WALKING WITH GOD AT WORK

INTRODUCTION

OPENING STORY: DESTINY’S CHILD IS ONE OF THE BEST FEMALE MUSIC GROUPS OF ALL TIMES. THEY HAVE BROKEN ALL KINDS OF RECORDS AND HAVE MADE ENOUGH MONEY TO LAST FOR GENERATIONS. AND YET ONE OF THE MEMBERS SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION. WHEN SHE FINALLY DISCLOSED IT TO THEIR MANAGER HE RESPONDED, ‘YOU ALL JUST SIGNED A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR DEAL AND ARE GOING ON A WORLD TOUR, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO BE DEPRESSED ABOUT? SHE WAS LIKE, BLESS HIS HEART, HE DOESN’T GET IT. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT WORK CAN NEVER ULTIMATELY SATISFY.

REVEALING THE NEED- SOLOMON UNDERSTOOD THIS MILLENNIA BEFORE DESTINY’S CHILD PUT OUT THEIR FIRST ALBUM: “What has a ma from all the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity”- . Now mind you this is written from the hand of a king who was a part of Israel’s golden age and was a billionaire several times over. His message is clear- WORK WILL NEVER ULTIMATELY SATISFY. PSYCHOLOGIST SAID SHE WOULD DIAGNOSE HIM WITH DEPRESSION. RICH, WEALTHY, BUILT ONE OF THE 7 WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD AND DEPRESSED. THAT’S SOME OF YOU

STRONG APPLICATIONS: ALL OF US KNOW THIS- THE PARADOX OF DOING WHAT WE LOVE, AND YET NOT BEING FULFILLED BY IT. LET’S PICK DEPRESSED PREACHERS ALEX FOR $500. SPURGEON. FRIEND IN TEXAS AND TENNESSEE. I DON’T ENJOY PREACHING ALL THE TIME. LET’S DO COMEDIANS WHO WERE MISERABLE FOR 750…ROBIN WILLIAMS, RICHARD PRYOR…OR HOW ABOUT TORMENTED ATHLETES FOR 1K. WAS WITH A RECENTLY RETIRED ATHLETE HEADED FOR HOF. I SAID YOU PLAY WITH PASSION ALL THE TIME. HE SAID THAT WASN’T PASSION BUT ANGER. HIS WHOLE CAREER MAKING MILLIONS AND HE’S ANGRY. AND WHAT ABOUT YOU? GOING TO WORK TOMORROW, AND IT COULD EVEN BE YOUR DREAM JOB OR GOING TO YOUR NUMBER ONE SCHOOL AND THERE WILL BE MOMENTS WHERE YOU’RE LIKE WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME? EMPTINESS THAT WORK CANNOT FULFILL. solomon uses the word vanity- emptiness. Work won’t fulfill

HISTORICAL CONTEXT- DANIEL. HE WAS FULFILLED BECAUSE WORK WAS IMPORTANT, BUT NOT ESSENTIAL, GOD WAS. TALK ABOUT THE TRANSITION- CHANGING KINGS, AN UNCHANGING GOD. DANIEL IN HIS 80S. IN PERSIA. DOING WELL.

DANIEL’S WALK WITH GOD-

EXPLANATION: TELL THE STORY. DARIUS COMES TO POWER AND IS REORGANIZING THE COMPANY. SATRAPS MEANS PROTECTOR OF THE KINGDOM. THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING TRIBUTE FROM THEIR TERRITORIES. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS LEAD TO FINANCIAL ABUSE, SO TO ENSURE HE GOT HIS MONEY HE PUT OVER THEM 3 HIGH OFFICIALS, OF WHICH DANIEL IS ONE. DANIEL DOES SO GOOD THAT THE KING PLANS TO PROMOTE HIM OVER THE WHOLE KINGDOM. HIS COLLEAGUES CAN’T HANDLE THAT SO THEY CONSPIRE AGAINST HIM TO BRING HIM DOWN.

QUICK APPLICATION- NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE YOUR SUCCESS. THE PROMOTION. THE NEW JOB. BOUGHT A HOUSE. IT JUST GOT WEIRD. IN MY OWN LIFE I’VE SEEN THIS. NOT EVERYONE CAN HANDLE YOUR SUCCESS.

EXPLANATION CONTINUED: PLOT THICKENS WITH THEM ULTIMATELY DECIDING THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN GET DANIEL IS IN HIS WALK WITH GOD. WOW! THE BIBLE SAYS HE COMES HOME AS WAS HIS CUSTOM THREE TIMES A DAY AND PRAYS FACING JERUSALEM. THIS WASN’T RANDOM, BUT BASE DON THE WORD OF GOD- . POINT- DANIEL’S WORK WASN’T HIS ULTIMATE, HIS WALK WITH GOD WAS HIS EVERYTHING. HIS WORK WAS MERELY AN EXTENSION OF HIS WALK WITH GOD! SO IT MUST BE FOR THE BELIEVER. WORK IS AT ITS SWEETEST, AND MOST SATISFYING WHEN IT’S THE EXTENSION OF MY WALK WITH GOD.

DIRECTV ILLUSTRATION: IT ONLY FUNCTIONS AT ITS MAXIMUM CAPACITY WHEN IT IS IN COMMUNION WITH THE SIGNAL. WHEN IT RAINS THE PICTURE GETS DISTORTED. WORK ONLY FUNCTIONS AT ITS ULTIMATE CAPACITY WHEN WE STAY IN COMMUNION WITH GOD. THIS IS DANIEL.

BIBLICAL APPLICATIONS: ADAM AND EVE. CALLED TO WORK BUT WALKED WITH GOD CONSTANTLY. . ABIDING IS THE KEY. STAY CONNECTED.

LEAKING APPLICATION: YES, THE BEST THING TO DO IS TO START OUT IN THE MORNING WITH PRAYER AND BIBLE READING. BUT THAT’S NOT ENOUGH. YOU’LL LEAK. GIVE EXAMPLES. SO CONSTANTLY STAY CONNECTED. BRING UP SCRIPTURE…PAINT THE PICTURE.

(BUT HOW DOES DANIEL’S WALK SPECIFICALLY IMPACT HIS WORK? THREE WAYS.)

…IMPACTED HIS WORK-

EXPLANATION: SO HIS COWORKERS CONSPIRE AGAINST HIM AND THEY IMMEDIATELY DO A THOROUGH REVIEW OF HIM. DIG THROUGH HIS FILES. LOOK AT THE EXPENSE REPORT- SINCE THEIR JOB WAS TO OVERSEE MONEY THIS WAS OBVIOUS- TALK TO SOME OF THE WOMEN HE MAY HAVE WORKED WITH TO SEE IF HE SAID ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE. DID A THOROUGH REVIEW OF HIS SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE…AND THEY CAN’T FIND ANYTHING IN HIM. AN EXCELLENT SPIRIT.

POINT- TWO GREAT THEMES IN OUR PASSAGE. DANIEL’S EXCELLENT WORK AND HIS VIBRANT FAITH. THE TWO ARE CONNECTED. DANIEL TOOK HIS FAITH WITH HIM TO WORK.

STAR SPANGLED BANNER ILLUSTRATION: SOMETHING NICE TO DO BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GAME. FOR MANY CHRISTIANS THAT’S CHURCH. ACT ONE WAY IN CHURCH AND ANOTHER WAY AT SCHOOL/WORK. THERE’S TO BE COMPLETE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE TWO.

EXPLANATION 2- AND YET THERE’S ANOTHER THING ABOUT HIS FAITH. WHAT’S OBVIOUS IS THAT DANIEL’S FAITH IS NOT PRIVATE BUT PUBLIC. SEE VERSE 5, 16 AND 20. DANIEL’S FAITH WAS A PUBLIC ONE. THIS DOESN’T MEAN HE WAS AGGRESSIVELY PROSELYTIZING. BUT IT ALSO DOESN’T MEAN THAT HE WASN’T HIDING IT EITHER. HIS WALK WITH GOD WAS KNOWN!

APPLICATION: THE LATEST STATISTICS REVEAL THAT ONLY ONE IN FIVE NON-CHRISTIANS KNOW A CHRISTIAN. WHICH IS AMAZING SINCE THEY HAVE A LOT OF OPINIONS ON CHRISTIANS. FROM MEDIA. WHO KNOWS ABOUT YOUR FAITH? WHO KNOWS YOU FOLLOW JESUS AND LOVE CHRIST? HOW PUBLIC, NOT CRITICAL, NOT CONDEMNING, IS YOUR FAITH?

EXPLANATION: THIS PUT HIM IN CONFLICT AND AT ODDS WITH THE WORLD AND GETS HIM IN TROUBLE AND THROWN INTO THE LIONS DEN.

KOOP ILLUSTRATION- ONE OF THE LEADING DOCTORS IN THE WORLD IN THE LATE SEVENTIES. NOMINATED BY THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION TO SERVE AS SURGEON GENERAL. ONE PROBLEM, AS A CHRISTIAN HE WAS AGAINST ABORTION. WHEN THE PRESS FOUND OUT THEY HAD A FIELD DAY. WASHINGTON POST PORTRAYED HIM AS A FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN WITH A LINCOLNESQUE BEARD. BOSTON GLOBE DISMISSED HIM AS A MERE CLINICIAN WITH TUNNEL VISION. HE WAS RUN THROUGH THE RINGER FOR OVER A YEAR UNTIL FINALLY APPOINTED. FOLLOWING JESUS CREATES CONFLICT AT TIMES.

…IMPACTED HIS PERSON-

EXPLANATION: DANIEL GETS THROWN INTO THE LIONS DEN BECAUSE OF HIS PUBLIC FAITH. FOLLOWING JESUS DOES NOT INCUBATE US FROM CONSEQUENCES. YOU MAY LOSE YOUR JOB. YOU MAY GO THROUGH FIERY TRIALS. BUT NOTICE WHAT HAPPENS. THE KING COULDN’T SLEEP. SURROUNDED BY LUXURY HE HAD NO PEACE. DANIEL IS SURROUNDED BY LIONS AND IS THE PICTURE OF PEACE. POINT- CIRCUMSTANCES WILL NEVER GIVE YOU PEACE. YOU CAN BE PROSPEROUS AND MISERABLE. BUT YOU CAN ALSO BE IN THE MIDST OF A TRIAL AND BE THE PICTURE OF PEACE! GOD WAS NOT IN THE PALACE, BUT HE WAS IN THE LIONS DEN. PEACE IS WHERE GOD IS. WHY SHOULD YOU TAKE GOD WITH YOU AT WORK? BECAUSE WHERE GOD IS THERE’S PEACE.

ILLUSTRATION: I PASTORED FOR OVER A DECADE IN MEMPHIS. I LOVE THE GAME OF GOLF, AND PLAYING GOLF IN MEMPHIS COULD PROVE DANGEROUS AT TIMES. THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY THUNDERSTORMS CAN COME OUT OF NOWHERE JUST LIKE THAT. MY HOME GOLF COURSE UNDERSTOOD THIS AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY. SO THEY BUILT SHELTERS OUT OF SPECIAL MATERIAL THAT IF LIGHTNING STRUCK IT NOTHING WOULD HAPPENED. PLACED AT STRATEGIC PLACES. SO WHEN THE THUNDERSTORM CAUGHT YOU BY SURPRISE YOUR FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO MAKE IT TO THIS REFUGE. AND WE’D GET THERE AND WOULD BE SITTING IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM WITH THUNDER AND LIGHTNING ALL AROUND, BUT WOULD BE LAUGHING AND TALKING THE PICTURE OF PEACE BECAUSE WE WERE EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE UNDER THE COVERING OF THE SHELTER.

APPLICATION: YOU KNOW WHAT THE PSALMIST CALLS THIS? A REFUGE. . FOR IN YOU I TAKE REFUGE. LATER ON THE PSALMIST SAYS THAT THE LORD IS HIS REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE. HE MADE UP IN HIS MIND THAT WHEN THE THUNDERSTORMS OF LIFE CAUGHT HIM BY SURPRISE HE WAS GOING TO RUN TO GOD! FOR WHERE GOD IS, THERE’S PEACE. AND YOU? WHERE ARE YOU RUNNING TODAY. PEACE AIN’T IN THE PALACE. AND PEACE AT IN THE STORM. PEACE IS WHERE GOD IS. WHILE EVERYONE IS FREAKING OUT ON YOUR JOB, RUN TO GOD.

…IMPACTED HIS WITNESS-

EXPLANATION: NOW LET ME SHOW YOU HOW THIS TEXT IS TRADITIONALLY PREACHED. WALK WITH GOD, DO GREAT WORK, STAY FAITHFUL TO GOD. TRUST HIM, AND IF YOU GET IN TROUBLE, GOD WILL STEP INTO THE TROUBLE AND BAIL YOU OUT. EHHHH…THESE ARE SOME GOOD SECONDARY APPLICATIONS…MAYBE, BUT THIS IS NOT ULTIMATELY WHY THIS STORY IS WRITTEN. ABRAHAMIC COVENANT- . GOD WANTS ISRAEL TO BE A WITNESS TO THE WORLD OF THE GOODNESS AND GLORY OF GOD. GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO DISPLAY HIS GLORY. HOW WE SEE THAT HERE. THE STORY OF DANIEL IS NOT ABOUT A SUCCESSFUL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WORKING FOR PROMINENT NATIONS LIKE BABYLON AND PERSIA. IT’S ABOUT A SOVEREIGN GOD, LOVING THE WORLD EMPIRES ENOUGH TO USE HIS CHILDREN AS LIGHTS DISPLAYING HIS GLORY.

APPLICATION: BUT HOW DOES GOD DO THIS. DANIEL EXPERIENCES 1. GODLY SUCCESS (WITNESS TO THE WORLD). 2. INVITES WORLDLY OPPOSITION. 3. RESPONDS FAITHFULLY. 4. GOES THROUGH AN INTENSE TRIAL. 5. TO DISPLAY THE GLORY OF GOD.

EXAMPLE OF JESUS...

YOU: 1. GOD WANTS YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL- /GIFTS. 2. YOU WILL EXPERIENCE OPPOSITION. 3. HE WANTS YOU TO RESPOND IN FAITHFUL INTEGRITY. 4. YOU WILL GO THROUGH GREAT TRIALS. 5. WHY? THE GREATER THE TRIAL THE GREATER THE GLORY. MORE THAN YOUR SUCCESS, GOD IS AFTER HIS GLORY, AND HE WANTS IT FROM ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE, BUT ESPECIALLY YOUR WORK! REALLY UNPACK THIS!

GOSPEL CONCLUSION:

DANIEL THROWN INTO THE DEN BY ACCUSERS/JESUS ON THE CROSS AND THEN IN THE GRAVE. 2. GOD THROUGH AN ANGEL RAISES DANIEL OUT OF THE GRAVE AND JESUS UP FROM THE DEAD. THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST DANIEL DIED/AGAINST JESUS WILL PERISH IN HELL.