2024
In the Angel’s Den
Passage: Daniel 5:30-31; 6:1-10, 16-26
There was another in the fire
Standing next to me
There was another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
Of how I’ve been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden
Where another died for me
There is another in the fire
—Another in the Fire, Hillsong United
If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things: praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds. – C. S. Lewis, On Living in an Atomic Age
SERMON OUTLINE:
1. Living in Exile like Daniel
2. Deep Formation of Daniel
3. Hoping in the Greater Daniel
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What influences have most shaped your views of politics?
Read Daniel 5:30-31; 6:1-10, 16-26. What challenges, encourages, or sparks questions for you in this passage? What phrases stand out to you that help shape your understanding of God’s character and your identity as a child of God?
If we embrace our exile identity, then no matter who leads the empire or our country, Christ is still King and his kingdom will continue to fill his creation by the power of sacrificial love. National politics are not unimportant, but national politics are not ultimate. In what ways does Daniel’s life in this passage reflect this approach to current political power?
What is Daniel’s experience in response to faithful living? How does the way he was treated give perspective to your expectation of living faithfully? What was attractive about Daniel? What was offensive about Daniel?
In Daniel 6:10, we learn that Daniel prayed “just as he had done before.” This reflects a way of life for Daniel. What did Daniel’s practice of prayer look like from this passage? How are you currently practicing prayer (when, where, how) and what helps you in prayer?
Daniel 6 provides more than simply a model of how to stand firm under trials. Like Daniel, Jesus was falsely accused by his enemies and brought before a ruler. Like Daniel, Jesus was condemned to die and his body was placed into a sealed tomb. When Daniel came out of the lions’ den, he came out alone. But Jesus emerged alive from his tomb on the first Easter and he brought with him God’s stamp of acquittal for all who believe and trust in him. Our salvation rests not on our ability to “dare to be a Daniel,” but solely on Christ’s perfect obedience in our place. Seeing what Jesus has done for us, how are you encouraged to respond this week?
PRAYER
Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?
Pray for our government, peace and unity in the church, a greater vision of God that acknowledges his sovereignty and greatness, gratitude for our identity in Christ, and freedom from idolatry.
Romans 12:2 / “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”