Sifted and weighed in God's balance

Sermon notes from Sunday 20 October 2019 pm

Daniel 5 verses 1 - 9, 16 - 31

The scene that is set before us is a very solemn one.  Belshazzar`s life and death is in the balance.  He has come to the end of his life.  Nothing further he can do.  All his works and exploits have been collected to be sifted and weighed in God`s balance to see if he comes up to the mark of God`s righteousness.  Yet to the very last moment of this man Belshazzar`s life he is just having a ball of a time.  He hasn`t got health nor medical problems at all.  It seems he is in the fullness of health at this very moment of time.  If you were speaking to him about the future he would tell you it was very good.  My kingdom will go on for years yet - what could be better than having a great party with his 1000 lords?  All the trappings and frivolity went on in that time.  If that wasn`t enough part of the pleasure was the public blasphemy of the God of heaven, as if raising his fists to God.  Not only does he debase himself he defiles the vessels of the temple of the Lord.  There is no fear here in this crowd of people.  He takes in the vessels of the temple of the Lord, the golden vessels.  In verse 5 we read "that same hour".  When he was at the very height of the frivolity a finger of a man`s hand began to write on the plaster of the wall.  The verdict was guilty as charged.  God`s judgement comes suddenly and in this instance it was shocking.  All the frivolity stops and one by one there comes a deadly hush that fills the place.  What a contrast when God speaks.  The noise of that place to bring that down to a deadly hush.  God has stepped in.  Belshazzar`s face changed colour, his thoughts troubled him, he begins to tremble.  Such a sight had never been seen before.  He cries out with a loud voice "bring in the interpreters, I want to know what is going on."  Think tonight of Belshazzar`s trial and judgement and parallel it to the poor sinners trial from the destruction of his soul. 

There is a balance of God`s fairness tonight.  "Thou art weighed".  It is not about any of these lords around about but Belshazzar is separated out.  His time has come to an end before God.  He stood alone.  Some people will say "if I am going to hell I am taking all my friends with me."  You stand alone, there is no-one in hell with you.  "Thou wilt be weighed."  It is not in the past tense nor in the future but the present.  The weighing process has been done.  God has already weighed up this man`s life.  He had outstanding success, the ruler of the greatest kingdom on earth, his achievements were known world wide at that time.  No-one had accomplished what he had.  He was the richest man on earth, the ruler of a great kingdom, his power was absolute.  Whatever he said went.  If you came in to be judged before this man and he said you lived you lived.  No-one questioned him.  His power was absolute.  That is the human balance.  If men and women were weighed up by what they have done could be said to be popular, have many friends, many achievements and well thought of.  Now Belshazzar is being weighed in the divine balance of eternal justice.  Into the scale God places "thou shalt have no other gods before me."  Well he couldn`t deny that commandment because he had been worshipping other gods.  Who do you worship tonight?  Your money or your home, your husband or wife, your children - who do you put in place of God in your life?  Do you know of the mercy that God has for your soul, of the one who bled and died on Calvary`s centre tree.  Have you got the Lord tonight?  If no the balance goes down.  "You shall not make unto you any graven image."  "You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain, bear false witness, covet."  All these are put in the balance and the balance goes down.  If you are not a Christian put them all on the scales.  You are a good, righteous person, a church goer - put them all on and measure them up.  You give to charity, good to your neighbours and friends.  Put it all on the balance.  Brought up in a godly home, taught right from wrong.  Put it all on the balance.  Went to Sunday school and never missed a day.  What have you got today?  Parents, grandparents were saved.  How will you weigh up in God`s balance?  When you weigh up your life and mine is it too light or perhaps too heavy?  It doesn`t weigh up to God`s balance.  John 3 verse 18 "he that believeth not is condemned already."  What you have put in the balance will be brought up against you.  The Lord will look at what your life has been.  He will place the blood of Christ, the sacrifice of Calvary on the other side and will say it is not enough.  Haven`t come up to my standards.  You are weighed in the balance and found wanting.  Matthew 7 verse 21 "not everyone that says unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."  Some say "I profess the Lord."  Remember the devil believes and trembles.  It is not worth anything.  It is possession.  Romans 3 verse 23 we all have come short of the mercy of God.  We haven`t reached his standards.  Have you done anything pure and holy?  Perhaps you are a very religious person.  Isaiah 64 verse 6 "all your righteousnesses are as filthy rags."   Mark 7 verse 6 "these people honoureth me with their lips but their heart is far from me."  What is God searching for?  That will weigh up the balance.  He is searching for repentance.  "Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish."  Have you ever repented?  Have you ever come recognising you are a hell deserving sinner?  The Lord sent the Lord Jesus Christ to die for you.  If you put repentance on that balance it will come up and tip over.  God will recognise that you have accepted Christ who died on Calvary`s cross for the penalty of your sin.

There is a witness called forth.  The first witness is conscience.  The trouble with eternal reality is that you are faced with the question "what shall I do with God who is called Christ."  The gospel has been preached.  People have been conscious of their need.  They know what they have to do but they tune out the voice of conscience.  The preacher will be brought out as a witness.  He will have to give an account for all his preaching.  Many do not preach the gospel.  The Holy Spirit is a witness too convicting men of sin.  Christ himself will say "I stood at the door and knocked."  People still keep the door closed.  What about the word of God.  John 12 verse 38.  This man had a knowledge of who God was.  Many have read the word of God more times than God`s people.  It is not enough because although this man had a knowledge he did nothing about it.  Maybe you have a great knowledge of the scriptures but you have done nothing about it.  The witnesses are called forth.

The judgement is pronounced - verse 27 "thou art weighed in the balances."  Time is over.  The seriousness of it all.  Time is up.  Time as you know it is over and you are standing before God.  You are not your mother, neighbour, friend, work colleague or some debased fella down the street.  It is you tonight.  Have you any righteousness to plead?  If you have that makes the difference between the sinner and the saint.  We have no righteousness of our own but we have Jesus` righteousness.  "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."  As the hymn writer said "Jesus took my sin and my sorrow and he made them his very own."  He died and shed his blood and accomplished the substitutionary work on Calvary.    People tonight have health problems, things are not looking good for them, they push the Lord away.  The Lord is standing, he is reaching out.  People say "I want to stay in my sin."  Isn`t that an awful thought.   We can push away the perfect righteousness of  the Lord.  How does that weigh in the balance of your life and all your accomplishments?  He accepts it for Jesus` sake, he justifies me.  God justifies the sinner for Jesus` sake.  Nothing qualifies that.  You are a sinner.  God`s son Jesus` blood cleanses us from all sin.  There is now no condemnation for them that are in Christ Jesus.  "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in the Lord Jesus." (Romans 3 verse 24)  What do you present tonight?  Thou art weighed in the balance.  Are you found wanting tonight? 

It is a balance of solemn fairness.  The witnesses are called forth.  You notice that Belshazzar was speechless.  When God calls forth on that day you will be speechless with nothing to say.  You will stand before God and the judgement will be pronounced.  How important it is to become a Christian.  For this people to realise that they need the Lord is a solemn message but if you are here and not saved it is the message you need to know there is hope.  Jesus Christ is merciful and he is willing to take our sin upon himself.  A balance of solemn fairness.  The witnesses are called forth and the judgement is pronounced - "thou art weighed."