"Don't Switch Up Now" Daniel 6:11-17

[Music] man amen amen now one more time give God your best sprays today at this building [Applause] I invite your attention to the Book of Daniel we are coming to the climax and conclusion of this series maintain the standard I hope that it has been helpful and beneficial to each of us I know it has blessed me richly to go through the Word of God and once again grow and what God would want us to hear once again we thank you for your prayers this week and it's been a long week and so free for the Broadway Church family that lost their pastor last Sunday and we laid to rest pastor Joyner on yesterday and we pray that you once again just pray or lately there's been a lot of pastors passing and health challenges coupled with in this city and so we pray God's blessing and peace upon their family and the flock that they had leadership over Daniel six few verses today beginning around verse 11 here is the Word of God for us the conspirators came and found him praying asking God for help they went straight to the king and reminding him of the royal decree that he had signed did you not they said sign a decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god or man except you for the next thirty days and anyone caught doing it would be thrown into the Lions still absolutely said the king written in stone like all the laws of the Medes and Persians then they said Daniel one of the Jewish exile ignores you o King and the final shall decree three times a day he prays and if this the king was very upset and trying his best to get Daniel out of the fix he put him in he worked at it the whole day long but the conspirators were back remember O King gets the law the Medes and Persians that the Kings decree can never be changed King caved in order Daniel brought and thrown into the Lions Den but he said to Daniel your God to whom you are so loyal is going to get you out of this stone slab was placed over the opening of the day and the king sealed the cover with his signet ring and the cigarettes of olives Nobles fixing Daniels fate once again it says Kings stone slab was placed over the opening of the den Kings sealed the cover with his signet ring and the signet ring of all of his Nobles fixing Daniel's fate for the time which is ours I want to talk briefly from this idea I want to talk about don't switch up now touch your neighbors a neighbor don't switch up now if those hands toward heaven say Lord speak we need to hear you may be seated in the presence of God how did I get here man it's amazing just to consider how life has brought me to this place I wonder have you ever been in some tight spots yourself have you ever been in some real tough situations have you ever been in some places where honestly you did not really want to be be quiet you might wake the Lions oh excuse me I don't mean to be rude but my name is Daniel and I happen to find myself in a lion stare as I'm recalling my life is interesting that I find myself here your pastor told me that y'all been studying in my life over the last few months you've been hearing it from his perspective let me share with you life from my perspective because it's been interesting men as I look back over life man things early for me was going pretty well I grew up in a very royal family in the place of God I lived in a place of Jerusalem and and I'll be honest with you I was from the tribe of Judah I had everything afforded to my life everything was going well I was doing things well and I had an opportunity my parents are very strong they taught me the ways of God but I will admit to you things got a little crazy because we were raised to honor God we were raised to worship God but as a whole we were not doing God well and ultimately God began to give punishment he told us that if we did not honor him and worship Him he said that we will be talked about I don't think my people really understood all of what was happening and so by the time I was 16 years old guess what happened the worst came to pass the Babylonian Empire led by King Nebuchadnezzar Vaden invaded our land and guess what he decided to do he took the best from our land I was screaming as they once again dragged me from my parents home this was arter but yet they saw some potential in me me and my three friends Hananiah Mishael and Azariah we were once brought to the Babylonian Empire and that we were I'm will admit to you they were trying to indoctrinate us and tell us what we were going to be they saw a future in us but I will to you the first issue was they wanted us to eat some weird type of food I grew up a Hebrew I grew up a child of God we were very strict in what we allowed in our body and God gave me some incredible favor he let me talk to the person over us and I made him this pledge and promise I said if you let me eat our normal diet just let me eat vegetables and drink water you you can keep the Kings food that if you just do that for ten days watch what happens God gave us favor his was crazy after 10 days of eating vegetables in water those who had the choices of foods actually look worse than us and when they came to us they saw that our training really was worth something we were smarter than the normal person they thought we were cuz many considered us just slaves but we had some common sense about ourselves and because of the favor of our God oh what an amazing Yahweh we serve I was able to once again ride into the higher upper echelon the Babylonian Empire but here's what else is crazy is while I was also in the Babylonian Empire things got a little crazy King Nebuchadnezzar was a weird guy but he kind of was kind of interesting I mean he did a lot of great things but I could tell he was not a follower of God in one particular day he got some dreams and he called in all the people that was in class with me all the other magistrates and magicians and all those soothsayers and he had a dream and guess what they could not figure this thing out matter of fact he wanted to destroy all of us he wanted to kill us but I to him God once again gave me favor I was able to talk him out of that and I said man just give me a moment let me pray let me talk to my god and let me see what this dream is all about his was wild it's God gave me this gift God gave me the ability to interpret dreams now here's what's wild about it I never asked for the gift but God still gave it to me and sometimes my brothers and sisters I've learned this that God will oftentimes bless us in such tremendous ways that he allows opportunities come even that we were not looking for and because of that again that gift that God gave me I was favored with King Nebuchadnezzar I was promoted and I brought my brothers along with me things happen worried as I continued to work and do things that I was supposed to do matter stuff gotta get tree I mean they started a tree us bad matter of fact they even threw three of my friends in a fiery furnace but guess what God's grace even kept them in a fire and then the next thing that happens is finally I got to spend some time with King Nebuchadnezzar and this was probably one of the most tense moments of his leadership he got crazy y'all I know y'all don't know anything about crazy leaders but he got crazy I mean he lost his my I know y'all don't deal with that but that was our issue King Nebuchadnezzar I mean after trying to build a golden statue after all of that one thing that he was his problem was he is was infected with pride and here's the thing I had to tell him the bad news that God gave me I told him listen God is saying if you continue to operate in pride guess what's gonna happen you're gonna be cut down and can you imagine the next moment I go up to meet the King and guess what he is now rummaging on the ground like an animal I mean we could take it if it was just a day but for seven years he was grazing in the grass it was my responsibility as one of his leaders to make sure that no one nothing happened no insurrection took place and to the glory of God after seven years he was restored once humility entered his heart and here's the good news that he was able to get his kingdom back I like King Nebuchadnezzar that was my man but his reign was not meant to be forever and his was crazy another man took over his name was Belshazzar I didn't really like Belshazzar he he had his own little thing I think he was a little sport I don't I didn't like Belshazzar he he was really just an odd kind of fellow and here's the thing that gets me what Belshazzar is he should have learned from King Nebuchadnezzar but he has so much pride in him matter of fact by the time they called me in the Queen Mother wanted me to speak to him and perhaps give him some common sense man he was too far gone and I had the opportunity to share some words with him telling what God was gonna do and he thought by making me third in the province of Babylon that he would bribe God and his was crazy guys that very same night after I gave him the revelation God took his life and the Babylonian Empire in that moment had been finished the Persians the Medes had now take it over just as God said it was and now we find ourselves in perhaps one of my third leadership third administration's that I'm a part of I started with Nebuchadnezzar that was Belshazzar and now there's a new king a new regime his name is Darius that's why I am now I'm no longer the young spry teenager that was 16 years old by the time I was taken from my homeland now I'm 80 years old I've served faithfully I've worked hard I've I've tried to do my best and everywhere I went I've been given favor and you're asking the question Daniel if you done all that have you been as faithful if you serve like you say you've been serving why are you finding yourself now in a lion's den I mean perhaps I'm the only one that has ever been in situations like that you've been faithful you've done your best God has given you favor and you still find yourself in some tight spots and I don't know I know I know I can hear already your paths are already warned me about the 715 congregation that y'all are so saved and spiritual but let me just ask you a few questions because I think for me here's my issue because I was not like some of other people you know how some other people are they they expect for time blessings from God but have part time faithfulness you know they'll they'll don't want all of the revisions that God has all of the benefits of God but yet are lacking in their commitment that's not me but you know how some people are they they are fickle you know let it rain they won't show up the church you know house stuff like that happens I know y'all don't deal with any of that but that's what happens in my day in here I am I've been faithful I've been serving God and here's my reality and the thing I wrestle with even as I sit in this lion's den is the thing I wrestle is I said God why am i dealing with this after all I've tried to do for you it's what I'm wrestling with us I'm sitting here surrounded by lions thinking to myself how in the world did I get here and I wonder have you had moments where you've considered the same thing and here's the question I got a raise for you today is does your expert of God match your commitment to God I mean I mean at some point out of anybody I don't know we just get it introduced you're just learning about me over the last few months but I asked this question of God because I'm thinking after all I've done after all I tried to experience I've been faithful through three administrations I've served faithfully I continue to stay committed why now do I find myself in this lion stare your ass in that question Daniel why why are you the lion's den why are you struggling in this lion's den and here's something I learned that sometimes the unavoidable consequence of being faithful is you're gonna have to be in some lions dens I wish I could tell you that every day is gonna be cool I wish I could tell you that as long as you pray and serve and be a good steward that you'll never face lions dens but here's a reality I've done all that I've been faithful I've served I continue to keep God first but I found myself in the Lions in and I hear what some of you saying well well I don't know if I about that I don't like Lions dens I'm I'm to save for Lions Den but I'm here to tell you that faithfulness always leads to lions there's Lions dens are places where you're not supposed to make it out of lions dens are places where it feels like you are going to be overcome Lions Den it's where you are surrounded by things that are meant to take you out and as I look back over that here's the reality that I'm struggling with because I look back over life and I realize the one thing I'm guilty of is staying faithful to God the thing that led me to this Lions Den is the fact that I kept God first and I know I know I know this perhaps it's not the little message you wanted to hear you wanted to come hear your pastor Danny and I apologize that I'm the only one that is on schedule to preach for you today but here's the thing that gets me because one thing I learned about being faithful to God and staying committed to God is that many times you cannot get so consumed by what's going on around you that you forget your obligation to who's above you you've got to remember that things are gonna be crazy and people are gonna act funny but here's the true test can you stay thankful even if you know you're gonna end up in a lion's den that's why I'm mad I'll be frank with you that's my challenge in this lion's den and begins to make me think about some things and I ponder some situation because now under this new regime under Darius leadership under the Persians I figured out what happened how I made it till this lion's den let me just tell you some lessons I learned from this Lions Den some things I hope that you will take to heart I hope that you will recognize this in all of your faithful lives and endeavors that one of the things I learned here that while I got me here in this Lions Den first of all I learned this is that people will always be intimidated by your integrity and your excellence this was wild Darius it just became the new Kings the Persians had overthrown the Babylonian Empire this was Major and the Persians had now taken as ruler and ranked as the greatest empire in the world and now they have a new king a new boss have you ever had new jobs and new bosses through new supervisors and you know how it is they they really don't have to take on the old employees did I have to take on the old workers the old servants but somehow God as he did with Nebuchadnezzar as he did what Belshazzar gave me favor and I've learned this that when you got the favor of God it doesn't matter who's in charge it doesn't matter who's the manager it does not matter who's the supervisor when God has his hands on you and that's all I have I would tell you I run the smartest I won the most gifted but I must admit I've had the favor of God so this is what Darius decided to do he was a lot different for Nebuchadnezzar he had a different structure of his government because every leader has a new way they want to do things and this is how the Persians ran their empire they would have what is called a hundred and twenty say traps and they would use three or four governors over them three governors to lead them these say traps were like like mayors if you will or senators if you will it was supposed to encompass the whole area of the Persian Empire and of the hundred and twenty would then meet the three governors three governors would would then be over a hundred and twenty safe jobs these would literally be like the vice presidents if you will there they were over the rest of them and then these three governors would then meet with King Darius and y'all I was excited I got a job opportunity at this age that's great that means I got good benefits that means our housing is good everything is fine and so I had my assignment the other two governors they had 40 say traps I had my 40 but here's what's crazy I just did my job I was on time I continued to do what I was supposed to do and after a while Darius saw the work I was doing and about made a decision he decided that instead of it being a hundred and twenty eight tribes three governors he wanted to make me over the whole empire he saw my work versus the other governors and I was just doing what I was supposed to do I was just trying to work hard I was showing up early and leaving late I was making sure my appointments are in I'm making sure that my written reports are in I was always tight with my stuff and I went tripping of what the other people doing that wasn't my business I was held in my and Darius saw my work but that's when the trouble hadith as soon as Darius sent that email that said I'm recommending Daniel to be the new person over all of the Persian Empire you should have saw my co-workers oh man we was cool I mean we went to lunch before everything was fine we was on equal footing everything was great as long as our offices were side-by-side now all of a sudden they were getting ready to move me to the top level I was gonna get a corner office on the top of the Persian a Capitol and that's when things started getting crazy where it is came to me they they were jealous and envious that I was getting the promotion and they were not so I know y'all don't deal with this now but in my time when folk get jealous and envy they try to find a way to bring you down they try to find a way to destroy you and here's what's crazy the word got to me later through my three homeboys who who were also my covert spies they said many were trying to find everything to find a flaw in my life they wanted to shoot holes in my integrity they wanted to prove to Darius and to others I was not all that they thought I was and here's the crazy thing everything they tried they couldn't find nothing everything they tried to uncover they found nothing why because I live holy I did what I was supposed to do I didn't cause no ruckus I was simply trying to maintain myself and they tried to get me on a whole lot of different level to the point they figured out we can't get Daniel on regular stuff so this is what they decided to do let's get him where we know we can catch up his religious disciplines let's get him where we know we can get him we're gonna get him doing something religious so they they knew a flaw of my boss Darius they they knew that Darius thought highly of myself as every great leader of that time normally did and so those few people came and guess what they did they met with Darius and they came up with this law they said look here King you are so awesome you're so amazing you're the best thing we've ever had this is what we want you to write into law for 30 days no one can pray to anyone else but you you're gonna be our God for 30 days and anybody that does not pray to you gets automatically thrown into a lion's den Darius took a hook line and sinker he didn't know they were trying to play him he was excited just for people to pray to him so he signed it into law now this is what's different because the Persians and the Medes versus the Babylonian Empire is that in Babylon times the king could have the final say but in the Persian Medes entire the law was the final say if it was signed by the king the king could not change it so they got what they thought they could do matter of fact the memo went around that said everyone must pray to Darius for 30 days but listen I respect them god bless him but I can't pray to nobody but my god I have developed a ritual and routine since I was a kid to always pray to my god hang on front when they came up with the memo I ain't say nothin but I knew in my heart that I could not acquiesce to their request so as soon as I got out just as I normally would do I went up to my my room it was a place that was above Derry place and I had an open window that was facing Jerusalem and even though I knew the law was not to pray to nobody but Darius I got on my knees and I started thinking God now I know that sounds odd and if you know anything about the prayer ritual of that day to Neil why you pray was not something you would normally do normally you would pray what your hands outstretched but y'all don't know what I know how good god has been to me and since he's been that good to me I couldn't just stand and give him reverence I had to get on my knees and honor him and here's what my prayer was like because there was two things I always pray for I prayed because for God's goodness and I pray for God's guidance y'all gonna catch what I'm saying in other words I always started my prayer by telling God how awesome he is how wonderful and how amazing here that's what my prayer time well it wasn't just me getting on my knees and saying some little cute contrite little thing no I told God you are the best thing that has ever happened in my life thank you for waking me up this morning thank you but starting me on my way and then after I told him how good he is I said lord I need you to guide me this was crazy for majority of my life three times a day I prayed I I prayed in the morning I prayed in the afternoon I prayed in the evening the reason why we prayed towards Jerusalem and we didn't pray towards the Sun is this what was started by King Solomon that when he built the temple we were supposed to pray till the Temple in Jerusalem his was crazy even though the temple had now been destroyed that still does not stop us from honoring a God who's still in control and in sha and so I've made it my job every single day at 3 times a day to get on my knees and lift my hands toward God and that's what happened and here's what happened while I was praying up in the room the people below me started seeing what I was doing cuz I wasn't gonna hide my praise I wasn't going I'm gonna go sir Corr try to show people like that God no I know what the law says but man God is bigger than the law and I I don't know what they said I know they say you can't pray in the Capitol you can't pray in the school I know they say all that kind of stuff but for me I have to figure out a way to give God all praise and this was crazy while I was praying upstairs they were plotting downstairs see because the truth I learned in that is that prayer takes you higher than your haters y'all catch that on your way home and all of a sudden they saw because they knew me they had been watching me for all these years they knew what I was gonna do and I am like clockwork I had a routine I'm gonna pray to God regardless of anything else other people took coffee breaks they took smoke breaks I took a prayer break every single day where it got back to Darius and this is what happened they told them look King listen you signed into Greek that what nobody should should ever pray against any other God but you and King Darren said you're right well there's one the Jewish exile man they still calling me that it's been about 70 years and they still can't keep calling me a slave but I ain't gonna deal with that today and so they said listen he has decided not to follow your law but I had favor with Darius and Darius said man no we got to figure out something how to get out of this and they were minding him now remembered the law was signed you can't change the law he tried all day as much as he loved me he tried all day he talked to the lawyers that he had they talked to the people that he had and guess what nothing could come to avail to finally they saw me in my office can you imagine as I'm sitting there at my desk trying to deal with my daily stuff the officers his his Secret Service comes and they tell me Daniels stand up stand up they say place your hands behind your back they didn't cuff me and they chained me and they take me to Darius right outside there's this thing called these Lions dens literally just holes these were places of contraptions of punishment they would put famished Lions down there these would be simply holes that were dug that would hold the Lions and as I went before Darius I could see the pain in his eyes I could see him shaking as he has to once again follow through on the directive that was given and this is what he said to me he said listen I can't turn this around but made the God that you've been lower you to get you out of this okay let me say that again before I got in it the king who wasn't even a worshiper of God looked at me and said listen Dan you made the God that you've been loyal to the dog you've been committed to the God you've been faithful to make he gets you out of this that's what they did they took my chains off they tossed me into this lion's den they put this stone hedge over top and I could hear them as they place their sickening ring over it to make sure nobody mess with it I will admit to you that when I first got in this lion's den I could not see nothing it took a while for my eyes to readjust but then I start seeing a couple of pairs of eyes I could hear her and a roar and I counted a multitude of lions him that Dan I don't know you're asking what what could I possibly do in the lion's den I know the the natural inclination is to panic y'all but here's what's crazy as soon as I got in it I start praying as soon as I got in the trouble I didn't panic why because I had developed a discipline of learning how to lean and depend on des and I wasn't gonna let a Lyons dinner stop me from doing what I normally do matter of fact when they threw me in it was normally my prayer time so guess what I did even though there were eyes around I got on my knees and I'd start praying right there in the lines there I just started praying guys and here's what's crazy when I started praying it seemed like something took over the liners Patel they were hungry but they kept looking at me and didn't do anything that's when it started to make sense to me because I wasn't there when my brother's got thrown into the fiery furnace but in talking to them his was crazy they told me that when they got toast in the fiery furnace down by their hands and feet that when they got in there here's what's crazy they wouldn't buy themselves I asked Hananiah Mishael after I said man what you mean you went by yourself they said man all we know is someone was in there with us and he looked like the Son of Man man y'all I'll be honest with you I didn't believe it until I was in the Lions Den and I would tell you that makes sense to me now because that's how my god works he can take the heat out of the fire and he can close lion's mouth I see why you can't shout and the reason you can't shout is because you just assumed God has only one way to help you in your misery you only assume that he's a God that can get you out of Fiery Furnaces but one thing I've learned is God is not a one-trick pony God can't just get you out of the fiery furnace but he can get you out of lions dens as well God is not the only God that can stop heat from coming from the fire but he's also a God that can take that appetite from the line y'all gotta help me because that's why I work I should have been eating and I had to sit here hour after I meant to you that's what I've been over the last hours I've been sitting here in this lion's Deana and here's what's crazy Ida made pets out of all these lines matter of fact this is Leo this is Sanford these are my lions we didn't got cooler all the way through the night that's all I've been is I've been sitting here I should have been eating I should have been Donna but I look back over and here's was crazy guys I I told God God if my faithfulness leaves me the lion stands then guess what I go to a lion in all I can and that's why what I'm just sitting here chillin with a lot hold on hold on Shh I hear my name hold on hello Darius is that you yeah that's me it's me guess me Daniel I'm down here yeah yeah I'm still alive yeah I'm still alive I'm good now it's crazy now the Lions they didn't even bother me no no we've been good we we didn't we didn't form the family down here they oh you was worried about me you you you was up all night now there was no need I'm good my God is faithful you matter of fact I slept good last night but there was no need for me being up in God being up at the same time because I heard my god never sleeps oh you say I can leave the Lions there oh man that's good so you telling me Darius the thing that got me in the lion's den is the thing that's gonna give me the Rope down Darius I'm ready to leave I wish I had some healthier now because when you learn how to trust in God the thing that gets you in it it's gonna be the thing that gets you out of oh you should have sold them as I got up and I got to talk to King Darius and let me tell you how God flipped the script because the same one that tried to put um hate on me and and conspire against me Darius got so mad he threw them in the lion's deal but they didn't know my god and his was crazy before they even hit the ground where the Lions weren't hungry last night with their mouths were closed last night as soon as my haters got in there he dealt with them real I see I wish that's why you got to be careful how you treat a child of God that's why you got to be careful putting your mouth in your hands on a child of God because the god I serve simply says the Lord that Dingess is mine I'm done I'm done but here's the good news just like we're never kanessa Belshazzar never got it but Darius when he saw me matter of fact his was crazy they examined me they they didn't believe my testimony so guess what they decided to do let's examine him and see if he got any teeth marks on him but just like they did with the three Hebrew boys when they saw there was no fire on them when they saw there was no smoking there when they looked at me they saw no teeth marks they saw no drool marks they seemed like the Lions left me alone Darius started praising and shouting right there matter of fact he sent a new memo to everybody and tell him all of us should praise Daniels God I wish I had time I know you can't shout over that because you can't celebrate the fact that God get me out early in the morning but I hear if you keep on reading the Bible some thousand years later there's gonna be another man that some haters tried to set up matter of fact they calls them to go to a cross they put him in his own lion's den call a grape but three days later someone showed up early in the moment and when they called in to the grape called into the dome who should have been dead is now still alive I wish I had somebody grabs on my hand and said neighbor if your trust god he'll keep you when you can't keep yourself tell the name if you learn how to trust them he'll be right there wherever you are do I got anybody here that's it I'm just don't stay faithful he's been that good to me I'm not gonna switch up now which means imma keep on praying i'ma keep on attendant imma keep on serving because the god I serve he great and he's mighty if you believe it open your mouth and shout thank you for closing lion's mouth give that show Chester moon open your mouth touch three people and say neighbor don't switch up now keepo hollering keep on dancing keep on service keep on singing keep on preaching because the more you stay faith the park guards day everyone's standing only do only doing only daughter Loney doing won't he do it everyone standing everyone standing as I look back over my life I had no reason to doubt my god he had already given me enough evidence of his sustaining power and the same God that kept me a majority of my life what I'm gonna bring me this far to leave me now you know sometimes we need Lions dens to remind us that God is still good sometimes we need lions dens to remind us that faithfulness pays off after a while and I know there's many people that tell you it ain't worth it there's many people that tell you don't stay committed but here meets out of God the thing that gets you in it it's a thing that gets you out I hope you've enjoyed learning about me over the last two months and if you don't get anything else out of what I your past have been trying to preach and teach to you stay faithful you don't get anything else stay faithful you times don't change leaders don't change administration's don't change stay faithful don't let the the shifting times cause you to shift on God your pastor told me that he was raised by his grandparents and they used to sing a song when he was growing up that simplement hold two gods I like that they they didn't sing that when I was growing up but I like that hold to God he's the same yesterday today and forever kings and princes come and go policies and laws come and go but he's the same don't switch you

Channel: Tabernacle Baptist Church Augusta

Views: 6,302

Rating: 4.8350515 out of 5

Keywords: rev. dr. charles e. goodman, pastor goodman, tabernacle baptist church, augusta, ga, trey mclaughlin, tab, tbc, tabernacle, daniel 6:11-17, daniel 6

Id: PTZf8Kv0ujo

Length: 37min 39sec (2259 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 04 2019