Sermon Notes : Sunday September 10, 2023

How do you respond when you are displaced, interrupted, re-routed, relocated, or blocked at every turn?

Daniel and three other young men were deported from their homeland and immersed in a high-speed, all encompassing, intense 3-year elite training program intended to completely transform their minds, bodies, relationships, and spiritual orientation.  Think of it as a military boot-camp, million-dollar makeover, and MIT mental marathon all  rolled into one.

Believe it or not, that summation covers just 1/12th of the Biblical book of Daniel.  This saga begins in Daniel chapter 1.  READ THE TEXT of THE BIBLE.

Daniel 1:1-21

Deported but not Defeated (vv. 1-3)

Daniel was–

Determined (vv. 3-7)

Daniel made a decision that resulted in world-wide influence across thousands of years.

Different (vv. 8-10)

Daniel was concerned with defilement.  He prioritized faithfulness to his God and God’s Word.  He was willing to risk everything!

Diplomatic (vv. 11-15)

Daniel didn’t go on a hunger strike; instead he found a way to establish a win-win for those in authority over him.

Disciplined (vv. 16-20)

He and his fellow Hebrews completed the 3-year program without giving in to the pressure to conform.

Dedicated (v. 21)

Some scholars contend that Daniel served faithfully for more than 70 years across the entire captivity of God’s people in Babylon.

APPLICATION

  • Look how we react the minute something goes wrong.
  • Is this story really about what an amazing person Daniel was? NO THIS IS ABOUT GOD’s might, power, and glory as He exercised His sovereignty.

When you combine these, you realize that what we consider a massive disaster, God uses as an opportunity to expose additional parts of the planet to Himself through His people!

EXAMPLES OF CIRCUMSTANCES YOU MIGHT INTERPRET NEGATIVELY:

  • Your school schedule is all set and then the next thing you know you get moved to a different classroom.
  • You join the military, and they said you would go to a certain school after boot-camp but at the last minute you get sent somewhere else.
  • You are up for a promotion and someone else gets the nod instead of you.  You end up with a new boss and different responsibilities than you had before.
  • One of your family members makes a bad decision and you are suddenly spending time with lots of people you never would have met except for someone else’s mistake.

Are all these instances of God punishing you?

Are all these instances of you being a failure; of not making the grade?

Are you just a victim caught up in an out-of-control universe?

OR IS GOD CONSTANTLY, INCESSANTLY working in and through every detail of every life, including yours?