The Lions' Den
Sermon Notes
1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.
3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
4 At this, 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 6:1-4
6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever!
7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.
- Daniel 6:6-7
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
- Daniel 6:10
20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!
22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”
- Daniel 6:20-22
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
- Habakkuk 1:13
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
- Daniel 6:10
At this, 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.
- Daniel 6:4
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
- Isaiah 11:6-9
Table Group Resources
Mixer
What is one good or fun thing everyone can agree on?
‘Neighborly’ - Daily Devotional
To get the Daily Devotionals delivered to you every morning, text ‘dailydevotional’ to 97000.
In Pastor Harry’s 5/25/21 entry, Unanswered Prayer, one has to wonder: “Does God really NOT answer my prayers?” It might feel like it at times though - but what’s the truth? What answers have you wrestled with God over? What do you do with God’s “No or Not Yet” answers?
In Pastor Pam’s 5/29/21 entry, Perfect Peace, she reminds us that we can’t live the life Jesus has for us if we are gripped by our fears. How can King David’s intention in Psalm 143:5 be a new tool for you when you remember Philippians 4:6? Write down how peace starts to overtake the fear and refer back to these moments to build up your tool kit!
Sermon Questions
Scripture: Daniel 6:1-4, 6-7, 10, 20-22, Habakkuk 1:13, Isaiah 11:6-9
What did this message series teach you about how you can face Babylon? What is the area God is calling you to focus on to choose “faith over fear”?
How are you responding in the “tension” with Babylon on one side, and God’s Kingdom on the other? Who are you?
Hannaniah Impulse - separating yourself from Babylon so you are not corrupted? What happens when you do that?
Habakkuk Crisis - angry about being pushed by Babylon and wanting to push back? What happens when you do that?
Jeremiah Approach (Salt Principle) - choosing to engage but not being assimilated either? What happens when you do that?
How will you make the decisions between when to seek the prosperity of the city, and when to pray at your window?
Look at Isaiah 11:6-9. Does the picture that Isaiah paints of a perfect, peaceful future help you to engage with your current Babylon?
Go Deeper - with Goodbook
Dr. Mark Strauss and Pastor Ken Ingold
World Religions
Week 1 || Session 1 || Worldviews
What is a Worldview? What questions does it answer?
Describe your own worldview by answering some of these questions.
What is Polytheism? What is Theism?
What in world history produced the rise in Deism? In what ways does this still affect us today?
What is Syncretism?
In what ways does our worldview affect our personal behavior?
How would you defend your belief in the existence of God?
*Are you joining the Goodbook Q&A Zoom on Tuesday evenings? Email ken@thechurchrb.org
Serve
Grab your Table Group and join us for the next Good Neighbor Day on June 26. Registration to open soon.
Pray
Pray this week giving thanks to God that He gives you a new identity in Christ. Name all of those things that He says that you are. Ask His Spirit to help you live them out with the confidence and peace of a Daniel living in Babylon.
