Monday Reflections from Sunday...Dare to be a Daniel...sermon post from 7/26/20

The sermon post is given at the bottom of the page for Sunday 7/26/20.  I like to keep a record on the post of successive sermons through the Gospel of Luke and so another will be coming soon for Sunday 8/2/20.  

I am back to a full schedule of teaching at the church.  Sunday morning we are walking through Luke 24.  Sunday night we are looking at the book of Daniel and currently in chapter 2.  Wednesday night we are making our way through 2 Peter and also in chapter 2.  Sunday mornings during the Sunday School hour I am conducting a membership class for the Sundays in August.  Lastly, I am finishing up my online masters class covering the Pauline Epistles with a paper due this weekend covering 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.  My nose is in "the Book."

I am not complaining.  It takes a lot of discipline and time management to accomplish this along with church administrative duties, weekly fellowship gatherings, and search team responsibilities but in the midst of the full schedule God provides things to write in this blog that I am learning.  Let me share one with you from my Sunday night studies in the book of Daniel.

Daniel did not compromise in chapter 1 over God's commands about what he should eat and not eat.  The result from the Lord was a position in King Nebuchadnezzar's court.  Daniel was also given by God the ability to understand visions and dreams of every kind (1.17).  In chapter 2, this God given ability is called upon.  The king has a dream and he is requiring the wise men to produce not only the interpretation but also the dream.  The wise men say that no one can do both unless it comes from the gods.  The reaction of the king is to kill them all, Daniel and his buds also.  

How will Daniel respond?  I love to make charts and lists so here is my attempt at dissecting his movements.  A question has been asked of you, a spiritual question, from someone who is a little skeptical about religion, the church, and such.  How will you respond?  I would say, "Be a Daniel," in relationship to his steps of response.

• Daniel conducted himself with tact and discretion prior to the situation (14).
• Daniel asked a question of clarification (15).
• Daniel listened intently to the answer (15).
• Daniel asked for some time (16).
• Daniel enlisted others for prayer (17).
• Daniel prayed to God and with others in mind (18).
• Daniel got his answer from God (19).
• Daniel praised God for it (20-23).
• Daniel came back around to answer the question (24).
• Daniel allowed others to be a part of the process (25).
• Daniel is humble in his response and points the king to God (27-29).
• Daniel keeps humble and others focused (30).

This was a life or death situation that Daniel was responding to but I think anyone asking a spiritual question gives us the opportunity to tell the questioner what Daniel said to the king, "But there is a God in heaven who..." (2.28a).  I was challenged by Daniel's steps before giving an answer.  We are so quick to give an answer or type a response in that comment box.  What if this was our process before we ever typed a key?  

Adam