Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Daniel 6

Wrap up Trust series.

One of the things I’ve appreciated most about this series is it isn’t about a person, we’ve looked at Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

We’ve looked at prisoners, politicians, and kings.

The one consistent has been need and reward of trusting God.

Trust isn’t optional.

You will never find salvation without trust.

You will never lead the Christian life without trust.

You’ll never have hope or peace without trust.

Daniel is true to life - God is the here, our task is to trust him.

So far we’ve seen:

A big part of trusting God means my responses to life's difficulties are determined less by how I feel and more by who He is.

We trust his word and his work.

We learn to trust be seeing how he has provided before.

Today we will get a final look at a picture of trust lived and salvation experienced.

Text

I thought about calling this the greatest miracle of all - a squeaky clean politician.

That was before this past week!

A more appropriate title may be: a life of trust leads to a life of holiness.

Daniel has experienced this sort of jealousy his entire life.

People want him to fail but that can’t find anything in his life to bring him down with.

If you’re a Christian, the world is watching, expecting you to fail.

Holiness or legalism?

You simply cannot read the Bible and miss that fact that God desires for you and me live holy lives.

The problems begin when we place salvation as a result of what we do or don’t do.

Our salvation is tied up in what someone else did.

His name is Jesus.

Our desire for holiness should be rooted in our thankfulness, not trying to earn his favor.

The more we understand grace, the more we will pursue holiness.

If we were in Daniel’s spot here, what could be said about our character?

What would they use to take you down?

He’s got a mouth on him

She’s a control freak

He’s a hot-head

She’s always gossiping

He’s always negative

She’s a hypocrite

We could go on and on but I think you get the point.

Holiness in the simple things of our lives is a big deal.

There is another two pronged side-note in this section that we shouldn’t miss :

First, God can use you even in the worst of situations.

Remember Daniel’s story.

His life started off like a country song!

Here he is being used by God in incredible ways.

Whatever your scenario, God can use you there.

Trust God.

Second, don’t make an idol out of human favor.

It turns quickly.

It can be very difficult to remain faithful when you are favored.

Trust God.

Dan

A life that trusts God, is always a life of prayer.

Notice Daniel’s focus on prayer - communication with God.

He opens his windows to Jerusalem.

He is praying according to Scripture.

I’m not saying he doesn’t throw a bit in there about the lions possibly being vegetarians, but that isn’t the overwhelming nature of his prayer.

He is praying for welfare and repentance of God’s people.

Notice Daniel’s defiance in prayer - the decree was already signed.

He knows the law.

What would we have done?

Well…I won’t do anybody any good if I’m dead.

Daniel trusted God more than he feared people.

This is where the real battle was won.

This is the apex of this account.

A theologian named Veldkamp puts it this way:

“This shows us that the dangers we don’t see are generally much greater than the dangers we do see.

When we watch Daniel being lowered into the lions’ den, we hold our breath in fear and anticipation.

Yet, by that point the danger has already been overcome and the the great fight has been fought.

It is indeed a wondrous miracle that God preserves one of his children in the lions’ den, but it is no less a miracle that God’s gracious hand saved Daniel when all of Babylon - goaded on by Satan - attempted to pry apart those two aged hands tightly clasped in prayer.”

Daniel grew up hearing that he was to have no other gods before YHWH.

That means no one has the ability to over-write God’s law.

Prayer is idol-busting business.

Prayer reorients our lives.

Notice s consistency in prayer - three times a day - as he always did.

He doesn’t just pray occasionally, he has made prayer a priority in his life.

So much so, that his enemies, don’t expect him to flinch.

They know he’s going to pray.

Notice his posture in prayer - on his knees.

His posture in prayer says - You are God and I am not.

I hear people say those things aren’t important - it’s really a matter of the heart.

I’d like to see you try that in your marriage.

If you say you love her in your heart but never do anything to express that in your actions, you deserve a frying pan to the noggin.

The king realizes he is caught in a trap, so he agrees.

Into the lion’s den!

Where has Daniel’s trust gotten him?

The battle was over at this point!

Salvation belongs to the Lord

There’s a funny irony here - the king is so upset that he fasts and so do the lions!

says don’t put your trust in princes, or in people, in whom there is no salvation.

Daniel has put his trust in the one who can save him.

God is the hero of every chapter.

But we don’t face lions!

Are you so sure?

We face the lion of a busy schedule that get us to believe we don’t have time to read our Bibles or pray.

We face the lion of pragmatism that get us to believe that its alright to bend on what we know is right, as long as it pushes the right agenda.

We face lions on a regular basis.

The real question is, do you trust God.

More directly, what are those areas where you struggle to trust?

Gospel=prayer