rec0807-111903<\/a><\/p>\n Daniel 1-4<\/strong><\/p>\n Our text for today focuses on a king <\/strong>who could possibly be the most influential king in all of human history and how that king came to honor and praise the King of Heaven, all because four believers trusted in God regardless of the circumstances.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel and his three\u00a0Jewish friends found themselves in difficult circumstances. They made the decision to follow God. They made their decision based on 3 points:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. They purposed in their hearts to follow God <\/strong>regardless of the circumstances.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2. They decided to promote God <\/strong>through <\/strong>their faith and service.<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. We are going to see that because of their faith and their actions,<\/strong><\/p>\n others decided to praise and honor God.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Daniel 1:1-4 (NKJV) <\/p>\n We read in verse 5 that it was a three year program of learning, indoctrination and brain-washing.<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel 1:5-7 (NKJV) <\/p>\n Our text tells us that it was Daniel who was first up, with his difficult circumstances, who purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel 1:8 (NKJV) <\/p>\n Why is it important to God that we live holy lives?<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n 1 Peter 1:15-19 (NKJV) What then? What happens after we accept God’s gift of salvation?<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Daniel 2:46-49 (NKJV) <\/p>\n Now it is Shadrach’s, Meshack’s, and Abed-Nego’s turn to promote God and show their faith in God.<\/strong> <\/p>\n King Nebuchadnezzar threatened the three Jewish lads who wanted to promote God through their faith and service. Their answer…<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel 3:16-18 (NKJV) <\/p>\n God received the glory because the three young men promoted God through their faith and service.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Daniel 3:26-30 (NKJV) <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reviewing Daniel 1-4:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1. Chapter 1…God had made Daniel and his three friends\u00a0ten times\u00a0better than anyone else in the court because they had purposed in their heart they would follow God regardless of their circumstances. King Nebuchadnezzar\u00a0honored them by having the four serve in his courts.<\/strong><\/p>\n 2. Chapter 2…Daniel interpreted a dream of the king’s, and he and his friends were promoted because their god (Yahweh) is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets.<\/strong><\/p>\n 3. Chapter 3…Daniel and the three friends were promoted again because Yahweh had saved them from the fiery furnace. They had promoted God through their faith and service and would not serve any other gods.<\/strong><\/p>\n 4. Chapter 4…King Nebuchadnezzar\u00a0directly rejects Yahweh and Yahweh deals with the king directly. The king has another dream and no one except Daniel could interpret the dream. God wanted King \u00a0Nebuchadnezzar\u00a0to know that HE had given him the kingdom of Babylon and to acknowledge that God is sovereign.<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel 4:24-25 (NKJV) <\/p>\n Daniel declares what the king must do to avoid God’s punishment…<\/strong><\/p>\n Daniel 4:27 (NKJV) <\/p>\n King Nebuchadnezzar rejects Yahweh…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Daniel 4:28-33 (NKJV) <\/strong> <\/p>\n King Nebuchadnezzar returned from his rejection of God\u00a0and praised Yahweh for who He is…<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Daniel 4:37 (NKJV) <\/p>\n Will you purpose in your heart to follow God regardless of the circumstances?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Will you promote God in your life with your faith in Him and in serving Him?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Will you honor and praise God for\u00a0who He truly is?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Message by Dr. Gary Jarnagin rec0807-111903 Trusting in God Regardless of the Circumstances Daniel 1-4 Our text for today focuses on a king who could possibly be the most influential king in all of human history and how that king … Continue reading Trusting in God<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n
Regardless of the Circumstances<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n
\u00a0I. Purpose in our heart\u00a0to follow God\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span>regardless of the circumstances.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>1 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.
\n2 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.
\n3 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king’s descendants and some of the nobles,
\n4 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0young men in whom there was<\/i> no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had<\/i> ability to serve in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>5 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time<\/i> they might serve before the king.
\n6 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
\n7 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name<\/i> Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>8 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>15 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0but as He who called you is<\/i> holy, you also be holy in all your<\/i> conduct, 16 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy”<\/i>…18 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, …<\/em>19 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>9 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0But you are<\/i> a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;<\/p>\nII. Promote God in our lives through our faith and service.<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>46 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.
\n47 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is<\/i> the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”
\n48 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men<\/i> of Babylon.
\n49 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat<\/i> in the gate of the king.<\/p>\n
\nDaniel 3:1-6 (NKJV)
\n<\/strong>1 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was<\/i> sixty cubits and<\/i> its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
\n2 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word<\/i> to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
\n3 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
\n4 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
\n5 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0that<\/i> at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and<\/i> psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;
\n6 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” <\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>16 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
\n17 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0If that is the case,<\/i> our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us<\/i> from your hand, O king.
\n18 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>26 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and<\/i> spoke, saying, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here.”<\/i> Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
\n27 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
\n28 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!
\n29 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.”
\n30 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.<\/p>\nIII. Honor and praise God for who He truly is.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>24 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
\n25 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>27 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you; break off your sins by being<\/i> righteous, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the<\/i> poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”<\/p>\n
\n28 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0All this<\/i> came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
\n29 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon.
\n30 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The king spoke, saying, “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?”
\n31 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0While the word was still<\/i> in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!
\n32 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling shall be<\/i> with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen; and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”
\n33 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers<\/i> and his nails like birds’ claws.<\/i> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>37 <\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are<\/i> truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.<\/p>\n