U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris
Fort Stewart, Georgia
BIG IDEA: GOD MAY NOT COME EXACTLY WHEN YOU WANT HIM TO - BUT HE’S ALWAYS “ON TIME” …
REFERENCES: Genesis 21:5 (And Abraham was an hundred years old when Isaac was born); Genesis 22:2-9 (And Abraham rose early … with his son Isaac … offerings …); Psalms 37:25 (I have been young, now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread); 1 Samuel 17:34-37 (David … lions and bears); Hebrews 11:33 (… stopped the mouth of lions); Hebrews 11:1 (Now faith is the substance of things hope for the evidence of things not seen …);
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: Daniel 6:16-22
II. READ THE PERICOPE: Daniel 6:16-22
III. READ THE TEXT: Daniel 6:22 (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).
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to have UNWAVERING FAITH in
God.
V. SERMONIC THEME: “JUST IN TIME”
INTRODUCTION: (PARARELL… WHO CAN EVER FORGET THE STORY OF JONAH IN THE FISH BELLY – SURROUNDED BY GASTRIC JUICES AND SUCKED-IN SEAWEED … HE PRAYS … AND … BEFORE HE CAN SAY AMEN, THE BELLY CONVULSES, THE FISH BELCHES, AND JONAH LANDS FACE FIRST ON THE BEACH…
OR HOW CAN WE FORGET THE STORY OF JOSEPH IN THE PIT, A CHALKY HOLE IN A HOT DESERT. The lid has been pulled over the top….. AND THE WOOL HAS BEEN PULLED OVER HIS EYES … LIKE JONAH … JOSEPH IS TRAPPED. HE IS OUT OF OPTIONS.
THERE IS NO EXIT. THERE IS NO HOPE …
STILL … ALTHOUGH … THE ROAD TO THE PALACE TAKES A DETOUR .. IT EVENTUALLY ENDS UP AT THE THRONE …
LIKEWISE, ACCORDING TO OUR TEXT…(FOUND IN DANIEL 6:22) …
ALTHOUGH, DANIEL WAS NOW A SENIOR CITIZEN … WHO HAD LIVED FAITHFULLY FOR GOD … FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS … YET, …
HE STILL FOUND HIMSELF (ONCE AGAIN) IN THE MIDST OF A SPIRITUAL WARFARE … THAT AT FIRST GLANCE … APPEARED TO HAVE HIM TRAPPED.
NEVERTHELESS … THE BIBLE SAYS … THAT A MAN … BORN OF A WOMAN IS OF A FEW DAYS AND FULL OF TROUBLE. AS BELIEVERS … WE’RE GOING TO BE WICKEDLY CHALLENGED AND EVEN SOMETIMES TRAPPED.
SOMETIMES … TRAPPED BY FOLK, WHOM ARE MEMBERS OF THE SAME CHURCH BODY … NOT BEING AWARE THAT THE DEVIL IS USING THEM TO HIS GLORY.
…SOMETIMES … OPPOSSITION COMES BECAUSE WE ARE FAITHFUL TO GOD…
****************TAKE 5 BEATS***************
MOVE 1: AND WE’RE HONEST ABOUT THE WAY WE TREAT PEOPLE.
a. IT’S CALLED INTEGRITY!
b. IT GIVES HONOR TO GOD … AND GIVES ACCUSATIONAL FUEL TO OUR
ENEMIES.
c. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS … IF YOU WANT SOME INSIGHT INTO THE
KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE … FIND OUT … WHAT YOUR ENEMIES THINK!
d. IN VERSE 4 OF THIS CHAPTER … DANIEL ENEMIES PROCLAIMED
THE THORUGHNESS OF HIS INTEGRITY.
e. THEY OPPOSSED DANIEL, SIMPLY BECAUSE HE WAS A RIGHTEOUS
MAN.
f. HE WASN’T APART OF THEIR MINISTERIAL CLICK, OF CONFUSION, AND
GOSSIP.
e. HE WAS ABOUT GOD’S BUSINESS. He was a bright, loyal,
hardworker that had never been given anything. He earned what
he had achieved from the sweat of his brow ..
*****************TAKE 5 BEATS****************
MOVE 2: IN FACT … DANIEL ENEMIES SAID THAT HE TOOK HIS FAITH
SERIOUSLY.
a. And they knew that he would never be untrue to his God.
b. So they put him in a position where his FAITHFULNESS would cause him
problems.
c. Because his FAITH WAS SOLID.
d. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS …IF WE’RE NOT CAREFUL … AND EVEN IF
WE ARE CAREFUL … THE ENEMY CAN AND WILL USE OUR STRENGTH
AGAINST US … (PAUSE).
e. FOR HE IS THE ACCUSER OF THE BRETHRENS .
f. BUT HANG IN THERE … GOD MAY NOT COME WHEN YOU WANT HIM TO. BUT HE’S COMING; AND HE COMING … JUST IN TIME …
G. Don’t stop what you’re doing for Jesus; keep on loving folks; DON’T
STOP PRAYING; PRAYING IS OUR SHIELD … IT’S WHAT GOT US WHERE
WE ARE. PLEASE … don’t allow the devil to cause you to stoop to
his level.
H. I CAN ASSURE YOU … OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD CAN SHUT
THE LION’S MOUTH …
g. AND GOD WILL CAUSED THE ACCUSERS TO BE DESTROYED BY THEIR
OWN TRAP.
****************TAKE 5 BEATS****************
CELEBRATION:
FOR YOU DON’T YOU REMEMBER … HOW THE STORY ENDS …
DANIEL WAS IN THE DEN … ALL NIGHT LONG …
