Shanghai Community Fellowship held an English service on the afternoon of May 27, 2018.
Dale Cuckow, the fellowship's senior pastor, delivered a sermon titled "When You Become Queen (or King)", citing the story of Daniel.
In Chapter 4 of the book Daniel, it told the second dream of Nebuchadnezzar. Knowing his dream, Daniel, an adviser, and counselor to the king, interpreted that the king was the great tree who would live like an animal for some time and his great kingdom would be cut off leave and be the stump.
After what the dream was fulfilled, Nebuchadnezzar wrote a letter to describe what happened to him. When his sanity was restored, he praised the Most High in Daniel 4:37.
Rev. Cuckow said that through the thing, the king had learned some lessons about authority and power that comes with authority under the reign of God. Daniel 4:17 put forward the purpose, "The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people."
The pastor stated that like the king, most people were people with authority and the power to carry out that authority, like CEOs, managers, teachers, parents, and even community group leaders. The whole story told how God being in sovereign could appoint kings and people in authority as he desired.
In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said all authorities belonged to him and gave to us for some season. He said that we could learn three things from the story:
1. "Our authority is temporary and fragile, but God's authority lasts from generation to generation." We wanted desire authority, even as we got it and grew, how quickly some time we lost it. There were times when we were given authority and then they were taken away from us. Be aware that the authority we get today is a gift, from the hands of the generation before us. We served the God of generations who owns these authorities and gives it to every generation as His will.
2. "Our authority is limited, but under Heaven (under God's rule), the possibilities are limitless." We can ask God what He wants us to do with that authority and how He wants us to use the power.
3. "Our authority& corresponding power was given to us to care for the people God loves; especially the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger." He gave an example of "tongue" that could bring life or death.
In the end, the pastor said that the dream started with a tree that was a symbol of the king. Indeed, Jesus died on the Calvary's tree, the greatest tree. Jesus compared his kingdom to a tree that was like a mustard seed (Luke 13:18). The tree that filled the atmosphere and provided security and life and all creative things was not Nebuchadnezzar or any man on this planet, but Jesus Christ. The speaker invited the congregation to stand under the tree of life where there is provision, life, hope, and security.
According to SCF's official website, the fellowship was begun in the early 1990's when two groups of international expats started worshiping each Sunday. The two groups combined in 1996 to become the nucleus of SCF and began meeting in the small chapel at Hengshan Community Church. The congregation soon outgrew the chapel and moved to the main sanctuary. A second afternoon service was added in 2005. Pastor Dale Cuckow became SCF's first Senior Pastor in 2007.
