Homesick: Light
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Homesick for heaven
and Daniel has found himself in the lions den
There has been a running joke about changing light bulbs
How many people does it take to change a light bulb?
baptists?
15 - 1 for the bulb and the rest in a committee to make a cassorole
psychiatrists?
one - but the bulb really has to want to change
Chiropractors?
one - 6 visits
church members?
change?
MY GRANDMOTHER DONATED THAT BULB!!!
Amish...
what is a light bulb
It’s tricky changing a light bulb
BUT LISTEN
God has not called us to change light bulbs but to shine our light
Jesus - Sermon on the mount
Matt 5:
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Here is how the Christian life works...
Jesus = light of the world
YOU give heart to Jesus
saved
Jesus lives inside of your heart
You now become the light of the world
Jesus wants you to shine
Don’t put it under a basket
that would not be smart to cover it
Put it on a lamp stand
you are not a light but a light stand!!!
the focus is not on you but on the light
you just have to do good at holding the light so that it may be seen
sometimes we try so hard as Christians and we struggle
think that we can’t do it
Sometimes we try so hard that we forget that it’s more about trusting than trying!
getting out of the way so that God can do His thing!
Daniel totally yeilded to the Lord
God shined thru his life like the sun
A little backstory:
Daniel was in Babylon when Neb was king
lasted through the reign of Neb
& Neb died
His son took over
then another son
finially the kingdom was taken over
defeated by the persians
new king
Darius the Mede
Most likely Darius the Mede
Daniel had earned the position of a person with tremendous influence
he gained influence because he let his light shine
I want us to see 4 realities of letting our light shine
Letting your light shine gains recognition
watch this with me
Darius is king
takes over the entire kingdom
(For later) satrap- local ruler
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 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. 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.
It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 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. 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. 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. 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.”
Dan 6:1-
Daniel was picked because of the spirit that was seen in him
his light was shining
because people noticed something different about him
he ended up getting noticed
He is really standing out
going to be 1st in command under the king
top of vs. 3 says that Daniel began to distinguish himself above all other high officials
Distinguish: to glitter in the darkness
shine in the darkness
What made Daniel stand out?
Honest
integrity
respectrul
responsible
dependable
he had some great qualities that are not only attainable for each of us but expected by our Maker
Even a child makes himself known by his acts,
by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.
we can set ourselves appart from the world when are conduct is pure and upright
when others are lying at work for personal gain
you work honestly
when others cut corners
you are more like a Wendy’s hamburger - no corners cut!
If someone is wiling to lie for you then they will also lie to you when it benefits them
But it wasn’t just Daniel’s outward actions that were so wonderful
inner character
he did right outward because he was right inwardly
this is the opposite of the Pharisees
they did right outward
but Jesus said
YOURE LIKE A WHITE-WASHED TOMB. YOU LOOK GOOD ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT INSIDE YOU ARE ROTTEN… ROTTEN TO THE CORE
Daniel was right inside
right at the core
We all have heard that our actions speak louder than words
I also believe that our REACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN ANYTHING
see- we can control our conduct up to a point
it’s hard to control how you react
Daniel had impeccable conduct and character
when he got squeezed with pressure
he also responded well
A persons life is like a tube of toothpaste
when the pressure comes and they get squeezed
what comes out of them is what was inside
squeeze toothpaste tube & toothpaste comes out
what comes out when you get squeezed?
Daniel had many instances in life where there was pressure
about to lose his life many times
THAT’S PRESSURE-
and the LORD CAME OUT OF HIM
because his life was grounded in God
People notice your conduct
character
what do people say about you?
neighbors
at school
in the office
at the warehouse
in your store
your family
do they look at you and say
They really shine? I watch them!
people listen to how you talk
see if you use off-color words
cuss & try to cover it up
“excuse my french” -our words should not be with excuse
People watch you...
to see if your going to happy hour
to see how you respect others - or not
If you stand out for Jesus- THEY NOTICE
The Lord wants you to stand out
He says- Come out from among them and be separate & take a stand. And God says that He will bless you!
Daniel- distinguished himself
so they wanted to make him prime minister
What was Daniels success? Secret?
success in Nebs Kingdom
Success in Darius’ Kingdom
Secret?
smarter?
no, he was smart but not to his success
more handsome or charming
I would think so but it hasn’t gotten me anywhere
IT WAS BECAUSE HE COMPLETELY YIELDED TO GOD
when we yield to God our light will shine and people will notice
reallity #2
2. Letting your light shine brings retaliation
clearly it gains recognition
& Dan was recognized
but it will also bring retaliation
people respect a man, a woman, a child who stands for God and stands for what is right
they respect you for it
but they may not like you for it
may not be the most popular
Look back at
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. 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.”
These guys did not like that Daniel was promoted
Daniel is about 88years old
Jewish exiled to Babylon and now into their Persian Empire
coming in taking their place
They didn’t like that Daniel was SO honest
they knew that corruption would not be tolerated under his rule
there was jealousy & anger
Why does this happen?
because many people like the darkness over the light
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
like a roach when the lights come on they scurry away into the darkness
because of their evil deeds
if they put out the light then their evil wont be revealed
so they wanted to get rid of Daniel
you know how it is when you go for a government position
the competition will go thru your life to find all of the flaws to reveal them
They looked into Daniel and found no corruption
no negligence
no unfaithfulness
the only thing that they could pen on his was they he worshiped his God
WHAT A TESTIMONY
are you too commited to Jesus?
So these guys come up with a plan
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 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. 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.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
go to Darius
They were trying to put out the light
Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
All who live godly lives in Jesus Name will suffer perescution
part of walking with God
Jesus shined like no other
did good things while here
People spit on his face
beat him with fists
whipped his back with whips
ripped his beard
stretched him out on a cross
nailed him to it and laughed in his face
and Jesus told his disciples that a slave is not better than his master
if they persecuted me they will persecute you also
If you have never felt the devils opposition then it’s probably because you are going the same direction as he is
when we put our light on a lamp stand and let it shine
the devil and all of hell will come to cover it up or put it out
Some of you say I KNOW that ‘s why I don’t let my light shine
The God of heaven humbled himself for us
hung naked on a cross
died the death that we deserved
WE ARE LIVING FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ONE
can I let you in on a secret
as a pastor, dad, husband, body shop tech
by focus is to please God
here in this church- I am not here to please you
I am here to please God
If I please you and don’t please God then I am a failure
If I please God - God I lived my life to please you
not bowing to world
wouldn’t shut up when they didn’t like what I had to say
I am here to shine a light
Paul said that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us in heaven!
That’s why I am homesick for heaven because that’s where my heart is!
Let us be like Casting Crowns song
I’m a nobody, trying to tell everybody, about somebody who saved my soul
Reality #3
3. letting your light shine takes resolve
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.
If you want you life to count like Daniels did
you must be disciplined in your relationship with God
that is our resolve… our solution to the problems
Daniel spent a lot of time in prayer
regularly giving thanks
many of us fail to do that
we must learn to have an attitude of grattitude
It would have been easy for Dan to throw a pitty party
Seriously, Lord?
I’m 88 & have served you faithfully
and this is what I get
But he went to prayer and thanked God
Matthew Henry -
One day, he was jumped by some people and robbed. And that night he wrote this in his diary: He said, “Lord, I‟m thankful that during these years I have never been robbed until now.” He said, “I‟m thankful that they took my money but not my life. I‟m thankful that they took all I had, but that really wasn‟t very much.” And he said, “And, Lord, I am so grateful that I was robbed and it was not I who did the robbing.” And even in the midst of something so bad as to get jumped and robbed, he could give thanks.
It is difficult to live faithfully to the Lord - It takes discipline
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
we must train & be determined to become disiplined
reality # 4
4. Letting your light shine produces results
They saw Daniel praying
they were excited to get him in the lions den
went to Darius
Dan 6:12
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.”
they were working him
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.”
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. 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.”
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!” 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. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.
could you imagine
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?” Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 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.” 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. 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.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Daniel knew that he was a winner either way
protected or mauled
See, you don‟t need to be afraid about dying, because God is a delivering God. And when your life is over, when God is through with you on this earth and the plan for your life is over, then, wouldn‟t you want to go to be with the Lord? What a promotion! What a promotion! God delivers.
See when it was all over the king did not glorify Daniel but glorified God because of Daniel
That is the way that we must shine our light!
Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you. 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.
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.”
Dan 6:
Read Story:
In World War II, there was an aircraft carrier out in the Atlantic Ocean. And one evening late, actually it was in the middle of the night, the commander of that aircraft carrier, he sent out 6 planes on a reconnaissance mission. And as those planes were out spying out the enemy, the aircraft carrier was in trouble. Word came back that “You‟re in danger.” And the captain of that ship said, “I order that every light on this ship be put out. We‟re in danger. Every light needs to be out.” So they turned out all the lights.
Well, those 6 pilots that were out there on the reconnaissance mission, when they got through with their reconnaissance, they started back. And they called the aircraft carrier, and they said, “You need to turn on the lights so we can find you so we can land.” They said, “We can‟t turn on the lights. We have the orders. We can‟t turn them on.” And then, another pilot radioed in and he said, “You need to give us some light. We can‟t see. We don‟t know where you are. Turn on a light.” And they said, “We can‟t. We‟re under orders. We can‟t turn on a light.” One pilot called in and he said, “Can someone just turn on one light?” He said, “I‟m sorry. We can‟t even turn on one light.” And 6 brave American pilots perished in the Atlantic Ocean because they couldn‟t find one light.
There are people who we come in contact with every day who are searching for a light
just one light
they will perish if they don’t find one....
WILL YOU BE THAT LIGHT?
invitation
Lord, Help us to become tired of living for self and for pleasure & for money & things - help us to live for YOU!
The areas of our lives that we have been hiding the light- open it up and put you (the light) on my (lampstand). I want my life to cound like it’s never counted before for you Jesus- You are the Light of the world- help me to cause you to shine bright!