God gives, God equipps
Be Resolved! - Book of Daniel • Sermon • Submitted
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· 11 viewsGod gives us what we need to be an example to the world
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Gifts/equipping
Gifts/equipping
All good gifts come from above (Jm1:17) and God equips us for every good deed (Eph2:10), so that we can know and do His prefect will (Rom12:2). Daniel and his friends are our example being offered up today.
We have seen:
God gives favor even in hard, difficult times
We have seen Daniel and his faithful friends taken and even tested
And, we have discussed transform or conform
Now God gifts gifts
17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
and gives them with a purpose
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
and then add in
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
So we can walk in God’s good, perfect and acceptable will.
God gives ability to succeed!
God gives ability to succeed!
I think by now most of you have been around long enough to know it is not about our ability but about our availability.
If you want to make a living you get training, then get a job. If you want to make a life, you add getting education to your training. If you want to have a ministry for God, well, you need God’s gifts, God’s equipping and God’s help. Add to that God given wisdom too. God’s providing is necessary if we want to serve Him in manner that is pleasing to Him.
17 As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. 18 Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar.
19 The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. 20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.
What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?
Wisdom we can get, seek it, ask for it, and by faith it can work wonders
Wonder working wisdom (Dan1:20; Jm1:5-6; Jm2:26)
Daniel and friends were found to be ten times better than all the rest
Godly wisdom is available when we ask God.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
What are we to do to get this wisdom?
What is the promise?
What are the requirements?
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
If we want to do the Lord’s will we need faith in the Lord to do the Lords will and to give the glory to the Lord, even without saying anything that is exactly what Daniel and his friends did.
God gave special blessings to these four young Men look again at (v.17)
17 As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.
What did God give them?
They studied, they applied themselves and they excelled. This is what made them to be able to stand before the king and be viewed as ten times better.
Now I think I mentioned last week they had to be indoctrinated into the worldly things so they can impact the world but not be conformed to the World. You cannot impact someone, anything, unless you have some understanding of it.
God gives us gifts (blessings) to be used today too (1Cor12:4-7)
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
When we take our God given gifts and apply them, we too should excel for God’s purpose and God’s glory!
Worldly knowledge for God’s purpose (Dan2:2)
(expand on God can use all things)
Daniel had to understand the mindset of the Babylonian people, especially of those who were giving the king guidance (magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologer (Dan2:2)
2 Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.
Now this leads to another opportunity displayed
Examination by the King (Dan1:18-20)
18 Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service.
20 As for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm.
Ok there bible students let’s bring things into context within chapter 1.
What is the end of days (v.18)? - this is end of three years (1:5)
Who brought them before the king (v.18)? - chief of the Eunichs (1:7)
Who is the them (v.19)? this is all the captives taken (1:3)
What was the result (v.20)? - found ten times better
We do not know the number of exiles there were but we know they were nobles, the royalty, the brightest. They were trained for 3 years and then the king himself questioned, talked with them. They were going to be servants to the king (1:4) so he wanted to see if his investment was going to pay off for him.
I think you if were to read ahead into you would see that the King was not all the too happy with his current advisors.
Magicians: Men who dealt with the occult
Enchanters: givers of incantations to accomplish their purpose
Sorcerers: Those who could/would cast spells
Astrologers: Studied stars and sought their divine influence
Diviners: Well, they used all sorts of methods to look, see, tell the future.
Think about it, Daniel and his friends had to work side by side with these people and not allow them to influence them or defile them. And it worked! They were resolved and were a great testimony of faith.
The king in his talking, inquiring of them compared them to others, and what we see happening is that through knowledge, education, God’y wisdom and faith that they were found ten times better. So take what god has given you, take your worldly training and use it for God’s purpose and glory.
God gave longevity
God gave longevity
God gives us the time we need to accomplish the task He has set for us to accomplish for His purpose and will.
21 And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.
Daniel was taken into exile in 605 under Nebuchadnezzar
Daniel was still there when Cyrus was king 537
Daniel served under 4 kings
Nebuchadnezzer
Belshazzar
Darius the Meade
Cyrus king of Persia
Daniel lived long enough to see the prophesies of chapters 10-12 to be fulfilled. Daniel would have been about 83 when the revelations were fulfilled that are recorded in chapters 10-12.
Daniels contemporary Jeremiah helped Daniel understand God’s plan (Jer25:8-11; 29:10-11; Dan9:1-2)
I think we have time and it is important that we look at how this comes together.
8 “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Because you have not obeyed My words, 9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will send to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against its inhabitants and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them and make them a horror and a hissing, and an everlasting desolation.
Je
10 ‘Moreover, I will take from them the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the lamp. 11 ‘This whole land will be a desolation and a horror, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
They were going to be in captivity for a specified amount of time 70 years!
10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
And there was going to be a return to Jerusalem
and after the abomination of desolation and the return then there would be a rebuilding
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
We don’t know how long he lived after this fulfillment, beyond what we believe to be at least 83, but no doubt God gave longevity of life for him to fulfill his purpose for God.
Daniel was a faithful servant like Jesus noted of Himself (Jn17:4)
4 “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.
Now don’t get me wrong, God gives longevity, but that is in terms of fulfilling his calling, with others like Stephen it was not long, but it was fulfilling, as for Paul it was believed in his 60’s; John in his 90’s. So consider what the Psalmist says.
12 So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
We need to not number our years, but or days and we live one day at a time and need to make the most of it as long as it is called today as the Hebrew writer wrote also. We don’t know when that final day will come, so be ready and live everyday as if it were today.
God works things out, with Daniel and with many others.
Joseph to prison so can save the people
Esther to be in the king’s hareem to save the Jewish people
Nehemiah kings cupbearer to motivator to get the wall built under someone else’s expence.
Saul from a Pharisee, persecutor to Paul the Apostle and church planter
So, what about you, are you willing to allow God to work in and through you to accomplish His good work and for His good pleasure?
This chapter in Daniel should really be an encouragement to us as we face trials and tribulations and we are to count them a joy (Jm1:2) that even when it does not seem that God is in control or ruling, He is and He works all things out (Rom8:28)
To Daniel it may have seemed pretty bleak, taken captive, home city and place of worship destroyed, but yet Daniel was faithful, Daniel was relentless and God used that for His glory. Whereas the world wanted to defile Daniel and his friends they would not be conformed but they were to be transformers of the power of Jehovah God. God will use us where He has us placed, in the home, in the neighborhood, in the community and even in the government. You are God’s remnant, be faithful, be true, be diligent and be resolved like Daniel.
If you feel alone, know God is with you
When you feel ill-equipped; trust God and His equipping
When you are tired and weary; Remember the Lord is your strength
Final food for thought, or Word for consideration this morning
24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.
If God has called you to it, He will see it through! - as a transformer it may not always be easy, but it will be eternally worth it, so go forth and be like Daniel!
(Prayer)