Chapter six is where we will be this morning. In our study again, we're not taking we're not passing offering plate at this time because of COVID-nineteen and that sort of thing. We don't want to pass the germs from person to person with plates. So, but we do have offering plates up here and in the back. If you'd like to leave an offering as you come and go and appreciate most of you wearing masks today and I appreciate you taking them off after you're seated so I can see your beautiful face alright and so you can sing loudly with us but I do keep our church and our country in your prayers for many obvious reasons at this time but praise the Lord.

He is good. He is good and despite the inconveniences and difficulties and concerns that we have, the Lord is watching over us. He will take care of his own. He hasn't forgot about us. He has a purpose in all things, and, he has a purpose in this and he'll use it if we let him, to produce good things, to benefit us, as his children, to give us an opportunity, I to be a testimony as certainly we have.

This study that we've been on for the past few weeks called being a bright and shining light shining brightly in the darkness is a little bit about our current situation. This world we live in is spiritually, morally, in regards to God is getting darker. We are also in the midst of some trials at this present time in our country and in the world and it's in those times of greater darkness that God's children should shine what? Should shine brighter. Should be more clearly seen.

When you go out, when I go out at night and I look up at the sky, I see stars. If there's no clouds up there, I see a few stars. But if I go out in the countryside where I grew up as a kid, I look up and I see stars, okay? And there's a difference, isn't there? Now, the stars are still shining as much here as they are there obviously but we don't see them because of the city lights but if you go out where it's dark, you actually see something from time to time on a good clear night that we call the Milky Way and it's been years and years since I have seen the Milky Way since I have been living in the city.

And I I kind of miss it. Grew up with a telescope that I had in my front yard and often spend time looking at the stars but that applies to our situation. As it's darker, if we are standing for Christ, if we're simply being faithful, then, we will shine brighter. Daniel shown more brightly. His testimony was magnificent in Babylon because he lived in a morally corrupt and depraved society that did not know God and he because he knew God shown brightly and the same opportunity we have more and more today and so rather than looking at this as oh boy, this happened, that happened, and and I can't believe the world's doing this and doing that.

Thank the Lord we have an opportunity. If we will take it, to be a bright and shining light for Jesus today. Look if you would, Daniel chapter six, we're going to read the first five verses. Daniel six verse five verses. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 princes of which should be over the whole kingdom and over these three presidents of whom Daniel was first that the princes might give accounts unto them and the king should have no damage.

Then, this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then, the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom but they could find none occasion nor fault. For as much as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, we shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more.

Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for your word. The the example of Daniel that set forth there that we might be challenged, that we might be encouraged. Lord, if need be, we might be convicted because we're not quite being the testimony. Maybe we ought to be.

Lord, help us to get our eyes off of our own selfish desires. Lord, put our eyes on Jesus Christ, the the world around us, the need that is there, and the commission that God has given us to bring glory to his name and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, thank you for the day in which we live in which in many respects, it is actually easier to get the gospel out there. May we take that opportunity. Lord, we thank you for the freedom we have here and Lord, we take it so much for granted.

Lord, may we not pass up the opportunities we have been given to be a light for Jesus Christ in our words, actions, and deeds that we may bring glory to your name and Lord, if there be one here today that's never trusted Christ, may they to know you even today. We pray. In Jesus name, amen. Amen. So, here, entitled this God is my judge because that's what Daniel's name means or I I I've got a second title and that's loyalty to Christ which is what we see in the life of Daniel loyalty to God and why I chose that song to sing.

What an impact Daniel had on many people. What glory he brought to his God. What a life God gave to Daniel and what a legacy. What a testimony he had. We look back at Daniel and we look at and Daniel is one of these people in scripture.

You look at and say, wow, look at that man. Look, look what what he did. Look, look at the opportunities God gave him. And we think that there's something just so different about Daniel than there is about us. And there isn't.

Daniel was a human being just like us. Was there anything different about Daniel's God? No. Daniel's God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God that was with Daniel's with us.

There's anything different about Daniel than today, it was commitment. And that is not something that cannot change. It can change It must change. If we are to be a testimony and a light in our world as Daniel was in his. It was said he had an excellent or an extraordinary spirit.

His adversaries, those who envied his position, that's what was going on here. His adversaries could find no fault in him. He was truly blameless. Didn't mean he was out sin with without sin or he was not because he was a sinner like we are. But he and his everyday activities in life lived in such a manner that those who sought to find fault with him could not.

They couldn't find make find fault. They could find no corruption. Daniel is a maybe not unique but a rare politician because he was a politician in whom there was no corruption. These adversaries of his that sought his position, they were corrupt. They, we see that here in the story, how corrupt they were.

But not Daniel. It isn't true that you cannot be true to the Lord and be a politician. It may be difficult. But you can be true to the Lord no matter what position you find yourself in. Daniel was true to the Lord as a slave.

He was true to the Lord as a politician. He was true to the Lord as a servant of the Lord and in him, there was no corruption. He was faithful. He was honest and he was trustworthy. The king could trust him.

Why do you think that the king of Persia made Daniel one of the three highest rulers in his kingdom? After he had served the previous kingdom. That's unheard of. Why did the king of Persia do that? Because he saw something in Daniel that he was trust worthy, that he was a faithful man, faithful to his God, faithful in the things that he put his hand to.

He was trustworthy. You could count on Daniel. You could count on his word. You could count on getting the best out of him. Daniel was unlike anyone else they knew.

They didn't know anybody like that. So clear was his steadfast loyalty to his God that his enemies thought to themselves that the only way they could get him in trouble with the king was to find or invent a conflict between the law of his God and the law of his king because they knew that Daniel would not break the law of his God or his king or even for his own personal safety. They knew by his testimony that God came what? First in his life. They said, the only way we're going to get this guy is to find or invent a conflict between God's law and the king's law.

So, they began thinking. If we are to be bright and shining light in the dark world, we need to learn to be a Daniel. One whose character befits the name, his name, meaning, God is my judge. That is the way Daniel lived and in doing so, he made a name for himself but more importantly, Daniel made a name for his God in a hidden world that did not know him. If we're going to be a testimony in the world, we must choose God as our judge and not men and live accordingly.

To be loyal to God above all else. To live up to the name Christian follower of Jesus Christ. First Corinthians four two as it says is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. To be faithful and loyal to God. To choose him as the one we desire to please and not men and not the world around us.

God must come first. We came first to him. He needs to come first to us. Consider that you were the one on track for being a Christian? Would there be plenty of evidence to condemn you?

I hope so. Would your actions, words, and kind deeds identify you as a follower of Christ? Would there be plenty to stand up and give testimony? Yes, this person is a Christian and I know it because I heard them say these things because I saw them helping their neighbor because I saw them going to church with their Bible because I saw them bowing their head in prayer. Would your church attendance and Bible reading and prayer give evidence to your identity?

Would your faithfulness and commitment to Christ and conversation about him condemn you? Would others say, oh yes, that person's a Christian, I know it because they've come over to me. I don't know how many times and they tell me about Christ. Will there be enough testimony there to convict you? There's certainly enough to convict Daniel and there should be enough to convict us.

If not, then we're not being. The light and testimony we ought to be. If our neighbors do not know that we are Christians, then something is wrong. If our coworkers do not know that we are Christians, then something is wrong. Everyone who knew Daniel knew who Daniel was.

He is the man whose name means God is my judge. And he worshiped the Lord and everybody knew it. Daniel had a genuine growing relationship and daily walk with Christ. Number one, what set Daniel apart? He had a genuine growing relationship and daily walk with Christ.

Look if you would in verse six. Then, these presidents and princes assembled together the king and said thus unto him, King Darius, live forever. All the presidents of the kingdom lie because Daniel was included. The governors and the princes, the the counselors, the captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree that whosoever shall ask petition of any God or man for thirty days save oh thee save of thee, oh king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, oh king, establish the decree and sign the writing that it be not changed.

According to the law of Medes and Persians which altereth not. Wherefore, King Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house and his windows being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem. He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did a four time. Look if you want in verse 16, then the king commanded and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions.

Now, the king spake and said unto Daniel, thy God whom thou serviced continually, he will deliver thee. Not only did Daniel claim to know the Lord. But he had practiced daily communication with God. A daily walk with God. He had nurtured a daily relationship with God from the time of his youth.

There is no chance of being a light for Christ if we are not spending time regularly with the savior. Not necessarily to be measured in a particular number of times a day. Although that was David's custom. It is God that strengthens us and gives us grace and wisdom and good success. Was true in Daniel's life.

It was true in David's life. It was true in Joshua's life. Will be true in ours as well. You need the Lord. You need him.

Sing a song, Lord, I need you. And boy, do we need the Lord? When times are great and when times are bad, we need the Lord. We need him to be part of our daily life and walk. He he should be on our minds all the time.

All the time. Whenever something happens, God should come to our mind. The scriptures should come to our mind. What is right? What we should do should come to our mind.

Because only as we grow closer to Christ, will our testimony grow what? Brighter because see, we are not the light of the world alone. We're like the moon. What does the moon do? It reflects the light of the sun and that's who we are.

We're like the moon. We reflect the light of the son of God to a lost world around us. We're not going to do a very good job of that if we're not close to him. If we're not, do not have a growing relationship and walk with him each day. Had to Daniel get to be the light he was from the time of his youth.

He had purposed in his heart. He'd committed himself to his God. Daniel had not just started to keep this time with God. He had been doing it for years and even his enemies had taken notice. Psalm one one through three.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council, the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seed of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law, doth he meditate day and night and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that giveth forth fruit in his season. His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Who was the Psalm is talking about? He's talking about the blessed man. But does it not apply to Daniel?

Put Daniel in here. Blessed is Daniel who walked not in the council of the ungodly nor stood in the way of sinners nor sat in the seat of the scornful but his delight, Daniel's delight was in the law of his God and his law that he meditate day and night. He was like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brought forth his fruit in his season. His leaf also did not wither and whatsoever he did what? Prospered.

That was Daniel. That was the secret to Daniel's success. Was a daily growing relationship with God. He didn't just come to church on Sunday and open his Bible. He opened it every day.

He didn't just pray when he bowed his head to ask thank God for food. He prayed three times a day at least. That mean he only prayed three times a day. And I no doubt he prayed not for a minute or two minutes or five minutes but ten or fifteen or twenty or a half an hour or more. He was a man of prayer.

He spent time with his God. He didn't just say, God, thank you for the food and went all about his day. Sometimes, that's all we say if we say that. We we get up in the morning. Lord, thank you for keeping me over the night and I hope this is a good day.

If that's all you talk to your spouse, would you be in trouble? Probably would. Why do we sometimes treat our God that way? You're not gonna have a growing relationship talking to your spouse that way and you're not gonna have a growing one talking to God that way either. Daniel light shone so bright because of all the time he spent with his God.

This was the command of our savior to his disciples and those who desire to be disciples in Luke chapter nine and twenty three and he said unto them, said to them all, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross what? Daily, daily, and following. How often should we be spending time with our Lord? How often should we be taking up the the commission that he has given us? We should be doing it daily.

This should be something that we strive every day of our life Christians. It's true of David, true of Daniel. This was the practice of the early church that faced such persecution and yet turned the world upside down. Acts two and verse 46 and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. How often did they do this?

They did it what? Daily. They did it daily. They they prayed daily. They read their Bible daily.

They encouraged one another daily. You say, but pastor, I I I tell people hi when I come to church. That's good. I I say, I'm praying for you every now and then when I see em and they have a prayer. That's good.

But you know something? You don't have to go visit them. Pick up your phone on Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday and call somebody and say, hi. How you doing? That's why we're here.

That's why we have a church to exhort one another and so much the more as we see the day approaching. You don't have to wait till Sunday. To spend time with your fellow Christian and you certainly don't have to wait till Sunday to spend time with your God. Daniel was not a Sunday Christian. He was an everyday Christian.

He was an every hour Christian So, he shone brightly. Committed to a daily walk and prayer and Bible meditation, committed to faithful to participation, In our case, in church and worship, committed to faithful service, looking for opportunities to serve family, church, neighbors, friends, coworkers. That was Daniel that needs to be us. The world will be impressed with your faithfulness. They may call you crazy.

They may call you a fanatic but you know what that means? That means they're taking notice. Daniel's adversaries took notice. They called him crazy. They called him fanatic.

They said he's in our way. We gotta get rid of him. He's making us look bad. What did that mean? It meant they were taking notice.

They knew who he was. They even said so here. And if you'll be faithful, others will too. More importantly, God will be magnified in their eyes. And that's why we're here.

That others may see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven and as our father is magnified and glorified, he is also going to pour out his blessings upon us. It doesn't mean dollars in the bank necessarily. But it means God will fill your hearts with joy and peace and hope that the world doesn't and cannot know if they do not know him. Daniel had a relationship with God, a growing one. Number two, Daniel had a spine.

Daniel had a spine. He was a courageous person. And so he made a difference. Look if you would in verse 10 again. Now, when Daniel knew the writing was signed, he went to his house and his windows were being opened in his chamber toward Jerusalem.

He kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did a four time. Then, these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then, they came near and spake before the king concerning the king's decree. Hast thou not signed a decree that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, oh king, shall be cast into the den of lions. The king answered and said, the thing is true.

According to the law of the Medes and Persians which altereth not. Then answered, they and said before the king that Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regarded not thee, oh king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but make it his petition three times a day. Then, the king, when he heard these words was sore displeased with himself and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him. You see, the king knew, oh, I let my pride get me in a spot and now my friend, my trusted counselor, the one who I respect is in trouble because I blew it and he tried very hard to get Daniel out of it but see the law of the Medes and Persians was different from the law of the Babylonians. Nebuchadnezzar could change the law whenever he wanted.

Once the law was signed in Persia, it was done and the king couldn't change it. So, verse 15, then these men assembled under the king again and said to the king, now, oh king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that no decree nor statute which the king established may be changed. Then, the king commanded and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now, the king spake and said unto Daniel, thy God, whom thou service continually, he will deliver thee and the stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den and the king sealed it with his own signet with the signet of his lords that the purpose night might not be changed concerning Daniel. Did Daniel have enemies?

Yes, he did. Do we have enemies? Yes, we do but we wrestle not with flesh and blood, do we? With principalities and powers and darkness. Primarily, the leader, his name is Satan.

First Peter five eight. I think I have that up here. Let's see. First Peter five eight, be sober. Be vigilant because your adversary, the devil has a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.

You do have an enemy, he is the devil. And he and his minions may stir up other flesh and blood people to get in your way, to trouble you, to stand in the way of the gospel. He is our ultimate enemy. He is out there. He is real.

If you stand up for Christ, you can be counted. It can be counted on that others will stand against you. Jesus said in John fifteen eighteen, if the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. Jesus said, don't expect the world to love you if you stand up for what is right. That has never been the case.

What happened to Abel? The first born of Adam and Eve. Well, second born of Adam and Eve, right after they were cast out of the Garden Of Eden. What happened to Abel when he stood up for what was right? His brother killed him.

You see, the world has never rewarded those who stood up for right. They have often hated them. So, Jesus warned his disciples, don't expect the world to love you. Expect the world to stand in your way. Expect them to ridicule you.

Expect them to despise you. Expect them to try to stop you and to keep you quiet because they don't want to hear. People don't want to hear the gospel. They don't want to hear that they're sinners in need of a savior. So, they'll go everywhere but a church today that preaches the good news, sadly.

Daniel after he knew the law was signed, did as he always did. He wasn't deterred by the inconvenience and danger or the eyes of others. Daniel was a man of courage because he trusted in the Lord. All Daniel would have had to have done was stop for just a little while. You know, I think probably if Daniel would have stopped for just maybe five days, the man would have got tired of trying to spy on him and would have let him alone.

All Daniel would have done would have to be change his pattern. You know, when you pray, just close your what? Just close your window and put your curtain down, okay? And nobody will see. You're still praying, right?

You're still praying? Yeah, that's all he had to do is change his pattern. Close his window. But he was not about to do that. He was not about to do that and show disloyalty to his God or lack of faith in his God.

You see, if these men who knew Daniel had his window open three times a day praying towards Jerusalem, If he went and closed it and closed the curtains, they would have known that he was scared, afraid, ashamed, and so Daniel wasn't going to do that. He didn't want to send the wrong message that he was more afraid of men than he was of his God and so he kept his window open and he got down at the same time. He he could've prayed at a different time but he went to pray at the same time and he left the window open. Why? Because he had to be loyal to his God and he had to be that testimony.

And he showed courage Christians throughout the centuries have been people of courage I'm not so sure if that's the case today. I'm not so sure how far our courage goes. I'm not so sure if we dealt with some of the persecution that Christians do in China or some of the persecution that Christians did in Russia and Soviet Union. How we would respond? Hopefully, we would respond like others who are willing if need be to die for their savior.

We certainly should. He deserves that. Joshua one nine, God told Joshua, have not I commanded thee be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. He said to Joshua, you be courageous.

Why? Because I am why? I'm with you. Was God with Daniel? Yes.

Was God with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Yes. Is God with you? If you're his child? Yes, he is.

So, show some courage. When when you don't have to wear a mask to talk to your neighbor, go knock on their door Tell them about a savior. Send a car. Don't be afraid to let people know you're a Christian outside the walls of this church. God is with you.

Romans one sixteen. Paul said, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. It's the power of Christ, the gospel of Christ. For it's the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek. In second Timothy one eight, Things not working very well today.

It says, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me as prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. That's Paul speaking to Timothy and Paul knew what he was talking about because Paul had been in prison, beaten, whipped, stoned, left for dead several times. You know who sustained him? His God and he got up and he went to the next town and he started all over again. He was a man of great courage because he knew that he was right and because he knew that God was with him and so he got up and he went to the next town.

In Acts five twenty nine, it says this of the early disciples, then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than man. They were not convenient Christians. They stood with the Lord through thick and When the top, when times got tough, they got going. They didn't allow difficulty to stop them. They didn't allow the threat of persecution to stop them.

What does it take to stop many Christians today? It's raining. That's what it takes to stop them and they don't come out. What does it take to stop them? I have company.

I'm sorry I won't be there today. I have company. You know something company never showed up at my house when I was a kid on Sunday. Unless they were coming to church with us. Because they knew they would be left at our house by themselves.

Because my parents went to church. I'm tired. The rest of us aren't tired. They may look at me funny. They shut the door in my face.

I I might stutter or mess up. So, I'm not going to speak. That was my excuse. I won't be popular. No, you won't.

Get over it. It will be hard. Anything worthwhile is going to be what? And this is worthwhile. Serving the Lord is worthwhile.

Proclaiming the gospel is worthwhile. Being in church is worthwhile. Reading your Bible is worthwhile. Don't be stopped. By things that should not stop you.

You have COVID-nineteen? Don't come to church right now. I understand. But if you've just a little bit tired this morning, if it just happens to be raining, would you go to work? Then come to church.

I want you to read you the words of Martin Luther. He says, I cannot and I will not recant anything. For to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other.

So help me God. Amen. That was a man whose life was on the line and he said as he looked up at the council that stood against him. I can't recant. I will not change and if you let me go, I'm gonna leave this place and I'm gonna keep doing the same thing.

Now Martin Luther did escape and his life was not taken but that's what wasn't always the case. Let me read you the words of John Huss, another reformer whose life was taken. He says, I vow it to be my purpose to defend the truth which God has enabled me to know and especially the truth of the holy scripture. Even to death, since I know that the truth stands and is forever mighty and abides. Furthermore, he went on, the Lord Jesus Christ, my redeemer and savior, was bound by a harder and heavier chain and I, a miserable wretch, am not ashamed to bear, being bound for his name to this one.

At that point, he looked up to heaven and replied in a loud voice, God is my witness. That those things that are falsely ascribed to me of which the false witnesses accuse me, I have never taught or preached but the principle intention of my preaching and all my other acts or writings was solely that I might turn men from sin and in the truth of the gospel that I wrote, taught, and preached, I am willing gladly to die today and with that, he was burned at the stake. That is courage. That is not a convenient Christian. That's somebody who really believes and that somebody whose words echo down through the centuries for Jesus Christ.

And yet so many Christians today can't come to church or pick up their Bible For the smallest of inconveniences. What kind of people are we? Would we stand with the martyrs of old or would we shrink in fear, recant our faith, change our personal worship for fear of men? Some of us may face some of those choices down the line. The question is, are we allowing simple inconveniences to stand in our way today?

Not Daniel, not Daniel. And number three and finally, Daniel was a man of faith. 17 through 23. Verse 17, again, the stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with a signet ring with the signet of his lords that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

Then, the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting. Neither were instruments of music brought before him and his sleep went from him. Then, the king arose very early in the morning and he went in haste unto the den of the lions. The king couldn't sleep that night. He paced all night long, couldn't sleep because of his fear for Daniel.

Verse 20 and when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel. He was afraid that he wasn't going to hear an answer and the king spake and said to Daniel, oh Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom thou service continually able to deliver thee from the lions. Then said Daniel to under the king, oh king, live forever. My God has sent his angel, has shut the lion's mouths, and they have not hurt me. For as much as before him innocency was found in me, and also before thee, oh king, have I done no hurt.

Then the king, exceeding glad for him, commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So, Daniel was taken up out of the den and no manner of hurt was upon him. Last phrase of this verse, because he what? Believe in his God. Because he believe, because he was a man of faith, because he believed in his God, God rescued him.

Sustained him. Was there for him. There is one thing required to be a Christian of you. Faith. You must believe.

God did all the work. You simply must believe and trust him. You must entrust him with your soul, your eternity, your life. Put it in his hands. It requires faith.

There's one thing that is required for you to be a light and a testimony as a Christian. You know what it is? Faith. You have to learn to trust him. You have to learn when God says go to go.

When God says talk to talk. When God says don't to stop. Faith. Simply, faith. Faith produces works.

Talked about that on Sunday nights but you must have faith. Daniel because of his relationship with God was a man of growing and sincere and stalwart faith. That gave him courage and that delivered him in the end and even the king recognized it. Daniel slept soundly that night with the lions while Darius walked the halls. What was the difference?

Daniel, a man of faith in his God, Darius a skeptic. God tells us in his word, believe and not faint, to pray and not worry. Says in Philippians four six, it says, be careful or be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. Let your request be made known unto God. Believe, lay them at his feet.

You don't have to be anxious. God will take care of you just like he took care of Daniel. Don't be Darius, be Daniel. Trust the Lord. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart.

Lean not unto thine own understanding and all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. Trust him and tell someone about the savior. Trust him and get up and go to church. Trust him and read his word. Trust him and pray.

Trust him and do what's right. Trust him and don't worry but trust him. Trust and obey. All goes back to trust. If you trust God, you'll obey him.

The problem is we don't trust him as much as we should. What made Daniel stand out? He was a man of faith. I mean, he was real faith, genuine faith. Everybody could see it and showed forth and God was magnified in his life and the result, Daniel prospered also.

Verses 25 to 28 and the king, Darius wrote unto all the people, nations, and languages that dwell on all the earth. Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble in fear before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and steadfast forever. His kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the end.

He deliver and rescueth. He work as signs and wonders in heaven and earth. Who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions? So, this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus, the Persian. And what?

May I ask you this question? Who was it that sent the Israelites back to Jerusalem? His name was Cyrus. Isaiah foretold that before long before Cyrus was born and who do you think affected Cyrus's thinking or Darius's thinking? We had a part in that.

I dare say, the testimony of Daniel probably impacted. Darius and Cyrus. To send Israel back. What a man, what a person, what a believer, a man of faith. He prospered and God was magnified and it affected many many people.

You don't have to be a preacher. You don't have to be a missionary and you don't have to be a teacher to impact people for Christ. You just have to be faithful. You just need to be a Daniel. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. Thank you Lord for your love for us. We're with you loved us that you gave your life for us and Lord, what you ask of us is only our reasonable service that we shine brightly today that we reflect your light to others that we simply by faith will show them who it is that we serve and we love and we believe in. By our actions, words, and deeds. Lord, give us faith.

Lord, give us courage. Lord, help us to lay other things aside that are worthless time wasters. And spend more time with our God. Lord, may we be everyday Christians. May we be inconvenient Christians.

May we be Christians when things are against us. May we stand for you. When others may mock us. May we be Psalm one Christians. Who are blessed by God.

Because we're not ruled by fear of man. But we're ruled by the love of God and his word and we pray if there be one here today as we sing this hymn of invitation that's never trusted Christ as savior that they come as we sing this morning That we might show them how to trust God. Trust Christ and be safe today. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.