TV Program CURRENT EPISODE The Secret of True Greatness SERIES: Standing Firm #4 of 6 2006-10-01 PRODUCTION #: 1034 SPEAKER: Shawn Boonstra For well over a century, school textbooks have suggested to our children that we are so closely related to the animal kingdom that we are actually part of it. The theory of evolution, as it has evolved since the days of Darwin, has taught us that the human race is the product of a brutal battle for survival of the fittest. Those who are the biggest and the toughest and the best suited to survival will go on, but those who are weak will simply pass off the scene. It is a rather vicious outlook on life, but most of us simply accept that that's the way things are. You just can't fight the forces of nature. What is really interesting, however, is the fact that we still tend to frown on those who use brute force to get ahead. In spite of the fact that many people believe that's the way nature works, we still think it is uncivilized, and instinctively, we know that people who trample on the weak never really achieve true greatness. But if the kind of dog-eat-dog success our world believes in isn't real greatness, what is? Open your Bible to the Book of Daniel. Have you ever wondered what it is, exactly, that separates us from the animals? We all know, there is something fundamentally different about human beings, but sometimes we have a little trouble putting our finger on exactly what it is. Some people have pointed out that human beings build houses and live in communities. But that's not unique to the human race. Just look at a beehive or a termite pile, and you'll see what I mean. Animals have also learned to live in communities, so it's not our houses that make us different. Well, maybe it's the fact that we use verbal language to communicate. The English language alone has more than a quarter million words, not counting all the variations of meaning you can find if you consider things like inflection or multiple definitions. Other human languages are more or less the same, so maybe it is our language that makes us different than the animals. But again, it turns out language is not unique to the human race. Even though our language skills are miles ahead of the animals, believe it or not, there ARE animals that communicate verbally, like dolphins and pigs. Those clicks, grunts and squeals actually MEAN something, and even though their vocabulary is limited, dolphins and pigs actually speak to each other. And what is even more fascinating is that we have discovered that even trees and plants speak to each other using a chemical language. For example, we have discovered that when an infestation of caterpillars makes its way into a forest, infected trees send out a chemical warning to the other trees to get ready for trouble. When healthy trees get the signal, they start boosting their immune systems, and they produce a chemical that tastes really bad. That way, a hungry caterpillar might change its mind, and the tree is saved. And so you might say that even trees have learned to communicate with each other. So if it's not our sense of community, and it's not our ability to communicate, what exactly is it that separates the human race from the animals? There has to be something, because it's obvious we are different. Something makes us stand miles above the other creatures. The animals communicate, but our language is miles ahead of theirs. The highest language achievement of the smartest chimpanzee puts him in competition with about a nine-month-old human baby. And his achievements pale by comparison to the average two-year-old. And, you know, even though a termite pile is an impressive piece of work, nobody would dare to suggest that it's anything like the skyscrapers we have built on the Manhattan skyline. Termites never draw architectural plans or consult an engineer. And it's not because they have chosen a low-stress life-
draw architectural plans or consult an engineer. And it's not because they have chosen a low-stress lifestyle. It's because they just can't do it. They don't have the capacity to reason, at least not like human beings do. Now, I will admit there are some pretty amazing animals that can learn to fetch your slippers, pull a plow, or jump through hoops, but that's still not thinking and learning the way we do. A really smart dog might be able to find his way home, but he doesn't spend much time planning his retirement or thinking about what he is going to do next winter, because he's just not capable of doing it. A clever raccoon might be able to figure out how to open your garbage can, but he has never celebrated an anniversary or bought his wife a birthday present, because he just doesn't have the capacity to think about special occasions and the deep relationships they represent. Animals can't tell the difference between kindergarten finger paintings and a Van Gogh. They don't think in abstract terms, and they don't have the ability to meditate, or contemplate, or pray over a passage of scripture. Those are distinctly human traits, things that move us a million miles beyond the animal kingdom. There is clearly something that sets the human race miles apart from everything else, so the question is, what exactly is it? I think there is a clue in the Old Testament book of Genesis, the very first chapter, beginning in verse 24. Listen to what the Bible says: (Genesis 1:24-25 NKJV) "Then said, 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind, and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." The Bible says God made all the animals after their own kind. In other words, dogs will always be dogs, and cows will always be cows, except in those cases where human beings deliberately play with genetics. Cows don't give birth to dogs, and dogs don't give birth to cows. And when your cat gives birth to kittens, those kittens are made in the image of their father and mother, or "after their own kind." But when it comes to the human race, there is a subtle difference. Listen now to what the Bible says in Genesis, chapter one and verse 26: (Genesis 1:26, 27 NKJV) "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." The reason we are different is that God made us different. We were created in God's image, and for that reason, we are NOT animals. If there are some similarities in the way we look or the way we function, that's only because we have the same Designer as the animals and the similarities are simply His fingerprints, splashed across creation like the recognizable brush strokes of a master artist. But just because some animals have two eyes like us, that doesn't make us just like them. It means that stereoscopic vision was a good design and God used it more than once. The similarities are merely evidence that there is one Designer at work. But in spite of all the similarities, like legs, arms and eyes, there is still something that sets us apart from the rest of creation. Even the most hardened evolutionist, when he draws his charts and plots his family tree, still refers to the rest of creation as the "lower animals." Now, why would he do that? Why would he refer to the other animals as lower than human beings? Is it because it's still obvious to him that he is not the same as the animals, even though he believes he is one of them? In the book of Psalms, chapter eight, David marvels at the special status God has given to the human race. It Is Written, in Psalm, chapter eight, beginning in verse four (Psalm 8:4-8 NKJV): "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and
have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas." There is something different, something remarkable about the human race. God could have made us swing through the trees like monkeys or live in a hole like a groundhog, but He didn't. He could have designed us to root around on the forest floor, grunting and scratching and looking for insects to eat, but He didn't. We were designed with a crown of glory and honor, according to the Bible. We were created in the image of God Himself, and then set at the pinnacle of creation as the masterpiece of God's work, and as a companion for God Himself. We were given minds to think and hearts to love, just like Him. We were made capable of intimacy and contemplation, just like Him. And then He gave us a deep, burning desire to be creative and productive, just like He is, and at least in part, this is why the Bible says we were made in His image. And that is what makes us different from the animals. But what would happen if God suddenly took away all of those things, for just one day, or maybe even a few years? You know, the Bible says in Colossians 1:17 that Jesus Christ not only made this world, He also holds it together. And that means that if He would suddenly withdraw His presence and let go of our world, it would literally come unglued. And if God should suddenly take His Divine image out of the human race, we would quickly devolve into mere animals, having lost everything that makes us great. There is a brilliant example of what would happen in the pages of the Bible. In Daniel, chapter four, we find the story of an ancient king whose head swelled to such proportions that God thought it was necessary to take him down just a notch or two. His name, of course, was Nebuchadnezzar, and after years of empire building on the battlefields of the Middle East, chapter four of Daniel finds him at rest in the palace, basking in his accomplishments. He knows that he has built the largest empire in the history of the world, and he knows that his bank account is bigger than anybody else's. So now he is at the stage of life where he gets anything he wants. The world is literally his oyster. He has money, he has power, he has splendor, and he has servants. There is just one thing he doesn't have, a meaningful relationship with God. And in the long run, that's the only thing that actually makes you great. Without your Divine destiny, you are nothing but an animal. Without the image of God written in your heart and mind, and without those special abilities and talents He has given you, you would be about as spectacular as the slug that left a trail on my sidewalk this morning. You know, someone once said that, "of all marvelous things, perhaps there is nothing that angels behold with such supreme astonishment as a proud man." Pride really is the height of ignorance, because it ignores the fact that you couldn't even exist without God. The Bible says that angels veil their faces in the presence of God. And they never sing about their own glory, even though there is a lot to sing about. In spite of their incredible beauty, in spite of their superb intelligence, and in spite of the lofty position they've been given in the courts of heaven, angels still only sing about one thing. "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory." (Isaiah 6:3) So imagine the astonishment of the angels as they looked down at the man who had been given the most by God, and heard him say that it was all his own doing. Even though Nebuchadnezzar had been exposed to the faith of Daniel, and even though God had made it abundantly plain that he would be nothing if God hadn't permitted it, Nebuchadnezzar still let it go to his head. Looking over his kingdom, he thought that he had nobody to thank but himself. His heart was full of pride. One of the reasons this story is included in the Bible is because the problem of pride is so widespread that it serves as a warning to the entire human race. In a few brilliant verses of scripture, God paints a picture of what you and I might look like without Him. Let's pick up the story in Daniel, chapter four and beginning in verse five, where Nebuchadnezzar is speaking: (Daniel 4:5, 6 NKJV)
"I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream." Just like a previous passage in the book of Daniel, the king has a disturbing dream, and you know, it always amazes me what slow learners human beings really are. The magicians and fortunetellers had failed Nebuchadnezzar in the past, and yet he still turns to them for answers a second time. And of course, like always, they couldn't help him, because in every age, psychics have never really had the keys to the mind of God. According to the Bible, God's secrets are reserved for the prophets, and so Daniel, who had the genuine gift of prophecy, was the only one who was able to help the king understand the dream. "Nebuchadnezzar," he said, "in your dream you saw a tree growing in the middle of the earth, a powerful symbol of your kingdom and your accomplishments. And as you watched that tree, someone came down from heaven and ordered it to be cut down, and the fruit fell off all over the earth, and the animals that lived under it ran away." The king was intrigued. "Daniel, what does it mean? Does it mean that I'm finished?" "Well, not exactly." Listen now to Daniel four and verse 15: (Daniel 4:15, 16 NKJV) "Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of an animal, and let seven times pass over him." "Nebuchadnezzar," said Daniel, "I'm afraid I've got some bad news. You're about to lose everything, and I don't just mean your money and your kingdom. I mean you're going to lose everything, and that includes your personality and your mind. And you're going to live like an animal for seven years." "Daniel, are you sure?" "Absolutely, but listen, Nebuchadnezzar, please, it's still not too late. God is warning you because He loves you and He doesn't want this to happen. All He's asking is that you come to your senses and remember where your greatness comes from. He's asking you to abandon your pride." But sadly, like so many people today, that was something the king just couldn't do. Out of all the sins that drag a man down, pride is one of the worst. It blinds you and makes you think more of yourself than you should. And because you mentally place yourself on a pedestal above everybody else, including God, it leads you to commit just about every other sin in the book. So, one year later, if you can believe it, Nebuchadnezzar was still a proud man. He was looking out over the empire, and his heart and his head swelled to ungodly proportions. Listen as the Bible describes what happened in Daniel four and verse 30: (Daniel 4:30-32 NKJV) "The king spoke, saying, 'Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" While the word was still in the kings' mouth, a voice fell from heaven: 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field?"' The Bible says that the "watchers" in heaven had had enough. Angels watched in amazement as a mere human being who had been exceptionally blessed by God removed his Creator from the throne of his heart and worshiped himself instead. And because a loving God ultimately doesn't force His way in where He is not welcome, and because God finds it hard to condone pride, He lifted His hand of blessing off Nebuchadnezzar, and at that very moment, he became an animal. Listen now to Daniel four and verse 33. The Bible says: (Daniel 4:33 NKJV) "That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like
and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles, feathers and his nails like birds' claws." The man the whole world respected and feared became the wild man of Babylon. In a heartbeat, everything he thought made him great disappeared. He discovered, the hard way, that without the image of God in our hearts, we have nothing to be proud of. The only glory we have is the glory we've been given by our Creator. The only thing that separates us from the animal kingdom is the fact that we were made in the image of God. But if we insist long enough on going our own way and relying on our own ability, eventually, God will turn us loose because we would never be happy in the kingdom of heaven anyway. If you stop to think about it, Nebuchadnezzar really got what he asked for. By worshiping himself, he invited God to leave. His own ego took up so much room in his heart, there was no more room for God. But you will notice that God didn't let him destroy himself. "Put a band of iron and a band of brass around that tree stump to keep it alive," God said, brass being a symbol of salvation, and iron a symbol of God's strength. "This isn't going to last forever," God says, "because I'm more interested in saving Nebuchadnezzar than losing him. I'm going to let him reap the consequences of his actions for seven years, but then I'll give it all back." Let me ask you a question today, and I want to be really clear about it. Sometimes tough times come our way, and it's not our fault. The book of Job makes that really clear. And we need to be careful that we don't interpret someone else's tough times as God's disfavor. But, you know, there are moments when God gives us a little much-needed time in the wilderness so that we realize how much we need Him. There are times when our pride has blossomed out of control and God needs to take us down a notch or two. The Bible says in Hebrews 12, verse six that God disciplines the people He loves, because he's anxious that they make it to the kingdom of heaven. So I want to encourage you to do a little self-examination today. As you look over your life, be honest with yourself and ask if there is something you need to get right with God. Is it possible, that right at this moment, God is trying to get your attention? Is it possible He's taken you down a notch or two for your own good, because you'd gotten just a little too self-absorbed? I'm not saying it is the case for sure, but look at your heart and I think you will know the answer. And now, here is the good news, whatever your circumstances, God has already put rings around the stump of your life, because He wants to make something great out of you. He's trying to refine you, and help you get rid of those things that will slow down your path to the kingdom. In John 15:2, we are told that sometimes God prunes our tree a little, cutting out what's useless to us, so that we can bear more fruit. Today, the human race likes to think we have gotten where we are by slugging it out for millions of years in a brutal evolutionary contest. But in Daniel, chapter 4, God reminds us where we came from. By showing us the difference, He assures us that we are not animals, and He promises us, by wrapping a ring around the stump of our ruined lives, that in His hands, we can be re-created into the image of God. In the end, that's the lesson Nebuchadnezzar learned. Amazingly, after watching him behave like an animal for seven years, they put him back on the throne, further proof that God had given him the kingdom. And as his mind cleared, and the image of God began to flourish in his soul, Nebuchadnezzar found the secret of true greatness. Today, I know in your heart that you sense that you are something more than just part of the animal kingdom. You feel the hand of God on your life. And I believe that you would like to claim your heritage as a child of God. Why don't we pray together? PRAYER: Heavenly Father, today we believe that you still rule this universe with a loving hand, and we want to learn to live our lives as you would have us live them. Teach us that the secret of our nobility resides in you. Teach us the secret of real greatness. Keep our eyes on Jesus, and help us to understand how much He longs to have us depend on Him. And we ask these things in Christ's name, amen.
Scriptures Used in The Secret of True Greatness "Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind, and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:24-25 NKJV "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:26, 27 NKJV "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas." Psalm 8:4-8 NKJV "I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream." Daniel 4:5, 6 NKJV "Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let him graze with the beasts on the grass of the earth. Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of an animal, and let seven times pass over him." Daniel 4:15, 16 NKJV "The king spoke, saying, 'Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?' While the word was still in the kings' mouth, a voice fell from heaven: 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you! And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field."' Daniel 4:30-32 NKJV "That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws." Daniel 4:33 NKJV "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." Revelation 4:11 NKJV "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to abase." Daniel 4:37 NKJV Keywords: creation darwin evolution Shawn Boonstra Standing Firm It Is Written Box O Thousand Oaks, CA 91359 USA Tel: (805) 433-0210 Fax: (805) 433-0218 Copyright 2010, It Is Written International Television. All rights reserved. Webmaster