All right, let's get after it. Bible's out. Bible's open. Daniel chapter six. If you think of Daniel, what tends to come to mind? Maybe the most famous story in all the book. It's Daniel and the. Yeah, that's where we're at today. So we're going to look at Daniel Chapter 6 with Daniel in the lion's den. And this is really the last chapter before it's going to get really interesting with just a bunch of weird apocalyptic visions. So that should be fun. We get lions, tigers and bears or goats and it'll be fun. So that's coming up. But today we got one of the most famous stories, not just in Daniel, but in the Bible together. So it could teach us maybe something different than what we might think. So let's go there. You guys open? You ready to go? All right, just to pick up where we left off last week there was a regime change. So the Babylonians were the ones who took Judah captive and brought them the exiles over. But last week we looked at the Babylonians were taken over by the Medo Persian empire. So this is where this takes up and a little background. The Medes dominated the Persians until Cyrus the Great conquered the Medes and he made the two empires one empire, the Medo Persian empire. And then they, the Medo Persian empire took over the Babylonians and Darius the Mede is most likely Cyrus the Great, the same person that's being mentioned here. I think the Medes called him Darius and the Persians called him Cyrus. So it gives us some context. But the exiles have a new kingdom, a new ruler that's over them. There's new people in charge, but who's really in charge? Yeah, and that's the lesson we need to get. Like it doesn't matter what kind of kingdom is ruling. God is in charge. And it's really important that we get this repeated theme. In fact, let me read the back part of our chapter today and then we'll get back and we'll start from the beginning. But here's how it ends. Verse 25. Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and languages. Have you heard that phrase before? Yeah, it's kind of a repeated thing. Because he's making a point that Lord of all, to all the peoples, nations and languages that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed and his dominion shall There shall be no end. He delivers and rescues. He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. He who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions, then it concludes this way. So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian, which could read, daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, that is the reign of Cyrus the Persian. So probably one guy, but this is where we find ourselves. And it's the same story. I mean, it's a different story, but it's the same point. God is the God of all. And he's being proclaimed again, like, God's the ruler of all of Earth. He's in charge. And it's interesting that Judah, which is a Jewish nation, was not following God. In fact, they were after the gods of pagan nations. So they get sent to a pagan nation. But when they get sent to a pagan nation, what do the pagan leaders keep saying? Your God's the real God. Like, you didn't get it when you lived there, right? Now you come here, you can't escape this. God is the real God. He's in charge. And if you won't listen to your prophets there, maybe you'll listen to these pagan kings who keep proclaiming it. So it's the same story. It's the same point being made. It's important for us to get it. And time and time again, God is showing them and he's showing us that he is in charge, which means faithfulness to him makes sense, right? If he's in charge, then it just makes sense. Like, he's the God of gods. He's in control of everything. Following him would make sense. Does it make any sense to you? Would it make sense when you're living in Babylon, when you're under the rule of pagan kings? Does it make sense in your current situation? Is it making sense in your current job, in your current family? Like, does it seem just to be the obvious thing to do to stay faithful to God? Because here's this, like, reoccurring theme and question that comes up in this book. How are we to live faithful in an unfaithful world and not just be different than everyone? Because there is an aspect of, like, okay, the world's behaving this way, and we don't. They do this and we don't. They act that way and we don't. And that's part of it. But we don't want to just be different, just to be different. We want to be different in a way that makes a difference, right? Because that's what's happening. You see what's going on in the book of Daniel. That Daniel and his friends are faithful to God, but they're faithful to God in a way that kind of leads for these pagan kings to keep making these proclamations to their whole nations that God's legit. He's the real one. Like, we don't want to just be different. We want to be different in a way that makes a difference. Like, isn't that the heart? Cry for us, like God, use us. Use us to make a difference. Use us so that other people get it. Like, use us to kind of make yourself known throughout the whole world. That's the kind of difference that we want to make. And there's power when all of us start thinking like that. But how do you. And how do I become someone, a person that practically makes an impact for God, that makes a difference for God? Like, how are we supposed to live in a way that we're difference makers for the glory of God? Well, we're going to get into that. And as we look at Daniel, we're going to see Daniel as an example, because he's certainly exemplary in this book. Like, as Daniel follows God, we should follow God. He's somebody to look to. But Daniel's not the hero. That's not the point. The hero of this story is God. Like we see at the end of this chapter, it always comes back to God. He's in charge, he saves. He's king of all. He rules the world. He does what he wants. Daniel is just described as a servant of the living God. So not only do we need to see Daniel and how he was faithful, but we also need to see beyond that, that God's faithfulness is what fueled Daniel's faithfulness. And God's faithfulness is what fuels our faithfulness as well. So Daniel, chapter six. Let's go. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps to be throughout the whole kingdom and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps would give an account. So that they might not suffer. No. So that he might not suffer no loss, probably to do with taxes, probably kind of collecting that he's going to make money. And it's interesting that Daniel's now one of three that's over this whole empire. Do you remember the promise that Belshazzar, the king of Babylon in the last chapter made to whoever can help him out of that pickle that he was in, that they'd be one of three of the kingdom. Well, he died, but it still happens. God is faithful. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all other high officials and satraps because of an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. So not just one of the three. Like, he's the best of the three. So he's like, second in charge. This is the ruling world empire, and Daniel's gonna help run this whole thing. So Daniel's doing pretty well. He's doing pretty well in his career. He's climbed the ladder. He's being successful. He's. He's got a job. And he's good at his job now. He's good at a job as an exile in a pagan culture, and he's thriving. I mean, let's go. One application. If you have a job as a Christian, be good at your job, okay? Do everything unto the glory of God. And Daniel is doing that, and he's succeeding. But how you succeed as a Christian in a non Christian culture is interesting. We need to figure that out. Because when the exiles first got to Babylon, they kind of grouped up, which isn't uncommon. We saw. We see that wherever you see immigration, like, when as immigrants came to America, you would have neighborhoods. You had Chinatown or Little Italy or the Czech village. Like, people would kind of group up like, these are our people. And when the exiles first got to Babylon, these Israelites, they kind of stuck together. They. They kind of isolated themselves. But they didn't just isolate themselves. They had some false prophets among them that were giving them false hope. We're getting out of here soon. Like, don't worry about these crazy people. God's gonna come take us away. But Jeremiah has something different to say. So this is Jeremiah 29. And a lot of us are familiar with passages in Jeremiah 29, as we get to. But not verse one, which is helpful. Verse one says this. These were the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exile and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Who would that include? Daniel. So God, through his prophet Jeremiah, wrote Daniel a letter telling them how to behave. If only God, through his prophets, would have written us a letter. Okay, you guys get it? All right. But this is what he says. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, I sent them into exile. I did that. I'm sovereign over this here's his instructions. Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters and marriage. Marriage that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you, deceive you. And do not listen to the dreams they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name. I did not send them, declares the Lord. Because what are they saying? They're saying something contrary to what Jeremiah is about to say. God is saying, for thus says the Lord, when 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you. So no, it's not a quick exit back home. Bunker down, you're going to be there a while. Plant a garden, eat its produce, get married, you know, have a family, live where I sent you. When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. So this is the instruction that he gets. And here's the tension. I sent you to Babylon. I sent you into exile, and you're going to be there for a minute. So bunker down, make a life. Pray for that city, because that's where you live. And if that city does well, you do well. So be invested in that city. Live where I sent you. And know that even though I sent you as exiles, I have plans for you. And they're good plans for you. And here's what you need to learn in exile. You need to seek me with your whole heart. And then you do. You'll find me. Find me where? In Babylon. I'm there too. I'm not just a God of Jerusalem. I'm the God of this world. And when you seek me with your whole heart, you will find me. So you got this tension, like this call to faithfulness, but also you're no longer in the promised land. Like this is an away game. And the tension is, don't separate. Pray for the welfare of that city. Be Involved in that community, live there. That's where I sent you. God. Don't separate, but also don't assimilate. Like you need to be there amongst them, but be different there. Now some people in this room, when I hear, when I say don't separate, you love that. You're like, yes, we're gonna get in and we're gonna kinda mix it up and we need to kinda be in the world and make connections and relationships. And you so love that, that you justify doing that. But you never bring up Jesus. In fact, you never wanna say anything about offensive to the world because you love being connected and you justify it with this call to not separate. And other of us in this room, we hear this idea of don't assimilate and we love that. We're gonna bunker down, we're gonna disconnect, we're gonna kind of be faithful, but you never live out this command to be an ambassador for Christ, implore other people to be reconciled to God. So you kinda gotta thread this needle. What is it like to be faithful in an unfaithful world, an unfaithful culture? How do you do this? What does it look like to kind of live this out, to be faithful to God, entrench in a culture that's very anti God and do so in a way that makes an impact for God. And Daniel was a wonderful example of this. He had the gifts to be a full time prophet. Like he could interpret these dreams, but yet he had a secular job. And he was good at it. He was really good at it. And notice this, when others tried to find stuff against him because there's some jealousy that's stirring up because of his success. When others tried to find some stuff against Daniel, they couldn't find anything. Look at verse four. Then the high officials in the satraps sought to find ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom. But they could find no ground for complaint or any fault because he was faithful and no error or no corruption or fault was found in him. Guys, listen, Daniel was a man of integrity. He was honest, he was faithful, he was a hard worker. Like when they looked in his life, it's like, okay, there's no corruption. They were involved in collecting taxes or income that the king would not have lost. He wasn't a thief, he didn't steal, he wasn't out for his own good, he was a faithful servant, he was good at his job and he was a man of integrity. Don't separate your personal life or your private life from your Public influence, like who you are matters. How you act matters. How you do your job, your secular job matters for God. That you're good at your job, that you're a hard worker, that you're honest. How you behave when you're in the bleachers watching your kid play a game matters. Integrity matters. If it is God who changes hearts, then we can't fool ourselves thinking that we're going to be about influencing others and not be about pleasing God in our own lives. Cause it's God who does that. And my own personal integrity and walk with God is important for God working through me to impact others. Integrity matters. And Daniel was a man of integrity. But be careful because we don't want to fall in this trap to think my only call as a Christian is just to be a nice guy. You know, if I'm just the guy that shovels my neighbor's driveway, and if I'm just a good worker, then that's enough. Daniel is not just a nice guy with moral integrity. He's religiously devout. Look at verse five. Then these men said, we shall not find any ground for complaint against Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God. What does this tell us? The people that Daniel worked with didn't just know that he was a nice guy that worked hard and followed the rules. They also knew he loved and served God. Like his co workers knew that. Do your co workers know that? And more than just, you're a really nice person and you're a hard worker and you don't join in the office gossip and you don't cheat the system and you kind of don't use that language. Like, do they know beyond those things, beyond just morality and niceness, do they know that you are a servant of God and you are devout to his commandments? Like, does that reputation carry? Because we can't just be different in a moral sense. We have to be different in a unique Christian sense. We have to be different in our worship. Now, it's not either or. It's a both and right. Some of our difference is like, yeah, we're just different in the way we live right now. My youngest daughter at school, there's some kids and even some teachers that are teasing her about being Amish. Now, we're not Amish, but she doesn't know some TikTok dances or something, so they just kind of make fun of her for being Amish. Now, before you're like, how could they do that? I love it. That's awesome. Like, yes, bring It. In fact, if anybody in here has a horse in a buggy, I so want to pick her up from church in a horse and a buggy. So find me after the service and we'll make it happen. Okay? So I love it. It's like we're different, right? But the goal is not just to be weird. Like, they can't just see difference. They have to see devotion. Like, it's more than just. You don't. It's not just that you don't know TikTok dances. You know Jesus, right? And you live for Christ. Daniel wasn't just a good worker with integrity. It was very clear he was devout in his devotion to God. Integrity and devotion go hand in hand when it comes to being the type of people that make an impact for the glory of God. But what does that practically look like? Look at verse six. Then these. Notice that word? These. Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, o king of Darius, live forever. All the high officials of the kingdom and the prefects and the satraps and the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance to enforce an injunction. That whoever makes a petition to any God or man for 30 days except you, O king, shall be cast from the den of lions. So you notice, like, hey, there's a group of jealous leaders that are kind of trying to go after Daniel, and they go before this king and they try to represent everybody. Hey, all of us agree this, right? Sometimes, you know, when you're in leadership, hypothetically a pastor, somebody might come to you. It's like, well, everybody thinks this, Jake. And I'm like, really? Who? Well, I don't want to say. Okay, then don't then. That's passive aggressive. But there's this idea of like, okay, all of us, like, they're misrepresenting what everybody thinks to try to get their way, and they go before the king. And this is kind of a trap for Daniel. So then these men came by agreement, or. Where did I leave off? Where did I leave off? Anybody following along? Verse eight. Verse eight. Okay. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it cannot be changed according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked. Therefore, King Darius signed the document, an injunction, when Daniel knew that. Let's stop there. I want to get too ahead of her. All right, this is a trap. It's a trap. And they know that if they're going to get Daniel, we got to bring Conflict between the state and religion. Freedom of religion is a fairly new concept in human history. I mean, before this, the state was God. And that determined what you did. That was your highest loyalty. But they noticed, like, Daniel serves a higher power than our king. That's the conflict that's happening. And they know if we're really gonna get Daniel, like, he's a good citizen, he's a good worker, the king actually likes him. But if we're gonna raise tension here, we gotta pit Daniel's God against Daniel's king. That's the way to get him in trouble. But did you notice the law that they made to get him? Did you see it? An injunction that whoever makes a petition to any God or man for 30 days. Some of you haven't prayed for the last 30 days. It didn't bother you at all. I mean, this isn't like a. This is a short time stamp period. Like you think Daniel would be like, I can take a 30 day break. Like, it's not gonna get me. But Daniel doesn't take a 30 day break. Why? Cause he's devoted. Right? If we've seen anything in Daniel, it's like little compromises matter and devotion to little things matter. Daniel's not eating the king's food. Daniel's making little acts of devotion. Because big acts of faithfulness are built on little acts of faithfulness, and big compromises are built on little compromises. They're just asking Daniel for 30 days. Hey, why don't you not pray for 30 days? But the road of unfaithfulness is paved with small compromises. He's like, I'm not gonna do it. How many in this room would be bothered if the government banned prayer for 30 days? Okay, I thought it would be more, but it's all right. What if they just banned church? Oh, is that too soon? If the government is telling us to not do something that God clearly tells us to do, who are we to obey? That wasn't a trick question. But it's tense, isn't it? It's tense. It's complicated. And you probably need some moral clarity. But Daniel knows who he is, and he knows what life is about. But here's the thing. Church devotion to God is not something that just gets turned on when someone tries to take it away. Devotion is something that stands firm when someone tries to take it because it's already established. If you're just trying to, like, turn it on when somebody tries to take it, that's not devotion. That's defiance. And that won't last. But devotion can withstand opposition because it's established, it's rooted. Daniel just doesn't turn on devotion in this moment. It's who he is. Look at verse 10. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he had done previously. This is a new practice for Daniel. He's just doing what he's always done. He's continuing to be faithful. Daniel was prepared to be devoted when it was hard, because he was devoted while it was easy. Now, I'm not trying to say devotion to God is easy, but you know what I'm saying. He was devoted when it was legal, so he stayed devoted when it was illegal. Like it was a practice he had built in his life. It's who he is. Are you prepared for it to be harder to be a Christian in our culture? I'm not asking if you're like, bring it on. I'm saying, are you prepared? Like, do you have rooted habits? Is it who you are? Is it so a part of your life? Because things are going really well for Daniel. I mean, he's like, second in charge. He has prominence, he has success, he has respect. He has prosperity. Like, he's in a high position, and he's probably in his 80s at this time. You would think, like, I got a lifetime of faithfulness. I can take 30 days off. Why do I need to rock the boat here? Right? We'll just ride this out and nobody will know the difference. And I'll pick up in 30 days. God is a God of grace. He'll understand and do that. You know, prosperity often breeds complacency. And Daniel's been pretty prosperous. He's doing well. And it can set the ground to take some compromises. Let me illustrate this in a way that maybe a lot of you won't get it, but some of you will. And for those that you will, it's worth it. Do you remember in Rocky III when Rocky got beat up by Clubber Language. Yeah. And then Apollo Creed comes and trains him. And what does Apollo says Rocky's problem is you've lost. What? Awesome song, too. The Eye of the Tiger, right? Because you've been champ. You now live in a mansion. You got this little robot that goes around and serves you. You got this swimming pool. Like, you've become soft in your prosperity, right? Is anybody. Just somebody. Say, you're with me on this one. Okay, there's a few. And like, you've lost the eye of the tiger. So, yeah, technically you're a boxer, but you got no fight in you. Like, you've lost your fight and prosperity has done that. Do you think it's possible that America has produced a lot of soft Christians now? It's easy to pick on America. What about you? Have you lost the eye of the tiger when it comes to your faith? Like a zeal and a passion, like, do we talk like Paul, I run the race to win. I fight the good fight. I beat my body to make it do what I want to do. Like, I'm leaning, I'm going to die across that finish line like this. Clear zeal and passion for the Lord. You remember when we looked at chapter one, we said Daniel was prepared for this because he grew up, when he grew up under King Josiah, who discovered the book of the Law and opened up and they kind of had a period, even though short lived, they had a period of revival. And Daniel knew the Scriptures before he went into exile. Here's something he would have read. This was written over 400 years before Daniel, chapter 6. But Daniel would have read this. This is in 1st Kings 8. And this is Solomon after the temple was built. And he's dedicating the temple and he's foreshadowing some things in the future. That's 400 years before this happens. If they sin against you, for there is no one who does not sin. So we're planning on that happening. And you are angry with them and give them into an enemy so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near. Yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, we have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly. If they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive and pray to you toward their land which you gave them to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, then hear in heaven your dwelling. Place their prayer and their plea and maintain their cause. And forgive your people who have sinned against you and all their transgressions that they have committed against you. And grant them compassion in the sight of those who have carried them captive that they may have compassion on them. So Daniel knew that. So what's Daniel doing here? He's being obedient. He's being obedient to the word of God. Now, praying three times a day was not law for Jews. Daniel didn't have to do that. He's not under law, he's under devotion. And he's praying three times a day, facing Jerusalem because he believes the word of God and he's dependent on the power of God. You said to do this, so I'm going to do it. And I know I need you. And I'm pleading for you constantly. I'm begging for you. Listen. When our disposition. This is important, guys. It may sting, but it's important. When our disposition is, you don't have to pray three times a day. You don't have to come to church every week. You don't have to read your Bible every day. We would be both correct and foolish. We're in exile and we ought to start acting like it. I need you every day. I need you every moment. I'm pleading with you. Apart from you, I can do nothing. You have to move, you have to protect, you have to lead, you have to guide. So, no, you don't have to to come to church every week. And you don't have to pray three times a day. And you don't have to read your Bible every day. We're not saved by our devotion. We're saved by his devotion. Amen. But Church, don't let your freedom take away your devotion. Don't, in the name of your freedom, lose your devotion. Why wouldn't we pray five times a day? Why wouldn't we be at church three times a week? Why wouldn't we read our Bible multiple times a day? We need God. Like, apart from him, we can do nothing. Where's our hunger? Where's the eye of the tiger? Where's our zeal and where's our passion and where's our dependence? I mean, look at Daniel's devotion three times a day. He was praying. It was a routine in his life. He's on his knees. There's a clear display, physical posture of dependence. He has his window open, facing Jerusalem because he's aware of God's promises. Your word said to do this. And I'm looking forward to your promises coming true. And he's giving thanks, guys. He's in exile. And he's giving thanks because he recognizes God's sovereignty over his condition, his very tough condition. Like he knows God. Hear me, church. Oh, that we would increase our devotion, that we would be a people that hunger and thirst for God. Not because it's a requirement for salvation, because he's God. He is what life is about. He is our only hope. We need him. He's the source of joy. What did Solomon say in 1st Kings 8 when he's warning the people? He says, if they repent with what? All their heart and with all their soul. Do you find it interesting that he put a condition on their repentance? I mean, you could say it's a condition, but I think it's more just a definition of repentance. I mean, how would it make sense if he said if they repent with half of their heart and half of their soul, if they kind of want me back, like, would that make sense? Or is that just what repentance is? Did you notice the same thing was in Jeremiah's letter to the exile? Here's what Jeremiah says. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with what? All your heart. Guys, what if what you need to repent of is not no devotion at all, but half hearted devotion? And that can be hard to detect because it's not like nothing's there, right? I mean, technically you're a boxer. You still have no fight in you. You know, technically you're a Christian. You just got no zeal, no passion, no devotion. Other things win. And we walk around with this disposition of like, I don't have to go to church, I don't have to read my Bible, I don't have to pray. There's no way to live the Christian life. An impact for God starts with devotion to God. It starts with wholehearted devotion. Now, some of you might be thinking, why doesn't Daniel fight? He's like second in charge of the whole kingdom. He gets himself in trouble. Daniel, fight. Speak up. Say something. Advocate for yourself. You look at the story and you might be frustrated that Daniel's not fighting. But don't miss this. He is. He's fighting three times a day on his knees. Let's never belittle the power of prayer or forget where the actual front lines of our battles are fought. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Daniel is on the front lines of this battle and he's swinging hard. But there's more going on than just Daniel going about his normal business. Look back at verse 10. Then Daniel knew, or excuse me, when Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open towards Jerusalem. He knew what happened. He knew it was signed. And he went right before those Open windows. Now, let me speculate a little bit. I'm speculating. So let me step away from the Bible. When you look at Daniel as a whole, here's something that I wonder. I wonder if Daniel felt left out of the fiery furnace. No, come on, for real. Don't laugh at that. He wasn't in chapter three. Like, where's Daniel when this happens? Now, he's later circling up with his buddies, and it happened kind of fast. And they're telling him this story. Daniel, you will not believe what happened. You know, they go through it. We got thrown in the fire. And he's like, well, what happened? God met us in that fire. Like, we didn't even smell like fire. We weren't burned. You should have seen Nebuchadnezzar. He was like, out of his mind, and he's telling everybody to follow God. It was wild. You can't tell me that Daniel doesn't look back at that and be like, I so wish I was with you. I so wish I could experience that. So maybe, maybe that's in the back of his mind. So he goes home, he knows what was signed, and those windows are open, and you wonder like, why don't you go to the woods? Why don't you just shut your window? I mean, doesn't Jesus say, pray in the closet? I mean, that's about praying to be seen to get praised, but this is praying to get punished. Because you're not going to get praised for this demon. You're going to get thrown in the lion's den. Daniel's taking a stand and he's showing courage. Impact for God starts with devotion to God. And devotion to God in a world that's anti God is going to involve showing courage in living out the commands of God. Look how this plays out. Verse 11. Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king concerning the injunction. O king, did you not sign an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any God or man within 30 days, except you, O king, shall be cast in the den of lions? The king answered and said, the thing stands fast according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked. Then they answered and said before the king Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah. Time out. You know who Daniel is. Don't play dumb. Right. Some guy, some exile. He pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed, and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, no, O king. And that it is law of the Medes and the Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king established could be changed. Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, may your God whom you serve continually deliver you. And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and the signet of his Lord's, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and slept fled from him. Here's what's interesting. Daniel doesn't say anything. You get this whole account, nothing from Daniel. Maybe it reminds you of someone else who stayed silent before his accusers. But Daniel's not trying to get out of the consequences. He's open handed to whatever God wants to do. Daniel was devoted to, courageous and open handed to whatever was brought his way. He was devoted, courageous and open handed to whatever came from that. We need that same disposition. We needed to be devoted, courageous and open handed to whatever that may bring us. Let me put it this way. Form habits, take stands, trust God. Form habits, take stands, trust God, right? And don't try to take stands if you don't. If you have foreign habits, right? Don't try to take stands and form habits. You don't trust God because they're connected. We need to form habits, take stands and trust God and get practical here. What are those habits you need to form? What are those stands you need to take and then trust God with whatever happens? Because sometimes he saves and sometimes you don't. But sometimes. But God's plans are working out. Like Daniel knows that God is able to save. I mean, he's proven that in the fiery furnace. Does he know that God will save him here? I don't know. But he trusts God and he did what was right. And he took a stand and he trusted God. Whatever you want to do for your glory, through my life or through my death, through my miraculous rescue or through my martyrdom, I'm yours. There's high trust like form habits, take stands and trust God. You may take a stand and you may get fired or your boss may become a Christian. Who knows, right? Take a stand. It may mean that your kid can't be on the traveling team or it may mean they completely change how they do practices and. And your team comes to Jesus, who knows? Never gonna find out if you don't take a stand and be open handed God, whatever you wanna do, but I'm devoted to you and I will take a stand for you. And however you wanna use it, you use it. But we can't be ready to fight, not also be ready to die. And how do you become ready to die? The faithfulness of God. Let's read the rest of this. Then at the break of day, the king rose and went into haste to the den of lions. And he came near to the den where Daniel was. He cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, oh Daniel, servant of the living God. Has your God whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions? Then Daniel said to the king, O King, live forever. My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth. And they have not harmed me because I was found blameless before him. And also before you, O King, I have done no harm. Technically you broke a law, but we'll cover that. Maybe beyond the message. Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded Daniel be taken up out of the lion's den. So Daniel was taken up out of the lion's den and no harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God. And this is the real Bible, not the kids Bible. Here's how it goes. And the king commanded and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions. They, their children and their wives. And. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them, broke all their bones into pieces. Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and languages, and this is where we began. That dwell in all the earth. Peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before God, the God of Daniel. For he is the living God enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed. His and his dominion shall be no end. He delivers and rescues. He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. And he who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions. Guys, who's the hero? God's the hero. God's the hero. He saves, he rescues, he's in charge. There is nothing beyond his reach. It's interesting, maybe you noticed that the king really wanted to save Daniel. I mean, he was in anguish over this. He didn't sleep all night. This is the most powerful man on the earth. He couldn't do anything he was unable to rescue Daniel because there's this law he couldn't violate. I mean, Daniel broke the law. Somebody need to be punished. But you know what the king didn't do? Offer to take Daniel's place. Because really, what kind of king would do that? Guys, our God is a God who saves. Our God is a God who saves. Not just that, can save. Not just that does occasionally, sometimes save. Our God is a God who has saved. Jesus Christ went to the cross and he took our punishment. He took our place. And the law was fulfilled and justice was served. And sin, Satan and death were destroyed. But if you don't get that, you won't live for God. Or your devotion will have a leash and it will only go so far. If you don't know that Christ died for you, you won't really live for him. Not really. Not like Paul, who talks about being compelled by the love of Christ. Why are you living this way, Paul? I'm compelled by the love of Christ. I've concluded that one has died for all. Therefore all have died. And. And those who live no longer live for themselves. For the one who for our sake, died and rose again. He rose again. Which means this life isn't all there is. And if this life isn't all there is, this isn't the life I'm living for. And I'm free. I'm free. Free to be devoted. Listen, guys, Daniel six is not so much about getting out of the lion's den. It's about learning how to be the type of people, people that get into the lion's den. And we can get into the lion's den because Jesus got on the cross. Amen. Let's pray. Father, by your spirit. There's so many connections just pray that you would make. When that stone was rolled away, Daniel cries out that you saved him. Reminds us of the stone that was rolled away to the empty tomb. That reminds us that you saved us, that your victory is complete, that you can be trusted. And as we reflect on your sacrifice and your victory, would it give us courage? We pray this in your name. Amen.