SERMON SUMMARY
Sunday, May 4, 2008
The Year of the Visitation : The Eternal Impact of Daniel
Sermon given by Senior Pastor, Dan Tabolt
James 5:16-18 The
effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a
man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not
rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18
And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its
fruit. NKJV
A believing people will always be a praying people.
Live a good life, love people, be kind, obey the golden rule, raise your
children to respect others and love God. Be a hard worker, be honest, go
to church, read the Bible; all of these would be things you may hear
people say that would help you to have a positive impact in this life.
Above all of these, I would say learning to pray effectively would have
the most impact.
PREVAILING PRINCE OF PRAYER - DANIEL NASH
The great evangelist, Charles Finney, left his itinerant ministry for the
pastorate within three or four months after this man's death. Finney never
counted on his theology, messages, preaching style, logic, or methods to
save souls. He looked rather to mighty prayer and the resulting powerful
work of the Holy Spirit to sweep in with great conviction on his audience,
that his conversions might be thorough. This may well explain why 80 per
cent of those converted in his meetings stood the test of time. Years
later Moody followed a similar pattern, but without such a prayer warrior.
He saw perhaps 50 per cent of his converts last. Today, a well-known
evangelist (well-financed and highly organized) recently stated that he
would be delighted if 20 per cent of his converts were genuinely
converted. In this day of apostasy with many decisions, but few true
conversions, with many programs, but little prayer, with much organizing,
but little agonizing, we would be wise to learn lessons from the past. One
of our godly forefathers whose life can teach us such is Daniel Nash.
The Eternal Impact of Daniel
I. Daniel and His Time:
6:1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty
satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; 2 and over these, three governors,
of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so
that the king would suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel distinguished
himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was
in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
4 So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel
concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he
was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then these
men said, "We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find
it against him concerning the law of his God."
6 So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus
to him:"King Darius, live forever!
7 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the
counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal
statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man
for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it
cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
does not alter." 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
A. Daniel Distinguished Himself
1. Daniel set himself from the very beginning to put God first.
Daniel, Chapter 1, He found them ten times better.
2. Dan 2:1 Nebuchadnezzar's Dream.
3. Dan 3:1 The Image of Gold Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
4. Dan 4:1 Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream - Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation.
5. Dan 5:1 Belshazzar's Feast.
Dan 5:25 "And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your
kingdom, and finished it; 27 TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances,
and found wanting; 28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to
the Medes and Persians." 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they
clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and
made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in
the kingdom.
30 Belshazzar's Fall
That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 And
Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
It is no wonder that this wise king would seek to put all things under the
protection of this man of God. Daniel, this man of prayer.
II. Daniel in the Lions' Den
10 Daniel in the Lions' Den Now when Daniel knew that the writing was
signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward
Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and
gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.11 Then
these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication
before his God.
12 And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king's decree:
"Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man
within thirty days, except you, O 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 does not alter." 13 So they answered
and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is one of the captives from
Judah, does not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that
you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day."
14 And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly 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. 15 Then these men approached the
king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes
and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be
changed." 16 So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and
cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel,
"Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you." 17 Then a
stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it
with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the
purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
A. Daniel’s custom since early days.
1. You would think that if a man like this was in your government that
everyone would want to cheer him on. But not so, for there is an evil in
mankind that is hell bent on rejecting the truth. As they rejected Christ
they will reject His message through us BUT Daniel “, he knelt down on his
knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as
was his custom”.
2. I see Jesus in this story of Daniel and I am not surprised because the
Bible teaches us that if we walk in this life with him we will bear the
image of his death. I See!
a. The trickery of men, how they lied and manipulated Darius and the
situation and how Darius, like Pilot tried to free this good man, but evil
men would have nothing to do with it.
b. How they cast him into a cave or tomb and rolled a stone on it. Turn
him, as they did Christ, to the roaring lion.
18 Daniel Saved from the Lions Now the king went to his palace and spent
the night fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his
sleep went from him. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning and
went in haste to the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he
cried out with a lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to
Daniel, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve
continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?" 21 Then Daniel said
to the king, "O king, live forever!
22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not
hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have
done no wrong before you." 23 Now the king was exceedingly glad for him,
and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel
was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him,
because he believed in his God.
24 Darius Honors God
And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had accused
Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions — them, their children,
and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones
in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. NKJV
c. How very early in the morning, like the resurrection, we find the stone
rolled away and the voice of faith speaking into the tomb. “O Daniel was
your God able” O death were is the sting.”
Dan 6:21-22 Then Daniel said to the king,"O king, live forever! 22 My God
sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so that they have not hurt me,
because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no
wrong before you." NKJV
d. The Final Judgment.
Dan 6:24And the king gave the command, and they brought those men who had
accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions — them, their
children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all
their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den. NKJV
Rev 20:9-10 10 The devil , who deceived them, was cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they
will be tormented day and night forever and ever. NKJV
III. The Whole Earth Will See The Glory of Our God.
Dan 6:25 Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and languages
that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you. 26 I make a
decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must tremble and fear
before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God, And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end. 27 He delivers and rescues, And
He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered
Daniel from the power of the lions. 28 So this Daniel prospered in the
reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
It is time for my sleeping giant to raise Church, it is time to pray.
So what is the
Revelation
Motivation
Activation
Of this lesson?
A CD or tape recording
of today’s message is available from the church. To get your copy of this message, just send $5 (to cover costs of tape and
postage) to:
Attn.: Tape
Ministry
Abundant Life Fellowship
P.O. Box 22
Boonville, NY 13309-0022
Or consider a
subscription to receive these recording sent to your house on a weekly
basis by contacting our office. Call (315) 942-3093.
Please note that all
sermons are property of Abundant Life Fellowship and should not be
reproduced for the purpose of profit or to be edited. Please understand
that these are here for the purpose of you bettering your own personal
understanding of what scriptures may mean, and we encourage you to read
the Bible for yourself as well and to pray for the Holy Spirit to give you
discernment of their meaning. All of the above sermons are available on
audio cassette and VHS video tapes by request. Call (315) 942-3093.
