“In the back of house, there is a good and a loving God working for his glory and for our good.”
Sermon Series: ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐: ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐
Sermon #1: ๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ! ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
Scripture Text: ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐
Sermon Notes:
DANIEL 1:1-6 NIV
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 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.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility--
4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.
6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
- Front of house
- Back of house
“All the world’s stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” – William Shakespeare
- Is it possible to thrive and not just survive in this life?
“Daniel didnโtโ spend his life questioning Godโs sovereignty. Rather, he spent his life resting on Godโs sovereignty.”
“Daniel was able to thrive because in the back of house, there is a good and loving God working for his glory and for our good.”
DANIELโS DEPORTATION
DANIEL 1:1-6 NIV
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
2 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.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility--
4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians.
5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.
6 Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
DANIEL >>>> BELTESHAZZAR
(God is my Judge) (Bel, protect the king)
HANANIAH >>>> SHADRACH
(The Lord is Gracious) (Command of Aku)
MISHAEL >>>> MESHACH
(Who is like the Lord?) (Who is what Aku is?)
AZARIAH >>>> ABEDNEGO
(The Lord is my Helper) (Servant of Nebo)
DANIEL 1:3 NIV
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility--
- court official – Hebrew root: saris
- to castrate
DANIELโS DILEMMA
DANIEL 1:8-16 NIV
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel,
10 but the official told Daniel, โI am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.โ
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
12 โPlease test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.โ
14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. 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.โ
16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
DANIELโS DELIVERANCE
DANIEL 1:18-21 NIV
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.
19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king's service.
20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.
- give | Hebrew root: nathan
- to give, to make, to put, to set
DANIEL 1:2 NIV
2 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.
- “God โgaveโ exile”
DANIEL 1:9 NIV
9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel
- God โgaveโ favor
DANIEL 1:17 NIV
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
- God โgaveโ abilities
Takeaway #1:
GOD โGAVEโ ABILITIES
“If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of The Boat” — John Ortberg
“There is no tragedy like the tragedy of the unopened gift.”
- What has the Lord of the Gift given to you that you need to invest in the kingdom?
Takeaway #2:
GOD โGAVEโ FAVOR
- How have you experienced the favor of God lately?
PSALMS 16:5-7 NIV
5 LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
PSALMS 16:5-7 NIV
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
Takeaway #3:
GOD โGAVEโ EXILE
- Has God put you in some sort of โexileโ?
“In the back of house, there is a good and a loving God working for his glory and for our good.”
HOW DO WE THRIVE?
LOOK FOR GOD IN THESE AREAS:
God โgaveโ gifts/abilities
God โgaveโ favor
God โgaveโ exile
“God can make beautiful music in your life and Daniel reminds us that in the back of house, behind the scenes, there is a good and a loving God working for his glory and for our good.” — Ptr Nic Sy