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Will you pray with me?

 

Holy Spirit, you inspired the word; you are present now in us

and among us. I pray that you would apply the word to our hearts and transform

us into the people that you, Jesus, died and rose to make us.

In your name we pray. Amen.

 

When I was in the seventh grade, I took a trip to Germany for a little over a month as an exchange student.

 

Looking back, and now especially as a parent, I can’t believe I did that. I can’t believe my mom was OK with it!

 

We were told ahead of time that we’d be connected with a German host family, and that everyone would be living in the small town of Donaueshingen where we would go to school. It sounded alright.

 

But when we arrived, my teacher explained to the group that because a host family had dropped out, one of our students would be living in a different town: actually, six towns away by train. In a little town that no one’s ever heard of: Loeffingen, Germany.

 

Of course, we all held our breath as the verdict came down. Yeah. My lucky day!

 

I was already a homesick pup and the last thing I needed was to be shipped off away from my friends, away from my teacher, away from home base—to Loeffingen: to a family that was willing to take in a stray at the last minute. Wonderful!

 

I was a mess. Not on the outside, mind you. I was the epitome of calm on the outside: “Oh! Great! No sweat! I can do this!” In reality, I wanted to get right back on that Lufthansa plane and fly right back home! I was afraid my German wasn’t strong enough to survive. I was afraid that I would be alone and I would be terrified of riding this train every morning to school. I was in the seventh grade. I didn’t know. Are there still Nazis lurking in the shadows?

 

I boarded the train to Loeffingen with directions to my new home. I can still remember saying, “Auf Wiedersehen,” to my teacher, Frau Benthouse, trying to hold back my tears.

 

The train pulled away and my exile began.

 

I met my family. They showed me my room. We had dinner. And I hardly understood a word that was coming out of their mouths that night. They talked so fast. I said, “Ja!” a lot. Often not knowing what I was agreeing to. And I also said, “Ich verstande nicht, bitte.” a lot which means, “I don’t understand, please.”

 

I was so alone. I went to bed early that night just to get away so I could cry without them seeing me. I cried myself to sleep that whole first week. I hated it. I just wanted to be home. My longing for normal, for what I knew, for what I loved was so strong.

 

But goin’ home wasn’t an option. I was stuck—a stranger in a foreign land.

 

Have you ever felt that way? Out of place? Odd? Away from the familiar? Even, stuck?

 

I think as followers of Christ, life in this world can often feel that way. Maybe you field jokes at school for your moral choices. Maybe you’re tempted to keep your faith to yourself at work: you don’t want to offend anybody. Or maybe you’ve decided not to get to know your neighbors because you’ve

sized ‘em up and you just know you don’t see things the way they do, and so it would just be awkward to engage them in any meaningful way.

 

Following Christ in this world is hardly in vogue. Many of our brothers and sisters are dying around the world for their faith, and here in America faith is increasingly being squeezed out of the public conversation. In the months and years to come, I think we will see the cost rise for identifying yourself with Jesus.

 

What I wanted to do in Germany was just crawl under a rock and hide until it was time to go home.

 

Do you sometimes feel that way about life here, now? Just stay put, stay quiet, run around in your Christian sub-culture until either you die or Jesus comes back.

 

Sometimes that sounds pretty good to me. But I’m pretty sure that’s not God’s plan for His people.

 

Over the past month we’ve been living in a sermon series called The Exile Chronicles considering God’s call on our lives, as His chosen people, to be salt and light and peace in this decaying, dark and broken world.

 

We continue in our series this morning as we consider the example of one of our elder brothers in the faith who could have hid under a rock until it was time to go, but chose to make a difference, chose to tear off a corner of the darkness instead.

 

Daniel’s Germany was Babylon. Our Babylon is modern day America. But Daniel’s God was the same God who met me in little Loeffingen in Germany and is the same one who’s present this morning in our midst right now.

 

Let’s peer over Daniel’s shoulder together: a man who made the most of his time in exile. Turn with me to page 1369 in your pew Bibles. Daniel chapter 1 in the Bibles you brought with you from home. 1369.

 

For those of you who need closure, my time in Germany went OK. I survived. My German mutte was packing me in—tucking me in—the last night and I said, “Gutte nachten.” She said, “Gutte nachten.” and then she left the room, and then she peeked her head back in and without any accent said, “It’s been really nice havin’ ya.” Oh! That was bitter/sweet. I’ll admit. That was a little tough. Oh.

 

We’re going to consider four episodes here in Daniel’s life in exile.

 

And here’s the theme I want us to consider this morning: Daniel’s growing confidence in the Lord enabled him to have greater courage in the world.

 

Growing confidence in the Lord. Greater courage in the world.

 

And both are crucial because if we’re cultivating a growing devotional life before God and it isn’t finding expression in our engagement with the world, then of what use? And, likewise, if we’re engaging those outside the faith, but we are not taking the time to cultivate an ever deepening dependence upon the Lord, then we’re putting ourselves at risk and we’re risking not having anything to offer those we engage.

 

I think Daniel, though imperfect to be sure, gives us a glimpse of what it looks like to have both: growing confidence here (vertical) and greater courage here (horizontal).

 

Let’s look at this together. Verse 1 gives us the setting:

 

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

 

Nebuchadnezzar then carried off into exile some of Judah’s royals and skillful youth including Daniel.

 

Now, there’s a subtle insight here that I think is true with history and is equally true with our own lives, and that is that there are always two ways of looking at every circumstance.

 

From the human perspective, King Nebuchadnezzar sacks Jerusalem and ships off its people.

Yet from God’s perspective, Judah’s exile was a part of His judgments for their idolatry, and it was all a part of His plan to redeem them.

 

Look at the first four words of verse 2:

 

And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand.

 

And the Lord delivered. So, who’s really on the hook for the Exile? Well, King Nebuchadnezzar is, but he’s an instrument of the unfolding purposes of a sovereign God.

 

It’s often hard for us to understand, I think, how both of these can be true, but I think Daniel believed it with all his heart and it helped him make sense of his time in exile.

 

He didn’t believe it was a waste of time, though he could have. He didn’t believe that it was a result of God’s carelessness: like God took His eye off the ball and Judah was suffering as a result.

 

Life can sure feel that way sometimes, but Daniel believed that God is always at work! Even in the face of suffering, even when life was hardly going the way he wished it would [Can you relate to that?], he believed God had a plan and was working His plan and His purposes would prevail.

 

We see a glimpse of this over in chapter 2. If you’ll turn with me to verse 20 of chapter 2, Daniel says:

 

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them.”

 

Nebuchadnezzar is king, but Daniel knows there’s a King even above him.

 

We see this again in Daniel’s direct interaction with this King as he interprets the king’s dream: verse 37 chapter 2:

 

You, O king, are the king of kings.[I’m sure Nebuchadnezzar liked hearin’ that. But notice the next line.] The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory.

 

You see Daniel recognizes that any power or authority that King Nebuchadnezzar has is derived. It is not his own. God has given it to him. He’s not powerful in himself; it is God who enables him to rule for a time. And this is an anchor in the soul for Daniel.

 

I think we would be blessed as followers of Christ living in a turbulent world—an ever increasingly hostile world—to share a little bit of Daniel’s perspective here.

 

Even in exile, he was able to be courageous because he had this settled and growing confidence in a Big God! He was free! Free to be bold, even engaging the most powerful king in the whole world because he knew personally, and was growing to depend upon, the Great King over the whole world!

 

I mean let’s face it: the call to be salt, the call to be light in our schools, in our workplaces, with our neighbors, with our friends, the call to seek the peace of the city, to be creatively alleviating the need around us for Christ and as Christ, it’s a little daunting. Isn’t it? It’s a huge call; it feels awkward and uncomfortable and even a little risky.

 

Doesn’t it often just seem easier to punt—to keep our resources to ourself? It seems easier to mind our own business, make our own money, enjoy our own lives, bide our own time until either we die or Jesus comes again and then Heaven!

 

But I don’t think Jesus’ people have that luxury. When we say yes to Jesus, it isn’t just fire insurance! It’s a yielding of our lives to Him as Lord; it’s a confession of allegiance; it’s an embrace of a whole new way of life. It’s an invitation to the Lord saying, “Lord, I will be whoever you want me to be. I will go wherever you call me to go. I will do whatever you want me to do, say whatever you want me to say, give away whatever you want me to give away. I am yours. I belong to you!”

 

Paul puts it this way: “I no longer live. I’ve been crucified already with Christ. Christ now lives in me!”

 

Is that your experience? The risen Christ living in you?

 

When I look at Daniel, I see a captive living free because he believed that God was with him and that God was at work!

 

Do you? Do you believe that? Do you believe that God has plans for your life, that He’s overseeing those plans, and that He’ll equip you as you go and delight in you along the way as you trust Him and serve Him and represent Him in His world?

 

It’s not easy, is it? It’s not easy.

 

I’ve done this with all my kids. I don’t know if it’s good parenting or not, but when they become two years old they face the counter. I begin to ask them to jump off the counter into Daddy’s arms.

 

The way we get there is I tell them over and over and I show them over and over that I’ll never drop them. And they’re always freaked out when we start. So I’m patient with ‘em. And sometimes it takes a week or two, sometimes months.

 

But as they hear my words and as they feel the strength of my arms supporting them as they come off the counter, they grow in confidence and in freedom and they jump further and further.

 

I’ve been working with Caleb recently; it’s his turn. He’s been pretty anxious. But we had a breakthrough the other day when his brother, Josh—his real hero, came up and said, “Don’t worry, buddy. Daddy hasn’t dropped any of us!”

 

Caleb’s eyes grew a little bit and so did his confidence. He jumped further than ever with the hugest of grins!

 

And I thought, you know that really illustrates something profound: that if we’re going to be free to engage the world, to risk for the Lord, we desperately need the encouragement of one another—brothers and sisters comin’ along side of us testifying regularly to the faithfulness of God. Amen? Amen!

 

We do. Don’t worry. You can trust Him! He’s never dropped any of us!

 

Do you have that? Do you have that? Honestly, I don’t know how you grow without it! The Christian life has been hard-wired by God to be relational! It’s modeled after the Trinity—the forever family.

 

Well, we see this freedom play out boldly right away as the King’s servant brings Daniel and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, some food. Surprisingly, they choose not to eat it.

 

Back to chapter 1 verse 8:

 

Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

 

Now, who in their right mind refuses filet mignon and merlot? I don’t know if that’s what it was, but this is the king’s food.

 

Daniel refuses it and here’s why: because he saw accepting it on the king’s terms as a sign of misplaced allegiance.

 

It isn’t about the food. In fact, as the story continues Daniel willingly eats the king’s vegetables and drinks his water, but on his own terms. That’s the key.

 

The official thinks Daniel and his friends are foolish, putting themselves at risk. They’re going to be weak, and physically and mentally they’ll be expendable.

 

But Daniel is confident that God will honor their faithfulness and so he’s free to be bold!

 

And God comes through: verse 15:

 

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

 

Verse 17:

 

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.

 

Verse 19:

 

The king talked with them, and found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah [their Babylonian names].

 

God delighted to give them favor before this pagan king because they boldly stepped out in faith.

 

Now, when I hear that, I’m challenged. I consider my own life and I wonder, “What blessings, Lord, do I perhaps miss out on because I’m so bound, so afraid, unwilling to risk for you?”

 

Daniel knew where his allegiance lay and his confidence was in God, and so he was free.

 

Episode 2:

As chapter 2 opens we’re told of a nightmare that King Nebuchadnezzar has and he demands an interpretation of it, but none of his enchanters or magicians can come through. And the king becomes furious and, in his lunacy, calls for the death of all of the wise men in Babylon including Daniel and his friends.

 

But Daniel’s confident that God has more work for him to do. He boldly calls for a meeting with the king where he asks for a little time to interpret the dream. The king grants the request. What Daniel does next, I think, is instructive for us. Chapter 2 verse 17:

 

Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.

 

You see, when faced with something bigger than himself, we find Daniel gathering with God’s people and inviting them to [what?] to pray.

 

Isn’t that interesting? I mean often when you and I are faced with something bigger than ourselves, either we walk away from it or we try to walk into it but on our own—on our own strength and on our own wisdom.

 

Daniel does neither. Instead of walking away from it—running and hiding from the king’s executioners, Daniel boldly engages the king and embraces a task he can’t do alone. And then instead of walking into it relying on himself, he gathers with other believers and they proceed to get desperate for God.

 

Now that’s a recipe worth imitating. Isn’t it?

 

Daniel says, “Plead for mercy from the God of Heaven!”

 

Don’t you find Daniel’s freedom attractive? He’s free to be in way over his head because he believes that God is able and that God is available to him in prayer. And so he can go for it! I mean we spend so much of our time and our resources on trying to keep from getting in over our heads. Don’t we? And it’s often only when we finally are that we seek Christian community and prayer.

 

In our effort to keep everything under control are we missing out on more of God?

 

Well, that night God comes through for Daniel and he responds in worship!

 

Chapter 2, 23:

 

I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, You have made known to me what we asked of You, You have made known to us the dream of the king.

 

You see boldness is born out of sweet fellowship with the community of faith, the dependence of prayer, and a heart of worship!

 

Honestly, sometimes I wonder, “Why do I risk so little for God when He’s able to do so much?” Paul says in Ephesians, “He’s able to do far more than all that we ask, or even can imagine!” Really? Do you believe that?

 

Well, Daniel explains the dream to the king—an interpretation, frankly, that forecasts the king’s demise—and you’d think that the king would just slay him on the spot, but instead Daniel receives favor with the king. Only God!

 

Verse 46:

 

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell prostrate before Daniel and paid him honor and ordered that an offering and incense be presented to him.

 

Verse 48:

 

Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts on him.

 

Are you kidding me? I’m mean is this just an old story or is it true? It’s a really important question. Is this just an old story kind of there to just pump us up or is it really true? And if it’s true, does the same God who met Daniel here, is He still at work today in the same way?

 

Do you think if we grew in risking boldly for Christ in our spheres of influence, that He would give us favor too? That He would bless our stepping out in faith like He did Daniel? I wonder.

 

Growing confidence in the Lord. Greater courage in the world!

 

Well, Nebuchadnezzar dies. His successor, his son Belshazzar, dies. Daniel’s still alive. The third king, Darius, comes on the scene and he decides to make Daniel the most powerful man in all of Babylon. Again, only God!

 

You can imagine the envy of the other officials. They wanted to bring Daniel down, but they couldn’t get any dirt on him. Turn over with me briefly to chapter 6: chapter 6 verse 4. Dirty politics did not start recently. Verse 4 chapter 6:

 

The administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.

 

Daniel wasn’t just bold and courageous. He was faithful and true. His character spoke, perhaps, more profoundly than even his words. May it be true of us as well.

 

These jealous officials devise a plan to use Daniel’s faith in God against him.

 

They talk to King Darius and they talk him into establishing a 30 day law that’s gonna prohibit anyone from requesting or petitioning any god or any man other than Darius.

 

Well, it sounded good to Darius and so he wrote it into law, not realizing at the time how it might impact his friend, Daniel.

 

How would you respond, by the way, to such an ordinance in this land? It may not be by law, but I think we’re tempted to compromise our walk with Jesus Christ all the time.

 

Daniel’s response is powerful. In verse 10:

 

When Daniel learns that the decree had been published, [I love that! That gives the context. It’s not that he’s unaware of the decree. The text says specifically, “When Daniel realized the decree had been signed.” What did he do?] he went home to his upstairs room where the windows were open to Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

 

Wow!

 

Daniel’s growing confidence in the Lord enables him to express greater courage in the world.

 

He’s not hidin’ anything. His windows are wide open toward Jerusalem—a symbol of God’s presence. And not just once: three times a day. Anyone in earshot can hear him. He gets down on his knees and he prays and he worships God with gratitude and thanksgiving as he’s always done!

 

In other words, this ordinance of man did not deter Daniel from meeting with his God!

 

Now, of course, he has to pay for this uncompromising faith, and we might have to too.

 

These conniving officials turn Daniel in to Darius and Darius is forced to throw Daniel into the lions’ den. He doesn’t want to do it, but he has to. He says to Daniel in 6:16:

 

“May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

 

I love that. Tell me your life can’t make a difference in somebody’s life. It can. How you live your life can make a difference. Darius says, “Hey, Daniel, may your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” He was impacting the world!

 

The lions’ den is sealed and so is Daniel’s fate—at least from our perspective. But God is at work.

 

Perhaps even as a foretaste of Easter, we’re told at the first light of dawn the King rolls back the stone and discovers that Daniel is alive and well.

 

Daniel gives glory to God saying, “My God sent his angel to shut the mouths of these lions. They haven’t hurt me, because I was found innocent in His sight.”

 

And verse 23 says, “Not even a wound was found on Daniel because he had trusted in his God!”

 

Again, isn’t Daniel’s freedom appealing? And you really get the sense that it’s Daniel’s consistent, vibrant devotional life before God that fuels his courageous life before men.

 

I think his example is so important for us as we consider our role as salt and light in this world.

 

Our capacity for impact for Christ and as Christ is really related to the consistency and vibrancy of our walk with God and with one another.

 

Consider yourself for just a moment.

 

Some of us may avoid engaging the world just kinda content with our own private devotion to God. And I would just say to you I think this series really challenges that. Personal to be sure, yes; but I don’t think God intends our life before Him to remain private! We are to bear fruit, right?

 

And others of us may be comfortable living in the world, engaging the world, but maybe we’re putting ourselves at risk and offering little because we’re casual about our devotional life before God and our connection within the body. Again, this series, and certainly Daniel’s life, really challenges that. Doesn’t it?

 

It’s as we’re growing in our confidence in the Lord here that we’ll be able to experience greater courage in the world here!

 

And I’ve said it before: Sundays are a great place to start, but they’re not enough. Daniel had devotions how many times a day? Three! That’s a little challenging. That’s a heck of a New Year’s resolution. It’s not about checking boxes. It’s about cultivating a meaningful relationship of dependence with the One who made you!

 

It anchors the soul and it sets you free to be bold for Christ at the same time! What do we have to lose? We’ve already been crucified with Christ! Now we’re set free to live for him.

 

I was going to look at a fourth episode, but I think I’ll skip it for time.

 

Daniel is a courageous man, and if you’ve ever been through Sunday School, that’s what you learn: Daniel’s in the lions’ den.

 

But I think it interesting to see that in all of these amazing moments, when he stepped out in faith there was this thread of devotion before God woven throughout his life. That’s the key. He’s a courageous man, but the closer you look, the more you realize that his courage is born out of confidence in the Lord, not in himself. And that confidence is born out of a vibrant devotional life of Scripture and prayer, of confession and worship.

 

Growing confidence in the Lord is what’s needed for you and me to express greater courage in the world! Salt of the earth, Light of the world, Peace of the city. You are the Salt of the earth, the Light of the world, the Peace of this city. You are the Salt of the earth and the Light of the world and the hope for Peace in this city!

 

You invest here and then risk boldly for Christ, and experience God’s favor in your freedom!

 

Amen? Amen!

 

Let’s pray.

 

Lord, I pray that you would grow hearts of dependence

upon You within us, that You would draw us in, that our confidence in

You would grow and deepen, and that as a result we would find

greater courage welling up within us

to risk for You for Your glory.

Amen.