Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. In this excruciatingly difficult situation, Daniel trusts in his God. When he's thrown into the den of lions, he knows that God is able to deliver him. And the God who delivered Daniel from the lions then can deliver you, my dear friend, in your seemingly impossible situation. Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
Today, we're concluding our study in the book of Daniel by exploring the incredible story of Daniel in the lion's den. We'll remember why Daniel is such a powerful and relevant example to followers of Christ today. and will marvel at the power and faithfulness of our great God.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe with our series finale titled Surviving the Lion's Den. Today we're concluding our study in the first six chapters of Daniel as we think of the famous story of Daniel in the den of lions. Throughout our study we've seen that Daniel is a man of faith. A man of integrity, a man of courage, and perhaps most importantly, a man of prayer. Daniel's trust is in God.
and he's prepared to face death itself rather than disobey God. What a difference it would make. if we were all men and women like Daniel. Not blending into the culture, but being salt, permeating the corruption. Being light illuminating the darkness.
So today, let's learn from Daniel in the Lion's Den. Daniel six, then verse one. It pleased Darius. to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps to be throughout the whole kingdom and over them three presidents, of whom Daniel was one. to whom these satraps should give account.
so that the king might suffer no loss. Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him. and the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Then the Presidents and the satraps sought to find a 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 fault was found in him. Then these men said, We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it. In connection with the law of his God. Then these presidents and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, O King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the councillors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction.
That whoever makes petition to any God or man. for thirty days, except to you, O King, shall be cast in Into the den of lions.
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 and injunction. Daniel is a man of integrity, as we have read. He is, first of all, he is trustworthy and reliable. Verse three says that an excellent spirit was in him.
Secondly, He is a man of prayer. Verse ten 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.
He is a man. of prayer. Daniel prays regularly, but he also prays frequently. Praying regularly would be praying once a week. But praying frequently, no, he prays three times a day.
We wonder at Daniel's wisdom, his composure, his insight, his courage, his faith. He's a spiritual giant of a man. Here is his secret of success. Notice it in verse three. He got down on his knees.
three times a day and prayed. Howard Taylor said of his father, Hudson Taylor, the great man of faith who made such an impact for Christ in China. Howard Taylor said of his father Hudson Taylor for forty years The sun never rose on China. that God didn't find him on his knees. It's not beautiful.
Here is a man called by God to China. Ever before the sun gets up every day of his life Before the sun comes up on China, Hudson Taylor is on his knees pleading with God for the salvation of the Chinese. No wonder. God used Hudson Taylor. in such a mighty way.
He was like Daniel, praying regularly, praying frequently. Also Daniel prays humbly. Did you notice how he prays verse ten? He gets down on his knees. Proud people don't pray.
Now Daniel is a brilliant administrator, he's a political statesman. He personally knows kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar and Darias. He's the wisest man in the kingdoms of Babylon and Medo-Persia, yet we see him. humbly. getting down on his knees in prayer.
That's the secret of his Power, if you want to call it a secret, it really is no secret. That's the secret of His wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The individual who is walking in the fear of the Lord is given to prayer, humbly praying. Prayer is another way of saying that we have every confidence in God and no confidence in ourselves.
Do you believe that? Jesus said in a wonderful passage of the true vine in John chapter fifteen. Where he says, I am the true vine, you are the branches, and he tells us how to be fruitful by abiding in him. And an essential part of abiding in him is prayer. Jesus says in John fifteen, verse five, Apart from me, you can do Nothing.
Here. Absolutely nothing. Daniel understood that, and he gets down. On his knees. Or think of the amazing scene in the Garden of Gethsemane when the Lord of Glory.
Our blessed Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the very eve of the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane. What is his position? He's on the ground, he's flat on his face, praying. to his father and his God, we often, don't we, in our society now Adopt a very casual, laxadaisical approach to prayer as if God is our kind of a buddy. As if we're chatting over the garden fence to God, I know He is our Heavenly Father.
But I was brought up to respect My father's. And surely, as we come. before The Lord of hosts, the eternal God, the infinite, all powerful God, and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Shouldn't we like Daniel? Come humbly.
into his presence. And here Daniel humbly gets down. On his knees. One of the last thing memories I have of my father who died over thirty years ago. is on his knees in prayer.
Every Sunday morning before going to church, my father yes, a busy house with many boys in it and my poor mother my father went into his bedroom. And he got down on his knees and prayed. And I asked my dad, Why do you do this? It was preparing his heart. to worship God.
No, he wasn't a pastor, he wasn't a preacher, he wasn't a theologian. But he knew God. And he set an example in our home of praying literally on his niece. What an impact. in our home.
to have a father. Like that. Demonstrating by the very posture and attitude of living in the fear of the Lord, looking to God for help. And wisdom and strength. Daniel Is a man of integrity.
Secondly, he's a man of prayer. Thirdly, obviously, he's a man of faith. Let us read from verse twelve. Then they came near and said before the king concerning the injunction, O king, Did you not sign an injunction that anyone who makes petition to any God or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing stands fast according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which can't be provoked.
Then he answered and said before the king, Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to your king or the injunction you have signed, but gives his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and said his mind to deliver Daniel, and he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, Now, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can 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 the stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den. And the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, 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 sleep fled from him. Then at break of day the king arose and went in 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, O 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 lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him, and also before you, O king, I have done no harm. Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken out of the den.
So Daniel was taken out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God 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 before they reach the bottom of the den, The lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. Of faith. In this excruciatingly difficult situation, Daniel trusts in his God.
When he's thrown into the den of lions, he knows that God is able to deliver him. He had seen God at work supernaturally several times in the past, in particular delivering his three friends from the fiery furnace. He knows his God. He trusts in God. The writer of Hebrews is going to say in Hebrews eleven verse thirty three about those who through faith stopped the mouths of lions.
If you know that there is a faith that can shut the lion's mouth. And we see in verse twenty two that God sent his angel. and shut. The lions. Most.
I've got a story for the children. There was a missionary in Africa. who was out for a walk one day And uh suddenly this huge line jumped right out in front of him. And the missionary, although he's a missionary, was very human and he was very afraid, and he turned and ran as fast as he could, and he ran and ran through the jungle. And as he was running, he realized that the lion was pounding Right behind him.
He was a very good runner, quite athletic, missionary, young man, and he ran and he ran, and the line kept up with him. And finally, the missionary thought, you know, I'm totally out of breath. My legs feel like lead. There's nothing else to do but to pray. And so he fell down on his knees.
Like Daniel, and started praying. And he said, Lord, as you delivered Daniel from the lion's mouth, I pray that you will deliver me from this lion. And he kept praying. But He didn't have the faith of Hudson Taylor. And you just kinda kept waiting.
for the lion to jump on him, but nothing happened, so he kept praying. And then he did. During his prayer, what some of you children do, he kind of peeked out a little bit. And to his astonishment, he saw the lion right in front of him. And the lion was also on his knees.
And the lion. Also had his little paws up like this. And the missionary said to the lion, he said, You are praying as well. Nalai says, No, I'm giving thanks.
So, uh That's just a story, but Obviously. But you know, Daniel wasn't like that missionary. Daniel didn't just pray in emergencies. We saw that prayer was an essential part of Daniel's life. Three times.
A day he is on his knees. He is thoroughly God-centered in his thinking. And that's what sustained him in Babylon for so many years. He perseveres. He is now in his eighties.
He's still strong in the Lord. He doesn't give up. He hasn't succumbed to Babylon. He's not going to succumb to Medo Persia. This king knows and even admires his faith.
He speaks Of Daniel, he says, Your God, whom you serve continually. The reputation of Daniel as a man of God had reached the king, the highest man. in the land. And the consistency of Daniel's life was well known by others. Charles Spurgeon said it was a very good thing that the lions didn't try to eat Daniel as they never would have enjoyed him.
Because he was fifty percent grit and fifty percent backbone. Yeah. He was that kind of person. in his eighties. Can I say how beautiful it is to see an older person who served and loved the Lord for many, many years.
I say to our children, our students, our younger people today, get to know the older people. Of church. We have many men and women at church who have walked with God and trusted God for many, many years. Listen to them. Learn from them, love them.
They are men and women of prayer, men and women of deep faith in their God, whom they have loved and served for many, many years, and they are among our best prayer warriors. But for those of you who are older, let me say this. in his eighties is still serving the Lord. No retirement in the Christian life. William Gladstone was Prime Minister of Great Britain when he was eighty-three.
Ronald Reagan was President in the US in his mid seventies. John Wesley was still preaching at eighty eight. JC Penny was engaged in business at nineteen ninety five. Caleb in his eighties is saying, Give me that mountain. I'm ready to serve you, Lord.
I'm ready to make another conquest. In other words, as long as we're here on earth, we learn from Daniel that our ministry is never over. Dariah says of Daniel, You serve the Lord continually, not just part-time. Not just coming to church once a week and your life being dominated in retirement by your golf or your fishing or your family, but living for God, serving God. And we also learn, of course, that God still delivers those who trust.
Him. And the God who delivered Daniel from the lions then can deliver you, my dear friend, in your seemingly impossible situation. And it's so true. that our gods is able. Our God is able.
I realize that we have an enemy. who Peter describes as a roaring lion prowling around seeking someone to devour. And left to ourselves, our enemy, Satan, would absolutely demolish us. He wants to devour us. He's against us.
But our Lord Jesus Christ, who is sometimes described as the line of the tribe of Judah, is a far stronger line than our enemy. And our Lord Jesus Christ, the lion of the tribe of Judah, has gone into the lines then of Satan, of sin and of darkness, and at the cross He defeated Satan, that roaring lion has disarmed him, has triumphed over him and the forces of evil. Therefore, have faith in Jesus Christ. The scriptures make it clear: unless you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no salvation. There is no deliverance, as it were, from the lion's den.
We must acknowledge our sin. We must trust Christ with all of our hearts. And He will save us. He will deliver us. He will forgive our sins.
And. When we follow Jesus Christ, as many of us are here, We realise that the devil comes and tempts us and seeks to destroy us. What are we to do? We are to hold fast with the armour of God. Says Paul.
Take up the shield of what? The shield of faith. With which you can extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one. That lion. Satan, all of his strategy, how devious he is, he hurls his darts at you.
Hold up the shield of faith. Faith which stops the mouth of lions. Faith. which gives us the victory. Don't compromise, stand firm, stand for God.
Daniel Is a man of integrity, a man of prayer, a man of faith. Such people will make an impact for God in our society. Today, will you make a commitment? to be a person of integrity. Sir, will you get rid of that compromise in your life?
You know it's wrong. Young man, will you take a stand for God? My dear sister, you've been neglecting your prayer. Won't you follow the example of Daniel and get down on your knees every day and pray? You may be very busy.
I realize you're busy. But be like Daniel. and pray regularly, frequently. Humbly. Husbands and wives.
I know you've got problems in your marriage. I know it's very difficult. And you've talked about it. You have even gone for counsel, but you have never done what Daniel has done. and got down on your knees.
Will you do that? Husbands Wives These problems that come into your life, they say, We've had them a long time, they're very hard. And these problems in their family, will you not humble yourself before God? and get down on your knees in prayer. And cry out to God and say, Help me, deliver me.
You are the God who delivers from the fiery furnace, you're the God who delivers from the land of The den of lions. Surely you can deliver us. Surely you can help us in this situation. Because As Daria says at the end, of the verse. Daniel wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell on 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 be to the 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.
So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the. Persian, yes, be part of this kingdom. Which will never end. This God who alone is fit to sit on the universe's throne. Our God is able to do the impossible, to deliver from the fiery furnace, to deliver from the den of lions.
Our God is able. He performs miracles. He shuts the mouths of lions. Therefore, Trust God with all of your heart. Today.
Will you cry out to God. Will you? As an individual, will you come today and humble yourself and say, I'm going to be a person of integrity? I'm going to be a woman of prayer. I'm going to be an individual of faith.
I'm going to ask God to work supernaturally in my life, in my marriage, in my relationships, in my work situation. as I cry out to you, the God who not only delivers from the den of lions. A God who can do the impossible. Help us Our Father and God, our faith is sometimes so weak Thank you for this wonderful example of Daniel, which strengthens our faith. And I pray even now, Father, for those here who don't know Christ.
that they will be delivered From their sin. and open their hearts and life to Jesus Christ. who has conquered death and is alive for evermore. And to all of the followers of Christ, Father, may we cry out to you for help in our situation. And we ask it in Christ's name.
This is the verdict featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World.
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Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? How would you assess your faith in God? Have you ever seen God at work in your life? God can do the impossible. God is so powerful, He will forgive your sins.
He'll wash you whiter than snow. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to deliver us from sin and death and the darkness of our own souls. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you'll be saved.
Well This presently concludes our study of Daniel.
Next time, we're going to return to the Gospel of Matthew. Join me then. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
