Whose Rule vs Who Rule | Celina Tan

You're listening to a message to go from AXTS church. We hope this message

will light up your day. In the title of the sermon is host rule

and who Rules? Okay. So it's taken from Daniel chapter four. Okay.

So before we go into it, so let's look at these few words

that I put on the screen. Okay. So I think this tree statement

that I wrote here. Sorry, I think the fonts a bit too small.

Okay. So that gives you more reason to come to the front.

Okay. So the hashtag achievement unlock okay, or maybe the statement I did

it or I've made it? Does this how familiar to all of us?

Okay, especially those of you who are actively on social media. The hashtag

achievement unlock. It's very common that you see, right, Okay. So

what does this statement tells you? It tells you that you know that you

have successfully done something which you find it very difficult to do. Am I

right? All right? Uh? And most of the time when we post

it on social media or or we go to someone and say, hey,

I did this, I did this, you know, especially you know,

I think every time I come to to the to the stage, and I

will always share that, you know, one of the things that I always

try to run away from is hiking. You know, but when I successfully

hide not the highest mountain lat Canola, okay, I will post and say

that finally I made it okay. Why because I wanted no people to know

that the things that I fear the most I managed to conquer it. Okay.

But indirectly, I also want people to praise me for doing something that

I find it difficult to achieve. Okay. So it's like small kids.

All of a us are like small kids. When we achieve something, we

want people to recognize, we want people to to to to even acknowledge it,

and we want people to praise us. Correct. So what we always

wanted or more of, like what we always crave to hear, is that

when people tell us, hey, well done, Selena right, or we

always want people, especially people who are really close to us, say this,

I'm so proud of you. You finally made it right and people tell

you good job. You know, when I went hiking with Uncle Bonnie and

antiduly right, one of the things that make me so happy, and I

say that, if ever I were to hide, I want to follow about

the start was because the moment I reached the top. This is what I

find it very satisfying when I hear Uncle Banny said it. See, I

knew that you can do it well done, you know, And I was

like, oh, I feel so good someone actually acknowledge it and recognize it.

Okay, So, upon receiving all these compliments, right, we feel

very happy and we feel very proud of our own achievement. Right. So,

but as this continues to go on, right, we are kind of

like feeding ourselves with compliments after compliments and after compliments, and finally we will

realized that, you know, we are so proud of our own achievement.

We start to build prideliness. You know, we are so proud. I

can guarantee you if I were to continue to go hiking with Uncle Bonnie every

weekend, I would be so proud of myself and say that, hey,

I can actually do it, right, what's so difficult about it? Right?

So we will known that we are when we're so proud of our own

achievement, we will slowly build prideliness. Okay. Please don't get me wrong

about sharing and receiving compliments or craving for people's approval when we achieve something.

But what I wanted to draw out from here today is that sometimes when we

are so craved for the the acknowledgment from people, we will lose ourself in

our own personal achievement till we forget the basic foundation. Okay, So what

is the basic foundation? The basic foundation is where does your ability came from?

Where does your talent came from? Where does your skill came from?

In the first place? The basic foundation? Okay, And ultimately we have

to ask ourself, who was the one that gave you all this? Right?

So what happened is that when we lost our basic foundation, we became

very prideful, okay, because we will take all the credit for ourselves,

you know. Like for example, like me, if I were to continue

to go, you know, hiking with Uncle Monie every such we can write,

I would say that, hey, I can do it because I practice,

you know, I have the skill. Okay, I have the talent

to do what I need to do. I start to take credit for myself,

okay, and then I've forgotten Okay, actually who was the one that

helped me? Okay? All right, So Rember, for those of you

who came the last round, when I spoke. I spoke about, you

know, pursuing God's righteousness, right, and I think one of the things

that I pointed out that why people pursue self righteousness was because of pride.

And today the sermon it talks about pride drawing out from Daniel chapter four.

So if you have your Bible with you, let's ttenn to Daniel chapter four.

I'm just going to read the whole scripture, okay, but my version

is nlt XTIV. If you can help me, I think there's this NKJV.

But whatever it is, it's still word of God. So let's read.

Okay. So Daniel chapter four, okay, belong, don't show this

picture first, okay. Daniel Chapter four was one. Okay, King Abucanneza

send this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the

word world, peace and prosperity to you. I want you all to know

about the miraculous signs and wonders. The most high God has performed for me

was three. How great are his signs, how powerful he wonders? His

kingdom will last forever, his rule through all generations. I Nebuknezza was living

in my palace in comfort and prosperity. But one night I had a dream

that frightened me. I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my

way. So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon

so they could tell me what my dream meant. Was seven, when all

the magicians, enchanted, astrologists and fortune tellers came in, I told them

the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. At last,

Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. He

was named Beltasza, after my God, and the spirit of the Holy Gods

is in him. So worst night, I said to him, that shares

a chief of the magicians. I know that the spirit of the Holy Gods

is in you, and that no mystery is too great for you to solve.

Now tell me what my dream means. While I was lying in my

bit, this is what I dream, I saw a luxury in the middle

of the earth. The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into

the heavens for all the world to see. It has fresh green leaves,

and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. While animals live in

its shade and bird nested in its branches. All the world was fed from

this tree. What's thirteen? Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw

a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. The messenger shouted,

Cut down the tree and look off its branches, shake off its lives,

and scatter its fruit. Chase the wild animals from its shades and the

birds from its branches. But leave the stumb and the roots in the ground,

bound with a band of iron and bronze, and surrounded by tender grass.

Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him

live with the wild animals among the plants of the field for seven periods of

time. Let him have the mind of a wild animal instead of the mind

of a human. For this has been decreed by the messengers. It is

commanded by the Holy Ones. So that everyone may know that the most High

rules over the kingdoms of the world. He give them to anyone he choses,

even to the lowliest of people. Verse eighteen. Betasajah, that was

the dream, the dream that I, King Nebucannetza had. Now tell me

what it means. For none of the wise men of my kingdom can do

so. But you can tell me, because the spirit of the Holy God

is in you, so Daniel explain the dream. Upon hearing this, Daniel,

also known as be Sasa, was overcome for a time, frightened by

the meaning of the dream. Then the King said to him, belt Shazard,

don't be alarmed by the dream and what it means. So beltle Shazard

replied, I wish the events for shadow in this dream. What happened to

your enemies, my lord, and not to you. The tree you saw

was growing very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the

world to see. It had fresh green leaves and was loaded with fruit for

all to eat, while animals live in the shade, and bird nested in

his branches Verse twenty two. That tree, your Majesty, is you,

for you have grown strong and great. Your greatness reaches up to heaven,

and your and your rule to the ends of the earth. Then you saw

a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven, saying, cut

down the tree and destroy it, But leave the stump and the roots in

the ground, bound with a band of iron and bronze, and surrounded by

tree than the grass. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven.

Let him live with animals of the field for seven periods of time. This

is what the dream means, your majesty, and what the Most High has

declared will happen to my lord, the King. You will be driven from

human society and you will live in the field with the wild animals. You

will eat grass like a cow, and you will be drenched with the dew

of heaven. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way,

until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and

give them to anyone he choses. But the stump and roots of the tree

were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back

again when you have learned that Heaven rules. King Nebucannezza, please accept my

advice, stop singing and do what is right. Break from your wicked past,

and merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper all

right, so verse twenty eight. But all these things did happen to Nebucannezza.

Twelve months later, he was taking a walk on the flat roof of

the Royal Palace in Babylon. As he looked out across the city, he

said, look at this great city of babyln my own mighty power. I

have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.

Wow. While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down

from heaven, Oh King Nebukanezza, this message is for you. You are

no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be driven from human society.

You will live in a field with the wild animals, and you will eat

grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this

way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdom of the

world, and give them to anyone he choses. The same hour, the

judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuksa was driven from human society. He ate grass

like a cow, and he was drenched and the dew of heaven. He

lived this way until his hair was as long as eagle's feather, and his

nails were like bird claw. So after this time had passed, I,

Nebucannezza, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and

worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is

everlasting and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing

compared to him. He does as he pleases. Among the angels of heaven

and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say

to him, what do you mean by doing this thing? When my sanity

returned to me, so did my honor and glory and kingdom. My avers

and noble sought me out, and I was restored as the head of my

kingdom with even greater honor than before. Now I c't Nebukanza praised and glorify

and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true,

and he is able to humble the pro May God bless the reading of his

word. Amen. Right, So when we read Daniel chapter four, it

speak very directly to all of us. It's very very clear. So who

is King Nebukanezza, I think all of us know. Right. So he's

the King of Babylon. Right. In Daniel chapter one to chapter three,

you saw how he went to Jerusalem. He conquered Jerusalem. He took all

the articles of the house, and then he choose all the children of Israel,

some of the king's descendants, the wise one, the good looking one,

gifted wisdom, possessing knowledge, and he brings all of them back,

you know, to Babylon because why he wants to groom them and he wants

to use them, okay, to be part of his you know, uh

servant in the Kingdom of Babylon. Right, And Daniel was one of them.

So when we look at the world history and you look at King Nebukanezza,

so, King nebu Kanezza, he's actually the successor of his dead Nabopolaza,

Okay. So Nabopolaza he was the king that went out and to conquer

land, right. So Nebukaneazza drew on the resources that he succeeded from his

death, okay. And then what he did was he strengthened and he enlarged

his armed forces as well as he engaged in the building projects. Okay.

So he went on to absorb all the former regions of the Assyrian Empire,

and he crushed whatever resistance that was offered, all right. And later on

he marched into the Kingdom of Juda, just as we read in the book

of Daniel, and then he seized his capital of Jerusalem, okay, and

he consolidated his empire and engaged in monumental building projects. And what was his

greatest project, which is baby Long okay, and Babylan was so impressive that

it was considered the center of the world. Okay. So that was King

nebul Canezza history of what he has done, you know, in during his

time. So when we look at the Bible, you will realize that from

Daniel chapter one to chapter three, he actually had encounter with God. What

was his encounter? The first encounter was when he had a dream and then

he didn't want to tell his dream, and he wanted all his astrologers,

all all the magicians to interpret for him. But could they They couldn't.

One Daniel did it. So that was the first encounter he had with our

most high living God. All right. So after Daniel interpreted, he was

so impressed that he promoted him okay, and his fread okay, the three

friends go okay. And then the second encounter was when the you know,

his people wanted to trap the tree. The tree goans the three friends okay,

and then asked him to build a gold statue and one the three of

them to bow down to the statue. Did the three friends obey? No?

Right? And then what was the outcome? They were thrown into the

firy furnace. And while they were in the firy furinnace, three went in.

How many shadow did the king saw? For right? And they were

walking on loose? So after the whole period and the king called out the

three friends, what did the king saw? That the tree friends wasn't even

burned, not even a head on their head or their garment was seen.

And that was the second encounter he had with God, all right, So

what does this tell about King Mechanizer? He has a great empire, he

has an encounter with God, but his encounter was what he witnessed, and

that makes him very impressed that, Wow, Daniels and his friends, God

was so good, so powerful. It only impressed him to know that Dear

God is powerful because he himself did not experience it on his own. So

whatever he saw is only enough to impress him, but not enough to make

him submit to Dear God, not enough for him to worship the Most High,

not enough for him to acknowledge that God's power goes beyond his own power,

and goes beyond his kingdom and over everything. Right, But when we

look at it right, Sometimes when we look at other people's testimony, we

will be so impressed and say that, oh, I want this god,

I want this God. But why King Nebuknetza choose to be only impressed and

acknowledged that, oh, John's God is very powerful. But that is his

God, not mine. You know why. That's because of the pride that

is in him. You know, he is so powerful, right, he

is like the top king that he when he go out and conquered land,

he's able to conquer all the land, and he's able to build a city.

Okay, that that is so magnificent that no one can compare. Don't

you think that he will feel that I am the god now, you know,

don't tell me about anything. Yes, your God is very great,

good, but I am as powerful. Right. Probably that is what is

going on in his mind. That's why he choose not to submit until Daniel

chapter four has to happen. Right, So what what makes me? What

makes me say that? You know that he is so prideful of his own

ability. It was written in then new chapter four wards the thing he says

that, you know, look at this great city of Babylon. By my

own mighty power, I have built this city. So what was the word

that he used there but my own power. How many of us ever caught

ourselves said this, it's my own knowledge. I worked so hard to be

a PhD holder, you know, it's my own effort, it's my own

heart work. It's my good sight that I earned my first billion. Okay,

I think millionaire is ready little my first billion just gedding, just kidding,

Okay, I don't know, Okay, I don't know how the county

roles are. I didn't know how the count simony. Okay, all right,

Okay, So a lot of times we will caught ourselves saying that,

you know me included, right, A lot of times I was like,

yeah, this one. I look. Also, I know what to do.

I got so much experience. You know, I've been doing all this.

I you know, it's all about eye me myself. Right. So

it's the same thing for King Abuza. The pride, the pride that is

in him. So what is pride? Now? You can show the Okay.

I wanted to put my own picture, but I okay, I choose

not to scally it forever ingrain in your brains, like yeah, you always

say that, Yeah, I'm pumpc very extion. Okay, all right,

So Ivan Google dot com instead. So what is pride? Okay? So

in Mistionary and in the Bible it tells us the same meaning. It basically,

it means a person who think more highly of yourself than you should all

what hopping and despising others and treating others with contempt. Okay, let's go

to the next lighte Okay, So what I put here pride? You look

at others, you look at God as tiny little thing, and then the

next light you look yourself like, whoa, I'm high and mighty. No,

don't tell me what to do. I know better than you. Okay.

You are thinking yourself more highly than anyone else. It's like nobody is

comparable to you. Okay. So what does pride makes us? It makes

us very haughty, It makes us very arrogant. It gives us a feeling

of high and mighty, top of the world, right, and a prideful

person constantly boasts about ourself. No, I always like, Hey that mountain,

Kayler, easy can if Mijo can do it, I think I can

do it too. What that's mother? You want to conquer? It's like,

Hi, I canna asl you know before my uncle Bonnie, you know

haw, Yeah, I feel that every step is so easy and I no

problem. Right, I will always talk about myself. You know, I

don't even give credit to you know, when when when they went for I

heard that Elaine was the my immediate that that can just go very fast.

Yeah that I was like, ah, yeah, she can go so first

I think I can go faster than her. So it's about boasting about myself

and I don't care about what other people's effort has put into right. So,

and we will constantly look into ourselves and say, oh, how do

I look? Okay? You know, if I can do that, I

think that people will talk to me or I would say that, no,

what can I do? Okay? What do I have? Okay? And

I can do everything better than anyone else. That is what pride will do

to us. Okay. So eventually, what pride will do to us is

that we will start giving credit to ourselves instead of to God, who deserves

all the glory. Okay, So we will, uh you know, we

will elevate our own opinion and thoughts above God's authorative power. Scary, right,

you realize that, Hey, you know, when I keep looking at

myself God, the window is there go out. That is what pride is

about. Okay. So what are some of the attribute of pride? So

now it's a self check. The attributes of pride is arrogance, lack of

empathy, Nazissism, competitiveness, you refuse to admit fault, okay, self

centeredness, and then you find it very hard to build relationship with people because

you think that no one is comparable to you. All these people not worthy

to be my friend, Johanna not worthy. I need to find someone that

is my deer than I do. But I don't think I can find anyone

my theor than I do. Okay, So talk to my hand, right,

that is what pride will do, right, Okay, So remember that

pride is the root of many problems that we have today. If you look

at your own problem, right, let's start to do a reflection. You

know, sometimes when I face with people's problem, right, I would look

at myself. Really, I'm like Selena, you better repent. Okay,

Okay, it's a lot got to do with pride, and the Bible really

clearly pointed out that pride is a serious scene. If you think that I

am pregnant, my not so serious not as serious as mother, not as

serious as stealing, and no, pride is a very serious scene. And

it's the number one thing on the least that God most hated. Sin I

didn't quote this myself. It's in the scripture. When you look at Proverbs

chapter six, verse sixteen to nineteen, it says that there are six or

seven kinds of people that the Lord doesn't like. What is the number one?

Those who are too prop and then if nor with tell lies, oh

man, tell lies you need, number two are murdered and number three okay,

those who make evil plan What does that make you more? Planish?

Even being proud okay? Or quick to do wrong? Okay, quick to

do wrong, all of us very quick like oh yellow light with us go?

Okay? Those hotel lies in court stir up trouble in family, wow,

murder, It is not even number one. Being Being proud is the

number one thing that the Lord doesn't like. So this is what we have

to tell ourself. Okay, Pride should not have any position in our life.

Okay, if we want to live a life that pleases God, because

why. In Provost chapter sixteen, verse five, it clearly pointed out that

the Lord detests the proud, and the Word says they will surely be punished.

Okay, and James chapter fourward six, the first part of it.

It says that God opposes the proud, and is how much God dislikes a

prideful person. So when we choose to live above ourself and rely our own

strength, our own wisdom to be successful, and instead of depending on God,

let me tell you this, I can guarantee you that you will fail.

You will fail, because why the word of the Lord will never change,

because this is what the Word of the Lord says in Prose chapter sixteen,

verse eighteen, and deny to the tree. The Word says that price

goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall, and price always ends in

humiliation. Okay. So this twol scripture tells us that pride will eventually lead

to a downfall of a person or even a nation, just like the case

of King nebul Connectza. So can you imagine if after the whole period,

after the whole time period, if he choose not to repent or acknowledge,

what will happen to him? I don't even want to imagine. Men,

So let's now draw up from the whole scripture why do I say what I

say? So the first part on then chapter four was nineteen to twenty five.

It was when Daniel was interpreting the dream for Nebukanizza. So the first

question that we have to ask ourselves why the dream? Right? Why the

dream? God actually know that, you know, Nebukiza is a very powerful

person, but he chose to reveal. Right, God chose to reveal his

plan and purpose for Nebukanizza to see. He wants to reveal to Nebucaniza that

you know, you may think that you are all mighty and powerful, but

there is one more person that is more, that is mightier than you are.

He revealed even in the world when the messenger came and deliver you know,

it tells that you know that the most high will take away whatever that

you have. So this is a very good reminder to all of us that,

yes, I may own many zeros in my bank account. I may

have big house, big car, a very rich top of the world.

You know, a great see or big company, public is the company or

whatsoever. Yes, this may be your effort because all of us have to

work for it. Right, but do know that you know, if we

think that it is only our work. The Lot has already given you what

your own, right, he can also take away. We always say,

right, he gave and takeaway. Right. It's true, whatever that the

Lord has given to you, he will take away. But why dost God

revealed to Nebka? And why didn't he do it immediately? Because why God

already like kind of like reveal his power to him through the first dream to

go right? Why didn't God just like immediately punish him like that God did?

That was because he wants to give a chance to respond. You know

a lot of times God revealed things to us through dreams, is so that

we can respond. Right. God already knows what is in his heart.

Those who went to homes we aren right. God knows everything. Right.

God already knows what is in his heart. And God wants to give him

a chance to respond. And what is it that God wants him to respond?

God wants him to respond in his way, not in own way?

Right? So in then New chapter four was twenty six to twenty seven.

Okay, this is what Daniel told. Inasmuch as they gave the command to

leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to

you after you come to know that Heaven rules. Therefore, O King,

let my advice be acceptable to you. Break off your sins by being righteous,

and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps that may be

a lengthening of your prosperity. So we all know, our God is a

god of grace. Our God is a god of mercy. Our God is

a god of second chances. Right, So when he revealed things to us,

like I said earlier, he is searching our heart and he is awaiting

our response. So in that dream, God did not only reveal the lesson

that he wants to teach Nema, he also revealed his grace and his mercy

towards him. So he he wanted to respond in repentance, because how do

I know, because that is what Daniel pointed out to him. You know,

break off your sin, that is repentance. You need to break off

your sins by being righteous. And maybe if when Daniel revealed to him,

if that were to repent by then I think we may not have Thenage of

the Faller. But knowing neb he will not lie. That's why Theage of

the Four came about. So it's the same thing comes to us. How

do we respond? How do we respond when God's reveal? You know,

I share this with my my homies. I think a few homes back,

I told them that, you know, one of the things that I very

scared off is to dream of a dream that I can remember every single details

in my dream when I woke up, because why it has happened so many

times in my life that my dream came to past. The first one was

my baptism. I dreamed that. Okay, I'm a first generation basically,

I'm the first Christian in my family, and my parents always tell me,

you can go to church, but you don't get bad dice. But had

that time. I was only twenty years old and I really really want to

get out of the Baptist but I do not know how time my parents.

So I pray, I prey, pre pray, and then God showed me

the dream. So I'm like, okay, God, you show me,

and then I go aska and lo and behold. My parents never say no,

they say, oh, okay, you want, just go ahead and

it is time your paper for me. I'm like, Hallelujah. Praised a

lot. So that is a good thing. But the other few times was

about my mom passing. My mom was healthy when I saw that dreamer,

my mom was perfectly healthy. I'm like, Hi, just a bad dreamler.

I just brush it off. Not long after that, my mom was

that knowsed with cancer. I'm like, oh, crap, why does this

like the JA will we all say? Right? Why? Way? Does

this sound so for me? There? And I remember my dream and I

went down on my knee and I cried out to God because why when my

mom was that nosed? The doctor said that your mom cannot live past three

months? And I went out money. I said that Lord, sorry that

I did not take action, and I brush it off as a bad dream.

I said that place lengthn her life so that she can come to know

your saving grace and receive salvation. And guess what, Lord prolonged her life

for another two years until she accepted Christ. That was the respond that God

was searching for. But when I saw that dream, I was like,

oh, yeah, it's just a bad dream. Probably just said, ah,

yeah, it's just a bad dream. But he knows that every dream

brings meaning. And my five fifth dreams all is about my dad meeting accident

after my mom's incident, I told myself don't take dreams for granted. And

every time I dream of things that I went out money and I prayed,

Lord protect my dad. And I can tell you every accident that my dad

met was nasty, but not once he was in danger. So this is

what dreams can be. God may speak to you differently, God may reveal

things to you differently, But how do you respond? How do you respond?

And that is the respond that God is searching for in Nebukanaza repentance,

right, and then you say that you know, if you can take my

advice, your majesty, repent, break off your sin. But we read

on. We know that Neka never do anything right because twelve months later what

he did, Oh my beautiful Kingdom. Okay, all these are my heart

work. You know I have built you. You know it's so great.

And what happened, his dream came to pass. So when when Nebukanaza did

that, what does it tell us? He rejected every single thing that Daniel

interpreted for him, right, He rejected everything and he chose to forget all

right, because why that was pride in him? To him, It's like

ah, yes, Daniel say, Nima, I don't think it would come

true. Okay. So that's why to him is that when he looked across

his kingdom, he said that, yeah, all these are my world,

you know, it is my my my, my own uh you know,

yeah, my own achievement. Okay. So his pride was so strong,

and what happened. God took him out, okay, to came out from

the empire that he has built, okay, and put him into the period

of wilderness. The period I won't even call it wilderness, it's the period

of humiliation. Imagine yourself. I'm walking around like like Orang Guilla. I

can't even imagine myself walking around like crazy people. And then everybody is like,

you know that that is what a great king has to go through.

But what we want to learn here is that it is never the Lord's intention

to humiliate Nebercanizza. It's not his intention to bring him that law. God's

intention is to put him in his proper place to teach him what humility is

about. When we are too prightful. This is what the Lord to do

to us as well. Okay. So it is a lesson for Abercanizza to

remember that what he has is given by God. His wealth, his talent,

his ability, his strength, everything is given by God. So when

it comes back to us, I need all of us to remember that you

know, our talents and our ability is not for us to boast about ourselfs,

but rather to use it to give glory to God, to honor him.

He is our maker and all that we have belongs to Him, and

we need to use it for his them, for the benefit of His kingdom.

So it is written in Roman's chield Wars true that you know, we

should not think that we are better than we really are. This is something

that I need all of us to remember. We should not think that we

are really better that we really are, and we need to be honest in

our evaluation of our self, measuring ourself by the faith that God has given

to us. Measure our self against God, yet stick not our own because

when we measure ourselves against the measurement of God, we will realize that,

hello, we are not as good as we actually think we are. It's

true, people will say that, wow, this person is so good,

this person is so good. That is what people think. But remember I

shed the last round about self righteousness. We are actually not as righteous as

we think we are. Okay. So for the case of Nebucannezza, the

Lord had allowed him to go through this period so that he will come to

understanding that it is not his pride, not his strength, not his wisdom,

not his wealth that allows him to rules everything. Okay, It is

God who enables him. And God wants him to come into the realization that

whatever he owned belongs to God ultimately, is not Neba rules, is Heaven

rules. Okay. So similarly we have to tell ourselves as well, it

is God that rules over us, rules in our life. Okay. So

John fifteen, verse five reminded us that without God we can never do anything

of value. And when we achieve something great, remember that it is God

who enabled us. So what happened after Nebulcaniza went through the whole period of

humiliation. He repented, you know, he repented, and after he acknowledged

and he realized that, yeah, it is Heaven rules. It is the

most high rules. What the God did, God fulfill his promise. Right.

God restores back everything right and and his and his people bring him back

to lead the kingdom again. All the honor of the splendor was returned back

to him. Okay, all right, So that was when Nebulasa finally have

a taste of how powerful Daniel should dried Michell a better go God is.

And now he even acknowledged that this God is even greater than he is.

Right, and this God that caused him to go through the period of humiliation,

it's able to give and take away, is the one that ruled over

every single thing the world right. And that's why he ends with the whole

cuture, end with nebua, praise and honor God and give glory to God.

And this last part it really strikes in our heart. No, in

my heart. The Word says that those who walk in pride he is able

to put down. Remember this, those who walk in pride he is able

to put down. So the scripture never clashes, you know, because why

in Proverbs, you know, when you read propose right, it keeps talking

that there's a lot of scripture to get that talks about pride. And these

few things that I've shared here is that you know, the Lord detests the

pride, and it says that it will surely be punished pride and in humilation.

And God opposes the proud. So always remember this. Being prideful is

not a great thing, and that is not something that God is looking for.

God is looking for humility in us, because the scripture says what in

Proverbs twenty nine twenty three pride and in humiliation. While humility brings honor,

James Forward six says, God opposes the proud and give grace to the humble.

God is not looking for someone who is so great can do everything and

put credit on yourself. But God is looking for someone who is able to

humble yourself. Even though you are great in man's eyes. You are great

in man's eyes, but yet you live a humble life right, and that

is when God's grace will come upon you. So, looking at this,

what can we learn about pride from the story of Nemukanezza. I can only

summit in true no forwards. Pride will ruin you and me right, Pride

will ruin our relationship with people. And if you're married, pride will ruin

your marriage. Pride will ruin your career, Pride will ruin your finance,

Pride will crash your life in totality. If you do not surrender to God,

because sometimes you think you to great mind, you will listen to other

people. It's ready. That is how pride will destroy your life. And

when it comes back to our spiritual life, pride will prevent us from receiving

God's salvation. Price will draw us away from God. How because pride will

stop us from acknowledging our own sin. Right, and when we stop acknowledging

our own sin, what does that mean, we will stop repenting. And

when we stop repenting, what does it mean we are saying that, you

know, God, you are no longer relevant in my life. And I

say, just now, we know it's just the God. You go out

because why I don't need you in my life anymore. That is what pride

will do to us. And because of pride, we will think that we

are good enough for ourself. Really, I don't need to read the word

of God. I don't need to pray, you know. I don't need

to come to church. I do need you know. I don't need the

fellow believers among myself. I can live on my own. But is that

really true? No? Right, it's not so. What What does God

wants to learn from the story of Nebucannezza. Repentance is crucial. Repentance is

crucial and we need to move from a prideful life to a humble life.

We need to live a life that is in humility. Okay. So First

Bitter chapter five, verse six says, humble yourself under the mighty power of

God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor.

Right. So you see in the Bible, whether it is in Old Testament

or New Testament, it kids reminding us live a life of humility. Okay.

So First Bitter five five says that cloth ourself in humility as we relate

to one another. And here is how we can do it. Okay,

So let's go to the next light. So what can we do now?

Okay? So this is us self? Okay, we want to move from

a prideful life to a life of humility. We need to recognize that we

need change. All of us here need change, right, and we have

to remember that there is a God that is above us, right, which

is the next life. We have a God that is above us, and

we have each other around us. So when we realize that our life is

not only our own, that is when we will start to tell ourselves that,

you know, I need to start to change instead of being so proud

of myself. I need to live a humble life. And that is when

I will learn to surrender my life to God and say that God, I

need you, I need your grace, I need your mercy, I need

your power over my life. And when we go into the our quiet time,

pray and ask God the spirit of humility, ask God for forgiveness if

ever our words hurt someone, especially the one that you know, Why why

are you to be so easy? So we do not do man? I

think this is something that we often say when we are at work right,

Ask for forgiveness, you know, ask for forgiveness for looking down on other

people and thinking that we are mightier than anyone else. And then we need

to read and meditate upon God's word because the God's word is the mirror of

our soul. It tells us what are the things that we do right?

What are the things that we did not do right? And we need to

seek him daily. Be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, because

sometimes before the very prideful word that comes up from our mouth, right,

we will always have this conscience speaking on we say, you know, should

I even say this word? We call it conscience. But sometimes it's the

prompting of the Holy Spirit. Is they're telling us, no, don't say,

you will regret. But most of the time we ignore right, and

after we say that, we regret right. So that is how we acknowledge

God and then on our self when we pray and we seek him. We

also need to exercise self control when the Holy spraits tew you don't say,

don't say, have self control. Okay. Sometimes it's better not to say

anything than to give two sense of your mind. Okay, you keep giving

two cents, you no more sense. Okay, that's why we are losing

common sense. Okay, Joe aside, Okay, there we need to be

accountable to someone. So if you want to leave a life of you know,

humility, get someone whom you can trust, especially someone who always tell

you that, hey, hello, don't miss action that okay, Ah,

Be accountable because sometimes other people will view your life better than you view yourself.

Listen to these people, Okay, be accountable, learn from mistake,

stay teachable, and also cultivate a spirit of forgiveness. Forgive people who may

not be smarter than you in a certain area because remember, you may be

very good. Like, for example, when when I look at all the

musicians. They are so good with all the musical instruments. But when when

I try to play guitar, this is what my brother told me. Yeah

you don't learn that you're hopeless. I'm like, okay, I want to

learn. So my guitar is not icittay at home? Okay, but okay

say promoting area. So through the musicians they may say that yeah, I'm

hopeless, but when it comes to dealing with children, I will look at

them like hello, so easy numa to headqetes. So you don't know me,

okay, So you have your own strength. Other people have their own

strength. No one is all perfect. So we need to always have this

spirit of forgiveness that some people may not be as good as you are.

Right, So that is on earth. But how do we treat others?

Right? We always have others that is around us, all right, So

we have to practice empathy. We have to empathize with others. We need

to love them. We need to show mercy, right, and then we

need to practice humble speech when we talk to people. And we need to

practice gratitude right, and we need to serve one another. Don't sit down

there and say that, Hey, hello, I'm CPC John. Where's my

coffee? I'm your CPC. You know, how come you don't give me

coffee? And then I was like, hey, you guys are I'm the

cipcre row. I'm retired. Now where's the chair? Why nobody serve me?

Hello? No? Okay, the greatest you know, the greatest you

are, The greater you are, okay my England. Sorry, the greater

you are, the greater you have to serve because why who was the greatest?

Jesus right and he self he washed the decipe of fit. I said

to can't wash my fings. You will text tore then throw me right,

But that is what Jesus has shown us what living a life of humidity is

all about. Serve one another. Okay, So the counter to pride is

to remember that God's goodness and his greatness in our life. Let's put this

in our mind. Remember that God's goodness and his greatness in us. So

we need to constantly praise him. We need to constantly thank him. Every

achievement that you receive, thank him. It has never been your own effort.

You know, you may think that you're a greater musician if one they

got decided to injure your hand. Do you think you can play someone cannot?

Right, So we always have to thank him for the ability or the

talents that we have and all the helps that He has given to us.

All right, So remember it is all right to enjoy compliments for the job

well done. You know everything that you finally have to achieve. It's okay

for you to enjoy the compliment, But ultimately remember who is the one that

has been helping you. Always remember that, all right. So when we

honor God, he will always honor us and blessed suspect. So don't let

pride overcome you, but continue to live a life of humility. So I

like this statement that's written by C. S. Lewis. It says that

humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Don't

always promote yourself. You don't need to promote yourself. Promotion comes from the

Lord. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on

our church, please visit as Church RG. We are also active on Facebook

and Instagram. We're believing that this week is going to be a good week

ahead for you. God bless