WEBVTT

1
00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.799
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. I'm so glad you're here.

2
00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:06.200
<v Speaker 2>Today.

3
00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:10.240
<v Speaker 1>We're going to continue our series called Unshakable. Rick is

4
00:00:10.279 --> 00:00:12.800
<v Speaker 1>taking us through the Book of Daniel and that so

5
00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:17.160
<v Speaker 1>we'll be equipped to handle whatever curveball life throws at us,

6
00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:21.120
<v Speaker 1>even the most difficult trials. And now here's Rick with

7
00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.640
<v Speaker 1>part one. And it's actually a question. The message is

8
00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:27.879
<v Speaker 1>called will you stand strong for God? Publicly?

9
00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:31.920
<v Speaker 2>We've been in this series on Daniel now for a

10
00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:35.719
<v Speaker 2>long time, and we come to the eighth major test

11
00:00:35.960 --> 00:00:39.799
<v Speaker 2>in Daniel's life. Now, at this point, Daniel is an

12
00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:43.159
<v Speaker 2>old man. We started when he was a teenager. He

13
00:00:43.359 --> 00:00:46.560
<v Speaker 2>was a prisoner of war at fifteen, and we saw

14
00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:49.320
<v Speaker 2>three or four tests in his life even while he

15
00:00:49.399 --> 00:00:52.000
<v Speaker 2>was a teenager. And then we look at some tests

16
00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.640
<v Speaker 2>in his twenties and in his thirties, and then in

17
00:00:54.679 --> 00:00:59.960
<v Speaker 2>his middle years. And now Daniel is about eighty two

18
00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:05.319
<v Speaker 2>years old. He has survived through at least two three

19
00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:09.560
<v Speaker 2>now his third king, two different empires, the Babylonian Empire

20
00:01:09.959 --> 00:01:13.680
<v Speaker 2>which crushed the Assyrian Empire, and now the Persian Empire.

21
00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:18.159
<v Speaker 2>This is all in history. Crushed the Babylonian Empire and

22
00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:21.959
<v Speaker 2>Daniel was such an amazing man and leader and a

23
00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:24.959
<v Speaker 2>man of integrity that every single leader wanted to keep

24
00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.879
<v Speaker 2>him on. You know, usually when he gets a new administration,

25
00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:31.120
<v Speaker 2>a clear house, and all of the people who were

26
00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:34.840
<v Speaker 2>serving in the previous administration they're all gone. But Daniel

27
00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:39.959
<v Speaker 2>keeps getting rehired, rehired, and actually keeps getting promoted. Now

28
00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:42.640
<v Speaker 2>we're going to pick up from where we ended last time,

29
00:01:43.159 --> 00:01:48.519
<v Speaker 2>that he had outlasted two Babylonian kings, Nebukanezer and his

30
00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:51.959
<v Speaker 2>grandson Belshazar. And now he gets a new boss called

31
00:01:52.040 --> 00:01:55.359
<v Speaker 2>Darius the Mead, who is a general with another guy

32
00:01:55.439 --> 00:01:59.159
<v Speaker 2>named Cyrus the Persian. Cyrus the Great and Darius the

33
00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:05.519
<v Speaker 2>Mead actually killed Daniel's previous boss, Belle Shaser, and ransacked

34
00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:09.919
<v Speaker 2>the city of Babylon. He destroys the city, takes it over,

35
00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:14.120
<v Speaker 2>but says, I'm keeping Daniel. This is an amazing man.

36
00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:15.840
<v Speaker 2>Now look up here on the screen. Here's where we

37
00:02:15.919 --> 00:02:19.159
<v Speaker 2>left off last time. King Belshasle. Remember that's the guy

38
00:02:19.159 --> 00:02:22.080
<v Speaker 2>who saw the writing on the wall. Remember that, and

39
00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:25.120
<v Speaker 2>he said, your days are numbered. It's over, buddy. You

40
00:02:25.159 --> 00:02:30.080
<v Speaker 2>didn't honor God. King Belshazer promoted Daniel, here's another promotion

41
00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:34.080
<v Speaker 2>to be the third highest ruler in his kingdom. However,

42
00:02:34.199 --> 00:02:36.520
<v Speaker 2>that wasn't a very long promotion because it says that

43
00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:41.400
<v Speaker 2>very night King bel Shazar was killed by Darius the Mead,

44
00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:45.800
<v Speaker 2>who took over the kingdom at the age of sixty two.

45
00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:49.240
<v Speaker 2>So now Daniel is still in the royal Palace in Babylon,

46
00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:51.919
<v Speaker 2>but he's got a new boss, and the guy's not

47
00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:56.479
<v Speaker 2>a Babylonian, he's actually a Mead and a Persian. And

48
00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.560
<v Speaker 2>once again he gets promoted to a more powerful position,

49
00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:04.800
<v Speaker 2>changing bosses, but the new guys keep promoting him. My

50
00:03:04.840 --> 00:03:07.400
<v Speaker 2>first question before we actually get in into what I

51
00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:12.400
<v Speaker 2>want to speak about this weekend is why what was

52
00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:16.719
<v Speaker 2>it about this guy so unique that he kept getting

53
00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:19.960
<v Speaker 2>promoted at work? Because if we could bottle that, I'd

54
00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:24.639
<v Speaker 2>sell it to you. Who doesn't want to be promoted

55
00:03:24.680 --> 00:03:28.319
<v Speaker 2>in life? Who doesn't want to be progressing up a

56
00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:33.759
<v Speaker 2>ladder to greater effectiveness, greater efficiency, greater influence, greater income,

57
00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:37.960
<v Speaker 2>and things like that? So why did Daniel keep getting

58
00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:41.759
<v Speaker 2>promoted at work? Well? In Daniel Chapter six, which is

59
00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:45.039
<v Speaker 2>the chapter we're in this week, in the next reverses,

60
00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:48.000
<v Speaker 2>it tells us the three reasons. So listen, if you're

61
00:03:48.039 --> 00:03:50.639
<v Speaker 2>interested in getting a promotion at work, pay attention to

62
00:03:50.680 --> 00:03:56.000
<v Speaker 2>the next reverses, because these are the three reasons Daniel

63
00:03:56.280 --> 00:04:01.719
<v Speaker 2>outlasted everybody else at his workplace. I want you tell

64
00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:03.560
<v Speaker 2>last everybody at your workplace. I want you to keep

65
00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:07.360
<v Speaker 2>getting promoted. And there were three reasons why Daniel kept

66
00:04:07.400 --> 00:04:12.479
<v Speaker 2>getting promoted from teenager until now he's eighty two years old,

67
00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:15.639
<v Speaker 2>and he still hasn't done his best work. His best

68
00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:19.399
<v Speaker 2>work was actually done at age eighty five, so he's

69
00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.600
<v Speaker 2>not finished. He doesn't believe in the word retirement, and

70
00:04:21.680 --> 00:04:23.439
<v Speaker 2>by the way, neither do I, because it's not in

71
00:04:23.480 --> 00:04:30.600
<v Speaker 2>the Bible. Okay, now you may change jobs. You know

72
00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:33.519
<v Speaker 2>you earlier in life. You may be paid to good,

73
00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:38.720
<v Speaker 2>do good. Now you're good for nothing. All right, So

74
00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:42.240
<v Speaker 2>here are the three reasons Daniel kept getting promoted a

75
00:04:42.480 --> 00:04:49.240
<v Speaker 2>work Number one, his professional competence made him stand out.

76
00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:53.839
<v Speaker 2>His professional competence made him stand out. It is clear

77
00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:56.720
<v Speaker 2>this guy is a gifted leader. But more than that,

78
00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:00.800
<v Speaker 2>he learned. He was a student. We talked about this

79
00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:03.120
<v Speaker 2>a few weeks ago. All leaders are learners. The moment

80
00:05:03.240 --> 00:05:05.759
<v Speaker 2>you stopped learning, you stopped leading. He was a student

81
00:05:05.800 --> 00:05:08.319
<v Speaker 2>of God's word. He was a student of people. He

82
00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:11.000
<v Speaker 2>was a student of history, he was a student of culture.

83
00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:13.639
<v Speaker 2>The Bible says that he spent his entire life learning.

84
00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:16.639
<v Speaker 2>He just kept getting wiser and wiser and wiser. Now,

85
00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:19.560
<v Speaker 2>if you make wisdom a goal of your life, there's

86
00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:22.399
<v Speaker 2>no end to that one. You can just keep getting

87
00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:24.160
<v Speaker 2>better and better and better. You know, there are some

88
00:05:24.439 --> 00:05:28.399
<v Speaker 2>careers that peak pretty early in life. I once did

89
00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:30.439
<v Speaker 2>a study of this. For instance, if you want to

90
00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:35.519
<v Speaker 2>be a female Olympic gymnast, you peak at about seventeen,

91
00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:39.560
<v Speaker 2>and then you're going to be replaced by somebody else

92
00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:42.439
<v Speaker 2>who's fourteen or fifteen or sixty, because your body just

93
00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.160
<v Speaker 2>isn't that limber when you're twenty five. It's certainly not

94
00:05:45.199 --> 00:05:47.920
<v Speaker 2>at thirty five. If you're going to play in the NFL,

95
00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:50.240
<v Speaker 2>you know you're going to peak at maybe twenty eight,

96
00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:55.040
<v Speaker 2>twenty nine years old. In different careers, you know you

97
00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:58.199
<v Speaker 2>peak at a certain level and then it's over. But

98
00:05:58.600 --> 00:06:00.959
<v Speaker 2>if you decide to be a woman or a man

99
00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:02.759
<v Speaker 2>who says I want to be a woman of wisdom,

100
00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:06.160
<v Speaker 2>I want to be a man of wisdom at eighty

101
00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:08.199
<v Speaker 2>five years old, you'd be a whole lot wiser than

102
00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:12.000
<v Speaker 2>you were at eighty four and eighty three and eighty two.

103
00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:14.360
<v Speaker 2>And it's one area you can just keep growing it.

104
00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:17.319
<v Speaker 2>So he kept growing in competence. He was more skilled,

105
00:06:17.360 --> 00:06:20.160
<v Speaker 2>he was more effective. The Bible says this in Daniel six,

106
00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:27.279
<v Speaker 2>verse three. Now Daniel so distinguished himself above all the others,

107
00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:31.480
<v Speaker 2>the other governors and the administrators that were called the satraps,

108
00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:36.279
<v Speaker 2>by his exceptional qualities, that the king planned to put

109
00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:41.279
<v Speaker 2>Daniel in charge of the entire kingdom. You know, the

110
00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:45.240
<v Speaker 2>Bible tells us in the first verses before that that Darius,

111
00:06:45.480 --> 00:06:49.040
<v Speaker 2>when he took over the kingdom, he reorganized and he said,

112
00:06:49.240 --> 00:06:53.279
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to have one hundred and twenty provinces in

113
00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:56.480
<v Speaker 2>the Babylonian Empire, which I now run. He wasn't Babylonian

114
00:06:56.639 --> 00:06:59.079
<v Speaker 2>one hundred and twenty, and I'll have an administrator over

115
00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:03.199
<v Speaker 2>each one, and have three governors over that. And he

116
00:07:03.319 --> 00:07:06.000
<v Speaker 2>chose Daniel as one of the three governors. So Daniel

117
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.199
<v Speaker 2>was one of the three most powerful men in the empire.

118
00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:12.160
<v Speaker 2>But he did such a good job that it says

119
00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:15.519
<v Speaker 2>here Daniel so distinguished himself above all the other governors.

120
00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:17.800
<v Speaker 2>There were three of them, and all the administrators the

121
00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:20.720
<v Speaker 2>state tripes. That's one hundred and twenty. By his exceptional qualities,

122
00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:22.240
<v Speaker 2>the king planned to put him in charge of the

123
00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:26.240
<v Speaker 2>entire kingdom. He's eighty two years old. He's getting another promotion.

124
00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:34.439
<v Speaker 2>That's a wise leader. Professional competence number two. Second reason

125
00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:39.240
<v Speaker 2>he kept getting promoted. His personal character made him stand out.

126
00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:43.800
<v Speaker 2>Not just professional competence, but personal character. This was a

127
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:48.160
<v Speaker 2>man of integrity. He was a man of generosity. He

128
00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:50.959
<v Speaker 2>was a man of humility. He was a man of

129
00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:55.439
<v Speaker 2>godliness and goodness and kindness and wisdom. And the Bible

130
00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:59.079
<v Speaker 2>says in the next verse, verse four, when the administrators

131
00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:02.279
<v Speaker 2>they were called say traps in that day, when the

132
00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:06.120
<v Speaker 2>administrators heard the news, they tried to find a reason

133
00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:10.519
<v Speaker 2>to undermine Daniel in his work, and they accused him

134
00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:14.800
<v Speaker 2>of misconduct. But they were unable to do so. They

135
00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:18.639
<v Speaker 2>could not find anything to say against him. WHOA He

136
00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:24.279
<v Speaker 2>was honest, reliable, hard working, and incorruptible. He was never

137
00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:27.399
<v Speaker 2>lazy or negligent in any task. Well, no wonder he

138
00:08:27.480 --> 00:08:32.120
<v Speaker 2>kept getting promoted. I'd like to hire this guy, and

139
00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:36.720
<v Speaker 2>so would you. Now notice we don't know why but

140
00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:40.799
<v Speaker 2>these underlings who were in the provinces, they didn't like

141
00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:46.440
<v Speaker 2>Daniel being their boss, probably because he was Jewish, but

142
00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.320
<v Speaker 2>they started trying to undermine him. You may be in

143
00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.399
<v Speaker 2>a work situation right now that there are some people

144
00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:56.240
<v Speaker 2>who are conspiring against you at work because of your faith,

145
00:08:57.200 --> 00:08:59.919
<v Speaker 2>because you're a Christian, and you know, they don't really lie,

146
00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:02.240
<v Speaker 2>they don't have any reason. They're not like you. You're

147
00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:06.480
<v Speaker 2>a good person, but because of your faith, they just

148
00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:09.639
<v Speaker 2>want you out. And sometimes you get into an office

149
00:09:09.639 --> 00:09:14.000
<v Speaker 2>where everybody's familiar with office politics, and people are scheming

150
00:09:14.039 --> 00:09:16.440
<v Speaker 2>and conniving behind your back, and they want your office

151
00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:18.279
<v Speaker 2>and they want to get you moved out. And this

152
00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:22.120
<v Speaker 2>is what happened here. The administrators in this new administration

153
00:09:22.360 --> 00:09:25.679
<v Speaker 2>here that Daniel, who's one of the top three guys,

154
00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.919
<v Speaker 2>is going to be given the whole kingdom, and they

155
00:09:28.919 --> 00:09:30.480
<v Speaker 2>know we're not going to have that happen. We're not

156
00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:33.879
<v Speaker 2>going to serve that guy, and so they start looking

157
00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:36.720
<v Speaker 2>for a way to trap him, to say traps, set

158
00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:42.480
<v Speaker 2>up a trap for Daniel, and it says they couldn't

159
00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:47.279
<v Speaker 2>find anything to say against him. What a testimony that's

160
00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:49.000
<v Speaker 2>certainly not true of me. There's a lot of things

161
00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:52.720
<v Speaker 2>people can say against me. It's probably not true of you.

162
00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:54.799
<v Speaker 2>There's probably a lot of things people can say against you.

163
00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:00.799
<v Speaker 2>But this guy says when they went looking for dirt, scandal,

164
00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:07.519
<v Speaker 2>a skeleton in the closet, hypocrisy, bad character, whatever, they

165
00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:10.360
<v Speaker 2>were looking for anything, it says they could not find

166
00:10:11.240 --> 00:10:14.039
<v Speaker 2>anything or unable to find anything to say against him,

167
00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:16.399
<v Speaker 2>because he was honest and reliable and hard working, and

168
00:10:16.720 --> 00:10:20.799
<v Speaker 2>his personal character made him stand out. He was professionally competent,

169
00:10:21.440 --> 00:10:25.039
<v Speaker 2>but he was also personally a man of character. But

170
00:10:25.080 --> 00:10:27.600
<v Speaker 2>there's a third element, and this is the most important

171
00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:31.720
<v Speaker 2>one of all, and it's this. His public commitment to

172
00:10:31.799 --> 00:10:36.840
<v Speaker 2>God made him stand out. His public commitment to God

173
00:10:37.480 --> 00:10:41.600
<v Speaker 2>made him stand out. He just didn't have personal professional

174
00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:45.639
<v Speaker 2>competence and personal character. He had a public commitment to God.

175
00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:50.240
<v Speaker 2>Daniel's very open. He's very public about his faith, about

176
00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:53.159
<v Speaker 2>his love for God, about his commitment. He praised in

177
00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:55.840
<v Speaker 2>the open. He talks about God in the open. Remember,

178
00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:59.360
<v Speaker 2>he had led nebuchon Nezzar to faith in Christ or

179
00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:06.240
<v Speaker 2>faith in God. And everybody knew where Daniel stood religiously,

180
00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:10.639
<v Speaker 2>where his faith was, where his allegiance was, and including

181
00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:15.120
<v Speaker 2>his jealous coworkers. And it says in verse five that

182
00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:18.480
<v Speaker 2>his coworkers these enemies who were conspiring to get him

183
00:11:18.519 --> 00:11:21.759
<v Speaker 2>fired at work. That's what's happening here. And you may

184
00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:23.519
<v Speaker 2>have some co workers who are conspiring to get you

185
00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:27.320
<v Speaker 2>fired at work. He says, his coworkers concluded, our only

186
00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:31.639
<v Speaker 2>chance of finding any grounds to get rid of Daniel

187
00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:38.480
<v Speaker 2>will find something to accuse in his religious practices. Wow,

188
00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:43.240
<v Speaker 2>he said, the guy's done nothing wrong. He's spotless. Do

189
00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:47.559
<v Speaker 2>we need leaders like that in America? Don't get me started.

190
00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:53.080
<v Speaker 2>Don't get me started. We need leaders of integrity like this.

191
00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:56.840
<v Speaker 2>They said, we can't find anything wrong with him today?

192
00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:02.039
<v Speaker 2>Can you find anything right with him? And so the

193
00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:06.759
<v Speaker 2>say traps concloct a Daniel trap, and let's read the

194
00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:09.519
<v Speaker 2>story and then we'll extract some lessons for today. Up

195
00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:12.360
<v Speaker 2>here on the screen, it says this verse six to nine.

196
00:12:13.399 --> 00:12:16.799
<v Speaker 2>So the officials who wanted Daniel removed from office went

197
00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:19.519
<v Speaker 2>to the king. This is Darius, and they said, King Darius,

198
00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:23.519
<v Speaker 2>live forever. They're buttering them up. Oh you're so great,

199
00:12:23.639 --> 00:12:27.559
<v Speaker 2>you are the man Darius, You live forever, buddy. And

200
00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:31.399
<v Speaker 2>he says, we've convened everyone of course not Daniel. And

201
00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:36.279
<v Speaker 2>we've all agreed that for the next thirty days everyone

202
00:12:36.519 --> 00:12:40.879
<v Speaker 2>should pray to you. What are they doing. They're appealing

203
00:12:40.919 --> 00:12:45.000
<v Speaker 2>to this guy's ego. Oh you're so great, you're the man.

204
00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:47.639
<v Speaker 2>We just think, you know, yeah, everyoney's got the religion here.

205
00:12:48.120 --> 00:12:51.039
<v Speaker 2>And actually the Babylonians and the Persians, they really didn't

206
00:12:51.080 --> 00:12:52.600
<v Speaker 2>care so much about what you leave. There wasn't a

207
00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:56.200
<v Speaker 2>standard religion. But they said, we really think everybody should

208
00:12:56.200 --> 00:12:58.320
<v Speaker 2>pray to you for thirty days. Now they're setting this

209
00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:01.240
<v Speaker 2>up just to make a trap for day Daniel. And

210
00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:03.960
<v Speaker 2>they said, and we think that you should issue an

211
00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:10.080
<v Speaker 2>edict saying that anyone who disobeys your order by praying

212
00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:13.440
<v Speaker 2>to anybody else during the next thirty days will be

213
00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:17.919
<v Speaker 2>tossed into the pit where your lions are kept. Ever

214
00:13:17.960 --> 00:13:21.720
<v Speaker 2>heard of Daniel in the lions den? This is the story.

215
00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:26.480
<v Speaker 2>And let's put this decree in writing so it can't

216
00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:30.919
<v Speaker 2>be altered or repealed, according to the laws and the

217
00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:36.399
<v Speaker 2>Meds and the Persians. So that's exactly what King Darius did. Now,

218
00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:38.360
<v Speaker 2>the law of the means in a Persian is very

219
00:13:38.360 --> 00:13:41.879
<v Speaker 2>famous in history, and it's this. If a king made

220
00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:44.960
<v Speaker 2>a law it could never be reversed, and even the

221
00:13:45.080 --> 00:13:48.799
<v Speaker 2>king couldn't reverse it if he'd signed it into the law.

222
00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:51.600
<v Speaker 2>According to the law leads in person. Once it was law,

223
00:13:51.799 --> 00:13:54.279
<v Speaker 2>it could not be rescinded, could not be revoked, could

224
00:13:54.320 --> 00:13:57.759
<v Speaker 2>not be repealed, and the king couldn't even do it

225
00:13:57.840 --> 00:13:59.879
<v Speaker 2>himself even if he made the law. And so that

226
00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.240
<v Speaker 2>that's why they said, don't just make this edict, make

227
00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:04.159
<v Speaker 2>a law and write it and sign it. And what

228
00:14:04.200 --> 00:14:06.159
<v Speaker 2>are they doing. They're kissing up to this guy's ego,

229
00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:10.720
<v Speaker 2>And in a moment of weakness and ego, Darius goes, sure,

230
00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:13.279
<v Speaker 2>why not, So he signs this law. Everybody has to

231
00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:16.360
<v Speaker 2>pray to me for the next thirty days. Now, these

232
00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:19.679
<v Speaker 2>guys are so desperate to get rid of Daniel that

233
00:14:19.759 --> 00:14:22.759
<v Speaker 2>they pass a national law just to hurt one guy.

234
00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:26.600
<v Speaker 2>There's only one guy there worried about. This is one guy,

235
00:14:26.840 --> 00:14:29.440
<v Speaker 2>because then everybody knows Daniel is a believer, and he

236
00:14:29.480 --> 00:14:31.480
<v Speaker 2>prays in the open and he talks about God in

237
00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:36.360
<v Speaker 2>the open. Now, how do you think Daniel responded to

238
00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:39.799
<v Speaker 2>this test? Everybody's got to stop praying to anybody else,

239
00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:44.080
<v Speaker 2>and you got to pray to the emperor for thirty days. Well,

240
00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:46.399
<v Speaker 2>he's got a lot of options, so let's put us

241
00:14:46.600 --> 00:14:49.279
<v Speaker 2>up here on the board. Here's some options he could.

242
00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:52.720
<v Speaker 2>Number one, he could accept the law and kind of

243
00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:55.120
<v Speaker 2>fake pray to the king for thirty days. He wouldn't

244
00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:57.519
<v Speaker 2>obviously be praying to him, but he could pretend. He

245
00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.039
<v Speaker 2>could just go, Okay, I'm just going to go with

246
00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:02.559
<v Speaker 2>the flow the law of the land, and so I'm

247
00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:05.039
<v Speaker 2>gonna I'm just gonna go ahead and fake pray to

248
00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:08.360
<v Speaker 2>the king for thirty days. That's an option. Okay. Here's

249
00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:14.879
<v Speaker 2>a second one. He could publicly protest the law with

250
00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:19.000
<v Speaker 2>picket signs. Okay, he could go down to the palace

251
00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:22.840
<v Speaker 2>with the biggest say I won't pray, I won't pray,

252
00:15:23.639 --> 00:15:28.799
<v Speaker 2>I won't pray. Okay, Okay, that's a possibility, but it's

253
00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:30.759
<v Speaker 2>not going to do any good because the law of

254
00:15:30.759 --> 00:15:35.320
<v Speaker 2>the meeds and Persian. This is not a democracy in America.

255
00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:39.519
<v Speaker 2>Law is going to be changed, and you can protest

256
00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:42.000
<v Speaker 2>and you can change laws, but this is not a democracy,

257
00:15:42.360 --> 00:15:43.840
<v Speaker 2>so there's no way this law is going to be

258
00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:47.080
<v Speaker 2>presented no matter how much he protests. Here's the third possibility.

259
00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:53.240
<v Speaker 2>He could appeal privately to the king. Obviously, Darius liked him.

260
00:15:53.399 --> 00:15:55.559
<v Speaker 2>He had promoted him to the third in command and

261
00:15:55.559 --> 00:15:57.480
<v Speaker 2>then was going to put him over the entire kingdom.

262
00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:00.080
<v Speaker 2>So he's got a good relationship with the king. He

263
00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:03.000
<v Speaker 2>could probably just go back to our channel and say, heiking,

264
00:16:03.240 --> 00:16:04.960
<v Speaker 2>come on, cut me some slack on this. You know

265
00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.399
<v Speaker 2>I'm Jewish, you know I believe in the true God,

266
00:16:08.279 --> 00:16:11.759
<v Speaker 2>and you know, once you just cut some corners here

267
00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:14.360
<v Speaker 2>and let me do it. He could appeal privately, but again,

268
00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:20.120
<v Speaker 2>even the king couldn't reverse this law. Here's another possibility.

269
00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:24.840
<v Speaker 2>He could just stop praying to God for thirty days.

270
00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:29.919
<v Speaker 2>Not pray to the emperor, but just stop praying to

271
00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:35.159
<v Speaker 2>God for thirty days. That's an option, not a good one,

272
00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:38.200
<v Speaker 2>but it's an option. Here's another one. Number five. He

273
00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:42.279
<v Speaker 2>could keep praying to God, the real God, just do

274
00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:46.200
<v Speaker 2>it in secret. Now some of you think, what's wrong

275
00:16:46.200 --> 00:16:49.159
<v Speaker 2>with that? Okay, the law says you can't do it,

276
00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:53.240
<v Speaker 2>but you're canna break the lodges. Keep praying, but pray

277
00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:58.480
<v Speaker 2>in secret. Well, although Daniel could do this, if he did,

278
00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:02.720
<v Speaker 2>his enemy just won what they wanted because they wanted

279
00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.559
<v Speaker 2>to embarrass him. They wanted him to back down off

280
00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:08.279
<v Speaker 2>his faith and he was the kind of guy who

281
00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:11.559
<v Speaker 2>prayed in public. He prayed before meals. I know some

282
00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:14.599
<v Speaker 2>Christians who are afraid to pray before meals in a restaurant.

283
00:17:16.359 --> 00:17:18.480
<v Speaker 2>What will other people think? Maybe they think of a fanatic,

284
00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:21.400
<v Speaker 2>and so I'll pray in secret. But I'm not going

285
00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:23.799
<v Speaker 2>to pray when I go to Chile's or when I

286
00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:28.440
<v Speaker 2>go to some other restaurant, and I'm just afraid of

287
00:17:28.480 --> 00:17:30.640
<v Speaker 2>what other people think. Well, he could have done that.

288
00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:33.519
<v Speaker 2>But if he'd done that, then those guys actually win

289
00:17:33.680 --> 00:17:36.839
<v Speaker 2>because they're trying to get him to back down and

290
00:17:36.920 --> 00:17:38.960
<v Speaker 2>to cave in and to be ashamed of his God.

291
00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:43.400
<v Speaker 2>Then there is of course a sixth option, which is

292
00:17:44.359 --> 00:17:47.720
<v Speaker 2>keep praying in public, as he'd done all his life.

293
00:17:48.440 --> 00:17:50.039
<v Speaker 2>In other words, it was his habit and it was

294
00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:53.119
<v Speaker 2>his customer. Now, which of those six options would you

295
00:17:53.279 --> 00:18:00.000
<v Speaker 2>choose if you were Daniel, The easiest one, the convenient one,

296
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:03.279
<v Speaker 2>or the one that in all likelihood would throw you

297
00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:07.079
<v Speaker 2>into a pit with a bunch of alliance. I think

298
00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:09.720
<v Speaker 2>the big question of this text is this, how far

299
00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:13.240
<v Speaker 2>are you willing to go for your faith? Or, as

300
00:18:13.279 --> 00:18:16.640
<v Speaker 2>the title of the messages, will you stand strong for

301
00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:24.279
<v Speaker 2>God publicly? Hey?

302
00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:27.480
<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much for listening to Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

303
00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:29.640
<v Speaker 1>I hope you were as blessed as I was from

304
00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:32.680
<v Speaker 1>today's show. And now here's Rick to tell you about

305
00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:33.640
<v Speaker 1>today's offer.

306
00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:36.480
<v Speaker 2>I know many of you use the Daily Hope devotionals

307
00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:39.519
<v Speaker 2>as part of your regular Bible study, and so I

308
00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:43.240
<v Speaker 2>want to share some exciting news. We've put three hundred

309
00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:47.119
<v Speaker 2>and sixty five of the best devotionals into a brand

310
00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:52.759
<v Speaker 2>new book that we're calling the Daily Hope Devotional Purpose, Peace,

311
00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:57.759
<v Speaker 2>and Promise for every Day. This devotional book is designed

312
00:18:57.759 --> 00:19:01.319
<v Speaker 2>with clear, practical biblical teaching to help you make knowing

313
00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:04.400
<v Speaker 2>God your number one priority. And what does that mean

314
00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:07.559
<v Speaker 2>for you each day? It means you'll be able to

315
00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:12.440
<v Speaker 2>conquer your fears and overcome temptations. You'll be able to

316
00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:15.720
<v Speaker 2>let go of your worries and to shake off stress.

317
00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:19.920
<v Speaker 2>And by starting your day focused on God, you'll be

318
00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.319
<v Speaker 2>prepared to face any conflict as you build healthy relationships

319
00:19:24.480 --> 00:19:29.279
<v Speaker 2>within your family, your neighborhood, and at work. This book

320
00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:30.920
<v Speaker 2>is a great way to share the hope you have

321
00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:34.119
<v Speaker 2>in Jesus with your friends, co workers, and relatives.

322
00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:36.440
<v Speaker 1>I hope you'll get a copy for everyone you know

323
00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:40.200
<v Speaker 1>Just go to Pastorrick dot com to get your copy.

324
00:19:40.519 --> 00:19:44.400
<v Speaker 1>That's Pastorick dot com. Or just text the word hope

325
00:19:44.440 --> 00:19:48.000
<v Speaker 1>to seven oh three to oh nine. Again the word

326
00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:51.720
<v Speaker 1>hope to seven oh three to oh nine, and thanks

327
00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:54.279
<v Speaker 1>so much for your support. Your give to Daily Hope

328
00:19:54.319 --> 00:19:57.039
<v Speaker 1>means so much to us because it helps us share

329
00:19:57.079 --> 00:20:00.279
<v Speaker 1>the hope of Jesus Christ to people all over around

330
00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:03.079
<v Speaker 1>the world. Be sure to join us next time as

331
00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:04.680
<v Speaker 1>we look into God's.

332
00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:06.079
<v Speaker 2>Word for our daily hope.

333
00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:09.319
<v Speaker 1>This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and

334
00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:11.519
<v Speaker 1>your generous financial support.