Sermons – St Bart's Anglican Church

This is the second of seven sermons in our series on Daniel. This sermon is ‘Living Faithfully in a Foreign Land’. Preacher: The Rev’d Adam Lowe. Bible Reading: Daniel 1:8-21

Show Notes

Sermon & Small Group Resources

This is the second of seven sermons in our series on Daniel. This sermon is ‘Living Faithfully in a Foreign Land’. Preacher: The Rev’d Adam Lowe. Bible Reading: Daniel 1:8-21

DOWNLOAD the Small Group Questions, Going Deeper, and Sermon Transcript (PDF).

Next Steps this Week

BIBLE READING: Daniel 1:8-21

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS

Download in PDF format.

CONNECT: How should the cross shape the way in which you act on your frontlines?

WARM-UP

  1. What do you think are the common ways that Christians may feel pressure to conform to culture?

  2. What are the main ways on your frontlines in which you feel pressure to conform to culture?

Read Daniel 18

  1. Looking back at verses 1-7, what were the ways in which Daniel (and his friends) seem to go along with the expectations set on them up to this point? Where did Daniel ‘draw the line’?

  2. Does this passage tell us why Daniel decided to draw the line here? What were the unlikely reasons?

  3. What do we learn from Daniel about how to determine which things matter and which things do not?

  4. How may have Daniel reached that resolution? How can that help shape our decision-making?

  5. What were the ingredients of Daniel’s response that can help shape our responses?

  6. On one of your frontlines, have you ever had to take a stand in order to be faithful to God? How did you discern that you needed to ‘draw a line’ about something in particular?

  7. What are the ways in which you’re most tempted to go along with culture? Is there anything right now on one of your frontlines in which you’re trying to discern if you should be ‘drawing a line’?

  8. What are the ways as community in which we can help each other discern how to live faithfully?

Read Daniel 1:9-21

  1. How is God’s kindness and faithfulness evident in what happens next?

  2. Have you ever had to take a stand at work/uni/school and witnessed God’s grace at work?

  3. Is there anything now in which you need to ask God for help to try and find a way through?

  4. How does verse 21 remind us of who really is in charge and who will ultimately be victorious?

  5. How does keeping our eyes on Jesus (and his return) help us to be faithful day-by-day?

Apply On any of your frontlines, is there anything you need to say ‘no’ to in order to be faithful to God?

BONUS: If work is a frontline, try the next meeting of our Centre for Work+Faith: stbarts.com.au/workfaith 

PRAYER

Gracious Father, how we praise you for your faithfulness! Please help us in our resolve to live faithfully on our frontlines, being wise in when to take stand and when it is not necessary. Please help us to ultimately trust that you are working out your purposes and that your Kingdom will prevail. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

GOING DEEPER

On Your Frontline This Week: What is challenging about your frontline? How do you respond to these challenges?

Listen, Watch, and Read:

Series Resources:

Some helpful resources for our Series:

Grow as Families

Each week St Bart’s Kids and CHARGE Youth provides resources for you to use at home. Join the livestream and then spend 30 minutes to work through these together.

Families: Read, Chat, Do, and Pray

High School: CHARGE Discussion Questions

Kids’ Talk: Watch the Kids’ Talk

eBook: Watch the eBook

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