Today's message comes from our most popular series called Legacies of Light. Stephen has a new book. Legacies of Light Volume two We're sending that as a gift to those who make a special donation to our ministry during this series. We need your financial support to make this ministry possible, and this new book is our way of saying thank you. I've put a link in the show notes that gives you all the information you need.
Now, here's Steven. This is a reminder. that the most attractive thing about your life will never be the plaque on your door. The car you drive. the house you live in.
The salary you get paid. In fact, the greatest attraction to Christianity is a Christian who is happy he is one. Imagine that. Begot me a Christian and not quite getting over it. Christians who demonstrate the biblical truth that the joy of the Lord is their strength.
I'm afraid the average Christian might be under the impression that the longer you serve Christ, the lighter. The road, the closer you walk with God, the easier of the walk. We're under the impression that that that God delivers to his faithful Smooth sailing.
Well, there's one legacy of light in Scripture. One biography that has come to my mind that sort of shatters that misconception and puts us on the right. It's the biography of a teenager. Who watched a conquering nation slaughter his people, more than likely his own parents? Without a doubt, it put an end to the life that he thought he was going to be able.
to live. Daniel's biography. If you want to find your way to that book named after him, it does not begin with his birth. The book of Daniel begins with his abduction. Just five verses later.
In fact, Daniel and his three friends are enrolled in the University of Babylon. It all happens so fast in the record of Scripture. The king has one fundamental desire in their education. And that is to turn them into Babylonian. One of our college students Told me some time ago that his professor, one of his professors, admitted to him that his chief aim.
was to destroy the faith of Christian students. Who took his course? He's not the first professor to do that. He's not the last to defy the living God. 3,000 years ago.
Daniel and his friends are now sitting under Chaldean professors. They had their own gods. They had their own creation stories. They have their own sacrificial system. to appease their gods.
It looked like their gods won. By the way. They have their own moral views. That would rival spring break and Mardi Gras kind of rolled up. into one long party.
But even as a freshman in the university system of Babylon. Daniel refuses to join the party. You might notice verse 8 in chapter 1, but Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food or with the wine that he drank. Historians tell us that the pagan practices of Babylon included offering the wine first as a libation of the gods, then poured out and placed before the idols. Then it would be given to the king, having supposedly been blessed by idols.
So this would have been a defiling act for Daniel. You might notice, by the way, if you're newer to the faith, that Daniel and his three friends were the only young people who refused to go along. I wonder how many college freshmen over the centuries. have shelved their Christianity. and joined the party.
Isn't it great to see a University student taking a stand for Jesus Christ today.
Well, Daniel had brand new temptations. He he'd never faced before. I mean, when he's in Babylon, you know. When you're in Babylon, you can forget about Bethlehem. That's ancient history.
This food, we have time to go through in detail, but it's a brand new temptation. It's on kosher meat. Would have been a violation of the dietary law. It's not being served. That might not mean much to you and me today.
But where young Daniel had grown up, he's probably 17, 18, 19 years of age. If he had walked down the street of Jerusalem and smelled bacon frying in the air, somebody was in trouble. He never had to say no to that. I mean, when I grew up, teenagers didn't hide.
Well, they they might hide behind the barn and smoke a cigar. Not Daniel, teenagers then hid behind the barn and ate a ham sandwich. I probably made that uh, but Daniel is going to become proof. that you can graduate at the top of your university class without sacrificing your character. Culture does not have to refashion.
Your character. There's so much more to this opening scene, but I really want to set the stage and move fast forward. Here to chapter 6.
So, if you'll turn over there to chapter 6 in Daniel's biography, by now he's. risen to become the chief magi. Persia's leading wise man. His spiritual descendants, Persian wise men, are going to appear. centuries later, looking for the newborn king of the Jews.
By now, Darius, the Medo-Persian king, has conquered Babylon. Chapter 6 opens with Darius restructuring the government and placing three men at the highest positions in the government. And Daniel is one of the three. He has nearly now unlimited power. And prestige.
He's on a first-name basis with the most powerful king. In this part of the known world, He's comfortable in the royal setting. But don't misunderstand, he's also hated. By many in this kingdom, he's still a Jew. And the Persian politicians hated this rival.
Who does he think he is? He's an outsider. He doesn't fit in here.
So with this promotion Doesn't mean it got easier. In fact, You would expect though Daniel could push his weight around. He has the political clout now to do it. He's at the top of the food chain, so to speak. But instead Daniel at this point is gonna provide more of a legacy than ever worth imitating.
Especially for those of you who are in public. Servers. today. Perhaps you're a a judge. A lawyer.
a teacher, a council member. Uh a senator. A state representative. Daniel shines the light on how to live for God. In a godless world.
So I want to very quickly give you four characteristics. Uh Man's life. The first characteristic, and by the way, all these made his life harder, not easier. Is this, he had a winsome personality. You might get ready to circle a couple of words.
In your Bibles, chapter 6 and verse 3 reads: Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials. And satraps. Satraps are state governors because, here it is. Because an excellent spirit Was in him. You could translate that a gracious disposition.
A winsome personality. Let me put it this way: Daniel had a great attitude. When he went to the office, When he went met people on the street, When he dealt with these political issues in this tangled world, he might disagree. He might have to stand alone. He might have to hold his ground, but he kept his composure.
He acted toward others. with this gracious Disposition. Don't miss the reason behind this promotion. What made him stand out wasn't his administrative genius, his problem-solving abilities. I I have no doubt he had that as well.
But he wasn't a standout because he knew how to manipulate the poles and And hobnob with the elite. and make connections with the VIPs of his world. He just worked hard. He did his job. And at the same time, demonstrated this joyful Spirit.
This winsome, endearing, likable. engaging spirit that treated people kindly. And graciously. This is a reminder. That the most attractive thing about your life will never be the plaque on your door.
The car you drive. The house you live in. The salary you get paid. In fact, the greatest attraction to Christianity is a Christian who is happy he is one. Imagine that.
Becoming a Christian and not quite getting over it. Christians who demonstrate the biblical truth that the joy of the Lord is their strength. Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 10.
Now don't overlook the obvious. At this point here, you might write it in the margin nearby, well, he's 85. As best we can tell. He has lived for decades. Every time, by the way, you have a scene open in the early part of his biography, his life is in danger.
He has every right, frankly. to be bitter. Angry. An angry old man. He should be the kind of guy that, if you saw him coming down the hallway, you'd duck into the break room so you wouldn't have to talk to him.
I'm gonna avoid that guy. He's a problem. There is anybody in politics You would never want to be around. It'd be this 85-year-old bachelor. who was abducted as a teenager, lived alone his entire life in a foreign country that constantly ridiculed his defeated nation and blasphemed his living God.
How long could we take that? And smile. Don't ever forget, beloved, that God never allowed Daniel to go home. He will die. as an ambassador.
in Babylon.
Now, when you'd think that God would start settling down the the you know the stormy waves in in Dan in Daniel's life. The biggest storm is about to break. You might be familiar with it. Just about everybody out there on the street is. Let me give you the second characteristic first before we get into it of this public servant's life, and that is comprehensive.
Integrity. Verse 4. Then the high officials And the mouse traps, I mean the sad traps. who wanted to catch him.
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. This sounds a lot like some candidate running for office today. Have you noticed how it happens? Man, they got a clean record until they start running. Then you got all this dirt that starts showing up.
Well, Daniel's been a single man in Babylon his entire life. There's got to be dirt somewhere. in his record.
So they effectively start tailing them around town. Hack into his computer. Check his internet sites. Online shopping record is Mailboxes, emails. And this phrase, by the way, they are searching with regard to the kingdom, means they went all the way back to his university days.
When he was first hired. There are revelations you hear about today. Hey, that candidate sent a text message 10 years ago. Or she wrote an email 15 years ago. Look at what she said.
These Persian politicians. tried everything they eventually gathered in some bigwig's office and Went around the room. Hey, did you find anything? No. Did you find anything?
No. Did you find anything? No. Not. One thing, this guy's clean.
Yeah. This guy is. Andy Griffin. And Ed Gomer Pyle, you know, rolled up. Shows you how old I am.
I watched all those on a black and white fuzzy television. Any of you remember those days? You turn the channel with a pair of pliers? If you don't know what I'm talking about, you didn't have a happy childhood. Daniel wasn't honest at work.
and dishonest after hours. Hey, he looked like a clean guy, but you should see his tax record. He didn't live a righteous life. Monday through Friday, and then live it up on the weekend. He had comprehensive Integrity.
spiritual consistency. Verse 5: Then these men said, We'll not find any ground for complaining against this, Daniel. Unless We find it in connection. with the law of his God. If you put that in today's vocabulary, what they're saying is, let's find out something about his Christian experience that doesn't fit in with society.
Let's find out what he believes as a Christian and then use that against him. It's an old tactic that exists today.
So they figured out a plan. to use his prayer life. Against them.
So let me just kind of summarize it for the sake of time. They go to their king and they say, look, we want to establish, O king. you know, a 30-day prayer plan. Here it is. Whoever prays to any God but you Needs to be thrown to the lion.
So, King, we're going to make you the God of the month. Everybody's got to pray to you. And the king with great humility. Said, I love that idea. I'm going to sign that into law, the law of the Medes and the Persians.
Now the plan will not work. If Daniel stops praying.
So what's he going to do?
Well, by the way, before we get there. That's a signature question for us today. What does it take to get you to stop praying? What disappointment. What discouragement, what disillusionment?
What difficulty? And you just sort of hang it up. Imagine If Daniel doesn't stop, He's a dead man. Verse 10. When Daniel knew, you might circle the word knew, when he 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. Don't rush past there.
You know, don't skip ahead to the miracle section.
Now, as far as Daniel knew, if he keeps praying like he usually prays. According to the prophets, toward Jerusalem, and he opened his windows as if to say, Well, nothing between me. and my covenant-keeping God.
Well, he's the lion's next meal. Have you ever thought about the fact that he could have prayed with his windows closed? Or how about 30 days of silent praying? Unspoken prayer requests. Why not move your devotions to 3 a.m.?
I mean, you could imagine if he came to you for counsel. You might say, look, Dan, you've been praying like this for decades. What's 30 days to God? I mean, he'll be fine. Daniel refused to change his pattern.
when under great pressure.
Now, one liberal scholar, I gotta tell you this, I love these guys. I don't know why they study the Bible. Because they're always coming to the wrong conclusion. But he suggested that these weren't real lions. This wasn't a real lion's den.
This was poetic language for Daniel's political colleagues who wanted to devour him. This was just poetic language. I think Daniel would have liked a little poetry. Instead. But these lions were real.
And Daniel was going to be their next meal. There's poetry. And that's reality. When the king can't find a loophole. Because he'd signed it into law.
He says to Daniel in verse 16, notice down there. Then the king commanded And Daniel is brought and cast into the den of lions. Just before this, the king says to Daniel, May your God, whom you serve continually, Deliver you.
Now you might notice Daniel doesn't respond. He doesn't. Beg. to be spared. He doesn't.
Yell his innocence. He doesn't say God's going to get me out of here. I think he doesn't say anything at all, in part. Because I don't think Daniel expected to get out. Alive.
God could deliver them. But God might choose not to. to deliver him through death. to everlasting life. God was in control.
And Daniel knew it.
Now, because of that, I don't think Daniel started walking around the den with his hands in his pockets whistling a favorite tune. This is no problem for me. He's a real man. An ordinary man. I would imagine Daniel went to his knees.
Eyes closed. wondering while praying what you and I would be wondering, how long would it take before we died? How painful is this going to be before I lose consciousness? He would have heard their roaring. Fighting to get through that central gate.
Archaeologists have helped us understand these. Dems. Daniel would have heard that middle gate opening. He would have braced for this crushing attack. But all of a sudden, that dent grows quiet.
And and still. The roaring stops. They're fighting to get through first and stops. And he opens his eyes.
Soon enough to see an angel wrapping. Invisible supernatural Duct tape.
Something. around these lions' mouths.
So they can't eat them. Have you ever thought about the fact that God could have done this without an angel. He didn't need an angel. He could have snapped his finger and he could have put them to sleep. Just fall over.
the deep slumber. You could have done that. God could have immediately tamed them. Right? Turning them into Playful.
Cats. I tried to imagine it. You know, maybe all they want to do now is play fetch with Daniel's sandals. I know. Cats don't play fetch.
Cats don't play anything. They toy with. Oh, I'm off track here.
Okay, back to the story. God sent an angel. And by the way, he did it so Daniel can use that in his testimony. when he says to the king the next morning, My God. Send an angel.
My God. did this. I want to add one more characteristic here quickly, and it would be this: personal humility. Daniel could have acted with offended pride. King, who do you think I am?
I was one of your leading candidates. in office. I I was the only honest guy you had. He could have had a chip on his shoulder for the rest of his life. He could have acted.
You know, super brave. This is nothing. Ha ha ha. Obviously, King, from looking at you, I slept better down here than you did. Up there.
This has not been a problem at all. In fact, I've gotten to know these. I've named him Fluffy, Mr. Whiskers, you know. He could have started planning his revenge.
King's going to take care of that, but Daniel didn't. With humility, he points out first and foremost. And this is something my God chose. To do. God did this.
That reminds me of another political leader. Another legacy. A man who braved his culture. Stood alone. One against everybody?
by doing the right thing. for nearly 50 years. This politician's name was William Wilberforce. And we've probably heard of. He's born August 24th.
1759 in England. His father died. When he turned nine, when William turned nine years old, and he went to live with his uncle and aunt. His uncle and aunt had been recently converted through the preaching of. George Whitfield.
So they raised Wilberforce under this evangelical influence. By the time he graduated from Cambridge, University, he had rejected the gospel. He had become good friends with William Pitt. Who soon became the youngest prime minister ever elected in England's history at the age of 24?
Now William Pitt encouraged Wilberforce to try politics. Will before said no direction in life. Money he had inherited from his father.
So, why not?
So, on a whim, he He ran for a seat and won at the age of 21. In fact, he would never lose an election. for the rest of his nearly 50-year political career. He admitted that his first years were spent, and I quote, as a late-night, party-loving, upper-class. Unbeliever.
But he began to be convicted of his sinful life, the gospel he had. Rejected. When he was 24, he was traveling on vacation with some friends, and one of them happened to have come to faith in Christ. They end up spending hours talking. After that he was He was interested.
So he talked to his friend William Pitt.
Now, the Prime Minister, William Pitt, tried to talk him out of it. He told them. That Christianity. would quote render you useless to mankind. End quote.
He was in anguish. He decided to meet secretly With an old slave trader named John Newton. Heard of him? who is pastoring nearby. The author of Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
So, Wilberforce writes a letter to John Newton saying that he wants to meet with him. But he says this, and I quote from the letter. I wish to have some serious conversation with you. Every argument against Christianity I'm coming to find is. in its foundation Pride.
I'm sure you will let no one know of my visit. Till I release you from the obligation. PS Remember, I must see you. in secret. John Newton will eventually lead William Wilberforce to faith.
In Christ. And to his surprise, Newton urges him to stay in politics. and shine the light. of truth. Wilberforce is 29 years old when he makes his first public announcement in Parliament that it is his intention to abolish.
The slave trade. He says in his speech, quote, slavery is wickedness and a national crime.
Well, you can imagine how that went over. His speech was rejected, ridiculed. His life will be threatened. Many times He'll lose many of his friends. Political associates will avoid in association with them.
He'll spend the next 20 years. Introducing one bill after another, one petition after another, one argument after another. And Parliament will either defeat them or postpone them. or trying to water it all down. But he keeps at it.
By the early 1800s, the British Empire is now at war. with France Under Napoleon. And Many have come to believe Politicians included, that God will not honor them. By giving them success in war while at the same time defending the slave trade. And there was Wilberforce, of course.
Now, 20 years into this, with one speech after another, printed pamphlets, slave narratives that he made public, facts about the livelihood of the slave, the horrors of their sale, the separation of enslaved families, and on and on and on. While he's battling for this cause, by the way. He's also serving the British Foreign Bible Society, the Church Missionary Society. The Society for the Poor, the alleviation of child labor conditions by forming laws, prison reform. He was shining the light on his corrupt world.
In fact, he said, What we would love to hear people in public service say today. The issue at hand is defiance, he would write, against the majesty of God. You name whatever the position is. If it's wrong, it is defying Creator God. John Wesley.
The founder of Methodism wrote him a letter when John was 87 years old. And he wrote this: unless God has raised you up, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and demons. But if God before you Who can be against you?
Well, finally, in 1807, Wilberforce presented his position. This petition again. to abolish the slave trade. At this time It passed. There's still more work to be done.
The slave trade was abolished, but not slavery. In Great Britain, British colonies.
So, Wilberforce, his biographer writes, fought on for 26 more years. Finally. In 1833, Wilberforce arrives. with his petition against slavery. Itself, not just the slave trade practices, but against slavery.
And he gives his final speech, he's 73 years of age. The petition is nearly unanimously Approved.
Now you would think that a man like Wilberforce would have been such a driven man. He would have no time For people. For small talk. For laughter. But like Daniel, if you read his biographies.
He was known for his integrity, his consistency, his humility, but also this winsome personality and this joyful spirit. What most people did not know was how he suffered from lung problems and near blindness. In fact, by the age of 30, His eyesight was so poor he stopped looking in the mirror. A bachelor at the time. His clothing was humorously, they wrote, mismatched.
and wrinkle. He didn't get married until he was nearly 40. And that fixed his clothing problems. He also suffered From curvature of the spine that grew worse as he grew older. One biographer wrote, and I quote, One shoulder had begun to slope.
and his head fell forward a little more each year until it rested on his chest. unless lifted by conscious effort. He would have looked frightening. Were it not for the persistent smile that remained on his face. And no one knew that he wore a brace Under his clothing.
to keep him upright. But he was known to hum a gospel tune wherever he went. He was always smiling. Always humming. He would always stop and play with children.
One biographer said he would become one of them. What he played. He would later write, a cold heart is criminal. It's criminal. Joy is our duty.
as we live for God. That's why I thought of Daniel as I read the biography of William Wilberforce, a winsome personality, comprehensive integrity, spiritual consistency, and personal human. Humility. When that historic vote took place, In Parliament in eighteen thirty three, outlawing slavery. Throughout the empire.
Members of the House of Parliament, I would have loved to have seen it. Turn toward him. and begin to cheer. He sat in his seat. and wept.
and then said Like Daniel. This is the work. Of God. What has God called you? To do.
What's what's the assignment? for you. What's your vocation? Vocatio. Latin for sacred.
Cole. And it is. Music teacher? Homemaker? Farmer.
Truck driver. Dentist, professor. Politician, pastor. Policeman? Judge Attorney, repairman?
Waiter? Waitress? Plumber? Builder. What is your sacred Calling.
How do you go about it? How about this? Winsomeness. Integrity. Devotion.
Humility. And when people ask you, How you do it. Your response is This is the work. When you do what I do, when we think like this, talk like this, like these two politicians. Daniel And where you?
then we are imitating. True. Legacies. Of light.
