07.12.2015 How God is Calling the Church to Respond to the Seismic Shifts in Culture

7-12-2015 from Grace Summit on Vimeo.

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Lord, again, we thank You for this family and lift them up to You and ask for Your grace and power to be revealed. We understand how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken, but help us to understand we have a loving God who cares and is involved who loves us at every moment. We live in a world where evil fills it and death reigns but we have one who died for us that we might be transformed to live eternally. We grieve not as those who have no hope, but that sustains us and is the anchor of our souls. As You speak to our hearts, give me wisdom that I might speak Your words wholly and fully. We desperately need to hear from Jesus and no one else this morning.
We are closing down our study of Daniel today – and to do that, we will go back to the beginning.
Daniel 1: 1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his [a]god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his [b]god.
This tells us that God was involved in this. I won’t go into what God causes or allows or creates – those are long discussions. Like the boy who was hit by a car – we can’t go to WHY DID GOD…? We can’t get an answer to that. We see here, though, that God is involved in this – and we may never know –but we see God involved with Israel and that He is fulfilling His greater purpose for them.
God uses the exile to end Israel’s idolatry – and partially, their attitudes of injustice. Israel was constantly worshiping idols – and after this – they never did again.
The conditions of our society have not caught God off-guard. Our current world situation is not an accident. There are vast and multiple reasons that can’t be explained in a tweet, or a post, or a sermon – because we don’t know the mind of God. Our tendency is to want to blame one or two things – like the Pharisees blaming the tax collectors and sinners. It is just human nature – like blaming your spouse when something breaks around the house. We have a need to blame. What did Adam do? The WOMAN! What did the woman, Eve, say? The SNAKE!
As we close Daniel – I want to look at what God might be calling the church to through the seismic shifts in our world. Not WHY are we in the situation we are in. Not even – what did we do to deserve this? That can end in a guilt trip – like, what is God trying to teach you? And that is not the way to go. But a better understanding might be – Life has happened… what is God calling me to now? You don’t go to someone in a tragedy and say – what do you think God is teaching you through this? But when tragedy hits us – we can ask, where do we go from here?
Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court made a decision – and Cindy and I were on vacation – and it was wonderful! We had no idea! We were in communicado!
There were varying degrees and reactions – and it was nice to not be in the world knowing that – just to have a little time to think – and going through Daniel – there are so many comparisons – and I thought – what would I say – you have to say something as a pastor – and it allowed me these words – it may not make it for you – but what is the church calling to now? Not why, or what is it teaching us, but what is it calling us to…
Like that verse – in no way alarmed by your opponents – and not being in fear… there is no reason to panic or have handwringing.
What if the church becomes a place that is non-judgmental – (and what I mean by that, I have spoken three times on that – Google Mike Marette, do not judge – and I have explained what that means) compassionate, understanding, healing, transformative community to everyone who is a casualty of the sexual revolution. What if the church was that way? For those who struggle with addiction to pornography could enter into a place that is nonjudgmental… for those who are unable to experience intimacy with their husband or wife because of sexual brokenness – for the church to be what I just said. For those who struggle with same sex attraction… for those who have been unable to make marriage work – for the church to be a place that is nonjudgmental…
You can tie that to any area of life. Racism. All of the problems that we face – if the church becomes a healing transformative place, do you think things might move forward for the Kingdom of God? I think it would be an extreme positive influence for the gospel.
Back to Daniel.
Daniel 7 is the beginning of the apocalyptic or prophetic section of Daniel. Prophecy of the future, what is going to happen, and what has happened.
Belshazzar is the other guy’s son…
7 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions [a]in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the [b]following summary of [c]it. 2 Daniel [d]said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. 3 And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another.
I can’t explain what the four beasts are – but there are four empires it may be referring to – and we see they are filled with lust and greed and pride – ALL kingdoms of this world are that way – they all fit into the four beasts – all the empires of this world fit into the four beasts. Jesus said – The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over you – all of them – it is not so with you…

4 The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human [e]mind also was given to it. 5 And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ 6 After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its [f]back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7 After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, [g]this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.
“I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;
His vesture was like white snow
And the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was [h]ablaze with flames,
Its wheels were a burning fire.
10 “A river of fire was flowing
And coming out from before Him;
Thousands upon thousands were attending Him,
And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him;
The court sat,
And the books were opened.
We have the second realm – two kingdoms – the kingdoms of this world – and the kingdom of heaven – the spiritual realm. The Ancient of Days is God the Father – He takes a symbolic seat – and Daniel is saying there is all this stuff going on – and once the Ancient of Days sits down, it is OVER! That is it! There is a lot of puff and a lot of smoke, but the Ancient of Days takes his seat and everything stops.
The language of fire refers to judgment. And we have the one true king on the throne and He will bring an end to all kingdoms. Every kingdom of this world will come to an end. They always have and they always will. They may last 1000 years, but they will end. There is only one kingdom that will last, and that is God’s kingdom.

11 Then I kept looking because of the sound of the boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was slain, and its body was destroyed and given to the burning [j]fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.
Who is the Son of Man? Jesus. Daniel didn’t understand it all, but if he could he would have been amazed.
13 “I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
14 “And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and [k]a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every [l]language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.
There is only one king and He is Jesus. Only Jesus’ kingdom will go on forever.
What is neat – it will all happen here. Here on this earth He will set up His kingdom and we will be with Him forever.
What Jesus did when He came to earth is he revealed to us that real power is not like power here. He gained power in a completely different way than how the kingdoms of this world gained power. He gained power by going to the cross. Real power comes through weakness, sacrifice and suffering – not physical strength.
Which kingdom are you focused on? Which holds your loyalty, attention, and concern. We would all like to say, the Kingdom of Jesus! That is our heart and desire! But look at the indicators in your life. Here are some indicators.
What things consume your thoughts the most? The things of this kingdom or His?
If it is the things of this kingdom, that is where your focus is. I don’t want it to be there. But I am amazed at how much the things of this kingdom consume my mind.
Jesus said to Peter, get behind me Satan, you have your mind on this world, not on mine!
Does your lifestyle reflect His kingdom or this one? Do you look more like Jesus or like your neighbors? More like the rest of the world than I do like Him.
Then behavior. Is our behavior like everyone else, or like Jesus?
Those are just some of the indications.
And the question is, how do we learn to live in that kingdom? As long as we live in this kingdom, we will be disappointed and we won’t be fruitful in His kingdom.
Daniel 9:20 Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and [a]presenting my supplication before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, 21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision [b]previously, [c]came to me [d]in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 22 He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the [e]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are [f]highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision.
What we have here – and we’ll see in another passage, is some insight into Daniel about how he was able to live as a witness in an antagonistic world. We see a man of prayer. The power to witness to this culture begins in the heavenly realm – not in this one. That is where our authority and power comes from. We see in Daniel someone who was engaged in the source and center – the heavenly realm, not on earth.
Too often, we try to bring about change in the earthly realm – and we need to spend more time engaging the heavenly realm to have an effect in this world.
So we have to ask ourselves – how much power to I have in the spiritual realm? How often do I enter and engage that world? That world is completely open to us – completely available because of Christ. We have the opportunity to enter into the heavenlies. He was entering before the throne of God. We can come before His throne to find mercy in the time of need – and we are all in the time of need – but we tend to look for the solution here – and there may be things to do HERE – but that comes long after engaging the heavenly realm.
Daniel 10: 12 Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was [o]withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the [p]latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future.”
These are the verses we get our theology on spiritual warfare – but what was Daniel doing? Praying. Simple everyday stuff. It does not take a hero to continue in prayer. It does not take a spiritual giant. Anyone can do it.
We are getting close to closing time –
Some practical things – Daniel addresses two common errors we make as living as witnesses in an antagonistic world.
Accommodation. Everyone else is doing this – so we are doing it. Everyone else is believing this – so we’ll believe it.
But God teaches us through His word.
The other error is isolationism and disengagement. The answer is incarnation. It is found in Jesus. Jesus became a man that He might enter into our world and reveal God to us. Our job is to enter in to this world we live in – God is calling us to enter the brokenness – all of it – are you willing? Am I willing? Will I really engage the most broken aspects of this culture FULLY to reveal Christ? To bring the presence of Jesus into those most difficult circumstances and aspects of our world? That is what, in my opinion, God is calling the church to through the seismic changes that are taking place. To leave our realm of holiness to enter the realm of sin to suffer and sacrifice to love those He entered into their world...