“Living A Life of Faith”
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION.
Living a life of faith.
Might say it is not easy these days.
The school system teaches things contrary to my beliefs.
The work force you cannot succeed unless you have little lie every now and then.
I am getting older.
Educated for three years in the literature and language of the Chaldeans
Raise in leadership.
Daniel taken as youth. / put in the lions den probably around his early to mid-eighties.
Daniel served under
King Nebuchadnezzar.
King Belshazzar.
King Darius. Medes
King Cyrus. Persian
Serving through different Kings the time span would put him around this age. (bible is not specific in stating his age).
For some of us we come to this story with familiarity, some come to it with the lack of knowledge. - Let us listen to God.
16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”
17 A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel.
18 Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.
19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and went in haste to the lions’ den.
20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever!
22 “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.”
Daniel was able to live his life serving God even in the middle of being in captivity around those who were evil and against him.
MESSAGE.
I. Living a life of faith surrounded by EVIL.
I. Living a life of faith surrounded by EVIL.
Daniel’s Life style. (already established)
Daniel had been taken into captivity and brought to Babylon the center of pagan worship, wickedness, pride, arrogance, idolatry and mistreatment of God’s people.
Daniel was taken here as a youth out of his control and taught their life style. Yet we hear these words about Daniel.
5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God.”
The trap.
7 “All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions’ den.
The other commissioners used Flattery to get their way.
Daniel 6:6 “6 Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: “King Darius, live forever!”
People held the idea that their kings were like gods, could make no mistake so the decrees could not be changed.
The other commissioners did not like Daniel because he was different and was succeeding about them, through God’s blessing.
Matthew 5:11 “11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.”
II. Living a life of faith surrounded by OPPOSITION.
II. Living a life of faith surrounded by OPPOSITION.
Daniel did not change.
Daniel did not coward in face of opposition or persecution. (His life style was already established)
10 Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.
Notice when Daniel “knew”
Window was already open.
He did not go and close it as to hide.
He did not open it as to be a show off.
He continued kneeling. (continued did the same thing as always)
He could have said for these 30 days
I could not pray I need a rest.
I could hide.
Charges brought up.
12 Then they approached and spoke before the king about the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king replied, “The statement is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.”
13 Then they answered and spoke before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps making his petition three times a day.”
Look at how they tried to trick the king again.
“Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah”.
Daniel was more than that he was the Chief commissioners.
III. Living a life of faith surrounded by TRYING TIMES.
III. Living a life of faith surrounded by TRYING TIMES.
Daniel stayed faithful in the face his God allowing him to go into the Lion’s den.
16 Then the king gave orders, and Daniel was brought in and cast into the lions’ den. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you.”
17 A stone was brought and laid over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel.
Listen to Daniel’s words.
21 Then Daniel spoke to the king, “O king, live forever!
22 “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime.”
IV. Living a life of faith surrounded by SUCCESS.
IV. Living a life of faith surrounded by SUCCESS.
28 So this Daniel enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
Reason for Daniel’s success.
23 Then the king was very pleased and gave orders for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Trap set for Daniel turned upon the false accusers.
24 The king then gave orders, and they brought those men who had maliciously accused Daniel, and they cast them, their children and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
King’s new decree
26 “I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever.
27 “He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”
CONCLUSION.
Point it to Jesus
Leaders could find not wrong with Daniel / Religious leaders could find no wrong with Jesus.
Leaders make up a way to trap Daniel / Religious leaders made up false information about Jesus.
Daniel punished for serving God / Jesus punished for serving God.
Daniel put in the ground / Jesus put in the ground.
Daniel comes out a live only to die again / Jesus comes out only to live forever.
