4.4.30 6.24.2018 Daniel 6 Prayer the Private Privilege of a Public Life

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

• Entice: Read ///Daniel was a good man who did his job well. People were jealous because of his effectiveness and influence and because he was a

Daniel was a good man who did his job well. People were jealous because of his effectiveness and influence and because he was a public figure who lived by faith his enemies seized upon that faith to attack him.

Daniel was a good man who did his job well. People were jealous because of his effectiveness and influence and because he was a public figure who lived by faith his enemies seized upon that faith to attack him.

public figure who lived by faith his enemies seized upon that faith to attack him.

• Engage: Have you ever been accused, harassed or attacked by someone who did so out of spite or laziness? Some people are mean. Some are foolish. Some are

Engage: Have you ever been accused, harassed or attacked by someone who did so out of spite or laziness? Some people are mean. Some are foolish. Some are jealous. We serve God with integrity when we do not allow those people to keep us from acting consistently faithful.

jealous. We serve God with integrity when we do not allow those people to keep us from acting consistently faithful.

Expand:

A jealous world can't attack God…

• Expand: A Jealous World can't attack God…So they attack God's People. Daniel was a public figure. Everything about his life was under scrutiny. He could not just

So they attack God's People.

Daniel was a public figure. Everything about his life was under scrutiny. He could not just hide his faith. For too long he had been an example of how to flourish, how to learn the language of Babylon without compromising principle, character, faithfulness or capacity. The could not compete with Daniel so they accused him.

hide his faith. For too long he had been an example of how to flourish, how to learn the language of Babylon without compromising principle, character, faithfulness or

Excite: It is here, at the intersection of private faith and public profession that conflict, generally initiated by others, occurs. We can quit, hide, or keep practicing our faith. Impact comes when people in our communities see the ongoing impact of our faith in all our behavior; public and private.

capacity. The could not compete with Daniel so they accused him.

• Excite: It is at the intersection of private faith and public profession that conflict, generally initiated by others occurs. We can quit, hide, or keep practicing our faith.

Explore:

Impact comes when people in our communities see the ongoing impact of our faith in all our behavior; public and private.

In a hostile world we must accept the challenge and leverage the public power of our private faith.

• Explore: In a hostile world we must accept and leverage the pubic power of our private faith.

Explain: This passage is a simple comparison between the righteous and unrighteous when politics and prayer are set in opposition to one another.

• Explain: This passage is a simple comparison between the righteous and unrighteous when politics and prayer are set in opposition to one another.

▾ Body of Sermon:

The Evil Exploit people for their own glory.

Daniel 6:4–14 ESV

4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” 6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.” 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.

▾ The Evil Exploit people for their own glory.

Daniel 6.4-14

Slackers become attackers. 4

• Slackers become attackers. 4

Legalists become nit-pickers. 5-9

▾Legalists become knit-pickers. 5-9

• By creating conflict where none exists.

By creating conflict where none exists.

• By viewing rules, regulations and laws as weapons to use against people rather than tools for people.

By viewing rules, regulations and laws as weapons to use against people rather than tools for people.

• When what was meant to be means of stability and continuity in a fluid and changing political environment became the means for bad people to harass the

By using “the system” to create chaos.

righteous.

The powerful become weak. 13-14

• The powerful become weak. 13-14

The Righteous Exalt God to give Him glory.

▾ The Righteous Exalt God to give Him glory.

Daniel 6:15–28 ESV

15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” 16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. 19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 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. 24 And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. 25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues; he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions.” 28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

• The righteous exalt God by pursuing excellence.

• The righteous exalt God by pursuing excellence. (This has been a constant theme in the book of Daniel)

(This has been a constant theme in the book of Daniel)

• The righteous exalt God by remaining steadfast.

• The righteous exalt God by remaining steadfast

• The righteous exalt God by bearing witness.

The Power of Influence

▾ Influence

• Daniel and his friends had influence in the Babylonian and Persian empires because they learned the language of Babylon but never worshipped the Gods. They did not embrace the values, were not corrupted by wealth and luxury, they were not deluded by the trappings of power. They were righteous men in unrighteous times.

not embrace the values, were not corrupted by wealth and luxury, they were not deluded by the trappings of power. They were righteous men in unrighteous times.

• Daniel's experience in the Lion's den was yet another example of what happens when bad people look at good people and rather than learning the lessons of talent and hard work decide that they need to attack their faith to get ahead.

and hard work decide that they need to attack their faith to get ahead.

• Every day you and I face the struggle between good and evil. It is tiresome. It wears you out. Sometimes we would like to go back to our room, draw the curtains and make a tactical retreat from empire. The empire will keep striking at us, relentless yet doomed because the King of all eternity will triumph in His people.

and make a tactical retreat from confronting the power of the empire. The empire will keep striking at us, relentless yet doomed because the King of all eternity will