Pastor Josh McPherson

September 27, 2020

Text: Daniel 1:1-21

2 Interpretive Keys to Daniel:

1. #1 God Creates, Satan Counterfeits
2. #2 Behind the Ancient city of Babylon stands the evil spirit of Babylon

A Tale of Two Cities

• “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual
immorality.” Rev. 14:8
• “The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.” Rev. 16:19
• “And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” Rev. 17:5
• “I saw another angel coming down from heaven…calling out…“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.” Rev. 18:1-2
• “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Rev. 21:1-3

The spirit of Babylon today…

1 The Spirit of Babylon wants to CONQUER you (Dan. 1:1-2)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the
powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

2 The Spirit of Babylon wants to INCULCATE you (Dan. 1:3-5)

[“Inculcate” Definition: “To instill in or teach someone (an attitude, idea, or habit) by persistent instruction. - Webster’s Dictionary]
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” II Cor. 10:3-5

3 The Spirit of Babylon wants to COMPROMISE you (Dan. 1:3-5)

4 The Spirit of Babylon wants to CAPTURE you (Dan. 1:6-7)

Significance of Names in Daniel:

Hebrew Name — Babylonian Name

Daniel “God is my judge” Belteshazzar “Bel protects his life”
Hananiah “Yahweh is gracious” Shadrach “The command of Aku”
Mishael “Who is what God is?”Meshack “Who is what Aku is?”
Azariah “Yahweh is my helper” Abed-Nego “Servant of Nebo”

Whoever or Whatever names you, owns you and has power over you. (This is why name calling is
so hurtful as kids and so damaging to our culture…)
Think about what names you attribute to yourself and how that has shaped your identity?
Names give us meaning and significance. There’s power in a name.

5 The Spirit of GOD wants to GIVE YOU CONVICTION (Dan. 1:6-8)

6 The Spirit of GOD wants to GIVE YOU COURAGE (Dan. 1:9-16)

7 The Spirit of GOD wants to SEND YOU INTO CULTURE (Dan. 1:9-16)

8 The Spirit of GOD wants to CARRY YOU TO THE END (Dan. 1:21)

THE BIG IDEAS:

Big Idea #1: You’re never too young for things that matter.

Big Idea #2: Never underestimate the global ripple affect of a small obedience to God when all
around seems lost.

Big Idea #3: If you don’t want to waste your life, live for the King who won’t lose his throne.

Big Idea #4: Courage comes when your Audience is One.

BABYLON IS COMING FOR YOU…but thanks be to God, God has already come for us.
JESUS IS THE GREATER DANIEL…
…Daniel was forcibly taken from his home and sent as a slave to Babylon…
…Jesus voluntarily left his home & came as a servant to Babylon (Christ came not to be served but to serve).
…Daniel was given wisdom and knowledge by God to serve Babylon…
…Jesus grew in wisdom & stature and lived to save us from Babylon (and give his life as a ransom for many).
…Daniel successfully stood against the temptation of partaking in the kingdom of darknesses and lived a
righteous life that honored God…
…Jesus withstood all temptation to take the Devil’s offer of earthly kingdoms and lived a perfectly righteous
life that pleased God and stood as the payment for all of our unrighteousness.
…Daniel was given authority over the King’s Court in Babylon for a short period of time…
…Jesus has been given authority over every king at every time as the King of Kings.
…Daniel was thrown alive into a lion’s den, had it sealed with a stone, that was supposed to become his tomb,
yet miraculously came out alive…
…Jesus was thrown dead into the tomb, had it sealed with a stone, and miraculously emerged having not
avoided death but conquered it!
…Daniel is in Heaven right now in the presence of the Father and the Throne…
…Jesus is in Heaven right now in the presence of the Father SITTING ON THE THRONE.

Discussion Questions:

Getting to Know Me
1. What stuck with you from the sermon?
2. What can you think of to show that a spirit of Babylon is still current, today?
3. Why would politics follow culture (not the other way around), especially in a democracy?

Into the Bible
1. God is noted to have acted in v2, v9 and v17. What did he do in v2, and why?
2. What does v9 say God did? What does that mean and why is it important? How is it related to Ephesians 6:12?
3. What does v17 say God did? Why would he act for these four men, in particular?
4. What else do you think God took a hand in, in this chapter?
5. In v19-20, why would Daniel and the three amigos come out so far ahead of all the other advisors [magicians & conjurors] in the kingdom? [What was the source of their wisdom and understanding, versus that of the other advisors?]

Application

What was your main takeaway from Pastor Josh’s sermon? How were you impacted/ encouraged? Did you have
an “ah-ha” moment or realize something for the first time?
If we’re never too young for things that matter, are we also never too old for things that matter? What does that
mean? What should we do about it?
How will it give us courage to keep our Audience of One in mind?
What does it mean to live for the King who won’t lose his throne?
What was your main takeaway from the sermon? What will you do about it?
What is one thing God is asking you to do or one prayer God is calling you to pray as a result of listening to this
sermon*?*