The Dangerous Anointing Series

The Dangerous Anointing

Book of Daniel Series

CCCAG 4-6-25

Text: Daniel 6

Introduction

We are going to start this morning with a quiz.

How many people remember what these commercial taglines represent, and I will be dating myself a bit here.

“The few, the proud, the….”?

“It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.”

“Be all you can be!”

“Aim High”

All of these armed services use the promise of adventure or a sense of being the elite to attract recruits.

You notice, though- in the commercials they never show-

Soldiers on KP duty, or doing busy work like turning over gravel in the yard so they get equal amounts of sun.

Sailors scraping barnacles off a buoy.

Today we will be talking about a subject that most church’s shy away from, and that is the hardship that can be seen from having a calling as a Christian.

The bible is clear- there are some people who receive a special call of God

This call will lead them places most Christians will never see. This calling is not easy, and is often a calling into an eventful life that makes an impact on the world.

Sometimes that the calling will lead these people into a life of danger

Today, we will see that happen as we look at one of the most famous stories in all of scripture.

This morning, we’re stepping into the lion’s den through the lens of Daniel 6. This isn’t just a Sunday school tale of a man and some big cats; it’s a lesson that shows us what it means to carry "The Dangerous Anointing."

For those who might not understand this word anointing, let me explain it for a moment.

When God places a special calling on your life, there is a spiritual power and essence that comes with that calling. That power and essence is called an anointing, or spiritual empowerment.

The idea of anointing started in the Old Testament. People who were being set apart by God often had physical oil poured over their head’s symbolizing God’s favor and HIS calling in their life.

Today we see this anointing as a special outpouring of God’s power into an individual through the Holy Spirit. It’s a measure of divine wisdom, power, and authority that is supernatural.

This anointing is not a passport to privilege, but an empowerment to serve God in very unique and special way.

However, as we will see as we explore this topic through Daniel’s experience in the lion's den, this calling and it’s anointing can lead to some pretty dangerous situations.

That’s why the title of today’s message is “The Dangerous Anointing” because it’s an invitation to a wild, perilous, and….in the human sense, often lonely journey where you’ll face trials most people never imagine.

Yet, in that same crucible, you’ll encounter God’s power and presence at a depth that transforms not just you but those around you.

As we read Daniel chapter 6, we will see this truth by looking at this event in the life of Daniel. He’s a man anointed by God—set apart as a prophet, a leader, a beacon that shines God’s light into a dark empire.

But as we will see-that anointing doesn’t shield him from danger; it often draws the danger to him.

Let’s read about that this morning. Remember, we are going chronologically through the Book of Daniel.

Darius is now the king after the Medo-Persian empire conquers Babylon, and he is assigning regional officials called satraps over his kingdom.

Daniel is one of them, and because of his anointing from God he does better than all of the other officials by far, and is about to be promoted to the head of all of the other officials.

The other officials get jealous, and hatch a plot against him. They can’t attack the results of Daniel’s anointing, so they attack the source.

Daniel 6:5-18 (CSB)

5 Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”

6 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.

7 All the administrators of the kingdom— the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors—have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that, for thirty days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” 9 So King Darius signed the written edict.

10 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upstairs room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God. 12 So they approached the king and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for thirty days any person who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”