From Pride to Humility: Lessons from Nebuchadnezzar

1) "I think things, things are most often more fragile. Than maybe most of us would care to admit. But humanity, we seem to find ways of reassuring ourselves that the life and the resources of the cosmos are secure. I want you to think about for the ancient, the ancient powers for a little bit. There was Egypt. It was a huge dominant power. Assyria, Babylon. And then following Babylon, there's Persia. And then the Greeks. Alexander the Great. And he, he went and he, you know. Conquered so much territory. And then we have the Roman Empire that lasted a few hundred years. All of these empires have fallen. You look at Babylon right now, it's just like there's archaeological digs there. There's no real city there right now. It's just leveled. It's devastated." [45:42] (52 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2) "Sometimes our darkest thoughts. Sometimes our depression. Sometimes you know. Our wavering faith. Happens actually when things are really good. When rationally we should be really happy. And in many ways we are. But there's still this hard times. There's still this darkness. That can creep in. When we think about faith. When we think about the hard times. We think about those tragedies." [49:36] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3) "Life is better when we are humbled. There is more peace. And there is less stress. There is a commentator that says. The confession of God as king. Might seem to leave no place. For human government. But rather. The chapter continues to assume. That if God's kingship is acknowledged. Human kingship. Then can find its place. Nebuchadnezzar is an example. A warning of how not to be led astray. By power and achievement. A model of how to respond. To chastisement and humiliation. He is even more of a promise. That earthly authorities are in the hand of God. Not merely for their judgment. But for his glory." [01:00:30] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4) "I think there is a way of living. There is a way when things are rightly ordered. We have more peace in ourselves. And so Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the story. When he experienced. When he went through the hard times. He came out better for it. And the rightly ordered bit. The rightly ordered bit. Was better for Nebuchadnezzar. It was better for everybody also. The whole entire city prospered. Not just him. But there was also this. greater peace. That he lived with. And so God said Nebuchadnezzar. I have a better life for you. And that's what he's telling each of us. He said there is a better life for you. It's called the kingdom of God. It's a different way of thinking. When things are rightly ordered. You don't have to be God." [01:02:00] (55 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5) "Real faith. Real faith is found. Not in spite of the hard times. But real faith is found. Because of the hard times. There's something that happened. With Nebuchadnezzar. Because he experienced the hard times. Now the conclusion. Of my kitchen sink. After the plumber left. And I bought a $17.99 balloon. That hooks to the end of your hose. And finally. I was exasperated. To the point of no return. I prayed one last prayer. And I stuck that hose. Down my drain. And I turned that on. And instantly it was cleared. There is a God. But there was something. That transpired. Through all of that too. In the letting go. And there's a real faith. There's a real faith. That is built. Because of the hard times. That we experience." [01:03:09] (64 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)