The Second Most Important Decision Of Your Life Series

Introduction

We make decisions every day of our life. According to Cornell University, we make 35,000 remotely conscious decisions each day. And if a person lives to age 75 that means, in our lifespan, we will make 945 billion decisions. But let’s be honest, some decisions are more important than others. Deciding what church, I am going to attend is much more important than what kind of dressing I am going to put on my salad. Both are decisions, but one has much more impact on my life than the other. Deciding what church, I am going to attend impacts my life in a significant way, what salad dressing I use today has little or no significant impact on my life.

Today, I want to talk with you about the second most significant decision of your life. I hope that you know that the number one most important decision of your life is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Here at Bala Chitto many times Bro. Greg will preach an evangelistic message imploring you to come to know Christ as your Savior, and I will generally within every message tell you of the importance of making Christ your Lord and Savior. And both Bro Greg and I do altar calls at the end of every sermon to give you an opportunity to talk with us or our deacons about becoming a believer in Christ. And we do all this because we both know that accepting Christ as your Savior is the most significant decision that you will make in your life. To make a decision to accept Christ as your Savior results in eternal salvation. Making the decision to reject Christ as your Savior for something or someone else results in eternal damnation.

The Scripture passage, we are going to look at today tells us in verse 23 that Daniel believed in his God. Daniel makes the correct number one most significant decision of his life. Unfortunately, it appears that King Darius, who certainly loved Daniel, spoke highly of Daniel’s God, but never knew Him as his God. King Darius when faced with the most important decision chose to worship his gods rather than the God of Daniel. King Darius never made Daniel’s God his God. He made the wrong decision.

But assuming today that those who are here have made that decision for Christ in their life already, let’s talk about the second most important decision of your life.

Turn in your Bibles as we read from Daniel 6:18-24. Please stand.

Scripture Reading

Daniel 6:18–24 (NKJV)

18 Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also, his sleep went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”

23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in his God.

24 And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.

Point #1

As a believer, my second most important decision is how much am I going to serve the Lord whom I have accepted as my Savior.

Daniel 6:20 (NKJV)

20 And when he came to the den, he cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”

In verse 20, King Darius tells us that Daniel served His God continuously. I know King Darius is right about Daniel serving God continuously because I have read about his continual service to God from Chapter 1 all the way through Chapter 6. Daniel was unique; and continually was his standard of serving God. No question!

But what does God require of you and me as our standard of service to me? So, I went searching in the Word of God and this is what I found.