Roche Coleman Ministries: The Infusion Broadcast

Dr. Roche Coleman: Daniel took Jeremiah 29 to heart. He understood that God had already prophesied through the prophet Jeremiah this was going to happen. And so he knew he had to pray for his oppressors. He had to pray for the increase of Babylon because he says I'm going to be here only for a short period of time. God is going to do something special with me. And as we get ready to go back to Daniel 4, I want you to understand that wherever you find yourself, where God has planted you, it might feel oppressive at first, but you got to remember you're only there for a season.

God is using you there for his glory. Don't become bitter and angry, but pray for the prosperity, the blessing of those around you and trust God that one day God is going to move you out. He would do it.

Guest (Male): We're so glad you've joined us today on the Infusion broadcast as Dr. Brose Coleman brings us the message the battle between Gods from our current series on the book of Daniel. Now we've all faced injustices and maybe even extreme persecution because of our faith in God. Today, Dr. Coleman shares how the power and might of the Gods of this world pale in comparison to the one true living God. But before we get to the lesson, I want those of you who live in the Houston and surrounding areas to know that Dr. Coleman is also the senior pastor of the Impact Church of the Woodlands located at 5401 Shadowbend Place, The Woodlands, Texas.

If you don't have a home church, please know there's a place for you here. Sunday worship times are 8:00 and 10:45 a.m. And we hope you'll stop by this weekend. Let's go to the lesson now, the battle between Gods.

Dr. Roche Coleman: Hey, good evening everyone. Thank you so much for joining us for our continuous study through the book of Daniel. We are concluding today Daniel chapter 4. And as we are trekking through and we are so delighted that you're here. Thank you for joining us online. Glad you could be a part of our study with us. Daniel chapter 4. Lord, we love you. We thank you for today for your mercy, for your grace, your compassion and kindness. And we thank you for how you do all things well. Lord, guide us tonight as we look into your word.

Direct our path and Lord, illuminate our minds that we might apply your word and be transformed. We thank you. We love you and we ask it all in Jesus' name. Amen. Daniel chapter 4. We have been looking at this fourth chapter because I believe it's a seminal chapter, especially because this is the culminating act of God working in the life of King Nebuchadnezzar. And I love this because it's another encounter of God battling human, shall I say monarchs? We've seen him strategically just battling monarchs throughout the scripture. And now we are down in Babylon. And we have come to King Nebuchadnezzar.

We've seen him deal with Sennacherib. We've seen him deal with Pharaoh, other little despots along the way. But King Nebuchadnezzar, I believe was probably one of God's special projects because so much writing and so much is devoted to God's interaction. The first four chapters of the book of Daniel really, he's kind of one of the centerpieces in this. And you see God moving. It's like a great chess match that's happening here in the book. And so let's slide down. I think we know we are last week we looked at verses starting about 20 and we talked about this whole aspect of Daniel and how Daniel came to Nebuchadnezzar to reveal the dream that he had.

And this was a beautiful beautiful interaction. As you see Daniel's compassion for a pagan king and remember we said who had captured him, taken him from his homeland of Jerusalem, forced him to serve in his administration. But not only that, he takes him and he force him to become a eunuch. That horrible surgical procedure. He goes back in 586 on the third deportation, burns Jerusalem, completely decimate the walls and leave on the peasantry there. And now Daniel is called upon to interpret a dream the King Nebuchadnezzar has. And if you recall in 4 and 19, Daniel when he is talking to him, him being the king Nebuchadnezzar, he talks to him and speaks to him with such words of compassion, words of grace and mercy.

And Daniel says this in 19 is worth repeating again before we dive in here. And I want you to turn with me if you have your Bibles, turn with me to verse 19 in Daniel chapter 4 because Daniel says my Lord, if only the dream applied to those who hate you and its interpretation to your adversaries. You see that in verse 19. I love that he said to your adversaries, to those who hate you. He said I don't want this to apply to you, King Nebuchadnezzar. And and to me this shows a man's heart that has been radically transformed by the power of God.

This is a person who has a level of compassion for someone who has treated him in a diabolical manner because only God could have changed his heart to this degree. And remember we said there were several reasons why Daniel could do this. Number one, I'm convinced Daniel had a heart that had been cultivated by the mercies of God. And Daniel also remembered Jeremiah 29. Remember we quote Jeremiah. Let's turn there real quick. You got just just turn there real quick with me real quick. Jeremiah 29. In Jeremiah chapter 29 we we we we see this matter of fact.

You know if you come to Impact and you go in the foyer, you see this verse. It's on our wall. But Jeremiah 29 we have Jeremiah 29 11 there. But I want to let you know that you you really need to read 10 as well because it says for thus says the Lord, when 70 years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill my good word to you to bring you back to this place. Then he goes in 11 and talks about for I know the plans I have for you. And so often we read verse 11, but we don't understand that verse 11 is on the heels of verse 10.

And that is you're going into exile. You going to be there for a while. And all of so verse 11 is on the heels of verse 7. Seek the welfare of the city where I've sent you. Pray to the Lord on his behalf for its welfare. You will have welfare. For its blessings, you will be blessed. Daniel took Jeremiah 29 to heart. He understood that God had already prophesied through the prophet Jeremiah this was going to happen. And so he knew he had to pray for his oppressors. He had to pray for the increase of Babylon because he says I'm going to be here only for a short period of time.

God is going to do something special with me. And as we get ready to go back to Daniel 4, I want you to understand that wherever you find yourself, where God has planted you, it might feel oppressive at verse, but you got to remember you're only there for a season. God is using you there for his glory. Don't become bitter and angry, but pray for the prosperity, the blessing of those around you and trust God that one day God is going to move you out. He would do it. Daniel understood that and and so often you you don't hear many sermons on Daniel 4:19.

We slide down and we like to get in chapter 5 and we like to talk about getting out of the den and we like the fiery furnace, but we don't focus on Daniel's compassion for King Nebuchadnezzar. But it's huge. It's rooted and grounded in the true nature of what it means to be a believer. So I wanted to bring that out as we're heading further and looking at this whole aspect of King Nebuchadnezzar. Now I want to start at 20 because at 20 this is where he's going to begin the the dream and tell him what the dream means.

And I want to begin here. We saw a little bit of this last week, but I want to pick up at verse 20 Daniel chapter 4. Hope you're there with me. The tree that you saw which became large and grew strong, whose height reached the sky, he says he talks about the foliage of the tree. And I I like how he described it. Look at the vividness of the description for the vision, the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had. Daniel is going back through and he's he's noting all the features. He talks about it's large, strong, the height of the tree.

He said it reached to the sky. It's visible to all in the earth. Then he talks about the foliage, the beauty of it, its fruit. And and then he talks about how it's providing food for all. Even the beasts find their shelter under it. All of the beasts of the field. You have he he's saying man, your your reach is so vast, is high, is so expansive. Not just humans, but also the beasts. Everybody is covered in under your umbrella. You have been given so much, shall I say dominion by God. He's saying man, this is you, king.

Do you recognize this? And this whole idea of of the tree to me, it notes three things and you should see this in your notes. Number one, it denotes that there is a dependency here that the tree denotes. Think about a tree now. A tree is dependent upon what? An independent outside source. The tree requires something for its existence under point one, growth and production. The tree does not exist on its own. It needs soil. It requires the light, the rain, the dew. All of these elements are important for a tree to exist. And and and so God used the tree to symbolize Nebuchadnezzar.

And so this tree here is dependent. But also number two, the tree is a protection and it needs protection. Look at it. The tree is supernatural protected because think about all of the things that could damage a tree. Number one, disease. Number two, drought. Also you got to think about another tree falling. A branch could easily damage the tree. And and so a tree still needs protection. Anybody planted trees in their home in the backyard, you know what I'm talking about. You you baby those bad boys, those trees. And they're proud of those trees when you call them hey, can you come bring some Oh, they're proud of them when they bring them.

And so you like hey, I want to protect my tree. God has to supernaturally protect the trees for them to grow. Okay? Number three. Look look look. The production, the fruit that comes from a tree. A tree can only produce fruit if all of the factors are there. I I love how Jesus talk about of the fruit tree in Matthew chapter 7 and about how if the tree does not bear fruit, how you destroy it and good fruit and the bad fruit. We don't have time to go in all that. It's in your notes. You can read that later.

But my point is this. Notice this. Just as the tree is dependent, it needs protection and in order for it to produce, it needs a independent source which is none other than God and his creation. The same applies to King Nebuchadnezzar. I'm convinced God used a tree to demonstrate dependency, protection, and production. King, listen you cannot exist if it were not for me. You dependent upon me. I have been protecting. I have been allowing you to produce. I have allowed you to grow to the place that you have grown as a leader, as a ruler.

That's why you've not been assassinated. That's why you haven't died in a drunken stupor. Go back and look in history and and and if you study leaders and how they were always threatened by some general, some of their own children, ex-wife, foreign despots, somebody always threatening them. Who has been protecting Nebuchadnezzar to allow him to become the first world ruler, none other than God? God has been keeping him. And so God used in the dream a tree to symbolize the dependency that exists within this king. And he said hey man, you need to recognize I am your sustainer.

I'm the source. I'm the source. Why is this important? Some of you looking at me like what is he talking about with these trees? Just like nature, God provides for us. God provides for us. This is same. We sometimes make scripture the teaching of the Bible too complex. It's real simplistic. Just as God cares for the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, the lilies, the grass, the trees. He cares for us. It's the same. And that's why I we cannot worry. What what does he He kept to the disciples fear not. What are you worrying about?

And some of you some might say well financially I'm good. Maybe it's not the finances you worried about. There are other things that we stress and worry about. Whatever it is, the Lord is trying to let us understand I am the sovereign God and I'm in control. He used the tree and he explains that through Daniel prophetically interpreting he says Nebuchadnezzar, you are the tree. You're that great individual. He said and you have a responsibility now in this role. You got to understand this. All great leaders, all people of influence, they have a responsibility that goes beyond themselves.

And they must understand that the role they function in, they are still accountable to God. One of the things I do love about the United States of America when we have people being installed if you will into their offices. I I like to see the president. I like to see him put his hand on the Bible. Even if you don't believe it, you know. You wonder sometime this fire is it is is it going to catch on fire when they put his hand on it or But but but there is such rich symbolism in that, so much meaning.

When when when the when he stands and has to put one hand on the Bible and he has to take an oath with his hand on the Bible. I want you to know that that is powerful. There's an imagery there. They're saying there's something greater than myself. I'm accountable to a source greater than me. And all of us must remember this. All of us must This this is not by chance that in the United States of America also when you are sworn in to give witness, put your hand on in you. So I tell you I do it.

I do because the Bible is symbolizing an authority greater than oneself. Oh, it's beautiful. It's beautiful. So here it is. Nebuchadnezzar has been told this part. And Daniel is going on. He says what about this watcher I saw? He said this holy one descended from heaven saying chop down the tree. He he lets him know all about what's going on with it. In verse 23 he's going to talk about and explain. And remember we talked about this watcher, this angelic watcher. Angelic is not literally in the chest. Er is the word for watcher. It's a unique word, but we believe that what Nebuchadnezzar is seeing is none other than just an angel.

All right? And remember we we we noted that this is remember a letter we believe Nebuchadnezzar wrote after he has received his redemption and restoration. And so what happens here is this. He says this angelic being is there, is descending from heaven. And I like that the angelic being is descending from heaven and it comes down is going to give this shout. So this angelic being descends. I I like the descent because it's still communicating the fact that there's something greater than the king. Everything is still positioning him and showing that you are smaller. You are not in this great position.

So it's important that you understand that. Here we go. He says this watcher is angelic being. Um it comes down here and it's going to make this this bold proclamation. Chop down the tree, leave the stump with its roots. And I put it here. I put five of the things I want you to see them. I just kind of numbered them for you. Uh with a band of iron and bronze. I I was just trying to I I I was trying to figure out why the the bronze and the iron. But anyway, it's going to preserve the root of the tree.

You're going to cut it down, but he's going to preserve the roots and preserve the life of the tree. It's not dead. You got me? And it kind of make you think of Isaiah when he talk about a root out of dry ground. Uh so much symbolism in Nebuchadnezzar with other passages of scripture is incredible. Even the tree And and I didn't mention this previously, but I want to say it now. Even the tree providing life for people and the beasts, we think of the Garden of Eden with the tree of life. There are so many similarities and so many parallels there and you saying man, what is going on here?

It's really trying to demonstrate how the Bible is this text, how influential the king is in this era. So here we go. He says let him be drenched with the dew of heaven. Let him share with the beasts of the field. Uh all of this is happening. Events will last for seven uh periods. The seven periods we know here is none other than seven years. He lets him know he says this is what's going to happen. Uh this watcher comes out is going to This is going to happen, king, if you do not conduct yourself in a proper manner.

How should the king have conducted himself? Uh he got to understand that he is a servant of God. King had understood that yet. He says all right, two other things is going to happen. Therefore, king, he says this is what you should do if you don't want to experience the banishment, the humiliation. He says this is what you need to do. Please take my advice. I like this. He's very humble Daniel that he is. He's very humble in his offering of this advice to the king. He says break away now from your sins. Notice it.

Notice what he put. He give it real simplistic. He says stop sinning. Now the text never tells us what the sin the king is engaged in. He just tell him hey, you got to stop sinning. Okay? After he tells him he says you stop sinning, he says do righteousness, break away from this iniquity and show mercy to the poor. He says this is what you need to do. Stop sinning, do righteousness, break away from iniquities, show mercy to the poor. Sounds a lot like Micah, doesn't it? 6 and 8. What does he require of you, old man?

Act justly, walk humbly with your God. It's in the text. I put that text there because I want you to see that. This is the mandate for all believers. God want us to break away from sin, do what is righteous, break away from iniquity, act justly. And God says I want you to help the poor. Why, king? Because you are in a position of influence. You have a duty. You have a responsibility. You with me? And this is all of us as believers. This this thing we got to understand as Christian. This is not just for the day of the biblical authors and writers.

This is for our day and for us. We still have that responsibility. We still have it. And we must understand that when we break away from these three simplistic mandates, prepare for God to tap us on the shoulder and let us know that I'm not pleased with your behavior. Are you with me?

Guest (Male): We have to leave it there for today, folks. Dr. Coleman will bring part two of this message on our next broadcast. Prosperity in a foreign land and among captors, Dr. Coleman. Well, our personal journey may not seem that way, but let's continue to trust in God for his intervention where needed in our own lives. Friend, please visit us online at brosecolemanministries.org if you've missed any part of this series or would like to review today's sermon. Also, we'd love to hear from you. Please leave us a message or if you share a prayer request, be certain we'll pray for you.

Now as we close, remember that the kingdoms and nations of this world are ruled by God. He uses people to fulfill his plans. And yet he desires to have a personal relationship with us. May we through his word learn to fear, honor, and trust him more each day.