Spirit of Excellence 2: Life of Daniel – Part 2 Lawson Perdue

Praise the Lord. Friends, I’m so glad that you’ve tuned in. Today we’re sharing from the life of Daniel. We’re again talking about how Daniel lived with purpose. Because he lived with purpose, it separated him from the world around him and it promoted him to honor. And if you’ll live with purpose, you can have the same results and you can fulfill God’s plan and God’s purpose in your life. Thanks so much. Be blessed. The Lord is good and His mercy endures forever. How many of you are excited about loving Jesus and serving Jesus? Are you excited that we live in the greatest days to be on the planet? God said, “In the last days I’m going to pour out of my Spirit on all flesh.” He said, “Your sons and daughters are going to prophesy. Your old men are going to dream dreams. Your young men are going to see visions. On my servants and my handmaidens I’m going to pour out of my spirit. And it’s going to come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” I’m glad that we’re living in the last days. I believe we’re living in the greatest days of planet earth. I believe it’s a great time to be alive, to share the Gospel, to tell people about Jesus. That Jesus is Lord, that He’s on the throne. That the Word of God is true and it will never ever fail. Praise the Lord.

Amen.

Hallelujah. So we’re going to share a little bit about Daniel. Daniel actually prophesied about the last days, and he saw Jesus, the coming King. Praise the Lord. We talked a little bit about that in the first message. We’ll talk about it probably in some of the last messages that we share on Daniel. But we’re going to begin today in Daniel chapter five. If you want to turn there. In Daniel chapter five, we’re going to start in verse 11 and verse 12. We’re talking about having a spirit of excellence. And this is when Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar had taken over the kingdom. And when he took over the kingdom, he was kind of like his daddy. He was lifted up in pride. And he was having a big party and he was drinking wine out of the vessels that came out of the temple of God in Babylon. And there came a hand and it wrote on the wall, “Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.” Nobody knew what it meant. And he began to tremble. He wondered what was going, nobody could interpret it. And then the queen said, “Hey, there was a man in your father’s kingdom. His name was Daniel. And he could interpret visions and dreams.” And so they went and they called him. And this is what she said. In verse 11, “There’s 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, was found in him. Whom the king Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, I say, the father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, in interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in this same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show you the interpretation.” How many of you know that God has people who know what to do about the situation? God still has people. Don’t be discouraged. Amen? Praise the Lord? Because God has people who know what’s going on. And Jesus is still Lord. The Word of God is still true. Amen. And do you know what? We win. When you read the end of the book, praise the Lord, we win. Now some good things. Amen? We talked a little bit about the first three chapters. We talked about how Daniel had a testimony. We said the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And you could see his testimony in, number one, that he lived with purpose. Number two, he was a witness. He said, “Hallelujah, there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. The God of heaven.” He kept talking to the king about the God of heaven. Amen? And then in Daniel chapter three, he had friends of faith. How many of you know you need some friends of faith? You need some friends that know how to pray. You need some friends that know how to seek God. You need some friends that don’t give up when the going gets tough. Amen. You need some good friends. And so we’re going to move into Daniel chapter four, chapter five, and chapter six. Not only did Nebuchadnezzar have a dream in chapter two that Daniel interpreted, but in Daniel chapter four Nebuchadnezzar had another dream. And this is Nebuchadnezzar’s story telling about these dreams. This second dream that he had again troubled him, and he didn’t know the interpretation. And so it says, “Daniel came in before me, whose name,” in verse eight, “was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And before him I told the dream, saying: Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no secret troubles you…” Guess what? No secret needs to trouble you. You don’t need to be troubled. We don’t need to be like the world. We don’t need to be like people who put their trust in man. We don’t have to be like people who have no hope, because we still have hope in God. He says, “No secret troubles you. Tell me the visions of your dream that I have seen, and the interpretations.” And so he told him this dream. This dream was of a tree that grew and became very great. And after it was great for a period of time, all the fowls of the air came to it. All these different things happened. It was cut down and the stump was left. And a band of bronze was put around the stump. And so he told him in verse 18, “This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now Belteshazzar,” or Daniel, “declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.” Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. And the king spoke and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation thereof trouble you.” And Daniel did not answer. He said, “My Lord, the interpretation be to those who hate you, and the interpretation to your enemies.” He said, “The tree that you saw which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto heaven,” in verse 20, “and the sight thereof was to all the earth. Whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much. In it was meat for all, where the beasts of the field dwell, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation. It is you, O King, that are grown and become great, for your greatness is grown, and reaches unto heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.” This was the Babylonian Empire. It was the greatest empire on earth at that time. “Whereas the king saw and watched a holy one coming down from heaven, and said: Cut down the tree and destroy it.” He says, “Yet leave the stump and the roots thereof in the earth and band it with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him. This is the interpretation, King. This is the decree of the Most High who has come upon my lord the king. They’re going to drive you from men, and your dwelling is going to be with the beasts of the field. They’re going to make you eat grasses like the oxen, and you’ll be wet with the dew of heaven, till seven times pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever He wills. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree, your kingdom shall be unto you, after that you will know that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, my king,” he tells him what to do about it in verse 27. He said, “O King, break off your sin by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that it may be the lengthening of your tranquility.” Now, the moral of this story in chapter four is that humility leads to promotion, but pride leads to destruction. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Only by pride cometh destruction.” Right? “A haughty spirit comes before a fall.” Don’t get too proud. Amen? Don’t get too lifted up. Don’t get thinking you know everything. If you do a little stuff in the earth, you’re going to find out you don’t know everything that you might think you know. Sometimes you know some things, other times you don’t know some things. I had one of my good friends, he’s a very good investor. A couple of years ago, he had lost quite a bit of money. He said, “Pastor Lawson, I sure thought.” I said, “Yeah.” He said, “Why is that?” I said, “That just shows us that we’re still flesh.” I read this book by Kenneth E. Hagin when I was about 14 years old. And he talked about a man that always prayed and heard God and made investments. And he said, “He never made a wrong choice.” I was like, “That’s the man I want to be.” And I thought, “That’s wonderful.” I’ve done more investing than most people. I’ve done more business than most people. And guess what I think now? I don’t think that man ever existed. Because I don’t think anybody ever hears God a hundred percent of the time. Even the very best people in the world only win about 70% of the time. So once in a while, when you’re dealt a big loss, it just reminds you that you’re still human and you still need to trust in God.

Amen.

Right?

Amen.

Now, we win more than we lose. Praise God. In fact, I think you’re a little smarter after you lose some. Some of these young bucks that never been beat, I think they’re better after they’ve been beat a little bit, because they got a little more wisdom. I’ve got some wisdom. You know, one of my good friends, he’s probably watching right now. His name is Mr. Jim Michik. He watches this service most of the time. He used to tell me, “You get education more than one way.” Hallelujah. And I’ve had some education. Now, if you think you’re real smart, get in the cattle business. It’ll teach you education real fast. Praise the Lord. So I’ve had some edumacation. It didn’t sound like that. I’m kidding you a little bit. Hallelujah? But you can get education more than one way. But you gotta learn, right? And you learn good and you get smarter. You get better at hopefully when you get older. Older, you get wiser. Okay? Hopefully you get wiser. Okay? One of my friends from Chicago, he told me, “All these farmers are always talking about how they lose all that money. And all I see ’em driving these nice big trucks and big tractors.” I said, “Yeah, that’s ’cause all the other ones went broke and they bought up their farms.” Because if you’re going to make it in agriculture, you gotta use some wisdom, and not everybody makes it. And in fact, in agriculture, most people only make it about one out of every three years. So you gotta manage well or you’re not going to make it long distance, okay? And so I said, “That’s because it is challenging sometimes.” But at the same point in time, there’s a lot of different challenges, you know? And a lot of people, the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence until you’ve walked in their shoes and done what they’ve done. So anyway, he said, “Listen, you need to repent. You need to get things right. You need to turn your heart to God.” Hi friends, we’ve been sharing on the goodness of God. And we’ve got these teachings and many others like them absolutely free of charge on our website at CharisChristianCenter.com. They’re downloadable audio, downloadable video. And we also have a great kids curriculum free of charge. Thanks so much. We’re back to the Word. Blessings. Jesus said three beautiful words in John 19:30. He said, “It is finished.” There is nothing more that needs to be paid in the realm of redemption. The price has already been paid. Now, he didn’t do that. It says in verse 29, “At the end of 12 months, as he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon, the king spoke and said: Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by my might and my power, for the honor of my majesty? And while the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, and said: O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken, the kingdom is departed from you. And they will drive you from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. And they will make you to eat grass as the oxen, till seven years pass over, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he will. That same hour the thing was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men, and he ate grass with the oxen. His body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.” It says in verse 34, “At the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that lives for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is a kingdom that goes from generation to generation.” Hallelujah. You know why America is a great nation? America is a great nation, because God made America great.

Amen.

And God made America great because America, unlike many other nations, is founded on the principles of the Bible, on the principles of the Word of God. Amen?

Amen.

Did you know recently, I think it was in Alabama, that they made a law that they’ve gotta return the ten commandments to every school? And then in Oklahoma, one of the high-ups, they made a rule and they voted on it in Oklahoma that they’ve gotta return the Bible to every school. In some places they’ve tried to take the Word of God out, but the Word of God is still here. My son went to Princeton University. And when you go to Princeton University, Barbara and I went there two or three times while Peter was going to Princeton University. But when you go there, it’s written in Latin, this certain thing. And I said, “Peter, what does that say?” He said, “It says: To God be the glory.”

Amen.

And everywhere around that school. Princeton was started as a school for ministers of the Gospel and attorneys. Now there’s a lot of liberal, crazy people that have tried to take over that educational system. But even while my son was going there to Princeton University, there was one person and he was George Bush’s head finance man. And he was very, very conservative. And Peter learned things about conservative spending and different things that I didn’t even know. Not only that, while he was there going to Princeton University, he took a class on the Book of Romans. Guess what I teach in Bible school? I teach the Book of Romans. It is my favorite book in the Bible. I love the Book of Romans. It’s the revelation of righteousness. And so the instructor asked if they could have my notes on the Book of Romans. I said, “Absolutely.” They said, “Now, was the Book of Romans written to the Jews or the Gentiles?” Well, the answer is yes. It was written to the Jews and to the Gentiles. And what the Book of Roman says, is the Gospel is the revelation of righteousness. The Jews need it, the Gentiles need it. And there’s only one way to get it, and that is by faith in Jesus Christ. It is the revelation of the righteousness of God that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. The first 11 chapters talk about God’s plan for righteousness. The last five chapters talk about how to live out the righteous life of Christ. But I thank God. See, it doesn’t matter where you are, you can get ahold of the truth. It’s something that’s on the inside of you. You can put people in the best surroundings, and they can still go to hell. And you can put people sometimes in the worst surroundings, and they can go to heaven, because it’s a heart decision. And I’m telling you, if America’s going to stay great, America’s going to stay great because the people of God rise up and tell the truth and aren’t ashamed of the truth.

Amen.

Amen. Praise God. And so Nebuchadnezzar is telling the story. He said, “There is a God in heaven. He has an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.” In verse 34. Verse 35, we’ll read to verse 37. “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. He does according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand, or say to Him: What? Who are you, or what do you do? At the same time, my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, and my honor and brightness returned to me. And my counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all His works are truth, and in His ways are judgment. And those that walk in pride He is able to abase.”

Amen.

“Pride comes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Humility leads to promotion, but pride leads to destruction. I want you to turn with me to the Book of James. It’s a great book, on the subject of faith. In James chapter four, he’s talking about the humility of faith. And in James chapter four, verse six and verse 10, it says this, “But He gives more grace. Wherefore,” he says, “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” He goes on down and says this in verse 10. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Humility leads to promotion. Humility leads to honor. Praise God. If you want to have honor, humble yourself before God. Amen? Praise God. If you want promoted, humble yourselves before God. Keep a humble attitude, keep a pure heart. Don’t get lifted up in pride, because pride comes before destruction. Now, when we go back to Daniel chapter four. We’re going to move into Daniel chapter five. In Daniel chapter five, Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son took over the kingdom of Babylon. It says in verse one, “He made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and he drank the wine before the thousand.” He was drinking out of the golden vessels that had come from the temple, it says in verse three. The temple of the house of God that was at Jerusalem. “As he was drinking and drank in them, they drank wine, and they praised the gods of gold, and of silver, and of brass, and of iron, of wood and stone.” Verse five says, “In the same hour there came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall. The king saw part of the hand that wrote. And the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that his joints were loosed, and his knees smote against one another. And the king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, the soothsayers, whoever would read the writing and tell him the interpretation. His wise men could not tell the interpretation. So he was greatly troubled. His countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished,” in verse nine. “Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king,” in verse 10, “and his lords, came into the banquet house. And the queen spoke and said: O King, live for ever. Don’t let your thoughts trouble you, let not your countenance be changed. 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, was found in him. Whom the king Nebuchadnezzar your father made master, a ruler of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, dissolving of doubts were found in this same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show you the interpretation. Then was Daniel brought before the king. And the king spoke unto Daniel: Are you Daniel, which are the children of Judah the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard that the spirit of god is in you, and light, understanding, excellent wisdom is in you. And the wise men and astrologers have been brought in before me that they would read this writing, and tell me the interpretation, but they could not tell me the interpretation. I heard that you can dissolve interpretations and doubts. And if you can read the writing, make known to me the interpretation thereof, you will be clothed with scarlet, and a chain of gold will be put about your neck, and you’ll be the third ruler in the kingdom. Daniel said to the king: Let your gifts be to yourself.” He said, “Listen, King, I’m not in it for the money. You can’t buy me.” Amen? I thank God for some people of God that are not in it for the money, that they can’t be bought no matter what the price. “Keep your gifts, but I’m going to tell you the interpretation. King, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory. For the majesty that He gave him, people and nations and languages trembled before him. Whom he would he slew, whom he would he kept alive. Whom he would he set up, whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed of his kingly throne. They took his glory. And he was driven from the sons of men. His heart was made like the beasts. They fed him with grass like ox. His body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and He puts over it who He will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart.” Daniel was not afraid. You see, the fact is that when we know the truth righteousness leads to boldness, but sin leads to intimidation. And the reason that Belshazzar was intimidated is because he was living in sin and pride. The reason that Daniel was bold is because he was living right before God. The Bible says this in Proverbs chapter 28, in verse one. It says, “The righteous are as bold as a lion, but the wicked flee when no man pursues them.” You know what? We need to keep being bold for Jesus. We need to keep being bold telling the truth. We need to keep being bold for the principles of God in this great nation. We need to stand up. If there is ever a time that people need to stand up, today is the day that people need to stand up.

Amen.

And when you look at Daniel, Daniel was a man who stood. He told Nebuchadnezzar exactly what God said. When he came before Belshazzar, he was not ashamed of the truth. Friends, thanks so much for being with us today. I trust that you’ve enjoyed the teaching we’ve been sharing about Daniel and living with purpose. I believe that we also can live with purpose. And I have a lot more than this to share on the subject. And you can get these teachings and many others. They’re downloadable audio, they’re downloadable video, and they’re free of charge on our website at CharisChristianCenter.com. If you need prayer, give us a call today. We would love to hear from you. Blessings.

Faith isn’t complicated. It’s simply trusting God by knowing who He truly is, God is absolutely good, like Daniel did, who stood strong against the odds. You can live in victory no matter the challenge. God’s goodness is running after you. Discover these life-changing truths in Pastor Lawson’s teachings, “Spirit of Excellence: Lessons From Daniel” and “The Goodness of God”. Both $20 values, yours free today. Download them now at CharisChristianCenter.com.

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