Small Group Guide

RECOVERING FROM THE ILLUSION OF CONTROL

The Church at Brook Hills Matt Mason October 25, 2015 Daniel 4

MAIN TRUTH

Message Outline

To download the outline for this week’s sermon, visit brookhills.org/media.

Message Summary

Daniel 4 presents the events that led to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, recognizing God as the true and sovereign God. Even after witnessing the miraculous way that the God of Israel rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar simply assimilated Yahweh as part of the gods that he respected and worshiped. He was confident and felt in control. However, in the comfort of his palace and riches, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that filled him with fear. When all of the king’s other advisors could not interpret the dream, Daniel came before the king and regretfully informed Nebuchadnezzar that the dream was a vision of the king’s coming mental and emotional downfall that would occur because he rejected the Lord as the true God. The kind did not heed this warning and, ultimately, found himself in the wilderness acting like an animal without a clear and stable mind. Then, Nebuchadnezzar looked up to God and acknowledged Him as the Most High—the one true God—and worshiped Him. The king’s mind healed, he returned to his kingdom, restored, humbled, and with a right view of himself as a servant of the true King.

WHY IT MATTERS

Digging Deeper

Invite your group to share what areas of their lives they like to have the most control over. For example, someone may not care if his house is messy but panics about having his checking account balance fall below a certain level. Or someone may not care if her children pick out mismatched clothes to wear but is strict about their nutrition. What do our desires for control reveal about us, our priorities, and where we place our trust? How can these areas of control lead us to be confident in ourselves and to ignore the Lord’s leading and guidance?

Point out that when we view ourselves rightly before God, we are humbled at our true state and recognize that He is sovereign and has all control. How is that both unnerving and freeing? Why is a true glimpse of our humility necessary for abundant life? How do we “give control to God”? Explain that such a task is easier said that done. Lead the group to think through some verses and biblical truths (such as “God is always good”) that can serve as anchors for our minds when we desire control. Then, lead the group to share times when God’s control over a situation proved to have a much greater outcome than what we wanted. Encourage members to use those life events as milestones to remember. Write them down and begin to meditate on God’s characteristics and sovereignty over our lives.

Explain to your group that God does not want His people to exist in a state of self-loathing or have an utter lack of confidence. What is the difference between having a healthy confidence and being controlling? In which one is the confidence rooted in the Lord? In which one is confidence rooted in one’s ability to maintain stability?

Obviously, having confidence in the Lord allows us to proceed in His will with confidence. However, Daniel’s confidence in God’s message to Nebuchadnezzar did not allow him to be pompous or spiteful in his delivery. In chapter six of the book of Daniel, he would defy the king (Darius) directly, although respectfully, as the king’s orders opposed the Lord. However, in chapter four, Daniel was not happy about the demise of the man who brought him into captivity, and he relayed the message in such a way as to make his feelings clear. What are examples of issues and relationships in which we may be faced with a situation similar to Daniel? How can we approach our interactions with others who disagree with us on biblical issues in the same way?

NOW WHAT DO WE DO?

Group Discussion & Application

Use the following questions to examine what the sermon and its text mean, to apply the Word to your life, and to guide how you pray.

  1. King Nebuchadnezzar had witnessed the miracle of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and feared and respected their God. However, he did what many people around the world today do—he simply assimilated God into his accumulation of idols (4:3, 9, 10). He did not worship the Lord as the only true God. When we share the gospel, how can we clearly articulate the nature of God as the only God?
  2. What does our culture find offensive about the truth that there is only one God and only one way to Him? How does this affect the way we interact with people of other religions as well as those with no religion?
  3. What part of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream made him fear? What was actually taken away from him in this dream? Much like the young man in the New Testament who turned away from following Jesus because he could not part with his riches, God focused on Nebuchadnezzar’s chief idols—pride and control. The Lord revealed that the king was not ultimately in control of his life or his reign.
  4. What idols do we hold most closely? How can we recognize our idols? One way to tell is by evaluating that which we try to control most. What do we like to control in our culture? In our families? What, personally, do you most struggle to have control over?
  5. Daniel did not back down from speaking the truth to Nebuchadnezzar, despite the difficult content of that message. Describe how Daniel connected with the king with confidence but also in a way that offered respect and compassion.
  6. Later in the book of Daniel, he would directly defy the king’s orders and be thrown into the lion’s den for it. However, in this situation, Daniel was not asked to compromise on his beliefs—simply to speak the truth. He was neither being persecuted nor attacked. Considering these examples, what can we consider to be the criteria for determining when Daniel would rightly, but respectfully, cause disruption and when he would simply speak the truth?
  7. In today’s culture, we may often find ourselves in a religious minority. When should we speak the truth and when should we consciously act in a way that we know will cause disruption?
  8. What happened when Nebuchadnezzar did not heed God’s warning? Although the effects of our controlling attempts may not result in insanity on the level of Nebuchadnezzar’s, how can our controlling nature affect our lives and our relationship with the Lord? How does it affect our relationships with others? Why does attempting to maintain control often contribute to anxiety, self-absorption, cynicism, irritability, and other damaging characteristics?
  9. The king did not heed God’s message to him. He chose to ignore the truth, so he could live as he wanted. What truths from God’s Word do we often ignore or explain away, so we can make the choices that we want to make?
  10. What does trying to maintain control ultimately reveal about our trust in God? What is the difference between circumstantial peace that we can sometimes achieve in our own power and the inner peace that comes with opening our hands to relinquish control to God in all areas of life?
  11. What can we practically do to begin to recognize our lack of control (and thank God for it)?
  12. How can we continually place God’s sovereignty at the forefront of our minds and our homes?

Resources for Small Group Leaders

Weekly Prayer Focus

  • Pray for Our Lives:
  • Praise God for His everlasting nature and rule as King of kings.
  • Ask God to deliver us from the temptation of riches and power from this world.
  • Pray for God to grow our love for and service to others as we sacrifice our own self-interests.
  • Ask the Spirit to convict us of any Scripture we misconstrue or ignore for our own means.
  • Pray we will grow in our adoration of and obedience to God’s will in our lives.
  • Praise God for His loving faithfulness and shepherding us.
  • Pray for Our City:
  • Pray for Marks Village Bible Club and their Fall Festival next Sunday afternoon and for it to connect children to the Bible Club and introduce families to the love of Christ.
  • Pray for New Community Baptist Church and Ronnie Chapman, Pastor.
  • Pray for Our World:
  • Pray for Brook Hills’ mid-termer Michelle M. serving in South Asia, as she serves with field partners to promote Blessed Hope, a sustainable business among women.
  • Pray for our teams in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Weekly Readings for October 26-November 1

Daniel 11-12, Hosea 1-7, and Psalms 119:26-122:9

“Recovering from the Illusion of Control,” October 25, 2015 | Page 1