State: Daniel
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Daniel is known as the future book, full of weird visions. That really doesn’t do it justice however. It is really about how we should view kingdoms and governments.
Why do we get so antsy about politics? Because we want the best home possible.
The job of government according to Scripture is to punish evil and praise good. The job of government? Make home nice.
Illust: Every movie about teens involves wanting to change the world.
God does not want your eyes to be on this earth. He wants you to minister to this earth, but not hope in it. Jesus is the one that changes it.
You are an exile. This is not your home.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
Illust: Mount Snowdon
How God wants you to see the government during your exile:
How God wants you to see the government during your exile:
Submit and Steward what you are responsible for (Daniel 1, 3, 6)
Three stories: One involves an incident with some lions, one involves an incident with a fiery furnace, but the first one sets the stage for both of these. They tell you the kind of people that enter those situations and what their convictions are.
Read Daniel 1:1-7
Notice: Daniel isn’t rebelling against Babylon. He’s going along with the program. He’s learning their ways, he is submitting to their commands and desires for him. Even if those desires completely change the trajectory, the comfort, and the future of his life.
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
But notice this: Daniel doesn’t go along with whatever. The moment he is asked to sin, he refuses to give in.
Read Daniel 1:8-16
What is bigger on Daniel’s mind? Not changing Babylon, not protesting about their gas policies or their dealings with Israel, but what concerns his own personal sin before God.
Illust: Pastor Tom’s line with worship.
A corrupt government does not give you liberty to rebel. All governments are corrupt. God wants you to minister to that place through the stewarding of your own body. People get so passionate about cleaning up their country when they have no concern for cleaning up their sin.
Seize opportunities that God gives you in humility (Dan 2, 4-5)
Three stories of Daniel in politics. He is given opportunities to do good, and he siezes those opportunities. He didn’t chew his way to the top, he saw that God wanted to put him there.
Read Daniel 2:1-5
Read Daniel 2:11-16
Read Daniel 2:46-49
It’s not wrong to want our nation to run things more like God’s way, we just have to remember God has not promised it will get there. In fact he has warned us of the opposite.
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Imagine if Daniel had just ignored this. People would have died. He probably would have died. If God puts you in a place to do good, do as much good as possible, but don’t claw your way to power without His help.
Illust: William Wilberforce
As an american, you have something you get to steward when you are 18. It’s called a vote. Don’t be lazy and toss that away. Don’t take my first point so far that you drop the second.
See all nations through God’s eyes (Dan 7-8)
Let’s read the vision: Daniel 2:31-45.
This statue is gorgeous, beautiful. But later we get a second vision that shows what God’s perspective of this statue is.
Read Daniel 7:1-14
Two things to take away:
They are temporary
They are going to get worse
It’s okay to be a patriot in the sense that you are grateful for your country. It is good to work for your country, to fight for it.
It’s not good to hope in it. Don’t be anxious about where America is heading. I don’t necessarily think it’s a good direction, but don’t be anxious.
Steady your mind with focusing on salvation (Dan 9:24)
Daniel does get anxious, he is upset that the exile is going on as long as it is. He prays to God about it. He says “Lord, you said after 70 years we would be released. Can we get there already?”
God says ‘Daniel, stop worring about the 70 years till your physical deliverance. Wait for the seventy sevens until I take away your sin.
He prophesies of Jesus (Daniel 9:24)
How can you get over the anxiety of politics? Remember that politics don’t threaten salvation.
Sit and wait for your guaranteed inheritance (Dan 12:12)
But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”
Illust: Mount Snowdon
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion: You will be a better exile on earth the more you hope in Christ’s kingdom in heaven.
