Subject: "Dynamic Disciples Striving to be Men of Excellence "
Text: Daniel 1:8-21 “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.” Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others. God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams. When the training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief of staff brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and no one impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they entered the royal service. Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom. Daniel remained in the royal service until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.”
Daniel 6:1-10 “Darius the Mede decided to divide the kingdom into 120 provinces, and he appointed a high officer to rule over each province. The king also chose Daniel and two others as administrators to supervise the high officers and protect the king’s interests. Daniel soon proved himself more capable than all the other administrators and high officers. Because of Daniel’s great ability, the king made plans to place him over the entire empire. Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So they concluded, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.” So the administrators and high officers went to the king and said, “Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” So King Darius signed the law. But when Daniel learned that the law had been signed, he went home and knelt down as usual in his upstairs room, with its windows open toward Jerusalem. He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God.”
Introduction: All of us are familiar with the pressures of life to conform to this world. Often we speak of peer-pressure as it relates to teens, but all of us face the pressure to compromise. Today's lesson is taken from a dark period in the life of Judah and Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, took Jerusalem, and carried away whom and what he pleased. A part of his strategy was to select the brightest and most talented for his personal use. These wise young men, which including Daniel and the three Hebrew boys were gloomed, trained and shaped to serve the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar ordered that these chosen youths should be taught the Chaldean language and customs. Their original Hebrew names were changed. Their original names connected them and reminded them of their Hebrew God; but in order to cause them to forget their God, the God of their fathers who had been the Guide of their youth, the Babylonians gave them names that reflected the name of the Babylonian God, Dagon. Names are still powerful. Many today have fallen under Satan’s deception which begin with a name change. Under an alias, a stage name or a pen name you can say anything and do anything.
Even though there are considerable difficulties in explaining some of the prophetic meaning of some passages in the book of Daniel, we always find encouragement that build faith and hope, great examples worthy of imitation, and something to direct our thoughts to Christ Jesus, his death burial, resurrection and his glorious return.
The life of Daniel is an example worth imitating. I have titled the message, " Dynamic Disciples Striving to be Men of Excellence. The Bible is filled with accounts of many godly men and women who are good examples for us to follow. One such person is Daniel, a man who obtained preeminence and power in his lifetime: He started out preeminent among the young children of Israel. He was selected as a young man of wisdom and ability. Then he gained further preeminence among the wise men of Babylon. The Bible says that Daniel became ten times wiser than the wise men of Babylon. Finally, He was given power over all of Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar. Then under Darius, Daniel received similar power over the Medo-Persian Empire. Even the Prophet Ezekiel, an older contemporary of Daniel spoke of the wisdom and excellence of Daniel.
The word excellent occurs in 34 passages of Scripture in the King James Version of the Bible; more than half of them refer to God, his attributes and Creation; 10 refer to things such as names, sacrifices, and glory; and 7 seven refer to men. Three of the references about men, talk about Daniel.
Proverbs 12:26 “The godly give good advice to their friends; the wicked lead them astray.”
Proverbs 17:27 “A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.” (The KJV says they have an excellent spirit.)
Philippians 1:9-10 “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.”
How was Daniel able to be a man of excellence in a corrupt nation? How was Daniel able to reach positions of power and influence without compromising his position as a godly man? Daniel as a teenager in the University of Babylon faced the same temptation as teenagers face in Chatham, Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland County, and even in Pembroke. What was his secret? A close look at the book by Daniel reveals his secret, and shows how we too can be successful without selling our souls. First, we notice that even as a young teen-ager. Daniel was a man of purpose.
1. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PURPOSE - Daniel 1:8, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”
Daniel lived his life and made his decisions on purpose. A young boy in a strange land, Daniel was immediately faced with a challenge to violate God's law by eating the king's food. Despite his youth and the obvious pressures to conform, Daniel purposed in his heart to uphold the law of God, no matter the cost. Because of his willingness to put God first and keep him first, God granted Daniel favor in the sight of others.
Daniel 1:9 “Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” How God did this is not explained, but it probably happened because Daniel served with an excellent spirit. By putting God first, God blessed Daniel with special favor that could be seen by others. Daniel purposed to put God first in all that he did. Every child of God needs to be that same way. No one respects a "wishy-washy" person, someone with no direction in their lives. When people have a strong sense of purpose, others often recognize it, respect it and admire them. What should be the "purpose" of the Christian? Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God has a kingdom agenda of establishing his kingdom on earth one disciples at a time. To seek first His kingdom means to obey the great commandment, the great commission and the great collaboration. Working together, believers are called to make Christian disciples who love God and Others.
God’s promise is that those who seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, we have all earthly wants will be supplied. The conditions demand that we seek the kingdom first in the use of time, first in priority, and first in our affections. We must "love the Lord our God with the whole heart and then allow him to reign in our heart. Will you "Dare To Be Men of Excellence" and be a person with a purpose like Daniel? No matter how young one may be, it is never too early to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness". Throughout his life, Daniel not only had a strong sense of purpose, but held to his conviction.
2. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PRINCIPLE. Daniel refused to compromise his convictions: As a young man, by refusing to eat the king's meat or drink his wine, Daniel upheld God’s standard. (Dan 1:8) As a mature man he refused to take credit for his wisdom. He gave the glory to God. Then as an old man, He refused the gifts offered by Belshazzar. (Dan 5:13-17) As a God-fearing man he refused to stop praying under the threat of persecution. His principles would not allow him to obey King Darius’ decree. (Darius Dan 6)
People of principles are admired and respected. Outwardly many may ridicule them, but inwardly they wish they had the same intestinal fortitude. And when they need someone that can be trusted, and depended upon to carry through with an assigned task, who do you think they will turn to? God also admires individuals who will stand by their principles, and by their words.
Psalm 15:1-5 “Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever."
Our society needs people with godly principles. Our church needs people of principles; those who "Dare To Be Men of Excellence” and demonstrate by example the value of being led by "godly principles" rather than by "price" or popularity. Not only are they highly valued by God but also by their fellow man. But having purpose and principle is not all; another element is needed as Dynamic Disciples Strive to be Men of Excellence. Daniel was a man of moral purity!
3. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PURITY - Daniel 6: 3-4 “Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.”
Daniel’s opponents could not find any fault in his life or affairs. He was faithful and faultless when it came to management of his business affairs. 1Corinthians 4:2 says, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
Some are somewhat faithful, but their work leaves something to be desired. Others try to be excellent in their business, but they lack the people’s skills. Daniel could easily be elevated and rise to positions of great responsibility and power because he did an excellent job, and he had an excellent spirit. Of course, his purity in business affairs was related to His overall purpose to please God first and the fact that as a man of principle he could be trusted.
Daniel was a man of excellence that maintained his pure conduct. We should strive to be faithful and faultless, whether young or old, whether slave or free.
How important is the work of God to you? Do you strive for excellence and moral purity? People who maintain moral purity in their dealings with others and strive for excellence in their actions are often given positions of great
responsibility and privilege, because they can be trusted to use them wisely. When God entrust us with positions of power and privilege, we are to strive for excellence. Like Daniel, be a man of purpose, principle, and purity! The world needs more people like that today. The next element which tied all these together in such a way to receive blessings from God and favor from men is the fact that Daniel was a man of prayer.
4. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF PRAYER - Daniel 6:10 “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."
Daniel maintained a solid Pray life. He knelt in prayer, as a demonstration of his humility. He prayed three times daily, a demonstration of his continual dependence upon God. He gave thanks amid persecution, a demonstration of his gratitude and the fact that he had not lost sight of God's blessings. As dynamic disciples striving to be men of excellence, we would do well to follow Daniel’s example. We should be persons of purpose, putting God first in all we do; persons of principles, who will not compromise our stand for God; persons of purity who are both faithful in our duties and faultless in our mannerism. We should be persons of prayer, who are willing to fall on our knees, continually depending on God, and praising God for all that he Has done and is going to do.
As Christians, we are to pray often. 1Thessalonians 5:16 reads, “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
As dynamic Christian disciples striving to be men of excellence, let’s use all of our efforts to live purposeful, principled and pure lives bathed in prayer. Let’s dare to be men of excellence despite the peer pressure, the pull of culture and attraction of our own desires. We need the favor of God and the respect of men. Daniel grew in the favor of God and the favor of men. As dynamic Christian disciples striving to be men of excellence, we need the wisdom to pick godly friends. Daniel knew how to pick godly friends.
5. DANIEL PICKED GODLY FRIENDS - Daniel 1:6, 17-20 “Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: Daniel picked godly friends who were willing to stand with him. They stood with him in his decision not to eat the king’s meat...” “As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.”
We all need godly friends who give us moral support and godly counsel. In Daniel 2:17, look where Daniel went for support and assistance. “Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:” Godly friends hold us accountable. Godly friends pray with us and for us. Godly friends work to strengthen us and promote us. May God give us the wisdom to select godly friends. Reads Daniel 2:48-49 “Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon. Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.” Daniel lived his life with purpose, according to godly principles, maintaining his moral purity, was constantly on his knees in prayer, picked and promoted godly friends and finally, Daniel lived his life pointing others to God.
6. DANIEL’S LIFE AND WITNESS POINTED OTHERS TO GOD – Daniel 2:19-23; 30, 46-47 “Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: he reveals the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter…But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightiest know the thoughts of thy heart…Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odors unto him. The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou could reveal this secret.”
Daniel pointed others to God as a revealer of hidden wisdom. Daniel pointed other to God as one who promotes some to great heights and brings others down. Then He pointed others to a God who protects. Daniel had been protected by God. In Daniel 6:21-22, 25-28 “Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt… Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
If you are going to be dynamic Christian disciples striving for excellence, we must be Men with a kingdom purpose, living by godly principles, men of moral purity who are faithful in Prayer. Men who know how to pick godly friends who hold us accountable, advise us and encourage us. Finally, as dynamic Christian disciples striving for excellence, we must point others to Jesus Christ! It’s our call, our duty and God’s expectation.
