4. Dare To Suffer (Daniel 6)
Daniel lived in an unholy land. Although he held favor with the Babylonian rulers, he was asked to act contrary to his faith. When Daniel refused, he was persecuted. Christians all over the world are persecuted for their faith. Even in America, Christians are asked to act contrary to how God would have them live. How will you respond?
Reading Plan:
Monday – Daniel 6:1-9
Tuesday – Daniel 6:10-18
Wednesday – Daniel 6:19-24
Thursday – Daniel 6:25-28 & Matthew 5:10
Friday – 1 Peter 5:8-11
Saturday – Romans 8
Daniel lived in an unholy land. Although he held favor with the Babylonian rulers, he was asked to act contrary to his faith. When Daniel refused, he was persecuted. Christians all over the world are persecuted for their faith. Even in America, Christians are asked to act contrary to how God would have them live. How will you respond?
Reading Plan:
Monday – Daniel 6:1-9
Tuesday – Daniel 6:10-18
Wednesday – Daniel 6:19-24
Thursday – Daniel 6:25-28 & Matthew 5:10
Friday – 1 Peter 5:8-11
Saturday – Romans 8
Sermon Notes
#1. When God raises you up, expect people to try and tear you down.
If you are not ready to face opposition for your obedience to God, you are not ready to be used by God.
"…but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” Daniel 6:4b-5
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement[a] to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed…
…that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions." Daniel 6:6-7
8 "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction." Daniel 6:8-9
#2. Kneeling to pray is what gives you the strength to stand.
Daniel could stand before men because he had knelt before God.
"When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." Daniel 6:10
#3. When you do what is right you can always trust God with the results.
16 "Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” Daniel 6:16
21 "Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Daniel 6:21-22
23 "Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God." Daniel 6:23
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
#1. When God raises you up, expect people to try and tear you down.
If you are not ready to face opposition for your obedience to God, you are not ready to be used by God.
"…but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” Daniel 6:4b-5
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement[a] to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed…
…that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions." Daniel 6:6-7
8 "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction." Daniel 6:8-9
#2. Kneeling to pray is what gives you the strength to stand.
Daniel could stand before men because he had knelt before God.
"When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously." Daniel 6:10
#3. When you do what is right you can always trust God with the results.
16 "Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” Daniel 6:16
21 "Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Daniel 6:21-22
23 "Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God." Daniel 6:23
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28