gave the King of Judah (bad king Jehoiakim) into the hands of the King of Babylon, the fascinating King Nebuchadnezzar in 605BC.
And because of that, Judah had to give up some of the gold stuff in the temple of the LORD to rest in the temple of Marduk (or Bel) the God of Nebuchadnezzar. Not because Marduk had beaten Adonai! No. But because Adonai had said, “That’s enough.” Judah had broken the covenant with the LORD, and the LORD was bringing the punishments He had promised.
And that discipline included the deportation of the cream of the crop of the nobility in Judah to travel 600 miles away and be forced to attend Babylon University.
Including four young men, probably in the early teens, and their names were, what? Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Sweet young men. Forced to learn the language and literature of the Babylonians. And to take on Babylonian names based on the gods of their enemy who had just beaten them. Basically to become Babylonians in the service of the king of Babylon.
Last week, we read about the “Miracle of the Vegetables,” right? The original Veggi-Tale? Daniel quietly asked if he and his friends while they were in the three years of training could skip all the good stuff at the king’s table all the meat and wine and just eat vegetables and drink water. Probably to keep from becoming Babylonians in their hearts.
And somehow in God’s power they got fat on that! And they graduated at the top of their class. They were wiseman-in-training. Apprentice wisemen in the service of the king of Babylon.
That’s what we learned last week. We learned a lot more than that, but that’s the basic story.
The story that Kyla just began to read to us happens either just after that or even during that period of training. I think it’s just after their graduation. It happens in the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. And I think that’s second year in the Babylonian way of reckoning which makes this about 602 BC.
Daniel and his friends are still very young. And they are very in trouble for no fault of their own.
The story begins in the royal bedroom of the most powerful man on the planet. Look again at chapter 2, verse 1.
“In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, ‘I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means’” (vv.1-3). Stop there for a second.
Now, we’ve all had bad dreams, right? But most of us don’t call in the experts to explain them after we do. Nebuchadnezzar had some dreams so bad that he wanted help in understanding them.
In the ancient world, bad dreams were seen as bad omens. And if the most powerful man in the world was having nightmares, then maybe something terrible was going to happen.
You can just feel the fear coming off of him, can’t you? Maybe he’s had the same dream several nights in row. It’s always the same. It’s always the same. And it’s scary. “What does it mean?!” Maybe he’s been waking up in a sweat. His heart pounding. “What does it mean?!”
It’s gotten so that he can’t sleep. Maybe he doesn’t want to sleep because there’s that dream again. “What does it mean?!”
Well, when you are the most powerful man on the planet, you have a team for that. You have a team for everything! You have a set of specialists who are experts in understanding explaining the world. The top guys in their field. We could call them the “Magi.” Or the team of wisemen.
Verse 2 calls them “the magicians, the enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers.” That last one is literally the “Chaldeans” who were the leading ethnic group know for their grasp of astrology.
Is Daniel in this room? No, he’s not. That’s because he’s not the top guy. He’s just a Hebrew teenager who is at the top of his game. But he’s not here. These are all Babylonians. The cream of their crop. But we’re going to soon find out that their best is not even close to good enough.
The king says, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”
And they say, “No problem! That’s why we are here.” Verse 4.
“Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic [CSB: “Aramaic begins here:”], ‘O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.’”
Note that in verse 4 we begin our second language for this book. The first chapter was in Hebrew. Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are going to be in Aramaic which was becoming the world language of the day. Like English is around the world right now. And these chapters will be about the whole world in some ways. 
Your Bible might say the language starting in verse 4 is “Syriac” because the Greeks called the land of Aram, “Syria” so their language was called Syriac by some. Some of your Bibles may call it the language of the “Chaldees” which was Aramaic. After the exile, Aramaic became the leading language of the Israelites. Many forgot their Hebrew altogether. That’s what most Israelites spoke in Jesus’ day, including Jesus!
The wisemen say, “No problem with this request, O king, live forever!” (Which is interesting. Because the king is, of course, not going to live forever. But nobody wants to say that around the most powerful man on the planet.)
They say, “No problem. Tell us the dream, and we will consult our books.”
You see it’s not necessarily that they were fakers. They probably weren’t going to just make something up. They had these extensive manuals full of dreams recorded by men and what happened after the dreams so that if someone had a dream, they had these experts in dreamology who could give an expert interpretation. So, “Lay it on us, O king. We’ll get you fixed up.”
But here’s where Nebuchadnezzar throws a wrench into the works and makes this little crisis into a matter of life and death. Look at verse 5.
“The king replied to the astrologers, ‘This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me’” (vv.5-6).
Oh. That’s a lot harder, isn’t it? He wants them to tell him what his dream was and then what it means. Or else.
Notice the brutality here. Nebuchadnezzar is scared. So he wants everyone else to feel scared. And it’s no empty threat. This guy kills people every day. Sometimes probably just for kicks.
“So here’s the deal. If you tell me what I dreamed and get it right and explain to me what it is and get that right, then you get to live and be showered with gifts and rewards and honors.
And if you don’t, then you get dismembered and have your houses demolished. That’s the deal.”
They don’t like that deal. Not one bit. Verse 7.
“Once more they replied, ‘Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.’”
You know this story is almost funny but it’s not funny. Because it’s true. "O king, we are interpreters not prophets. I hope you’re joking here.”  Nebuchadnezzar says, “No joke. And don’t joke with me.” Verse 8.
“Then the king answered, ‘I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me the dream, there is just one penalty for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me’” (vv.8-9).
I think he may be onto them. He’s suspicious at least. He’s not sure that they have any real wisdom! They’re just stalling for time and hoping that he’ll change his mind.
“I’m not going to change my mind. Tell me my dream, or else.”
I think it’s interesting that if they can tell him what the dream was, then he’ll believe whatever they say it means. “If you can do the hard part of telling me what’s in my head, then I’ll trust you to tell me what it all meant.”
And they say, “We can’t do that. Nobody can do that.” verse 10.
“The astrologers answered the king, ‘There is not a man on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men.’”
That’s very honest! And it’s devastating. They are scared stiff.
By the way, this is a picture of all of the wisdom of the world. There’s lots of knowledge out there. Lots of information. But there’s very little wisdom of real value. And those who claim to be wise are actually running scared. Those who claim to be powerful are quaking in their boots. And nobody really knows anything.
And it’s also a challenge, isn’t it?  When the astrologers go off saying, “No one can do this,” you know that Daniel’s going to pull it off somehow. That’s a great story!
And when they say, “No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men,” our minds just run to John chapter 1, don’t they? John 1:14 about Christmas.
The Word [the Son of God] became flesh and made his dwelling among us...” But that’s getting way ahead of the story!
The wiseman say, “No can do.” And so the king says, “You all die.” V.12
“This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. [And that includes the wisemen who just graduated from college.] So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death” (vv.12-13). Verse 14.
“When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.  He asked the king's officer, ‘Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?’ Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him” (vv.14-16).
Remember, Daniel is still a very young man. But he’s an exceptionally wise and godly young man. He has resolved to not defile himself, and he’s been keeping his resolution.
And here, he does not panic. You see that? This is the only guy who speaks in this story who is not scared. Daniel is not afraid. Even though he just found out that he’s supposed to die today.
Dare to be a Daniel and not be driven by fear!
Daniel and his friends are in deep trouble, and they haven’t done anything. They are just in a class people who are getting swept up in the king’s anger and fear. But the Bible says that he spoke up with wisdom and tact.
Dare to be a Daniel and speak up with wisdom tact!
He listens the story and decides to act boldly. Verse 16 says that he went in to the king. Maybe in person. Maybe it means he sent a message asking for a stay on that ruling. He’s not stalling and hoping the problem will go away, he’s just asking for a little time to solve the problem. And he gets it.
We just saw two more little miracles here, by the way. Arioch was supposed to kill Daniel, not talk to him! And Daniel was supposed to be dead not getting an extension on their homework. I think that maybe God is at work?
By the way, if this was me, I would be so depressed. Here I had just lived for three years on vegetables and water and just went through this massive training course by my enemies that I hated so much. And at the end of all that, I’m going to be killed because their wisemen couldn’t tell the king what he dreamed last night?! Really?!
But instead of despair, Daniel got busy for the LORD.
Dare to be a Daniel and get busy for the LORD.
And call a prayer meeting.
Look at verse 17. This is what Daniel needed the extra time for. A prayer meeting. Verse 17.
“Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon” (Vv.17-18).
Dare to be a Daniel and take it to the Lord in prayer.
I have four points this morning about The God of Heaven. One for each time He is named that in this chapter. And here’s the first one.
#1. THE GOD OF HEAVEN GRANTS MERCY.
The God of Heaven dispenses mercy, that’s why Daniel and his friends are bold to pray for it!
They need help, and they need it bad! They can’t stop what is coming for them on their own.
That’s what mercy is. Mercy is doing something for someone that they couldn’t do on their own. For a bunch of different reasons. Because they don’t have the power. Because they don’t have the worthiness. Because they don’t have the ability. Because they are broken in some way. Mercy sees a problem and has compassion and does something about it. You’re merciful if you do something for someone that they need but maybe don’t deserve. 
And Daniel knows that His God, the God of Heaven is full of mercy.  He’s holy, holy, holy! And He is no pushover. He is not to be trifled with. But you can ask, and He may show favor. He may show compassion. He just may show mercy. The Apostle Paul said that our God is “rich in mercy.” 
And we know that, most of all, because of what God did for us on the Cross, what we could not do for ourselves.
And Daniel and his friends were so right to pray for that mercy. 
Perhaps you need mercy right now. The forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life? And perhaps something else. Some heavy, scary problem that you can run to with your friends.
Notice that Daniel is not alone. We say, “Dare to be a Daniel. Dare to stand alone.” And that’s right if you have to be alone. But right then Daniel was not alone. He was praying with his friends.
Dare to be a Daniel and have a prayer meeting with your friends.
Because the God of Heavens grants mercy. That’s exactly what He did. Look at verse 19.
“During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision.”
#2. THE GOD OF HEAVEN REVEALS MYSTERIES.
That night, God, in His mercy, showed Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar had dreamed and what it meant!
And that’s another miracle. The God of heaven reveals mysteries.
And I love what Daniel does right after this miracle! The first thing he does is not to run off to the king and try to save his life and friends’ lives. No, the first thing Daniel does is give praise to the God of Heaven! V.19 again.
“Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said: ‘Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream of the king’” (vv.19b-23).
Isn’t that beautiful? It’s like a psalm.
Dare to be a Daniel and hold off saving your life to sing God’s praises first.
Notice what Daniel says about Who God is. He’s the “God of heaven” (v.19) and He has wisdom and power. He has control over times and seasons (eras). He has control over politics. He sets up kings and deposes them. More on that in just a second. 
And He reveals mysteries. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 
Which is a dig on the wisemen of Babylon, isn’t it? They don’t have it. Daniel and his friends do because of God’s mercy. Look closely at verse 22.
“He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” Jenni put that on the cover of our worship bulletins today. This says that God knows all the things, and He tells us some of them.
God knows all the things, and He tells us some of them.
God knows all the secrets there are. “He knows what lies in the darkness.”
He knows your secrets and mine. He knows what we dreamed last night even if we don’t remember it! He knows what we were thinking in our deepest thoughts even if we haven’t told anyone.
He knows what’s going to happen! And He tells us some of it. “Light dwells with Him.” Illumination.
What does that mean for you and me today? It means that we should seek the LORD’s revelation. And, today, the clearest revelation of the LORD is right here in our hands! The Bible is special revelation from God! He’s told us what we need to know. He’s gotten it written down in this book! And it’s been translated into our own language. I barely can read Hebrew. I can’t read Aramaic. But this is written in English! And God’s revelation.
Are you reading your Bible in 2025? Are you asking the LORD to give you wisdom and knowledge and discernment? He’s got those things. The world does not! And He’s giving them to us if we seek Him.
Do you spend more time on Netflix than you do in your Bible?Do you spend more time on YouTube than you do in your Bible?Do you spend more time on TikTok than you do in your Bible?
Why in the world?! Is that where wisdom is?!
I know you can get Bible on Netflix and YouTube and TikTok. That’s not what I’m saying.
I’m saying are you seeking the wisdom of the world, the wisdom of Babylon which, in the end, is full of fear, anger, and brutality? Or are you seeking the God who “reveals deep and hidden things?” I don’t know about you, but I want the light that dwells with Him.
Then Daniel took this light to the king. Look at verse 24.
“Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, ‘Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.’”
Which is really gracious, isn’t it? He could have wiped out his entire competition in one fell swoop. They will not treat him with the same graciousness in the future. But he is trying to save the day for many and not just him and his friends. Almost unbelievably, young Daniel is granted an audience with the king. Verse 25.
“Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, ‘I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.’ [Which of course, he did no such thing. As if he was searching for this and not having it handed to him. But whatever, Arioch. V.26]
The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), ‘Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?’
Daniel replied, ‘No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about...but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come” (vv.26-28).
Dare to be a Daniel and speak up with courage even before the most powerful man in the world.
Courage and humility! Notice that Daniel says that he doesn’t have what it takes on his own to explain the mystery to the king. Unlike Arioch, Daniel does not take credit for what he’s about to say!
He says, “Your wisemen were right. They can’t do this. None of us can do this! But I know Someone who can. And it’s not Marduk. It’s not Bel, whom you have named me after. They are no help here." Verse 28 again.
“...but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.”
King Nebuchadnezzar, in your dreams, God has shown you the future. 
Isn’t that wild that God did that?! He didn’t have to. There’s no rule that the most powerful person in the world gets a dream that explains the future from now to the end of history. But He did for Nebuchadnezzar! While the LORD was disciplining His people in exile, He made sure that the ruler of the world got this message and that a Hebrew got to interpret it and get it written down for the ages.
The God of Heaven reveals mysteries including what is going to happen in the future.
And now we know the future!
Daniel tells the king his own dream. Verse 28.
“Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these: 
‘As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen.
As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.
‘You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue–an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance.
The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 
While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them.
Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth.
‘This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king” (vv.28-36).
Just pause there for a second and that let the picture of that dream soak in.
Wow, right?! Just, wow!
This is the first vision in the book and the only one really in the first half of the book (and the only on in Aramaic). And it’s similar to visions in the rest of the book, especially the one in chapter 7 where our memory verse comes from. And Daniel says it’s about the future.
I’m not going to put my picture of this statue up on the screen, but you might want to draw your own. 
There’s this colossal statue in the dream.
“Enormous, dazzling, awesome in appearance.” It’s probably bright and beautiful and imposing. Scary! Towering!
And it’s made different kinds of substances, mostly metal. There’s like 4 different parts to the statue.  
The head is gold.The chest and arms are silver.The belly and thighs are bronze. This is kind of going downhill isn’t it? Maybe each metal is stronger than the last but less valuable.And the legs are iron and the feet with the legs are iron with some clay mixed in.
Clay?
Clay and iron mixed together? That’s not gonna work.
This is, by the way, where we get the phrase, “He has feet of clay.”
Crumbly. 
Because the king saw this rock.
It’s cut out of like a mountainside? But it’s not cut with human hands. This is out of this world. It’s not cut by us. It’s cut by God! And it’s gone flying. This rock is hurtling at the statue and hits the feet and smashes them. So much for the iron and the clay!
And the whole statue falls down and breaks into pieces! And then blows away.
So there’s no trace. Not a trace of any of the statue left. Not even gold dust.
Just the rock.
And the rock grows.And the rock grows.And the rock grows.And the rock grows.
And it becomes a huge mountain that fills the whole earth!
No wonder Nebuchadnezzar was freaked out. "What does it mean?!"
And Daniel says, ‘This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king...” Verse 37.
“You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold” (vv.37-38).
#3: THE GOD OF HEAVEN RAISES UP AND TAKES DOWN KINGS AND KINGDOMS.
Let me ask you a trick question. I was going to ask it at the beginning of this message, but then I decided to wait until the answer was a little bit more obvious.
Trick question: According to Daniel chapter 2 who is the king of kings?
It’s a trick question. There are two right answers. One more important than the other. But verse 37 says that Nebuchadnezzar was “the king of kings.” He truly was the most powerful man in the world at that time. All of the kingdoms nearby were under him. Even over the beasts of the field and birds of the air. He was the ruler. He was the top dog.
He was the head of gold!
Why? Because the God of Heaven had given him that dominion, power, might and glory. Not Marduk. Not Bel. Not Nabu.
The God of Heaven. Verse 22 told us that He sets up kings!
Ultimately, the only reason why Nebuchadnezzar sat on that throne in Babylon was that God had put him there. And that should make him humble and worried about accountability. With massive power comes massive responsibility. 
It doesn’t make him humble. Power is a heady drug. We’re going to see that again and again in this book. These kings are full of overweening pride. But their power comes from the God of Heaven. And so will their downfall. Verse 39.
“‘After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron–for iron breaks and smashes everything–and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others.
Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay” (vv.39-43).
Aha. So each of these parts of the statue are kingdoms. Not just a king (like Nebuchadnezzar) but a kingdom.
Each one less valuable but maybe more strong and lasting than the previous one. Gold, silver, bronze, iron (iron mixed with clay). That last one is incredibly destructive while still being incredible unstable.
Which kingdoms are these kingdoms?
That’s a good question! And it has kept Bible scholars busy for the last 2,600 years. 
Notice that Daniel does not say. The only identification that Daniel makes here in chapter 2 is the head of gold. That’s King Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. The others are not identified.
You may have been taught that it is obvious. And I do think there are some good arguments for the leading options. I’m sure we’ll get into them in the days to come.
But what I want to emphasize today is that they keep going down.
King Nebuchadnezzar does not live forever! He’s not the King of Kings forever.There’s a kingdom after him (v.39).And a kingdom after that.And a kingdom after that.
Next, next, next.
Kings and kingdoms rise and fall. And the God of Heaven is behind it all. These earthly kingdoms, as powerful as they are, are going to pass away. And that goes for the Kingdom of America, too.
And that should give us all humility and perspective about what’s important. Don’t be impressed with worldly power! (Or worried about it for that matter.)
The God of heaven raises up kings and kingdoms for a time and then He lays them down. And He lays them down flat!
And one day, He will smash them all to pieces. 
In the dream, the whole statue, even though it’s different kingdoms, is one statue. They are all tied together. The kingdoms of this world.
And what happens to the statue? Verse 44.
“‘In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands–a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy’” (vv.44-45).
Last point and then we’ll get to eating and rejoicing over what the God of Heaven has done among us last year. Number four.
#4. THE GOD OF HEAVEN LAUNCHES HIS OWN KINGDOM OF KINGDOMS.
Verse 44 says that God will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. 
Unlike Babylon and all the other earthly kingdoms, there is no kingdom after this kingdom. Nobody else gets it. There are no successors. This kingdom is final. This kingdom lasts. This kingdom persists. This kingdom endures forever.
This kingdom is unstoppable. It’s unbeatable. It crushes all those other kingdoms and brings them to an end! 
How does this happen? When does this happen?
Those are good questions, and Christians disagree on the finer points. A lot of the timing depends on the answer to the question, “Which are ‘those kings’ in verse 44? Is there a difference between the legs and the toes?” And I’m sure we’ll get into that more as we go along.
What I want to emphasize today is that it will happen. Not when or how but that.
Daniel says in verse 45, “The great God has shown the king what WILL take place in the future.” This dream will come true.
This indestructible kingdom of kingdoms will come. Definitely. Guaranteed by the God of Heaven Himself!
Because it’s His kingdom!
That’s what it means that the rock is cut out but not by human hands. This kingdom is the kingdom of the God of Heaven!
And He’s the point of this story!
The God of Heaven launches His own kingdom at the other kingdoms so that they are crushed to pieces, and in the end, His kingdom is all that remains. That’s going to happen! The God of heaven has revealed it.
Probably in some ways He’s already started it. Because we know that the Ultimate King of Kingdoms has come and has received all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:19). And we pray that His kingdom comes and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
And one day soon, the mountain of the kingdom will come in all of its world-filling fullness!
“The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy.”
And what happened next? Remember, how this story started. What Kyla read to us? The story started with Daniel and his friends about to be killed. And here he is before his judge, jury, and executioner. The king has the all the power. And Daniel has poured out these words. Will the king now kill him? Verse 46.
“Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him. [He goes too far overboard the other way.] The king said to Daniel, ‘Surely your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this mystery.’
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its wise men. Moreover, at Daniel's request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the royal court” (vv.46-49).
I don’t think that Nebuchadnezzar really listened very hard. After he heard Daniel recite his dream correctly and found out that he was the head of gold, I think he tuned out. I don’t think really came to love and trust in the LORD at this point.
But he gladly admits and acknowledges that the God of heaven is the King of Kingdoms.
And so must we!

***
Messages in This Series:
01. The King's Service - Daniel 1:1-21

LEFC Pastor's Report: 2024 in Review

Lanse Evangelical Free Church exists to glorify God by bringing people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ through worship, instruction, fellowship, evangelism, and service.
Celebration Sunday - October 2024
The Annual Pastoral ReportPastor Matt MitchellYear in Review: 2024
Dear Church Family,
I am incredibly grateful to be your pastor. It’s difficult to believe that this is my 27th annual report for you. We have been on a wonderful adventure serving King Jesus together for over 26 years now. Thank you for entrusting me with the responsibility of shepherding this flock. It is a great joy and a privilege which I do not take lightly.
I find that writing my report each year helps me to gain a much-needed perspective. It’s easy to focus only on what’s right in front of me and miss what the Lord has done in the past and might be doing in the future. This last year we celebrated our 132nd anniversary as a church. We have been very blessed in so many ways, and it’s important to stop, give thanks, and reflect.
New Territory
In many ways, 2024 was a year much like previous years for LEFC. We didn’t experience extreme disruption. We didn’t change how we do everything. Our leaders led. Our ministries ministered. Our bills got paid. We met on Sundays. We focused on worship, instruction, fellowship, evangelism, and service. We kept the main thing the main thing. There was a lot of steadiness in ministry for which I am very grateful.
And yet, this past year, we also entered into a lot of new territory as a congregation.
Jordyn Skacel - Director of Family Ministry
Perhaps the most obvious new territory is that we called our first Director of Family Ministry. After a long and twisty search process, we were led by the Lord to an ideal candidate! Jordyn Skacel was installed in August in this brand new part-time role, and I am eager to see what the Lord is going to do through her leadership over our ministries to children, youth, and parents in the days to come. Jordyn and her Family Ministries Team have already led us into new territory with an Egg Hunt outreach in the spring and a discipleship retreat for families in the fall! 
Jordyn is a terrific addition to our existing church staff, and we are all enjoying collaborating together. Jenni English completed her first year as our administrative assistant and brought both a trustworthy dependableness and an innovative approach to how we get things done in the office. Cindy Green continued to cheerfully clean up our messes and help manage our facility. Leading a busy staff this size is new territory for me, and I would appreciate your prayers as I grow in my abilities as a manager. 
Malawi Team
Keith, Stephanie, and Mary Beth definitely entered new territory when they flew across the Atlantic Ocean to share God’s love and our love with the people of Malawi. Our Malawi Team served alongside our missionaries, Fred and Cindy Cressman, and their friends at Community Impact Malawi. Thank you for prayerfully supporting them on this new venture. It was a stretching experience for them and for us which I expect to have long-lasting impact both in the “warm heart of Africa” and in the warm heart of Lanse Free Church.
Lanse Free Fridge
We also certainly entered into some new territory when we decided to offer a community fridge and pantry at the Ark Park to give our neighbors a good place to share God’s good gifts with each other. I love how the Lanse Free Fridge communicates our love for our neighbors and facilitates healthy community relationships. I was delighted to see how it took off right from day one! As with all new territory, there will probably be some unexpected problems along the journey, but our church family and our community have already clearly embraced this fresh concept. I am thankful for Holly and Cody’s determined vision for combating food waste and hunger, meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbors. I look forward to seeing where the Lord leads us all next!
Participation Growth
In 2024, we entered into new territory for the number of people who participate regularly in worship together as Lanse Free Church. Our average attendance at worship grew another 15.4% to 164 people per Sunday. That’s the most people we’ve ever had worshiping with us in my time here as your pastor (the previous “record” was 149 people per Sunday in 2013). In the last three months of 2024, we were averaging 171 people per Sunday. The lowest attended Sunday was October 13th (103 people) and the highest attended was Resurrection Sunday (March 31st) with 250 people counted (50 more people than the previous year). We certainly are growing.
Even though those numbers are very encouraging, they don’t really tell the whole story of just how big our worshiping community has become. We have many more than 164 people who call our church “home.” It seems like it’s almost a different 164 people each Sunday! Our attendance team tracked 411 distinct people who came onto our campus on Sunday mornings in 2024. (The previous year was 293, a 40% increase!) Some of those were one-timers or out-of-town guests, but we had 257 different people who attended on average at least once per month.
With this new territory of growth also comes new challenges. Things become more complex. It’s hard to keep track of everyone. It’s harder to foster community. A bigger group means bigger problems. Last year, in my annual report, I highlighted King Jesus’ new command to us that we must love one another as He has loved us. I’m grateful to report that I saw our church family love one each other in big and small ways throughout the year! From simply greeting one another and praying for one another’s needs, to funding the teens’ trip to Challenge, through the building of the Lanse Free Fridge and the sending of the Malawi Team (along with a love-gift to feed Malawians that was four times our goal!), to being patient with one another and bearing with one another, our church family followed our Lord’s example of sacrificial love (John 13:34-35).
It’s familiar territory for me, but I am so proud to be your pastor.
Blessings Upon Blessings
2024 was a year of joyful weddings. We celebrated the blessing of marriage with seven brand new couples: Reece & Hannah, Jim & Janell, Peter & Macy, Jeremiah & Jordan, and Casey & Emigh. That has got to be some kind of a record for LEFC, and several more twosomes got engaged!
The Lord is blessing our church family with more babies. Darren and Judy were given Ada, and Abe and Jordyn were blessed with River. And there are at least three more on the way in 2025!
The Lord blessed us with ten baptisms this year! We celebrated the sign of salvation with Landen, Treiton, Keagan, Katie, Maria, John & Kara, Alexis, Cayli, and Janell.
We were blessed to be led by faithful church leaders in 2024. I had the privilege of serving alongside a bang-up team of Elders: Keith Folmar (chairman), Cody Crumrine (vice-chairman), Abraham Skacel, and Keith Hurley. I enjoy attending Elders’ Meetings, praying with each other, and working together to provide vision and leadership for the congregation. On top of that, we, along with our wives, take turns meeting with the young people for Snack and Yack on Sundays to help them get the most out the sermon. 
All of our various ministry teams had faithful leaders who carried the responsibilities on their shoulders, including some who have done it for many years. Read the rest of this annual report to get a snapshot of what the Lord was doing through them in 2024.
One of the more unusual blessings of 2024 was the “Great Clean Out” and “Challenge Thrift Store.” All of our ministries worked together to get rid of the things we’ve accumulated over the years to free up space for ministry and to share the leftover useful items with those who wanted them in exchange for a gift to send our teens to the Challenge Conference. Everybody benefitted!
I’m pleased that our teens got to return to the 2024 Challenge Conference after missing the last few. And I’m very encouraged that they came back from the mountain top with a serious desire for serious growth in seriously following King Jesus together. May that be true for us all.
Pastoral Ministry
I love what I get to do as your pastor. I especially enjoy the variety of activities I get to engage in, most of which fall under three main headings: preaching, equipping, and shepherding.
Preach the Word
I love to study and teach God’s Word. Thank you for setting me to this task, for listening closely on Sundays, and for applying the preaching to your own lives.
In 2024, we completed . From John chapters 6 through 21, we learned more about how there is true, abundant, and eternal ! I also got to share John’s message that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life at the 2024 West Branch High School Baccalaureate. The timing of the Gospel of John sermon series was interesting because we ended up centering on the Cross and the Empty Tomb during the holidays when we often focus on giving thanks, the coming of Christ, and the Incarnation. The juxtaposition was striking and brought out new significance to the whole story! At the end of the year, we had a brief though illuminating study of the Bright Star of Bethlehem–predicted in the Torah, fulfilled in the Gospels, and fully realized in the Apocalypse. Jesus is stellar in every way.
We were blessed with nourishing preaching from other solid Bible teachers in 2024. Our own Joel Michaels, Abraham Skacel, and Keith Hurley, our missionaries Donnie Rosie and Fred Cressman, district pastor Joel Zaborowski, and our district superintendent Kerry Doyal all taught us something vital, encouraging, and challenging this year.
Equip the Saints
It’s a good thing I like meetings because I spend a lot of time at them. I also spend a lot of time reading and sending messages to church leaders to support our ministry teams in doing their important work. I love supporting ventures like the Wild Game Dinner, Men’s Breakfast, Family Bible Week, Good News Cruise, Malawi Team, Lanse Free Fridge, and so many more. 
I’m very encouraged to see so many of our newer members stepping into ministry and even leadership roles! As we grow, we have a beautiful blend of younger and more seasoned leaders working together which is incredibly important for the future of our church. 
Also as we grow, my role as an equipper is changing. Now that we have Jordyn directing our Family Ministries, I do less direct work in that area and more empowering her to do it. At the same time, I get to stay involved in things like Snack and Yack and writing many of the “dessert” recommendations for discipleship-minded parents in The Family Table newsletter. My equipping ministry extends beyond our immediate church family, to our associational family of churches, the EFCA. I continued to serve as the Chairman of the Allegheny District Constitutions and Credentials Board in 2024. I got to participate in a double credentialing council for two pastors in one weekend back in March and assist a handful of churches who want to associate with us by reviewing their governing documents. I also got to help lead the Stay Sharp Theology Conference, and Heather and I were privileged to be the speakers for the 2024 Pastors and Wives Retreat in October. 
On the national level, I continued to serve as the Book Review Coordinator for the EFCA Blog and as a member of the EFCA Spiritual Heritage Committee (SHC). In October, the SHC met on the campus of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, our EFCA seminary in Illinois (and my alma mater!). It was good to see the progress our school is making especially at raising up well-educated leaders for the global church. As a member of the SHC, I also got to provide editorial input for Evangelical Heritage: From Immigrants to a Church of All People—The Story of the Evangelical Free Church of America by Dr. David M. Gustafson which is set to be published early in 2025. Evangelical Heritage is the second book in the essential EFCA trilogy to help readers understand the theological, history, and unique ethos of our beloved association of churches. 
In September, I got to visit Valley Church in Des Moines Iowa to speak to their large ministry staff about cultivating a gossip resistant church. Valley Church will be the site of EFCA One next summer. Thank you for gifting some of my time to our wider family of churches.
Shepherd the Flock
As your pastor, I love to be involved in your lives. Thank you for inviting me to watch your kids’ games, concerts, and shows. (I’m glad I have a season pass at West Branch!) It’s a privilege to visit you in the hospital, to share a meal with you, or provide you some counsel.
Because it was such a year of weddings, Heather and I did a lot of pre-marital counseling. At one point, we were making appointments with three different couples! That’s a record for us and a great joy.
The Lord gives, and He also takes away, including deeply beloved church members. In 2024, I led funerals and memorial services for LeRoy Nearhhood, Conlee Isaacson, Robert Lockman, Jr., Jonalie Evans, Randy Killion, and Roper Houston, Sr and spent meaningful time with John Walter in his last days. I also walked alongside couples who had experienced the pain of miscarriages and infant death. Shepherding can be hard but is holy work. Thank you for allowing me into your lives to represent the Great Shepherd (John 10:14-18).
A Personal Note
This year was significant for Heather and me as we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. We traveled out west to visit our son Andrew who is a wildland firefighter in Washington, to visit Heather’s Canadian family, and to vacation where we got married on June 18, 1994. 
Even more significantly in 2024, we gained a delightful daughter-in-law as our son Peter got married to Macy on August 10th! We have been praying for Macy for twenty-one years, long before we knew her name. I had the privilege of officiating the ceremony for the new Mitchells, and their wedding reception culminated in a giant spray of fireworks–a perfect symbol of their rocketing joy and ours. We couldn’t be happier.
Our daughter Robin spent 2024 preparing for a career in animal care and veterinary medicine. She took an excellent internship at a animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Washington and then also moved to Indianapolis to pursue a degree as a vet tech.  
Our son Isaac flew across the ocean for a short-term Bible, theology, and ministry course at Capernwray Hall in England. We’re excited to see where the Lord leads him next.
My parents, Chuck and Anita, sold their house in Ohio and set up a home in our area. We’re looking forward to having them around a lot more in the warm-weather months.
Thank you for praying for our whole family this last year. We feel loved and fully supported. Thank you, also, for continuing to strongly support the Allegheny District which supplies me with my pastor. Kerry listens to me closely (and frequently!), and he speaks wisdom into my life. Pastors need pastors, too, and I have one with a servant’s heart.
And thank you, once more, for providing my three-month sabbatical back in 2023. The positive effects of that deep rest still carry on strongly today. It was the re-set that I truly needed. I am blessed to be your pastor, not just because I love taking good care of you, but because you take good care of me.
Vision for 2025 - Serving the King
The first word that came to my mind when I thought about the year we are now facing was “serving.” 
In 2025, we have a number of things planned that call us to serve others:
- We are planning to serve the people of Hazard Kentucky who were severely affected by flooding a few years ago by sending two ministry teams on two different weeks this coming summer.
- We are planning to serve our neighbors with the first full year of the Lanse Free Fridge. It’s so popular right now that we need to raise a small army of “fridge checkers” to keep it tidy and update its social media.
- We are expecting to serve many families through new initiatives that Jordyn and her team are cooking up.
- We are hoping to erect a pavilion at the Ark Park to serve our congregation and our community with an improved place to gather and enjoy each other’s company outdoors yet in the shade.
In fact, all of the hopes and dreams you read from each of the ministries in this report will require people to serve for them to become a reality.
Thankfully, serving is one of the things our church does best! We have a church that overflows with humble servants who put others ahead of themselves and Jesus first. Serving is not new territory for Lanse Free Church.
Yet, as our church family is growing so much more, this may become difficult in some perplexing ways. We may experience growing pains which require serving others in ways we wouldn’t do naturally. 
Amazingly, our own King showed us how to do it. Jesus said that He did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). So my encouragement for all who participate in our church is to follow our own King’s example by finding where our service is needed and stepping up and kneeling down to fill those needs.
And to do it for the glory of the King of Kingdoms! I’m glad we’re starting 2025 focused on the vision of the matchless eternal kingdom that has been given to our Lord (Daniel 7:13-14). May His kingdom come and His will be done in Lanse Free Church as it is in heaven and will be on earth (Matthew 6:10).
A Vision for 2045?
Earlier, I said that writing my report helps me with perspective. So does reading my old reports! I recently re-read my pastoral report from twenty years ago that reviewed our ministry together in 2005. It was intriguing to see how much has changed from then and how much has not. In 2005, we were growing in attendance and focused on making disciples, we took in several new members, we got a new administrative assistant, I preached through an Old Testament book (Exodus) and spoke at the West Branch Baccalaureate Service (for the first time), Keith & Heather got married, and we paved the parking lot! It was a big year for LEFC. Perhaps the most interesting point of comparison with today was that we were seriously contemplating a search for a second staff person in the realm of...family ministry!
Fascinatingly (at least for me ☺), at the end of my report about 2005, I shared a vision for ministry in 2025. That sure seemed like a long way off! That year, Heather and I had set a goal of serving here for another twenty years for a total of 27 if the Lord should lead and tarry so long. That is now a goal we will reach, Lord-willing, this coming June.
[By the way, our current goal (not a promise, but a goal) is to serve here at least until I retire–if the Lord allows and you all continue to think it is best.]
Back then I wrote, “I desire for the church to grow in quality, quantity, effectiveness, and influence because of that kind of pastoral longevity.” And, praise God, I believe we have! I also offered a twelve-point list of hopes and dreams that I had for LEFC by 2025 and published them on my recently launched “weblog.” I am deeply encouraged that I can see how more than half of them have come to fruition in meaningful ways.
Looking back like that makes me think about looking forward another twenty years to 2045. If the Lord tarries and gives us that time together, I will have had a 47-year ministry here and be 72 years old. 
I’m sure that in 2045 our ministry together will look very different in many ways. Will we have a new lead pastor (or pastors!)? I hope so! I’ll probably be retired, or at least part-time. Will the children of our current leaders be the leaders then? Will I have preached through all of the books of the Bible (probably not, as I have so many left!)?
At the same time, I hope nothing essential will have changed in 2045. I hope that LEFC will still be keeping the main thing the main thing. I hope we will have the same mission and message. I hope that we will be making disciples with a life-changing relationship with King Jesus. I hope that our families will be thriving because of some of the investments we are making right now. I hope the Bible is being believed and taught in our pulpit, classrooms, and living rooms. I hope we are reaching the world. I hope that we are serving our community. I hope we have hundreds of visitors to our Lanse campus each year, playing on our Ark Park, eating at the pavilion, and maybe sharing free food at the Free Fridge.
And I hope we’re also doing these things in ways and levels I can’t even imagine right now.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
As I wrote back then, “Who knows the future? Only God does. Thankfully, we belong to Him through Jesus Christ. So we can expect good things from His gracious hand.”
In His Grip,
-Pastor Matt

“The King’s Service” [Matt's Messages]

“The King’s Service”The King of Kingdoms - The Book of DanielLanse Evangelical Free ChurchJanuary 19, 2025 :: Daniel 1:1-21  
Daniel is a daunting book to preach. 
I’ve put it off now for almost 27 years. I’ve preached the twice and Philippians three times from this pulpit, but I haven’t yet tackled the Book of Daniel.
It’s not because it’s bad book. It’s an awesome book!
And it’s a favorite of many. I mean kids love it, right? It has a fiery furnace that men get tossed into!It has a disembodied hand that writes on a wall! It has man getting thrown into a den full of hungry hungry lions! The drawings and conversations at Snack and Yack are going to be so fun!
It has a vision of a Man who rides on the clouds! It has a dream of a giant statue being smashed by a flying rock and a visit of an angel with a metallic body, face like lightening, and a voice like thousands of people talking at once (Dan 10:6). It has visions of strange, mysterious, fantastic beasts. Daniel is where to find them!
It’s a unique book. There’s nothing quite like it. It’s classified among the Prophets in our English Bibles, but it’s in the “Writings” like the Wisdom literature in Hebrew Bibles. It’s got history and prophecy in it. It spans the genres. There’s nothing quite like it. 
In the Book of Daniel, there are twelve chapters written in not one but two different ancient languages!
Six chapters with six stories of dramatic conflict and contest in the highest courts! And then six chapters with four major apocalyptic visions that explain the big plan of God for the world from the time of Daniel to the end of history!
It’s an awesome book. That’s what makes it daunting. Who can do justice to this?! Who can wrap your mind around it and show everything that’s there?!
It’s daunting because it is so beloved. Because it is full of apocalyptic prophecy and obscure symbolism, it can be very difficult to interpret. It’s tricky. And complex and surprising. It’s like the Book of Revelation for the Old Testament. (At least one of them.)
We just have to get ready right now to say from time to time, “I don’t know, and that’s okay.”
And Daniel can also be controversial. Not just with the people out there who have trouble believing in prophecy, that Daniel could be so accurate so far far in advance, but also controversial among Christians who believe in Daniel’s predictive power but disagree over what some particular symbols mean.
In the course of this series, I may say some things that are new or different than what you’ve heard before (if you’ve studied it), and you may disagree at times with my interpretation, and that’s okay, too. (At least on my end.) There is some tricky stuff in here.
I promise to stick close to the main thing as we go along and to show you what I see. We’ll talk about the side stuff, but we’ll camp on the central stuff. I promise to keep the main thing the main thing as we study the Book of Daniel.
And we are going to study it! Starting today. I’m not putting it off any longer.
And here’s why we’re going to dive in. Several reasons. 
First, because it’s next.
Some of you are young or new to Lanse Free Church, and you might not know that since 2003, we’ve been on a long journey of studying the Big Story of the Bible. We break it up by toggling to the Gospels and other parts of the New Testament, but we’ve also been trekking our way through the Big Story of the Old Testament.
We’ve done Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, and a couple of years ago we studied the Prophecy of Jeremiah together. Remember that? Jeremiah covers the same ground from a prophet’s perspective as 2 Kings does. And they both tell the story of the end of the Kingdom of Judah and the exile of the people of Judah into Babylon.
Guess where Daniel picks up? Right there. He overlaps those stories, too.
So, it’s next. And we want to study the whole sweep of God’s Word together as a church. Not just the easy bits but the hard and tricky bits, too.
But not just because it’s next but because we need it. We need the Book of Daniel today.
For one, we need the example of Daniel. We’re going to see that clearly today as we look at chapter 1. Daniel consistently shows us how to live as faithful believer during difficult times. And our times are difficult.
There’s a fun song that I’m sure the Kids Bible Class will be singing the next few months, “Dare to be a Daniel,” and that’s exactly right.
But more and deeper than that, we need the God of the Book of Daniel! We need the God Whom Daniel serves and Daniel reveals.
The title of our series is “The King of Kingdoms.”
And thank you, Jeff, for creating the graphic design for this series. It’s based on the Ishtar Gate in Ancient Babylon, parts of which still exist today in museums. It was built by King Nebuchadnezzar during the lifetime of Daniel. So Daniel would have seen and probably passed through the Gate of Ishtar! Maybe every workday?
Jeff has modified the design for our purposes. There’s a lot of detail worked in there about things we’re going study as we go through this series. 
“The King of Kingdoms.” That has layers of meaning which we’ll get into as the series progresses. The big idea is that Daniel reveals to us the King of Kings. The king over all kingdoms, and that is God. And His kingdom will never end.
Our first memory verse in this series is from the very middle of the book. Chapter 7, verse 14. The last chapter written in Aramaic and the first chapter of the second half which is devoted to visions.
In the vision of chapter 7, Daniel sees a mysterious figure, he says, “[O]ne like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence” (Daniel 7:13).
So this mysterious Person comes into the presence of the Ancient of Days the King of Kingdoms. And He is given a kingdom! The Kingdom! Let’s say verse 14 together:
“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).
We’re going to drill that verse and that truth into our hearts in the next few months. Because we need it. We need Him. We need the King of Kingdoms.
Because it often seems like there is no King of Kingdoms. It often seems like the world is out of control. Does it seem to you like the world has gone crazy? There is so much chaos. There is so much strife. So much change. So much out of our control and so many things going wrong. Sometimes it seems like we’ve reached the end of the world.
That’s how it must have felt to Daniel when he was a young man. Let’s look and see what happened to him. Something pretty terrible. Let’s get down into Daniel chapter 1. Verse 1.
“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god” (Daniel 1:1-2).
To Daniel, living in Judah at the time, this must have felt like the end of the world. Everything was crashing down.
For over a hundred years, the main world power had been the Kingdom of Assyria. Assyria had actually defeated and exiled the people of the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 BC. But the southern kingdom of Judah has held on. They have successfully repelled Assyria whenever they came knocking.
But now in the year 605 BC, there is a new world power on the ascendency. It’s the kingdom of Babylon, and their king is named “Nabopolassar.” And Nabopolassar has a son who is the general in charge of Babylon’s armies named “Nebuchadnezzar.” A fascinating character!
And in 605 BC at the battle of Carchemish [which you have may learned about in your history class], Nebuchadnezzar wins! He beats the armies of Egypt allied with the remnants of the armies of Assyria, and Babylon effectively becomes the most powerful kingdom on the planet at that time.
And right about then Nabopolassar dies, and Nebuchadnezzar becomes the most powerful king on the planet at that time.
And he comes after Jerusalem. And he beats them. He beats them into submission. Judah is still a nation with a king, but they become basically a vassal state of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar is the undisputed champion, and you know how we know? Because Nebuchadnezzar takes the Stanley Cup home. 
It’s actually much worse than that. He takes some “articles from the temple of God.” Remember all of the golden stuff inside the temple that Solomon built? Gold plates. Gold utensils. Gold tools for tending the sacrifices.
Remember how Hezekiah when he was sick showed the beautiful golden stuff to the emissaries of the king of Babylon when he was allying with them in 2 Kings? Babylon has not forgotten!
Nebuchadnezzar takes those things from the temple of the LORD and puts them into the temple of his god! That was Marduk or his other name was Bel. B-E-L. The son of the god Marduk was hamed Nabu. And Nebuchadnezzar was named after him.
Which god had won this contest?
Careful how you answer that.
It looks like Marduk has won. He’s got the gold! But that’s not what verse 2 says, is it? What did verse 2 say? Look at it again.
“And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God.”
The word for “delivered” in Hebrew is “nawthan.” We get our name Nathan from it. Gift of God.
The God of Judah gave the king of Judah to the king of Babylon. And the God of Judah gave the the golden stuff to Nebuchadnezzar, too. For safe keeping at Marduk’s house.
I’ve got three points for us to apply this chapter of Daniel to our lives today, and here’s the first one:
#1. REMEMBER WHO IS THE KING OF KINGDOMS.
Get this straight. The God of Judah (who we know as Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God we worship here today) did. not. lose. this. battle.
It seemed like it to Nebuchadnezzar. “Take that Jehoikim!”It seemed like it to Babylon. “We’ve got your god’s stuff!”It probably seemed like it to the whole wide world.
It was reported in all of the media that Marduk had beaten Adonai, and that Nebuchadnezzar was the king of kings.
But that’s not how it was.
This was God’s doing. This was God’s plan. This was God’s punishment on His people.
Daniel doesn’t dwell on it here, but this was because of everything we read about back in Jeremiah, isn’t it?
Jeremiah was a broken record about a what? A broken covenant.  For forty years Jeremiah called Judah to repent, and they just stuck their fingers in their ears. Jeremiah prophesied during the reign of five different kings in Judah. The first was godly Josiah, and then the next one was named...Jehoiakim.
Thumbs up or thumbs down? Two thumbs down. Bad king. Bad shepherd. Jehoiakim was the one that burned the Bible. Remember that story from Jeremiah 36? He had someone read to him from the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies, and then he would cut it off and put it into his fire to warm himself.
And eventually the LORD said, “That’s enough.” And he gave Jehoiakim to Nebuchadnezzar.
It’s interesting to think that Daniel was living through all of that. He had maybe heard Jeremiah preach. He was very young, and Jeremiah was getting old, but they lived at the same time and followed the same God. And that God is the King of Kingdoms. No matter how it seems.
And that’s good news! Because it really seems like there are all of these kings out there and all of this chaos, and it’s good to know that there is a king over all the kings that is working out His wise and holy plan.
The chief purpose of apocalyptic prophecy is not to give us all of the details. It’s to give us the big picture so to give us a right perspective. And that gives us hope and comfort and courage.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Just because we know and remember that the LORD is behind this defeat, doesn’t make it all better. Doesn’t mean it isn’t scary. And doesn’t mean that things won’t get worse. 
They sure got worse for Daniel. Because it wasn’t just the gold stuff of the Temple that got carted off to Babylon in 605BC. It was also the cream of the crop of the nobility of Judah. Look at verse 3.
“Then the king [that’s Nebuchadnezzar] ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility–young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.”
That’s where I asked Keagan to read to, and where we get the title of this message, “The King’s Service.”
These young men from Judah were selected to serve the king. Literally, to stand before him. Meaning to be a part of his court. His diplomatic corp. His royal administration.
It made a lot of sense. If you grab the cream of the crop from the nation that is under you and train them in your ways, then you have a big supply of help that can speak both languages and know both cultures and help you keep the under nation in check. Smart!
And verse 6 tells us that among those selected for this service were some pretty important names for us to know. Look at verse 6.
“Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.”
These four guys were selected to be trained to be in the king’s service.
Now, on one level, this doesn’t seem so bad, does it? I mean who doesn’t like to be selected? And these guys are obviously the elite. They are good looking and smart! They are the obvious choices for the team captains. And they get to be educated! They get degrees. And they get to eat food from the king’s own table!
There are worse things. Some of their friends died in the battles with Babylon. Some are going to die in the next set of battles with Babylon. And some the next. 
In 597 BC, there will be more deportations. A guy named “Ezekiel” is going to be exiled. And in 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar is going to attack Jerusalem and just about burn it all to the ground. And he destroyed the temple. This time, he didn’t just raid it. He tore it down. And why we have the book of Lamentations. It was about the worst thing that ever happened in the Old Testament. That’s how they felt.
So Daniel’s fate wasn’t so bad.
But think about it from his perspective. Daniel was taken far away from his homeland. Do you remember what our sermon series on Jeremiah was called? “Uprooted.” Daniel was uprooted. He was taken away from everything he knew. He was probably 13 or 14 or 15? Somewhere in there.
If you are a young man of those ages, would you stand? Thank you. They were taken from their home, and Daniel never returned. He lived to be a very old man, but he will die in Babylon. He is marched 600 or more miles away and told that he has to go to school  to serve the king who just beat down his kingdom. 
And he has to study things he doesn’t want to study. He has to study the language and literature of the Babylonians. Literally, the Chaldeans which was ancient name for the main ruling ethnic group of Babylon and their wise-men.
He doesn’t get to study Hebrew. If he studies his Bible, it’s on his own time, and there may not be much of that. He has to study Akkadian. He has to speak Aramaic because that’s their main language for court affairs, but Akkadian was their scholarly language. It has like 100 different stick figures you have to memorize and be able to write. Cuneiform.
And he has to study astrology. Not astronomy though that would be helpful but astrology–how the stars rule our lives. Hint: They don’t! But he’s got to study it anyway.
And he’s probably got to study divination. My daughter is learning how to keep cats and dogs alive as a Vet Tech. Daniel and his friends probably had to kill animals like sheep and then predict the future by what their entrails looked like.  
And he had study history (not Israel’s history but Babylon’s history) and law (not Israel’s law but Babylon’s law) and read Babylon’s books. Not Genesis but the “Enuma Elish” and “Atra-Hasis.” 
He’s got to learn all of that to be effective in the king’s service.
He’s a hostage forced to attend to Babylon University. He doesn’t want to be there. He doesn’t want to learn these things. And he doesn’t want to serve this king!
And on top of all of that, they slap a new name on him. And his friends. They had wonderful Hebrew names that reminded them of the LORD. Daniel means something like, “God is my judge.” And Hananiah means “The LORD shows grace.” And Mishael means “Who is what God is?” and Azariah means “The LORD helps.”
But look at verse 7.
“The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.”
And those names are tied to other gods!
Belteshazzar? That’s like, “The God Lady Preserves the King.” Or “Bel’s Prince.”
Shadrach is “Command” or “Illumined by Aku.”
Meshach is “Who or what Aku is.”
Abednego is “Servant of Nego (or Nebo).”
How would you like to be given a new name based on your enemy’s god? A new identity and not the one you would have chosen. 
And it should also be said that these boys may have been castrated. The word translated “court officials” is often translated “eunuch,” and many though not all top officials in governments in that time period would have had that done to them [see Isaiah 39:6-7].
It might have seemed like Daniel’s world had ended. But somehow, in all of that, he remembered that the LORD was the King of Kingdoms. He never lost sight of Who God really is! He never lost sight of Who really is the King. He’s got to serve this king, but all the time, he never stops serving the King of Kings!
It’s truly amazing. I wonder who taught him this. Maybe some Jeremiah? Probably a godly Mom and Dad. And who knows who else. It wasn’t Johoiakim. 
The key is that Daniel never forgets that the LORD is the King of Kings.
And he sets his heart on following that king no matter what. That’s point number two:
#3. RESOLVE TO SERVE THE KING OF KINGDOMS.
Look at what Daniel does in verse 8.
“But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.”
Daniel set his heart. That’s what it means to resolve. It means that he decided in advance in his heart what he was going to do. Daniel set his heart to not defile himself because he served a higher king.
Now, it’s not obvious why the royal food and wine would have defiled Daniel. Scholars have a lot of opinions, and there’s some good theories out there. One is that a lot of this food would have gone against the Law of Leviticus and wasn’t kosher. It was “unclean.” But that probably wouldn’t have been true of the wine unless Daniel had taken a Nazirite vow.
Maybe it’s because this food was dedicated to idols like Marduk before being served out to the king’s table. That’s probably true. It probably was. But it was probably true of the vegetables, too.
Some have said it’s because it’s royal food for the king, and if Daniel ate that, then he was making a covenant of unswerving loyalty to the king. Like a covenant meal. True fellowship. I think there’s something to that.
Some have pointed out that if Daniel eats this then he’s becoming completely dependent on the king and just giving up everything to rely on him. And I think there’s something to that as well. Though all this food came from that same king.
It’s not really clear to us, but it was really clear to Daniel! Daniel knew in his conscience that this would defile him. I think that’s really important to see.
I’m amazed that Daniel could discern what he could and couldn’t do so clearly. He was willing to be called by a terrible name. He was willing to learn all the stuff that they wanted to jam down his throat.He was even willing to serve before the king. And does with distinction for decades!
But this was too far for him at this point in time.
And we all have to figure out what’s too far for us.
You know what really jumped out at me was that Daniel decided that what he wasn’t going to do was eat all the good stuff. He wasn’t going to take the best of Babylon into himself. 
He was willing to do the hard part, but he wasn’t going to do the easy part.
That takes discernment, and it takes courage. Because there was all kinds of pressure to conform. This whole program of re-education was to get Daniel and his friends to conform.
And that’s true for us today, isn’t it? Do you feel in this time of chaos all of the cultural pressures to conform to the world? We talked about this last summer during Family Bible Week in Romans 12:2, right?
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2, CSB). And therefore “walk in the truth.”
There are all kind of pressures to conform. But the most dangerous ones are the ones we want to conform to. The easy ones! The ones that all of our friends are doing. Not the ones that the culture is jamming down our throats, but the ones that look so tantalizingly good.
Like gossip? The ladies’ fellowship group has just begun a study of this book called Resisting Gossip . I’ve heard of it. (It’s okay.)
What does Solomon say gossip is like? “A choice morsel.” That’s the thing you want to eat. From the king’s table.
Or abortion advocacy. That’s popular! It’s super-popular to be pro-choice. Who would be against “choice” and “reproductive rights” and the unfettered access to elective abortion?
Maybe that one doesn’t tempt you.
How about nationalism? The idolatrous version of patriotism that says “My nation over other nations even if my nation is in the wrong. America first. America only. America, right or wrong. USA! USA! USA!” That’s very popular and very tempting to some.
Or dressing immodestly? For both men and women. “That looks so cute on you,” the world says. And we just want to believe it and do what we feel like whether or not it’s modest.
Or what we watch on our screens? “That show looks good! What is it rated? Oh well. Everybody else is watching it. It’s so well done. Amazing production values. The best stars!”
For me personally, it’s often gluttony itself. I want to eat like a king!
And maybe the line is at different places for different people. It probably is for some of these, and we shouldn’t stand in judgment over our brothers and sisters.
But we should be careful to not defile ourselves. We should know where our lines are and decide before we are tempted to not cross them. And we should know which of those things are tempting to us.
Some of the things I’ve just mentioned are not tempting to you in the slightest!
What is? What is Nebuchadnezzar’s royal food and wine for you? Resolve right now to resist it. Resolve right now to not give into the voices of the many kings out there that are offering you “the best of Babylon.”  And resolve to serve the King of Kingdoms first and above all.
Dare to be a Daniel.
Now, notice that Daniel resolves in his heart to not be defiled, but he doesn’t get all huffy about it on social media. He doesn’t whine and complain or despair! In fact, he’s very respectful and courteous about it. He asks Ashpenaz for permission to refrain. And here’s the first miracle. Look at verse 9.
“Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel...”
You know what the Hebrew word for “caused” there? It’s “nawthan” (like in v.2). Gift of God. Here’s something else God gave. He gave favor (hesed) and sympathy (compassion) to the official to show to Daniel.
You see God doesn’t just live in Israel. And He’s not confined to the temple of Marduk. He’s actually working in the lives of his people and even in the hearts of His enemies!
You and I can pray like this today. We can pray for favor with our neighbors and co-workers and bosses and even enemies. And sometimes the King grants it.
Of course, the answer is “no.” At least officially. Verse 10.
“...but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.’”
There’s the stakes. “I like you, but the answer has to be no. If you don’t eat like a king, then you’ll get all skinny and scrawny. And I’ll get in trouble. Be a Babylonian and eat like a king!”
But I see some wiggle-room there. And so did Daniel. He didn’t actually say, “No.” Just that there can’t be a problem here. So Daniel asks the next guy down. He’s the “guard” or Hebrew is “Melzer,” which older versions take to be a name. And that’s possible. He could be a guard named “Guard.” Verse 11.
“Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see. So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days’” (Daniel 1:11-14).
By the way, this is the original VeggieTale.
Daniel proposes a test. He’s taking a lot of tests these days in school. Here’s another one. 
“Let us just eat vegetables [which might include other things that are based on seeds like grains] and water to drink. For ten days. And then let’s see what we see."
Now, this is not some secret “biblical diet” that we’re supposed to follow. Just like we aren’t supposed to make sure we get our recommended daily dose of locusts like John the Baptist taught us.
No, this is asking for a miracle. The healthy wise man in Babylon was rotund. I read one scholar who said that the wisemen of Babylon were “bald, big-eyed, and chubby” (Tremper Longman). That was the ideal that Ashpenaz was going for. You don’t get that way on vegetables and water!
But the guard says, “Ok. We can do ten days. After that you have to eat the good stuff if you’re wasting away.”
And here’s the point where we have point out that this experiment might not have worked. Daniel and his friends needed to be prepared for the worst. That’s part of daring to be a Daniel. Not knowing how it’s going to work out in the short run. They might have lost their lives if they continued to play chicken with the king’s chicken cacciatore!
But that’s not what happened. No, instead, there was a quiet miracle! Verse 15.
“At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.”
Here’s our last point for today.
#3. BE REWARDED FOR FAITHFUL SERVICE TO THE KING OF KINGDOMS.
Expect to be rewarded for faithful service to the King of Kingdoms.
God was at work here. God is in control here. God is working in unexpected ways. And He is rewarding Daniel and his friends for serving Him faithfully above all others. And He continued to reward them. Look at verse 17.
“To these four young men God gave [nawthan again!] knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. [That’s going to come in handy!]  At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king [himself!] talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus” (17-21).
Now, we need to be careful to draw the right lessons from this. Not only are we not supposed to just eat vegetables, but we also are not supposed to expect to always be the class valedictorians. Top of the class. The reward for faithful service does not always come in the same way or in the same timing. Jesus was perfectly faithful, and He had to die before He got His full reward. Don’t turn this into a prosperity gospel of health and wealth if you just do all the right things and keep your nose clean.
But at the same time, we know that the true King loves to reward He faithful servants. We live for the day when He says, “Well done, you.”
Notice that faithful service to the King of Kingdoms often looks like faithful service to many earthly kings. God gave Daniel these gifts, and Daniel was accountable for what he did with them. He didn’t give the other three all the same gifts. Just Daniel. And Daniel used them in the service of King Nebuchadnezzar which says something, I think, about how we should view our earthly callings, our daily jobs.
Daniel entered into the service of Nebuchadnezzar and then several other kings for almost 70 years–even a king that wasn’t a Babylonian!
But Daniel never lost sight of Whom he was really serving.
And may we dare to do the same.

Love in the Truth - 2&3 John

A very short sermon series on 2&3 John preached in January 2025 for Lanse Free Church.

01. To the Chosen Lady and Her Children
02. To My Dear Friend Gaius
More from (probably) the same author:
Essential Christianity - 1 John (2012-2013)
Bonus: A 2009 sermon on 3 John for Graduation Sunday at LEFC

“To My Dear Friend Gaius” [Matt's Messages]

“To My Dear Friend Gaius”Love in the Truth - 2&3 JohnLanse Evangelical Free ChurchJanuary 12, 2025 :: 3 John 1:1-14 
The “Old Man” wrote another letter.
Last week, we said that the author of 2 John and 3 John–who I believe is also the author of 1 John and the and the Book of Revelation– refers himself as “The Elder.”
And that could be because he is now old. I think he probably is old, but he’s also an elder, meaning a mature church leader (Greek: “presbuteros”). Perhaps a leader of leaders. He’s “the elder” meaning in his role as an apostle, he’s helping to oversee several churches in that part of the world. He’s the Grand Old Man who has been keeping on his eye on the churches.
Last week, we read a letter the Old Man sent “to the Chosen Lady and her children” which was probably a fancy way of addressing a particular local church and its members.
But now the Old Man has written another letter (perhaps bound up in a packet with 1 John and 2 John, we don’t know ), and this letter (which we call 3 John) is addressed to just one person. Look at verse 1. 
“The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.”
There’s that phrase again, “whom I love in the truth.” John loved the whole church in the truth in 2 John. Here he loves Gaius in the truth.
And, boy, does he love him! He calls Gaius, “my dear friend” or in Greek it’s one word “agapayto” which means simply “beloved.” Somebody I love. Not romantically but genuinely from the heart.
He cares deeply about Gaius. He calls him this four times in this short letter! Verse 1, verse 2, verse 5, and verse 11.
“Dear friend.”“Dear friend.”“Dear friend.”“Dear friend.”
Agapayto! “I love this guy!”
We don’t know much about Gaius in general. That was a very popular name in the Roman empire. Like “John” is to us! There are at least four guys with this name in the New Testament (Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians), and we’re not sure that any of them are this Gaius. 
What we do know is that John loved him! And he loved him in the truth. 
Remember, truth and love go together like peanut butter and what? Chocolate! 
You can’t have real love without the truth. And you can’t have real truth without real love. Sometimes we like one of those things more than the other. But both are crucial. John says that he loves Gaius in the truth. Meaning he truly loves him, that’s going to be obvious. But also that he loves Gaius with the truth, or because of the truth, because they have the truth in common. They are both IN the truth. They live in the truth. They live on the truth. The love that John has for his friend Gaius is completely based upon the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We’re going to see that John uses that word “truth” again and again in this short letter. Shortest book in the Bible and the word “truth” appears six times! The Old Man has written a letter to his dear friend Gaius whom he loves in the truth.
He really loves him. It’s obvious from the beginning of the letter and the end (and everything in between). Let’s look at the end first because we said last week that it was very similar to the end of 2 John, but we ran out of time to look at it closely there. John says pretty much the same thing to the Chosen Lady and to Gaius. Verse 13.
“I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.”
John sure wishes that he could be with Gaius. He’s got lots to say, but he doesn’t just want to use social media! He doesn’t just want to text Gaius or comment on Gaius’ Facebook or Zoom with Gaius. He doesn’t just want to write Gaius a letter and put in the mail. Those things are good! But they are not as good as face to face. 
By the way, that’s one of the reasons why I’m not a big fan of trying to put church online. It’s okay to do that. Technology can help with all kinds of things. John was using the technology of his day (v.13)–pen and ink. It’s okay if you have to use that for a time. I love our radio station out to the parking lot. The bulletin says we’ve been doing it for 4 years now! If you are sick or if you are very concerned about catching something or if you need for a short time to just listen and not be overwhelmed by people, then it’s there for you. I’ve used it several times myself.
But it’s no substitute for “face to face.” John knew that in the first century, and we need to remember it in 21st.
John wanted to be with Gaius. And wanted peace for him. Like last week for the whole church, “grace, mercy, and peace.”
And John sends his greetings and the greetings of the whole church. Verse 14. “The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.”
Personal greetings! Those are so important. The older I get the more I understand how important and powerful personal greetings really are. By name. John might not use his own name, but he names four guys in this short letter. 
There is so much genuine Christian affection here. Do you greet other Christians both here at church and at other times? Do you learn the names of the Christians around you and greet each other with them when we meet? And the rest of the week when you see each other around town? That’s all part of loving one another in the truth. You see how it’s a command here? It’s not optional!
Some Sunday, I might just stand up here and greet each of you by name and that be the message for that Sunday!
You see what John prays for Gaius? Look at verse 2. John loves Gaius in the truth, and this is what he prays for him. Verse 2.
“Dear friend [Agapayte, Beloved], I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”
John prays for Gaius' health–both his physical health and his spiritual health. His physical well-being and as well as his spiritual well-being. Do you see that? That’s what it means to pray in love in truth.
I think a lot of us like to pray for one or the other of those. We like to pray for everybody’s health. There are a lot of health related prayer requests, aren’t there? Cancer, infections, broken bones, dementia–all of that. And sometimes we can so fixated on praying for someone’s health and miss their heart! We can forget that our all of our bodies are going to break down at some point and die. Every one of us. But our souls will continue forever. So we should be praying about our souls! We should be praying for each other’s hearts.
At the same time, our bodies matter, too! John prays for Gaius’ physical health in verse 2. Sometimes, we act like our bodies don’t matter, and we look down our noses at prayer requests for physical health and healing. But John just does them both together. The soul is more important, but they are both important to pray for. That’s what Christians do when we love in the truth.
John is so glad that Gaius is doing so well. Especially spiritually. John has recently heard some stories about Gaius, and they were very very very encouraging to the Old Man. Look at verse 3.
“It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
I have three points today to summarize what I think John wants for and from his “dear friend Gaius,” and this is the first one:
#1. WALK IN THE TRUTH.
Which was the first point last week, too, in 2 John. The Old Man wanted this for the Chosen Lady and her children, and he was so happy to find out that Gaius was doing it, too!
“It gave me great joy...how you continue to walk in the truth.”
“Keep it up, Gaius! You are ‘doing the thing.’ Your life matches the truth. Your ethics correspond to the truth. You have integrated the truth into your life. You’ve found out what the truth is and you are living as if it’s true (which it is!). Well done, you!”
Apparently, John has been visiting with some brothers in Christ who had recently been with Gaius, and they were telling John all about Gaius and how he lived.
By the way, that’s not gossip. These were loving reports to someone who was a kind of spiritual parent about their spiritual children. It wasn’t bearing bad news behind someone’s back out of a bad heart.
And, in fact, it was good news! Gaius has been living the Christian life, and it’s been obvious.
Wouldn’t you love it if someone was giving a good report about your life to your spiritual parent? I sure would! And it just filled the Old Man’s heart with joy! V.4
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
Now, I don’t think that Gaius was John’s biological son, though I suppose it’s possible. If so, I think he would have actually called him, “son.” I think that Gaius was John’s spiritual son. Perhaps John had introduced Gaius to Jesus in the first place. Perhaps he had been discipling him. Either way, he thought of Gaius and people like him as his children in the faith.
Do you have people like that in your life? People that you have been responsible for spiritually? It could be your own biological children, your adopted children, a Sunday School class you taught, someone you met with one-on-one to for prayer and encouragement.
I hope that soon everyone here would have someone that you have influenced enough that you would be full of joy to hear that they are walking in the truth!
And to be sadly disappointed to hear that they are not. Let me say this. As your pastor, I have no greater joy than when I see or hear of you walking in the truth. It’s fun to have a big full building on a Sunday morning. Praise God for how we have grown in attendance. But that doesn’t matter if we aren’t living it out Monday through Saturday.
If we are sinfully gossiping about each other.If we are stealing from our employers.If we are having sex outside of marriage.If we are cheating on our taxes.If we are fighting with other Christians.If we are accessing porn.If we are worshiping idols like money and popularity and power.
I have no greater sadness than to hear that my children are not walking in the truth but are walking in lies. 
It makes a pastor sad when one of his sheep die, yes, but it is so much more heartbreaking when one of his sheep run away from the path of righteousness. If you are not walking in the truth, now is the time to repent and start. If you are walking in the truth, praise God from Whom all blessings flow! I have no greater joy as a pastor than to hear and see that.
Now, what exactly was Gaius doing that got reported back to the Elder? It sounds like Gaius was showing Christian hospitality to other disciples of Jesus who were traveling through the area carrying the gospel to the world. In other words, he was supporting missions.
If you remember, last week we said that the church when it was young sent brothers and sisters in Christ all over the place sharing the good news about Jesus Christ. It wasn’t just Paul and his team, though he was probably the greatest of them in that era. And there were no “Embassy Suites” or “Courtyard by Marriott” back in that day. When you visited a town, you often stayed in homes.
And if you stayed in a home, we said last week, that meant that your hosts were endorsing you, supporting you, giving credence to your message. John warned the Chosen Lady and her children to not receive or welcome or support false teachers who said that Jesus Christ had NOT come in the flesh.
But the opposite is also true! Here John says that we should receive, and welcome, and support those who believe and teach the truth! Look at verse 5.
“Dear friend [Agapayte, Beloved], you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. [He didn’t know them until now. But they believed the truth. And so Gaius took them in. And they have come back to John with a good report. Verse 6.] They have told the church about your love.”
Remember that point number two last week was “Walk in Love?” Gaius was doing that! He was loving these Christian brothers in a tangible way, and John wanted to encourage that more and more. Verse 6.
You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. [What a thing to say!] It was for the sake of the Name [Jesus Christ!] that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth” (vv.6-9).
That’s point number two this morning of what the Old Man wanted from his dear friend Gaius.
#2. WORK TOGETHER FOR THE TRUTH.
Walk in the truth and work together for the truth of the gospel.
Gaius knew that we have all been given a mission, and we all have our own part to play in that mission.
You know we have a mission, right? Jesus gave us the Great Commission. To make disciples of all nations, baptizing new disciples in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching the new disciples to “walk in the truth” (to obey what Jesus has commanded us) (see Matthew 28:19-20).
That’s our mission, and it’s all of our mission–not just the missionaries. Not just the pastors. Not just the elders.  Every single disciple!
And some of us are called to GO. About 17 of us are planning to go this summer to Kentucky, taking the gospel and rolling up our sleeves and getting to work on flood relief.
Three of us were called to GO last August to Malawi. 
I’m praying that more of us would be called to GO in the days to come. But even when we are not called to go, we are called to SEND. Verse 6 again.
“You will do well to SEND them on their way in a manner worthy of God.”
For those Christians, it was Gaius having them in his home, and then giving them something to get to the next town on. Maybe for you and me it’s giving our regular offering to the church here to speed those people on the back wall to their next town. Darla could tell you the exact numbers, but it’s between 25 and 30 percent of all the money given here goes out into missions from this church. So if you gave a dollar today when you came in, at least a quarter of that won’t stay here even to fund my salary or Jordyn’s or to keep the lights and the heat up. It’s leaving here and going to support the work of the gospel “in a manner worthy of God” out there.
Or maybe on top of your giving through this church you have missionaries that you support personally. 
Missionaries go out for the sake of the Name (v.7). And they need us to support and SEND them. And when they are coming back through to show them hospitality.
That is so important!  Have you ever taken a missionary out to dinner? Have you ever had one in your home? If not, you are missing out. You are missing out on a blessing. You are missing out on being a blessing and working together for the truth. And you are missing out on receiving a blessing, too. What a blessing it was to have Fred and Cindy here back in October, wasn’t it? 
Hospitality so important in the New Testament. It often gets overlooked, but do a word search some time on “hospitality” on your Bible app, and you’ll see that Christians are supposed to use our homes and other resources for the sake of our gospel mission. And we are missing the mark and missing out if we don’t.
Sadly, that was true of a man named “Diotrephes.” He was not working together for the truth. Look what John says about him in verse 9.
“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.”
Yikes! How would you like to show up like that in a letter from the Old Man?!
John has sent a letter to this church (probably the same one as Gaius was in but it’s not clear, perhaps it’s the letter of 2 John to the Chosen Lady and her children, we’re not sure), but what we are sure about is that this guy Diotrephes has ignored the letter and the Elder who wrote it!
“Diotrephes...will have nothing to do with us.”
In fact, it’s worse than that. He’s been bad-mouthing the Old Man. V.10
“So if I come, I will call attention to what he [Diotrephes] is doing, gossiping maliciously about us [talking nonsense, spreading destructive lies about John]. Not satisfied with that, he [[Diotrephes] refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church” (vv.9-10).
He’s not just “not working together for the truth,” he’s actively doing the opposite!
He refuses to support the gospel-sharing missionaries, and he gets in the way of fellow Christians who want to support them! He actually kicks them out of the church. That’s what we call “a church boss.”
These are some of the worst kinds of unhealthy Christians. Those who actively oppose the true work of the true gospel while still trying to act like a church leader. Ugh and Yuck!
What was his problem? In verse 9, John diagnosed his heart. He says that Diotrephes loved to be first. e loved prominence and preeminence and power. And nothing will tear apart a church faster than that.
And you know what I worry about when I read verses 9 and 10? I don’t worry about encountering a Diotrephes at Lanse Free Church. I worry about BECOMING a Diotrephes at Lanse Free Church. Because I know how tempting it can be for me to love to be first.
That’s why John says what he says in verse 11.
“Dear friend [Agapayte, Beloved], do not imitate what is evil but what is good.” 
Don’t be like Diotrephes.
The biggest reason why John brings this guy up is to warn Gaius to not become like him. John will deal with him. When he gets to be with them face-to-face, he will call him out. They will get this sorted. But John is most concerned about Gaius. He doesn’t want Gaius to (v.11) “imitate what is evil but what is good.”
Let’s make that point number three and last.
#3. WATCH FOR GOOD EXAMPLES OF LIVING OUT THE TRUTH.
And imitate them! V.11
“Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.”
That’s how important it is to walk in the truth. Because it shows whether or not we are actually the children of God. John says this kind of thing over and over again both in his Gospel (quoting Jesus) and in his letters, especially 1 John. The point is that if we genuinely are the children of God, it will show in how we live our lives. And so we should keep our eyes open for good examples of godly living and follow their example!
Like Demetrius, for example. Verse 12.
“Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone–and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.”
Now, we don’t know much about this Demetrius guy either. My guess is that he’s the one carrying this letter to Gaius. He’s the courier. And John is saying, Gaius (my beloved buddy), don’t be like Diotrephes, but do be like Demetrius. He’s one of the good guys. He’s a “good egg.” We all agree. He walks in the truth! So much so that you could say that the truth itself speaks well of Demetrius!
“And I, John, the Elder speak well of Demetrius, and you know I tell the truth!”
Do you see how important reputation is here? What everybody says about everybody else and whether or not it’s good? That’s really important. You can’t control your reputation. But you can you live in such a way as to gain a good one. 
And keep your eyes out for those who have a good one. And learn from them.
Let me ask you this question as we close today:
Beloved, who are you imitating these days?
Who are you keying off of as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Whose life are you watching? Whose reputation are you paying attention to? So many are following some “celebrity influencer” out there. Some talking head on cable news, on social media.  Is their example worth following? Pick your heroes carefully.
Are they a Diotrephes or a Demetrius?
I ask you this because I love you. I love you in the truth.

***

Messages in this Series:

01. To the Chosen Lady and Her Children
02. To My Dear Friend Gaius

“To the Chosen Lady and Her Children”

“To the Chosen Lady and Her Children”Love in the Truth - 2&3 JohnLanse Evangelical Free ChurchJanuary 5, 2025 :: 2 John 1:1-13 
When I was growing up, and leafing through my Bible during a boring sermon (something you can probably all relate to!), I would find these books towards the back, 1, 2, and 3 John, and I thought they were all written by different authors.
I thought it was this guy named "John" and this other guy named "John" and a third guy named "John," and they all wrote these short letters. 1, 2, 3 John.
But, I came to understand later that it’s much more likely that they were all written by the same John. In fact, they were probably written by the same John that wrote . John the Gospelwriter.
The style is the same, the substance is the same, and he uses the same words over and over again. Words like: Love, Truth, Command, Teach, Children, Walk, and Trust. Simple words but profound words. Like a little child can understand them, and yet an old person never gets to the bottom of them.
I think it’s the same John as who wrote the book we looked at last week, John the Revelator. The guy who ran with Peter to the tomb and who one day was exiled to a prison island. That guy named John.
Here he calls himself, “The Elder.”
This is a letter, and in those days, the author of a letter would put his or her name first. Like our emails do. Whom it’s from. John, who for a variety of reasons is fairly shy to use his name, put down, “The Elder.” 
Which could mean “The Old Man.” That’s the basic meaning of the word “presbuteros” from which we get the word “presbyterian” like my Presbyterian pastor friend Dan here. 
The older men in a village were those who would be called upon to lead. The older men in a church family were those who were called upon to lead the congregation. Not just any old men but those who were mature in their faith. We just had several of our church elders stand up here, and some of them are younger men, but they are mature Christian men who are called to lead the church in maturity.
John is speaking as one of them. As an elder. Probably an older elder.
Before he was exiled, John the Gospelwriter, John the Revelator, John the Elder wrote some letters to some of the people and the churches that he oversaw and loved.
A few years ago, we studied 1 John together, but we have never studied 2 and or 3 John during my time as your pastor. So I thought it was high time we did that at the beginning of this year. This week, we’ll study 2 John, and next week, Lord-willing, we’ll look at 3 John. A very short series about the shortest two books in the whole Bible. 3 John is the shortest at 219 words in the original Greek. 2 John has 245. Not a big long treatise. Just a short little letter.
A letter to, and here’s our title for today from verse 1:
“To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth and not I only, but also all who know the truth–because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.” 
What a great start!
Who is this that John is writing to?
I’m not 100% sure, but I have a good idea. It’s kind of weird. John doesn’t use his own given name, and he doesn’t use the given names for his recipients either. Not sure why. Perhaps he thought the authorities might be reading his mail, and he didn’t want to get someone into trouble. In 3 John, we’ll see next week, he does use the name of the recipient.
Some people have thought that this was a lady’s name. The Greek word for “Chosen” is “Electay,” so some people have thought that John was writing to “Lady Electa and her children.” And that’s possible, but I think unlikely as you read the rest of the letter. It doesn’t seem like it was written to just one woman.
I think John is writing to a local church. The “Chosen Lady” is John’s fancy way of talking about a church family that John loves. And “her children” are the church members, the disciples from that church.
Maybe I should start calling you all, “The Chosen Lady of Lanse.”
Chosen. 
Followers of Jesus Christ know that they are loved by God in particular, by name. We are wanted. We are known. We are loved. We are chosen. [See 1 Peter 1:1-2.] Not because of anything great about us but because of God’s great love. 
God has placed His love on His people. And while we don’t understand how all of that works, especially with our own responsibility to choose Him, we know and draw great comfort from knowing that we are chosen in Christ.
Lady.
The church is often personified as a bride. On Thursday, Heather and I got to attend the wedding of Dan and Jen’s daughter Rachel in Meadville. It was glorious, and the bride was resplendent. Every bride is a picture of what the Church is supposed to be–the joyful, radiant, beloved of Christ. I think that John is using this kind of language to write to a particular local church that he loved to remind them that they are loved. Very loved. Loved, not just by John the Elder but by God Himself.
“To the chosen lady and her children.”
I think that’s a great place to start as we step into 2025. With the love of God.
Church, we are loved by God. 
We sang about it this morning:
“For God so lovedThe world that He gave usHis One and OnlySon to save usWhoever believes in Him Will live forever.” - We The Kingdom (2020)
And those who believe in Him find that they were chosen to believe in Him before the foundation of the world (see Ephesians 1:1-14).
They are loved. Very loved. Beloved. You are loved. Very loved by God Himself. 
If you are a believer, you are a child of the chosen lady, and this letter is for you.
John says that he loves this church. Look again at verse 1.
“The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth...” 
That’s the name of our very short series because he says the exact same thing in 3 John.
“Whom I love in the truth.”
That could mean, “Whom I truly love.” But I think it means more.
I think he means that he loves them inside of and through the truth. His love is in the truth, and the truth leads him to love them.
It’s both/and not either/or.
Some of us like the word “love” better than we like the word “truth.” And some of us like the word “truth” better than we like the word “love.” But John likes them both the same at the same time.
They go together like peanut butter and...chocolate!
Love in the truth.
If you love someone in falsity, then you don’t really love them. If you love people with lies, you aren’t really loving them no matter what you say. And if you only care about the truth and not other people, then your truth is a lie. But John says that he loves the chosen lady and her children IN THE TRUTH.
And he’s not the only one. Verse 1 again. “...and not only I, but also all who know the truth.”
If you know the truth, then you love the church. John says (v.2) “...because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.”
Now, you know that this is John writing because of how he circles and weaves around. John is not like Paul who says something and then presents all of his arguments for it and then moves on to the next thing. John circles and weaves and returns again and again to the same ideas and shows how they are all interconnected. Like a giant web.
Here, the focus is on the truth:
“All who know the truth...Because of the truth...The truth lives in us...The truth will be with us forever.”
And because of that truth, we love in truth. Do you see how it’s all interconnected?
What is the truth?
Remember when Pontius Pilate asked that question?
Well, John taught us in his Gospel that Jesus said that He is the Truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.”  The truth is the way things really are. The truth of the good news of Jesus Christ is how the world actually is. And John says that, for believers, the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.
And we get more than that! Look at verse 3.
“Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.”
Grace, mercy, and peace.
That’s my prayer for us in 2025. That we would experience grace (unmerited favor, getting what we don’t deserve and not getting what we do deserve), mercy (getting the help which we desperately need but couldn’t provide for ourselves), and peace (inner peace, peace with others, and peace with God) from God the Father and from Jesus Christ (and we know that where they are the Spirit is, too).
That we would have grace, mercy, and peace in truth and love. Doesn’t that just sound wonderful? John promises that it will be ours if we belong to Jesus. All of the grace, all of the mercy, and all of the peace that we need in Christ.
That’s how John starts his letter. That’s the “hello.”
Now, John says that he loves this chosen lady and her children. He loves them “in the truth.” And that means that he might have to say some hard things to them. If you love someone in the truth, then you tell them what they need to hear not just what they want to hear.
Especially if you are “the Elder,” and it’s your job to try to help keep the church on track.
John has some concerns. John is encouraged by some things about this church, and he’s got some worries for them, as well. He wants to make sure they stay on track. He has some things he wants them to do. nd I think that they are all very applicable and appropriate for us as we start a new year as a church, as well.
I’d like to summarize them in three points. Here’s number one.
#1. WALK IN THE TRUTH.
Look at verse 4.
“It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.”
You want to know how to make the Old Man happy? Have him run into disciples who are truly living out what Jesus taught us. Walk in the truth.
Apparently, John has encountered some of the children of the chosen lady (some of the disciples from that church). And they were "doing the thing!" They were “walking in the truth,” that is, that they were believing the truth and living in light of the truth. These disciples were obviously living the way that Jesus had taught them. They had received the gospel and were living as though it were true (which it is!).  I call that “doing the thing.”
They weren’t just talking the talk, they were walking the walk. They were “doing the thing.”
And that just made John as overjoyed as the wise man seeing the star above where the baby was!
Hooray! These “kids” are following the gospel! These “kids” are living it out. Their lifestyle, their ethical conduct, their life choices reflected the truth that have been taught. Nothing makes a Christian pastor happier than to see disciples living like disciples. Christ-followers living like Christ-followers. Men and women conforming their life to the truth.
This wedding we were at on Thursday is a good example. Both Danny and Rachel were student athletes at Grove City College. Rachel was a swimmer ,and Danny was on the lacrosse team (whatever that is). And they had like all of their teammates at this wedding. Four years worth of two big teams at this one wedding. There were so many young people. There was like 250 people at this wedding and at last 100 of them were young adults! And they were so happy for Danny and Rachel.
And many of them [most of them?] were followers of Jesus Christ.
So when Pastor Dan (Pastor Dad) gave the wedding message, they were all nodding away in agreement. Dan was talking about this new couple building their marriage on the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. Danny’s last name is Stone, so they were “setting the stones” for their marriage. Get it? And this whole group of young people were enthusiastically on board with this teaching.
I’m sure that was encouraging to you, Dan and Jen. It gave you great joy.
But these “children” in verse 4 are not just young people, not just young disciples. This is any and all of the disciples from a given church of any age walking in the truth. 
I think about when Pastor Kerry reports about any of our Free Churches and how they are living out the truth in their communities, and how much joy that brings to him and to all of us who hear about it.
We shouldn’t just obey because it makes the elders happy, but it is so encouraging when we see someone living (v.4), “just as the Father commanded us.”
So here’s our application:
Find out what is true, and walk in it.
As you step into 2025, find out what is true and walk in it. Learn what Jesus has said and do that!
And here’s one of the key things that Jesus has said. It’s point number two.
#2. WALK IN LOVE.
Specifically love for other followers of Jesus. Look at verse 5.
“And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another.”
You see why I don’t think the “lady” is a lady? I don’t think that John would say to some woman, “I ask that we love one another.” No, I think he’s talking to a whole church. A lot of these “you’s” in this epistle are “plural you.” Like we said last week, “y’inz.”
John is reminding this church, this chosen lady, that we Christians are supposed to love one another.
Does that sound familiar? I think we just recited our memory verse from last year. John 13:34&35 which is blazoned across the bulletin board in the foyer. On the night He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples:
“A new command I give [y’inz]: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
In verse 5, John says that that command is no longer new. They’ve had it since that fateful night. They’ve had it since Jesus showed them how. But even though it’s not new, it’s still very much in effect.
“I ask that we love one another.”
John got the message. The question is, have we? Do we love one another? Do we walk in love? 
It’s not easy. It’s not easy to love in general, but sometimes some of the hardest people to love are other Christians. We are different from each other. We are not all the same. And we tend to think that another Christian ought to know better and act better, so it’s harder to extend grace and mercy towards them.
Often we wouldn’t pick each other. You know other groups get to pick who they love. You love your family. You love your political tribe. You love your sports team. You love your fandom. But we Christians don’t get to pick. We just get to love.
And not just when we are lovable. Jesus didn’t just love us when we were lovable. He loved us when we were His enemies!
How are you doing at loving other Christians? If you remember, Jesus went on and on about it in the Gospel of John. It’s not always easy to do, but He showed us the way, and He expects it of us. That’s the point of verse 6.
“I ask that we love each other. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” This kind of love is not optional. There are kinds of love that are optional. You don’t have to feel affection for someone else. That comes and goes. But this kind of love, sacrificial, committed, seeking the best for someone else, that is not optional for followers of Christ. We are commanded to walk in love.
I know it was our theme for ‘24, but I hope we don’t set aside in ‘25! Let’s make every effort to walk in love this year.
John has one more major things to ask in this short letter. And it’s probably the thing he’s most worried about for this particular church at this particular time. He’s concerned about some false teachers that are in circulation.
#3. WATCH OUT FOR FALSE TEACHING.
Walk in the truth.Walk in love.And watch out for false teaching and false teachers. Look at verse 7.
“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully” (vv.7-8).
Jesus warned His disciples that this would happen. False teachers with a false message would spill out into the world. You know how we have missionaries who take the gospel out into the world? Well, there are missionaries who take the anti-gospel out into the world, as well.
They spread lies about all kinds of things but especially about Jesus. Do you see what lie these particular false teachers were spreading? Verse 7 says that they do not acknowledge or confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
They don’t believe in Advent!They don’t believe in Christmas.They don’t believe in the Incarnation.
They don’t believe that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
They don’t believe in John chapter 1, verse 14. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).
These guys say, “No, that’s not true. Jesus is not the Son of God or God the Son. And He’s not shown us God’s glory. And He’s not come from the Father. And He’s definitely not come in the flesh. He’s not become one of us.”
Now there are all kinds of variations on this false teaching. And the church has had to encounter and counter all the variations throughout church history. And this is not the only dangerous false teaching that is out there.
But this false teaching is heinous because if you believe this, then you are denying the salvation that Jesus was bringing by becoming one of us and dying as one of us. If Jesus Christ has not come in the flesh, then He did not die in the flesh nor pay for our sins in His death nor rise again in the flesh nor come again in the flesh to give us eternal life.
You see what John says about someone who spreads this kind of teaching in verse 7?
“Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.”
Everybody wants to know who the antichrist is?!
John has told us about the antichrist in 1 John chapter 2 and 2 John verse 7. That’s the only places in the Bible that uses that word “antichrist” which means “instead of Christ” and “against Christ.”
And John tells us who is the antichrist. It is the person who goes around teaching that Jesus Christ has not come in the flesh.
Now, there’s more to the theology of antichrist, but it’s not less than this.
Someday, there will be an antichrist of antichrists who does this to the deception and false teaching to a degree that nobody else ever has and who tries to take the very place of Jesus. But John says, “You want to know who is the antichrist? It’s a missionary who says, ‘Jesus Christ has not come and is not coming in the flesh.’ Stay far away from them!”
“Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.”
Many translations have the word “we” in verse 8 (including the updated NIV). 
“Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for...” John and the other apostles have been diligently sharing the truth with them for decades. They are willing to be imprisoned for the truth. They are willing to die for the truth of Jesus Christ.
Don’t run away from this truth! But stick with it and be rewarded. Look at verse 9.
“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”
That’s how important this is! John says, “Don’t run off with some false teaching that proclaims to be new and improved and better and advanced.” That’s what he means by “run ahead.” As if this other gospel was a better gospel.
It isn’t. There is no better gospel. Stick with the gospel of Jesus Christ or you do not have God (v.9).
Those are scary words. But you don’t have to be scared. Verse 9 says continue in the teaching (walk in the truth) and you will have both the Father and the Son (and we know the Holy Spirit, as well).
Beware of false teaching and false teachers.
Now, in verse 10 and 11, John warns the chosen lady and her children to not take these false teachers into their homes.
He’s not saying that we shouldn’t love people who are caught up in false teaching. We definitely should! And we can feed them and house them if they are in trouble.
But we should not support them and their work. That’s what he’s saying in verse 10.
“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [the true gospel of Christ coming in the flesh], do not take him into your house or welcome him.  Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work” (vv.10-11).
You see, in that day, there was no Holiday Inn Express. And if a traveling teacher came to town, they looked for a home to stay in. And if you took someone in and made your home a base camp for their mission work, then you were endorsing them, certifying them, investing in them, and supporting them.
In many ways, like how you support me. You just gave me a generous Christmas gift. Thank you for that! Heather and I really appreciate it. And you support us all throughout the year. But if I start preaching a false gospel, then you should toss me out on my ear. Cut off my housing allowance. Cut of my salary. Do not “welcome me” in that way.
And you shouldn’t send money to false teachers you hear on the radio or see on tv or who send you letters in the mail. John is warning us to not be aiding and abetting the enemy.
Watch out for false teaching and don’t support them.
That doesn’t mean don’t love them. We are supposed to be the most loving people on the planet.
But we love in the truth. We love the truth. It’s inside of us. It will be with us forever. And so we support the truth. We don’t support the lies. If you support the false teachers, you share in their wicked work (v.11).
In 2025, we must be careful what messages we receive and what messages we amplify. Because we love the truth, and we love in truth.
John loved this church so much. He couldn’t wait to visit them in person. Verse 12.
“I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.”
I think that’s the church John’s at right now. The disciples at this church send their love to the disciples at that church. “The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.”
There’s much to be learned from verses 12 and 13, but he says something very similar in 3 John, so we’ll save that for next week and move over to Table.
But feel the love there, at least. John loves them. He longs to be with them. The one church loves the other church. And under it all is the love of God. The chosen sister sends love to the chosen lady. Because they are loved. Very loved. 
We are loved. Very loved. Beloved in Jesus Christ.
Beloved, in 2025, let us walk in the truth, watching out for false teachers and false teaching, and walk in love just as were taught from the beginning and show how by our own Lord Jesus Christ.

***
Messages in this Series:
01. To the Chosen Lady and Her Children

More Highlights of Reading from 2024

While I’m reporting on my book lists from last year, here are few more highlights from a really solid year of reading:
Intellect of the Year - Dorothy L. Sayers
The brilliant mind with which I interacted the most this year () was again Dorothy L. Sayers. Last year, as we motored throughout the United Kingdom, I began reading the collections of Sayers’ letters edited by her friend, Barbara Reynolds. 
Last month, I finished the last two volumes of her letters (right up to her death in 1957), and I must say that I will miss her. Sayers was a genius whose mind was alive with scholarship, passion, precision, humor, and Christian truth. Her wide-ranging writing (children’s literature, detective fiction, humourous plays, dogmatical pageants, poetic translations) was incredibly prodigious and insightful. I’m so glad to have come to know her.
Thanks to the National Portrait Society for permission to use this image.
Audiobooks: Harrowing, Hilarious, and Historical
I’m more of a “podcast guy” than a “full audiobook guy,” but I really enjoyed imbibing several books this way in 2024, especially How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key. If “enjoyed” is the right word to describe the almost visceral experience of listening to Key tell the harrowing story of his marriage? It’s 100% funny, 100% scary, 100% bonkers, and 100% profound. [Read Brett McCracken's take at The Gospel Coalition.]
I also relished a deep dive into the history of Marvel Comics in Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe, learned a lot about Christian rock and roll (for good and ill) in Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? by Gregory Alan Thornbury, and stayed enthralled by the offbeat story-spinning of Charles Portis in The Dog of the South.
Inspector Joseph French
I always have at least one story going about a detective, a sailor, or a spy. 
In 2024, I continued my attempt to consume all of the “Inspector French” novels of Freeman Wills Crofts. By my count, I read 9 of them this year. 
Joseph French is a chief inspector with Scotland Yard, and he does yeoman’s work as a detective. He always goes to painstaking lengths to break an alibi, to get to the bottom of things, and to bring his man to justice. They are not always exciting adventures because good police work is often repetitive and routine. But the plots are often ingenious and the endings are always satisfying.
A New Book by My Favorite Living Novelist 
In April, Leif Enger released I Cheerfully Refuse to the world, and my pre-ordered copy arrived on the day it came out. Enger is my favorite living novelist, and I cheerfully acquiesced to dive into his most recent offering.
To be honest, while I was happy to be reading the newest Enger novel, I didn’t really know how to access it. I couldn’t quite figure out what the genre was or how the dystopian world worked in the story he was telling. A sui generis genre is exciting to encounter but unfamiliarity can breed confusion.
After I read it, I listened to a great interview Enger did with Jonathan Rogers at the Habit Podcast where he explained more of the backstory of and inspirational sources for I Cheerfully Refuse including its many allusions to the saga of Orpheus.
I’ll understand it better next time around.
Perhaps the best part of reading I Cheerfully Refuse was how it reminded me how much I love Enger’s writing and propelled me to re-read and delight in all three of his previous novels. 
Bonus: Do yourself a favor and listen to this talk by Leif Enger on reading for pleasure.
Welcome to 2025, another year of adventures with books!

My Top Books of 2024

In the realm of reading, this last year was very much like previous years* for me.
It turns out that I even completed the exact same number of books (64) as I had in 2023. I continued to mine similar quarries and read in the same veins–authors, genres, subjects. I actually re-read about a dozen books from previous years, some for the fifth time!
All the same, I never felt like I was spinning my wheels in a rut. The “more of the same” is simply just more of the same blessing. It felt like forward progress. I’m still regaining some of the ground I had lost from more productive pre-pandemic years gone by and maintaining what I had attained through my restorative sabbatical. My reading goals have been more modest and right-sized so I feel good about what I’ve accomplished.
In 2024, I was exposed to some pretty terrific books!
More to the Story by Jennifer M. Kvamme
This book was the happiest surprise of 2024. As I said in my incandescent review, “I have been searching for a book like More to the Story for a very long time. As a Christian pastor, I want the young people I care for to have really good answers to the difficult questions they are all asking about sexuality these days. And to be really good answers for today’s teens, they have to be realistic, biblical, confident, joyful, hopeful, comprehensive, concise, and readable. That’s a tall order!
How pleasant it was for me to discover that one of my EFCA friends had written such a book.”
Jennifer’s book is well-deserving of the various accolades it has received, including the award of merit from Christianity Today. It is simply excellent and just what the church needs in our day.
The Holy Spirit: An Introduction by Fred Sanders
Fred Sanders’ latest book is the one I most needed in 2024. He introduced me to Someone I already know intimately but often don’t understand. It is chock-ful of “aha” paragraphs. As you might expect from his previous work, Fred hasn’t just written a book about One Person of the Trinity but the entire Trinity in relation to the Third Person of the Trinity. The appendix with “27 Rules for Thinking Well About the Holy Spirit” distills the whole book and is worth the proverbial price of it. 
Sanders’ writing is robust, rich, deep, and erudite and yet, at the same time, concise, clear, and even playful. It’s the not most hardest theological book I read in 2024, but the best. I will be re-reading The Holy Spirit: An Introduction again very soon.
The Mythmakers by John Hendrix
Most people (not just Christians) have heard of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien because of the tremendous reach of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. But many people do not know that these two Oxford-scholars-turned-popular-authors were close friends or how their fellowship spurred on the creation and publication of their fantastical stories.
In The Mythmakers, New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator John Hendrix has beautifully crafted a unique way of spreading the story of their collaborative friendship. I knew the outline of the story and had even gotten to visit some of the key locations where it all happened during our sabbatical in 2023 (The Kilns, Addison’s Walk, The Eagle and Child), but I still learned a lot, especially how all of the different parts were connected, and I thoroughly enjoyed how Hendrix wove his tale with both words and images. There is nothing quite like it.
I really enjoyed listening to Hendrix talk about the book at The Habit Podcast and The Wade Center Podcast.
Depression: Finding Christ in the Darkness by Ed Welch
Ed Welch has the gift of saying just the thing (and everything!) you need to hear in just a few well-chosen words. 
Ed’s book speaks light in a way that someone experiencing the stubborn darkness can actually hear. Depressed people often can’t read more than a few words at a time. These thirty-one short readings are apples of gold in settings of silver for those who are under the heavy weight of depression (Proverbs 25:11).
Depression: Finding Christ in the Darkness is a good book to read if you love people who live with depression, even if you don’t experience it yourself. Ed knows how to talk about it without mixing in shame while at the same time illuminating a new path that sinner/sufferer/saints are called to walk.
Parenting Without Panic In an LGBT Affirming World by Rachel Gilson
Here is another extremely timely book. When I recommended it in The Family Table, our weekly newsletter for parents at Lanse Free Church, I said, “Every Christian parent with young children should read this book right away. Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World should be required reading for raising a little kid in today’s culture. Given her own story, Rachel Gilson is a perfect person to write it. Her earlier memoir Born Again This Way was one of my top books of 2020, and I’m very glad that she’s now giving out this practical, well-written, insightful, realistic, and biblically balanced advice. I wish it was written earlier! I especially appreciate how Gilson counters all the big fears we all feel. These fears are not baseless, but they should not define or drive us. Read this, soak in the principles, prepare your kids, and fear not!”
It turns out that I read several books on this and related subjects this year in addition to Kvamme and Gilson which were really good.  Purposeful Sexuality by Ed Shaw explains what sex is actually for in a few concise and pages. In the same series, Andrew Bunt’s Finding Your Best Identity , helpfully explores the question of who or what gets to define who you are. In Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships? , Rebecca McLaughlin responds to the ten strongest arguments from those who claim the Bible affirms (or doesn't teach about) same-sex romantic/sexual relationships. Written by a woman herself who experiences persistent same-sex attraction. McLaughlin is a treasure, well-read, and an excellent communicator. In 2024, I also read her No Greater Love which covers the concept of biblical friendship.
I am very grateful for the blessing of having so many great books in my life. 

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* This is my tenth year of sharing a list like this!

As I’ve said for the last decade [2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023], this list is not necessarily the best books that were published that particular year or the most enjoyable either. I intend it to be a list of the fairly new Christian nonfiction books I read:

- that had the most personal impact on me, my thinking, my heart.
- that I was the most consistently enthusiastic about.
- that I kept coming back to again and again.
- that I couldn't help recommending to others (and recommend without reservations and significant caveats).