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I Dare You: Be Steadfast!
Daniel 6:10-28
Skip Heitzig

Daniel 6 (NKJV™)
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
11 Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12 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 within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter."
13 So they answered and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."
14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15 Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed."
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you."
17 Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from him.
19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.
20 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?"
21 Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live forever!
22 "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, 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."
23 Then the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions--them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
25 Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.
26 I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And His dominion shall endure to the end.
27 He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

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27 Daniel - I Dare You - 2013

Calvin Miller once wrote, “Security is never the friend of faith. It is peril that produces steadfastness.” Daniel knew this to be true and was willing to sacrifice the security of life and limb because his heart was steadfast and immovable toward his God. Even though he had been faithful to king and country, this aged prophet faced the trial of a lifetime.

Skip Heitzig unfolds the book of Daniel verse by verse in the series I Dare You. We'll learn how Daniel lived differently and made a huge impact on his society, and we'll be challenged to do the same.

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Outline

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  1. Persecution is Inevitable (vv. 5, 10-11)

  2. Trust is Essential (vv. 16-18)

  3. Deliverance is Possible (vv. 19-24)

  4. Influence is Unmistakable (vv. 25-28)


CONNECT QUESTIONS

  1. Why was Daniel being persecuted?

  2. How can we expect to be persecuted for our faith, and what NT passages bare light on this fact?

  3. What should our response be to persecution?

  4. How have we failed or been victorious in remaining steadfast towards God, and how can we improve and prepare for persecution in the future?

  5. What are some practical steps we will take in this coming week to honor God and remain steadfast?

  6. What do you think was the major point of this passage?

  7. What did God reveal to you in this passage?

  8. Is there anything that applies directly to you or to someone you know, and how can you take aim at changing a negative behavior in a Biblical way?

  9. Who was this passage originally directed at?

  10. How does this passage apply to believers?


Detailed Notes

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  1. Introduction
    1. Christopher Columbus desired to discover a new route to the West Indies and new countries
      1. All the experts of Spain said it was impossible
      2. Because of his steadfast persistence, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain sided with him
    2. Henry Ford believed in the automobile
      1. He pursued his dream
      2. His good friend Thomas Edison said it wasn't a good idea
      3. Ford was steadfast, persistent in his dream
      4. Because of that, we're driving today
    3. The Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville, believed that man could fly
      1. They were discouraged by friends, journalists, and their own father
      2. They pursued their vision and their dream because they were steadfast
    4. Steadfastness is a level above faithfulness
      1. Daniel was a faithful man
      2. Steadfastness is when you are faithful in extreme times
        1. Strength
        2. Intensity
        3. Clutch the promises of God
      3. William Barclay said, "So often we have a kind of vague wistful longing that the promises of Jesus should be true. The only way to enter into them is to believe in them with the clutching intensity of a drowning man."
      4. Daniel faces his possible death this way; clutching belief
    5. Life isn't fair
      1. Some of us think that if we do good things, good things will happen; if we do bad things, bad things will happen; a kind of cosmic karma
      2. God will eventually bring equality; not immediately, but eventually
      3. Two expectant fathers in a waiting room
      4. What happens to Daniel isn't fair
        1. He's not delivered from the lions' den
        2. He's delivered through the lions' den
        3. David wrote "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" (Psalm 23:4)
          1. We don't like that
          2. We don't want to go through the valley
          3. We want to be airlifted from mountain peak to mountain peak
      5. If you are a steadfast believer, there are four things you can count on
        1. Persecution is inevitable
        2. Trust is essential
        3. Deliverance is possible
        4. Influence is unmistakable
  2. Persecution is inevitable
    1. Daniel's envious peers come up with a decree intended to exploit Daniel's love for his God
      1. Happened in one day
      2. They brought the decree
      3. Watched Daniel
      4. They had the king sign his death sentence
      5. Daniel was put into the lions' den
    2. We will have persecution because we are believers
      1. You are a part of the kingdom of light; the kingdom of light will clash with the kingdom of darkness
      2. Paul said, "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Timothy 3:12)
      3. If you are steadfast, then others will know that you are a Christian
      4. Not everyone will like that you are a Christian
      5. Skip has had numerous death threats
      6. There is a misconception that following Christ makes life easier
      7. Jesus told His disciples, "I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Matthew 10:16)
      8. Great to live in the time of the apostles?
        1. Jesus told them that they can expect persecution from three establishments (see Matthew 10:16-22)
          1. The religious leaders
            1. Organized religion has been one of the chief antagonists of the gospel
            2. It is one of the greatest enemies of our missionaries
            3. Jesus' enemies were the religious leaders
            4. Carnal Christians will be your antagonists; your commitment to Christ convicts them
          2. Persecuted by secular society
            1. Governors, kings, gentiles
            2. A steadfast believer is like a 500-watt light bulb in a pitch black room—though it dispels the darkness, it also irritates people
            3. It irritated the Roman government and they tortured and killed apostles/believers
          3. Persecuted by their families
            1. Jesus said that they would be betrayed by their families (see Mark 13:12)
            2. Even today, in some cultures there are some who will hold a funeral service for their converted family member; that person is dead to them now
            3. Some cultures have "honor killings"
            4. Witnessing to your own family is one of the hardest things to do
        2. These are the promises of Jesus
  3. Trust is essential
    1. They threw him into the lions' den
    2. The pagan king speaks "Your God will deliver you"
      1. He's been on the throne for one-two years
      2. He's seen and heard Daniel's steadfastness
    3. How did Daniel react when he's lowered into the pit?
      1. Did he say, "God, this isn't fair!"?
      2. It's not recorded that he said anything; he's silent
      3. Daniel knew the punishment for praying to his God; he did it anyway
      4. Like Jesus, "he opened not his mouth" (see Isaiah 53:7, Matthew 27:14, and Mark 15:15)
      5. Polycarp, Christian bishop in Smyrna, at 86 years old under threat of burning at the stake said "I have served Jesus Christ for 86 years. Never once has He denied me. He's never done me any wrong. How can I deny Him now?"
    4. This is where steadfastness needs to kick in
      1. A good prayer to pray is "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10)
      2. A good man "will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord" (Psalm 112:7)
    5. What would it take to move you from your faith, to stop trusting Jesus Christ?
      1. Death of a child?
      2. Lingering disease?
      3. Loss of employment?
      4. A young lady stopped trusting Jesus when her grandma died
      5. Job lost everything and he blessed the Lord (see Job 1:21), he said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15)
    6. Slogan of a church in Kansas City: "Wake up, sing up, pray up, and pay up, but never give up, or let up, or back up, or shut up, until the kingdom of Christ is built up in this world"
    7. The king was disturbed; the Holy Spirit is showing us what was going on in the king's life
  4. God delivers Daniel
    1. The king said, "Servant of the living God"; he got that from Daniel
    2. Daniel had a good night's sleep; the king did not
      1. Reminds us of a story about Peter the apostle in the New Testament, who slept soundly in jail before his expected execution (see Acts 12:5-19)
      2. Man in a boat in a storm slept
    3. God delivered Daniel—it doesn't always happen
      1. Paul Harvey told a true story of a church in Beatrice, Nebraska; 18 choir members spared from death
      2. It doesn't always happen
        1. Isaiah was cut in two
        2. Peter was crucified upside down
        3. Paul had his head cut off
      3. Daniel would live or die; either way, there's a deliverance
      4. Daniel had to wait all night for his deliverance
        1. Some of you have been waiting on God for a long time
        2. Your resolve must be: "Our God is able to deliver us!"
  5. Influence is unmistakable
    1. Darius makes a decree
    2. Daniel is one man
      1. He affects two completely different kingdoms
      2. He has influence over many kings
        1. Magi showed up at the birth of Christ; perhaps Daniel tipped them off
        2. God puts His right men in the right place
        3. One or a few steadfast in their God can influence a nation, a family
        4. Never underestimate the power of a godly life
      3. John the Baptist was a fiery guy
        1. Herod the Great put John the Baptist in prison
        2. Herod feared John knowing he was a righteous man (see Mark 6:20)
    3. Do you want to be influential for the kingdom of God?
      1. "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58)
      2. Peter Marshal, a previous chaplain to the US Senate, told a story of the keeper of the spring in an Austrian village
      3. The steadfast Christian is the "keeper of the spring"
      4. One life well-lived can impact family, a neighborhood, a city, a nation
      5. Jesus had 12 disciples and within one generation the known world heard the gospel
      6. You must know God to begin with to be steadfast


Figures referenced: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Wilbur and Orville Wright, William Barclay, Polycarp, Paul Harvey, Peter Marshal
Cross references: Job 1:21, Job 13:15, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 112:7, Isaiah 53:7, Matthew 10:16-22, Matthew 27:14, Mark 6:20, M
ark 13:12, Mark 15:15, Acts 12:5-19, 1 Corinthians 15:58, 2 Timothy 3:12

Transcript

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Welcome to I Dare You, a series through the book of Daniel with Skip Heitzig.

I dare you to open your Bible to Daniel 6. Daniel, chapter 6 is a story about a faithful man, also about a man who became steadfast. I want to talk to you about that today, Daniel 6. Let's pray.

Lord, as I look over this vast crowd of people, it staggers me to realize that you know every single thing about every single one of us. You know our deepest hurts, you know our greatest joys, you are aware of the things that bother us, things that concern us.

Father, we often come to a service and we focus and we think on really the wrong things, superficial things, things we may like or not like, when really a worship service is all about you, the One we're worshiping. So we direct our thoughts, Lord, toward you. And perhaps this is the greatest act of worship, listening to a sermon, because it speaks of our willingness to submit to your authority over us, to get realigned, and readjusted.

So, Father, we simply invite you to break through to every single heart, some of which are soft and pliable, some of which are more hard and more difficult. Nothing is too hard for you, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.

When Christopher Columbus announced his desire to explore new worlds and to discover a quicker route to the West Indies, all the experts of Spain said it was impossible. But because of Columbus' steadfast persistence, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sided with Columbus, not the experts, and that's a good thing for us.

Henry Ford believed in the automobile. He pursued that dream, but he had a good friend named Thomas Edison who said it wasn't a very good idea. In fact, offered Henry Ford a job to come work for him, to get a real life. But Ford was steadfast, persistent in his dream, and it's a good thing he was.

The Wright brothers Wilbur and Orville believed that man could actually fly in the sky. But they had friends, they knew journalists, and they had a father—their own dad said it was a costly and insane waste of money. But they pursued their vision and their dream because they were steadfast.

Steadfastness is a level above faithfulness. Daniel was a faithful man; we saw that last week, even in chapter 6. But steadfastness is when you are faithful in extreme times. The idea of being steadfast evokes thoughts of strength, intensity. To be steadfast is to grab a hold of, in fact, to even clutch the promises of God.

One author that I've read a lot, William Barclay, writes these words: "So often we have a kind of vague, wistful longing that the promises of Jesus should be true. The only way to enter into them is to believe in them with the clutching intensity of a drowning man." Keep those words in mind as we read chapter 6, because we see Daniel facing his possible death, believing, trusting, grabbing a hold of God's promises like this: "the clutching intensity of a drowning man."

Now, if you are a steadfast believer, you can count on four things that we see in the rest of this chapter. Before we get into those four things, can I just say that life is not fair. That bothers some of us, bothers some people, especially kids. Kids grow up and they say, "That's not fair!" And you say, "Life isn't fair."

But some people never grow out of this idea that life should be fair; that if you do good things, then good things will happen; that if you do bad things that you always have consequences—sort of this cosmic karma that should happen. But that's not real life; life isn't fair. Now, God will eventually bring the fairness and equity; not immediately, but eventually.

I heard about two men, they were in a waiting room, both of them were expectant fathers and their wives were in there having babies. And the nurse came out and said to one of them, "Congratulations! You have a brand-new baby daughter." The other guy stood up and he said, "That ain't fair; I was here first." [laughter] Yeah, but she delivered first.

What happens to Daniel isn't fair. In fact, he doesn't get delivered from the experience of the lions' den, he has to go through the experience of the lions' den and he's helped while he's in it. Remember what David wrote, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death"? We don't like that. We don't want the valley of the shadow of death, we want to be airlifted from mountain peak to mountain peak and forget the valleys. But the Christian life as you go through it, even when you're steadfast, and I would say especially if you're steadfast.

Now, if you are a steadfast believer, I mentioned there are four things that you can count on: persecution is inevitable, trust is essential, deliverance is possible, and influence is unmistakable. Those are the four divisions of the rest of the chapter that we will look at in our text this morning. So what I'd like you to do even though we left off at verse 15, and 16 really picks up the rest of the story, I want to draw your attention back a few verses and get the whole thing framed nicely as we move into it.

Number one: persecution is inevitable. Look at verse 5 of Daniel 6. "Then these men," those would be his envious colleagues, if you remember, "said, 'We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.' "And so they went with that thought to the king to get a decree signed that nobody could worship any god or anything for thirty days, except the king.

Verse 10, "So, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows opened toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and he prayed and he gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God."

Now, it would seem that this story took place in one day. That in the morning they brought the decree for the king to sign it, at noon they were already at Daniel's house watching him pray because that was the time that he did it, and then by afternoon they had his death sentence signed again, and that he was put in the lions' den by evening.

It was a Persian custom that a death or an execution should be carried out before nightfall. So this probably all happened in the course of a single day. They knew that Daniel was devoted to God, and they knew that his love for God would always be paramount, and so they exploited that situation in order to get Daniel killed.

Persecution is inevitable. You and I are not going to get through this life without some battle scars. There's going to be some wounds, there's going to be some persecution, and here's why: you're a part of the kingdom of light. Out there is the kingdom of darkness of which you used to be a part of. When the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness come into contact, there is a kingdom clash, there are fireworks.

And Paul put it this way, "Anyone who desires to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Because if you're steadfast, then others are going to know that you're a Christian, and if others know that you're a Christian, not everybody's going to like the fact that you're a Christian. In fact, they'll talk behind your back, they'll marginalize you, you might not make it up the scale in the corporation, or worse.

Over the many years while I've been a pastor of this church, I have gotten numerous death threats. Got some recently by e-mail and even by phone: "We're going to come, we're going to kill you." Several years ago, and I want to underline that so you just don't get worried, but a man came in here and pulled out a gun. He was in the foyer, said, "I'm going to kill that pastor."

I don't know what I said that bothered him, but he was a little bit drunk. And our usher who had the presence of mind (he's a big, like, quarterback guy) just jumped on the guy, and lovingly escorted him outside to the police. [laughter] Made for a great sermon illustration back then.

But there is a misconception that following Jesus Christ is going to make life easier. Really? Ever read the New Testament? The early church had it anything except easy.

We love the promises of Jesus. In fact, some people make whole cottage industries of little promises that Jesus said, and they hold onto that promise for the day but there are some promises that they just sort of leave out. Let me give you a few of those promises that Jesus made to his disciples.

I'm reading—you don't have to turn there—Matthew 10 verse 16. Jesus said to his followers, "Behold, I send you out like sheep in the midst of wolves." Whoa! Whoa! Stop right there. That's not an easy gig—little sheep getting sent to a pack of wolves. "Therefore," Jesus said, "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

Every now and then somebody will say, "Wouldn't it be great to live in the time of the apostles?" I say, Eh, sort of. Parts of it would be cool; a whole lot of other parts would not be so cool, this being one of them: "Behold, I send you out like sheep in the midst of the wolves." So Jesus in this section announces this to them, and then he tells them they can expect persecution from three sources.

Number one: the religious establishment; the religious establishment. Jesus said, "Beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues." Did you know that organized religion has been one of the chief antagonists against the gospel? Always has been, still is today.

We send our missionaries out to different parts of the world, they will tell us it's not the common people, it's not the townsfolk, it's not the country folks that give us the opposition, its religious organizations that are opposed to our evangelistic work. Who were Jesus' enemies? Let's see . . . scribes, Pharisee, Sadducees, religious people. Even Daniel's antagonists in this chapter had a religious bent forbidding the worship of any god.

So you'll be persecuted by the religious establishment. Let me take this a step further. You're even going to be persecuted by carnal Christians in your own Bible study groups and churches. Carnal Christians who see your newfound devotion for Jesus, they're seeing that you have a desire to take the dare, to step up, to be steadfast, to pray more, to carry your Bible. And they might say something to you like, "Ooh, look who got so spiritual all of a sudden."

You know why they say that? Because they're convicted by your commitment. And they might say, "Well, I'm a Christian too; I'm just not a fanatic." Somebody once said, "A fanatic is just somebody who loves Jesus more than you do."

Number two, Jesus continued: you'll be persecuted by the secular world. He continues, "You will be brought before governors and kings and the Gentiles." You see, a steadfast believer is sort of like a 500-watt light bulb in a pitch-black room; and though it dispels the darkness, it also irritates people. And it irritated the Roman government when the apostles were those bright lights.

And just like Jesus predicted, you know what happened to them? They were flung to the lions. They were burned at the stake. They were sewn into the skins of animals so that beasts could tear them apart. Molten lead was poured over the tenderest parts of their bodies. Caesar Nero even wrapped them up in pitch and put them on poles so that they could be torches in his gardens at night.

But then Jesus takes it a step further in his catalog of promises to them. He said you'll be persecuted by your own family. Jesus said these words, "For brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his own child; and children will rise against their parents to kill them."

Did you know that there are still some cultures today where if a person converts to Christianity, a funeral is held for that family member? And they say, "He's dead to us. He's dead. He's following Jesus now; don't even mention his name." Other cultures are more radical and they believe in honor killings: "This person converted to Jesus, we need to honor our god by killing him."

Now you haven't had those kinds of things probably, but you have had the persecution, many of you by your own family members. Have you discovered that to witness to your own family members is like—that's harder than witnessing to anybody else? They look at you and go, "Who are you trying to kid, dude? We grew up with you. We know you. You're on to some little kick now, but whatever." These are the promises of Jesus—persecution is inevitable.

Back to Daniel, chapter 6. Persecution is inevitable; therefore, trust is essential. Now watch this, Daniel 6, verse 16, "So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions." Just sort of a simple, straight-forward statement: "So they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den."

It was actually a pit. I've been to Babylon and the archaeologist showed me a square hole on the pavement where I was standing, and underneath was a large cavern. In those days it would have been divided into two where the lions were on one side, a lot of them, and then the hors d'oeuvre, Daniel in this case, would be on the other side. The lions would then be let loose.

"So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel," now listen to the pagan king speak. "'Your God, whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.' "What? Why did this king say that? Well, this king has been on the throne of Babylon now for a year at least, perhaps even two years by now.

Daniel is old, as we know he's not afraid of anybody, and he's in the king's counsel. He's on the cabinet of the king. So this king has heard message after message after message about what happened to Daniel by Daniel. He heard what happened with Nebuchadnezzar, what happened with Belshazzar. It was well recorded in their own history books by that time, and Daniel has been steadfast before this king.

"'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 with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed. Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. And also his sleep went from him."

In this whole episode do you once read of Daniel saying, "This isn't fair! God, I've served you seventy years." No, in fact, we don't have record that Daniel said anything at all, at all. Daniel opens the windows, he prays, that was his custom. He definitely knew that the thing had been signed. He definitely knew that death could happen. He definitely knew what a den of lions was. But he opened up the windows and he prayed, because he always prayed.

And then the death sentence is passed, Daniel is taken and placed in the lions' den; he says nothing. Now he may have said something, but the text is silent. It's like Jesus, he opened not his mouth, but he was silent before his antagonists, and he is lowered into the den of lions.

Daniel's story reminds me of another story that some of you may have heard about a guy by the name of Polycarp who in AD 156—he was a Christian leader in Smyrna, a Christian bishop. Polycarp was brought to be burned at the stake. They brought him to the stake, they tied him up, they lit the fire. And then the executioner said, "Listen, Polycarp, you can get out of this real easy. Just deny Jesus very quickly, we'll let you go, you'll have your freedom."

Not yelling, not screaming, "I hate flames." [laughter] Polycarp said, "I have served Jesus Christ for eighty-six years," he was eighty six years old like Daniel. "I've served Jesus Christ for eighty-six years, never once has he denied me. He's never done me any wrong. How can I deny him now?" And Polycarp looked down at those flames as the will of God for his life.

And I believe Daniel saw the lions' den and he didn't squawk, he didn't say, "I hate teeth, and lions, and no!" Though he wouldn't have loved it, but he knew his God well enough. And he was steadfast enough to know and believe: "Okay, this is it. I've lived eighty-six years, now it's the lions' den. I had to go one way or the other," and they lowered him into the pit.

Now, it's easy to talk about this, but this is where steadfastness has got to kick in. This is where the clutching intensity of a drowning man has to kick in. This is where your faith needs to move from faithfulness to steadfastness.

Here's a good prayer to remember. Psalm 51, David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." The Hebrew word means to be fixed or fastened, immovable. "Steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 112 speaks of a good man, a godly man, and in describing him it says, "He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

I have a question for you: What will it take to move you? What will it take to move you? What would it take—what could possibly happen in your life to have you stop trusting Jesus Christ? Death of a child? Lingering disease? Loss of employment? Is there something that you have said? "I trust the Lord, but as long as this, this, and that happen. If something else happens, I can't, I can't follow a God like that. I can't trust a God like that." Really?

I remember having a conversation with a young lady some years ago. It actually took me by surprise because she said, "Well, you know, I, I believed in Jesus," past tense. "I followed Jesus. I trusted Jesus." But then she said, "But then my grandmother died, and that was it."

And I said, "Well, with all due respect, I'm very sorry for your loss. That is very painful, but did you really think she was never going to die? Because that's never happened before in history. So that was it? It was your grandmother's death that just sort of—you lost it at that point: 'I'm not following Jesus anymore.' Really?

Job lost his estate, all ten of his children, and his health, and he said, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord." And then as the book goes on and his situation gets worse, he says, "Though he slay me, I will trust him." He can kill me, I'm not going to be moved—that's steadfastness.

I want you to listen to a slogan of an African-American church in Kansas City. I love it so much. It's their slogan; it's on their letterhead, and they have to probably print small to fit it all in because it's a long one. But listen to this, here's their slogan: "Wake up, sing up, pray up, and pay up, but never give up, or let up, or back up, or shut up, until the kingdom of Christ is built up in this world." That's their slogan. That's a pretty good one, isn't it? Five of you like it, and I want to know you five after church. [laughter]

"Wake up, sing up, pray up, pay up, but never give up, let up, back up, or shut up, til the kingdom of Christ is built up in this world."

So there's Daniel and they just sort of take him and they lower him in the pit. And then something frustrating happens in the story, that's verse 17, but look at verse 18. "Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting and no musicians were brought before him and his sleep went from him." Now I'm reading that going, so what? I don't care about the king and his palace. What's going on in the lions' den?

You know, if this were a movie and the camera shows a guy getting let down, the lions roaring, and all of a sudden the camera pans to the king's palace. He goes, "I can't sleep." I'm going, I don't care about you can't sleeping; take me back to the lions' den. But this is the Holy Spirit showing you and I what the king is going through mentally in this entire episode.

Persecution is inevitable; trust is essential. Here's Daniel just seeing this as the will of God: "I'm going to trust in God." You know what Daniel sort of reminds me of? His three friends a few chapters back who said, "Our God is able to deliver us, but if not, we're not going to bow." Daniel knew that—God can deliver him; but if not, here goes. Oh well. Hi, lion.

Now, let's go on in the story and you see that deliverance is possible; it happens for him. "Then the king arose very early in the morning," the text suggests at the dawn of the day, "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." Interesting; voice of anguish.

"The king spoke, saying to Daniel, 'Daniel, servant of the living God.' "Why did he call him that? Where did he get that from? He got that from Daniel. Daniel has been steadfast before the king, so that even this king knows that Daniel believes that all the gods of Babylon, all the gods of Medo-Persia are fake. They're just a bunch of statues without life, but he serves the living God, and so the king calls him that.

"'Daniel, servant of the living God,' " now notice the question, " 'has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?' "Now, frankly, it's a little late for that question; should have asked that the day before. But in that lamenting anguish he asked, "Has your God been able to deliver you?" Silence. Let's see what happens now. Can God do it?

Verse 21, "Then Daniel said to the king, 'O king, live forever!' "I guess the king got his answer, didn't he?" 'My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, 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.' And the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take up Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was on found on him, because he believed in his God." Notice that, mark that: "Because he believed in his God"

"And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den."

Okay, so I'm reading through this story, and it just sort of sounds like, well, the king has insomnia, can't sleep in his palace. That Daniel has a good night's sleep in the lions' den. He gets up in the morning [yawn], "O king, live forever. How's it going up there?" The king can't sleep, gets up early in the morning, laments. Daniel very politely, very thoroughly explains to him the theology behind: "I was stood before God, and God did this for me."

You know, I say that, but it reminds me of a story in the New Testament where Peter the apostle was arrested along with James. Herod had James killed and was going to kill Peter the very next day. So Peter is in prison, the Bible tells us chained between two Roman guards, and he falls asleep. And the angel comes to spring him out of jail, and the angel has to wake Peter up; that's how deep a sleep he was in. And I'm thinking, "Are you nuts? You're going to get killed the next day and you're asleep?" That's trust. That's trust.

It's like the guy who was in a boat, the boat got into a storm bouncing around on the lake, on, on the sea, on the ocean. And he remembered that psalm that says, "The God of Israel never slumbers or sleeps." And so he looked to heaven and he said, "Since you never get any rest, there's no sense in both of us losing sleep; good night," and he went to sleep.

So God delivered Daniel, and we go, wow! Every kid knows this story. Every Sunday school tells this story. He was delivered from the lions' mouths. It doesn't always happen this way, but when it does; it's pretty marvelous, isn't it?

Let me tell you a true story. Paul Harvey told this story; this is where I got it from. He used to tell the most wonderful stories in such a great way, by the way. He said there's a church in Beatrice, Nebraska, the West Side Baptist Church. The West Side Baptist Church every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. had choir practice, 7:30 sharp every Wednesday.

But one Wednesday—and most people, he said, came to the church before 7:30 so that they could start the practice on time. So they were there on or before 7:30 without fail. But on one particular Wednesday night every choir member had an excuse why they were late.

The piano player took an afternoon nap, she slept too long, she was late. One of the choir members, a student, had homework problems, so he came late. Another couple who sang in the choir, their car wouldn't start, they came late. All eighteen members did not show up, were not at the church at 7:30.

And it's a good thing because on that particular day there was a gas leak in the basement. And at precisely 7:30 p.m. the gas leak ignited the furnace at the middle level and the church blew up. By the way, the furnace room was directly underneath the choir loft. It absolutely decimated and would have killed everybody in that choir loft. Nobody was there—that is deliverance, and that is marvelous.

And I love stories like that, and they happen, but they don't always happen. Even if you love and you believe in your God like Daniel did, they don't always happen. Did Isaiah believe in his God? Isaiah was sawn in two, cut in two. Did Peter the apostle believe in his God? You betcha! He was crucified upside down.

Did Paul the apostle believe in his God? Yup. He got delivered sometimes, but then there was a day when he didn't get delivered. A Roman ax severed his head from his body in one fell swoop on a Roman road.

So here's Daniel, I can just picture him just from what I know of his integrity. He's getting led into that lions' den, he goes, "This could be either a wonderful deliverance out of it, or I'll see you in a few, Lord." Right? Either way would it have been a deliverance? Absolutely! Absolutely! He would of, he would of if he died, been looking into the face of God instead of the face of Darius, saying, "O king, live forever!" That's not a bad thing. So deliverance is possible, and he was delivered.

Look at the last few verses. Here's the fourth truth, and that is that influence is unmistakable. "Then king Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree." Now he just made a decree, right? That anybody who prays to any god for one month besides me will be killed, that was his decree. You know, they all voted him in. Isn't that interesting? You've heard of "queen for a day?" He was god for a month. They voted him in as god: "You can't worship any god but you." He signed it.

But now listen to this decree, "I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, and steadfast forever; his kingdom is the one which will never be destroyed, and his dominion shall endure to the end. He delivers and rescues and he work signs and wonders in heaven and on earth," sounds like a psalmist, "who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian."

This is Daniel, this is just one guy; one man literally affects two empires. He affects Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and the Babylonian Empire, and now Darius the Mede in the Medo-Persian Empire.

And I've always believed that his influence extended beyond those kingdoms. I believe the whole reason the Magi showed up at the birth of Jesus Christ—incidentally, the word "Magi" is a Babylonian word. If you looked it up in the Old Testament, the word for wise men in Daniel is Magi. What are Magi from Babylon doing showing up at the birth of Christ looking for the King of the Jews? I think Daniel tipped them off, and they took the tip, and they showed up.

One man influenced two kingdoms. See, it doesn't take a lot of people; it just takes the right ones. One or a few steadfast in their God can influence a nation, can influence a family. Never under estimate the power of a godly life.

One of my favorite dudes in the New Testament is John the Baptist. What a fiery guy. Didn't care what anybody thought of him. "I didn't like that sermon, John." "I don't care. Have you repented?" Right? He was just this fiery guy. Well, Herod has him arrested and put in prison. But listen to what the Bible says, "Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous man." Something about being around a righteous, godly man or woman that can be unnerving and also very, very influential.

Is that what you want? Do you want to stand up for God? Do you want to influence people? Is that in your heart to do so? Then these words are for you, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 58, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

I close with one of my favorite stories of all times written by and spoken by a previous chaplain to the United States Senate, Peter Marshall. Which is interesting because Peter Marshall was from Scotland, came to America, got involved in church work and political work here, became the chaplain to the Senate. He told a story called the "Keeper of the Spring," and here's how the story goes, roughly.

He said there was an Austrian village that had a beautiful stream that ran through it. The village was surrounded by the Alps, by the mountains around it. And they hired this guy called the Keeper of the Spring to patrol the hills and to collect debris from the pools that would feed that stream that ran through the town.

He had to pick up leaves and branches, and anything that would pollute or contaminate that stream in the village. And because he did such a faithful job with quiet regularity patrolling those hills, the stream that ran through that village was beautiful, clear, pristine. Swans came, and tourist came, and businesses built their shops there, and farmlands were irrigated, etcetera.

Until one day when the city council had a meeting and they were looking at the budget. And one of the council members said, "What is this line item for a salary we're paying some guy called the Keeper of the Spring?" He scratched his head and he goes, "I've never seen this person, have you?" None of them had ever seen him before.

But they said, "Yeah, but people hear he's up there, and he's working, and you can't see him, but that's why everything is so nice here in town." The guy says, "I think it's a scam." And so they all took a vote and they fired the Keeper of the Spring.

Nothing changed at all in town; everything was exactly the same for a few weeks. But after a few weeks when summer turn to fall, and the leaves started dropping, and the twigs on the trees started breaking off, and the debris started mounting up and clogging up the stream, one day one of the villagers noticed that the stream wasn't so clear anymore. It had a yellow tint to it, and a few days later it was brownish, and several days later it had a stench that came from it, and the swans left, and the tourists did too.

And the water wheels that diverted the water from the stream into the fields to be irrigated slowed down and eventually stopped. And the village elders realized their error, and they said, "Go get that guy and hire him back." And so they found the Keeper of the Spring and they gave him his job back, and within weeks it was restored to pristine beauty.

And what Peter Marshall's point was is that what the Keeper of the Spring was to that Austrian village, the steadfast believer is to the world, and even to the church. One life well lived can impact a family, a neighbored, a city, a country, two nations like Daniel. It doesn't take a lot of people; it just takes the right ones.

Jesus had twelve disciples, and he said go, and within one generation the known world heard the gospel—that's steadfastness. You can't be steadfast and you can't be powerfully used by God unless you know God to begin with.

Can I just say to you as we close this service, I'm so happy you're here, but I wonder if you know Jesus Christ personally. I'm glad you've come, but my goal has never been to have a lot of people come, but to have a lot of people who know Jesus Christ. Are you sure that you know him?

I'm not asking if you're not a nice person, you might be a wonderful person. I'm not asking if you have a high intellect or an advanced education, you might. People might like you, you might be very, very influential in a lot of different areas of life, you might be very religious, but do you know Jesus Christ personally?

You can't be a keeper of the spring until you've tasted and drank from the stream yourself of living water. Do you know Christ? That's where you begin. And when you begin there, then you let his life give you real life, real purpose, real meaning. You want a cause to live for? There's nothing greater than the cause of Christ, but you must begin with Christ. Let's pray.

Father, as we close this service, we are again impressed with a man who lived without much support, if any at all, in a foreign country surrounded by a different worldview and a different belief system, in fact, in many cases antagonists and scoundrels who were out to get him. And he was not only faithful, but he was steadfast. That got him persecuted. That made him trust more. He was miraculously delivered; some aren't.

But whether we are or not, the biggest issue is whom are we influencing? How are others impacted by our drawing breath and breathing it out again, and living and eating and moving in our community? Lord, that's what we long for. That's the kind of deep purpose we want.

Lord, I pray for those who have gathered today who after an honest appraisal of their lives they realize they believe you exist, but there has never been a commitment to you, a personal commitment, a surrender, of a life being serious about God and godly things.

We know, Lord, that Jesus said he came into this world not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. It's my prayer, along with the prayers of many who have invited friends today, and love ones, family members, that more commitments, real commitments would be made to you personally. So reveal yourself, and rescue, and draw, and save some we ask.

With our heads bowed and our eyes closed, as we are thinking about who we are honestly before God, if as you do so you realize: "I've never really committed my life to Christ. It's never been real and personal. I've known about God, I've believed in God, I agree there was a Jesus who lived historically, but I don't walk with him. I don't love him yet, and I want to change that. I'm ready now to turn from the past and turn my life over to Jesus Christ."

I hope you sense that in your heart. Or for some of you to come back to Jesus after wandering away for some time. If that describes you and you want to come to Jesus and have your sins forgiven, and receive his life and purpose, I want you to raise your hand up. As we're praying you just slip your hand up just so I can see it. Raise it up high enough so I can see it.

God bless you, young man. God bless you, ma'am. And you in the middle, toward the back. And you up—right up here; God bless you, ma'am. I see your hand over there. Anybody else? In the back? I see your hand. Anyone in the family room? Raise it up.

Father, for the many who have raised these hands we now pray. And we pray, Father, that what they are about to do would become so real to them, so overwhelming to them that they would never turn back. But we pray that they would discover your embrace and your love, and what it means to have their sins forgiven and washed, and to have purpose of life and a purposeful future. We pray for that redemption in Jesus' name, amen.

Let's all stand. What we often do, and we're going to do it right now before we close, is we invite people who want to make a commitment to Christ to do so publicly. And here's why, Jesus often invited people publicly. He called people out, and he would say, "Leave what you're doing," and in a public place, "come and follow me."

And we know that it does something in the heart of the individual who is willing to make a step out of darkness into the light. It settles something in your own being, in your own heart when you do it. And we like you to know this is the day I accepted Christ, I received him.

So as we sing this final song, if you raised your hand, or even if you were about to and I didn't acknowledge it, I want you to get up, find the nearest row, the aisle, and walk forward and stand right up here. I'm going to lead you in a prayer to receive Christ, and then we're going to end this service. But as we sing, I ask you to come.

[worship music playing]

We don't do this to embarrass you; we do this to serve you. We want you to know that was the day I came forward, that was the day I turned around from darkness to light, that was the day God saved me. So make it real, make it public, make it your own. Don't hide in the shadows any longer. There have been people that have been praying for you for years. Come on, make those prayers answered. Let the Lord do what he wants to do in your life. [applause]

You say, "Well, why are you trying to be so persuasive?" Because Paul said, "I seek to persuade men." He begged men, "Be reconciled to God." If you're not sure, if you're not sure that if you were to die today you would go to heaven, then goodness gracious be sure, be sure. [applause]

If you've been dancing around this thing for too long, you've been playing with it too long, you've been waiting another week too long, you've been sitting back with your arms folded too long—get in the game. God loves you. It's true. What he said is true, there's heaven and there's hell, there's choices, there's eternity. What are you going to pick? Anyone else? We're going to sing this through one more time. If you are in the balcony, you get down the steps. If you're in the family room, come through the door. Back row, front row, middle, doesn't matter, be sure.

[worship music playing] [applause]

Good choice. Most intelligent move and choice one could ever make. So glad you walked forward and did this. I want to lead you now in a prayer. It's going to be a public prayer. I'm going to say this prayer out loud; I'm going to ask you to say it out loud after me. I want you to mean these words from your heart as you say them to God. Let's do it.

Lord, I give you my life. I admit I'm a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe in Jesus, that he died on the cross, that he rose from the dead. I turn from my sin; I turn to you as my Savior. Help me to live for you as my Lord, in Jesus' name, amen, and congratulations! [applause]

Additional Messages in this Series

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1/6/2013
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I Dare You: Be Distinct!
Daniel 1
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Message Summary
Men and women of character will rise to meet a challenge. Our challenge over the next few months will be modeled in the life of Daniel, a man of God who stood out above the rest, honored God, and influenced his world. Each week, our service will be formed around a new challenge—a dare—to rise up, be counted, be different, and above all, be pleasing to God.
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1/13/2013
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I Dare You: Step Up!
Daniel 2:1-23
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Any crisis we face is a test. How will we respond? What actions will we take? What will our faith in God mean to us and to others in that moment of crisis? Daniel and his friends faced their moment of crisis when the King of Babylon’s insomnia became their worst nightmare. As they faced the possibility of their own death, they used the situation to display their life-giving faith. Let’s consider how we can step up to life’s difficulties and use them as spiritual opportunities.
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1/20/2013
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I Dare You: Speak Out!
Daniel 2:24-49
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Words can become jumbled when we feel intimidated by the one we’re speaking to, especially if the one we’re speaking to intends to kill us! That’s why this story is so inspiring: Daniel speaks out clearly, boldly, accurately, and yet humbly to Babylon’s monarch and thereby gives us a model of speaking God’s truth to our world.
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1/27/2013
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I Dare You: Stand Up!
Daniel 3
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Fitting in, blending in, and conforming to the values of the world around you is what is expected. If you dare go against the flow of popular worldly ideologies, you will be a marked person, regarded as a fanatic and relegated to the category of "dangerous individuals." Three of Daniel's friends decided it was better to stand up for God than to bow down to the wishes of the crowd. Their conviction of heart was to refuse to be "conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2).
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2/3/2013
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I Dare You: Submit!
Daniel 4:1-18
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Before us is a remarkable section of Scripture with a remarkable story about a king who makes a remarkable statement. It is the personal journal of an earthly political monarch who recognizes God’s authoritative rule in the human realm. As amazing as the story is, it carries with it implications for us to submit to God by submitting to man’s government.
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2/10/2013
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I Dare You: Be Humble!
Daniel 4:19-37
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A pundit once quipped, "Humility is like underwear—essential, but indecent if it shows!" The opposite of humility is pride, and Daniel 4 reveals it in spades. Nebuchadnezzar will learn (and then tell) about the greatest lesson God showed him in his long career—that He is able to humble those who walk in pride. So why not learn it the easy way? Listen carefully and apply these truths diligently. I dare you!
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2/17/2013
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I Dare You: Wake Up!
Daniel 5
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As a teacher was lecturing his class, he noticed a student sleeping in the back row, so he said to the sleeping student’s neighbor, "Hey, wake that guy up!" The neighbor answered back, "You put him to sleep, you wake him up!" Falling asleep on the job may be harmless in some situations, but not as the ruler of a nation, and certainly not when God’s judgment is impending. This week’s dare is directed to anyone who is not heeding divine warning signals and needs to wake up.
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2/24/2013
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I Dare You: Be Faithful!
Daniel 6:1-15
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Daniel was consistently faithful, both publicly and privately. His diligence and attitude set him apart from his peers and his reputation withstood harsh scrutiny. When his life was on the line, Daniel refused to compromise—he dared to be faithful!
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3/10/2013
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I Dare You: Defend!
Daniel 7:1-8
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Daniel did fine when he was thrown into the lions’ den, but how does he fare when thrust into the critics’ den? Daniel is an amazing book of prophecy as well as history, yet it has not escaped the bright white light of antagonistic critics through the ages. Today I dare you to move beyond a shallow faith that depends on personal feelings and subjective experiences and learn to “contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3).
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3/24/2013
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I Dare You: Decide! - Part 1
Daniel 7:8-28
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The world as we know it won’t last forever. Time will not march on without interruption. Daniel saw a vision of four future kingdoms which can be documented historically. But one final worldwide antagonistic thrust against God is coming. It will be waged by a ruler typically referred to as the Antichrist (but actually there are many more names for him). A fourfold description of this coming dictator’s reign is highlighted before us. Even more basic is the choice we must all make about which kingdom we will be part of.
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4/14/2013
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I Dare You: Decide! - Part 2
Daniel 7
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The time is coming when the world will have to decide between a false messiah and the true Christ. Sadly, some already have. Today, we'll consider the world's fastest growing religion and how it might possibly interact with the Bible's predictions of the end times.
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4/21/2013
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I Dare You: Look Ahead!
Daniel 7:9-14;7:26-27
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Economists, meteorologists, visionaries, and psychics all share one thing in common: They all try to predict the future to announce what's coming. God's prophets never had to; God revealed it to them and they simply wrote it down or spoke it out. The central highlight of Daniel's vision in chapter 7 isn't the coming kingdoms of earthly men nor of the coming Antichrist but rather the coming of Jesus Christ. Let's look ahead and see what's coming.
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4/28/2013
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I Dare You: Be Great!
Daniel 8:1-8;8:20-22
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The New York Life Review posted this: "Great men have but a few hours to be 'great.' Like the rest of us, they must dress, bathe, and eat. And, being human, they must make visits to the dentist, doctor, and barber and have conferences with their wives about domestic matters. What makes men great is their ability to decide what is important, and then focus their attention on that." (I think that goes for great women too!) Let's compare three men who some consider to be great, and then see how we measure up.
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5/19/2013
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I Dare You: Be Shocked!
Daniel 8:8-27
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When was the last time you heard someone respond to an incident or piece of information by saying, “That’s shocking!”? Shock (emotional disgust, offense, and aversion) has been diminished due to a widespread exposure to facts and images. Things get too easily relegated to a file in our brains marked, “I’ve already heard this before.” It’s a sad day (and dangerous) when we become spiritually desensitized to God’s truth and the world’s pain.
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5/26/2013
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I Dare You: Pray!
Daniel 9:1-5
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I have never met a person who's regretted praying too much. I've met plenty who've regretted praying too little. Prayer is the one activity that everybody knows they need, but few actually do. It's preached often, but practiced seldom. Forgive me if I'm dispensing guilt—that's not my intention. I'd rather take a peek into the busy life of an ancient executive (Daniel), and see the role prayer played for him and, in so doing, get fired up about this most powerful of activities!
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6/2/2013
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I Dare You: Pray! - Part 2
Daniel 9:4-19
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Just as a square has four sides and is incomplete without all four sides, so too does effective prayer. Daniel leaves us with a great example (and a simple one at that). Though we can pray anywhere and anytime, these four elements form a great baseline for us to emulate. When you talk to God, make certain the signal is clear, your heart is pure, and your confidence is sure.
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6/9/2013
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I Dare You: Understand!
Daniel 9:20-27
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God wants us to understand! He wants us to understand the truth about life. He wants us to understand the way of salvation. He wants us to understand His plans for the future. Today we come to the scriptural key that unlocks the door to the prophetic future of God’s plan. If you have never known it before, choose to understand it now. I dare you!
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6/30/2013
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I Dare You: Fight!
Daniel 10
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Fighting is never fun, but it's sometimes necessary. Certainly that's the case with the Christian life: It's not a playground but a battleground. Spiritual warfare (the cosmic battle between forces of good and evil) is a reality that none can escape but few really understand. For Daniel, the curtain is pulled back and he is allowed to see past the natural world into the supernatural world. Let's get a firsthand briefing on a heavenly battle that has earthly repercussions.
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7/7/2013
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I Dare You: Remember!
Daniel 11:1-35
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Daniel 11 is packed with prophecies about the history of Israel and the world. In just the first 35 verses of the chapter, we find that 135 of those prophecies have already been fulfilled. As we look at the historical details Daniel received in his visions, God's sovereignty comes to the forefront and prompts us to remember that He will carry out the prophecies yet to be fulfilled.
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7/14/2013
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I Dare You: Rest!
Daniel 11:36-45
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It's hard to be at rest when everything around you is chaos and conflict. But today that is our dare. Peace isn't the absence of a storm but being at rest in the midst of the storm. Daniel is informed about a stormy future in store for his own people and for the whole world. As we look ahead to consider a leader who will come during the most tumultuous time in human history, I dare you to rest in four distinct ways:
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8/4/2013
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I Dare You: Hope!
Daniel 12:1-3
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There is nothing needed more in the world today than hope. Every generation faces the tendency toward despair and hopelessness. Daniel especially did since he was learning of his own people's future suffering that would last for multiplied generations. But at last, God gives him a precious ray of hope: The worst of times will usher in the best of times. Four words describe that future time and become four rungs on the ladder of hope.
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8/11/2013
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I Dare You: Respond!
Daniel 12:4-13
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The Christian life is essentially a response to God: God is the Master and we are His servants; He's the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep; He is the Head and we are members of His body. Even our love for God is a response: "We love Him because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19). In this final section of the book of Daniel, let's consider three things that God does and what our response should be in each case.
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8/18/2013
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I Dare You: Be Balanced!
Daniel 1-12
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One dictionary defines balance this way: "A condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions." That's a fitting word to describe the whole of Daniel's life. In today's final study of the book of Daniel, we consider the man himself and how his life was so outwardly powerful and yet so inwardly stable. Daniel was supremely balanced in at least four areas.
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There are 23 additional messages in this series.
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