DANIEL Series #1 of 11

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PRAY #3 Summer 2018 GATHER teaching

Pastor David Staff

Praying Under Pressure Daniel 6 Over the course of the last 13 days, my bride and I took a very fun 44 th Anniversary trip, making our way east through the mid-west…all the way across the Potomac River. Our first stop was Springfield IL to take in the Abraham Lincoln Museum and Presidential Library. Fascinating. Stop 2 was the Creation Museum in northern Kentucky (and we just happened to run into Jeanne and Sarah Majoros!). Stop 3 was the Ark Encounter in Williamstown KY, along with a Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds baseball game. Stop 4, Washington DC and some great experiences there. Perhaps the greatest surprise was to run into my long lost twin brother. When I saw him, we immediately connected, because what I read on his shirt convinced me that we must have been separated at birth! (“My wife says I have two faults. I don’t listen and something else.”)  Before we begin this morning, may I simply thank you for engaging so meaningfully in our Summer ’18 PRAY series. Your feedback and encouragement has been tremendous. Keep it up! This morning – “Praying under Pressure”. Let’s ask the Spirit for His essential help. -------------------------------------------------Join me in a bit of self-evaluation for a moment. Ask yourself this: What happens to my insides, in my heart, to my peace of mind--when without much warning, living takes an unwelcomed turn and the uncomfortable pressure of what’s unfolding takes me by surprise? We all prefer—don’t we?--to move forward day-by-day handling what we hope and expect. We enjoy “being in our lane,” to know what’s on the road ahead. Most days, we’re at peace. We can rely on what’s in place for us. The familiar, the provisions we have, the opportunities and privileges we enjoy, the predictable day-by-day rhythms that allow us to be productive and happily connected with others. But every now and then, that kind of “no surprises” living has a way of getting off the rails. Not 1|P a g e

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because of anything we’ve changed. No, it happens (if you belong to Jesus Christ) because you operate in a world that can spiritually challenge you in ways you didn’t see coming. Spiritual challenges—even battles--that come from people around us. Suddenly, they’ve switched on the compressor, and the uncomfortable pressure builds. So what happens? What happens between you and your heavenly Father [who is actually control over your life]? In your relationship with Him? This morning, God’s Spirit would have us take a good look at one of the most godly men we find in all of Scripture. But he was a man who – even though he had walked with God for decades, even though he was professionally remarkably successful    

was targeted by his jealous colleagues was misrepresented before someone who could change his fortunes in a moment’s notice whose privacy was hacked; the details used in deceptive power-plot to take him down whose safety evaporated in the wake hasty, thoughtless legislation

Why did this happen to Daniel? How did he respond? And how did this firestorm in his life affect his time with God? I believe God’s Spirit wants us to discover (rediscover?) this TEACHING IDEA

When time with God has become a vital necessity, pressure does displace it; it deepens it. (creates greater intimacy/trust)

Find Daniel’s book, chapter 6 (p. 743 ESV Bible). Daniel 6:1

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. Here’s the setting.  By Daniel 6, the Babylon’s glorious kingdom was dead. 70 years earlier, Daniel went as an exiled teenager from Jerusalem to Babylon; he would live most of his life away from home, in a realm that did not honor God nor respect his convictions. But even as a Jewish exile, he rose to the top in Babylon, serving the volatile King Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon’s “head of gold;” 

But in 539, Babylon crumbled before the onslaught of Medo-Persia, the “chest and arms of silver.” Cyrus, a.k.a. “Darius the Mede,” commanded a military machine sweeping up and swallowing Babylon’s vast territories…even to swarm into Babylon on October 16, 539 BC without even so much as a fight.i When the executions concluded, Darius the Mede ruled all

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(cf. Daniel 5:30-31).ii 

Immediately, Darius (the Medeiii) set the tone by appointing 120 under-rulers (6:1, “satraps”). Over these would be 3 “commissioners” directly responsible to him. And somehow, midst all the executions, upheaval, and change, Daniel not only survived the political bloodbath, but served the new Persian ruler with the same impressive excellence he had in Babylon.

(Daniel 6:3) Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit…Deeply impressed, Darius (6:3b) “planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.” How interesting that at this point God allows the pressure to build on Daniel in perhaps the greatest challenge of his 80 year old life. His competitors were not about to let an old Jewish exile become the 2nd most powerful man in the new kingdom. So they laid plans to destroy him through something vital to him: that Daniel would not let a day go by without spending time with God. And they put the pressure on. So what happens? What does pressure produce in our lives? Does it derail our time in God’s presence, or deepen it. Will you notice, first, that Daniel’s Praying under pressure flows from a commitment to excellence. Dan 6:4-5 (Daniel 6:4-5) Then the commissioners and satraps began trying to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to government affairs; but they could find no ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God." These verses are really interesting, especially when pinned up against the backdrop of our own culture. We are so desensitized to the expectation of integrity for those in public office. Almost invariably, when you watch a documentary study on virtually any one of our own national leaders, our presidents, there are skeletons in closets, public prayers and private filthiness. These two verses amaze if for no other reason than this: when Daniel’s enemies scour through 65 years of Babylonian records, a half-century plus of public service, serving 5 Babylonian rulers, administrating power in the highest circles of the kingdom’s power—Daniel’s detractors audit his life’s books and the bottom line is 6:4b – absolute faithfulness. If you are under 25 years of age this 3|P a g e

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morning, memorize these two verses! When you hit lap 80, cross the finish line like Daniel!!! This man’s history frustrated his opponents!!! Lesson clear: Daniel’s life of prayer was right at the heart of his excellent life. Two Sundays ago, we heard God’s Spirt tell us that what a confused world needs most of all is a church – and especially its men – to pray. Last week, Pastor Mark Henderson introduced us to a powerful prayer of confession that comes from the Puritan tradition.iv Study the Puritan believers and their spiritual leaders; they had so much right about what it meant to walk with God. John Owen captured the relationship between our commitment to excellence and our commitment to prayer when he said He who prays as he ought will endeavor to live as he prays. Daniel understood this about his life. No surprise Daniels’ private life and his professional career was marked by excellence because his time with God was marked by consistency. No surprise to find solid consistency in prayer. An excellent person whose time with God has become a vital necessity. But there’s more. Praying under pressure is energized by consistent, daily decisions. Daniel 6:5-10 (Daniel 6:5-9) Then these men said, "We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the law of his God." Then these commissioners and satraps came by agreement to the king and spoke to him as follows: "King Darius, live forever! "All the commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have consulted together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who makes a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall be cast into the lions' den. "Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document so that it may not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked." Therefore King Darius signed the document, that is, the injunction. On the surface, this proposal made sense. What better way to consolidate the attention and focus the affections of a very diverse and newly established kingdom than to funnel all requests toward him, to Darius. “O King, in the next 30 days, let’s put YOU ALONE in the spotlight!” Unthinkingly, he signed the irrevocable law. Deserving our attention is Daniel’s reaction (6:10). Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had 4|P a g e

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windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.

You know what words to circle. “He continued…” and “as he had been doing previously.” Daniel’s commitment to time with God was not foxhole-driven. New pressure didn’t change a thing. When no one was looking, when anyone was looking, it didn’t matter who was looking! Daniel had 3 appointments a day, unchangeable appointments.  Praying under pressure flows from a life committed to excellence  Praying under pressure is energized by consistent, daily decisions Corrie Ten Boom (WWII Camp survivor) Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with God. Keep it. Researcher James Clear has done the homework. Studies consistently demonstrate that for anything to become a habit in my life—forget the 21 day rule/approach. It takes at least 66 days (to be exact). Daniel had 3 daily appointments with God, whether he felt like it or not. It was the habit of his life. A habit he had decided to establish. Philip Brooks noted: “If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing; it is an infinitely foolish thing.” Daniel was no fool; the Spirit of God has given US his story. No panic at the signing of the decree. Just fervent prayer, thankful prayer, trusting prayer. When time with God has become a vital necessity, pressure does not derail it nor diminish it; Pressure deepens it. Pressure is a new opportunity for greater intimacy with God. Quickly, please also note that Praying without compromise yields a contentment in unfair, even threatening circumstances. Dan 6:11-23 Perhaps you know the story well. His opponents force the king to carry through on the law. Amazing to my thinking is Daniel’s silence. He had power, equity with this king. Daniel could have jockeyed for some kind of grandfather clause, pulling the strings available to him. Yet every 5|P a g e

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indication is that he first dropped to his knees and calmly let himself (at 80 yrs of age) dropped into a cavern of purposefully starved animals without so much as a whisper of protest.v It’s the king who is upset (vss. 14-18); Daniel (by contrast) is thoroughly anchored in the faithfulness of God. Listen to how Dr. Donald Campbell imaginatively creates what happened in the pit. As the guards closed the aperture and went their way, Daniel slid gradually to the floor of the den. The big lions that had come bounding from their caverns at the inflow of light all stopped suddenly short, like a steed reined up by a powerful hand on a bridle. The initial roars died away as they formed a solid phalanx and looked toward this man who stood in their den within easy reach. There was some snorting and a little whining, and some of them turned around and went back to their caverns. Others yawned and lay on the floor, but not one made a move to advance toward the visitor. “Thanks be to Jehovah,” breathed the prophet. He sat down on the floor of the den and leaned his back against the wall to make himself comfortable for the night. Soon, two lion cubs moved in his direction, not stealthily or crouching as though to make an attack, but in obvious friendliness, and one lay on each side of Daniel as though to give him warmth and protection in the chilly dungeon. Presently, their mother, an old lioness, crept over and lay in front of the prophet. He dared gently stroke their backs as they each turned their heads and licked his hand. Enclosed by the lioness and her cubs, the head of the patriarch was gradually pillowed on the back of one of the cubs as the four slept soundly in the remarkable peace of a lion’s den.vi

Can you imagine the scene in the morning? A red-eyed king’s “troubled voice” slices the morning air (vs.20). When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?" The original grammar of that verse suggests the king did not expect to hear a human response rising out of that pit. What he did hear was the clear, strong voice of an 80 year old warrior “O King, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him, and also before you. O King, I have committed no crime.” (Daniel 6:22) The response of someone who’s life had been bathed in prayer, someone who would not give it up simply because someone threatened his life. An authenticity of life that moved the delivering hand of God.

When time with God has become a vital necessity, pressure does displace it; it deepens it.

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CONCLUSION So the question is: Question – Has time with God (for you) become vital? So vital that when the pressure comes, your walk with God immediately deepens, rather than gets derailed? Will I make time with God that vital? Praying that sharpens the EXCELLENCE of my living. Praying energized by an established HABIT of daily decisions. Time with God that produces a peace, a contentment even in the face of substantial challenges. Very practically, Bill Hybels in his practical book Too Busy Not to Pray. Authentic Christianity is not learning a set of doctrines and then stepping into cadence with people all marching the same way. It is not simply humanitarian service to the less fortunate. It is a walk—a supernatural walk with a living, dynamic, communicating God. The heart and soul of the Christian life is learning to hear God’s voice and developing the courage to do what he tells us to do. Authentic Christians are persons who stand apart from others, even other Christians, as though listening to a different drummer. Their character seems deeper, their ideas fresher, their spirit softer, their courage greater, their leadership stronger, their concerns wider, their compassion more genuine, their convictions more concrete. They are joyful in spite of difficult circumstances and show wisdom beyond their years. Authentic Christians are full of surprises. You think you have them neatly boxed, but they turn out to be unpredictable. When you are around them, you feel slightly off balance, because you don’t know what to expect next. Over time, though, you realize that their unexpected ideas and actions can be trusted. That’s because authentic Christians have strong relationships with the Lord—relationships that are renewed every day. Embarrassingly few Christians ever reach this level of authenticity; most Christians are just too busy. And the archenemy of spiritual authenticity is busyness, which is closely tied to something the Bible calls worldliness—getting caught up with this society’s agenda, objectives, and activities to the neglect of walking with God. Any way you cut it, a key ingredient in authentic Christianity is time. Not leftover time, not throwaway time, but quality time. Time for contemplation, meditation, and reflection. Unhurried, uninterrupted time.vii Copyright 2018 © David A. Staff

All rights reserved His lead general, Gobryas. shrewdly managed to divert the Euphrates River just north of the capital city of Babylon. At night, down a dry river bed, the Persian forces marched in under the Babylonian defenses. ii (Daniel 5:30-31) That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain. So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. iii 62 years of age, otherwise known as Cyrus the Persian, according to Joyce G. Baldwin, Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1978), “Introduction, “ 26-28. iv From that Valley of Vision v Baldwin (127) writes: The modern man who is accustomed to seeing lions only in the zoo finds the very idea of a king keeping lions somewhat fantastic, though an increasing number of safari parks, even in the western world, have brought lions back into the natural scene. In the ancient Near East the sport of kings was lion-hunting, as works of art from Egypt to Mesopotamia prove (cf. Ezekiel 19:6,8,9). The pit in which the lions were kept provided a trouble free method of disposing of undesirable members of society in Roman as well as in Persian times.” vi Donald Campbell, Daniel, 74-75 vii Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray—Slowing Down to Be With God (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 99-100. i

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