Have you ever been in a situation where you have to stand firm on your convictions, but as you look around, you're the only one. You're standing all alone. It's just you. Maybe it was a decision you had to make at work that challenged your integrity. Or a conversation with friends where you had to break the silence on a particular issue, but you're the only one who did it. Perhaps it's a disagreement in your own family where you're standing firm, but now you feel totally isolated because everyone else feels a different way.
These moments aren't easy. They test our courage and they reveal a depth of our convictions. Ultimately, they show us what we truly value. Do we choose to compromise for the sake of comfort or acceptance? Or do we stay true to what we know is right? Even though it might cost us and cost us dearly. When we face these situations, they can feel overwhelming. And yet, they also present an incredible opportunity. They allow us to see where our faith lies. They get at the core of who we are. They challenge us to trust God in ways that we've never done before.
Today, we're concluding our Called by God series by looking at the story of Daniel. Over the past couple of months, we've explored how God calls us to give up, to step up, to stand up, to stand firm on what we believe and what we know is true, get to the core of our convictions, to stand up for God. And today, Daniel's story, it vividly illustrates just that, what it means to stand up and stand firm in the faith, even when we're standing alone. Daniel's unwavering commitment to God in the face of a great danger serves as a powerful example for us today, even though we're living in the safety and freedom of the modern Western world. So as we wrap up this series, Daniel's courageous act of faith reminds us of an enduring truth. When we stand for God, he will stand with us.
But first, welcome to Mountain View Church. My name is Jeremy. Whether you're here in person or joining us online, we are so glad that you're here. If you're new, we'd love to connect with you. Visit mountainview.church slash connect or text connect to the number on the screen, which is 867-322-8001. And if you're with us in person, just fill out one of those connect cards and hand it into the welcome desk before you leave. For parents out there, we run our Basecamp Children's Program every Sunday morning at 930 or 11. If you're at home, you can still take part by downloading the lessons that are on video and the activities that go with them, all of them available at mountainview.church slash Basecamp.
And last but not least, to our teens, our students, please come out and join our youth group every Sunday evening at 6 p.m. Our junior high middle school meets on the first and third Sundays and our high school, which is our senior youth, meet on second and fourth Sundays. We'd love to have you. But now we need to get back into the message. Let's dive in. Let's dive into God's word and look at this passage that sets the stage for Daniel's bold stand for his faith, for his God, and for the truth.
Hi, I'm Dagmar, and I'm reading from Daniel chapter 6, verse 1 to 13. Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful and no error or fault was found in him. Then these men said, We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.
Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, O King Darius, live forever. All the high officials of the kingdom, the perfects and the satraps, the counselors and the generous, agreed that the king should establish no ordinance and enforce an injunction that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, established the injunction and signed a document so that it cannot be changed according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked. Therefore, King Darius signed a document and injunction. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house, where he had windows in his upper chamber, open towards Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. Then they came near and said before the king concerning the injunction, O king, did you not sign an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any God or man within 30 days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked. Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, whom is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.
Like I said, this passage paints a vivid picture of Daniel's unweavering faith and his deep trust in God. But there's a pivotal moment I want us to look at in verse 10. Check this out. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he had done previously. Despite knowing the decree was already signed, making it illegal to pray to anyone except King Darius, Daniel didn't hide.
He didn't alter his routine to avoid the trouble, to save his life. Instead, he remained unwavering in his commitment to God, continuing to pray three times a day with his windows wide open. He chose faithfulness over fear, fully aware that his actions could lead to his death. The obvious reflection to ask as we're looking at this and maybe placing ourselves in that situation is, do I have that kind of courage? Do I live with that level of conviction?
I'd like to think that I would, but I've never been tested to that level. And I don't think we can know unless we've been faced with those life or death faith decisions. Those tough situations that happened in the ancient world and that happened in certain parts of the world, but that we don't face here in the West. But let's pull back for a moment. What's also remarkable is that Daniel's prayer wasn't a spur of the moment cry for help.
It wasn't like he prayed because of what happened. This was a long time practice. This was a well-established discipline in his everyday life. Whether in good times or in bad times, or like this moment, in life or death times, Daniel was praying and praying three times a day. It was his rhythm. He had a daily discipline of kneeling in prayer, which may have built a foundation for his resolve. Daniel had declarations of his trust in God's sovereignty over and over and over again. He had made them.
There was no earthly authority that was built into his prayer life. He had given over that earthly authority to God as part of his rhythm. So when the ultimatum came, he made an intentional yet somewhat automatic choice to remain steadfast, to continue to pray regardless of the circumstance. He just prayed and gave thanks, submitted to God's sovereignty, submitted to God's authority. This is another important lesson for us, especially for those of us who really do want to live out that courageous faith. Consistent prayer is a foundational component. It's in those daily moments of communion with God that we build the spiritual strength to stand firm when trials come. Daniel's story, it challenges us. It calls us to consider our prayer lives. Are we adequately preparing ourselves in the good times? Will we be spiritually built up to face challenges with that same boldness and trust in God, just like Daniel? We need to think about that.
Now let's keep rolling though through this passage. In verse 14, we find out that King Darius is deeply distressed. He realizes the harsh consequences of the decree he's signed, which can't be revoked under the laws of the Medes and the Persians. He wants to save Daniel. He really does, but he's bound by the law. Scripture says, Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you. This is fascinating. Even in his distress, King Darius acknowledges the steadfastness of Daniel's faith.
This statement, it reveals a glimmer of hope, so to speak. Darius seems to recognize that Daniel's God is unlike any other, likely based on Daniel's steadfast witness before and during this whole ordeal. But next, we're told that a stone is brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and it is sealed with the king's signet ring and those of his nobles. This ensures that no one, absolutely no one can intervene on Daniel's behalf. It is sealed and done. And with that den sealed, the king returns to his palace.
But King Darius isn't satisfied. He's not happy. He actually has a sleepless night. He's fasting and refusing entertainment. Clearly, Darius is full of this anxiety that's tormenting him. And he's tormented because of what Daniel might be experiencing or have already experienced in that lion's den. So at first light, at the break of dawn, Darius runs and rushes to the lion's den. He has to see what happened to Daniel. As he came near to the den where Daniel was,
He cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions? Then comes the moment we've all been waiting for. The moment King Darius has been in anguish over all night. There's relief and amazement as Daniel cries out.
My God sent his angel and shut the lion's mouth and they have not harmed me because I was found blameless before him. And also before you, O king, I have done no harm. Daniel's response is amazing. It is a testimony to both his innocence and God's faithfulness. God sent an angel to intervene. Isn't that incredible? And which totally demonstrates his sovereign hand of protection and provision. Then comes the second pivotal moment for Daniel. The complete answer to Daniel's prayer from verse 10 is fulfilled in verse 23.
Scripture says, then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God. This ended up being a catalyst moment for all God's people. God's intervention didn't just save Daniel. Oh, no way. It transformed King Darius' perspective. He got a new look on life and eternity in heaven and God. The rest of the account tells us that those who plotted against Daniel were thrown into the lion's den. And scripture says before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
This is gruesome. I understand. I get it. But it gives us a vivid picture of what God saved Daniel from. That would happen to Daniel. But what comes next is even more incredible. King Darius issues a new decree proclaiming the greatness of Daniel's God, ensuring that his power and sovereignty are declared throughout the entire kingdom. It's unreal. Daniel's story teaches us that when we stand up for God, he'll stand up for us. Choosing to honor God with our actions and our words and our faith, especially in the face of challenges, is no small thing.
Trusting God is lived out through acts of obedience, through believing that God will be our protector and our provider and our guide, even through the darkest valleys. Truth be told, standing for God doesn't guarantee an easy journey. It never does, it never has. And yet, the evidence is witnessed throughout history and all over the world by everyday people like you and I that standing firm on our convictions centered on God, time and time again, God will use our faithfulness to reveal his glory to others, often in ways that we never could have predicted. Life will always be filled with tests of faith.
Whether it's making a tough decision at work, standing firm in your integrity during a challenging situation, or having that difficult conversation with a friend and the temptation to compromise. It's always present, but we have to stand firm. You see, it's human nature to avoid conflict and choose comfort. It's the way we're wired. It's our sin nature. Taking the easiest path forward has always been human nature, but it's a false reality. The path, the easy path doesn't lead anywhere meaningful.
Without God's strength, we're prone to falter. Daniel's story reminds us that standing for despite the risks brings God's presence and power and protection into our lives. We see it, we hear it, we feel it. We're more aware of his spirit working in and through us. Faithfulness to God, even when it feels costly, I'm telling you, it's always worth it. It's always worth it. But now we need to have that moment that we've had throughout this series where we need to pan way out to get the bigger picture.
And we've done this throughout this series. We got to do it now because Daniel's deliverance, once again, each of these biblical characters points us to an eternal deliverance and it points us to God's son, Jesus Christ. Just as Daniel was saved from physical death, Jesus offers us salvation from spiritual death. Daniel's unwavering trust in God foreshadows Jesus' obedience to the Father's plan, willingly going to the cross and giving himself as a final sacrifice for our sin, for all humanity. Jesus died for you and I, but through his death and then his resurrection, Jesus provides the ultimate testimony of God's power and faithfulness. God made a way for us to access his righteousness and holiness, even though we deserve to be separated. After we place our trust in Jesus Christ, we are given God's Holy Spirit. We are sealed with that spirit.
And the spirit is our guide, giving us the courage to stand firm because we know the victory has already been won at the cross. Our salvation is secure. Our eternity is secure. But we need to talk about modern Western society. We live in a comfortable life, don't we? Thanks to the spread of Christianity followed by the Reformation, the foundation was laid for the free democratic society that most of us in the West enjoy. There are freedoms that we have that few throughout history and many all over the world do not have and have never experienced.
For us, standing up for our faith isn't a life or death situation. It just isn't. And yet it still requires conviction and courage. We shouldn't have hesitation about boldly proclaiming that we've placed our trust in Jesus. We shouldn't have trouble proclaiming that he is our eternal Lord, that he's our savior and king. Related to proclamation, that proclaiming of our faith, the boldest and most memorable is done through baptism. This physical act displays a spiritual outcome that our old self has died.
but that through Christ we have been reborn into a new life, an everlasting life. We are reborn as a new creation, scripture tells us. This past summer, I had the privilege of baptizing a friend of mine from Alaska. To give you some context, he owns and operates a fishing charter, and fishing in Alaska isn't for the faint of heart. It is a demanding life that takes dedication and resilience. It is a tough trade for tough people.
But if we come back to my friend, after he gave his life to Christ, he wanted to go public with his faith in a big way. Jesus had changed his life, and even though he had never been one to seek attention, he chose to have a very public baptism in the ocean off the Homer Spit during the peak of tourism season. For those unfamiliar, the Homer Spit is a bustling, highly visible area where anyone walking by or even those who are nearby in boats could watch the baptism. While he didn't face physical danger, there was the risk of public judgment or criticism, especially in a fishing community where toughness and even salty behavior is a bit of a badge of honor. Despite all of that, he stood firm in his faith. He prioritized his relationship with Jesus over concerns about what others might think. His baptism was a bold, public declaration that he belonged to Jesus, and no one was going to change his mind. No one was going to change that. Jesus was the priority from that point moving forward.
And so I had the pleasure of baptizing him. That water was cold. And if we had stayed in too long, it would have been a life or death situation, but it wasn't really. It was an amazing moment that I will cherish the rest of my life. But now let's get back to you. How is God calling you to stand up in this season of life? How will you embrace the courage and the faith that Daniel displayed? Can you do it? If you can, you should. It's time. You see, we have an incredible opportunity to impact our world. There are people all around us, our friends, coworkers, neighbors, who are more open to conversations about faith than we might realize.
Whether it's because of a life event or maybe a moment of reflection or simple curiosity, there are countless touch points to lead them in their first steps towards Christ. But it takes courage. It takes courage. As we take these opportunities, we need to remember that Daniel grounded himself before he went out, right? He prayed. He had a rhythm of prayer. He had a practice of prayer. He was seeking God's presence continually. This practice built up his resolve to stand firm, even in the face of opposition. That same foundation is available to us. It starts with committing to a regular prayer, a time of prayer.
and then trusting that God will guide us as we boldly share his truth. When that time comes, when we feel the spirit move, when that person asks us a question that we know the answer. We should also keep in mind that Daniel's faith didn't just affect him. It ended up influencing a king, a king, and then an entire kingdom. In the same way, our faith has the power to impact those around us, even those that are maybe an authority and even a larger community. Over time, who knows how far the gospel can spread in our community, in our time. If we look at the past two millennia of Christianity, every time someone has been bold in sharing their faith,
Christianity has exploded. People have been saved, their lives transformed. You see, a simple invitation to attend a small group or a church gathering could be the beginning of someone's entire eternity, their eternity in heaven, Lord willing. Just imagine the ripple effect of one step of obedience, one invitation, and one moment of courage pointing someone to Jesus Christ. You never know how the Holy Spirit might have been working in their life far before you ever decided to have that conversation.
This week, take a chance. Take that bold step of faith. Start by praying and asking God to place someone specifically on your heart. Someone in your life who you know needs to hear about the hope and love of Jesus. Maybe you hear a name right now. Maybe you see their face. Pray that God will start working in their life, preparing you for the conversation. So who is it? Who is that person? Is it a coworker that you've been hesitant to approach? Is it a family member who hasn't engaged in church for years? A neighbor? Maybe that neighbor's curious, but uncertain about faith and doesn't want to bring it up. It's waiting for you.
Today's the day to start praying for boldness and embrace an intentional step of faith by inviting them to connect with you for a coffee or lunch, to attend a small group, or even a church gathering. You see, when you extend that invitation, you're offering them a chance to encounter the eternal, the eternal, the eternal hope of Jesus. That's huge. You are the touch point that might open them up to eternity. Let that sit for a moment. You see, standing firm in our faith is making a conscious choice to be that beacon of light to the world, a world that's longing for hope and truth.
Every act of faith, every invitation, and every time we stand up to reflect Christ's love has the potential to create a ripple effect. Every invitation touches more lives than the person we've invited. And it reaches further than we could ever have planned or imagined. Just as God stood with Daniel, he will stand with you. He'll give you the words. He'll give you the courage. He'll give you the compassion to share the love of Christ and extend that invitation. So make that commitment. Make the commitment to reflect the light of Christ boldly, embodying his grace and his truth.
embodying it for those he loves and cares about, those who need it most, those that he's placed in your life. And so as we close today's message, we're going to focus on that one person. I'm going to focus on my one person. You're going to focus on your one person. The Holy Spirit's likely already spoken to you, already given you their face, or maybe you see their name in your mind's eye. Now it's time to pray. Let's pray for that person. Let's pray for an open door that would start them on the road to Jesus. Dear God, thank you for calling me to stand firm in my faith.
I lift up the person you've placed on my heart, and I ask that you would open their heart to your hope and love. Give me the courage to reach out this week with kindness and extend an invitation to connect. Equip me with the words to say and the compassion to reflect your grace. Use this act of obedience to draw them closer to accepting Jesus and receiving salvation. I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Thank you so much for watching and listening to our Called by God series. It's been a wild ride as we look at all these biblical characters and where God's brought them and where he's going to bring us. Before you go, we have a few updates on what's happening in the Mountain View Church community and how you can be involved. Let's get started. We're hosting a second Church Boards workshop, not just for board members, today. That's right, today, Sunday, November 24th at 12.30pm, and lunch will be provided, so just come on out. If you've ever been curious about how a church functions as a charitable organization, that can sometimes be strange to wrap your mind around, you should come out. We'll cover the role of church boards, the legal responsibilities, and how unity and leadership ensures church will remain mission-focused. This will be a great opportunity to learn about the inner workings of church in general, learn about Mountain View Church, and maybe you'll meet someone new, and after all, you're getting lunch, so why not?
Next, our Advent series begins next week. Our Advent series is titled The Newborn King. Over December, we're going to walk through the traditional Advent themes of hope and peace and joy and love, but as they connect to the birth of our Savior and King, the majestic Jesus Christ. If you haven't done so already, invite someone to walk through the series with you, either in person, on Sundays, or online at any time of the week. Okay, as I've already told you about Advent, come back next week. Our first message is entitled Hope Fulfilled. Hope to see you there.
If you prayed to receive Jesus today or would like to connect with our church community, visit mountainview.church and click the connect link. If this podcast and radio ministry has been a blessing to you, please consider partnering with us or making a tax-deductible donation at mountainview.church. Thanks for listening to Mountain View Church Audio. Join us next week for more Christ-centered teaching from the Wilderness City of Whitehorse Econ.