Daniel

Saturday Morning - Reputation

 6:1-18

Say-Traps

Daniel started developing a reputation.

This is about 60 years after chapter 1.

This is the 4th of 5 kings he would serve under

He is no longer a young man, but older.

His reputation helped him get promoted to one of the governors.

And the king wanted to put him in charge of everyone under him.

But his reputation was more than that.

Even those who didn’t like him, couldn’t find any dirt against him.

So what was Daniel reputation?

Daniel was known for praying to God.

Obedience over a long period of time.

This was the fourth of five kings he would serve under.

Over 65 years. 

He lived boldly for God. And it started at the beginning, and it continued over, and over again.

He could have said “God, this is only 30 days, I don’t want to be part of the circle of life, I mean, can you feel the love tonight?, can I not pray for 30 days?”

Daniel’s reputation impacted others.

His relationship with God wasn’t private, it was public. 

Daniel’s reputation impacted the king and he respected Daniel.

Daniel’s reputation made others jealous.

Daniel didn’t hide his relationship because it might make others jealous. 

Daniel’s reputation impacted the king to try and find a loophole to get Daniel out of this.

It was different then Babylon, the Medo-Persian Empire

So, what is your reputation? Are you the funny one? Are you the smart one? Are you the athletic one?

What do you want your reputation to be?

Is your relationship with God just private or is it public? 

Daniel was faithful for a long time. How can we be faithful for a long time?

Daniel’s reputation made some people (Kings) respect him, others jealous. Who ARE you impacting? 

Saturday Night - Faith

Turn to Daniel 6.

Let’s recap

We talked about how Daniel was faithful. And how he remained faithful, even though his circumstances were hard.

We talk about how Daniel had a reputation. His faith was private, but he lived boldly for God.

But, that ended him up in a worse situation. The lion’s den.

Let’s find out what happened to him.

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Daniel 6:10-24

Daniel’s faith was in God.

It was not in his ability to fight the lions.

It was not in the king to not punish him.

Kings came, and kings went. 

It was in God because He had been faithful to Daniel. 

Daniel 6:23 “Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

What do you put your faith in?

When we stand before God.

When it comes to eternity and your salvation, where do you put your faith?

In your works?

In your family?

Or in Jesus?

When life is hard, where do you turn to?

Do you turn to your parents first?

Your siblings?

Your friends?

Do you try to escape it by turning to games or your phone?

Or do you turn to God? The one who can actually do something about it. 

Who can comfort you. 

Everyday, with big and small choices, even with how you start your day.

Where do you put your faith?

What do you put your faith in when life is hard?

What do you put your faith in for salvation?

What do you put your faith in every day?