Sermon Summary

Daniel 2:1–3,14 (ESV)

“…Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.  15 He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.”

Pastor Chris blazes ahead in message two of this 12-part series on the book of Daniel called “The Unshakable Kingdom.” We are in tumultuous times, but God is not surprised. What God does in and through Daniel, whose hard-driving boss is the King of Babylon, is powerful and miraculous. 

Now, Daniel and his three Hebrew brothers were preparing every day in prayer and scripture for God to use them. In chapter two, we read how they were granted favor with the King to change his life and the lives of God’s chosen people. This is an example of providence. We are to be like these godly young men – diligent every day to be prepared to be used by God in the lives of those around us who need a life-change to get right with God. We can best be ready by asking ourselves these reflective questions.

3 Questions to Ponder for the Entire Series in Daniel 

  1. Who or what is supreme in your life? 
  2. Does your life portray this? 
  3. What spirit are you following?

See: Revelation 17:5, 18:2

5 Components of Daniel’s Interpretation of the King’s Dream

  1. The Issue – the King’s troubling dream (this one from God – other sources are Satan and our subconscious), exposes the counterfeit Chaldean enchanters

1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” Daniel 2:1-3

See: Daniel 2:4–16

  1. The Prayer – Go to prayer first, prayer not panic, then be certain you have your ‘crew before the crisis.’ 

“17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” Daniel 2:17–19

  1. The Revelation – breakthrough comes first through praise, blessing God and affirming His attributes

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 21 He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; 22 he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. 23 To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to mewhat we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:20-23

See: Daniel 2:19-30

  1. The Interpretation – confidence in God’s provision, belief in Him for understanding, humility in sharing with others 

31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.Daniel 2:31-35

  1. The Unshakable Kingdom – empires of men broken apart by a divine ‘stone’ (kingdom of God through the life, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ)

34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. Daniel 2:34-35

See: Daniel 2:44-45, Psalm 118:22

The Empires That Would Rule Over Israel – Daniel’s Prophetic Interpretation of the King’s Dream

36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold.” Daniel 2:36–38

See:Daniel 2:39-43

Pastor Chris underlined this phenomenal story with a call to this generation to live a Daniel life as an example to the next generation. We must not be distracted by either the bounty of Babylon or the fear of its future. Instead, daily walking in the feet of Jesus, the stone the builders rejected, the cornerstone of the body of Christ that will fill the whole earth. These words are true and reveal to us the plan and providence of God. 

Will we respond with readiness, or be swept away by the current of our culture? Today, let’s make the right choice and follow-through with it every day – then we will see how God can raise us up to change lives and nations!

Discussion Questions

  1. With all that’s going on in the world, what issues might be distracting believers from God’s plan?
  2. What do you suppose helped Daniel, and his 3 Hebrew brothers, remain focused on what God would do through them?
  3. What do you think was the most important role that dreams and prophecy played in this account of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel?

What role have dreams and visions had in your life?

  1. When the storms of life hit, how might our prayers sound different in panic versus providence? 

Application Questions

  • For the 12 weeks of this series in Daniel, keep answering these questions from Pastor Chris:
  1. Q: Who or what is supreme in your life? 

A: 

  1. Q: Does your life portray this? 

A: 

  1. What spirit are you following?

A: 

  • Resolve this week to do some of what Daniel and his crew did. What will you commit to the Lord to change daily to be ready for God to use you in someone’s life?