1 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,520 The title of this morning's message is just Daniel 6, but 2 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:15,200 actually I want to add this title and the title is this. 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,840 It's not about the lions. It's not about the lions. 4 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,640 How many of you have AI? Remember I had a Sunday school 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,160 book, Daniel, and used to be the little kid in the lions. 6 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,360 Then it's pity let in the right fact back in those days, because 7 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:32,560 Daniel was an old, old geezer at that time. 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:39,440 That's Hebrew for an old fellow. It's not about the lions. 9 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:44,480 Is it possible? That's why we're in Daniel, to 10 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:49,800 live the victorious Christian life in a fallen, sinful world 11 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:55,280 with corrupt politicians. In our study in Daniel, we've 12 00:00:55,280 --> 00:01:00,800 seen how it is indeed possible as we've followed the lives of 13 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:06,080 Daniel, Hananiah, Michelle and Azariah who had taken captive in 14 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:13,200 their teens, enslaved, marched 4 months from Jerusalem, leaving 15 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,600 their families, heading to Babylon. 16 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:20,600 There they are, emasculated, forced to live and a land from 17 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:25,240 Jerusalem, far from, never to far from their religious 18 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:29,880 upbringing, never to see their families ever again in an empire 19 00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:33,560 known as Babylon. Babylon for us is the world. 20 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,280 We're believers. We're we're we're foreigners in 21 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,040 this land. The Bible says in the book of 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:41,360 Hebrews that we're strangers, we're pilgrims. 23 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,440 We're looking like Abraham for a city whose foundations are not 24 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,960 built by man, but built by God. So you and I, we're, we're, 25 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:51,840 we're, we're captives at this moment. 26 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,160 We're in the slavery in this land called Babylon. 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,640 And we have wicked kings ruling over us at this moment. 28 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:05,040 But God is with us. And God has LED us into this 29 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,240 study for a reason. And that is to exhort us, to 30 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,800 push us, to encourage us to follow these who have gone 31 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:19,120 before us, like Daniel, to follow their example, to learn 32 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:23,200 from their ways, their righteous living, and to gather strength 33 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:30,040 and courage to emulate them. For too long, and I used to see 34 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:34,280 it when I was a boy going to church, Christians in Australia 35 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:42,520 and the church itself has reflected weakness, cowardice, a 36 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:47,200 lack of any godly power, any anything powerful coming out of 37 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:52,920 the church, done by the church. And in these last days, God 38 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:57,800 calls us to change that paradigm to live like Daniel. 39 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,960 In chapter 6 today, we'll witness a much older Daniel. 40 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,400 Age did not change the power of God moving through Daniel. 41 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,880 If you're elderly and I'm getting there, well, some of you 42 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:15,240 said you've reached it. It doesn't change the power that 43 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:19,280 God wants to pump through you. As a matter of fact, you get a 44 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,160 little wiser when you get older and it's less of you and it's 45 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:29,480 more of him, far more of him. We'll witness a much older 46 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,480 Daniel now, and he's mid to late 80s, standing once again in the 47 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:39,360 strength and power of the God he has served and worshipped 48 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:44,000 faithfully all these years in a Pagan land. 49 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,240 As I said, it's not about the lions. 50 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,280 It's about Daniel. It's about Daniel's God. 51 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,680 And and it's about prayer. That's what Daniel 6 is about. 52 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:02,440 Now, many people pray in times of great stress, often on our 53 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:05,600 Wednesdays. You people turn up, we go, oh, 54 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,360 something's gone wrong. Yeah, sure enough, because we're 55 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,120 here, because this has happened. By the way, Leon has had his 56 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,760 surgery. He's in Hollywood, his surgery 57 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:17,000 went well. We continue to pray for young 58 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,440 Leon. Leon's a 16 year old young boy, 59 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,240 been through a great time. Let's just stop and pray now. 60 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,600 Lord, we pray for Leon, restore his health. 61 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,280 We look forward to him coming out of hospital. 62 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,960 We want to see him in church, in fellowship, praising and singing 63 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,520 to you. Bless him now in Jesus name, 64 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:35,520 Amen. Amen. 65 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:42,000 But many people only pray sadly in times of great stress, fear, 66 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,800 danger or uncertainty. Even those who do not believe in 67 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,560 God have prayed at such times. I've been with people on many 68 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:55,240 occasions in intensive care units, waiting rooms, in all the 69 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,520 major hospitals. Not once when I've been there 70 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,280 with those families, when someone is in the intensive care 71 00:05:01,280 --> 00:05:04,600 unit and I've offered to pray, have they said no, no, don't 72 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:10,560 pray. For some, it's been their first 73 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,720 ever time to pray. It is instinctive. 74 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,120 Why is it? Did you notice God has created 75 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,400 us, We made in his image. It is this instinctive for us to 76 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:26,080 pray. In times of trouble we naturally 77 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:30,600 cry out. God help us, God help me. 78 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,480 You haven't learnt that it's there. 79 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,480 God placed that there. That's the the vacuum that you 80 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:42,480 have in your life, that when trouble comes, you cry out to he 81 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:45,400 who made you. God help me. 82 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,800 Only then do we realise our true helplessness at such times, 83 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,480 especially as I have literally heard the words as the 84 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:02,120 specialists have come out of the operating room and then into the 85 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,640 intensive care unit with the families. 86 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:07,880 And the specialists have said this many times and I've heard 87 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,200 the words. We've done all that we can. 88 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,480 We now just got to wait and see what happens, see whether he 89 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,120 makes it, she makes it through the night, what will happen 90 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:23,400 tomorrow. If you're a praying person, it's 91 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,640 time to pray. It's interesting. 92 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,080 You can be a brilliant neurologist, a brilliant 93 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:34,920 surgeon, yet it comes to the point where you have to wait and 94 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,280 say. I always was astounded when I 95 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,640 heard those words so often in Royal Perth and Sir Charlie 96 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,760 Gardner and, and I would hear the doctors and they're 97 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:46,800 brilliant. They've done the best they can. 98 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,440 They can't do anymore. They don't know what's going to 99 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,560 happen through the night or the next day. 100 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,280 It tells you that we need the Lord, don't we? 101 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:02,440 Jesus? Jesus Christ instructed those 102 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,320 who would follow him as Saviour and Lord. 103 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:11,400 He said pray at all times, both by His teaching and his example, 104 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:17,200 so powerful and so fervent and so direct with Jesus prayers 105 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:21,000 that once after he finished praying, his disciples said to 106 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,440 him, Lord, teach us to pray. Why? 107 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:30,760 They yearn to be in touch with God as they knew Jesus was. 108 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:35,240 They saw Jesus go away and then they saw something else. 109 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,520 When he came back, He'd been with the Father. 110 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,680 Have you ever said to God, Lord, teach me to pray? 111 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:53,600 Prayer should not be casual or sporadic, dictated only by our 112 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,840 needs of the moment. Prayer should be as much as part 113 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:02,720 of our lives as breathing. Whenever you're with someone, if 114 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,360 you do it today and someone unloads on you a problem or a 115 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:11,200 situation, a loved 1A difficult that they're having or a storm 116 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,680 that they're in, don't say these words. 117 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:19,000 I will pray for you instead, right there and then say let me 118 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,320 pray for you. I don't care whether it's in a 119 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,800 shopping centre, in a waiting room, Don't wait because you 120 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:30,040 won't. You'll forget when someone says 121 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,240 and unloads and you, this is a call to pray. 122 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,760 You say let's pray now. Pray right there and then. 123 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,000 Give it to the Lord. Give it to the Lord. 124 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:44,280 That's what prayer is to be. So Daniel is between 80 and 90. 125 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,120 The Kingdom of Babylon has been defeated by the Medes and the 126 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:49,640 Persians. They now rule. 127 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:54,920 It's the year 538 BC. Daniel has personally undergone 128 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:58,720 a massive upheaval, to say the least, with his masters. 129 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:02,320 His rule is changing from Babylonians now to the Medes and 130 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,320 the Persians. This is the second empire. 131 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,520 Remember the image of it? Nebuchadnezzar had the head of 132 00:09:08,520 --> 00:09:10,000 gold. That was Babylon. 133 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,240 Now the chest and arms of silver. 134 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:14,120 This is the Medes and the Persians. 135 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,920 It's the second empire. It's inferior to the Babylonian. 136 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:26,680 Daniel has been some 60 years working in public office. 137 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,680 Note that we kind of read about Daniel thinking he's just a 138 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:32,360 prophet sitting in a room somewhere and God just gives him 139 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,320 visions. No, he, he worked. 140 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:38,440 He worked in the Babylonian Empire and now he's working, 141 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,080 still working. We'll find him working in the 142 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,440 Median Persian Empire. He's working. 143 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:49,120 He's a working man. Yet in this massive change from 144 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:54,240 1 empire to another, Daniel has remained 2 things. 145 00:09:55,000 --> 00:10:00,040 Constant, persistent. Parents, mums, dads. 146 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:04,520 Here it is. The key to being a good godly 147 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:09,520 parent is for you both to be constant and persistent. 148 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:17,560 The same rules you have today this hour are the same rules you 149 00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:21,040 would have tomorrow and the next day and the next day. 150 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:26,320 Constant and persistent don't change, don't break down, don't 151 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:30,120 weaken, don't don't be the parent that just says, oh, stop, 152 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,280 stop. No, don't stop, stop, stop, 153 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:39,080 don't, don't stop that. Say it once, once and then 154 00:10:39,560 --> 00:10:44,720 follow up to be a good godly parent. 155 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:50,320 Constant, persistent. And that means husband and wife 156 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,560 being constant and persistent together on the same path. 157 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,000 Not see your mother, see what your mom says, See what dad 158 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,480 says? No, I know, Dad says, but I know 159 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:02,920 I'm upset. No, no, you, you go along 160 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,680 together. That's the first key. 161 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:08,760 Daniel was constant and persistent. 162 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,440 Daniel is still serving his earthly masters. 163 00:11:12,560 --> 00:11:16,720 He's still working away and his precious God Israel. 164 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:20,920 The second key, first one, let's read it, please. 165 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:25,400 Darius to set over the Kingdom 120 SAT traps that can be 166 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:30,400 Princess governors, rulers, lieutenants to be over the whole 167 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:34,800 Kingdom. So there's 120 provinces they've 168 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,520 set up. So they set up all these little 169 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,960 like states you you could think of across the Medo Persian 170 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:48,640 Empire and they ruled over each one and over these and over 171 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:52,320 those 3 governors. So there was a tier, there was 3 172 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:59,160 then in charge over the rest of 120, of whom Daniel, the only 173 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:05,240 foreigner was one that the SAT traps might give account to 174 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,440 them. So corruption was back in the 175 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:11,800 Median Persian Empire. They set these three up to be 176 00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:14,760 the auditors to be the ones that hey, what are you guys doing? 177 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:18,640 Because there's corruption in politics and graft. 178 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,440 That's what's behind what's going to give Daniel a hard time 179 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:25,880 so that the king notice would suffer no loss. 180 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,320 So the the the governors around the place weren't ripping him 181 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:34,720 off when doing side deals and bribes and things. 182 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:39,120 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and 183 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:40,400 satraps. Why? 184 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:44,680 Because he wasn't involved in the corruption of all the other 185 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:48,040 politicians, of all the other leaders over the governors and, 186 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,440 and, and, and the states, the provinces. 187 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,080 Why? Because an excellent spirit was 188 00:12:53,080 --> 00:12:56,760 in him and the king gave thought to setting him up over the whole 189 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:57,480 realm. Why? 190 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:03,520 He knew Daniel has ethics. He's incorruptible. 191 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:07,560 I know he's going to keep things in control and make sure things 192 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:10,880 aren't going wrong. So the garblers and satraps 193 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,440 sought to find some charge against him. 194 00:13:13,560 --> 00:13:16,520 Why? Daniel's going to ruin their 195 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:20,320 business then he's going to take money off these guys who are 196 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:25,320 doing all the shifty things. But they could find no fault or 197 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,080 charge because he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault 198 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,840 found in him. Then these men said, we shall 199 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:36,240 not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against 200 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:38,080 him concerning the law of his God. 201 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,640 So he is well known and he's a Jew, a follower of the God of 202 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,280 Israel. So these governors and satraps 203 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:50,120 thronged over the kings and said thus to him, King Darius, live 204 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:55,080 forever, be beware of compliments, flattery, oh, here 205 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:59,600 they come, all the governors. Now that's the first slide, 206 00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:02,760 because it's not all the governors, because Daniel is one 207 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:05,040 of the governors. He's not part of this. 208 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,440 All the governors of the Kingdom, the administrators and 209 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,440 satraps, the councillors, advisors have consulted together 210 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,840 to establish a royal statute to make a firm decree that whoever 211 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:19,520 petitions any God or man for the next 30 days, except you are 212 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,440 king, should be put in the den of lions. 213 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:24,480 Now that's a funky thing to come up with, isn't it? 214 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,920 Now our king established the decree and signed the writing. 215 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,040 So that cannot be changed according to the law of the 216 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:34,240 Medes and Persians, which does not alter. 217 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,800 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. 218 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:41,800 Now under Babylon, the golden head, Nebuchadnezzar, he just 219 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:44,480 said I can, I can choose and change, I can do whatever I 220 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:46,440 like. The Mede and the Persian, the 221 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:50,120 less inferior 1 silver. Now, when they wrote something, 222 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:53,560 the head, the ruler couldn't go against what was written. 223 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,440 So there's a change in the way of government structure. 224 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:02,960 You and I have got to realise the enemy will never rest his 225 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:04,720 attack upon you. The only time we're going to 226 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:06,880 rest from being attacked is when we're in heaven. 227 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:13,880 The twin sins, envy and jealousy came hunting for Daniel. 228 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,440 It happens in workplaces, in your schools, in government 229 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:21,520 departments and places where you, you, you happen to be in 230 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:26,280 classrooms. Third key, everyone knew 231 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:30,720 everyone that Daniel was a solid, unchanging follower and 232 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:35,240 worshipper of the God of Israel. Everyone knew Daniel. 233 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,400 He's that guy. He's that religious guy. 234 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,720 We'll use that term. Do people know that about you? 235 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,960 You know, when they mention your name to someone, they go, yeah, 236 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:47,920 so and so. Yeah, He goes to church a lot. 237 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:51,480 Well, so and so he's one of those Bible believers. 238 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,200 What do people know about you? Do they know that you're a 239 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:57,600 follower of Christ? I hope so. 240 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:03,760 So they targeted something that they knew all about, that Daniel 241 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:11,560 was habitual and constant in what he prays and praise. 4th 242 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,560 key. You see, the profile of a godly 243 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:19,800 man revealed the most important verse about the life, the power, 244 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:24,320 the passion, the purpose of Daniel and why God used him 245 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:27,360 miraculously. Why did God use Daniel? 246 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:29,240 Why do we have a book called Daniel? 247 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,840 Why do we read about him? Why is he a great mentor? 248 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,160 Verse 10. Now, when Daniel knew that the 249 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:44,160 writing was signed, he went home, and in his upper room with 250 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:49,880 his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his 251 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:58,840 knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before 252 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,480 his God. And here's the important line. 253 00:17:01,880 --> 00:17:08,520 As was his custom since early days, from the moment Daniel is 254 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,920 a teenager arrived in Babylon, he lived this life. 255 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:16,200 Can people say that about you? I hope they can. 256 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,319 Can they say I know where you're going to be Sunday. 257 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:21,280 I know where you're going to be on Tuesday and they go what 258 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:22,640 you're going to be doing on Wednesday. 259 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:24,640 I know what you're going to be doing when you're home. 260 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:28,640 I know, I know if I come to your lunch table there, your lunch 261 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:30,480 table at work, there's going to be a Bible open. 262 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:32,840 You're going to be reading it. You're going to have this, you, 263 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:36,480 you. They just know you'll walk with 264 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:44,360 God from the time Daniel arrived in Babylon, as was his custom 265 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:49,560 since early days. The most important part of a 266 00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,600 believers life is the part that only God sees. 267 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,560 In chapter 2 we find Daniel praying. 268 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:02,120 In chapter 6 we find Daniel praying. 269 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:07,160 In Chapter 9 when we get there, we will find Daniel praying and 270 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,760 so the attack is launched. The trapper said no one is 271 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:16,280 allowed to seek or to pray except to Darius for a period of 272 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:20,160 30 days. Why did Darius agree with this? 273 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,720 He, he he he liked Daniel gone well with him. 274 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,760 He respected him. It pandered to his flesh. 275 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,720 Look, King Darius, what we want is that no one is to pray to any 276 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:38,320 God or go to any higher form but you over the next 30 years. 277 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,800 Oh, wow. Yeah, let's go to. 278 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:47,120 I like that the Laura's written death to anyone who breaches it. 279 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:53,640 Now, the voice of reason, did it whisper in Daniel's ear? 280 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,240 Because it says Daniel knew about this and just went on. 281 00:18:57,840 --> 00:19:01,040 The voice of compromise, you know, it's always whispering in 282 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,720 our ears. Satan is always going, hey, we 283 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,080 can work this out. He did it back in the book of 284 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:08,800 Genesis, didn't he? You won't. 285 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:10,960 Hey, let's talk. You won't die. 286 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,280 You're going to eat this. It's not. 287 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:14,240 Nothing's going to happen to you. 288 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:15,880 It just doesn't want you to come. 289 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:20,000 Come. It whispers in your ear. 290 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,160 What would you have done if you'd been in Daniel's shoes? 291 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:26,200 Take yourself back. You've got a really good job, 292 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,000 well paid. You're in your later years. 293 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,120 I mean, like you've been through a fair bit, haven't you? 294 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:36,640 You've served the Lord faithfully. 295 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:41,160 No one's going to know. Take a break. 296 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:45,160 You know, there's always a good friend who's not a Christian 297 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,960 that says, you know what, Probably need to take a break 298 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,240 from church. Never heard them whisper in your 299 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:52,720 ear there. You're going through a pretty 300 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,880 tough, you know, you need to just get away from. 301 00:19:56,560 --> 00:20:00,880 That's the devil. He just says, yeah, let's just 302 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:05,120 come on. Just get some time away with 303 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:09,640 yourself. No get some time with God when 304 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:13,360 things happen like that. Get more into fellowship, more 305 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:20,400 into the word. So Daniel, did he go all covert? 306 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:27,000 Praying now? Lips aren't moving. 307 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:35,800 But Daniel was no and never a secret undercover believer. 308 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,800 There's too many of them. It's so secret we don't even 309 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,360 know. God doesn't know him either. 310 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,680 Daniel could have gone to his room, closed the door, shut the 311 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:51,840 windows, prayed silently to God. You asked why did Daniel have to 312 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:55,720 be so public, so visible in his faith? 313 00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:01,200 Why not just pray silently? Because Daniel was a man of 314 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,400 faith. Daniel was not some superhero. 315 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,640 The problem with you and I, I remember as a kid, I'd read the 316 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,880 Bible and I think all the people in the Bible were super Saints. 317 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:14,280 You know, you read about Peter and John and I used to and I 318 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,320 watched, I was raised on all the Cecil B the Mill movies. 319 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:20,760 You know, when, when Peter walked into the room and the 320 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,280 fishermen remember the music would come. 321 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:27,640 Oh, the quiet scene. Oh, Peter's here, Peter. 322 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,000 And he talked in that sort of voice and I and I dragged it 323 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,040 into me when I was a first as a kid, you know, learning about 324 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,120 Christ. I thought that's what 325 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:41,040 Christianity is. Then I began to read the Bible, 326 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,360 actually all the way through. And the Bible is full of 327 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,600 ordinary Peter people. And Peter was pretty ordinary. 328 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,200 He's not some superhero. There are no superheroes in the 329 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,960 Bible. There is one God, Jesus Christ, 330 00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,760 and then the rest are all sinful men and women like you and I. 331 00:22:02,560 --> 00:22:05,160 You see, Daniel was an ordinary man. 332 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,400 He's just an ordinary Hebrew kid now. 333 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,000 He's an ordinary Hebrew old man, just like you and I are. 334 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:14,480 Right this moment. Daniel is just like you and I. 335 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,760 He lived every day, however, to glorify God. 336 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:23,160 That's the difference. God honoured this and God did 337 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:26,360 the rest. That's why we read about Daniel. 338 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:31,400 That's why God used Daniel, because Daniel was always there 339 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:36,640 to be used. God uses ordinary people to do 340 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,920 extraordinary things. God is speaking to you today, 341 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,560 ordinary Australians, ordinary people in a church, in secret 342 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:49,320 harbour at the end of the world. When you travel anywhere else in 343 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:52,480 the in the land secret harbour where we're as far away as from 344 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,800 everything as you can get and God says I want to use you to 345 00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,360 touch the world to reach the World. 346 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:07,680 James chapter 5 verse 17. Elijah was a man with a nature 347 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:09,760 just like ours. In other words, he was just 348 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:14,520 ordinary Joe like you and I and he prayed earnestly that it 349 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,080 would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three years 350 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:22,480 and six months. Why did Daniel pray in this 351 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:24,440 manner? Windows open. 352 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,720 For 60 years, Daniel's window had been open. 353 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:35,240 It faced Jerusalem. It was open for prayer. 354 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,400 It was never shut. How do we know this? 355 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:40,680 Because Daniel was a man of the Bible. 356 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,880 He had the book of Jeremiah in his hands and he knew the 357 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:49,680 writings of Solomon. Daniel was obeying God's 358 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:52,400 instructions. Daniel was a man of the Word of 359 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,920 God as a well as a man of prayer. 360 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:59,320 The 2GO hand in hand at the dedication of King Solomon's 361 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:05,040 temple in one Kings chapter 8, Solomon anticipated a day when 362 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,680 God's people might be taking captain in captive to another 363 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,840 land. It's written also again, raised 364 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:16,240 again the same issue in Second Chronicles chapter 6, and it 365 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:20,600 says in verse 37 there in the land where they are carried 366 00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:24,800 captive, and turn and pray unto you in the land of their 367 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,800 captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done a miss and 368 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:31,080 have dealt wickedly. And you pray toward their land, 369 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:34,680 which you gave unto their fathers, and toward the city 370 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:39,360 Jerusalem, which you have chosen, toward the house which I 371 00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:41,320 built for their name, the temple. 372 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,520 Then hear you from the heavens, even from your dwelling. 373 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,120 Place their prayer, their supplications. 374 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,440 Maintain their cause. Forgive your people which have 375 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:55,600 sinned against you. You hear some of you here today 376 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:59,920 are in a present trial. We're either just coming out of 377 00:24:59,920 --> 00:25:05,400 a trial, or we're in a trial or about to go into a trial. 378 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:11,840 That's how it works. Some of you are in a trial at 379 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:13,880 the moment. You're facing 1. 380 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,120 Today I want to ask you a question. 381 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,600 Do you believe that all the Almighty God loves you? 382 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:29,320 The answer must be yes. Do you believe that He is with 383 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,760 you and that He is watching over you? 384 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:38,800 The answer must be yes. In Hebrews Chapter 11 verse one 385 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:46,200 it says now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 386 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:50,880 the evidence tangible of things not seen. 387 00:25:53,280 --> 00:26:01,360 God lives outside, beyond the visual of where we see things 388 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:07,400 happening, and it is from there, that vantage point that He rules 389 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:14,160 the world, the universe today. Is there anything that you are 390 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:23,680 not truly trusting God for? Ask yourself, you can answer 391 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:26,800 that with this. Is there anything that you are 392 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:34,160 constantly worrying about? Because worry is like sitting in 393 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,080 a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, 394 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:42,720 but you don't go anywhere. Worry. 395 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:47,000 When I start to worry God's, he kind of tasked me on the 396 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:49,320 shoulder and says, oh, you're worrying. 397 00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:55,800 Eh, that'll do a lot of good. That means that you don't trust 398 00:26:56,120 --> 00:27:00,080 that I can fix this. You don't trust in me to get you 399 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:05,560 through this, that you don't trust in me, then I can get you 400 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:08,560 out of this. That's what worry is. 401 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,360 And I have to go to God constantly and say, Lord, 402 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:24,320 forgive me for the sin of worry. Let God fight your battles. 403 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:36,640 Let him quieten the howling winds, calm the raging waves. 404 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,800 Disciples, professional fishermen, most of them in 405 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:43,240 storm. They're rowing waters, filling 406 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,600 Jesus in the back of the boat, sound asleep. 407 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,520 Don't you care that we're going to sink? 408 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,520 Oh yeah. Of little faith. 409 00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:01,400 Be muzzled. Wind stops, the waves calm, and 410 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,600 they arrive on the other side of the Galilee. 411 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:09,400 The same God, the same Jesus, still has the same power to calm 412 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:15,560 the storms, to calm the winds, to calm the raging waves that 413 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:17,640 are beating over your life today. 414 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:21,680 It's the same God. He's in the same boat with you. 415 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:29,240 Do you know he still does this? You are not alone. 416 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:34,960 So for 60 years, Daniel Daly had prayed, facing Jerusalem 417 00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:39,400 habitually. Daniel was not now going to cut 418 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:42,960 himself off from the source of God's power and protection 419 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:46,160 because they've just written the law that's saying this is hate 420 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,360 speech. There's a politician in England 421 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:55,320 who has put forward that certain parts of the Bible should be and 422 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:57,760 should be declared hate speech to be banned. 423 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:05,120 It's common. For Daniel, there was no 424 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:06,480 cunning. Oh, how are we going to get 425 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,120 around this? What are we going to do? 426 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,880 Let's get a whiteboard. Let's work out how I can still 427 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,280 pray we can do this because this has happened. 428 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:15,400 And what are we going to do? Let's brainstorm. 429 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,920 There was no cleverness. Daniel went home. 430 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,600 He just prayed. No cleverness. 431 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:30,240 His weapon must be a spiritual one, Dionne Mooney said. 432 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:35,320 Real, true faith is man's weakness, leaning on God's 433 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:39,040 strength. Real true faith is man's 434 00:29:39,040 --> 00:29:42,920 weakness. Leaning on God's strength is the 435 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:45,880 fifth key. Daniel dropped to his knees. 436 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:54,240 Your most powerful position in your family in your life is on 437 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,720 your knees. It's the most powerful position. 438 00:29:59,200 --> 00:30:04,080 From that position, God enters the frame. 439 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:09,840 You are now surrendering. We sang about that, and now 440 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:12,760 you've turned it over to God. You're on your knees. 441 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:17,560 It's a time of submission, a time of surrender, and now it's 442 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,280 going to be a time of power that follows. 443 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:25,600 In the Garden of Gethsemane, Luke reminds us that even our 444 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:33,720 Lord knelt down and prayed. And what does Daniel also do? 445 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:38,160 He gives thanks. What's the deal here? 446 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:41,320 How could he, knowing he was about to die? 447 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:43,960 This was all set up to kill Daniel. 448 00:30:45,280 --> 00:30:48,400 Answer. Daniel had been thanking God 449 00:30:48,760 --> 00:30:53,840 three times daily since it arrived in Babylon. 450 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,760 You give God thanks every day, even when things aren't going 451 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:06,480 good. Philippians 46 Paul writes be 452 00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:12,440 anxious or nothing. That means don't worry, but in 453 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:17,760 everything that's when by prayer, that's how and 454 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:23,760 supplication and he adds with Thanksgiving, let your requests 455 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:27,920 be made known unto God. This 7 follows and the peace of 456 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:32,160 God which passes all understanding shall keep your 457 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,600 hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 458 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:40,600 That's the outcome. So the 6th key, courage and 459 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:44,640 gratitude, courage and Thanksgiving go hand in hand of 460 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:47,760 the godly man or godly woman, boy or girl. 461 00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:53,240 Praise in the heart of a godly man or woman is never absent. 462 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:58,400 What did we read in in Psalm 47 today We were we read over and 463 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:01,320 over where what sing praise didn't say only if it's good, 464 00:32:01,800 --> 00:32:04,360 only if you're feeling well, only if everything's you know 465 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:08,720 you got money in the bank. Only then verse 11. 466 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,640 Then these men assembled have found Daniel praying. 467 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:20,360 Where were they outside books down tape recording. 468 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:24,800 CC is praying now, Agent 4. He's trying out. 469 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:26,000 You're recording? Yeah. 470 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:27,400 Telling him to pray a little longer. 471 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:28,600 Got him. Got a Charlie. 472 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:33,960 Then these men assembled a fan Daniel praying and making 473 00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:37,360 supplication before his God. And they went before the king 474 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,320 and spoke concerning the King's decree. 475 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:42,760 Notice they know the King's friendly with Daniel. 476 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,800 Have you not signed a decree that every man has petitions? 477 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:49,520 Any God or man within 30 days except your king shall be cast 478 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:54,160 in the den of lions. The king answers said The thing 479 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,520 is true according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which 480 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,400 doesn't hold her. So the answer said before the 481 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:06,800 king that Daniel who is one of the captives, he's a Jew from 482 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:11,680 Judah, doesn't show due regard to you or king for the decree 483 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:15,160 that you signed, but makes his petition 3 times a day. 484 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:18,960 So how many times did they gather outside his window? 485 00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:23,040 Three times a day. And the king, when he heard 486 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,080 these words, was greatly displeased with himself. 487 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:30,880 He knew he'd been a sucker, said he's hard on Daniel to deliver 488 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,320 him. And he lied until the going down 489 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,120 of the sun to deliver him. So the King's trying to OK, how 490 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:37,760 can I, how can I get Daniel out of this fix? 491 00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:39,920 What can I do? What are the rules? 492 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:43,680 What are the rules? You see, it's not, it's not. 493 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:48,560 Man's going to sort it out. Then these men approached the 494 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:52,440 king and said to the king, no old king, that it is the law of 495 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:57,800 the Medes and Persians, that no decree of statute which the king 496 00:33:57,800 --> 00:34:01,680 establishes may be changed. So the king gave the command and 497 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:05,080 they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. 498 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:10,880 Now he's 8588 years old now. I fell off a step ladder a while 499 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,920 back, just about broke my back. I did parts of it. 500 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:16,280 Now I'm not that. I'm getting there. 501 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,400 I look like it. I feel like it's some mornings, 502 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:24,840 but I want you to think for this for a moment because we, we, we 503 00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:27,679 Passover this. But the king spoke to Daniel, 504 00:34:27,679 --> 00:34:31,520 saying to Daniel, you'll God whom you serve continually, who 505 00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,320 you serve continually, he'll deliver you. 506 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:37,960 Then a stone was brought, laid on the mouth of the den, and the 507 00:34:37,960 --> 00:34:41,080 king sealed it with his own signet ring and the signets of 508 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,800 his Lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be 509 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,880 changed. So it's a, it's a big pit. 510 00:34:46,679 --> 00:34:50,320 Think of a pit and it has a wall and they can pull the wall up, 511 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:53,840 they can drop a wall down. They put the wall down to get 512 00:34:53,840 --> 00:34:57,480 the lines all on one side and they feed them and they pull the 513 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:00,280 wall, the wall up, and the lines can go all over the place. 514 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:06,880 So they pulled the wall up. Daniel, this old guy is cast. 515 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:09,960 Now the lions then, as I said, was not a cage. 516 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:12,880 It was a pit. The word used and translated 517 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:15,960 cast is the word thrown. Now, I don't know about you, but 518 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:20,840 Daniel, he's an old fella and he's got a land at the bottom of 519 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:21,960 this pit. Heavy. 520 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:27,680 So now picture this octogenarian prophet being hurled into this 521 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,200 pit. Daniel literally hits rock 522 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:34,080 bottom. A stone is placed over the pit, 523 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:38,360 so it's now pitch black. There's no light. 524 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:43,080 It's sealed. Daniel's laying on the ground 525 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:51,160 and suddenly in the blackness, the wisp touch of a tail, he 526 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:57,640 hears the pattern footsteps, then there's a a gentle bump. 527 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:03,080 Lions. Darius has hoped for the best, 528 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,400 but feared the worst. You know, we're told that one of 529 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:10,440 the keys of Abraham's faith was that he believed that what God 530 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:12,240 had promised, he was able to perform. 531 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:19,840 Paul says Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through 532 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:23,800 unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. 533 00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:26,600 Why? What was strong about Abraham? 534 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:30,760 God said to Abraham, Abraham, you're an old fella. 535 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:34,240 You're past due date. You know, you and your wife, 536 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,080 Sarah, she's old too. You're going to have a son. 537 00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:41,160 Daniel didn't. Abraham didn't go. 538 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:45,280 It's it's it's not possible Now I I know it's, it's a grand 539 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:52,600 thought, but God, it's Sarah. We're in separate rooms to start 540 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:57,080 with. She snores. 541 00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:02,080 What you're saying it's not possible? 542 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:07,120 No, that's what I love about Abraham in Romans 4 says Abraham 543 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:11,240 is the father of our faith. He's staggered. 544 00:37:11,240 --> 00:37:16,320 Not when God's Word speaks to you. 545 00:37:17,640 --> 00:37:24,360 God doesn't want you to stagger. He wants you to be like Abraham 546 00:37:24,360 --> 00:37:29,240 and like Daniel, who got He can do this. 547 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:34,320 I believe he can do this. There's got to be a change in 548 00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:38,720 how you and I live so that we can live like Daniel. 549 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:42,560 We can be like Abraham, who are ordinary men and women. 550 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:50,800 Do you believe this morning that God is able to do what he said 551 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:57,040 he would do? Then what is your problem? 552 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:05,400 Why are you worried? Sadly, many times we're like 553 00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:10,040 King Darius in the way that we may encourage others. 554 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:13,320 We do that, don't we? We say, look, God will sort it 555 00:38:13,320 --> 00:38:14,720 out. God will do the right thing. 556 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:20,440 But we're not quite sure. That's why Darius stayed up all 557 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:21,520 night. He didn't sleep. 558 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,120 And in the morning Darius would ask, verse 20, is your God able 559 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:30,880 to deliver you? He's expecting no sound. 560 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:34,960 I mean, an old guy's been thrown in and they would keep these 561 00:38:34,960 --> 00:38:38,080 lines and only feed them just enough to keep them alive so 562 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:40,560 that when people were thrown in there, they'd be ripped the 563 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:44,920 shreds. Is God Abel? 564 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,280 Three young Hebrew men in the fire were asked that question 565 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:53,560 before they were cast into the furnace. 566 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:59,080 Is God Abel? And they said he's Abel, whether 567 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:00,640 he wants to or not, that's up to him. 568 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:02,960 But either way he's going to deliver us. 569 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:07,080 He's able. Either way he's going to deliver 570 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:08,480 us. We will not bow down. 571 00:39:12,400 --> 00:39:14,320 Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus. 572 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:25,640 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above 573 00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:33,720 all that we ask or even think, because you see, you and I are 574 00:39:33,720 --> 00:39:37,240 reasoning people, we look at facts and we look at things or 575 00:39:37,240 --> 00:39:38,640 this doesn't work. That doesn't work. 576 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:42,240 That's not how you live the Christian life. 577 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:47,080 You and I live by faith. We live and believe and worship 578 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:52,200 a God who's outside, lives outside the realms of the laws 579 00:39:52,200 --> 00:39:56,280 of physics. He can make the sun stand still, 580 00:39:57,000 --> 00:40:02,600 He can make a a sea part and a whole nation can walk across 581 00:40:02,680 --> 00:40:05,840 with dry feet. He going to have a young kid 582 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:10,480 take down a giant. He can solve your situation. 583 00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:14,480 He going to help you through your problem because he's able. 584 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:22,240 He is able. God's ability goes beyond your 585 00:40:22,240 --> 00:40:27,240 ability to ask or think. God said to Jeremiah, Behold, I 586 00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:30,520 am Jehovah, the God of all flesh. 587 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:33,320 Is there anything too hard for me? 588 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:39,400 The wonderful grace of God is greater than all my sin, Paul 589 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:42,680 said to Timothy. I know the one in whom I 590 00:40:42,680 --> 00:40:49,120 believe, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which 591 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:54,920 I've committed until that day. I have committed the keeping of 592 00:40:54,920 --> 00:41:00,800 my life to the God of Daniel, and I know He is able to keep 593 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:05,640 me. I am weak, but He keeps me. 594 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:10,200 I may stumble, but He keeps me from falling. 595 00:41:11,120 --> 00:41:16,960 I may fail, but He never fails. You see, this is the God, this 596 00:41:16,960 --> 00:41:20,440 is the relationship He wants you to have with Him today. 597 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:26,120 Verse 17, stone was brought, laid on the mouth of the den, 598 00:41:26,120 --> 00:41:27,800 and the king sealed it with his own signet. 599 00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:31,600 And we read that verse 18 king went to the palace and never 600 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:37,000 slept. Then verse 20, Daniel, the king 601 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:39,800 gets up before dawn. Are you the servant of the 602 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:44,160 living God, as your God been able to deliver you, the one 603 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:48,640 whom you serve continually? That Daniel said to the king, 604 00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:51,880 yeah, I'm alive, no thanks to you. 605 00:41:52,000 --> 00:42:01,700 Our minister shouldn't have been put here in the 1st place. 606 00:42:02,580 --> 00:42:06,220 Didn't say that. You see, this is where 607 00:42:08,220 --> 00:42:11,780 Christianity really needs to change the way you and I 608 00:42:14,740 --> 00:42:21,600 correspond with unbelievers, gentlers of love as a dove, wise 609 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:25,680 as serpents. He said, O King, live forever. 610 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:33,800 Wow, my God sent his Angel and shut the lion's mouths, so they 611 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:37,520 have not hurt me because I was found innocent before him. 612 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:41,720 And also, O King, I've done no wrong before you. 613 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:43,200 I've not done nothing wrong to you. 614 00:42:44,440 --> 00:42:47,280 So the king was exceedingly glad for him and commander, that they 615 00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:50,000 should take Daniel up out of the den and lift him out. 616 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:54,280 Daniel was taken up out of the den and no injury whatever was 617 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:57,040 found on him. Why, it says notice in your 618 00:42:57,040 --> 00:42:59,880 Bible? Because he believed in his God. 619 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:06,240 The voice of one who knows God through prayer and who lives by 620 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:10,360 faith speaks. Oh my, God sent an Angel. 621 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:12,720 Can you imagine? The lions were just there and 622 00:43:12,720 --> 00:43:22,400 they couldn't open their mouths. I must just lay down here. 623 00:43:26,680 --> 00:43:32,680 Psalm 9111 For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep 624 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:36,280 you in all your ways. Hebrews 114. 625 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:39,800 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister 626 00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:42,600 for them, who shall be heirs of salvation? 627 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:46,920 Psalm 34 Seven. The Angel of the Lord encamps 628 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:49,640 around about them that fear him, and delivers them. 629 00:43:50,840 --> 00:43:53,320 Daniel is lifted victoriously out of the pit. 630 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:57,800 Hebrews, 1133. The writer of Hebrews writes 631 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:00,600 about this. Those who through faith subdued 632 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:06,240 kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the 633 00:44:06,240 --> 00:44:10,280 mouths of lions. The great essential in the 634 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:15,720 profile of one whom God uses is that they are people of faith 635 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:18,720 because they are people of prayer. 636 00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:21,200 You know that faith and prayer go hand in hand. 637 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:24,040 You can't say, yeah, I'm, I'm a strong believer in God. 638 00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:29,520 Do you pray not much. Well, then you're not because it 639 00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:35,360 doesn't work that way. People of faith are like they 640 00:44:35,360 --> 00:44:38,560 are strong because they're people of prayer. 641 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:43,120 Why is that? Because you pray believing that 642 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:46,000 God's going to change something the impossible. 643 00:44:47,240 --> 00:44:49,760 That's why you pray. People who don't pray don't 644 00:44:49,760 --> 00:44:52,320 believe in God. You say, well, I pray, well, how 645 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:55,600 do you believe? James says, don't pray believing 646 00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:59,240 with a you know, with, with, with a doubting heart, a double 647 00:44:59,240 --> 00:45:02,560 minded man. How do you pray? 648 00:45:02,560 --> 00:45:08,320 When you pray, let's he's going to do this and that causes you 649 00:45:08,320 --> 00:45:10,880 to pray. It should be the most wonderful 650 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:12,960 thing for you to go. You know what we can pray about 651 00:45:12,960 --> 00:45:15,040 this. It just fixes it. 652 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:18,000 It just changes the whole scenario. 653 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:25,280 It puts it in God's hands. The heroes of faith placed their 654 00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:28,960 lives totally in His hands through prayer. 655 00:45:29,240 --> 00:45:34,440 This is what it means to believe, to believe in God that 656 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:38,520 just shall live by faith, that you could just easily say that 657 00:45:38,520 --> 00:45:44,080 just shall live by prayer. A man or woman of God in the 658 00:45:44,080 --> 00:45:47,560 will of God. I want you to hear this is 659 00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:53,720 immortal until his or her work on earth is finished. 660 00:45:55,320 --> 00:46:04,320 I will live until the day God says home, no matter what the 661 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:10,240 world, no matter what sharks or anything does, you know, no 662 00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:14,280 matter what happens, cars, accidents, until the Lord says 663 00:46:14,640 --> 00:46:19,760 he's done, he's finished home. And that makes me live in great 664 00:46:19,760 --> 00:46:22,320 peace. And it shouldn't you too. 665 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:25,880 That means when someone goes home, it means that the job was 666 00:46:25,880 --> 00:46:28,840 done. It's not how long you live. 667 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:32,120 It's what you do in the time that God gives you to to do him 668 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:36,440 to serve him. You see, God always gets the 669 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:40,280 glory from those he uses verse 24 and the king gave the command 670 00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:44,160 and they brought those men. Now I don't believe they brought 671 00:46:44,160 --> 00:46:46,760 the whole 120 I bought. They think they believe the 672 00:46:46,760 --> 00:46:53,320 other two guys, just the two who rallied up this this this law to 673 00:46:53,320 --> 00:46:56,760 bring Daniel injustice and their wives and children. 674 00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:02,120 Now because in Jewish law in Deuteronomy, a family and 675 00:47:02,120 --> 00:47:05,400 children cannot be condemned for the sins of their father. 676 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:10,160 So this was the Medes of the Persians. 677 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:15,560 Now notice what Darius writes verse 25 to all peoples, 678 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:19,240 nations, language that dwell on all the earth, peace be 679 00:47:19,240 --> 00:47:20,640 multiplied. To you sounds like 680 00:47:20,640 --> 00:47:23,560 Nebuchadnezzar. I make a decree that in every 681 00:47:23,560 --> 00:47:28,440 dominion of my Kingdom men must tremble and fear before the God 682 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:30,720 of Daniel. Why? 683 00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:34,720 Notice what? Notice the description of the 684 00:47:34,720 --> 00:47:40,040 God you and I serve. For He is the living God and 685 00:47:40,040 --> 00:47:44,600 steadfast forever. His Kingdom is the one which 686 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,920 shall not be destroyed, doesn't matter what the world does. 687 00:47:48,200 --> 00:47:51,360 Read the end of the book. God's Kingdom shall not be 688 00:47:51,360 --> 00:47:55,600 destroyed and His dominion shall endure to the end. 689 00:47:55,680 --> 00:48:01,800 That means God rules all the way through, not man, and He 690 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:05,920 delivers and rescues. Now notice what an Old Testament 691 00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:09,680 king, atheist king says too about the God that you and I 692 00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:14,160 serve. He works signs and wonders in 693 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:19,600 heaven. But notice and on earth who has 694 00:48:19,600 --> 00:48:21,640 delivered Daniel from the powers of the lions. 695 00:48:23,840 --> 00:48:26,520 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius. 696 00:48:26,520 --> 00:48:30,480 That sum it up, it's Cyrus the Persian. 697 00:48:33,040 --> 00:48:35,560 Are you a Darius up all night worrying? 698 00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:40,520 Oh, a desire to be a Daniel who's sleeping in the lion's 699 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:45,000 den? Be constant. 700 00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:48,520 Be constant in your walk with God. 701 00:48:48,880 --> 00:48:52,000 What happens around you does not change you. 702 00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:55,760 What happens around you does not change you. 703 00:48:56,120 --> 00:49:00,200 You don't change your your faith, your prayer, your love of 704 00:49:00,200 --> 00:49:01,760 God simply because this has happened. 705 00:49:03,720 --> 00:49:09,960 Be faithful in your service. 90% of success is simply showing up. 706 00:49:10,120 --> 00:49:16,440 For 60 years Daniel served faithfully both 2 kings and the 707 00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:21,000 Lord daily. Live your life by the word of 708 00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:24,000 God. Daniel knew Jeremiah, he knew 709 00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:26,520 the dedication of the temple by Solomon. 710 00:49:27,800 --> 00:49:31,960 Pray without seeking, ceasing. How many times did Daniel pray? 711 00:49:32,360 --> 00:49:35,000 Three times a day, as it says in the Psalms. 712 00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:38,120 This is what his clock was on Christian time. 713 00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:43,240 No prayer, no power. Then there's no point. 714 00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:44,800 You might as well just worry then. 715 00:49:46,720 --> 00:49:50,600 Don't be clever. Be spiritual. 716 00:49:51,960 --> 00:49:55,200 Battles require spiritual weapons. 717 00:49:55,920 --> 00:50:03,200 And here's the last part, be thankful always God is able to 718 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:07,000 use you. You know, people plot against 719 00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:09,160 God and these people, but forget about God. 720 00:50:10,000 --> 00:50:11,920 Jim Stretchberry is going to talk about Israel. 721 00:50:11,920 --> 00:50:15,120 Let me tell you about Israel. You want to believe, I will 722 00:50:15,120 --> 00:50:16,680 believe. Show me if there's proof there 723 00:50:16,680 --> 00:50:18,480 is a God. Look at the nation Israel 724 00:50:20,080 --> 00:50:28,160 decimated, taken to Babylon 70AD dispersed in 1948, the only 725 00:50:28,160 --> 00:50:32,080 people this has ever happened to regathered and the state of 726 00:50:32,080 --> 00:50:36,960 Israel the Bible prophesied reborn immediately war breaks 727 00:50:36,960 --> 00:50:42,200 out in 1967. Five Arab nations surround and 728 00:50:42,200 --> 00:50:47,600 attacked Israel with a force twice the size of the Jews. 729 00:50:48,000 --> 00:50:52,000 Six days later, the war was over and Israel had the victory. 730 00:50:52,560 --> 00:50:58,040 In 1973, a massive coalition force from over a dozen 731 00:50:58,040 --> 00:51:01,760 countries invaded. Israel attacked them on their 732 00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:06,000 holiest day, Yom Kippur. Within 2 1/2 weeks, the 733 00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:09,920 attackers were forced to retreat, with five times the 734 00:51:09,920 --> 00:51:13,480 casualties. Because God says they're my 735 00:51:13,480 --> 00:51:16,600 people. No matter what comes against 736 00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:18,000 them, no matter who comes against them. 737 00:51:18,320 --> 00:51:21,080 And you know what God says? You're his child. 738 00:51:22,280 --> 00:51:26,800 This morning God calls you. He calls you to cry out in 739 00:51:26,800 --> 00:51:28,920 prayer. If you would become a people of 740 00:51:28,920 --> 00:51:31,680 prayer, this church would change the world. 741 00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:36,840 He is able. But do you know him? 742 00:51:37,560 --> 00:51:40,200 As you sit here today? Do you know him? 743 00:51:40,440 --> 00:51:44,000 Do you know the God of Daniel? Jesus is his name. 744 00:51:45,200 --> 00:51:49,320 Will you come to him today? Will you accept his invitation? 745 00:51:49,320 --> 00:51:51,600 If you don't know Christ, come to him. 746 00:51:51,840 --> 00:51:55,080 The time is short. Today is the day of salvation. 747 00:51:55,320 --> 00:52:00,360 Come right now as we worship the Lord and let Him change your 748 00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:04,960 life forever. If you begin to pray, you begin 749 00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:09,760 to believe you followed Daniel's example, your life, your world, 750 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:15,920 your and this world around you, things will change dramatically.