Sermon by Rev. Richard Jones

rec0324-112419

“Graffiti From God”

Daniel chapter 5

A PRESUMPTUOUS FEAST

Daniel 5:1-4 (ESV)
¹  King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
²  Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
³  Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
⁴  They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

A PERTURBING SIGHT

Daniel 5:5-6 (ESV)
⁵  Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king”™s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.
⁶  Then the king”™s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.

A PERPLEXING WRITING

Daniel 5:7-9 (ESV)
⁷  The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
⁸  Then all the king”™s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.
⁹  Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.

A PERCEPTIVE QUEEN

Daniel 5:10-12 (ESV)
¹⁰  The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.
¹¹  There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father””your father the king””made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,
¹²  because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

A PROMISED OFFER

Daniel 5:13-17 (ESV)
¹³  Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah.
¹⁴  I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
¹⁵  Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.
¹⁶  But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
¹⁷  Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

A PARTICULAR LESSON

Daniel 5:18-21 (ESV)
¹⁸  O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.
¹⁹  And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled.
²⁰  But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.
²¹  He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.

Daniel 4:28-35 (ESV)
²⁸  All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
²⁹  At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
³⁰  and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
³¹  While the words were still in the king”™s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you,
³²  and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
³³  Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles”™ feathers, and his nails were like birds”™ claws.
³⁴  At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
³⁵  all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

A PERSONAL INDICTMENT

Daniel 5:22-24 (ESV)
²²  And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,
²³  but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
²⁴  “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.

A POINTED MESSAGE

Daniel 5:25-31 (ESV)
²⁵  And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.
²⁶  This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;
²⁷  TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;
²⁸  PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
²⁹  Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
³⁰  That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
³¹   And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Hebrews 4:13 (ESV)
¹³  And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Job 20:4-9 (ESV)
⁴  Do you not know this from of old, since man was placed on earth,
⁵  that the exulting of the wicked is short, and the joy of the godless but for a moment?
⁶  Though his height mount up to the heavens, and his head reach to the clouds,
⁷  he will perish forever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, ”˜Where is he?”™
⁸  He will fly away like a dream and not be found; he will be chased away like a vision of the night.
⁹  The eye that saw him will see him no more, nor will his place any more behold him.

Psalm 33:12-20 (ESV)
¹²  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
¹³  The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;
¹⁴  from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
¹⁵  he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.
¹⁶  The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
¹⁷  The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.
¹⁸  Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
¹⁹  that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
²⁰  Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

APPLICATION

God is the ultimate judge of individuals.

God has a way of ending pride.

God judges the nations.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (ESV)
¹⁴  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Sermon by Rev. Richard Jones

rec0310-112458

“The Last Word”

Hebrews 1: 1-3

Hebrews 1:1-3 (ESV)
¹  Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
²  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
³  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

THE FINAL WORD

Hebrews 1:1-2a (ESV)
¹  Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 
²  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son,  

John 1:18 (ESV)
¹⁸  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father”™s side, he has made him known.

THE FIRST CAUSE

Hebrews 1:2b (ESV)
²  …whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

John 1:1-3 (ESV)
¹  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
²  He was in the beginning with God.
³  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:15-16 (ESV)
¹⁵  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
¹⁶  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities””all things were created through him and for him.

THE FULLNESS OF GOD

Hebrews 1:3a (ESV)
³  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,

THE FACILITATOR OF ALL

Hebrews 1:3a1 (ESV)
³  …and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

Colossians 1:17 (ESV)
¹⁷  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS

Hebrews 1:3a2 (ESV)
³  …After making purification for sins,

THE FINISHER OF FAITH

Hebrews 1:3b (ESV)
³  …he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Sermon by  Rev. Richard Jones

rec0210-112211

Is There Mercy Still For Me?

2 Samuel Chapter 9

CONSIDERING THE OUTCAST

 2 Samuel 9:1-4 (ESV)
¹  And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan”™s sake?”
²  Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.”
³  And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”
⁴  The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”

CALLING THE OUTCAST

2 Samuel 9:5-8 (ESV)
⁵  Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.
⁶  And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”
⁷  And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”
⁸  And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

CHANGING THE OUTCAST

2 Samuel 9:9-13 (ESV)
⁹  Then the king called Ziba, Saul”™s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master”™s grandson.
¹⁰  And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master”™s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master”™s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
¹¹  Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David”™s table, like one of the king”™s sons.
¹²  And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba”™s house became Mephibosheth”™s servants.
¹³  So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king”™s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.

Ephesians 2:1-7 (ESV)
¹  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
²  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience””
³  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
⁴  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
⁵  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ””by grace you have been saved””
⁶  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
⁷  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Titus 3:3-7 (ESV)
³  For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
⁴  But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
⁵  he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
⁶  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
⁷  so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Sermon by Rev. Richard Jones

rec0203-112359

“Give First to God”

Haggai

(selected verses)

TIME  TO COMMIT

Haggai 1:1-8 (ESV)
¹  In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
²  “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.”
³  Then the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,
⁴  “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?
⁵  Now, therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.
⁶  You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
⁷  “Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways.
⁸  Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD.

Leviticus 26:18-20 (ESV)
¹⁸  And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins,
¹⁹  and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze.
²⁰  And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.

2 Samuel 7:1-2 (ESV)
¹  Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,
²  the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

Haggai 1:12-15 (ESV)
¹²  Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.
¹³  Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD”™s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.”
¹⁴  And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God,
¹⁵  on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

TIME TO CONTINUE

Haggai 2:1-5 (ESV)
¹  In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet,
²  “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say,
³  ”˜Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
⁴  Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts,
⁵  according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.

TIME TO COMPARE

Haggai 2:15-19 (ESV)
¹⁵  Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the LORD,
¹⁶  how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.
¹⁷  I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the LORD.
¹⁸  Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the LORD”™s temple was laid, consider:
¹⁹  Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.”

Proverbs 3:9-10 (ESV)
⁹  Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰  then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV)
³¹  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ”˜What shall we eat?”™ or ”˜What shall we drink?”™ or ”˜What shall we wear?”™
³²  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
³³  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.