Living In A Lion’s Den Without Being Eaten

LIVING IN A LION’S DEN WITHOUT BEING EATEN

Dan. 6:1-24

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: HELPING OUT

1. We all love it when other drivers blow their horns at us. It can really test your Christianity! I remember the story of…

2. Sandra, while out driving her car, stopped to obey a red light intersection. While waiting for the light to turn green, her car just suddenly died. It was a busy intersection, and the traffic behind her started growing.

3. When the light turned green, and she had still not been successful at starting her car, the guy in the car directly behind her started to become very impatient, which he showed by honking his horn continuously as Sandra worked feverishly to get the car started again.

4. Finally, in desperation at all the honking, Sandra got out of her car and approached the guy in the car behind her. "I can't seem to get my car started," Sandra said to him, smiling.

5. "Would you be a sweetheart and go and see if you can get it started for me? I'll stay here in your car and lean on your horn for you."

B. TEXT

4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel…but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “King Darius, 7 issue an edict… that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12

So they went to the king…. 13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and…. he could not sleep. 19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 [and] called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” 21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.” 23 And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

C. THESIS

1. There are 5 characteristics about Daniel that, when the lions came to eat him, were the things responsible for keeping him from being devoured.

2. The title of this message is “Living in a Lion’s Den without being Eaten.”

I. WORKED HARD, KEPT A CLEAN LIFE

A. THE SCRIPTURES

4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

B. VALUE OF HARD WORK & CLEAN LIFE

1. Almost everybody respects and values a person who works hard. Daniel did quality work. One sure way to discredit our witness as a Christian is to do mediocre work for our employer.

2. ILLUSTRATION

a. Tony Evans told the story of how when he was at seminary, he worked for the Greyhound Bus Lines at night, loading the buses.

b. There were a lot of other man working there, but night after night they would just sleep or play video games, and were content to let Tony do all the work of loading the buses.