Dare To Be A Daniel Series

Dare to be a Daniel

Or- The Kingdom in the workplace

Tables appear accurately at

http://jubilee-church.org/sermons/danielcell.htm

Summary of sermon-full notes follow

• • Why Daniel?

1. o Much to say to us in the realm of our work

• Dare to be like Daniel!

1. He resolved to be different. – Are we comfortable with being different or do we wish we could blend in?

1. What is your definition of hypocrisy? (Living two different lives according to who is watching)

2. He was tactful as he spoke with his boss- How can we make sure we are making our bosses job easier, and that people find us warm and approachable?

3. He made himself a demonstration that God’s way is best.

1. God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known. (Eph 3:9-11, NRSV)

2. How can we demonstrate God’s wisdom in our workplace/ at the school gate.

4. Devoted himself to study, and intimacy with God.

1. How are you going to better yourself in studying the word- WORD PLUS?

2. Does anyone here now intend to take a course or read a book to help their progress at work or in their care of children and the home?

3. How can we encourage one another to be more intimate with God?

5. Was found to be 10x better than the rest

1. What goals do we have for improving ourselves at work? What is your vision for your work / the children you care for?

• How did he do it?

What do you think Adrian meant when he said Daniel survived in Babylon ‘By being extremely heavenly minded so as to be of great earthly use.’ ?

Notes by Adrian Warnock

Our attitude to work is beautifully summed up by one of my children who when asked why John the Baptist didn’t think he deserved to carry Jesus Sandals, answered ’Of course he didn’t deserve to, Jesus should have carried his own sandals otherwise he would be being lazy!’

Read Daniel 1

• • Why Daniel?

• • Dare to be like Daniel!

• How did he do it?

Why Daniel?

• Daniel is the key book on the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament.

o a big influence on the New Testament in many places but not often directly quoted

• Daniel has much to say to us in a modern lifestyle, out there in the real world of the workplace.

• Alternate title for today’s talk- The kingdom in the workplace.

• Daniel was trained in God’s ways, suddenly thrust into a corrupt, ‘modern’ world just like us.

Dare to be a Daniel

Daniel was a noble of Israel. He lived, like we do in a time of general decline for the people of God. Carried away from the land, the victims of the judgement of God for their rebellion against him.

Israel was living in the good of a prophecy they would rather not have seen fulfilled!

“The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone. 37 And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away. (Dt 28:36-37).

Daniel had been born different- set apart as a Jew and as a noble. True Christians are as different from the world as light is from darkness.

He had been talen in order to be used by the Babylonians as the cream of the crop. He must have felt very alone in the amazing city that Babylon was, at the centre of this vast empire. How dark it must have seen. BUT-

Does a candle brought into a dark room fear that the darkness will extinguish it?

Although small, he did not feel overawed by this dark, evil, powerful place for he knew a God who was greater.

Third of life today is spent in workplace if we have a job. If our work is at home the proportion is even higher!!

Our workplace or the school our kids go to is our sphere of harvest. It is where you have been put….. you have to evangelise where you are.

Today workplace is most peoples spheres of relationship.. Marriage/ relationships at work. Social life streams out of it. Centre stage for evangelism and for just being a witness. We can have massive impact.

>>>>Story about blowing other people’s trumpets not our own

At times we live in a very hostile world, and the ideas of the world is now readily available for us on TV even in our lounges. Imagine if I suggested you invited Satan into your lounge for the morning whilst you could listen to all his ideas passively whilst drinking coffee?