"It's Not About The Lions" | Daniel 6 | Pastor Keith

The title of this morning's message is just Daniel 6, but

actually I want to add this title and the title is this.

It's not about the lions. It's not about the lions.

How many of you have AI? Remember I had a Sunday school

book, Daniel, and used to be the little kid in the lions.

Then it's pity let in the right fact back in those days, because

Daniel was an old, old geezer at that time.

That's Hebrew for an old fellow. It's not about the lions.

Is it possible? That's why we're in Daniel, to

live the victorious Christian life in a fallen, sinful world

with corrupt politicians. In our study in Daniel, we've

seen how it is indeed possible as we've followed the lives of

Daniel, Hananiah, Michelle and Azariah who had taken captive in

their teens, enslaved, marched 4 months from Jerusalem, leaving

their families, heading to Babylon.

There they are, emasculated, forced to live and a land from

Jerusalem, far from, never to far from their religious

upbringing, never to see their families ever again in an empire

known as Babylon. Babylon for us is the world.

We're believers. We're we're we're foreigners in

this land. The Bible says in the book of

Hebrews that we're strangers, we're pilgrims.

We're looking like Abraham for a city whose foundations are not

built by man, but built by God. So you and I, we're, we're,

we're, we're captives at this moment.

We're in the slavery in this land called Babylon.

And we have wicked kings ruling over us at this moment.

But God is with us. And God has LED us into this

study for a reason. And that is to exhort us, to

push us, to encourage us to follow these who have gone

before us, like Daniel, to follow their example, to learn

from their ways, their righteous living, and to gather strength

and courage to emulate them. For too long, and I used to see

it when I was a boy going to church, Christians in Australia

and the church itself has reflected weakness, cowardice, a

lack of any godly power, any anything powerful coming out of

the church, done by the church. And in these last days, God

calls us to change that paradigm to live like Daniel.

In chapter 6 today, we'll witness a much older Daniel.

Age did not change the power of God moving through Daniel.

If you're elderly and I'm getting there, well, some of you

said you've reached it. It doesn't change the power that

God wants to pump through you. As a matter of fact, you get a

little wiser when you get older and it's less of you and it's

more of him, far more of him. We'll witness a much older

Daniel now, and he's mid to late 80s, standing once again in the

strength and power of the God he has served and worshipped

faithfully all these years in a Pagan land.

As I said, it's not about the lions.

It's about Daniel. It's about Daniel's God.

And and it's about prayer. That's what Daniel 6 is about.

Now, many people pray in times of great stress, often on our

Wednesdays. You people turn up, we go, oh,

something's gone wrong. Yeah, sure enough, because we're

here, because this has happened. By the way, Leon has had his

surgery. He's in Hollywood, his surgery

went well. We continue to pray for young

Leon. Leon's a 16 year old young boy,

been through a great time. Let's just stop and pray now.

Lord, we pray for Leon, restore his health.

We look forward to him coming out of hospital.

We want to see him in church, in fellowship, praising and singing

to you. Bless him now in Jesus name,

Amen. Amen.

But many people only pray sadly in times of great stress, fear,

danger or uncertainty. Even those who do not believe in

God have prayed at such times. I've been with people on many

occasions in intensive care units, waiting rooms, in all the

major hospitals. Not once when I've been there

with those families, when someone is in the intensive care

unit and I've offered to pray, have they said no, no, don't

pray. For some, it's been their first

ever time to pray. It is instinctive.

Why is it? Did you notice God has created

us, We made in his image. It is this instinctive for us to

pray. In times of trouble we naturally

cry out. God help us, God help me.

You haven't learnt that it's there.

God placed that there. That's the the vacuum that you

have in your life, that when trouble comes, you cry out to he

who made you. God help me.

Only then do we realise our true helplessness at such times,

especially as I have literally heard the words as the

specialists have come out of the operating room and then into the

intensive care unit with the families.

And the specialists have said this many times and I've heard

the words. We've done all that we can.

We now just got to wait and see what happens, see whether he

makes it, she makes it through the night, what will happen

tomorrow. If you're a praying person, it's

time to pray. It's interesting.

You can be a brilliant neurologist, a brilliant

surgeon, yet it comes to the point where you have to wait and

say. I always was astounded when I

heard those words so often in Royal Perth and Sir Charlie

Gardner and, and I would hear the doctors and they're

brilliant. They've done the best they can.

They can't do anymore. They don't know what's going to

happen through the night or the next day.

It tells you that we need the Lord, don't we?

Jesus? Jesus Christ instructed those

who would follow him as Saviour and Lord.

He said pray at all times, both by His teaching and his example,

so powerful and so fervent and so direct with Jesus prayers

that once after he finished praying, his disciples said to

him, Lord, teach us to pray. Why?

They yearn to be in touch with God as they knew Jesus was.

They saw Jesus go away and then they saw something else.

When he came back, He'd been with the Father.

Have you ever said to God, Lord, teach me to pray?

Prayer should not be casual or sporadic, dictated only by our

needs of the moment. Prayer should be as much as part

of our lives as breathing. Whenever you're with someone, if

you do it today and someone unloads on you a problem or a

situation, a loved 1A difficult that they're having or a storm

that they're in, don't say these words.

I will pray for you instead, right there and then say let me

pray for you. I don't care whether it's in a

shopping centre, in a waiting room, Don't wait because you

won't. You'll forget when someone says

and unloads and you, this is a call to pray.

You say let's pray now. Pray right there and then.

Give it to the Lord. Give it to the Lord.

That's what prayer is to be. So Daniel is between 80 and 90.

The Kingdom of Babylon has been defeated by the Medes and the

Persians. They now rule.

It's the year 538 BC. Daniel has personally undergone

a massive upheaval, to say the least, with his masters.

His rule is changing from Babylonians now to the Medes and

the Persians. This is the second empire.

Remember the image of it? Nebuchadnezzar had the head of

gold. That was Babylon.

Now the chest and arms of silver.

This is the Medes and the Persians.

It's the second empire. It's inferior to the Babylonian.

Daniel has been some 60 years working in public office.

Note that we kind of read about Daniel thinking he's just a

prophet sitting in a room somewhere and God just gives him

visions. No, he, he worked.

He worked in the Babylonian Empire and now he's working,

still working. We'll find him working in the

Median Persian Empire. He's working.

He's a working man. Yet in this massive change from

1 empire to another, Daniel has remained 2 things.

Constant, persistent. Parents, mums, dads.

Here it is. The key to being a good godly

parent is for you both to be constant and persistent.

The same rules you have today this hour are the same rules you

would have tomorrow and the next day and the next day.

Constant and persistent don't change, don't break down, don't

weaken, don't don't be the parent that just says, oh, stop,

stop. No, don't stop, stop, stop,

don't, don't stop that. Say it once, once and then

follow up to be a good godly parent.

Constant, persistent. And that means husband and wife

being constant and persistent together on the same path.

Not see your mother, see what your mom says, See what dad

says? No, I know, Dad says, but I know

I'm upset. No, no, you, you go along

together. That's the first key.

Daniel was constant and persistent.

Daniel is still serving his earthly masters.

He's still working away and his precious God Israel.

The second key, first one, let's read it, please.

Darius to set over the Kingdom 120 SAT traps that can be

Princess governors, rulers, lieutenants to be over the whole

Kingdom. So there's 120 provinces they've

set up. So they set up all these little

like states you you could think of across the Medo Persian

Empire and they ruled over each one and over these and over

those 3 governors. So there was a tier, there was 3

then in charge over the rest of 120, of whom Daniel, the only

foreigner was one that the SAT traps might give account to

them. So corruption was back in the

Median Persian Empire. They set these three up to be

the auditors to be the ones that hey, what are you guys doing?

Because there's corruption in politics and graft.

That's what's behind what's going to give Daniel a hard time

so that the king notice would suffer no loss.

So the the the governors around the place weren't ripping him

off when doing side deals and bribes and things.

Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and

satraps. Why?

Because he wasn't involved in the corruption of all the other

politicians, of all the other leaders over the governors and,

and, and, and the states, the provinces.

Why? Because an excellent spirit was

in him and the king gave thought to setting him up over the whole

realm. Why?

He knew Daniel has ethics. He's incorruptible.

I know he's going to keep things in control and make sure things

aren't going wrong. So the garblers and satraps

sought to find some charge against him.

Why? Daniel's going to ruin their

business then he's going to take money off these guys who are

doing all the shifty things. But they could find no fault or

charge because he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault

found in him. Then these men said, we shall

not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against

him concerning the law of his God.

So he is well known and he's a Jew, a follower of the God of

Israel. So these governors and satraps

thronged over the kings and said thus to him, King Darius, live

forever, be beware of compliments, flattery, oh, here

they come, all the governors. Now that's the first slide,

because it's not all the governors, because Daniel is one

of the governors. He's not part of this.

All the governors of the Kingdom, the administrators and

satraps, the councillors, advisors have consulted together

to establish a royal statute to make a firm decree that whoever

petitions any God or man for the next 30 days, except you are

king, should be put in the den of lions.

Now that's a funky thing to come up with, isn't it?

Now our king established the decree and signed the writing.

So that cannot be changed according to the law of the

Medes and Persians, which does not alter.

Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.

Now under Babylon, the golden head, Nebuchadnezzar, he just

said I can, I can choose and change, I can do whatever I

like. The Mede and the Persian, the

less inferior 1 silver. Now, when they wrote something,

the head, the ruler couldn't go against what was written.

So there's a change in the way of government structure.

You and I have got to realise the enemy will never rest his

attack upon you. The only time we're going to

rest from being attacked is when we're in heaven.

The twin sins, envy and jealousy came hunting for Daniel.

It happens in workplaces, in your schools, in government

departments and places where you, you, you happen to be in

classrooms. Third key, everyone knew

everyone that Daniel was a solid, unchanging follower and

worshipper of the God of Israel. Everyone knew Daniel.

He's that guy. He's that religious guy.

We'll use that term. Do people know that about you?

You know, when they mention your name to someone, they go, yeah,

so and so. Yeah, He goes to church a lot.

Well, so and so he's one of those Bible believers.

What do people know about you? Do they know that you're a

follower of Christ? I hope so.

So they targeted something that they knew all about, that Daniel

was habitual and constant in what he prays and praise. 4th

key. You see, the profile of a godly

man revealed the most important verse about the life, the power,

the passion, the purpose of Daniel and why God used him

miraculously. Why did God use Daniel?

Why do we have a book called Daniel?

Why do we read about him? Why is he a great mentor?

Verse 10. Now, when Daniel knew that the

writing was signed, he went home, and in his upper room with

his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his

knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before

his God. And here's the important line.

As was his custom since early days, from the moment Daniel is

a teenager arrived in Babylon, he lived this life.

Can people say that about you? I hope they can.

Can they say I know where you're going to be Sunday.

I know where you're going to be on Tuesday and they go what

you're going to be doing on Wednesday.

I know what you're going to be doing when you're home.

I know, I know if I come to your lunch table there, your lunch

table at work, there's going to be a Bible open.

You're going to be reading it. You're going to have this, you,

you. They just know you'll walk with

God from the time Daniel arrived in Babylon, as was his custom

since early days. The most important part of a

believers life is the part that only God sees.

In chapter 2 we find Daniel praying.

In chapter 6 we find Daniel praying.

In Chapter 9 when we get there, we will find Daniel praying and

so the attack is launched. The trapper said no one is

allowed to seek or to pray except to Darius for a period of

30 days. Why did Darius agree with this?

He, he he he liked Daniel gone well with him.

He respected him. It pandered to his flesh.

Look, King Darius, what we want is that no one is to pray to any

God or go to any higher form but you over the next 30 years.

Oh, wow. Yeah, let's go to.

I like that the Laura's written death to anyone who breaches it.

Now, the voice of reason, did it whisper in Daniel's ear?

Because it says Daniel knew about this and just went on.

The voice of compromise, you know, it's always whispering in

our ears. Satan is always going, hey, we

can work this out. He did it back in the book of

Genesis, didn't he? You won't.

Hey, let's talk. You won't die.

You're going to eat this. It's not.

Nothing's going to happen to you.

It just doesn't want you to come.

Come. It whispers in your ear.

What would you have done if you'd been in Daniel's shoes?

Take yourself back. You've got a really good job,

well paid. You're in your later years.

I mean, like you've been through a fair bit, haven't you?

You've served the Lord faithfully.

No one's going to know. Take a break.

You know, there's always a good friend who's not a Christian

that says, you know what, Probably need to take a break

from church. Never heard them whisper in your

ear there. You're going through a pretty

tough, you know, you need to just get away from.

That's the devil. He just says, yeah, let's just

come on. Just get some time away with

yourself. No get some time with God when

things happen like that. Get more into fellowship, more

into the word. So Daniel, did he go all covert?

Praying now? Lips aren't moving.

But Daniel was no and never a secret undercover believer.

There's too many of them. It's so secret we don't even

know. God doesn't know him either.

Daniel could have gone to his room, closed the door, shut the

windows, prayed silently to God. You asked why did Daniel have to

be so public, so visible in his faith?

Why not just pray silently? Because Daniel was a man of

faith. Daniel was not some superhero.

The problem with you and I, I remember as a kid, I'd read the

Bible and I think all the people in the Bible were super Saints.

You know, you read about Peter and John and I used to and I

watched, I was raised on all the Cecil B the Mill movies.

You know, when, when Peter walked into the room and the

fishermen remember the music would come.

Oh, the quiet scene. Oh, Peter's here, Peter.

And he talked in that sort of voice and I and I dragged it

into me when I was a first as a kid, you know, learning about

Christ. I thought that's what

Christianity is. Then I began to read the Bible,

actually all the way through. And the Bible is full of

ordinary Peter people. And Peter was pretty ordinary.

He's not some superhero. There are no superheroes in the

Bible. There is one God, Jesus Christ,

and then the rest are all sinful men and women like you and I.

You see, Daniel was an ordinary man.

He's just an ordinary Hebrew kid now.

He's an ordinary Hebrew old man, just like you and I are.

Right this moment. Daniel is just like you and I.

He lived every day, however, to glorify God.

That's the difference. God honoured this and God did

the rest. That's why we read about Daniel.

That's why God used Daniel, because Daniel was always there

to be used. God uses ordinary people to do

extraordinary things. God is speaking to you today,

ordinary Australians, ordinary people in a church, in secret

harbour at the end of the world. When you travel anywhere else in

the in the land secret harbour where we're as far away as from

everything as you can get and God says I want to use you to

touch the world to reach the World.

James chapter 5 verse 17. Elijah was a man with a nature

James 5:17

just like ours. In other words, he was just

ordinary Joe like you and I and he prayed earnestly that it

would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three years

and six months. Why did Daniel pray in this

manner? Windows open.

For 60 years, Daniel's window had been open.

It faced Jerusalem. It was open for prayer.

It was never shut. How do we know this?

Because Daniel was a man of the Bible.

He had the book of Jeremiah in his hands and he knew the

writings of Solomon. Daniel was obeying God's

instructions. Daniel was a man of the Word of

God as a well as a man of prayer.

The 2GO hand in hand at the dedication of King Solomon's

temple in one Kings chapter 8, Solomon anticipated a day when

God's people might be taking captain in captive to another

land. It's written also again, raised

again the same issue in Second Chronicles chapter 6, and it

2 Chronicles 6 · chapter mention

says in verse 37 there in the land where they are carried

captive, and turn and pray unto you in the land of their

captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done a miss and

have dealt wickedly. And you pray toward their land,

which you gave unto their fathers, and toward the city

Jerusalem, which you have chosen, toward the house which I

built for their name, the temple.

Then hear you from the heavens, even from your dwelling.

Place their prayer, their supplications.

Maintain their cause. Forgive your people which have

sinned against you. You hear some of you here today

are in a present trial. We're either just coming out of

a trial, or we're in a trial or about to go into a trial.

That's how it works. Some of you are in a trial at

the moment. You're facing 1.

Today I want to ask you a question.

Do you believe that all the Almighty God loves you?

The answer must be yes. Do you believe that He is with

you and that He is watching over you?

The answer must be yes. In Hebrews Chapter 11 verse one

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

it says now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence tangible of things not seen.

God lives outside, beyond the visual of where we see things

happening, and it is from there, that vantage point that He rules

the world, the universe today. Is there anything that you are

not truly trusting God for? Ask yourself, you can answer

that with this. Is there anything that you are

constantly worrying about? Because worry is like sitting in

a rocking chair. It gives you something to do,

but you don't go anywhere. Worry.

When I start to worry God's, he kind of tasked me on the

shoulder and says, oh, you're worrying.

Eh, that'll do a lot of good. That means that you don't trust

that I can fix this. You don't trust in me to get you

through this, that you don't trust in me, then I can get you

out of this. That's what worry is.

And I have to go to God constantly and say, Lord,

forgive me for the sin of worry. Let God fight your battles.

Let him quieten the howling winds, calm the raging waves.

Disciples, professional fishermen, most of them in

storm. They're rowing waters, filling

Jesus in the back of the boat, sound asleep.

Don't you care that we're going to sink?

Oh yeah. Of little faith.

Be muzzled. Wind stops, the waves calm, and

they arrive on the other side of the Galilee.

The same God, the same Jesus, still has the same power to calm

the storms, to calm the winds, to calm the raging waves that

are beating over your life today.

It's the same God. He's in the same boat with you.

Do you know he still does this? You are not alone.

So for 60 years, Daniel Daly had prayed, facing Jerusalem

habitually. Daniel was not now going to cut

himself off from the source of God's power and protection

because they've just written the law that's saying this is hate

speech. There's a politician in England

who has put forward that certain parts of the Bible should be and

should be declared hate speech to be banned.

It's common. For Daniel, there was no

cunning. Oh, how are we going to get

around this? What are we going to do?

Let's get a whiteboard. Let's work out how I can still

pray we can do this because this has happened.

And what are we going to do? Let's brainstorm.

There was no cleverness. Daniel went home.

He just prayed. No cleverness.

His weapon must be a spiritual one, Dionne Mooney said.

Real, true faith is man's weakness, leaning on God's

strength. Real true faith is man's

weakness. Leaning on God's strength is the

fifth key. Daniel dropped to his knees.

Your most powerful position in your family in your life is on

your knees. It's the most powerful position.

From that position, God enters the frame.

You are now surrendering. We sang about that, and now

you've turned it over to God. You're on your knees.

It's a time of submission, a time of surrender, and now it's

going to be a time of power that follows.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Luke reminds us that even our

Lord knelt down and prayed. And what does Daniel also do?

He gives thanks. What's the deal here?

How could he, knowing he was about to die?

This was all set up to kill Daniel.

Answer. Daniel had been thanking God

three times daily since it arrived in Babylon.

You give God thanks every day, even when things aren't going

good. Philippians 46 Paul writes be

anxious or nothing. That means don't worry, but in

everything that's when by prayer, that's how and

supplication and he adds with Thanksgiving, let your requests

be made known unto God. This 7 follows and the peace of

God which passes all understanding shall keep your

hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

That's the outcome. So the 6th key, courage and

gratitude, courage and Thanksgiving go hand in hand of

the godly man or godly woman, boy or girl.

Praise in the heart of a godly man or woman is never absent.

What did we read in in Psalm 47 today We were we read over and

over where what sing praise didn't say only if it's good,

only if you're feeling well, only if everything's you know

you got money in the bank. Only then verse 11.

Then these men assembled have found Daniel praying.

Where were they outside books down tape recording.

CC is praying now, Agent 4. He's trying out.

You're recording? Yeah.

Telling him to pray a little longer.

Got him. Got a Charlie.

Then these men assembled a fan Daniel praying and making

supplication before his God. And they went before the king

and spoke concerning the King's decree.

Notice they know the King's friendly with Daniel.

Have you not signed a decree that every man has petitions?

Any God or man within 30 days except your king shall be cast

in the den of lions. The king answers said The thing

is true according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which

doesn't hold her. So the answer said before the

king that Daniel who is one of the captives, he's a Jew from

Judah, doesn't show due regard to you or king for the decree

that you signed, but makes his petition 3 times a day.

So how many times did they gather outside his window?

Three times a day. And the king, when he heard

these words, was greatly displeased with himself.

He knew he'd been a sucker, said he's hard on Daniel to deliver

him. And he lied until the going down

of the sun to deliver him. So the King's trying to OK, how

can I, how can I get Daniel out of this fix?

What can I do? What are the rules?

What are the rules? You see, it's not, it's not.

Man's going to sort it out. Then these men approached the

king and said to the king, no old king, that it is the law of

the Medes and Persians, that no decree of statute which the king

establishes may be changed. So the king gave the command and

they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions.

Now he's 8588 years old now. I fell off a step ladder a while

back, just about broke my back. I did parts of it.

Now I'm not that. I'm getting there.

I look like it. I feel like it's some mornings,

but I want you to think for this for a moment because we, we, we

Passover this. But the king spoke to Daniel,

saying to Daniel, you'll God whom you serve continually, who

you serve continually, he'll deliver you.

Then a stone was brought, laid on the mouth of the den, and the

king sealed it with his own signet ring and the signets of

his Lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be

changed. So it's a, it's a big pit.

Think of a pit and it has a wall and they can pull the wall up,

they can drop a wall down. They put the wall down to get

the lines all on one side and they feed them and they pull the

wall, the wall up, and the lines can go all over the place.

So they pulled the wall up. Daniel, this old guy is cast.

Now the lions then, as I said, was not a cage.

It was a pit. The word used and translated

cast is the word thrown. Now, I don't know about you, but

Daniel, he's an old fella and he's got a land at the bottom of

this pit. Heavy.

So now picture this octogenarian prophet being hurled into this

pit. Daniel literally hits rock

bottom. A stone is placed over the pit,

so it's now pitch black. There's no light.

It's sealed. Daniel's laying on the ground

and suddenly in the blackness, the wisp touch of a tail, he

hears the pattern footsteps, then there's a a gentle bump.

Lions. Darius has hoped for the best,

but feared the worst. You know, we're told that one of

the keys of Abraham's faith was that he believed that what God

had promised, he was able to perform.

Paul says Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through

unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God.

Why? What was strong about Abraham?

God said to Abraham, Abraham, you're an old fella.

You're past due date. You know, you and your wife,

Sarah, she's old too. You're going to have a son.

Daniel didn't. Abraham didn't go.

It's it's it's not possible Now I I know it's, it's a grand

thought, but God, it's Sarah. We're in separate rooms to start

with. She snores.

What you're saying it's not possible?

No, that's what I love about Abraham in Romans 4 says Abraham

is the father of our faith. He's staggered.

Not when God's Word speaks to you.

God doesn't want you to stagger. He wants you to be like Abraham

and like Daniel, who got He can do this.

I believe he can do this. There's got to be a change in

how you and I live so that we can live like Daniel.

We can be like Abraham, who are ordinary men and women.

Do you believe this morning that God is able to do what he said

he would do? Then what is your problem?

Why are you worried? Sadly, many times we're like

King Darius in the way that we may encourage others.

We do that, don't we? We say, look, God will sort it

out. God will do the right thing.

But we're not quite sure. That's why Darius stayed up all

night. He didn't sleep.

And in the morning Darius would ask, verse 20, is your God able

to deliver you? He's expecting no sound.

I mean, an old guy's been thrown in and they would keep these

lines and only feed them just enough to keep them alive so

that when people were thrown in there, they'd be ripped the

shreds. Is God Abel?

Three young Hebrew men in the fire were asked that question

before they were cast into the furnace.

Is God Abel? And they said he's Abel, whether

he wants to or not, that's up to him.

But either way he's going to deliver us.

He's able. Either way he's going to deliver

us. We will not bow down.

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus.

Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above

all that we ask or even think, because you see, you and I are

reasoning people, we look at facts and we look at things or

this doesn't work. That doesn't work.

That's not how you live the Christian life.

You and I live by faith. We live and believe and worship

a God who's outside, lives outside the realms of the laws

of physics. He can make the sun stand still,

He can make a a sea part and a whole nation can walk across

with dry feet. He going to have a young kid

take down a giant. He can solve your situation.

He going to help you through your problem because he's able.

He is able. God's ability goes beyond your

ability to ask or think. God said to Jeremiah, Behold, I

am Jehovah, the God of all flesh.

Is there anything too hard for me?

The wonderful grace of God is greater than all my sin, Paul

said to Timothy. I know the one in whom I

believe, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which

I've committed until that day. I have committed the keeping of

my life to the God of Daniel, and I know He is able to keep

me. I am weak, but He keeps me.

I may stumble, but He keeps me from falling.

I may fail, but He never fails. You see, this is the God, this

is the relationship He wants you to have with Him today.

Verse 17, stone was brought, laid on the mouth of the den,

and the king sealed it with his own signet.

And we read that verse 18 king went to the palace and never

slept. Then verse 20, Daniel, the king

gets up before dawn. Are you the servant of the

living God, as your God been able to deliver you, the one

whom you serve continually? That Daniel said to the king,

yeah, I'm alive, no thanks to you.

Our minister shouldn't have been put here in the 1st place.

Didn't say that. You see, this is where

Christianity really needs to change the way you and I

correspond with unbelievers, gentlers of love as a dove, wise

as serpents. He said, O King, live forever.

Wow, my God sent his Angel and shut the lion's mouths, so they

have not hurt me because I was found innocent before him.

And also, O King, I've done no wrong before you.

I've not done nothing wrong to you.

So the king was exceedingly glad for him and commander, that they

should take Daniel up out of the den and lift him out.

Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was

found on him. Why, it says notice in your

Bible? Because he believed in his God.

The voice of one who knows God through prayer and who lives by

faith speaks. Oh my, God sent an Angel.

Can you imagine? The lions were just there and

they couldn't open their mouths. I must just lay down here.

Psalm 9111 For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep

you in all your ways. Hebrews 114.

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister

for them, who shall be heirs of salvation?

Psalm 34 Seven. The Angel of the Lord encamps

around about them that fear him, and delivers them.

Daniel is lifted victoriously out of the pit.

Hebrews, 1133. The writer of Hebrews writes

about this. Those who through faith subdued

kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the

mouths of lions. The great essential in the

profile of one whom God uses is that they are people of faith

because they are people of prayer.

You know that faith and prayer go hand in hand.

You can't say, yeah, I'm, I'm a strong believer in God.

Do you pray not much. Well, then you're not because it

doesn't work that way. People of faith are like they

are strong because they're people of prayer.

Why is that? Because you pray believing that

God's going to change something the impossible.

That's why you pray. People who don't pray don't

believe in God. You say, well, I pray, well, how

do you believe? James says, don't pray believing

with a you know, with, with, with a doubting heart, a double

minded man. How do you pray?

When you pray, let's he's going to do this and that causes you

to pray. It should be the most wonderful

thing for you to go. You know what we can pray about

this. It just fixes it.

It just changes the whole scenario.

It puts it in God's hands. The heroes of faith placed their

lives totally in His hands through prayer.

This is what it means to believe, to believe in God that

just shall live by faith, that you could just easily say that

just shall live by prayer. A man or woman of God in the

will of God. I want you to hear this is

immortal until his or her work on earth is finished.

I will live until the day God says home, no matter what the

world, no matter what sharks or anything does, you know, no

matter what happens, cars, accidents, until the Lord says

he's done, he's finished home. And that makes me live in great

peace. And it shouldn't you too.

That means when someone goes home, it means that the job was

done. It's not how long you live.

It's what you do in the time that God gives you to to do him

to serve him. You see, God always gets the

glory from those he uses verse 24 and the king gave the command

and they brought those men. Now I don't believe they brought

the whole 120 I bought. They think they believe the

other two guys, just the two who rallied up this this this law to

bring Daniel injustice and their wives and children.

Now because in Jewish law in Deuteronomy, a family and

children cannot be condemned for the sins of their father.

So this was the Medes of the Persians.

Now notice what Darius writes verse 25 to all peoples,

nations, language that dwell on all the earth, peace be

multiplied. To you sounds like

Nebuchadnezzar. I make a decree that in every

dominion of my Kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God

of Daniel. Why?

Notice what? Notice the description of the

God you and I serve. For He is the living God and

steadfast forever. His Kingdom is the one which

shall not be destroyed, doesn't matter what the world does.

Read the end of the book. God's Kingdom shall not be

destroyed and His dominion shall endure to the end.

That means God rules all the way through, not man, and He

delivers and rescues. Now notice what an Old Testament

king, atheist king says too about the God that you and I

serve. He works signs and wonders in

heaven. But notice and on earth who has

delivered Daniel from the powers of the lions.

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius.

That sum it up, it's Cyrus the Persian.

Are you a Darius up all night worrying?

Oh, a desire to be a Daniel who's sleeping in the lion's

den? Be constant.

Be constant in your walk with God.

What happens around you does not change you.

What happens around you does not change you.

You don't change your your faith, your prayer, your love of

God simply because this has happened.

Be faithful in your service. 90% of success is simply showing up.

For 60 years Daniel served faithfully both 2 kings and the

Lord daily. Live your life by the word of

God. Daniel knew Jeremiah, he knew

the dedication of the temple by Solomon.

Pray without seeking, ceasing. How many times did Daniel pray?

Three times a day, as it says in the Psalms.

This is what his clock was on Christian time.

No prayer, no power. Then there's no point.

You might as well just worry then.

Don't be clever. Be spiritual.

Battles require spiritual weapons.

And here's the last part, be thankful always God is able to

use you. You know, people plot against

God and these people, but forget about God.

Jim Stretchberry is going to talk about Israel.

Let me tell you about Israel. You want to believe, I will

believe. Show me if there's proof there

is a God. Look at the nation Israel

decimated, taken to Babylon 70AD dispersed in 1948, the only

people this has ever happened to regathered and the state of

Israel the Bible prophesied reborn immediately war breaks

out in 1967. Five Arab nations surround and

attacked Israel with a force twice the size of the Jews.

Six days later, the war was over and Israel had the victory.

In 1973, a massive coalition force from over a dozen

countries invaded. Israel attacked them on their

holiest day, Yom Kippur. Within 2 1/2 weeks, the

attackers were forced to retreat, with five times the

casualties. Because God says they're my

people. No matter what comes against

them, no matter who comes against them.

And you know what God says? You're his child.

This morning God calls you. He calls you to cry out in

prayer. If you would become a people of

prayer, this church would change the world.

He is able. But do you know him?

As you sit here today? Do you know him?

Do you know the God of Daniel? Jesus is his name.

Will you come to him today? Will you accept his invitation?

If you don't know Christ, come to him.

The time is short. Today is the day of salvation.

Come right now as we worship the Lord and let Him change your

life forever. If you begin to pray, you begin

to believe you followed Daniel's example, your life, your world,

your and this world around you, things will change dramatically.