This Means War 2
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Text: Daniel 2:19-23
Aesop's Fables: The Lion and the Shepherd
A LION, roaming through a forest, trod upon a thorn. Soon afterward he came up to a Shepherd and fawned upon him, wagging his tail as if to say, "I am a suppliant, and seek your aid." The Shepherd boldly examined the beast, discovered the thorn, and placing his paw upon his lap, pulled it out; thus relieved of his pain, the Lion returned into the forest. Some time after, the Shepherd, being imprisoned on a false accusation was condemned "to be cast to the Lions" as the punishment for his imputed crime. But when the Lion was released from his cage, he recognized the Shepherd as the man who healed him, and instead of attacking him, approached and placed his foot upon his lap. The King, as soon as he heard the tale, ordered the Lion to be set free again in the forest, and the Shepherd to be pardoned and restored to his friends.
Intro: Tell the story of Daniel and the dream
• Nebuchadnezzar has a dream
• The magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, and Chaldeans could not tell the meaning of the dream.
• But Nebuchadnezzar ask for more he wanted to know what the dream was.
• If they fail all will be cut into pieces, and their houses made to dunghills.
• Here is where our main man Daniel comes in. He finds out about this ultimatum while they were looking to kill Daniel and his fellows.
• Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, all began to pray, and as our text exposes God grants their request and delivers not only the answer of the dream but the dream itself.
Nature of Thanksgiving
1. Insurmountable Odds
o Great Need
o Great Heartache
o Great Distruction
o Great Hurt
o (basically the weight of the world is on your shoulders.
2. Desperate Surrender
o Acknowledge that we cannot do it alone
o Throw our Hands in the air
o Wait for a Response from Heaven
3. God comes through.
o Answers the prayer
o Does something powerful
o Regular prayer of "Do something so big that only you could get the credit for it."
4. We Thank Him with Hearts of Gratitude.
o Sincere
o Heart felt
All of these characteristics are present in this passage. In fact we see them throughout Scripture
Ex 15: the first 21 verses of Chapter 15 are giving of heartfelt thanks to God for delivering them from the insurmountable odds of being destroyed by the Egyptian chariots. When they hit the wall of Water They give up, and God comes through.
God delivers Israel from the hand of Sisera and for the next 31 verses, and entire chapter Deborah and Barak sing God's Praise.
Closing the Book of Ruth is a thanksgiving to the Lord for the goodness of God to the widow Naomi. And the single daughter in law Ruth. "Blessed Be the Lord."
Throughout scripture we see this same model for giving thanks to God.
• Insurmountable Odds
• Desperate Surrender
• God comes through
• Thankfulness with Hearts of Gratitude.
My question is this today what happens when we begin to tear at this model of giving thanks can it still hold up. Can we take apart these four pieces of giving thanks and they hold up still and remain as thankfulness.
Turn to chapter 6 and we will take this apart.
• Insurmountable Odds
• Desperate Surrender
• God comes through
• Thankfulness with Hearts of Gratitude. Take away the gratitude.
If you take away the gratitude you end up with something that looks like many in America today. We say we are grateful but rarely to we stop for giving thanks.
Do we intentionally stop to thank the lord?
We see in Scripture the story of 10 lepers that came to Christ. 9 went on with their lives and one came back to thank Christ.
Jesus gives this sad description of the scenario.
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
That which stops us from Being Grateful
Exaggerated Expectations
Dull sense Helplessness
Busyness with good things
Misdirected appreciation
At any rate it is up to the believer to be truly grateful.
We loose the nature of gratitude when God’s people fail to express gratefulness.
• Insurmountable Odds
• Desperate Surrender
• God comes through
• Thankfulness with Hearts of Gratitude. Take away the Desparate Surrender
Do you know who were looking at when we see those who fail to surrender. Anyone that refuses to let Christ have control. Even the princes of chapter 6. Are beneficiaries of the goodness of God. There is not one on this earth that does not have a duty to surrender. Because none of us are able to do anything of ourselves.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
• Insurmountable Odds
• Desperate Surrender
• God comes through
• Thankfulness with Hearts of Gratitude.
Take away the Insurmountable Odds
You have Daniel every other day of his life.
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Understand this that Daniel didn't learn to be grateful when the king signed the law that you can't pray to God. Daniel had been grateful long before then. It was a lifestyle for Daniel to be grateful. This was a pattern for him as regular as our meal times.
• Insurmountable Odds
• Desperate Surrender
• God comes through
• Thankfulness with Hearts of Gratitude.
Take away God comes through
WAIT WAIT WAIT.
No way we won't let you go there preacher nope God alwayscomes through. Does he. You only say that because you know what happens in the den later on. You can say that because you know the princes get eaten, but can you for a second look at Daniel. My friend God had not yet come through and Daniel was still grateful. What happens to us when it doesn't look like God will come through. Can you still walk around like God doesn't fail when it looks like he did. That is a new level of gratitude one I suspect too few of God's people ever discover.
