October 21, 2007

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Daniel 2
2:1    And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2:2    Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
2:3    And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
2:4    Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
2:5    The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
2:6    But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
2:7    They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
2:8    The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
2:9    But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
2:10    The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
2:11    And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
2:12    For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
2:13    And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
2:14    Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:
2:15    He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
2:16    Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
2:17    Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
2:18    That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
2:19    Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
2:20    Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
2:21    And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
2:22    He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
2:23    I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.
2:24    Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
2:25    Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.
2:26    The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?
2:27    Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king;
2:28    But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
2:29    As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
2:30    But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
2:31    Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
2:32    This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
2:33    His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
2:34    Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
2:35    Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
2:36    This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.
2:37    Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
2:38    And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
2:39    And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.
2:40    And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
2:41    And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
2:42    And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
2:43    And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
2:44    And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
2:45    Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
2:46    Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
2:47    The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
2:48    Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
2:49    Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

 

Lessons In The Lion’s Den: The Glue That Holds Life Together

Daniel 2:1-49

 

STORY – I heard a fellow pastor share the following story about a fellow student in one of His seminary classes:

John looked smart, like a brain.

·         He was the kind of guy that if he made 98 points out of 100 it would upset him.

·         In the Old Testament class he was well-versed

·         Toward the end of the semester I noticed a change.

·         His test scores had dropped and he seemed more relaxed.

·         On the day of his final exam he strolled in; took the test; and made a “B” for the class

·         I could just imagine what his reaction might be.

After everyone was gone he quietly came to me and gave a great testimony.

·         John had been raised in a Christian home and had gone to a Christian school

·         He was well-versed in the Scriptures.

·         He said he had always taken great pride in his knowledge of the Bible.

During the past eight months John was met with a series of what he called “catastrophic” events that tested his faith like never before.

·         From the loss of a job to almost loosing his house, and from his car falling apart and needing major repairs, to his marriage being placed on “shaky” ground

·         John admitted he thought he was going down

·         “My faith was doing little good.”

He said when he looked at Psalm 51; God wanted a humble heart that is broken.

·         John confessed, “I had become prideful in my faith. I was arrogant in my knowledge of the Bible. I began to pray for God to change me. He has!

·         At this point in my life grades are not as important to me. My life, family, and my relationship with the Lord – these are what is important.

·         I am praying everyday!”

FRIENDS – John learned a lesson while in the Lion’s Den.

·         He learned what really matters and hold life together

DID YOU CATCH HIS CONCLUDING REMARKS?

·         “I am praying every day!”

There are scores of people who have confessed how much better their day goes when they take the time to pray.

·         It is the glue that holds our lives together

·         Whoever said: “The family that prays together stays together” understood something of the glue of prayer.

 

The Lord showed me an illustration that underscores the truth of prayer being the glue that holds our lives together.

How many of you have ever had any dealings with plywood?

·         Plywood is an amazing wood product

·         Plies or pieces of wood are layered and glued together in a perpendicular fashion to give strength to the board in all directions

·         The strength of the plywood is not merely the wood – but the glue that holds it all together.

I have researched “adhesives” and discovered that most adhesives form a bond by filling in the minute “pits and fissures” normally present even in very smooth surfaces.

 

The effectiveness of an adhesive depends on several factors:

1.      Resistance to slippage and shrinkage

2.      Malleability – capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences

3.      Cohesive strength

4.      Surface Tension

Plywood rots over time and needs to be replaced.

·         Somehow foreign elements penetrated fissures  and pits in or around the plywood

·         Eventually rotting the wood and breaking down the adhesives

FRIENDS – The life that is deficient in prayer will develop fissures and pits.

·         Eventually allowing foreign elements in causing rot and decay.

 

PRAYER IS THE GLUE THAT HOLDS LIFE TOGETHER!

Daniel had now been in Babylon for three years.

·         Babylon was a foreign element, full of pits and fissures that could drastically affect life as well as one’s prayer life.

Daniel found himself in a deathly situation that required the glue of

prayer.

·         King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream … Nightmare! (v.1)

·         Calls in his “Hocus Pocus Guys” (v.2)

·         He asks them to interpret the dream without knowing the dream (v.3-9)

FRIENDS – Only a “God” who is not in the flesh would be able to do that sort of thing – How right they were! (v.11)

·         Neb orders all “H. P.’s” killed – including the novice also – included Daniel and Co. (v.12-13; see 1:17)

·         Daniel calls for a “Time Out!” (V.14-16)

At this point of the story we see Daniel had a few options. He could:

  1. Complain
  2. Cry
  3. Run for his life
  4. Get mad, or
  5. Pray

YES – Daniel calls together his three friends and they pray!

·         Daniel’s prayer was not a last ditch effort to find help for a bad situation

·         His prayer life was so geared to the act of prayer – this was always his first response

Daniel 6:10 – “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem – he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.”

FRIENDS – Daniel prayed, as always, and God answered, as always.

·         WHY DID GOD ANSWER DANIEL’S PRAYER?

 

DANIEL ASKED GOD!

It sounds incredibly simple – but many of us don’t have because we don’t ask!

·         James 4:2b – “Yet you do not have because you do not ask”

FRIENDS – Many don’t ask because they don’t think God will answer.

·         And many do not ask because the presume God should, without their asking!

In either case there is no asking.

·         Our asking shows God we are dependent upon him rather than ourselves.

DANIEL WAS AVAILABLE

“Availability is greater than Visibility”

We are always praying with one eye closed and looking for the answer with the other.

·         We are always looking for the answer we want

·         Rather than praying – “Lord, send me!”

HEAR ME THIS MORNING CHURCH – Anytime we make ourselves available to God – we put ourselves at risk.

·         Do not pray for salvation of souls unless you are available to go witness to those souls.

·         Be available to God!

DANIEL WAS HUMBLE

“Humility is the common thread among men and women whom God used regularly.”

·         Psalm 25:9 – “The humble he guides in justice, and the humble He teaches His way.”

DANIEL WAS OBEDIENT

From Genesis to Revelation, obedience is the key in our relationship with God.

·         Daniel’s gift of wisdom came as a result of his refusing to defile himself in Babylonian idolatry.

·         John 14:21 – “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by My Father, and I too will love him and show myself to Him.”

FRIENDS – We cannot pray and then live in disobedience.

·         Obedience solidifies our prayers

It has been said: “You cannot live obediently without praying; You cannot pray without living obediently.”

God was working mightily in Daniel’s life and other because he was a prayer warrior in asking, availability, humility, and obedience.

 

KNOW THE GOD YOU PRAY TO

God answered Daniel giving him the secret to the dream in a night vision.

·         Daniel would not have prayed if he thought his God would not answer.

FRIENDS - Daniel knew his God!

·         Do you know your God?

·         Is the God you pray to the same who answered Daniel?

·         Do you know him?

GOD IS WITH US

God was present with Daniel. Daniel knew it and God knew it.

·         But do we know it?

·         Is your God with you this morning?

We have been taught that God is with us always and He will never leave us. (Heb. 13:5)

·         Let’s call that a “Theological Fact”

·         But do we know that God is with us by “Experiential Truth?”

Many in Babylon were questioning the theological facts of God being with them.

·         Daniel, however, clung to the “T. F.” and rested in the truth God would be with him through every experience.

GOD IS SOVEREIGN

Daniel rested in the truth that his God was sovereign

·         God was, and is in control now and will be tomorrow.

FRIENDS – Nebuchadnezzar was where he was because of God.

·         Men and power do not frighten God

·         God’s sovereignty allowed David to respond favorably to the deadly situation he faced.

Between stimulus and response, David chose to rest on God’s sovereignty.

GOD IS WISDOM

Daniel believed that God and God alone was the source of all wisdom and knowledge

·         And that God loves to reveal Himself to those who seek Him with their whole heart.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 – Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows ME, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

FRIENDS – Because Daniel knew his God was with him.

·         Because he knew God was sovereign and wise.

·         Daniel trusted Him in every circumstance.

 

CLOSE

A reporter once asked Albert Einstein’s wife if she understood the theory of relativity.

She replied, “No, but I know Albert, and he can be trusted.”

FRIENDS – Can you and I say the same thing about God?

·         “No, I don’t understand what God is doing in my life right now.

·         But I know God, and He can be trusted.”

If we trust God, we can pray to God.

·         Prayer is the glue that holds life together.

The effectiveness of  prayer as the adhesive depends on several factors:

1. RESISTANCE TO SLIPPAGE/SHRINKAGE

·         “But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” (Hebrews 10:38)

2. MALLEABILITY – Capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces

·         “And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2a)

3. COHESIVE STRENGTH

·         “For where there are two or three gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matt.18:20)

4. SURFACE TENSION

·         “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transforms all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6-7)

FRIENDS – Prayer is not just lifting up a few words when in trouble.

·         It is intended to be the glue for our lives.

·         Apply in the days when you do not need it and it is sure to help hold you together in the day everything is coming apart.

PRAYER - Oh God, at times life seems to fall apart.

·         Things don’t always go as planned. Help us in those moments to acknowledge our lack of understanding

·         Break our pridefulness that causes us to believe we can handle life alone

·         Turn our pride to trust.

·         For when we trust You knowing You will answer in Your wisdom

·         You are the answer to our prayers as the sovereign God

·         Nothing we are going through is unmindful to You

·         You know and are working for our best

·         Lord some of us can hear the Lion’s roaring … they’re hungry Lord! Help us not to be eaten.

Help us to pray this day!         Amen!

 

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