The Testimony
of a Changed Man
A Study of the Change of
Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel 4
June 19th 2011 AM
(Father’s Day)
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
I.
Introduction (Psalm 119:5-7)
A.
Humour
1.
One summer
evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small boy
into bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in
his voice, "Mommy, will you sleep with me tonight?" The mother smiled and
gave him a reassuring hug. "I can't dear," she said. "I have to sleep in
Daddy's room." A long silence was broken at last by his shaking little
voice: "The big sissy."
2.
The little
girl was sitting in her grandfather's lap as he read her a goodnight story.
From time to time, she would take her eye's off the book and reach up to
touch his wrinkled cheek. By and by she was alternately stroking her own
cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke, "Granddaddy, did God make you?"
"Yes, sweetheart" he answered, "God made me a long time ago." "Oh she said,"
then "Granddaddy, did God make me too?" "Yes, indeed honey" he assured her.
"God made you just a little while ago." "Oh" she said. Feeling their
respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it now isn't
he?"
B.
Today is
Father’s Day! Such an important day for families! The media doesn’t think
so, the culture thinks the world does just fine without strong men, women
think they don’t need Dads and husbands – only mock him and ignore him as a
push-over
C.
Gentlemen,
something has to change – and it is us! (Ps 119:5-7)
D.
We men need
the ability to be changed – made better!
1.
Every woman
knows it
2.
And
surprisingly, every man knows it too
3.
I’m not
talking about being a push-over, a wimp, or “getting in touch with your
feminine side”
4.
But someone
who has the ability to be changed and developed into a real man – a godly
man!
a.
Like a
Potter moulds a lump of clay – not to leave it a lump, but something better
b.
Or like a
craftsman, refines silver and gold by heat and pressure
E.
So, Can a
man actually change for the better, and how? That’s what I want to answer
this morning
1.
Can you
actually teach an old dog new tricks?
2.
You ladies
are shaking your heads!
3.
Every wife
has asked this question over and over
4.
Every man in
here that is struggling against old habits & temptations has asked this
question
F.
The truth
is, God is at work, already changing us
1.
God works
all our lives gentlemen, seeking to change us – from what we are naturally,
to what we were designed to be by His grace (Philp 1:6; 2Cor 3:18)
2.
Salvation
changed our destiny – from heading to hell, to now heading to heaven (Rom
6:23)
3.
AND, there
will be an instantaneous change at death (1Cor 15:50-57)
4.
God’s hand
in our lives, works to change our character (Titus 2:14)
a.
Reputation
is what people think you are.
b.
Character is
to what you really are
c.
Rare is the
man whose Reputation matches his Character
5.
People can
naturally bend, and accommodate other people’s expectations – some people
are very good at it! Put on a show - Change just to please someone else. But
rarely truly change
a.
Oh people
WANT to change
b.
They WANT so
bad to quit smoking
c.
To quit
giving in to temptation, or to anger and bitter words
d.
To stop
being lazy
e.
To overcome
depression
f.
And yet
never see any difference in their lives
G.
Change
depends upon the following FIVE things
1.
Who is doing
the work on the man
a.
His mother?
She cannot make a better man
b.
His wife?
She cannot make a better man
c.
Sometimes, a
young man’s teacher will try and work on him. Can’t make him better
d.
His friends
work on him. They won’t make a better man
e.
But what
about God? You see, if GOD is allowed to make some changes in a man, then
that man can be better!
2.
The second
thing that Change depends upon is WHAT is being changed in the man
a.
It is his
mind? Many a man has had his mind changed by his wife, or his friends – but
is he actually a better man?
b.
It is just
his habits that need to be changed?
1)
Dirty
clothes in the corner
2)
Not cleaning
out the tub after a shower
3)
Never
cleaning up after dinner
4)
Many a
mother moulded a young boy into a clean, well dressed boy who never got
dirty and never took risks – and they regretted for the rest of their lives!
5)
Many a wife
forced their husbands to do things, and MADE them comply, only to realise
they had stopped their husband from being a man, and ruined him instead of
helping him!
c.
Or what
about the heart? I think you know the answer!
3.
The third
thing that real change requires is Whether the man WANTS to be changed at
all
a.
Men are quit
content to be what they are – haven’t you all noticed that?
b.
Men don’t
like change
1)
We are
terrified of our daughters growing up
2)
We squirm
when the wife wants to sell and move house
3)
We go to the
same shops, and buy the same foods and wear the same clothes for years on
end – and never question ourselves!
4)
We don’t
WANT to check out a new shop that just opened
4.
The forth
thing that real change needs is How far he will allow himself to be changed
a.
Only enough
to keep his wife happy?
b.
Only enough
so he is not getting into trouble so often
c.
Or, enough
to be a great man – a man of God!
1)
Are you
content with just being a Dad, or do you want to be a strength to your home,
and a blessing to your family?
2)
Are you
content with your boy-toys, and gadgets, or do you yearn to be something
more – something more than your Dad was when you were growing up?
5.
The final
ingredient to change… is God!
a.
No man ever
made himself a great man in God’s eyes, without GOD doing the work
b.
Many a man
has accomplished great things – and then died and went to hell, bringing his
whole family with him
c.
If a man is
going to change at all, it will be because GOD changed him
d.
And it is
more than just a change that happens – it is a TRANSFORMATION!
H.
Do you want
to help someone change; Need for someone to change? Here is how it happens!
II.
Background (Daniel 4:1-3)
A.
The Book of
Daniel in the Bible is the life story of a young man named Daniel who is
captured and taken away from his home in
B.
There,
Daniel and his three young friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo face
pressure and trials and temptations to conform to the wicked culture around
them
C.
And it was
in that wicked culture that Daniel and his three young friends faithfully
stood and shined as lights in world – and affected that empire for good!
D.
Chapter 4 is
written by King Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 4:1-3)
1.
By his own
hand, and in his own words
2.
He wanted to
describe what God did to him
a.
We normally
only think of creation, and the splitting of the
b.
But
Nebuchadnezzar writes that God worked on HIM!
c.
Note that
the WORST thing God can do to a man is leave him alone! If God is working on
you, no matter how uncomfortable it may be, it is a good thing!
3.
Remember
just who Nebuchadnezzar was…
a.
A Pagan King
of
b.
Worshipped
his own gods – that he created, and that pleased him and did things for him
c.
A Stubborn,
Proud, Arrogant, Self-loving, Boastful, Ungrateful, Fierce, Entertainment
and Pleasure Seeking kind of a guy
d.
Sounds like
most men today amen?!
4.
Yet, here he
is, writing a whole chapter in the Bible – praising God and humbling himself
publically, and giving all the glory over to the God of heaven!
E.
This chapter
wonderfully shows how God changes the hardest of men, if they’ll only let
Him
III.
Message
A.
The Warning
(Daniel 4:4-27)
1.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream (Daniel 4:4-18)
a.
God could
have just judged Nebuchadnezzar – he is the righteous Judge
b.
But instead,
he warned him
c.
Just like
God warned…
d.
Nebuchadnezzar has had a dream before – back in chapter 3
2.
The
Meaning of the Dream (Dan 4:20-26)
a.
The dream
upset Nebuchadnezzar
b.
Daniel is
called to help explain the dream
1)
The tree is
you Nebuchadnezzar (4:20-22)
a)
Strong;
Wise; Stable; Supplying; Conquering; Protecting
b)
All things
that a man wants to be
2)
The watcher
and holy one is an angel from God (4:23)
3)
The angel is
condemning you
a)
Cuts you
down to size
b)
Breaks
everything in your life to pieces
c)
Yet protects
the stump
d)
Your own
people will drive you out into the fields
e)
You will not
eat the best foods anymore, but grass
f)
You will not
sleep on silk and linen, but upon dew drenched ground
g)
Seven long
years will pass until you finally learn that the most high God rules and is
in charge of raising people up and knocking people down!
4)
But there is
hope
a)
God will
keep your kingdom for you
b)
And you WILL
learn this great truth
3.
The
Counsel of Daniel (4:27)
a.
Break off
thy sins – humble yourself – mortify yourself – put them off
1)
Put off your
pride
2)
Put off your
stubbornness
3)
Put off your
addiction to sins – whatever they may be – cut it off!
b.
Do right –
do what God said to do in His word – Nebuchadnezzar had the Bible – Daniel
brought it with him
c.
Show mercy
d.
It may
lengthen your life and keep you from facing this trouble
e.
That is
exactly what happened with
4.
But
Nebuchadnezzar didn’t change – didn’t think it was important – ignored the
warning
B.
The Breaking
(Dan 4:28-33)
1.
God let 12
long months pass before anything happened
a.
We tend to
think that because we haven’t had anything bad happen to us yet, that we
have nothing to worry about – but we WILL reap what we have sown folks!
b.
God let
Nebuchadnezzar forget all about the dream and the warning by Daniel
2.
Nebuchadnezzar is still full of himself isn’t he? (4:29,30) – of pride – no
need for God
3.
And then it
happened – just as he was warned – God’s judgment fell
a.
He lost
everything, in one swift moment
1)
His whole
kingdom was taken away from him
2)
He was
rejected by his entire kingdom – public opinion turned against him
b.
“Driven” out
into the fields and the wilderness
c.
Left out
there until he learned that God rules, and not Nebuchadnezzar
d.
He lived
like an animal
1)
God took
away all the creature comforts so that he could make Nebuchadnezzar realise
the kind of animal that he really was
2)
Jet-black
matted hair
3)
And long,
sharp fingernails like claws
4)
He was just
like a buzzard – a vulture – a scavenger – not the great leader and
conqueror that he used to be!
e.
But that was
exactly what he needed to be for a while (Cf John 12:24)
C.
The Change
(4:34-37)
1.
Stubbornness
takes time to cure
a.
It took 3
days of sitting in the belly of the whale before Jonah broke, and Jonah was
willing to obey God’s will for his life!
b.
It took 40
years for Moses to break, and for him to even talk to God after being
rejected by all of
c.
Remember the
prodigal son’s delay? It took him sitting in that pig pen for days and weeks
before it came to him that he could go home!
d.
People are
funny aren’t they – how long it takes before they “cop on!”
e.
7 years for
Nebuchadnezzar
1)
Too proud to
humble himself all those years
2)
Too proud to
admit he had missed God
3)
To stubborn
to humble himself and repent of his “I don’t need God” attitude
4)
To hard a
man to repent of his Stubborn, Proud, Arrogant, Self-loving, Boastful,
Ungrateful, Fierce, Entertainment and Pleasure Seeking sinfulness!
5)
And so he
sat out in all kinds of weather
6)
He was so
stubborn he wouldn’t come in out of the rain or cold – he just sat out there
waiting for someone to apologize to HIM
7)
What a sight
he must have been!
f.
Some of you
remember when you were drunkards – and how PROUD you were, and unwilling to
be broken – no matter how low you went
2.
But Change
CAN Happen!
3.
It all began
with a look toward heaven (Dan 4:34)
a.
For those 7
years he looked at what he lost
1)
He was
depressed and angry at people, and at God
2)
He never
looked up – never was sorry – never praised and worshipped God as God!
b.
Yet here he
was now!
1)
He stopped
looking in bitterness at people and what they had done to him
2)
And instead,
he blessed, praised, honoured God as the most high of his life – the most
important of all his responsibilities
3)
He realised
that God was in charge – always has been and always will be
4)
He realised
that no one is anything next to God – not Bill gates, Barak Obama
5)
God is
working our HIS plan – thankfully (Eccl 3:11; Rom 8:28)
4.
God restored
to Nebuchadnezzar everything he lost (Daniel 4:34-37)
a.
His
reasoning – ability to think clearly
1)
Right clear
thinking begins with humility
2)
It begins
with God being allowed to be in charge of your life
3)
Jesus is not
just Saviour of your soul, but His rightful title is LORD of your life
(Philp 2:11)
b.
The glory of
his kingdom
1)
You would
think that after 7 years, Nebuchadnezzar would have lost everything, but God
kept it for him!
2)
And God can
keep your home, and family, and job, and future just fine while he waits for
you to break!
c.
Honour and
brightness
1)
People
started thinking highly of him
2)
And he felt
good about it, because he wasn’t full of himself now
d.
People
sought him again and his will
1)
He felt like
a leader again
2)
People
looked to him for direction
e.
Majesty – he
was KING again!
f.
All of those
things he used to thin he deserved, but now he knew very well, that they are
a gift from God, and not deserved!
5.
Nebuchadnezzar now admits
a.
There is
only one true God of heaven
b.
And he is
ABLE to humble all that walk in pride!
c.
And he is
not ashamed to admit it
IV.
Conclusion
A.
We men need
the ability to be changed – transformed - made better!
B.
We have
learned that you actually can teach an old dog new tricks!
C.
But it
depends upon FIVE things
1.
Who is doing
the work on the man? It better be God
2.
WHAT is
being changed in the man? It better be his heart and character
3.
Whether the
man wants to be changed at all? Oh how lost is the man who does not need God
4.
How far he
will allow himself to be changed? Hopefully as far as God will take him
5.
The final
ingredient to change… is God!
D.
What God
Does to Change a Man – a Summary of the Testimony of Nebuchadnezzar
1.
He Scares
Him
a.
Maybe a
health scare
b.
Maybe a
dream – I pray for some people to dream of hell!
2.
He Warns Him
a.
Through
preaching
b.
Through the
word of God
c.
Through
someone speaking straight up with him
d.
That’s GOD!
e.
You may not
like it, but that is the kindness and grace of God warning you what’s ahead!
3.
He Ruins Him
a.
Maybe a
financial ruin
b.
Maybe the
loss of all his hopes and dreams
4.
He Waits on
Him – to break and humble himself (1Peter 5:6)
5.
He Restores
Him
E.
God used a
wicked king named Nebuchadnezzar to humble us men – to let us know that He
is determined to do the same with us. It just depends on how hard we are
going to make it for Him.
1.
You could
resist, reject and mock all you like – but God wins in the end, and you will
lose
2.
The nation
of
3.
Or you could
only allow small adjustments, and never know the joy of just how far GOD can
go with you in His hand
4.
Or, you
could humble yourself under His mighty hand, and enjoy the freedom and power
of transformation!