Mission Impossible
Starting the Year with Daniel • Sermon • Submitted
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· 32 viewsIt is customary for us to set goals and make plans each time we start a brand new year. Sometimes we have goals thats seems to be very impossible to achieve. Or, sometimes we are asked to do some things that seems to be impossible for us with our given limitations and circumstances. What shall we do when we are facing a "Mission Impossible"? We shall confront the impossible the way DANIEL did. Do not panic. Ask why. Never rush and ask for time. Invite people to pray with you. Empathize with others and Lay your problems and petitions before God.
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Study have showed that people gain an average of 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving through out Christmas, and until the New Year’s
Turn to your seat mates and ask...
Did you gain weight this Christmas season?
Let’s star our year with Daniel
Daniel is David’s second son, the first by his wife Abigail of Carmel
He was also called Kileab ()
And then later on he was renamed “Belteshazzar” when exiled to Babylon at the age of around 16-17
He is one of the five major prophets in the Bible
And he was made administrator over Babylon because of his ability to interpret dreams for king Nebuchadnezzar
And was made administrator over Babylon because of his ability to interpret dreams for king Nebuchadnezzar
BREATHE!
In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon besieged Judah
Nebuchadnezzar ordered to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family
Young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve the king’s palace
The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table
They were to be trained for 3 years
Among those who were chosen was Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah and they were exiled to Babylon
The chief official gave them the names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; To Hananaiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; to Azariah, Abednego
The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and asked the chief official to feed them with vegetable and water instead
At first the chief official was afraid to heed Daniel’s request because it is his head at stake if they were not properly nourished
To convince the chief official, Daniel said just to try for 10 days, and afterwards, to compare them with the others who were fed with royal food
So, the chief official agreed and fed them just vegetables to eat and water to drink for 10 days
Daniel 1:15
At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.
BREATHE!
This is now what we christians know as the “Daniel’s Fast” or “Daniel’s Plan”
To those who think that they gained weight over the holiday season, why don’t you go ahead and try “Daniel’s Fast”?
Fasting doesn’t only have spiritual benefits, but it also have health benefits
BREATHE!
It is typical of us every time we start a new year to:
Write our New Year’s Resolution
Set our goals
Make our plans
And try to look into the future hoping to have a glimpse of what is in store for us for the new year
Some still consults “fengshui” masters to get an idea on how their year ahead looks like
They refer to Chinese zodiac, and for them, 2018 is the “year of the dog”
I don’t know about you, but I’m not putting my faith on a dog, I am not entrusting my future to an animal
“My year belongs to God, and my God holds my future...”
Let’s say that on altogether.... “My year belongs to God, and my God holds my future...”
BREATHE!
Let me share with you what God says about predicting the future (these are not in your outline.. write them down)
Nobody knows the future
Since no one knows the future, who can tell someone else what is to come?
A fool talks too much. No one knows the future, and no one can tell what will happen after death.
Ecclesiastes
and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming— who can tell someone else what will happen after them?
All psychics, mediums, fortune tellers, astrologers are fraud & fakes (astronomy is a legitimate science)
I make liars of false prophets and fools of fortunetellers. I take human wisdom and turn it into nonsense.
who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense,
Isaiah 44:25
“ ‘Do not go to mediums or fortune-tellers for advice, or you will become unclean. I am the Lord your God.
“ ‘I will be against anyone who goes to mediums and fortune-tellers for advice, because that person is being unfaithful to me. So I will cut him off from his people.
The test of a true prophet of God is 100% accuracy
You might be thinking, “How can we know if a message is not from the Lord?” If what a prophet says in the name of the Lord does not happen, it is not the Lord’s message. That prophet was speaking his own ideas. Don’t be afraid of him.
BREATHE!
What are the Goals that you have set for yourselves this year?
Who says… raise your hand...
New car?
New house?
Promotion at work?
New Job?
Promotion at work?
New wife/husband?
Promotion at work?
What about for God? What personal “Smart Goals” have you set for the Lord and His Church?
When we set our goals, it has to be “smart”, which means, Simple, Measurable, Appropriate, Realistic & Time bound
Who says… raise your hand...
I will be more involved in the ministries of the church?
I will start my own “Life Group”?
I will be more faithful in giving back to God? (Time, Talent and Treasure)
I will be more active in bringing people to Christ?
I will be more consistent in reading the Bible everyday?
BREATHE!
Sometimes we have goals thats seems to be very impossible to achieve
Or, sometimes we are asked to do some things that seems to be impossible for us with out given limitations and circumstances
What shall we do when we are facing “Mission Impossible”?
Do we have to look as good as “Tom Cruise” to face the impossible?
Do we have to be as “buffed” as him to be on a “Mission Impossible”
Let’s see what we can learn as we “Start the Year with Daniel”
Text: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream ()
Text: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream ()
In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign as king of Babylon, he had dreams
So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed
When they came, they stood before the king and the king said to them, “I had a dream and I want to know what it means”
Then the astrologers replied, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants your dream, and we will interpret it for you”
But the king said, “no, tell me my dream and interpret it, otherwise, I will have you killed, cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubbles”
On the other hand however, if you tell me my dream and explain it, you will receive gifts from me, and rewards and great honor
The astrologers replied once more, “let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it”
But the king answered, you are just trying to gain time hoping to mislead me and change the situation. “tell me the dream, and that way, I will know that you can interpret it for me”
BREATHE!
The astrologers answered the king in verse 10
The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer. What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.”
The astrologers answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.
To the astrologers, it was a “Mission Impossible”
This made the king so angry and furious, that he ordered the execution of all wise men of Babylon, and that will include Daniel and his three friends
So there was a great crisis
How do we confront the impossible?
If you’re God-given goals seems to be impossible, what should you do?
Or perhaps in your workplace, If your manager, your supervisor or your boss told you something that seems impossible for you achieve, what should you do?
Or maybe in your own household, if your mom or dad asked you to do something that looks impossible for you to carry out, what should you do?
Let’s see and learn how Daniel faced his “Mission Impossible”
Facing the Impossible with DANIEL
Facing the Impossible with DANIEL
First of all
DON’T Panic
When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.
Secondly,
ASK Why
He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel.
Thirdly,
NEVER Rush and Ask for Time
At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.
Fourthly,
INVITE People to Pray with Me
They are your prayer partners
If you don’t have one, I strongly recommend that you join one, or better yet, form your own
Life Group is not another program of our church, they are the “church” patterned in the early churches of the NT
It is a gathering of at least 3 or more people
Life Group is where you could Connect together, Care for one another, and Coach for each other
It is a safe place where you can be yourself
Grow closer to God
Cultivate friendship
Make a difference
Explore the most important questions in life
Have fun together
You can meet anywhere that is convenient for the group (home, workplace, coffee shops, parks, etc.)
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Here you can see the great importance of having your own Life Group
They are your prayer partners
If you don’t have one, I strongly recommend that you join one, or better yet, form one
Life Group is not another program of our church, they are the “church” patterned in the early churches of the NT
It is a gathering of at least 3 or more people
Life Group is where you could Connect together, Care for one another, and Coach for each other
It is a very safe place where you can be yourself
Grow closer to God
Cultivate friendship
Make a difference
Explore the most important questions in life
Have fun together
You can meet anywhere that is convenient for the group (
It’s very easy to become a Life Group HOST:
Heart for People (grab 2 or more friends)
Open up a place to meet (home, workplace, coffee shops, parks, etc.)
Serve some Snacks (nothing fancy, inexpensive food shall be enough to provide a welcoming environment)
Turn your Gadget (tons of resources are available at our church website www.agapechurchofsandiego.org)
Fifthly,
EMPATHIZE with Others (even with the unbelievers)
He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
And finally,
LAY Your Problems and Petitions before God
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
BREATHE!
The Story of My 2004 Election
3 G’s is how they call it
To win an election you have to have Guns, Goons and Gold. Which at that time, I don’t have
What I had was only 2 G’s. And what is that?… That stands for God and Guts
I didn’t have connections to the higher echelon of Philippine politics
And I was up against an incumbent congressman, backed by the president, a senator, the governor, and most of the mayors in our district (out of 8, he had 7 of them, while only one dared to take my side)
But I didn’t panic
I asked God why am I doing this, and He made the reasons very clear in my heart.
To empathize with the poor.
This plan of mine was originally for the 2001 elections which was 3 years prior
But my elder brother Pempe, who was Mayor at that time, who stood as my second dad, and that I consider as my father figure, talked to me, and taught me, wisdom that I cherish even to this day
He taught me the wisdom about the right seed, sown in the right soil, planted at the right time
And so I did not rush, but instead, I obeyed my brother’s advice, and accepted his offer for me to run for councilor of our city instead..
I asked God for time...
But then in 2004, it was my brother Pempe himself who reminded me of what he taught me 3 years prior, and he said… this is your time...
So I laid my petitions to God
And then I proceed with my candidacy for congress.
I remember my wife, with my little Aj, little Jaja, little Jada and little Anton campaigning with me in the villages
It was a “Mission Impossible” for us
I laid my petitions to God
But being under God’s grace, I believed that, what is impossible for men, is possible to God.
And so I won as among the youngest members of the Philippine Congress
Beca
Not because of myself. Not because of my brother. Not because of anyone else. But purely because of God.
BREATHE!
Do you feel that you’re facing a “Mission Impossible” this year 2018?
If you do, let that acts of Daniel inspire you today
Don’t Panic
Ask Why
Never Rush and Ask for Time
Invite People to Pray with you
Empathize with others (even with the unbelievers)
Lay your Problems and Petitions before God
Prayer
Prayer
One of my favorite songs before I came to know the Lord was the song, “My Way” by Frank Sinatra
I was inspired by it do all things “my way”
But, “my way” didn’t work out, it led to failures upon failures, until I reached major disaster of my life
But that disaster was the Lord’s way to call me to Him
And since that glorious day, I traded in “my way”, for “His way”
I’d like to ask all of you to stand up, and sing this prayer with me… shall we?