Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20110109.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Daniel: Hope And Direction In A Troublesome World
B. God's Blessing Of Bible-Focused And Thus Upright, Caring Leaders
(Daniel 2:1-30, 45b-49)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    The need for good leadership in today's troubled world is huge:

    (1) Not a week seems to go by but that I hear some conservative radio talk show host lament the loss of past national leaders like a Ronald Reagan or a George Washington.

    (2) David Gergen's article, "America's Best Leaders" in the October 22, 2006 issue of U. S. News & World Report told how "two thirds of the [American] public believes the nation is in a leadership crisis, while nearly three quarters worries that unless we find better leaders soon, the nation will begin to decline." (usnews.com)

    (3) This concern applies not only to national leadership, but at all levels: Silla Brush's article, "A Vote of No Confidence" in the same issue reported: "There is a deep-seated skepticism, a distrust of leaders-whether boardroom chief, university head, or media watchdog. In each of 11 different fields, no more than 40 percent of Americans said they had a great deal of confidence in leaders . . ." (Ibid.)

    (4) At the grassroots level, the lack of good leaders is great. David Blankenhorn's 1995 book, Fatherless America: Confronting Our Most Urgent Social Problem mentions that 40 % of the children born in our country now come from unwed mothers, children who will not be raised by their fathers! This is "the engine driving our most urgent social problems, from crime to adolescent pregnancy to domestic violence," David Blankenhorn, "Life Without Father," USA Weekend in the Torrington Register-Citizen, February 24-26, 1995, p. 4-5 in citing the same author's aforementioned book.

    (5) The cry for leaders on the mission field is huge! Reports of thousands in China coming to faith in Christ each day with precious few spiritually mature or trained Church leaders and pastors to disciple them typifies similar problems throughout the Third World! Jason Mandryk's, Operation World (2010) that lists prayer requests for all the world's nations constantly mentions the need for good Christian leaders -- pick almost any country and you will find this need there!



    Accordingly, we ask, "What must I do to be blessed of God in reference to my own leadership efforts?!"

    Need: "With the vast need for good leaders in today's troublesome world, briefly, what should I do for God's blessing in leading?!"

  1. Israel's KINGS were to expose their minds to SCRIPTURE to be UPRIGHT and CARING so as to be BLESSED, Deut. 17:18-20!
  2. However, due to the violation of this directive, God was set to punish Israel with national captivity, Jeremiah 2:8; 1:14-16.
  3. Yet, when Daniel, a prince in David's line, committed himself to SCRIPTURE so that he acted UPRIGHTLY and was CARING, God BLESSED him with GREAT LEADERSHIP in CAPTIVITY:
    1. Daniel was in David's line (Dan. 1:3, 6), and though captured in an early Babylonian invasion (Dan. 1:1, 3, 6; Bib. Know. Com., O. T., p. 1326), he devoted himself to heed Scripture in abstaining from the king's idolatrous food, Ryrie St. Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Daniel 1:8.
    2. God then let events arise where this son of David's uprightness and care for others that grew out of his exposure to Scripture led to great leadership blessings in line with God's Deuteronomy 17:18-20 plan!
      1. In Nebuchadnezzar's second year as king, he had a recurring nightmare, Dan. 2:1 NIV; Ibid., Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1332.
      2. Dreams were seen to predict the future, so this new king was concerned that his nightmare be explained so he could adjust for future trouble, and he told his dream "experts" to interpret it and also relate what he had dreamed, Daniel 2:2-5a! Daniel felt that if they could truly predict the future, they could also recover the past (Ibid., p. 1333), and their ability to recover the past dream could be tested by him so he would be sure of the right interpretation!
      3. The pagan dream "experts" could not help the king, so in a rage fueled by his own fears, he ordered their execution, Dan. 2:5b-12!
      4. Daniel and his associates who were absent from this meeting, so when they were sought to be slain along with the dream "experts," he asked for an explanation, and, learning of the meeting, he asked the king for a set time to get the desired information, Dan. 2:13-16.
      5. Acquiring the postponement, Daniel had his associates ask God for insight into the dream and its interpretation, Daniel 2:17-18.
      6. God gave Daniel the dream and its interpretation in a night vision, using the spiritual gift given him back in Daniel 1:17! (Dan. 2:19a)
      7. Daniel rejoiced over God's help (Daniel 2:19b-20), acknowledging God as the Cause of all leadership blessings, Daniel 2:21-22.
      8. Thanking the Lord for this insight (Dan. 2:23), Daniel spoke with the king caringly to say that the dream "experts" need not be slain, for Daniel knew the dream and its interpretation, Daniel 2:24-25.
      9. Before giving the king the desired information, Daniel testified how only the God of heaven could reveal it, Daniel 2:26-28a.
      10. Daniel then explained that before Nebuchadnezzar had gone to sleep each night before dreaming his nightmare, his thoughts had been set on what might occur in his future, Daniel 2 :28b-29a.
      11. Accordingly, in the form of a prophetic dream, the God of heaven had revealed the future to this king, Daniel 2:29b.
      12. Daniel expressed real care for the king himself, stating that the dream was for his benefit, that he as king might understand the thoughts that had been in his head before he dreamed, Daniel 2:30.
      13. [The dream itself (Daniel 2:31-45) presented Gentile world history related to Israel from Daniel down to Christ's Messianic Kingdom, so we will view its many aspects in a separate sermon next week!]
      14. However, when Daniel explained this dream and its interpretation that the king himself could verify as true, this pagan ruler who was yet to take all Israel captive fell down before Daniel and ordered sacrifices be made to him that were made to his gods, Daniel 2:46!
      15. Pagan king Nebuchadnezzar then testified that Daniel's God was truly the God of gods and Lord of lords, Daniel 2:47!
      16. Daniel was elevated over the whole province of Babylon, and he arranged for his Hebrew associates to be promoted, Dan.2:48-49!
      17. In summary, then, a Scripture-based Daniel with uprightness (abstaining from the king's food) and care for others (concern for the lives of the dream "experts", his Hebrew associates and helping the king be settled over his dream) was elevated to be honored by the king who was yet to capture the bulk of his people in Judah so that Daniel could mediate for his people in captivity, Ibid., p. 1337!
Application: In view of the vast need of good leaders in today's troublesome world, briefly, (1) may we believe in Christ as Savior in obedience to God to be saved, John 3:16; Acts 17:30. (2) Then, (a) may we believe and (b) heed Scripture's upright directives (c) to become people who care for others, and (d) God will establish and augment our influence even in today's troublesome world!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 For years, my wife and I have often heard women express concern for the lack of leadership in a boyfriend or a husband. In many cases, I have noted that the man has a lack of confidence in the Bible, or he fails to respect its divine authority, so he does not obey it and he ends up not being upright or caring, but tending to be irresponsible.

Just the opposite was true of our nation's past great leaders:

(1) Patrick Henry, a ratifier of the U. S. Constitution, claimed: "The Bible . . . is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed." (Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry , p. 402 as cited in christianity.about.com)

(2) John Adams, our second president held: "Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited . . . What a Eutopia, what a Paradise would this region be." (Ibid., citing Diary & Biography of John Adams, Vol. III, p. 9.)

(3) John Quincy Adams, our sixth president asserted: " . . . (M)ay the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God' (Isaiah 52:10)." (Ibid., citing Life of John Quincy Adams, p. 248)

(4) Astoundingly, the 1892 Supreme Court Decision in the case of the Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States concluded: "Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extend our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian . . ." (The Rebirth of America, 1986, The Arthur S. DeMoss Foundation, p. 21)

It is then apparent that the reason God so blessed past leadership in this country is because it fit into the Deuteronomy 17:14-20 program for successful kings like Daniel did in Daniel 2! As they believed the divine inspiration and authority of Scripture, they became men of uprightness and integrity who cared for others around them so that they were blessed to be our great leaders!

Would to God that every man would do the same today!

May we all like Daniel trust and heed Scripture that we might be upright and caring of everybody else around us, that God may greatly bless us in regard to leadership!