Daniel - The Power of Faith - Power Meets POWER (1/8/23)

Children’s Sermon

something that works so much better plugged in than on battery? shaver? True limitless power vs temporary power.

Scripture

Make sure and give short summary of prelude to this:

Daniel 1:18-2:3 - When the time came to review the young men as the king had ordered, the chief official brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. When the king examined them, he found none as good as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So, they were appointed to serve the king. Whenever the king consulted them on anything, he found them ten times wiser and more effective than all the other magicians and enchanters in his kingdom. Daniel continued serving the king through the first year of King Cyrus. Chapter 2 - In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar started having dreams that bothered him severely and kept him from sleeping soundly. The king commanded the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to be summoned to interpret his dreams. They came and stood before the king. Nebuchadnezzar said, “I had a dream and I can’t sleep until I know what it means.”

Engage

Last Monday we went out to my father-in-law’s house and had a roast with carrots, potatoes, etc…delicious. When we left to return home it was dark. We were in two cars and as we reached the intersection of Ave N/Arden & Sherwood, heading east, the light turned red. We both ended up first in line and next to each other. When the light finally turned green (lights without sensors are a huge pet peeve of mine), I felt this brief but powerful fear that caused me to pause just for a moment…in that moment, I thought, unusually for me, what if someone runs the light coming the other way…I paused only for a beat or two, which, like I said, I wouldn’t routinely do, and as I let off my brake....WHOOSH. In front of me swooped one of the bicyclers that you see around town. Never saw him. If I’d pressed the accelerator as I normally would, I’d have hit him for sure. And the same for Melanie.

Encounter

Today I’m starting a four-week, I think, series on Daniel. Well, part of Daniel. Daniel, in the Old Testament, is really sort-of two books combined into one. Chapters 1-6 are one part, part two is Chapter 7 and after. I’m focusing, in this series, on Chapters 1-6. I encourage you to read through Daniel chapters 1-6, perhaps M-Sat each week during this series. What else can you pick up? If you do, I KNOW it will bless you!

Daniel is written during the exile to Babylon, likely after the siege of Jerusalem. Daniel, however, seems to have been exiled BEFORE the siege with a select group of the strongest and most capable people & leaders. You can read about that earlier in Chapter 1.

Daniel is a fascinating person to me for many reasons…He likely grew up in the reforms of Josiah, one of the great kings of Israel amidst a slew of bad ones before and after him. Daniel likely knew of, or knew personally, the great prophet Jeremiah. It seems Daniel listened to and respected Jeremiah, joining a very small group of people, no doubt. Daniel even mentions Jeremiah in Chapter 9.

Having lived through the Godly reforms of Josiah and then also through the backsliding and demonic evil that preceded the Exile, Daniel had seen the best and the worst.

Daniel knew without a doubt that God is in control always, everywhere, and is seeking the very best possible outcomes for his beloved creation.

Daniel also knew that the powerful are powerless when they meet the Godfull who are selfless.

Sometimes following God & Christ make us FEEL powerless, especially when confronted with powerful things and people of the world. But a disciple of God/Christ always have within them the most powerful force in the universe. Also earlier in Chapter 1, verse 2, Daniel the writer tells us that Nebuchadnezzar took valuable items from God’s temple in Jerusalem and placed them in Babylon in temples to his gods. God sometimes allow his beloved, his creation to suffer. The faithful followers of God, though likely quite small in number, surely suffered when they saw the temple raided. This can happen to us as well…We feel greatly disappointed when our churches suffer physical damage, close for financial reasons, struggle, split, or are rocked by scandals. But like those who witnessed the Babylonian’s plunder of the temple, we shall trust God is in control and watching over all who trust in Him.

Now for those who FEEL powerful, sometimes God afflicts them too. Looking at our Scripture today and that which follows, it certainly seems God sends dreams to Nebuchadnezzar. At this point, if Nebuchadnezzar isn’t the most powerful man in the world…he’s at least in the running. Yet he joins the likes of Jacob, Joseph, Solomon, and many others who are affected by dreams. I believe between the events of Chapters 1 & 2 of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar is stewing. He’s beginning to see the true power, given by God, in the persons of Daniel, Hannaniah, and Mishael. By the way, Nebuchadnezzar gives each of these men Babylonian names. Daniel = Belteshazzar, Hananiah = Shadrach, Mishael = Meshach, and Azariah = Abednego. The dreams are driving him so crazy that puts out the message far and wide - he needs someone to tell him what he dreamed AND interpret it for him. When he finds nobody, he cleans house. He orders a bunch of wise men, sorcerers, etc executed. Even Daniel was SUPPOSED to be executed…but God leads Daniel to intervene and explain to Nebuchadnezzar both what he dreamed and what it means. Now, as you’ll know if you read ahead, the interpretation is not good news for Nebuchadnezzar. But his reaction to Daniel’s telling him tells us he knew it to be true.

God sees all past, present, and future…Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a tall statue. It’s head is gold, it’s chest and arms silver, it’s belly and thighs bronze, and its legs and feet iron & clay. Nebuchadnezzar also dreams of a stone cut from a mountain, but not by human hands, smashing all the parts of the statue. Friends, this all happened. Scholars believe the head, gold, is the Babylonian empire, 606-539BC. The silver chest and arms, the Persian Empire, 539-331BC. The Bronze belly and thighs, Grecian empire from 331-146BC. The legs and feet or iron and clay, Roman Empire of 146BC-476AD. And the stone cut but not by human hands? The Kingdom of Jesus.

Daniel is also around later when Belshazzar, the son of Nebuchadnezzar, desecrates the items brought from the temple in Jerusalem and a hand appears and writes on the wall of the room. Daniel correctly translates that writing also, Belshazzar thanks Daniel and elevates him again, and then Belshazzar dies that night.

The powerful are powerless when they meet the Godfull who are selfless

Daniel never gets lost in delusions of self-grandeur. He points to God, who he knows is behind all his blessings. He praises him, he implores others to pray with him to God, he gives God credit. Daniel is very selfless. Not empty of self, but much less of self.

The event we’re called to remember today on the church calendar is the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus is baptized by John, another person who is quite selfless. Another person who is troubled at time but given peace by Jesus & God. Another person who is open to having his understanding changed by the living God. Remember, he says, wait, Jesus, you should be baptizing me, not the other way around! Jesus explains, John understands and complies. And God confirms it. John understands that he must decrease and Jesus must increase. So does Daniel.

I was also reminded this morning that today marks the 60 year anniversary of the deaths of five missionaries in the jungles of Ecuador. Those deaths set of some of the most remarkable events in human history. An entire tribe of people who lived by the force of the spear have come to know and love Jesus. And so, a movie based on the events is titled, “The End of the Spear.” Perhaps when we get through the Chosen, I’ll show it with some other accompanying material. That tribe transformed from very temporary earthly power to everlasting eternal power.

Empower

God is always in control, even when it may not appear like it. I read a story this week written by Austin Goodrich, a WW2 veteran who then worked as a journalist and in espionage. He was an infantrymen, apparently also known as a gravel-clutcher. He titled his writing, “Recollection of a gravel-clutcher,” and quoted John 16:22 - So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

He tells how his unit was marching one day and an order came down, his unit would soon take part in their first night raid, a raid on the town of Hitchenback. They were to wait in the woods above the town as artillery and air support bombarded the town and then march in and take/secure the town after nightfall. They took their positions and the bombs and artillery started coming. Then they started coming closer, and closer. Sadly, some of the friendly fire began hitting some of the unit, which happens far too often. Then, after a time, there was silence. And Austin began to hear cries for “Medic! Hurry! Over Here!” Then, through scattered calls for help and other noises, he heard a clear voice say only once, “Mother!” Curious, he said, the voice lacked the unmistakable sound of pain, not did it contain any desperation or sorrow. It was more like a greeting, he thought. The voice belonged to PFC Walter Marks, a rifleman scheduled to go to college after the war.

Later, when they had entered the town and he saw the medic, Austin asked the medic about Marks. “Did you see Marks back there?” “Yeah” Wounded? No, killed. But I heard him call out. So did I, but I don’t know how. I hadn’t known Marks that well, Austin said, so that was the end of it. Until 50 years later when some old company K buddies got together to celebrate the golden anniversary of our survival. One of those who came had been a close friend of Marks. I asked him about those last moments I remembered, and if he’d heard that same call. He had, he said. He must’ve seen his mother in his mind’s eye and called out to her, I suggested. You know, he said, I’ve often wondered about that…because Walter never knew his mother. He had never seen her. How’s that, I asked? She died in childbirth when she brought him into this world, he answered.

The powerful are powerless when they meet the Godfull who are selfless

Pray