Our King ~ Our HopeMuskoka Lakes Ministry of Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance
Sunday August 15, 2021
Message: Stand Out ~ Stand Up ~ Stand Firm
Reverend Glynis Faith
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Announcements
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* Monday evening 7pm via Zoom ~ ‘The Story’ study group meets
* Thursday evening 7:30 pm via Zoom ~ the Bible study group meets
* KNOX – there is a ‘coffee hour’ signup sheet downstairs on the side door where coffee is served after the service. Please consider if you are able to help out, and if so, please sign up for a week that works for you.
* Rev. Faith will be taking holidays Aug 30 – Sept 19. Should a pastoral need arise during this time, please contact your elder.
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Prayer of Adoration & Confession
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Wherever we are, whatever our need, You, Loving God hear our prayers, You are with us and You provide.
In the lion’s dens of life, You are at our side, You hear our prayer and when the morning comes, the stone is moved and we are lifted into the light of Your great love.
You, O Lord, have been faithful to us from the first word uttered in Creation, and You will remain faithful, for that is who You are.
Faithful One, we praise you and we confess that we ourselves are not always faithful in standing out – standing up and standing firm in our faith. Sometimes we hide what we believe, for fear of the scorn or ridicule of others. We fail to shine Your love into the world, not wanting to be different or out of place. Lord, forgive us our sins. Forgive us and give us confidence in our faith that we might indeed shine Your love brightly into the darkest corners of our world. In Christ we pray AMEN
WORDS OF ASSURANCE
Friends, believe the good news of the Gospel. In Jesus Christ we are forgiven! The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. May the God of mercy, who forgives us all our sins, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. AMEN
AMEN
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Prayer of Intercession
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Into the needs of our world Lord, we offer these prayers of intercession:
Where there is sickness, we pray for healing
We pray for guidance for those who are lost
Where there is mourning, we pray for comfort
We pray for peace in our homes and in our world
Lord, we pray for a time – a time not far off – when we can hug and sing and stand side by side without fear of spreading Covid.
We continue to pray for steady rain in BC to help with extinguishing the wildfires.
We pray for a renewed desire in the hearts of Your people to study Your Word and spend time daily in prayer.
We pray for revival in the hearts and lives our Your people.
And we pray, precious Lord, that you will use us as Your hands and feet in this world. Work through us to share the Good News and care for the needs of Your people.
All these things we pray in the powerful name of Jesus. AMEN
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“ Stand Out ~ Stand Up ~ Stand Firm ”
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Last week we saw the end of the final tribe of Israel – the Temple gone – the people led into exile.
Moving forward we now see the people of God living in exile, and I believe there is much for us to learn from this section of the Old Testament. The Christian churches in the Western World today no longer hold a dominant role in society. Christianity is no longer dominant in our government or our social fabric. Many Christians today can relate to the stories of the exiles from Judah and Jerusalem. Living our faith today can be much like living in exile, and like Daniel our beliefs can be challenged and we can be put to the test.
If you are following along with The Story, chapter 18 started with 4 exiles by the names of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. You can read their story in chapters 1 and 3 of Daniel. The Babylonians stripped them of their Jewish names, giving them Babylonian names instead – Daniel became Belteshazzar – Hananiah became Shadrach – Mishael became Meshach and Azariah became Abednego.
Did you know this still happens today? While studying at the University of Toronto I learned that many foreign students and immigrants with names are encouraged to take Western names, so they are easier for people to pronounce. They often choose a name with the same meaning as their own, or one that sounds similar.
Few of you may be familiar with the story of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, yet you may remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – a story often told in Sunday School of the men who would not bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden idol and were thrown into the fiery oven as punishment. God protected them. If you are not familiar take a few minutes this week to read chapter 3 of Daniel. It is a short but interesting chapter.
Today we are going to take a closer look at Daniel.
Daniel 6:1-10
“It pleased the king to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Finally, these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”
So, these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing.
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”
So the trap is set, Daniel realizes the consequences of the choices put before him, yet he chooses to remain the faithful individual the king has grown to respect and trust.
Daniel will not put his faith on hold, and he certainly will not pause his relationship with God for 30 days to satisfy the jealousies of those who oppose him. Now, he could have closed his windows and prayed in private or simply waited until it was dark to pray, but Daniel was a man of strong faith and honour.
I wonder if the story of Daniel can teach us as individuals and as the church to Stand Out ~ to Stand Up ~ and to Stand Firm in our faith.
Daniel’s character stood out right from the start. He was likely in his late teens when he first went into exile, and shortly after he was called to train in the service of the palace. Those in service were expected to eat the good foods of the palace, which might sound like a benefit to the job, but these foods were not part of the diet of God’s people.
One thing we can see in the story of Daniel is his spiritual discipline – continuing to live in covenant with God by adhering to the Laws of Moses and remaining faithful in prayer. Discipline is important in keeping us on track.
So Daniel, rather than making a scene about his personal dietary requirements, asks permission to eat the food he is accustomed to, promising that if he does not maintain the strength and appearance required for service, he will eat the palace food. He asks permission, respecting the authority of the government where he has been exiled.
We are called to be a ‘light on the hill’ (Matt 5:14) – to reflect the light of God’s love and grace into the darkness of the world. A light in the darkness stands out. You don’t have to be a big light to stand out, but you do have to shine. The smallest of lights, such as a firefly, stands out in a dark sky. Daniel made small choices that made his character stand out – serving willingly – staying true to his faith and showing good character in his personal life and in his public service.
Remember, the king was preparing to make him head over the leadership of the nation, and Scripture tells he was doing so because of Daniel distinguished himself with his exceptional qualities. Daniel’s faith and the way he lived his faith made him stand out.
His character not only made him stand out, but it was central to his standing up. Daniel faced certain death should he be thrown to the lions. He would be well aware that the lions are let go hungry before people are thrown into the den, ensuring the lions will devour the convicted party quickly. It would be tempting to hide his prayer life and avoid the risk.
But Daniel stands up for his faith. Again, there is no intentional defiance on his behalf, he simply continues to live out his faith and commitment to God by facing towards Jerusalem and praying to God. It was this kind of commitment, faithfulness and willingness to stand up for what is right that would have earned him the high-ranking position the king entrusted him with in the first place.
The king, however, is forced to uphold his own decree and have Daniel tossed into the lion’s den. The king’s respect for Daniel and his principles is evident in the fact that he seeks loopholes to save Daniel, but even the king cannot deny the consequences due to any who break his decree.
Daniel stood up for what he believed was right and the king admired his faith. He could not stop the wheels of justice from turning, but I suspect Daniel’s faith has inspired the king enough that when the order is given to throw Daniel into the den of lions, the king calls out to him “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
So, Daniel stands out – his faithfulness makes him stand out in the crowd. He also stands up – he does not cower when the odds are stacked against him; but rather he stands up for what he believes, and by doing so others pay attention. And Daniel also stands firm.
Firmly planted in his faith, firm and unwavering in his convictions, Daniel is able to serve the nation where he is exiled while remaining faithful to God. When the governors and satraps tried to find something on Daniel to bring him down, Scripture tells us “they could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.”
Here was a man who stood firm in his words and actions, so much so that the only way to bring him down was to create a punishable offence of Daniel’s faithfulness – if he prays faithfully to God everyday, then make it an offense to pray to God.
They knew the trap would work, simply because Daniel’s character – his faithfulness was well known. The King knew it, the governors and satraps knew it, and I imagine anyone who knew Daniel knew it, because Daniel ‘stood out, stood up and stood firm’ in all he did.
But here is what those who tried to being Daniel down did not realize, by putting him in a position where his faith was publicly tested, they helped Daniel show God’s love in action. This is what the king wrote after God kept Daniel safe from the mouths of the lions:
“Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:
“May you prosper greatly!
“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
“For he 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.”
So, Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”
Daniel stood out – he stood up – he stood firm, and because he did others believed.
We too are called to stand out, stand up and stand firm – to shine the light of Christ into the world by following in His footsteps. We are called to shine where we are planted, to engage in the social, political, and daily life of the community where we live and work, and to do so in ways that express and show what we believe.
Friends, God will be with you and bless you when you remain firmly planted in His Word. Please pray with me:
You give strength to the faithful and bless those rooted in Your Word, Lord God. Jesus, you have shown us how to shine God’s love into our surroundings and how to live in faithful witness and service to the Father. Holy Spirit, in You we can seek the courage and strength to face each day and each situation. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we praise You and ask that You enable us to stand out, stand up and stand firm in our faith. May all we say and do be a witness to our faith in YOU. In Christ we pray. AMEN________________________________________
#626 Lord of all Power
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Lord of all power, I give you my will, in joyful obedience your tasks to fulfil.
Your bondage is freedom, your service is song, and, held in your keeping, my weakness is strong.

Lord of all wisdom, I give you my mind, rich truth that surpasses our knowledge to find.
What eye has not seen and what ear has not heard is taught by your Spirit and shines from your word.

Lord of all bounty, I give you my heart; I praise and adore you for all you impart:
your love to inspire me, your counsel to guide, your presence to cheer me, whatever betide.

Lord of all being, I give you my all. If e'er I disown you, I stumble and fall,
but, sworn in glad service your word to obey, I walk in your freedom to the end of the way.
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Commission & Benediction
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Friends in Christ, let us stand out – stand up – and stand firm in our faith, that the world will see the light of God shining through us

May the love, grace and peace of God go with you. AMEN