Introduction
We make decisions every day of our life. According to Cornell University, we make 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. And if a person lives to age 75 that means, in our lifespan, we will make 945 billion decisions. But let’s be honest, some decisions are more important than others. Deciding what church, I am going to attend is much more important than what kind of dressing I am going to put on my salad. Both are decisions, but one has much more impact on my life than the other. Deciding what church, I am going to attend impacts my life in a significant way, what salad dressing I use today has little or no significant impact on my life.
Today, I want to talk with you about the second most significant decision of your life. I hope that you know that the number one most important decision of your life is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Here at Bala Chitto many times Bro. Greg will preach an evangelistic message imploring you to come to know Christ as your Savior, and I will generally within every message tell you of the importance of making Christ your Lord and Savior. And both Bro Greg and I do altar calls at the end of every sermon to give you an opportunity to talk with us or our deacons about becoming a believer in Christ. And we do all this because we both know that accepting Christ as your Savior is the most significant decision that you will make in your life. To make a decision to accept Christ as your Savior results in eternal salvation. Making the decision to reject Christ as your Savior for something or someone else results in eternal damnation.
The Scripture passage, we are going to look at today tells us in verse 23 that Daniel believed in his God. Daniel makes the correct number one most significant decision of his life. Unfortunately, it appears that King Darius, who certainly loved Daniel, spoke highly of Daniel’s God, but never knew Him as his God. King Darius when faced with the most important decision chose to worship his gods rather than the God of Daniel. King Darius never made Daniel’s God his God. He made the wrong decision.
But assuming today that those who are here have made that decision for Christ in their life already, let’s talk about the second most important decision of your life.
Turn in your Bibles as we read from Daniel 6:18-24. Please stand.
Scripture Reading
Daniel 6:18–24 (NKJV)
18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also, his sleep went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.
24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
Point #1
As a believer, my second most important decision is how much am I going to serve the Lord whom I have accepted as my Savior.
Daniel 6:20 (NKJV)
20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
In verse 20, King Darius tells us that Daniel served His God continuously. I know King Darius is right about Daniel serving God continuously because I have read about his continual service to God from Chapter 1 all the way through Chapter 6. Daniel was unique; and continually was his standard of serving God. No question!
But what does God require of you and me as our standard of service to me? So, I went searching in the Word of God and this is what I found.
Samuel, the great high priest, is addressing the people of Israel in 1 Samuel 12 and he tells them the service that God expects of His people in 1 Samuel 12:24.
1 Samuel 12:24 (NKJV)
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
Samuel told the people of Israel the standard to serve God is continually. That was what God expected of His people - Israel. Daniel was Old Testament, so he chose the right decision as the second most important decision of his life. Daniel chose to serve God to the level that God expected His people to.
So, now that the Old Testament standard God had for his people was to serve Him continually. But we are New Testament, what about us?
Paul is the one that tells us the level of service God expects of us in 1 Corinthians 15:58
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
So, the standard for you and me as New Testament Christians is the same standard God had for the people of Israel and is the same standard by which Daniel lived his life.
Serve Continually which described Daniel’s life is the same as serve Him in truth with all your heart as commanded by Samuel which is the same as always abounding in the work of the Lord as Paul instructed us to do.
So, don’t beat up the messenger, but God’s standard for your service is continual. If you are choosing anything less, you have made a wrong second most important decision in your life.
And here is the problem if you chose a wrong second most important decision of your life, it is going to influence other decision down the line.
So, let me tell you what a life looks like that has chosen to service God continually in their life by looking at Daniel.
A. A life of continuous service to God is a life where talking with God comes naturally.
Daniel 6:22 (NKJV)
22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
Now you got to remember that talking to someone is a two-way communication. I speak to God and God speaks to me.
Last week I told you if Daniel prayed at least 3 times a day in Babylon, he would have prayed 75,600 times to God. But think about the times God spoke to him. God spoke the dream and interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar first dream. God spoke to Daniel and gave him the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's second dream. God spoke to Daniel when Belshazzar needed to know what the writing on the wall said. And when Daniel was in the lion’s den, the Lord told him that he was Innocent before His God and the king.
Those who serve God have a two-way communication with God.
B. A life of continuous service to God is a life where others will marvel how they see God working in your life.
Daniel 6:20 (NKJV)
20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
King Darius certainly saw God working in Daniel’s life and he talked about that all throughout Chapter 6. But he was not the only one. There was Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s wife, and Belshazzar who also marveled about how God worked in Daniel’s life.
It should be a wakeup call to you if someone says to you, “I didn’t know that you were a Christian.” Or if someone says something like this: I couldn’t tell you a church goer by the way you act. Or somebody says, you don’t talk like any deacon or any pastor that like any pastor I know.
A man or woman serving God, people will notice, and God will get the glory.
C. A life of continuous service to God is a life where you will see God doing miraculous things.
Daniel 6:16–17 (NKJV)
16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.” 17 Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
You get thrown into a lion’s den, you expected to be the lion’s supper. But God did a miracle and spared Daniel. Why? it is because he served God continuously.
Remember the two Scriptures we quoted earlier, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.
1 Samuel 12:24 (NKJV)
24 Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
Sparing Daniel’s life in the lion’s den was a great thing. Daniel feared the Lord and served Him, and God did a great thing.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Daniel labor for the Lord was not in vain. When Daniel needed God to show up, He did.
Those who serve the Lord continuously, you are going to see some great happening in their life and the life of others around them.
Conclusion
The second most important decision of your life is to serve God continually.
Will you say to God today, from this day forward I will serve you continually?
Let us pray!
