Excellence is Next to Godliness
We have a familiar saying in the world today. “Cleanliness is next to godliness”.
I don’t like that saying. It’s not because I’m a slob. Believe me, I’m not a slob. At least, not a professional slob. Sure I’ve left my fair share of dirty laundry lying around but I’m not a slob. NO, I have a problem with that phrase because I don’t see any verse in the Bible that goes like this, “Behold what manner of Cleanliness that God has given unto us.” Or “Oh Lord, Our Lord, How clean is your heaven, in all the universe.” I just don’t see it in the Bible. I don’t see Jesus saying to Mary and Martha in Luke chapter 10, “Mary, don’t you realize that Martha is really better off in this situation. While you are wasting time at my feet, Martha is cleaning the kitchen, after all, Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Further more, I don’t see Jesus telling the people to roll the stone away from Lazarus’ tomb and then agreeing with them about the smell coming from the tomb and then commanding them to roll it back into place. I just don’t see it. I think that if we found the person who was responsible for coming up with that phrase we would soon find out that it was a Mother of 16 boys living in the city with a huge house and too much laundry so she decided to coin the phrase in an attempt to keep her house clean because I just don’t find any correlation between the character of God, and cleanliness (in the mop and glow sense of the word, not the spiritual sense of the word)
But I do think that there is something in the Bible that we find that we just may be able to put in place of cleanliness because of how often the word is used in describing our God. And that word is found in a number of verses:
Psalm 8:1, “O lord our lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who has set Thy glory above the heavens.”
Psalm 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven.”
Psalm 36:7, “How excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.”
Psalm 150:1, “Praise Ye the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the firmament of His power.”
Isaiah 12:2-5, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, “Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth.”
2 Samuel 22:31, “As for God, His way is excellent (perfect): the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in Him.”
I believe that as the people of God we need to make sure we understand that God is an excellent God. He is all-knowing, He is all powerful, He is all Mighty, but our God is an excellent God. He is Excellent.
I want to look at the life of Daniel tonight. In the 6th chapter of Daniel we have one of the great stories of the Old Testament. The story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. The story of Daniel, who was soon to be second in charge of the greatest empire of the time, the Median empire. The problem with Daniel however, was that there were no problems with Him, unless the balances of fair and upright behavior were tipped against Him.
I love the life of Daniel, because Daniel always trusted God completely, and God always preserved His life. Daniel was an excellent man for the kingdom of God.
If we read from our text tonight, let’s read from chapter 6:1-4, this was Daniels problem. This was Daniel’s shortcoming, this was Daniel’s Accilies Heel:
“It please Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. (v.3) 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. (v.4) 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.”
Could you put yourself in the position of one of these princes for a moment. Because I can’t figure out something. If these men were the best in the kingdom of the Medes, how come they were struggling with such jealousy because of Daniel?
Notice, that the Bible says there were three men who were to be appointed over the presidents and princes. And among those three, Daniel was to be appointed the second in command of the whole kingdom. And all these 120 presidents of the kingdom and the two other over seers of the kingdom are sick with jealousy over Daniel.
That is my idea of weak government. When men are jealous and bitter towards one another and there is envy and stife and hurt, there is surely to be a demise of the nation.
But the Bible says that Daniel had something these other guys didn’t have, there was something that even though Daniel was a Jew and not a native of the nation, that even though he was the foreigner amongst them all, there was something in him that the king found to be useful in serving the good of the nation. And that is the Spirit of Excellence.
And if you read about the life of Daniel and you study all the different things Daniel went through you see these constant attitude of excellence on the part of Daniel. Even when there were opportunities for Daniel to brag about how much he could do and the dreams he could interpret, those were the times that Daniel gave all the credit to God.
Daniel was a dream interpreter, he was favored by every foreign nation that took over. One king would die, and Daniel would be still standing, another king would rise up and soon fall, and there was Daniel in line for a higher position in the next reign of the following kingdom. Daniel was always there, always in the lead, always making it through and attaining more and more notoriety each and every step of the way. But there are no stories in the life of Daniel that let you into why Daniel was the way he was until the story of the Lions Den.
Here’s the situation. These jealous presidents and princes get a bright idea. An manipulative one, but a bright one to them never the less. They want to take down Daniel and the way they find to do it is to make the King issue a decree that “anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lion’s den.”
And the king, like any true politician doesn’t have to think long and hard about this one because after all, he is their king and if he is a king, deity can’t be that far off so he signs the edict and puts it into practice. No problem for anyone except for Daniel.
Daniel still has that excellent spirit in Him. And in verse 10 of the same chapter (2), we find out what Daniel decides to do about this new law in effect. You must understand something here, Daniel has been around a while. And He’s really old. Some historians believe that he was a Teenager around the time of the exile and here during the reign of the Medes estimate that Daniel was in the range of 85 to 87 years old. And Daniel isn’t about to change what he had been doing for 80 years of his life because some new politician has a new found idea that separation of Church and state is a good idea for the world. No, Daniel sticks to what God him this far and doesn’t worry about the rest.
Looking at verse 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.”
Did you get that? The Bible says he got into his upstairs room to pray where the windows faced Jerusalem and he prayed three times a day just as he had done before.”
****I told you that Daniel was an excellent man. I believe this is the reason for his excellence. - - - Before he was an excellent president, before he was an excellent interpreter of dreams, before he was an excellent prophet, and before he was to be an excellent vice president of the Medes, Daniel was excellent in prayer!!!
You see Daniel did not let his excellent abilities flow over into his prayer life. - - - DANIEL LET HIS EXCELLENCE IN HIS PRAYER LIFE FLOW OVER INTO HIS ABILITIES.
If we want to be people of excellence, we must be people of excellent prayer, knowing that our God is an excellent God and He deserves excellent prayer from our lips.
I believe this is what made his prayer excellent:
It says, “He went upstairs to where the windows opened toward Jerusalem.”
That is extremely significant and can only be understood from reading 1 Kings 8:47-53,
“and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for Your Name; then from heaven, your dwelling pace, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conqueror to show them mercy; for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declare through your servant Moses. . .”
I want you to notice with me this evening that Daniel was very deliberate in Faith. There was no edict that was going to change the Godly habits of an 87 year old man. He was a grandfather of Faith and no upstart punk associates of the kings are going to get the best of him.
Notice from His life:
A fortitude to obey the Word of God with success through ungodliness opening a door toward him.
I wonder how many of us could handle all the success of Daniel, the wisdom and the accolade, the positions and the prominence and still have burning within us a desire to obey the Word of God without reservation.
The bible says three times a day, just as he had always done.
Three times a day – that’s how many times you and I eat. That tells me it was of utmost importance to him.
Just as he had always done – that tells me he was stubborn about it.
Toward Jerusalem – that tells me he was serious about it.
The reason for his excellent spirit was because He treated His prayer relationship to God with excellence.
· He didn’t pray when there was nothing else to do. – He prayed because to him, it was the only thing to Do that was worthwhile.
· He didn’t pray when everything else was in order – He prayed to keep himself in order with God.
· He didn’t pray when the going got tough – He prayed no matter how it was going.
· He didn’t pray when they threatened to take his rights away – He prayed whether it was right or wrong, left or right, backwards, forwards, or anything other,
· He didn’t pray when his enemies were knocking on the door – He prayed no matter who was waiting for him on the outside of the door.
HE PRAYED WITH EXCELLENCE.
I Believe that is why He could stand with excellence. Before your feet are ready for the days challenging journey, be sure your knees have been introduced to the carpet of prayer.
If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.
2. Notice: His remembrance of the Word of God.
He treated the Word of God with Excellence through obedience.
He was EXCELLENT IN OBEDIENCE.
He knew that the Word of God said that they should be praying toward Jerusalem and that is what Daniel made a point of doing. Even if it would cost Him his life.
THE STORY OF RUSSIAN GUNMEN IN THE PRAYER MEETING.
Sure the prayer that Solomon offered up in 1 Kings told them to pray toward Jerusalem but doesn’t God see my heart. That even thought I’m not facing Jerusalem, in my heart I’m facing Jerusalem.
This is common to what we do.
God sees in my heart, he knows that even thought I don’t pray to Him, I really do love Him.
God sees in my heart, that even though I don’t sing the songs with the people in church, I’m singing on the inside.
God sees that even thought I don’t care for my brother or my sister outwardly, inside I love them.
NO! My friend the problem is just that, God does see your heart, he’s the one that put it together, the problem is you haven’t given it over to him to fix it up and put it back together from the mess you have made it.
God sees in my heart that even though I don’t go to church regularly, I’m there in spirit.
ILLUSTRATION: In Bible College you will find that for a Bible College it is surprising to see how many of them don’t attend a morning service on Sunday. And one of the famous excuses that Bible College kids say is “I Have church on my own.”
- Yeah with sister sheets and pastor Pillow.
Some may say, Well, man looks on the outside but God looks on the heart. NO! you are taking that scripture out of its context and applying it to something else, God says in his word that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. He sure does know you heart, He knows that your heart is a mess. And that if you get that cleaned up the outward will be soon to follow!!!
Daniel maintained Excellence in His relationship with God in that He:
1. was Excellent in Prayer
2. was Excellent in Obedience
And number three – Daniel was EXCELLENT IF FUNCTION!!!
Notice in verse 4, (NIV)“They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”
Someone else could tell you the Hebrew definitions of those words, I would just like to tell you the good ole’ fashioned English definitions of those words::::
1. Corruption: 1 a : impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle : DEPRAVITY b : DECAY, DECOMPOSITION c : inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery) d : a departure from the original or from what is pure or correct
2. Trustworthy: worthy of confidence : DEPENDABLE
3. Negligent: 1 : marked by or given to neglect especially habitually or culpably : not taking prudent care
2 : marked by a carelessly easy manner
There you have it. He was consistent in his function and that was through an attitude of excellence.
What he did for God or otherwise, He did with excellence.
Do we do the same? Is our attitude toward our work in the church one of excellence.
Why should we say things like, “I don’t want this old jacket anymore, maybe the church could use it?”
I have often wondered what would happen in most churches in the USA if the President announced that He and his entourage would be attending a Sunday Morning Service there this week . . .
We would sing the best songs. Wear the best clothes. Say the nicest things - We would make sure that everything was just excellent!!!
Church I have news for you. Every morning on Sunday and Sunday evening we play host to the greatest Spiritual president of the Universe. WE sing toward the greatest field general the Earth has ever known – He has never lost a battle. We are in attendance with the Most gifted artist (he created the earth, the sea and all that is in them), the richest landowner (he owns the cattle on a thousand hills), the fairest judge (Justice and Righteousness are the foundations of His throne), The King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords, and His name is Jesus Christ, the Annointed one!!!
Wherever two or three . . . .
God give us a spirit of Excellence.
Psalm 8:1, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the Earth.”
God give us a spirit of Excellence that we could say with Isaiah the prophet:
Isaiah 12:2-5, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, “Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord; for He hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth.”
God wants us to be excellent because we represent Him on this earth, and He is the epitimy of Excellence!!!
Now, Because Daniel was a man of excellence, God did something awesome. When He was thrown into the lion’s den for not praying to the king and giving in on his faith, the Bible says He was delivered out of that den of lions by an angel that shut up the mouth of the lions. (NOTE)
Listen. God could have done this deliverance a number of ways. He could have made the lions sleepy – too sleepy to eat. He could have made the lions so they weren’t hungry. He could have changed something about the lions. He could have killed off the lions so they wouldn’t have touched Daniel. He could have given Daniel super natural strength so that he would tear the lions in two like Sampson and David did.
But God doesn’t do any of those things. He sends an angel down there to shut up the mouth of the lions (how many of us would appreciate a night with an angel) (what would we talk about???) And God delivers Daniel powerfully, because he was Excellent in prayer, Excellent in Obedience, and Excellent in Function - - - the God Daniels serves delivers Daniel with EXCELLENCE!!!!
That’s how God works. I think God gets a kick out of Being around His people who are excellent for His name – Remember Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego???
Now the difference for us is this. While Daniel’s deliverance came to him so powerfully after He had in a way “deserved” it because of His excellence. For us, God, through His beloved Son Jesus Christ delivered us excellently before we could even attempt to deserve it!!!!
God has bought you with a price, the price of the blood of His precious son, Jesus Christ. And as Romans says, “God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were yet sinful (not excellent) Christ died for us.”
Wow! What an awesome God.
He is an excellent God, We must be excellent bearers of His name.
