WEBVTT 00:00:00.620 --> 00:00:05.000 Well, good morning, everyone. It is great to be with you. Why don't you turn in your 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:09.640 Bibles to that wonderful and thrilling passage in Daniel chapter 6, if you have it there. 00:00:10.599 --> 00:00:14.380 It's going to be so crucial this morning that we have God's Word open in front of us to 00:00:14.380 --> 00:00:17.940 hear what he's saying to us. So can I encourage you to make every effort to get the Scriptures 00:00:17.940 --> 00:00:23.900 open in front of you. And let's get into this, Daniel chapter 6. I found it so incredible 00:00:23.899 --> 00:00:30.820 this week. And let's finish this chapter starting from verse 19 and reading to the end of chapter 6. 00:00:32.899 --> 00:00:40.519 From verse 19. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lion's den. 00:00:41.219 --> 00:00:46.820 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, Daniel, servant of the living 00:00:46.820 --> 00:00:52.039 God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions? 00:00:52.039 --> 00:01:02.019 Daniel answered, May the king live forever. My God sent his angel and he shut the mouths 00:01:02.019 --> 00:01:08.659 of the lions. They have not hurt me because I was found innocent in his sights, nor have 00:01:08.659 --> 00:01:16.460 I ever done any wrong before you, your majesty. The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift 00:01:16.459 --> 00:01:21.899 Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him because he 00:01:21.899 --> 00:01:28.839 had trusted in his God. At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in 00:01:28.839 --> 00:01:34.419 and thrown into the lion's den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the 00:01:34.419 --> 00:01:41.299 floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. Then King Darius wrote to all 00:01:41.299 --> 00:01:48.399 the nations and peoples of every language and all the earth, may you prosper greatly. I issue a decree 00:01:48.399 --> 00:01:55.719 that in every part of my kingdom, people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel, for he is the living 00:01:55.719 --> 00:02:03.579 God and he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed. His dominion will never end. He rescues 00:02:03.579 --> 00:02:12.520 and he saves. He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth. He has rescued Daniel from the 00:02:12.520 --> 00:02:21.460 power of the lions. So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:26.000 What a thrilling chapter of scripture. Let me pray and let's get into it together. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:35.520 Our gracious father, as we come to your word now, we ask that by your spirit, 00:02:36.340 --> 00:02:42.699 that you would give us what we have not. You would help us to see what we see not. 00:02:43.580 --> 00:02:50.539 And you would help make us what we are not. And we ask these things in the precious name of your son, 00:02:50.539 --> 00:02:57.259 Jesus Christ. Amen. So I wonder if you have ever fancied yourself as a superhero. 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:03.519 No hands. We're counting on that. Great. No one's fancied themselves as a superhero. Well, 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:10.120 I found this website this week called the World Superhero Register. And this is a website where you 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:16.459 can go on and you can apply to be recognized as an official superhero. So I'm on this, I'm intrigued. 00:03:16.460 --> 00:03:23.080 I'm on this website this week and I come across Captain Ozone. This is a real man. Okay. Captain 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:30.000 Ozone. He tours around the US and he goes into schools and businesses and he educates people on 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:35.480 how they can take care of the environment. This is Captain Ozone. Okay. His special power is that he 00:03:35.480 --> 00:03:42.800 organizes rallies and petitions tirelessly for the cause of renewable energy. There's Captain Ozone. 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:51.180 Okay. Now picture this scene. You're Daniel and you're in that lion's den. And just before the 00:03:51.180 --> 00:03:56.800 stone is rolled in front of it, Darius shouts into the lion's den. He says, Daniel, it's okay. 00:03:57.580 --> 00:04:06.920 Captain Ozone's on the way to save the day. How would you feel? Right? The world is full of lousy 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:18.439 saviors. Now the question of Daniel chapter six is, who is able to save? Who is able to save? Who is 00:04:18.439 --> 00:04:26.500 the one who is in total control of all things? Who is the one in whom you need to be placing your trust 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:34.439 and your hope? Who is able to save? Now Daniel chapter six, it's the last of the narrative stories 00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:39.459 in the book of Daniel. And we're coming to the close of this little subsection, if you like, 00:04:39.540 --> 00:04:44.199 from that started in chapter two and finishes in chapter seven. And it's a little subsection 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:50.540 that is written in Aramaic. The everyday language of the everyday people of the everyday world. 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:56.180 That's Aramaic. Why is it written in Aramaic? So that the message can get out to as many people as 00:04:56.180 --> 00:05:05.280 possible. If you remember chapters four and five, we met two kings. We met Nebuchadnezzar and we met 00:05:05.280 --> 00:05:13.620 Belshazzar. And the question of chapters four and five is, who is the true king? Is it the king 00:05:13.620 --> 00:05:22.019 Nebuchadnezzar? Is it king Belshazzar? No, actually God is the king who is above all kings. 00:05:22.019 --> 00:05:28.000 That was the message of chapters four and five. And if that's the message of chapters four and five, 00:05:28.099 --> 00:05:35.439 who is king? The chapters of chapters three and six, the message is, the question is, who is able to save? 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:43.899 Now if you're on the ball, you'll notice the huge parallels between the story of Meshach, 00:05:44.019 --> 00:05:49.719 Shadrach and Abednego in chapter three, and this chapter here in chapter six. Now is that coincidence? 00:05:49.720 --> 00:05:57.300 Absolutely not. It's the same message. Exactly the same. Don't waste your time putting your trust and 00:05:57.300 --> 00:06:06.740 your confidence in anything else or anyone else to save you. Only God can save. Faith wins the day. 00:06:07.500 --> 00:06:16.040 Favor with man cannot save you. The law cannot save you. The king cannot save you. You cannot save you. 00:06:16.040 --> 00:06:23.620 And Captain Ozone, he definitely cannot save you. So who is able to save? Now this is where I want us 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:32.720 to get this morning. This is what this means to us. That as God's people, we are to stand up and stand out. 00:06:32.939 --> 00:06:41.939 Why? Because our God, he stands over all. Okay? We've to stand up and stand out as God's people, 00:06:41.939 --> 00:06:48.439 because our God, he stands over all. Now let's get our teeth into this thrilling bit of narrative. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:56.079 Verses one to nine, we see Daniel. And Daniel is trustworthy yet targeted. And if you glance 00:06:56.079 --> 00:07:01.920 your eye at chapter five and verse 30, you'll notice that there's a new sheriff in town. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:09.240 And not just a new sheriff, there's a new superpower who's in town. So the Babylonian kingdom has gone, 00:07:09.240 --> 00:07:12.100 and it's been replaced by that of the Medes and the Persians. 00:07:13.900 --> 00:07:21.759 But despite all those changes, see at verse one, that King Darius has kept Daniel right at the top. 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:27.379 That's not changed for Daniel. He's still right there. Now Daniel at this point, and this is really 00:07:27.379 --> 00:07:32.300 cool. Daniel at this point, remember, is no longer the young man that we met in chapter one. 00:07:32.300 --> 00:07:40.319 Daniel at this point is most likely in his 80s. And he's still going for it in his faith. 00:07:41.240 --> 00:07:47.660 Still going for it at 80. No saga cruise for Daniel. No holiday home in the south of France 00:07:47.660 --> 00:07:52.780 kicking up his feet for Daniel. No bingo on a Tuesday night for Daniel. What is he doing? 00:07:53.400 --> 00:07:58.680 He's living for the glory of God and making a difference for him in this city where he finds himself. 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:06.259 I love Daniel. And as I was preparing for it this week, this always happens when you prepare sermons. 00:08:06.400 --> 00:08:12.920 People come into your head. People come into your head. And I guess I'm massively encouraged by the 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:19.680 generation who, shall we say, are closer to Daniel's age than mine. Right? Massively encouraged by you guys. 00:08:20.220 --> 00:08:25.060 Because like Daniel, you are going for it in your faith. You're still coming to stuff. You're still 00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:31.120 encouraging. And to hear how you serve one another. How you care for one another. How you pick people 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:36.720 up and drop them off because you love them. Can I just say at this point, just keep going in your 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:43.460 faith. I find myself massively encouraged when I look to people like that. Still going strong in 00:08:43.460 --> 00:08:49.740 their faith. This is Daniel. There he is in his 80s going for it in the Lord. He's a seasoned saint. 00:08:49.740 --> 00:08:57.019 Now we get a bit of information as to the political system of the Medes and the Persians. What have 00:08:57.019 --> 00:09:04.639 they got? 120 satraps. So that's local governors. They're set up to rule throughout the kingdom. 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:09.279 And Daniel is one of the three governors who is over and above them. Okay? So he's right at the top 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:14.480 of the tree. In fact, so distinguished is Daniel. Did you notice it in verse 3 that King 00:09:14.480 --> 00:09:20.879 Darius is about to promote him to be the head of the whole kingdom? So effectively, he's going 00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:27.180 to be prime minister. That's what Darius has in his head for Daniel. So you can imagine as 00:09:27.180 --> 00:09:32.740 people watch Daniel climb the proverbial game of political snakes and ladders. What are they 00:09:32.740 --> 00:09:36.840 hoping for? Well, they're hoping that he's going to hit the snake that's going to drag him 00:09:36.840 --> 00:09:42.399 right down to the bottom. They hate Daniel. They hate him because he stands for something that 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:49.000 they cannot stand. And verse 4, they plot to take him down. Now who is in on the scheme to take 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:57.159 Daniel down? Do you notice verse 4? It's the satraps and the administrators. So the whole regime is out 00:09:57.159 --> 00:10:03.699 to get Daniel. This is like the CIA and the MI6 teaming up here to try and get Daniel down. I mean, 00:10:03.740 --> 00:10:10.179 your boy is a wanted man. How are they going to get him down? Well, they're going to find dirt on him. 00:10:10.179 --> 00:10:17.399 Dirt in connection with what? His conduct. And here is the wonder of this chapter. 00:10:19.299 --> 00:10:24.959 All these men in the place of influence. All these men with their fingers on a lot of pies. 00:10:25.099 --> 00:10:31.579 All these men privy to so much information in the kingdom. How successful are they in finding 00:10:31.580 --> 00:10:43.620 anything on Daniel? Verse 4, they found nothing. Nothing. No skeletons in the closet. No dodgy 00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:50.700 offshore savings accounts. No secret mistress on the side. No questionable expenses claims. No second 00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:56.900 home and the cost of the taxpayer. No diddle tax returns. No stolen office stationery. They find 00:10:56.899 --> 00:11:05.000 nothing. What do they find at verse 4? They find out that he is a man of unflinching integrity who's 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:11.439 been neither negligent in his duties nor corrupt in his dealings. Do you see what the author is trying 00:11:11.439 --> 00:11:18.259 to let us know here? That Daniel's private life is the same as his public life. That Daniel's insides 00:11:18.259 --> 00:11:25.340 are the same as his outsides. Now what a witness to the God that Daniel claims to know and worship. 00:11:27.399 --> 00:11:29.639 Author Chuck Swindle, he writes this. 00:11:30.779 --> 00:11:34.879 Few things are more infectious than a godly lifestyle. 00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:39.220 The people you rub shoulders with every day need that kind of challenge. 00:11:39.220 --> 00:11:45.779 Not prudish. Not preachy. Just, and hear this in American accent here, just crackerjack clean living. 00:11:48.180 --> 00:11:51.879 Crackerjack clean living. Let me ask you this morning, are you a crackerjack clean liver? 00:11:53.860 --> 00:11:57.680 Is that what people would find out about us this morning if they were to go fishing for him? 00:12:00.259 --> 00:12:06.040 Is that what people would say about you in the office? That he isn't like everyone else? 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:08.980 That she doesn't do the things that everyone else does? 00:12:09.939 --> 00:12:14.459 There's something different about them. Now just in my jobs I've had over the last, 00:12:14.899 --> 00:12:22.480 my lifetime. A few of them. I've come to notice that people notice this stuff a lot more than we 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:27.480 think they do. I remember finding myself sitting there thinking, is this making any difference in 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:31.819 this place? Well can I encourage you, if that's you this morning, to know that people notice. 00:12:31.820 --> 00:12:38.740 And to encourage you to keep going, living for the glory of God in your workplace. Do the job that 00:12:38.740 --> 00:12:45.660 you've been asked to do with integrity. Handle your tongue with integrity. Hold to the truth of God's 00:12:45.660 --> 00:12:56.740 words with integrity. And let's stand up and let's stand out. Why? Because our God, he is standing over 00:12:56.740 --> 00:13:03.899 all. Now I don't know if you noticed it this week, but our dear brother Jeremy Balfour was in the news. 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:10.460 And the sun, the paper that's read most out of all the papers in our land, ran with the headline, 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:18.060 Tory MSP Jeremy Balfour Blast Gay Marriage. That was the headline in the paper there. He's only been in 00:13:18.060 --> 00:13:24.039 the office, what, two weeks, three weeks, something like that. Now why did they run with that? Well, 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:29.839 because Jeremy took his stand on God's words. And when he was asked about his boss's planned 00:13:29.839 --> 00:13:37.019 same-sex marriage, he said, my understanding is that marriage is between one man and one woman. 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:42.279 That's what the Bible teaches. That's what he said. That's what he said as the eyes of our country 00:13:42.279 --> 00:13:50.019 looked at him. Now is that not scary but courageous integrity? There is a man in our city who is 00:13:50.019 --> 00:13:57.740 standing on the truth of God's words. Daniel stood on God's words and people hated him for it. 00:14:00.179 --> 00:14:05.279 These men out to get Daniel, they're going to get nothing on him on his conduct. So how are they 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:11.439 going to get him? Well, they're going to find a clash point between God's law and the law of the land. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:20.280 Where is the clash? Well, where is the clash? They know Daniel prays. They know he prays. Would that 00:14:20.280 --> 00:14:24.340 not be an amazing thing to say of you that the only thing people could get you on is that you pray? 00:14:25.740 --> 00:14:30.540 And the question to us, isn't it, is if prayer was a crime, how much evidence would there be to 00:14:30.540 --> 00:14:38.460 convict us? But here's Daniel. They get him on prayer because they know Daniel will not compromise 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:44.100 in his convictions. They know Daniel is loyal to the core and because of that they know he's not 00:14:44.100 --> 00:14:52.139 going to change and he is a guy who prays. So what do they do? They go to the king and they massage 00:14:52.139 --> 00:14:57.940 King Darius's ego at verse 7. Do you notice that? They convince him to pass a law that no one is to 00:14:57.940 --> 00:15:04.639 pray to anyone except him for the next 30 days. And if anyone dare defy that, then in the den, 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:11.240 in the den, you can hear them say it, can't you? Now you're the king and somebody comes up to you 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:17.399 and says that. You think, oh, what a power trip. People praying to me across this whole kingdom for 00:15:17.399 --> 00:15:22.559 the next 30 days. Oh, I can't get enough of this, can't you, King Darius? Where do I sign? 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:31.980 That's what I want. Where do I sign? But hook, line and sinker, Darius unknowingly walks straight 00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:39.779 into setting the trap that's going to catch Daniel right in his teeth. Who is going to save Daniel? 00:15:40.779 --> 00:15:48.159 Favor with his peers, favor with man is not going to save Daniel. The law cannot save Daniel. Who is 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:59.039 able to save Daniel? Well, let's move on here. Verses 10 to 18. We see Daniel is committed yet 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:06.179 captured because I guess Daniel's got a choice at this point. As he hears the news of the decree, 00:16:06.620 --> 00:16:13.839 what's he going to do? Verse 10, where does this instinct take him? Does he march straight up to 00:16:13.839 --> 00:16:19.679 the king and demand a hearing? Does he appeal to the house of lords to get this thing overturned? 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:27.759 Does he hire a lawyer to stand for him? Where does Daniel's instinct take him? It takes him to the 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:33.580 place where he always goes, to his God in prayer. Now, do we not know that to be true that sometimes 00:16:33.580 --> 00:16:39.460 in life, how do we, how are convictions in life revealed? Well, they're revealed through crises. 00:16:40.139 --> 00:16:45.039 Are they not? That's how we know what's really going on. When a crisis comes, where do you go? 00:16:45.299 --> 00:16:51.620 Where does Daniel go to his prayer mat? This crisis reveals to us that Daniel is a man of prayer. 00:16:51.620 --> 00:16:58.279 And I guess I was sitting there thinking to myself this week, Danny boy, come on. It's only 30 days, 00:16:58.279 --> 00:17:03.700 right? It's not as if they've passed the law saying you can never pray to this God, your God. It's only 00:17:03.700 --> 00:17:11.980 30 days. Could you not just keep quiet for 30 days? Not Daniel. Because prayer is so pivotal and crucial 00:17:11.980 --> 00:17:19.460 to his life. He's not going to budge because he knows who is really in control and he knows who is 00:17:19.460 --> 00:17:24.880 really able to save him. And I think the thing for us to see here, this story is so well known, 00:17:25.640 --> 00:17:31.799 but the truth of us to see here is that this is where Daniel wins the battle, right here. The lion's 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:37.160 den, to be honest, it was almost quite easy, but he could have totally capitulated at this point. 00:17:37.779 --> 00:17:42.980 This is where he wins the battle. Because the wonder of this chapter is not that Daniel gets out of the 00:17:42.980 --> 00:17:48.579 lion's den, although that is cool. It's that he was willing to go into the lion's den in the first place. 00:17:49.460 --> 00:17:55.200 He will not compromise on his convictions. He gets down on his knees and he prays. Now notice 00:17:55.200 --> 00:18:00.680 three quick things about Daniel's prayer life here that I was so challenged on this week. Three quick 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:06.840 things. Firstly, notice the posture of his prayer life. What does he do? Well, this 80-year-old man 00:18:06.840 --> 00:18:13.100 gets down on his knees. That's going to hurt, I'd imagine, but he gets down on his knees. Now, 00:18:13.100 --> 00:18:18.299 why does he get down on his knees? Because he is reminding himself of who he comes before. 00:18:19.460 --> 00:18:28.799 That I am the servant and he is the king. That I am the creature and he is the creator. This is the 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:38.019 heart stance of a heart that is humbling itself before God. There's his posture. Second thing to 00:18:38.019 --> 00:18:44.039 notice, notice the content of his prayer. His window is open and it's facing Jerusalem. Now, that is not 00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:51.000 superstition. That is scriptural. What is Daniel doing? Well, he's recalling a verse in 1 Kings 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:57.159 chapter 8. You can look it up afterwards. But it's Solomon's prayer of dedication. And there, Solomon 00:18:57.159 --> 00:19:02.980 is anticipating a day when God's people will be in exile away from their homeland. And what does he urge 00:19:02.980 --> 00:19:10.960 them to do when they're there? To seek their God in prayer and pray for Jerusalem? That's what he 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:17.779 urges them to pray. So what is Daniel praying for? He's praying for the good of God's people. And he's 00:19:17.779 --> 00:19:23.660 praying that God would be glorified in this disaster zone that's the Babylon. That's what he's praying. 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:32.600 And also, do you notice that he is praying with thanksgiving to his gods? And he asks for help. 00:19:33.779 --> 00:19:39.779 And I think in the spirit of, not my will, but your will be done. This is what Daniel's praying here. 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:48.180 That's the content of his prayer. And thirdly, notice the frequency of his prayer. He prays three times a day. 00:19:48.180 --> 00:19:51.960 And notice that little phrase at the end of verse 10, if you've got it there. 00:19:53.640 --> 00:20:04.660 Just as he had done before. Is prayer a new thing for Daniel? Is this try praying? No. Here is an old 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:13.299 man who has made prayer central to his life. He has made it a holy habit in his life. I mean, here is a 00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:20.659 prayer warrior, if ever I've seen one. And I found him such a marvelous and inspiring example this week. 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:29.460 Because how can Daniel face the prospect of death with such boldness? How can he be so confident in 00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:34.759 the face of persecution? I think that's such a relevant question for us, isn't it? Where does he 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:41.960 get his confidence from? Well, he gets his confidence from the fact that he knows who his God is. 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:49.180 To see that, that his relationship with God is not mundane and occasional. It's living and it's 00:20:49.180 --> 00:20:57.920 frequent. And I guess the challenge for us this morning is, do some of us need to rekindle our 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:04.120 relationship with the Lord? Are we going through difficult circumstances? And we need to turn to 00:21:04.120 --> 00:21:11.340 God in prayer and rekindle that relationship that we have with him. And I guess the second thing to see 00:21:11.339 --> 00:21:19.419 and probably where I felt it hardest this week is, do some of us need to recommit to that holy habit of 00:21:19.419 --> 00:21:27.759 seeking our God in prayer every day? Seeking him in prayer. Now, Robert Murray McShane was one of my 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:34.139 favorite Scottish pastors of yesteryear to read. He said this to his congregation. He said, 00:21:34.140 --> 00:21:43.800 Oh, believer, consider Christ. Look and look and look again until the breathing of your soul is Abba 00:21:43.800 --> 00:21:52.920 Father. Wonderful. Look and look and look again to Christ until the breathing of your soul is Abba 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:59.740 Father. Do you see what he's trying to say? That relationship with the Lord, that's how Daniel can go 00:21:59.740 --> 00:22:07.960 through these hard and difficult circumstances. So as God's people, let's stand up and let's stand out 00:22:07.960 --> 00:22:16.160 because our God, he reigns over all. Here is Daniel on his knees before God in prayer and Daniel's caught 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:22.539 in the act. And the men that were out to get him, they make haste to the king and verse 13, they tell 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:30.139 the king about this rebel Daniel. Notice how they describe him at verse 13. One of the exiles from 00:22:30.139 --> 00:22:35.980 Judah, that's how they describe him. As if to say, King Darius, he's not one of us. He never was one of 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:44.039 us. You can't trust him. He's not loyal. And the king realizes what he's done. How does the king feel 00:22:44.039 --> 00:22:51.039 about this? Verse 14, he's greatly distressed. And what is he? Well, he's eager to rescue Daniel. And so 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:58.299 what does he do? Well, he makes every effort to do so. But the king is unwilling to retract the law 00:22:58.299 --> 00:23:03.480 and reverse Daniel's plight, despite all the goodwill in the world towards this man who he really admires. 00:23:04.539 --> 00:23:10.619 Now notice the great irony of this section. The king, who has the world at his fingertips, 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:19.500 cannot sleep. He's restless. And yet Daniel, with the den in his eyes, is at peace. It's the great irony 00:23:19.500 --> 00:23:25.619 of this section. So Daniel, he's thrown into the lion's den and a stone is rolled to the front of 00:23:25.619 --> 00:23:33.559 the den to seal the deal. And as the readers were meant to go, it's a cliffhanger. What happens next? 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:40.519 I bet you can never guess. But get yourself in Daniel's mind at this point in the story. 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:45.660 Do you not think it appeared to Daniel as he's been thrown in there? Do you not think that was just a bit 00:23:45.660 --> 00:23:51.800 of his mind that thought, God, you haven't answered my prayer? God, I prayed for help. I prayed for 00:23:51.800 --> 00:23:57.980 deliverance. And did you answer? You didn't answer. And here I am. I'm stuck with these lions. Could God 00:23:57.980 --> 00:24:04.000 not have saved him from this whole ordeal? Absolutely God could have saved him from this whole ordeal. 00:24:05.960 --> 00:24:09.240 But you see, God's plan for Daniel was not to rescue him from the trial. 00:24:09.240 --> 00:24:17.660 It was to rescue him and teach him through the trial. For God, this is what we see here, is far 00:24:17.660 --> 00:24:23.039 more committed to his people's holiness and character than he is to their happiness and comfort. 00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:30.680 God is committed to making his people more like Jesus and teaching his people lessons about him 00:24:30.680 --> 00:24:36.460 and about us as we journey through those trials. Because do you think Daniel was the same after this 00:24:36.460 --> 00:24:41.259 incident? Do you think he came out of the den and somebody asked him, how is your God doing? He's 00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:48.980 all right. He's okay. Do you think he came out and he was, our God, my God is stronger. My God is 00:24:48.980 --> 00:24:53.240 greater. My God is greater than any other, like we were singing. Do you think that was Daniel's shout? 00:24:53.960 --> 00:24:58.799 Do you not think he came out a completely different man and he viewed life completely differently? 00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:09.339 He would never have got that had he not gone to the den. Here is Daniel. The ordeal he went through 00:25:09.339 --> 00:25:14.919 jotted down here, presented to the world so that millions of people around the world could read this, 00:25:15.180 --> 00:25:20.220 including us this morning, and see what kind of God Daniel's God really is. 00:25:20.220 --> 00:25:30.559 Favor with man cannot save Daniel. The law cannot save Daniel. The king cannot save Daniel. Daniel cannot 00:25:30.559 --> 00:25:34.980 save Daniel. So who is able to rescue and save Daniel? 00:25:40.779 --> 00:25:49.079 Well, verses 19 to 28, we see Daniel honored yet homeless. So at first opportunity in the morning, 00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:56.819 the king rushes to see if Daniel is still there. Has God been able to rescue Daniel? Well, feel the 00:25:56.819 --> 00:26:05.059 wonder of the first few verses at verse 21. The first few words rather of verse 21. Daniel answered. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:11.939 Daniel answered. In fact, this is the only time in this chapter that Daniel speaks. Did you notice that? 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:20.000 And he tells the king how his God sent an angel to close up the mouths of the lions. And why did God do 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:26.519 that? Verse 21, because Daniel was found innocent in his sight. And so what did they do? They haul 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:31.440 Daniel out of the den. And as they examine his body, they see that he's not going to scratch on him. 00:26:32.620 --> 00:26:36.779 And see the centerpiece declaration of this chapter at the end of verse 23. 00:26:36.779 --> 00:26:42.680 Why was Daniel unharmed? Because he trusted in his God. 00:26:45.099 --> 00:26:49.359 And just in case we were tempted to think that maybe the lions weren't hungry, 00:26:51.180 --> 00:26:56.559 in go the men who had conspired against Daniel and the lions absolutely devoured them. 00:26:58.660 --> 00:27:02.420 And the king of the Medes and the Persians, like the king of Babylon before him, 00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:06.120 he issues this declaration of the greatness of Daniel's gods. 00:27:06.840 --> 00:27:08.080 Who has saved Daniel? 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:11.039 Favor with man hasn't saved Daniel. 00:27:11.519 --> 00:27:13.140 The law hasn't saved Daniel. 00:27:13.500 --> 00:27:15.039 The king hasn't saved Daniel. 00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:16.900 Daniel hasn't saved Daniel. 00:27:17.420 --> 00:27:20.620 Just like Captain Ozone, they are all lousy saviors. 00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:26.620 God has shown that he is the only one who is able to save. 00:27:26.619 --> 00:27:31.959 So as his people, let's stand up and let's stand out. 00:27:32.339 --> 00:27:32.619 Why? 00:27:33.259 --> 00:27:36.919 Because our God, he stands over all. 00:27:39.539 --> 00:27:44.679 Now as we said at the outset, this is the end of the narrative stories in this book of Daniel. 00:27:45.439 --> 00:27:47.099 And I was thinking on it this week. 00:27:48.219 --> 00:27:51.519 If it were me, how would I have finished this bit of narrative? 00:27:52.139 --> 00:27:55.259 How would I have finished the last bit of narrative in the book of Daniel? 00:27:55.259 --> 00:28:00.940 Well, I think, as I always think a lot of times, I'd probably look to my inner Peter Jackson. 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:04.640 I would have finished this like the Lord of the Rings. 00:28:04.740 --> 00:28:05.879 That's how I would have finished this. 00:28:06.480 --> 00:28:06.579 Right? 00:28:07.019 --> 00:28:08.839 Daniel equals Bilbo Baggins. 00:28:08.920 --> 00:28:09.920 That's how I would have finished it. 00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:12.559 So there it is, the old Bilbo Baggins. 00:28:12.680 --> 00:28:15.460 He's now safe at home in the shire. 00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:21.079 And he's sitting around the campfire telling stories with his pipe and his slippers to anyone who would listen. 00:28:21.079 --> 00:28:25.500 Stories about who he encountered in Middle Earth. 00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:27.119 And the places he went. 00:28:27.220 --> 00:28:28.199 The things that he saw. 00:28:28.639 --> 00:28:30.599 All in his time away from home. 00:28:30.899 --> 00:28:32.099 That's how I would have finished this. 00:28:32.879 --> 00:28:33.539 There's Daniel. 00:28:33.639 --> 00:28:35.819 He's telling his stories to the people who would listen. 00:28:35.919 --> 00:28:37.439 That's exactly how I would have finished this. 00:28:38.419 --> 00:28:40.879 And all with the whole of his music playing sweetly in the background. 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:41.819 That's how I would have finished it. 00:28:41.859 --> 00:28:41.960 Right? 00:28:41.960 --> 00:28:45.660 But that's not how the book ends. 00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:48.559 That's not how this section of the book ends. 00:28:49.340 --> 00:28:50.480 Notice verse 28. 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:53.620 We can so quickly skim over that verse. 00:28:55.200 --> 00:29:00.700 Now under King Cyrus, who is mentioned here, God's people eventually, they are allowed back to Jerusalem. 00:29:01.880 --> 00:29:04.740 But as far as we know, Daniel was not one of them. 00:29:05.740 --> 00:29:09.299 And he spent his whole life in exile and he never got home. 00:29:09.299 --> 00:29:12.299 Now what does that tell us? 00:29:13.460 --> 00:29:20.119 Well it tells us that there's something bigger at stake here than simply getting back to the land of the temple. 00:29:21.460 --> 00:29:24.339 Getting to the physical Jerusalem, that would be great. 00:29:25.460 --> 00:29:28.740 But getting to the heavenly Jerusalem, that would be far greater. 00:29:30.139 --> 00:29:33.180 Think that's the purpose of where this ends. 00:29:33.819 --> 00:29:38.720 Because that is the purpose and the business of which God is in now. 00:29:40.220 --> 00:29:43.919 And how would God do that saving work? 00:29:45.200 --> 00:29:47.799 Well, I don't know if you noticed it as we went through. 00:29:47.899 --> 00:29:50.079 I tried to drop the breadcrumbs as we went through. 00:29:50.159 --> 00:29:51.460 But I'm no Hans Christian Andersen. 00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:52.839 I'm not very good at writing fables. 00:29:53.639 --> 00:29:54.899 I tried to drop the breadcrumbs here. 00:29:54.960 --> 00:30:00.559 Do you notice the massive parallels between the life of Daniel in this chapter and the life of Jesus Christ? 00:30:00.559 --> 00:30:05.940 Like Daniel, Jesus was the one who was truly blameless. 00:30:07.059 --> 00:30:10.559 Like Daniel, Jesus was one who was targeted by the mob. 00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:16.419 Like Daniel, Jesus was one who prayed fervently in his time of crisis. 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:23.679 Like Daniel, at Jesus' trial there was an earthly king who had all the power and all the sympathy to do something about it. 00:30:23.879 --> 00:30:25.559 And yet was unwilling to save. 00:30:25.559 --> 00:30:31.179 Like Daniel, Jesus was unjustly sentenced to his death. 00:30:32.519 --> 00:30:37.039 But unlike Daniel, Jesus wasn't delivered from death. 00:30:37.539 --> 00:30:38.720 He tasted death. 00:30:39.679 --> 00:30:41.679 How was God going to save his people? 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:47.019 By sending his son who would willingly go to the lion's den. 00:30:47.759 --> 00:30:52.440 And bear the punishment of death for his people's sins. 00:30:52.620 --> 00:30:55.380 So that his people would not have to. 00:30:56.480 --> 00:30:57.759 Why was Daniel delivered? 00:30:58.200 --> 00:31:00.440 Because he was declared innocent in God's sight. 00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:01.480 That's what the text says. 00:31:01.519 --> 00:31:03.220 Because he was innocent in God's sight. 00:31:04.240 --> 00:31:05.180 How are we delivered? 00:31:05.180 --> 00:31:13.759 Well, because Jesus takes our death and he gives us his life. 00:31:14.740 --> 00:31:22.420 And standing with Jesus Christ, standing in Jesus Christ, we are declared innocent before God the Father. 00:31:24.580 --> 00:31:28.680 And like Daniel, the tomb was not found to have triumphed. 00:31:29.420 --> 00:31:32.000 And like Daniel, Jesus answered. 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:38.960 And just as Jesus emerged victorious from the tomb, so every person that trusts in him. 00:31:39.779 --> 00:31:46.420 For the story of Daniel here, if you think about it logically, the message cannot be that Christians will never face death in this life. 00:31:46.539 --> 00:31:50.299 That cannot be the message of this chapter. 00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:55.559 The long list of Christian martyrs, both of yesterday and today, tells us that that cannot be. 00:31:57.240 --> 00:31:58.539 So what does it mean? 00:31:58.539 --> 00:32:12.139 Well, it means that for all those who trust Jesus Christ as their savior, they too ultimately will be delivered from death because they're innocent in his sight, whilst God's enemies will be defeated and crushed. 00:32:13.279 --> 00:32:17.220 What is the message of Daniel chapter 6? 00:32:18.200 --> 00:32:21.619 It's that only this God is able to save. 00:32:22.460 --> 00:32:27.259 It's that only this God is in total control of all things. 00:32:27.259 --> 00:32:35.259 And it's that this God is the one who you need to turn to and trust as the one who is able to save you. 00:32:36.440 --> 00:32:42.279 And I guess the question for us readers is, who or what are we trusting in to save us? 00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:43.019 That's the question. 00:32:44.819 --> 00:32:47.619 Maybe you're here this morning and you're not a believer in this God. 00:32:48.119 --> 00:32:52.579 Well, let me ask you, who or what are you trusting in this morning to save you? 00:32:52.579 --> 00:32:59.659 How will you be declared innocent in God's sight when he comes to judge? 00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:09.960 To trust in anything and anyone other than this God, this God who will have the final word in all of history, is akin to trusting in Captain Ozone to save you. 00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:22.220 And for God's people, what confidence this chapter gives us in the power of our God who stands with us and who is mighty to save. 00:33:23.799 --> 00:33:28.940 So as his people, let's stand up and let's stand out. 00:33:29.180 --> 00:33:29.579 Why? 00:33:30.220 --> 00:33:33.180 Because our God stands over all. 00:33:33.180 --> 00:33:36.920 Dare to be a Daniel. 00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.539 Dare to stand alone. 00:33:40.840 --> 00:33:42.299 Dare to have a purpose firm. 00:33:43.140 --> 00:33:44.220 And dare to make it known. 00:33:45.160 --> 00:33:47.100 What a thrilling chapter this is. 00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:47.700 Let me pray. 00:33:50.700 --> 00:33:53.039 So Lord, we thank you for this story of Daniel. 00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:56.960 And we thank you for the encouragement. 00:33:57.759 --> 00:34:04.019 And we thank you for the incredible hope there is in the truth that we see here that you are mighty to save. 00:34:05.240 --> 00:34:14.039 So help us this week as we live in this world, as your people in this hostile world, to live distinctly for your son, Jesus Christ. 00:34:14.699 --> 00:34:19.019 To love him, to cherish him, to seek him, to live for him in this world. 00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:22.719 Oh, our Father, would you give us the power to do that. 00:34:23.900 --> 00:34:27.259 And we make these prayers in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:28.159 Amen.