Daniel 1

Introduction:

MPS: Because God is with you and in control of every situation you can walk in faith and obedience.

1. Because God is with you, you can trust that God is faithful even when you are unfaithful.

2. Because God is with you, you can live holy in an unholy world.

3. Because God is with you, God can make you wise in an unwise world.

Subject: Living in Babylon

Objective: As a result of this message, I want my audience to understand how to live in a world that is hostile to God’s rule.

Introduction:

We are living in the midst of a world that is contending with God and his rule. We are not the first group of people to walk through this. Ever since the fall, God’s rule and the rule of man have been fighting for the lay of the land. This theme is very present in the text we are examining today. Daniel and his friends are living in the midst of a world power that is set up against God’s kingdom. The Babylonians believe that they are the one’s who are in control of the world. Daniel shows us that this is clearly not the case. The Lord is sovereign over the affairs of man, even and especially in the midst of competing kingdoms. Not only is he sovereign, but he is with his people. Today, Daniel chapter 1 will give us three responses we should have to God’s presence in the midst of rebellious human kingdoms.

Body:

1. Because God is with you, you can trust that God is faithful even when you are unfaithful.

a. Explanation- Israel’s unfaithfulness has led to their exile from the land of promise. God has given them into the hands of the world power of the day. Yet, in spite of Israel’s rebellion against their God, the Lord is still present with his people in the midst of the land of many gods. I will need to explain the biblical theological reality of Shinar, Babylon, and God’s kingdom vs the worlds kingdom. I will also need to explain the biblical theological reality of exile and return. I need to focus on God’s sovereignty and his presence being with his people in the midst of hostile kingdoms.

b. Application- I need to lean into the fact that God is not only the true king of all of the world, but that he is also good to his people despite their sin. I need to encourage the believers that, despite their constant unfaithfulness to God, they need not turn anywhere else for help. God does not forsake his people because of sin. Instead, this is an invitation to trust the God that is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The temptation is to run and hide from God because of their sin, so I need to give points of application that help them run instead towards God who is faithful despite their unfaithfulness.

c. Illustration-

2. Because God is with you, you can live holy in an unholy world.

a. Explanation- Despite God’s kingdom having the ultimate say in the world, we do live in the midst of other, hostile kingdoms. This does not mean that we must live in accord with the lesser kingdoms. If God is with us, we have all we need to live a holy life. The world presses us to live for ourselves and our own good while God presses us to live for him and others. I need to explain what it means to have God’s presence with us. I need to explain holiness well. I need to explain our holiness in light of God’s holiness. We all have a real decision to make about who is king of our life. Is it God or is it Nebuchadnezzar? This decision will help us know how to live our lives.,l

b. Application- If we really have all the resources we need to live a godly life because of God’s presence with us, then we do not have to walk in line with the kingdoms around us. I need to encourage the believers to be willing to take a stand for God and his kingdom with their actions in their everyday life. I need to stress the fact that this means that they are to live to be a blessing in the midst of Egypt/Babylon, then they are to seek the good of the city and those around them. That will be much different than the people around them. I need to push them towards living God’s way even though the world’s way may seem to be the path to success and blessing. Joseph and Daniel both had the opportunity to revel in their success, but instead chose to walk in faithfulness to God.

c. Illustration

3. Because God is with you, God can make you wise in an unwise world.

a. Explanation- God’s wisdom far outstrips anything the world can offer. He who made heaven and earth is infinitely more wise than we or any other human can be. He wants us to walk in that wisdom daily. The more we lean into God and his will for us, the more discernment we will have in our daily decisions. When this happens it becomes obvious to those around us that we have a wisdom that far surpasses what we should have on our own. This leads those around us to experience God’s blessing, thinking back to Abraham’s blessed to be a blessing and Joseph and now Daniel.

b. Application- I need to encourage believers to remember that they do not have much wisdom on their own. However, through filling their minds with God’s word they can start to make decisions in accord with his will. This will push them on to seem to have a wisdom unlike anything else a watching world has seen. God blesses those who fear him. When we live in God’s wisdom and not the

c. Illustration