UNWAVERING FAITH: WHEN YOU ARE ASKED TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE PASTOR ALTON TRIMBLE Sunday, October 8, 2017

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1 Sunday, October 8, 2017 DANIEL 2:10-11 The king s advisors complained, Nobody can do what you ask!...what you're asking is impossible. (Mes) This is the 4 th test of Daniel s character DANIEL 2:1-12 (Summary) In the second year of King Nebuchadnezzar s reign, he had a recurring dream that frightened him so badly that he couldn't sleep. So he called in all his magicians and psychics and fortune-tellers and astrologers, and demanded they tell him what he had dreamed. The king said, "I keep having this dream that troubles me. Tell me WHAT I dreamed, then what it means." The astrologers answered "OK. Tell us you dream, and we ll tell you what it means!" But the king said, "No way! If you can t tell me WHAT I dreamed, why should I trust YOUR INTERPRETATION? If you can t tell me what I dreamed, you re just a bunch of fakes with no real power or wisdom! Then all of the kings fortunetellers said, "Nobody anywhere can do what you ask! And no king in history has ever demanded anything like this from any magician, medium, or astrologer. What you're asking us to do is impossible! That made Nebuchadnezzar furious and he said I m dead serious! If you can t tell me what my dream was, I m going to have all you so-called wise men tortured and executed, and then I ll have all your houses demolished into rubble! The advisors begged: Just tell us your dream! Then we ll interpret it! "But the king said No. You are all condemned as worthless and he issued a decree to execute all his royal advisors, including Daniel and his three friends. THREE (3) THINGS GOD SAYS ABOUT PREDICTING THE FUTURE 1. NO ONE KNOWS THE FUTURE EXCEPT GOD ECCLESIASTES 8:7 No one can tell the future. (CEV) ECCLESIASTES 10:14 Fools claim to know the future and love to tell anyone who will listen. But no one knows what s going to happen. Reason why doesn t God show me my future: 1. We don t have the mental capacity. 2. We don t have the perspective that God has. 3. Knowing the future might scare you to death. 4. God wants you to trust him.

2 MARK 13:32 "NO ONE KNOWS about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (NIV) 2. ALL PSYCHIC & MEDIUMS ARE FRAUDS & FAKES. ISAIAH 44:25 God: I make fools of psychics & fortunetellers and I frustrate the predictions of astrologers... their wisdom is foolishness LEVITICUS 19:31 "Do not rely on mediums and psychics, for you will be defiled by them. I, the Lord, am your God. (NLT) LEVITICUS 20:6 God: "I am against anyone who goes to mediums or fortune-tellers for advice, because that person is being unfaithful to me. So I will cut him off. (NCV) Why is God against these people? 1. It s dishonest- and usually for money or fame. 2. It s controlling other people. 3. It s an attempt to control the future rather than trust God 3. THE TEST OF A TRUE PROPHET OF GOD IS 100% ACCURACY! DEUTERONOMY 18:21-22 "If you want to know if a prophet or his message is really from God, here s how to test him: If any part is false or does not come true, then he and his message are fake, and you should ignore and avoid him. ISAIAH 8:20 "Check their predictions against my Word," says the Lord. "If their predictions are different from mine, it is because there is no light or truth in them. (NLT) DEUTERONOMY 18:20 says in Israel false prophets were to be put to death! In DANIEL 2:1-9 King Nebuchadnezzar has a recurring dream. He challenges his royal advisors Verse His advisors fail & he decides to kill them all Verse Daniel intervenes to interpret the dream Verse God give Daniel the meaning of the king s dream Verse The king honors God & promotes Daniel! 2 P a g e

3 WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU RE ASKED TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE: There are EIGHT (8) things Daniel did: 1. DON T PANIC OR BE AFRAID DANIEL 2:14 When Arioch, the commander of the king's guard, came to kill them, Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion. 2. ASK WHY: LEARN THE FACTS & MOTIVATION DANIEL 2:15 Daniel ASKED Arioch, WHY has the king issued such a harsh decree? So Arioch told him all that had happened. PROVERBS. 23:23 (LB) Get the facts at any price 3. ASK FOR TIME TO GET A SOLUTION DANIEL 2:16 Daniel went at once to see the king and requested more time so he could tell the king what the dream meant. 4. ENLIST PRAYER SUPPORT FROM FRIENDS DANIEL 2:17-18 Then Daniel went home and told his 3 friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. Then he said, "PRAY that the God who rules from heaven will be merciful and explain this mystery, so that we AND THE OTHER ADVISORS won't be put to death." 5. PRAY & EXPECT GOD TO GIVE SUPERNATURAL HELP JEREMIAH 33:3 Call to me and I ll answer you, and I ll show you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own! (Mes) Bible says: You have not because you ask not. God is waiting on you to ask... A.S.K. = Ask, Seek, Knock JAMES 1:5-7 If you need wisdom, ask God, and he will gladly give it to you. He won t resent you asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (NLT) 3 P a g e

4 6. WORSHIP GOD! DANIEL 2:19 During the night God revealed and explained the mystery of the dream to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. Daniel shows how to worship when you re asked to do the impossible: 1 st PRAISE GOD FOR WHO HE IS DANIEL 2:19b-20 Then Daniel praised the God of heaven saying, Our God, will be praised forever and forever! You are all-powerful, and you know everything! (CEV) 2 nd HONOR GOD FOR WHAT HE DOES DANIEL 2:21-23a YOU control human events. YOU give rulers their power and YOU take it away. YOU are the source of wisdom and knowledge. YOU explain deep mysteries, because even the dark is light to you! YOU are the God worshiped by my ancestors. (CEV) 3 rd THANK GOD FOR HELPING ME DANIEL 2:23 Now I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors, for you have given me wisdom and strength. You have told me what I asked of you and revealed to me what the king demanded." (NLT) 7. USE WHAT GOD SHOWS ME TO SAVE OTHERS DANIEL 2:24 Then Daniel rushed to see Arioch, who d been ordered to execute all the king s advisors. Daniel said Call off the execution,and take me to the king and I ll explain the meaning of his dream." God is going to use your S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personalities, Experiences) DANIEL 2:25-26 Then Arioch rushed Daniel to the king and said, I have found one of the captives from Judah who can tell you your dream and the meaning of it. The king said to Daniel Is this true? Can you tell me my dream and also what it means? " 8. POINT PEOPLE TO GOD Give God all the credit DANIEL 2:27-30 Daniel replied, "No wise man or psychic or fortune teller or astrologer can explain the mystery of your dream. BUT there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries and he has chosen to show you what will happen in the future... And now, God has revealed this mystery to me, not because I m smarter than everyone else, but for your benefit, so that you O king may understand it. 4 P a g e

5 DANIEL 2:46-47 Then King Nebuchadnezzar bowed to the ground before Daniel and worshiped him, and he commanded his people to offer sacrifices and burn sweet incense before him. The king said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is the God of gods, the Lord over kings, a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this secret." (NLT) DANIEL 2:48-49 Then the king promoted Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. At Daniel's request, the king also appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king's court. (NLT) 5 P a g e

STAND when you re asked to do the impossible Daniel 2

STAND when you re asked to do the impossible Daniel 2 I had the strangest dream on Friday night. Who can tell me what it was? Impossible you say? Well, that s the situation in today s reading. King Nebuchadnezzar