If you have your Bibles, open up to Daniel chapter six in your copy of God's Word. In the theologically profound and theologically rich movie classic, the Lego Batman Movie, there's a scene I find myself coming back to time and time again. And in this scene, there is a brief interaction with two friends over at a security booth. And so one guy is driving, the other guy is in the security booth and he drives in. They exchange hellos, and then the other friend continues driving on through. And the security guard says, man, I really like that guy. Sure hope nothing bad happens to him. Then as the car continues driving away, you hear the guy in the car singing, nothing bad ever happens to me. And then, boom, out of nowhere, a giant Lego question mark appears in the middle of the road. And he crashes into it and is attacked by some of Gotham's greatest criminal minds. The Joker and the Riddler.
I think something bad just happened to him. Everyone in this room can relate to that scene in the Lego Batman movie. And if you haven't yet, you will one day. We all have had a time in our life where we sang nothing bad ever happens to me. And then, boom, a giant question mark meets us on the road we are on. Then we're left wondering, lord, what is going on? What is happening? Why is this giant question mark in my life? Daniel six is in our Bibles to teach us that bad things, opposition, trials, giant floating Lego question marks happen in this life. And the people of God are not exempt. But Daniel six encourages us how to handle these giant question marks in life. And it reminds our hearts about the great hope and victory that is ours in God.
So the main thread weaved Throughout Daniel Chapter 6, Daniel in the lion's den. That I want us to keep at the forefront of our minds this morning is this. As the people of God, we can trust God the deliverer. Trust God the deliverer.
Daniel 6, verse 1. This is God's word. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps to be throughout the whole kingdom and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps would give account so that the king might suffer no loss. 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. Then the high officials and 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 or 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, o king, Darius, live forever. All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects, 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 30 days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 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. Therefore King Darius signed the 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 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. 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 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 the Persians, which cannot be revoked. Then 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. 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. Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and the Persians, that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed. Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions.
Father, we thank you for your timely word this morning. Lord, with the ensuing week happening, this week in our country. Lord, it is your providential hand that has led us to Daniel 6 this morning. Father, I pray that you would accomplish in our hearts what you have set up, set out to do through the preached word this morning. Lord, would you give us eyes to see and ears to hear? This morning God's people said Amen.
6 · Introduces the sermon's three-question structure and poses the first question: should believers be surprised when bad things happen? This structural marker helps the congregation track the argument and signals a shift from introduction to exposition
Church this morning we are going to explore three questions that arise from our text today. Question 1 Should we be surprised when bad things happen?
7 · Acknowledges the obvious answer to the first question while immediately complicating it by distinguishing between bad outcomes from bad choices and bad things happening to the blameless and faithful
This seems like an obvious answer. No. We live in a fallen world where people make bad choices that have real negative consequences. We see bad things happen all the time. More often than not, bad things precede a bad outcome. If you don't shut the water off when doing plumbing work around the house, bad things happen. If you don't put the sharpies away from your toddlers in a place they cannot get them, bad things happen. If you give up more points than the other team in football, Cowboy fans know all too well about this. Bad things happen. And I am in the same boat with you cowboy fans as a USC Trojans football fan. But on a serious note, what about when bad things happen to someone who has lived blamelessly and faithfully for decades of their life? Should we be surprised when things like that happen to people who are blameless and faithful? This is what happened to Daniel at this point in his life.
8 · Establishes Daniel's impeccable character and mature faithfulness, details the malicious plot against him, and then demonstrates from the broader biblical witness that opposition against God's faithful people is neither anomalous nor surprising
Daniel is in his 80s. He is wise and mature and and what we've learned about Daniel in verse two is that he's one of three high officials over the entire Medo Persian Empire. As we've been walking through the book of Daniel, we know he's a Jewish exile as well. He was a faithful, God fearing man who is diligent, hardworking, responsible and recognized by pagan rulers around him. That man, this guy Daniel, is someone who is trustworthy, someone who is responsible, someone that we can rely upon. And we see in verse three he was in line to be promoted to the highest position in the entire kingdom. He was also a man of character. He was blameless. Look at verse four. Then the high officials and 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 despite doing what seemed like all the right things. There is trouble. There is bad things brewing against Daniel. Look at verse six. Then these high officials in satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, O King Darius, live forever. 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 30 days, except to you, O King, shall be cast into the den of lions. First off, they lie. Not all of the high officials of the kingdom were there. If Daniel were there, he definitely would not have agreed to this plan. They were malicious guys. They knew Daniel's not going to compromise in his faith, he won't do it. And they know if we get the king to sign off on this, there's no going back. So they are not only plotting to demote Daniel and just take his job as the head over the entire kingdom. Their plot is to murder Daniel. They want to kill him. And it looks like their plan works. In verse 11, they catch Daniel praying, they report it back to the king, and in verse 16, the king commands Daniel to be cast into the lion's den. Thankfully, our Bible is not silent and has a lot to say about bad things happening to the people of God. Remember Joseph, Remember Job, David on the run, all the prophets. Psalm 2 writes, why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. We see this theme in the New Testament as well. Jesus says in John 16, in the world you will have tribulation. James 1 says, Count it all joy when you meet various trials. Peter writing to the elect exile in 1 Peter chapter 4 says, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you because God is not on the throne. When bad things happen in life, saying, oh my gosh, what's going on? Oh, I totally missed that. Since the Lord is not dismayed or surprised, neither do his people need to be.
9 · Pivots from the first question to the second, introducing the sermon's focus on contrasting responses
Question 2 How do we respond when bad things happen? We're going to look at two contrasting responses in this story and what we learn from them.
10 · Expounds Daniel's response to the death decree by highlighting his consistency in prayer, his refusal to panic, and his radical obedience rooted in decades of habit formation
The first character is Daniel and his response, verse 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. Notice, in the face of direct opposition against him, Daniel is not freaking out. He is not panicking. He is not getting angry. Nor is he saying, okay, you know What? For? For 30 days I just won't pray to the Lord. He prays as he had done previously. And guys, this is risky. But Daniel knew that the safest thing to do was radically obey God as he had done for decades of his life since Daniel. Chapter one. The way Daniel responds reveals that he was consistent in his faith despite the circumstances of his life. He developed a habit of prayer as we've read, and it seems that God's word has shaped the way he prays. A couple different texts to look at and for note takers, First Kings 8, take a look at that. And also it seems Psalm 55 had a heavy influence on how he prayed. It says here Psalm 55, 17, evening and morning, and at noon I utter my complaint and moan and he hears my voice. He prayed consistently in moments of rest, in moments of difficulty. He was consistent in his faith despite the circumstances.
11 · Extracts the theological principle from Daniel's example and applies it interrogatively to the congregation: desperate dependence on prayer and God's Word should be consistent, not circumstantially triggered
And his response to the opposition and to the trials of his life is a product of seeing his desperate need for prayer and God's word. Do you have this same desperation when life is difficult? Does that eliminate or significantly reduce your prayer life and time with the Lord? Is your prayer life just as up and down as your circumstances are? Or do you treat prayer like that? Break in a case of an emergency, up on the wall and say, okay, this is level 10 now I gotta go and pray.
12 · Develops the image of spiritual maturity as shortening response time — Daniel's decades of growth produced reflexive recourse to prayer rather than delayed or desperate last-resort appeals
As he has grown spiritually into his 80s, what we notice is Daniel's response time in going to prayer has shortened and shortened as he has matured in his faith. When trials abound, he has grown quicker to pulling out the weapon of prayer. He has his scheduled appointments every single day with the Lord and he does not miss those appointments.
13 · Develops a sustained argument for the centrality of prayer through multiple lines of support: Billy Graham's authority, the military weapon analogy from the pastor's personal experience, Psalm 3's imagery of God as shield and lifter of heads, and the recentering function of prayer
Billy Graham has this to say. Prayer is the most powerful resource we have in life, yet so often it is the least used. Prayer, guys, is the weapon that the soldiers of God need in the battlefield of life. I remember being in Afghanistan and there was not one place I did not take my weapon with me. I would go into the defect. My weapon was having lunch with me. My weapon was having dinner with me all meals. I couldn't go to the bathroom without bringing my weapon. It was on me at all times. And church. Here's the reality of the Christian life. The flesh, the world and the devil are always waging war with our souls. Always. Prayer is the weapon. Prayer is the radio helping us communicate with God what happens when we pray. I was reminded in Psalm 3 this week that prayer is refuge. Psalm 3 talks about how the Lord is our shield when we cry out to him and that he is the lifter of our heads. This Image In Psalm 3 is this idea of the Lord holding a shield with one arm and also using his other hand to lift our eyes so we can look at him. We can fix our gaze on him. And it's him looking into our eyes saying, even with all this going on, I see it. You can look to me for help. I'm with you. I'm in control. I have a plan. Trust me. Through prayer, the lifter of our heads recenters us by putting the Lord back in the center of our hearts where he belongs. And desperately, Daniel desperately saw how just because we are so prone to wandering, we are so prone to say, all right, Lord, let me push you to the edge here. I have this going on right now. Prayer helps us recenter our lives. Rightly. It puts the Lord back in the center. It pushes the other things out to the side. Here's what I have often found. The profound effect of prayer that I've noticed in my life is that when God is big in my heart, my problems and my worries become small. When God is big in my heart, my problems, my worries become smaller. And this is the challenge of the Christian life. We have things constantly vying to have that position in our hearts that want to say, we need to be bigger. We want to be bigger. And the challenge of the Christian life is saying, no, that is for the Lord. That spot is reserved for Him.
14 · Summarizes the threefold foundation of Christian spiritual resources — prayer, God's Word, and the Holy Spirit — and ties Daniel's excellent spirit back to his Word-shaped prayers and his reflex of going straight to the Lord when crisis struck
Prayer is one of the most powerful resources we have in the Christian life, along with God's Word and the Holy Spirit. And Daniel knew that Daniel had an excellent spirit within him. His prayers were shaped by God's word. He prayed as he had previously done, three times a day. He learned that when something bad happens, going straight to the Lord.
15 · Applies the Daniel exposition directly to the congregation's lives through two penetrating questions: do you go quickly to prayer in crisis, and is prayer a daily discipline regardless of circumstances? The battlefield metaphor brings urgency to the diagnostic, picturing prayerlessness as going into spiritual combat unarmed
When bad things happen in life, are you quick to prayer? How about just in general? Is prayer a daily habit for you, or are you walking around the battlefield without a weapon?
16 · Pivots from Daniel's response to Darius's response, noting the text's unexpected focus on the pagan king rather than the faithful Jew
What's interesting about the account of Daniel in the lion's den is that the text really doesn't focus that much on Daniel. A lot of the text is focusing in on King Darius. So let's look now at Darius's response, verse 13.
17 · Reads and begins to exposit Darius's response to the crisis: immediate distress, all-day laboring to find a solution, inability to eat or sleep, rejection of entertainment and comfort
Then they the satraps and high officials, 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 that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. 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. Then the king commanded and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. And the king declared to Daniel, may your God whom you serve continually deliver you. And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den. And the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lordship that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
18 · Unpacks the irony of Darius's situation — physically safe but emotionally and spiritually in crisis — and diagnoses the root cause by connecting back to verse 2: self-preservation and concern for his kingdom's reputation drive his frantic self-reliance
It's interesting that as we shift from the lion's den to the king's comfortable palace, who's the one whose life is coming undone here? Darius. He's not the one that's thrown into a pit of hungry lions, yet his life is unraveling. He labors all day to come up with a plan to rescue Daniel. He can't eat, he can't sleep. You could just picture him pacing around his palace all day. What's plan A? What's plan B? That's not gonna work. What's plan C? What can I do? Walking through the palace library looking for a loophole? How can I reverse this law? The situation for him has become all consuming. It says in verse 18, no diversions were brought to him. Some translations say no instruments were brought to him, no dancers were brought to him. Everyone sees that this guy is losing it. How can we kind of cheer him up? And he's like, I don't want that. I am so consumed by what is going on. But why? Why is he this way? Look at verse two, a very interesting observation in the text. He sets up these leaders over the kingdom so that the king might suffer no loss. His kingdom is at stake here. He had just taken over the reins and now his best leader is probably dead. There's major concern here about his self preservation and the perception of his kingdom. And he is doing everything in his own strength to try to fix this mess.
19 · Applies the contrast explicitly to the congregation by framing it as a diagnostic question, then models vulnerability by confessing his own tendency toward Darius-like self-reliance despite desiring to be like Daniel
We read about these two very different responses in our text. But this is in our Bibles today because we are meant to read it and reflect and ask in difficulty, am I more like Daniel or Darius. As I have been reading and studying this, the Lord has been working on my heart and convicting me that I am more like Darius than I realized. In my heart I want to be like Daniel, but I functionally live more like Darius.
20 · Illustrates Darius-like response from the pastor's own ministry experience: facing the community group capacity problem with frantic self-effort driven by fear of failure before eventually turning to prayer and remembering God's ownership of the church
Here's what this has looked like in my life recently and this is full disclosure. Me being real here. With so many people wanting to join our community group ministry at Cross of Grace the last couple months and us reaching capacity, my initial response was This I need to start identifying new leaders. I need to start raising up new groups. I need to start meeting with these people. I need to do X, Y and Z and all the above. I didn't want to look like a failure. All I was thinking about was what do I need to do to fix this? Can I muster up enough strength to solve this on my own? Remember what I said earlier, that when God is big in our lives, our problems become small. But the reverse is also true. When our problems become big to us, God often becomes small in our hearts. It took me a lot longer to realize and I care to admit that I should probably go to the Lord with this. I started to realize through prayer, Lord, this is your church, which you will provide for your church. You will provide the leaders when we need them. Lord, I'm going to still do my best. But Lord, this is your church. This is not all on me.
21 · Generalizes the Darius tendency to the entire congregation and restates the sermon's main thesis as the biblical corrective to self-reliant crisis management
But if we're honest with ourselves, we all can think of ways that we are more like Darius than Daniel. Like Darius, we often spend more time running around trying to solve things on our own strength before ever going to the Lord in prayer. But Daniel 6 is in our Bibles to remind us that when things are difficult in this life, we are to trust God the deliverer.
22 · Uses the trust fall exercise as a concrete physical analogy for the contrast between Darius and Daniel: falling forward (self-reliance) versus falling backward (trusting God)
So to help further illustrate the contrast between Darius and Daniel, I was reminded of one of my favorite team building exercises, Trust falls. Has anyone ever done a trust fall before? Okay, so in a trust fall, for those of you who are like, what the heck is that? Our production team is going to play a video for us in a minute showing us what a trust fall doesn't look like. But a trust fall is meant is between two people. There is one person who is standing there, arms crossed, eyes closed, and their job is to fall back into the arms of the other person. The other person's job is simply to catch them. But there are times when people misunderstand how to trust fall properly. We're going to watch a quick video here and close your eyes and just fall down, okay? Okay. Then Lauren's gonna catch you. Okay? It's called the trust fall. Okay, Trust fall. Ready, set, go. I have yet to experience that in my life. I hope I do at some point. But guys, that video, that video we just watched, that is Darius in Daniel chapter six, falling forward, flat on his face. And we fall flat on our face. In trials and difficulty when we say, I'm going to move away from the real source of control and power, I'm going to do things my way. Daniel knows how to properly do a trust fall with the Lord. Trusting in God is falling backwards. It's moving toward God in prayer. It looks like going to God's word to sustain us time and time again and saying, lord, when I have a hard time believing this, help my heart believe. It's going back to the Lord and saying I need to remind myself of all that the book of Daniel has taught me so far. Heaven rules God's kingdom and reign is unending. God's plans will not be thwarted. He is in complete control.
23 · Applies the trust fall analogy directly by posing the central diagnostic question in binary terms: do you move toward God like Daniel or away from God like Darius? The question forces self-examination on the fundamental orientation of crisis response
Friends, how do you respond when bad things happen in life? Is your response like Daniel moving forward, moving toward the Lord in prayer? Or is it like Darius moving away from God and toward self reliance and self preservation?
24 · Pivots to the sermon's third and final question, introducing the theological foundation for trusting God as deliverer
Our third question, our last question, why can we trust God will deliver with the question marks of life? Verse 19
25 · Reads the deliverance narrative and frames it as God's answer to the universal question of whether He can be trusted to deliver His people
Then at break of day the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. And 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? Seems a little too late to ask him that question. But verses 19 through 28 are in our Bibles to answer the question that everyone at some point in life wonders, can I trust God will deliver in exile while living on foreign land away from home, serving under various pagan kings? Israel knew God saved his people during the time of Moses. God saved his people during the time of the judges and the kings. But they wondered, will he save us now? As we read this, we sit here wondering, can God really deliver Daniel from the mouth of the lions? Can God do something about the evil schemes of the enemy? Can God work through unjust leaders? Can God accomplish His purposes despite all this mess? And we sit there wondering, can God deliver me from the things I am going through? God preserves this account in his word to answer that question for us. Verse 21 Then Daniel said to the king, 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. Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. And so Daniel was taken up out of the den and no kind of harm was found on him. Why? Because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the lion's den. They their Children and their wives. And before they even reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
26 · Establishes the theological claims validated by Daniel's deliverance and then applies them through a series of diagnostic questions that press the congregation to move from historical assent to present-tense faith
Daniel 6 answers all those questions with a resounding yes, God can be trusted. Yes, God will triumph over evil. Yes, God can work through the Messiness of Daniel 6 and through the messiness of our own lives. Church. Can God deliver? Yes. Often we read stories like this and we're tempted to just say from our childhood, like, oh yeah, that's just a nice story that makes people feel good. But we often forget this historically happened. Daniel in the lion's den is not just a feel good story, but a story meant to tell us about who God is and and what he is like for his people. A few questions for you. Do you believe the God who shut the mouths of lions is the God who is present with you every moment of your life? Do you believe God is powerful? That you do not have to rely on your own strength and works? Do you walk through your trials and your suffering knowing the same God who had a plan and a purpose in Daniel's life has a plan and purpose in yours as well? Do you believe he still delivers today? If yes, will you believe this on Wednesday morning? Daniel believed all of these things and that's why point number two, he was so quick to go to the Lord in prayer. He goes to the Lord in prayer because he believes and he knows that God is a God who delivers and will deliver his people in this life or in eternity.
27 · Executes the sermon's central biblical-theological move by establishing Jesus as the true and greater Daniel through systematic parallel
And here's the cool thing about Daniel 6 is the people of Israel were able to look back at the example of Daniel time and time again when they needed those reminders. Here's the good news for us today. We get to look back to Jesus and the cross. The story of Daniel 6 is pointing to the truer and greater Daniel. Jesus Christ. Guys, look at the parallels just all over this text here. Daniel was plotted against by the high officials and satraps. Jesus was plotted against by the chief priests and scribes. Daniel prayed as their plan to kill him was unfolding. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane on their way to arrest and put him on trial. Daniel was thrown into a tomb of lions to die. Jesus hung on the cross to die and was placed in a tomb. Daniel escaped death unharmed and was brought up up out of the tomb. Death could not hold Jesus down. He rose out of the tomb three days later. Daniel's enemies were defeated in the end. Death, Satan and sin were defeated once and for all by Jesus Christ. Notice not anything Daniel did that produced these results. This was completely the work of God. Daniel was delivered from the wrath of lions and death. Our text tells us why because he trusted God. Today sinners are saved from death, from the wrath of God's holy justice, from eternal hell by simply placing their faith in Jesus, who made faith even possible.
28 · Applies the typological reading evangelistically by contrasting two destinies: those outside Christ face God's justice like Daniel's enemies, while those in Christ receive deliverance and eternal life
Here's the thing. If you are not in Christ like these officials and satraps, you will face God's justice one day because of your sin. But this is the good news of the Gospel. God did something to prepare and provide a way of deliverance. Amen. Do you have that assurance today that God will deliver you at the end of your life and that you will be with him forever? Jesus died so that all who believe in him and trust in him will have eternal life and will have their sins forgiven.
29 · Reads Darius's decree and expounds its significance: Daniel's faithfulness produced a kingdom-wide proclamation of God's eternal reign and delivering power
And this chapter reminds us of the great hope and victory we have as the people people of God. Look at how Daniel's faithfulness in the midst of opposition impacted Darius in verse 25. Then King Darius wrote to all the people, nations and languages that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied to you. I make a decree that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed and his dominion shall be to the end. He delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth. He who has saved Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus, the Persian church.
30 · Establishes the theological principle that God has purposes in the trials of His people, specifically that faithful endurance becomes a means of proclamation
God never ever wastes the bad things that happen to his people. In fact he uses them according to his purposes so that through us we can then proclaim the hope and victory found in only Him. There's hope and purposes in our trials and our suffering that others need to hear. And you never know what other people what the Lord will do in their lives by hearing your faithfulness in trials. Look what this did in Darius life. And now we have this pagan king who went from self preservation to I need to proclaim this kingdom
31 · Turns to 1 Peter 1 to establish the eschatological frame for present suffering: believers can look forward to the day when Christ will commend their faith under trial as precious to Him
Last Comments as we close, while we can look back to the cross to shape our responses to the bad things in life, we also have the privilege of looking forward turn to first Peter Chapter one Just to give some context here, Peter is talking to exiled Christians who are going through trials and he is reminding them of the living hope that they have in Christ and how God has an inheritance waiting for them in heaven when we get there is what he says in verse 6 in this in this living hope we have in this inheritance that's waiting for us in this you rejoice, though now for a little while if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Look what he says here. Our faith is precious to who? Verse 7. He's talking about Our faith is precious to Christ. One day we will all stand face to face with the Lord, and the lifter of our heads is going to look at us and he's going to say, man, when you when you walked through the loss of your child and you still had faith and you still trusted me, that pleased me, he will say. When you walked through those difficult medical situations with your families and you stood firm in your faith and trusted me, that pleased me. To Daniel, that was hard. That was scary. But you still had faith as you were thrown into the den of lions and you trusted me and that pleases me. Well done, good and faithful servant.
32 · Synthesizes the sermon's temporal architecture: believers stand between the accomplished deliverance of the cross (looking back) and the final revelation of God's purposes (looking forward)
Church we get to look at the cross, and then we get to look to that day when all of God's purposes are revealed. In all the trials that we walked through, in all the opposition we faced, we will stand rejoicing at the face with Jesus.
33 · Closes the sermon by synthesizing the three questions into final exhortations: don't panic when trials come, remember God's track record of deliverance, and remain faithful in prayer because of the victory already won in Christ
So to wrap things up, Church when bad things happen in this life, let's not panic. God is not surprised by this. We do not need to be surprised either. Many of our brothers and sisters have walked down this path of difficulty, of trials, of suffering and opposition. Our own Savior faced injustice and opposition in his life and ministry as well. And when bad things happen, take a deep breath. Remember, God has delivered his people before. God will do it again in this life or the next. It's a Church with this victory that is ours in Christ, let us remain faithful. Let us pray like we believe the Truths of Daniel 6. Church Last question Can we trust God the Deliverer? Can we trust God the Deliverer? Yes and Amen. CHURCH let's pray.