August 11, 2024

Living in Babylon – being centred, grounded and making a difference in Christ

Preacher:
Passage: Daniel 9:1-19
Service Type:

Introduction

Title: Living in Babylon

Being centred, grounded and making a difference in Christ

Quote from the late Michael Moseley

If time is tight – what one thing would you do that might make a difference?
This is true of our physical and spiritual wellbeing

Example
Daniel living in Babylon – chapter 9

Background in Genesis 11, Zech 5
A place where sin and the rejection of God is worshipped

Comparison of Jerusalem and Babylon
Key to understanding Daniel’s prayer

Daniel exiled at the age of 14

Living in a man-centred world

68 years later – at 82 years of age

He has stood for God and his faith is as fresh as ever

A prayer for those living in Babylonian situations

Christians citizenship is of heaven
Yet live in a place that is often anti-God
To be centred, grounded and making a difference for our Lord

Centred

What is the centre of your life and affection?

Example of the Olympics
If we are not centred on God we will drift

Quote/Question from James Smith – "what do you want?"

This is often the most piercing question of Jesus
Is what we think we love and what we actually love the same?

Daniel shows us in 3 ways from his prayer who to remain centred:

Language
Name of God
Attention to God’s personal word

Language

The Book of Daniel is written in 3 languages
But the prayer is in Hebrew

Name of God

Personal name of the Lord – Yahweh
Not Adonai
He will not bow to others

Attention to God’s personal word

This has been his reference
The Scriptures had been exiled in Jerusalem
Yet Daniel could meet God through His word (v2)

We can meet God through His word

Jer 29:10 – He knows that the 70 years is almost up
Are we growing in our knowledge of God through the reading of His word?

Example
The daily reading of God’s word

Grounded

Grounded in God’s Character
Building our lives on the truth of how we are living in relation to God

Example of lawyers

Daniel’s prayer is grounded in the reality of who we are compared to God

Sin
The character of God
A prayer of confession (v4)

The attitude of prayer (v3) – of repentance

The contrast of our sin and God’s grace/mercy

v7

Terms for sin

Falling short of the expected standard – v5, 8, 11, 16

Sinned
Rebelled
Not obeyed
Been disloyal
Broken His law

He does not gloss over his sin

Even though he seems a man of great integrity
After living for 68 years in Babylon – he has seen the seriousness of sin

Do we take our sin lightly?
Trust in Jesus

Live a confessional life

Where the trend of our lives is towards God

Making a Difference

God being in control

He chooses to work in response to our prayers

Daniel knows Jeremiah’s prophecies

He knows that God is in control
He knows that God is about to act – it is nearly 70 years
He also knows that God seeks to act through His people

Jer 29:10

Thus Daniel is seeking God whole heartedly (v3)

Quote from Oswald Chambers – "prayer is where we do our best work"

He prays because he believes God’s word

He is specific, direct and bold (v18/19)
He leans into the purposes and character of God
He knows His people matter to God

How do our prayers compare to Daniel’s prayer?

Examples to help us grow in our prayer life

Did it make a difference? – Yes

Because he was beloved and greatly treasured (v23)

We are beloved and greatly treasured

God answers his prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem (v25)

Daniel did not know all
There was a veiled prophecy of the Messiah (v24)

Closing Remarks

Daniel was centred and ground in Christ
Daniel made a tremendous difference

In his and future times

What one thing will we do that is centred, grounded and makes a difference for Christ?

That we might finish well like Daniel