Are there Daniels here today?

Let’s face it! We all have to deal with unreasonable people at times. We all experience seasons when the bottom falls out and we are left wondering what to do. What is the solution? I say that we must remind ourselves daily, like Daniel did in Daniel chapter 2, that “there is a God in Heaven” (2:8). Even when things seem big, bad, and ugly…we have hope…more than hope. We have an assurance that God is with us — we can call upon Him and He will answer.

Introduction

I know I focus a lot of my messages upon how we should respond when we face trials or complete disaster at times. There are reasons: God’s Word has a lot to say about it, we are all slow learners, and we will continue to face things that challenge us to step up and trust God, or to give up and try to fix it ourselves. Be honest, which category do you fall into most of the time? Do you trust Godor give up and try to fix it yourself? There is another category some of us fall into: put your head in the sand and pretend everything is fine or just ignore it and maybe it will go away.

I know I focus a lot of my messages upon how we should respond when we face trials or complete disaster at times. There is a reason for that. We are all slow learners. And we will continue to face things that challenge us to step up and trust God, or to give up and try to fix it ourselves. Be honest, which category do you fall into most of the time…trust God or give up and try to fix it yourself? There is another category some of us fall into at times: put our head in the sand and pretend everything is fine or just ignore it and maybe it will go away.

Today’s passage is Daniel chapter 2 - and the question is this: “Are there Daniels here today?”

Here’s the setting:

Daniel 1:1–2 NIV

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.

Nebuchadnezzar took thousands captive and brought them to his country, Babylonia. These things began in approximately 605 B.C.

The king ordered one of his officials to bring in some of the young Hebrews that were from the royal family or nobility, specifically strong, smart, and defect-free. After 3 years of training, the best of them would serve in the palace. The king made sure that they were taught Babylonian language, culture, and literature. They were to eat at the king’s table — the best food and drink available. Among these young men were: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azaria.

God highly favored these 4 Hebrew boys with wisdom and insight. God blessed Daniel with the gift of understanding visions and dreams of all kinds.

Can you imagine the culture shock for the Hebrew people that the King brought into captivity? Another land, culture, and religion. Everything they had ever known was stripped from them — almost like being swept away to another planet for these sheltered people. It was like the bottom fell out of their lives.

Let’s take a peak into the palace in chapter two. Daniel and his 3 friends faced a life or death dilemma that would take a miracle to survive. Thankfully, Daniel was more than confident that “There is a God in Heaven...” This fact would be their only hope in the face of a hopeless situation. We learn from Daniel an important truth:

There’s no need to fall apart when things fall apart; call your friends to prayer and trust God for miracles!

Interrogatory: Do you think it is important to call out to God immediately in the face big trouble?

— we all would say yes…but is that what we actually do?

Transitional: Some situations really do seem hopeless…that is the time to pray

UNREASONABLE PEOPLE CAN MOTIVATE YOU TO PRAY

Exposition

Daniel 2:1 NIV

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.

Daniel 2:1–6 NIV

In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep. So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king, he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.” Then the astrologers answered the king, “May the king live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.” The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided: If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

A. Desperate people can be unreasonable

The king was deeply shaken by his dreams — so he wanted to make sure his magicians, sorcerers, etc., gave him the truth. “You tell me what my dream was first. Then tell me what it means”

They had no way to tell him what the dream was — “Only the gods could tell you what your dream is and they don’t live among men!”

They were terrified, I’m sure, but they had no way to tell him what the dream was — “Only the gods could tell you what your dream is and they don’t live among men!”

In essence, they said to the king, “You are being unreasonable.” He didn’t care…He had to be absolutely certain about the meaning of his dreams.

After they made the same excuse a couple of times...

Daniel 2:12–17 NIV

This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death. 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. He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him. Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

Daniel 2:

B. God’s people must learn the importance of trusting God

Daniel and his 3 friends were considered part of the group that were supposed to be executed

Something had to be done…and quickly

Nebuchadnezzar was an unreasonable, possibly unstable man

But God had a plan…God always has a plan

In January 1989, Linda and I had recently left our youth pastor position in Alvin, TX and I had taken a job as an assistant manager for Eckerd Drug (like Walgreen). We left our position because of an unreasonable expectation placed upon us. Linda was due with our first child at the time. She went into labor January 13 or 14. I took her to Humana Hosptial in Clearlake. She was in labor far too long and the baby was in distress; she had to have an emergency c-section. When our beautiful little girl was born, she had severe Meconium aspiration. She was placed immediately into intensive care, where she stayed for 14 days.

When I had a chance to breathe I went and told my manager the story and that I would not be able to come to work for a few days. He told me that I could not miss work. I thought that was unreasonable, so I told him he would have to fire me because I needed to be with my family. We had a stare-down — He didn’t budge so I called his boss. Mysteriously, my manager then budged!

Unreasonable situations and people are not the end of the story…we must call upon a higher authority!

Application:

They have unfair expectations

They might be desperate…like a wild animal that’s backed into a corner — who knows what they will say or do

Hopeless situations and unreasonable people call on us to put our trust in God for the answers

Transitional: Daniel and his friends didn’t know how things would change, but they did know their only solution was to seek the Lord.

WHEN THE BOTTOM FALLS OUT...PRAY TOGETHER

God’s will is for His people to call upon Him with one voice and one heart

Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

God definitely revealed mysteries to Daniel — he became one of the major prophets of the OT

A. Don’t delay…pray!

Daniel 2:18 NIV

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.

B. Be confident in God’s faithfulness

Daniel obviously had confidence in God’s ability to do whatever it took to deliver them

He obviously had confidence in God’s ability to do whatever it took to deliver them

The same thing was in play when he chose not to eat the king’s rich food and drink.

Transitional: You can be confident that as you come together with one another in prayer, God will bring the answers...

One reason might be the condition of our own heart

Sin

We don’t want to deal with it or even admit it at times

Maybe we try to deny our sinful heart/attitude because we don’t want to change anything. We don’t want to have to face the fact that our hearts are distant from the Lord.

Sin will drive a wedge between you and God

Sin grows when our commitment to God’s path weakens

His house, His Word, His people, His calling

Weak faith — because we haven’t been doing anything to strengthen our faith

Weak and apathetic faith will lead to

Pride

A distancing of one’s self from the Body of Christ — the very people we need to call upon for prayer!

Pray for a new, strengthened and determined heart — to trust God and to call upon friends to join you in prayer

Transitional: You can be confident that as you come together with one another in prayer, God will bring the answers...

WHEN THE ANSWER COMES GIVE GOD THE PRAISE

A. The answer will come

Daniel 2:19 NIV

During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven

Daniel 2:19

The passages goes on to record Daniel’s beautiful psalm of praise and worship to the Lord

B. Always give God the credit

Daniel 2:

Daniel 2:24–25 NIV

Then Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to execute the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon. Take me to the king, and I will interpret his dream for him.” Arioch took Daniel to the king at once and said, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can tell the king what his dream means.”

Arioch took the credit — “I have found a man...”

Daniel

Daniel is the one that called his prayer partners together for a serious and desperate prayer meeting

Daniel is the one the Lord reveal the meaning of the dreams to

Arioch wanted a piece of the pie!! Daniel wasn’t concerned about that…He wanted God to have all of the credit

Daniel 2:26–28 NIV

The king asked Daniel (also called Belteshazzar), “Are you able to tell me what I saw in my dream and interpret it?” Daniel replied, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are these:

Daniel 2:26

Always acknowledge God as your source and strength

Daniel said, in essence “there is nothing special about me, king. There is no human being on planet earth that can grant your request....”

“But there is a God in Heaven…who reveals mysteries!”

Conclusion:

Impossible circumstances become opportunities for you and your praying friends to completely trust God

Challenge

As we look back at Daniel’s faith…as we observe his wisdom in calling upon his friends to join him in prayer, we can’t help but be encouraged to know that God can do the same with any of us. Daniel is a great example to us.

Many of the most challenging problems we face have to do with unreasonable people

They have unfair expectations

They might be desperate…like a wild animal that’s backed into a corner — who knows what they will say or do

Hopeless situations and unreasonable people challenge us to trust God for the answers

Are there Daniels here today?

Absolutely!

Why is that we often run from God instead of to Him when things seem hopeless?

The condition of your own heart

Sin

We don’t want to deal with it or even admit it at times

Maybe we try to deny our sinful heart/attitude because we don’t want to change anything. We don’t want to have to face the fact that our hearts are distant from the Lord.

Sin will drive a wedge between you and God

Sin grows when our commitment to God’s path weakens

His house, His Word, His people, His calling

Weak faith — as result of doing very little to strengthen our faith

Weak and apathetic faith will lead to

Pride

A distancing of one’s self from the Body of Christ — the very people we need to call upon for prayer!

Pray for a new, strengthened and determined heart — to trust God and to call upon friends to join you in prayer

Always acknowledge God as your source and strength

Daniel said, in essence “there is nothing special about me, king. There is no human being on planet earth that can grant your request....”

“But there is a God in Heaven…who reveals mysteries!”

Do you believe “there is a God in Heaven?”

Search your own heart and humbly seek the Lord

How will you face unreasonable people and impossible circumstances?

Face hopeless situations with your brothers and sisters in Christ…don’t go it alone!

We could be like the kings magicians: they ducked, dodged, and denied — they stalled

They had absolutely no answer…and they knew it

Search your own heart and humbly seek the Lord

It might be a stretch for us…but it is a key to finding the answers and miracles we need

God is our only source of deliverance…where else can we go?

Do you believe “there is a God in Heaven?”

Trust Him for the answers

Praise Him for the answers