"Courage to Face the Lions" Study Guide
Newbreak’s Sermon Study Guide is an in-house resource that serves sermon-based Life Groups and/or individuals who want to reflect further on how the message contributes to their spiritual formation.
About This Sermon Series
“The world is going to hell in a handbasket,” as many commonly say. It is true that we are watching the rise of secularism reach new heights as the prevailing culture pressures Christ-followers to adapt or move to the margins of society until they are in total obscurity or extinction. The Bible refers to this kind of society as “Babylon.” We are in Babylon and we have a choice to make. Will we compromise? Will we retreat and hide? Or will we thrive? Join us as we learn what it looks like to thrive in Babylon!
About this week's sermon:
Fair weather fans are looked down upon by sports enthusiasts. These are the fans who switch their allegiance based on their team’s performance. They love a team one week when all is well but then abandon them when they are not winning. This serves as a great analogy for the life of faith. Join us as we look at what it means to be faithful to God, not wavering in our commitment even as hardships arise.
Icebreakers for Life Groups
- Outside of being Superman, who is one superhero that you would like to be? Why?
- What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done? What prompted you to take on that challenge?
Read Daniel 6:1-5
Point 1 – My faithfulness opens doors for godly influence.
We learn right away in Daniel 6 that there is a new sheriff in town. King Darius, the ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire, was now in charge and the Babylonians were history (see Daniel 5). Darius had a plan to divide up his newly conquered world into 120 regions with satraps (leaders) over each region and three administrators over all of it. Daniel, who was probably 65 years old at this time, was a part of his new restructuring plan (vs.1-2).
Since Daniel was such a great leader (vs.3), Darius took notice and wanted to make Daniel in charge of everything. Because Daniel was faithful to use his leadership position and his leadership skills for God’s purposes, God blessed him with favor and unique abilities that made him stand out above the rest. God’s desire for us is that we have influence in this world, to bring glory to Him and to further His kingdom. That influence starts at the lowest possible level. As we show God that we can be faithful with a few things He will give us opportunities to be faithful with many things (See Matt. 25:21).
Daniel caught the attention of the other leaders at the time and they didn’t like how great Daniel was at his job (vs.4). They were jealous of his success and his favor with Darius. They went on a mission to find a way to bring him down but the only thing they could pin against him was that he was a very godly guy (4-5).
In a similar way, people are always watching us when they find out we are Christ followers. They watch us even more closely if we act differently than they expect, if we have more joy, if we have more peace, if we love more, if we are quick to forgive, if we are people of our word.
The way that we live our lives at home, in our jobs, and with our neighbors is a testimony of what we believe about God. That’s why Peter encouraged us in 1 Peter 2:12 to “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”
Questions for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection
- Daniel was faithful to use his special skills and leadership position for God’s purposes. How are you using your gifting and position to serve God?
- Daniel’s character was very important to this story. Why do you think our character is so important to God?
- What has God shown you about yourself from reading this passage? How is this going to change you?
Read Daniel 6:6-16
Point 2 – My faithfulness creates habits that sustain me through turbulent times.
F.M. Alexander said, “People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.” Jesus made it a habit to go off to a quiet place to pray long before He went to the garden of Gethsemane to pray the night He was to be arrested. In fact Luke 22:39 says, “Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.”
Daniel had made a daily habit of prayer as well. In fact, three times a day he could be found by an open window on his knees praying. So, when he learned that a decree had been made that prohibited him from praying to anyone except the God-King Darius (vs.6-9), he went home right away to pray. What he had done hundreds of other times in his life was what he was going to be found doing on this day, no matter what man’s decree was. He was going to remain faithful to God, even when his faithfulness was going to cost him. (vs.10-11)
Daniel decided that taking the time to thank God, and ask God for help in the situation he found himself was worth it. He had taken the time to build habits that he knew would see him through any hard times. This wasn’t because he thought that prayer was a magic request that would get him out of any hard time. This was because Daniel knew he could do nothing without God. He knew that he wanted to spend time with God and seek God’s will. This was something that had been tested and found to be true over years.
God is always faithful to bless our time with Him. We can be sure of this if we remember that God’s faithfulness to us may not look the way we expect it to. Daniel came to God expecting God to work His will in Daniel’s life. Daniel did not come to God expecting God to work Daniel’s will in his life.
Questions for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection
- What godly habits have you developed in your life that have sustained you through hard times? What godly habits would you like to develop, or would like to develop more?
- What is your prayer life like? What would being completely open to God’s will in your life do to your prayer life?
- Have you ever had your relationship with God challenged or looked down upon by others? If so, how did you handle it? Based on the text, How did Daniel handle this?
Read Daniel 6:17-28
Point 3 – My faithfulness sets the table for God’s power.
While Daniel was a man, and therefore not sinless, in this instance he was without sin. He was not thrown into the lion’s den because he tried to start a revolt or because he wasn’t good at his job. He was thrown into the den because he wouldn’t deny God. This set up an opportunity from which only God could extract Daniel. Through divine intervention, Daniel was rescued. Daniel was faithful to God and God was faithful to Daniel.
When God allows us to get into situations where He is the only way out it gives those around us the chance to see who He is and glorify Him with us. As the leaders waited to see if Daniel’s God would save him, Daniel knew that that could only happen if he remained steadfast. If he ran and hid, if he fought against his accusers, or if he denied God, he would be able to be used to show that God “is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” Daniel 6:26b-27
In the end, Daniel’s life had a massive impact on King Darius and the rest of the Medo-Persian Empire.
Questions for Group Discussion or Personal Reflection
- What does your faithfulness to God look like? How are you seeing God’s faithfulness to you in this season?
- Daniel’s willingness to be faithful to God made a huge impact on Darius’ life (vs.25-27). Based on the text, how would you describe what God did in the King’s heart because of God’s saving miracle?
- Have you ever shared about God’s faithfulness in your life with people who don’t know God? How did that go?
Final Challenge Questions
- How are you going to think or live differently in light of what you have read, heard, and discussed this week?
- How does this week’s message shape or nurture your relationship with God?
- BONUS: For those of you with kids or around kids: What is one truth from this message that you can share with your kids in a way that they would relate to or understand?