There Is A God In Heaven Series

Daniel: There is a God in Heaven (4)

Text: Daniel 2:19-30

So last time we saw that Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. It wasn’t like MLK Jr’s. Dream. It was a dream given from God about the future. And it was a dream that only God could explain. We saw how God had a purpose and reason for giving that dream as well.

Now I know that some folks like to put a lot of stock in dreams and visions, but you’ve got to understand that in 6000+ years of history, God only does something like this less than a handful of times. And people say, “But Pastor Ken, Peter said in his Pentecost sermon that in the last days the old men would dream dreams and the young men would see visions.”

Yes… He did… He also said that the last days began 2000 years ago. We’ve been in those last days since Pentecost. So it’s not that God can’t give you dreams or visions. He absolutely can… But what I tend to have a problem with is when you say that God operates in ways contrary to what He has revealed in Scripture.

Let me quote to you the Apostle Paul from 1 Cor. 12… “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts and I will show you a still more excellent way.”

So let me just say it like this – If God gives you a vision or dream, it’s for His plan and purpose. It’s for His glory. It’s for something bigger than you – in-fact, every time God does this, it’s for His people, the Church, as a whole – for preserving, protecting, blessing them, and directing them as a whole. And it’s always… ALWAYS… going to line up with Scripture. Meaning, that God’s not going to give you a dream that contradicts His revealed will given in Scripture.

So, God has a plan and purpose for giving Nebuchadnezzar this dream, and the devil tries to subvert that and use it to get Nebuchadnezzar to kill God’s people.

The threat and danger is real.

Let’s go to our text and see what happens. Daniel 2:19-30 (READ TEXT)

So, Daniel hears this frightening news. The mad king wants to kill him and his friends. Same demons different day. Pharaoh did the same thing. Herod did the same thing. The devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy. He uses the world and world system to do it. The world and world system is not, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be; your friend.

Ok…

But Daniel doesn’t freak out, or panic, he goes to his friends and says, “Let’s pray.”

I hope you see in that the importance of the Church. I hope you see the importance of having believing friends and a church family, who will get on their knees before the Lord, and pray. There are things in life beyond our control. There are things in life that duct tape and pliers can’t fix.

There are things in life that if God doesn’t intervene, we’re sunk. God’s people are to be a people of prayer. And we should NEVER make prayer our last resort. It should be the very first thing we do.

So Daniel goes to his friends, and he’s like, “Guys we need to pray. We need to seek God’s mercy. Because only He can help us in this.”

And our text begins by saying, “Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”

So again, if God does give you a vision, or a dream. You’re first and proper response is to praise Him. To give Him glory, honor, and praise. In-fact; that’s the proper response for all that He gives us – right? I thank God every day that He counts me worthy to serve Him and you as a pastor. I thank God every day that He made me a husband and a dad. Every day when I wake up, I thank God that I can take a breath, get out of bed, and have another day. One day, God’s going to say, “That’s it, time to come home.” And I’ll thank Him for that too.

All our lives should be lives of praise to God. AMEN!

And what’s cool about our text is that we actually get to see the words Daniel used to bless and praise God. It’s in verses 20-23.

He starts out with talking about God’s wisdom and might. He talks about how God is sovereign over times and seasons, and how God is sovereign over kings and empires. How God blesses us with wisdom and knowledge, and reveals His plans and purposes.