Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20020217.htm

DANIEL: HOPE FOR TODAY'S DISILLUSIONED YOUTH
Part VII: Prospering By Fearing God Above All Other Fears
(Daniel 6:1-28)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Fear is an enemy we often face. Here is a list of fears people in our body have had to face in the last four weeks:

(1) We've had to face the threat of another terrorist attack: last Tuesday, February 12, the FBI put out a nationwide warning for us to be on the alert as the bureau had acquired firm evidence of a planned terrorist strike against Americans on that day.

(2) Several families right now face legal threats.

(3) On a regular basis, our young adults and teens deal with fears of rejection in relating to their peers or friends.

(4) Several heads of households struggle with job pressures, and possible threats to their even holding the jobs they have.

(5) Physical health needs abound as people face challenges either to themselves or to relatives affecting even the potential loss of human life itself.

(6) A number wonder about livelihood provisions or even physical welfare in their retirement years when they are most vulnerable to the decisions and economic swings affected by others.



How may we DEAL with what ALL we are TEMPTED to FEAR in a productive way, especially as CHRISTIANS?!



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )



Need: "I ADMIT I struggle with certain FEARS! HOW, then, do I START to deal with it, and then HOW may I STAY UNAFRAID?"
  1. Daniel faced a VARIETY of TROUBLING ISSUES in LIFE that could have caused anyone ANXIETY, Daniel 6:1-9:
    1. Daniel faced personal rejection due to ethnic discrimination, 6:1-4a:
      1. Daniel as a captive foreign Hebrew was assigned by the king to rule over 122 native Persian leaders, Daniel 6:1-3.
      2. This led the native leaders to be offended and reject Daniel, 6:4a (cf. Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 1348).
    2. Daniel faced pressure in his job as his Persian subordinates sought to entrap him with error in his work so as to topple him, Daniel 6:4a.
    3. Daniel faced legal pressure from the maneuvers of his subordinates:
      1. His opponents knew Daniel petitioned his God daily in prayer by witnessing his prayer life, cf. Daniel 6:10b.
      2. They knew this was a practice in obedience to Scripture where captive Hebrews were directed to pray toward Jerusalem's temple for God's assistance, cf. Dan. 6:5 with 2 Chronicles 6:36-39:
        1. Daniel's conniving subordinates stated they knew of his loyalty to his God's law, or to Scripture, Daniel 6:5.
        2. This loyalty was observed in his petitioning God in prayer facing Jerusalem three times a day, cf. Daniel 6:10b.
        3. Such a practice obeyed 2 Chronicles 6:36-39 where captive Hebrews were directed to petition God's help this way.
      3. Thus, Daniel's opponents contrived to corner Daniel between obeying his God's Word and obeying king Darius: they flattered king Darius into making a decree that if any man petitioned any god or man for 30 days rather than petitioning Darius, he would be cast into the lion's den, Daniel 6:6-7.
      4. Since such a petition was irreversible even by the king under Medo-Persian law, his opponents knew this would force the king to cast Daniel to his death in the lion's den, Daniel 6:8.
    4. Thus, when Darius fell for the ruse and made the decree, Daniel faced the physical threat of a violent death by lions, Daniel 6:9.
    5. Also, Daniel was then elderly, being 80 years old, so even the FALL to the lions could harm him, Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 1348-1349.
  2. Daniel HANDLED such FEAR by HABITUALLY FEARING GOD ABOVE ALL other FEARS, Daniel 6:10-17; Hebrews 11:33:
    1. When Daniel learned of the decree, he chose to fear God above all these other causes of concern, and used a promise of God's help for him in captivity to pray for God's help regarding the trials he faced:
      1. Hebrews 11:33 reveals Daniel shut the lions' mouths by faith.
      2. Looking at the details, we note how he did this (as follows):
        1. Daniel knew 2 Chronicles 6:36-39 said God would uphold the cause of His own if they prayed in captivity toward His temple.
        2. Well, Daniel had practiced looking to God in prayer this way as he had sought God's help for all his anxieties for 60+ years!
        3. In the process, Daniel knew he had enjoyed marvelous divine help for all his crises under Babylon's rule prior to Persian rule!
        4. Thus, he KEPT ON fearing God so as to heed His Word at 2 Chronicles 6:36-39 above fearing all his other causes of concern, and so continued in prayer for God's help, 6:10a, 11.
        5. In faith, he also thanked God for His promised help, 6:10b!
    2. Thus, Daniel ended up being thrown into the lion's den, 6:10, 11-17.
  3. Consequently, God REWARDED Daniel, delivering him from ALL that would cause him ANY MORE anxiety, Daniel 6:18-28:
    1. God protected Daniel from all immediate harm in the lion's den, even from his FALL into the DEN at age 80, Daniel 6:18-23!
    2. God protected Daniel from future harm from his foes, Dan. 6:24-28:
      1. Daniel's deliverance from harm in the lion's den bolstered Darius' resolve to cast Daniel's foes to their deaths in the same den, 6:24.
      2. God used Darius to decree his subjects respect Daniel's God above all gods, making life under Darius easier for Daniel, Dan. 6:25-27.
      3. Daniel thus prospered until his natural death under Cyrus, 6:28.
Application: If we face ANY ANXIETY, like Daniel, we can deal with it by FEARING GOD above all other fears so as to TRUST and OBEY His Word on a REGULAR basis: (1) in our era, this STARTS with faith in Christ for salvation from sin, Acts 17:30; John 3:16. (2) Then, we confess any post-salvation sins blocking rapport with God (1 John 1:9) and (3) depend on His Holy Spirit for power (Gal. 5:16-23) to (4) OBEY His Word REGULARLY, 1 Jn. 2:3-6. (5) Then, we QUALIFY REGULARLY to ask God's help in prayer re: all we fear (1 Jn. 3:22) and (3) He REGULARLY equips us to live with His blessing above ALL fear, Phil. 4:6-7, 8-9!

Lesson: In HABITUALLY fearing GOD above ALL OTHER FEARS, Daniel HABITUALLY TRUSTED GOD and OBEYED HIS WORD so as HABITUALLY to KEEP PRAYING for God's help and see God FAITHFULLY help him over all FEARS for OVER 60 YEARS! >

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 In the Spring, 1975 issue of the Christian Medical Society Journal (Vol. VI, Number 2), John White, a practicing psychiatrist and dedicated Christian in Winnipeg, Manitoba wrote of a demonic exorcism he performed while working with a patient.

The patient had been suicidal, agitated, hyperactive but expressing despair. When invited by Dr. White to a Bible study, she would say blasphemous words when trying to sing a hymn or pray. All this began when she lived in a house haunted by a "friendly ghost.'"

Dr. White with much prayer and firm, fearless insistence on the will and authority of Christ, exorcised the 26 year old woman of the demonic presence. Afterwards, he wrote: "Perhaps the only prerequisite to our overcoming the powers of darkness is that we fear God and God alone . . . For my own part I re-echo Martin Luther's words:

And were this world all devil's o'er

And watching to devour us.

We lay it not to heart too sore;

Not they can overpower us.

And let the prince of ill

Look grim as e'er he will,

He harms us not a whit;

For why, his doom is writ;

A word shall quickly slay him.

God's word, for all their craft and force,

One moment will not linger;

But, spite of hell, shall have its course;

Tis written by His finger.

And though they take our life,

Goods, honour, children, wife,

Yet is their profit small;

These things shall perish all;

The city of God remaineth.'