GraceWay D.C.

This morning, Pastor Brad takes up the mantle of thousands of preachers before him, delivering what is called an election sermon. On Tuesday, we have the opportunity to exercise our civil liberty to choose leaders for our nation. Does our one vote truly matter? To not steward this responsibility is to enter into passivity, leaving void spaces soon filled by voices we cannot control.

We have reached the final chapter in our study of the book of Daniel. Each message has been a challenge to prepare--and to live. What a hero Daniel has proven to be! I want to give you an aerial view of the entire book this morning. My desire is to leave us with a clear grasp of the major divisions and practical lessons from Daniel's life. Then, after many extraordinary experiences and extraterrestrial messages, Daniel is given a simple command, "Go your way." It's oddly comforting to hear Daniel say in effect, "But wait, I don't understand it all!" And neither will we--until the time of end. In the meantime, Go.

Daniel has been serving in Babylon for 65 years. He has received multiple downloads from angelic beings concerning the plan of the ages. If the story so far has felt like standing under a firehose, chapter 11 is more like standing under Niagara Falls. Yet God has three simple commands for those of us still watching and waiting.

As we turn to Chapter Ten, we find Daniel has been praying for 21 days. It seems he is not getting through and the heavens are as brass. Most of us would have given up, attributing the silence to the "will of God." But, Daniel persists. He continues to "chasten himself" by refusing creature comforts and begging God for an answer. If Jesus said, "Ask and ye shall receive," why don't we get an answer when we pray? I want to give you five reasons for the delay. If we expect prayer to change things, we must first be willing to change ourselves.

Last episode in our series Bold in Babylon, Daniel received the download of the ages. It's often called Daniel's Seventy Weeks, describing the mountain peaks of events from Daniel's day until the end of time. Whatever our conclusions on the details, our primary focus must always be to preach the Gospel until Jesus comes.

Daniel has received overwhelming visions of what God has planned for his people. It sends him to his knees to cry out in repentance for God's mercy. While he is confessing his own sin and the sin of his people, the angel Gabriel appears. Daniel is so beloved, God desires to not only show him the immediate captivity will be over in 70 years, but also His plan for Israel through the end of time. This revelation is the keystone of the arch of end-times' prophecy. It is also the chronological backbone for understanding all other prophecies. I am praying God will make His plan plain to us today.

Daniel is now an old man. Reading the prophecy of Jeremiah, he understands that the seventy years of exile are nearly complete. What does he do? He sets his face toward the Lord with prayer, fasting, and confession. From Lamentations 3, we're reminded: God's mercies, His compassions, His faithfulness are new every morning.

Two years after the vision of Chapter 7, Daniel has another vision. More details about the future only create more astonishment. There's a powerful ram who is overtaken by a young male goat. The goat has four horns, but they are broken off as a little horn arises furiously. There's mention of transgressions, sacrifices being interrupted, and the Temple being desecrated. Daniel is currently living in exile, the Temple has already been destroyed, and Jerusalem is in shambles. How could it get worse? And, if this is the future, what should he do about it? I can't wait to show you the answer.

It all began with a purpose in the heart of a young man. He determined to live clean and say "no," even if it would cost him his life. Then, he trusted God to reveal the King's dream, saving lives of every royal counselor in the empire. His courage spread. Others also refused to bow to pagan gods, even in the face of a fiery furnace. When political winds changed, he continued to pray to his God three times a day. He would rather face a den of lions then to deny the God of His fathers. If you think Daniel's life was incredible, just wait to you hear his vision for the future!

Last week, we left Daniel kneeling before his window three times a day. Though the law of the land prohibited it, the "law of God" demanded his allegiance. he would maintain his integrity come what may. You know the story, though greatly distraught, the king must now throw Daniel in the den of lions. After a sleepless night, the king runs to the den at first light. "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee?" He cries. Of course, He is able! Fully and completely. And He will, whether it be by life or by death. Yet, the real lesson today is: will we kneel in order to stand?