Daniel #06: an exposition of Daniel 6:1-28. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, February 24, 2013.
Intro:
I thought it would get easier. It just makes sense. The longer you do something the better you know and understand it and it gets easier. Right? Do you remember learning to drive? Everything was so strange. You had to concentrate. Keep your eyes on the road. Check your mirrors. Don’t touch the radio – every time you reach for the radio you steer in that direction! Now I’m driving down the road and have no idea how I got where I am. And, it’s not because I’m having issues and need medication. It is because driving has become second nature. It has gotten easier and requires less concentration. I’m not exactly a handyman. I remember changing the porch light. It is not difficult. Undo the ground and two wires. Wire the new one. Attach it to the wall. Done. The first time, it took me an hour and a half. Now? I can do it in an hour! My point is, with repetition, with experience, things get easier. So why isn’t that true when it comes to living our faith? Abram responded to the call of God and left Ur of the Chaldea’s to follow the unknown God. Throughout his pilgrimage his faith was tested again and again. Each time building spiritual muscle that would be needed for the next great test. Finally, after years of walking with God he faced his ultimate challenge. “Abraham. Take your son, the one you love, Isaac and offer him in sacrifice to Me.” At first light he sat out with the boy, the wood and the fire. His son asked, “Father, where is the lamb?” “God will provide,” Abraham answered. His greatest challenge came late in life. Each victory was preparation for that great test. The apostle Paul was faithful to the call of God. For his faithfulness he was stoned, beaten with rods, shipwrecked, falsely accused, imprisoned and ultimately was executed. But he was able to say at the end, “I’ve finished the course. I’ve kept the faith.” As a teenage boy Daniel was taken captive by the Babylonians. He was transported to Babylon, trained in the way of the Babylonians and served pagan kings for seven decades. Now in his 80’s he faces his greatest challenge. Our text this morning is found in the sixth chapter of Daniel.
Text: Daniel 6:1-28
- Daniel’s name means, “God is my judge.”
- He certainly lived up to his name.
- You member he refused the king’s food and stood his ground to honor his God.
- His three friends refused to bow before the image of gold and God was glorified.
- Now, after 70 years Daniel’s faith is again tested.
If Daniel’s name was part of a word association game the most common response would be, “lion’s den.” It is the story Daniel is most associated with and one of the most recognizable stories in the Bible. It would be easy to read this story and come to the conclusion that if you are faithful to God, He will be faithful to you. The problem with that interpretation is that it gives a false promise. I say false because we too often equate faithful with deliverance. Yes, Daniel was delivered but we are not promise that we will be delivered.
In Hebrews 11:33 we do find that Daniel’s faith “stopped (shut) the mouths of lions.” However if you continue reading you find others who suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated…(Hebrews 11:36-37).
To understand the message of Daniel 6 we need to remember the message of the book as a whole – God is sovereign. He rules over men and nations. He raise them up and disposes of them as He wills. Daniel’s motivation for faithfulness is not reward oriented. He doesn’t serve God because of what he gets out of it. The message of Daniel 6 is…
Thesis: The love, mercy, grace and glory of our God demand our faithfulness no matter what our circumstance and regardless of the cost.
We are faithful. We serve Him because He is worthy!
There are three things I want to point out from our text.
- Our lives are to continually reflect the character and nature of our God. (6:1-9)
- Our lives are to remain consistent despite our ever-changing culture. (6:10-17)
- Our deepest desire is that our lives bring glory to our God. (6:18-28)
Conclusion:
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there are many who do not end well. Of those who begin the race with great excitement and promise few cross the finish line with the same zeal and passion. After a lifetime of ups and downs, victories and defeats most are just grateful it is over. My prayer is that you will live a life of faithfulness that leads to even greater faithfulness that ensures when you face your greatest test you will stand tall. Blameless before God and blameless before men to the praise of God’s glory and grace.