Living in Babylon – being centred, grounded and making a difference in Christ
Apologies missed the first 1-2 minutes
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
- Falling short of the expected standard – v5, 8, 11, 16
- 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)
- Because he was beloved and greatly treasured (v23)
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