Sermon Tone Analysis

(Concern for the People of God)

In many churches and Christian organizations, personality is more highly prized than wisdom and understanding; weaknesses are resolved by new programs, not by faithful prayer; opposition is overthrown by growth in numbers rather than in depth and quality.

The foundations are rarely examined because we are so engrossed in the business of creating visible activity (and often it is a “business” as well as “busyness”).

Daniel’s concern remains the same, his concern is for the people of God.

His concern is for the Spiritual Battle that is taking place.

The Final Vision of Daniel is Recorded

Note: The Chronology of events in Israels history is worth noting.

For one thing, Cyrus had issued a decree allowing the Jews to return home to Jerusalem in the first year of his reign, a record of which is found in scripture.

Ezra 1:1-4.

Why did Daniel not return to his beloved Jerusalem?

He specifically mentions that he is beside the great river, that is, the Tigris”.

Apparently Daniel remained in Babylon.

Was he too old to make the Journey?

Knowing the prayer life and connection Daniel had with God we must assume that he had a deep conviction that he must remain in Babylon.

We also know of the great problems and difficulties that were taking place during the rebuilding of Jerusalem.

God had already raised up (Ezra and Nehemiah) for the rebuilding project.

What these leaders needed most was those who would engage in spiritual warfare on their behalf in the strategic act of prayer.

WE ARE IN A CONSTANT SPIRITUAL BATTLE

How should we fight the battle and what is the mode of our warfare?

The Large majority of Christians give four propositions when it comes to spiritual warfare.

1.

We are all involved in a spiritual battle whether we know it or not.

2. Jesus Christ is the triumphant King and deliverer.

3. The Modern Age deadens people to the reality of Spiritual Warfare.

4. Errors and Excess in Deliverance ministries.

*We live in a society where the modern agenda has largely failed.

*We live in a society that has become increasingly pagan.

*We live in a society of high-profile bondage to “addictions.”

*Bizarre and trouble behavior, often related to experiences of extreme abuse, seems to be appearing more frequently.

*Many people have sometimes experienced an uncanny, heightened sens of the presence of evil.

*A growing number of Christians teach and practice “deliverance” ministry in the quest to cast out inhabiting demons.

Big Idea: The true victory is won behind the veil.

We live in a world driven by the seen not the unseen.

The reality of spiritual warfare is real and close.

The true victory is won behind the veil.

2 Things Daniel teaches us about Spiritual Warfare.

1. Spiritual Warfare Begins with Divine Action

Note: Notice that the beginning of our text starts with divine action being revealed to Daniel, the divine action was in regards to the great conflict of the battle that is being waged all around him.

Notice that this vision he understood and had understanding.

Possibly because it was the exact battle that he found himself constantly engage in during his daily time in Bible Study and Prayer.

*We fight and Win Spiritual Warfare when we dig into Scripture for true Wisdom.

God Takes the Initiative to respond to our Spiritual Battles.

“The Word was revealed to me,” “A Hand touched me.”

The Long-term view of the kingdom begins when we are learning to dig into Scripture in search of true wisdom that only comes from God He joins us in the battle.

THE BATTLE BELONGS TO GOD!

“And it was a Great Conflict”

Do you have a long-Term view of the Kingdom of God.

Daniel is an example of how we are to commit ourselves to God’s plan in advance.

Daniel would not directly see the results of the rebuilding of the temple, this is the hallmark of true faithful commitment, he believed but did not receive what was promised.

He prayed for blessings that he would not personally experience.

However, he knew that Divine action was the only way he could win the battle.

Think of the Journey, we may never personally witness the far reaching impact we have on lives here in Killeen Texas.

However, we have had many men and women who have left here and are actively engaged in the ministry and mission of the Church.

Have you ever had someone praying for you who never knew who you were or how God would use you for his kingdom?

Someone praying for God’s divine action to take place in your life so that his greater plan could be revealed.

Praying the long-term view of God’s Kingdom, means praying for people who you may never even meet or see the fruit of God’s action of doing battle for that person.

Daniel was committed to the long-term view of God’s kingdom.

We find constantly through the book of Daniel that he understood the bigger picture of what was going on around him, and the weakness of the people to face the great opposition.

Christian leaders like Daniel spend their energy to seek the word of God and the face of God rather than to seeking one-way tickets to Babylon might be people the affluent and busy twenty-first-century church would find difficult to understand.

This is why so many modern Churches are seeking the one way ticket to fame and recognition and fail to put in the hard hours of prayer, fasting, and supplication for people who you have never met.

*We fight and win spiritual warfare when we seek to understand.

How are you preparing to seek and understand God’s word?

Note:There is a difference between believing that prayer is important and that prayer is ESSENTIAL.

ESSENTIAL: There are things that will not happen without Prayer.

From the very first Day Daniel has humbled himself before the Lordship of God and He has heart Daniels prayer.

Daniels vision at the beginning of chapter 10 to the end of the book is one extended vision.

The vision is for the people of Israel who are in exile.

Daniel has a deep burden for the People of God.

Notice that God comes to Daniel in this chapter, God takes the initiative to reveal himself and his word to his treasured servant.

Dated in the third year of Cyrus during the period of the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread which is a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt.

So, on the anniversary of the exodus from Egypt you now have a new exodus from Babylon.

We know that many people did not return to Jerusalem.

The story of Esther in scripture is a picture of part of the remnant of Israel’s time in exile and those who had not returned.

Perhaps people heard reports of the difficulty for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and were so beaten down that they had given up fighting.

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), brilliant journalist, theologian, and prime minister of the Netherlands once wrote:

“If once the curtain were pulled back, and the spiritual world behind it came to view, it would expose to our spiritual vision a struggle so intense, so convulsive, sweeping everything within its range, that the nearest battle every fought on earth would seem, by comparison, a mere game.

Not here, but up there - that is where the real conflict is waged.

Our earthly struggle drones in its backlash.

I must confess that the words of chapter 10 have convicted me very deeply.

If the words of this chapter are true, and I believe they are then why in the world would I not pray more?

Why do I not pray with more passion and earnestness?

Our prayers for God’s divine action provide weapons of warfare which provide ammunition for angels as they engage the demonic forces of evil in spiritual combat.

Our prayers matter and do make a difference behind the unseen veil of the battle field.

Our God is present, and He is not silent.

Daniel understood the word and had understanding of the vision.

Notice, that it all started with Daniels preparation to receive from God.

We wonder why we do not hear God speak or feel as if He is listening to us when we prayer, however, the greater problem may be a lack of preparation.

We have stopped tending to the soil of our hearts and lives for God to reveal His greater plan.

*We Fight and Win Spiritual Warfare when we Stop Fighting Alone

To Understand Spiritual Warfare, we need to begin with acknowledging we are in a war.

Battles make up smaller components of the bigger picture.

By definition, battles involve combat between two persons, between factions, between armies and they consist of any type of “extended contest, struggle, or controversy.

(Webster Dictionary)

As Christians we are in a spiritual battle of some sort on a daily basis.

Battles are fought on different fronts with varying degree’s of intensity.

The same is true in spiritual warfare.

The difference is that even though our spiritual battles are very real we cannot see our attacker.

The First Question we must ask is:

WHY DO WE EVEN FIGHT SPIRITUAL WARFARE?

If we see no reason to fight then we have already lost the battle.

The first thing you need to understand as Daniel understood is that you are in a spiritual battlefield everyday with souls littered all over the battlefield.