Class Lesson November 29, 2015

  GAME CHANGER:  

HOW TO IMPACT YOUR WORLD

You can make an impact. Get in the game.

 

God used Daniel and his friends in a tremendous way to impact their world and time, and He will use us the same way to impact and change our world today.

 

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Habits. We’ve all got them. Some habits are bad, many are good, and some are just eccentric. For example:

• The Greek orator Demosthenes shaved off half his hair when writing. Making himself look ridiculous kept him from leaving the house until he finished his work.

• The Russian composer Tchaikovsky walked every day for exactly two hours. Not a minute more or less. 

• Friedrich Schiller, a German poet and historian, would only write if the smell of rotten apples was around him.

We all know bad habits are bad for us. But who ever heard of a good habit getting someone in trouble? That’s exactly what happened to Daniel near the end of his life.

Daniel had a great habit—praying daily to God. We can learn much from what happened when others tried to turn his faith against him.

The world is not always content to leave Christians alone. If they can't persuade us to join them in what they are doing, they will try to keep us from practicing our faith. Why does this matter to the world? Our actions shine the light of Christ and expose their darkness. When Daniel faced a similar experience, he was not fazed. He continued to worship God and pray, even if it meant opposition and death.




WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 

Daniel 6:6-10,13-16,19-22 (ESV)

6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an 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. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

13Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who 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.” 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” 16 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!”

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 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?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 

Law of Medes and the Persians (v. 8)—A legal statute that was binding and could not be altered.


Political reorganizations are not only a contemporary phenomenon. Darius the Mede, the ruler in Babylon after the Medo-Persian takeover, implemented a new structure by appointing a lower tier of officials - princes or satraps - to govern assigned portions of the realm. These satraps reported to three presidents, or administrators, who were accountable to Darius himself. The primary concern was to reduce corruption in the tax collection process. Darius selected Daniel as an administrator, probably because of the reputation Daniel had established as a man of integrity. Darius admired Daniel so much that before long he made Daniel chief of the three administrators. In that role, Daniel was in essence second in command, reporting directly to the king.

As frequently happens among ambitious people who feel overlooked by their superiors, jealousy reared its ugly head. The other two administrators and at least some - if not all - of the satraps set out to find something negative against Daniel. Their search was futile. Daniel not only had a reputation as a man of integrity, he acted with integrity. No one could find any negligence or corruption that would create disfavor with the king. Therefore, his opponents developed a clear plan to attack him at his strength, that being his devotion to God. Thus, Daniel found himself in dire circumstances not because he was weak in faith but because he was unwaveringly stalwart.

 




Daniel 6:6-10

It doesn’t matter how good some people have it—if they think someone else has it better, they just can’t be happy. That was the case with some of the administrators and satraps who served under Darius the Mede. Daniel was one of three such administrators, but he had “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” (Dan. 6:3).

It didn’t matter that Daniel was good at everything he did. The other administrators and satraps were envious of him and didn’t want to see him elevated higher, so they set their hearts to keep that from happening. Like modern politicians, they dug and dug for anything negative in Daniel’s life. They “sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom” (v. 4).

Of course, they came up empty handed—but that wasn’t the end. The administrators decided to attack Daniel at the point of his faith. They went before Darius with two tools:

1. Flattery. The administrators and satraps puffed Darius up by appealing to his pride. They implied the whole kingdom viewed him as a god, and they suggested he support that view by making himself the only object of prayer or worship for an entire month.
2. Falsehood. Those who went before the king assured him that “all the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed” to the proposal (v. 7). But surely not all 120 satraps were present. And Daniel, one of the three administrators, would never have agreed to such a proposal. They led the king to believe all his top leaders, including Daniel, were on board with the idea.

So, the king signed the edict. For 30 days, life and religious practices changed throughout the empire. But it didn’t change for Daniel. He kept right on praying to the one true God. “Three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (v. 10).

  

 
 

Daniel 6:13-16

Because Daniel’s character and reputation were so consistent, his opponents knew they would catch him praying as usual—despite the edict and its threat of death. Daniel was more committed to God than to his own life, and his opponents counted on that.

I’m sure the officials wasted no time in getting to the king and breaking the news to him. They attempted to paint Daniel as disloyal and disrespectful.

 

When the king heard about Daniel, he “was much distressed” (v. 14). He realized he’d been tricked and deceived. The law wasn’t really about prayer and honoring the king; it was all a ploy to remove a political rival. The edict had been a set up to trap Daniel.

The king spent the rest of the day trying to figure out a way to set Daniel free. The law books were examined for any legal loophole, but the satraps and administrators were happy to point out that the law of the Medes and Persians could not be changed. In the hearts and minds of these administrators and satraps, the plan was working perfectly. By morning, Daniel would be out of the picture.

 

Daniel, as always, prayed to His God. If that meant death, so be it. However, God already had used him as a witness, for as King Darius threw Daniel into the lions’ den, his last words to Daniel were: “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” (v. 16). Whether it was only a wish from a non-believing ruler or something more akin to a prayer, Darius expressed hope that Daniel’s God would rescue him.

Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, who “was filled with fury” (Dan. 3:19) when he threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, Darius was actually pulling for Daniel.

 
Daniel 6:19-22

Guards placed a stone over the mouth of the lions’ den. Soft clay was pressed into the chains that held the stone in place, and the king and his officials placed their seals in the clay. In the minds of the administrators and satraps, Daniel’s fate was sealed. Literally.

“Then, at break of day” (v. 19), Darius hurried down to the lions’ den. He cried out: “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” (v. 20). Unlike the idols of his own culture, Darius referred to the God of Daniel as “the living God.”

Daniel responded respectfully—and didn’t miss the opportunity to give glory to God: “O king, live forever! My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before Him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm” (vv. 21-22).

We serve a God who provides for us and protects us. History has shown us that not every follower of Jesus Christ has been rescued from death like Daniel was. But every martyr would affirm that many fates are worse than physical death. God may rescue you when you are persecuted—or He may not. Death does not alter eternity for the believer (see Rom. 8:37-39).

When we live under the lordship of Jesus, we glorify Him though our obedience. Even in the midst of persecution, we can’t go wrong by doing what’s right!

 

 
 



LIVE IT OUT

As you conclude this study, determine how you will live in light of God’s greatness. Consider the following suggestions as you move throughout this week:

• Be faithful. Pray at the beginning of each day, asking God to help you be faithful to Him in your work, in your interactions with others, and in the challenges you face.

• Be involved. Get more involved in ministry and service to others. Just as Daniel didn’t let either age or opposition keep him from his work or his walk with God, choose to help others discover and walk with Jesus.

• Be bold. When you encounter hostility to the name and work of Christ, don’t back down. Let your faith in Christ remain on display, but do so in a way that both honors Jesus and respects others.

Faith in Jesus is much more than a good habit—it’s the key to serving God in all circumstances. Hold on to that key, because God is and always will be greater than any who oppose you.


Today's Lesson:

ACT FAITHFULLY

 

What are some habits or routines you never change?

Lesson Point

God is greater than those who oppose you.

It hasn’t been that long ago that the media was in an uproar over the actions of football player Tim Tebow, for having both printed Scripture references on his “eye black” and for kneeling in prayer in the end zone after a touchdown. He garnered a lot of criticism, especially for his kneeling, sarcastically dubbed “tebowing.” Yet, with all the opposition Tebow had, he used this as a platform to share Jesus with a whole nation and to point others toward God.




1. Nothing should deter us from our faithful worship and walk with God.

 (verses 6-10)
6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an 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. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. 10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

Who were these officials and what was their motive?

• The other leaders were jealous of Daniel. He had been exalted in the sight of King Darius and the king planned to set him above everyone in the kingdom. The other advisors couldn’t find any fault with him, so they decided that they would set a trap for him regarding his worship of God. They got the king to sign a law that no one could pray to anyone but the king for a month or be thrown into a lions’ den.

How did Daniel respond to the decree?

• Daniel knew the edict had been signed, but he wasn’t going to let that deter him. He had been in the habit of praying to God three times a day for a long time.

How do you measure whether doing the right thing is worth the cost?

• Those who have a strong faith in God should expect opposition to surface.
• Doing things to satisfy our egos may lead us to make inappropriate decisions and take unreasonable actions.
• Nothing should deter us from our faithful worship and walk with the Lord.
• The world seems to hate it when Christians practice their Christianity. They twist the Constitution and use silly laws to bring lawsuits against us. They worship, too, but not the things of God. What they worship conflicts with worshiping God.

2. Faithfulness to God often results in opposition. 

(verses 13-16)
13Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who 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.” 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.” 16 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!”

On what grounds did the officials build their case against Daniel?

• They knew the faithfulness of Daniel towards God. They knew it wouldn’t take long for them to catch him praying. Daniel refused to change his actions in order to sneakily pray; he left his windows open. Nor was he flaunting; he was simply doing what he had always done.

Why was the king distressed when he heard the charges?

• The king didn’t want to punish Daniel. His respected him for his character of righteousness. But, he had signed a law that could not be revoked. Darius was obligated to follow through with the punishment. He also knew a little bit about Daniel’s God and, in a way, trusted Him to save Daniel.

What are some consequences of being faithful to God in today’s culture?

• Our own country is changing. The term “hate speech” has been created to punish Christians for speaking out against certain sins. Children, in some school districts, are told they cannot pray, read their Bibles, or talk about Jesus at school. Opposition to God will only get fiercer.
• Those who oppose God and His people are often relentless in their pursuit.
• The faithful can expect to suffer.
• God is our hope and deliverer in times of need.

When have you experienced tension between your faith and your culture?

3. God uses our faithfulness and integrity to point to Him.

(verses 19-22)
19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 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?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

What shows that the king was still troubled over the welfare of Daniel?

• This was not the first time Daniel exhibited integrity. Daniel was now in his 80s, and he had a history of acting faithfully. Darius ran to the lions’ den and called out for him, asking him if his God has saved him.

• Darius responded by sending out a decree glorifying God to “all the peoples of the earth.”

How did this instance become an opportunity for Daniel to witness to the goodness of God?

• When we stand up for God and the righteousness of God, God gets the glory for it. Every time we face opposition, it is an opportunity to be a witness for God. If we respond to the opposition in a Christ-like manner, people can see God in us.

Daniel knew the certain consequences of his deliberate decision to obey the Lord rather than the king’s decree. Even so, he was not deterred. Where did such courage come from? Why could he be so at ease in the face of such a horrific death? Did he expect that God would spare him? Or, was something even greater than life driving him to act as he did?

How can our lives express confidence that God is greater than those that oppose us?

• God is able to rescue us if He so chooses.
• The way we respond to difficulties becomes an opportunity to testify to God’s faithfulness.

Would you say that Daniel is one of the most courageous and faithful men in the Bible?

• Most people would say yes because of his lion's den experience. But the interesting thing is that this is what's missing from the whole story - there isn't any description of his experience "in the lion's den." Not one word - only that God had shut the mouths of the lions. Why?
• I believe that it's because Daniel's courage and faith in the lion's den isn't the point.
• Daniel's courage and faith in life that got him thrown in the lion's den is!

Most people will never have an opportunity to prove God's faithfulness in the lion's den because they haven't proved their faith in everyday life. No one knows they even believe in God! 

Don't try to be like Daniel in the lion's den. Be like Daniel who prayed every day 3 times a day and had an integrity that couldn't be questioned. Be like Daniel who continually served God in every aspect of his life. Have a courage and faith to live in such a way that God has a platform to show His faithfulness from. And then God will do His thing in the lion's den!

 




Live each day with a “no compromise” promise to the Lord. No matter the issue, you resolve to be faithful to Him.
Prayer of Commitment

Lord, I praise You that "greater is He that is in (me) than he that is in the world" (1John 4:4). Therefore, I face opposition for my faith with confidence that You are able and willing to deliver me. Amen


Hope to see you on Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan