How God Saves A King | Part One – God Reveals Hearts
Daniel 4:1-9 — Due to technical difficulties, there is no sermon video or audio available.
The text of the sermon is as follows:
Two of the most important questions you can ask:
Am I a Christian?
Are the people around me Christian?
And both of those questions are important, even in the context of a church setting, since, as Jesus described multiple times:
Mt. 13: 24 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad.
So, believe it or not, there are bad fish even in churches … people who bear the name of Christ, who profess Jesus and yet who will one day as Jesus says plainly: 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
So, “Am I really a Christian?” and “Are the people around me really Christian?” are vital questions to ask.
But the problem we run into, going back to Matthew 13, 28 “The servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather [the weeds]?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest…’”
So the problem is there’s a sense in which we can try to separate the wheat from the weeds, the wheat from the chaff, but in the process accidentally pull up the wheat.
And what this looks like is I could give you a whole sermon today on true versus false Christianity … there have been a number of sermons and books written on that subject…
But there might be a “wheat” here with an overactive conscience who might say to himself or herself, “I am clearly a weed, I don’t actually belong to Jesus.”
And so we pull up wheat while trying to dig out the weeds.
So, where does that leave us? And David, what in the world does any of this have to do with King Nebuchadnezzar having a dream?
I bring this up … and we’ve sort of been hinting at this discussion since the end of Daniel 2 …
Because Nebuchadnezzar is a fascinating case study into how far someone can go into looking like a Christian without actually being one.
He says a lot of things, does a lot of things that seem to align with Daniel and His friends but it’s clear he is not actually saved.
At least he’s not saved YET.
And that’s part of what we’re going to be looking at over the next three weeks (barring the arrival of Baby Nelson on a Sunday morning) is How Does God Save A King?
And this is, I guess, a somewhat controversial opinion, but I’m going to argue here: over the course of chapter 4, God is going to convert Nebuchadnezzar.
Now, you don’t have to agree with me, this is not a hill I’m going to die on,
Many people say the main point of chapter 4 is simply to display Proverbs 21: 1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; he turns it wherever he will.
And I say yes and Amen to that: God turns great and powerful Nebuchadnezzar all sorts of ways in the same way he can turn Putin, Trump, King Charles, whoever all sorts of ways…
but I’m also going to argue, in the end, God turns Nebuchadnezzar’s heart to God.
Now, last thing, I know this is a long introduction: Why does all this matter to us in 2025?
Well it matters, first of all… because we can make it seem to ourselves that we are Christians when we really are not.
And so it’s important to have wisdom and discernment regarding ourselves.
But even more so because we live in a world, especially a particular country, as we talked about a couple of weeks ago, where everything and everyone is a Christian.
If someone just uses the name Jesus around us or they have a cross necklace or if they mention “faith” a lot of people are ready to give that person the right hand of fellowship and bring them in to church membership
OR EVEN WORSE — because these people might have some natural charisma and leadership ability, we give them a pulpit to get behind and say “Teach us!” all because this person made one itty-bitty statement about the importance of faith or belief or something like that.
And my goal with you this morning friends is to remove this sense of naivety and make us into a people of discernment.
AND I would also hope those here this morning who are not actually Christians might recognize they are not and be truly converted as Nebuchadnezzar is here in chapter 4.
So, how does God save a king? How does he save Nebuchadnezzar? How does God save you?
He starts, part 1 of 3, by revealing the reality of your Heart.
And here’s how I want to think about this with you this morning:
1. Signs Someone Is Not A Christian
2. Signs That Don’t Tell Us Anything
3. Signs Someone Is A Christian
Again, for the sake of our own growth in discernment and wisdom, this is what I want to look at with you today.
Firstly, what are the signs that Nebuchadnezzar (or someone else for that matter) is likely not a Christian…
First mark, this will take two seconds — He wants to kill Christians
And that’s all I really need to say.
He does make a nice law. We’ll get to that later.
But if you desire to physically or spiritually harm believers, very obvious proof you’re not a Christian.
Asterisk: This is not me saying Christians don’t fight with each other or that we always get along
Nor that you won’t feel inspired to give someone a Nehemiah-esque beating (13:25 And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair.)
Or that you, like Paul and Barnabas, are not going to have a sharp disagreement (15: 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other.)
But the tenor of the life of a Christian is to not want to regularly beat or murder God’s people.
Second mark that someone is not a Christian — verse 4 I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.
So, one thing to point out … quickly, we’ll talk about this more later, is the fact that this chapter is written in the format of a personal testimony — written in the first person.
And verse 4 is where this flashback begins with Nebuchadnezzar saying “I was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.”
Now, I could be over-spiritualizing this verse because maybe Neb is just saying “Life is going well”
But let me point out: This is also the typical mindset of a non-Christian.
Their goals in this life — each and every day — as they sit in their house is “ease” and “prosperity.”
Now, that’s not saying you can’t take a day off, relax, take a vacation, enjoy money you’ve made from work but as Jesus says,
Lk. 12: 15 “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
And yet — The tenor/direction/bend of Nebuchadnezzar’s life is this: I am at ease in my house … I am prospering in my PALACE.
And that’s the other thing — “Palace” — I don’t think we talk enough about Jesus basically saying “There are NOT going to be a lot of rich people in heaven.”
Or, as he actually says in context: Mark 10: 21 Jesus, looking at [the rich young ruler], loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, [the rich ruler] went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” … 25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
This is a sewing needle Jesus has in mind … can y’all even see this in my hand?
It’s easier to put that (10 feet long, 6 feet tall and weighs 1000 pounds) camel through this hole than it is for a rich person — someone at ease and prospering in their palace — to get into the kingdom.
Now, that’s not to say all rich people are unsaved or anything like that … actually, there’s an argument all of us here would be “rich” according to the Bible … but it is so very difficult to convince rich people, prospering people, people at ease that there is more to life than this.
Which is why Paul says 17 As for the rich [believers] in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. 1 Tim 6
But if your daily life is riches or ease or prosperity, if the crowning joy of your life is to eat, drink, and be merry with no thought of God and service to him, it’s likely a sign you’re not a Christian…
Third mark of a non-Christian — their advisors are non-Christian.
5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.
So, like chapter 2, Nebuchadnezzar has had a bad dream again .. we’ll get to that and it’s interpretation next week but notice WHO Nebuchadnezzar immediately invites to counsel him about his bad dream:
The wisemen of Babylon — the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers.
Like imagine someone at your Life Group sharing they had a bad dream or a bad experience and they go, “Yeah, so I called my medium, a witch, a spiritist, and I looked up my horoscope to help me.”
And, again, I don’t want to paint with a broad brush because believers (me especially) are people growing in grace who do dumb, questionable things still…
But if someone continually rejects God, His Word, and His people as their ultimate advisors, I would doubt they are a real Christian.
Think back to Psalm 1: 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
And Nebuchadnezzar here is doing the complete opposite and saying, bring in all the wicked, all the scoffers, all the idolators, all the sinners — the pagans are the people I want speaking into my life and into my pain.
Now, CAVEAT, cause this might be where some of y’alls brains are going:
—–> This does not mean (Christian) you cannot or should not or will not get advice from non-Christian people.
I would actually hope you have non-Christian people in your life who are going to give you advice from time-to-time.
Like, I’m not saying your tax guy needs to be familiar with the Apostles Creed.
I don’t think the dietician your doctor sends you to needs to have read Grudem’s Systematic Theology.
When I say “It’s a mark of unbelievers to make unbelievers their advisors” I don’t mean that every single person a Christian gets counsel from NEEDS or is going to be a Christian …
In fact, I’m not even going to say that’s necessarily a good idea… because COMPETENCY matters, too.
For example, if I break my leg and my “Christian” doctor wants to fix my leg with Elmers glue, I think you should, to the best of your abilities with a broken leg, run for your life. “I’ll see you in heaven, but you are not my doctor.”
But, back to the question: Who do you allow to be the ultimate authority in your life? Is it God and His Word? Or do you just invite whoever or whatever into your life and readily receive what he/she/it has to say?
Last mark I’ll give from the life of Nebuchadnezzar that proves he’s not a Christian, is that he does not tear down his giant idol.
This kinda got lost last week, but this guy builds this 90-foot golden statue. Yes, he ends up verbally praising God at the end of the story — says no one can insult Yahweh anymore — again, more on that in a second…
But there’s no mention of Nebuchadnezzar getting rid of the statue. If Nebuchadnezzar actually had a change of heart at the end of chapter 3, that statue would have come down quickly, but it didn’t.
Because unbelievers don’t care about idolatry or the idols in their life.
Now, again, that’s not to say believers get all the idols out of their lives. We’re all going to die with sins and idols we aren’t aware of.
But as C.S. Lewis artistically puts it in his book The Great Divorce, which is about a bunch of people from Hell who visit Heaven… saved people are ready to part with whatever idols we find.
“I saw coming towards us a [hell-bound] Ghost who carried something on his shoulder… a little red lizard, and it was twitching its tail like a whip and whispering things in his ear. As we caught sight of him he turned his head to the reptile with a snarl of impatience. ‘Shut up, I tell you!’ he said. It wagged its tail and continued to whisper to him.
‘Would you like me to make him quiet?’ said… an angel.
‘Of course I would,’ said the Ghost.
‘Then I will kill him,’ said the Angel, taking a step forward…
Ghost: ‘You didn’t say anything about killing him at first. I hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that.’
‘It’s the only way,’ said the Angel, whose burning hands were now very close to the lizard. ‘Shall I kill it? ’
Ghost: ‘Well, that’s a further question. I’m quite open to consider it, but it’s a new point, isn’t it? I mean, for the moment I was only thinking about silencing it…
Angel: ‘May I kill it?’
Ghost: ‘Well, there’s time to discuss that later.’
Angel: ‘There is no time. May I kill it?’
Ghost: ‘Please, I never meant to be such a nuisance. Please—really—don’t bother. Look! It’s gone to sleep of its own accord. I’m sure it’ll be all right now. Thanks ever so much.’
And so it is with unbelievers and their idols and sins.
Again, Christians are not perfect, but there is within us an ongoing desire to put to death what is earthly within us.
So, in light of those four things — wanting to harm Christians, a life pursuing pleasure/ease, surrounding yourself with unbelievers, and content with living idols are all signs that should cause doubt about someone’s salvation, specifically Nebuchadnezzars.
However, the second thing I want to go through with you, for the sake of wisdom and discernment … are those marks that I would call UNRELIABLE MARKS of someone’s spiritual state.
And I’ll do this chronologically with Nebuchadnezzar starting with chapter 2
The first unreliable mark that doesn’t tell us anything about Nebuchadnezzar’s heart or our own is Nebuchadnezzar’s VERBAL praise of God.
2: 47 “God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries… 3:28 Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”
But this is all over the Bible — Giving lip-service (even singing) to God tells us NOTHING about someone’s spiritual condition.
As Jesus says, quoting Isaiah, Mt. 15: 8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me…’”
So, whether Nebuchadnezzar, or a politician, or a celebrity, or your neighbor down the street, or even yourself, acknowledging God with your lips tells us nothing about the state of someone’s heart.
Secondly, creating favorable environments for Christians tells us nothing about the state of someone’s heart.
And I tried to generalize this otherwise it would only apply to law-makers…
But making laws or rules in favor of Christians does not make someone a Christian…
Nebuchadnezzar said: 29 Therefore I make a decree: “Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.”
Now, certainly it’s NICE for Nebuchadnezzar to do this, so Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to have that liberty to worship … but that doesn’t tell us ANYTHING about Nebuchadnezzar’s heart.
It’s similar to our last sign … you can honor God with your lips, you can make laws or rules related to God, His people … but that doesn’t prove anything.
We used to meet at Lino Lakes Elementary way back when but I don’t think Lino Lakes Elementary School is a Christian school.
It’s tax season … the IRS doesn’t tax churches … that doesn’t make the IRS a Christian organization.
Creating favorable rules or environments for Christians tells us nothing about the state of someone’s heart.
Thirdly, listening to Christians, even the “right” Christians, doesn’t tell us anything about the state of someone’s heart.
Judas heard every one of Jesus’ sermons…
Being around/getting advice from other Christians … that is no reliable marker of someone’s salvation.
8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.”
Nebuchadnezzar puts himself around a Christian here … in fact he’s EXCITED to see Daniel… but his willingness to listen to Daniel doesn’t prove anything.
Now, to be fair, it IS a mark of genuine Christians to want to be around God’s other children.
If you read 1 John, one of the repeated marks of a true Christian is a desire to fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ.
THAT SAID … we can have different motivations for being around people.
For example: Mark 6:20 Herod feared John [the Baptist], knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When [Herod] heard [John], [Herod] was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
Nebuchadnezzar HERE is ready to listen … Talk to me Daniel, give me your wisdom, your god’s wisdom … and that’s encouraging … but that doesn’t prove one way or another Nebuchadnezzar is real.
Last unreliable sign I’ll point out is: Theological acumen.
And I point this out because someone might go “Spirit of the gods”? … well there’s all the proof you need Nebuchadnezzar wasn’t saved.
He had horrible theology!
But whether someone has BAD or GOOD theology is not a marker as to whether or not someone was saved.
Apollos needed theological help: 18: 26 When Priscilla and Aquila heard [Apollos], they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
So, Apollos was saved and yet had bad theology for a while.
Reversely, as James cautions us, 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Theological acumen … whether good or bad … tells us nothing about whether or not someone is saved.
And neither do any of these other things.
But this brings me to my last point … the semi-controversial point: What is the genuine proof that Nebuchadnezzar or anyone else (or me) is saved?
But … before I get to that … let me make a pastoral comment as someone who personally struggles with assurance:
And I’ll use the words of Pastor Greg Gilbert here to explain myself:
“The gospel of Jesus Christ and the promises of God are held by Scripture as driving sources of assurance. In other words, they are the ultimate fountainheads from which our sense of certainty of our salvation erupts, and the deeper we press into them with understanding and faith, the greater our sense of assurance will be.
“As for the fruits of obedience (our good works as Christians), they seem to be held out by Scripture not as a driving source of assurance but as a confirming source of assurance — that is, not one in which we should put our faith but one that can nevertheless serve to confirm our sense that we really are children of God or, alternatively, provide a warning that our sense of assurance is actually a false one.” From Assured.
So as we look for assurance that we are really Christians, or as people around us ask that question of themselves, the MAIN source of assurance is not going to be pouring over our lives, our experiences, and certainly not analyzing our feelings that change so quickly.
The main source of our assurance is the gospel of salvation by free grace through Jesus — who came into the world to save sinners.
As J.C. Ryle put it: “Cultivate the habit of fixing your eye more simply on Jesus Christ, and try to know more of the fullness there is laid up in Him for every one of His believing people. Do not be always poring down over the imperfections of your own heart, and dissecting your own besetting sins. Look up.
Look more to your risen Head in heaven, and try to realize more than you do that the Lord Jesus not only died for you, but that He also rose again, and that He is ever living at God’s right hand as your Priest, your Advocate, and your Almighty Friend. “Our Profession”
But, in the words of Gilbert, I see two things here in the life of Nebuchadnezzar that seem to confirm him as a genuine Christian:
First — is a change of heart and life
Go back to verse 1: 1 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: __________
Now, Nebuchadnezzar’s written decrees like this before:
Two weeks ago: 5 “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”
Or later on:
29 Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins…
And now what does Nebuchadnezzar say to the peoples, nations, languages? PEACE be multiplied to you!
Nebuchadnezzar goes from burning people alive, to wanting people ripped limb from limb … to PEACE.
Geez he sounds like Paul introducing an epistle… or the apostle John going a “Son of Thunder” to the disciple of love.
Now, of course, not all of us go from war-monger to peace-maker… but this mindset of peacefulness/peace-making is in every Christian
As Jonathan Edwards explains, “Truly gracious affections are attended with the lamblike, dovelike spirit and temper of Jesus Christ; or in other words, they naturally beget and promote such a spirit of love, meekness, quietness, forgiveness and mercy, as appears in Christ… As in Matt. 21:5: [‘Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey’]. So Christ himself speaks of them, Matt. 11:29: ‘Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.’
The same appears by the name by which Christ is so often called in Scripture — ‘the Lamb’. And as these things are especially the character of Christ, so they are also especially the character of Christians. Christians are Christlike; none deserve the name of Christians, that are not so in their prevailing character. ‘The new man is renewed, after the image of him that created him,’ Col. 3:10.” Religious Affections.
Last mark I’ll point out of Nebuchadnezzar’s genuineness is His seeming submission to God as King.
1 King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me. 3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
He goes, “I’m King Nebuchadnezzar … but it seemed good to me to write and talk about and praise another king, a better king, whose kingdom FAR OUTWEIGHS my own.”
Now, you might say, “David, I thought you told us not to trust people’s words,” Yes, that’s true … it’s an unreliable test … but at the same time … as Jesus tells us, Lk 6:45 Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks [or writes or types or thinks, etc.].
And if Nebuchadnezzar’s words here of “God’s kingdom being better and greater” God’s kingship is better than mine… if those match his heart … he is undoubtedly saved…
Some of you Campus Crusade for Christ people probably remember this part of the Knowing God Personally tract — who’s on the throne of your life?
And I read the first part of Daniel 4 and the last part … and it just seems like Nebuchadnezzar has submitted himself to God and God’s ways.
And the question going back to the beginning is: Have you?
Have you given free reign over your life to God where you say, “Nothing is untouchable Lord, you reign, you have dominion, clear out any idols that need to be cleared. Whatever you have to change in me, change it!”
And have you, to the best of your knowledge become a new person since putting your faith in Christ?
Do you have new desires, new wants, new loves, new fundamental beliefs … and are you (imperfectly, yet ongoingly) losing your taste for sin … and pressing on toward Christ?
Or Is your life one quest for pleasure and ease after another?
Do you feel indifferent or even dislike toward God’s people? Are all your friends, the people you most align with, non-Christians?
If that’s the case, then, friend, it’s time for you to repent and get a real, genuine relationship with Jesus.
And for you here who tell yourself WELL, I praise God with my lips, I go to church and get around other believers, I vote for people who make Christian laws, I have good theology… I’m on my way to heaven.
Those things are good and beneficial, but they prove nothing and they reveal nothing substantial about you or your neighbor
As Paul puts it to the Galatians… 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
But, again, how do you get your faith to work?
By remembering the gospel and holding onto the promises of Christ:
As Paul told Titus: 3:3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
And notice verse 8…
8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
So, How Does God Save Kings?
Well … it starts with verse 3 … and revealing that our hearts, like Nebuchadnezzars, are hypocritical and don’t love God.
But even so the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior APPEARS, 5 he SAVES us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.
May you allow that news to change your life.
Let me pray as we approach the communion table.