WHAT IS GOD SAYING?
“BE MY PEOPLE !"
1. ““BE A PEOPLE OF INTEGRITY.”” (v 1-9)
(A) DANIEL WAS LIVING IN A CORRUPT GOVERNMENT WITH JEALOUS AND ENVIOUS MEN. DARIUS’ IDEA WAS A GREAT ONE. TO SET UP 120 GOVERNORS AND 3 MEN TO OVERSEE ALL OF THEM. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THESE MEN WERE SKIMMING MONEY AND ABUSING THEIR AUTHORITY. NOT DANIEL! HE WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY. SO WHEN THESE MEN FOUND OUT THAT DARIUS WAS GOING TO BE DANIEL IN CHARGE, THEY KNEW THEIR POWER WOULD BE KEPT IN CHECK.
(B) NOTICE HOW EASILY THE KING WAS FLATTERED. GOD IS TEACHING US NOT TO ALLOW FLATTERY TO INFLUENCE TRUTH. PEOPLE WHO FLATTER US SHOULD MAKE US CAUTIOUS OF THEM. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT YOUR GOOD, DOESN’T MEAN THEY HAVE PURE MOTIVES. BEWARE OF FLATTERING MEN/WOMEN.
(C) DANIEL DISTANCED HIMSELF FROM ALL OF THE CORRUPTION. NOTICE HOW ALL OF THESE LEADERS WERE BEFORE THE KING FOR THIS NEW DECREE. DANIEL WAS NO WHERE AROUND THEM. WE TOO NEED TO DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM CORRUPTION. IT RUBS OFF YOU KNOW?
(D) DANIEL STOOD OUT AS A MAN OF INTEGRITY - THEY COULDN’’T FIND ONE THING TO FRAME HIM WITH. HE WASN’T ABUSING HIS AUTHORITY. HE WASN’T STEALING FROM THE KING. THE ONLY THING THEY COULD DO WAS MAKE HIS RELIGION AGAINST THE LAW. DOES THIS SOUND LIKE THE A.C.L.U. OR WHAT? WE NEED TO BE THAT TYPE OF BELIEVER. THAT PEOPLE FIND NOTHING BUT INTEGRITY UPON US.
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2. ““BE A PEOPLE OF PRAYER.”” (v 10)
(A) DANIEL DIDN’’T JUST BEGIN PRAYING THAT DAY. HE SIMPLY CONTINUED TO PRAY THE WAY HE HAD BEEN. THE BIBLE TEACHES US TO PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT DANIEL DID.
(B) WE NEED TO BE A PEOPLE OF PRAYER - THAT IS HOW WE UNLEASH THE POWER OF GOD. JAMES TELLS US THAT WE HAVE NOT BECAUSE WE ASK NOT. HOW IS YOUR PRAYER LIFE?
ARE YOU PRAYING LIKE YOU SHOULD?
(C) MANY BELIEVERS ARE POWERLESS BECAUSE THEY ARE PRAYERLESS. UNLEASH THE POWER OF GOD UPON YOUR LIFE.
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3. ““BE A COMMITTED PEOPLE.”” (v 11-17)
(A) DANIEL MADE NO EXCUSES. HE DIDN’T WHIMP OUT BECAUSE HIS LIFE WAS BEING THREATENED. HE JUST DID WHAT WAS RIGHT.
(B) DANIEL WASN’’T INTIMIDATED BY HIS FOES. HE DIDN’T LET THESE MEN SCARE HIM. HE HAD ALMIGHTY GOD WITH HIM.
(C) DANIEL WAS COMMITTED REGARDLESS OF THE COST
(D) WE NEED TO BE A COMMITTED PEOPLE LIKE DANIEL - NO EXCUSES. JUST BECAUSE IT CAUSES A LITTLE SACRIFICE, MANY BELIEVERS REFUSE TO SERVE. IT’’S TOUGH ENOUGH TO GET LEADERS TO COME TO WEDNESDAY NIGHT SERVICE, MUCH LESS ENTER THE LION’’S DEN. GOD IS TELLING US TO GET COMMITTED. STOP MAKING EXCUSES AND GET TO BUSINESS.
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4. ““BE A PEOPLE OF HOPE.”” (v 19-20)
(A) THINGS DIDN’’T LOOK GOOD TODAY, BUT GOD’’S ALREADY IN TOMORROW. GOD WAS ALREADY PREPARED. HE WAS GOING TO PROTECT DANIEL, AND DANIEL KNEW IT.
(B) WE HAVE HOPE REGARDLESS OF THE SITUATION. TOMORROW ALWAYS BRINGS A DAWNING OF A KNEW HOPE. TOMORROW IS OUR HOPE BECAUSE GOD IS IN TOMORROW. REMEMBER AT A TOMB LATER IN THE SCRIPTURE. THINGS LOOKED DISMAL FOR JESUS AND HIS FOLLOWERS, BUT SUNDAY WAS ON THE WAY. STONES DON’’T STOP GOD FROM WORKING.
(C) WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE NEGATIVE ABOUT LIFE OR IT’’S CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN WE ARE NEGATIVE WE ARE DOUBTING GOD, AND BELIEVERS HAVE NO RIGHT TO DOUBT THE POWER OF GOD. WE SHOULD BE A PEOPLE OF HOPE. WE REALIZE THE POWER AND PRESENCE OF GOD.
(D) GOD SENDS ANGELS TO MINISTER TO OUR NEEDS, WHY SHOULD WE DOUBT.
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5. ““BE A PEOPLE OF WITNESS.”” (v 21-23)
(A) AGAIN, BECAUSE DANIEL IS TRUSTING GOD, PEOPLE ARE WITNESSING THE POWER OF GOD
(B) PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THE BELIEVER - WE EITHER POINT PEOPLE TO OR AWAY FROM GOD. WHEN WE ARE HAVING NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS OVER LIFE’’S PITFALLS, PEOPLE ARE SAYING TO THEMSELVES, "WHY WOULD I WANT TO SERVE THEIR GOD?"
(C) WHEN WE TRUST GOD AND HE DELIVERS US, PEOPLE CAN’’T HELP BUT TO HUNGER FOR GOD IN THEIR OWN LIFE.
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6. ““BE A PEOPLE OF FAMILY VALUES.”” (v 24)
(A) THE FAMILIES OF THE CORRUPT MEN SUFFERED WITH THEM. ISN’’T IT A SHAME THAT THE WIVES AND CHILDREN HAD TO SUFFER WITH THE HUSBAND/FATHER? IT WAS A COMMON PRACTICE THEN TO KILL THE WHOLE FAMILY THAT WAY YOU DIDN’’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH AN UPRISING AT A LATER DATE. TODAY FAMILIES ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF PARENTS AND CHILDREN. WE SHOULD STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THE FOUNDATION IS SOLID IN THE HOME. WE CELEBRATE TOGETHER AND WE SUFFER TOGETHER.
(B) PARENTS, REALIZE THE THINGS THAT YOU ARE DOING ARE EFFECTING YOUR CHILDREN. FIGHTING, COMPLAINING, COMPLACENCY, FINANCES ARE ALL EFFECTING OUR KIDS. SO MANY PARENTS TODAY ARE CONSUMED WITH THEMSELVES THEY DON’’T EVEN CARE ABOUT WHAT THE EFFECT IS ON THEIR CHILDREN. LET’’S BE A PEOPLE OF FAMILY VALUES.
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7. ““BE A PEOPLE OF PEACE.”” (v 24)
(A) WHEN A MAN SETS OUT TO DO WRONG, IT WILL COME BACK ON HIM –– PROVERBS 26:27
(B) THE TRUTH CAME OUT. WHEN PEOPLE DO THINGS AGAINST YOU OR SAY BAD THINGS ABOUT YOU, DON’’T WORRY. THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT. JUST THE OTHER DAY I HEARD THAT MY NAME WAS KNOCKED DOWN BY ANOTHER PREACHER. IT’’S OK! THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT. WHO IS LEADING PEOPLE TO CHRIST AND BAPTIZING KNEW CONVERTS, AND WHO HASN’’T LEAD A SOULD TO CHRIST IN THEIR MINISTRY? I REST MY CASE! I’’VE HAD PEOPLE SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE TRUTH HAS ALWAYS CAME OUT!
(C) ““VENGEANCE IS MINE!”” SAYS THE LORD. WE DON’’T HAVE TO DEFEND OURSELVES. GOD IS DEFENDING US. NOTICE THAT DANIEL ISN’’T ARGUING WITH THESE SATRAPS AND OFFICIALS. HE ISN’’T BEGGING THE KING TO SAVE HIM. HE KNEW HE HAD GOD DEFENDING HIM. THE SAME GOD IS DEFENDING US TODAY.
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8. ““BE A WORLD CHANGING PEOPLE.”” (v 25-28)
(A) A CORRUPT GOVERNMENT DIDN’’T CHANGE DANIEL, HE WAS CHANGING IT - FROM THE TOP DOWN. THESE MEN DIDN’’T TEMPT DANIEL TO BECOME A THIEF LIKE THEM. DANIEL WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY. HE CHANGED THE WORLD AROUND HIM. EVERYBODY WHO HAD EVER HAD CONTACT WITH DANIEL WAS CHANGED BY THE POWER OF GOD IN HIS LIFE.
(B) MANY BELIEVERS ARE CORRUPTED BY THE WORLD. WE GET AROUND THIS CROWD AND WE ACT THIS WAY. THEN WE GET AROUND THAT CROWD AND WE ACT THAT WAY. THAT’’S CONFORMING TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD. WE AREN’’T SUPPOSED TO BE CORRUPT, WE ARE TO SHED LIGHT ON THE CORRUPTION - EXPOSING THE DARKNESS. (MATTHEW 5)
(C) WE ARE TO BE TRANSFORMERS, NOT CONFORMERS. ARE YOU CHANGING THE WORLD AROUND YOU. ARE YOU CURSING THE DARKNESS OR SHEDDING LIGHT ON IT. WE CAN EITER COMPLAIN ABOUT SIN OR WE CAN EXPOSE THE SIN TO LIGHT AND CONFORM THE DARKNESS TO LIGHT. WE CAN EITHER CURSE THE SELL OF ALCOHOL, OR WE CAN PRAY FOR AND LEAD THOSE WHO SELL IT TO CHRIST. IT SOUNDS TOO SIMPLE, BUT THAT IS WHAT CHRIST HAS COMMANDED US TO DO. (MATTHEW 28:19) THAT’’S EXACTLY WHAT JESUS DID WHILE HE WAS HERE ON EARTH. TRANSFORMING PROSTITUTES AND TAX COLLECTORS INTO DISCIPLES.
CLOSING THOUGHT: ARE YOU LIVING AS A CHILD OF GOD? ARE YOU REPRESENTING HIM IN YOUR WORLD? DANIEL IS AN EXAMPLE FOR US TO BE GOD’’S PEOPLE AND ALLOW HIM TO USE US TO TRANSFORM THE WORLD AROUND US...
