Deliverance from the Den

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Well, again, good morning, CCW.

And I just want to tell you uh one quick commercial before uh we have a guest speaker this morning I'm gonna introduce you to.

But something that happened this week that's very important for you to know.

So 30 men talking about real men got together on Thanksgiving morning.

I'm gonna call them gridiron gladiators.

And we played Turkey Bowl football for the first time out on the CCW soccer field.

And so if you looked around and you've seen some limping, you've seen some people grimacing, it is real.

You know, the people on TV, they wear pads.

We play Christian tackle football, okay?

And some people showed up and not act they didn't act like Christians.

I'll tell you the truth.

So you're in here, and there will be an altar call in a little bit.

So I'm just saying.

Um but what a fun time.

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving.

Man, it's been so good.

This is my other next next Sunday is going to be another really important day for CCW.

It's the first time we've ever done what we're going to do.

We're gonna have our best ever Christmas play program.

And so I I hope that you'll invite some people.

We're having a Saturday night.

Um we're doing it next Saturday night and then next Sunday.

So if you got some people that you've been working on and you think, well, they really don't do church, this is a chance to get them out.

Look, it's a gym.

Come to a gym with me and watch a program.

That's all you gotta say.

But the gospel's gonna be shared through that, and man, we'd love to have them.

So help us with that.

Uh, I'm gonna introduce you.

I have the privilege to introduce you to my pastor previously to this church.

You can come out, John.

That's all right.

They want to see your pretty face.

Um John was my pastor in Indiana for nine years, and then really previous to that, I met John at Middletown Baptist Church doing an internship.

And you ever you have people in your life where it's like God just kind of work things out and sovereignly put you in places with people, and your whole my world honestly changed because I met John and Michelle Reynolds.

And uh he saw a call of God on my life that I didn't really see.

And he pushed and prodded me.

I did things in ministry I never planned to do.

Um but a a couple of things about John.

Number one, John is now 17 years the lead pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in Connorsville, Indiana.

And he has walked faithfully and loyally with that church through everything.

And if you know the statistics, that's over double of what the average pastor stays at a church.

So it's really an amazing thing to see your faithfulness in that, John, and it's been a motivation to me.

Um but one thing I'll just share this is a little thing about John.

Um when I went to kids camp with John, okay, this is one of the many things he made me do.

Okay, I came because I had a psychology degree and I was gonna counsel students.

I was not planning to go into ministry, okay?

I was just gonna help counsel students.

I said, Oh yeah, we can help you do that.

And then he had a list of 75 other things.

And anyway, one of them was going to kids camp, and I've never forgotten this.

Never.

We kids camp is horrible, folks.

I'll just tell you.

Kids can't, everything about it is tough.

And so I wake up on like the third day, just can barely get myself awake.

I'm six years younger, and I I get myself awake, and I look up, it's like five o'clock in the morning, and John is walking out with the word of God to go get alone with God at kids camp.

And I thought, God, if you can make me be a man like that, Lord, I know that I'll succeed for you.

So, John, it I know that he loves Jesus, and you're gonna hear from his heart this morning, but that to me has been a testimony all my life.

So thank you, John, for being a man of God.

If y'all would give my friend a warm reception.

I love y'all.

Love you, buddy.

Well, if there's ever a time to get alone with Jesus, it's at kids' camp.

I can tell you that right now.

So we don't kill them.

Yeah, that's right.

No, um, I'm so honored to be here today.

Um, Rick, um, you know, every it is difficult for pastors to have close friends, and it's difficult when they work together, but God bonded uh Rick and I.

No one ever makes me laugh like Rick.

I mean, sometimes it's Adam and sometimes it's with him, but he just had a way uh of making ministry fun, and this church is a blessed church to have Rick as your pastor.

He really are.

And I want you to know, I want you to know that um one thing for all the support staff here, uh, one thing about Rick, he knows what it's like to be an assistant.

Okay, he was with me for almost 10 years.

He is here with Dr.

Lovett for uh several years before God blessed him and gave him the honor to become your pastor.

And Rick had to do some very difficult jobs as an assistant.

I don't know about here, but in Connorsville, very difficult.

I mean, uh tough stuff.

Tough stuff no one wanted to do.

One day I um we had rental houses that our church owned, and and um I called Rick to my office.

I said, hey Rick, um, how'd you like to make a hundred bucks?

And we didn't pay him much, so Rick was all up for the$100.

I didn't even tell him, he just said yes.

I didn't even tell him what he had to do yet.

And we had someone that had moved out of a house, and uh I said, I just need you, maybe you can get another guy to help you.

It shouldn't take you too long.

I'm trying to I'm trying to avoid paying someone to come in and clean this house.

Why don't you just go over there, get it tidied up so we can rent it out again?

So Rick got his little stuff together and and he called me, I didn't answer.

And I think the way I remember he called me again, didn't answer again.

He said, uh, finally got in touch with me.

He said, John, have you seen this place?

I said, Rick, I'm giving you a hundred dollars.

Just get it cleaned up.

Long in story, long story short, him and this other guy went into this house, and the people that had moved out had lots of cats.

And I don't want to gross you out, but they were everywhere.

They were in the heating ducks, they were, and many of them were not alive.

So uh, and uh so anyway, Rick Rick is not afraid to get dirty for the Lord, all right?

And uh uh, but Rick has been with me through the tough times and and very tough times there at Calvary, and um he's been loyal.

But I can tell you this he's always been a friend to me.

And outside my own spouse, he's he's my best friend in the whole world.

And um, and um he we so enjoy coming here.

But I can tell you, I'm not here because Rick invited me.

Heather invited me.

So uh I know that beyond it, it takes a lot for Rick to give up this pulpit, but uh I can always count on Heather to get an opportunity.

And um, you know, I was we were driving here from Connorsville, and uh boy, you've got a message time left.

Okay, that's awesome.

Uh I'll treat that just like I do at my church.

So um uh, but we were driving here, and a lady called my wife, and uh I want to speak a word about Heather real quick, and um and it and um they were on the phone.

This lady has cancer, has had cancer for quite a number of months now, maybe even over a year.

And uh I listened and had a front row seat to um my wife ministering to another lady uh that that has been connected to our church throughout the years, and I realized I've been at Calvary for 17 years, and there were probably times they wanted to get rid of John, but they knew a good thing when they had it.

And that was my wife, Michelle.

So I'm convinced, even though there may be times they want to get rid of me, they knew they weren't gonna get rid of her.

And I can tell you this Rick is a great leader, he has a big vision, he has great plans, and God's gonna use this church to do amazing things.

But there may be times you get a little frustrated with Rick.

Just hang on for Heather's sake, all right?

Uh Heather is the epitome of what a pastor's wife should be.

And um she loves the Lord and she loves you.

But one thing that I saw in Rick throughout all those years, and I saw it in Heather as well.

Obviously, they both have the gift of hospitality, but um Rick has a heart to win souls for Jesus, okay?

I think you've noticed that in everything you do here next weekend.

It's about reaching people for Jesus.

But he also has a heart to care for souls as well.

And um, and they're they're gonna do amazing jobs.

So I've had a joy to meet everyone here.

Good to meet Eli.

Eli at all I already have a common bond.

We love Jesus and we love soccer, so we're we're we're we're bonding already, and and uh everyone needs a benji.

Every church needs a benji, right?

Uh they keep things going, and I know Dave is a big part of things here.

And then there's Joe.

And uh so Joe grew up at Calvary once he got his heart right with Jesus, and uh came to know the Lord Jesus Christ there, and uh and really, really got on fire for the Lord and uh started so one summer, uh every summer we try to bring in some young guys to kind of work and be an intern and try to get them to do some things we didn't really want to do.

And uh Joe and another young man, his friend, I believe they're very good friends to this day, Matt, they came in one summer.

They worked full-time jobs uh outside of church because we weren't really paying them.

And um, and they they sat in staff meetings and they served the Lord.

They went to kids' camp and uh did some great things.

And Joe, I was just so awesome to see him serving the Lord then.

Well, I'm gonna tell you right now, when I saw him up here, my heart just to see the growth in his life and see what God's doing in him and through him, and and I kind of mad at myself for not hiring him before Rick could.

Uh, but uh, but God's got him a great uh life and ministry in store for him and Michaela, and uh so thankful for both of them as well.

But you know, it was at that kids' camp.

Rick, Rick ran a kids' camp, and uh, and uh Joe, Joe went to uh Joe was a good basketball player, and uh went to Bible college, played basketball, and and um Joe Joe was working at the camp.

I was working at the camp.

I said, Joe, we got some free time.

Let's go shoot some hoops, you know.

We'll just have a nice friendly game of basketball.

And we we turned it into a little one-on-one action there, and and uh we were playing to 10, and it was pretty close throughout, right?

Joe put up a little fouling, but we didn't have a referee, so we called our own fouls, and it got down to eight to eight, and then somehow I threw one up nine to eight, and then it happened.

I beat a college basketball player, and it so that's the way I remember it.

But anyway, um Joe probably remembers it different, but no, we're so thankful for each, and thank you for having my family and treating us like gold.

Um, Heather has fed us very well, and uh um and we need to uh leave before we gain any more weight, but it's been a wonderful, wonderful time.

Great Thanksgiving, and thank you for welcoming me here today.

So turn your Bibles this morning to Daniel chapter 6.

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

Daniel chapter 6.

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

Years ago, uh I'm sure he lived not too far from here.

You may have heard of a uh preacher by the name of Charles Stanley.

And uh I heard Andy Stanley, his son, pastor at North Point Church, share this story.

One time his dad was going through a very difficult time in ministry.

His dad gathered his family together, they prayed together, they were, it was a very difficult time he was facing.

He had just become the pastor at First Baptist Church in Atlanta.

And the church was growing, people were being saved about every week, um, and great things were happening, but not everyone wanted him there.

Some of them wanted a big-name preacher to come and become the pastor there.

And Andy tells a story that they gathered together as a family, they prayed together, they kind of knew some of the details, but not all the details, and some people wanted him out.

But he continued to be faithful, he continued to serve the Lord, and and Charles Stanley was in his office one day, and I believe we have a photo, a picture that we put on the screen, and a lady gave him this picture.

And as she gave him the picture, she looked at him, an elderly lady from the way Andy described it, and she said to him, Charles, what do you see in that picture?

And he looked back at the lady and said, So it looks like to me a bunch of lions circling Daniel in the lion's den.

She said, Charles, you look at that picture again.

What do you see?

And then it hit him.

He said, I see.

She said, he said again, she said, I see a bunch of lions circling Daniel.

She said, Charles, you're missing the point.

She said, What you should be seeing is not Daniel looking at the lions, but Daniel looking to the Lord.

And I gotta tell you, in your life, you will face lions.

Some of you are facing lions today.

And I want you to know in that moment of facing lions, we spend so much time looking at the lions that we miss looking to the Lord.

So today I want to bring a message I've entitled Deliverance from the Den.

And I want to encourage you this morning, through some truth that I present to you this morning, that the importance of seeking God in the midst of the den.

We all know the uh, maybe not we don't all know the story, the the narrative, what happens here, but Daniel um Daniel was put in, he was put in a place of persecution.

Um his life was to be taken because of his faithfulness and his service uh to the Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact, Ian Humphrey described Daniel's life as being so consistent in character in Daniel chapter 1.

Daniel 1 · chapter mention

He describes him as being a separated man in Daniel 5 being sold out, Daniel 6 and being surrendered.

By the way, those are great values and those are great virtues to seek after in your life and your service for the Lord Jesus Christ, that we be a people that are surrendered, that are sold out, and that are separated before the Lord.

But as you turn in your Bibles this morning to Daniel chapter 6, I want to share with you deliverance from the dead.

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

I want you to know this morning, you've heard your former pastor, Dr.

Lovett, say this in talking about the storms of life.

You you've heard him say this.

You're either what, about to go through a storm, going through a storm, or just coming out of a storm.

So I really believe this message this morning would relate to every person here today.

And I really believe that as we face the life, the dance of life, I want you to know there is deliverance.

Daniel chapter 6, we'll begin reading verses 1 through 3, and I want to share with you four truths very quickly this morning.

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

The Bible says this in Daniel chapter 6.

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

It pleased Arius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps to over uh to be over the whole kingdom, and over these three governors of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them so that the king would suffer no loss.

Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king gave thought to that, setting him over the whole realm.

Father, I come before you this morning, God, and I beg you, Lord Jesus, to use me, speak through me.

I pray the words that I share today would not be my thoughts or my words, they would be your words.

And God, uh, every person here is going through something different, every person here is in a different place of life, every person here is in a different part of the place of their journey with you.

So, God, I pray that you speak to our hearts, move in our hearts, challenge our hearts, convict our hearts, move in our hearts.

I pray for the one here that may not know you as Savior, that even today that they would see and hear from you in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Four truths this morning as we seek deliverance from the dead.

Number one this morning, verses one through three, we just read it, is that very simply this the worship of God's people makes us worthy of the enemy's attack.

Now, I don't know about you this morning, but uh oftentimes we think about uh the attack of Satan, we think about spiritual warfare, we think about the things of this world, but I want you to know that our worship of God should be worthy of the enemy's attack.

And you know, on this platform, every single week there's a group of people that, by the way, they are leading you to the throne, okay?

They're not up here to put on a show, okay?

They're leading you to the throne.

Every person here should be active in their worship of God.

Uh now we've not all been blessed with a good singing voice.

We've not all been blessed with, by the way, that's just one area that we activate our worship to God.

Some of us um activate that worship through giving, through reading the word of God, through through studying the word of God, by serving God.

But I want you to know that in our life of worship before God, we should be worthy of the enemy's attack.

By the way, I want you to know something this morning.

That if you're not being attacked by the enemy, you should be concerned.

Oftentimes, as believers, we get it the other way around, right?

We're like, man, the devil's real, man, he is really attacking me.

He's he's that's a good thing.

That means he's identifying you as uh uh the point of attack.

Um I coach, have coached as an assistant high school soccer coach for years since I've lived in Connorsville.

A couple years ago, we had a very good soccer player.

His name was Cole.

And Cole was about 6'4, 6'6, uh played up front, played striker, and and his junior year of high school, he was amazing.

He was scoring all kinds of goals, and um he was he would he was just really, really good.

Well, his senior year of high school, every team that we played the year before, knew he was quite frankly our best player.

In every game that we played, they had two to three guys on Cole wherever he went.

All of a sudden, Cole couldn't do the things that he could do before, and Cole, in order to make our team better, had to make all the other players better.

He had to utilize those other players.

I'm wondering this morning today if we are so much a threat to the enemy of God for the kingdom of God or whether the enemies of God even know who we are.

I want you to know this morning, as we look at the life of Daniel in Daniel chapter 6 and verses 1 and 2, we see that when we live lives of worship before God, we gain influence over people that need God.

Daniel 6 · chapter mention

There's people in this city, in this community that need the Lord.

And I'm gonna tell you, before they listen to what I they that before they listen to what we say, they need to see the life that we live.

And we have, listen, we can make an impact for God by the lives that we live, by the lives of worship that we live.

Um, everywhere that you go, there are little eyes that are watching you.

Verse 3, we see that when we live lives of worship before God, the Holy Spirit will not only live in us, but will shine out of us for all to see.

When we live lives of worship before God, it's the Holy Spirit.

In verse 3, I believe it is, the Bible says that Daniel was distinguished himself above the governors and satraps because here's why.

Because he had an excellent spirit was in him.

I'm a firm believer that once you call upon Jesus, Christ is your Savior, that the Holy Spirit of God comes to live in you and to live out of you and to work through you.

I'm a firm believer of that.

I hope you believe that as well.

If you believe the Bible, you should believe that.

I believe that the moment Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us, he seals us into the day of redemption.

I'm a firm believer of that.

But I'm also a firm believer that if the Holy Spirit's living in us, there should be fruit that is lived out.

Of us, you see, these leaders saw something in Daniel they didn't see in any other people.

The Bible says there was an excellent spirit living in you.

I have heard your pastor say in the last couple days, by the way, he loves to talk about you, he loves this church, he loves the people that God has blessed him with.

He loves his staff, he loves his wife, he loves his family.

But I can tell you this one thing I've heard him say repeatedly is how he desires to lead this church to doing things with excellence.

I'm I I believe today that every follower of Jesus should be seeking to live lives of excellence.

And by the way, I want you to know this morning there's no good thing in me, and there's no good thing in us apart from the Holy Spirit of God living out of us.

So we need to know this morning that that if we're going to live lives of worship before God is we're is number one this morning, the worship of God's people makes us worthy of the enemy's attack.

Don't get down and defeated when the enemy attacks you.

Count it a privilege and an honor to stand tall for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Count it a privilege to be found worthy of the enemy's attack.

Secondly, this morning, verses four through nine.

Let's continue in the text.

The Bible says this.

So the governors in the say trap sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom.

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 these governors and satraps thronged before the king and said, Thus to him, King Darius, live forever.

All kingdoms uh all the governors of the kingdom and administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors have consulted together to establish a royal statue and to make a firm decree that whoever petitions any God or man for thirty days except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which does not alter.

Therefore, King Darius, sign the written decree.

Secondly, this morning, enemies of God are distressed by the dedication of God's people.

Do you understand this morning the power that you have living in you when you come to know Christ as Savior?

You have, listen, you have not only the power to overcome the enemy, you have a power to distress the enemy through the power of God.

The enemy, verse 5, is distressed by our dedication in several ways.

In verse 4, uh we see that that Daniel was blameless.

We see in verse 4 that Daniel was faithful.

We see in verse 5 that Daniel was obedient.

We see in verses 6 through 9 that Daniel was a man of conviction.

I want you to know this morning that Daniel, we see in this text, there were those that were coming against Daniel, even though they knew that he was doing that which was right.

Can I tell you this morning?

We're living in a world that needs God's people to be living out that which is right.

We're living in a world today that needs to see God in us and God living through us.

We need some men and women that would be blameless.

The word blameless literally means above reproach.

It doesn't mean perfect, it means above reproach.

It means that we're the same people in private that we are in public.

It means that we're living lives to make a difference in the lives of other people.

It means that we're living for an audience of one.

We're not just putting on a good show.

Uh, when we're a kid's camp, we're not thinking, man, when's Rick gonna finally wake up?

Because I need to get my Bible open so he can see me read my Bible.

No, it means that we're in the word, we're studying the word, and we're not doing it.

I'm not doing it to please him.

I'm doing it to live for an audience of one.

We also see we're to be a people that are faithful people, obedient people.

Daniel was a man of conviction, and the Bible says in Daniel chapter 1, I believe it's verse 8, that in the early days, as they were um they were eating the king's meat, which was a form of idolatry of that day, Daniel purposed in his heart that he was not gonna defile himself.

Daniel 1 · chapter mention

Can I tell you today, teenagers and young adults and middle-aged senior adults, I want you to know, maybe today's the day that you say, you know what?

I'm gonna purpose in my heart, I am not gonna defile myself.

I'm gonna do things better, I'm gonna be more separated, I'm gonna be blameless, I'm gonna be faithful, I'm gonna be obedient, I'm gonna be a man, I'm gonna be a woman of conviction that honors the Lord.

You see, the enemies of God are distressed when they see this in God's people.

1 Peter 5 8 says, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, is as a roaring lion.

Now catch this, walking about seeking whom he may devour.

We're going with the lion theme today, okay?

Can I say to you this morning?

The devil can't devour everyone.

He can't.

He can't.

You're armed up, you're ready, you're prepared for battle.

I'm here to tell you this morning, hey, the enemies of God are distressed by the dedication of God's people.

I thought about that this week.

I thought about the many times in scripture, and I'll just share a few of these with you.

I'm thinking of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

They failed in following God's direction, sin led to shame.

Right when Satan thought he had them.

What had happened?

We miss this part of the story often.

Genesis chapter 3, verse 21.

Genesis 3:21

The Bible says, also for Adam and his wife, listen to this, the Lord God made a tunic of skin and clothed them.

In other words, Satan thought he had them.

They said, Not today, Satan, Satan had to be distressed in the dedication because God provided a covering.

Someone here today is dealing with sin in your life, and you're feeling, look, you're feeling defeated, you're feeling demoralized, you're feeling like, man, I can't even get up.

I want you to know, in the same way that God gave Adam and Eve a covering, he gave you a covering to the Jesus Christ that died on the cross.

He was a spotless lamb that would take away the sin of the world.

So you need to listen, it's not a very good thing to have too many conversations with the devil, but maybe you need to remind the devil today, God's given me a covering.

But it didn't stop there.

Another thought I had was Job.

Job lived right and life went wrong.

How many of you ever had something go wrong when you're living right?

Oh God, lots of witnesses here today, Rick.

Alright?

But you know what Job did?

The devil thought he had him.

I love the devil had to ask God's permission to attack Job.

And then God granted it.

That's another story, another day, another sermon.

But I want you to know this, hey, Job had a choice to make.

His wife said, curse God and die.

There's many things Job was going through.

He had lost everything.

He lost children.

He lost his family.

He lost his possessions.

He lost all the blessings God had given.

The devil could take it all away.

Devil at that point could not touch Job.

Job 13, verse 15.

Job 13:15

Dealing with health issues and all the attack of the enemy of the devil himself, said this, though the Lord slay me, yet will I trust in him.

The devil thought he had him.

Job's response, you know, the new saying, Not today, Satan.

He didn't have them that day.

Though the Lord slay me, yet will I trust in him.

Maybe your life has been turned upside down in the last year, or years, or months, or days.

I'm here to tell you, maybe today's the day you decide, though the Lord slay me, though the Lord call me home, though even if my life ends on this earth, I will trust in him.

Satan had to be distressed by the dedication of Job.

Thought about Paul.

He was persecuted but persevered.

He writes in 2 Corinthians 4, verses 7 through 10.

2 Corinthians 4:7–10

But we have this treasure in earth and vessels, and the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

He writes, we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed.

We are perplexed but not in despair.

We are persecuted but not forsaken.

We are struck down but not destroyed.

Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.

You see, the devil thought he had Paul, but how distressed he may have been when all that Paul went through, he chose to continue to trust in God.

Of course, I can't leave out Jesus.

How defeated Satan must have been.

Oh, he was living, he was, you know, he was on the, he was, he was putting his hands together, he was so excited.

They had crucified Jesus, put the crown of thorns on him, beaten his body beyond all recognition.

It's my comprehension of that.

But in 1 Corinthians 15, verses 3 and following, Paul writes about it.

1 Corinthians 15:3

You see, Jesus was dead.

He was a hundred percent dead.

He was placed into a tomb as a dead man.

But Paul writes this, he says, So for I deliver to you the first of all that I have received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

That was fine with Satan.

That was perfectly fine that he was dead, but in verse 4, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

You see, Satan had to be distressed in the dedication of Jesus Christ.

Uh the fulfillment of prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus arose from the dead.

And I'm here to tell you right now, there's a lot of gods we have in this world, but I can tell you there's no other God in this world that's died and rose again.

There's been a lot that's died, but none of them has rose again.

That is the difference between Christianity and every other religion in the world is that our God has risen again.

So I say to you today, does your level of dedication bring the devil delight or distress?

I'm gonna tell you right now, our job as believers is to live in victory.

I'm gonna tell you what, it's okay to stir up the demons and darkness of this world by the lives that we live.

We should listen, we should bring distress to the enemy.

The enemy should wake up in a cold sweat every day because of the life that you live as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, it should bring distress to the enemy.

So Daniel was on this journey, he was under attack.

Look there in verses 10 through 317.

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 that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

Then these men assembled found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God, and they went before the king and spoke concerning the king's decree.

Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any God or man written within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?

The king answered and said, The law the thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which does not alter.

So they answered and said before the king that Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show um due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.

And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased, and with himself set his heart on Daniel to deliver him, and he labored hill till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

Then these men approached the king and said to the king, Know, O king, that the that it is the law of the Medes and the Persians, that no decree or statue which this king established may be changed.

So the king gave command, and they brought Daniel and cast him to the den of lions.

But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, Your God, whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.

Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and the signets of his lord's, that the purpose, um, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.

Now catch this this morning.

Thirdly, today, the focus of the attack from the enemy is the faithfulness that brings God great glory.

In verse 10, we see that in the midst of this, it brings great glory, God great glory when we remain faithful in prayer.

You see, the king believed his faith was strengthened by the faith that he saw in Daniel.

The king was tricked, he was deceived into making a law that he should not have made that would ultimately persecute, and the goal, the aim, the attack was to take the life of Daniel.

But they did, but but but the king saw the deliverance that God had given to Daniel in the past, and the way that he saw that was the faith that Daniel lived out.

Daniel did not care about the king's law.

Daniel did not care about man's law, he cared about his his his surrender and his commitment to God.

Maybe today someone here needs to hear that we stop being concerned about what all the world tells us we should be as followers of God and be committed to the things of God.

He was faithful in prayer.

Verses 11 through 13.

Daniel was faithful in worship.

He didn't go and find a secluded place, he found a place that he would be seen by others as he pointed his face toward Jerusalem, the central place of worship before God.

He had his windows open.

He wanted all to see his faithfulness to God.

Can I tell you today?

We're not, we're not, listen, we're not living out lives of faithfulness to God for others to see to make much of ourselves.

We're living out lives of faithfulness to God openly and boldly before others that they would see what a great God that we have.

He was faithful in his prayer, he was faithful in his worship, he was faithful in his priorities, and he was also faithful in his faith.

Verses 16 and 17.

I want you to know it brings God great glory when we remain faithful to him.

Someone here today, you're ready to give up, you're ready to throw in a towel, you're ready to quit.

You're thinking, man, I'm not making a difference.

I want you to know all of those are lies of the enemy.

And by the way, it don't matter who you are, we all go through moments like that.

I had a moment like that some time ago, a few years ago.

Had someone very close to me say, I hope you're not believing the devil's lies.

It's not good to listen to the devil, it's not good to talk to the devil, and it's certainly not good to believe the devil.

The devil loves to breathe lives to God's people.

He in the Garden of Eden, that was the issue.

There in the Garden of Eden, as he was with Eve, that the fruit was good to look upon.

She says, but God has said.

He says, but that's not what God meant.

That's not what he really meant.

And she had to make a choice.

Was she gonna believe the enemy?

She's gonna believe God.

I believe many believers today are struggling because they're believing the enemy instead of believing the word of God.

Yeah, see here.

A matter of faithfulness.

Now I want you to consider something with me just for a moment here.

I've mentioned a great pastor you have.

He's my best friend.

But I can tell you this.

I've known Rick a long time.

I've known him a very long time.

And I know he was brought up in a great church as a child into his teenage years.

He was brought up in a family that loves God and went to Christian school, went to a Christian college.

So he kind of has learned some things throughout the years, some things to look out for.

And there's probably some things in his life you really don't have to be too concerned about.

Now, I know he's also wise enough to take heed lest you fall.

But I can tell you what the enemy wants to do to your pastor.

You see, Rick has a responsibility to be faithful to God.

He has a responsibility to be faithful to Heather.

His spouse.

He has a responsibility to be faithful to his family, and he has a responsibility to be faithful to this church family.

Now, the focus, I believe, of the enemy's attack upon Rick is not as much on failure as as much as it is to get him distracted from being faithful.

And I would say to you today, he knows that the leader becomes unfaithful, he fails in following God and fails in leading God's flock.

So the attack of the enemy upon your pastor is something to consider as you think about his attack upon you.

Someone here today is already whispering comments in your ear of look, it's it look, they're not going to come after you in addiction and pornography and immorality and something because those are just things you're just not going to touch.

You're not going to come near it.

You identify that attack of the enemy in a moment.

Remember in the Garden of Eden, uh, the Bible says that the serpent was more subtle.

How many of you know today that the serpent, Slime, Satan himself, is subtle in the world that we live in today?

Now he's pretty bold in some other areas, but he is subtle with the believers, with followers of God.

And he may not be coming after you in some of these areas of failure, but I'm telling you right now, he loved for the church of the living God to become unfaithful.

And boy, Daniel was put into the lion's den, and Daniel was put to the test of whether he was going to be faithful and true to God or he was going to love his own life.

I've heard it said like this: the reason why Daniel could go into the lion's den, because he loved fellowship with God more than he loved life itself.

I'm wondering today if you love fellowship with God more than you love your own life.

The scripture says in the New Testament that if we're followers of Jesus, we're to die to self.

I'm wondering what level of selfishness and selfish desires that you're holding on to, that you're grasping onto, that's keeping you from being the follower of God that He's called you to be.

Well, we see the end of the story, verses 18 through 28.

Now the king went to his palace, spent the night fasting, and no music were brought before him.

Also asleep from went from him.

Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.

And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel.

The king spoke, saying to Daniel, Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve, continually been able to deliver you from the lions?

And Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever.

My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before him.

And also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.

Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den.

So Daniel was taken out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast him into the den of lions.

Them, their children, their wives, and their lions, overpowered them and broke all their bones and pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

Then King Darius wrote to all the people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied to you.

I make a decree that in every dominion of the kingdom men must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel.

For he is the living God and steadfast forever.

His kingdom is one which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall endure to the end.

He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.

He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lion.

So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

The fourth thing I want you to get, now this is where it all comes together.

Because in the midst of the lion's den, there's not one moment that God took his eyes off of Daniel.

There's not one moment that God quit hearing from Daniel.

In fact, I want you to know this morning, number four, that God sees and speaks in his deliverance from the den.

And here's the thing, church.

God loves to deliver from the den, and here's why: not to make our lives easier, but to bring himself the most glory.

Do you see what?

What happened in 18th through 28?

The king he just said, listen, this king, he fasted all night.

No, no, listen.

I need to do a better job at fasting.

Okay.

Someone said something, I had an important decision to make.

They said maybe you should fast.

I was hungry.

I know this.

I need to be led of the Lord to be fasting.

And it was Thanksgiving.

So I did not fast then.

Maybe I should have.

Okay.

All right?

But I can tell you this.

I don't know where this king's heart was with God, but I can tell you this.

He believed in God enough to know and he knew enough about the law that the importance of fasting.

He was fasting for the sake of Daniel.

He was believing, he had faith.

He had faith, believing that God was going to deliver Daniel from the lion's den.

Now, here's the application I want you to get today.

I believe it's in your notes there this morning.

The den, here's why I want to define the den for you this morning.

It's just an application.

It's the deliberate attack from the enemy to keep you from being dedicated from God.

Now, most of us are not going to be thrown into a literal lion's den, but I can tell you in today's world, in today's church, there is a deliberate attack from the enemy that will keep you from being dedicated from God.

And maybe the decision you make today and what you do with that decision today will impact whether or not you stay dedicated when you're put into the lion's den.

Because I'm telling you, the lions are coming.

They're all over today.

They're outside the church, they're inside the church.

You're like, man, no, we have to we have the church at CW.

I'm here to tell you right now, there's lions everywhere you go.

Verses 18 through 20.

God sees our service in the den.

You're living in the den this morning.

You've been thrown into the lion's den.

I'm gonna tell you right now, the enemy wants to keep you from being dedicated from serving God.

I want you to know this morning that God sees you in your service.

You might be one of those people that needs a lot of pats on the back.

Needs a lot of out of boys or out of girls, but I'm here to tell you right now, when no one else, when it feels like no one else sees you, know that God sees you.

And then we see in verses 21 through 22 that God sees our purity in the den.

You understand this this morning that the enemy loves to attack in our weakest moments.

Right?

He loves to attack in your weakest moments.

That's why when Daniel, listen, you know why Daniel could purpose in his heart to be faithful to God in the lion's den?

Because in Daniel 1.8, he purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's meat.

He was a man of purity.

I used to be a youth pastor for years.

I used to tell our teenagers this that the time to make a decision for your purity is not when you're alone with someone of the opposite gender in a car with no one else around.

There are not many people that are that strong.

The time to make yourself, your decision of purity is long before you put yourself in that situation.

Maybe some man here needs to hear, young lady needs to hear today, that the time to make your decision on purity of what you're going to look at is not scrolling through the internet.

The time to make your decision on purity is before you even open your phone.

As the Bible says, I believe it's in the book of Job that that I will set no evil thing or wicked thing before my eyes.

All I'm saying to you today is that God sees us in the den, and it's in the den that the devil loves to attack, and the devil loves to attack our purity.

Verse 23, God sees our belief in the den.

In verse 24, he sees our innocence in the den.

And then in verse 25 through 28, God proves to be our deliverer in the den.

It was God that brought Daniel out of the lion's den.

Oh man, the king wanted God to come through.

Could you imagine being the king that was responsible for taking the life of Daniel?

And I love the fact those guys that came against Daniel, God's man, suffered the consequences.

Listen, I don't I'm not trying to be negative today, but I'm here to tell you right now, I don't care whether it's Rick or anybody else, do not come against God's man.

Do not do it.

You're like, well, I don't like them too much.

That's fine.

You don't have to like them, you do have to love them, but I'm telling you, don't come against people that are the people of God.

So today, as I close, what den is keeping you from being dedicated to God?

We define the den as a deliberate attack for the enemy to keep you from being dedicated to God.

Maybe your den is the den of discouragement.

Maybe your den is the den of fear.

Maybe it's the den of sinful defeat.

Maybe it's critical destruction.

Maybe it's believing the enemy's lies.

Maybe your dan is prayerlessness.

Maybe it's resentment or unforgiveness.

We heard the story of a lady earlier in the serve team meeting that shared a little bit about how God worked, a work of forgiveness.

Maybe your den is compromised.

Maybe your den is being hard-hearted or disregard for the word of God or surrender to Satan's strongholds.

I don't know what your den is, but I'm here to tell you right now: if you're doing something for God, the enemy wants to place you in a den that's going to keep you from being dedicated to God.

So today, decide for yourself.

As Joshua did.

Remember Joshua?

As for me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord.

As for me, hey, maybe today, man, you're going to make a decision for your family.

As for me and my house, we're going to stay dedicated to God.

As for me and my house, we're going to take on the things and we're going to keep our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ.

So I'm going to ask you today, maybe you're going through a den in your own life.

What are you going to do with God's deliverance?

Now, suppose this, this didn't happen.

But suppose it did.

Suppose God delivers Daniel from the lion's den.

And then he goes out and lives his life the way he wants.

You see, if God delivers you from the den, he delivers you from the den for a purpose.

I mentioned Joe and God did a work in that young man's life through different people in our church family.

God saved him.

We baptized him.

He started talking about ministry, started talking about serving the Lord.

I'm sure many of you have heard Joe's testimony.

He could have said, Look, I've had so much going against me in my life.

He could have said all those things, but I've never known Joe to make excuses.

Because God delivered him from the den of being apart from him.

Joe called upon Jesus as a savior.

He saved his soul.

And Joe could have said, Man, it's good to be a Christian and never done anything else with it.

But I can tell you this: Joe recognized that God gave deliverance for a purpose.

By the way, he hadn't saved you to watch you sit.

Right?

He saved you to serve.

He saved you to be a difference maker.

He saved you to make an impact for his glory.

And I'm going to tell you right now, you may not have that story, but you do have a story.

And maybe your story with Jesus hadn't started yet.

It could start today.

Won't you trust him as your savior?

Maybe you're here today and you're going through a den in your life, man.

You feel discouraged, you feel defeated, you feel like giving up, you feel like throwing in a towel.

Man, maybe your den is pornography.

Maybe your den is immorality.

Maybe you need to come clean with someone in this room today, or maybe someone outside of this room today, because there's some secret sins in your life, as an evangelist out of our church calls it, secret sins no one else knows about.

What do you do with a pet sin?

I think is what he calls it.

What do you do with your pets?

You hold them, you coddle them.

My house, we have a little dog, her name's Chloe, and she is like queen.

She is so aggravating.

What happens?

She knows where to go to get the attention, and it's not me.

Oh my goodness, my wife holds her, coddles her, lets her get away with anything she wants to get away with anytime.

She holds on, she's so precious.

Can I tell you right now?

Some of us treat sin like that.

Now, our dog's not one of those other dogs, but I have I have met some dogs in my life that you hold, you coddle, and you turn your back, and they'll bite you in the leg.

That's what sin will do to you.

Right when you least expect it, man, it feels good, it's awesome, man.

I'm gonna hold it, I'm gonna coddle it.

But the moment that you least expect it, it will bite you in the back, and it won't be long before you're down that slippery slope of sin.

So today, I'm asking you to seek God for deliverance from the den.

God, listen, God had no intention of leaving Daniel in the den any longer than he did.

Only reason he kept him in there that long is that he would get the full glory.

And I can tell you right now, maybe in your den that you're facing, the application is this maybe you're there for this season, for this time, that God would get the glory.

Maybe you're ready to come out, but God's not ready for you to come out.

Because if you come out now, you're gonna take the glory.

See God for deliverance today.

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