Bold Faith: Standing Firm in Adversity
Summary
In our series "Stand Up and Stand Out," we explore the call to live boldly for God, drawing inspiration from the book of Daniel. As we conclude our 21 days of prayer and fasting, we reflect on the story of Daniel in the lion's den, a testament to unwavering faith in the face of adversity. Daniel, an ordinary man, exemplified extraordinary faith, standing firm in his beliefs despite the threat of death. At 80 years old, Daniel's spiritual strength was at its peak, demonstrating that a life of consistent faithfulness to God can lead to remarkable courage and resilience.
Daniel's story teaches us that when God elevates us, opposition often follows. His promotion under King Darius led to jealousy and schemes from others, yet Daniel remained steadfast. His life was marked by excellence and integrity, qualities that made him a target but also a beacon of God's power. Daniel's unwavering commitment to prayer, even when it was outlawed, highlights the importance of a pre-determined faith. He chose to continue praying openly, trusting God with the outcome, and his faith was rewarded when God shut the mouths of the lions.
This narrative challenges us to examine our own faith. Are we prepared to face opposition for our beliefs? Do we trust God enough to stand firm when trials come? Daniel's life encourages us to pre-decide our commitment to God, ensuring that our first response to challenges is prayer, not panic. By doing so, we align ourselves with God's purpose, allowing Him to work through us to impact our communities positively.
As a church, we are called to be a light in our city, to stand out and make a difference. This requires a deep, personal relationship with God, cultivated through prayer and community. We must resist the temptation to blend in and instead embrace the unique calling God has placed on our lives. Let us be a church that reflects God's love and power, inspiring others to seek Him.
Key Takeaways:
1. Ordinary People, Extraordinary Faith: Daniel's story reminds us that God uses ordinary individuals to accomplish extraordinary things. His unwavering faith, even at 80, shows that spiritual strength is not bound by age but by a consistent relationship with God. We are challenged to live in such a way that our faith is worth writing about. [02:27]
2. Excellence in Adversity: Daniel's life exemplifies serving with excellence, regardless of circumstances. His integrity and dedication made him a target, yet he remained constant in his faith. This teaches us to maintain our commitment to God, even when faced with opposition, trusting that our faithfulness will shine through. [08:51]
3. Prayer as a Foundation: Daniel's courage to continue praying despite the threat of death underscores the power of prayer. Kneeling in prayer gives us the strength to stand firm in our faith. We are encouraged to make prayer our first response, not our last resort, ensuring that our relationship with God is our foundation. [30:13]
4. Pre-Determined Faith: Daniel's success was rooted in his pre-determined decision to follow God. By deciding in advance to remain faithful, he was prepared for any trial. We are called to pre-determine our commitment to God, ensuring that our faith remains strong regardless of life's challenges. [33:24]
5. Trusting God with the Outcome: Daniel's story teaches us to trust God with the results when we do what is right. Even when we don't know the end of our story, we can have faith that God is in control. This trust allows us to live boldly for God, knowing that He will handle our circumstances. [38:46]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:27] - Daniel's Faithfulness
- [03:57] - Standing Strong in Opposition
- [08:51] - Excellence in Service
- [10:48] - Facing Jealousy and Schemes
- [11:58] - Never Dim Your Light
- [13:02] - Dance with Those Who Celebrate You
- [14:33] - The Crab Syndrome
- [19:32] - Opposition and Faith
- [20:22] - Spiritual Warfare
- [21:13] - The Enemy's Tactics
- [24:08] - Let Them Talk
- [24:53] - Ready for Opposition
- [25:34] - The Plot Against Daniel
- [26:24] - Vulnerability to Pride
- [27:09] - Daniel's Boldness
- [27:57] - Daniel's Decision to Pray
- [29:09] - Courageous Faith
- [30:13] - Strength Through Prayer
- [31:02] - Prayer as First Response
- [32:29] - Quiet Faithfulness
- [33:24] - Pre-Determined Faith
- [34:53] - Community and Connection
- [35:26] - The Power of Kneeling
- [36:25] - Being the Church
- [36:56] - Living for Your Faith
- [37:42] - Trusting God with the Outcome
- [38:46] - Faith in the Unknown
- [39:41] - Daniel's Deliverance
- [44:14] - Facing Opposition
- [45:19] - Prayer and Salvation
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Stand Up and Stand Out"
Bible Reading:
- Daniel 6:1-28
- Psalm 101:2-3
- Ephesians 6:12
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Observation Questions:
1. What qualities distinguished Daniel among the administrators and satraps, leading to his promotion by King Darius? [03:57]
2. How did Daniel respond to the decree that prohibited prayer to any god or man except King Darius? [27:57]
3. What was the reaction of King Darius when he realized the consequences of the decree on Daniel? [39:41]
4. How did God demonstrate His power in the story of Daniel in the lion's den? [39:41]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does Daniel's unwavering commitment to prayer, even in the face of death, reveal about his relationship with God? [30:13]
2. How does the story of Daniel challenge the belief that Christians should not face opposition or suffering? [19:32]
3. In what ways does Daniel's life exemplify the concept of "pre-determined faith"? How can this be applied to modern-day believers? [33:24]
4. How does the story of Daniel in the lion's den illustrate the principle of trusting God with the outcome, even when the future is uncertain? [38:46]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you faced opposition for your beliefs. How did you respond, and what might you do differently in the future to stand firm in your faith? [24:53]
2. Daniel's life was marked by excellence and integrity. Identify one area in your life where you can strive for greater excellence in serving God. What steps will you take to achieve this? [08:51]
3. Prayer was Daniel's first response to challenges. How can you make prayer a more integral part of your daily routine, especially when facing trials? [31:02]
4. Consider the concept of "pre-determined faith." What decisions can you make now to ensure your commitment to God remains strong during future challenges? [33:24]
5. Daniel trusted God with the outcome of his situation. Is there a current situation in your life where you need to trust God more fully? How can you practice this trust daily? [38:46]
6. As a church, we are called to stand out and make a difference. What unique calling do you feel God has placed on your life, and how can you embrace it to impact your community positively? [10:48]
7. Reflect on the "crab syndrome" mentioned in the sermon. How can you support others in their faith journey without pulling them back due to jealousy or insecurity? [14:33]
Devotional
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Quotes
"So ordinary people can do extraordinary things, and I've said this all along, that over this series, it's been very challenging. This has been a challenging series for me because here's the thing. God has called you to not blend in. God's called you to stand out, and for some of us, that's not hard to do. We're allowed. We're very boisterous personalities, but for those of us that want to blend into the shadows, those that just want to kind of just not be seen, I believe God's called you to stand out, and for some of us, God's called you to step it up a notch and to let's do something great for the kingdom of God together, and so we look at Daniel's story, and we're going to look today that he was standing strong, that he stood in the face of opposition." [00:01:33] (38 seconds)
"These two other dudes, the two other satirists, were jealous of Daniel, and they wanted to come up with ways to bring him down. So they said, we got to dig some junk up. We got to find some dirt on Daniel to get him out of the way, because the king isn't looking at us anymore. We're not the ones getting the promotions. Nobody's patting us on the back. So we got to get Daniel out, because they wanted his job. And through all of it, Daniel stood strong, and he never wavered, and he never buckled. And I want to ask you, how many of you have ever had somebody come up against you?" [00:08:28] (35 seconds)
"How many of you have ever had somebody stab you in the back? How many of you feel like you had everything in the world working against you? Can you still serve God when it's low, and can you serve him when it's high? Because Daniel was constant. He never changed his attitude of doing the right thing. He never changed his attitude of doing the right thing. He never changed his attitude for God, serving God, loving God, and doing it with excellence, regardless of what was going on. And you only find that kind of supernatural favor and strength when you have a solid relationship with God. And that's why we did the 21 days of prayer." [00:09:03] (31 seconds)
"I will not waver I will not fall down I will serve you no matter what God because I trust you and that was the kind of faith that Daniel had because you're never gonna survive the type of attacks that the enemy is gonna bring into your life with a so -so vanilla ordinary kind of faith you've got to have a supernatural face faith one that's truly encountered God so when Daniel star starts to rise the enemy pulls out the big guns and Daniel gets a bull's -eye on his chest and he becomes an instant target and so what I want to do is I want to show you today some truths of how do you withstand the attacks of the enemy when he comes against you what's gonna keep you strong and a man and woman of faith that makes a difference in the world because how many of you believe God put you here for a reason we all say that but do you know what the reason is I want to live my life in such a way that God goes you're killing it you're killing that you're nailing it you're doing exactly what I put you there look at him go boy go girl you You got it." [00:09:47] (60 seconds)
"When God raises you up, people are going to try to tear you down. And it's sad that God promotes you and he raises you up and the very people that you thought were going to be happy for you at your job, that you got that promotion, the very people that you thought were going to go, oh my gosh, you deserved it. You were so deserving of this. No, often it's the people that you thought that were going to be happy for you that fake it to your face but are tearing you down. Behind your back." [00:11:07] (27 seconds)
"The enemy's going to come against you. You see, the thing is, most people aren't going to have their faith encouraged from the storm and the war you were delivered from. They're going to get victory, and they're going to find encouragement from the storm and the war that you were delivered through. The world's going through it. And sometimes God doesn't deliver you from it. He gives you the strength to go through it so that you can be the crab that gets out of the pot. So don't just be crabby. Get out. Let's do this. Amen? Life's hard. People are mean. People have bad days. They're going to come against you." [00:19:15] (38 seconds)
"Because if you're not ready to face opposition for obeying God, you're not ready to be used by God. Let me say that again. If you're not ready to face opposition for serving God, for obeying God, you're not ready to be used by God. Because you're going to find opposition. If you're looking for an opposition -free life, It's a spiritual battle. And when you're doing something for God, there's always going to be opposition because the devil's going to do his job. My question to you today, will you do yours?" [00:24:47] (34 seconds)
"Kneeling down to pray is what gives you the strength to stand up for God when opposition comes against you, and it's so powerful. Look at verse 10. Now, when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened towards Jerusalem. So he went upstairs. Everybody could look up and see the Daniel's room. All the windows are all the way around, 360 -degree windows probably, so that the breeze can come. And they could see what Daniel was doing in his room. And three times a day, he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. The courage." [00:29:40] (33 seconds)
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